The Six Meridians of Xiangbao

This is too much of a charge; if it were to fall on anyone, it would be a crime punishable by the confiscation of their property and the extermination of their entire family.

Liu Qiang was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly: "Your Excellency is joking, we had absolutely no such intention!"

He Juncheng's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, saying, "Commander Wu, please be wise! This scoundrel broke into the inner quarters at night and brutally murdered the women. His methods were extremely cruel. We witnessed it with our own eyes. The bloodstains inside and outside the Buddhist hall are still wet. Everyone in the mansion can attest to this!"

"Gu Qingxuan has committed a heinous crime by slaughtering the families of nobles without cause and showing contempt for the imperial court and powerful families. For the sake of the court's reputation and the dignity of the law, the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion must bring him to justice!"

He glanced coldly at Gu Qingxuan: "Just now, Commander Wu witnessed it with his own eyes. This scoundrel committed a heinous act in the street in front of the Commander's Office, killing the head of my Marquis's guards! This is more than just a family matter; it is blatant disregard for the law! I request that the Commander return this scoundrel to the Marquis's residence. Marquis Dingyuan will surely be grateful for the Commander's impartial and just treatment and will repay him handsomely in the future!"

That was a perfectly watertight statement.

The approach combines demonstrations with overtures, employing both soft and hard tactics.

Gu Qingxuan had to admit that He Juncheng was indeed Xie Jiantang's good dog; he had some skills!

After listening, Wu Dingbang stroked his goatee and turned to look at Gu Qingxuan: "Do you have anything to say?"

Gu Qingxuan smiled faintly and retorted, "Do I need to say it?"

The fact that Wu Dingbang has come out means that the deal is done.

For the average businessperson, it's natural to know when to stop and offer a way out.

But Wu Dingbang was a former subordinate of Gu Dingyuan, unlike anyone else. After more than ten years of camaraderie, he was forced to stand idly by.

Gu Qingxuan didn't mind making him bleed a little more.

I'm too lazy to argue, I'll just let you speak for me!

Wu Dingbang wasn't angry; a slight smile played on his lips. "That makes sense."

He turned to look at He Juncheng and said in a calm tone, "Xie Tinghe, the only daughter of Marquis Dingyuan, along with her male lovers Huo Zhengming, Song Huaiyu, and Ma Ji'an, committed adultery in the Buddhist hall, beat my husband, imprisoned and humiliated him, and attempted to kill him. Every single one of these acts constitutes a heinous crime! She was destined to die, so there is really no need to say more."

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this.

The guards who had come with Zhao Yi looked at each other in bewilderment, and for a moment they even forgot to raise their weapons.

They only knew they were ordered to arrest someone; how could they know the young lady was already dead? They were even less aware that the cause of death was adultery and murder of her husband. Several guards instinctively looked at He Juncheng, only to see his face ashen, his lips tightly pressed together, offering no rebuttal. No rebuttal meant acquiescence, and acquiescence meant it was true.

The scales in everyone's hearts immediately tipped.

Liu Qiang was also surprised, but not because of He Juncheng's words; he was surprised by Wu Dingbang.

This garrison commander served in the Eastern Capital for over a decade and was known for only doing business and not taking sides.

Forget about standing up for someone, it's rare to even say a kind word for someone.

But tonight, he actually spoke up for Gu Qingxuan in front of the Marquis's residence and the Imperial Guards.

This was an unprecedented event for the usually neutral garrison commander.

Hearing him publicly expose his shortcomings, He Juncheng was furious and gritted his teeth, saying, "Even so! Sir, don't forget that my young lady is the legitimate daughter of a marquis. Gu Qingxuan subsequently murdered a noble family member in revenge. According to the law, he should be punished three times more severely!"

"And don't forget that either."

Wu Dingbang's voice remained calm and unhurried: "Gu Qingxuan is also the son of the Marquis of Suning and the descendant of a general. If we truly follow this logic, adulterers and adulteresses have committed immoral acts and murdered nobles, and according to the law, they should be executed! Xie Tinghe has committed this evil deed, which is to ruin her family's reputation. According to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, she is not eligible for a reduced sentence—she still has to die."

"you!"

He Juncheng flew into a rage, no longer caring about official decorum, and shouted, "Commander Wu! Are you really going to protect him and go against the Marquis?"

Wu Dingbang seemed not to hear him, and slowly straightened the non-existent wrinkles on his cuffs.

The whole street fell silent; everyone was waiting for his next words.

"If this were ten years ago, I would have knocked out all your teeth just for asking that question."

