Recently, Second Young Master Qi had often been staying at the main residence.

In the past, he would either stay at his separate estate or simply lodge at the government offices. Lately, however, things were quite different – not only did he frequently return to the main residence, but he almost stayed there night after night, much to Yao Shi’s satisfaction.

Though Yao Shi was satisfied, Second Young Master’s friends found this somewhat inconvenient. The main Qi residence was different from his separate estate after all – one couldn’t freely come and go with just Second Young Master’s approval. Visiting the main residence required proper etiquette, and if elders were at home, one had to respectfully pay formal calls, which was quite cumbersome. This inevitably made those friends of Second Young Master who were somewhat unrestrained in temperament feel inconvenienced.

For instance, the Han family’s second son, Han Feichi.

This young master was not yet nineteen this year and had not yet undergone his capping ceremony. By rights, he should be at the age of studying diligently behind closed doors. However, he was lazy by nature and extremely indifferent to matters of career advancement. With a capable elder brother ahead of him in the family, he spent his days falconry, dog racing, tea drinking, and idle wandering – he was a famous idler in Jiankang City.

This idler was no ordinary person though – he had the reputation of being a child prodigy who could read ten lines at once and recite from memory, never forgetting what he saw. The Han family elders had thought they would finally have a nephew who could match Qi Ying, or at least be comparable to Fu Zhuo. Who would have thought that though this scoundrel was intelligent, he was by nature a good-for-nothing wastrel who couldn’t be helped. The Han family elders had battled wits and courage with this rebellious son for nearly twenty years but still couldn’t outwit him. In recent years, there were signs they were giving up.

Though Han Feichi himself was worthless, he happened to be closest friends with the most accomplished of this generation of aristocratic families, Qi Jingchen. He was more attentive than to his own elder brother, and when he had nothing else to do, he loved to go to Fenghe Courtyard for idle tea. He had even reached the point of being despised by Qing Zhu, making it remarkable that this young master could persistently visit despite facing Qing Zhu’s sour expression.

This day, this young master had again come uninvited. After receiving a reluctant cup of tea from Qing Zhu, he sprawled carelessly in the grand chair in Qi Ying’s study and complained: “Second Brother, you have a perfectly good separate estate to live in – why must you return to the main residence? Making it so I have to pay respects to Uncle and Aunt just to come for tea is really too troublesome.”

As he spoke, he gestured for Qing Zhu to pour him another cup of tea.

Qing Zhu’s face was so long it could drag on the ground. He truly wanted to earnestly advise this young master that since it was so troublesome, perhaps he shouldn’t visit at all – it would give his master more time to rest. However, this Han family young master’s thick skin was famously comparable to the walls of Jiankang City. Even if he laid out these words plainly on the table, they were destined to be useless. He could only withdraw from the study with outward courtesy but inner resentment.

Qi Ying and Han Feichi had a close relationship, and they weren’t very particular about formalities between them. When he visited, Qi Ying didn’t need to specially entertain him and continued sitting behind his desk doing his own work. Without raising his head, he answered: “Not returning home for so long also doesn’t look proper. I won’t be going back to Fenghe Courtyard for now.”

Han Feichi scoffed upon hearing this and mocked: “You haven’t looked proper for a year or two already – why suddenly have second thoughts about filial duty these past few days? Second Brother, you don’t need to hide it from me. Isn’t it all for that little beauty from the Fang family?”

Upon hearing this, Qi Ying raised his head from the documents on his desk, his brow furrowed tightly: “Where did you hear such confused nonsense?”

Han Feichi shrugged and answered: “Your third brother told me – he has the biggest mouth and tells everything when asked.”

Qi Ying wearily rubbed his forehead and said: “You two shouldn’t be such gossips. I can handle it, but she’s a young lady – her reputation cannot be tarnished.”

Han Feichi laughed upon hearing this, his expression contemptuous: “She’s just an orphaned girl from Ba Prefecture – what’s so precious about her reputation?”

