Neither of them spoke again.

Before long, they arrived at the small study.

They happened to see Steward Zhang escorting two secretaries out from the inner study.

Seventh Miss quickly hid behind Ninth Brother.

The Grand Old Master’s official duties were busy—it was impossible to completely sever inner and outer communication. Coming and going, encountering secretaries and advisors was inevitable.

Fortunately, most of these people had already passed the age of knowing their destiny. Those able to serve beside the Grand Old Master were without exception mature and steady individuals.

In truth, Seventh Miss didn’t really need to avoid them.

But as a daughter of a great family, she still valued her status. Seventh Miss had inquired indirectly and learned that even Second Miss and Third Miss uniformly avoided such encounters, so she followed established practice, not daring to overstep bounds by even a hair.

Ninth Brother quickly straightened his expression and stepped forward to greet the secretaries.

“This nephew greets the gentlemen!”

The secretaries all wore smiles, clearly quite pleased.

“Just saw the poetry Worthy Nephew composed—you’re making even more progress!”

“Next year, plucking laurels from the moon palace won’t be difficult, I imagine…”

Ninth Brother smiled and exchanged pleasantries with the secretaries for a few sentences, then asked: “I thought Father had just risen from his afternoon nap—”

The Grand Old Master had the habit of an afternoon nap. Usually after his nap, he would summon his children to his side—either to test Ninth Brother’s learning or to have Seventh Miss read letters to him.

This was why this pair of siblings had come together to the small study today.

The secretaries looked back and forth, all just smiling without answering.

The door curtain lifted again, and a middle-aged scholar with a gaunt face emerged from the room with hands clasped behind his back. Seeing Ninth Brother and Seventh Miss, he raised his eyebrows.

“I didn’t expect to run into Worthy Nephew and Worthy Niece here.”

Ninth Brother and Seventh Miss both hastily paid their respects.

“We greet Master Nian.”

Master Nian was the advisor the Grand Old Master trusted most. The household children all treated him with junior courtesy.

His health wasn’t good. Every year when winter came, he stayed in the villa on the other side of Xiangxue Sea mountain to recuperate, rarely coming to the Grand Old Master’s side.

Usually when the sisters discussed it, they all said Master Nian lived even more freely than the Grand Old Master.

Today, not only had he unusually summoned secretaries to speak after the afternoon nap, but even Master Nian had been invited…

Seventh Miss smiled and took her leave from Master Nian: “Since Father will be busy today, Little Seven should still withdraw first to avoid inconveniencing the gentlemen’s comings and goings.”

Master Nian also smiled and waved his hand: “It doesn’t matter—an imperial edict arrived from the capital today, so we inevitably had to come participate in deliberations. Just now, the master was still thinking about how you two hadn’t arrived yet, saying that as he grows older, his eyes gradually fail him, and without Seventh Miss’s bright eyes, many tasks become difficult.”

Seventh Miss and Ninth Brother exchanged a glance.

The Grand Old Master governed all of Jiangnan—naturally he had considerable correspondence with the capital. Who knew how many messengers he dispatched to the palace in a year?

However, if there was nothing major, His Majesty preferred to use handwritten edicts for summons. The several cabinet ministers in the capital were even more pleased to communicate with the Grand Old Master through secret orders and private letters.

This was also the Great Qin’s longstanding practice—to avoid official documents being passed down layer by layer with great fanfare, alerting the snake before even beginning to handle matters.

Issuing an imperial edict this time naturally meant something major had occurred… no wonder even Master Nian had been invited to discuss.

Fortunately, Master Nian had no intention of being mysterious. After catching his breath, he smiled again: “Speaking of it, it’s good news. Although the court has long intended to reopen the southern sea routes, this matter has never been brought to the surface. This time His Majesty has truly made up his mind, ordering Prince Lu to supervise ship construction, having the heir of Duke Pingguo train naval forces. On the court’s side, Minister Jiao is taking the lead in supervision—the matter of voyaging to the Southern Seas has been put on the agenda.”

Ninth Brother was still somewhat confused, but Seventh Miss’s heart stirred.

Have Prince Lu supervise ship construction?

His Majesty’s decision… showed considerable even-handedness.

