Xie An's heart was beating a little fast, and he felt it was better to stabilize his emotions first.
So Xie An paused slightly as he untied the ribbon.
This pause immediately made the hearts of the people around him jump to their throats, and they all looked at Xie An.
Zhao Qing'er even urged him, "Chief Xie, why did you stop?"
Xie An found an excuse, "The Princess's kindness is too great, and I am terrified."
Zhao Qing'er agreed deeply, "That's true... I've been with the Princess in Nanyang Prefecture for some years, and I've never seen the Princess value someone so much."
Chen Tie smiled and said, "Brother Xie helped the Princess to wipe out the Corpse Refining Hall, and made an immortal contribution. Any more rewards are well deserved."
Xie An sighed secretly that Chen Tie really knew how to talk, making people feel very comfortable.
After his heart was completely calm, Xie An untied the ribbon and slowly unrolled the scroll.
Hiss!
Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran gasped again, the sound even louder than last time.
Especially Zhao Qing'er, she couldn't calm down anymore, "The identity token of the direct disciple of the Taiyi Taoist Sect, with the name engraved on it, as well as the totem of Taiyi Taoism, and the personal seal of the Sect Leader!
This is the honor that many martial artists dream of. Back then, my father, the King, asked the Sect Leader many times for a direct disciple honor for my elder brother, but it didn't work out."
Wei Haoran was also very envious, "My father is the same. The Sect Leader is arrogant and eccentric, and when he is stubborn, he doesn't even give the Emperor face. The Princess is still amazing. This is already the highest gift."
Compared to everyone's shock, Xie An was naturally also shocked, but the point of his shock was different.
Xie An had seen the contents of this scroll before.
When he first discussed cooperation with Su Yuqing, she gave him a contract.
Xie An still keeps it.
Xie An carefully examined it and recalled the scroll he had seen in his mind. After comparing them... Xie An found that the seal on this scroll was clearer and more magnificent.
Obviously: Su Yuqing was in a hurry last time, and the direct disciple contract she brought was a draft and did not include Xie An's name.
But this contract clearly stated Xie An's name.
What's more, it also came with an identity token of the direct disciple of the Taiyi Taoist Sect.
Su Yuqing has fulfilled her original promise.
Xie An shattered the Great Bronze Bell, helped Su Yuqing break the century-old deadlock, and suffered in the underground for four years. Su Yuqing was also generous and happily fulfilled the great gift.
This deal was done happily.
Listening to Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er's sour remarks, Xie An naturally knew that the weight of this identity token was far above the letter of appointment of the fifth-rank Chief.
The royal family is noble, the official position is good, and the title is scarce.
But these are all things that the imperial court can freely control, and to put it bluntly, it is just a matter of a word from the royal family.
But the Taiyi Taoist Sect is the state religion, suppressing the world with martial arts. The Great Qian also needs to rely on the power of Taoism to maintain the order of the court and rule the four seas and eight wastelands.
Then, the things of Taoism are not something that the royal family can want if they want.
Thinking of this, Xie An felt that his harvest this time was too great.
Four years of suffering, it was worth it.
Moreover, Xie An always felt that this Princess was a little too good to him.
He broke the Great Bronze Bell and indeed made a great contribution.
But this credit is not enough for this.
Su Yuqing's operation made Xie An feel that there were many unreasonable things.
Xie An always felt that something was wrong, as if this woman knew that he had practiced the Bright Jade Skill... But this is unreasonable, even Yu He doesn't know that he has practiced the Bright Jade Skill, how would she know?
But he couldn't figure it out specifically.
This woman's mind is too deep. What exactly does she want to do?
Even Xie An, who had lived two lifetimes, couldn't figure it out.
After being stunned for a long time, Xie An came back to his senses.
Compared to the letter of appointment of the fifth-rank Chief, Xie An did not hesitate about this identity token and directly put it in his pocket.
As the current state religion, the Taiyi Taoist Sect not only suppresses the world with martial arts, but also studies the art of longevity. It is much stronger than the former Longevity Sect. This identity token is a talisman. In the future, Xie An may not be able to sit down with the Sect Leader and discuss the way of longevity.
