“Close the main gate properly. Don’t see anyone for the next few days.” Upon returning home, Yun Ye immediately issued the order to close the doors. Xinyue was holding Yun Huan while measuring clothes for her. Hearing her husband say this, she asked curiously. After learning the reason, she laughed so hard she nearly fainted, and every time she looked at her husband, she would burst into laughter again.

For the sake of his own life, Xinyue, laughing until tears streamed down her face, carried Yun Huan out the door. Na Rimu came in carrying a teapot. Seeing Xinyue’s face covered in tears, she carefully set down the teapot and looked at her furious-faced husband.

“Stay away from me these few days. I’m in a bad mood. Xinyue just got beaten by me and left crying. You be careful too.” Na Rimu said “oh” and hurriedly left. When her husband was in a bad temper, staying far away was the household rule.

The atmosphere in Chang’an was very bad. Anyone with even a bit of fame in Chang’an couldn’t escape the invasion of gossip. However, they all held a tolerant attitude toward the matter of Prince Wei and Marquis Yun liking cut-sleeve love.

They were both outstanding young talents with countless beautiful wives and concubines at home. Perhaps they had long grown bored and finding some new diversions was understandable. These two were still decent—they didn’t lag behind others in building bridges and repairing roads on ordinary days, and they were kind to common people. No one had heard of their own daughters being involved with them. It was a matter of mutual consent, not a big deal.

Some troublemakers at the academy even dug up aesthetic same-sex love stories from ancient times to praise lavishly—cut sleeves, shared peaches, brocade quilts and rolling waves, flowers and moonlight. For a time, no one could be seen walking shoulder-to-shoulder in the academy anymore.

The rumors spread so disgustingly that Yun Ye always felt something stuck in his throat. Nothing he did felt satisfying. He Shao’s skin and flesh had no good days during this period. Whenever Yun Ye and Li Tai remembered this matter, they would personally go to his house to beat him up. The result was that He Shao was carried onto a boat by servants. Disregarding his injuries, he left overnight with the cinnabar for Yuezhou.

Han Zhe looked at Yun Ye with strange eyes. Ever since his servant returned with the gold coins, he had been squatting in the academy library reading books. Not coming back for a day or two was already a common occurrence.

“Even if Bin Meiren was capable, she couldn’t possibly be as outrageous as you, right?”

“Don’t mention Bin Meiren to me. You also saw that jade pendant. ‘The Eastern Fields of Jin’—have you figured out what it means? The one-horned demon king, what does the dragon Yinglong represent? Didn’t you find any answers from the old man?”

Han Zhe shrugged and said: “The old man only said you were Bin Meiren, most skilled at bewitching people’s hearts, and told me to stay far away from you. He didn’t have time to say anything else before I angered him to death. How would I know? The records left in the White Stone Palace are pitifully few. Under the white jade bed, I only found one jade pendant and a few thin booklets. They’re all filled with strange and bizarre records. The jade pendant in my family only has a ghost head, nothing else—not even water wave patterns. It can only be used as a token.”

“Speaking of which, we’re not trying to become immortals. Why research it? According to the academy’s theory, humanity has never stopped moving forward. Current knowledge must be more applicable than that of ancient times and more suited to our present national conditions. I’ve read many ancient texts these past days and discovered that when they recorded events, they often included very strong elements of conjecture. You and I both know that once something passes through conjecture, it loses its original flavor—just like how the people of Chang’an are conjecturing whether you and Li Qing Que have something going on. The words of the ancients are unreliable. Our White Stone Palace has fallen to such a miserable state—aren’t you taking that as a warning? Some secrets are more beautiful when heard as stories than when personally verified. Give it up. No matter what’s where, give it all up. Let’s think about how to continue our clan instead. Everything else is optional.”

“Well said. It would be even better if you didn’t use me and Qing Que as examples. You’re right. Let those broken things rot somewhere. Never mention them again. If anyone’s interested, just give it to them. We won’t touch them anymore.”

Han Zhe’s thoughts were extremely world-weary. No matter what his reasons were, after all, he had personally killed his father with his own hands. On the surface, he seemed indifferent, but as for what he thought about during midnight dreams, only he himself knew.

The head of the Yun family, to prove he was not a cut-sleeve lover, specially invited most of the nobles in Chang’an city to the theater to appreciate his family’s trained Persian dancing girls after the national mourning was lifted. The evening banquet was also personally prepared by the Yun family’s top chef. To wash away his tarnished reputation, Yun Ye brought out fine wines that had been stored in cellars for many years.

With beauties, fine wine, and fine food, the nobles in Chang’an city were all waiting for invitations from the Yun family. When they received the invitations, they found it somewhat strange—the names listed were actually the Yun Ye couple, which meant that the lady would also attend such a chaotic occasion.

The men found it strange, but the women didn’t find it strange at all. They all went to buy new jewelry and prepare new clothes, very enthusiastically. This idea had originally been suggested to Xinyue by them. If other families dared to do this, they would be kicked aside by their husbands, but the Yun family had no such concerns. They heard that Yun Ye doted on his wife terribly.

This was wonderful. After the Yun family’s reception, noble families would inevitably have to return the invitation. They were all families with status and reputation—no one could afford to lose face. Last time they all brought their ladies to the Yun family; when hosting themselves, wouldn’t they also need to invite other people’s ladies?