However, court political matters—daughters needn’t delve too deeply into them.

She lowered her eyes to look at the plum blossom tiles before her, not picking up Master Nian’s thread of conversation.

Ninth Brother quickly understood as well.

“No wonder Master Nian’s great presence was needed,” his face full of curiosity. “This matter truly deserves some consideration.”

Master Nian’s eyes swept over this pair of twin siblings, and he smiled with lowered eyes: “Indeed, this matter truly deserves some consideration.”

After coughing a few times, he slowly descended the steps with Ninth Brother’s support.

“This student will help you to your sedan chair.” Ninth Brother, his face full of attentiveness, helped Master Nian out of the courtyard, watching him board the small bamboo sedan chair carried by two bearers. Master Nian grasped Ninth Brother’s hand from the bamboo chair and spoke with him.

Seventh Miss quietly asked the young servant who hadn’t yet grown his hair on the steps: “Are there still gentlemen inside?”

The Yang family always respected secretaries and advisors; the children all addressed them as “gentlemen.”

The young servant hastily bowed deeply, half-kneeling to reply: “There are still two or three drafting reply letters for the master. Miss, please wait in the west chamber for now.”

The west inner room was where the Grand Old Master took his afternoon naps; usually, few men entered.

Seventh Miss glanced at Ninth Brother, saw him conversing enthusiastically with Master Nian, and nodded slightly.

Ninth Brother understood to build relationships with Master Nian—clearly he had indeed made progress.

“I’ll still go walk in the grove behind.” She smiled and instructed: “Later when the guests have left and Father summons me, you can come find me in the grove. I’ll most likely be sitting in the pavilion.”

Behind the small study was also several acres of plum grove, planted with white plum blossoms. Seventh Miss had long wanted to walk through it. Besides, going to the grove now would allow her to avoid the secretaries.

She circled through the moon gate behind the building into the white plum grove and began to stroll slowly.

Usually living as a pampered young lady, she was rarely without attendants before and behind—though the care was meticulous, it was also constraining.

Rarely having a period of time to roam freely, Seventh Miss almost hoped the secretaries wouldn’t leave too quickly, so she could steal a moment longer of leisure.

She simply sat down on the upturned cloud-pattern stone behind the pavilion, leaning back against the red lacquered carved pillar, and turned to her own thoughts.

Young daughters always had endless matters to ponder.

It seemed not much time had passed before light footsteps sounded into the grove, pausing before the pavilion.

Seventh Miss started alert and came back to herself.

Still thinking she had been lost in thought too long and the Grand Old Master had summoned her, requiring someone to enter the white plum grove to search.

She hastily rose and turned out from the corner.

“Have you come to find—”

The sentence wasn’t finished before the remaining half choked in her throat.

The young man standing below the steps, gazing at her in surprise, wore a black gold-sprinkled long robe with a fourth-rank fierce tiger insignia on the chest, its teeth and claws bared, faintly emphasizing his noble bearing.

If not Xu Fengjia, then who?

#

Both were stunned for a moment.

“Cousin!” Seventh Miss was the first to recover, bowing in greeting.

In her heart, she couldn’t help but wonder.

Wasn’t Xu Fengjia training troops in Xukou? Why had he come to Guangfu out of the blue?

“Seventh Cousin.” Xu Fengjia turned sideways to receive half the courtesy, then returned half a bow to Seventh Miss.

He wasn’t the least bit improper.

Yet Seventh Miss felt thoroughly uncomfortable.

She’d just been discussing Xu Fengjia’s matters with Ninth Brother, and immediately afterward encountered him in the grove.

Though they were close relatives and word getting out wouldn’t cause any dishonor, it was still somewhat awkward.

She forced a smile and exchanged pleasantries with Xu Fengjia: “How did Cousin also come to Guangfu?”

The words had barely left her mouth before she felt something was wrong.

It sounded like she wasn’t welcoming Xu Fengjia’s visit.

Xu Fengjia didn’t seem to mind.

He smiled lightly and leaned against the red pillar at the pavilion’s edge: “I came to pay a visit to Fourth Uncle.”

It had been many years since Seventh Miss had heard Xu Fengjia’s voice.

