Liu Mu wasn’t sure if he could trust the Second Young Master Lu’s words.

He had always despised the power of the noble families. Since childhood, he had been showered with affection, developing an unruly character. Only in the past year did he realize that all that affection was a facade – what his imperial brother truly wanted to give him was a death warrant. Ironically, it was the noble young master Lu Er, whom he had always looked down upon, who had been protecting him all along. This protection seemed like a byproduct of looking after Miss Luo. Once Miss Luo became involved with Lu San, Lu Er stopped appearing before him.

Liu Mu smiled self-mockingly. Did everyone who showed him kindness have ulterior motives?

In his youth, he had received endless love, so why did he now feel so alone?

Only his advisor, Master Kong, treated him the same as always, caring for him like a child. As for others… better not to mention them.

However, when Lu Er, Lu Xian, appeared again and said he would find a way for Liu Mu to return to Jianye once, to at least see his mother empress once… Liu Mu maintained an expressionless face, showing contempt on the surface while harboring a glimmer of hope in his heart. Perhaps Lu Er really could help him return to Jianye?

…

In the evening, a gentle breeze blew as thin mist spread through the empty forest. In a wilderness forest dozens of li from Nanyang, as carriages and horses rested and tents were being set up, Luo Lingyu and Zhou Yangling led their horses on a walk by the lake, taking the opportunity to say goodbye.

Zhou Yangling still maintained the appearance of a graceful young gentleman, but beneath her delicate features, exhaustion was evident. The past few months of constant travel had left her extremely unwell. Now she was merely enduring until reaching Yicheng. During just this brief conversation with Luo Lingyu, she had coughed many times while furrowing her brows.

Luo Lingyu was extremely worried: “Young Master Zhou, why don’t you stay with me? How can you endure such a grueling journey in your condition?”

Zhou Yangling shook her head and comforted her: “It’s nothing, this is just my old ailment… my father has been urging me for a long time. If I don’t return home, he’ll be worried sick.”

Luo Lingyu complained inwardly, wondering what kind of father would urge his son to return home without considering his weak and sickly condition. But that was someone else’s father, and she didn’t voice her complaints to avoid causing unnecessary concern.

Zhou Yangling’s mind wandered.

Her father was Zhou Tan, a current renowned scholar and leader of the commoner faction. Allowing his daughter to roam around disguised as a man for nearly a year was already pushing the limits. Zhou Tan couldn’t possibly let his precious daughter continue wandering around in male attire forever. In the past year, people had constantly been inquiring about who Zhou Zibo was. Zhou Tan had gone to great lengths to cover for his daughter.

But his daughter was grown now and should be married, not running around everywhere. Moreover, regarding Chen Wang Liu Chu’s side, already…

As the two women walked together through the nighttime forest, while Zhou Yangling was lost in thought, Luo Lingyu continued giving gentle instructions: “Very well then. I won’t accompany you further, Young Master Zhou. I’ll stay here waiting for my husband to head south, so I can join his convoy. You must take care of your health along the way, Young Master Zhou. You can’t even stay in the sun for long, so you should be even more careful normally…”

Luo Lingyu was very skilled at taking care of others, and she had many detailed suggestions. Finally, seeing Zhou’s loose robes and thin frame, Luo Lingyu even expressed some envy: “If only I had Young Master Zhou’s build… being thin and sickly, my husband would worry himself to death…”

She was somewhat excited about finding something to trouble the proud and arrogant Lu San with.

Zhou Yangling frowned and gently scolded her: “How can sister make such jokes? Being healthy and free of illness is a blessing. Sister doesn’t know how much I envy you.”

Luo Lingyu blushed at her words but gave Zhou an odd look. His words were strange. As a man, what was there to envy about her, a woman? If there was anything to envy, shouldn’t it be someone like Lu Yun?

Zhou Yangling, however, had no intention of pursuing this topic further.

