Pei Yan had actually rushed over.

It was clear her persuasive words had worked on him.

The little person inside Yu Tang’s heart rejoiced with delight. She barely managed to control the corners of her mouth that wanted to curve upward as she followed Nanny Ji to Geng Garden.

She decided to continue deceiving Pei Yan.

After all, he was very capable, and she was only tricking him about trivial matters anyway. She’d just let him worry and rack his brains over it himself.

The more Yu Tang thought about it, the more cheerful she felt. Before she knew it, she had followed Nanny Ji into Pei Yan’s study.

Pei Yan’s study was the same as always. Dried branches were arranged in the plum vase, a half-worn thin quilt was neatly placed on the rocking chair, and on the tea table beside the rocking chair sat a four-compartment storage box containing various odds and ends. The rich scholarly atmosphere carried a touch of warmth that naturally calmed one’s heart just by looking at it.

Yu Tang rather envied Pei Yan for having such a large study. This time she took a few extra looks around.

However, Pei Yan walked in without even changing his clothes. Leaning against the large desk in the middle of the study, he calmly pointed to the meditation chair beside the rocking chair and said simply, “Sit!”

Yu Tang felt that Pei Yan was already a head taller than her. If she sat down, wouldn’t she have even less presence?

This would be disadvantageous for what she was about to say next.

She smiled and thanked him but didn’t obediently sit down.

Pei Yan clicked his tongue internally.

She was going to oppose him now!

However, she was at most just a little kitten. Even when throwing a tantrum, she’d only dare extend her claws for a couple of scratches at most—at worst tearing up one of his paintings or smashing one of his vases. He could still bear such losses; they weren’t worth fearing.

“What did my mother say?” Pei Yan didn’t bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point. “How is the incense gathering at Zhaoming Temple arranged for the Buddha Bathing Festival?”

“I didn’t ask.” Yu Tang opened her clear black-and-white eyes wide, looking at Pei Yan with complete sincerity on her face.

Pei Yan was astonished.

Yu Tang already wore a face full of guilt as she said, “This is all my fault. When I arrived at the manor and saw the Old Madam, I realized—back when I stayed briefly at the manor before, the stewards and their wives would tell us about matters one day in advance. Something as major as the scripture lecture would certainly have a steward in charge, and being the case, the itinerary for the scripture lecture would definitely be decided and announced to all participants ahead of time. I was too hasty. Having grown up in the streets and alleys, I didn’t think it through clearly until I saw the Old Madam and Nanny Chen.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Yan felt a breath stuck in his chest, not knowing what to say.

Only he had taken this girl’s words seriously and rushed back in haste, afraid she would cause trouble at the scripture lecture. When that happened, it wouldn’t just be the Gu family losing face—it would also be the Pei and Yu families.

But looking at Yu Tang, whose eyes sparkled with delight, clearly pleased that her scheme had succeeded, could he really reproach her for deceiving him?

Pei Yan felt mentally exhausted.

He wearily pressed his temples and said helplessly, “Since you feel there’s no need to know in advance, just wait for the itinerary to be released that day! However, once the itinerary is out, you must follow it. Otherwise, if the scripture lecture doesn’t go smoothly, it will also be the Old Madam’s reputation that suffers.”

Yu Tang understood.

In her previous life, she had experienced the incident of Gu Xi presenting the incense formula.

After all, it was just a few sheets of paper.

No matter how beautifully Gu Xi handled it or how much she wanted to use this matter to gain a good reputation for herself, it still couldn’t compare to the merit box that required four people to carry, or to incense plates the size of foot basins, or stick incense as thick as a forearm.

She had plenty of ways to suppress Gu Xi.

Moreover, she rather looked forward to that day arriving soon so she could see Gu Xi’s gloomy face.

“If Third Master has nothing else, I’ll take my leave first.” Yu Tang took a sip of the rock tea that A’Ming had brought up, feeling somewhat regretful that she didn’t have time to eat the peach pastries in Pei Yan’s study.

Rock tea paired with peach pastries—just thinking about it was so delicious that her tongue wanted to curl up.

But she had already provoked Pei Yan, and she feared he might lose his temper.

When the Son of Heaven is enraged, corpses number in the millions and blood flows for thousands of miles.

Pei Yan naturally couldn’t compare to the Son of Heaven, but making the people of Lin’an City uncomfortable—or rather, making the Yu family uncomfortable—would be very easy for him.

“I’ve already told the Old Madam about borrowing Young Steward Tong,” she said respectfully, not wanting to provoke Pei Yan further at this moment. “I still need to visit in person to show our sincerity. There isn’t much time until the Buddha Bathing Festival, and I’m feeling a bit anxious. I want to visit the Tong family tomorrow.” Having said this, she gave Pei Yan a curtsy, adopting an air of “whether you agree or not, I have matters to attend to and must leave.” She also instructed Pei Yan, “Remember to send someone to inform the two Steward Tongs, lest I rashly seek them out and the two stewards don’t know what’s happening and don’t believe what I say—that would be troublesome indeed.”

Pei Yan found it irritating just to look at her and waved his hand dismissively, letting her go.

Yu Tang felt like a little bird flying out of its cage, and her entire being immediately became buoyant.

On the way, she tried to persuade Young Steward Tong’s mother-in-law, Nanny Ji, first: “Although it may not look as prestigious as those major stewards, this is doing good deeds—it’s something that will leave a lasting reputation. No matter how far or how high a person travels, they must ultimately return to their roots. Having a good reputation in one’s hometown is something others can’t even beg for.”

