After nightfall, in the study of the Shen residence.

Mu Xinhong and Qing Song stood on either side of the desk, watching as Shen Yuance had been sitting silently since the evening meal. All this time, he hadn’t changed his posture even once, barely even blinking.

Mu Xinhong admired the Young General’s concentration when deep in thought, while secretly worrying about the Young General’s future.

Today, he had only gone out to dispose of a corpse, and who knows what had happened, but when he returned, he saw the Princess leaving the Young General’s study, her eyes unprecedentedly affectionate and lovesick. Before leaving, she had even considerately left a message for the Young General—

“There are some things I’ve wanted to say for a while, but seeing you have so many worries lately, I’ll discuss them with you when you’re in a better mood.”

Wasn’t that essentially saying “I’ll urge you to produce an heir when you’re in a better mood”?

Heaven knows that the Young General had calculated everything regarding Gao Shi from beginning to end, and even if caught in the act of murder today, he wouldn’t care at all. These days, his real worries all came from this unexpected “sister-in-law”…

Initially, considering that the Princess had a noble status and, all things considered, was roughly his brother’s widow, she couldn’t be killed. So the Young General acknowledged this “sweetheart” to stabilize the situation. Who would have thought this stabilization would go too far?

“Young General, you’re not going to marry the Princess, are you?” After thinking for a long time, Mu Xinhong finally couldn’t help but ask.

Before Shen Yuance could answer, Qing Song jumped in: “How could that be possible! Pretending for the occasion is unavoidable, but wouldn’t getting serious be unfair to the Elder Young Master?”

Qing Song had served the Elder Young Master in the capital since childhood and had deep feelings for him, while Mu Xinhong, though stationed at the frontier, had known Shen Yuance first.

Mu Xinhong: “What do you mean ‘unfair to the Elder Young Master’? You make it sound like the Young General is taking advantage. Do you think the Young General wants to sacrifice himself to the Princess?”

Shen Yuance raised his eyelids, giving each of them a look.

Naturally, though these two not-so-clever men argued different points, both made sense, and their conclusions were the same—

This marriage was impossible.

Reflecting on this period of pretense, he wasn’t clear how his brother had previously interacted with this sister-in-law in private. He didn’t know if his and his brother’s mannerisms happened to be similar, or if this Princess was too absorbed in herself, but she hadn’t become suspicious of him yet.

Having stabilized the situation, he should now create some distance, firstly, to avoid making more mistakes and causing unnecessary trouble like today’s incident, and secondly, to silence her marriage urgings.

He wouldn’t stay long in Chang’an. As for this marriage, if he could avoid the beginning of the month, he could naturally avoid the middle as well.

Having made up his mind, Shen Yuance lightly rubbed his fingertips, stood up, and walked toward the door: “I’m going to the Yong’en Marquis Residence.”

In Yaoguang Pavilion, Jiang Zhiyi tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep after lying there for a long time. She quietly savored the moment when Shen Yuance had embraced her today, her lips curling down and up again, then up once more.

Just as her smile reached her ears, there suddenly came a knocking at the back window—

Three short raps, three long ones, then three short ones again.

Jiang Zhiyi quickly rose from her bed and peered out the window.

The next moment, as expected, she saw Shen Yuance skillfully climbing through the window.

“Elder Brother A-Ce, why have you suddenly come?” Jiang Zhiyi smiled, lifting her quilt and jumping out of bed, only to be met with a gust of frosty air that made her shoulders contract with a shiver.

Shen Yuance paused in his steps, lowered his head to dust the frost from his clothes, and walked over to crouch beside the charcoal brazier: “When have my visits ever not been sudden?”

“That’s true, Elder Brother A-Ce always gives me the best surprises!” Jiang Zhiyi walked to the brazier and crouched down beside him, resting her chin in her hands as she looked at him.

When her uncle was in the capital, he treated her the same way. Despite not feeling cold himself, he would warm himself by her brazier after bringing in the chill from outside, before getting close to her.

Recalling the sound of his window knocking just now, Jiang Zhiyi smiled sweetly: “You still remember our old signal.”

It was merely from that day when she pretended to have no home and sought refuge with him, and he had noted the strange knocking sound.

But how could such a simple signal of three short, three long—commonly found in any jianghu storybook—be called a “signal”?

