The most difficult days of the regency had passed, and order throughout the court was gradually becoming well-established.

During these days when Zhao Yān had sprained her waist, Wenren Lin spent noticeably more time by her side, providing her with a goose-down cushion to support her back, occasionally glancing at the memorials she had reviewed, and quietly offering a few suggestions.

Following his guidance, Zhao Yān not only reviewed and approved the submitted memorials but also arranged Pei Sa and her fourth sister Zhao Xun’s betrothal ceremony, as well as preventive measures against summer drought and locust infestations, and the reconstruction and tax reduction issues for the counties of Luo Province suffering from natural disasters.

With all these matters addressed, only the appointment of the Liang Province Governor remained undecided.

Prince Shu, Zhao Chengde, had occupied Liang Province for many years. Its power structure was so complex and deeply entrenched that ordinary civil officials would find it difficult to manage.

Seeing Zhao Yān deliberating among the pile of memorials, Wenren Lin said casually: “For Liang Province Governor, I recommend Yuan Zhixiao, the Section Chief of the Ministry of Justice.”

“Yuan Zhixiao?”

Zhao Yān rested her chin in her hand and thought for a moment. “That name sounds familiar.”

Hearing this, Wenren Lin smiled coldly, his tone becoming cooler: “He’s the one who, during the court interrogation, bitterly accused Your Highness of ‘forming factions for personal gain and defiling the palace.'”

With this reminder, Zhao Yān remembered, and the image of a young face with thick eyebrows, wide eyes, and righteous indignation immediately came to mind.

…

…

Undeniably, Wenren Lin had a sharp eye for people. Although such a straightforward person might be stubborn and pedantic, he possessed a certain courage to stand against power and authority. He was also well-versed in the Great Xuan’s laws and military texts, making him perfectly suited to deal with the various demons and monsters of Liang Province.

“Alright, let’s try him for three years,” Zhao Yān picked up her brush and marked his name.

Wenren Lin tapped his finger on the armrest and asked: “Isn’t Your Highness afraid that this man might repay kindness with enmity, saying you’re sending him to Liang Province out of a grudge for his past actions?”

Zhao Yān laughed carelessly, her eyes as dark as ink: “Then I’ll simply confirm that’s exactly the case, and if he can’t handle Liang Province’s affairs, he needn’t return to the capital. He’s shortsighted, so I’ll just be straightforward and provoke him a little.”

Wenren Lin’s lips curved slightly as he leaned forward to press down on the remaining few memorials. “These matters aren’t urgent and can be discussed after June.”

For the first time, Zhao Yān finished processing the memorials so early. Looking at the clean and orderly desk, she asked incredulously: “Does this mean we can have peace for a month?”

Wenren Lin took the vermilion brush from her hand, his deep voice tinged with a smile: “Where would you like to go play?”

Zhao Yān was startled, suddenly understanding Wenren Lin’s intention.

“So that’s why you’ve been so diligently helping me review memorials these past few days! You arranged all these matters in advance just to plan this.”

Since returning from Yuquan Palace last year, Zhao Yān had been caught in a vortex of negotiations between various factions for a year, with no chance to go out and enjoy herself. Her eyes immediately brightened.

“Let me think… Huayang Palace has many mountains, forests, and streams. In summer, lying in the pavilion is refreshingly comfortable.”

Zhao Yān narrowed her eyes, reminiscing: “I haven’t been back for a long time, and I miss it quite a bit. We could also secretly observe the situation in Sichuan while we’re there, though the journey is somewhat distant.”

Wenren Lin took her hand and stood up, saying: “Then let’s go. We have enough time.”

And so, a forty-day trip to Huayang was decided upon, with Empress Dowager Wei appointed to oversee palace affairs during their absence.

The Grand Empress Dowager was advanced in years and unsuited for long journeys, so she did not accompany them back to Huayang, preferring to live out her remaining years in peace at Penglai Hall in the North Palace, waiting for her leaves to return to their roots.

The court ministers only knew that the Princess Regent was leaving the capital to recuperate from her waist injury, but not her specific destination. However, since Prince Su was accompanying her, they were not overly concerned for her safety and smoothly operated the Three Departments and Six Ministries according to the Princess Regent’s pre-arranged plans.

At this time, Zhao Yān was leading her attendants and Wenren Lin on a fast boat heading west. With the summer waters high and winds strong, they reached Qin Province dock after three days, then switched to carriages to head south.

After several more days of travel, they reached Chengdu Prefecture by nightfall. With still a day’s journey to Huayang Palace, the group sought accommodation at a large inn in the city.

