# 420. Xu Qi'an My Fishpond has no Useless Fish
After Aunt Zhang left, Xu Qi’an led his little mare into the courtyard and tied her to the trunk of a young banyan tree.
It was only then that he realised that, in just a few short days, the once desolate courtyard had blossomed with a dazzling array of flowers, each exhibiting different and charming forms. Bees and butterflies fluttered among the blooms.
The air was filled with a refreshing floral fragrance.
Xu Qi’an took a rough glance around and spotted many rare and valuable species, some of which could fetch over a dozen taels of silver each.
The reason he knew the prices of these rare varieties was because his Auntie at home spent her days fussing over potted plants. After spring began, she had invested over two hundred taels of silver in this hobby.
Of course, Xu Qi’an never bothered to question how much silver his Auntie spent on these expensive plants—it wasn’t his money, after all. The real issue was that Auntie’s beloved potted plants were always getting knocked over by Xu Lingyin.
Every time it happened, Auntie would fly into a rage and scold her, repeating over and over: “Do you know how much these flowers are worth, you little brat?”
“What’s with all these flowers?” Xu Qi’an asked casually.
“The courtyard was too plain, so I bought some seeds and planted them,” the princess consort replied calmly.
_The silver I gave you wouldn’t be enough to buy these flowers…_ Xu Qi’an muttered inwardly. Outwardly, he only responded with a calm “Oh,” as if he were just making casual conversation and had no interest in flowers.
Inwardly, however: *If she had bought the seeds, that would make sense. To bring seedlings into full bloom and fill the courtyard with flowers, is this the power of a flower god? If I threw this woman into the desert, would she make a paradise oasis?*
Following this line of thought, he recalled that small piece of lotus root. If the princess consort could cultivate it, would it come back from the dead?
*Daoist Jinlian had said that natural treasures couldn’t be cultivated—but what if the one cultivating it was the Flower God?*
Xu Qi’an’s heart stirred with excitement, though he kept his expression calm.
Seeing his lack of interest, the princess consort quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“What was that Aunt Zhang thing earlier?” Xu Qi’an asked as he walked into the house.
He followed the scent into the kitchen, lifted the pot lid, and saw salted peanuts boiling inside, with a few fragrant spices mixed in.
“She lives nearby,” the princess consort said, sitting on a small wooden stool with a bowl resting on her lap. “A few days ago, she fell over outside our… my house. She looked so pitiful that I helped her up. After that, she started dropping by to help me with chores. The peanuts were a gift from her.”
“Her son trades in medicinal herbs. Apparently, he owns several shops in both the inner and outer city. Since her daughter-in-law doesn’t like her, her son bought her a small house nearby. She likes to tell everyone how filial her son is for buying her a house.”
Xu Qi’an leaned against the stove, eating the salted peanuts, and flicked the shells at her feet. “And just now?”
The princess consort shrank her feet back, glared at him, and sneered coldly. “I said my husband was dead. A local ruffian took a fancy to my looks and tried to force himself on me several times.
“So, I sold the house and moved here. But he tracked me down and even said he’d drop by every few days to stay over.”
Xu Qi’an scoffed. “Fancy your looks? Princess Consort, have you looked in a mirror lately?”
The princess consort huffed angrily. “You’re not allowed to eat my peanuts.”
“I’ll eat them.”
“You’re not allowed.”
“I’ll eat them.”
Xu Qi’an spent the entire morning at the princess consort’s small courtyard, sitting outside while he wove bamboo baskets, repaired wooden barrels, made a small hoe, and chopped firewood. He even built her a small outdoor stove for boiling water.
As he worked, the princess consort sat on a bamboo chair, watching him with a slightly dazed expression.
After a while, she silently got up and went to the kitchen, where she cooked a few simple dishes.
“Does it taste good?”
At the dining table, she cupped her chin with her hand and blinked at Xu Qi’an expectantly.
_This tastes like absolute shit…_ Xu Qi’an forced a smile. “Your cooking’s improved.”
The princess consort immediately smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “Then you’d better eat all of it.”
“What about you?”
“I’m not hungry. I filled up on peanuts.”
Xu Qi’an nodded and focused on eating. Before long, he had finished everything she cooked, down to the last bite. The princess consort stared at him blankly, looking surprised.
She knew perfectly well how bad her cooking was; a tongue doesn’t lie.
“That’s how life should be, simple meals are the most genuine.”
As Xu Qi’an spoke, she glanced at the haughty princess consort. Her expression softened, as if touched by his words, though she hid it well.
Noticing this, Xu Qi’an reached into his robe and took out the small piece of lotus root.
“I went to Jianzhou this time, not because I deliberately broke my promise to keep you company,” Xu Qi’an said apologetically.
“Who asked you to keep me company?” The princess consort pouted and turned her head away.
“But it wasn’t a wasted trip. I found something interesting.” Xu Qi’an placed the lotus root on the table. “An elder gave it to me. Supposedly, it’s a treasure—but it’s already withered.”
The lotus root was dull in colour, its surface wrinkled and shrivelled.
