On the day Grand Princess Leyang Shen Zhiyi’s marriage alliance carriage left the capital, it was said that even late at night, many people lined the roads to see her off as she traveled all the way toward the northwest.

With her departure from the capital, the clamorous marriage alliance debate gradually subsided.

In the capital, from princes and nobles above to common people below, everyone’s attention quickly shifted to this year’s Spring Metropolitan Examination and the upcoming wedding ceremony in the fourth month for Prince Linzi Shen Jie.

The previously inconspicuous Fang household of the Bureau of Astronomy naturally became the liveliest these days.

Next was Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Finance’s residence.

Everyone said that in terms of character, talent, appearance, and background, Miss Fang Miao of the Bureau of Astronomy’s family could hardly compare with First Miss Jiang Xuehui of Minister Jiang’s household. Unfortunately, her reputation had been damaged by her good-for-nothing younger sister, so in the end she wasn’t selected as the primary consort. But the fact that a secondary consort was selected at the same time as the primary consort was enough to show how much Prince Linzi favored her, and how reluctantly this primary consort, Miss Fang Miao, had been chosen.

The wedding date was set for the eighteenth of the fourth month, with both the primary and secondary consorts entering the household simultaneously.

Those presenting name cards, sending congratulatory gifts, trying to curry favor, pulling connections, taking advantage—the Jiang residence’s threshold was nearly trampled through. Even the servants wore smiling faces, walked with spring in their steps, and felt honored as they received and sent off guests.

However, this didn’t include the maids and servants in Jiang Xuening’s courtyard.

Not only were they unhappy, but in recent days they had become increasingly worried and anxious, treading carefully.

A new letter arrived from You Fangyin in Shu, and Tang’er didn’t dare entrust it to anyone else. She personally went to retrieve it, but on the way back happened to run into Jiang Boyou who was going out.

Jiang Boyou glanced at her and frowned: “Miss Ning is still like that?”

Tang’er said tremulously: “Miss woke today at the third quarter of the mao hour, drank a bowl of polished rice porridge prepared by the kitchen, then lay back down to sleep. When the sun was high at mid-morning, she got up and stared out the window for half the day. Of the dishes the kitchen sent, she only had a few pieces of roasted squab and cherry pork, and barely half a bowl of rice. Young Master Dingfei sent someone with some fashionable trinkets, but she only glanced at them twice before setting them aside. When invited to see the lantern festival, she wouldn’t go either…”

Jiang Boyou let out a long sigh: “What kind of situation is this!”

Tang’er didn’t even dare breathe heavily.

Since Grand Princess Leyang went for the marriage alliance, their young miss had been like someone who’d lost her soul. She was too lazy to even step out of her room. Though she ate meals as usual and slept as usual, the maids serving her found it eerie and worrying—no one knew what to do with her.

However, these past days, the master had been asking about the young miss from time to time.

It seemed he cared more than before.

Tang’er didn’t know if this was her imagination—perhaps it was because the young miss’s recent state was very worrying?

Jiang Boyou pondered for a moment then shook his head, giving instructions: “Watch over her well. In a couple days it’s her older sister’s wedding. If she doesn’t want to go, don’t make her go, and don’t let others disturb her either. Let her rest for a few more days.”

Tang’er bowed: “Yes.”

Only then did Jiang Boyou turn and leave with a worried expression.

Returning to the courtyard, Tang’er saw Lian’er sitting outside tracing embroidery patterns. She went over and looked inside, lowering her voice to ask: “Is Miss still sleeping?”

Lian’er also sighed: “She just fell asleep not long ago.”

Tang’er had no choice. Looking at the letter in her hand, she could only first place it on the warm pavilion’s kang table by the window, then went to handle other matters in the room.

In early summer at spring’s end, the weather wasn’t yet very hot.

Two windows opened outward, bright daylight illuminating the green trees and courtyard flowers outside. Bird songs warbled faintly in the distance. A clear breeze drifted in, moving the thin pink gauze bed curtains outside the bed.

Jiang Xuening lay on her side on the bed.

A thin spring quilt covered half her body, draped across her chest. Perhaps because these days had passed too muddled and dazed, with too much sleep, her brief afternoon naps always brought bad dreams.

Sometimes it was Zhou Yinzhi’s severed head, sometimes Shen Zhiyi’s coffin.

The dreamscape was bizarre and unpredictable.

She walked through palace halls where blood flowed everywhere, surrounded by mist on all sides, something behind her desperately chasing. So her steps became increasingly panicked, finally breaking into a wild run.

