In the Baihu Si, Li Lu was checking accounts when Di Yiqiu opened the door and entered.

Li Lu quickly stood up: “Jianzheng.”

Di Yiqiu made an affirmative sound, walked behind the desk to sit down, both hands empty but his mind heavy with concerns. Li Lu saw his face seemed rather dejected and didn’t dare ask more. Di Yiqiu contemplated for a moment and said, “You go to Immortal Tea Town and find Tenth Miss.”

“Ah?” Li Lu’s scalp tightened. He quickly asked, “Jianzheng, what’s this about?” Last time you went to propose marriage, you really offended her badly!

Di Yiqiu tapped the desk with his fingertips and said, “Daiyue cultivated a Twin Snake Fruit tree for His Majesty, but today the seedling withered and died.”

Li Lu was extremely clever. He immediately reacted and said, “So the Jianzheng believes that the true breeding expert behind the Huang family is still this Tenth Miss?”

Di Yiqiu glanced at him sideways with an expression of “what do you think?”

Li Lu’s scalp wasn’t just tight—now his entire body’s skin was taut. He said, “The Jianzheng’s meaning is…”

What meaning could the Jianzheng have at this point?

He opened a drawer, took out a pearl crown, and said, “Take this pearl crown of mine, go to Immortal Tea Town, and have a talk with her.”

The four words “have a talk with her” obviously held mystery.

Li Lu found a sandalwood box and packed the pearl crown properly, still preserving the last shred of dignity for his superior—it’s nothing more than apologizing and making amends, what talk.

Immortal Tea Town, Huang Rang was devotedly cultivating.

Si Tianjian Deputy Jian Li Lu didn’t hesitate to use a transportation talisman, rushing directly to the Huang family.

—At this time Si Tianjian had very limited court funding. The Jianzheng couldn’t make bricks without straw and wasn’t omnipotent. Transportation talismans needed to be purchased from Yuhu Xuanzong. One talisman’s price was truly steep—not lightly used.

But now, Deputy Jian Li truly couldn’t care about that.

He ignored the Huang family servants’ attempts to stop him and made his way to Huang Rang’s small courtyard. The maid, seeing she couldn’t stop him, could only invite him into the hall to wait for tea, then went to report to Huang Rang.

Huang Rang’s cultivation practice had been interrupted and she was already displeased. Hearing it was someone from Si Tianjian, she laughed coldly even more.

She didn’t even change her dress, just wearing her training outfit and came to the main hall. Li Lu’s face was all smiles, but he was cursing in his heart. He stood up and bowed deeply to the ground: “I hope Tenth Miss is well. Li Lu offers his respects.”

This time he was quite polite.

Huang Rang’s lips barely curved upward in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she said, “So it’s Deputy Jian Li. Did your Eighty-Sixth Your Highness send you? What, did he suddenly remember to prosecute this young lady for the crime of great disrespect?”

Uh… Li Lu kept smiling and said, “Tenth Miss jests. Our Jianzheng…” Jianzheng is sorry, but anyway you’re the one who offended her, so just be more understanding! Li Lu’s smile didn’t diminish: “Is also very regretful about last time, feels deeply remorseful. Recently he’s been uneasy day and night. He specially sent this subordinate to deliver some gifts to express his apology.”

Saying this, he raised his hand, and naturally someone carried in a sandalwood box.

Huang Rang didn’t open it. She looked at Li Lu with a smile and asked, “So you’re saying the Eighty-Sixth Your Highness is apologizing to this humble one?”

The Jianzheng is still too young. Li Lu sighed in his heart and said, “Precisely. The Jianzheng has reflected deeply on his pain and regrets his past actions. Please, Miss, be magnanimous.”

Only then did Huang Rang casually open the sandalwood box. Inside was a pearl crown. Li Lu quickly said, “This is a pearl crown our Jianzheng personally crafted, specially gifted to Tenth Miss.”

Huang Rang picked up the pearl crown. She had to admit, though Di Yiqiu was also known as Number One Dog, his handiwork was truly impeccable. Huang Rang looked at it a few times, then suddenly said, “Daiyue got into trouble?”

“Ah? Ah!” Li Lu’s heart jumped—this Tenth Miss had extraordinary intelligence indeed. Thinking this, he worried even more for his “Eighty-Sixth Your Highness.” He quickly said, “This… this…”

Huang Rang turned the pearl crown in her hand and said, “This pearl crown is indeed skillfully made.”

