The three siblings returned to the inner courtyard, where Spring Velvet tiptoed up to them and whispered, “The Madam was too exhausted from the journey and has just fallen asleep in the inner chamber.”

Not wanting to disturb Madam Du, the three sat side by side on the corridor steps, speaking in hushed tones.

“I wonder if Ji Zhen’s illness has improved. I should visit the Hu residence tomorrow to check on him,” Du Shaotang gazed dejectedly at the fallen petals scattered across the courtyard.

Teng Yuyi twirled the orchid grass in her hand and suddenly said, “Sister, perhaps you shouldn’t return to the manor these next few days.”

“What do you mean by that?” The siblings asked puzzled.

“Think about it – Lin Chengyou wouldn’t carelessly alert his prey without absolute certainty. I suspect he must have discovered something to suddenly question Lu Zhao’an about Young Master Hu’s illness. Hu and Lu Zhao’an weren’t mortal enemies – at most, Hu knew Lu’s true character. If this illness is indeed connected to Lu Zhao’an, he must have acted out of fear for his reputation.”

“That’s too—”

“Too ruthless, isn’t it?” Teng Yuyi snorted. “Though Lu Zhao’an passed the imperial examinations, he hasn’t yet cleared the court’s final selection. Whether he can enter official service and what position he might obtain remains uncertain. If Young Master Hu were to step forward now and expose Lu Zhao’an’s duplicitous nature, what would happen to Lu’s reputation? His family is destitute, only managing to scrape together funds for the journey to the capital through various loans. Having finally passed the examinations, how could he risk any mishaps at this crucial moment?”

After a moment of contemplation, Du Shaotang said hatefully, “Indeed. This villain would stop at nothing for his advancement.”

“Right now, I’m not worried about anything else – I’m just concerned he might harbor ill intentions toward Sister.”

“But this scoundrel has been a jinshi for some time now, and he hasn’t made any unsavory moves toward Sister.”

Teng Yuyi, recalling the male boot prints beside her cousin’s corpse in her previous life, said, “Don’t forget we still haven’t uncovered the tree demon’s origins. Besides, it’s not that Lu Zhao’an doesn’t want to act – he’s just confident the Du family won’t publicly criticize him for now to preserve their reputation. Moreover, he hasn’t found the right opportunity. Since the tree demon attack, Sister has been recuperating at home, and she recently spent several days at Dayin Temple avoiding the corpse evil. How could Lu Zhao’an make his move when he couldn’t even track Sister’s whereabouts? Shaotang, do you know what Lu Zhao’an cares most about right now?”

“The court’s final selection? Or—”

“The Zheng family marriage,” Du Tinglan spoke plainly.

Teng Yuyi secretly observed her sister’s expression. “Minister Zheng now holds the position of Prime Minister. For Lu Zhao’an, there’s no quicker path to power than marrying Zheng Shuangyin directly. However, from what I can tell, Zheng Shuangyin’s attitude toward this marriage seems different from before. Yesterday, when the Empress requested new names for the academy if Zheng Shuangyin was determined to marry Lu Zhao’an, she would have likely given it perfunctory attention. Not only did she actively suggest names, but she even came up with the excellent name ‘Eastern Journey.’ I imagine when this news reaches Lu Zhao’an’s ears, it will certainly make him restless. The marriage isn’t settled yet, and if Zheng Shuangyin changes her mind, all of Lu Zhao’an’s careful plans will be for naught.”

Du Shaotang looked confused. “Wasn’t the Zheng family quite fond of Lu Zhao’an earlier? His classmates at the Imperial Academy all said Minister Zheng wanted to take Scholar Lu as his son-in-law.”

“At the Prince Cheng’s poetry gathering, Zheng Shuangyin was indeed very attentive to Lu Zhao’an. But that night when the corpse evil appeared, perhaps because she was watching Lu Zhao’an’s every move so carefully, she noticed his true character was lacking. She’s a clever person – she must have pondered over that night’s events extensively. After thinking it through these past days, she’s likely wavered in her decision. But in Lu Zhao’an’s view, Sister has interacted with Zheng Shuangyin several times. A person like him won’t reflect on his conduct – he’ll only suspect Sister of speaking ill of him to Zheng Shuangyin. If he redirects his anger toward Sister, he’ll surely act hastily.”

