area51novel Chapter 87 The Number Monster Always Thinks He's a Master of Skill...
Chapter 87 The Number Monster Always Thinks He's a Master of Skill...
Chapter 87 The Number Monster Always Thinks He's a Master of Skill...
Xu Qingya returned quickly.
Learning etiquette is tedious, but the old-fashioned man had long been "bought off" by Xu Qingya and voluntarily went easy on him.
Xu Qingya was released after only three days.
Xu Qingya put away his official robes and seal, carried the Magpie Blade fused with the fragments of the Radiant Martial Arts, and left the palace.
Liu Qingci waited at the door and saw Xu Qingya come out of the palace, walking with a limp, his eyes dark, as if he had been working overtime for three days and three nights and was exhausted.
"Qingya, what's wrong? Did that old man bully you? I'll teach him a lesson!"
"Old Master Yang is over eighty years old, how could he withstand your punches and kicks? If you land one punch, the historical records about you will add at least eight derogatory terms."
"Sister, you really don't know how to be considerate! You use people to the point of exhaustion! Zhuge Liang was like that, and so are you, the successor of the Martial Saint. Don't be afraid, I'll back you up. Tomorrow night I'll spend the night in the dragon's bed and steal her blanket!"
Liu Qingci patted his chest forcefully.
Although she was outmatched by her older sister in every aspect, Liu Qingci was undefeated when it came to stealing the blanket.
Liu Dinghuan always prepares two quilts.
Xu Qingya wiped her face a couple of times: "This was all an act. Otherwise, how could I have escaped? Studying etiquette is such a headache. Who came up with all this?"
Liu Qingci laughed and said, "I knew it—you're such a shrewd fellow, no one can trick you! The imperial court has bestowed upon you a marquis's mansion; you can move now!"
"The Marquis's residence? So soon?"
"The imperial court has no shortage of luxurious mansions!"
This is absolutely not an exaggeration.
As the saying goes, one emperor and one courtier.
During the reign of the late emperor, there were loyal ministers and generals who resigned and went into seclusion in anger, as well as treacherous officials and villains who were greedy, extravagant and attached to the Yuxian Gang. After Liu Dinghuan ascended the throne, he purged these people, partly to obtain money, and partly to take this opportunity to demonstrate the emperor's authority.
Some of these residences were bestowed upon newly rich men, while others were kept to be given to talented individuals in the future, allowing them to settle down in the capital.
"Whose house was this before?"
"My royal uncle, Lord Dongfang, this guy colluded with the Yuxian Gang to plot a rebellion. When he learned that I had eliminated the leader of the Yuxian Gang, he took poison and committed suicide."
"Was it truly a voluntary suicide?"
"This is the royal rule. If he commits suicide, his descendants will be demoted and exiled from the capital, but they will still be able to retain part of their fiefdom and live a life of wealth and honor. If he resists stubbornly, the consequences will be very tragic!"
"Isn't that a bit unlucky?"
"What's this about good or bad luck? Even if there are vengeful spirits in the house, you're a descendant of the Martial Saint. What can the leader of the Yuxian Gang do if I shoot him? As long as we're upright, demons and monsters have nowhere to hide!"
"Is the house very luxurious?"
"My father felt somewhat guilty towards my uncle for certain special reasons, and thus bestowed many gifts upon him. My uncle accepted them all and often borrowed money from the national treasury to squander. My uncle's mansion is even more exquisite than the palace."
"Special reason — hehe!"
Xu Qingya guessed the reason.
When Mi Cangqiong first stayed at Hengwu Garden, he lied and said that it was the residence of a favored concubine whose title was Consort Ju and who was originally the Princess Consort of the East.
In short, the late emperor, that bastard who embodied all the worst of all the tyrannical rulers in history, stole his own brother's wife. This is not unusual in the royal family. What is truly "unusual" is that, as the epitome of all the worst, he did not steal her.
Liu Qingci chuckled awkwardly and shrank back.
For a fleeting moment, Liu Qingci felt that her older sister had awakened her father's genes.
When am I moving?
"The ceremony will be held in a few days. If you don't want it to be too big, I'll talk to my sister and say that a simple ceremony will be enough. We can get together privately."
Let's keep it simple!