The familiar Kunning Palace was right ahead.

She breathed a sigh of relief and rushed in, but just as she stopped, she saw a slender, delicate figure standing inside.

“Fangyin—”

In that instant, Jiang Xuening instinctively called out.

The other person turned around, looking at her with some confusion.

It was a refined face, but the originally light brows had been outlined with a few traces of severe coldness—the composure of someone accustomed to the ups and downs of the business world. Yet her eyes also seemed to hold some helplessness and bitterness.

It was You Fangyin.

But not the You Fangyin of this life.

After seeing Jiang Xuening, she was slightly stunned, then sighed with some melancholy: “Even owning half the city’s wealth is useless. Betting on both sides ultimately offends people. Who could have imagined the great reversal would stem from old grievances over twenty years ago? At this point, naturally abandoning wealth to preserve life is what matters.”

Old grievances—what old grievances?

Jiang Xuening wanted to ask clearly, but those four words “owning half the city’s wealth” rang like great bells and gongs in her mind, echoing one sound after another, making her heart panic and her mind chaotic, directly jolting her awake from this disconnected dream.

She instantly opened her eyes and sat up with a turn.

The thin quilt slid from her chest.

A cool breeze blew from outside. Jiang Xuening felt coolness all over her forehead and body, only then realizing she’d broken out in a cold sweat. Even the undergarment on her back was soaked, sticking to the back of her neck in waves of discomfort.

She had forgotten.

She must have forgotten something crucial.

These past two weeks, because she hadn’t been able to prevent Shen Zhiyi from going to the marriage alliance, her entire spirit had been unable to rally. She lived like a walking corpse, like a headless fly, as if nothing could capture her attention or was worth caring about.

But was there truly nothing else?

Owning half the city’s wealth.

The You Fangyin of her previous life…

Betting on both sides?

Racking her brains, thinking repeatedly, finally a flash of inspiration like lightning split through her myriad thoughts. Jiang Xuening directly threw off the thin quilt, got up from the bed, and called loudly toward outside: “Tang’er, Lian’er! Where’s the letter from Shu?”

Lian’er outside was startled.

Hearing this, Tang’er quickly went to the warm pavilion to retrieve that letter and brought it in. She was about to hand it over when Jiang Xuening directly reached out and snatched it, tearing open the envelope to read. Only then did the two maids see that their young miss’s dispirited air from these past days had been completely swept away, replaced by a severe intensity as if facing a great enemy, as if she’d remembered some important matter she’d overlooked.

Tang’er couldn’t help worrying her emotional fluctuation was too great and something might happen. She said carefully: “Miss, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Xuening quickly finished reading the letter and felt her heart grow heavy.

It wasn’t that the situation at Ren’s Salt Works was bad.

Rather, it was because after being despondent for these days, she finally remembered: Shen Zhiyi had gone for the marriage alliance, and Yan Lin would indeed one day trample the Tatars, but to welcome the princess back to court wasn’t something she could accomplish just by knowing the trajectory of her previous life—

She was missing one You Fangyin!

The You Fangyin from her previous life!

In her previous life, four years after Shen Zhiyi went for the marriage alliance, the Tatars completely revealed their wolfish ambitions and invaded the Central Plains.

Yan Lin received orders in a crisis and turned the tide.

But when they repelled the enemy forces and welcomed back the princess’s coffin, they learned that two years earlier the princess had already suffered torture and been forced to miscarry, simply because the Tatars didn’t want her to bear a child of mixed blood. Before the barbarians raised their army, they first killed the princess to consecrate their banners. Despite her noble blood and pride, in that境地 she was isolated and helpless, at the mercy of others!

At that time, the Xiao clan was powerful. The court both needed to use Yan Lin to resist the barbarians and had to guard against him commanding troops with too much power, so there were many difficulties with provisions and rear support.

Yet the front lines weren’t affected at all.

At that time, some in court became suspicious, but only when Xie Wei and Yan Lin jointly rebelled did everyone learn that besides Lu Xian who dominated the business world, behind them was also that person rich enough to rival a nation—”You Half-City”!

War required soldiers; raising soldiers required money.

In her previous life, they had the fabulously wealthy You Fangyin supporting them behind the scenes, but what about this life?

Jiang Xuening slowly sat down.

She had saved this life’s You Fangyin, so the You Fangyin from her previous life didn’t exist in this world. And if she wanted to fulfill her promise to Shen Zhiyi, even rescue her earlier than in the previous life, it meant she needed an equivalent amount of silver—even more—to fill this gap she herself had created!

