On the way back, Zhen Heng was somewhat quiet.

Zhen Shicheng, unable to bear it, shot his son a sidelong glance: “I haven’t even brought up your marriage proposal to the East Peace Marquis again. Why are you looking so dejected?”

A bitter smile flickered across Zhen Heng’s lips: “Father, let’s not mention the marriage for now.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s wait a bit longer.” Zhen Heng lowered his gaze, spotting a scroll casually placed in the corner of the carriage. He reached for it and said softly, “Let’s wait a bit longer.”

He was almost certain that if they were to propose marriage now, they would only be rejected.

It would be bad enough for his father, but after two consecutive rejections, his mother would not agree to it again.

This was his last chance. He dared not risk it.

Meanwhile, in the Second Branch of the East Peace Marquis’s mansion, chaos reigned.

Lord Jiang the Second was chasing his third son, Jiang Yuan, around the courtyard with a stick in hand.

“You little beast, stop right there!”

“If you promise not to hit me, I’ll stop.” Unlike his eldest brother Jiang Cang, the fourteen-year-old Jiang Yuan was at a mischievous age. He bargained with his father while ducking and dodging.

Lord Jiang the Second was furious.

He and Madam Xiao had been so careful, yet they never expected their youngest son to go to his eldest brother and blurt out all the rumors from outside. As a result, Jiang Cang, who had just recovered physically, fainted upon hearing the news. When he awoke, he was completely unresponsive, not even reacting when called.

The more Lord Jiang the Second thought about it, the angrier he became. He flung the stick in his hand, which struck Jiang Yuan on the back.

Jiang Yuan stumbled, let out a miserable howl, and fled the courtyard.

Lord Jiang the Second chased him to the gate, his face ashen and breathing heavily.

The servants in the courtyard were silent as cicadas, only daring to whisper among themselves after Lord Jiang the Second had left.

“The second young master had just started to show promise, how did the third young master end up like the second used to be?”

“What are you talking about? The third young master has always been like this. It’s just that before, there was someone taller to take the heat.”

“How dare you gossip about the masters’ affairs? Get back to work!”

When news of Third Young Master Jiang Yuan’s loose tongue causing the First Young Master Jiang Cang to faint reached Jiang Si’s ears, she felt no ripple of emotion.

In her previous life, after that studious and well-mannered eldest cousin became the heir to the East Peace Marquis title, he had shown no mercy to her father.

“Fourth Miss is going out?” The gatekeeper greeted Jiang Si warmly.

The Fourth Miss had received a jade ruyi scepter from the Emperor, the Second Young Master had become a member of the Jinwu Guard, and it was said that a third-rank official was on good terms with the Elder Lord. Everyone in the mansion knew that the First Branch had risen in status, so naturally, their attitude towards the masters of the First Branch had changed.

Jiang Si was aware of these changes but treated the servants no differently than before. She nodded slightly and walked out.

This time, she was going to meet A-Fei.

Months ago, Jiang Si opened a cosmetics shop and entrusted it to the “tofu beauty” Xiu Niang to manage. She hadn’t expected to make money from it, considering it was just a reliable place to facilitate her plans. Unexpectedly, due to a particularly fragrant perfume, they had earned quite a bit of silver.

Jiang Si didn’t care much about money. Seeing that the cosmetics shop was profitable, she unhesitatingly gave a sum of silver to A-Fei, telling him to cultivate his network well.

Small-time ruffians like A-Fei are associated with all sorts of people. Although these connections might seem insignificant, they often proved extremely useful at critical moments.

Jiang Si arrived at the rented residence where A-Fei was already waiting.

“Miss.” Upon seeing Jiang Si, A-Fei still didn’t dare to look at her directly, but his heart was filled with excitement.

Half a year ago, he had been a vagrant whom ordinary people would despise and fear, and he had never thought about his future, living day to day.

Now, well, he was still a ruffian, but he no longer needed to cause trouble just to fill his stomach. Instead, he lived a life of drinking and feasting with friends.

Countless mornings, A-Fei would leap out of bed with the urge to shout: I’m so smart! I bet on the right horse! Following Miss Jiang does put meat on the table!

Jiang Si turned to look at A-Mang: “A-Mang, go keep watch outside.”

A-Mang nodded and quickly walked out, her heart racing with excitement: The young miss is up to something again!

Seeing this, A-Fei also became serious, adopting an attentive posture: “What are your orders, Miss?”

“How’s your network coming along?” Jiang Si asked directly.

Her relationship with A-Fei had started as coercion and then evolved into a mix of rewards and punishments. Now, as A-Fei had proven reliable in handling various tasks, their relationship had naturally become more harmonious.

It could be said that their trust had been built step by step, driven by mutual benefit, and would be quite solid for the foreseeable future.

A-Fei patted his chest confidently: “Don’t worry, Miss. My friends might not be able to handle big jobs, but when it comes to gathering information, keeping an eye on someone, or spreading rumors, it’s a piece of cake. I guarantee there won’t be any loose ends.”

Jiang Si pondered for a moment, then said: “This task doesn’t need many people, but they must be trustworthy. How many can you find?”

Hearing that not many people were needed, A-Fei became even more confident: “If we’re talking about tight-lipped, trustworthy folks, I have three. What do you need us to do, Miss?”

Three? That should be enough.

Jiang Si then explained the task to A-Fei: “I need you to keep an eye on someone.”

“Who?”

“Zhu Ziyu, the son of Right Deputy Chief Zhu of the Court of Judicial Review. He’s serving as a Hanlin Academy Bachelor.”

A-Fei nearly fell to his knees upon hearing this.

He knew Miss Jiang was no ordinary young lady, but this… She wanted him to watch the son of a Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review, and not just some idle rich kid, but a Hanlin Academy Bachelor.

The imperial examinations held an unparalleled position in the hearts of the Great Zhou people. Even a street ruffian like A-Fei knew what being a Hanlin Academy Bachelor meant.

Hanlin Academy Bachelors were selected from among the new Jinshi graduates to study in the Hanlin Academy for three years, with boundless prospects. There was an unwritten rule in the Great Zhou officialdom: No one but a Jinshi could enter the Hanlin Academy, and no one but a Hanlin Academy graduate could enter the Grand Secretariat.

So, every Hanlin Academy Bachelor could be considered a future pillar of the state.

Why on earth did the young miss want them to watch a Hanlin Academy Bachelor?

In A-Fei’s mind, someone of that stature, regardless of their abilities, would at least go to work regularly with nothing worth watching.

Could it be… this was the young miss’s sweetheart?

A-Fei’s gaze towards Jiang Si took on a strange quality.

Jiang Si said coolly: “This person is my eldest sister’s husband.”

“Cough, cough, cough.” A-Fei started coughing violently.

Jiang Si gave A-Fei a puzzled look.

A-Fei immediately resumed a serious expression: “No problem, Miss. Which aspect do you want us to focus on?”

Could it be that this man was keeping a mistress behind the young miss’s elder sister’s back?

“It doesn’t matter which aspect. Just keep an eye on him whenever he’s not at home.”

A-Fei looked somewhat troubled: “But we can’t get into the Hanlin Academy.”

“Just wait outside the gate. Starting tomorrow, come report to me every three days. I want to know all of Zhu Ziyu’s movements, no matter how trivial.”

With A-Fei, there were four people in total. That should be enough to keep track of Zhu Ziyu.

“Miss, how long do we need to watch him?”

“Until winter comes.”