In the early evening, returning from school, the Lu family’s eight-year-old Fourth Young Master Lu Chang hurried into his room and sprawled across his small desk to quickly complete the homework assigned by his teacher. The little Fourth Young Master had clear features and beautiful eyes, his jade-like delicate looks quite adorable, though due to his playful nature, his small face was smudged with mud here and dirt there, like a little cat.

Young Master Lu Chang wrote his homework while repeatedly turning his head to check the sky outside, his expression rather anxious. Because he kept watching the sky, his writing suffered, the ink falling sometimes light and sometimes heavy on the fine paper, the characters coming out crooked and uneven. But however crooked they were, after a quarter-hour of hard work, the young master had finished his assignments.

Lu Chang let out a cheer, threw down his brush, jumped off the couch, and bounded toward the door, lifting the curtain to rush out. Unexpectedly, as he shot out like a firecracker, he collided with someone entering from outside. That person stumbled back two steps from the impact, fortunately, supported by the nanny and maids behind her. Upon seeing who it was, Young Master Lu Chang immediately trembled in fear, stuttering out—”Mother!”

The one entering was none other than Madam Zhang Minglan, the Lu family’s principal wife.

Though Zhang Minglan wasn’t Lu Chang’s birth mother, Lu Chang naturally had to call her “Mother.” Moreover, Lu Chang was currently being raised in Zhang Minglan’s household.

As soon as Madam Lu arrived, Lu Chang anxiously lowered his little head, watching from the corner of his eye as Madam Lu rubbed her waist where he had bumped her. After the nanny and maids bustled about, Madam Lu finally entered the room and sat on the couch. The little young master stood obediently on the floor waiting to be scolded as Madam Lu, her makeup immaculate, spoke with utmost severity: “What are you making such a fuss about? Running out right after school – have you finished your homework?”

A maid beside her picked up the thin sheet of fine paper thrown on the small desk and showed it to Madam Lu, saying this was the young master’s homework. Lu Chang’s heart sank, and before he could think of an excuse to make amends, Madam Lu was already examining his work. Her expression immediately became even more dramatic than when she had been bumped: “What kind of mess is this?! Is this how you do your homework?!”

Lu Chang trembled, mumbling: “I-I was wrong…”

Madam Lu slammed the paper down on the desk with a “bang,” speaking harshly: “The teacher told me you haven’t been focusing on your studies lately. I came specifically to check on you, and to think the teacher was right. Not studying properly – what are you rushing out for? What could be more important than your studies?”

Lu Chang stammered incoherently.

Madam Lu slapped the table and shouted: “Speak!”

When Lu Chang still couldn’t get his words out after stammering for a long while, Madam Lu simply stopped questioning him and called over the young study companion who attended lessons with Lu Chang. The study companion initially didn’t dare speak, but under Madam Lu’s cold, frost-like gaze, he was pressured into tears: “The young master was going to… to ‘Snow Tracing Courtyard’ to attend tonight’s small banquet.”

Snow Tracing Courtyard?

Madam Lu furrowed her brows.

The nanny explained: “Snow Tracing Courtyard is currently where Young Lady Luo resides.”

Madam Lu started slightly, her lips pressing down in what resembled a cold smile. While the nanny beside her carefully inquired about this “small banquet,” Madam Lu asked: “How could Fourth Young Master, just a child, attend a feast? Did Young Lady Luo only invite Fourth Young Master?”

The study companion rubbed his eyes, crying as he explained: “Eve-everyone was invited, our Fourth Young Master also received an invitation. The invitation was leaf-shaped, cut so beautifully, and even had a floral fragrance. Our Fourth Young Master has never received such a pretty invitation before and said Sister Luo was so kind… Hearing that everyone was going, and Young Lady Luo’s sister would also be there, our Fourth Young Master wanted to go play…”

Sister Luo is so kind.

At once, the nanny had the study companion lead the way to search for the invitation, which was brought to Madam Lu. The invitation was indeed made with exquisite beauty, all cut from paper that common people couldn’t afford. In this era, paper was still precious, so when little Lu Chang received such a refined invitation, he naturally felt unprecedented respect and wanted to attend to support this so-called Sister Luo…

Madam Lu could no longer suppress her cold smile: Luo Lingyu certainly knew how to win people’s hearts.

Madam Lu was born to the prestigious Zhang family of Hanzhong, her father a great Confucian scholar of the age. Having been taught and influenced from birth, Madam Lu couldn’t stand frivolous behavior in women. The newly arrived Young Lady Luo Lingyu’s stunning beauty already displeased Madam Lu; moreover, this young lady’s entire bearing was incredibly romantic and accomplished. Such a romantic noble lady was the type Madam Lu consistently despised.

Madam Lu asked Fourth Young Master: “Does your Sister Luo hold these small banquets often?”

Lu Chang was frightened to tears: “Ye-yes.”

Madam Lu pondered: “No wonder when I called the academy teacher today to inquire, they all hemmed and hawed, unable to give a proper account of the young masters’ studies. Even Second Young Master, usually so self-disciplined, has recently dropped to middle rank.” Madam Lu’s inquiring gaze turned to the nanny, who immediately went out to summon the study companions and serving staff of the household’s young masters to ask about their recent academic performance.

Among all the young masters, Madam Lu specifically skipped the Third Young Master Lu Yun.

That good-for-nothing Lu Yun… had always been unmanageable, with someone displeased whether she managed him more or less, so Madam Lu simply let him run free.

When the banquet hour arrived, not only could the Fourth Young Master not leave, but he was also punished by Madam Lu to stand in the corridor. He lowered his head and rubbed his sore eyes, feeling dejected and uneasy. Watching the lanterns burn into the night, the study companions and servants of his brothers were all called in by Madam Lu to discuss their studies. How severe Madam Lu was – the slightest dissatisfaction would be magnified tenfold.

