The two children of the Niu family didn’t like the pig-headed man, but Yun Ye still caught them and planted loud kisses on their little chubby cheeks. Aunt Niu angrily pounded on Yun Ye a couple of times, considering it revenge for her precious ones. Old Niu was wearing a short shirt, bare-armed, chopping wood with an axe. This was the old man’s special exercise method, which he maintained year-round without interruption.

There was always firewood at home. In the past, neighbors would often come over to ask for some firewood, and Old Niu also enjoyed giving it away. Now it wasn’t possible anymore. Ever since moving to Xinghua Ward, no one wanted the firewood he chopped. They were all great families—coming to the door to ask for two jin of firewood wasn’t worth the embarrassment. This made Old Niu quite dejected. Since the family opened a roast duck restaurant, his skill finally found its use. Roast duck required fruit wood, so the ground was covered entirely with pear wood and peach wood.

Taking a small stool to sit beside him and watch Old Niu chop wood felt very comfortable. Old Niu’s axe was very sharp, and his wood-chopping movements were pleasing to watch. With a flip of his wrist, the fruit wood on the wooden stump would be split in half. The split fruit wood sticks incredibly didn’t fall over, so Old Niu delivered another axe stroke…

“With your face all bruised and swollen, you shouldn’t be running around everywhere. Being loyal to someone’s cause doesn’t require using your own body to fight. This gives people a bad impression, making them think you’ve completely merged into the imperial family.”

Old Niu put down his axe, lifted his teapot and took a slurping sip, then began his great wood-chopping enterprise again.

“I’ve already been considered as having merged in. Wei Zheng specifically warned me today, saying if I continue like this, I’ll die.” Yun Ye held a piece of firewood, drawing circles on the ground.

“There’s no need for him to frighten you like this. A man always needs to take responsibility. If you’re scared back by someone’s words, what are you doing mixing in the court? You might as well return to Yushan to teach—that would be proper.”

“He said a lot today. I don’t care about what he said; I care about the way he said it. Your nephew was truly frightened. He spoke without any restraint, saying everything, daring to say everything, without the slightest intention of concealment. He laid bare everything His Majesty has done these years and even told me that ministers are naturally positioned in opposition to the emperor. Limiting imperial authority to prevent excessive expansion is his natural duty.”

“Those words aren’t wrong. That’s what ministers do. Emperors and ministers have a symbiotic relationship—neither can do without the other. They find balance through mutual struggle. Ministers being too dominant is a national disaster. An emperor being too tyrannical is also a national misfortune. The two must always find an equilibrium point, finding their respective positions through strategic competition.”

Yun Ye’s mouth hung wide open. He hadn’t expected Old Niu to hold the same opinion.

“Why are you surprised? This world doesn’t belong to the emperor alone—we also have our share. An emperor can’t conquer the world alone. It seems Wei Zheng already considers you a foreign element disrupting the balance of power between emperor and ministers, so he went to warn you. That’s actually giving you face and showing friendship.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before? If you had told me then, I guarantee I would have stayed far away, not getting involved with either side.”

“You little brat, now you think to blame me. Ministers are always obstructing your tasks precisely because everything you do is what the emperor wants done. To put it simply, it’s all things the emperor lacks the ability to do. Now that he has you, the emperor’s reach has suddenly extended much further. He gathers into his embrace both what is and isn’t his. Others are envious, so they want a share. You do things alone and are unwilling to divide benefits equally, so it’s not strange that the current situation has emerged.”

Yun Ye stood up, filled Old Niu’s teapot with water, then turned to walk out. Old Niu called after him: “Where are you going? You can’t act recklessly at this time. Stay at home obediently.”

“I know. I’m going home right now to receive the ancestral Halley. After I welcome it back, I plan to go out visiting friends. So many old friends—I haven’t seen them in a long time. I miss them terribly.”

“Then run far away. I heard your family built a large ship. Going out to sea would be better than anything. While you’re at it, help your aunt bring some things to Jianhu in Guangzhou.”

Hearing Old Niu’s words, Yun Ye turned back, stamping his feet and saying: “Uncle, do I really only have the option of running away? What’s so great about Wei Zheng? We just won’t provoke him.”

“Young man, you should be laughing if you have a path to walk. As long as you stay in Chang’an, you’ll have big trouble. It’s not you looking for trouble—it’s trouble finding you. Go far away. Wait until they’ve fought enough, then come back. At that time, keep your tail between your legs and behave. Wei Zheng isn’t scary, but he represents the interests of the majority. That’s what’s formidable and must be guarded against.”

Seeing that Old Niu still maintained his unhurried manner, Yun Ye had no choice but to leave in helplessness. When walking out of the flower hall, he grabbed the two chubby children and fiercely kissed them twice before striding away amidst Aunt Niu’s scolding.

Xinyue was excited, extremely excited. The family was going to receive the Star Lord! An opportunity that came only once every seventy-six years! This was the family’s grand ceremony. No wonder her husband was so formidable—his master’s lineage came from a Star Lord! Though the name was a bit lacking—Halley—this ancestor surnamed Ha must be an extraordinary figure.

