Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The capital city, the residence of the Second Prince.

With lanterns and decorations everywhere, and the sound of gongs and drums filling the air, one might mistakenly think that the Second Prince was about to take his eighteenth concubine.

Li Xuan sat in the main seat, swirling a luminous cup in his hand, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

"It's good that he's dead, death is clean."

He tilted his head back and gulped down a mouthful of wine, then laughed loudly at his advisors below: "That poor, pedantic scholar dared to write a seditious essay in the examination hall, triggering heavenly lightning. The Imperial Advisor hates these kinds of uncontrollable variables the most; he's probably already been thrown into the alchemy furnace and turned into ashes by now."

The advisors quickly raised their glasses in agreement: "Your Highness is wise! That Gu Xiang was nothing but a country bumpkin who, relying on his righteous spirit, became arrogant and ignorant. Now that he's dead, what about Su Qing…?"

Upon hearing Su Qing's name, Li Xuan's eyes lit up instantly, revealing a lewd glint.

"She's an absolute stunner. Without Gu Xiang getting in the way, I have a hundred ways to get her to obediently climb into my bed."

Li Xuan slammed his wine cup on the table, stood up, and straightened his robes. "Let's go to Zuixianju! I want to personally 'comfort' Miss Su and, while I'm at it, see how that scholar died."

……

Zuixianju, Room No. 1 (Heavenly Class).

Gu Xiang sat up abruptly, panting heavily, his body drenched in cold sweat that soaked through his undershirt.

He touched his neck; his head was still there.

I touched my chest again; my heart was still pounding.

"woke up?"

A lazy female voice came from the side.

Gu Xiang turned his head and saw Su Qing sitting by the window with her legs crossed, cracking sunflower seeds in her hand.

Li Yu sat on the other side, holding a teacup in her hand, looking helpless.

"Brother Su... I'm not dead?" Gu Xiang was a little confused and looked at his palm.

"Soon."

Su Qing spat out the melon seed shells, dusted off her hands, and looked at him with pity: "The Imperial Guards are everywhere outside, surrounding your Drunken Immortal Abode like an iron barrel. Just now, word came from the palace that the Imperial Preceptor will personally deal with you."

Gu Xiang's face turned pale, and her straightened back instantly collapsed.

Su Qing leaned closer and asked with a smile, "Have you decided what you'll eat for your last meal? Braised or steamed? Considering we're sworn brothers, I'll treat you to a good meal so you don't starve to death."

Gu Xiang shuddered, clutching the blanket and shrinking into the corner of the bed, stubbornly saying, "Death... so be it! Confucius said to achieve benevolence, Mencius said to uphold righteousness! When I, Gu Xiang, wrote that article, I never intended to live!"

He spoke with such righteous indignation that he might have been even more convincing if his teeth hadn't been chattering.

"Fine, fine, you're the most principled." Su Qing rolled her eyes. "Then why are you trembling?"

"I...I'm cold!" Gu Xiang said, her neck stiff.

Li Yu couldn't bear to watch any longer. He put down his teacup and smiled wryly, "Miss Su, please don't frighten Brother Gu. The Imperial Guards are here to protect the scene, not to arrest anyone."

Gu Xiang was taken aback: "Protect the scene?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a clear bird song suddenly came from outside the window.

"Chirp—"

The sound was extremely penetrating, making the teacups on the table vibrate.

Su Qing raised an eyebrow and opened the window.

A large, verdant bird, with a golden scroll in its beak, was seen circling above Zuixianju.

That's the bluebird from the Imperial Preceptor's residence; seeing the bird is like seeing the Imperial Preceptor himself.

The crowd downstairs, which had been gathered to watch the spectacle, all knelt down upon seeing the bluebird.

The Second Prince, Li Xuangang, had just arrived downstairs with his men and was preparing to go upstairs to "receive the inheritance" when he looked up and saw the bluebird. His smile deepened.

"Look! The Imperial Preceptor's decree has arrived!"