At Yuanyang Pavilion that time, his speaking voice had been mellow and husky, his tone steady.

Now it was completely relaxed and casual, the pitch naturally bringing out an indescribable romantic flavor.

Some people were like this—an ordinary raised eyebrow or curved lip, done by him, carried particular charm.

Xu Fengjia was undoubtedly such a romantic young man.

Seventh Miss grew even more flustered, glancing at Xu Fengjia evasively and responding softly: “Oh.”

Xu Fengjia looked at Seventh Miss, his eyes flashing.

“Actually, Fourth Uncle received an imperial edict and inevitably had to transmit the news to our naval camp—Eunuch Liao’s health isn’t good, and his old leg ailment has flared up again, making movement inconvenient. General Xiao is in Suzhou reuniting with family, so it happened to fall to me to come, and also to inquire after Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt’s well-being!”

He explained slowly.

Speaking in that same unhurried, measured way.

Seventh Miss turned her head to fiddle with the trembling white plum blossoms on the branches.

She couldn’t help stealing a glance at Xu Fengjia’s right hand.

She felt torn about what to do.

Should she ask about his right hand or not…

“I see.” She responded in a low voice: “Father is processing official documents—Cousin will probably have to wait a while.”

When the Grand Old Master was using his seal, Xu Fengjia indeed shouldn’t disturb him.

But withdrawing to the grove was somewhat overcautious.

“That’s not the reason.” Xu Fengjia crossed his arms, leaning sideways against the red pillar, gazing toward the ash-gray clouds on the horizon.

From time to time, he would glance at Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss only felt a burning heat on her cheeks, increasingly unable to raise her head under his gaze.

“General Zhu came to visit… There’s been some friction between us lately, so it would be awkward to meet. I simply withdrew here—everyone’s more at ease.”

Xu Fengjia’s words carried some self-mockery.

For a moment, Seventh Miss forgot her shyness and abruptly raised her head.

“General Zhu—how did Cousin offend him…”

Then she immediately understood.

Jiangnan had always been General Zhu’s territory. This important figure had always been neutral, not even close to the Grand Old Master, let alone having much connection with the Xu family.

Now with Xu Fengjia at the head, bringing Eunuch Liao who was the Crown Prince’s man and General Xiao who was the Xu family’s man, brazenly training troops at Taihu Lake…

General Zhu naturally felt the taboo of “how can one allow others to sleep soundly beside one’s bed?”

Even if Xu Fengjia hadn’t made any mistakes, in General Zhu’s eyes everything probably seemed irritating.

She cut off her unfinished words and smiled at Xu Fengjia.

“I didn’t expect that over these years, Cousin has been tempered into understanding human nature.”

Had it been the dissolute young master of years ago, even if he understood General Zhu’s concerns, he probably wouldn’t have cared.

Now knowing to avoid conflict—he’d already grown considerably.

Xu Fengjia met Seventh Miss’s gaze and looked deeply back at her.

Seventh Miss only felt his eyes were as hot as fired glaze, so bright they seemed about to overflow.

She bit her lip and looked away again toward the trembling white plum blossoms.

In her heart, she felt as if she’d lost to Xu Fengjia somehow.

“I was indeed inexperienced before.” Xu Fengjia also shifted his eyes away, speaking slowly. “After several years of tempering in the northwest, I’ve come to understand many things.”

Both fell silent.

Seventh Miss waged an internal battle for a long while before finally couldn’t help asking.

“Those years in the northwest—you must have suffered considerable hardship?”

She carefully broached the subject.

Xu Fengjia tilted his head in thought, then smiled again: “Not too bad. In war, who doesn’t suffer?”

Seventh Miss then turned around, also leaning against the railing under the pavilion, raising her eyes to look at Xu Fengjia.

Xu Fengjia showed slight surprise, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

“I heard Cousin mastered left-handed sword techniques…” She asked slowly, her heart constricting, even her shoulders tensing.

But unexpectedly, Xu Fengjia only raised his eyebrows again, instead showing curiosity: “Who told you that?”

There was no intent to deny it.

