The first day in office ended with Lu Xingzhou feeling a splitting headache.

The day was mostly spent meeting people, getting familiar with rules and regulations. He didn’t do anything else, just watched Pei Chuyun and Sheng Yuanyao bicker.

Lu Xingzhou noticed that Sheng Yuanyao’s combat effectiveness had significantly improved since she was kidnapped. Previously, a single veiled jab from Pei Chuyun would make her numb and want to retreat. Now, she could hear it without flinching and even retort, as if those underhanded tactics no longer had much effect on her.

This is what they call “once you’ve seen the ocean, other waters are insignificant.” Having endured the most painful experiences, other challenges are just minor skirmishes.

That night in Yao Du Ting Ri was comparable to undergoing a tribulation.

Lu Xingzhou was currently going through a tribulation himself, waiting for quitting time. Seizing an opportunity, he used the excuse of picking up his child and swiftly fled.

Sheng Yuanyao had no idea where Lu Xingzhou was going that evening. She was quite pleased with her performance, having held her own against Pei Chuyun and prevented her from sneaking food. She strutted home for dinner, full of confidence.

The seemingly defeated Pei Chuyun watched her retreating back and broke into a grin.

Such a simpleton.

Lu Xingzhou was indeed going to pick up his child.

He had become an official, but both he and his disciple still held student status at the Dan Yuan Academy. Previously, their diplomatic mission was unavoidable, and theoretically, they should have resumed their studies upon return. However, he immediately became an official, so the Dan Yuan Academy still needed to process some paperwork.

Either they took a leave of absence, or they kept their names on the roster and simply passed the future assessments. Either way, there needed to be a clear arrangement.

After all, it was the highest institution of learning. No matter how powerful one’s backing, failing to even cooperate with the paperwork was unacceptable.

So, the master and disciple split up. Lu Xingzhou went to the Six Ministries to sort out his official paperwork, while Anu went to the Dan Yuan Academy to process her leave of absence.

Meng Li sat behind a tall, wide desk, looking at the small head opposite him.

The little girl was just tall enough to peek over the desk, her small hands clutching the edge, her round head looking up at him. She was incredibly cute.

He wondered if she was standing on tiptoes, which would make her even cuter.

Meng Li couldn’t help but smile: “You came to do the paperwork by yourself?”

“Yes,” Anu said earnestly, clinging to the desk. “I’m a student of the Dan Yuan Academy too!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Meng Li chuckled. “Your master has become an official, but you haven’t. You can continue your studies.”

Anu hesitated.

Meng Li said, “Are you reluctant to leave your master? He goes to work every day, and you’d have nothing to do at home.”

Anu replied sincerely, “I’m just thinking about how to politely tell Instructor Meng that there isn’t much to learn here.”

Meng Li: “…”

Anu: “…”

They stared at each other for a long time before Meng Li said with a crumpled face, “In that case, why bother with a leave of absence? If you and your master can pass the assessment without attending many classes, then you’re considered to have passed.”

Anu was overjoyed: “Really?”

“Would I, your instructor, lie to a little child?”

“Will attendance points be deducted?”

“…Normally, yes, but given your significant diplomatic mission, you can attribute all other absences to that excuse.”

Anu was thrilled: “Then can we take the third-year graduation assessment?”

Meng Li was stunned.

The Dan Yuan Academy program was three years long. The master and disciple were only in their first year, with an entire quarter yet to finish. If they failed the current year’s assessment, they would be held back.

Meng Li was still considering whether they would be held back for the current academic year, and this child was already thinking about going straight for the third-year graduation assessment…

There had been geniuses who skipped grades before. Qin Zhiyu, the current Dean of the Dan Yuan Academy, had skipped grades when he was a student there in his early years, but not like this. And it was a child saying it.

“Why are you so surprised, Instructor Meng?” Anu said with utmost sincerity. “If it’s just for this year’s assessment, why would I care about attendance points? It doesn’t matter if they’re all deducted… The graduation assessment is probably a bit difficult, so they can’t be carelessly deducted…”

Meng Li was expressionless.

Anu waved her small hand, “Instructor? Instructor?”

Meng Li forced himself to say, “Are you sure you no longer need the knowledge from the Dan Yuan Academy? You should know that even a National Master’s knowledge doesn’t completely overlap with what’s taught here. Learning from others can broaden your perspective. Don’t think you know everything.”

“Oh, right…” Anu scratched her head. “Then, does the Dan Yuan Academy have any pills for raising pigs?”

