Spring rain washed over the city of Jianye, pattering steadily on the main roads and imperial gardens, with occasional distant thunder rumbling. People on the streets hurriedly sought shelter under eaves, shielding their eyes to peer through the endless rainfall. In the Taichu Palace, the emperor wore his Daoist robes and waved his whisk, listening drowsily to the palace priests’ scripture readings. Meanwhile, the Prince of Hengyang gathered with his subordinates in the study, discussing the assassin who had been killed by Prince Chen…

“Everyone thinks I killed him,” Prince Chen Liu Shu wrote with his finger in water on the table for Lu Sanrang to see, as speaking was difficult for him. “Better they blame me than discover it was Father Emperor.”

So the Emperor was making his son take the blame.

There was no true familial affection in imperial families. Father-son relationships were barely maintainable, but between brothers… especially when the elder brother was Emperor while the younger brother carried the late Emperor’s high expectations. The current Emperor indulged in sensual pleasures and showed little interest in state affairs, while all of Jianye wallowed in decadent luxury. Yet even so, the Emperor could not tolerate having a brother who held secret instructions from their late father.

After learning the truth, Lu Sanrang’s expression grew calmer. His dark pupils narrowed slightly. The young lord adjusted his robes as he sat down, and after a moment’s hesitation, quietly asked Prince Chen across from him: “So does that rumored secret edict exist?”

The edict where the late Emperor wished for the current Emperor to pass the throne to the Prince of Hengyang.

Liu Shu frowned and shook his head, indicating he wasn’t sure either.

Lu Sanrang stared at him for a while before saying mockingly: “Well now, the Prince of Hengyang will target you in court from here on. Better be prepared. Let’s hope His Majesty gives you some compensation…”

Liu Shu interrupted softly: “There is compensation.”

Lu Yun asked carelessly: “Oh?”

Liu Shu: “I asked Father Emperor for an official position for you.”

The title was too complex to say, so Liu Shu had to write again: “Deputy Investigating Censor, and also a guest official under my command.”

The Deputy Investigating Censor was responsible for monitoring officials, receiving imperial edicts, investigating public offices, and various miscellaneous duties. While busy with many tasks, the most important aspect of this position was being Prince Chen’s guest official. Previously, everyone in Jianye knew Lu Sanrang was Prince Chen’s man, but Liu Shu had never officially acknowledged it. Liu Shu was just a stuttering, mostly silent prince who was very unremarkable among the princes. In fact, except for Lu Yun and a few others… even the Emperor didn’t know Liu Shu stuttered! When Liu Shu finally managed to get the Emperor’s attention, his first action was to request an imperial edict for Lu Yun.

Lu Yun’s thick eyelashes trembled as he stared silently at him.

Liu Shu urged him: “I know you’re proud, but to do real work, you need proper authority. Having an official position is better than being just ‘Lu Sanrang.'”

Liu Shu: “I know you don’t want to rely on your uncle’s influence, nor do you want an idle position to pass the time. Lu Sanrang is proud and ambitious – if you’re going to be an official, you want to accomplish things, not idle away your days. I… I’m not capable enough yet, I can only give you this position for now. But don’t worry, we’re brothers – whatever I have is yours. Right now it’s just an Investigating Censor position, but in the future… I won’t shortchange you.”

He held Lu Yun’s hand, looking at him somewhat apologetically.

He and Lu Yun had met when they were both nobody. At that time, Lu Sanrang had just lost his father and his mother had followed in death. The young Lu Yun had just arrived in Jianye, seeing for the first time such a grand and magnificent noble family as the Lu clan. Still reeling from the shock of losing both parents, before he could even process it, a strange new glittering world had already unfolded before the young Lu Yun. For a child born on the frontier who had never known aristocratic ways, the Lu family didn’t make him feel honored – only afraid. It was then that Lu Yun and Liu Shu met…

Lu Yun lowered his eyes and withdrew his hand: “Don’t say that. Your stutter was caused by a fever you caught while trying to save mischievous young me. I’m the one who owes you.”

Lu Yun said quietly: “My life belongs to you, take it whenever you want. Whatever position you give me, I’ll accept.”

He had long decided that whatever path Liu Shu took, he would follow.

Liu Shu gazed at him steadily and nodded: “I won’t fail your trust.”

The rain pattered on, and Lu Sanrang suddenly remembered something: “Let the Prince of Hengyang be angry, let the princes fight amongst themselves. Let’s do something else… Zhou Tan’s daughter Zhou Yangling should be arriving in Jianye soon, right?”

At the mention of this, Prince Chen Liu Shu’s expression lit up with joy and anticipation as he murmured: “Yes.”

