Nightwatcher

Chapter 259: Leave the Capital

# 259. Leave the Capital

“Bring honour to the family?”

Auntie didn’t quite grasp the meaning at first, thinking that New Year's top ranking in the imperial exams would take at least another month. But once her nephew revealed his smug expression, she realised he was boasting.

Auntie rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Oh my, has our dear first young master been given a noble title?”

One could tell from the tone alone that she was dripping with sarcasm.

“I’ve heard from the neighbours that only scholars can rise to high positions. No matter how much you get promoted, you're still just a Nightwatcher.”

Although Auntie had gradually come to terms with things and wasn’t as resentful as before, she still held her ground on one point: her son was destined to be more successful than her nephew.

Unlike her husband Xu Pingzhi, who considered both his son and nephew to be equally important since they were raised in the same household for twenty years, Auntie saw a clear distinction. She could not stand the way Xu Qi’an would occasionally show off and parade around in front of her, so from her perspective, Second Brother had to outshine the First.

“You don’t believe me, Auntie?” Xu Qi’an raised an eyebrow.

Recently, Uncle Xu had also been promoted, transferred from patrolling the outer city to the inner city, gaining a fixed patrol area. The residents there were wealthy families who, in pursuit of peace and security, would bribe the city guard to maintain good relations.

Thus, Uncle Xu had been raking in extra cash, thus even if he had recently surrendered fifty taels of silver to Auntie, he still had money to throw at the Jiaofangsi.

Of course, Uncle Xu never initiated these visits—it was always because of social obligations. On the other hand, Dalang and Erlang, being of a certain age and unmarried, occasionally went to the Jiaofangsi for relief.

“It’s not just a promotion; it is a noble title!” Xu Qi’an said gravely.

Auntie couldn’t help but laugh, her delicate shoulders shaking with mirth.

“Oh, stop exaggerating,” Uncle Xu waved dismissively, “Back in the day, I fought at the frontlines of the Shanhai Pass, charging through battlefields from south to north and back again, drenched in blood. Even I didn’t get a title.”

*From south to north and back again, doesn’t your arm get tired…* Xu Qi’an mentally retorted.

Xu Xinnian shook his head, “Titles of nobility are a big deal. The last time someone was ennobled was twenty years ago during the battle of Shanhai Pass. In times of peace, where would you find the merits for such a thing?”

“Merit doesn’t always require battlefields.” Xu Qi’an patted Little Pea on the head, “Right, Lingyin?”

Little pea ignored him, her tiny mouth pressed against the bowl as she slurped her porridge.

“Oh, stop it. I know exactly how capable you are.” Auntie laughed scornfully, “If you’re not off today, you’d better head to the constabulary soon. You’re going to make your uncle late for his morning role call.

“As for bringing honour to the family, you don’t need to worry yourself with that. When our family gets an imperial scholar after the spring exams, then we’ll throw a great banquet to celebrate.”

The exams hadn’t even started, but Auntie was already bursting with pride.

*Damn, this is exactly the kind of start I wanted. An uncle who plays favourites, an aunt who’s sharp-tongued, a cousin who looks down on me because he’s a scholar, one sister who disrespects me, and another who steals my food… and then, I return as a war god, get ennobled, and force them to live in a doghouse...* Xu Qi’an mused, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.

Uncle Xu picked up his helmet again, nodding: “It’s getting late, I need to get to the constabulary.”

As for the ennoblement, he had taken it to be Xu Qi’an joking around.

If the Xu family were to gain a noble, then even their ancestors’ tombs would be bursting with azure clouds. Only if Erlang would place top of his cohort and pass with flying colours, could he hope to gain the same reverence.

Just then, Uncle Xu noticed the housekeeper, Old Zhang, rushing towards them in a panic, as if something was chasing him.

“M-m-m-m-master...”

The housekeeper stammered, excited, “A decree from the Emperor!”

“A de-what?” Uncle Xu hadn’t heard clearly.

“A decree!”

“What -ree?” Second Brother asked, confused.

“A decree! A decree of enfeoffment!”