At the end of the path, the servants following behind urged them repeatedly. Luo Lingyu stopped with a sense of loss, watching as Zhou Yangling turned to face her. Young Master Zhou formally bowed to her, the wind blowing his robes, the young gentleman as elegant and beautiful as the spirit of mountains and waters. Zhou Yangling sincerely said: “This past year of knowing sister has been my happiest… but all meetings and partings are destined. Sister should stop here and not follow any further.”

Luo Lingyu nodded helplessly, watching as Zhou Yangling turned to mount her horse. She stepped forward. The jade pendants at her waist clinked melodiously, the lady’s garments swaying gently, accentuating her slender waist and graceful figure. Luo Lingyu looked up and couldn’t help asking: “Young Master Zhou… will you come to Jianye again? Will we have a chance to meet again?”

Zhou Yangling paused, then smiled and said: “Of course, I will go to Jianye again.”

Seeing the lady’s relief, Zhou Yangling felt moved and said softly: “When we meet again, I have a secret to tell sister. I hope sister won’t be angry with me when you learn of it.”

Luo Lingyu smiled gently, saying graciously: “I would never be angry with Young Master Zhou.”

After all, besides Lu San, he was the gentleman she most wanted to marry.

…

And so Zhou Yangling bid farewell and left, taking most of the servants with her, leaving behind only a dozen attendants to protect Luo Lingyu. How Luo Lingyu would deal with her husband was no longer Zhou Yangling’s concern. What troubled Zhou Yangling was another matter – her female identity could no longer be concealed.

During the New Year, Chen Wang had sent her a jade hairpin.

At that time, Lu Yun was ill, and Nanyang city was in chaos. Zhou Yangling was terrified but dared not say much.

She had been anxious for months, but Chen Wang Liu Chu showed no intention of pressing or questioning her. Just as Zhou Yangling’s heart was beginning to settle, a letter arrived from her father in Yicheng.

Her biggest secret was that she was a lady, not a gentleman.

Chen Wang had already discovered her secret… Zhou Yangling herself was surprised that Liu Chu had only now found out. He had never investigated her.

Never investigating her… was it because he had given up hope, or because he trusted her too much? What exactly were his inexpressible feelings toward her?

However, thinking about these things was meaningless now.

Zhou Yangling sighed, her gaze gradually becoming calm. Perhaps the next time she appeared before old acquaintances, she would no longer be Young Master Zhou Zibo, but rather Lady Zhou Yangling. Her year-long masquerade as a man had finally come to an end.

…

Not long after Luo Lingyu and Zhou Yangling left, once the affairs in Nanyang were properly handed over, Lu Yun’s group also set out on their journey south, in magnificent fashion.

Chen Wang Liu Chu, who was in Jianye, received the news and felt somewhat relieved, thinking that Lu Yun was finally returning safely.

Liu Chu sat in his study reading letters and patiently writing replies. Since the incident of the forged imperial edict, His Majesty the Emperor had become quite wary of him, and he had been under house arrest in his prince’s mansion, unable to enter the palace to see the emperor for a long time. Liu Chu didn’t care about seeing or not seeing his imperial father, who was indulging in women, while his brothers were obsessed with power struggles. He just sat in his study responding to letters.

Lu Yun had hinted at him to investigate the situation in Jianye, suspecting that Northern spies had infiltrated Jianye to fish in troubled waters.

After pondering for a while, Liu Chu’s eyes flickered. Investigating Jianye… indeed, it should be a major matter.

He had his plans in mind, noting down the important matters and passing over the unimportant ones. But when he saw Lu San casually mentioning the return to the capital in his letter, Liu Chu’s heart skipped a beat. Although Lu Yun didn’t mean what he was thinking, for a moment, he couldn’t help but think that with the main force returning to the capital, wouldn’t Zhou Yangling also return?

“Zhou Yangling…” Liu Chu murmured this name, feeling sweetness on his tongue, and he smiled slightly.

What a beautiful name.

