To be precise, this matter was instigated by him, but Xie Yanfang hadn’t taken it seriously.

It was merely a casual way to embarrass the Third Prince a bit.

As for Miss Chu—

In this life, people must face various trials and tribulations. For a young girl to receive some lessons wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“She admits defeat.” The old servant said. “However, she only admits defeat after competing.”

The old servant called for Du Qi, who came in carrying a large box. The old servant stepped forward to open it, pointing at the booklets packed inside.

“These are the characters Miss Chu has written in competition, debate topics, and game records from chess matches.”

At first, no one took it seriously. Occasionally some idle person would record the content of Chu Zhao’s competitions, displaying them when recounting the events to make the storytelling more vivid and emotional.

But before long, bookshops began selling bound volumes, publishing new editions every three days.

“I’ve looked through them.” The old servant said. “Miss Chu’s calligraphy has been seriously practiced and is of high quality. She has also genuinely studied her books, and her teacher must have been quite exceptional.”

This girl was not the complete fool rumor made her out to be.

Xie Yanfang said: “She was never a complete fool. Otherwise how would she dare to compete in talent with her elder brother in full view at the restaurant?”

That day he knew what had happened, but he hadn’t looked even once. This excitement wasn’t worth his attention.

However, as he was leaving, he had seen this girl.

Though he had never met Miss Chu before, when that girl walked toward him, he knew—this was her.

“I have never met Chu Ling, but I imagine Chu Ling must be just like this.” He said. “Appearing unremarkable, but wearing a cloak of solitary courage.”

The old servant looked at him, waiting for him to say more—perhaps to look through these booklets, or to discuss that Miss Chu—but Xie Yanfang withdrew his gaze and continued reading the letters on his desk.

“Wei Shan is quite interesting.” He said. “He’s asking me for ten acres of land at the foot of Que Mountain.”

Wei Shan was the eldest son of the prestigious Wei family of Han Commandery. Xie Yanfang was acquainted with him and had asked what birthday gift he wanted. Young Master Wei was quite direct and actually made a request.

The old servant thought for a moment: “I know about this matter. Que Mountain has been privatized by the Wei family to be built into a hunting ground, not allowing others to approach. However, mountain villagers have lived at the foot of the mountain since ancient times. These farmlands belong to those villagers, but since they’ve already seized the mountain, what difficulty would seizing the farmland pose?”

“Reputation.” Xie Yanfang said. “The mountain is government property—seizing it is done. But farmland is people’s property. Seizing it would look quite bad.”

The old servant muttered helplessly: “Why bother caring? On the Wei family’s splendid outer robes, one more louse makes no difference.”

Xie Yanfang set down the letter and said: “Have Yanlai go.”

The old servant asked: “What reason shall we give?”

Casually sending a family member out might arouse suspicion.

Xie Yanfang smiled slightly: “Tell the Liang family that the reason for refusing the marriage is that Yanlai finds Miss Liang unattractive.”

The old servant chuckled: “That is indeed the truth.” Then he sighed helplessly: “The Liang family also has many children. How can they stand by and watch their sister be insulted? With Young Master Yanlai acting like this, he should indeed go out and avoid trouble for a while. It’s just that Third Young Master will have to say more kind words to the Liang family.”

Xie Yanfang said: “As the eldest brother, it’s my duty. Going out doesn’t mean letting him play around freely either. A shipment of goods happens to be passing through Han Commandery—have him take responsibility for escorting it. Consider it his punishment to redeem himself through merit.”

The old servant acknowledged this and said: “The weather is dry and parched. I will instruct Young Master Yanlai not to engage in reckless pleasure-seeking, lest a fire break out and burn everything. Burning the goods would be one thing, but if people are injured or villages destroyed, that would be a sin on our Xie family.”

Xie Yanfang hummed in agreement and tossed Young Master Wei Shan’s letter into a nearby incense burner where it turned to ash.

“Young master, please rest early.” The old servant said with concern.

Xie Yanfang nodded: “I’ll rest after reading one more letter. Uncle Cai, you go rest. Du Qi can handle matters like tea and water—he’s still young and can withstand staying up.”

The old servant protested affectionately: “Young master thinks I’m old and useless.”

Du Qi stepped forward and pulled him toward the door: “Uncle Cai, stop being so pleased with yourself. Young master can’t bear to part with you—he wants you to live a hundred years and stay by his side always.”

Uncle Cai laughed heartily. Of course he knew Third Young Master was showing compassion and care. Third Young Master was a very gentle person, holding mercy in his heart for those around him.

As for other people, the young master wasn’t an omnipotent immortal—he had no responsibility to show mercy to all living beings.

Uncle Cai and Du Qi left. Only Xie Yanfang remained in the room. Under the bright lamplight on his desk, he sat as if alone in the moon palace. He focused intently on his tasks, never once looking at the box placed in the room—

That girl had indeed exceeded his expectations, but only that much. She still wasn’t worth his attention.