“Is that why you want Sister to stay at the manor?”

Teng Yuyi admitted, “With the court reopening the Yunyin Academy, one thing leads to another. The Zheng family, trying to gauge the Emperor’s intentions, might make unexpected moves at this critical moment. Lu Zhao’an, fearing Zheng Shuangyin might participate in the imperial family’s mate selection, will certainly want to finalize this marriage soon. Young Master Hu’s illness came about suspiciously – I’m worried he might use similar methods against Sister.”

Du Shaotang puffed up his thin chest, “Cousin Yu, don’t worry. I’m older now – I won’t let that villain harm Sister.”

Du Tinglan frowned slightly, “You’re still young. Don’t meddle in these affairs.”

Knowing that her aunt and cousin were accustomed to sheltering Shaotang under their wings, never letting him face any hardships, Teng Yuyi quickly said, “Sister, Shaotang isn’t little anymore. As the Du family’s eldest son, it’s time he learned to shoulder responsibilities. Let him experience a few challenges – perhaps it will help him overcome his crying habit. Here, Shaotang, take this.”

“What is this?” Shaotang blushed as he accepted the worn brush Teng Yuyi handed him.

“It’s a magical tool from Dongming Temple, effective against evil spirits. Remember to carry it with you when you visit Hu Jizhen tomorrow. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have Huo Qiu accompany you. When I can’t move about freely, you can help keep an eye on Lin Chengyou and Lu Zhao’an’s activities.”

“Huo Qiu?” Du Shaotang’s eyes lit up. “Is he that highly skilled martial brother?”

Teng Yuyi smiled, “From now on, you can instruct him to do whatever you need, but remember he’s just a guard. He neither knows right from wrong nor can make decisions for you. You must learn to plan comprehensively and think things through carefully before speaking.”

Du Shaotang joyfully leaped down from the steps, “I understand! Don’t worry, Cousin Yu.”

Du Tinglan gazed thoughtfully at her brother’s carefree figure disappearing like the wind, remaining silent for a long while.

At this moment, Madam Du emerged from the room. Just as she was about to scold her son to “be more steady,” Du Tinglan rose and took her mother’s arm, “Mother, leave him be. He’s grown now and knows his limits.”

These days, Teng Shao had been busy transporting military provisions and hadn’t returned to the manor. After the Du mother and son finished their meal, they left, but Du Tinglan stayed behind.

After bathing, the sisters had Bi Luo and Spring Velvet help dry their hair with towels.

Bi Luo noticed the small golden bell on Teng Yuyi’s wrist and couldn’t help asking, “Miss, didn’t you say you were going to return this bell to Qingyun Temple? It’s been quite sometime now – have you found a way to remove it yet?”

Du Tinglan started, “This is a Qingyun Temple artifact? I thought it was new jewelry.”

Teng Yuyi mumbled vaguely, “It was placed on me as a warning device when catching the corpse evil last time. Somehow it couldn’t be removed afterward, so it’s temporarily staying with me.”

Du Tinglan disliked prying and nodded without further comment.

The sisters changed into their sleeping robes – one reading by lamplight while the other went to the adjacent study to name the little red horse.

A censer of pear blossom incense burned beneath the window, its ethereal fragrance gradually dispersing. The soft light from the ram’s horn lamp casts down, draping everything in the room with a layer of faint golden gauze.

After tidying the powder room, Spring Velvet and the others took fragrant cakes to perfume Teng Yuyi’s items. From handkerchiefs to socks, each item was scented with roses – one whiff would identify it as belonging to Teng Yuyi.

Du Tinglan looked up, “Spring Velvet, find me that handkerchief of Yuyi’s with the lotus embroidery. Aunt Gui said she admired the needlework and asked me to borrow it for her to examine.”

Teng Yuyi had just returned from the study and paused at these words.

Spring Velvet smiled wryly, “That handkerchief has long been lost.”

Du Tinglan asked surprised, “Sister saw you using it just days ago – when did you lose it?”

“It was lost during those days at Caifeng Tower. That place was crowded with all sorts of people, and it was gone when we returned.”

