The sun was high in the sky, and its bright light pierced through the window lattice, awakening the person from a night of muddled dreams.

Jiang Zhiyi opened her eyes with an uncomfortable frown, slowly turning her head to see Cui Mei hurrying over: “The Imperial Princess is awake. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

“I have a bit of a headache…” Jiang Zhiyi weakly pressed her temple.

“It must be from yesterday’s drinking. Let me help you wash up, then you can have some restorative soup.”

Jiang Zhiyi was helped to sit up and assisted by Cui Mei with her washing. After drinking a cup of hot, thick soup, she felt somewhat better and asked: “Where is Sister Bao Jia?”

“The Princess has left the manor. She said you’re only accustomed to my service, so she instructed me to stay here.”

Jiang Zhiyi nodded.

Back when Imperial Uncle was still Prince Duan, she often accompanied her father to visit Prince Duan’s manor. While her father and Imperial Uncle discussed matters in the study, she would play with the brothers and sisters in the prince’s household.

Later, she became an Imperial Princess, and those brothers and sisters became imperial princes and princesses. Over the years, some married, others changed, and they all grew distant from one another. Only Sister Bao Jia, who at twenty-two remained unmarried, still maintained the same closeness with her as in childhood. Cui Mei, as an old retainer by Bao Jia’s side, naturally understood her habits and temperament.

Jiang Zhiyi regarded Cui Mei as one of her own and asked further: “I can’t quite remember. Did any—guests come to the manor last night?”

Cui Mei smiled: “The Princess said if you forgot, then let it be forgotten. Nothing important happened. However, she left three brocade pouches of clever strategies for you, saying they could solve your troubles.”

Jiang Zhiyi blinked, accepting the three mysterious brocade pouches. Following Cui Mei’s instructions, she first opened the crimson one.

A note fell out, in Sister Bao Jia’s handwriting—

“Secret liaisons will lead nowhere. If you want your lover to become your husband, the best strategy is to transform secrecy into openness and make it public.”

Jiang Zhiyi glanced at the smiling Cui Mei, cleared her throat, put away the note, and opened the second pouch, which was blue-green—

“Sister has provided this clever plan for you, hoping you’ll return the favor by helping Sister with something. Sister is quite interested in that Pei family’s young master you mentioned. Please inquire on my behalf whether this young Master Pei is betrothed, and if not, what kind of woman he favors. Remember, you must ask him personally; don’t delegate this to others. Sister is anxious.”

“With only three clever strategies in total, how is one of them asking for my help?” Jiang Zhiyi was surprised. Yesterday, she had merely mentioned performing a duet with Pei Zisong, and just from hearing about his qin skills, her sister had developed… such thoughts?

“The Prime Minister’s son certainly can’t be Sister’s male companion. Sister is…”

“The Princess is accustomed to playfulness. Since the Imperial Princess can speak with Young Master Pei, please help by asking him a few questions. When asking, there’s no need to mention the Princess’s name to avoid frightening him. As for whether Young Master Pei has any interest, that will depend on fate.”

“Very well.” Jiang Zhiyi was about to open the third peach-pink brocade pouch when Cui Mei lightly stopped her.

“The Princess said you should only open the third pouch after completing the matters in the first two. Otherwise, the good outcome might not come to pass.”

Early the next morning, Jiang Zhiyi sat at her dressing table, looking at the two notes from Bao Jia, lost in thought for the new day.

Yesterday, she had a headache after being drunk. Upon leaving the Princess Manor, she hadn’t gone elsewhere but returned to her manor to rest for a day, pondering how to handle the matters in the first two pouches.

After all, Sister Bao Jia had said she could only look at the third pouch after completing the tasks.

Her affair with Brother Yuance could wait—she had already waited several days, so one more day wouldn’t matter—

But her curiosity couldn’t wait!

After restraining herself for a day, she now needed to know immediately what was written in the third pouch!