Xu Qi’an glanced at his dumbstruck Auntie, then nudged Uncle Xu towards the courtyard. “The Emperor’s decree is here.”

Yesterday, after the case of Consort Fu had been resolved, Wei Yuan had mentioned that the imperial decree for his ennoblement had already been drafted, and it was to be issued today.

Xu Pingzhi’s journey from the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard felt like a lifetime. His emotions were a whirlwind of anxiety, excitement, hesitation, and fear—similar to how he had felt on his wedding night.

In the distance, he saw a eunuch dressed in a serpent robe standing in the courtyard, flanked by armoured guards. The eunuch held an imperial edict embroidered with golden dragons in his hands.

Thump, thump, thump…

Xu Pingzhi could hear his own heart pounding like a drum.

As he approached, the eunuch slowly unfurled the edict and announced, “Bronze Gong Xu Qi’an, receive the decree.”

Uncle Xu was the first to kneel, dragging Xu Qi’an down with him. Uncle Xu shot him a glare—how could he kneel so reluctantly in front of an imperial decree?

“Bronze Gong Xu Qi’an, present.”

The eunuch nodded and read aloud, “By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees... military leaders and brave generals are the pillars of the state... Xu Qi’an has solved multiple major cases, and at Yunzhou, he slew two hundred rebel soldiers…”

Two hundred rebels? Xu Qi’an was taken aback. *I killed thousands of them, didn’t I? How did it turn into two hundred?*

Then he realised he’d been exaggerating so much that he’d started to believe his own lies.

“...Thus, Xu Qi’an is hereby granted the title of Viscount of Changle, thirty acres of fertile land, and five hundred taels of gold. Thus decreed.”

“Long live the Emperor’s grace!”

Xu Qi’an shouted the ritual phrase, rising to accept the decree.

“Congratulations, Sir Xu… Oh, I mean, Viscount Xu.” The eunuch in the serpent robe said with a smile.

“Thank you, milord,” Xu Qi’an responded, taking the decree and simultaneously slipping a hundred-tael silver note into the eunuch’s hand.

When the eunuch in the serpent robe left with his guards, Second Uncle snatched the imperial decree and stared at it for ages, flipping it over repeatedly, despite being barely literate.

As he looked and looked, Second Uncle's eyes reddened.

"We’ve been enfeoffed... We've been enfeoffed... The Xu family now has a viscount!"

He clutched the decree and rushed to the backyard, shouting, "Dearest, write to the relatives right away! Our family now has a viscount! We’re throwing a grand banquet, one that will last three days and nights! Hahaha..."

Xu Qi’an hugged the chest of gold and land deeds bestowed by Emperor Yuanjing and sneaked back to his room.

*Second Uncle is such a fool. What's a decree compared to gold?*

...

After storing the gold in the Book of the Earth fragment, Xu Qi’an returned to the inner courtyard, where he saw Second Uncle and Erlang fighting over the imperial decree. The two nearly came to blows.

Erlang, annoyed, said, "Anyone who didn’t know better would think the decree was meant for you, Father."

Second Uncle: "Get lost, get lost!"

Erlang, growing angry, said, "I just want to see how it's written."

Second Uncle: "Get lost, get lost!"

Erlang, furious now, said, "Father, give me a look at the decree!"

Second Uncle: "Get lost, get lost!"

*Hmph, an uncultured warrior…* Erlang flung his sleeves and stormed off to his study to read. What's a mere viscountship? He aimed to achieve the top scholar title, the *zhuangyuan*, otherwise, his elder brother would steal all the family's glory.

"Is it really true? Have we really been enfeoffed?" Auntie asked, her wide carslan-blue eyes staring at the document. Her mind hadn’t quite processed the situation, and she felt as if she was in a dream.

"Of course it’s true. There's the imperial seal on it, and His Majesty even bestowed 500 taels of gold and 30 acres of fertile land!" Xu Pingzhi boomed, as though afraid others wouldn't believe him.

*Five hundred taels of gold and 30 acres of fertile land...* Auntie's eyes sparkled gold.

"Dalang, is this true? Why does it feel like I'm dreaming?" Auntie grabbed Xu Qi’an’s arm.