"I also think it's better to keep things simple. My sister has money now, so she doesn't have to be so frugal! Spending money like water, I'm afraid it's called—I remember you told me about it before—revenge spending—"
"Treasures will eventually run out, so we'd better be careful with our money! The Han Dynasty is leaky everywhere, and there are countless places where we need to spend money. If we don't control our spending, the treasure will be gone in no time!"
"I don't understand these things. You go and write the memorials. You're now a third-rank official, one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers. You can submit memorials directly without having to go through multiple intermediaries!"
"Is my official rank that high?"
"The most important matters of the state are sacrifice and war. Sacrifice is a major state affair. Although it may not have much practical power, in terms of symbolic significance, you are half a level above me."
The two walked and talked, and soon they arrived at Tingxue Pavilion, where Beitang Xin'er had already prepared a meal.
All of his female confidantes were present. Looking at the room full of beautiful women, Xu Qingya felt his anger about to erupt. In the past three days, in addition to learning all sorts of messy etiquette, he also had to find time to comprehend Guan Yu's stunning sword strike displayed in the void.
This strike is very similar to the "Surging Wave Palm," which mobilizes the body's yang energy to launch an attack, unleashing earth-shattering power in an instant. Its advantage is its exceptional power, but its disadvantage is that the yang energy is so heavy that it can easily cause an imbalance of yin and yang.
Therefore, this tactic should not be used frequently.
When forced to resort to this tactic, one needs to find various ways to calm the boiling blood and qi. Guan Yu loved reading and would stay up late reading the Spring and Autumn Annals to relax his blood and qi.
Xu Qingya didn't have a deep understanding of this. In the past few days, he had been frequently mobilizing his Yang energy. Unfortunately, he mainly cultivated the Yi Wood Heart Method and the East Wind Mystic Art. Wood generates fire, which is like adding fuel to the fire. Half of the dark circles under his eyes were drawn with charcoal, and the other half were real dark circles caused by internal heat.
I almost developed corns, bad breath, and yellow urine from holding it in!
She had just sat down and hadn't even picked up her chopsticks when she was kicked several times. Seven or eight jade-like feet took turns stepping on Xu Qingya's feet and rubbing against her calves.
Yang Yan stood up with a smile: "Qingya! I wish you a successful career in your officialdom, a meteoric rise to high office, and that you become a high-ranking official. Don't forget your sister!"
Yin Susu quickly added, "Qingya! I wish you many romantic encounters, beautiful wives and concubines, a house full of children and grandchildren. I'll just have five children of my own!"
Liu Qingci laughed and said, "Qingya! I won't talk about anything else! Just cook me a few more meals! Those imperial chefs are so boring. They only know how to cook, they don't know how to explain the dishes, and they taste so dry!"
Beitang Xin'er bowed slightly: "Senior brother, no matter what your status is, you are still my senior brother, and I am your sweet little junior sister, dedicated to assisting you!"
Qin Nanqin stood up and offered a toast: "Young Master! No matter where we are, I will always be your little maid!"
Cheng Lingsu tried to smooth things over: "Everyone, let's stop teasing Brother Xu. He's about to explode with anger. If he really can't hold back, who's going to put out the fire? Brother Xu, this is some liver-nourishing pills I prepared for you. Take one when you feel hot."
Yang Yan: "Nan Qin, something's not right! You seem to be my maid, how did you become Qing Ya's?"
Yin Susu: "What's so difficult about relieving internal heat? If you're shy, I have no qualms! If you're shy, let me try it out first!"
"Witch, you want to eat all the food yourself!" ×5
Yin Susu sneered: "What? Am I the only one who can't hold back? Yang Yan, let's talk about you first. You're the oldest. You've been lonely in your boudoir for so many years. You must have been itching to get it back by now, right? Liu Qingci, you're full of energy and your temper is even stronger than Qingya's. I don't believe you can hold back!"
Beitang Xin'er, if I'm a witch, aren't you one too? Don't think I can't see through you!
Qin Nanqin, you little vixen, you've been eyeing Qingya the moment you met him. Most of the mess Yang Yan has made these past few days was instigated by you. You can't sit still like anyone else!
And Ling Su, you can't hide from her either!
Why are you hiding!
These past few days I've been looking into medical techniques from Jin Yu, and you're learning massage. I reminded you of several things, and you listened to everything I said; you learn really fast!
Yin Susu was incredibly thick-skinned and could say anything. She was bold and outspoken, and when she faced a group of people alone, she not only did not fall into a disadvantageous position, but also gained the upper hand.