Never mind, looking at the person before her made everything clear.

Having dried the dampness and cold from his body, Shen Yuance stood up and got straight to the point: “I’ve come tonight to say goodbye.”

Jiang Zhiyi’s smile froze as she abruptly stood up, greatly alarmed: “Goodbye? Are you returning to Hexi?”

Shen Yuance shook his head: “His Majesty is considerate of my three years of fighting on the frontier and is allowing me to rest in the capital for some time. Since I’m idle anyway, I plan to find something to do.”

Jiang Zhiyi knew that when he returned to the capital to see the Emperor, Uncle Emperor had given him many rewards but had not yet assigned him an official position.

A young man not yet of age, with only battle achievements and no official merits, probably lacked the experience to inherit the position of Hexi Military Governor. It seemed Uncle Emperor was also hesitant, so he had left the position temporarily vacant.

Lately, apart from training troops in the military camp, he had nothing else to do. But with General Mu overseeing daily training, he didn’t need to be hands-on.

Jiang Zhiyi: “So what are you going to do?”

Shen Yuance curved his lips: “A few days ago, didn’t you have Qing Song tell me to read more books? I think this suggestion is excellent, so I plan to return to Tianchong Academy.”

“…”

“I-I was just saying that casually, how could you take it seriously!” Jiang Zhiyi anxiously drew a diagonal line with her hand. “Tianchong Academy is in the southeast of the city, so far from the Marquis Residence. How will we often meet?”

“So—that’s why I’ve come to say goodbye, right?”

Seeing his eyebrow raise with an indifferent expression, Jiang Zhiyi’s mind buzzed.

She had spoken wrongly just now. He wasn’t one to give her pleasant surprises but terrifying shocks—he was simply trying to anger her to death!

Jiang Zhiyi stamped her foot, angrily pacing back and forth: “You left the capital for three years, returned for less than a month, and spent half that time testing me. Now you’re looking for trouble where there is none!”

“…”

When it came to bringing up old grievances, no one could match her.

Shen Yuance’s temples throbbed faintly: “Eating the Emperor’s salary means working for the Emperor’s concerns. Since I have no official duties in the capital, disciplining myself and cultivating my character will not let down His Majesty’s love and respect.”

“Uncle Emperor loves and respects many people, but I don’t see any court officials feeling guilty. Don’t give me those grand principles!”

…He had merely come to inform her of this matter, not to discuss it, definitely not.

Seeing him at a loss for words, Jiang Zhiyi pouted: “You’re going to study for Uncle Emperor, meaning Uncle Emperor is more important than me!”

“…Isn’t my studying also for you?” Shen Yuance lightly gritted his teeth.

Jiang Zhiyi was startled, raising her eyes: “For me, in what way?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, seeing his speechless expression, she suddenly seemed to realize something—

The reason they had secretly formed an attachment in the past was because he had no academic achievements, skipping school daily to watch cockfights and gamble, causing trouble everywhere with an extremely poor reputation in Chang’an. If they had made their relationship public at that time, her uncle would have forcibly separated them.

So they had agreed to wait until he had established his merit and accomplishments, when he would be worthy to match her, before informing her uncle of their relationship and properly proposing to her.

She had thought that with his victorious return from battle, the time was almost ripe. But if he could return to the academy before her uncle returned to the capital, even if just for appearance’s sake, it would indeed create a better impression on her uncle…

As the conversation progressed to this point, Shen Yuance was pondering how to explain his spontaneous words when he looked up to see her expression gradually reveal dawning comprehension.

“You—” Shen Yuance looked at her tentatively, “understand?”

“Fine, I understand…” Jiang Zhiyi sighed miserably, staring at him longingly, “But though I understand, I still don’t want to part from you…”

Shen Yuance paused, lightly coughing: “As the poem says, ‘If love is meant to last forever, why worry about seeing each other every day?'”

“But the poem also says, ‘A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold!'”

“…”

Couldn’t these poets agree on one viewpoint?

Shen Yuance closed his eyes briefly, his patience nearly exhausted: “Then what do you want?”

“Alright, alright, with such good intentions, how could I not be understanding?” Jiang Zhiyi sighed, convincing herself there would be time in the future. “Then how about this, tomorrow morning I’ll see you off. Surely you can grant this small request?”