Though Zhou Tan was a famous scholar of the era, he came from a humble background and represented commoner interests. The noble families were deeply entrenched, and impossible to move, affecting the normal operation of the government. To balance this relationship, Prince Chen thought to let commoners gradually enter and change the current situation where nobles controlled the court. Zhou Yangling’s entry into Jianye represented her father and countless commoner families behind him… everyone would be watching her.

Liu Shu mumbled: “The best and simplest way to balance nobles and commoners is through marriage alliances.”

Lu Sanrang raised an eyebrow.

Liu Shu looked at his handsome and refined face, his eyes flickering as something occurred to him: “You met her in Yicheng, didn’t you? Didn’t you say she was a rare beauty? How about taking such a beauty as your wife?”

Lu Sanrang had expected him to say this.

Lu Yun replied courteously: “Your Highness, I’m afflicted with pride and selfishness. I absolutely won’t sacrifice my marriage.”

Liu Shu: “She’s a beauty…”

Lu Yun suddenly recalled a graceful figure glaring at him in his mind… Lu Yun smiled: “A beauty? Who isn’t…”

Lu Yun suggested: “I won’t sacrifice my marriage for the greater good, but you’re different Your Highness! Your mind is full of matters of the realm… Since that’s the case, why don’t you marry her? Oh right, given the class divide between nobles and commoners, she can’t become Princess Chen, but as a consort – with Zhou Yangling’s abilities, that would work.”

Liu Shu nodded indifferently. Indeed, unlike Lu Yun who was extremely prideful, he was practical – Liu Shu could accept anything that brought great benefits.

The two young lords chatted idly in the study, deciding a lady’s future in just a few words, without ever asking if that lady was willing. But how could she not be willing? Commoners wanting to rise to high positions – this was already a great honor, Zhou Yangling wouldn’t refuse, she would only be grateful. Lu Yun even thought that if his cousin Luo Lingyu were here, she would cry with joy on the spot…

Thinking of someone’s love for power and wealth, Lu Yun snorted coldly and raised his hand to touch his lips.

Liu Shu stared at the young lord’s lips across from him: “What is it?” Why does he keep touching them? What’s wrong with his lips?

Liu Shu worried: “Could you have a fever? Are you worried about me?”

Lu Yun: “…”

He said with surprise: “… not.”

Lu Sanrang stood up and pushed open the door to see the curtain of rain outside, the cool wind rustling. The chill stirred all his wounds, making Lu Yun furrow his brows in pain. Supporting his arm, Lu Sanrang said languidly: “It’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered, that if I hadn’t been injured again this time, I would have left Jianye by now.”

“The distinguished guest from Yicheng, Zhou Tan’s daughter Zhou Yangling, is worth us going out of the city to welcome. This way, we can also show Zhou Tan our sincerity.”

Liu Shu: “But you’re injured, traveling far is too dangerous, I won’t let you leave the city at this time.”

Lu Yun: “Yes, what a pity.”

…

“In the dream, at this time, Third Brother wasn’t in Jianye. After recovering from his injuries, he left Jianye again, going to Yicheng to welcome Lady Zhou on Prince Chen’s behalf,” Second Young Master Lu bent over his desk writing, pondering as he tried to remember events from his dream, hurriedly recording even the smallest detail lest he forget later, “Lady Zhou… had the bearing of an immortal.”

The Lu Xian of the dream had seen that lady from afar a few times. That lady had the beauty of Xi Shi, was delicate and frail, with incomparable grace.

In the dream, Second Young Master Lu was absorbed in painting and calligraphy, not understanding politics or events happening around him. But no matter how ignorant, he was still a noble young lord, and during social occasions, he had heard people mention the “Two Beauties of Jianye.” One beauty was the scholar Zhou Tan’s daughter Zhou Yangling, and the other beauty was… was his cousin, Luo Lingyu.

Writing “Luo Lingyu’s” name on paper, thick black ink gathered at the brush tip. Second Young Master Lu propped his head on his hand, staring blankly at this name.

He had witnessed Luo Lingyu’s talent and beauty, but in the dream, Luo Lingyu didn’t spend many days in Jianye. Her fame spread only after she was designated as the Prince of Hengyang’s princess consort. The Luo Lingyu of the dream… what should she be doing at this time?

Second Young Master Lu threw down his brush and paced the room.

The dream and reality had diverged from the beginning when he was unconscious – because of different unconscious periods, in the dream Luo Lingyu left the Lu family; in reality, he kept Luo Lingyu. This caused reality and the dream to become different.