Li Xuan pointed at the bluebird and said smugly to those around him, "He must have ordered the execution of that traitor's entire family! Men, get the ropes ready; we'll drag that scholar's corpse to feed the dogs in a bit!"

The bluebird circled once in the air before landing steadily on the second-floor windowsill, facing Gu Xiang.

It opened its mouth, and the scroll unfurled with a "whoosh," hovering in mid-air.

The bluebird opened its beak and actually uttered human words, its voice cold and devoid of any emotion:

"Gu Xiang of Qingniu Town wrote an essay at the Imperial Examination Hall that was a wake-up call, reminiscent of the ancient Confucian sages. Although the words were strong, the sincerity of the writer is commendable."

Li Xuan's smile froze downstairs.

This script is wrong!

Shouldn't it be "outrageous and punishable by slow slicing"?

The bluebird continued reading: "By special decree, Gu Xiang is innocent. Effective immediately, he is exceptionally appointed as the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, granted a scarlet robe, and permitted to report on matters upon hearing of them, and to supervise all officials."

Dead silence.

The entire Drunken Immortal Residence was deathly silent.

Even Su Qing paused in her act of cracking sunflower seeds.

Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate?

That's a fourth-rank official!

The key is the power of this position—the ability to report on matters based on hearsay.

To put it bluntly, it means that anyone you don't like can be impeached, even without concrete evidence. As long as you think there's something wrong with you, you can be verbally abused severely, and the emperor will even praise you for your scathing criticism.

This is like putting a powerful sword into the hands of a hothead.

"I refuse to accept this!"

A roar suddenly came from downstairs.

Li Xuan, enraged, pointed upstairs: "This poor, pedantic scholar wrote a seditious essay criticizing the Imperial Preceptor, and instead of being executed, he was promoted? This is a chaotic order! This is a chaotic order!"

The bluebird glanced coldly down at Li Xuan.

"Is the Second Prince questioning the Imperial Advisor's decision?"

Li Xuan shuddered, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe.

Questioning the Imperial Advisor?

Even if you gave him ten lives, he wouldn't dare.

The jade thumb ring in his hand shattered with a "crack," his face turning a deep purplish-red. Finally, he could only grit his teeth and force out a few words: "I dare not... This king... congratulates Lord Gu!"

After saying that, he angrily flicked his sleeve, turned around and left, his back view looking as pathetic as a stray dog.

upstairs.

Holding the light-looking imperial edict, Gu Xiang felt it weighed more than a thousand pounds.

"What...what does this mean?" Gu Xiang was completely bewildered. "The Imperial Advisor didn't kill me? And he even offered me an official position?"

Su Qing tossed the last few sunflower seeds into her mouth, clapped her hands, and laughed so hard she almost fell over.

"Idiot, don't you understand yet?"

Su Qing pointed to the four characters "Supervise all officials" on the imperial edict, "The Imperial Preceptor has taken a liking to your mouth. From now on, you'll be ordered to curse in the streets, and you can impeach anyone you don't like. This is the most desirable job in the world."

Gu Xiang stared blankly at Su Qing: "By...by imperial decree, you're committing acts of cursing in the streets?"

"That's right." Su Qing stood up and stretched. "Alright, Lord Gu, stop daydreaming. Now that you're an official, you should act like one. Li Yu, send someone to bring some food; I'm starving."

Li Yu smiled and agreed, finding Gu Xiang's dazed expression amusing.

This scholar is going to muddy up the waters of this capital city.

……

That very evening, the Ministry of Rites delivered the official robes.

The scarlet official robe, paired with the black gauze hat, made him look quite imposing.

Unfortunately, when Gu Xiang wore it, it looked like a child wearing an adult's clothes.

He was too thin. He had endured wind and rain all the way, and there was hardly any flesh on his body. His official robe was loose and baggy, and the sleeves were so long that they could be used for opera.