Could she do it?

No…

It was no longer a question of whether she could, but that no matter what, she had to!

The thin page of letter paper was slowly placed back on the table by Jiang Xuening. She had finally awakened. Blinking, she said: “Prepare brush and ink. I need to write a reply.”

*

These days, most civil officials in court were busy with the just-concluded Metropolitan Examination and the upcoming Palace Examination. Jiang Boyou was no exception. So today he didn’t go to the Ministry of Finance but went directly to the Hanlin Academy.

The Emperor had appointed Xie Wei as chief examiner for this year’s Metropolitan Examination. At this moment, he stood by the writing desk, having just received several examination papers handed up by officials below. The Metropolitan Examination results had already come out; now they were selecting the best papers to be sent to various publishing bureaus for printing.

Jiang Boyou looked up and saw this, his brow immediately furrowing.

That day’s incident at the residence gate had truly shocked him. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have dared believe that Xie Wei, who usually appeared to be a noble gentleman with the bearing of ancient sages, could do such frivolous, beastly things!

In the past, when Xie Wei showed care for Jiang Xuening, Jiang Boyou had never thought much of it.

First, he and Xie Wei were peers, and when the other addressed Miss Ning, he always treated her as a junior; second, when Miss Ning entered the palace as a companion reader, he had also asked for help; third, Xie Wei stayed away from women and had never had any unseemly rumors.

Yet it was this very person…

Recently, Jiang Boyou had also wondered whether his daughter wasn’t someone who followed rules and regulations—could there be some misunderstanding, or were the two mutually in love?

He’d talked with Jiang Xuening twice.

Considering a young lady’s thin face, and not wanting her to know about such matters, he hadn’t directly asked about her relationship with Xie Wei, but probed indirectly. In Miss Ning’s words, where was there even half a trace of feeling that exceeded teacher and student?

So it was still Xie Wei who was the bigger problem!

Jiang Boyou felt uncomfortable inside. These past days he hadn’t spoken much with Xie Wei. Even now, he only silently handled official business first. When there were fewer people and those seeking Xie Wei had all withdrawn, he finally walked over.

He first said: “Teacher Shaoshi.”

Normally Jiang Boyou directly addressed him as “Ju’an.” Just hearing these three formal characters, Xie Wei knew the other had something to say. Turning around, he smiled slightly: “Minister Jiang, is there something you wish to advise?”

Jiang Boyou scrutinized him and said: “Teacher Shaoshi is young and accomplished, yet this year you’re also twenty-seven, approaching thirty but still unmarried. My daughter, though willful and unruly, is now just at the prime age of nineteen, not yet versed in worldly affairs and human relations. As her teacher, you teach her propriety and righteousness—as her father, I’m very grateful. It’s just that she may still not be sensible and relies heavily on Teacher Shaoshi to regulate her words and actions. Therefore, I ask that Teacher Shaoshi also be prudent in word and deed, lest her young age lead to some misunderstanding. Teacher Shaoshi knows I haven’t raised this daughter very well—I fear she might cause some trouble.”

The words carried a hint of warning.

Xie Wei still held those examination papers in his hand, but some displeasure arose in his heart. The smile on his face remained unchanged. Not taking up the main thread of his words, he only said: “If Minister Jiang can’t raise her well, why not give her to me to raise?”

How could Jiang Boyou have anticipated he would say such things?

His expression immediately darkened.

He said coldly: “Though I, Jiang, may not match Teacher Xie’s abilities, there’s one thing I must warn you about! Though my Miss Ning has a poor reputation, her nature isn’t bad. If Teacher Xie misleads himself, so be it, but don’t mislead others. If the two are mutually in love, this old man will turn a blind eye, but Teacher Shaoshi is Miss Ning’s teacher. Such frivolity—isn’t this scorning ancestral ritual propriety and disregarding ethical principles?!”

By the end of these words, his voice had risen somewhat with anger.

In the distance, others in the busy Hanlin Academy couldn’t help glancing over. Clearly they’d heard the four words “ethical principles” clearly, and their faces couldn’t help showing a few traces of curiosity.

Obviously thinking: How did these two end up involving ethical principles?

But Xie Wei lowered his eyes.

Indeed, he was Miss Ning Er’s teacher. According to ethics, how could a teacher be with a student or have a private relationship?

However…

He casually tossed those examination papers back onto the desk. Xie Wei looked back at Jiang Boyou and said mildly: “So what of it?”