"Shining glory?"

Auntie didn't react for a moment, thinking that it would take at least a month for her nephew to achieve fame on the gold list. It wasn't until her nephew showed a smug expression that she realized he was bragging.

Auntie rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, so our eldest nephew has been promoted, huh?"

She immediately recognized his sarcastic tone.

"I heard from the neighbors that only scholars can rise to the court. No matter how high you climb, you're still just a Nightwatcher."

Although Auntie gradually let go of her resentment and didn't hold as much grudge as before, she was determined to stick to her principles when it came to the topic of "which nephew has a brighter future."

Unlike her husband Xu Pingzhi, both her son and nephew were raised in the Xu family and there was no difference between them after twenty years.

Auntie couldn't stand Xu Qi'an's arrogant attitude, always showing off in front of her and not respecting her as his aunt.

So, Xu Xinnian had to be more successful than Xu Qi'an, so that Auntie could stand tall in front of her nephew.

"Auntie, don't believe me?" Xu Qi'an glanced at her.

"I believe you, it's just a promotion." Auntie said nonchalantly.

Uncle Xu Xinnian was also promoted recently, transferred from the outer city to the inner city, with a fixed patrol area. That area was full of wealthy households who would spend money to please the Nightwatchers responsible for their security.

So Uncle Xu Xinnian had a lot of private money recently, even after being confiscated fifty taels of silver, he still had money to go to the Official Brothel Sector.

Of course, Uncle Xu Xinnian never actively went to the Official Brothel Sector. After all, the girls there were far from Auntie's standards. If he ever spent the night there, it was because of socializing with colleagues.

On the other hand, Xu Qi'an and Xu Xinnian, who had reached the age of marriage, would only go to the Official Brothel Sector to relieve stress.

"It's not a promotion, it's a noble title!" Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

"Haha..." Auntie burst into laughter, her beautiful eyes trembling, charming and alluring.

"Hey, stop talking nonsense." Uncle Xu Xinnian waved his hand impatiently and said, "I fought in the battle at Shanhaiguan, killing enemies from the south to the north, from the north to the south, covered in blood. But I'm still far from receiving a noble title."

Killing enemies from the south to the north, from the north to the south, aren't your arms sore... Xu Qi'an silently mocked in his heart.

Xu Xinnian shook his head, "Receiving a noble title is a big deal. The last time The Great Feng bestowed noble titles was twenty years ago during the battle at Shanhaiguan. Now that the four seas are peaceful, where would you get military achievements to receive a noble title?"

"You don't necessarily need military achievements to receive a noble title." Xu Qi'an patted Little Dou Ding's head and said, "Right, Lingyin?"

Little Dou Ding ignored him, her small mouth sticking to the edge of the bowl as she slurped her porridge.

"Alright, alright, Auntie knows how much you weigh." Auntie sneered, "If you don't take a bath today, hurry up and go to the yamen. It's almost Mao hour, don't delay your uncle's duty."

"As for the matter of shining glory, don't worry about it, Eldest Nephew. After this year's Spring Examination, our Xu family will have a scholar. We'll have a feast at home and invite relatives to come and eat."

Spring Examination hasn't even started yet, but Auntie was already proud.

Damn, this is the kind of start I want. Uncle Xu is biased, Auntie is mean, my cousin is a scholar but always suppresses me, one sister looks down on me, and the other sister steals my food... And then, the return of the war god, a powerful noble title, and sending Uncle and Auntie to live in a doghouse... Xu Qi'an thought and felt quite pleased.

Uncle Xu Xinnian picked up his helmet again and nodded, "It's getting late, I have to go to my duty."

He ignored the matter of receiving a noble title, treating it as a joke from his nephew.

If the Xu family could produce a distinguished person, it would be a miracle. Even if Xu Xinnian achieved fame on the gold list and became a successful scholar, he might still be on par with Eldest Nephew.

Just then, Xu Pingzhi saw the gatekeeper, Lao Zhang, rushing over in a panic, as if he was being chased by a big bug.

"Mas...ter..."

Lao Zhang stuttered, excitedly saying, "There's an imperial edict!"

"Imperial what?" Xu Pingzhi didn't hear clearly.