Just hearing it conveyed the beauty of natural grace and refinement.

Like her person… already so elegant and beautiful in male attire, how would she look in women’s clothing?

Liu Chu sighed inwardly, thinking what a mischievous one she was. Disguised as a man for so long, so successfully, making him doubt his preferences for a time, causing him much distress. If Zhou Yangling hadn’t needed to invoke Zhou Tan’s name to elevate her status when leaving Jianye, Liu Chu still wouldn’t have investigated her. He had trusted her too much, and feeling hopeless, had become dispirited and never wanted to investigate.

Upon investigation, he discovered that Zhou Yangling had previously often traveled under the identity of “Zhou Zibo.” Due to his daughter’s weak constitution, the scholar Zhou Tan had always been extremely doting on this daughter. When Zhou Yangling dressed as a man, not only did Zhou Tan not object, but he even helped cover for his daughter multiple times. This time, it could no longer be concealed…

Liu Chu was privately delighted for a long while, also harboring complaints against Lu San. Lu Yun had met Zhou Yangling, and with Lu Yun’s abilities, he must have known early on that Zhou Yangling was a woman. Yet he never said anything, just watching him make a fool of himself… Lu Yun’s bad habit was really…

Liu Chu complained about his good friend for a few moments, then continued reading the letter. When he reached the end, he suddenly stood up, incredulous. Whether intentional or not, Lu Yun had written about many things, causing Liu Chu’s heart to rise and fall for half a page. Yet at the end of the letter, Lu Yun casually mentioned that Zhou Zibo had returned to Yicheng and would not be coming to Jianye.

Liu Chu: “…”

He collapsed back into his seat, speechless for a long time. Sitting in a dark corner, he lowered his eyes for a while, his hands trembling in his sleeves, his heart full of disappointment, the beautiful-featured prince’s face slightly pale.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door from outside. Before Liu Chu could speak, the door was pushed open, and a young lady lingered at the doorway with flushed cheeks. Princess Ningping, Liu Tang, peeked in at the doorway, and meeting her brother’s gaze, she blushed and bit her lip: “Bro-brother, I saw letters arrive from the relay station when I was passing by, so I brought them to you. Is Lu Er coming back?”

Liu Chu looked at her for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Liu Tang’s eyes immediately lit up with joy, sparkling with delight. But under her imperial brother’s steady gaze, she lowered her head shyly again. Looking down at the letter in her hand, she remembered the important matter, and Liu Tang entered the room bashfully: “Your letter… it’s from someone called ‘Zhou Yangling’… ah, brother!”

The letter was quickly snatched from her hand.

Liu Tang looked up in surprise, watching as her brother, who usually maintained a cold expression and rarely spoke, was now breathing slightly heavily, his chest rising and falling. Liu Tang’s beautiful eyes flickered, thinking about Zhou Yangling… that’s a woman’s name, right? How could her brother be exchanging letters with a woman?

Liu Chu had received Zhou Yangling’s letter.

Zhou Yangling had been carefully nurtured by her father since childhood, and her handwriting had never been as delicate as other women’s, but rather steady and powerful, penetrating through the paper. The handwriting in this letter was still Zhou Zibo’s writing that Liu Chu was familiar with; at least in terms of handwriting, Zhou Yangling hadn’t deceived him.

In the letter, Zhou Yangling apologized and explained her helplessness… finally saying she wouldn’t return to Jianye but would return to Yicheng to see her father. She also explained to him that she would speak truthfully before Zhou Tan, putting in good words for him. Zhou Yangling praised him for being practical, saying that the commoner faction would stand on Chen Wang’s side, helping him balance the teetering relationship between the royal family and the noble clans.

Liu Chu smiled, and under his sister’s strange gaze, he solemnly put away the letter.

Liu Tang: “What did it say? Why is brother so happy?”

Liu Chu: “…A love letter, perhaps.”

