Qi Feng simply smiled and said, “These are just some novel trinkets. Third Sister-in-law, what fine things haven’t you seen in this prince’s manor? I’m merely making a fool of myself.” He paused, then continued, “To be honest, I heard that some incidents occurred in the manor.”

Since Qi Feng had already spoken thus, he must have heard the whole story from beginning to end. He and Xiao Shao were fellow disciples, and he also handled matters for Xiao Shao’s Hundred Zhang Tower, naturally maintaining considerable friendship with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Being one of the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s people, he had to stand with them. For Qi Feng, perhaps he too was on Jin Er’s side in this matter. Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, “Oh, are you also here to hold me accountable?”

The Lu Zhu incident had indeed greatly affected her. Usually accustomed to speaking with a gentle demeanor, perhaps due to her poor mood these past few days, or perhaps because Qi Feng was also an acquaintance, and there was no need to wear masks before familiar faces, her words carried some sarcasm.

“That’s not necessary,” Qi Feng gestured vaguely toward the stone table in the courtyard, saying, “Why don’t we sit down and chat instead.”

Jiang Ruan nodded, and the two sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. Lian Qiao served tea and refreshments before retreating to one side. Jiang Ruan looked at the tea, her face still bearing a smile, but her tone had turned somewhat cold: “Could it be that Qi Feng also believes this matter was entirely my maid’s fault, and that I sent someone to ruin that Miss Liao’s reputation?”

“Given Third Sister-in-law’s righteous character that abhors evil, it’s quite possible you would do such a thing.” Qi Feng smiled while stroking his chin. He had now shaved off all his facial hair, but still retained his old habits, making this gesture seem somewhat abrupt, though he obviously didn’t notice. He continued looking at Jiang Ruan’s unchanged expression with a grin: “But if Third Sister-in-law had acted, how could that Miss Liao have possibly escaped? Third Sister-in-law’s methods have never failed, so the person behind this absolutely cannot be Third Sister-in-law.”

These words were cleverly spoken. Jiang Ruan also smiled: “You mean I’m so thoroughly bad at being bad that I’m not even qualified to be such a merciful villain?”

“No, no,” Qi Feng quickly waved his hands, “I mean Third Sister-in-law is fierce in nature and meticulous in execution. Such a clumsy plan full of loopholes could never be Third Sister-in-law’s work.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ruan looked at him with a half-smile: “Are you trying to flatter me by saying this? Aren’t you afraid word will reach the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

“One can never play both sides cleverly,” Qi Feng sighed. “Do I, Qi Feng, appear to be such a two-faced opportunist in Third Sister-in-law’s eyes?” Qi Feng smiled proudly: “Since Third Sister-in-law and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have become opposing sides, I naturally stand unconditionally with Third Sister-in-law. After all, we once collaborated in burning down the granary together – we share some bond forged through adversity. Rest assured, Third Sister-in-law, I am absolutely a loyal person.” Seeing Jiang Ruan smile without speaking, though her expression was obviously much gentler than before, Qi Feng breathed a sigh of relief and continued: “But hasn’t Third Sister-in-law considered who might be behind this incident?”

“The person behind it?” Jiang Ruan said indifferently: “I’d like to investigate, but currently your third brother is rarely at the manor. I have nothing to discuss with him about this matter. The Embroidered Uniform Guard belongs to him after all – I cannot command them. Moreover, if his subordinates cannot find this person, what methods could I possibly have? In any case, I didn’t orchestrate this. Perhaps that woman staged this drama herself.”

“Staged it?” Qi Feng was somewhat tongue-tied: “This… though this is quite possible, reputation is more important than life itself for a woman. If that Miss Liao truly staged such a performance single-handedly, wouldn’t the sacrifice be too great for her? This would be a losing business proposition.”

“A losing business?” Jiang Ruan smiled lightly: “This shows that men and women always view things differently. Reputation is indeed important for a woman, but if she can obtain what she wants, then reputation becomes unimportant – the sacrifice becomes worthwhile. Though this action might seem like harming the enemy by ten thousand while destroying oneself by three thousand in your eyes, as time passes, you’ll gradually discover that for her, this causes no harm whatsoever. Even if people gossip, it’s merely inconsequential idle chatter.”

