Lin Chengyou silently cursed Wu Yuanluo. Just as he was about to respond, he suddenly paused. Strange – why had no one questioned Wu Yuanluo’s nonsense tonight?

From the night of his birthday until tonight, only twelve days had passed. During this time, he had only mentioned the matter of Teng Yu’yi and the ineffective Heartbreak Poison to his Master and his Aunt. Even the Imperial Uncle and Crown Prince were kept in the dark.

How was it that after such a short time, everyone seemed to know he could have feelings for the young lady?

Something wasn’t right.

His Master would never broadcast such matters, and his Aunt wouldn’t dare show any interest in Teng Yu’yi in public.

So someone else had spread the news?

Such palace rumors would spread through the city like willow catkins in spring. After fermenting for these days, they had likely passed through countless mouths and ears. That’s why tonight, when they heard he had feelings for a certain young lady, no one expressed doubt.

The leak could only have come from two places: Qingyun Temple or the palace.

Qingyun Temple only had his Master and junior disciple, so it must have been the palace.

Lin Chengyou took a calm sip of tea. He recalled how Teng Yu’yi had once used Little Yai to warn that someone would harm him in the future. He hadn’t taken it seriously then, but now it seemed that person might not be in the “military camp three years later” at all, but had been by his side all along.

Should he pretend ignorance and wait for the person to reveal more, or follow the clues and root them out immediately?

If he were to investigate, rumors were notoriously difficult to trace. After so many days, finding the source would be challenging. The perpetrator must have counted on this, hence their brazenness.

More interesting was Wu Yuanluo’s reaction.

Wu Yuanluo had been known as a prodigy since childhood, supposedly unmatched in both wit and poetry. Was linking his second sister to him merely an attempt to provoke?

The Wu siblings’ father was Wu Ruyun, Deputy Censor-in-Chief and Chancellor of the Secretariat-Chancellery, one of the state’s most important ministers. Currently, he was the only Prime Minister who could rival Chief Minister Deng Zhiyao and Minister Zheng.

These old foxes were constantly fighting in court, never peaceful over the years.

If he remembered correctly, during recent discussions about the Crown Princess candidates, Chief Minister Deng had first presented his granddaughter to his uncle.

Wu Ruyun, unwilling to be outdone, immediately praised his second daughter to the heavens.

Naturally, his uncle maintained his usual balanced approach and added both ladies’ names to the list.

Wasn’t Wu Yuanluo concerned that tonight’s performance might ruin his sister’s chances of becoming Crown Princess?

Ah, right.

Wu Yuanluo had an elder sister, Wu Xiang.

Wu Xiang had been betrothed to Minister Zheng’s eldest son, Zheng Yanrang, since childhood, back when Chancellor Wu was just a Director in the Ministry of Personnel. Recently, when the two families were about to formally exchange betrothal gifts, Zheng Yanrang became involved with Miss Duan Qingying of the Duan family. Miss Duan was pregnant and refused to terminate the pregnancy, so naturally, Zheng Yanrang dared not marry Wu Xiang.

This matter had almost caused an irreparable rift between Minister Zheng and Chancellor Wu.

So the Wu family planned to have Wu Xiang compete for the position of Crown Princess instead?

It was said this eldest Miss Wu surpassed her sister in both talent and beauty. Only because of her early betrothal had the Wu family been forced to put forward their second daughter. Now that the engagement was broken due to the Zheng family’s transgression, the Wu family would naturally reconsider the elder daughter to ensure victory.

If Wu Xiang were chosen, Minister Zheng and his son would be the first to lose face, allowing the Wu family to exact their revenge.

Once Wu Ruyun became the future Imperial Father-in-law, his prestige in court would gradually surpass that of Minister Zheng and his numerous protégés.

However, there was no precedent for sisters competing simultaneously for the position of Crown Princess. With the elder daughter settled, the Wu family might arrange a comparable match for the younger daughter as compensation.

It seemed the Wu family intended to pair Wu Xiang with him.

Heh, worthy of Wu Yuanluo – likely aware of his family’s plans, he cleverly used the previous incident to outmaneuver him.

To dare provoke him with such matters, this boy must be tired of living.

