For the third time, Wei Liang flipped open the exquisite pocket watch he had bought from a Persian merchant and checked the time. Outside, the scenery along the street was constantly changing. The three-thousand-li expanse of the Huai-Yang region was in the midst of mid-autumn—cool winds scattered fallen leaves, golden tangerines adorned the markets, and endless gentleness and prosperity filled the air.

Yet he had no mind to appreciate any of it, and instead felt a restlessness he couldn’t suppress rising within him.

He was about to meet that person.

But now he was beginning to worry whether his actions this time had been too excessive and might bring some calamity upon himself.

The matter still needed to be told from last summer.

At that time, Wei Liang was still studying at the Shuangzhong Academy in Yangzhou. Although he couldn’t be called a genius scholar of world-surpassing talent, he was still quite renowned throughout the Jiangnan region and was a leading candidate to compete for the rank of jieyuan in this year’s autumn provincial examination.

Who would have expected that one day, just as he was about to disembark from a pleasure boat after touring the lake, he encountered a strange young lady.

She had a slender and delicate figure and wore gold and silver jewelry. The pearls hanging from her earlobes alone were worth who knows how many thousands of taels of silver. Yet her goose-yellow Hangzhou silk garment was covered in mud and water, looking exactly as if she had just been fished out of a mud pit. Even her hair and face had not been spared. Especially that face of hers—it seemed as though she had hastily tried to wipe away the mud and water but had not succeeded, instead smearing her face even more messily.

When she saw their group of scholars coming ashore, she immediately approached them.

The companions traveling with Wei Liang were all erudite and knowledgeable young talents. On ordinary days when they sat in pleasure boats touring the lake, quite a few bold young ladies would toss them fragrant sachets and handkerchiefs. Seeing a young lady actively approaching them, they all instinctively assumed she was coming to curry favor with them. However, this was the first time they had seen one in such a wretched state, so they all stopped in their tracks for a moment.

Although Wei Liang had a reputation for talent, his appearance was merely average and not particularly striking.

In the past, it had always been his fellow scholars who received considerable favor.

Therefore, at that time he merely stood among the crowd, completely detached as if it had nothing to do with him, waiting to see what would happen next.

But no one expected that when one of his traveling companions rather frivolously asked “Which one are you looking for, miss?” that young lady blinked her eyes, actually glanced toward where he was standing, and without the slightest bit of shyness or embarrassment said: “I’m looking for Young Master Wei Liang.”

The lakeside immediately fell silent.

Wei Liang himself was also stunned for a moment, truly taken by surprise.

The others all looked toward him.

That young lady remained perfectly composed. Despite having such a dirty and indistinguishable face, when she smiled it somehow gave people an illusion of brilliance, and she said to him: “Young Master Wei, might I have a private word with you?”

Those traveling companions had always been the type who loved watching excitement and didn’t mind adding fuel to the fire, so they deliberately jeered and heckled from the side.

He immediately felt his face burning.

His feet seemed nailed to the ground, completely motionless. He replied to that young lady in a rigid and pedantic manner: “If Miss has some matter to discuss with me, you might as well speak of it here on the spot. There’s no need for a private conversation.”

The young lady’s gaze as she sized him up seemed somewhat strange. Her eyes rolled around, and who knows what she was pondering. After a moment, she raised her eyebrows: “You truly want me to speak here?”

Wei Liang’s heart jumped, and he instinctively said: “There is nothing that cannot be said before others.”

However, she looked at him seriously and mysteriously repeated: “Young Master Wei, have you thought it through? You truly want me to speak here?”

In that moment, a thousand shapes and ten thousand images flashed through Wei Liang’s mind, and all sorts of self-doubts came flooding out at once: After coming to Yangzhou to study, had he wronged any young lady? Had he ever made promises to courtesans in brothels and pleasure quarters that he failed to fulfill? Walking along the road at night, had he picked up something inappropriate and failed to return it to its owner? At the academy, had he failed to be sufficiently cautious in his words and actions, thereby offending someone without realizing it?

But the answer to all of these was no.

Although his family was not wealthy, they were not impoverished either. He still had basic worldly knowledge and insight. Firstly, he would not do anything excessive that would result in someone coming to his door. Secondly, even if he had done something, he would not leave obvious leverage in anyone’s hands.

But this young lady’s manner…

Could it be that he had overlooked something?

The gazes of others fell upon him like needle pricks.