Meng Li: “I permit you to directly participate in the graduation assessment at the end of the year. Now, please gracefully leave this place.”

The fact that there weren’t even pills for raising pigs further confirmed Anu’s belief that there wasn’t much to learn here. She sighed and left the instructor’s office.

Passing by her classroom, Anu peeked inside. It was quite desolate.

Originally, there were only twenty-odd students in this class. One died in Jiang Mo Yu, Chen Yu was gone, and her master and she were “on a mission.” Now, there weren’t even twenty, just a sparse few.

“Oh, who’s that little girl? So cute.”

“Why is there a child in the Dan Yuan Academy? Is she one of the teachers’ children?”

Tch? You don’t even recognize your classmates.

Anu looked at the female classmate trying to pinch her cheek as if she were an idiot. “Sister Cuilian, the medicine you just mixed had an extra qian of Radix Angelicae Sinensis and half a qian too little of Fructus Lycii.”

The female classmate looked down in surprise and saw that it was indeed true. She was shocked: “How did you kno… No, how do you know me?”

Anu’s small face crumpled. “Do you still remember Lu Nuonuo from row one, column one…?”

The classroom fell silent.

Oh, right, they did have such a small classmate. But her total time in class was probably less than a fifth of her truancy time, so everyone had almost forgotten. Lu Nuonuo was still better off; at least she was a child, so people had an impression. As for what her master Lu Xingzhou looked like, people genuinely couldn’t remember.

“Alas,” Anu said, clasping her hands and shuffling away. “Children meet but do not recognize each other, they smile and ask where the guest comes from.”

The students were expressionless.

Who’s a child, huh?

Lu Xingzhou found Anu at this moment, picked her up, weighed her, then turned to look at the classroom.

Many government departments would employ alchemists to be stationed. His Zukesi also had such an excuse—if foreign envoys came and had a headache or fever, he would have an alchemist available, so he wouldn’t need to look elsewhere. Of course, he didn’t actually need one, but finding alchemists wasn’t just for this reason.

Knowledge was hard to come by, and so was alchemy. Those who could get into the Dan Yuan Academy usually had connections, either cultivated by various sects or backed by powerful families.

Therefore, a career at the Dan Yuan Academy was itself a social polishing experience.

If he could, like Qi Tuizhi, bring them under his command, he would gain even more. Of course, these people weren’t worried about their future; you had to recruit them, not the other way around. He couldn’t achieve the same effect as with Qi Tuizhi.

Lu Xingzhou pondered for a moment, then, still holding Anu, went to see Meng Li again.

Meng Li heard a knock and casually said, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Anu’s plump face appeared first. Meng Li almost flinched. “Why are you here again? The Dan Yuan Academy really doesn’t raise pigs.”

Lu Xingzhou then entered the room. “Instructor, I would like some background information on my classmates, including those from the previous two years.”

Meng Li calmed down, narrowing his eyes and staring at him for a long time. “Don’t you think you’re moving too fast?”

Lu Xingzhou smiled. “When the wind is fair, one should hoist the sails high.”

“Alright. You have your own ideas, so I won’t say more.” Meng Li took out a jade slip and tossed it over. “Handle it yourself.”

“Thank you, Instructor.” Lu Xingzhou took it without saying much else, cupped his hands in farewell.

“Hey, hey, hey… Wait…” Meng Li suddenly remembered he should ask Lu Xingzhou whether he really intended to directly participate in the graduation assessment. Could his child’s words truly represent him? Lu Xingzhou was already gone without a trace.

Lu Xingzhou was lost in thought, his steps unconsciously quick.

The Meng Guan and Meng Li brothers… Although their political faction leaned towards Pei Qingyan, they didn’t bear the strong imprint of disciples and old subordinates; they were relatively independent. So, when Ye Tinglan disguised herself as Mrs. Ye, most people didn’t know, but Meng Li did, because Meng Li was needed to establish her identity. This meant Ye Tinglan recognized his character and independence.

This was actually Lu Xingzhou’s own connection. After all, his connection with Meng Guan was forged during their cooperation against the Demonic Disciple Infantile Ghost, meaning he knew them directly, not through anyone else.

Adding his Dan Yuan Academy classmates, and setting aside the forces tied to romantic relationships, Lu Xingzhou’s own network was not particularly small; he had a certain foundation of his own. If Pei Chuyun, Sheng Yuanyao, and Ye Tinglan weren’t involved in romantic relationships—if they were all men—then the camaraderie forged in battle and the teacher-student relationship would actually be more direct and easier to leverage. Romantic relationships, on the other hand, made things a bit awkward now, always giving him the feeling of relying on others.