“What is it?” The princess consort’s attention was drawn to it.
“Not sure, but they say it’s valuable.” Xu Qi’an sighed.
“This thing is quite important to me, but it seems impossible to keep alive. Still, even if it’s dead, it’s a medicinal ingredient, so at least it wasn’t a wasted trip.”
Since Mu Nanzhi was sensitive about her identity, Xu Qi’an didn’t want her to know he had already seen through her true nature—it would only make her uneasy.
The princess consort thought for a moment, then picked up the lotus root, wiped it on her sleeve, and bit into it with a flash of her white teeth.
Xu Qi’an was caught off guard and couldn’t stop her in time.
She chewed a few times, swallowed, and smiled brightly. “It’s quite sweet. Hmm, it’s still alive. Just needs some time to grow.”
“!!!”
A wave of joy surged through Xu Qi’an, nearly overwhelming him. He hadn’t expected such a casual attempt to lead to such a promising result.
*If this piece of lotus root could grow successfully, there would be a second Nine-Coloured Lotus in the world. It could produce lotus seeds on its own…*
Xu Qi’an had already witnessed the miraculous properties of the lotus seeds. From now on, every sixty years, he would have twenty-four lotus seeds.
If the lotus root could grow, the ancestor of the Wulin Alliance would have the means to break through to Rank Two—and would owe him a monumental favour.
When the time came to confront the mysterious arcanist, the Wulin Alliance ancestor would be one of his greatest assets.
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Xu Qi’an’s heart blazed with excitement, though he carefully maintained his calm. “Well, you can give it a try. If you can’t grow it, just return it to me. I have other plans for it.”
_If this doesn’t work, I can always use it to report back to the National Teacher._
The princess consort nodded.
_Wait… Why did the National Teacher want me to ask for this lotus root? As the Human Sect Daoist Leader, she should konw how hard it is to cultivate it, so her objective is likely to refine medicine._
*But if she was just refining medicine, why would she tell me to ask after it for her? Was it an offhand remark, or is there another reasion?*
He couldn’t resist glancing over at the princess consort.
_I thought the princess consort was just a lucky charm, something pretty to look at—but it turns out every fish in my pond is valuable…_ He thought earnestly.
At that moment, the princess consort hesitated before saying shyly, “I… I’ve spent all my silver…”
She looked embarrassed to ask a man for money, as if it would make her seem like a kept woman. She turned her face away and whispered, “Could… could you give me a little more?”
*Didn’t I give you fifteen taels before I left? Have you used it all up in five days?* Xu Qi’an glanced at her without a word.
Sensing his silence, the princess consort whipped her head around and glared at him. “If you don’t want to give it, then forget it!”
She looked a little aggrieved.
Xu Qi’an poured out five silver ingots from the Earth Book fragment, each weighing ten taels, and laid them out on the table one by one. Then, he broke them apart like flatbreads and pinched them into small pieces.
“You’re a woman. It’s best not to use official silver or whole ingots — broken silver is enough. That way, you won’t attract unwanted attention. I just realised that when I gave you silver ingots last time, I didn’t consider this, I feel quite guilty about it.
“Since I can’t stay with you all the time, I should pay more attention to these details. That was my mistake, it won’t happen again.”
His tone was sincere, and his expression was earnest.
The princess consort was still looking outside the door, but her soft “mm” showed that she was no longer angry.
…
For the rest of the day, Xu Qi’an took the princess consort to the bustling market. He bought rouge and powder, stocked up on vegetables, rice, oil, and salt, and even bought some pretty dresses. Before dusk, he led away the little mare that had been neglected for half a day.
As soon as he left, Aunt Zhang came by.
Seeing the large bundles of goods inside the house, Aunt Zhang exclaimed in surprise, “Madam Mu, did your man just leave? Tsk tsk, buying so many things, that must’ve cost dozens of taels.”
Aunt Zhang glanced around and noticed that most of the items were women’s goods. She gasped repeatedly, “Wow, your man treats you so well.”
The princess consort’s eyes curved slightly in pride, but in front of outsiders, she would never reveal her true nature. She replied gracefully and demurely:
“My man works as a guard for a wealthy household. He’s usually not home, and even when he returns, he has to leave before dusk. I was angry at him this morning for neglecting me, that’s why I lied to you, Aunt Zhang. I hope you don’t mind.”
As she spoke, she handed over a packet of lamb and a box of rouge.
Aunt Zhang quickly waved her hand, “An old woman like me has no need for these. I’ll take the lamb, though.”
Aunt Zhang’s smile grew warmer.
She didn’t doubt Mu Nanzhi’s words. If the woman in front of her were a delicate beauty, she might have suspected her to be some high-ranking official’s kept mistress.
But Madam Mu, while plump and shapely, had a rather plain face. Even the lecherous scoundrels in the marketplace wouldn’t harbour improper thoughts about a woman of such ordinary looks.
…
Xu Manor.
Xu Qi’an, dressed in black fitted clothes, led the little mare home. He had changed out of his brocade robe while at the goulan and couldn’t be bothered to put it back on.