Common people were ignorant, calling the ancestor a broom star. Lying in bed at night, she thought in secret that her family’s learning had such deep roots. With the Star Lord’s blessing, Shou’er and Xi’er wouldn’t find it difficult to achieve great things in the future. Her heart was filled with joy.

In two more days, the ancestor would appear, but her husband had been running around all day without a trace. Really! With such an important matter, how could they manage without him? Na Rimu and Lingdang were both just gluttons who couldn’t help with anything.

“Old Qian, Old Qian, quickly go check if the butcher has finished slaughtering the pig. Remember, there can’t be a single hair on the pig’s head. Have the butcher leave more of the ruff around the pig’s neck so the pig’s head looks bigger.”

“Madam, rest assured. That pig is the largest in all of Chang’an City, already weighing six hundred jin. They originally didn’t want to sell it, but seeing that our family is performing ancestral rites, they sent it over. You haven’t seen it—that pig is as big as a calf.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Keep a close watch. Our family doesn’t skimp when performing rites for our ancestor. All offerings must be the best quality. The whole family must wear red—remember that.”

Watching Old Qian toddle away, Xinyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. Turning her head, she saw Na Rimu and Lingdang, the two of them talking and laughing as they emerged from the garden, each carrying a basket filled with pink apricot blossoms. Now her eyebrows shot up. Pointing at these two heartless ones, she unleashed a torrent of scolding. The apricot tree in the family greenhouse had bloomed just this one branch. She’d been waiting for it to bloom fully to put in a vase for the ancestral rites. Now look—these two had ruined everything.

Pulling out a feather duster, she fiercely struck them both several times. So infuriating—not only did they not help, but they caused trouble. Seeing the two rubbing their bottoms and yelping, still wanting to take the apricot blossoms away, she became even angrier. She planned to discipline them further when she heard her husband’s voice: “Enough, enough. It’s just one branch of apricot blossoms. Having them or not doesn’t matter. The morning after tomorrow, the old ancestor will appear. As long as the family is prepared, it’s fine. The two of them are young—you don’t need to be too harsh.”

Xinyue had already calmed down, but hearing her husband say they were young, she immediately flared up: “One is twenty, one is nineteen, they’ve each already given birth to a child—still young? Are you saying I’m old?”

“Not old, not old. Only a blind person would say Madam is old. Twenty-four years is the prime of one’s flowering years. There, my eyes hurt. Help me inside.”

Xinyue quickly helped Yun Ye into the bedroom, took a damp cloth and gently wiped her husband’s face. Back then, for the sake of authenticity, neither he nor Li Tai had held back. His eye sockets hurt terribly. When the damp cloth touched them, Yun Ye sucked in cold air.

“That damned Li Tai struck so heavily.” Xinyue couldn’t help muttering softly.

“Say less. Right now, Prince Wei’s consort is probably cursing me the same way. When you curse him, how is that different from cursing me?” Lingdang brought over ointment, and Na Rimu lit calming sandalwood incense. She could see that her husband seemed extremely exhausted.

Before he knew it, Yun Ye had drowsily fallen asleep. Xinyue went nowhere else, just sat by the bed watching over her husband. She didn’t know what had happened these two days; she only knew her husband seemed to have had a very difficult time these past two days. Men’s affairs were generally not fully disclosed to women. She could only help her husband with household matters; as for the rest, she was powerless.

Xinyue let out a long sigh, tucked in her husband’s blanket, and watching him frown even in sleep, her heart felt sour. People said men lived carefree lives, but in Xinyue’s view, not necessarily. Such a large household of people all depended on her husband alone to manage. On ordinary days he seemed leisurely—painting turtles, digging bamboo shoots, mixing with some dandies in laughter and fun—this was all an act for outsiders. Her husband seemed to rarely truly be happy. Only when that bandit-like Xi Tong came, or those few eccentric people from Meng Family Village visited, did her husband seem able to become happy.

“Elder Sister, husband doesn’t seem comfortable. Look, his face is flushed—he seems to have a fever.” Lingdang pressed her hand against Yun Ye’s forehead to test it, then quickly spoke to the distracted Xinyue.

Xinyue tested with her hand—indeed, his forehead was very hot. Xinyue had never seen her husband fall ill. She hadn’t expected that when illness came, it would come so suddenly.

Na Rimu rode off sobbing on horseback, galloping wildly to find Sun Simiao. The Yun household immediately fell into chaos. The Old Madam hurriedly rushed over from the Buddhist hall. Aunts and elder sisters also gathered around, each face showing distress.

“Everyone go back. What does it look like crowding here? Ye’er is just running a fever—nothing serious. He’ll be fine after sleeping.” The Old Madam’s eyes swept around. Except for keeping Xinyue and Lingdang, she chased everyone else out.

Sun Simiao hurriedly arrived. His hand touched Yun Ye’s wrist briefly, then he prescribed medicine, instructing the medicine servant who came with him to quickly decoct it.

He sat beside Yun Ye to conduct a further examination. After completing the examination, he said to the Old Madam and Xinyue: “He has excessive worry, which allowed pathogenic wind to invade. Fortunately, his constitution is good. He’ll recover after drinking two doses of medicine.”