After all, after tomorrow, they wouldn’t see each other for some time. For this last meeting, he might as well indulge her.

Shen Yuance nodded slightly: “Agreed.”

The next day at dawn, after a light snowfall at midnight, Chang’an city was covered in silver.

The accumulated snow on the eastern road had been swept to the sides early in the morning. Horse hooves fell on the wet bluestone slabs, clip-clopping from afar to near, and stopped in front of Tianchong Academy.

The young man in dark clothes on horseback pulled the reins, lifted the hem of his robe, dismounted with a single motion, and casually tossed the riding crop to his attendant.

Last night’s unexpected snowfall had prompted him to send Qing Song to the Yong’en Marquis Residence this morning with a message, telling Jiang Zhiyi not to brave the snow to see him off, lest she catch another troublesome cold.

Shen Yuance stood at the foot of the stairs with his hands behind his back, looking up at the academy before him, gazing at the golden sign that was more ornate than scholarly.

This Tianchong Academy was not established for the imperial examinations.

Since the rise of Neo-Confucianism, the ancient six arts of a gentleman had gradually been abandoned. Nowadays, scholars focus solely on studying the Four Books and Five Classics, spending ten years of hard work on the imperial examinations.

But there were always some people in this world who were not cut out for the imperial examinations yet still needed to study, especially in Chang’an city, where sons of noble families were everywhere with their “five-flowered horses and thousand-gold furs.”

So there came to be such an academy, reviving the ancient six arts of gentlemen by teaching students “rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics,” to prevent that group from degenerating into dandies, or perhaps as a fig leaf for some dandies.

His elder brother had been among this group.

With that thought, Shen Yuance lifted the toe of his boot and walked in.

Just then, the distant rumble of carriage wheels could be heard, and a lavishly carved jade-inlaid carriage entered his peripheral vision.

Shen Yuance seemed to sense something, pressing down the toe of his boot and turning his head to look toward the entrance.

The carriage adorned with gold and jade steadily drove to the academy entrance and stopped. A small “young master” wearing a man’s round-collared robe inside and a white fox fur coat outside, holding the wrist of an accompanying “servant,” stepped down from the carriage using the footstool. Raising their eyes to see him, they sighed in relief: “Made it!”

“…”

Though dressed in unfamiliar male attire, it didn’t prevent him from immediately recognizing the face he saw daily.

Shen Yuance frowned: “Didn’t I say you didn’t need to see me off?”

“I’m not here to see you off,” Jiang Zhiyi walked forward with her head held high, pointing to the golden sign. “I’ve also come to study at Tianchong Academy.”

“?”

“Eating the Emperor’s salary means working for the Emperor’s concerns. Since I have no official duties in the capital, disciplining myself and cultivating my character will not let down His Majesty’s love and respect—isn’t that what you said, Elder Brother A-Ce?”

“…”

“As a Princess, my salary is much higher than yours. Being idle at home all day without doing anything productive makes me feel guilty!” Jiang Zhiyi smiled with apparent “embarrassment.”

After a moment of silent staring, Shen Yuance confirmed that she was serious.

“…If you want to study, you can go to the women’s academy. This academy is established for men. How can a young lady like you come here? What about propriety?”

Jiang Zhiyi looked down at her male attire and blinked: “That’s why I’m dressed as a man.”

With her face and figure, who couldn’t tell she was a woman beneath the male clothing?

Shen Yuance: “The people here are not blind.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Zhiyi looked behind her.

It was time for students to enter the academy. One by one, exquisite and luxurious carriages stopped in front of the academy, and sons of noble families stepped down.

Jiang Zhiyi raised her head and waved to everyone: “Good morning, fellow students!”

A noble young master closest to her turned his head at her voice. After a moment of surprise, he immediately recalled the news he had received this morning and bowed respectfully to Jiang Zhiyi: “Good morning, Young Master Jiang!”

Then, more noble young masters looked over, countless voices overlapping—

“Paying respects to Young Master Jiang—!”

“The snow makes the path slippery, Young Master Jiang, please watch your step—”

Shen Yuance: “…”

Jiang Zhiyi turned back to look at Shen Yuance, raising her chin: “But they can pretend to be blind.”