“Look at him,” the Crown Prince spoke up. “Recently he keeps spacing out. Whenever we speak to him, don’t expect an immediate response. Isn’t this what they call lovesickness?”

Gu Xian asked, “You haven’t taken a fancy to Second Miss Wu, have you?”

Lin Chengyou had made up his mind internally. He sighed, “With my poison mark unresolved, how could I fancy anyone’s daughter? I was simply trying to help, yet Wu Yuanluo created such a misunderstanding.”

Duke Chun’an gave Lin Chengyou a meaningful look but remained silent.

“Not resolved?” The Crown Prince expressed disbelief. Rising, he walked behind Lin Chengyou to look, then sat back down disappointedly. “Uncle and I were quite pleased when we heard the news. Brother, don’t worry. Now that Master has returned, perhaps he’ll find a solution.”

Knowing the Crown Prince’s honest nature, Lin Chengyou couldn’t bear to let him worry. He quickly gave the Crown Prince a meaningful look, thinking: Qi’er, I’ll explain to you later.

Gu Xian asked curiously, “Does the poison prevent you from having feelings? Young Master, have you never felt anything unusual for a young lady? For instance, your heart stirring when you see her, missing her after days apart, feeling jealous seeing her with other young men, constantly wondering what she’s doing?”

All true, Lin Chengyou thought inwardly, then suddenly smiled, “I wouldn’t know about that. But it seems the Crown Prince of Nanzhao finally has someone in his heart. How about it, is Nanzhao preparing to select a Crown Princess?”

Gu Xian paused, then smiled faintly while changing the subject: “I heard there’s hunting and polo tomorrow. Does your head still hurt? Can you come? It won’t be as fun without you.”

“I’ll come.” How could Lin Chengyou miss Gu Xian’s intentional topic change? Could it be that Gu Xian had someone in his heart? He needed to deal with Wu Yuanluo first so couldn’t admit it, but what did Gu Xian have to worry about?

Duke Chun’an seemed to recall something: “Oh right, two months ago, Azhi secretly asked me for a favor. She inquired if I had any retainers from Yangzhou and asked me to send them back home to investigate your little benefactor. I guessed the child wanted to give her brother a surprise, so I agreed. Recently, these retainers have been returning one after another. I’ve copied down all the information they gathered but haven’t shown it to Azhi yet. Take a look first and see if anyone matches.”

Lin Chengyou was stunned. These past two months, due to frequent strange occurrences in Chang’an, he had almost set this matter aside. If not for that little girl saving him back then, he would have met with disaster. Mindful of this life-saving grace, he had never given up searching for her whereabouts over the years.

The Crown Prince looked at the neat, clear handwriting in the record book and nodded with a smile: “Uncle has always cared most about Azhi and Brother’s matters.”

Lin Chengyou accepted the book, smiling, “I won’t bother thanking Uncle then.”

Duke Chun’an replied indifferently: “I wasn’t trying to help you, I just couldn’t refuse Azhi’s request.”

“Yes, Uncle merely taught us siblings some music, taught Azhi some writing, and couldn’t be bothered with us juniors’ affairs.”

The Crown Prince explained to Gu Xian with a smile: “Don’t find it strange. Though uncle and nephew bicker, their relationship is very good. Uncle’s musical knowledge is unparalleled in the world – Brother and his siblings’ skills in zither and flute were all personally taught by Uncle.”

Gu Xian raised his cup: “Speaking of music, when I first came to Chang’an, I was fortunate to hear Your Grace and Young Master perform ‘Thoughts of Home’ together. It was my first time appreciating the breadth and depth of Central Plains music. However, I developed a bad habit afterward – whenever I hear others playing zither and flute together, they sound discordant. I wonder when I might have the fortune to hear you two perform together again.”

Lin Chengyou replied: “You’re too kind. We were just busy recently. Now that we’re all on the mountain tonight, this is simple enough. I happen to have my jade flute with me. If Uncle is amenable, we can ask someone to bring Uncle’s zither.”

Duke Chun’an set down his teacup and turned to instruct the palace servant: “Go fetch it.”

Gu Xian was naturally delighted and surprised. While waiting for the servant to bring the zither, Lin Chengyou flipped through the record book. It listed over thirty ladies from Yangzhou who had visited Chang’an in earlier years. However, looking through them one by one, they were either too old or too young – none matched.