At the dinner table, Second Uncle Xu was drinking wine. He asked, “Where did you go this time?”
Xu Qi’an lowered his head and ate, “Jianzhou. Helped a friend with a fight.”
“The Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect and Lina went too?”
“Mm.”
Second Uncle seized the opportunity to lecture his nephew: “Stop getting into fights all the time. There’s always someone stronger out there. Jianzhou is the holy land of martial arts in the Great Feng, it’s crawling with masters.
“Seeing how you’re still in one piece, your friend must not have provoked anyone truly dangerous. Otherwise…”
Xu Xinnian swallowed his rice and said, “Jianzhou… the Jianzhou with the Wulin Alliance, right?”
“Exactly. The Wulin Alliance holds immense power there. Even the local authorities have to give way to them. Plus, they’re very united — provoke one, and you’ll have to deal with the whole pack.”
“The leader of the Wulin Alliance is Cao Qingyang, one of the top three on the Jianghu Martial Rankings, right, Dad?”
“Yes. Jianzhou is a forbidden zone for the scum of the jianghu; it’s the opposite of Yunzhou. Cao Qingyang is a true hero of the Jianghu.”
Auntie listened with great interest and asked, “Is he stronger than Ningyan?”
In Auntie’s heart, her unfortunate nephew was practically the greatest martial artist in the world. She wouldn’t say it aloud, but she admired him deeply.
Second Uncle pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “Ningyan is still far behind. Maybe after another five years of training, he could compete with the Alliance Leader. Besides, the Wulin Alliance doesn’t care about the authorities.”
He knew his nephew was Rank Six.
Hearing this, Auntie quickly said, “It’s a good thing Ningyan didn’t provoke them. Why did he even go to Jianzhou to fight?”
Xu Lingyue spoke softly in her brother’s defence, “Dad, big brother knows what he’s doing. The Wulin Alliance is so powerful — he wouldn’t have gotten into trouble with them.”
Xu Qi’an ate in silence.
After dinner, Xu Xinnian put down his chopsticks and said, “Big brother, come to my study.”
The brothers walked side by side out of the main hall and into the study.
Xu Xinnian closed the door, walked straight to the desk, and pulled out a thick stack of papers. “These are the records of Emperor Yuanjing’s daily life over the past twenty years, from the beginning of his reign to the twentieth year.”
Xu Qi’an glanced at the stack, closed his eyes briefly, and sighed, “This is cursive… Wait, you managed to gather twenty years’ worth of imperial records in just five days?”
Xu Xinnian met his brother’s shocked gaze and lifted his chin, trying to suppress his pride as he said calmly:
“I’ve advanced to seventh rank. In the Confucian system, Rank Seven is called the Benevolent. To step into this rank, you must comprehend the principle of benevolence. A benevolent one loves all under heaven and is a moral exemplar. Only a benevolent one can nurture righteous aura. Rank Seven is the foundation for Rank Four, the Junzi realm.
“Of course, I’m still far from Rank Four, so this isn’t really worth celebrating. For me, it’s just a small step forward.”
*Not worth celebrating, yet you’re rambling on and on about it…* Xu Qi’an inwardly mocked. After a moment’s thought, he asked:
“Does being in the Benevolent realm give you any combat strength?”
Xu Xinnian’s face stiffened. “No. It only strengthens my memory and physical constitution.”
*Pfft… So he’s still weak…* Xu Qi’an held back a laugh and picked up the imperial records to read.
*This cursive script is really… cursive.* After a while, Xu Qi’an wanted to curse.
Ancient cursive script were like celebrity autographs from his previous life — not meant to be read by ordinary people. Of course, scholars could read it since cursive had a fixed structure.[^1]
But Xu Qi’an wasn’t a scholar.
“You read it to me.”
“…Alright.”
One read while the other listened. They went through two candles.
During this time, Xu Xinnian drank tea constantly to soothe his throat and visited the latrine twice.
The emperor’s daily records detailed his daily life and his behaviour during court sessions.
Xu Xinnian didn’t transcribe everything — he omitted obvious trivialities and empty conversations.
They finished reading in the latter half of the night.
Xu Qi’an closed his eyes and sat silently for the time it takes to burn one incense stick. After fully digesting the information, he opened his eyes and said with some disappointment:
“There’s nothing of value here — at least, nothing I can see right now.”
Xu Xinnian asked, “What exactly are you trying to find about Emperor Yuanjing?”
“I’m not sure. I just feel that something’s wrong with him. No, I know there’s something wrong. After returning from Jianzhou, I’m even more certain that our emperor isn’t as simple as he seems.
“But what exactly is wrong, I can’t pinpoint yet. I can only gather as much information as possible about him and see if I can uncover any clues.”
“Yuanjing’s political skill is unmatched — how could he possibly be simple?”
Xu Xinnian remarked, then added, “He may not have asked me for this, but I know this record is suspicious.”
Xu Qi’an froze. “What’s wrong with the record?”
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[^1]: If you want some examples, search for “grass script” or “caoshu” on your favourite image search engine.