Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Chengyou rose to bid farewell.

Fearing the noise he might make climbing through the window, he didn’t dismiss the minor spirits he had summoned. Instead, he taught Teng Yuyi how to dismiss them herself after he left.

At the window, Lin Chengyou turned to look at Teng Yuyi and asked, “Do you understand what to do?”

“Yes,” Teng Yuyi had listened very carefully and quickly repeated the method back to him step by step.

Lin Chengyou considered for a moment. “That’s about right.”

He glanced at her sideways and continued, “Since you’re practically a lay disciple of Qingyun Temple now, it’s time you learned to perform these simple Daoist techniques yourself. I’ll wait on the roof beam after I leave. If you do well, it means you’ve grasped the basics, and I won’t have any concerns about taking you ghost-hunting next time. If you don’t do well enough, it means you still need more practice. I hate being held back by others, so we’ll have to postpone the ghost-hunting plans.”

Hearing this, Teng Yuyi immediately steeled herself with determination. “Just watch me, Young Master.”

Lin Chengyou smiled inwardly before quickly climbing out the window. Without delay, Teng Yuyi lit the talisman Lin Chengyou had left using a fire stick. She chanted the incantations, first dismissing the spirit outside the window, then the one by the door, and finally sweeping away every trace of the soul-attracting powder from the doorway and window cracks.

When she finished, Teng Yuyi looked down at the Spirit Chime bracelet on her wrist. The chime had indeed stopped its gentle swaying, indicating she had successfully dismissed all the minor spirits.

Knowing Lin Chengyou hadn’t gone far, she desperately wanted to call out the window: “I did well, didn’t I?”

Lin Chengyou, holding his breath while crouching on the eaves, saw this and smiled. With a light leap, he vanished into the night.

While washing up, Teng Yuyi occasionally felt her elder sister’s questioning glances. Sure enough, when they lay down to sleep, her sister spoke up: “You’ve been ghost-hunting with the Young Master?”

Teng Yuyi nodded. Unable to tell her sister she was doing this to accumulate merit, she vaguely explained, “Two young Daoist priests took me along. Since I’ve been encountering evil spirits lately, I thought learning some Daoist techniques would be beneficial, so I went with them.”

Du Tinglan rested one hand under her right cheek while using the other to tuck in her sister’s blanket corner. “Haven’t you noticed that Lin Chengyou likes you?”

Teng Yuyi froze.

“Think about it. If he didn’t care deeply about your affairs, why would he rush over immediately upon hearing there was trouble at the academy?”

Teng Yuyi opened her mouth in surprise: “But we agreed on this beforehand. Lin Chengyou is simply a man who keeps his word—”

“Is taking you ghost-hunting just about keeping his word too? You don’t know any Daoist arts, wouldn’t you just be a burden?”

Teng Yuyi was stunned. Simultaneously, a strange flutter rose in her heart. This feeling wasn’t entirely unfamiliar; it had surfaced before, but always briefly, disappearing in an instant. She remained dazed for a while before interrupting her sister: “The reason they took me ghost-hunting that time was to test if my Spirit Chime had regained its power. This was because I was starting at the academy, and Lin Chengyou heard about the thief around me and was curious about who it was.”

Du Tinglan smiled: “What does a thief around you have to do with him? The Prince and Princess of Cheng aren’t in Chang’an right now, so Lin Chengyou has to manage all the affairs of the Prince’s mansion. He also works at the Grand Court of Justice, handling complex major cases. He’s already very busy rushing about each day. If he didn’t care deeply, why would he spare energy to look after you?”

Teng Yuyi paused again because she found her sister’s words quite reasonable.

“No, no. Lin Chengyou himself said he agreed to help because I gave him that purple jade saddle.”

Du Tinglan sighed: “The Prince’s mansion receives countless treasures from across the realm each year. If he had to help someone with every precious gift, imagine how many people Lin Chengyou would have to assist.”

“I’m different from those people. Lin Chengyou and Jue Sheng Qi Zhi share a life-and-death bond with me. Jue Sheng Qi Zhi said that without my help that time, everyone couldn’t have subdued the corpse demon so smoothly. Later, in defeating the Blood Rakshasa, I also contributed greatly. Lin Chengyou distinguishes right from wrong clearly and knows how much I helped. Now that someone is plotting against me, he wouldn’t ignore it given our friendship.”