Xu Qingya desperately wanted to run away, but her legs were locked by jade feet reaching out from all directions. Even if she had the ability to do so, she had nowhere to escape at this moment.
Having mistakenly entered the Spider Cave, one's mind is clouded by the seven emotions.
If I want to escape this calamity—I don't want to undergo it!
This meal was extremely unpleasant.
It wasn't that the food wasn't delicious enough, but rather that there was constant teasing below, with occasional slapping sounds from a few jade feet, almost overturning the table.
The meal was even more troublesome. Six pairs of chopsticks were serving food to Xu Qingya at the same time. There were rules about which food to eat first and which to eat last. Helpless, Xu Qingya stirred the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks to make a mixed rice dish, and then ate it in big mouthfuls with a spoon. Everyone's food was eaten at the same time.
Is this over?
of course not!
Six pairs of eyes turned to Xu Qingya at the same time.
Whom did Xu Qingya serve food to first?
Are we supposed to sort by age?
Xu Qingya looked around and, following the principle of befriending distant people and attacking nearby ones, first served food to those further away. The six women noticed Xu Qingya's predicament and did not compete for the food too much.
The struggle requires a balance of tension and relaxation.
Going too far will put you at a disadvantage.
After suppressing her anger and finishing her meal, Liu Qingci took Xu Qingya to see the house. In the past two days, Yang Yan and Beitang Xin'er helped with the move, Yin Susu bought furniture, Qin Nanqin selected maids and servants, and Cheng Lingsu acted as the housekeeper, cleaning the mansion so that it was ready for immediate move-in.
To be precise, you don't even need to bring a bag.
All daily necessities were taken there.
The house has been terminated. To commemorate the only business she has done in all these years, Granny Cai is giving the house to Zeng Jing and Jiang Asheng as a wedding gift so that the two can live and work in peace.
The two understood the implied meaning behind the song and immediately became Cai Po's godmothers, taking responsibility for her care and seeing her off in her old age.
The Eastern Marquis's Mansion is located on Xuanwu Street, separated from the Imperial Palace by two streets. It is not large in area, much smaller than the mansions of Zhuge Zhengwo and Liu Qingci. The mansion was built by skilled craftsmen and has pavilions, towers, rockeries and corridors.
Upon entering the Marquis's residence, one is greeted by a long, winding corridor. On both sides of the wall are calligraphy works by more than a dozen famous calligraphers, each piece embedded in the wall. Over the years, the stone carvings have not been repaired, and signs of corrosion have appeared.
Stepping out of the long corridor, one is greeted by lush trees and groves on both sides, where flowers, trees, bamboo, and rocks form artificial hills, lotus ponds, secluded valleys, and open pavilions, creating a beautiful and exquisite scene, just like a painting.
Liu Qingci explained, "This mansion was built by the Hua family of Jiangnan. It features a Jiangnan-style garden design, with a lotus pond fed by running water that connects to the moat. There's a secret passage in the backyard that leads directly to the inner palace!"
Yang Yan exclaimed in surprise, "Liu Qingci, what do you mean by that? What does this have to do with the harem? Do you two sisters have some unusual hobbies?"
Liu Qingci shrugged: "Let Qingya explain the specific reasons to you! I can't say more! The despicable things Father Emperor has done are beyond even the gods' calculation!"
Beitang Xin'er and the others nodded seriously.
Yin Susu sighed deeply: "What a pity! If the late emperor hadn't been poisoned to death by the pill, in a few years, war would have raged everywhere, and Qingya could have made his debut—"
Liu Qingci scoffed, "Don't dream! With my sister's temper, even if Father hadn't died, she would have launched a palace coup and forced him to abdicate!"
Beitang Xin'er chimed in, "That's right! It really is a dream! If war breaks out, you, this demonic witch, should have been betrothed by Yin Tianzheng to the son of another rebel leader before you even fought alongside Qingya!"
Yin Susu laughed and said, "Impossible! The person my father knows best is Yang Xiao. Unfortunately, Yang Xiao has no son. Rather than thinking about marrying me off, he should find a wife for my elder brother. Besides, if Qingya becomes a son-in-law of the Yin family, he can inherit the Sky Eagle Sect!"
Xu Qingya joked, "So I'll conquer the world with my father-in-law's help? You really overestimate me! I probably can't learn military strategy!"
