“Nanny, please send someone to tell Yue Shi that I need to change clothes, and have him wait a moment,” Bai Qingyan turned her head to instruct Nanny Tong.

“Yes!”

To return to Boyun Courtyard, she had to pass by Xianren Pavilion. Unexpectedly, Yue Shi was quite swift – before Bai Qingyan had even reached Xianren Pavilion, he had already arrived first.

Seeing Bai Qingyan from afar in her azure blue single shirt and frost-white plain silk skirt, Yue Shi immediately stepped out of Xianren Pavilion and hurried forward to meet her.

After paying respects to Bai Qingyan, Yue Shi said: “Miss, my master’s elder brother has arrived outside Shouyang City and requests to see you. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to make the journey?”

Yue Shi knew that Bai Qingyan had been claiming illness to the outside world. Coming to request her to go outside the city at this time was somewhat difficult for her, but since Emperor Yan wanted to meet… even if it meant being thick-skinned, Yue Shi had to make the request.

“Physician Hong has already informed me. Go wait by the side gate first. I’ll return to Boyun Courtyard to change clothes, then go with you,” Bai Qingyan told Yue Shi.

Yue Shi’s eyes were filled with gratitude: “Thank you, Miss!”

Hearing that Bai Qingyan was going out, Nanny Tong wondered whether she should call Lu Ping to accompany Bai Qingyan.

Returning to Boyun Courtyard, Bai Qingyan had Chun Tao help her change into men’s clothing.

With her upright and spirited bearing, wearing a jade crown and a full set of men’s attire, Bai Qingyan had an androgynous quality that made it difficult to distinguish her gender – she looked exactly like a handsome young gentleman from a wealthy family.

While helping Bai Qingyan fasten the pankou buttons, Nanny Tong said, “Miss, let this old servant call Lu Ping to accompany you!”

Bai Qingyan adjusted her sleeves, concealing the iron sand bags on her body, and said: “Uncle Ping often travels outside, and people out there all know Uncle Ping belongs to our Bai Manor. If Uncle Ping accompanies me, wouldn’t that tell others I’m a young lady from the Bai Manor? With hidden guards following me, just call two guards who don’t usually go out and aren’t familiar faces to accompany me.”

What Bai Qingyan said made sense. Nanny Tong couldn’t persuade her further and could only go out to arrange for two guards who usually stayed within the Bai Manor and weren’t familiar faces to follow Bai Qingyan.

Yue Shi led his horse, anxiously waiting under the green shade of willow trees outside the corner gate, but had yet to hear any movement from within the tightly closed corner gate.

“Little brat!”

Hearing the voice, Yue Shi looked up toward the alley entrance and saw the hidden guard he had met at the post house before, mounted on a tall horse, calling to him.

“Let’s go! Quickly!” After saying this, the hidden guard spurred his horse and charged out.

Yue Shi didn’t dare delay, immediately mounting his horse and turning to follow.

Bai Qingyan, dressed in men’s clothing, rode at the front, galloping out of the city straight toward Ying Lake. Yue Shi only caught up with Bai Qingyan after leaving the city.

Ying Lake was crystal clear, with seaweed floating at the bottom and fish swimming through. The lake surface reflected the azure sky with floating white clouds, and the exquisitely carved and painted pleasure boats in the lake seemed to float among the clouds.

As the boats moved, water waves broke the cloud reflections, seeming to tear through the sky.

After galloping out of the city, Bai Qingyan slowed her horse’s pace.

The drooping willows planted along the lake were like jade ornaments, swaying in the wind. Occasionally, willow leaves would touch the lake surface, stirring up ripples that spread in circles, startling dragonflies resting on the fine grass at the lake’s edge to hurriedly flutter their wings and fly away.

Recently, Shouyang’s Ying Lake has been very lively. A famous pleasure house in Shouyang had brought in a Western Liang dancer named Na Kang, who could sing and dance, and played the pipa with divine skill. She could even dance while holding and playing the pipa, attracting the pursuit of many young gentlemen in Shouyang. It was said that this Western Liang dancer named Na Kang would soon go to the capital, and these past few days she had been receiving one guest per day in a pleasure boat on Ying Lake.