Teng Yuyi walked into the room, feigning composure. That handkerchief had first been used to wipe the corpse evil’s blood from Lin Chengyou’s neck with her saliva, then taken by Lin Chengyou to bind the bird-beaked golden-robed young master. It was probably discarded in some corner of Caifeng Tower and had now turned to mud.

It was quite regrettable – the handkerchief had been made by a famous embroiderer from Jiangnan, with extraordinary patterns and stitching. No wonder Sister had noticed it.

“There are so many handkerchiefs and several with similar stitching. Just pick anyone for Sister. Sister, I’m tired – I’m going to bed first.” Fearing Du Tinglan would continue questioning, she yawned and walked toward the bed.

Du Tinglan asked, “Have you chosen a name for your horse?”

Teng Yuyi replied with a serious expression, “My mind is too muddled right now to think of a good name. It’s my precious one – I can’t be careless about it. I plan to sleep well and try again tomorrow.”

Du Tinglan couldn’t help but laugh.

Just as Teng Yuyi was about to lie down, Bi Luo came in saying Elder Cheng had arrived.

Teng Yuyi hurriedly put on her outer clothes and went out.

Du Tinglan read for a while, vaguely hearing conversation outside, unsure what Elder Cheng had come to report as Teng Yuyi hadn’t returned for some time.

Feeling somewhat uneasy, she changed clothes and walked to the outer room, where she saw Elder Cheng and Teng Yuyi standing by the round table talking.

Several objects lay on the table, rare and precious things that filled the room with their splendor.

“These are the finest items from the manor’s storehouse, Miss. If you still find them unsuitable, this old servant can only search for more, though precious objects aren’t easily found – I fear Miss might not want to wait.”

Elder Cheng turned and noticed Du Tinglan, quickly saying, “Miss Du.”

Du Tinglan approached, “Are these for gifts?”

Teng Yuyi nodded with furrowed brows, clearly dissatisfied with the items on the table.

Du Tinglan was quite surprised – even just that seven-jeweled partridge pillow was extraordinary, why was Yuyi still worried? Suddenly remembering what her sister had said yesterday, she realized, “Is this for Prince Tun’an?”

Elder Cheng said, “The gift for Prince Tun’an has already been prepared. His Highness loves tea – sending anything else might not be accepted. This old servant has prepared several canisters of freshly picked superior Lingxi tea, which will be delivered to the Du residence tomorrow.”

Du Tinglan was taken aback. This time it was Father who had approached Prince Tun’an to request the bath decoction, so naturally, only Father could offer thanks to Prince Tun’an under this pretense.

She recalled how Father had specially prepared two generous gifts to thank Lin Chengyou for the Six Elements Pills – one sent to Qingyun Temple and one to Prince Tun’an’s residence. While the Prince hadn’t accepted the gift, he had at least personally received Father. As for Lin Chengyou’s side, he had neither accepted the gift nor allowed Father inside.

Father was thin-skinned, and after being repeatedly rebuffed, he didn’t dare visit Qingyun Temple again.

She looked at the canisters of tea on the table and nodded in admiration. Yuyi’s approach was quite different from Father’s – she either didn’t give gifts at all, or she knew exactly how to touch people’s hearts.

“The gifts have been chosen, so why are you still worried?”

“There’s still one person’s gift I haven’t properly selected.”

“Who?”

“The Crown Prince of Prince Cheng.”

Teng Yuyi didn’t dare mention that Xiaoai had ultimately used Lin Chengyou’s bath decoction, only saying, “If not for Lin Chengyou helping to eliminate the demon at Caifeng Tower, I would have likely lost my life to the corpse evil. Last time, Father instructed Elder Cheng to prepare generous gifts for a personal thank you, but it was delayed due to the Imperial Father-in-law’s birthday celebration. Tonight Elder Cheng has prepared the items, but Sister, you know that Lin Chengyou might not appreciate ordinary things. If we send practical items, we don’t know his preferences.”

Teng Yuyi sighed.

Du Tinglan suddenly understood why her sister had been muttering about gifts yesterday. She quickly offered suggestions: “Surely sending wine wouldn’t be wrong? Why not send some of the famous southern wines you brought from Yangzhou?”