“You’re saying that woman actually profited? But I still don’t understand.” Qi Feng was somewhat confused.

Jiang Ruan glanced at him. Even though Qi Feng was extremely clever and distinguished himself in court, the inner quarters and the imperial court were different battlefields after all. Men could never discern women’s schemes. If even Qi Feng thought this way, one could imagine Xiao Shao and Jin Er’s thoughts. Perhaps this was the difference between men and women. She smiled slightly: “Well then, let me ask you – what is Miss Liao’s current background?”

“Both parents dead, alone and friendless, burdened with family wealth, with relatives eyeing her covetously.” Qi Feng thought for a moment, then added: “Currently, her only support is her engagement to Jin Er.”

“Exactly. If you were her, what other path could you take now?” Jiang Ruan asked.

Jin Er was speechless, stammering: “Third Sister-in-law, I’m not a woman. This comparison is really too… too strange.”

Jiang Ruan ignored his words and continued: “Such a weak woman burdened with family wealth, to protect her assets from being seized by her relatives, the only method is to find a good patron. Jin Er’s background and manor are both excellent. For Liao Meng, there’s currently no better choice than Jin Er. To put it bluntly, after this village there’s no such shop – Liao Meng naturally must hold on tightly. Those who want to climb mountains, regardless of how many choices they encounter along the way, their ultimate goal is still to climb the mountain. Similarly, Liao Meng wants to marry into Jin Er’s manor. Whatever she does, whatever sacrifices she makes, as long as she achieves her wish in the end, the transaction isn’t a loss.”

Qi Feng listened with unblinking eyes, only hearing Jiang Ruan’s voice, gentle and pleasant yet extremely clear and calm: “Good, let’s examine the possible consequences of this incident. Now that Liao Meng being assaulted has become common knowledge throughout the capital, everyone knows she’s the victim deserving sympathy. If Jin Er doesn’t cancel their engagement now, he’ll actually gain a good reputation throughout the capital. Even if some say Liao Meng doesn’t match Jin Er, it’s only a very small portion. After Jin Er and Liao Meng marry, people will instead say they’re a match made in heaven. Conversely, Lu Zhu and I have now become the villains. Since Jin Er suspects I orchestrated this, he’ll feel more sympathy for Liao Meng. Qi Feng, tell me – sacrificing merely one’s reputation, at worst being gossiped about by a small portion of people, but gaining everyone’s blessings, her husband’s pity, and completely destroying women who previously had connections with her husband – is this transaction still a loss for Miss Liao?”

Qi Feng had long been stunned. After a moment, he smiled bitterly and shook his head: “I originally thought myself clever, yet before Third Sister-in-law I’m like a fool. Now it seems not only Third Sister-in-law, but that Miss Liao could nearly manipulate me at will too. To actually use one’s own reputation as stakes – Miss Liao is truly no ordinary person.” Qi Feng pondered, then suddenly looked at Jiang Ruan: “But Third Sister-in-law, since you’ve already seen through her intentions, and as you say, this could indeed be a trap set by Liao Meng, why don’t you tell Third Brother about this?”

Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes: “Tell him for what? Xiao Shao is a confident person with his own judgment. Since he has his own judgment, how could he believe what others say? It would only add to the troubles.”

“Third Sister-in-law, that’s not right,” Qi Feng interrupted her: “You know Third Brother isn’t that kind of person. Third Sister-in-law, I think you’re unwilling to.” Though Qi Feng wasn’t as skilled as Jiang Ruan at reading people’s hearts, having interacted with Jiang Ruan for so long, he’d roughly figured out her temperament. Jiang Ruan was somewhat stubborn. When couples first have a conflict, she naturally wouldn’t bow her head, wouldn’t even explain – perhaps this was another kind of pride. If it were someone thick-skinned and smooth-talking, a little coaxing would restore harmony, but unfortunately the other party was Xiao Shao, such a taciturn person. Thinking of this, Qi Feng also felt somewhat frustrated.