While Teng Yuyi continued on and on, Du Tinglan just listened quietly. After her sister finished speaking in one breath, she smiled and said: “Do you often tell yourself these things?”

Teng Yuyi was speechless for a moment, then spoke adamantly: “Sister, have you forgotten Lin Chengyou is still under the Loveless Curse? Just look at how vicious that scoundrel Lu Zhao’an’s curse is. Unless the host nearly dies, it’s very difficult to break the curse, and Lin Chengyou’s curse must be even harder to break. Besides, even if the curse were broken, if Lin Chengyou liked someone, why would he need to be so secretive? Every time he tells me he’s just helping, repeatedly warning me not to think too much of it.”

Du Tinglan didn’t respond, as this was also what puzzled her most.

She was certain she wasn’t mistaken about Lin Chengyou’s feelings for her sister, but given his straightforward nature, he would surely openly admit if he liked someone. He had done so much for her sister, yet hadn’t let her know his true feelings. It was truly perplexing – could there be some hidden circumstances?

Seeing her sister’s silence, Teng Yuyi assumed she had convinced her. She pulled the quilt over her head and mumbled from under it: “Let’s sleep, Sister.”

But Du Tinglan continued: “That night of the Buddha Bathing Festival when Lin Chengyou asked you out, you came back with a new pair of hair ornaments. Because of Mrs. Wu’s incident, I didn’t have the heart to ask then, but were those ornaments from Lin Chengyou? Even if he agreed to help you, why would he need to give such expensive jewelry?”

“I already said it was to return a favor. He said he wasn’t used to receiving such precious birthday gifts, so the ornaments were a return gift.”

“Oh, so you just accepted them?”

Teng Yuyi grew impatient, turning her back to her sister: “I liked the style. Is that inappropriate? Fine, I’ll return them.”

Worried her sister would suffocate under the covers, Du Tinglan tugged at the quilt trying to free her sister’s head: “Talk to me properly. Have you also suspected that Lin Chengyou likes you?”

While pulling the covers tighter around herself, Teng Yuyi snorted from within: “He’s never said he likes me. Besides, all men in the world are unfaithful. Even if he likes me now, who knows when his heart might change? Believing men’s words will surely break your heart in the future. Not only is it uncertain whether Lin Chengyou likes me, but even if he does, I wouldn’t agree. I’ve already decided never to marry in this life.”

Du Tinglan’s hand froze in mid-air. The candle had long been extinguished, and only vague outlines were visible in the darkness. The “long snake” before her was still squirming, but she didn’t know how to respond.

Though she wasn’t present when their aunt passed away, she had heard the details. Their aunt was bedridden, yet their uncle was in a hurry to personally escort Lady Wu away. By the time their uncle returned, the couple never had a final meeting.

Her sister had formed a mental block because of this incident, remaining cold towards their uncle all these years.

Adding to that the recent incident with Duan Ningyuan, it was no wonder her sister had completely given up on the idea of marriage.

Du Tinglan sighed inwardly and gently pushed her sister’s shoulder: “Put your head out, I won’t say any more.”

Feeling suffocated anyway, Teng Yuyi complied, though she kept her eyes tightly shut, mumbling: “I’m asleep.”

Looking at the blurry face in the darkness, Du Tinglan felt overwhelmed with thoughts she didn’t know how to express. Finally, she just patted her sister’s quilt gently: “Sleep then, sleep.”

Judging by her sister’s reaction, it seemed she wasn’t entirely indifferent to Lin Chengyou. Lin Chengyou was upright and honest, having saved her sister several times. They had been through so much together, how could someone like Duan Ningyuan compare? The stronger the feelings, the stronger the denial, which was why her sister rushed to deny it, listing so many reasons why Lin Chengyou couldn’t possibly like her.

Then there were those hair ornaments. Her sister had refined taste since childhood; if anyone else had given her those ornaments, she probably wouldn’t have bothered to look at them. She accepted them only because they were from Lin Chengyou.

However, her sister was still naive about matters between men and women, and with such deep emotional scars, even if she understood, she wouldn’t easily open her heart.

Du Tinglan worried. Such matters, once brought to light, inevitably demanded resolution. The two would surely have some awkwardness, and if her sister became stubborn, she might even cut off contact with Lin Chengyou…

Then she recalled how the two had interacted earlier – they had their understanding, communicating in a way others couldn’t interfere with.

Well, outsiders couldn’t help with such matters anyway, better let them work it out themselves. As they muddle through it, perhaps the knot will untie itself.

