Xie Zhifei knew he’d recognized Li Buyan but didn’t explain, smiling with calm detachment.

“Where is Second Brother sitting? Later Third Brother will toast the Heir.”

“Third Brother’s body just recovered—I’ll come with Wenyu instead.”

Xie Buhuo smiled. “By the way, where is Elder Brother sitting? Who did he come with?”

Xie Erli replied, “I came with Hanlin Academy colleagues, the usual place—second floor, Plum Blossom Studio. Second Brother can visit if free.”

Xie Buhuo waved his hand. “The Hanlin Academy is all exceptionally clever scholars. Elder Brother knows I most fear scholars—I won’t come toast you.”

Xie Erli inclined his head slightly. “That’s fine too.”

“Elder Brother, I’ll go first then.”

“Go ahead!”

Xie Buhuo strode quickly from the courtyard. Reaching an unpopulated area, his pace suddenly slowed.

Bringing someone else’s maid to visit a pleasure quarter—what was Third Master Xie doing?

Did Elder Brother not recognize that person was Li Buyan, or was he pretending ignorance while understanding?

His elegant fingers touched his forehead as he quietly instructed Wu Xing behind him, “Don’t follow me. Secretly keep closer watch on that Li Buyan.”

“Yes.”

After Xie Erli watched Second Brother leave, his hand heavily patted Third Brother’s shoulder twice without saying anything, then turned and left.

Li Buyan watched this scene, thinking if only Yan Sanhe were here—she’d surely see the underlying currents.

With her brain, she only saw the three brothers’ harmonious unity.

But the next instant, Young Master Pei revealed the undercurrents.

“Toasting is false—having that He fellow see us sitting with scholars to mock our lack of ability is true? Bah, who does he think he is!”

Third Master Xie crossed his legs. “Never mind him!”

“Who wants to mind him?”

Young Master Pei sneered repeatedly.

“I just can’t stand his two-faced appearance. ‘Oh, Third Brother is also here’—what act? Who doesn’t know where Young Master Pei is, Third Master Xie is too.”

Third Master Xie’s eyes shone bright as stars, looking up at Li Buyan. “Remember to tell your mistress about the grievances Third Master suffered for her sake.”

Li Buyan patted her chest with an expression saying “leave it to me,” then added mysteriously.

“How about… I go teach him a lesson for you?”

Must say.

The shit-stirring stick was quite righteous!

“Sit down. You’re not going anywhere today. He just recognized you.”

Xie Zhifei looked again at Zhu Qing and Huang Qi, instructing quietly, “With Second Brother here, you two must be even more careful.”

“Yes!”

Zhu Qing and Huang Qi departed once more.

Li Buyan muttered “so what if he recognized me” while obediently sitting down.

Before leaving, Sanhe had specifically instructed her to follow only Third Master’s orders and absolutely not act independently.

“Did you hear? The Old Imperial Censor’s house had thieves last night?”

Adjacent scholars’ discussion grew louder—impossible not to hear.

“What was stolen?”

“Not stolen—they splashed chicken blood all over the Old Imperial Censor’s courtyard. I heard it nearly scared several old servants to death.”

“Kill the chicken to warn the monkey—they’re warning the Old Imperial Censor not to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.”

“Probably that old eunuch dog’s accomplices.”

“Under the Emperor’s feet, in broad daylight—is there no law?”

—

“Law? Look at that old eunuch dog’s mansion—more magnificent than second-rank officials’ estates, piled full of gold and silver mountains inside. Among all civil and military officials, who dares pass gas?”

“I also heard that last year during the spring examinations, someone connected through that old eunuch dog and actually passed.”

“Smack—”

A scholar hearing this slammed the table and stood. “This is cheating—should be punished to nine generations!”

“Quiet, quiet.”

His companions quickly pulled him down forcefully. “Baseless rumors, all hearsay. Be careful—disaster comes from the mouth!”

Pei Xiao silently kicked Xie Zhifei: That old thing reaching into the spring examinations—true or false?

Xie Zhifei shook his head: Haven’t heard of it.

Pei Xiao sneered coldly: No smoke without fire!

Xie Zhifei sighed silently: This matter doesn’t concern us.

Just then, Zhu Qing returned again, walking to Third Master and bending to whisper in his ear.

Xie Zhifei’s expression changed slightly.

After Zhu Qing left, he looked up at the two people before him—four eyes staring eagerly at him. After thinking, he dipped his index finger in tea water and wrote a character on the table: Sun!

Pei Xiao: “…” Huairen is also here?

Li Buyan: “…” Are there any men in this world who don’t visit pleasure quarters?

Seeing both understood, Xie Zhifei quickly wiped it away with his hand, then wrote another character: Han.

Pei Xiao was dumbfounded: Damn, why is that dog here too?

Li Buyan was equally shocked: Good heavens, won’t there be a fight today!

Xie Zhifei ignored their shocked faces, only harboring doubt in his heart—

Someone of Huairen’s status rarely came to the Training Bureau. Was it to see the courtesan queen, or had something happened?

…

Behind the Training Bureau was a large lake with exquisite water pavilions on both east and west sides.

This was the Training Bureau’s most tranquil place, reserved only for palace nobility.

Zhao Yishi stood with hands behind his back, gazing at the lit area across the lake, refined eyes shadowed beneath by gloom that couldn’t be shaken off.

Someone entered.

He turned around.

Shen Chong reported, “Your Highness, we’ve confirmed—among the courtesan queen candidates is indeed a girl called Zhuxiang. Zhuxiang’s former given name was indeed Su Yufen.”

At these words, the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground prostrated himself. “Your Highness, it’s her. This subject implores Your Highness’s mercy.”

The kneeling man was Wang Xian, Prefect of Lin’an Prefecture. Two hours ago, he’d rushed travel-worn to the Zhang family in the capital, coming solely for this Su Yufen.

Su Yufen’s father Su Shen had once served as Prefect of Hailing Prefecture. Five years ago when Hailing suffered floods, the court allocated disaster relief funds. Su Shen colluded with a group of Hailing officials, boldly reaching for the relief money.

When the matter came to light, the Emperor was enraged. With an imperial brush stroke, all implicated officials were sentenced to house confiscation and exile.

Su Yufen was Su Shen’s youngest daughter. Being young and beautiful, she was sent to the capital’s Training Bureau at only thirteen.

Wang Xian in his youth had received Su Shen’s favor.

When they traveled to the capital together for examinations, Wang Xian fell ill midway. Su Shen spent silver to hire a physician and personally cared for him two days and nights.

Both passed the imperial examinations simultaneously and were posted as officials together, supporting each other in official circles—their friendship was extraordinary.

The Su family’s confiscation wasn’t unjust. Beyond pitying his friend, Wang Xian had no other recourse.

Half a month ago, Wang Xian received a letter from Su Shen’s eldest son saying his father had died sick in exile, beseeching Wang Xian to help Su Yufen at the Training Bureau for the sake of old friendship.

Wang Xian agonized at home for three days, tucked ten thousand taels of silver in his chest, traveled a thousand li to the capital, and through Zhang family connections reached the Grand Prince here.

His request—to help Su Yufen win the courtesan queen title.