Because of this absurd dream, Second Young Master Lu wandered among the temples of Mount Zhong, delaying his departure, seeking dream interpretation. But because the dream involved matters of great importance – who became Emperor, which family fell – Second Young Master Lu didn’t dare speak freely. He gave vague hints, but the masters couldn’t interpret his dream. Though the dream remained uninterpreted, a master suggested to him: Since the young lord feels this dream may foretell the future, why not record it and compare it with future events one by one?

If it truly came to pass, it would prove the dream was real, and the young lord would see what changes he wanted to make;

If nothing came true, it would mean the dream was false, and the young lord could completely let it go, no need to worry about it.

Like enlightenment descending!

After bidding farewell to his female cousins and bringing his cousin back to the Lu family, he shut himself in his study for two days. As heavy and light rain alternated, Second Young Master Lu pulled at his hair again and again, struggling to recall details from his dream – “Right, at this time, Cousin Luo said she left Jianye to return to Nanyang, but due to days of heavy rain, she was delayed on the way, and halfway through, she should have encountered the Prince of Hengyang.”

Lu Xian’s eyes brightened as he returned to his desk, quickly writing down this deduced detail in three strokes.

He was extremely excited and about to throw down his brush when he suddenly thought: “Then Third Brother… could he also be trapped by the rain, meeting Cousin Luo and the Prince of Hengyang outside Jianye?”

All not in the capital. The same waterways, the same distance from Jianye, and finally all trapped by the rain…

In a daze, the brush fell from Lu Xian’s hand with a “pa.” He recalled seeing Third Brother embracing Cousin Luo that day on Mount Zhong, the two like a talented scholar and beautiful lady, their feelings ambiguous in their glances and expressions… Feeling uneasy, Lu Xian put away the written paper.

Patting his heart, he reassured himself: “I must be overthinking. It’s already coincidental enough that cousin meets the Prince of Hengyang, it can’t be so coincidental that she meets Third Brother too.”

“Even if they meet, my Third Brother avoids women like the plague, and there’s the Prince of Hengyang there… he definitely won’t approach.”

However, would there truly be no interaction at all?

Was the cousin’s simple dislike of the Lu family and immediate connection with the Prince of Hengyang just a coincidence?

Was his Third Brother’s death on the frontier in the dream… just an accident?

In his daze, Second Young Master Lu’s back was drenched in cold sweat. Though naturally pure-hearted, having been born into the centuries-old Lu family, even without witnessing them firsthand, he had heard enough conspiracies to fill story books. If even a dream was full of intrigue, then around him, how many things had happened without his knowledge?

In his dream, had he just muddle-headedly lived out his whole life? Never understanding anything?

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Second Young Master Lu muttered to himself: “First let’s see if the dream is real…”

“I can try to arrange more interaction between Cousin Luo and the Prince of Hengyang. If events start matching the dream, then I’ll need to do something…”

I absolutely cannot let anything happen to Third Brother!

…

“Plucking the qin strings produces clear notes, a short song softly hummed cannot last long. The bright moon shines brilliantly on my bed, the Milky Way flows west as night lingers!”

“The bright moon shines brilliantly on my bed…”

In the “Xuesu Court,” as the chamber doors opened, under the long eaves, having removed her embroidered shoes, the young Miss Luo, Luo Yunwan, held a book and recited in her clear voice. While her mouth recited the poetry from the book, her eyes, black and bright as gems, glanced softly at her sister sitting with her under the eaves.

Before the rain, Luo Lingyu had already bid farewell to her female cousins and returned from Mount Zhong. She brought small gifts from the mountain for her sister and delivered the Buddhist verses she had obtained to various branches of the Lu family. Luo Yunwan watched eagerly as her sister, having just returned, was again busy currying favor with people. Finally, when it rained and her sister couldn’t go out, she sat under the eaves with paper and brush, her silk socks like feathers as she stepped on the clean wooden floor. After writing a few characters, Luo Lingyu would stand up and pace again.

The beauty leaned against a corridor pillar, gazing pensively at the curtain of rain, while her serving maids and sister Luo Yunwan had been secretly watching her for a long time.

Luo Lingyu pondered: The “Flower Goddess” competition must catch everyone’s attention. For attention, one could appeal through music or appearance… thinking it through, if she composed music and choreographed dance, wouldn’t that be more impressive than writing poetry or painting?

Poetry was elegant, but superior poetry couldn’t be forced through desperate thinking. Poetry that amazed people often had little to do with conscious effort. As for painting… after seeing the paintings by the Plum-Seeking Hermit hanging in her room, she didn’t want to paint anymore.

That left only music and dance to compete for “Flower Goddess.”

