Nightwatcher

# 424. Seeking Reward

In a daze, Xu Qi’an seemed to return to the moment he first met Lin’an. Back then, she was just like this—like a noble canary, beautiful and proud.

This was always her demeanour when facing outsiders. But later, she started chirping away, revealing her simple and lively side. Clearly weak in a fight, yet she was like a combative little hen.

Like a princess shedding her heavy armour, revealing the little girl within.

*Lin’an is still Lin’an, she hasn’t changed. The only difference is that now, I was the favoured one...*

Mimicking Xu Erlang’s tone, Xu Qi’an bowed and said, “This lowly official was sent by my elder brother to visit Your Highness.”

Lin’an maintained her aloof and reserved posture, but her affectionate peach blossom eyes dimmed slightly, and her voice unconsciously softened. “He... he won’t come himself?”

Xu Qi’an shook his head. “Your Highness, how could my brother dare to come see you? If he so much as stepped into the palace, or even the imperial city, His Majesty could have his head in an instant.”

*If he won’t come to see me, then why won’t he even reply to my letters…* Lin’an nodded lightly and asked in a soft voice, “Is your brother doing well lately?”

Lin’an was an emotional girl. If you teased her, she would giggle. If you played tricks on her, she would claw at you with bared teeth. Not like Huaiqing, too intelligent, always cool and distant.

If you teased her, you’d only embarrass yourself.

So, Xu Qi’an couldn’t help but want to mess with Lin’an a little. He grinned and said, “My brother? He’s doing great, he spends his days either cultivating or travelling. Just recently, he took a trip to Jianzhou.”

“That’s good, that’s good…”

Lin’an nodded reservedly, pursing her lips like a little girl unwilling to admit defeat. She hesitated before probing, “Did he... did he mention the recent court struggles at all? Has he been troubled by them?”

She wanted to ask if he had sought out Wei Yuan for help.

But considering Xu Erlang’s usual duties at the Hanlin Academy, he might not be privy to such matters.

However, if Xu Qi’an had truly taken her request to heart, he would surely have sought out information and devised plans. And in that case, as an official in court, Xu Erlang would undoubtedly be one of his sources.

Seeing Lin’an’s expectant look, Xu Qi’an shook his head. “My brother is no longer a Silver Gong. He says he can’t be bothered with court affairs. Why does Your Highness suddenly ask?”

“We... we were just asking.”

Lin’an forced a smile. She could feel the man’s perfunctory response, his growing distance and coldness. Her heart suddenly felt heavy with sorrow and disappointment.

She remembered Xu Qi’an once saying he would serve her like an ox for a lifetime. Though those words had been spoken playfully, the importance he had placed on her back then had felt unquestionable.

When a man you admire holds you in high regard, it brings joy and happiness.

But then, you suddenly realise that everything he once said and did might have been just empty words—a lie. That now, he doesn’t care about you at all.

A lump formed in her throat, and tears nearly welled up. Her heart ached, but she forced herself to say, “I’m feeling tired. If Sir Xu has no other matters…”

Before she could finish, a palace maid hurried in with light footsteps and a crisp voice. “His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”

Lin’an lowered her head in a slight panic, composing herself. When she looked up again, she was all smiles, her sorrow nowhere to be seen. She quickly said, “Please invite my brother in.”

*The Crown Prince? Why is he here? I hope he doesn’t chase me out—Biaobiao will hate me to death then…* Xu Qi’an had the urge to curse.

Dressed in splendid robes, the Crown Prince strode in. But the first person he noticed was not Lin’an, rather Xu Qi’an.

Just as beautiful women were always drawn first to those more beautiful than themselves, the Crown Prince now experienced the same phenomenon.

Though he was the heir to the throne, of noble blood and with excellent features, standing next to this Hanlin bachelor, he seemed rather ordinary.

Especially today, when Xu Qi’an was dressed in a sky-blue robe, exuding an air of nobility and pride no less than the Crown Prince himself, yet possessing a far superior spirit and vigour.

“Sir Xu is here as well.”

The Crown Prince smiled, swiftly setting aside his minor displeasure. He was merely surprised; he didn’t recall his sister having any connections with Xu Xinnian.

*Perfect. He’s Xu Qi’an’s cousin. If I bring him into my camp, wouldn’t Xu Qi’an have to show me some respect?*

The Crown Prince immediately took a seat and enthusiastically engaged Xu Xinnian in conversation.

After some casual chatter, he subtly steered the topic towards court affairs, smiling as he said, “We’ve misjudged this time, we thought the Wang Clique would suffer a serious setback this time. Who would have expected a reversal? Yuan Xiong has been demoted to Right Censor-in-Chief, and the Assistant Minister of War, Qin Yuandao, is so furious he’s become bedridden…”

He trailed off, then looked at Xu Qi’an, expecting him to continue the discussion.