Wei Haoran looked at Xie An putting away the token, his eyes almost dripping with envy, "Congratulations, Chief Xie, for being so valued by the Princess. In time, your future will be limitless."
Zhao Qing'er congratulated sourly, "Congratulations, congratulations."
Chen Tie was also very envious in his heart. His father was a great craftsman of the Great Qian, who had cast many magical weapons and had a transcendent status. He also wanted to join the Taiyi Taoist Sect as a direct disciple, but he didn't succeed.
It's just that Chen Tie's temperament is calm, not surprised or happy, and he said with a smile: "Congratulations, Chief Xie. The three scrolls are getting heavier and heavier. I wonder what kind of great gift the third scroll is?!"
Xie An cupped his hands to everyone, then suppressed the excitement in his heart and picked up the third golden scroll.
With the experience of the first two scrolls, Xie An was already relatively calm when he unfolded the third scroll, but he had great expectations.
As the third scroll was unfolded, everyone's hearts were raised to their throats again, staring with wide eyes.
When the scroll was completely unfolded, everyone was a little dazed.
Xie An was also stunned for a moment.
The scroll was blank, but it was stamped with a large red seal.
Zhao Qing'er was puzzled, "Hey, why is it blank?"
Chen Tie was slightly stunned, then smiled and gave an explanation, "Don't you recognize this seal?"
With Chen Tie's reminder, Xie An's attention fell on the seal.
This is obviously not the seal of the state.
The seal of the state is as big as an adult's palm.
And this square seal, with a side length of about three centimeters, is a positive engraving of red characters on a white background, a nine-fold seal script, with a total of fourteen characters. If people who are not familiar with the seal script, it will look very unfamiliar and difficult to identify.
Xie An didn't recognize the content of the seal just now.
Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran leaned over to look, but they didn't recognize it either.
Chen Tie explained with a smile: "The Seal of the Southern Prefecture General Superintendent by Imperial Order of Princess Taiping."
Xie An was very surprised when he heard this.
It turned out that Su Yuqing's title as Princess was Princess Taiping.
Taiping, meaning peace in the world.
It is very consistent with Xie An's impression of this Princess, she does have such great ambitions.
But... Xie An always thought of the Princess Taiping of the Tang Dynasty in his previous life, relying on her identity as the Emperor's youngest daughter, she gradually ascended to the court stage, and showed extremely high wisdom and skill, actively participating in many palace coups, and finally gaining power over the court.
However, Princess Taiping's desire for power and political ambitions eventually aroused the dissatisfaction of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. In the end, Princess Taiping was suspected of treason, and Emperor Xuanzong sent troops to capture her and赐死 her at home, to be buried with him in the Qianling Mausoleum.
Even, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was able to ascend to the throne as the crown prince, thanks to Princess Taiping and Li Longji, who was then the Prince of Linzi, launching the Tanglong Coup together.
It can be said that Li Longji, the crown prince, was supported by Princess Taiping. In the end...
Xie An sighed endlessly.
In the imperial family, there is little affection. Because the interests involved are too great, there have been many examples of brothers killing brothers and fathers killing sons throughout history, and there have also been cases of emperors赐死 their sons. It is not uncommon.
I can't help but worry about Su Yuqing's future.
After being stunned for a while, Xie An came back to his senses and paid attention to the other information on the seal.
The amount of information on this seal is very huge.
The imperial order is the special envoy sent by the emperor, which in Xie An's previous life meant the imperial envoy.
Acting as the Southern Prefecture General Superintendent by Imperial Order... means that Su Yuqing came to supervise and inspect the Southern Prefecture as an imperial envoy. The weight of it can be imagined!
As for the words "treasure seal", Xie An, as an old appraiser, naturally knew something about it.
In the Great Qian, engraving seals is divided into positive engraving and negative engraving. Positive engraving is to display the characters in the form of protrusions, and the printed characters are red characters on a white background, representing authority and formality. It is mostly used in formal official occasions.
Negative engraving is to engrave the characters below the plane of the object, and the printed characters are white characters on a red background.
