Chen Mingyu had become increasingly vexed about going to the palace. Previously, hearing the two words “enter the palace” would make her beam with joy, but now upon hearing them it was as if she heard some death knell, her face falling terribly.

Third Madam Chen merely mentioned asking her when she would enter the palace, and she spoke a whole string of sarcastic remarks, nearly making Third Madam Chen jump up on the spot in anger—she said the Chen family had no place for their third branch, yet Third Master Chen was always self-righteous and acting affectionately on his own. She looked at Third Master Chen with eyes, the mockery in them abundantly clear.

Third Master Chen hadn’t known this niece’s pride was so great. Usually when Third Madam Chen made a fuss, he only felt women were petty, making trivial matters known to the world. But now seeing Chen Mingyu dare to ridicule them so coldly to his face, he knew Third Madam Chen’s words were probably not exaggerated—if this niece didn’t even regard him, her third uncle, then naturally toward good-tempered Chen Mingqing and Third Madam Chen, she could do whatever she pleased. Thinking this way, his heart grew even colder toward the Chen family, and the bit of guilt and unease in his heart from taking too much silver vanished to the ninth heaven in the blink of an eye. Right now he desperately lacked silver. His family wouldn’t help supplement him. If he didn’t find some silver to use himself, what would happen later?

After perfunctorily completing the morning greetings to Old Madam Chen with little interest, he retreated into his study to hear the servant boy report: “A friend of a young master surnamed Lu says he wants to invite you to gather at Lion Tower.”

Ever since meeting the Lu family people, silver seemed to grow hands and feet, drilling into his pockets in one burst. He was no longer that poverty-stricken wretch who had to hesitate half the day before entering or leaving Lion Tower. Hearing this, he raised his brows: “The spring examinations are in three more days. What are they looking for me now for?”

Trying to establish connections now was probably too late. He was about to say he wouldn’t see them, but then turned his thoughts to Lu Bingyuan—that was still his god of wealth, and deeply valued by Elder Chen in the Chen household. He considered for a while, then still had the servant boy reply: “Tell them I will definitely go punctually this evening.”

Hearing about it, Third Madam Chen also nodded: “Since it’s Young Master Lu’s friend, going once is harmless. Outsiders don’t know you have no say in the family. When illness is urgent, one seeks doctors wildly—it happens. If he sends silver…” Third Madam Chen’s words paused. Actually, recently taking silver had made even her legs weak, always feeling uneasy in her heart. But ultimately no one would find silver too hot to handle. She paused then continued: “If he sends silver, we’ll take it. The spring examinations are just this once. Moreover, we haven’t done anything. We neither gave exam questions nor had other connections. At most it’s just saying a few good words in front of the elder. Moving our lips and earning money—whoever doesn’t earn it is a fool. Once we maneuver a bit more and you’re promoted to prefect, we can be dispatched out. With silver in hand, it will always be much better than suffering grievances at home.”

Third Master Chen deeply agreed. He truly didn’t want to stay in the family anymore. Everyone could put on airs with him. Being from a concubine, it was as if he wasn’t human. Even his sons and daughters suffered grievances. Better to take his wife and children to an official post to live freely and at ease.

The moment Third Master Chen left for Lion Tower, Madam Fang received the news. She sat thoughtfully by the window for a while, blooming somewhat helplessly into a smile: “Go tell the master.”

Third Master Chen and Third Madam Chen were truly too greedy. Right now there were only a few days left until the spring examinations, yet they still had to be greedy for this bit of silver. Now it was good—she should have been happy. The Chen family looked like it was going to fall. At worst the master would just be implicated and go be an official in a local place. But even this was better than staying in the capital following Elder Chen. With the great tree of the Song family there, they wouldn’t collapse.

Fang Xiaofu rushed overnight to a residence near Huangdaxian Temple to see Song Jue. The night was pitch black. Groping in the dark, he was carefully led by servants into a pitch-black pavilion. Lowering his voice, he told Song Jue: “Third Master Chen went to Lion Tower. That person is called Zhou Chengfang, Lu Bingyuan’s neighbor. He has plenty of silver. Coming to the capital, he’s counting on buying an official position—not a proper person. What I gave him are the real exam questions. He’ll take them to Third Master Chen to help him break down the questions, have Third Master Chen write essays for him. For the sake of silver, Third Master Chen won’t refuse.”

This way the Chen family would be even less able to extricate themselves. If just Lu Bingyuan, whom everyone already looked favorably upon, passed, it would still be excusable. But if even this good-for-nothing wastrel also passed the exams with high marks alongside him, and both had been in and out of the Chen household—scholars’ thoughts were most delicate and sensitive. Once they caught the slightest whiff, they would attack en masse.

Zhou Chengfang was an outright wastrel, having nothing but silver, and even less a brain. He came to the capital not to take the exams, but rushing to bribe people to buy this glory.

Song Jue smiled, clasping his hands behind his back and turning to look at Fang Xiaofu: “Master Fang has worked hard. Leading this fool to find Third Master Chen probably also took quite some effort, didn’t it?”

Fang Xiaofu smiled somewhat helplessly, which counted as responding to his words. Lowering his voice, he said with some headache: “All this is still manageable, it’s just that in the end we still must have this fool take the real questions to Lu Bingyuan to look over, have Lu Bingyuan also write an essay.”

He had to suppress this fool from letting him announce things everywhere, yet also had to let a bit leak out half-concealed like holding a lute—this was a difficult matter. If a clever person knew your meaning, they could cooperate with you and even reduce much burden. But with a blockhead and fool like Zhou Chengfang, one could only lead him step by step.

“Take it slowly. There are still three days anyway.” Song Jue couldn’t help but laugh: “Today the Chief Censor was also at Lion Tower, wasn’t he?”

Elder Chen was in charge of the Censorate, but not everyone in the Censorate gave him face. At least Left Chief Censor Tao Dinghu had parted ways with Elder Chen since the Yangzhou corruption case.

Fang Xiaofu knew what Song Jue meant. To lay a perfect and flawless trap, one had to start from small details everywhere. In the end all the details would come together naturally and seamlessly, so no one could detect any flaws.

Right now this meeting between Third Master Chen and Zhou Chengfang was nothing, but once matters erupted, it would be complete and irrefutable evidence. Moreover, the witness was Tao Dinghu.

He nodded: “Lord Tao was hosting guests for drinks today, together with several censors—they were all there.”

Then now everything was ready—just awaiting the announcement after the spring examinations, and the Chen family would meet misfortune. Thinking of how Chen Bin dared to collude with water bandits to plot against Song Chuyi, the cold smile at Song Jue’s lips deepened even further.