His tone remained calm and unhurried, but his words sent a chill down He Juncheng's spine: "Sentencing is not the responsibility of my Zhenfu Division. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate—the three judicial departments—will conduct a joint trial and determine the appropriate verdict. We'll discuss it tomorrow. As for tonight, Gu Qingxuan violated curfew and disturbed the government office; he should be detained according to the law! And you—"

With a flick of his sleeve, sword energy suddenly emanated from his body!

In an instant, several invisible sword intents swept out in all directions like a tide, cutting countless fine white marks on the bluestone ground, the wine banners on the street silently broke in two, and the lanterns hanging on the eaves went out all at once!

The sword intent grazed He Juncheng's temple, and a strand of hair fell into the night.

"Get out of here."

He Juncheng's face turned ashen, but he ultimately didn't dare to utter another word.

He took a step back, his face contorted, then whirled around, spitting out a single word through gritted teeth: "Go!"

The guards, as if granted a pardon, lifted Zhao Yi's body and scrambled after him into the night.

Liu Qiang's expression changed slightly. He glanced at Gu Qingxuan, who had remained calm throughout, and then at the bloodstains on the ground. His expression was complicated, but in the end, he didn't dare to say anything more. He waved his hand and led the Jinwu Guards to continue their night patrol.

Wu Dingbang turned around, put his hands behind his back, stepped over the threshold, and left with a single sentence.

"Take him to the guardhouse, and I will interrogate him personally."

The imperial guards stepped forward and "escorted" Gu Qingxuan into the gate of the Zhenfu Division.

The vermilion gate slammed shut behind them.

Wu Dingbang walked forward with his hands behind his back, passing through the front courtyard, around the screen wall, and into the depths of the government office.

The guards escorted Gu Qingxuan into the duty room, dismissed those around him, and closed the door.

Only two people remained in the duty room.

Wu Dingbang turned around and carefully examined the young man in front of him.

From the blood-stained clothes to the ice-blue flying sword in his hand, and then to his calm, expressionless eyes.

I stared at it for a long time.

He finally spoke, nodding slightly: "It's been three years, and my dear nephew has certainly impressed everyone."

Gu Qingxuan said calmly, "For the Commander of the Garrison to speak up and disregard the Marquis of Dingyuan's feelings, this deal must be quite substantial."

Wu Dingbang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed out loud, stroking his goatee and saying, "That's rare. After three years, that good-for-nothing who wouldn't even dare to speak to anyone is actually talking business with me."

He lifted his robe and sat down in the armchair, poured himself a cup of tea, and then poured one for Gu Qingxuan, saying, "Alright, let's talk business."

He cut to the chase: "Qin Yi is nothing, he's just a dog. But Xie Tinghe is, after all, the legitimate daughter of a marquis. Marquis Dingyuan is still guarding the border in Youzhou. If we really investigate, even the current emperor will have to give the border general some face. Although you have the reputation of being guilty of ten heinous crimes tonight, it was ultimately revenge after the fact, not a killing on the spot. According to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, killing someone who deserves to die is still punishable by three years in prison. That's a light sentence. When you're embroiled in lawsuits, you'll most likely still have to go to jail."

"so."

He put down his teacup: "You need to find someone who can keep the Marquis of Dingyuan in check. This person must be of high rank and great power, with connections everywhere. Only such a person can ask the Emperor for a pardon; and only such a person can keep Xie Jiantang in check, make him swallow his anger, and prevent him from doing anything that would lead to a fight to the death."

He made it sound very serious, but Gu Qingxuan only listened to a fraction of it.

Any high-ranking official with a brain, knowing his abilities, would save him.

In the entire Eastern Capital, among all the nobles, there were only six people capable of doing this: Emperor Jiang Yin, Empress Pei Nanyuan, Prime Minister Yang Yuansheng, Princess Jiang Nihuang, Princess Jiang Wanyi, and Crown Prince Jiang Yi.

What intrigued Gu Qingxuan was who this person Wu Dingbang was talking about was.

Gu Qingxuan sat down calmly, picked up his teacup, and despite his tattered clothes, his demeanor was undiminished. He reminded him, "Xie Jiantang's only daughter died. I wonder who Lord Wu is referring to?"

Wu Dingbang glanced at him, his curiosity growing. This was a completely different person!

"So what if I'm an only daughter?"