In the distance, towering mountains stood like swords, while night mist drifted about, and the air was redolent with the spicy scent of pepper.

The shrewd innkeeper, seeing Zhao Yān and Wenren Lin’s distinguished attire and bearing, recognized them as rare noble guests and hurriedly put down his abacus to personally come out, bowing to welcome them.

“Look at how dark and windy it is, there might be a sudden rainstorm. Distinguished guests from afar, why not warm yourselves with some modest wine and tea at our humble establishment?”

“Innkeeper, do you have any clean, spacious guest rooms?”

Zhao Yān, wearing a veiled hat, spoke in fluent Bashu dialect.

“Yes, yes!”

The innkeeper nodded repeatedly, his gaze casually sweeping over Zhao Yān and Wenren Lin. Folding his sleeves, he tentatively asked, “May I inquire as to this gentleman’s relationship with the lady?”

“Him?”

Zhao Yān giggled, “He’s my guard.”

Wenren Lin slightly raised an eyebrow and said noncommittally: “Indeed, the kind of guard who protects day and night.”

They spoke with natural intimacy, which the innkeeper perceived.

He immediately understood and laughed: “You two certainly like to jest! Anyone can see you’re a newlywed couple out traveling. I have a small courtyard with a central atrium. The main chamber has a soft bed and spacious room, quiet and elegant, most suitable for distinguished guests of such a handsome match as yourselves. There are also seven or eight side rooms of good value for your attendants. Please, this way!”

The innkeeper wasn’t lying. The courtyard was cool with greenery, and two jars of water lilies at the steps reflected the bright moon above.

Opening the door to the main chamber, they found bright gauze lamps, screens, curtains, paintings, calligraphy, and chess sets—everything was complete. By the window on a small table stood a vase of freshly cut lotus flowers, an exquisite interplay of green and pink-white, truly elegant.

The inn’s attendants efficiently prepared bath water, served Bashu-style tea and snacks, then draped towels over their shoulders, picked up their buckets, and respectfully withdrew.

Zhao Yān yawned as she entered the inner chamber to undress. Wenren Lin took off his outer robe, draped it over the screen, and followed her in asking: “Can you manage by yourself?”

Zhao Yān was both amused and exasperated: “I haven’t lost my hands or legs; what’s so difficult about taking a bath? Besides, Liu Ying and Shi Lan are here. You don’t need to worry about me, go take care of yourself.”

The bathtub reflected the candlelight, while her eyes reflected the rippling water, shining like countless stars gathered within when she smiled.

Wenren Lin couldn’t resist raising his hand to grasp the back of her neck, bending down to taste her sweetness briefly before releasing her, breathless.

He rubbed her disheveled hair bun with interest, then pinched her earlobe before clasping his hands behind his back and leaving to take a cold shower—as the cold bone poison gradually dissipated, he no longer dreaded the cold and preferred bathing in cool water in summer, then embracing her with his slightly cool body.

The door closed again, and Zhao Yān, having taken off her clothes, stepped into the bathtub, crouching down into the hot water and letting out a long, comfortable sigh.

After bathing and changing, she came out to find Liu Ying already waiting with a dry towel to help dry her wet hair.

Zhao Yān sat on the soft couch, raising her hand to her lips to stifle a yawn. As she put her hand down, her fingers seemed to touch something hard under the pillow. She pulled it out and looked at it sideways—it was a book titled “The Record of Yin-Yang Harmony.”

The last time Zhao Yān had heard this name was at Yuquan Palace while investigating Zhao Yuan’yu. Liu Baiwei, who was then still “Liu Ji,” had used it to corroborate the connection between the missing young boys and girls and the practice of “Gathering Yin to Supplement Yang.”

She quickly stuffed the book back under the pillow, recalling the innkeeper’s meaningful smile when mentioning this room, and instantly understood.

He had truly mistaken her and Wenren Lin for a loving newlywed couple, and so had prepared this suggestively elegant room to help them deepen their relationship.

Zhao Yān sat rigidly for a while, then couldn’t help but gesture to Liu Ying and Shi Lan, who were setting up the meal: “You two go rest first. I’ll lie down for a bit by myself.”

Liu Ying and Shi Lan, suspecting nothing, put down their tasks, curtsied, and closed the door as they withdrew.

Zhao Yān casually picked up a hairpin and loosely coiled her half-dry hair atop her head. She then grabbed an embroidered pillow to place under her abdomen, lay on the bed, and by the light of the bedside lamp, opened the string-bound illustrated book “The Record of Yin-Yang Harmony.”

