"Are you playing with me, Your Highness?"

A trace of coldness crept onto Consort Chen's face. Her expression, her gaze, and her tone were all icy.

"You see," Xu Qi'an shrugged and sneered, "No matter how good the person who promises to paint a big picture sounds, as long as there is actual effort, they will immediately turn their back on you."

It's a good thing you didn't agree. Otherwise, I would rather break my heart in Lin'an than let you succeed.

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Consort Chen picked up her teacup and took a sip. When she put down the teacup, her face had returned to normal. "My biggest flaw is Lang'er. As long as she is gone, there will be no evidence."

"And the Phoenix Perching Palace is about to collapse. As the saying goes, a good bird chooses its tree to perch on. Mr. Xu is a smart person. You understand how to choose."

Xu Qi'an nodded in agreement. "The Crown Prince is still the Crown Prince, and the Empress is about to ascend the throne. The Empress has also promised to marry Lin'an to me... So I choose Duke Wei."

Consort Chen's face froze, and she exerted a slight force on the teacup in her hand. It took her a while to resist the urge to splash the scalding tea on this kid's face or throw the cup at him.

"So, Mr. Xu plans to take Lang'er away from the Jingxiu Palace and put me in a desperate situation?"

Consort Chen stared at Xu Qi'an, and the atmosphere in the room dropped to freezing point. An invisible killing intent enveloped Xu Qi'an.

Xu Bai Piao, who was in the Divine Refining Realm, did not capture the scene of the enemy making a move, but the instinct of a seventh-grade warrior was sending him a signal: danger!

If he insisted on taking Lang'er away, it would be tantamount to self-destruction along with Consort Chen. In this case, she would be desperate and no longer care that this was the harem. She would attack me, and my life would not be guaranteed. Although Shen Shu is here, he is my last trump card... Xu Qi'an sneered, straightened his back, and looked disdainful:

"When I, Xu Qi'an, faced tens of thousands of rebels that day, I fought alone, killed thousands of enemies, and did not fall. Your Highness, do you think I would be afraid of a mere threat?

"I, your subject, do not fear death. How can I be afraid of death?"

Consort Chen's eyes showed obvious surprise, and she nodded slowly. "Well said, Mr. Xu is indeed a hero. I lost to you..."

Consort Chen tightened her grip on the teacup, as if she was about to smash it.

Suddenly, Xu Qi'an shouted loudly, "But I am sincerely devoted to Lin'an and do not want to see her sad. I can pretend that today's events never happened."

Even if I want to expose Consort Chen, I still need to be able to leave the Jingxiu Palace... Xu Qi'an thought regretfully.

Consort Chen stared at him for a moment, put down the teacup, and nodded in satisfaction. "You didn't lie. It seems that you are indeed sincere to Lin'an. In that case, why doesn't Mr. Xu want to join us?"

Do you think I'm a fool? If I join you, I'm doomed. In the capital, the only person I can rely on is Wei Yuan. Huai Qing can only be considered half, and as for Lin'an, she is a princess without power or influence. She can't protect me at all.

"Your Highness, loyalty is not just empty promises, but practical actions. I am loyal to Duke Wei because he treats me with sincerity, and I trust him."

After saying that, Xu Qi'an turned to look at the little eunuch outside the courtyard and said, "I am helpless against Your Highness, but I don't think Your Highness can do anything to me either."

Once the idea of self-destruction is gone, Consort Chen cannot harm him unless she kills him directly. Any conspiracy or framing will be useless. The little eunuch can testify for Xu Qi'an.

That's why Xu Qi'an insisted on keeping the little eunuch.

Consort Chen looked at him deeply and slightly closed her beautiful eyes. "I'm tired. You may leave... The gates of the Jingxiu Palace will always be open for you."

"I take my leave."

Xu Qi'an bowed and left the room.

The little eunuch in the courtyard immediately approached him and asked, "Mr. Xu, what did Consort Chen say to you?"

"Don't ask. If you ask, your head won't be safe," Xu Qi'an replied impatiently.

The little eunuch's face changed slightly.

In the outer courtyard, Lin'an sat in the pavilion, supporting her chin with one hand and playing with a teacup in the other, bored.

There were two palace maids standing beside her.

When she saw Xu Qi'an, her round face blossomed with a smile. Her eyebrows and eyes curved, and her peach blossom eyes became lively. She waved her hand and said in a sweet voice, "Dog servant, come here quickly."

The way she called him "dog servant" lacked any imposing manner. It sounded like a spoiled child, sweet and coquettish.

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and smiled as if nothing had happened. "Your Highness, I have come out."

Lin'an immediately asked, "What did Mother Empress say to you?"

"Her Majesty asked if you are of marriageable age and if I have any suitable candidates to recommend. She wants to find a future husband for you."

Lin'an was stunned for a moment, and a blush crept onto her face. She asked suspiciously, "Would Mother Empress talk to you about these things?"