Wu Dingbang smiled and said, "Xie Jiantang managed to raise his only daughter to be an idiot. Do you think he likes her that much? Xie Jiantang has been in Youzhou all these years and has only returned to Dongdu a handful of times. He is a border general, and border generals' families are customarily kept in Dongdu as hostages. This is a rule established when the Great Qian Dynasty was founded."

"Xie Tinghe is indeed his daughter, but the two of them barely see each other a few times a year, and their father-daughter relationship is very weak. Moreover, he has no sons, but he has brothers, and his brothers have sons. He can just adopt one. The title of Marquis of Dingyuan will not remain vacant, the Xie family's prestige will not fall, and a daughter? If she's gone, she's gone."

These words were spoken lightly, yet every word struck a nerve.

Gu Qingxuan nodded; this was also why he dared to kill. "Then who is this person you're talking about?"

"No rush."

Wu Dingbang narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the ice-blue flying sword in Gu Qingxuan's hand: "Why don't you explain this sword first... a sword within a sword, a sword that recognizes its master with a drop of blood, a mystery that even Marquis Dingyuan and Zhao Yi couldn't discover in over ten years, yet you saw it for the first time! I'm very curious, how did you do that? There are six lineages of treasure appraisers in the world, I wonder which lineage you belong to?"

A rare treasure fell from the sky, but people did not know its use.

Those who appreciate treasures throughout the world each possess secret methods and grasp their functions, gradually forming the Six Schools of Medicine.

The original owner was timid and submissive, but not ignorant; she did know such common sense.

The Six Meridian Secret Methods are divided into Qi Observation, Text Interpretation, Qi Mind Analysis, Hand Disassembly, Spiritual Identification, and Source Tracing.

Some rely on sight, some on written words, some on spiritual perception, and some on discerning the spiritual nature within the treasure, etc.

Gu Qingxuan picked up the real [Suihan Sword] in his hand and examined it, casually saying, "A sword hidden within a sword, used to deceive others, is not unusual. As for my technique... I'd say it's aura reading."

The lineage of Qi observation emphasizes "observation." The founder of the lineage once said: All things that fall from the sky carry the spiritual energy of the upper realm. Although they cannot be seen by the naked eye of mortals, the spiritual light has its own color, shape, texture, and charm. By observing it, one can determine its grade and understand its function.

This lineage needs no explanation; it all comes down to keen observation.

With the Mountain and Sea Mystery Mirror in hand, Gu Qingxuan directly became a patriarch-level figure in this lineage!

"Oh?"

Wu Dingbang naturally didn't believe it. After a thousand years of changes, the method of appraising treasures had become a secret passed down through each lineage. As the grade and power of the rare treasures that fell from the sky became stronger and stronger, the status of treasure appraisers also rose accordingly.

Every treasure appraiser is a guest of honor from their respective sects and organizations. Only those who can appraise and identify treasures can use them. Given the Marquis of Dingyuan's status, the treasure appraisers in Youzhou must be masters. Even they couldn't see the difference, yet Gu Qingxuan could, and twice in one night!

A body of a dragon and an elephant, a sword that withstands the cold of winter...

There's definitely something wrong here!

Wu Dingbang wasn't actually interested in his secret; he just asked and that was it.

What he really wanted to confirm was his ability to appraise treasures, so he clapped his hands: "Commander Shen."

With a creak.

The door to the duty room was pushed open, and a woman walked in.

She was in her early twenties, dressed in a silver-white flying fish robe of the thousand-household grade, with a belt around her waist. She had a slender and upright figure, a beautiful face, and a ponytail tied at the back of her head, exuding a sharp and capable aura.

As soon as he stepped inside, he stared intently at Gu Qingxuan, his gaze slowly probing.

Wu Dingbang gestured, "This is Shen Xiaoxiao, Commander Shen, a rising star among the younger generation of our Zhenfu Division, a master appraiser. She belongs to the 'Duanwen' lineage and is the prized disciple of Lu Zangfeng, the contemporary Duanwen master and head of the Duanwen Pavilion—'Mr. Mingxuan'. The Heavenly Book Stele, which is now regarded as the number one treasure in the world by the Tianji Pavilion, was deciphered by her master through studying the textual materials of the upper realm. It is now enshrined in the Yingxian Palace in the Imperial City. Your father's 'Twelve Styles of Frost Sky' was obtained by observing the stele."

Oh, the textual research school...

Gu Qingxuan stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Shen Xiaoxiao did not return the gift.

She looked Gu Qingxuan up and down, her eyes suddenly brightening for a moment, like a hunting dog smelling its prey, and she suddenly said, "You have treasure on you!"