She could compose music herself – for a noble lady of her upbringing, with the education she had received since childhood, composing wasn’t difficult. However, dance… Luo Lingyu couldn’t dance herself. First, she wasn’t good at movement, and second, it wasn’t proper for a noble lady to actively dance for others to watch and judge.

Luo Lingyu turned her head and asked her maid Lingyu, who was doing needlework under the corridor: “I want to choreograph a dance piece to compete at the ‘Flower Goddess Banquet.’ Do you know any dancers in Jianye? I could invite her to help express my dance.”

Lingyu thought: “This servant does have an old friend who now dances at Chengyu House, called Miss Lian Seven. Would the young lady like me to invite her? I can make the connection for you.”

Luo Lingyu considered that highly skilled dancers in Jianye would be extremely expensive. First, she couldn’t afford it, and second, wouldn’t too much skill overshadow the main purpose? Would that be promoting her, Luo Lingyu, or promoting that dancer?

Luo Lingyu said diplomatically: “We don’t need someone too skilled, I need someone I can direct. Those with too much skill have their style, making it difficult for me to guide them.”

With this statement, her long-serving maid Lingxi and sister Luo Yunwan immediately understood what she was thinking – poverty.

Fortunately, Lingyu hadn’t served Luo Lingyu long and didn’t understand the young lady’s financial constraints, so she quickly said: “Miss Lian Seven is my friend, and she’s only average at the dance house… I think she would be suitable for the young lady’s direction.”

Lingyu’s heart pounded: Could the young lady be planning to compose and choreograph herself? A noble lady’s artistic competition, falling to a mere dancer. The judges would be noble men and women, the ladies so lovely, the young lords so handsome… perhaps her friend’s opportunity lay in Luo Lingyu’s kindness?

Otherwise, why wouldn’t Luo Lingyu dance her dance, but have someone else dance it?

Thinking this, Lingyu hurriedly stood up and prepared to brave the rain with an umbrella: “Young Lady, with today’s heavy rain, the dance house probably has few customers, why don’t I go invite Miss Lian Seven now? You can see if she’s suitable?”

Luo Lingyu: “Uh…”

Anyone who could dance would do…

But faced with Lingyu’s bright, shining eyes, Luo Lingyu’s heart softened, and she nodded with a bright smile: “Alright, go invite her.”

As the maid Lingyu put on her shoes and left with an umbrella, Luo Lingyu sat on the railing under the eaves, watching the departing maid in the misty rain, lost in thought. The divide between nobles and commoners, and the further distinction between commoners and the lowest class… she desperately wanted to marry into a noble family, but it seemed maids like Lingyu also yearned for advancement in status.

Luo Lingyu murmured to herself: “Ah, so busy… I must sell something to raise money!”

“I must get married soon!”

“I need to ask Lingyu about the names and preferences of all the young lords in Jianye… I’ll work on them one by one!”

Such ambitious aspirations were breathtaking, yet she had that capability. After Lingyu left, the remaining two women who had come with her from Nanyang – maid Lingxi and young Miss Luo Yunwan – heard the young lady’s self-talk and were speechless: “…”

Not afraid to speak truthfully in front of Lingxi, young Miss Luo Yunwan put down her book and, after hesitating, walked to Luo Lingyu’s side: “Sister, I’ll be very good from now on, and won’t cause you any more trouble.”

Luo Lingyu looked down and teased her: “Just do your best.”

Luo Yunwan kicked her feet and mumbled: “But you work so hard, it pains me to see… why must you please those people and marry into a noble family? Keeping up appearances is exhausting, and I don’t mind simple food and drink. A two-wen bun fills the stomach just the same. The books say one should be content with what one has…”

Luo Lingyu said coldly: “You might not mind simple food and drink, but I can’t stomach it.”

“I refuse to be content.”

Luo Yunwan raised her eyes to stare at her in shock.

Her sister’s face was beautiful yet bewitching, her expression incredibly determined. Rain slanted in from outside as the young lady bloomed like a striking rose. The young lady reached out and placed her hand on her shoulder.

Luo Lingyu pressed her sister’s shoulder, wiping away water droplets that had splashed on her face: “I am worldly, ruthless, and selfish. I insist on living above others… if you don’t want that life, when you’re capable of supporting yourself, go live the simple life you want, and I won’t stop you then.”

“But while you’re under my roof, requiring my support for even one more day, you must listen to me.”

“Wan’er, one must be consistent. You can’t rely on your sister while disliking her methods, can you?”

The rain pattered steadily, quickly forming a small puddle in the corner under the eaves, splashing noisily. Luo Yunwan opened her eyes wide, looking at her sister. Though completely different in temperament from her sister, she didn’t know how to argue, and even vaguely felt her sister made sense… She buried herself in her sister’s embrace and said in a muffled voice: “Anyway, I’ll be obedient.”