Teng Yuyi shook her head: “The Stone Frozen Spring wine I usually drink is also available in the palace.”

Du Tinglan thought for a moment: “All noble young men in the capital love polo – why not send some riding equipment?”

Teng Yuyi’s eyes brightened slightly: “Elder Cheng, does the manor have any superior saddles?”

Elder Cheng smiled wryly: “The manor currently has only two superior saddles. One is inlaid with agate and gold jade – precious enough, but not rare, as at least three nobles in Chang’an use such saddles. The other is covered in pearls, suitable only for ladies.”

Teng Yuyi frowned deeply: “It seems we’ll have to look at the horse tack shops…”

Elder Cheng suddenly paused: “There is one item that might work, though it’s somewhat troublesome.”

Teng Yuyi and Du Tinglan exchanged glances: “What do you mean?”

Elder Cheng went to the storehouse and brought back the item. One look and they understood. It was a large piece of rare purple jade, colored like agate with a faint reddish luster.

“This was bestowed by His Majesty when the Master repelled the Tibetans. The Master intended to make it into a saddle but felt it would be too extravagant, so he had this old servant store it away. It’s never been used since.”

Teng Yuyi and Du Tinglan circled the table, marveling at the jade. It was of excellent quality, and remarkably, its shape and size were perfect for a saddle. While white jade was common, purple jade was rare – a piece this large was exceptionally scarce.

Teng Yuyi stopped to think, vaguely recalling that Lin Chengyou rode a white horse. A white horse with a purple jade saddle would be quite distinctive.

“This is it!” Teng Yuyi decided firmly. “Find a skilled craftsman, have it made and delivered within three days. The purple jade is beautiful enough on its own – no need to add gaudy coral or agate decorations.”

Elder Cheng smiled and said: “Even the best craftsman would need ten to fifteen days. I hear the Crown Prince’s birthday is next month – as long as we deliver it before then, we’ll be in time.”

Teng Yuyi waved her hand: “This gift is just to repay a favor – let’s not get involved in Lin Chengyou’s birthday celebrations. Elder Cheng, go find Chang’an’s finest craftsman tomorrow morning and have it made as soon as possible.”

After arranging the gifts, the sisters returned to their room to rest.

In the middle of the night, Teng Yuyi was suddenly awakened by a strange sound. She was extremely drowsy, sinking into the bedding and struggling to wake up. When she realized it was the bell on her wrist ringing, her eyes snapped open.

“Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling…” The bells were lazy, their collisions not fierce, but the previous experience was deeply etched in Teng Yuyi’s heart, so it immediately woke her.

Her heart pounded – the Mysterious Sound Bell wouldn’t warn without cause. It seemed evil had arrived. In her panic, she lifted the bed curtain. Outside the sleeping chamber window, the moonlight was cold and clear, appearing no different from usual.

The bell suddenly rang again, and Teng Yuyi turned around fearfully to see her sister’s brows slightly furrowed, apparently about to be awakened by the bell sound.

She didn’t know if the evil spirit was coming for her or her sister, but based on experience, it was probably after her. Sister didn’t understand the Dao arts – she shouldn’t be dragged into this.

Teng Yuyi quietly retrieved the Xiaoai sword from under her pillow. At least the bell wasn’t ringing violently. She reassured herself that it probably wasn’t anything major. With both Xiaoai and the talisman given to her by Jue Sheng Qi Zhi last time, she could probably drive it away quickly.

The sword blade was slightly hot, showing that Xiaoai had also sensed something. She held her breath as she crossed the bed, put on a cloak, and stood by the bedside looking around. The bamboo shadows wavered on the window screen, and though the night wind was strong, the courtyard seemed covered by a curtain, without a sound.

Could this entity be particularly powerful? Teng Yuyi hesitated. Suddenly feeling the bell in her palm rolling more and more fiercely, about to break free from her grip, she bit her lip, steeled herself, and walked to the door. Opening it, she immediately shivered – it was as cold as winter outside.

Her chest pounding wildly, she regretted wearing only a thin cloak. While gripping the sword and focusing on discerning the courtyard scene, she called out for people.

At that moment, a strong smell of blood wafted in on the wind, and a small figure ran quickly past the railing. Before Teng Yuyi could see what it was, the dark shadow suddenly rushed toward her.

