Red candles blazed high, illuminating the main hall of the Qin Residence until it was bright as day. The joyous music and the congratulatory clamor of the guests intertwined, nearly lifting the roof. Large red silk flowers hung from the beams, and the gilded double happiness characters glittered brilliantly under the candlelight.

Qin Lu sat upright in the seat of honor, clad in a brand-new deep purple brocade robe that made him glow with health, the smile at the corner of his mouth impossible to suppress. His burning gaze was fixed on the pair of jade-like figures below. His eldest son, Qin Wanlin, in a bright red wedding robe, stood tall and straight as a green pine. The bride, Fang Qingxue, wore a phoenix crown and a red bridal veil; though her face was hidden, the poised grace of her slender figure already bore the bearing of a refined lady.

“First bow to Heaven and Earth—!”

The master of ceremonies’ sonorous voice cut through the din. The newlywed couple turned and bowed deeply toward the firmament outside the door. Qin Lu stroked his short beard, his smile deepening, but the thought in his mind was utterly unrelated:

“A fine bow! Bow to Heaven and Earth, then hurry to the bridal chamber! Branching out and multiplying—that’s the real business!”

“Second bow to the high hall—!”

The couple turned to face Qin Lu and Li Shu’e. Watching his son solemnly bow with such gravity, a sudden warmth rose in Qin Lu’s heart. That infant who had babbled in swaddling clothes, the toddler who had staggered after him calling “Daddy”—now he had grown into such a striking figure, establishing his own family and career. For a moment, Qin Lu felt a dazed sense of dislocation.

“Bow to each other as husband and wife—!”

The couple stood facing one another, each executing a deep, formal bow. The hall full of guests erupted into even more enthusiastic applause and cheers.

After the newlyweds were escorted in a crowd to the bridal chamber, the main hall became a sea of feasting. Fine wine and delicacies were presented in a flowing stream, and the sound of strings and woodwinds was ceaseless. Qin Lu, wine cup in hand, circulated among the guests with a glowing face, his laughter hearty, refusing no toast.

As his gaze swept over the crowd, however, he noticed the absence of his second son, Qin Wanchuan. He frowned slightly and beckoned to Qin Fu, who stood attendant in the shadow of a pillar. “Where is Wanchuan? Such a lively occasion, how come I don’t see him?”

Qin Fu gave a slight bow. “Replying to the Master, the Second Young Master... should be at the training ground in the rear garden at this moment.”

“Oh? Practicing his routines again?” Qin Lu’s face showed a resigned expression as he took a sip of wine. “That child, on his elder brother’s great wedding day, with a house full of guests and so many young ladies of noble families present—a perfect time for favorable impressions—yet he runs off to pit himself against blades and staves... Ah, with such a withdrawn and wooden temperament, finding a wife in the future may prove difficult.” He shook his head, half teasing, half worried, then asked out of curiosity: “Has he made any progress recently?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Fu’s usually impassive face flickered with a rare expression of wonder. His voice took on a note of gravity:

“Master, the Second Young Master in the way of martial arts... is truly a heaven-sent prodigy. The strength of his sinews and bones, the heights of his comprehension, the endurance he possesses—in all my years, I have rarely seen the like. In just a few short years, he has cultivated several of the external hard techniques treasured in the residence to the verge of great completion, and already an inner force stirs naturally within his movements. With time, his achievements will be immeasurable.”

“A heaven-sent prodigy?” Qin Lu raised an eyebrow, a flicker of faint derision passing through his eyes. He stroked his short beard, studying Qin Fu’s earnest expression. In the end, he merely smiled a meaningful smile and said no more. A martial arts prodigy? In the eyes of a true cultivator, such a one was merely a slightly stronger ant. No matter how iron-like the sinews or stone-shattering the fists, a single basic Fireball Technique could reduce you to flying ash. The pinnacle of mortal martial strength was, to someone who had once glimpsed the immortal path, truly not worth mentioning.

“Forget it, let him be.” Qin Lu waved a hand, drained the remaining wine in his cup, and cast his gaze not far away.

His eldest daughter, thirteen-year-old Qin Yuxuan, sat quietly, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, eating small bites of pastries. Her bright eyes ceaselessly observed the guests around her, sometimes frowning slightly, sometimes looking as if she had grasped something. She was neither like her younger siblings who merely played, nor like Qin Wanchuan who was completely detached. This quietness and power of observation beyond her years stirred something in Qin Lu’s heart. This girl’s mind was growing ever more meticulous.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Qin Lu caught sight of Magistrate Wang of Qingyang County approaching with a wine cup, his mouth offering congratulations:

“Lord Qin, congratulations! The great joy of your esteemed son’s wedding is truly a grand event for our Qingyang City!”