Jiang Ruan saw through his thoughts and feigned anger: “Instead of speaking well of Liao Meng, you’re here to speak well of Xiao Shao. If you’re here to speak well of him, you might as well forget it early – I have no time to accompany you for tea.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Qi Feng quickly touched his nose: “No, no, how could I be that kind of person? I mean Third Brother is too unreasonable. Don’t be angry, Third Sister-in-law – look at the little trinket I brought you.” Qi Feng went to open a nearby box, which contained a wooden carved round container. Jiang Ruan took it and saw a small figure carved on the round container, with a lid that could be opened. She instinctively opened it, and immediately a smooth melody flowed out. She was startled and looked at Qi Feng inquiringly. Qi Feng smiled: “My friend just returned from overseas trade. This thing comes from a Western country – it’s called a music box. It contains musical sounds inside. Interesting, isn’t it?”

Jiang Ruan couldn’t help but smile too. In fact, whether in her past or present life, though she’d lived in different places and never had opportunities to own exquisite things, she’d seen many rare treasures. But things like what Qi Feng had found through his unique approach were different. This item wasn’t particularly valuable, but it excelled in being novel and interesting – that made it precious. Qi Feng had been here so long and finally saw Jiang Ruan’s smile that wasn’t the polite, gentle kind, but genuinely from the heart. Relieved, he said: “Does Third Sister-in-law like it? If you do, why not go there personally?” He seemed to remember something: “He has many things stored at the Yi Bao Pavilion too. I don’t know if Third Sister-in-law has been there, but if not, why not go take a look now? After all, Yi Bao Pavilion belongs to our family – perhaps there’s something that catches your eye.”

Jiang Ruan was stunned. Yi Bao Pavilion – she indeed hadn’t been there for a long time. Knowing it was Xiao Shao’s business, she remembered when she first visited Yi Bao Pavilion, when she and Xiao Shao weren’t yet married. She’d gone there leisurely with Dong Ying’er and Zhao Jin, been shocked speechless by the prices, and had planned to get one of their treasure shields for Jiang Xinzhi. Now thinking back, it felt like a different lifetime. She thought for a while, then smiled at Qi Feng: “Alright.”

Now it was Qi Feng’s turn to be dumbfounded. He’d only spoken casually, since Jiang Ruan was now a princess consort – how could she always walk around with him, an unrelated man? Though their relationship with Xiao Shao was close enough not to require strict avoidance, he’d always felt that with Jiang Ruan’s perceptive mind, she might not have failed to notice his feelings. For someone like Jiang Ruan who couldn’t tolerate any impurity, yet she could so calmly say “alright” – Qi Feng stared at her speechlessly for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Ruan seemed to notice his gaze and smiled: “What, do you have business to attend to and don’t want to go out with me? This time I’m troubling you – at worst I’ll cover the travel expenses later.”

Only then did Qi Feng come to his senses. He too was straightforward by nature. If Jiang Ruan, a woman, could be so open about it, his refusal would seem strange instead. Moreover, the Great Jin Dynasty wasn’t so harsh toward married women – as long as there were no intimate gestures, it was acceptable. Thinking that Jiang Ruan had been unhappy at the manor recently, it would be good for her to go out and relax. He smiled: “How dare I refuse? I’ll go prepare the carriage.”

Lian Qiao still hesitated somewhat. If Jiang Ruan went out with Qi Feng like this, it would seem as if Qi Feng had deliberately come to steal another’s wife. That Qi Feng’s eyes always showed something unusual when looking at Jiang Ruan – as Jiang Ruan’s personal maid, Lian Qiao noticed and felt uneasy. Lu Zhu had no such concerns, only saying: “Young Madam has been confined to the manor for so many days – it’s good to go out for a walk. Since Master Qi is the young master’s friend, he’ll maintain proper boundaries.”