In the emergency, Teng Yuyi thrust forward with her sword, and the thing instantly vanished. Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, a chaotic series of footsteps sounded at her side. She turned to look and drew in a sharp breath of cold air in fright.

***

Lin Chengyou stayed in the palace until the evening before leaving, accompanied by Prince Tun’an and the Crown Prince.

The three were laughing and talking as they left the palace when they encountered Gu Xian at Jianfu Gate. Gu Xian, leading a group of attendants, was about to return to the guest quarters at the Court of State Ceremonial.

Learning that the three were heading to Prince Cheng’s mansion, Gu Xian said, “An elder statesman from Nanzhao has come to the capital with tribute gifts and brought me some fine wine. Tonight, I’ll host and invite Your Highnesses to sample our Nanzhao wine.”

The Crown Prince said, “Excellent.”

Prince Tun’an spoke up: “It’s getting late, and your Court is too far. Why not make some noise at Big Brother’s place instead?”

Lin Chengyou smiled: “That’s exactly what I was hoping for. My residence has only me – I was just thinking it too quiet. Let’s go then.”

When they passed the Court of Judicial Review, Lin Chengyou dismounted.

The three looked at him from their horses: “What are you doing?”

“I’m going in to inquire about a case. Uncle, you all head back to the mansion first – I’ll come shortly.”

Lin Chengyou was preoccupied with the story Chen Er’niang had told and went straight inside.

That night, Chief Judge Yan was on duty and seemed surprised to see Lin Chengyou: “Inspector Lin, why so late?”

Lin Chengyou related the strange case from Tong Prefecture.

Chief Judge Yan was startled: “Haven’t heard of it. Your Highness, where did you hear about this case?”

Lin Chengyou was somewhat puzzled – could Miss Chen have remembered wrong?

He looked up at the bookshelf, where case files submitted from various prefectures were stored. Usually, only unsolvable or bizarre cases that couldn’t be resolved locally would be submitted to the Court of Judicial Review.

Perhaps the case occurred somewhere other than Tong Prefecture.

“Have there been any cases of pregnant women dying violently in other prefectures recently?” Lin Chengyou’s gaze wandered over the shelves.

Chief Judge Yan shook his head: “I’ve transcribed all the unusual cases submitted from various regions in the past three months and haven’t seen such a strange case. Inspector Lin, while cutting open a belly to take a fetus is cruel, if the victims were only that couple, it wouldn’t be considered a major case. The local prefecture, fearing a reputation for incompetent governance, might not have submitted it.”

Lin Chengyou casually took down a case file, thought for a moment, then closed it and smiled: “Never mind, perhaps it’s just a rumor. I’ll inquire at the inns where Tong Prefecture people gather later. I won’t disturb Brother Yan’s work tonight – I’ll take my leave.”

As he left the Court of Judicial Review, he called Kuan Nu forward: “I had you verify Hu Jizhen’s whereabouts before the incident – have you checked everything these past few days?”

Kuan Nu handed the horsewhip to Lin Chengyou and answered promptly: “On the twentieth of March, there were no classes at the Imperial Academy. Hu Jizhen left home at dawn, joining three friends to view peach blossoms at Ci’en Temple. They had a vegetarian meal at the temple at noon.

“They left the temple at the beginning of the eighth hour. Hu Jizhen was still with his three friends, and the four walked together until they parted ways at Liquan Ward, around the end of the eighth hour. Liquan Ward is only one street away from Yining Ward, and Hu Jizhen was on horseback – if he had gone straight home, it would have taken less than the time an incense stick burns to reach home. But Hu Jizhen didn’t return to the Hu residence until the end of the ninth hour, and he fell ill immediately upon return, remaining unconscious since then.”

Lin Chengyou said: “I already know this. From parting with his three friends at the end of the eighth hour until returning home at the end of the ninth hour, Hu Jizhen’s whereabouts were unknown for a full two hours. I asked you to find out if Hu Jizhen had mentioned wanting to meet Lu Zhao’an recently – have you learned anything?”