"Imperial edict."

"What edict?" Xu Xinnian didn't hear clearly.

"Imperial edict, the noble title's imperial edict."

Xu Qi'an glanced at his dazed Auntie and pushed Uncle Xu Xinnian towards the door, "The imperial edict has arrived."

Yesterday, after the case of the Imperial Concubine Fu was concluded, Wei Yuan had told him that the cabinet had already drafted the imperial edict for the noble title, and it would be issued today.

Xu Pingzhi walked from the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard, feeling like he had walked through half of his life. His emotions were complicated at the moment, anxious, excited, hesitant, and fearful... He had experienced similar feelings once before, on his wedding night.

From afar, he saw a eunuch in a python robe standing in the courtyard, with a row of armored guards standing on both sides.

The eunuch held a yellow silk imperial edict embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon.

Thump, thump, thump...

Xu Pingzhi heard the pounding of his own heart like a drum.Seeing the protagonist approaching, the eunuch slowly unfolded the imperial edict and said loudly, "Tongluo Xu Qi'an, receive the edict."

Uncle Er knelt down first, then pulled Xu Qi'an down to kneel together.

Uncle Er stared at his nephew forcefully. In front of the imperial edict, this kid was still reluctant to kneel.

"Tongluo Xu Qi'an is here."

The eunuch nodded and said loudly, "By the decree of the Emperor, it is said that I, as the emperor, govern the world with culture, suppress chaos with martial arts, and the military commander is the cornerstone of the court and the fortress of the country... Xu Qi'an has solved many strange cases and killed two hundred rebels in Yunzhou..."

Upon hearing that he had killed two hundred rebels, Xu Qi'an was stunned for a moment. He thought to himself, "I have killed thousands of enemies, how did it become two hundred?"

Then he suddenly realized that he had bragged too much and even believed it himself.

"... Xu Qi'an is specially appointed as the magistrate of Changle County, bestowed with thirty acres of good land and five hundred taels of gold. This is an honor."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xu Qi'an shouted the slogan and stood up to receive the edict.

"Congratulations, Lord Xu... Oh, I mean Lord Xu." The eunuch in python robes smiled.

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

Xu Qi'an took the imperial edict and handed over a one hundred taels silver note.

After the eunuch in python robes and the guards left, Uncle Er snatched the imperial edict and read it repeatedly. Although he couldn't recognize many characters, he read it seriously.

As he read, Uncle Er's eyes turned red.

"Nobility, nobility... Our Xu family has a viscount."

He held the imperial edict and ran back to the backyard, shouting, "Madam, quickly write a letter to the Xu clan. The Xu family has a viscount. I want to hold a grand banquet for three days and three nights, hahaha..."

Xu Qi'an picked up the box of gold and land deeds given by Emperor Yuan Jing and secretly returned to his room.

Uncle Er was foolish. The imperial edict was not as important as gold.

...

After storing the gold in the fragment of the Earth Book, Xu Qi'an returned to the inner courtyard and saw Uncle Er and Second Young Master fighting over the imperial edict. The father and son almost started fighting.

Second Young Master Xu was displeased and said, "If I didn't know any better, I would have thought the imperial edict was for you, Father."

Uncle Er said, "Get lost!"

Second Young Master Xu said angrily, "I just wanted to see how the imperial edict was written."

Uncle Er said, "Get lost!"

Second Young Master Xu said angrily, "Father, let me have a look at the imperial edict."

Uncle Er said, "Get lost."

Hmph, a vulgar warrior... Second Young Master Xu left in a huff and went back to his study to read.

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What is a viscount? He wants to be on the gold list and become the top scholar. Otherwise, all the limelight in the family will be stolen by his elder brother.

"Is it really true that he has been ennobled?"

Aunt looked at the imperial edict in her husband's arms, her big eyes widened. Her mind hadn't caught up yet, as if she was living in a dream.

She was completely unprepared.

"Is this fake? It has the imperial seal on it, and His Majesty has also given five hundred taels of gold and thirty acres of good land." Xu Pingzhi said loudly, afraid that others wouldn't believe it.

Five hundred taels of gold, thirty acres of good land... a golden light flashed in Aunt's eyes.