Moreover, the Great Qian is very particular about the names of the seals.
Only the emperor's seal can be called a seal, those above the prince are called treasures (usually treasure seals), officials below the prince are called seals, and private ones are called stamps.
Admittedly, Xie An knew that the names of seals were different in different dynasties. For example, in the Han Dynasty of his previous life, although it inherited the Qin system. But in addition to the emperor's seal being a seal. The seals of the empress, empress dowager, grand empress dowager, and princes can also be called seals.
However, the Great Qian is more strict in this area. There is only one seal in the world: the Emperor's Seal.
Although the Princess does not have a title, her status is equivalent to that of a prince, and with a title, she can use the treasure seal.
As soon as this treasure seal came out, Xie An probably knew Su Yuqing's arrangement: she came to Nanyang Prefecture for more than 20 years, not just to wipe out the remnants of the Longevity Sect, but to aim at the entire Southern Prefecture.
Just when everyone was stunned, Chen Tie said: "Don't you understand what this means? In the future, if Brother Xie has any requests, he can fill in the content himself. This is already a top-level gift. In our dynasty, there have been only a few examples of such rewards in the past hundred years."
Everyone suddenly realized and exclaimed.
"It really is a top-level gift."
"Congratulations, Chief Xie!"
"..."
Chen Tie waved his hand and said: "Okay, everyone, leave Chief Xie with some time alone to digest these great gifts.
Miss Yu He, please come with me. The Princess also left you a gift."
As everyone left, the entire room became empty, leaving only Xie An sitting at the tea table in a daze. He held the blank scroll, staring at most of Qingwu County outside the railing, looking at the rows of buildings and the carriages and people coming and going on the streets.
If the first two scrolls made Xie An feel surprised.
Then the third scroll made Xie An feel a lot of pressure.
The blank scroll with the Princess's treasure seal is equivalent to half of an imperial edict.
Whatever you want, whatever you want to do... just write it down and it will take effect immediately.
To bestow upon myself a fourth-rank or third-rank official title, or to request other treasures… in principle, all are possible.
This gift is far too heavy!
If Xie An were to accept this treasured seal scroll, he would truly become the Princess's man, forever branded with her label.
This is undoubtedly the treatment countless people dream of, a meteoric rise to prominence.
But Xie An knew that once accepted, he would no longer be his own master.
“Forget it, I won't think about it anymore. I only want to find some resources to practice martial arts, to cultivate longevity in a low-key manner. Be it the imperial court or the Princess, if it benefits my cultivation, then I can exchange resources and mutually benefit. If it doesn't align with my plans, then I'll keep my distance and not easily get involved.”
Once Xie An made up his mind, he had a steadying force in his heart, not easily tempted by external things, and he no longer hesitated so much.
With his mind settled, his thoughts became clear.
“The identity token of a personally taught disciple of the Sect Leader and the letter of appointment for a fifth-rank Chief can be kept. These will be of great benefit to my future cultivation. As for this blank treasure seal, I should decline it.”
Xie An made his decision.
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Before long, Chen Tie and the other two returned with Yu He, who was in a good mood, chatting and laughing along the way. It seemed the Princess had also given Yu He considerable benefits.
Xie An planned to take his leave and then go to Tang Family Fort to visit his Big Brother Tang.
Yes, he also missed Little Red Sugar.
It had been four years since they last met. He wondered if Little Red Sugar had grown into a young girl.
Just then, Chen Tie spoke, “Chief Xie, I've prepared some simple wine. If you're not in a hurry, it wouldn't hurt to have a couple of cups before you leave.”
Having received such a generous gift, Xie An naturally couldn't refuse, so he agreed.
… …
Dusk, the setting sun hung slanted on the mountaintop. Golden rays of sunlight sprinkled down on Qingwu County, making this small, desolate town glow with golden splendor.
People came and went on the streets, and the shops on both sides lit up their lanterns, creating a scene of bustling prosperity.
Xie An and Yu He walked side by side on the street, strolling leisurely.