“The Hu household servants never heard the young master mention Lu Zhao’an, but those few friends had heard him mention Lu several times. Once was when the examination results were posted – Young Master Hu discussed Lu Zhao’an’s poetry with his friends, speaking highly of it, and even said he wanted to pay his respects to Scholar Lu. But suddenly he stopped mentioning it. Even when occasionally seeing Lu Zhao’an at poetry gatherings, Young Master Hu never went forward to greet him. His friends found it strange, as Hu Jizhen was most humble and steady – such discourtesy was rare for him.”

Lin Chengyou smiled sardonically. Hu Jizhen was a straightforward person – once he felt disgusted, he naturally couldn’t maintain a respectful appearance.

He said: “Lu Zhao’an currently rents an old residence in Puning Ward. On the day of the incident, Lu Zhao’an claimed he was attending a banquet at the Duke of Ying’s mansion in Xixiang Ward. Both Puning Ward and Xixiang Ward are only one main street away from Yining Ward. With many people at the banquet, if Lu Zhao’an left midway to meet Hu Jizhen, he could have returned quickly. You’ve been watching Lu Zhao’an these days – did you see him leave the Duke of Ying’s mansion during the banquet?”

Kuan Nu: “That day we had people watching both the front and back gates of the Duke’s mansion, but the Duke developed some strange habits during his years of military campaigns, digging many secret doors in the garden for people to come and go. It wasn’t difficult for guests to leave the mansion unnoticed. Unless we surrounded the entire Duke’s mansion, we couldn’t watch every corner. We feared being noticed by the Duke’s people, so—”

“So you don’t know?”

Kuan Nu hurriedly said: “The Duke’s household has servants specifically watching the secret doors – if anyone opens them, the Duke’s household would know. I’ve already approached the Duke’s steward – we’ll have news tomorrow.”

Lin Chengyou mounted his horse: “That’s more like it.”

Kuan Nu looked serious: “Your Highness, you’ve visited Young Master Hu – was he struck by evil or poisoned? To me, it seems like he was frightened into illness.”

Lin Chengyou frowned: “Missing one hun and one po soul – even if he wakes, he’ll be like an idiot.”

Kuan Nu was stunned: “Isn’t that just like the Duke of An’s wife who was possessed by the tree demon?”

The Duke of An’s wife had been possessed by the tree demon for too long and shouldn’t have survived, but somehow the Crown Prince had found a way to preserve her life. Though she woke up, her mind never recovered – she remained in a daze, not recognizing even her closest family. Even so, the Duke of An was overjoyed.

“This time, Young Master Hu is only fourteen years old. I heard his studies were excellent – if he becomes an idiot, it’s truly lamentable.”

Lin Chengyou held the reins, deep in thought.

Precisely because the Duke of An’s wife had lost her mind, many mysteries remained in the tree demon case. If Hu Jizhen also couldn’t wake up, this matter similarly couldn’t be investigated further. Though the two cases seemed completely unrelated, the way their trails went cold was too similar.

“By the way, Your Highness,” Kuan Nu continued, “I’ve confirmed that another group watching Lu Zhao’an is from the Teng manor. Their steward is quite skilled – they recruited unfamiliar faces with no apparent connection to the Teng manor, so even we couldn’t initially confirm their identities.”

Lin Chengyou wasn’t surprised at all. Teng Yuyi had deep feelings for her aunt’s family – with Lu Zhao’an treating Miss Du that way, it would be strange if Teng Yuyi didn’t take action against him.

“I see. Leave her be – let them watch if they want.”

Kuan Nu was startled: “This—”

Aren’t you worried the Teng Manor’s people will interfere with our work?

But Lin Chengyou had already changed the subject: “Has there been any movement from E Ji these days?”

Kuan Nu said: “Since Caifeng Tower closed, E Ji moved to an old residence in the Northern District. All her courtesans have been redeemed. She has no business to run and has been quite idle these days – either visiting her old sisters or riding a donkey to browse the slave traders in the Western Market. Every time she sees beautiful foreign women, she always asks their price, as if planning to buy some girls to resume her old trade.”

Lin Chengyou smiled – it sounded quite unsuspicious.

“Has she contacted anyone else?”

“No.”

Lin Chengyou nodded: “Don’t let your guard down. This woman may not be as simple as she appears. Watch her closely – don’t let anything go wrong.”