…To make her relationship with Brother Yuance public, there needed to be a “public” present. And since she also needed to help her sister inquire about Pei Zisong’s marriage prospects, after much consideration, the most efficient solution was to visit the academy.

Having made up her mind, Jiang Zhiyi touched the ornamental hairpin on her head and instructed the person behind her: “Take it off and change to a male hairstyle. I’m going to the academy today.”

Gu Yu: “Hmm? But I heard that the academy isn’t holding classes in the schoolroom today. All the young gentlemen have gone hunting in the suburbs. If you go there, not only will you suffer from the bumpy roads and cold, but the wilderness is also full of muddy ground, and hunting is quite bloody.”

Jiang Zhiyi frowned, covering her nose as if already smelling the bloody scent: “How does the academy have hunting activities?”

“I heard this winter hunt is a ‘military ritual,’ part of the ‘rituals’ in the Six Arts.”

“When will the academy resume classes?”

“The hunt lasts two days and one night, so at the earliest, it would be the day after tomorrow. If some of the more delicate young masters get tired and need rest, then it’s hard to say when.”

How could she wait? If she waited any longer, that third pouch would be pierced through by her eyes…

Jiang Zhiyi closed her eyes briefly, making her decision: “Well, ‘if you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you catch the tiger cubs?’ Hunting it is. Is there anything this Imperial Princess can’t handle?”

An hour later, in the suburbs.

Jiang Zhiyi, supported by Gu Yu, alighted from the carriage. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the dazzling sunlight, gazing at the encampment that stretched as far as the eye could see.

With those noble young men present, the encampment was far from crude. It was set up in an area surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with high, sturdy fences. Inside, all walkways were covered with felt carpets. The hexagonal tents had thick draperies and lavish decorations, with red flags fluttering from their tops. Each tent was spaced at a distance for privacy.

Today, the weather was fair, and areas touched by sunlight weren’t too cold—truly a blessing from the heavens.

Jiang Zhiyi raised the toe of her boot to walk inside. The Ministry of Rites official coordinating the hunting event immediately came out with a smiling face, explaining that since she had arrived unexpectedly, they hadn’t had time to set up a tent for her. However, they had prepared extra tents for contingencies and invited her to make do with one of those.

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t plan to stay overnight, just to sit for the day, so she wasn’t choosy. As she walked in, she looked around but didn’t see any of the young gentlemen.

“Where has everyone gone?”

The official eagerly replied: “The sacrificial ritual just ended. At the moment, there’s nothing scheduled. Some young masters have gone out to familiarize themselves with the terrain, while others are resting in their tents.”

Jiang Zhiyi nodded, looking at the tightly closed tent doors: “How are the tents allocated?”

“Fearing that the young masters might argue over feng shui, they were assigned by drawing lots in advance.”

“Where is Young Master Pei Zisong’s tent?”

“Please follow me.”

Jiang Zhiyi followed the official to a tent with a wooden tablet hanging outside that bore the character “Pei.”

She had decided that the matter in the second pouch was easier to handle than the first, so she would first help Sister Bao Jia with her inquiry. Pei Zisong wasn’t the type to be enthusiastic about martial activities, so he probably wouldn’t actively go out to familiarize himself with the terrain. As for Brother Yuance, he most likely wasn’t in the camp at the moment.

Besides, she wasn’t quite sure how to face him yet…

At first, she had been very angry with him for several days, but the night before last, she vaguely remembered him coming, and he seemed to have acted as a “human cushion” when she fell. Now, if she were to forgive him, she was still angry, but if she remained angry, she felt that he had taken care of her for quite a while the night before last…

While Jiang Zhiyi was lost in thought, the official had already called Pei Zisong out for her.

“It’s been many days. Is Young Master Jiang well?” Pei Zisong bowed courteously to her, without asking why she hadn’t been to the academy these past few days.

“I’m well, I’m well,” Jiang Zhiyi casually waved her hand, dismissing the official. Looking around to ensure no one was nearby, she got straight to the point: “I’ve come to ask you something.”