Liu Tang’s eyes widened: “…! Am I going to have a sister-in-law?”

Liu Chu didn’t answer his sister. His fingertips brushed across the letter pages as if he could see Zhou Yangling’s gentle profile as she wrote the letter. Her eyes, her smile, all were vivid in his mind.

Liu Chu’s lowered eyelashes trembled slightly. Due to his stutter, for over twenty years, he had lived like an ascetic monk, without a single personal indulgence. Among those who came and went around him, only Lu San remained. Afraid of exposing his secret stutter, he dared not like anyone, and worried about those around him being affected by his circumstances… Zhou Yangling was probably the only bright color in his self-guarded, monk-like life.

Thinking of how he had always been so restrained, could he perhaps give himself a small reward?

…

Such was the way of lovesick men and resentful women in this world.

Regardless of how far things had progressed between Chen Wang and Zhou Yangling when Lu Yun’s main force headed south, they would certainly encounter Luo Lingyu’s group, who should have traveled further than them. During rest stops, Lu San’s group was naturally received and entertained at government post stations. Lu Er, Lu Xian, had arranged various matters and returned to his quarters. He had barely taken a sip of tea when he heard that someone else was looking for him.

The post station clerk who came to report was full of admiration: “The one looking for the young master is a lady wearing a face veil. Though her face couldn’t be seen, judging by her figure, she must be a beauty. A beauty traveling thousands of li to seek you out, young master is truly fortunate.”

This left Lu Er completely puzzled, though arousing some romantic hopes.

Until he received this lady who had come to seek him in his quarters. The maid Lingyu had been instructed by Luo Lingyu to wear a face veil. When she removed her veil in the quarters and bowed to greet the Second Young Master, it made Lu Er’s eyelid twitch. When Lu Xian looked at the lady beside Lingyu, that lady also removed her veil, revealing an extremely charming face, and greeted him with a smile: “Second Cousin, long time no see.”

Lu Xian: “…”

Lu Xian was shocked and felt somewhat deceived: “Weren’t you supposed to head south with Young Master Zhou? Why are you here? Why aren’t you looking for your husband, but coming to find me instead?”

Luo Lingyu looked very aggrieved. She frowned, blinking tears from her eyes in a pitiful manner, and spoke softly: “Second Cousin, it’s not that I’m unwilling to see my husband. If I were to see him now, he would certainly have someone pack me off to Yicheng. But I’m not afraid of the dangers in Jianye, I just want to stay by his side. If I directly follow the army to Jianye, he definitely won’t be able to send me away halfway. By then, with the Lu family elders keeping me there, when I go to seek him out then, won’t he have no choice but to let me stay?”

Lu Xian’s voice trembled: “…Why don’t you just tell him directly that you want to stay?”

Luo Lingyu’s lips curled: “He’s so determined to send me away, why should I lose face by begging him to keep me?”

Lu Xian: “…Since you won’t beg him to keep you, you’ve come to torment me instead.”

Luo Lingyu blushed, also feeling that it wasn’t right to always take advantage of her kind-hearted second cousin. But she quickly set aside her embarrassment, walked over, and took hold of Lu Er’s arm to plead: “Second Cousin, please just let me stay. Give the Third Cousin a surprise later. If you keep me in the army, I can do anything, just treat me like a maid and order me around. Hmph, I also want to see if my husband can endure loneliness when I’m not by his side.”

A few traces of ruthlessness flashed in Luo Lingyu’s eyes.

The previous incident with Chen Xue, although a misunderstanding, had at least made Luo Lingyu vigilant. Her husband’s reputation was widespread, and many ladies admired him. Before and after marriage were different, and Luo Lingyu wanted to test Lu Yun’s conduct.

Lu Xian smiled bitterly: “Cousin… you and Third Brother play your romance games, why must you always drag me into it?”

Was it his fault for being loose-lipped and telling his cousin about that miscarriage dream?

