It was common knowledge that Provincial Graduates with scholarly titles need not kneel even when meeting officials in court, and wherever they went, people had to show them considerable respect. If they sent a calling card to an ordinary person’s residence, not only would others provide food and drink, they also had to present some silver as a greeting gift.

In other words, they need never worry about food or clothing.

Generally speaking, thugs bullied the weak and feared the strong, and had to have some discernment—not everyone in the capital could be bullied.

Some had said this incident was highly unreasonable.

But others said, when drunk, who could recognize who was who? It must have been the wine causing trouble.

In any case, the thugs who beat the man to death ran away and were never caught in the end.

From then on, it became an unsolved case.

In her previous life, Jiang Xuening had been busy scheming over the matter of being selected as Prince Linzi’s consort at this time and had no energy to pay attention to the various happenings in the imperial examinations.

She only heard about Weng Ang’s matter as a joke after marrying Shen Jie.

Today, unexpectedly hearing this person’s wild words and witnessing his wild behavior, upon careful thought, she actually felt there might be something worth discussing in this matter.

Pushing Xiao Shu to marry the barbarians…

These words coming from Weng Ang’s mouth could truly frighten a whole group of people to death.

But falling into Jiang Xuening’s ears, they took root.

Even after she checked the soaring share prices of the Ren Salt Works, returned to the Jiang Manor, slept, and woke to begin preparing all the matters for entering the palace for study sessions after the New Year, these words still occasionally floated through her mind, unable to disappear no matter what.

It was already afternoon, and the remnant snow had melted.

Two chess manuals sat at the corner of the desk by the window.

They had been prepared at the notification from Jiang Xuehui’s side, saying that during the period when she wasn’t in the palace, although Teacher Xie had received an imperial order to pursue and suppress the Tianjiao and hadn’t taught anything new, another teacher had been inspired to teach everyone chess. This time upon entering the palace, they would probably continue learning.

Jiang Xuening now stared at them, lost in thought.

On Lian’er’s side, she was counting the banknotes and several ingots of silver cast in various shapes that had been prepared for Jiang Xuening’s palace entry this time, intending to use them later to give gifts to palace servants.

But as she counted, she pursed her lips.

Then she chattered away: “This palace entry date—not earlier, not later—falls precisely on your birthday. At noon, Madam sent someone to invite you over to celebrate your birthday together with the First Young Miss, but you turned them down with just one sentence, letting them make merry over there. Those who don’t know, seeing this, might think today is only the First Young Miss’s birthday. If it were this servant, whoever invited me I would go, and not only would I go, I’d celebrate more happily than all of them! Once you enter the palace where rules are so strict, it won’t be easy to make a big fuss celebrating birthdays again…”

After hearing her string of words, Jiang Xuening came back to her senses and realized she was thinking about her birthday matter.

In her previous life, how could she not have gone?

Indeed, just as Lian’er said, not only had she gone, she had celebrated happily. After all, the situation then was different from now. In her previous life, she had pleased Shen Jie, and ultimately the person going to be selected as Prince Linzi’s consort was her—a virtually certain thing. Therefore, she was especially proud and deliberately sought to spoil things for Jiang Xuehui and Meng Shi on such an auspicious day as her birthday, causing everyone’s expressions to change with just a few words.

Jiang Xuehui had looked at her for a long time then.

Then without saying anything, she dismissed everyone else and got up to take her leave herself.

What Jiang Xuening detested most was precisely this “sister’s” calm face, which gave her the feeling of punching into cotton. So she chased after her and called out to stop her, asking with a cold laugh: “Don’t you like Shen Jie? But now the person Prince Linzi will marry is me. Back then you stole the magpie’s nest and took my identity, living so many years of comfortable good days with food and clothing assured. Hatefully, heaven has no eyes and still lets you live comfortably and peacefully. Then I can only do it myself and let you know the taste of retribution.”

Jiang Xuehui still wanted to leave.

She stepped forward and blocked her way.

Only then did she finally stop, raise her eyes to look at her, and slowly say one sentence: “Are you truly happy?”

Why wouldn’t she be happy?

Marrying the refined and elegant Prince Linzi, stealing the marriage match from the sister who had occupied her identity back then and still bore the title of legitimate daughter to suppress her, having everyone in the entire manor look at her mood, with glory and wealth just around the corner…

Jiang Xuening felt she had originally been very happy.

But seeing Jiang Xuehui’s seemingly unmoved appearance, that bit of happiness seemed to grow wings and lightly fly away with a flutter. When the day truly came to perform the wedding ceremony with Shen Jie, her head was unexpectedly empty and full of bewilderment, her whole person as if thrown onto the clouds, light and floating without touching ground.