“At the time, Young Master Gui from the Gui family came to requisition grain. Fifth Sister asked me to inquire on her behalf and learned of it.” Seventh Miss’s tone was rapid and urgent, as if defending something.

She couldn’t help glaring at Xu Fengjia and asking again: “Cousin… this left-handed sword technique, is it because…”

Having asked this far, if Xu Fengjia continued to play dumb, that would be too unreasonable.

She instead felt resentful toward Xu Fengjia in her heart.

Xu Fengjia stroked his chin.

Using precisely his right hand.

“Do you know why I came south to train troops?” He changed the subject again.

Seventh Miss’s heart filled with fury—she wanted nothing more than to stomp her foot hard and punch Xu Fengjia.

How infuriating! Did he know how much courage it took to ask that question?

If Xu Fengjia’s right hand truly had some problem—

If the Yang and Xu family relations changed again, the blame would fall entirely on Ninth Brother and her.

But to cover this matter up smoothly, she definitely needed to lay things out clearly with Xu Fengjia.

Unless this person was truly willing to cover for the two siblings…

Yet Xu Fengjia seemed unable to understand her words, circling around, just refusing to answer directly.

She was so angry her cheeks grew warm.

“I don’t know!”

The words had barely left her mouth before she regretted them.

Her cool, sweet, crisp voice, together with all this displeasure, sounded somewhat like she was acting petulant.

Xu Fengjia laughed softly.

That mellow, husky laughter made Seventh Miss even more irritated.

“My coming to Jiangnan—on the surface, it’s to train naval forces, to pioneer and escort for the future voyage to the Southern Seas.”

While speaking, he kept looking at Seventh Miss.

Seventh Miss felt prickly and uncomfortable all over from his gaze, about to lower her head self-consciously.

But that evil fire in her heart made her unwilling to show weakness. Instead, she raised her head to meet Xu Fengjia’s gaze.

Ridiculous—she hadn’t feared him back then; there was no reason to start fearing him now that he’d grown a few years older and gained some charm.

“Below the surface, it’s to carry out the Crown Prince’s assignment, to win over a few of our own people in Jiangnan military circles.”

But Xu Fengjia had truly grown up.

He wasn’t like several years ago when, faced with a challenge, he’d become overly excited and lose his composure.

Seventh Miss’s open defiance seemed instead to please this young general even more.

He continued speaking while laughing again.

His tone dropped even lower: “Regarding relatives, I came to visit Fourth Aunt and Fourth Uncle, and also to apologize to the two elders for what happened several years ago.”

Mentioning past events, Seventh Miss’s ears unconsciously perked up, showing a listening expression.

Xu Fengjia looked at Seventh Miss again.

He pressed his lips together, then lightly moistened both lips with the tip of his tongue.

His nervousness was self-evident.

“As for myself… I came to collect a debt.”

Collect a debt?

Seventh Miss furrowed her brow, confusion showing in her clear, water-like eyes.

Xu Fengjia took the opportunity to scrutinize Seventh Miss’s features carefully.

“However, I don’t know if you still acknowledge this debt, or if you’ll default on it…” While speaking slowly, “I also don’t know if I want to collect this debt. But after seeing you, I feel I didn’t come wrongly. Yang Qi—whether this debt of conscience counts or not depends on whether you have a conscience.”

Seventh Miss was instantly stunned.

A thousand thoughts surged up at once, leaving her nowhere to escape.

Even knowing Xu Fengjia was carefully examining her features, she couldn’t prevent that hot surge from roaring upward, flooding her cheeks, heating her delicate face red and hot.

“Yang Qi…” Xu Fengjia called again.

These two characters, spoken by him, carried particular complexity, as if a thousand meanings penetrated through.

“You must think carefully—do you… have a conscience, hmm?”

His words also carried some amusement.

Seventh Miss could bear it no longer, her cheeks burning red as she lowered her head.

In the distance came a young servant’s high-pitched childish voice.

“Young Master Cousin, the master requests you come inside to speak…”

She suddenly came to her senses.

She turned and hurried down the steps in small steps, hiding behind an old plum tree.

Xu Fengjia thus watched her back disappear into the fluttering falling blossoms.

That subtle dark fragrance drifting through the plum grove suddenly grew much richer.