***

The next day, Lin Chengyou didn’t go to the Grand Court of Justice but waited for news at the Prince of Cheng’s mansion. Shortly after lunch, Kuan Nu came running.

“Young Master’s predictions were spot on. There was no movement from Lu Zhao’an’s side all last night. This morning, Xiangxiang Academy let out for the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, and not long after the students came out, there was movement on Lu Zhao’an’s side.”

Lin Chengyou stopped in front of a camellia bush in the covered walkway: “Who was it?”

“An old woman selling sweet rice porridge,” Kuan Nu said. “These days Lu Zhao’an rarely goes out, busy preparing for the imperial examinations, but he came out right after the old woman called just twice. That area is all residential; if the old woman was genuinely selling, she would surely stay for several hours. But shortly after Lu Zhao’an bought porridge, she left with her cart. Several of us followed her out of the ward, but she showed no signs of suspicion. However, when she pushed her cart to Yong’an Street in Liquan Ward, a servant from a noble household came to buy porridge. When I recognized whose servant it was, I could hardly believe my eyes—”

Lin Chengyou: “Whose servant?”

Kuan Nu said a name.

Lin Chengyou frowned.

“Too vicious,” Kuan Nu touched his chilled neck. “That person came to give birthday wishes when Young Master celebrated your birthday, and the porridge-buying servant was that person’s most capable senior maid. I couldn’t possibly be mistaken.”

Lin Chengyou’s first thought was also “too vicious.”

Last night, when he and Teng Yuyi listed their main suspects, although this person’s name was included, they didn’t think they would be involved. Learning this news today was quite unexpected.

“Tell me about what happened,” he said.

“The maid approached to buy porridge, and the old woman used the same trick again. After the maid bought the porridge, she waited only a short while before leaving with her cart. Soon after, the old woman returned to her lodgings nearby and never came out again. These people are hiding extremely deep, and the whole thing is executed flawlessly. If Young Master hadn’t said someone would deliver something to Lu Zhao’an today, I wouldn’t have paid attention to an old woman selling sweet rice porridge. Young Master, how did you know they would pass something along today?”

Lin Chengyou didn’t address this directly, only thinking to himself: how would a noble lady whose sole ambition was to become empress, even if she had been tempted by the Bright Moon Hermit to dabble in dark arts, know that Lu Zhao’an was also one of their group?

Perhaps the mastermind behind it all deliberately leaked some information to help this noble lady.

Yes, once this noble lady succeeded in becoming the Crown Prince’s consort, it would be all benefit and no harm to the mastermind.

The mastermind knew all about the dirty tricks the noble lady had employed in her earlier years. At the right moment, they could use this to blackmail the Crown Princess.

The woman might not know this person’s true identity, or even their real purpose, but to protect her wealth and status, she would certainly comply obediently.

Once they controlled the Eastern Palace, whether plotting rebellion or regicide would become much easier.

See how meticulous this person’s thinking was, and how far-reaching their considerations were.

“Very good,” Lin Chengyou said. “Pick some of our most capable men and keep that old woman under tight surveillance. Her room should contain plenty of valuable evidence for conviction. When I’ve made sufficient preparations here, we can make the arrests directly. Also, now that we know who’s causing trouble at the academy, I’ll spread more rumors about the Crown Prince’s marriage prospects. After hearing enough of these, that girl won’t be able to contain herself. When people get agitated, they make mistakes. Keep a close watch on her these next few days, don’t miss any traces she might leave.”

“Yes.” Kuan Nu thought for a moment and added, “It’s a pity those ‘tails’ we caught on the Buddha Bathing Festival night died from poison before we could confirm their identities. But regarding those ruffians who were following Young Master earlier, I’ve investigated as you instructed. Two of them were fugitives from the court who disappeared without a trace in Huaixi Circuit twenty years ago, but for some reason, they secretly returned to Chang’an recently. I suspect they’re Peng Zhen’s death-sworn followers, though I don’t know why they targeted Young Master.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lin Chengyou sneered. “These people only started tailing me after I caught Zhuang Mu. Peng Zhen never expected Zhuang Mu would be exposed. Unable to openly raid the Grand Court of Justice’s prison, he had people secretly follow me instead. The rumors about me buying expensive ornaments at Zhaixing Tower were spread by the Peng family. As for those ‘tails’ following me on the Buddha Bathing Festival night—”

They could have been sent by Lu Zhao’an’s mastermind, but they might also have been hired by the noblelady herself. They followed him the whole way while repeatedly exposing their presence. Their purpose was simply to engineer his encounter with Deng Weili. Even if they didn’t succeed that night, they would have used other methods to create the illusion of a secret meeting between him and Deng Weili. Fortunately for them, they succeeded that very night, so these tails were no longer useful, hence their death by poison upon capture.