"How...how am I supposed to wear this?" Gu Xiang asked, pulling up her belt with a troubled expression.

Su Qing was gnawing on a roasted chicken leg, her mouth full of oil, when she saw this and curled her lips in disgust.

"What a hassle."

She casually wiped some oil on her clothes, then walked over and pulled Gu Xiang over.

"Stand still and don't move."

Su Qing stretched out her finger, a faint light emanating from its tip, and gently traced it along the seam of her official robe.

The originally loose official robe seemed to come alive, automatically shrinking to fit Gu Xiang's figure.

Gu Xiang felt a warm current flowing over her skin, and her face instantly turned red to the roots of her neck.

"Brother Su... Brother Su, men and women should not touch each other..."

"Shut up." Su Qing slapped him on the forehead. "I'm your sister."

While altering the clothes, she casually slipped a subtle rune into Gu Xiang's belt.

That was the protective formation of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a Transformation Realm cultivator.

"Alright."

Su Qing took a step back and looked him up and down.

It has to be said that clothes make the man.

Wearing this well-fitting crimson robe, Gu Xiang's impoverished air dissipated considerably, instead revealing a scholar's upright and dignified demeanor. Paired with his clear, bright eyes, he truly exuded an air of integrity and uprightness.

"I've got it." Su Qing straightened his official hat. "Don't be a coward when you go to court tomorrow. If anyone glares at you, glare back. If that doesn't work, just think of them as scoundrels who owe you money for roast chicken."

Gu Xiang took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "I'm not afraid! I'm going to reason with them!"

Su Qing rolled her eyes.

Reasoning?

You'll see tomorrow that in the imperial court, there's never any logic, only fists.

……

The next morning, at the Golden Palace.

The officials lined up, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Everyone's eyes were drawn, intentionally or unintentionally, to the young man standing at the end of the line.

When Gu Xiang attended court for the first time, his palms were sweaty, but he remembered Su Qing's words and stood tall with his eyes straight ahead.

The dragon throne directly above the main hall is empty.

The Holy Emperor has not attended court for twenty years.

Beside the dragon throne was a grand chair covered with black fox fur, which was the seat of the Imperial Preceptor.

There was no one on the chair, only a completely black cat, who was dozing on it.

The entire court of officials knelt and bowed before a cat. The scene looked ridiculous, but in the capital, this was the rule.

Gu Xiang did not kneel.

He simply bowed deeply to the empty chair, performing a standard Confucian salute.

"How dare you!"

An official standing nearby jumped out and pointed at Gu Xiang, "Gu Xiang, you dare not kneel before the Imperial Preceptor's carriage! This is blatant disrespect to the Imperial Preceptor!"

The black cat suddenly opened its eyes, its emerald green pupils staring at Gu Xiang.

Gu Xiangzhi stood up, his upright and righteous spirit flowing naturally around him.

"I am a subject of the Holy Emperor, and I kneel only to Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, my parents, and my teacher. Even the Imperial Preceptor, though revered, is still a subject. How can a subject kneel before another subject?"

The black cat looked at him for a while, then suddenly yawned, lay down again, and made a comfortable purring sound in its throat.

The censor was dumbfounded.

This cat is usually very fierce; it will swat anyone who dares to be disrespectful. Why has it changed its nature today?

Li Yu, standing at the head of the princes' line, smiled slightly upon seeing this and stepped forward to preside over the court assembly.

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xiang strode out.

"My lord, I have a report to report!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the empty hall.

Everyone was stunned.

Is this new official about to cause trouble on his very first day in office?

Gu Xiang pulled out a memorial from his sleeve. This memorial was dictated by Su Qing last night and polished by him. It was written with ornate language and insults without using any vulgar words.

"Your Majesty, I hereby impeach the Second Prince, Li Xuan, for his moral failings. He attempted to forcibly abduct a woman in the street, which was immoral and disgraceful to the royal family!"

boom!

The imperial court was in an uproar.