Lu Xian had previously thought his cousin Luo was just a lady who wasn’t particularly kind-hearted but had the wit to protect herself. It wasn’t until after Third Brother’s marriage recently that he realized he had still thought too well of cousin Luo. While Luo Lingyu said he could arrange anything for her, as long as she could stay with the army. But how could Lu Xian dare to let Luo Lingyu do hard work?

A delicate lady, with such alluring glances, gave him hint after hint. The Second Young Master Lu was completely numb to it, understanding his cousin’s hints, and let her disguise herself as a maid to help tidy Lu Yun’s quarters while he was away. During the day, Luo Lingyu and the maid Lingyu would rest in one room. It would be as if Luo Lingyu was disguised as a maid serving Lu San, while Lingyu served the lady.

Luo Lingyu happily agreed.

She had never been a maid before, let alone one personally appointed by Lu Er to serve only Lu San. When others saw her wearing a veil, with her graceful figure, they wanted to flirt with her, but were wary of Lu Er and only dared to observe for two days. Over these two days, they found this woman increasingly mysterious – could she be Lu Er’s mistress?

How frightening.

These noble young masters had no standards. It was heard that Lu Er was about to have his grand wedding, yet he dared to openly keep a beautiful maid by his side.

Setting aside the gossip among the servants, over these two days, Lu San felt something was amiss. As a noble young master of high status, he had been accustomed to using maids since childhood, but due to his excessive pickiness, over all these years, almost no maid had been able to pass muster under his watch. He not only required maids to be literate, but he practically wanted them to be talented ladies who could immediately respond to whatever he said; maids also needed to have a sense of lifestyle aesthetics, regularly changing room arrangements but without making mistakes; maids needed to understand his unspoken intentions when he played the zither or painted, not looking bewildered… The kind of maid Lu San wanted, even noble ladies couldn’t manage.

Previously in the Lu family in Jianye, thanks to Jingyue’s painstaking efforts in training the maids, they barely managed to avoid making mistakes under Lu San’s watch. But reaching Lu San’s level of satisfaction was impossible.

After leaving Jianye, without Jingyue to train them, the quality of the serving maids was even worse. Lu Yun had always been disdainful in his heart, but when he looked down on people, he never said anything, simply acting as if they didn’t exist. Lu Yun hadn’t encountered any satisfactory maids while in Nanyang, but surprisingly, on this journey back to Jianye, every time they stayed at a post station, the maid who tidied his quarters was unexpectedly satisfactory.

She would arrange flowers in the room, seasonal flowers that weren’t monotonous, different each time, with dewdrops still on the petals; she would change the window gauze. The post station quarters’ arrangements had always been rigid, and Lu Yun had long been dissatisfied with the window gauze, but new gauze was quickly cut and replaced; the clothes prepared daily were ironed at night, the incense wasn’t too strong, this kind of fragrance had taken Lu San great effort to teach Jingyue before; unfinished books wouldn’t be simply tidied away, but would have bookmarks with reminders; when the ink became too dry and displeasing, it would be replaced with fresh thick ink the next day…

Lu San was surprised; he had never encountered such a thoughtful maid. Moved by the thought, Lu Yun wanted to keep this maid to serve him. But after asking several times, this maid still wouldn’t show her face. Lu Yun pondered thoughtfully, his mind turning several times. Lu Yun, who had never spent effort on such matters before, upon hearing this maid was arranged by Second Brother, went to question Lu Er.

Lu Xian was very troubled, and tried to brush it off: “If you find her useful, just use her. Why must you see her just because she’s too good at her job?”

Lu Yun caught his brother’s evasive expression and smiled mysteriously: “I’m surprised to find there’s a woman in this world who understands me better than Lingyu. I’ve even thought about taking her into my household…”

Lu Xian became nervous: “…How can you be so fickle? If cousin learns of this…”

Lu Yun watched his brother’s expression and chuckled lightly: “How would cousin know, unless…” His eyes lifted, his face becoming bland: “Lingyu is here?”

