CHAPTERS
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Xie Yi had never been particularly interested in sensual pleasures, and he never imagined that the saying "Fear arises from love" could be so true, as seen by the wise who see through everything inside and out. It was difficult even for a sage to remain unaffected by things, untroubled by the heart, and undisturbed by others. His mind was clear and tranquil, yet he still went about having dinner with Xu Chun as usual. He even found time to check on Xu Chun's progress in his studies, to which Xu Chun…-
643.5 K • Completed
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The moment Xu Chun entered the Qianqiu Pavilion, he was greeted with jeers. "The host is late! He must drink as punishment!" "Three cups as punishment!" Xu Chun could only smile as he clasped his hands and made a round of bows. "Apologies, apologies. There was an issue with an elder at home that delayed me. I'll drink, I'll drink." As he spoke, someone brought over a large goblet filled to the brim with wine. Upon seeing it, Xu Chun panicked. He stretched out his hand to stop them, laughing as he…
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643.5 K • Completed
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After setting up the fishing date, Xu Chun began actively preparing to tidy up the villa. Alcohol was a given; apart from cherry wine, he also prepared several kinds of Tusu wine and calamus wine. He ordered the delivery of whole lambs for roasting, and copper pots for picnic cooking. Then he instructed someone to select strong and large deer for breeding, saying he wanted to make deer blood soup. In addition to food and drink, Xu Chun personally inspected the rooms, repeatedly directing the butlers to…
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643.5 K • Completed
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Days passed in a flurry of activity, and before they knew it, the palace examination arrived. Xu Gu spent an entire day in the exam hall, and when he returned home that evening, his face betrayed signs of disappointment. It was only after some inquiries that they learned he had ranked forty-third in the Second Class, narrowly avoiding falling into the Third Class. Both Grand Madam and Lady Bai were puzzled. "Was the palace examination question too obscure? What was the question?" Xu Gu shook his…
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643.5 K • Completed
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On the second day when he met with his ministers to discuss affairs, Xie Yi asked Ouyang Shen, "I remember there was an official in Guangdong last year who privately lent treasury silver to merchants to earn interest and then returned it to the treasury to cover deficits, and was later impeached by his superior, the provincial governor?" Ouyang Shen said, "Your Majesty is wise. It was Zhao Yu, co-governor of Qingzhou, who was suspended from duty for investigation after impeachment. The Ministry of…
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643.5 K • Completed
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The smoked ham, translucent from the tea smoking process, complemented the freshly picked yellow garlic sprouts perfectly. The salted fish was fried until crisp, emitting an enticing aroma. The pepper lamb soup was a creamy white, while the duck meat was stir-fried with young ginger. There was also steamed perch and tofu with crab roe sauce. Each dish seemed ordinary, but it was rare to see Lady Liubao's culinary skills, meticulously prepared. The dishes cooked in hot oil were fresh and crisp, a stark…
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643.5 K • Completed
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Xie Yi recalled the first time he met Xu Chun, when Xu Chun approached him, and despite knowing that Xu Chun had mistaken his identity, seeing how inexperienced he clearly was, yet indulged in wine and debauchery, patronizing pleasure boats and keeping male courtesans, Xie Yi couldn't help but taunt him with a couple of crude remarks. At the time, seeing his strong reaction, how he turned around and left immediately, it seemed now that those words had deeply wounded the young man, leaving a scar that had…
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643.5 K • Completed
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Xie Fei followed Su Huaizhen into the Hall of Prudence and Caution, where the Emperor would usually read. The interior was simple, with no antique vases, only bookshelves filled with books. Xie Fei entered to pay respects, but Xie Yi was engrossed in a book and did not even lift his head. He said, "Rise, there's no need for formalities between brothers. Why have you come today? Has something happened at the Empress Dowager's side?" Xie Fei replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty." He cautiously observed…
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643.5 K • Completed
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When Xu Chun returned to the Duke Jing's Mansion, his expression was far from pleased. The sound of firecrackers still echoed at the main gate as he entered the inner courtyard through a side entrance. Lady Sheng had already been waiting near the inner gate to greet him, glancing at Xu Chun's attire and letting out a slight sigh of relief. "Your clothes are fine. Your grandmother and your father are already up front, and so is your brother. You should offer your congratulations, no matter how much, and…
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643.5 K • Completed
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Xu Chun tossed and turned throughout the night, barely getting any sleep. As soon as the sky began to lighten, he jumped out of bed and rummaged through his wardrobe for a goose-yellow pearl satin round-neck robe. He combed his hair and tried three different hairpins, ultimately finding gold and silver too vulgar and settling on white jade hairpins and a white jade pendant. He chose a Buddha hand incense sachet to wear, skipped breakfast, and instead grabbed a sesame cake on the go. Without bothering with…
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643.5 K • Completed
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