“Please speak, Young Master Jiang.”

“It’s like this,” Jiang Zhiyi began, remembering Cui Mei’s advice not to mention Bao Jia’s name yet. “I have a close female friend who asked me to inquire—”

“Hmm?”

Seeing the clear, innocent look in his eyes, Jiang Zhiyi felt somewhat embarrassed. She cleared her throat and said: “That is… I wonder if Young Master Pei is already betrothed?”

Not far away, separated by just one tent, Shen Yuance emerged holding a bow. He caught the deliberately softened female voice with one ear.

The shy, hesitant wording, the tone—it was all too familiar to him. He almost didn’t need to hear the entire sentence to recognize who it was.

Yuance stood with one foot planted firmly, his head slightly tilted as he looked toward the conversation—

He saw the male protagonist of the conversation flash a look, his ears turning slightly red as he shook his head, stammering slightly: “N-no, I’m not.”

Following this, the young woman with her back to him let out a long “Oh,” and asked: “Then what kind of woman do you favor?”

The male protagonist’s ears reddened further: “I haven’t come of age yet, so I haven’t considered marriage matters.”

The young woman clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, pressing on with her questions: “Then consider it now?”

“I—” the male protagonist was at a loss for words. After hesitating for a long time, he managed to say, “I might prefer someone quieter…”

“I see…” The young woman let out a disappointed sigh.

“?” Yuance stood with his arms crossed, holding his bow.

Meanwhile, Gu Yu, who was keeping watch, glanced around and spotted Yuance. She immediately tugged at Jiang Zhiyi’s robe in panic.

Jiang Zhiyi followed her gaze and turned around, meeting Yuance’s murderous gaze.

“…?”

In the blink of an eye, Yuance had already turned away coldly and strode toward the camp exit.

After a moment of shock, Jiang Zhiyi looked back at Pei Zisong behind her, slowly comprehending what had happened.

“…Shen Yuance!” Jiang Zhiyi took off in pursuit. After a few steps, she remembered that Pei Zisong was still standing there and hurriedly turned back to explain, “It was my close female friend asking, not something I made up! Please don’t misunderstand!”

Pei Zisong blinked hesitantly, nodded, and watched as Jiang Zhiyi hurriedly ran in the direction Yuance had left.

On the other side, a tent flap that had been quietly lifted for some time now closed again—

Inside the tent, Zhong Boyong said to his friend behind him, “Shen Yuance has gone out to survey the terrain. Shall we go too?”

Zhuo Kuan sat unhurriedly, taking a sip of tea: “Whether we survey the terrain or not makes no difference. With his riding and archery skills, the idea of beating him in the hunting competition is completely absurd.”

Zhong Boyong flicked his hand in frustration and sat down at the table: “My father won’t let me provoke him directly. This hunt is the only competition where I could match skills with him lately.”

“He broke your younger brother’s leg in a night attack. Why must you confront him openly here?”

“Do you have another good idea?” Zhong Boyong’s eyes lit up.

The Zhuo family had been enfeoffed as marquises due to military merits, but by the time of Zhuo Kuan’s father, they had transitioned to civil service. The son of a civil official indeed had a cleverer mind than his martial self.

The last time during the polo match, it was Zhuo Kuan who suggested that he could plant an insider in Shen Yuance’s team.

Zhuo Kuan: “During the polo match, I wasn’t certain, but now it’s so obvious. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Noticed what?” Zhong Boyong had only been eyeing the style of Shen Yuance’s bow.

“The Imperial Princess and Shen Yuance might not be sworn enemies, but rather—” Zhuo Kuan leaned close to Zhong Boyong’s ear and whispered something.

Zhong Boyong was startled: “You mean?”

“Perhaps your younger brother knew too much, which is why they—”

Recalling how his younger brother had stammered and refused to explain the reason, and connecting it with the fact that his brother had visited that tavern frequented by noble ladies on the day of the incident, Zhong Boyong’s face reddened with anger as he slowly clenched his fist.