***

Early the next morning, a palace servant came to Xiangluan Pavilion to deliver an imperial edict.

The Empress would receive the young ladies at Jinglan Pavilion in the back mountain. Forty seats were prepared inside, and the young ladies were to be seated in order of arrival. The Empress would arrive around the Hour of the Dragon, and none of the young ladies should be late.

Once this edict was delivered, Xiangluan Pavilion immediately burst into chaos, everyone busy with makeup and changing clothes, afraid that arriving late would displease the Empress.

Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan finished preparing and came out, coincidentally meeting Li Huaigu and others in the corridor. Li Huaigu’s face was radiant as peach blossoms, her complexion much better than the previous days. Seeing Teng Yu’yi’s preoccupied expression, her smile grew even more serene.

Even the Peng sisters noticed this: “Third Miss Li, did you hear something amusing? Tell us too.”

“Yes, you look much better than during those days at Dayin Temple.”

Li Huaigu exclaimed in surprise: “Really? Perhaps it’s because I slept so well last night. The air on Mount Li is fresh and clean; I’ve felt much more at ease since coming up the mountain.”

Wu Qi quietly pulled Teng Yu’yi aside: “I was wrong about yesterday. My brother said he wanted to meet you, and I thought since we were surrounded by people, a brief meeting wouldn’t be improper, so I – I agreed to help him. I regretted it for half the night after returning. Yu’yi, don’t be angry. I was confused for a moment; I’ll never help my brother do such things again.”

Her face was full of shame as if she wished she could burrow into the ground.

Teng Yu’yi’s face held a smile, her eyes bright and clear as spring water.

“Just explain it to me clearly, I won’t hold it against you. If I had a brother, I might have agreed to help too. Just this once – next time, I really will be upset.”

Wu Qi’s expression lightened. Holding Teng Yu’yi and confirming she wasn’t angry, she apologetically said, “I promise there won’t be a next time.”

Someone looked back and teased Wu Qi: “I heard you twisted your ankle yesterday, and the Crown Prince of Cheng was so anxious he went to fetch Imperial Physician Yu?”

Teng Yu’yi and Du Tinglan were both startled – they were present yesterday, but that wasn’t how it happened.

Wu Qi was dumbfounded: “Nonsense. Last night the Crown Prince of Cheng just happened to pass by and called for the Imperial Physician because of my brother’s face. He left without saying another word. Don’t spread rumors – besides, have you forgotten? The Crown Prince of Cheng is afflicted with the Heartbreak Poison. He can’t just fancy whoever he wants.”

Taking Zheng Shuangyin’s arm beside her, she whispered with a snicker: “Look at these people, daring to spread such talk. Even if yesterday wasn’t just a misunderstanding, I could never marry any of these royal princes. In the future, I want to find a husband who listens to me in everything.”

Jinglan Pavilion was halfway up the back mountain, requiring passage through several palaces and gardens to reach. Palace servants led the way. Just as they passed through a bamboo grove, they encountered several female relatives of officials from other regions.

Someone exclaimed in surprise: “Agu?”

Everyone looked over to see a girl of seventeen or eighteen, dressed in fine silks with a somewhat coquettish manner.

A palace servant said softly, “This is the daughter of General Wang from Jiangnan East Circuit.”

Li Huaigu also seemed somewhat surprised and smiled gently: “Fourth Miss Wang.”

Wang Si’niang took Li Huaigu’s hand: “Since we parted in Hangzhou, it must be five or six years since we’ve met. Agu, you haven’t changed much – still as beautiful as when you were young.”

Li Huaigu glanced around, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

The maid beside Wang Si’niang gently reminded her mistress: “Fourth Miss, you forgot – Third Miss Li doesn’t like being called by her childhood name in public.”

Wang Si’niang laughed sheepishly: “Right, right, I almost forgot.”

Li Huaigu held Wang Si’niang’s hand and said bashfully: “My childhood name is so strange, better that people don’t know it. You’ve come to Chang’an too? That’s wonderful! Why haven’t I seen you these past few days? Come visit our manor later.”

The lead palace servant coughed nearby: “Miss Li, the Empress is waiting to receive everyone.”