As soon as his words fell, he saw Second Brother give him a stern look, making his heart jump. He quickly set down his teacup, sat up straighter, and said: “Second Brother, please don’t be angry – I misspoke for a moment.”

Han Feichi was sincerely apologizing. No matter what, that Miss Fang was Second Brother’s benefactor’s daughter, and his careless words were inappropriate according to moral principles and propriety. He didn’t know that Shen Xiling had absolutely no connection to that Master Fang who was pierced through the chest by a sword. Qi Ying’s anger had nothing to do with moral principles or propriety – he simply couldn’t bear to hear others speak of her that way.

Han Feichi saw that Second Brother’s expression was still cold and knew his anger hadn’t subsided.

He had been a rascal since childhood and was best at opportunism, managing to coax even the difficult elders of the Han family into letting him do as he pleased. Now he felt he should bring out these skills honed since childhood to appease his second brother. So he carefully watched Qi Ying’s expression, got up from the grand chair, moved to his desk, and said with an apologetic smile: “Second Brother knows I speak without thinking things through. Actually, I bear no ill will toward Miss Fang – I’m just worried about Second Brother. I thought if the Princess hears any rumors about this, she’ll come make trouble again, which would be so bothersome.”

These roundabout words led to Xiao Ziyu, making Qi Ying even more displeased. He had no intention of getting entangled in such matters with Han Feichi. After a moment of silence, he changed the subject: “How has General Han been lately?”

General Han Shouye was Han Feichi’s maternal uncle and currently the highest-ranking military officer in the Great Liang court. The Han family’s lineage was different from other aristocratic families – the family head was not the highest-ranking official in the family. Han Feichi’s father, Han Shousong, was only second rank but served as the current generation’s family head, while Han Shouye held first rank but was subordinate to him within the family. The reasons for this were rather complex: firstly, the Jiangzuo region had always valued civil over military officials, and secondly, with frequent warfare between north and south in recent years, generals often died in battle, making their positions unstable.

General Han was forty-three this year. He was wounded in last year’s great battle at Stone City and nearly struck down from his horse by Gao Wei’s Gu Juhan. Later, he almost lost his life in a complete rout and fell seriously ill after returning to court.

Han Feichi sighed when Qi Ying asked about him: “You know my uncle’s temperament – he has a fiery temper. The injury wasn’t too serious, but the psychological wound still hasn’t fully healed. Being defeated so miserably by that Gu Juhan, he still curses him daily at home, saying things like ‘That Gu family brat, how dare such vermin!’ The commotion is quite loud.”

Qi Ying lowered his eyes, paused, then asked: “General Jiang Yong of Nanling, I heard he was once a deputy under the General’s command. Is this true?”

Though Han Feichi wasn’t dedicated to scholarly pursuits, he was excellent at gathering miscellaneous information, using his prodigious brain entirely for matters outside the classical texts. Not only could he answer Qi Ying’s current question about Han Shouye’s former subordinates, but even if asked about how many mistresses General Han had, he could recount them all in detail.

That military officer named Jiang Yong was indeed Han Shouye’s protégé, promoted by him personally, and was still stationed at the border facing off with Wei forces across the river.

He thought briefly and said: “That’s right. I’ve met that officer Jiang Yong several times. He comes to pay respects to my uncle during festivals, and Uncle thinks highly of him.”

Qi Ying nodded without saying more. Han Feichi had sharp intuition and asked: “What is it – Privy Council business?”

Anything that could involve the Privy Council was inevitably a matter of great importance. Though the Privy Council couldn’t directly control the military now, it had enormous power, able to inquire into all military and political matters, and could also transmit confidential orders directly to the emperor. Today Qi Ying had specifically asked about Uncle and Jiang Yong – could it be…

A flash of excitement crossed Han Feichi’s eyes.