As she read, she marveled inwardly: So it can be done like this! The topics covered in this book were a hundred times more in-depth than those in introductory texts like “The Classic of the Bedchamber” and “Dongxuan Zi.”

She was so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t notice someone standing behind her.

Wenren Lin entered after his bath to find Zhao Yān lying on the bed with her legs crossed, seriously flipping through a slightly yellowed illustrated book. Her silk skirt had slid up to her knee bend, revealing a section of her well-proportioned, lustrous white calves, smooth as warm jade in the lamplight.

“What are you reading?” he asked with his hands behind his back, bending down slightly.

Zhao Yān’s shoulders trembled as she raised her hand to cover the book page, but those proper yet improper illustrations and text still leaked through her fingers.

Wenren Lin pulled the book from under her palm, lowered his gaze to look at it, and chuckled knowingly: “The Record of Yin-Yang Harmony? Since when has Your Highness advanced to studying such profound ‘advanced techniques’?”

Zhao Yān felt as if nothing she had was not known to him. Hesitantly, hugging the embroidered pillow, she said with annoyance: “I found it hidden under the pillow, and having heard that this book greatly benefits yin-yang harmonization, I merely glanced at a couple of pages.”

“This prince doesn’t recall mentioning this book. From whom did Your Highness hear about it?”

“Liu Bai…”

Just as she started to say the name, Zhao Yān keenly sensed that the atmosphere had changed.

Wenren Lin’s obsidian eyes visibly narrowed.

“So that surnamed Liu, taking advantage of his female disguise and proximity, was discussing these matters with Your Highness day and night?”

Wenren Lin sat on the edge of the bed, his snow-white robe still damp, rolling the book in his hand and tapping it against his palm intermittently, assuming an interrogative stance.

“Of course not!”

Zhao Yān explained in a muffled voice, “At that time, we had to consult some classics to investigate Zhao Yuan’yu’s case of ‘gathering Yin to supplement Yang.’ That’s all.”

“That’s all?”

Wenren Lin slowly repeated, his voice giving an almost tender illusion.

Zhao Yān truly couldn’t clear herself now.

She lightly coughed, took the book back, casually opened a page, and attempted to change the subject: “There are many interesting conclusions in here. For example, this passage…”

Zhao Yān moved closer, nestled against Wenren Lin’s shoulder, and shared the book with him. “This passage mentions that one can discern a man’s abilities from his facial features. Those with dragon vitality and tiger strength first must have thick, black hair.”

At this, Zhao Yān looked up at Wenren Lin’s hair, half-bound and half-loose, seeing it was as dark as ink, even the roots uniformly black. She blinked and said: “Hmm, in this respect, the Grand Tutor is excellent.”

Wenren Lin raised an eyebrow slightly and asked: “What else?”

“Also, one should have bright eyes and white teeth, indicating rich liver blood; thick eyebrows and eyelashes, and a nose like a suspended gallbladder…”

While referring to the book, Zhao Yān curiously examined Wenren Lin’s appearance, her fingertip brushing over his distinct, thick black eyebrows, sliding across his deep-set brow bone, and finally stopping at his high, straight nose bridge.

Wenren Lin cooperatively half-closed his eyes, with the composed serenity of one willing to be manipulated.

Measuring with her fingertips, Zhao Yān realized just how perfect this handsome, deeply carved visage was, and she nodded with satisfaction: “In this respect as well, the Grand Tutor is excellent.”

Wenren Lin returned a smile, calmly bending one leg, allowing her to use him for her study.

“Furthermore, the waist is the repository of the kidneys, which should be tight and rounded.”

Through his clothes, Zhao Yān felt Wenren Lin’s distinctly defined waist, the strong, firm lines of his abdomen rising and falling slightly with his breathing. Zhao Yān’s thoughts became disordered; she swallowed unconsciously and continued reading: “Its nature should be like rice with an extended hand, upturned… like a scorpion’s tail, then it’s a rare and famous…”

Realizing the profound implication of the last point, Zhao Yān’s cheeks suddenly flushed, and she abruptly closed the book.

A rare and famous… tool.

Countless chaotic memories flashed through her mind, and Zhao Yān finally understood why being with Wenren Lin was so fulfilling, why just a few encounters had left her addicted and unable to resist.

“Famous what?”

Wenren Lin had no intention of letting her off, catching Zhao Yān’s hand and holding it down.

The man’s ink-black hair slid down from his shoulders in strands, his smiling voice slow and deep, seductively asking: “Does Your Highness think that this part of me might be considered…”

The last two words fell into her ear, crackling open like a spray of tantalizing sparks.