“Second Young Miss, although you won’t go to Madam and First Young Miss’s side, today is ultimately your birthday, and an auspicious omen should still be sought.” Tang’er smiled slightly and actually pulled a pouch from her sleeve, then drew out a bracelet from it—a red cord strung with nineteen round little golden bells, extremely exquisitely crafted. “The year before last on your birthday, Young Master Yan had someone send this to you. There were altogether twenty bells. Each year you age, one is added. This servant has already added one for you.”

She handed this bracelet to Jiang Xuening to see.

Taking it, Jiang Xuening vaguely remembered there was indeed such a gift: when she was sixteen, in her second birthday in the capital, Yan Lin had taken her to play madly at the lantern festival all day. When it was time to send her back, he pulled her into the dim corner of a side alley. The young man’s face had probably turned red, right? He haphazardly stuffed this string of things into her hand and walked away in such embarrassment that he immediately turned his head.

That was Yan Lin’s first time sending a girl a gift, wasn’t it?

She had been puzzled at the time and even felt it was somewhat vulgar.

But unable to withstand Yan Lin’s insistence, every year she had to thread on one bell and wear it on her birthday.

Later, when the Yongyi Marquis Manor fell, naturally she never wore this thing again. Over time, like Wanniang’s jade bracelet, it disappeared without a trace.

Now, with this string of long-unseen old objects spread across her palm, what echoed in Jiang Xuening’s mind was actually the image of Yan Lin, having already become a general returning triumphant to court and holding power, kneeling half-prostrate before her with lowered head, taking out that string of golden bells that had been lost at her place for who knows how many years, fastening them on her slender wrist, his voice soft and slow like dream murmurs saying to her: “Your Ladyship, back then I secretly thought in my heart that when this string of bells reached twenty, I would be able to marry home the girl wearing the bells. But it turns out Your Ladyship’s aspirations were lofty and you ultimately looked down on it…”

Seeing her expression seemed sad yet joyful, Tang’er couldn’t help feeling anxious, only then suddenly remembering the Yongyi Marquis Manor had already fallen: “It’s all this servant’s fault…”

Jiang Xuening interrupted her: “It’s fine.”

She gently exhaled a breath, only handing this string of bells to Tang’er, smiling as she said: “Didn’t you say to seek a good auspicious omen? Help me put it on.”

In this life, she and Yan Lin had already spoken clearly and severed their connection.

There was no need to have any more taboos about these bells.

In any case, it was a young man’s sincere feelings. She hoped for his well-being, and he hoped for hers.

Seeing her smile, Tang’er’s heart finally relaxed a bit. After hesitating, she still fastened this bracelet strung with golden bells for her.

A slender snow-white wrist with a string of small golden bells.

The red cord at the end was tied in a thin tassel that hung down on the tender skin of the back of her hand, vivid and bright.

Lian’er couldn’t help praising: “It’s truly beautiful. I’m afraid only our young miss’s hand could wear it to achieve such an appearance.”

Jiang Xuening shook her hand, and faint tinkling sounds would emerge, not loud but with quite a lively ethereal quality.

She said: “Alright, prepare to enter the palace.”

Both young misses of the Jiang family had to enter the palace for study sessions. By rights, they should go together, but Jiang Xuening still had some reservations about Jiang Xuehui after all. She deliberately made an excuse saying she hadn’t finished preparing and let Jiang Xuehui depart alone first. She herself had the manor prepare another carriage and left two quarters of an hour later.

But unexpectedly, while Jiang Xuening sat in the carriage having only traveled past two major streets, several fast horses came galloping head-on.

The riders all wore barbarian clothing and leather caps, had foreign features, and were even cracking whistling horse whips in their hands, laughing loudly amongst themselves.

This was a bustling marketplace, yet their speed didn’t slow in the slightest!

The Jiang Manor coachman was scared out of his wits.

In his panic, he hurriedly drove the carriage aside to avoid them. The oncoming fast horses were indeed avoided, but the carriage wheel struck the hard stones that several vendors had used to prop up their stalls when setting them up. With a “crack” it broke and could no longer roll.

Jiang Xuening nearly got thrown out inside the carriage. When it stopped, she tightly furrowed her brow and first opened the carriage curtain to ask: “What happened?”

The coachman, still in shock: “Just now several Tartar people galloped over on horses. Fortunately this humble one dodged quickly—only the carriage was damaged without hitting anyone!”

Jiang Xuening looked toward the other end of the street.