Li Lu quickly said, “The Jianzheng is a famous master craftsman. Items he personally forges have always been fought over. This pearl crown—many noble ladies offered high prices but he never sold it, showing how precious he finds it. Now gifting it to Tenth Miss truly shows sincere apology.”

“Sincere apology?!” Huang Rang casually tossed the pearl crown back into the box and sneered, “If he truly wants to apologize, have your Eighty-Sixth Your Highness come himself!”

Li Lu hit a wall.

But fortunately, “Eighty-Sixth Your Highness” wasn’t too surprised.

As soon as Li Lu reported back, he immediately set out for Immortal Tea Town. Though Immortal Tea Town was far from the capital, they were after all immortal sect members. If willing to spend money, traveling ten thousand miles in a day was no problem.

So “Eighty-Sixth Your Highness” stepped into Huang Rang’s small courtyard again after midday.

After the two were seated as guest and host, “Eighty-Sixth Your Highness” had a serious expression, his airs quite full. He said, “Last time you mocked me in the hall—that was a crime of great disrespect. By law, severe punishment means exiling the entire family; at minimum, confiscating family property.” He obviously didn’t know how Li Lu had humbled himself, still putting on the airs of an important court official, saying, “But I consider this your first offense and won’t pursue it.”

Huang Rang fully cooperated with his performance, smiling and saying, “The Eighty-Sixth Your Highness is truly magnanimous. Then I wonder what brings Your Highness here this time?”

Di Yiqiu’s mouth twitched as he said, “I have always been lenient with the Huang family. But your maid Daiyue has committed a grave crime this time, and I cannot protect her. If this matter cannot be properly resolved, the entire Huang family will inevitably be implicated. When that time comes, hmph, it won’t just be exile.”

“Oh?” Facing this intimidation, Huang Rang not only wasn’t flustered, she even wanted to laugh a little. She picked up her teacup, took a light sip, and said, “I don’t know what crime Daiyue committed that’s so serious?”

“Eighty-Sixth Your Highness” said, “She was summoned to the capital to cultivate a hybrid of a rare fruit tree for His Majesty. Who knew this fruit seedling actually withered and died under her cultivation. For such a renowned breeding master to make such a mistake—isn’t that serious?”

“Serious, of course it’s serious.” Huang Rang drank a mouthful of tea and made a sound, saying, “Oh my, if His Majesty personally summoned her, then her crime deserves death.”

“Hmph, good that you know.” Eighty-Sixth Your Highness said, “If you can remedy this in time, the Huang family still has a thread of hope. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

—Dog! You still dare play this trick with me?! Drink my bath water!

Huang Rang nodded solemnly and said, “Eighty-Sixth Your Highness is right. Since matters have reached this point, please Your Highness produce the contract certificate. If the Huang family should be raided or exterminated, well, there’s nothing to say.”

“Wha-what certificate?” Di Yiqiu paused slightly.

Huang Rang looked astonished and said, “Of course the breeding contract signed between His Majesty or the court and the Huang family. To tell the truth, Eighty-Sixth Your Highness, these years the Huang family’s business has mostly been handled by this young lady. Every business deal must have a contract, black and white on paper, no denial or default. Since the court wants the Huang family to cultivate rare tree species, there must be a certificate, right?”

“This…” The Jianzheng was dumbfounded.

Huang Rang, seeing this, furrowed her brow slightly and asked, “The court wouldn’t not have one, would it?”

The Jianzheng naturally didn’t have one. The emperor personally issued a summons, directly calling Daiyue into the palace. That imperial edict wasn’t even issued to the Huang family.

Huang Rang looked surprised and said, “Eighty-Sixth Your Highness wouldn’t have privately reached some agreement with the maid Daiyue and made this transaction behind the Huang family’s back, would he?” Her expression gradually became serious. “Your Highness, Daiyue is a slave and cannot privately breed. This is a well-known rule. Your Highness doesn’t follow the rules, and now something went wrong, causing such terrible damage to my Huang family’s reputation. What can be done about this?”

The Jianzheng touched his nose, his expression like he’d drunk five basins of bath water. Then, as if putting on a mask, he instantly switched to a gentle face. He said, “Tenth Miss is not only beautiful but also extremely intelligent. I truly admire her immensely.”

“I dare not accept such praise.” Huang Rang also smiled warmly. “This young lady fears that one day Eighty-Sixth Your Highness will want to marry some other young lady and ‘incidentally’ propose to this young lady again. That wouldn’t be good.”