... Huh, why aren't you falling for it? When did you become so clever? I wanted to volunteer myself next. Xu Qi'an could only helplessly say, "I was just joking."

Biao Biao raised her eyebrows and said, "You dog slave, how dare you harass me."

She pinched her waist and glared at him.

"I'm still a child, I don't understand what harassment is," Xu Qi'an replied.

Biao Biao sneered and found Xu Qi'an's words interesting, causing her to burst into laughter like a little hen.

Her smile was both innocent and charming, like a beautiful scenery.

Xu Qi'an laughed along, but sighed in his heart.

Originally, his plan was to pretend not to know, leave Jingxiu Palace first, and then tell Wei Yuan about his discovery, so that Wei Yuan could quickly capture Lang'er and catch Chen Guifei off guard.

But because of Lin'an's relationship, he hesitated for a moment. Although he calmed down later, he would still expose Chen Guifei without hesitation.

Unexpectedly, Chen Guifei was also quite skilled and could be predicted. As soon as he left, Lang'er would probably die of illness. In this way, Chen Guifei would have no flaws.

"Chen Guifei is a qualified concubine... Lin'an is such a foolish girl, it's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse for her to grow up within the palace walls."

Recalling Chen Guifei's actions just now, they were indeed clever. Regardless of anything else, she first called him over to test him. As a result, she actually discovered his intentions.

In the subsequent sincere and open conversation, it seemed like she was pouring her heart out, but in reality, she was confident and fearless. Because she knew that as long as she got rid of Lang'er, she would have no flaws, and Xu Qi'an couldn't take Lang'er away unless he wanted to die.

Since he had already been discovered, it would be better to be straightforward and speak out. He could also gain my trust... and then use his beautiful daughter as bait. If I were a lustful person, I might have taken the bait...

With Shen Shu and the monk protecting me, I might not die immediately, but I would expose myself. Emperor Yuan Jing would definitely seal me in Sangbo, and the outcome would still be the same, with both jade and stone being burned.

After leaving Jingxiu Palace, Xu Qi'an declined Biao Biao's invitation to play Go, claiming that he still had official duties to attend to.

"Little eunuch, I have finished dealing with the matters in the palace. When you report to His Majesty later, there are some things you can say and some things you can't. Let me give you some advice." Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

The young eunuch straightened up and said seriously, "Please speak, Lord Xu."

"For the matter in Jingxiu Palace, you must tell the Emperor everything. You should say this: After questioning the palace maid Lang'er in Jingxiu Palace, Lord Xu's expression became extremely unpleasant, as if he didn't want to stay any longer and didn't even drink tea.

"But Lord Xu was suddenly detained by Concubine Guifei and invited to the backyard... Concubine Guifei dismissed everyone and spoke with Lord Xu for a long time in the room. I was left outside the courtyard and couldn't enter. Although I could see the two of them inside, I couldn't hear what they were saying.

"After the conversation, Lord Xu left the palace with a heavy heart."

After Xu Qi'an finished speaking, he took out five taels of silver notes from his pocket, as well as another five taels he extorted from the palace gate eunuch, for a total of ten taels. He handed them to the young eunuch without any trace of arrogance.

The young eunuch opened his arms and waved his hand, saying, "Lord Xu, you shouldn't have done this."

After accepting the silver, he carefully pondered Xu Qi'an's words and felt that there was no major problem. He nodded and said, "Alright, I will do as you say."

Xu Qi'an immediately left the palace and borrowed Huai Qing's fast horse to rush back to the Nightwatcher's yamen.

After being informed by the guards, he entered the Haoyi Tower and went to the tea room on the seventh floor for a meeting.

Wei Yuan was not in the tea room, but in the observatory connected to the tea room. He was sitting on a large chair with his hair disheveled, while a black-clad attendant held a comb and was combing his hair.

Wei Yuan beckoned, "Come here and comb my hair."

The black-clad attendant smartly handed the comb to Xu Qi'an and left the tea room.

"Why is Wei Gong combing his hair at this time?" Xu Qi'an asked as he held the comb, combing from the top of Wei Yuan's head down, without any tangles. He thought to himself that it was quite elegant.

"Hair represents troubles in the Buddhist sect," Wei Yuan basked in the sunlight, squinting his eyes and speaking gently, "By combing the hair, one can erase the past."

What does he mean?

Wei Yuan is acting strange today. What does he mean by erasing the past?

"Combing the hair doesn't mean much. Let me massage your head, Wei Gong." Xu Qi'an said.

Wei Yuan smiled, "Give it a try!"

Xu Qi'an put the comb in his pocket, opened his five fingers, and gently pressed on Wei Yuan's head, massaging the acupoints.

Wei Yuan's breathing gradually slowed down, and the warm sunlight sprinkled on the two of them. This place offered a beautiful view, and as Xu Qi'an squinted his eyes and looked into the distance, he felt like he had returned to the mortal world, far away from the power struggles in the palace.