Lu Xian’s reaction was just slightly slow, and Lu San’s shoulders relaxed as he laughed certainly: “So it is Lingyu after all. I was wondering how there could be such a maid who understood my ways so well.”

His pickiness was something that ordinary maids’ upbringing simply couldn’t match. Someone who could match it wouldn’t be content to just be a maid. If it was Luo Lingyu… that would make sense. But that little troublemaker, actually conspiring with Second Brother to deceive him. If she didn’t want to go to Yicheng, she could have just said so, instead of trying to fool him…

Lu Er felt bitter inside. He didn’t know how Third Brother had guessed it was Luo Lingyu from him, but it was good that he had guessed. As long as this young couple would stop tormenting him.

Lu Er wiped his face and said with relief: “Since you’ve guessed, let me take you to find her.”

Lu Yun made no response.

That night, choosing the right time, Lu Er secretly led his third brother to the maids’ quarters to find Luo Lingyu. As the two young masters snuck around the patrols in the night, while Lu Yun maintained a calm expression, Lu Xian’s heart nearly jumped out of his throat several times. Finally managing to push open the door to the maids’ rest quarters without waking the maid Lingyu on the other bed, Lu Yun sat by Luo Lingyu’s bedside.

Bending down to lift the bed curtain, he saw the lady sleeping on the bed.

Lu Yun’s eyes softened, but his hand reached out to pinch her cheek hard. The lady felt the pain in her dream but didn’t wake up. When the lady didn’t wake, Lu Yun, as if finding something interesting, pinched her other cheek again, as if squeezing juice from a flower.

Lu Er: “…”

This person was bullying his wife like this.

…

Lu Yun left contentedly with his second brother, and in the courtyard, Lu Xian urgently said: “Alright, now that you’ve seen Lingyu, you should quickly make up. You should quickly take her back to your room to sleep.”

But Lu Yun refused.

He smiled mysteriously and said coolly: “If my wife wants to play, how can I not play along?” He turned to look at Lu Er: “Second Brother will help me, right?”

Lu Er: “…You two are too much!”

…

Unfortunately, Lu Er was too easy to persuade. He couldn’t bear to disappoint his cousin, nor did he want to hurt his third brother. So Lu Er became like a double agent, mediating between the two.

Telling Luo Lingyu news about Lu Yun, then telling Lu Yun about Luo Lingyu.

Lu Er lived in daily fear and trepidation, unable to understand this couple’s schemes.

And Luo Lingyu was not a fool. When she acted as a maid taking care of Lu Yun, she found that things would often appear in her room, such as pastries or flowers. All were inexpensive trinkets, but they were very pleasing. The maid Lingyu watched from the side with twitching eyelids, while Luo Lingyu said embarrassedly: “Perhaps my charm is too great?”

She was privately surprised, wondering which young master she had attracted while wearing a veil all day.

She investigated secretly but couldn’t figure out which shy young master was interested in her. Yet the gifts she received when returning to her room each night were endless. She felt uncomfortable about it, but couldn’t let Lu Er know about this, as Second Cousin would doubt her propriety. One night after receiving a sugar figurine, Luo Lingyu couldn’t hold back anymore and righteously left a note in the room, politely reminding: “Though grateful for the young master’s favor, this one is already married, hoping the young master will exercise restraint.”

However, that night, she received a reply note, with contents that were extremely frivolous—”Why be confined by wifely virtue, would you be willing to have an affair?”

Luo Lingyu was dumbfounded, her hand trembling as she held the note. This was the first time she had encountered someone so thick-skinned: “…”

An affair?!

Someone was inviting her to have an affair?!

The maid took a deep breath: “…My lady, your charm is truly great…” She secretly wondered, glancing a few times at Luo Lingyu’s worried face. Both wearing veils, why had no one tried to flirt with her? Even with a veil, could they tell that the young miss was a beauty?