“This is outrageous! If I don’t avenge this grudge, I’m unworthy to be his brother…! Quick, tell me if you’ve thought of a way to deal with them?”

Zhuo Kuan swirled his teacup leisurely: “Your younger brother suffered in silence. Make them suffer the same. If you can’t touch Shen Yuance, surely you can handle a mere girl?”

Deep in the encampment, Jiang Zhiyi sat in a single-person tent. After a long period of reflection, she suddenly clapped her hands together: “…I understand now! Now I understand everything!”

“What do you understand, Your Highness?” Gu Yu poured her a cup of hot tea.

Jiang Zhiyi took the tea and sipped it thoughtfully.

The conversation she had with Pei Zisong earlier must have caused Brother Yuance to misunderstand. Unfortunately, he walked away too quickly for her to catch up and explain, so she had to find an empty tent to rest in.

After sitting and resting for a while, in retrospect, she realized that Brother Yuance’s cold gaze just now seemed familiar.

Recalling the polo match when he suddenly quit and left the field, she remembered that she had also been talking to Pei Zisong at that moment. After that, he began ignoring her…

Connecting these dots, it all made sense!

“I never thought,” Jiang Zhiyi shook her head in wonder, “that Brother Yuance cared for me so much that he couldn’t bear to see me speak with another man…”

“But I tell him directly whenever I’m unhappy. Why doesn’t he tell me? If he just told me, forget one Pei Zisong—even if ten Pei Zisongs, or Song Zipeis, or Song Peizis were circling me, I wouldn’t give them a second glance!”

“Ah, what a mess this has become!”

Jiang Zhiyi muttered to herself, the gloom of the past few days completely cleared away. After a while, she suddenly put down her teacup with enthusiasm: “Gu Yu, find a good horse. Let’s go out and familiarize ourselves with the terrain, too!”

“Huh? But do you know how to ride a horse?”

Just as she finished speaking, a gust of wind came from the front, accompanied by a sharp sound as a light arrow pierced through the slightly open tent flap and embedded itself in a post to the side of the two.

Both mistress and servant jumped in fright, turning their heads in unison to see a note attached to the arrow.

Gu Yu: “Oh? Could it be from General Shen…”

“Quickly take it down and let’s look!”

Gu Yu stood on tiptoe and carefully pulled out the arrow, removing the note and unfolding it for Jiang Zhiyi to see. It showed a simple map of the terrain, with a small forest near the east gate of the camp circled, accompanied by two simple words—

Waiting for you.

A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Zhiyi hurriedly left the camp through the east gate, walking and examining the note in her hand.

It was Brother Yuance’s handwriting, and also the type of terrain map he would draw. He had finally realized he shouldn’t keep his feelings bottled up and was coming to demand an explanation from her…

After walking a long way, seeing Jiang Zhiyi’s joyful and excited expression, Gu Yu couldn’t help but mutter softly: “General Shen is something. When he’s displeased, he doesn’t even consider whether you’re tired or not, arranging to meet in such a distant place, on a path the carriage can’t even reach!”

This stretch of road would be effortless for a martial person, but for Jiang Zhiyi, it was a distance she would never walk under normal circumstances.

However, Jiang Zhiyi was in such high spirits now that she didn’t complain about these issues, focusing intently on following the route on the map.

As she finally reached the fork in the road leading into the forest, Jiang Zhiyi stood at the entrance and looked into the woods. About a hundred paces away, behind a tree, she glimpsed a corner of a black garment. Reassured, she gave Gu Yu a signal.

Gu Yu nodded, maintaining her position at the entrance, keeping watch as usual for the two of them.

Jiang Zhiyi put away the note and walked forward, looking at the figure with folded arms, quietly lightening her steps.

After taking a few stealthy steps, she noticed that the ground was covered with leaves that crunched loudly with each step. She silently abandoned the idea of surprising him. With Brother Yuance’s keen hearing, he had probably heard her the moment she entered the forest.