This person was truly strange – if others heard their relatives were entangled with the Privy Council, they would naturally cry and wail in despair. But he didn’t mind stirring up trouble and could even do crazy things like righteously destroying relatives for the sake of causing drama, not caring how their family would cope if Han Shouye’s faction was investigated.

Qi Ying knew Han Feichi’s nature well. Seeing his excited expression now, he was both amused and exasperated: “No, it has nothing to do with the General.”

Han Feichi said “oh” without showing joy, seeming rather bored instead, looking listless. Unwilling to give up, he pressed further: “Then it’s related to Jiang Yong?”

Qi Ying didn’t answer, but Han Feichi understood: after the defeat at Stone City, His Majesty would eventually settle accounts.

Han Feichi liked watching drama but wasn’t interested in political affairs, so he found it boring. Pondering, he thought asking about Miss Fang would be more interesting, so he asked Qi Ying: “Second Brother, is Miss Fang at the main residence today?”

Shen Xiling was naturally at the Qi mansion. Qi Ying calculated the days – today should be her first time meeting Master Wang. He felt inexplicably worried. The young lady was so shy, and Master Wang was quite stern – he wondered if everything would go smoothly for her.

Qi Ying was somewhat distracted, thinking perhaps after Han Feichi left, he should go check on her.

The tutor the Qi family had engaged was quite extraordinary – the top scholar from the eighth year of Jiahe reign, who had been a Grand Secretary at the Hanlin Academy before requesting retirement from court, named Wang Qing. When Qi Ying took the spring examinations, Wang Qing had been his examination supervisor.

He had thought very highly of this Second Young Master of the Qi family back then. When he learned that Emperor Liang had only ranked him second place, he was greatly displeased. Even when the Qi family themselves said nothing, he angrily submitted a ten-thousand-character memorial to Emperor Liang, detailing extensively how excellent Qi Ying’s scholarship was and how the that year’s top scholar’s essay was inferior to Qi Ying’s, giving Emperor Liang both headaches and helplessness.

Wang Qing was seventy-three this year but remained vigorous and alert, reportedly still studying late into the night daily. Many aristocratic families wished to engage him as a tutor, but he declined them all. Later, it was only when Qi Zhang personally went to request him for the sake of Qi Ning and Qi Le’s futures that he was willing to discuss it. He told the Chancellor plainly: This old man holds no hope for your third and fourth sons – I’m only reluctantly agreeing because of Second Young Master’s reputation.

Wang Qing was extremely strict in teaching young people. When Qi Ning and Qi Le studied under him, they not only frequently received scolding but also punishment – sometimes copying texts, sometimes having their palms struck. What made them most miserable was being struck on the palms and then having to copy texts – truly an exquisite torment.

However, since word spread that Cousin Yao’er and Miss Fang would join the family school to study with them, Qi Ning and Qi Le breathed a sigh of relief. They thought that though they couldn’t satisfy their teacher, they were still much better than Yao’er and that Miss Fang. With these two young ladies for comparison, surely even the strict teacher would be more satisfied with them and wouldn’t scold and beat them at every turn.

Zhao Yao had also entered the Qi mansion today accompanied by her mother to prepare for meeting Master Wang, specially rising early to dress up for the occasion. Upon reaching the main hall of the Qi mansion, before seeing the teacher, she first spotted Shen Xiling: she saw that this country bumpkin from Ba Prefecture had completely transformed, actually wearing a long dress with silver embroidery and a fitted waist, and had learned to style her hair like the noble ladies of Jiankang City. She was followed by two maids on left and right – the very image of an aristocratic family’s young lady!

This sight made Zhao Yao so angry her stomach hurt. She felt this country bumpkin from the remote countryside was indeed quick to forget her origins – after latching onto the Qi family, she so quickly wanted to pretend to be a noble lady, not considering whether she was worthy!

Author’s Note: Promoting the career storyline. Also, between Han Feichi and Wang Qing, it’s hard to say who is the bigger fan of Qi Jingchen.