Tian Zhu said: “I’ll protect them. Lian Qiao, come with me. Lu Zhu, stay at the manor – if we encounter Liao Meng on the street, it might cause more trouble.” Tian Zhu’s words were always brief. As a former Embroidered Uniform Guard, in this Lu Zhu incident, Tian Zhu had unexpectedly and firmly stood on Lu Zhu’s side. In her view, that Liao Meng had ulterior motives, and this incident was most likely aimed at Lu Zhu. These past days, Lu Zhu shouldn’t go out – who knew what other schemes that woman had? Better for Lu Zhu to avoid going out and falling into traps.

Lu Zhu knew Tian Zhu was worried about her. Feeling warmed, she agreed with a smile. After everyone finished preparations, they left the prince’s manor.

…

In the room, a young man sat before a chess board playing against himself. From a distance, his profile appeared quite beautiful, especially his sharp, delicate chin that seemed full of aesthetic appeal, and lips red as freshly applied rouge, charming and alluring. But when one looked closer, this beauty was completely destroyed by those blue-green fox-like eyes.

Half his face wore a mask. He seemed leisurely focused on the chess game before him. Someone appeared in the room at some unknown time, saying in a low voice: “My lord, Jiang Ruan and Qi Feng have left the prince’s manor.”

The room remained silent for a long time. The chess-playing man held a piece, frowning as he carefully studied the board, as if considering where best to make his move. After a moment, he smiled slightly, placed the piece in the center, and said: “Let them go.”

The person in the room quickly withdrew. The man looked at the chess board before him, his smile growing more enchanting, seeming to contain some profound meaning. He stared at the board for a while, then suddenly swept his sleeve across it. The chess pieces were instantly scattered, falling to the ground one by one with clear, crisp sounds. The man seemed to greatly enjoy this, closing his eyes and quietly listening for a long time before raising them again to look toward the window sill.

On the window sill sat a pot of orchids, their white petals gently unfurled, seeming to tremble with life. In this dimly lit room, they were like a beam of light, emanating a strange fragrance. The man smiled slightly and said in a low voice: “Attacking the heart is supreme – women too.”

This time, he spoke with utter contempt.

…

While rumors and gossip emerged in the capital, the palace remained strangely quiet. The emperor continued his daily routine of attending court, reviewing memorials as usual, scolding disobedient ministers and executing those who deserved it, promoting ministers he favored and rewarding them appropriately. But observant officials noticed that the emperor had not inquired about the two remaining princes for quite some time. He’d even changed from his previous enthusiasm for the Thirteenth Prince Xuan Pei to now maintaining an indifferent attitude toward both princes, as if they’d been forgotten both in court and below.

Thus the ministers were completely puzzled. Those with daughters in the harem tried to have their daughters relay messages, wondering what the emperor’s intentions were. Unexpectedly, the news these women brought back was even more dismal – not only the two princes, but the emperor rarely visited the harem anymore. Few concubines in the palace could approach him. Currently, aside from the ice beauty Mu Xilou, only the minor Consort Dong Ying’er was closest to the emperor, and that was only because she cooked excellent imperial cuisine.

While the harem women lamented their fading beauty and wasted youth in the deep palace, the court ministers detected something unusual. These ministers had all seen great events – the emperor’s seemingly minor actions might contain some significance. For instance, his coldness toward the two princes, though strange, wouldn’t make the ministers truly abandon their support just because of the emperor’s indifference. Now it was a gamble – they feared backing the wrong side, but if they bet correctly, they’d win, with boundless wealth and honor within reach. Therefore, memorials requesting the establishment of a crown prince continued flying toward the emperor’s desk like snowflakes.

In the room, Ming Yue watched Xuan Pei practicing calligraphy at his desk. While everyone was choosing sides and Xuan Li employed countless methods, both forceful and persuasive, all to win supporters, Xuan Pei seemed unusually relaxed. When the emperor didn’t summon him, he was content with leisure, spending his days practicing calligraphy and cultivating his spirit like a prince truly devoted to self-improvement. If Ming Yue and Chao Yang weren’t Xuan Pei’s confidants who knew of his hidden ambitions, they might have believed this smiling, handsome young man truly lacked such scheming and planning, being merely a somewhat clever, noble young lord.