Jiang Zhiyi, feeling a bit foolish, rubbed her nose and resumed her normal pace. After a few steps, looking at the motionless figure, she suddenly felt something was wrong.

She had come so close, yet there was still no reaction…

Jiang Zhiyi hesitantly slowed her pace. Once she sensed something was amiss, more peculiarities flashed through her mind.

If Brother Yuance were angry, how could he say sweet words like “waiting for you” that he never said ordinarily? But if he wasn’t angry, knowing her legs weren’t made for walking, how could he bear to let her walk such a long distance?

Jiang Zhiyi abruptly stopped, looking at the figure that still hadn’t turned around. Her eyelashes trembled, and a chill ran down her spine. She turned to leave.

But suddenly, the patch of grass under her foot was oddly pulled by some force. Jiang Zhiyi, in the middle of turning, stumbled, and her foot stepped into emptiness!

“Ah—!” In the next moment, her entire body lost its weight and fell, crashing heavily to the ground.

A sharp pain shot through her ankle. Jiang Zhiyi, fallen in the mud, didn’t even have the strength to cry out in pain. Black spots appeared before her eyes. She collapsed to the side and fainted.

It was like a dream of stepping into emptiness and falling continuously. In the darkness, Jiang Zhiyi felt as if her soul was floating in mid-air, never able to touch the ground, without support.

Her whole body ached terribly, especially her ankle, which felt as if it had been twisted off. She wanted to cry, but her body was so light that even her tears seemed to float, unable to fall.

Continuing to fall and float like this for who knows how long, suddenly a wave of clamor surged around her.

Amidst the noise, her body fell into a solid embrace.

Someone was calling her name in her ear.

Jiang Zhiyi struggled to open her eyes hazily, seeing a blurry figure. Slowly, the mist in her eyes dispersed, and a familiar pair of eyes appeared in her vision.

As if grabbing onto a lifeline, Jiang Zhiyi clutched the lapel before her, tears suddenly falling like rain: “Why did you take so long to come…”

Around them, there was a collective intake of cold breath.

Yuance knelt on one knee, placing her across his leg, as if relieved: “Where are you hurt?”

Jiang Zhiyi cried and sobbed: “My foot, my foot hurts so much…”

“Did you hit your head?”

“I—I don’t think so…”

Yuance relaxed, straightened up, and lifted her into his arms.

Countless stunned gazes followed the two of them.

Only then did Jiang Zhiyi realize something was wrong. Her teary eyes shifted direction to discover that she was still at the edge of a trap in the small forest, surrounded by a large circle of noble young men.

A wave of heat instantly rushed to her face. Jiang Zhiyi held her breath, quickly turned her head, and rapidly buried her face in Yuance’s chest.

Once again, numerous gasps arose from all sides.

Yuance carried her swiftly toward the forest exit, leaving the dumbfounded crowd behind.

“Brother Yuance, have we… been discovered…” Jiang Zhiyi, tears still on her face, secretly lifted her eyelids slightly to look up.

Yuance continued walking without stopping, looking down at the little mud-covered person in his arms: “You still have the leisure to worry about that?”

Jiang Zhiyi then remembered that her ankle was still in pain. Once she focused on this sensation, tears fell uncontrollably again. Unable to bear it anymore, she firmly gripped his lapel, trembling as she took a deep breath: “Brother Yuance, why don’t—why don’t you knock me unconscious like you did in the military camp… My foot hurts so much…”

Yuance frowned: “Where would I find a free hand now?”

“You—you could just put me down by the roadside. I’m already dirty, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing now is to make me faint so I won’t feel the pain anymore…”

Yuance didn’t respond, continuing to walk briskly toward the camp.

“Hurry up!” Jiang Zhiyi urged through her tears.

Yuance: “No.”

“Why not? Last time, didn’t you just raise your hand and knock me out with one strike…”

“Last time was last time.”

“…So what’s different now!”

Yuance closed his eyes briefly and stopped in his tracks: “Now I can’t bear to hurt you, alright?”