Wei Liang inexplicably grew somewhat nervous.

In the end, he still couldn’t withstand the internal struggle raging in his mind. He coughed and said with some uncertainty: “Then, shall we have a private word?”

Later, he recalled this terrible decision made in a moment of confusion countless times. It could truly be said that he had thrown his own reputation beneath someone else’s feet—

If one had a clear conscience, what was there to avoid?

From that point on, rumors spread throughout the entire academy that he had an unusual entanglement with a mysterious young lady. He was constantly teased about it, yet when people asked him about it, he had no way to explain the situation, which was exceptionally frustrating.

However, at that time, his mind hadn’t turned the corner, so he had no awareness of the consequences this action would produce.

As for that young lady, she laughed so hard she bent at the waist.

Finally, she very naturally waved her hand at his other companions and said: “This young lady will go have a conversation with Young Master Wei first. It won’t be finished in a short while, so you gentlemen need not wait for him. Afterward, I will naturally escort him back to the academy.”

His friends, thinking themselves tactful, all smiled mischievously and dispersed completely.

The setting sun spread across the water, and half the lake rippled.

The willow branches along the shore had already become withered and thin. Only he and that young lady whose face couldn’t be clearly seen remained standing face to face, sizing each other up.

Wei Liang frowned and said: “It seems this one and Miss do not know each other.”

That young lady clasped her hands behind her back and said: “Young Master Wei doesn’t know me, but I have long heard of Young Master Wei’s great name.”

Wei Liang was puzzled: “Miss also enjoys reading?”

That young lady shook her head: “What I hate most is reading. Lately, however, I do have some other hobbies.”

Wei Liang didn’t know how to respond.

That young lady smiled at him: “I’ve heard that Young Master Wei is also very knowledgeable in this particular field, so today I’ve come especially to seek your guidance.”

Wei Liang finally couldn’t suppress his curiosity: “This particular field?”

That young lady’s lips curved upward: “Farming.”

Wei Liang: “…”

The instant he heard those two words, Wei Liang’s eyelids practically jumped up, and even his scalp went numb with a tingling sensation. He felt a sense of shock as if the deepest secret of his inner heart had been discovered by someone.

He was greatly alarmed: “How could you know?!”

Thinking back on that scene now, it actually had a somewhat indescribable absurdity to it, but it was difficult to deny that at least at that time, he still harbored some fear in his heart. It wasn’t that he was afraid of being found out, but rather that he feared his family would come looking for him to cause trouble.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants.

Scholars ranked highest. Scholars endured ten years of hardship in cold window studies for nothing more than the chance to leap through the dragon gate one day and become one of those superior people. Below them came farmers as the foundation and merchants at the bottom.

Families with generations of scholarly tradition naturally looked down upon the lower three classes.

However, Wei Liang had been different from others since childhood. Seeing rain fall from the sky and water flow on the ground, he had to investigate the reasons, constantly consulting astronomical calendars and historical texts. Seeing laborers working in the fields—sowing seeds, watering, seedlings sprouting—he wanted to understand it thoroughly, sneaking into bookstores to secretly buy back a copy of “Qimin Yaoshu.” Later, while others grew orchids in flowerpots, he associated deeply with foreigners like Persians and Semu people, planting in blue-and-white porcelain pots something excessively ugly that grew out, called potatoes or some such…

When he was young, others still thought he was just playing around.

When he grew a bit older, the elders in his family finally discovered his heretical nature. They searched out all his calendars and agricultural books and burned them clean, severely punishing him with family discipline, saying that if he couldn’t pass the examinations, they would make him regret it.

Only then did Wei Liang “return from his wayward path,” applying his nimble mind back to the “proper path” of studying—writing policy essays, reading classics. Within a few years, heaven did not fail those with determination, and he managed to gain some reputation.

Leaving home, he went to Yangzhou to study.

At Shuangzhong Academy, no one supervised him. Whenever he had free time, he would take a knife and make marks on those dug-up potatoes, and even roasted a few like sweet potatoes for his friends to eat. Of course, after one person got diarrhea from eating them, no one ever dared to try his things again.

It could be said that Wei Liang never in his wildest dreams expected that in this Yangzhou region, there would actually be someone who knew that he didn’t actually love reading but preferred farming!

That young lady seemed to have anticipated he would be so astonished. She didn’t answer his question but merely looked at him with a smile and said: “What if I told you that right now there are several thousand mu of land lying empty, just waiting for someone to come plant something—would Young Master Wei be interested?”