Listening to the hawking and selling from the stalls on both sides, and the chattering of the neighbors, Xie An felt a rare sense of ease and contentment in his heart.
Humans are, after all, social creatures. Staying in the cellar for too long makes one yearn to hear human voices.
Yu He affectionately took Xie An's arm, “Master, where shall we go now?”
Xie An said, “Let's settle down in the county town tonight and take a look at the house my two disciples bought for me. By the way, what did your mistress reward you with?”
Yu He giggled and played coy, “Guess.”
Xie An was stunned.
If it were an ordinary young lady, Xie An might be able to guess.
But this Princess was too inscrutable, impossible to fathom.
In the end, Xie An shook his head and smiled, “I can't guess, but seeing how happy you are… she must have given you the gift you wanted most.”
“Master is so clever, the Princess gave me freedom.”
Freedom…
Xie An suddenly felt a little sorrowful.
It turned out that Yu He, like himself, had a contract of indenture.
Yu He saw Xie An's thoughts and explained, “It's not what Master thinks. I was born in the Princess's residence and have always been her person. The Princess has been very good to me, but this time she let me leave the Princess's residence, and I no longer have to be bound by it. From now on, I am a free citizen of the Great Qian.”
“I see.”
Seeing Yu He so happy, Xie An felt very gratified. It seemed that this Princess was alright; although she was deep in thought, her character was still reliable.
Yu He suddenly whispered, “I never thought that old woman Jin was actually the former dynasty's Empress. The Sect Leader of the Longevity Sect, the Immortal Empress… and also the little aunt of Grand Priest Jin Hai'er.”
While eating, Chen Tie had revealed this matter, saying that a significant reason for establishing the Qingwu Demon Suppression Office was to find this old woman Jin.
They wanted to see her alive or dead.
Xie An frowned, “That Chen Gong, whose given name is Hai Ming, should be the Tianbao Emperor of the former dynasty.”
Recalling his past experiences, Xie An couldn't help but feel a wave of lingering fear.
The woman sitting in the shrine was actually the former dynasty's Empress. She was also the Sect Leader of the Longevity Sect, who, together with Chen Gong, established the Tianbao dynasty, extending the national destiny for three hundred years.
They were all extraordinary figures with far-reaching influence.
Xie An never expected that he would come into contact with such great figures in this way.
What was even more terrifying was that the former dynasty's Empress and Sect Leader of the Longevity Sect… actually crawled out of the passage. Her whereabouts were still unknown.
He didn't know if the Immortal Empress had seen his and Yu He's appearance. If she had… wouldn't that be terrible?
This woman was far more terrifying than Li Changchun.
Thinking of this, Xie An couldn't help but clench the identity token of a personally taught disciple of the Taiyi Dao Sect in his pocket.
Yu He asked, “Will Master still be the Chief of the Qingwu Demon Suppression?”
“I need to think about this matter further. Let's go back first.”
According to the location Han Li had previously mentioned, Xie An arrived at Copper Gong Alley and found his house.
The house had a good location, just a few steps away from Yong'an Pawnshop. There were also several pawnshops of considerable size nearby, which matched Xie An's old profession.
It was also only three miles away from Tang Family Fort.
The house wasn't particularly large, but it was very exquisite, with white walls and black tiles, flying eaves and upturned corners. The pomegranate tree in the courtyard had grown taller, with several branches protruding from the courtyard wall, bearing heavy, half-red pomegranates.
The words “Xie Residence” on the red door head gave him a great sense of belonging.
Baiyu Hall had been sold to the Giant Whale Gang, and he couldn't live in that hall anymore, so Xie An thought that this would be his home from now on.
He had two disciples and Yu He.
They were all people he cherished extremely. Living together… would be good.
Tang Family Fort wasn't far away either. Xie An had promised Tang Zhengyang that he would take care of Tang Family Fort. It was also nearby, so the location was very good.
Putting away his thoughts, Xie An pulled the copper ring on the door and knocked three times.
Dong, dong, dong.
“Master, you've finally come!” The person who opened the door was He Chunli, who showed a look of ecstasy upon seeing Xie An. He hurriedly welcomed Xie An and Yu He inside, and then closed the gate.