At this thought, Lin Chengyou suddenly felt something strange.

He had countless times imagined who the Bright Moon Hermit’s mastermind might be. In his view, it could be a powerful frontier lord harboring ulterior motives like the Peng family, a spy sent by a neighboring country coveting the Central Plains, perhaps a prince from a vassal state, or even a high official in court who bore grudges from being neglected.

Regardless of their purpose, besides having wealth and resources, this person needed to possess strategic abilities far exceeding ordinary people.

But the more he investigated, the more he felt that beyond all these possibilities, this person seemed unusually familiar with his style of operation.

“By the way, have you found out who Lu Zhao’an associated closely with in Yangzhou?”

“Mostly famous scholars and artists from Yangzhou. These people often travel to Chang’an and Luoyang. If they appreciated Lu Zhao’an’s talent, they might have introduced him to important figures in the capital.”

“Investigate these people thoroughly,” Lin Chengyou said. “Especially those who’ve been to Chang’an in the past year. These gentry may appear to be free spirits, but they might secretly be connected to certain powers in the capital.”

“Yes.”

“Also, prepare a horse for me.”

He needed to ask the Crown Prince about something.

Besides the Crown Prince, there was someone else he needed to meet tomorrow.

“Also, I’m going hunting outside the city tomorrow. Help me arrange a meeting with someone.”

Kuan Nu was startled: “Who?”

“Wu Yuanluo.”

Now that they knew who was behind the trouble at the academy, many previous events could be connected, though he still found it somewhat incredible. He needed to confirm some things with Wu Yuanluo in person.

***

Wu Yuanluo and Lin Chengyou sat facing each other drinking tea in the Chrysanthemum Frost Pavilion.

Wu Yuanluo looked very unhappy. Today he was supposed to go hunting outside the city with His Highness, but halfway there he was intercepted by Lin Chengyou. Before he could understand what was happening, Lin Chengyou had brought him to the Chrysanthemum Frost Pavilion, citing the need to investigate a case.

This place made him very uncomfortable, especially sitting by the window. Remembering what happened to his younger sister that night, he could hardly sit still.

But he also knew Lin Chengyou wouldn’t ask to meet him in such a place without good reason. He forced himself to take a sip of tea and asked hoarsely, “What did you want to see me about?”

Lin Chengyou observed Wu Yuanluo. In just a few days, he had grown noticeably thinner. With such a major incident in the family, Wu Yuanluo, the eldest son of the Wu family, must be overwhelmed.

Judging that the atmosphere was sufficiently prepared, he got straight to the point: “Tell me, why did you deliberately approach Miss Teng that night?”

Wu Yuanluo never expected Lin Chengyou to open with this question. After staring at him for a moment, he said coolly, “How is this any concern of yours?”

Nonsense. Lin Chengyou smiled mockingly: “Of course, it concerns me. How did you come to know Miss Teng?”

Wu Yuanluo looked at Lin Chengyou for a while, then suddenly smiled: “No wonder you kindly lent your jade token that day on Mount Li. I should have seen your feelings for Miss Teng earlier. You interfered because you were afraid I would get close to her, right?”

Lin Chengyou didn’t take the bait, instead smiling: “You, Wu Yuanluo, have always been proud and aloof. Why would you suddenly take an interest in Miss Teng? She hasn’t been in Chang’an long – at most you’ve seen her appearance, but you know nothing of her character. Yet as soon as we reached Mount Li, you couldn’t wait to have your sister create opportunities for you to approach her.”

Wu Yuanluo snorted: “Isn’t the Grand Court of Justice very busy? If you want to inquire about such trivial matters, I don’t have time to entertain you.”

“Whether it’s trivial or not isn’t for you to decide.” Lin Chengyou’s smile faded. “Let me guess – did someone tell you about the incident in the Peach Grove? The maze at the Jade Truth Taoist Nunnery is famous throughout the realm. It was Miss Teng’s first visit to the temple for recreation, and logically she shouldn’t have understood the maze’s mechanisms, yet she successfully solved the weight-bearing puzzle and led her companions to safety. When you heard about this, you must have been very curious about this extraordinarily clever young lady.”