…This woman really holds grudges! The Jianzheng ground his teeth in his heart, but his face still smiled like a spring breeze: “In this matter, I truly didn’t think it through and was presumptuous toward the beauty. I was wrong.”

You know you’re wrong now? Huang Rang changed her sitting position and said, “I dare not, I dare not. How could the noble-born Eighty-Sixth Your Highness admit fault to a mere young lady?”

The Jianzheng looked left and right. Seeing no one around, he relaxed and asked, “I wonder what Tenth Miss requires of me to apologize before this fire in your heart can be extinguished?”

This truly was humble to the extreme. But in any case, no one saw it, so it could be treated as if it didn’t happen.

Huang Rang slowly drank another mouthful of tea. Dog, are you convinced? Hmm? Are you convinced?

Her tone was light and soft as she said, “How dare I accept such honor? It’s just that this young lady knows the Jianzheng is skilled at handicrafts and can use ice silk as cord, coral as decoration, to weave flower ropes.” These flower ropes—outside the dream Di Yiqiu had woven one for each of the female physicians at White Bone Cliff, and then in the dream gave one to Daiyue. Huang Rang slowly said, “I saw them and was delighted, so I also wish to ask Your Highness for a reward.”

This was far too easy to manage.

Eighty-Sixth Your Highness quickly said, “A simple task!”

Huang Rang smiled sweetly and gently: “Since it’s a simple task, then please Eighty-Sixth Your Highness weave five hundred of them.” Saying this, she thoughtfully explained, “After all, the Huang family has many young ladies. If there are too few, I’m afraid there won’t be enough to divide.” Since you love weaving, weave to your heart’s content!

Fi-five hundred…

But when asking favors of someone, what could be done? Eighty-Sixth Your Highness ground his teeth to powder and spat out one word: “Fine!”

—A real man can bend and stretch!

That very night, Huang Rang entered the capital with Di Yiqiu.

Obviously at this time the Jianzheng didn’t yet have so many carriages available for travel. What he used was a transportation talisman from Yuhu Xuanzong. Fast but expensive.

Huang Rang wasn’t adapted to this talisman. A flash of strong light passed, her vision went white, her head dizzy, and she immediately became somewhat unsteady. Her body tilted, and the Jianzheng beside her immediately extended his hand. Huang Rang leaned against that arm. Supporting herself on it, she felt the arm seemed to have the force of a thousand pounds, stable as a mountain.

After she steadied herself, she released it, still savoring the sensation.

—This dog actually can give one quite a sense of security.

At this time, four people stood outside the reception formation. Looking at the insignia on their clothes, they belonged to Zhuque Si. Everyone bowed to Di Yiqiu together: “Jianzheng.”

Di Yiqiu nodded and withdrew his arm, saying, “Daiyue has been settled in a side garden in the palace. I’ll take Tenth Miss there now.”

Huang Rang wouldn’t comply. She left the formation and said, “This young lady wants to rest for a night and enter the palace tomorrow.”

Saying this, she walked directly out of Zhuque Si toward Xuanwu Si.

Di Yiqiu could only follow her, saying, “His Majesty urgently demands the Twin Snake Fruit. We cannot delay.”

Huang Rang walked quickly with her head down, only feeling top-heavy. At this time it was already late, dusk gathering thick. The Si Tianjian from a hundred years ago had the same layout as a hundred years later. It just didn’t have so many people. Many places’ decorations also weren’t refined enough. Anyway, it was the word “poor” hidden everywhere, faintly visible.

Passing one place, Huang Rang deliberately looked—outside the dream in the fifth year of Chengyuan, a plum tree she personally cultivated called Yearning for Your Peace grew here. But now, there was nothing here.

Xuanwu Si had even fewer students. Often one wouldn’t see anyone for half a day. Huang Rang casually said, “No matter how urgently he demands it, he can’t be urgent about a single moment.”

“Imperial commands cannot be defied. Your laziness is clearly contempt for the court…” The Jianzheng still planned to intimidate further.

Huang Rang finally told the truth: “I’m dizzy from your whatever-it’s-called transportation talisman…”

Saying this, she covered her mouth, ran quickly a few steps, supported herself against a tree trunk, and began dry heaving.

Jianzheng: “…”

Alright, it seemed even if she entered the palace tonight, she couldn’t do anything.

The Jianzheng waited for her to finish vomiting and was about to take her to a guest room. But Huang Rang walked forward on her own. Her head was dizzy, her steps light and unsteady. Really… these years of martial cultivation were wasted.