Through the bamboo curtain, Little Fourth Master could already hear Madam Lu’s fury inside—

“The Luo woman has led my Lu family’s young masters astray! Such intentions deserve death.”

Lu Chang’s face fell as he wondered what could be done…

…

The commotion raised on Fourth Young Master’s side was not small, with the servants of all the household’s young masters called in for questioning. Second Branch’s “Pure Courtyard” stood alone, with no one coming to inquire, making it notably different from the rest.

Earlier at noon, “Pure Courtyard” had also received an invitation from “Snow Tracing Courtyard.” Luo Lingyu knew how to handle relationships – even though she had just had an unpleasant encounter with Lu Yun, she didn’t forget the Third Young Master when helping Lady Wang arrange the household banquet. Moreover, fearing Lu Yun would misunderstand when Luo Lingyu wrote invitations to Lady Wang in the afternoon, she deliberately arranged for Lady Wang to write this invitation and delivered it to Third Young Master. Lady Wang was delighted to write to the cousin she admired, not noticing Luo Lingyu’s evasive attitude.

Unfortunately, when such a beautiful invitation arrived at “Pure Courtyard,” Lu Yun merely glanced at it before throwing it away—

Third Young Master Lu indeed rarely attended such household gatherings.

Compared to Luo Lingyu’s methods, Madam Lu’s specific omission of Lu Yun during her evening inquiries seemed rather unpleasant.

In the evening, as Lu Yun lounged on his couch reading, the lamplight illuminating his clear, handsome features, the curtain moved and the firelight flickered. His eyes narrowed as he saw his maid Jin Yue enter the room huffing with displeasure. Jin Yue’s face clearly showed her unhappiness as she made the curtain rattle noisily, disturbing Lu Yun’s reading.

Jin Yue complained to the Third Young Master: “The Principal Madam looks down on us! This evening when she called the young masters’ study companions and servants to ask about their studies, she specifically didn’t ask about you, young master. What, young master, are you not surnamed Lu? Is only her Second Young Master precious in this household?”

Third Young Master turned a page in his book and spoke flatly: “The Principal Madam is straightforward, always has been. It’s quite pleasant to have no one managing me.”

Jin Yue didn’t find it pleasant at all. After standing under the curtain for a while, she still couldn’t help but gossip with Lu Yun: “I heard it was caused by Young Lady Luo’s side…”

Lu Yun still kept his eyes lowered, seemingly absorbed in his book. But Jin Yue, who knew him well, could tell he was listening to her speak when he hadn’t turned a page for a long while. Jin Yue stared at Third Young Master’s face, which still showed a faint trace of the slap mark, thinking that Young Lady Luo was indeed different when it came to Third Young Master. Jin Yue immediately shared all the gossip she had gathered with Lu Yun, and after a moment of silence, said sympathetically: “Dependent on others’ charity, and now having angered Madam Lu. Young Lady Luo’s days won’t be easy from now on.”

“Madam Lu can’t stand even a grain of sand in her eye – she might personally go to ‘Snow Tracing Courtyard’ to scold Young Lady Luo.”

Third Young Master responded carelessly: “Serves her right.”

He paused: “I warned her earlier, but she wouldn’t listen.”

However, Jin Yue disagreed, as she still had a good impression of Luo Lingyu. Because, ahem, Luo Lingyu often sent gifts to their household, and while the Third Young Master’s attitude toward the gifts was unclear, Jin Yue appreciated Luo Lingyu’s understanding of proper conduct. She argued on Luo Lingyu’s behalf: “You can’t say that. Young Lady Luo is still young and doesn’t know Madam Lu – being new here, she’s bound to make some mistakes. Third Young Master, didn’t we also suffer these hardships when we first returned to Jianye?”

“Both without parents’ protection… Third Young Master, don’t you feel any sympathy for Young Lady Luo’s similar circumstances? Young Lady Luo’s situation is even worse than yours back then… At least you were a legitimate Lu family descendant, while Young Lady Luo has nothing at all in our family.”

“Young master, young master…”

Lu Yun: “Are you calling spirits?”

Jin Yue’s face instantly reddened as she blinked, looking hopefully at the Third Young Master.

After a long while, I saw Lu Yun’s mouth twitch: “Go find out what’s happening with her small banquet.”

With Third Young Master’s backing, Jin Yue’s face immediately brightened as she acknowledged the order and went out to have someone inquire about the situation at “Snow Tracing Courtyard.” Upon returning, Jin Yue stood on tiptoe at the corridor window to peek at Third Young Master still calmly reading in the room, thinking that while Third Young Master always acted this way, as long as she prepared his outdoor clothes, he would surely go out later.

Thanks to Luo Lingyu’s usual “scheming” that had won Jin Yue’s favor.

Jin Yue turned around, just about to go to the side room to prepare the Third Young Master’s robes, when she suddenly gasped, seeing a young man in a great cloak standing in the courtyard. Jin Yue stammered: “My-my-my lord! Why have you come?! Why didn’t you send word ahead?”

The young man had delicate features as he stood in the courtyard, with all the servants trembling as they kept their heads down, not daring to look. No one knew how long he had been standing there watching. Seeing Jin Yue, he spoke a few words softly: “Third, Brother, sick, I, come, see.”

He spoke both softly and slowly, using very few words.

Jin Yue led him in to see her master—

This was the fifth prince under the current Southern Dynasty’s emperor, Prince Chen Liu Chu. He was also the prince whose friendship with Third Brother that Second Young Master Lu Xian disapproved of.

Liu Chu used so few words not for any other reason, but because this prince had a stutter. However, even Jin Yue, Third Young Master Lu’s maid, didn’t know about his stammering.