Those horses had long disappeared without a trace, but all along the street people and horses were in chaos. Whether passersby or merchants, all were cursing angrily, clearly having just been affected and met with disaster.

*

Across the street at Youhuang Hall.

Lu Xian sat by the window, frowning at the zither board placed on the desk. It had obviously been carved not long ago—elm wood material with excellent wood grain texture.

But at the position of half a palm’s width on the left side, there was a glaring mistake marred into it.

Clearly the carving knife had slipped.

There were even some not-quite-wiped-clean bloodstains on top.

“I remember this was the best of those several pieces of wood I found for you two months ago. Didn’t you already take it to craft a zither?” Lu Xian looked toward Xie Wei sitting across from him drinking tea, his voice carrying some dissatisfaction. “An old tree grows for eight or nine hundred years, and when cut down there are only these few pieces of good wood. Where am I supposed to find you a few more pieces from the same tree or even identical? Xie Ju’an, were you daydreaming while crafting the zither, or did you encounter a ghost? You could actually ruin this!”

Xie Wei had been entangled in trivial matters recently. Watching as the snow that had fallen for several days after New Year finally melted, he came out from the manor and specifically made a trip to Youhuang Hall.

He naturally knew this zither-crafting wood was hard to find.

But if it weren’t hard to find, why would he need to trouble Lu Xian?

He sat with his back to the window fan pasted with snow-white window paper, so half his face was buried in dimness. He only set down his teacup and said: “I appreciate your trouble. Please help me search again.”

Lu Xian truly had a splitting headache.

He knew that since Xie Wei had come personally, this zither was probably quite important. So rubbing his temples, he ultimately still had subordinates bring out the warehouse inventory ledgers from the past several months and flipped through them one by one, wanting to find among them a piece of wood with material and grain texture similar to the current piece, so it could match the zither Xie Wei had previously been crafting.

After searching for half a day without results, it made inspiration flash in his mind as he suddenly remembered something and said: “Since you have the leisure to come today, you must have heard about how Xiao Dingfei has been utterly lawless at the Duke’s Manor recently, right?”

This was indeed a matter.

Over these ten-some days, not one of the absurd things Xiao Dingfei had done failed to reach Xie Wei’s ears. But he had just taken charge of the Ministry of Works with many matters to attend to, and Xiao Dingfei’s torment was aimed at the Xiao family, so he temporarily didn’t interfere much. But matters in this world could go too far either way. Truly toppling the Xiao clan wasn’t the work of a day or two—after making a commotion for a while, things should quiet down to plot the greater plan.

Without restraint, Xiao Dingfei might even forget who he was in his pride.

Thinking this, Xie Wei called Jianshu in and instructed: “In a moment, have Daoqin go personally to warn him. The show of power has been made, don’t make too much of a scene…”

His words had just fallen when suddenly a commotion arose outside.

It sounded like something had happened.

Lu Xian, who was checking the ledgers, couldn’t help raising his head and listening with pricked ears for a moment. His eyebrows suddenly lifted, and he actually pushed open the window beside him and looked out toward the street: “It seems like that group of Tartars who entered the capital before New Year are galloping horses through the market…”

Hearing this, Xie Wei’s brow also furrowed, and he looked out the window as well.

Below was indeed a scene of chaos.

At the street side, a carriage sat askew. The coachman was crouching down to check the wheel, while beside him stood a young lady wrapped in a snow fox fur-trimmed bright red satin cloak watching. On her palm-sized delicate face was an expression cold as ice and frost.

Lu Xian also saw and couldn’t help turning his eyes to look at Xie Wei.

*

This group of envoys from the Tartars were truly imposing on all sides!

They truly treated the capital like their own home.

Jiang Xuening had left the Jiang Manor a few minutes later than Jiang Xuehui to begin with. If nothing unexpected happened on the road, she would arrive more or less at the time set by the palace. But encountering such a thing midway, with the carriage broken and stuck halfway, not knowing how long the delay would be, she truly had a bellyful of anger with nowhere to vent it.

She was just thinking of saying to hire a sedan chair nearby and enter the palace first, leaving the carriage matter for the coachman to handle slowly. But before she could speak, she looked up and saw someone actually coming down from the second floor of Youhuang Hall across the street, walking straight toward her.

She was immediately quite surprised.

Jianshu, with a sword at his waist, glanced at the carriage—it was indeed broken. He then cupped his hands toward Jiang Xuening: “Is Second Young Miss about to enter the palace? Now that the carriage is broken and you temporarily cannot proceed, and the wind is strong outside, why not come upstairs to sit briefly? Teacher is also right there.”