Young officials often loved to debate state affairs, especially newly appointed scholars.

Xu Qi’an, however, merely smiled faintly and dismissed the topic. “Court struggles are unpredictable. Any turn of events is possible.”

Lin’an listened absentmindedly. She only wanted to be alone right now, but this was Shaoyin Palace. As its mistress, she had to remain. Leaving the guests behind would be terribly impolite.

*Still wary, are you…* The Crown Prince’s gaze flickered. Dropping his veiled probing, he got straight to the point.

“We heard that the only reason the Wang Clique managed to rally the ministers and pass this ordeal smoothly was because of Sir Xu’s contributions.”

Biaobiao abruptly turned her head, staring at Xu Qi’an with wide eyes.

*The Crown Prince is really playing his role as my best assistant…* Xu Qi’an glanced at Lin’an and calmly replied, “It wasn’t my doing. It was my brother’s.”

As expected, Lin’an’s breathing hitched. “Sir Xu, what do you mean? What do you mean it was your brother’s doing? Did… did Xu Qi’an take part in the recent court struggle?”

The Crown Prince picked up the thread of the conversation.

“Lin’an, you might not know this, but apparently, before his death, the Duke of Cao left behind some secret letters detailing his years of corruption — embezzling tributes, colluding with others in crime. The names of his accomplices were all clearly listed.

“It was Xu Qi’an who somehow obtained these incriminating documents. Because of them, the Wang Clique was able to survive this crisis. These are classified matters, do not spread them around.”

Lin’an leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed intently on Xu Qi’an, her tone urgent.

“Why would running… Xu Qi’an help the Wang Clique?”

She could feel her heart pounding wildly, as if yearning for something yet dreading the answer. Nervous and expectant all at once.

*Hah, Lin’an’s heart is beating this fast? If I tell her it was because my brother wanted to ally with Prime Minister Wang, would she burst into tears on the spot?*

Xu Qi’an smiled and said, “My brother said it was because Your Highness sent someone to deliver a message. Whatever Your Highness wishes to accomplish, he will do his utmost to see it through. Even given the fact that he is no longer a Silver Gong, and his abilities are limited.”

*For me. For me…* Lin’an murmured to herself.

She was like a traveller lost in the wilderness who had suddenly glimpsed a distant light. Her heart settled, her eyes curved into crescent moons, and the corners of her mouth lifted.

The sheer joy she felt was impossible to hide.

The crown prince glanced at his younger sister, whose face had suddenly blossomed like a flower. His expression remained unchanged as he extended an invitation: “Tomorrow, we are hosting a banquet outside the palace. Would you be willing to grace us with your presence, Sir Xu?”

The crown prince smiled when he saw that "Xu Xinnian" had no intention of leaving. He thought to himself that it wouldn't be too late to speak to Lin’an about it tomorrow.

He then stood up and said, “We were feeling bored and came by to sit for a while, but we still have matters to attend to. We shall take our leave.”

Lin’an rose and, together with Xu Qi’an, escorted the crown prince to the courtyard. Watching his departing figure, she tilted her round chin slightly and smiled faintly.

“Does Sir Xu have other matters to attend to?”

Xu Qi’an murmured in his own voice, as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, “Your Highness, your servant has missed you terribly.”

Lin’an’s delicate body instantly stiffened. Her affectionate, peach blossom eyes flickered with surprise, astonishment, and excitement, while a bewitching blush surged across her fair and round cheeks.

Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered a few times as she suppressed her joy and excitement, forcing herself to remain composed. “Sir Xu, we still have many things to ask you. Let’s talk inside.”

Back in the reception hall, she instructed in a calm voice, “You are all dismissed.”

The palace maids standing in the hall bowed and exited.

Once they had left, Biaobiao’s expression immediately changed. She placed her hands on her hips, puffed up her cheeks, and glared at him angrily. “Running dog! Why didn’t you write back? Why didn’t you come to see us?”

“Has Your Highness been missing me so much that you can hardly eat or sleep?” Xu Qi’an dropped his act and grinned mischievously.

“You—You stop talking nonsense! As if we would miss you!”

Lin’an hurriedly denied it. She was an unmarried princess, the pure and pristine Lin’an. How could she possibly admit to missing a man? That would be too shameful.

Xu Qi’an gazed at her and spoke softly, “But I have missed Your Highness so much that I’ve lost my appetite and sleep. I’ve wished I could sprout wings and fly into the palace.