Cheng Lingsu said, "But you absolutely cannot sit still; you will definitely do something!"
Yang Yan coughed twice, interrupting the conversation.
We can't continue this topic.
Xu Qingya had once told her that if a tyrannical ruler brought disaster to the country and the world was engulfed in war, he would either rise up in rebellion or assassinate the tyrannical ruler; he would definitely not stand idly by.
Saying these things in front of Liu Qingci—even though Liu Qingci had no feelings for the late emperor—was indeed going too far. Let's stop this topic!
Cheng Lingsu quickly changed the subject: "I remember Sister Yin saying that with Brother Xu's abilities, even if he didn't know any martial arts, he could still save up enough money to buy a house within two months and live a peaceful and prosperous life in the capital!"
Liu Qingci asked, "How do I save money?"
Yin Susu pointed to herself: "Find a job as a waitress in a big restaurant. When a super-rich woman like me goes to eat, I can serve her and explain things to her. The tips I earn in two or three months would be enough to buy a mansion!"
Liu Qingci glanced at Xu Qingya and said, "I think this isn't a hypothetical, but a reality! Where did you learn these skills?"
What have you done before?
Xu Qingya chuckled awkwardly: "The cook!"
What's your best dish to cook?
"It's probably—roast duck!"
"I've never seen you make roast duck before!"
"What if we don't have the right ingredients?"
"Doesn't the imperial kitchen have any ingredients?"
"No, there aren't any. However, I had the chef feed a few ducks for me. According to my recipe, these ducks will be ready to be roasted after fifteen days of feeding!"
"You really know how to make roast duck?"
"Of course!"
Xu Qingya revealed a "foodie" expression.
When it comes to moving, we definitely need to get together in the evening.
Xu Qingya decided to eat barbecue skewers and wrote a recipe for Liu Qingci, asking Liu Qingci to go to the imperial kitchen to get the ingredients, while Qin Nanqin and Beitang Xin'er went to prepare fruitwood charcoal.
"You have to eat barbecue skewers in a natural setting like a forest, riverbank, or seaside, where the air is fresh, there's a camping and picnic atmosphere, and you can blow the smoke away!"
"How to quickly start a fire in the wild? Besides striking a flint with your yang energy, there is a simpler method: pile up charcoal, soak straw paper in oil, stuff the straw paper into the charcoal, and then light the straw paper."
"Today we're having lamb skewers. I chose lamb ribs, which are 30% fat and 70% lean. Once one side is sizzling with oil, you can flip them over and sprinkle them with Tianshan fennel seeds and Sichuan chili powder."
-
"Is there anyone who doesn't eat spicy food?"
"Ling Su doesn't eat spicy food!"
"These few strings are for Ling Su!"
"Give me a few more skewers of pork belly. Pork belly is the part between the rib and abdominal cavities of a pig. This part of the meat is evenly marbled with fat and lean meat and is very juicy. Before grilling, it needs to be marinated with salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce and alcohol."
"I just made this barbecue sauce. There are three flavors: this is Qingci's rich and fragrant flavor, this is Lingsu's light and refreshing flavor, and this one is for everyone!"
"Qingci, don't rush. There's a big grill over there with large pieces of meat and bones for you. It needs to be grilled carefully for an hour. Let's eat some skewers first!"
"Nanqin, come and watch. Once the edges of the oil turn a deep reddish-brown and are slightly charred, it's ready to eat. Make sure to control the heat carefully!"
"The crispy outer layer and juicy interior make it a perfect combination of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside!"
"Is Lingsu getting a bit too rich? Here are some vegetables I prepared for you, a cold tiger salad!"
"Yan'er, Xin'er, over there are the wild mushrooms you two like to eat. Mushrooms can also be grilled!"
"Yan'er's tofu skin rolls with enoki mushrooms!"
"Xin'er's roasted matsutake mushrooms and roasted shiitake mushrooms!"
"Nanqin, I've prepared two fragrant and sticky taro roots for you, buried in the charcoal fire!"
"Susu, you like river fish, so I've prepared a delicious meal for you: stewed small fish and shrimp with pickled vegetables. I even stuck some cornbread on the side of the pot; it's not only crispy and crunchy, but it also has a salty edge—it tastes amazing!"
"And finally, here's the dish I want to eat!"
Grilled chives! Grilled oysters! Grilled kidneys!
Xu Qingya raised his glass: "Cheers!"
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