Jiang Xuening instinctively glanced at the second floor across the street. Indeed, one window in the center was half-open, and she immediately saw Xie Wei’s face with its clear, handsome profile.

Since returning from Tongzhou, it had already been over ten days without seeing him.

Xie Wei also hadn’t summoned her again to learn the zither. Plus with Xiao Dingfei staging one good show after another, she had rarely passed a comfortable good year. This time entering the palace again, just now in the carriage she had been pondering that later she would inevitably be held accountable by this Young Teacher and forced to act humble and submissive.

But unexpectedly, she ran into him before even entering the palace.

Jiang Xuening suddenly thought of Zhang Zhe. After returning from Tongzhou, he had also received a promotion and was probably busy too, right?

Though she thought this in her heart, for some reason she still felt a bit stifled.

Since Xie Wei had summoned her and it was indeed cold and windy outside, she naturally had no grounds to refuse. She nodded, gave the coachman a few instructions, and followed Jianshu upstairs into Youhuang Hall.

She had come to this place with Yan Lin before. The various arrangements in the hall hadn’t changed much.

Jianshu led her further inside.

Lifting a door curtain, Jiang Xuening saw Xie Wei sitting inside. The room had fire braziers burning silver charcoal, warm and toasty. He sat by the window, wearing a pale blue Taoist robe, and just happened to lift his eyes to look at her.

If Xie Wei was at Youhuang Hall, he must definitely be meeting Lu Xian.

But she didn’t see Lu Xian now.

Jiang Xuening’s gaze flashed over the teacup on the opposite side of Xie Wei that hadn’t yet been removed, and she properly stepped forward to pay respects: “Greetings, Teacher Xie.”

When she bowed with her hands crossed at her waist, the tips of her slender fingers showed somewhat, but from within her sleeves came faint clear tinkling sounds.

Xie Wei said: “You encountered those Tartar people?”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t help curling her lips. Thinking of what just happened still made her somewhat angry, and she said irritably: “This student didn’t quite fully encounter them. If we had truly met face to face, what you’d be seeing of me now would probably be missing arms and broken legs.”

Xie Wei’s brow immediately furrowed: “The sixteenth day of the first month—what nonsense are you spouting?”

It’s also my birthday on the sixteenth day of the first month, and I’m not superstitious about it, so what are you being particular about?

Jiang Xuening grumbled inwardly, not very pleased with him, but not daring to talk back either. She could only lower her head and say softly: “Oh.”

Xie Wei could tell she wasn’t convinced.

After staring at her for a moment, he suddenly said: “These past days associating with Xiao Dingfei, watching him torment the Duke’s Manor, even the many things bestowed from the palace were carried off and sent to you as gifts, which you collected quite happily and watched with pleasure?”

Jiang Xuening’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected Xie Wei would actually bring this matter up with her, and immediately raised her head.

But meeting Xie Wei’s clear, penetrating eyes, she inexplicably lost her nerve again.

She thought there was really no need to hide this matter from Xie Wei.

She might as well tell the truth and say openly: “In any case, he’s not any good goods either. Watching him torment the Duke’s Manor, this student is indeed happy. Not only happy, but also cheering for him. The more dire the Duke’s Manor’s straits, the happier this student is.”

After all, it was just vengeful retaliation.

These words truly carried somewhat of her past prickly and domineering manner. When her delicate brows furrowed, they even carried a bit of pampered willfulness, not even bothering to disguise it.

Xie Wei looked at her for a long while, then suddenly said: “Right now before me you’ve stopped pretending.”

Jiang Xuening’s heart turned cold.

But thinking it over, she smiled self-deprecatingly and said: “Doesn’t Teacher already know my true nature completely and clearly? You’re too lazy to pretend before me, so what’s the point of me pretending before you?”

The two of them weren’t just now becoming acquainted.

Four years ago in the barren mountains and wild valleys, they had already torn off all masks completely clean. Both had seen each other’s most shameful sides. Now, the more refined and virtuous, the more saintly and gentlemanly they pretended to be, the more hypocritical it was.

So she was somewhat more unrestrained before Xie Wei than before others.

Didn’t Xie Wei also speak to her quite impolitely in private?

But just as the words left her mouth, the back of Jiang Xuening’s neck turned cold. She suddenly realized: she shouldn’t have said this. That experience of traveling to the capital together with Xie Wei back then should be buried in her heart and never be brought up to mention even half a sentence again.

This was Xie Wei’s taboo.

As expected, she slowly raised her eyes and met Xie Wei’s extremely calm gaze.