Li Huaigu dared not chat further. Blushing, she nodded to Wang Si’niang and continued following the palace servant.

After passing through the bamboo grove and circling a stream, the surroundings grew increasingly quiet, with fewer people in sight.

The palace servants said: “Ahead we’ll pass by a flower field. There are some farm women and gardeners there, mostly local widows and orphans. The Empress took pity on their lonely circumstances and specially permitted them to work here. However, these farmwomen are rather crude in speech and manner. Young ladies, be careful not to be jostled by them. When passing through, just follow us quickly.”

Soon enough, a large flower field appeared ahead, filled with exotic blooms that dazzled the eye. Along the path were several farm women, heads down as they worked with hoes in the flower field, not daring to look up randomly when they heard people passing.

Just as they were about to pass through the flower field, a child’s cry suddenly came from the side. Teng Yu’yi looked toward the sound and immediately saw a farm woman in her thirties who had fallen into the water ditch below the field ridge. The woman’s foot was bleeding profusely – injured by a hoe.

A two or three-year-old girl stood on the ridge, seemingly terrified. Her chubby arms reached helplessly toward the woman as she wailed. The woman, frightened, extended her hand to the child: “Don’t cry, child, you’ll disturb the ladies. Quick, help Mother up.”

Du Tinglan and Zheng Shuangyin stopped in their tracks at the sight.

Seeing this scene, the other young ladies also showed expressions of sympathy, knowing the woman had likely lost her husband and was raising her daughter alone. The child was so young, unable to help when her mother was injured.

The palace servants continued urging from ahead: “It’s almost the Hour of the Dragon. Ladies, please walk a bit faster.”

Everyone’s hearts jumped, and they had no choice but to quicken their pace.

The forty seats weren’t assigned by rank – whoever arrived earlier could sit closer to the Empress. Being closer to the Empress meant she might leave a deeper impression, which would bring countless benefits to both oneself and one’s family.

Though Du Tinglan walked forward, she couldn’t help looking back repeatedly. While Teng Yu’yi didn’t look back, her ears caught the little girl’s crying. The sound reminded her of herself when she had just lost her mother as a child. As she hesitated, Du Tinglan immediately made up her mind, pulling Teng Yu’yi back without a word.

“Let’s help them up, it won’t take long.”

Going to the edge of the field, she wrapped her handkerchief around her hand and grabbed the woman’s arm: “Come on.”

The woman was overjoyed, repeatedly saying: “Thank you, young lady.”

Teng Yu’yi supported the woman’s shoulder and other arm. Together, the sisters pulled the woman up.

“There,” Du Tinglan sighed in relief.

The child stood with tears in her eyes, staring blankly at the scene.

The woman kept expressing her thanks. As time was running short, Teng Yu’yi pulled her sister to leave, but after glancing at the blood on the woman’s skirt, she took out a small package of commonly used wound medicine from her sleeve: “This will stop the bleeding. Take it.”

The woman was even more grateful. The little girl, hugging her mother’s neck and helping to “blow on the pain,” saw the package and thought it was candy. She broke into a smile through her tears, clapping her chubby hands and giggling.

After the sisters walked for a while, they met Zheng Shuangyin returning – she had come back out of concern. The sisters told her what had happened, and the three hurried back together.

This delay naturally left them far behind the others. By the time they reached Jinglan Pavilion, only the three seats farthest from the Empress remained, set in a corner with pillars blocking the view. If they didn’t attend, the Empress wouldn’t be able to see them at all.

Li Huaigu and others sat in the front seats. Of the several questions the Empress asked, Li Huaigu and the Wu sisters answered best. After the session, the Empress kept Li Huaigu and the Wu sisters for a private conversation.

The palace servants told the remaining ladies: “There are many rare flowers and plants here. As it’s not yet mealtime, the ladies might want to enjoy the scenery nearby.”

Just then, several young men passed by the courtyard, laughing and talking – it was the Crown Prince, Lin Chengyou, and others.

The palace servants bowed to them, dropping to their knees in unison.

The young ladies also hurriedly lowered their heads and curtsied.

The Crown Prince’s smile was warm and bright. Turning his head, his gaze lingered on Du Tinglan for a moment, seeming both curious and somewhat appreciative. Then he glanced at Teng Yu’yi beside her before withdrawing his gaze.