Wu Yuanluo remained silent, but his expression said everything.

“Chang’an has never lacked beautiful and proper young ladies. You, Wu Yuanluo, grew up surrounded by luxury and find such women boring. But Miss Teng is different. Her actions that day caught your attention. You have a reputation as a child prodigy, but this girl’s intelligence matches yours. Afterward, you heard various stories about her from someone, making you even more drawn to Miss Teng, so you seized the first opportunity to approach her.”

Wu Yuanluo smiled slightly: “A beautiful and virtuous lady – what gentleman wouldn’t be interested? Lin Chengyou, aren’t you also interested in Miss Teng?”

Lin Chengyou stroked his chin, suddenly changing course: “So that time on Mount Li when you made excuses to approach Miss Teng, was it your idea, or—”

Wu Yuanluo suddenly felt something wasn’t right. After pondering for a moment, he asked: “What do you mean by that?”

“Just tell me the answer directly.”

Though full of doubts, Wu Yuanluo gave his answer.

Lin Chengyou fell silent. Without asking the person involved directly, who could have guessed the truth would be like this?

“There’s something else I’m very curious about – could you explain why you favor your younger sister Wu Xiang more?”

After hearing Wu Yuanluo’s words, Lin Chengyou had his answer.

“Now tell me everything that happened at your mansion during the first few days of the Buddha Bathing Festival, and everything that happened after you and your siblings left the mansion that night. From beginning to end, don’t omit a single word.”

***

As the students were leaving the academy, they happened to encounter the Crown Prince escorting the Empress to the academy.

As the students boarded their carriages one by one, the Crown Prince had been keeping his gaze straight ahead, but when Du Tinglan passed by, he suddenly turned to look at her.

Though just a glance, the appraising look with its hint of a smile was impossible to ignore.

Teng Yuyi saw this as she boarded the carriage with several classmates. This carriage was specially made by the court for Xiangxiang Academy, larger and sturdier than ordinary ox-drawn carriages.

At first, her classmates remained silent, having noticed the Crown Prince’s unusual behavior. With Du Tinglan and Teng Yuyi present, they hesitated to openly discuss it.

After a while, Liu Siniang broke the silence: “The Venerable Academy Director said that originally they had planned to hold several hunting parties and polo matches on Mount Li, but due to the evil spirits on the mountain, they had to hurry down. His Majesty felt it wasn’t satisfying enough, so he summoned many people to accompany him today. It happens to coincide with the start of the imperial examinations, and His Majesty wants to personally select talented individuals, so he ordered this year’s outstanding jinshi candidates to join as well.”

“Yes, the Academy Director also said these candidates are all extraordinary talents. If His Majesty asks them to compose poems later, each piece will surely be remarkable. The Director repeatedly urged us to listen carefully, saying we might gain some poetic insights on the spot. By the way, the Director will have someone transcribe the poems – who should we choose as the transcriber?”

The girls teased: “Deng Weili, of course. Who could match her memory? She even remembers things that happened many years ago.”

Deng Weili flopped against Teng Yuyi: “Find someone else. My memory might be good, but I write much slower than others.”

She pushed Teng Yuyi: “Just thinking about it makes me angry. You don’t remember me? You came to Chang’an when you were little. I still remember back then—”

Li Huaigu suddenly interrupted: “Hey, how long will we be traveling this time?”

“We should return to the city in about two days,” Chen Erniang looked out the window. “But I’m so worried. The academy has been in session for so long, and the Empress cares so much about our studies. To reassure the Empress, the Director will certainly test students’ learning in public. I wonder who the Director will call on tonight.”

“Ah Yu and Weili never like to answer questions,” Liu Siniang nudged Zheng Shuangyin. “If I were the Director, I’d choose you to bring glory to the academy. When it comes to scholarship, no one among us is better than you.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Peng Daniang said methodically. “Don’t forget about Miss Du. Her scholarship is truly first-rate. And Wu Qi isn’t bad either. Recently, the Director has sent quite a few of Wu Qi’s essays to the palace. And remember at Ledao Manor last time, the Empress praised her characters ‘Exploring Li’ for their soaring spirit.”