"Eldest son, is this true? Aunt feels like she's in a dream." Aunt held Xu Qi'an's hand.

Xu Qi'an shook her off and said calmly, "This madam, don't try to get close to me. Call me Viscount."

Xu Lingyue looked at her elder brother with admiration.

After venting her anger at Aunt, Xu Qi'an reached into his pocket and took out the land deed, patting it on the table, and said, "I have put away the gold myself. As for the thirty acres of good land, Aunt, I am not married yet, so I will trouble... Lingyue to take care of it for me."

Aunt's hand froze halfway. She couldn't do anything about Xu Qi'an, so she vented her anger on her husband.

Uncle Er snorted, "Ningyan is joking with you. Lingyue doesn't understand these things."

Xu Lingyue said softly, "Father, I have studied for a few years and I understand arithmetic."

Moreover, managing the land is usually done by trusted servants outside, and the master only needs to keep track of the accounts.

Aunt suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

Her previous imaginary enemy was the wives of her eldest and second sons. Now she realized that Xu Lingyue, this little brat, had turned against her and wanted to compete with her, the mother, for power.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Mother?" Xu Lingyue felt her mother's gaze piercing.

"I'm not looking at you, I'm looking at a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"... " Xu Lingyue.

...

Speaking of the Star Observation Tower, the impression that it left on the people of the capital, and even the people of the Great Feng, can be summed up in two words: tall!

In the eyes of the martial world, besides being towering into the sky, the Star Observation Tower is also a forbidden place in the Great Feng because it is where the only first-grade expert of the dynasty resides.

Few people would think about what the underground of the Star Observation Tower is like.

Creak...

In the dim underground, the iron door slowly rose, and a winding stone staircase extended into the ground. Every ten steps, there was an oil lamp on the wall, emitting a dim light.Dadada... In the silent air, clear footsteps could be heard.

The footsteps gradually became clearer, and a figure emerged from the ground, walking up the steps.

The figure had disheveled hair that covered her cheeks. She wore a simple brown robe and walked barefoot. Occasionally, her chest would reveal a fullness, indicating that she was a woman.

And not just any woman, but a woman with ample bosom.

"I'm still a bit away from reaching the fourth rank formation master. Why did my teacher wake me up?" the figure muttered to herself.

She looked up and saw countless rays of light pouring in from outside the door at the end of the steps. It was the long-lost sunlight.

Stepping out of the iron gate, the figure stood in the silent hall, closed her eyes, and opened her arms, embracing the sunlight.

She hadn't appeared in five years, as she had been suppressed in the Star Observation Tower by her teacher.

Walking through the corridor on the first floor, the woman with disheveled hair climbed the stairs. As she reached the second floor, footsteps could be heard from above. A white-robed sorcerer carrying a tray with bottles and jars descended.

The two crossed paths.

The white-robed sorcerer suddenly froze, his face gradually turning pale as if he had seen something terrifying.

After about three or four seconds, the white-robed sorcerer turned around and hurriedly fled.

Out of goodwill, the woman with disheveled hair quickly reminded, "Junior brother, be careful, it's slippery."

As soon as she finished speaking, the white-robed sorcerer slipped and tumbled down, accidentally knocking the woman down as well. They both rolled down the stairs together.

Bang...

The bottles and jars on the tray shattered, filling the air with colorful dust.

"Help, help..." The white-robed sorcerer's face turned from red to a gradually darkening shade of blue. He grabbed his own neck and struggled to say, "This, this is... Senior Brother Song Qing, the poison... the poison he refined..."

The woman covered her own neck and said with difficulty, "Senior sister didn't bring the antidote."

"The antidote is inside..." The white-robed sorcerer seemed unable to move, his eyes fixed on a shattered porcelain bottle and the scattered powder on the ground.

With the woman's help, the white-robed sorcerer took the antidote and crawled downstairs. He arrived in the lobby on the first floor and shouted at the white-robed sorcerers who were brewing medicine, "Senior sister Zhong has come out of seclusion!!!"

Clang... The white-robed sorcerers dropped the porcelain bottles and spoons they were holding.

They stiffly turned their necks and stared blankly.