“Yes.”

***

Hearing that the Crown Prince and others were coming for a meal, Prince Cheng’s mansion had already laid out a sumptuous feast.

Lin Chengyou sat down and had a cup of wine when Gu Xian asked him: “I’ve been meaning to ask you – what was that about the horse today?”

Lin Chengyou feigned ignorance: “What horse?”

Gu Xian: “I may not know about other horses, but I’ve seen that crimson stallion. That horse is untameable – how would it show favor to a strange young lady it just met?”

Lin Chengyou: “I’m curious too – shall we find a chance to ask it someday?”

Gu Xian: “Let me guess – did you have it recognize some object? The horse liked that object, which is why it suddenly accepted a master?”

Lin Chengyou laughed: “Where would I get such an object? Besides, these horses were gifts from Aunt to others – why would I help them gain the horse’s acceptance?”

The Crown Prince was a considerate person and hurried to help: “Gu Xian, I have to speak up for Big Brother here. These are both rare fine horses – it doesn’t matter who receives them. Besides, Big Brother doesn’t know those young ladies – how could he have manipulated anything?”

Prince Tun’an just smiled without speaking.

Gu Xian said embarrassedly: “I was rash – offending Your Highness is a small matter, but offending those young ladies is serious. I’ll first punish myself with three cups.”

Lin Chengyou said “Wait” and insisted on having the largest wine cup brought: “You think you can get away with that? If there’s punishment, use this.” Gu Xian naturally refused to drink, but how could Lin Chengyou let it go? As the two were arguing, someone arrived from the palace.

The Empress had sent various rare delicacies.

“These are newly offered tributes from various regions. His Majesty and Her Majesty said that since Your Highness lives alone in the mansion, you might not pay attention to your meals. They specially selected the best items to send over and asked the household to carefully arrange Your Highness’s three daily meals. His Majesty also instructed: no matter how busy the Court of Judicial Review is, you must not skip or miss meals,” the palace servant said in a soft voice.

Lin Chengyou smiled and acknowledged.

The elderly palace servant added: “Her Highness asks Your Highness to send the Snow Lotus Pills to the palace soon – she wants to keep them to reward Miss Li.”

Lin Chengyou was startled – he had almost forgotten about this. If he hadn’t helped Teng Yuyi with that little red horse last night, he wouldn’t have needed to add another bottle of Snow Lotus Pills. These were still locked in Master’s treasure chest – looks like he’d have to pick the lock again.

“Your nephew understands.”

The elderly palace servant said to Prince Tun’an: “His Majesty says Your Highness’s calligraphy is unmatched in the world. Now that the academy has a new name, he wishes to request Your Highness write the inscription tablet when you have time. If Your Highness is free tomorrow, please visit the palace.”

Prince Tun’an rose and said: “Please tell Royal Brother not to worry.”

The servant then said softly to the Crown Prince: “Her Majesty has questions for Your Highness and asks you to return to the palace early.”

The Crown Prince smiled wryly: “I understand.”

Just as Lin Chengyou and the others thought the Crown Prince’s expression was strange, they heard the servant say: “Her Highness the Empress also has a message for Your Highness: ‘While you’ve just returned from Le Dao Mountain Villa, your aunt has a question to ask while it’s fresh: you’re grown now – among all the young ladies you met at Le De Mountain Villa, were there any you favored? If there are, tell your uncle and aunt soon.'”

Now it was the Crown Prince and others’ turn to hold back their laughter. Lin Chengyou was stunned momentarily, then smiled: “Why is Aunt suddenly asking this – can I not answer?”

The servant smiled: “Her Highness the Empress is waiting for this servant’s reply.”

“None.”

Servant: “Not even one?”

Lin Chengyou said decisively: “Not even one.”

The servant sighed and withdrew with a bow.

After the servant left, there was silence at the table. Lin Chengyou met the gazes of the three and asked curiously: “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Gu Xian coughed: “At Yu Su Stream this time, though I was busy selecting fine horses, I heard people say there were many talented and beautiful young ladies at the birthday banquet. Even our Nanzhao elders couldn’t help but compose some sentimental poems about ‘all of heaven’s beauty gathered today’ – Your Highness, you truly didn’t fancy anyone?”