Just inside the gate was a small martial arts practice field, with weapon racks placed on both sides. Han Li was practicing swordsmanship, and he didn't stop even after seeing Xie An, “Master, what do you think of my swordsmanship?”
Xie An glanced at it casually, “Where did you learn it?”
“At Weisheng Martial Arts School. Instructor Chen is a Blood Charging Realm swordsman who has been studying swordsmanship for more than ten years. He's only in his early thirties and will be able to break through to Martial Master in another year or two. He has a limitless future. The martial arts school values him very much.”
Xie An smiled and said, “Your swordsmanship looks quite impressive, but the transitions between the movements are too stiff, and the moves are superficial. Instructor Chen must not have taught you the real skills. Buy two jugs of old wine and visit him more often during festivals. Show him respect a few more times, and he will pass on the real skills to you.”
Han Li suddenly stopped, slapped his thigh hard, “Damn it, I've always had this feeling, but Master sees it clearly.”
Xie An smiled wryly.
Although Xie An wasn't proficient in swordsmanship, there were many similarities between saber techniques and sword techniques. In addition, Xie An's Clear Jade Skill had reached an extremely high level, and his five senses were extraordinary. After just a few glances, he could see the flaws.
Crossing the martial arts practice field, going around the screen wall, and passing through the hanging flower gate, they entered the main courtyard.
The house was a three-courtyard residence. What Xie An had just passed through was the front courtyard.
Entering the main courtyard, the east and west wing rooms were on the left and right sides respectively, and directly in front was the main house, connected to the main house were the east and west side rooms. Further back was the back courtyard.
The back courtyard was the kitchen, as well as the back cover room for the maids to live in, the stables, and so on. The male servants usually lived in the inverted seat room in the front courtyard.
He Chunli had already arranged everything early on, arranging for Xie An to live in the main house and Yu He to live in the west wing room. Han Li and He Chunli lived in the inverted seat room in the front courtyard, which was very thoughtful.
“Master, I've put your previous things in the living room. If you need anything, just call me. Han Li and I are busy in the front yard.” After arranging everything, He Chunli left excitedly.
Xie An entered the living room and inventoried the items.
Ice Marrow, Preserving Plant Stump, and two wrapped spirit tablets. Nothing was missing. There were also no signs of them being opened.
Earlier, at the entrance of the Demon Suppression Division, Xie An had asked He Chunli to bring these things back.
The Ice Marrow and spirit tablets didn't need much preservation, but the Preserving Plant Stump… if it was separated from the soil, it might die.
“Yu He, go fetch a bucket of water. I'll dig a hole in the yard and plant this tree stump in the soil first.”
After a round of fussing, the two finally planted the tree stump in the southeast corner of the courtyard and watered it with a large bucket of well water.
Looking at the loose and crumbling appearance of the tree stump, it seemed like it could die at any time.
But Xie An couldn't do anything about it, given the conditions and his level of expertise. He would see what Su Yuqing replied with.
After finishing all this, it was already late at night. Xie An took a bath and then fell asleep.
He was too tired.
He desperately needed rest.
The next day, Xie An didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky. Sufficient sleep was more comfortable than fetal breathing, and his body was greatly recovered. He practiced his nourishing exercises several times to fully adapt to his new body before washing up and getting dressed.
His two disciples had gone to Weisheng Martial Arts School to learn their skills early in the morning, and left a small note: Breakfast has been prepared.
After breakfast, Yu He made a list and went to purchase living supplies. Xie An bought a few strings of candied hawthorns and sugar figurines, along with a portion of pastries. He took two scrolls and went straight to Tang Family Fort.
In addition to visiting Little Red Sugar, Xie An also wanted to ask Tang Zhengyang about the matters of the Taiyi Dao's personally taught disciple and the fifth-rank Demon Suppression Chief.
Tang Zhengyang had lived for hundreds of years and knew much more than Xie An. Taking Tang Big Brother's advice was extremely important to Xie An.
— — — —
Two chapters for a total of 11,000 words, please vote for guaranteed monthly tickets~