The Yun family had many novel practices. Even their servants were cleaner than those of other families. Look at how their invitation was written: “I have peerless fine wine, enchanting songs and dances to entertain guests, and servants have fine food to offer. Will you come?”

They were all of the same generation—where was all that politeness needed? Clearly having fine wine, they insisted on calling it inferior wine. Clearly having fine food, they insisted on calling it simple tea and plain rice. What the women couldn’t stand most was that clearly their wives had bright eyes and white teeth, radiant and moving, yet they insisted on calling them “my homely wife.” The chains hanging around their necks could clearly buy a hundred acres of land—where was the homeliness?

What delighted these women most was that not a single elder was invited. Xinyue privately said to dress as lavishly as possible and to adorn themselves as beautifully as possible. Otherwise, serving parents-in-law at home all day with lowered brows and obedient eyes, their fine clothes and fine jewelry would all grow moldy. They had to wear them out for people to see, right?

“Why are you sticking so many hairpins on your head? I can’t even see your hair anymore. There’s no need to hang that one-pound-plus gold ring around your neck, is there? Grandfather gave you that to ward off evil.”

Li Pengcheng wore plain blue clothes. To attend a banquet at Yun Ye’s house, this outfit was most appropriate. But his wife had gone crazy. The bedroom had been turned upside down, and three maids weren’t enough for his wife to command alone. She wished she could wear all their family’s possessions on her body.

“Oh my, master! You don’t understand. You’re a man—whatever you wear looks dignified. Na Rimu, the second lady of the Yun family, is famous for being a snob who looks down on people. If I dress worse than even a concubine, not only will I embarrass you, but people will gossip.”

As a student, Li Pengcheng should arrive at the Yun family early no matter what—this was proper etiquette. But he had been waiting for his wife since noon. The sun had already tilted west, and she still hadn’t finished fussing. There were still dozens of miles from Chang’an city to the Yun family to travel. His temper immediately flared. Was it necessary to call barbarian women over just to dress up?

Just as he was about to rush in to discipline her, he saw the bedroom door open. A graceful and elegant beauty walked out from inside, her whole body covered in jewels and treasures that dazzled the eyes. His wife’s appearance was already stunning, but unexpectedly, after being attended to by the barbarian women, she actually gained several degrees of noble bearing. This hour-plus of waiting was still worthwhile. But what was the meaning of that expanse of white flesh exposed at her chest?

Just as he was about to say something, he saw that old barbarian woman smile and wrap a pure white shawl around his wife, immediately covering everything tightly. The woman, seeing her husband’s face full of appreciation, proudly thrust out her chest, grabbed his arm, and quietly asked him how her makeup looked.

For the first time, Li Pengcheng felt anticipation for a banquet. Since his father’s death, many of his family’s connections had been severed. Although this was inevitable, now he had to rely on himself to make new friends and connections. His lady might be able to help him. Those who could go to the Yun family tonight must all be the lady heads of each household. Laughing heartily, he picked up his wife and stuffed her into the carriage, then mounted his warhorse himself. The household general shouted, and they immediately charged toward outside the city.

Xue Wanche was reading a scroll of books. He didn’t seek to increase his learning, only sought not to be tricked by others. Li Tai and Yun Ye had been tricked too miserably. The name of cut-sleeve love had already become notorious throughout the streets. The Xue family’s reputation had already been ruined almost completely by Princess Danyang. For the sake of his children’s future, he had to leave behind some good reputation no matter what.

Danyang hadn’t come to the small courtyard where Xue Wanche lived for a long time. If it weren’t for the great fame of the Yun family’s evening banquet making her somewhat moved, coming over to ask Xue Wanche whether Yun Ye had invited them over—otherwise, she wouldn’t be willing to come.

Upon entering the door, she discovered that Xue Wanche was reading. This was laughable. How would a crude person think of reading? Standing at the door, she looked at Xue Wanche with contempt and asked: “Did you receive the invitation from the Yun family?”

Xue Wanche looked up at Danyang and picked up a gold-embossed card from the desk. He said to Danyang: “My brother is holding an evening banquet at home, so naturally he would notify me. However, I don’t plan to go. I have no wife to bring.”

Danyang was about to say “Am I not your wife?” when she saw that half-smiling face of Xue Wanche. She couldn’t say those words and changed her speech: “Can’t I, a dignified princess, go?”

With Li Yuan dead, Xue Wanche no longer feared Danyang much. He tapped his forehead lightly with the book and said to Danyang: “Those women going to the Yun family tonight—any one of them actually isn’t much lower in status than you. Not to mention Hypatia and Xiao Wu, such peerless talented women. What would you say to them if you went? When you meet Yuzhang, Beijin, Qinghe, Gao Yang, and Lan Ling, what would you say? My life is already ruined. Don’t go harm others. Weren’t you just drinking with that groom? What did you come here for?”

No matter how promiscuous a woman is, being caught in her affair by her husband doesn’t feel comfortable. Danyang’s pretty face flushed bright red. She slammed the door hatefully and left.

Xue Wanche put away the book and muttered quietly: “A banquet at a good family’s home—are you worthy to go? Although this old man has been somewhat unlucky, he can barely still be counted as a good person. Naturally, I should go.”