Teng Yu’yi stood quietly with lowered eyes for a moment, but couldn’t resist secretly looking at Lin Chengyou’s retreating figure.

Thinking of last night, when Lin Chengyou had almost lost his temper with her for not getting answers, afterward he hadn’t spoken to her or even glanced her way.

She guessed he had decided to cause trouble for her, but didn’t know what he would do next.

All night she had tossed and turned in bed like a pancake being flipped, alternating between pondering the matter of working with the Five Paths to find Chi Kuo and worrying that Lin Chengyou would investigate too quickly before she could accumulate enough merit. Lost in these thoughts, she didn’t fall asleep until late in the night.

Seeing Lin Chengyou’s cold manner just now, he had practically decided to ignore her. Their relationship wasn’t deep enough – he could turn against her just like that. Even that purple jade saddle he had been so pleased with couldn’t stop him from investigating her.

Just then, Li Huaigu and the others came out. The ladies gathered around them, both envious and curious.

Li Huaigu shook her head modestly, but her eyes watched Lin Chengyou and Teng Yu’yi, noting how their expressions were equally cold. She smiled gently: “I’m quite stupid. The Empress only asked me one question, which I didn’t answer well. She spent the rest of the time questioning Miss Wu and her sister.”

Teng Yu’yi left the front courtyard glumly with Du Tinglan. Du Tinglan said: “From last night until now, I haven’t seen you smile. What are you so worried about? Wasn’t the demon driven away?”

What else could she worry about? The matter of borrowing life was about to be exposed. She only hoped to accumulate enough merit before Lin Chengyou discovered the truth. Just thinking about it made her anxious. If they weren’t confined to the mountain, she would have grown wings to fly to Dongming Temple and then use the contract to force the Five Paths to help her find Chi Kuo.

The sisters walked along the flower path for a long while. Looking up, they found the palace servants hadn’t been wrong – the entire mountainside was planted with various flowers. What surprised Teng Yu’yi was that among them were rose bushes, with unusually lush and beautiful buds, better than any roses she had seen before. She immediately coveted them and quickly said to her sister: “There are roses over there, let’s go look at the flowers.”

Up close, Teng Yu’yi loved them even more. Such fine petals would be perfect for making perfume or pastries. Now that the pear blossoms had faded, at least there were roses. The molds at home were almost ready – these would be perfect for making flower cakes.

She glanced ahead – the palace servants were far away, and besides, the Empress hadn’t forbidden picking flowers. But knowing her sister’s nature, she would never join her in picking flowers. She pretended to want to look at the flowers in the back, then turned a corner and quickly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, bending down to swiftly pick a flower and wrap it in the handkerchief.

She repeated this several times, successfully picking about ten flowers.

Soon the handkerchief couldn’t hold any more – these petals would only be enough for one box of flower cakes. Teng Yu’yi lowered her head to take out another spare handkerchief from her sleeve when suddenly someone said coolly: “What are you doing here?”

Teng Yu’yi was so startled her hand trembled, dropping the handkerchief by her skirt. The delicate roses scattered on the ground.

Teng Yu’yi glanced at Lin Chengyou. He wore an elegant cyan brocade robe, the clear color making his eyes appear even darker. His face showed no smile, but no anger either.

For Lin Chengyou, this already counted as a scowl. So she also said coolly: “Picking flowers.”

Lin Chengyou was indeed not here with good intentions. He said haughtily: “Doesn’t your Teng Manor have these flowers?”

Teng Yu’yi snorted lightly and found a stone to sit on nearby, bending down to gather the flowers one by one into her handkerchief: “Ours aren’t as good as these. Although you’ve turned against me, Young Master, I am a person who keeps their promises. I promised to make flower cakes for the two young Taoists and you, so naturally I must pick the best petals.”

Lin Chengyou’s heart stirred slightly. He couldn’t help glancing at her – her expression was faint, seeming not to have smiled all day. The recipients of the flower cakes now automatically included Jue Sheng and Qi Zhi, but it seemed she had kept this matter in her heart all along. So he also lifted his robe to sit on another stone by the flower bush: “What a coincidence – I’m also someone who keeps their promises. I said I’d help you find that villain, and I don’t want to give up halfway.”