She yawned, feeling irritable, her head stuffy and swollen. She came to a bedroom door and directly pushed it open. Inside, the tables, chairs, and bed were all the most familiar appearance. Behind was a partition with a bathtub inside—Huang Rang knew it too well.

She walked inside in a few steps and sat on the bed, saying, “After I’ve examined the seedling, I’ll list the tree species that need to be purchased. I haven’t seen Twin Snake Fruit before, so I’ll probably also need classics about this thing.”

Di Yiqiu very naturally bent down to remove her shoes and socks, saying, “Tenth Miss doesn’t need to mention this. Eunuch Fu in the palace will naturally be responsible.”

Huang Rang made an affirmative sound and suddenly felt her feet go cold. She lowered her head and saw Di Yiqiu had already removed both her embroidered shoes and placed them neatly beside the bed. Her left sock had also been removed by him. At this moment, he was holding her right foot, untying the sock’s binding.

Huang Rang’s eyes widened, suddenly realizing this was Di Yiqiu’s bedroom! She was really used to it from outside the dream!

But Di Yiqiu was obviously far more shocked than her. Holding Huang Rang’s sock, he looked at Huang Rang’s face, then at her feet. The dignified Jianzheng was actually at a loss on the spot. Huang Rang lifted her leg and delivered a kick to his chest, sending the Jianzheng stumbling backward.

—It was also that he really hadn’t recovered his wits, otherwise no matter what he wouldn’t have been reduced to this.

Di Yiqiu almost fled out the door in embarrassment. Huang Rang, not caring about her bare feet, jumped off the bed. She ran to the door in a few steps and slammed it shut with a bang. The Jianzheng stood at the door, nearly having his nose flattened.

He couldn’t believe it for a long time—how had he gone up to remove her shoes and socks? And even more terrifying was that if Huang Rang hadn’t stopped him, he had even planned to remove her clothing and hang it up properly…

Such menial tasks, he had done so naturally and smoothly, as if he’d done them many times for her before.

Could it be that in front of her, he had an unconscious servile nature?

The Jianzheng walked while sorting out his messy thoughts, becoming more alarmed the more he thought.

Coming all the way to the study, he looked down and discovered he was still clutching one of Huang Rang’s socks in his hand.

The Jianzheng swore to heaven he had no strange fetishes. But that sock was densely woven from white satin, with two silk ribbons as leg ties. Holding it in his hand was quite alluring. Thinking again of that small foot, white and tender to the point of near transparency, kicking his chest earlier.

The Jianzheng actually felt somewhat distracted.

—Truly puzzling.

The Jianzheng sat behind his desk, planning to handle some official documents to shift his embarrassment. But those incoming and outgoing documents and files suddenly became extremely tedious.

He picked up one volume and looked at it for a long time. Inside, the characters were densely packed, while the Jianzheng’s heart was entirely soft, all from the warmth of that kick to his chest.

After a long while, he simply threw down the documents, planning to sleep in his clothes in the study to get through the night.

But tossing and turning for a long time, the Jianzheng had no sleepiness. He didn’t know if the beauty in the room had fallen asleep. The Jianzheng picked up a sheet of magical instrument blueprints, turned to the back, and while thinking of the beauty’s enchanting appearance, held a charcoal pen and drew randomly.

Finally looking again at that white silk sock at the corner of the desk, he actually remained sleepless all night.

Huang Rang sat on the familiar bed, quite pleased.

This place actually wasn’t as magnificent as what she’d seen outside the dream those few days. At least the bed curtains didn’t have so many pearls and jade. But the furnishings here were simple to the extreme, with almost no changes from a hundred years later.

This gave one a feeling of time being confused.

Huang Rang lay down on the bed. Di Yiqiu’s bed was very clean. Aside from the neatly laid pillows and bedding, there was nothing else. Having experienced those days outside the dream, Huang Rang naturally didn’t mind.

She pulled the bedding over herself and closed her eyes.

—Actually there was nothing to be ashamed of, right? After all, outside the dream Di Yiqiu hadn’t just removed her socks—he’d also put pants on her. He’d also scrubbed five basins… forget it, really forget it.

Huang Rang stretched out her arms and legs, arranging herself in a spread-eagle position. Her head was dizzy after all, and before long she fell asleep.

In the room, the water clock dripped steadily, candles burned high. This sleep was actually quite peaceful.