But once he thought it through, it didn’t matter. Even if they weren’t in romantic relationships and they were all men, wouldn’t their past mutual assistance still constitute a strong bond?

“Master, where are we going?” Lu Xingzhou was still deep in thought long after leaving the Dan Yuan Academy. Seeing that they had passed their own street corner, Anu finally couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh, we’re going to a friend’s house for dinner,” Lu Xingzhou answered casually, still preoccupied.

“Friend? Do I know them?” No sooner had Anu asked than she saw the little demoness waiting at the alley entrance ahead, waving at them.

Anu was full of indignation: “This Ah Lü is your friend? I really shouldn’t have believed any of you.”

Even more outrageous was that “going to a friend’s house for dinner” required sneaking in through the back door, like a thief.

When he used to bring Ah Lü to Pei Mansion for dinner, they even used the main entrance! He was regressing.

However, once inside, there was no longer any concealment. The banquet hall was brightly lit, and father and son Pei Qingyan were already waiting there, clearly showing much more respect for Lu Xingzhou than before.

“Xingzhou has arrived? Sit.” Pei Qingyan smiled and gestured casually.

Lu Xingzhou said, “Weren’t you going to break my legs and throw me out?”

“So, who’s holding a grudge now?” Pei Qingyan chuckled, speechless. “I just said that at the time. Did I actually hit you? Or did Yuer feign compliance and hit you behind my back?”

Pei Yu quickly laughed, “How could I?”

Lu Xingzhou then noticed another young man at the table, seemingly older than Pei Yu. Seeing Lu Xingzhou’s gaze, the young man stood up, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply. “Pei Zhao thanks the County Viscount for his grace in rescuing him in Beijiang.”

“You’re too kind, it was my duty,” Lu Xingzhou replied politely, then heard Pei Qingyan say, “For this matter of the Beijiang trading post, our Pei family’s responsible person is Zhao’er. So, meet each other, and let him express his gratitude for the rescue at that time.”

Lu Xingzhou nodded, then understood that this was part of the reason for Pei Qingyan’s unusually good attitude since his return to the capital. Indeed, he was Pei Zhao’s benefactor.

At that time, Gu Zhanting’s plan had failed, and a group of generals were trapped in the city, including Pei Zhao. Although not yet captured, it was only a matter of time. Lu Xingzhou redeemed everyone with a cart of Yao Ye Pearls, sparing them even the humiliation of being taken prisoner.

This was not only a favor to the Pei family but also to many soldiers and generals at that time. The more he understood the situation, the greater the favor, because Pei Qingyan was certain that if any other person had gone to negotiate, Long Qinghuang would not have listened. This was a feat that only Lu Xingzhou could accomplish in the entire Da Gan.

Seeing that her father and brothers were all unusually kind to Lu Xingzhou this time, Pei Chuyun, who was by his side, smiled until her eyes disappeared. At this moment, she said, “Oh dear, you keep talking and talking, are you going to let people eat?”

Pei Yu then chuckled, “What, on your first day in office, you’re already protecting your superior?”

Pei Chuyun glared fiercely at her brother.

Lu Xingzhou then followed the topic. “Prime Minister Pei has assigned Miss Pei to be my chief clerk in the Zukesi, and also invited me to dinner at your home… I imagine it’s not just for thanks and to discuss the trading post, right? After all, Chief Clerk Pei will understand the trading post matters better than anyone later on.”

The casual atmosphere at the table suddenly quieted. Everyone looked at Pei Qingyan.

Pei Qingyan waved his hand, smiling. “It’s still about the same topics we discussed when you and Chuyun first came to dinner… It’s just that back then, I wanted you to directly accuse Huo Xingyuan of abusing his illegitimate son, which truly meant I wasn’t considering your future path. Now the situation is different, and our relationship is different. You might as well state openly how you plan to deal with the Huo family, and see if there’s anything our Pei family can help with.”

Pei Chuyun turned and glanced at Lu Xingzhou.

During that not-so-pleasant dinner, she had been present throughout as a “maid.” She still remembered Lu Xingzhou’s calm and unyielding response at the time: “I don’t think Prime Minister Pei has thought it through yet.”

Now, with “see if there’s anything our Pei family can help with,” he had truly thought it through. Lu Xingzhou, a mere fifth-rank official, came to the capital in a wheelchair, holding a child. Less than a year later, the world had turned upside down.