…

After the weather cleared, Luo Lingyu again considered how to curry favor with her eldest aunt Lu Ying, feeling a renewed urgency for social connections after breaking her previous promise. But this time, before Luo Lingyu could finish pleasing Lu Ying, she received an invitation. The Prince of Hengyang had come to Jianye, and the young lords and ladies of Jianye used this as an excuse to hold a tea party. Originally Luo Lingyu hadn’t been invited, but when the invitation reached Second Young Master Lu and he saw that the Prince of Hengyang would be there but his cousin Luo Lingyu wasn’t invited, he immediately secured an invitation for her.

Receiving the invitation, Luo Lingyu turned the flowered paper over and over: “…”

She did want to attend this tea party where reportedly various noble young lords and even princes might attend, as they would supposedly discuss details of the “Flower Goddess Banquet.” But before she could say anything, Second Cousin had eagerly obtained an invitation for her…

She felt somewhat anxious about Second Cousin’s kindness.

Though startled by Second Young Master Lu’s enthusiasm, Luo Lingyu still accepted his invitation. Having a Second Cousin at home was good… at least better than her Third Cousin who never participated in any activities. She didn’t understand how being noble young lords of the same family, Second Cousin could receive so many invitations while Third Cousin never had any visitors… Just as she was mentally criticizing Lu Yun, Luo Lingyu stopped herself: Stop! Don’t think about that little man!

Upon arriving, Lu Xian led Luo Lingyu to greet various young lords and ladies. The focus was the Prince of Hengyang… but scanning around, Lu Xian didn’t see him. Lu Xian had just turned back to give Luo Lingyu some instructions when he discovered his cousin was already surrounded by curious young lords –

“Are you the new Miss Luo, cousin of the Lu family? We’ve heard so much about you.”

“A beauty like jade, the ancients did not deceive me.”

“Young lady, since this is your first time here, shall your elder brother introduce you around?”

Luo Lingyu smiled beautifully, her lovely eyes blinking enchantingly. In the time it took Lu Xian to speak with someone, Luo Lingyu was already nearly surrounded by people.

Lu Xian: “…”

He had underestimated his cousin’s beauty.

Perhaps he had become immune from seeing her often, unlike others who had only heard about the incredibly beautiful young lady at the Lu family but had never seen her.

Lu Xian felt utterly exhausted as he continued searching for the Prince of Hengyang in the crowd, struggling to try to connect Cousin Luo with him. There were many young lords and ladies, with crowds visible in the distance where the ladies gathered, while his area was also packed. Feeling very thirsty, Luo Lingyu first found a seat, not realizing there was a shy young lord with a red face beside her. Young lords kept coming to find the lady next to her, and this young lord gathered his courage: “Miss- Miss Luo, we’ve met before…”

Luo Lingyu turned to look at him in surprise, only then noticing someone sitting beside her.

The young lord said: “It was at the dock the day you came to Jianye, I was riding horses through the street with Prince Chen and others, and we all saw you…”

That fleeting beauty is unforgettable once seen.

Luo Lingyu narrowed her eyes: Really? She didn’t remember this person at all…

But the young lady smiled: “I remember you. What should I call you, young lord?”

The young lord tried to hide his excitement: “Call me Qi- Qi Third Lord…”

Luo Lingyu smiled: “How about Elder Brother Qi Three?”

The young lord was struck by her smile, his face growing redder: “That- that- that works too!” After a pause, struggling to find a topic, “Miss Luo, let me tell you…”

“Third Lord Lu, Third Lord Lu… listen to me…” Lu Yun walked ahead while several old men chased after him, “The Flower Goddess Banquet is Jianye’s annual major event… since you’re in Jianye, you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. We’re just asking for your help, not asking the young ladies to chase after you, why are you avoiding it…”

Lu Yun suddenly stopped, causing the old men behind him to bump into his back.

The young lord in front narrowed his eyes, looking toward the lady surrounded by young lords. Luo Lingyu seemed distracted, giving a faint smile, while the young lord beside her excitedly talked non-stop.

Lu Yun’s face darkened: “…”

Why is it her again? Running into her flirting with men wherever he goes?

Meanwhile, on Luo Lingyu’s side, she also heard the excited gasps of ladies behind her: “Third Lord Lu, Third Lord Lu… why is he here?!”

Luo Lingyu looked closely, and across the crowd, her gaze met Lu Yun’s, while she heard the ladies’ delighted discussion and felt their restless hearts.

Luo Lingyu: “…”

Why is it him again? Running into women going crazy for him wherever she goes?