The woman with disheveled hair continued to climb the stairs. As she passed the seventh floor, the alchemy room on the seventh floor exploded with a loud bang, causing the floor and walls to shake, and dust to fall.

"Why did it explode? Why?!" came Song Qing's angry roar.

Ignoring her, the woman continued to ascend the stairs and finally reached the top of the Star Observation Tower, where the Eight Trigram Platform was located.

The head of the Star Observation Tower, a white-bearded and white-robed elder, sat cross-legged behind the desk, holding a wine cup, lost in thought.

"Teacher," the woman respectfully called out, her gaze falling on the fine wine and food on the desk.

"Zhong Li, the opportunity for you to advance to the fourth rank has arrived," the elder said leisurely.

The woman trembled, slightly raised her head, revealing her snow-white and delicate chin.

..........

In The Great Feng, noble titles for men and women were divided into five ranks: Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron. Each rank was further divided into five grades.

Xu Qi'an's noble title was "Third Grade County Baron of Changle."

This was a title that was neither high nor low, and it didn't come with much actual power. It only provided a monthly salary.

However, the significance of a noble title lay not in power, but in the honor and social status it represented.

Even if one's name was on the gold list and they were ranked in the imperial court, did that make them a noble? No, such power was only temporary. The true symbol of entering the noble class and permanently leaving the commoner class was a hereditary noble title.

Of course, Xu Qi'an's noble title couldn't be inherited, but at least for as long as he lived, the Xu family would be considered nobles and no longer commoners.

If the County Baron of Changle were to marry a commoner woman as his legal wife, the Imperial Censorate would submit a memorial to impeach him. The civil and military officials would say, "Isn't it no longer prestigious to marry a princess? Isn't the county princess no longer beautiful?"

To marry a commoner woman.

In short, for the Xu family, it was the first time in hundreds of years that they had produced a baron, completely breaking free from the commoner class and entering the noble class.

For Xu Pingzhi, the head of the family, it was probably the most glorious moment of his life. On that day, he took Xu Qi'an to pay respects at the ancestral grave.

After returning, he planned to send out invitations and host a banquet to celebrate with relatives and friends at the mansion.

But his wife felt it was inappropriate and said, "The imperial examination is in two days, and it will affect Erlang's studies if we have a banquet at home."

Yes, the imperial examination was in two days, a major event for leaping into the dragon gate. Hosting a banquet at home would definitely affect Erlang's studies. Xu Pingzhi thought his wife made sense, so he had Erlang move to the old residence outside the city to study, while the banquet remained unchanged.

Xu Lingyin thought it was great.

Muttering complaints, Xu Erlang left the live broadcast room and returned to the old residence with a servant and a maid, happily skipping along.After offering incense, Xu Qi'an generously allocated seventy taels of silver for tomorrow's banquet.

Seventy taels was a considerable amount, equivalent to the savings of an ordinary well-off family who neither ate nor drank for three years; it was the cost of patronizing the theater for two years; it was Xu Qi'an's current annual salary.

"Returning so early, I haven't visited Master Heng Yuan's health hall yet. I need to donate some money to help the widows and orphans......."

Xu Qi'an rummaged through the square cabinet and found five taels of silver, planning to take advantage of Heng Yuan's body refining technique at a low price.

Suddenly, the deep and ethereal voice of Monk Shen Shu echoed in his mind as he sat on the edge of the bed: "Leave the capital."

Leave the capital?!

What does that mean..... Xu Qi'an's expression became serious. Monk Shen Shu never initiated communication with him, always silently sleeping within him.

But now he was telling him to leave the capital.

Was something going to happen in the capital, or was something going to happen to him?

As various thoughts flashed through his mind, he saw a gray world before his eyes. The fog-like gray dispersed, revealing a dilapidated temple. At the entrance of the temple sat the handsome Monk Shen Shu.

This mysterious monk, with his hands clasped together in meditation, looked at him with gentle brown eyes, his voice ethereal: "Leave the capital."

........

PS: Thanks to the alliance leader "mady" for the reward. Today, as usual, I offer ten thousand words. Well, I'll see if I can write a bit more on top of ten thousand words, even one or two thousand more would be good. If not, then so be it.

I'll update first and revise later.