"Not bad," Wei Yuan smiled.

Of course, this is the amazing skill of a barber. I'll make a hair salon chair for you next time... Xu Qi'an coughed and said, "I have something to report."

"Speak."

"I have already found out who is behind the scenes."

Wei Yuan opened his eyes, and it had been a long time since he had spoken.

"It's Concubine Chen!" Xu Qi'an whispered, "When I went to Jingxiu Palace today to investigate the case, I discovered that the palace maid Lang'er by her side was the one who tore up the records in the imperial medicine room..."

He immediately told Wei Yuan about his discovery and Chen Guifei's recruitment.Wei Yuan patted his hand, signaling him to stop. He got up and walked to the edge of the lookout tower, resting his hands on the railing and gazing into the distance, "Who do you think is the power behind Concubine Chen?"

How would I know... Xu Qi'an shook his head, "It might be related to the Bureau of Heavenly Masters."

This was his deduction from the existence of the aura-reading technique.

"It's not the Bureau of Heavenly Masters." Wei Yuan shook his head, his tone certain.

It's not the Bureau of Heavenly Masters... It took Xu Qi'an a few seconds to react, he exclaimed in surprise, "Master Wei, you knew it was Concubine Chen who was scheming against the Empress and you?"

"I didn't think of it at first. She is ruthless, even dragging the Crown Prince into this... After this case was handed over to you, I stopped paying attention. It wasn't until this morning when I learned that the Empress confessed, and after hearing you recount the case, I guessed it was Concubine Chen."

... Xu Qi'an stared at his back for a long time. He used to think that Wei Yuan and Taoist Master Jin Lian were both old foxes, but now he realized that Taoist Master Jin Lian was quite innocent compared to Wei Yuan's depth.

If it's not the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, then how could Concubine Chen use the aura-reading technique? Besides the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, who else knows this technique?

A thought struck Xu Qi'an, "Master Wei, I just remembered something."

"The third-rank sorcerer from the Yunzhou case?" Wei Yuan asked back.

"Master Wei, your wisdom is unparalleled..." Xu Qi'an admitted defeat.

"I've also investigated this person, but found nothing. Do you know what the third-rank sorcerer from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters is called?" Wei Yuan asked.

"Master of Heavenly Secrets." Xu Qi'an had heard it from the Forced King.

"The Master of Heavenly Secrets can shield the secrets of heaven, erase his own existence, and all traces he has left. His parents will forget him, his wife and children will forget him, and all written records he has left will disappear. This is the Master of Heavenly Secrets.

"In addition, the Master of Heavenly Secrets can also alter others' impressions of him, leaving vague memories in their minds, but they can never fully recall them."

Wei Yuan gazed into the distance, "During the Sangpo case, you once looked up information about the First Generation Supervisor, but there was no record in any historical documents, not even a single word. You should know, the Martial Emperor can change history, but he can't silence the people, let alone unofficial history.

"It was the Supervisor who erased all information about that First Generation Supervisor. It's as if he never existed. Even I often mistakenly think that the Supervisor is the founder of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, the creator of the sorcerer system.

"Then, due to the gap brought about by the absence of history, I suddenly remember that there was a First Generation Supervisor."

"How can we investigate this?" Xu Qi'an was stunned.

He realized once again how terrifying the top powerhouses of this world were.

"If you want to investigate, you have to rely on the Supervisor." Wei Yuan said.

That makes sense, only magic can defeat magic, Master Wei's thinking is not wrong... Xu Qi'an nodded secretly.

"But the Supervisor refused." Wei Yuan sighed.

This was an expected answer. There were many secrets in the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, and the Supervisor was like an old man guarding secrets... Xu Qi'an pursed his lips, and asked curiously:

"Master Wei, do you know what the first and second rank sorcerers are called?"

Wei Yuan shook his head, "I've always been at odds with the Supervisor. The Great Feng is like a chess game, he is a player, and so am I. We often have conflicts due to different thinking."

This was the first time Wei Yuan had discussed such "high-end" content with Xu Qi'an.

Perhaps in Wei Yuan's heart, the Supervisor was his biggest political enemy? Xu Qi'an probed, "Master Wei, how do you plan to save the Empress?"

"Push the Emperor's brother-in-law to take the blame. Whether it will work or not, I still need to think about it. The Emperor likes to balance power, and he will think that if the Empress is deposed, the Crown Prince will have no rivals. However, the Emperor has been reminded of some unhappy things, and he may not be so calm, unless he can be made to doubt Concubine Chen...

"The Empress is still too soft-hearted. When she took this step, she didn't consult with me in advance." Wei Yuan's voice was filled with helplessness.

Master Wei, are you implying that the Empress is a terrible teammate?

Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up, knowing that his preparations before leaving the palace were not in vain, or perhaps, he might have made a contribution.

"Master Wei, I have committed a crime, I made a decision on my own just now."

Wei Yuan turned around, frowning, "What is it?"