The woman sipped her tea and continued with a smile: “I dare say that I am the finest qin master in this world. Young Master, can you tell me why my father and I must perform for you?”

Her breath was fragrant as orchids, and looking at Lian Yu’s face showed some shy, rosy color while maintaining a certain prideful bearing.

Proud women—Suzhen had seen quite a few since arriving in the capital: Lian Xin, Murong Xi, Mo Chou, A Gu, the Empress Dowager, Bai Yi… But some were proud due to their talents and accomplishments, not truly arrogant and extravagant. She’d heard that even Pei Fengji’s fiancée, the Chancellor’s daughter, was a talented woman full of learning, cherished by the Chancellor to his very core. She hadn’t expected even this randomly found performer to be remarkable—she wondered if Great Zhou would ever have female officials who didn’t need to disguise their gender?

Suzhen pondered secretly, then saw Lian Qin’s expression change slightly, about to scold, when the qin master opened his mouth to discipline his daughter, but Lian Yu stopped them.

At this moment, voices arose from the building again—Quan Feitong and Li Zhaoting had departed but now returned, with Chao Huang also coming up.

Soon another group entered: He Sai, Xia Yida, Xiao Yue, Si Lanfeng… and also Cai Beitang, Huang Congyue—these neutral veteran ministers from the Ministry of Works and Ministry of Revenue who had been shaking their heads and sighing with Wei Chenghui.

Seeing outsiders present, everyone couldn’t reveal the Son of Heaven’s or their own identities, so following Quan Feitong’s example, they bowed to Lian Yu without performing full court ceremony.

After seeing off Empress Dowager Xiao’an, everyone had gathered at a nearby wine house, with Quan Feitong also present. Later, when Quan Feitong received Chao Huang’s report, they all came over, fearing Lian Yu might meet with someone from Chu State, only to discover they were domestic performers.

Lian Yu sat alone at one table. According to protocol, the ministers naturally couldn’t share a table with the Son of Heaven. With a wide passage in between, everyone sat at several tables. This private room was extremely large—accommodating these dozen or so people without appearing crowded in the least.

Chao Huang’s lips curved slightly as he said: “Young Master has played enough, please return home. The mistress is very worried.”

His words carried a hint of mockery. Quan Feitong smiled, and Li Zhaoting, understanding his meaning, bowed to Lian Yu and said flatly: “We are at fault, but please, Young Master, as the mistress said, prioritize family business.”

Among the others, some echoed from Quan’s faction, as well as neutral ministers who claimed to serve country and people.

Yan Da and Marquis Murong Jing looked grim. Yan Da frowned tightly, stroking his mustache, and said sternly: “Young Master can return after hearing the music—why are you all so anxious!”

However, their voices suddenly rose in chorus, overwhelming his voice. The atmosphere in the room became oppressive without a single movement, silent yet suffocating.

Though the pressure wasn’t directed at her, Suzhen felt panic in her heart at this moment.

Even usually calm Lian Jie tightened one hand while forcefully restraining Lian Qin, whose jaw was clenched so hard it made slight sounds.

Lian Yu said nothing, lowering his head to cough. His hand was positioned under his lips as he coughed quite violently.

Suzhen felt that half of that coughing came from suppression—he could only release it through this means.

She unconsciously bit her lower lip lightly.

Looking at Li Zhaoting, she saw thin, blade-like darkness pass through his eyes.

Meeting her gaze, Li Zhaoting’s eyes gave her a warning look.

Suzhen pressed her lips together and turned her head slightly away.

White Tiger’s brows knitted slightly as she looked coldly at the people across from them, then bent down to serve Lian Yu tea. Lian Yu slowly stopped coughing, looked toward the ministers, and slowly said “Good,” then looked toward the woman to answer her earlier question: “The world’s finest qin masters are not limited to you father and daughter.”

“Even if there are others, they’re unlikely to be as inexpensive as us. Given equal quality, would Young Master rather pay more money to hear others’ music?” The woman, having been startled by the newcomers’ arrival, now looked at Lian Yu with gradually returning sweet smiles.

“Others may think me foolish, but I particularly can afford high prices. How about that?”

“Then Young Master is indeed foolish.” The woman suddenly smiled coldly.