Jiang Xuening inevitably felt she was about to be in trouble. When under someone’s eaves, one had to bow one’s head. So she proactively admitted fault first: “This student spoke without restraint and said the wrong thing again.”

Xie Wei looked at her for another long while, then said: “Extend your hand.”

As soon as Jiang Xuening heard these two words, her scalp tingled. She still remembered the beating she received last time when extending her hand to ask Xie Wei for banknotes. She remembered the pain. Not only did she not extend her hand, she was so frightened she stepped back.

Xie Wei said: “How do you explain accepting Xiao Dingfei’s things?”

Only then did Jiang Xuening forget about saying the wrong thing just now and cried out: “This student is an expert at tormenting people. He took the initiative to seek me out to teach him. After I gave him some guidance, isn’t it reasonable for him to pay some tuition?”

Xie Wei sneered coldly: “Your skills have improved enough to take disciples and teach people now?”

Jiang Xuening still wanted to argue, but seeing his face had already darkened somewhat and was even more frightening than before, she couldn’t help shivering and timely shut her mouth.

On the table edge was a bamboo disciplinary ruler.

Not the kind used by teaching masters in schoolrooms, but the kind Lu Xian had brought back when going to temples to hear great masters expound on dharma.

Just the right tool at hand.

Xie Wei picked it up and still said to her: “Extend your hand.”

Jiang Xuening knew she would still get beaten. Closing her eyes, she finally spread her hand and extended it.

Xie Wei truly wanted to strike her a few times to make her learn her lesson. But that extended wrist wore a string of small golden bells. As they lightly swayed, they emitted fragmented tinkling sounds, the red cord making the skin appear even more fair and white.

On the inner side was faintly a diagonal old scar.

The bamboo ruler he had raised ultimately did not fall.

Jiang Xuening waited for a long time, anxious in her heart. Not receiving the anticipated pain, she couldn’t help secretly opening her eyes.

Xie Wei asked her: “Today is your birthday?”

Jiang Xuening’s eyes brightened. Knowing someone like Xie Wei couldn’t possibly know her birthday, it must be that seeing the bracelet on her wrist prompted this question. So her mind turned and she said pitifully: “That’s right, today this student is a little birthday star, but it happens to be the day for entering the palace. My birthday hasn’t even been celebrated—no good food or drink, no one made even a bowl of longevity noodles, and Teacher still wants to punish me! This student already knows she was wrong and won’t dare do it again. Considering how miserably the birthday is being spent, won’t you spare me this once?”

Xie Wei said nothing.

Jiang Xuening’s courage grew a bit: “You’re acquiescing?”

She pulled her hand back.

But just at this moment, with a “smack” sound, the disciplinary ruler in Xie Wei’s hand fell mercilessly, striking her palm. The pain made her immediately pull her hand back to clutch it, and she angrily looked at him.

Xie Wei’s voice held not a ripple of emotion: “Today’s punishment is not deferred to tomorrow. Xiao Dingfei is such a frivolous and dissolute wastrel. If I learn again that you have overly close association with him, it won’t be so easy to spare you.”

Jiang Xuening looked at him with both shock and fear, tears in her eyes.

Xie Wei tossed the ruler aside but didn’t look at her once. He picked up his tea and called loudly toward the outside: “Jianshu, have Daoqin take out the memorials from my carriage and escort her into the palace.”

Jianshu came in to request Jiang Xuening leave.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t even reacted yet, her mind still thinking “Xie Wei this person is cold-blooded and heartless to actually hit me on my birthday.” Clutching her hand that had been struck with a red mark, she sat in Xie Wei’s carriage, still extremely angry.

Daoqin drove the carriage directly toward the imperial palace.

When Jianshu returned, he saw Lu Xian, who had earlier avoided going to the secret room, had somehow wandered back again. He was using that meaningful gaze to look at his own teacher.

Jianshu considered for a moment and said: “Daoqin escorted Second Young Miss Ning. As for Young Master Dingfei’s side, should this subordinate go personally?”

Xie Wei held that cup of tea in his hand but didn’t drink it.

He looked at the ripples spreading on the tea’s surface for a while, then actually said: “No need. Let him make his commotion.”

Jianshu froze.

Xie Wei’s brow seemed to carry some vexed disturbance. He loosened the tea lid and let it cover the teacup with a clinking sound, then set the teacup back at the corner of the desk, saying: “In any case, I’m covering for him. Nothing major will happen.”

Jianshu: “…”

Lu Xian: “…”

Heh, now it’s “you’re covering for him.” Who was it just now saying they wanted to restrain Xiao Dingfei and tell him to cause less trouble?