Xu Qi’an brushed her off, replying coolly, "Madam, no need to act so familiar. You should call me Viscount."

Xu Lingyue looked at her elder brother with adoring eyes.

After sufficiently annoying Auntie, Xu Qi’an pulled a land deed from his robe, slapped it on the table, and said, "I've stored the gold myself. As for these 30 acres of land, Auntie, since I'm still unmarried, I'll trouble Lingyue to manage it for me."

Auntie’s hand froze mid-reach. There was nothing she could do about Xu Qi’an, so she stomped her foot in frustration and turned to Second Uncle for support, exclaiming, "Xu Pingzhi…"

Unable to deal with his nephew, Auntie had no choice but to direct her ire toward her husband.

Second Uncle chuckled, "Ningyan is teasing you. Lingyue doesn’t know how to manage land."

Xu Lingyue softly interjected, "Father, I’ve studied for a few years, and I also know some arithmetic."

Besides, managing land typically required trustworthy household servants to handle the fieldwork, while the master only needed to handle the accounts.

Suddenly, Auntie felt a sense of crisis.

Her previous imaginary rivals had been the future wives of Dalang and Erlang. Only now did she realise that her real enemy was her own daughter, Xu Lingyue, who had the audacity to rise against her and compete for power in the household.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Mother?" Xu Lingyue felt uneasy under Auntie's burning gaze.

"I’m not looking at you; I’m looking at that ingrate."

"…" Xu Lingyue remained speechless.

...

As for the Stargazing Tower, the impression people in the capital—and throughout the Great Feng—had of it could be summed up in only one word: tall!

To those in the jianghu, beyond its towering height, the Stargazing Tower was also a forbidden place in Great Feng, for it housed the empire’s sole first-rank powerhouse.

Few ever thought about what might lie beneath the tower.

Clang, clang, clang...

In the dim underground, an iron door slowly rose, revealing a winding stone staircase leading downward. Every ten steps, an oil lamp on the walls cast a dim glow.

Tap, tap, tap… The sound of footsteps echoed through the still air, growing clearer by the second as a shadowy figure ascended from below.

The figure's hair was disheveled, hiding their face, and they wore a simple hemp robe. Barefoot, they occasionally revealed a full chest as they walked, indicating the figure was a woman.

A woman with ample curves.

"I'm still a bit short of reaching the fourth rank as a formation master. Why has teacher summoned me…?" the shadowy figure muttered.

She glanced upward, where, at the top of the stairs, light poured down like a tide—a long-lost sunlight.

Emerging from the iron door, the figure stood silently in a hall, closed her eyes, and stretched her arms wide, embracing the sunlight.

She hadn't been outside in five years, ever since Jianzheng had confined her beneath the Stargazing Tower.

Walking through the corridor on the first floor, the disheveled woman ascended the stairs. As she reached the second floor, the sound of rapid footsteps came from above. A white-robed arcanist descended, carrying a tray filled with bottles and jars.

The two came face to face.

The arcanist froze, his complexion turning pale, as if he had just encountered something terrifying.

For a few seconds, he stood there, motionless. Then he turned and fled in panic.

The disheveled woman, in good faith, called out, "Junior Brother, slow down, be careful not to slip."

The moment her words left her lips, the arcanist lost his footing and tumbled down the stairs, crashing into her. Both of them rolled down together.

Bang, bang...

The bottles and jars in the tray shattered, releasing clouds of multicolored dust.

"Help… help…" The arcanist's face flushed, his skin gradually turning an ominous shade of black and blue. He clutched his throat, struggling to speak.

"This… this is… Senior Brother Song Qing’s… poison…"

The woman clutched her own neck and struggled to reply, "Senior Sister didn't bring any antidote..."

"The antidote... is right there..." The arcanist, seemingly paralyzed, fixed his eyes on a shattered jar on the ground, staring intently at the spilled powder.

With the woman's help, the arcanist managed to ingest the antidote. He scrambled down the stairs, rushing into the main hall on the first floor, where several other white-robed arcanists were brewing and refining medicine. He shouted:

"Senior Sister Zhong is out!"