“Magistrate Wang, you are too kind, congratulations to us all!” Qin Lu returned the greeting with a smile, signaling an attendant to refill the magistrate’s cup.

Magistrate Wang, however, had no heart for drinking. He drew closer, lowered his voice, and his face showed signs of worry:

“Lord Qin, while we are on this day of your great joy, your humble official... has an unworthy request to make. It is truly... difficult to speak of.”

“Oh? Please, Magistrate Wang, speak freely.”

“Alas,” Magistrate Wang sighed heavily. “I imagine Lord Qin has heard some word already. In recent days... a great many refugees have gathered outside the city, and their numbers are growing by the day.”

“I have indeed heard something. Where do these refugees come from? What has brought them to this?”

“They are all surging in from neighboring counties to the north! That region... has been struck by a great drought! For months not a drop of rain has fallen. The fields have cracked, the riverbeds dried up, not a grain harvested! Starving people fill the land, and it is feared that the tragedy of exchanging children for food has already occurred! They trek southward, seeking a path to survive, and have thus flooded to the gates of our Qingyang City.”

Drought! Qin Lu unconsciously looked up past the hall toward the cloudless night sky; the moonlight was cold and clear. Come to think of it, it seemed quite some time since Qingyang City itself had seen rain, though the city had wells and canals, so the disaster had not yet manifested. He had not imagined that the neighboring counties were already in such a dire state.

“Your humble official has done his utmost to provide relief, opening the granaries to distribute thin gruel, but it is a mere drop in the bucket!” Magistrate Wang’s face was full of anxiety. “The county stores are utterly insufficient. As more and more starving people gather, I fear unrest will erupt! After much thought, I realized that in all Qingyang City, the only one capable of turning this tide is you, Lord Qin! I earnestly beseech Lord Qin... to open your granaries for relief! The county office will certainly repay the grain later...”

“Magistrate Wang, your words are too heavy.” Qin Lu raised a hand, cutting off the magistrate’s subsequent words. “I, Qin, owe my present position to the esteem of our fellow townsfolk. Now that our neighbors are displaced and destitute, how could our Qin family stand by and do nothing? Open the granaries! Open our Qin family granaries! Set up porridge stations outside all four gates! Two meals of thick gruel a day, to ensure the starving may survive! All necessary grain will be borne by my Qin family; no repayment from the county office is needed.”

“Lord Qin’s noble righteousness!” Magistrate Wang was so moved his voice trembled, and he bowed deeply to the ground. “On behalf of the multitudes of starving outside the city, your humble official kneels in gratitude for Lord Qin’s life-saving kindness!”

The surrounding guests, hearing these words, were similarly moved, and a chorus of praise arose, lauding Lord Qin’s benevolence as the blessing of Qingyang.

At that moment, Qin Lu’s gaze happened to fall upon Qin Yuxuan not far away. The girl seemed to have been listening in on the conversation, her little face wearing a thoughtful expression. A thought struck Qin Lu, and an idea surfaced.

He beckoned to her: “Xuan’er, come here.”

Qin Yuxuan started slightly, then adjusted her dress and approached her father with a dignified bearing, curtsying obediently: “Daddy.”

Qin Lu looked at his daughter and said gently: “Did you hear clearly what Daddy and Magistrate Wang were just saying?”

“Yes, Daddy, I heard clearly. Neighboring counties are in drought, the victims displaced. Daddy is merciful, opening the granaries for relief.” Qin Yuxuan answered with clear articulation and orderly reasoning.

“Good.” Qin Lu nodded, his gaze carrying a hint of testing. “This matter is of great importance. It concerns human lives, and it concerns the reputation of our Qin family. Daddy is entrusting this matter of disaster relief and porridge distribution to you to oversee. You are young, but your mind is meticulous. Daddy believes you can handle it well. All stewards and servants of the household shall follow your direction. Can you manage this?”

Qin Yuxuan’s eyes instantly brightened! She had never imagined her father would entrust such an important task to her. She straightened her small back, her little face tightening solemnly, and performed an exceptionally earnest bow:

“Daughter accepts this command! I will not fail Father’s trust and will do my utmost to handle the disaster relief properly!”

“Good!” Qin Lu smiled with satisfaction.

Magistrate Wang also chimed in from the side: “Miss Qin, at such a tender age, already shows such responsibility—truly a heroine no less than any man! Lord Qin, your guidance is superb!”

Many guests also voiced their praise. Yet, pleasant as these words were, they did not truly sink deep into Qin Lu’s heart. With a smile fixed on his face, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment of the flattery, but his mind had already flown toward the courtyard deep within the residence, the one adorned with double happiness characters.

Red candles burned high, one moment of spring night worth a thousand pieces of gold!

‘Wanlin, oh Wanlin! My fine son! You two must put in effort tonight!’