Although everyone knows that the Second Prince is a womanizer, such things are only talked about in private, and who would dare to bring them up in public?

Li Xuan stood in the front row, his face instantly turning as black as the bottom of a pot.

He whirled around, pointing at Gu Xiang, about to unleash a torrent of abuse: "Insolence! You country bumpkin, spouting nonsense! When did I, the King, ever..."

Halfway through his sentence, Li Xuan suddenly opened his mouth wide, making a "hehe" sound in his throat, but couldn't utter a single word.

He clutched his neck in terror, desperately trying to speak, but his throat felt as if something was blocking it.

Inside an inconspicuous carriage outside the palace gates.

Su Qing held a paper figure in her hand, its mouth sewn shut with red thread.

"It's so noisy." Su Qing yawned. "Did I tell you to speak?"

Inside the main hall.

Li Xuan's face turned bright red, and he gestured wildly, looking like a clown jumping around.

The officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

Has the second prince been so angry that he's lost his voice?

Seeing that Li Xuan remained silent, Gu Xiang assumed he was in the wrong and became even more confident.

"His silence means he agrees!"

Gu Xiang held the memorial high, "Even princes are subject to the law! I beg Your Highness to punish him according to the law, to set an example!"

Li Xuan was so anxious that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He shook his head desperately, but he couldn't make a sound.

Li Yu glanced deeply in the direction of the palace gate, a smile appearing on his lips.

He knew who was behind it.

Li Yu realized that Su Qing was just playing around, and he also felt that his elder brother should restrain his temper to avoid getting into trouble.

"Since Your Majesty has acquiesced..." Li Yu turned around, cupped his hands to the black cat, and said, "Then, according to the law, Your Majesty shall be punished by being confined to your room for three months to reflect on your mistakes and by having your salary deducted for one year, as a warning to others."

The black cat flicked its tail, which was a sign of agreement.

Li Xuan rolled his eyes and almost fainted from anger.

……

After the court session.

Gu Xiang received his first month's salary, the heavy silver tucked into his pocket, and he walked with a swagger.

He rushed to the most famous restaurant in the capital, "Juxianglou," bought two of the fattest roast chickens, and jogged back to Zuixianju.

"Miss Su! Miss Su!"

Gu Xiang pushed open the door and placed the roast chicken on the table like a treasure, "Look! This is the roast chicken from Juxianglou Restaurant. I heard even the Imperial Advisor loves it!"

Su Qing was lying on the soft couch reading a storybook when she smelled the fragrance and immediately sat up.

She tore off a chicken leg, took a bite, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

"Hmm, not bad, much better than what Wang Ermazi from Qingniu Town makes."

Su Qing looked at Gu Xiang's silly grin and then at the piles of silver on the table.

This life as an "official's wife"... doesn't seem so bad?

Anyway, since the main body isn't urging me to go to Luofeng Slope to die, I might as well stay in Shendu for a few more days.

"Fool." Su Qing licked the oil off his fingers. "Now that we've become officials, shouldn't we move to a bigger house? This Drunken Immortal Abode is nice, but it's not home."

Gu Xiang was taken aback, then her face turned red.

Family?

His and Miss Su's...home?

"I...I'll do whatever Miss Su says!" Gu Xiang stammered.

Su Qing couldn't help but laugh at his pathetic appearance.

This fool probably doesn't know that he impeached the Second Prince in court, and that's the beginning of a deep grudge.

But...

Su Qing touched the broken fan in her sleeve.

With her around, the sky over this capital city will never fall.

"Alright, stop grinning like an idiot." Su Qing stuffed another chicken leg into his mouth. "After you finish eating, hurry up and write your memorial. Tomorrow we're going to meet with the Minister of Rites. I've disliked him for a long time."

Gu Xiang, with a chicken leg in his mouth, mumbled an indistinct "Mmm!"

As long as Brother Su is around, let alone the Minister of Rites, he would dare to impeach even the Emperor himself!