Lin Chengyou said: “If I liked someone, would I need to hide it? Rather, you keep asking about this tonight – surely you haven’t taken a fancy to someone? Tell me honestly – I can ask Aunt to help arrange a marriage for you.”

Gu Xian almost choked on his wine and quickly waved his hands: “Enough, enough – I can’t argue with you. Let me warn you though – sooner or later you’ll find a young lady you admire. I’d like to see what kind of young lady could make you completely submissive.”

Lin Chengyou poured Gu Xian a cup of wine: “You don’t need to wait and see – I can tell you right now: completely submissive? That’s impossible in this lifetime.”

The Crown Prince and Prince Tun’an secretly sighed. Big Brother had been afflicted by poison in his youth, and the toxin still lingered in his body. Tonight’s words, besides being joking, also carried self-mockery. Simply put, the elders’ concern about Big Brother’s marriage was more about his health – everyone secretly hoped the poison would lessen and Big Brother might someday meet a lady he fancied.

Otherwise, with Big Brother’s personality, he would rather remain lonely for life than marry a woman he didn’t like.

The drinking continued until midnight. When they dispersed, all four were somewhat drunk. After seeing off the Crown Prince and others, Lin Chengyou returned to his room and ordered hot water for bathing. Lifting the cloth to look, the wound had almost completely healed.

As he fell onto his bed, he thought that the foreign medicine Teng Yuyi had given him was indeed effective – considering the medicine’s quality, it wasn’t a complete waste that he had gone to such lengths to help her get that little red horse.

Now they were thoroughly even – as long as she returned that string of Mysterious Sound Bells, they would have no more connection in the future.

He closed his eyes but opened them again shortly.

That night, if not for Teng Yuyi’s subtle hint, Du Tinglan probably wouldn’t have thought of the name “Fragrant Elephant.”

Was Teng Yuyi’s cleverness inherited from her parents?

He’d heard Teng Yuyi’s mother passed away when she was five – who taught her to read and write?

Suddenly he thought again – that horse wasn’t easy to tame. Had Teng Yuyi ever ridden horses in Yangzhou? She only knew the horse was beautiful – had she considered how to tame it?

Hah, what was it to him? At worst she’d fall a few times – with her wild personality, she’d surely figure out a way.

He closed his eyes again and soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, he was suddenly awakened by knocking.

“Your Highness—”

It was Kuan Nu’s voice.

“What is it?” Lin Chengyou was too drowsy to open his eyes.

“A house in Jincheng Ward is haunted – they request Your Highness to come eliminate the spirit.”

“Jincheng Ward?” Lin Chengyou had previously ordered that whenever someone came seeking help at night, the servants must not stop them. “What house, and why did they come to me?”

“It’s a nunnery. The abbess tried to drive it away herself for several days, but the ghost kept causing trouble in the nunnery. The nuns had no choice but to come ask Your Highness for help.”

Seems it’s just a minor ghost. Lin Chengyou said with his eyes closed: “Jincheng Ward is right next to Dongming Temple – why come all the way here?”

“That I don’t know.”

“Tell them to find the Five Daoist Masters at Dongming Temple.”

“But—”

Lin Chengyou casually felt for a gold ingot and tossed it out: “So noisy. Give this to the Five Masters and have them handle it – if it’s not enough, we can add more.”

The gold ingot flew through the window. Kuan Nu dared not say more and responded with a “Yes,” carefully carrying the gold ingot away.

Lin Chengyou turned over and quickly fell asleep again, only to be awakened shortly after. He frowned deeply – he could finally get a peaceful sleep, why these endless disturbances?

However, his consciousness quickly told him that the disturbing sound came from the Response Stone in the front of his sleeping robe – it was ringing like a bell, urgent and fierce.

His heart jumped violently. Without thinking, he leaped out of bed, grabbed an outer robe, and ran out while tying his jade belt.

Running outside, he suddenly felt cold under his feet. Standing at the door, he looked down and realized he was still barefoot, so he had to rush back to the bedside to put on boots.

He stopped at the steps outside his room and looked up at the deep vault of the sky, drew out his silver chain, and leaped onto the eaves.