During the day, those young gentlemen would go to the pleasure boat, throwing away thousands of gold coins just hoping to become Na Kang’s evening guest and personally witness her heavenly beauty while dancing with the pipa.

Because of this, Western Liang dancer Na Kang, Ying Lake was now as lively as a small marketplace. Along the lake’s blue-brick paths were young ladies walking and chatting together, small vendors selling tea, food, and trinkets calling out their wares, and young children unafraid of the scorching sun, playing cuju and frolicking in the sunlight.

An old man selling melons in a coarse cloth shirt wore a straw hat with a towel draped over his shoulder, using a fan to chase away flies circling the cut fruit, haggling with women who had brought their children to play and wanted to buy melons to quench their thirst.

Some romantic young gentlemen loved composing poetry, sitting in pleasure boats, raising cups while reciting verses.

This lively scene of common folk, with cicada calls and vendors’ cries rising and falling alternately, became increasingly vivid.

Emperor Yan, Murong Yu, stood at the very front of the pleasure boat, gazing at the noisy, bustling commotion. This… was the peaceful prosperity that he and his mother had once sought – lively and noisy, yet reassuring, making Murong Yu quite envious.

His mother, Empress Ji, and his lifelong wish was nothing more than letting all the people under heaven live such carefree, fearless, peaceful days.

Murong Yu was watching too intently and hadn’t noticed Bai Qingyan’s arrival at all, until the old eunuch Feng Yao beside Murong Yu saw Yue Shi and stepped forward to quietly remind him. Only then did Murong Yu come back to his senses and look in Yue Shi’s direction, immediately spotting Bai Qingyan in her neat men’s clothing with her upright and spirited bearing.

After a moment of slight confusion, Murong Yu understood why.

Bai Qingyan had been claiming illness to the outside world, so naturally, she needed to avoid attention when coming to see him. Changing into men’s clothing was perfectly reasonable.

Murong Yu didn’t put on imperial airs either, but instead, like an ordinary wealthy young gentleman, bowed deeply toward Bai Qingyan, adopting a very humble posture.

Murong Yu’s reputation as the most beautiful man under heaven was certainly not undeserved. His features were so stunning they surpassed even women’s in ethereal beauty, truly worthy of the word “absolute beauty.” His long illness had left Murong Yu’s face bloodless, making his skin appear even more snow-white. Wearing a bamboo-green colored straight robe with a warm jade wide belt at his waist, perhaps following local customs, Murong Yu had a dragon-carved black jade pendant hanging from his waist that gleamed with lustrous moisture under the sunlight, not an ordinary item.

Just standing at the front of this pleasure boat for the brief time of half a cup of tea, Murong Yu had already attracted the attention of countless women. Some bold young ladies from wealthy families even stood at the front of their pleasure boats, throwing fragrant sachets toward the gentle-as-jade Murong Yu. Unfortunately, the guards beside Murong Yu were unromantic and threw all the sachets from other families’ daughters back.

After this back and forth, those restless young ladies didn’t dare act rashly anymore and could only gaze from afar at this fairy-like, beautiful man on the pleasure boat.

Bai Qingyan handed her reins to the accompanying guard and boarded the pleasure boat with Yue Shi, then bowed to Emperor Yan with a smile: “Greetings to Emperor Yan…”

“Young sir, no need for excessive courtesy. Please come inside…” Murong Yu gestured for Bai Qingyan to enter.

Bai Qingyan nodded and entered the pleasure boat together with Murong Yu.

Those young ladies who had been watching Murong Yu saw another beautiful young man arrive and began chattering among themselves.

Unfortunately, both the beautiful young man and the beautiful gentleman entered the pleasure boat together, so they could no longer see them.

Inviting Bai Qingyan to sit on the mat, Murong Yu also lifted the hem of his straight robe and knelt facing Bai Qingyan across a small table.