……

……

The moon was high and the night deep. Xiao Xun also hadn’t fallen asleep. He’d originally been drowsy, but a few words from the scholar had kicked that sleepiness away.

“You want me to go to Chu Garden?” He asked.

The scholar stroked his beard and said: “Your Highness, that place is now being called the Small Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering.”

Xiao Xun was somewhat surprised: “This matter has actually become so significant?”

Though to be precise, this matter was instigated by him.

If he hadn’t deliberately brought it up before the Third Prince back then, the Third Prince wouldn’t have noticed Chu Ke.

His original intention was to come to Chu Ke’s aid when he was being harassed at the Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering, then smoothly establish a connection.

But after Chu Zhao caused that uproar at the restaurant, Xiao Xun knew Chu Ke would no longer attend the Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering, so he had abandoned the plan.

He hadn’t expected matters to escalate to this extent.

Of course, he knew that girl had caused an uproar with Chu Ke at the restaurant, and he knew the Third Prince would be provoked to anger. The Third Prince was inherently someone who held grudges over the smallest slights.

However, he hadn’t paid further attention to this matter. What did that girl’s humiliation have to do with him?

In his view, this girl’s humiliation was inevitable sooner or later.

Thinking of her attitude toward him—not everyone in this world had as good a temper as he did.

“What do you mean?” Xiao Xun asked the scholar. “You want me to help that girl?”

Before the scholar could speak, he laughed first.

“Helping this girl is quite different from helping Chu Ke.”

Chu Zhao was now despised by the Third Prince, whereas if Chu Ke had entered the Spring-Gazing Garden and been harassed by the Third Prince, it could only be considered teasing.

Helping someone being teased by the Third Prince versus helping someone despised by the Third Prince—these were vastly different matters.

“Would Father King really offend and anger the Third Prince just to befriend Chu Ling?”

Xiao Xun sighed lightly and looked toward the deep night outside the door.

“Although there is now a Crown Prince, Crown Prince is just a title. What falls on the Second Prince today could fall on the Third Prince tomorrow.”

Having heard all this, the scholar nodded: “Your Highness speaks correctly. However, going to Chu Garden doesn’t mean you can only offend one party—you can actually please everyone. You can both befriend Chu Ling and please the Third Prince.”

Xiao Xun didn’t understand. After thinking for a moment, he smiled. Clearly he was both intelligent and obedient, yet Father King still very much liked to give him orders through others.

For the scholar to suddenly raise this request tonight, he must have received orders from Father King.

He asked the scholar: “What good idea has my father king come up with? Why didn’t he tell me first?”

The scholar didn’t answer, continuing instead: “The Third Prince’s original intention was to humiliate Miss Chu, but now the nickname Small Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering has emerged. The Third Prince can’t save face and is extremely furious. Therefore, anyone who can stop Miss Chu is helping the Third Prince—he won’t be angry with Your Highness.”

That girl’s refusal to admit defeat and her stance of meeting the challenge head-on had indeed made the Third Prince hate her intensely. The Third Prince had read books about gentlemen since childhood, but he had not a shred of a gentleman’s heart.

Xiao Xun looked to the side, where sat the large box the scholar had brought, containing the booklets compiled from Chu Garden competitions. Because they were cheap and novel, they were now very popular in the market.

The booklets were already this popular.

That girl would continue until the Third Prince’s literary gathering began. By then, what everyone in the capital would be discussing wouldn’t be the Third Prince’s Spring-Gazing Garden Literary Gathering anymore, but rather the Chu family daughter’s Chu Garden Literary Gathering.

The Third Prince must have smashed up an entire room by now.

“Miss Chu is young and has a stubborn temperament—that’s not surprising. She was raised single-handedly by General Chu. In the border commandery, she could more or less do as she pleased. She’s just arrived in the capital and doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. Add to that Chu Ling supporting her, enabling her to go curse loudly at Minister Liang’s gate. This young girl’s arrogance is at its peak—she doesn’t even regard the Third Prince with respect. But the other people in the Chu family at this very moment are probably dying of worry.”

Xiao Xun nodded, thinking of Chu Lan. Though he’d only seen him once at the city gate, he could see through this person—timid, cowardly, yet concerned with appearances.

“The Chu family right now is also hoping someone can rescue them from their desperate situation.” The scholar continued. “Therefore, Your Highness—”

Xiao Xun interrupted him, saying with a smile: “Uncle Kun, I’m not a child anymore. Just tell me directly what Father King wants me to do.”

The scholar’s surname was Ning, given name Kun. He was one of the tutors Prince Zhongshan had found for his heir. The heir always respectfully addressed him as Uncle.

Though the heir was born into the highest station, he was a gentle person who treated those around him with genuine sincerity. As for other people, the heir wasn’t the Son of Heaven—he couldn’t show mercy to all living beings.

Ning Kun said: “Propose marriage to Miss Chu.”