“Even if His Majesty were to draw his bow and shoot me down, I would die without regrets, as long as I could see Your Highness.”

Biaobiao’s charming face instantly turned scarlet. Flustered, she stammered, “Y-You… You can’t talk to us like this.”

She suddenly felt a sense of panic and confusion. She had never experienced such bold and explicit words before. It was as if she were a small, helpless mouse being cornered.

“Your Highness, come, let me tell you some interesting things that happened in Jianzhou over the past few days.”

Xu Qi’an took her small hand and led her to a seat by the table.

Lin’an resisted briefly but then allowed him to hold her hand, lowering her head slightly with an expression of secret delight.

Time passed, and soon, it was time for lunch.

It was only when a palace maid called from the courtyard that Lin’an reluctantly stopped. She had longed for company.

“I can’t let you stay and eat at Shaoyin Palace, but tomorrow, I will move to Lin’an Manor. You—You will come again, won’t you?” Her charming eyes held a hint of expectation, along with a trace of pleading.

“I will.” Xu Qi’an gently squeezed her soft hand.

Lin’an immediately smiled, radiating an enchanting allure. She was a naturally seductive woman.

“Wait a moment, I have something for you.”

She lifted her skirt and left the reception hall. After a long while, she returned with palace maids carrying trays filled with gold, silver, and jade ornaments.

“You are dismissed for now.”

After waving off the maids, she chattered, “Now that you’ve lost your official position, I don’t know if you have any other means of making a living. It’s always good to have more gold and silver. There are plenty of valuable items in Shaoyin Palace, and I have no use for them.

“Huaiqing said that you might leave the capital in the future, and I… I don’t know if I will ever see you again…”

She trailed off, stealing a glance at him. In truth, she wanted to take another good look at him, but he was still disguised as his cousin.

This was Shaoyin Palace, the imperial palace. She couldn’t recklessly demand that he remove his disguise.

Lin’an could only keep her longing to herself.

“Oh, right! This storybook is quite interesting. You… You should take it and have a look.” After hesitating for a long while, she mustered the courage to take out a book hidden in her sleeve.

Xu Qi’an packed everything up and stored them in the Earth Book fragment. As he reached the door, he hesitated briefly, then raised his hand and wiped his face for a moment.

“Your Highness.”

He turned back with a smile.

Brocade robes of sky-blue, with light azure clouds embroidered across it. Jade ornaments clinking softly, his hair tied back with a golden cap, his feet standing in cloud-patterned boots.

For a moment, Lin’an was entranced.

…

The next day, Xu Qi’an and Xu Xinnian rode in the Wang family’s carriage into the imperial city, heading towards Wang Manor.

Xu Qi’an sat on a cushioned seat covered with wool, flipping through the storybook in his hands.

“‘Great Sage of Love’? What kind of nonsense is this? Big Brother, since when did you start reading such idle books?” Xu Xinnian asked curiously.

Big Brother was a crude martial artist who had never been one for reading.

“This book tells the story of a lowly Yao who fell in love with a princess of heaven. Since such love was forbidden, he was banished to the mortal realm and forced into servitude. Later, he fought his way to the heavens, seized the princess, and brought her back to the mortal world, where they lived a simple life together.”

Xu Qi’an’s smile was somewhat complicated.

This was the storybook Lin’an had given him. Its meaning was obvious without needing to be said.

As they spoke, the carriage arrived at the gates of Wang Manor.

The steward had been waiting at the entrance. As soon as the carriage stopped, he immediately led the two of them inside.

Xu Xinnian remained in the reception hall, accompanied by Wang Simu. Xu Qi’an keenly noticed the way Miss Wang looked at him, with a hint of resentment.

*Are you blaming me for beating up your beloved? Pah! I was disciplining my own little brother—what does that have to do with you?…* Xu Qi’an scoffed inwardly and followed the steward to the Prime Minister’s study.

The luxurious and spacious study housed the elderly Prime Minister Wang, his hair streaked with white. He wore a dark-coloured robe and sat behind his desk, holding a scroll.

“Prime Minister Sir.” Xu Qi’an cupped his hands in greeting.

“Please, Sir Xu, take a seat.”

Prime Minister Wang set the book aside. His slightly weary eyes studied Xu Qi’an as he smiled. “Since Sir Xu is a martial artist, I won’t beat around the bush.”

*Hey, that sentence reeks of disdain for warriors…* Xu Qi’an mused. He had come to Wang Manor today to claim his “reward.”

“What can I do to help you? Please, speak freely.”

Xu Qi’an deliberated for a moment before saying, “Two things. First, I need to visit the Ministry of Revenue’s archives to examine some records. Second, I wish to ask the Prime Minister about an old case.”