Wei Liang thought she was talking nonsense.

What yellow-haired girl would dare claim she had thousands of mu of empty land waiting for someone to plant? At the time, he almost rejected her without thinking, but that young lady remained noncommittal. She merely handed him a calling card with the address of a villa written on it, saying that if he changed his mind, he could come find her at any time—she would be waiting.

Thus, Wei Liang ultimately couldn’t resist such temptation.

After returning to the academy, he only lasted six days before he couldn’t help but follow the map to find that villa.

However, he didn’t see that young lady again.

The person left at the villa to receive him was another young lady with clear and refined features. She personally handed him a letter along with several land deeds and account books, and personally took him to view the so-called “empty land.”

From that point on, Wei Liang had boarded a pirate ship and entered a den of thieves.

However…

He had done a heap of work, taken quite a bit of silver, and this year’s rice harvest had indeed been gratifying. Yet he actually didn’t know for whom he was working, which truly made him uneasy.

Especially recently…

The carriage had already reached the Jinling area.

Outside, pedestrians came and went in an endless stream amidst bustling noise. Even though the sun was about to set, the sounds of soliciting business were everywhere. Some people were only just now coming out to set up their stalls.

Flower lanterns floated all along the river.

“Whoa—”

Outside the carriage, the driver reined in the horses and stopped to ask someone for directions.

“Young brother, may I ask how to get to Wuyi Lane?”

A passerby gave the driver directions.

They had stopped apparently near a teahouse, and one could faintly hear the voices of people idly chatting and discussing drifting down from the second floor.

Wei Liang listened attentively for a moment, then frowned.

“If you ask me, there’s bound to be a magical duel between Perfected Wanxiu and Master Yuanji. The Celestial Doctrine promotes Daoism, while the White Horse Temple naturally venerates Buddhism. They’ve been quarreling for several months already—they’re definitely going to come to blows! I think we should pack up our belongings and stay far away from Jiangnan these next few days. Who knows when war will break out again?”

“Master Yuanji the monk is definitely more formidable!”

“That’s right! His Majesty trusts him so much. I’ve heard that in these past two years, even Minister-Tutor Xie has been distanced. When you think about it, Minister-Tutor Xie is the true imperial tutor. That monk who inserted himself halfway through—he has rendered no service to the state and no service to the people, so how can he still be granted the title of National Preceptor?”

“Aiyo, such words mustn’t be spoken carelessly…”

“Alas, it’s chaos, utter chaos!”

“Fortunately, the Tatars have been much quieter these past two years and haven’t caused trouble for Great Qian. Otherwise, with internal troubles and external threats all poised to erupt, it would simply drive us common folk to death!”

“If you ask me, the Celestial Doctrine is more formidable! What does ‘Great Harmony’ mean? The Celestial Doctrine pursues Great Harmony! In our village, after several households had no land to farm and couldn’t even become bandits, they all joined the Celestial Doctrine. Weren’t they all forced to it by corrupt officials and crooked merchants?”

“Good thing our Jiangnan is a prosperous region and hasn’t been greatly affected…”

“Didn’t they say the Emperor is making a southern tour next year?”

“Exactly! Do you know where all these wealthy merchants and great traders in Jinling have come from these past two weeks, with precious horses and fragrant carriages everywhere? It’s all because of this matter! A southern tour wastes the people’s resources and wealth. The corrupt officials don’t want to pay out of pocket, so don’t they have to squeeze these wealthy merchants and great traders? I heard they’re having them pay for it. Whoever pays the most will be given more salt permits for official salt next year.”

“Times are getting harder and harder…”

“Who says they aren’t?”

…

The driver, having learned where Wuyi Lane was located, drove the carriage onward. Gradually moving farther away, those voices also slowly blurred in the background, mixing into the rumbling sounds of carriages and horses, becoming indistinct.

Wei Liang lowered his eyelids and felt the inside of his sleeve.

This season’s account book was quietly hidden inside, bound to his arm, secure and tight.

The driver called out: “Young Master Wei, we’ve arrived.”

Only then did Wei Liang lift the carriage curtain and disembark.

In the long, old Jiangnan alley, moss grew in the crevices between the bluestone slabs. A few golden autumn leaves from who knows where drifted down and scattered on the ground. The gate before him was completely deserted, without the slightest bit of luxury. It didn’t even have a specific family name. Above it hung only a jet-black plaque with the three characters “Xiebai Residence” written on it.