Lian Yu’s gaze deepened, but he said: “Since all are the finest, hasn’t the young lady considered that one mountain cannot contain two tigers? When two tigers fight, since I’m fortunate to hear your father and daughter’s wonderful music today, in the future, no matter how good other pieces are, they’ll always carry today’s sentiment—I won’t conspire with other tigers.”

Hearing this, the woman’s expression changed, her proud bearing gradually restraining itself. Lian Yu then addressed the silent qin master: “Sir, a good play also needs a good stage and good audience. Your daughter’s beauty and talent—why confine yourself to the limitations of ‘affinity’ and abandon other excellent patrons?”

After listening, the qin master’s gaze gradually deepened, finally smiling: “Very well, what you say is all reasonable. This old man will make a fool of himself and perform a piece with my daughter for you.”

The woman looked deeply at Lian Yu, also slowly nodding, her eyes showing a trace of bashfulness.

Later, qin music flowed melodiously, the musical rhythm truly delightful to heart and ear.

But the ministers’ faces showed concentration, growing increasingly dissatisfied. Lian Yu’s words about “high prices” clearly had hidden meaning, using the conversation with the performer to hint at abandoning Wei for Chu, purchasing at high prices. But this person was the emperor after all—since he was determined to do this, provoking his anger would have unpredictable consequences.

Quan Feitong suddenly stood up: “Sixth Young Master, this subordinate is unwell and requests several days’ leave.”

Lian Yu also slowly rose, saying flatly: “What if I don’t permit it?”

“You’d better go home and ask if your mother permits it.”

Quan Feitong’s lips curved as he departed.

The greatest insult to an opponent wasn’t verbal attack but complete disregard. The contempt and disdain in Quan Feitong’s eyes as he left was clear to everyone.

Wei Chenghui departed with a flourish of his sleeves—whether from genuine indignation and disappointment or using this to diminish imperial authority was unknowable. Subsequently, the other ministers also bowed and departed.

Suzhen felt it was probably a complex mixture of anger they dared not voice combined with some disdain.

Lian Yu sat down, whether truly unaffected or inwardly gritting his teeth in dejection, Suzhen didn’t know. She only knew he was quite pleased with this performer, instructing White Tiger to arrange lodging for the two, seemingly intending to take this woman as a consort.

As the father-daughter pair left, the woman looked at him meaningfully.

Lian Yu subsequently dismissed Yan Da, Marquis Murong Jing, Lian Jie and the others, leaving only Xuanwu downstairs with guards.

Lian Qin looked agitated, wanting to say some comforting words. Yan Da shook his head, and Lian Jie simply had Qinglong help escort him away.

The setting sun was already slanting westward, streaming through the window lattice, gilding everything inside with a golden edge. Lian Yu sat straight at the table, his robes still snow-white—golden snow.

He coughed quietly. Suzhen wanted to go pour him tea, but Lian Yu seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, saying flatly: “Why haven’t you left yet?”

Suzhen simply stopped in her tracks and spoke what was in her heart.

“Your Majesty, I don’t know if the decision you made is right or wrong, good or bad. Perhaps the outcome will prove it’s actually quite wrong. But if when you made the decision you already believed it was best, then don’t worry about how others view it. Sometimes what you consider perfect isn’t necessarily what others do—having a clear conscience is enough.”

Lian Yu’s body seemed to move slightly, then he lowered his head, coughing intermittently.

“Your Majesty, your subject takes leave.” Suzhen licked her lips and went downstairs.

Running through the evening crowd on the main street, letting those rising and setting golden rays that had remained unchanged for countless millennia envelop her body—warm—this area she had walked much when first arriving in the capital and was quite familiar with it. Seeing people still busily working in the sunset, or already heading home for family reunions, her heart held a peaceful warmth. Ordinary beauty was most easily moving.

She turned several street corners, found a snack stall, and bought some sweet preserved fruits, thinking to soothe Lian Yu’s throat—he’d been coughing all day.

Across from Hongtu, Chao Huang’s people were still waiting there.

Walking into the wine house, she smiled at Xuanwu and tossed him a package from her bosom. Without a word, Xuanwu drew his sword and slashed it several times—Suzhen and the guards watched tearfully as countless plum and date preserves scattered from the sky like fragments—Brother Wu, those weren’t hidden weapons…

Suzhen held her forehead, tossed him another package. This time Xuanwu said nothing and caught the item in one swoop.

Suzhen gave a thumbs up, tiptoed upstairs carrying her things, intending to pat Lian Yu’s shoulder and startle him, but suddenly saw two figures at the corner.