Clang… The arcanists dropped their porcelain bottles, spoons, and other tools.

Stiffly, they turned their heads, staring blankly in her direction.

The disheveled woman continued her ascent, passing the seventh floor. Just as she did, the alchemy room on that floor exploded with a "boom," shaking the floors and walls, causing dust to rain down.

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

Ignoring it, the woman pressed on, finally reaching the top of the Stargazing Tower, the Bagua Platform.

There, seated behind a desk, was Jianzheng, clad in white robes, his beard long and flowing, giving him the air of an immortal. He was lost in thought, staring at the distant horizon with a cup of wine in his hand.

"Teacher."

The woman greeted him respectfully, her gaze drifting toward the fine wine and delicacies on the table.

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

The woman’s body trembled slightly, and she raised her head, revealing her sharp, snow-white chin.

…

The nobility of the Great Feng were split into five levels: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. Each rank is further subdivided into five grades (tiers)

Xu Qi'an’s full title was the "Third Grade Viscount of Changle County."

This was a noble title that, while not at the top, was still respectable. It didn’t come with much real power but did grant him a monthly stipend.

However, the significance of a noble title wasn’t about authority; it lay in the honour it represented and the social status it conferred.

Passing the Imperial Exams and holding office is powerful, but that power is fleeting. The true, lasting distinction from commoners and entry into the noble class is a hereditary title.

Of course, Xu Qi'an’s title was not hereditary, but as long as he held it, the Xu family was nobility and no longer commoners.

In the future, if the Viscount of Changle County were to marry a common woman as his main wife, officials in the palace would immediately submit memorials impeaching him. The ministers would say: "Is a princess not good enough? Are the noble ladies not beautiful enough?"

How could he marry a commoner as his wife?

In short, for the first time in hundreds of years, the Xu family had produced a Viscount, completely shedding their status as commoners and joining the ranks of the nobility.

For Xu Pingzhi, the head of the Xu family, this was probably *the* crowning moment of his life. He immediately took Xu Qi'an to pay respects at the ancestral tomb.

Upon their return, he planned to send out invitations and host a grand banquet, inviting family and friends to the manor for a celebratory feast.

But Auntie thought it inappropriate and said, "The imperial exam is the day after tomorrow. This will disrupt Erlang's studies."

Indeed, the day after tomorrow was the spring imperial exam — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leap into the ranks of the elite. Holding a grand banquet at home would certainly disrupt Erlang’s studies. Xu Pingzhi agreed that his wife made a valid point and decided to have Xu Erlang move to the old house outside the city to focus on his studies, while the banquet would continue as planned.

Xu Lingyin thought this was a great idea.

Xu Erlang cursed as he "left the live broadcast" and, with one servant and one maid, cheerfully moved back to the old house.

After returning from the ancestral tomb, Xu Qi'an generously allocated seventy taels of silver for the expenses of tomorrow's banquet.

Seventy taels was an enormous sum — it’s the equivalent of a moderately well-off family’s savings from three years of living frugally; two years’ worth of brothel visits; or Xu Qi'an’s salary for an entire year.

“I’ve been back for a while and still haven’t visited Master Hengyuan’s Welfare Hall. I should donate some money to help the needy…”

Xu Qi'an rummaged through a square cabinet and pulled out five cash of silver, intending to visit Hengyuan to see if he could get some free physical training techniques on the side.

Suddenly, a deep, distant voice echoed in his mind — it was the voice of the monk Shenshu: "Leave the capital."

Leave the capital?!

*What does that mean..*. Xu Qi'an’s expression turned serious. Shenshu never initiated communication and usually remained dormant within him.

But now, he was telling him to leave the capital.

*Is something going to happen in the capital, or is something going to happen to me?*

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Xu Qi'an's vision changed, and he found himself looking into a misty, grey world. The fog thinned, revealing a dilapidated temple, where Shenshu, with his clear, gentle features, sat cross-legged at the entrance.

This mysterious monk, hands clasped in meditation, gazed at Xu Qi'an with warm brown eyes and spoke in that distant voice: "Leave the capital."