Zheng Shuangyin, feeling guilty about her elder brother’s unexplained breaking of the engagement with the Wu sisters, sighed at these words: “Don’t talk about her. She’s depressed all day – hearing such things might not make her happy. When the Director calls on her to answer questions, she’s just forcing herself to respond.”

Upon reaching Liyun Palace, palace servants led the students to their assigned quarters.

Just after they settled in, a servant announced that the evening feast was ready.

Everyone knew tonight would be no simple dinner. As they set out, each felt somewhat anxious about what fortune or misfortune awaited them.

Arriving at Yongjia Hall where tonight’s banquet was set, the vast palace hall was truly dazzling.

Blazing fires burned before the hall, with the spacious interior divided into men’s and women’s sections. Fortunately, the Emperor and Empress didn’t ask any questions during the meal. Everyone barely escaped that ordeal, and after finishing their meal with trepidation, they were directed by palace servants to the garden to watch performances by artists from Khotan and other states.

This time, the men’s and women’s sections were much closer together.

Teng Yuyi could see the men’s section with just a glance up. Soon Lin Chengyou appeared, laughing and talking with the Crown Prince. With the Emperor and Empress absent, the atmosphere was much more relaxed than before.

Several noble ladies were chatting with Vice Director Liu. As she spoke, the Vice Director glanced back at the students, saying softly: “Miss Zheng, Miss Deng, Second Miss Wu, Miss Du – all children with excellent scholarship—”

Before she could finish, someone behind them cried out – someone had accidentally spilled wine on their skirt.

It was Peng Erniang. Following her previous line of sight, Teng Yuyi realized the Prince of Chun’an had arrived.

Peng Daniang, afraid of losing composure before the imperial presence, quietly scolded her sister: “How could you be so careless?”

Peng Erniang stared blankly at the cup in her hand: “I don’t know how—”

Fearing others would see through her sister’s thoughts, Peng Daniang quickly whispered: “Go change your clothes before the poetry gathering begins.”

Peng Erniang left with her maid.

Meanwhile, the noble ladies were asking the students’ names one by one, soon reaching Du Tinglan: “I remember this child – she’s Du Yuzhi’s daughter.”

Vice Director Liu looked at Du Tinglan with approval: “This child has a kind nature and writes excellent essays.”

The ladies seemed interested: “How old is Miss Du this year?”

But just then, Peng Erniang’s maid bumped into someone – a man in scholar’s headgear and robes, apparently about to take his seat.

Men from the other section laughed: “Ah, Scholar Lu has arrived.”

Hearing it was this year’s top-ranked imperial examination candidate, the girls couldn’t help but look back curiously. Among all the girls, only Zheng Shuangyin and Du Tinglan maintained frost-like expressions.

“I heard many young ladies in Chang’an have their hearts set on Scholar Lu. Look – not just his literary talent, but his appearance alone is outstanding.”

“Scholar Lu, you were away from your seat for so long – surely it wasn’t another young lady stopping you to give you poetry?”

Lu Zhao’an didn’t answer, just smiling and shaking his head while busy returning greetings, when he was unexpectedly bumped by Peng Erniang’s maid. Something fell from his sleeve – exposed in the bright candlelight, it was a scroll of poetry.

Peng Erniang froze for a moment.

Her reaction made her classmates look curiously at the fallen scroll.

Someone exclaimed: “Isn’t that the official paper distributed by our academy?”

From the first day of school, the Director had forbidden students from using the green-gold or peach blossom paper they brought from home, requiring them to use only the academy’s standard paper and ink.

The troublemakers in the men’s section craned their necks to look: “Oh, such delicate handwriting, signed ‘Du—'”

Everyone froze because the signature clearly showed three characters: “Du Tinglan.”

The Crown Prince watched this, raising his eyes to look at someone across the hall.

The academy classmates were stunned for a moment, then turned their surprised gazes toward Du Tinglan.

As Lu Zhao’an hurried to put the poetry scroll into his robes, someone stepped forward first to pick it up: “How could there be such a coincidence in the world? The other day someone reported a theft, and tonight the thief delivered himself.”

Lu Zhao’an looked up, his smile freezing.

Lin Chengyou smiled: “Master Lu, why don’t you greet my grand-master?”

Before he finished speaking, a palace servant announced: “His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress arrive!”

Then: “Daoist Master Qingxu arrives!”

Everyone’s expressions changed slightly as His Majesty personally supported Daoist Master Qingxu into the hall.