Nanny Ji listened and just laughed, saying, “Miss Yu, you don’t need to say these things to me. Whether it’s the Ji family or the Tong family, we’re both hereditary servants of the Pei family who have received great kindness from them. Whatever Third Master and the Old Madam ask us to do, we do. Never mind helping you and the young ladies manage affairs at Ku’an Temple—even if they asked him to become a farm manager at an estate, he would properly learn from those old tenant farmers and help Third Master and the Old Madam oversee the fields.”

Yu Tang chuckled awkwardly, her face somewhat flushed.

When she returned home from the Pei manor, she collapsed directly onto her bed in exhaustion.

Chen Shi thought she had merely been a guest at the Pei family for a day. Seeing her condition, she couldn’t help but feel distressed and said, “Do what you can. If you really can’t manage it all, then don’t worry about Ku’an Temple. I’m sure Old Madam Pei will understand.”

Yu Tang responded with a few perfunctory “mms.”

Chen Shi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She firmly patted her daughter’s shoulder, sat down at her bedside, and said gently, “A’Tang, your mother wants to discuss something with you.”

Upon hearing these words, Yu Tang immediately sat up warily, her tone becoming dry, “Go ahead!”

Seeing her like this, Chen Shi’s anger flared up from nowhere. She firmly patted her hand again before saying, “What are you doing? Am I not doing this for your own good? Once the new year begins, you’ll be eighteen. Girls your age in other families have long since married, yet your marriage hasn’t even taken shape. Aren’t I anxious?”

Yu Tang hurried to comfort Chen Shi: “I know, I know. I haven’t said anything. I’m just asking you not to worry. This isn’t like buying bowls or plates where you can buy again if they’re not good.” Her mind raced quickly. “Didn’t Father also say there’s no rush?”

“But the family that Madam Wu introduced this time seems quite good to me,” she said persistently. “I think that young man is quite nice too…”

Yu Tang could only say, “Which family’s son is it? If you think he’s good, I’ll go take a look.”

After all, since the new year, their family had arranged several more viewings. Either her mother disliked that the other party was too plain-looking, or her father disliked that they lacked scholarly accomplishments… How could someone with both learning and good looks possibly agree to marry into someone else’s family as a son-in-law?

She didn’t want to shatter her parents’ illusions, so she simply went along with them.

The marriage prospects probably wouldn’t work out eight or nine times out of ten anyway.

Seeing her daughter being obedient, Chen Shi’s spirits lifted greatly. She quickly said, “It’s Madam Wu’s maternal family’s great-aunt’s mother-in-law’s sister’s grandson…”

Yu Tang let the words go in one ear and out the other, her mind pondering tomorrow’s meeting with Young Steward Tong. She treated Chen Shi’s words as a lullaby and actually fell asleep. Had Chen Shi not pinched her, she probably would have slept straight through until tomorrow morning.

Chen Shi was so angry she ground her teeth. She severely scolded Yu Tang, and during the evening meal, she complained about her to Yu Wen.

Yu Wen smiled and evaded the issue, finally managing to coax Chen Shi into laughter, the storm passing.

Yu Tang secretly gave her father a thumbs up.

Yu Wen smiled at her smugly, and taking advantage of Chen Shi calling Chen Pozi in to question her, he whispered to Yu Tang, “Marriage matters can’t be rushed. Rushing only creates problems. Don’t listen to everything your mother says either. If someday you go to view a prospect, remember Father’s words—if you feel even slightly dissatisfied, don’t agree. Otherwise, it will definitely harm both parties.”

Yu Tang nodded repeatedly.

But in the Pei manor, Old Madam Pei held her tea cup for quite a while without moving.

Pearl could only carefully approach and help massage Old Madam Pei’s shoulders.

Old Madam Pei murmured to herself, “Why did he come back at this time? He didn’t come to see me first but went to see Miss Yu instead, even intercepting her at the gate…”

When had her son ever done such a thing?

Old Madam Pei’s heart stirred.

Could it be that their Pei Yan had taken a fancy to Scholar Yu’s daughter Yu Tang?

As the saying goes, heroes cannot pass the beauty barrier.

Yu Tang was indeed a beauty, but whether she was truly a barrier—who could say?

In any case, there were only a few months left until the Old Master’s mourning period ended, and her younger son’s marriage wasn’t urgent.

Even if she were anxious, it would be useless.

Pei Yan had always been strong-willed since childhood. Regarding the marriage with the Li family, he said it wouldn’t work, and no matter how well the Li family treated him, he simply refused to agree. The Yu family… the gap was far too great.

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

Old Madam Pei shook her head, yet her heart still felt vaguely uneasy.

The next day, Yu Tang went to see both Senior Steward Tong and Young Steward Tong.

Pei Yan did things with complete transparency.

Both Senior and Young Steward Tong had received advance notice. When they saw Yu Tang, father and son both smiled. Senior Steward Tong even said without reserve, “You child, if you want Young Tong to do something, just have him do it. Why did you have to ask Third Master to grant him this favor and even properly fill a steward position for him? In the future, if any head steward resigns, Young Tong will have an opportunity to compete for a head steward position.”

There was such a thing?

Yu Tang felt embarrassed and didn’t want to steal credit from Pei Yan. She said, “This was all Third Master’s idea. I merely helped drum up support from the sidelines.”

Senior Steward Tong already knew all the details of the matter. There were some things he couldn’t state too explicitly. Hearing this, he smiled and said, “Regardless of whose credit it is, we’re grateful that you thought of the Tong family at this time. Everyone in the Tong family, from top to bottom, is deeply thankful.” Then, as if he didn’t want to continue discussing this matter, he shifted the topic to incense-making: “As soon as I received the news, I had people inquire about incense-making masters. Messages should start trickling in over the next two or three days.”