A tall figure embracing a slender silhouette.

Lian Yu, with his back to her, was holding a woman tightly in his arms.

Suzhen stood frozen on the stairs. The woman faced her, lightly on her tiptoes, her chin resting gently on Lian Yu’s shoulder.

She clearly saw the woman’s face.

This beautiful, water-like countenance belonged to A Gu.

A Gu had come…

But they… they…

The current A Gu also showed some surprise, pursing her lips in a smile with some embarrassment and shyness, hidden depths of emotion and complexity flowing through her eyes.

Suzhen saw her slight hesitation. Though she had a poor impression of this woman, she knew her behavior was inappropriate. Smiling and shaking her head, she no longer disturbed them and quietly went downstairs.

Holding her bundle, she slowly walked home.

So Lian Yu wasn’t gay after all.

He was indeed deceiving her.

No, it wasn’t really deceiving her—he was the emperor and naturally had many women.

The ones he treated well couldn’t possibly be just one.

She picked a piece of preserved fruit and put it in her mouth—a sweet, rough flavor, somewhat bitter and astringent.

“Papa, buy plums…”

Suddenly a childish laugh completely awakened her from her thoughts. She saw a five or six-year-old child pulling a simple, honest man’s hand as they passed, greedily pointing at her and speaking to the man.

Papa…

Her heart shook greatly—what was wrong with her?

How could she be entertaining such wild thoughts? Since the Golden Phoenix Hall, witnessing Lian Yu’s various actions, this man appeared not particularly strong yet was strategic and calculating—it was just that circumstances forced him into having his authority divided… She had actually begun to gradually recognize this Son of Heaven, believing that someone who would choose her as top scholar and worry about Mo Chou’s case couldn’t be such a cruel person. She even felt he was familiar—that kind of familiarity was like a deeply acquainted friend. She couldn’t bear to see him suffer, and unconsciously, in the depths of her heart, she was actually blaming the massacre of her family on the former emperor.

Now she was even buying things for him, feeling strange when words he’d spoken couldn’t be implemented as she understood them.

She didn’t love him, true, but she had actually come to regard him as… a friend. How could she face her parents, brother, and Hong Xiao!

Returning to the residence, it was already evening. Leng Xue and the others had also returned—she had given them other tasks these past two days.

All five showed slight fatigue on their faces. She distributed the snacks among them, carefully inquired about the situation, and finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. She pulled Leng Xue to sit with her on the roof. Zhuiming was a troublemaker who clamored to come up too, so she kicked him down.

She sat on the eaves, lifting her head to gaze at the bright moon. That enormous silver disk was magnificently beautiful, hanging on distant branch tips, illuminating thousands of homes. She couldn’t help being somewhat mesmerized, suddenly feeling a bit weary—she’d never had this feeling when at home before.

Leng Xue reached out and positioned her against his shoulder.

Suzhen looked at him with eyes half questioning, half drowsy.

Leng Xue said flatly: “Your neck won’t be so tired this way.”

Suzhen’s heart warmed. She suddenly felt that a thousand words couldn’t match this one sentence. Pillowing against Leng Xue’s arm, she said softly: “Leng Xue, if after handling everything I’m still alive, let’s find some place with green mountains and clear waters, hidden and secluded, to live in seclusion. What do you think?”

Leng Xue was startled—he hadn’t expected her to bring this up. The corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted slightly as he said hoarsely: “Good.”

Suzhen happily rubbed against his arm, then suddenly heard Leng Xue ask in a low voice: “Seclusion… just the two of us?”

His voice held a strange, light tremor. Suzhen said curiously: “Yes, just the two of us. Did you want to bring someone else?”

Leng Xue’s gaze suddenly became ten times brighter than the moon. He stared intensely at her, then suddenly pulled her forcefully into his embrace. Suzhen thought he was going to tease her and laughingly tried to avoid him, tickling him as they used to do when they were small.

After relaxing for a while, Suzhen sat properly and took a deep breath. Ten days—Lian Yu had given her ten days of great assistance, and she needed to work harder too.

This case must be concluded quickly. She definitely had to begin investigating the Feng family massacre case—it couldn’t be delayed any longer! Each day’s delay made her heart soften toward Lian Yu by another degree!

Recalling the day’s events, a bold idea gradually formed in her mind.