He stepped forward and personally knocked the door ring.

Before long, someone came to answer the door.

It was a maid with clear and delicate features. Seeing him, she showed no surprise, though her eyes revealed a measuring gaze. Neither cold nor warm, she said: “Young Master Wei has arrived. After receiving your message, my mistress waited here for you for half a day. Please come in.”

From the outside, one couldn’t tell much, but inside Xiebai Residence was a realm of pure tranquility.

Several parrots hung in cages along the corridor.

Seeing people, they called out: “Who goes there, who goes there!”

Wei Liang remained silent.

Walking all the way to the depths of the courtyard, passing through two ornamental gates, he finally entered a waterside pavilion facing the lake. At the edge of the pavilion’s reclining rail, a tilted reclining chair had been set up, with a square table placed beside it. On top were fruit platters and an opened account book.

Sitting in the chair was a young lady.

Moreover, she wasn’t sitting normally but cross-legged, presenting a lazy appearance. In her jet-black, glossy hair was pinned only a carnelian agate hairpin of pure red color. She faced the placid lake with her back to the pavilion, hand supporting her chin as she gazed at the fishing rod propped on the railing, seemingly bored, waiting for fish to take the bait.

From behind, Wei Liang could only see half her silhouette.

For a moment, he wasn’t certain whether this was the same young lady he had met last year.

The maid who had led the way reported: “Miss, Young Master Wei has arrived.”

That young lady didn’t turn her head: “Taking this young lady’s money, farming this young lady’s land, withholding this young lady’s account books, holding onto this young lady’s harvest, and still daring to use this as leverage to insist on meeting me face to face and getting to the bottom of things. Young Master Wei, in these times when bandits run rampant, aren’t you worried about encountering some accident on the road and dying an untimely death?”

Wei Liang recognized the voice immediately.

Light and faint, like wind passing by the ear, like a spring’s hidden current—infinitely pleasant to the ear, inspiring flights of fancy.

Standing behind her, he naturally also heard the dissatisfaction and threat hidden in those words. But he had never done anything to trouble his conscience, so even facing wolves and jackals, he would remain fearless. Therefore, he replied calmly and composedly: “Last year, at Miss’s request, I managed several thousand mu of good farmland with quite excellent results. Although Miss promised generous profits, at that time I was carried away by interest and didn’t think much of it. However, when the various farming households reported their harvests, thinking of the Tatars beyond Yanmen Pass eyeing us covetously and the Celestial Doctrine running rampant in the Central Plains heartland, I couldn’t help but develop some confusion about where this grain was going. If it’s being put into the market for the convenience of the common people, that would be acceptable. But if Miss harbors ill intentions and uses it to provision armies for rebellious traitors, then that would be Wei’s crime.”

The female figure ahead suddenly stopped moving.

Wei Liang came straight to the point: “Therefore, Wei has come today only to ask one question: With Miss’s capabilities, are you serving the Celestial Doctrine?”

“…”

Serving the Celestial Doctrine…

Did she look like someone so unafraid of death that she would dare get involved with the Celestial Doctrine?

The corners of the female figure’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch. She finally turned her head around and looked toward Wei Liang: “Young Master Wei truly is single-mindedly devoted to farming and oblivious to worldly affairs. How could you stuff such an absurd idea into your head?”

Just like in her previous life—only fit for farming!

This future tanhua had a mind that could compose essays and farm land, but uniquely couldn’t navigate the official arena and fight others to the death. She should have known long ago not to place too much hope in this person’s brain!

When she turned her face around, her expression carried some impatience.

Her oval face had snow-white skin so tender it seemed it would break at a touch. Under the light and shadows of the setting sun, it was gilded with a layer of golden-red. In her rippling eyes had settled the knowledge and experience of these past two years, adding several parts steadiness to her liveliness.

However, her lips curved in a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, adding a touch of mockery to this boundless beauty.

Wei Liang had only seen her once last year.

At that time, her face had been covered in mud—how could she have had such radiance?

He had always had very little contact with women, much less ones this beautiful. Being looked at by those eyes of hers, Wei Liang inexplicably felt somewhat embarrassed. He only felt a surge of heat rushing to his face, and actually couldn’t quite speak anymore.

Jiang Xuening tossed aside the fishing rod and raised her delicate eyebrows: “Who told you I’m working for the Celestial Doctrine?”