“My apologies, young ladies. Our Singing Spring Garden doesn’t sell women’s seats.”

“What’s this!”

Li Buyan drew her soft sword from her waist and placed it at the young attendant’s neck. “Does Young Lady have money with nowhere to spend it?”

The young attendant’s face turned white with fright—what kind of young lady drew weapons over a single disagreement?

Miss Li then reached into her robes with her other hand and pulled out a banknote.

“Tell your garden master—if he dares refuse to let my young lady listen to opera, I’ll immediately find people to tear down his Singing Spring Garden. Do you believe me?”

“I believe, I believe, I believe.”

The young attendant saw that these visitors were not to be trifled with and quickly stumbled over his words. “Please wait a moment, young ladies. I’ll go report to our garden master immediately.”

“Hurry up!”

The young attendant ran off like the wind. Li Buyan winked at Yan Sanhe. “Miss, how was your servant’s imposing manner?”

Yan Sanhe: “The soft fear the hard, the hard fear the reckless. Miss Li’s imposing manner could be even stronger.”

Hearing this, Li Buyan chuckled.

As they spoke, an elderly attendant came out to greet them, bowing to Yan Sanhe with an ingratiating smile. “Please come in, young lady.”

Yan Sanhe imitated Young Master Pei’s manner, snorting two cold puffs through her nostrils and strutting arrogantly through the vermilion doors.

In her heart, Li Buyan silently applauded, then stuffed the banknote into the old attendant’s hand. “Serve my young lady well. If you serve her well, there’ll be more rewards.”

“Yes, yes, yes. You can rest assured.”

Inside the vermilion doors lay another world. Having experienced the Jiaofang Bureau, Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan found nothing here remarkable.

Soon they reached a small building. The old attendant said obsequiously, “Miss, watch your step over the threshold.”

Yan Sanhe responded with two more cold snorts through her nose.

Entering the building, the three climbed the stairs.

As Yan Sanhe walked, she observed everything around her.

This was a square building with an empty courtyard in the center, filled with many tables, chairs, and benches. At the front was a large opera stage facing west, where musicians were tuning their instruments.

On the second floor, the old attendant led them into a private box.

The so-called box was merely enclosed by waist-high carved railings on both sides. One could clearly see who sat on either side and hear all their movements.

By fortunate coincidence, Lu Shi’s group sat directly to Yan Sanhe’s left.

From Yan Sanhe’s angle, she could even see half of Lu Shi’s graying profile.

Lu Shi seemed to sense Yan Sanhe’s gaze and turned his head to look at her coldly.

Yan Sanhe showed no fear, nodding slightly toward him.

In Li Buyan’s words: Young Lady has entered—now what will you do about it?

Lu Shi didn’t do anything—he coldly withdrew his gaze.

At this moment, two maids entered the box. The red-clothed maid carried hot towels, while the green-clothed maid held tea, fruit, and snacks.

As Yan Sanhe wiped her fingers with the towel, she asked, “What opera is being performed today?”

The old attendant smiled. “Today’s performance is ‘Romance of the Western Chamber.’ Both the performers are excellent, and it’s a solid program.”

What was that?

Yan Sanhe glanced at Li Buyan: Have you heard of it?

Li Buyan curled her lip: This heroine has no such leisure time.

Yan Sanhe tossed the handkerchief onto the table’s edge. “When does the opera begin?”

The old attendant extended a withered yellow finger. “Miss, please look.”

As the drumbeat sounded and the small gong struck, the curtain slowly opened—the opera officially began.

Amid the music, a scholar-like figure wearing white robes and a small crown walked onto the stage with spirited bearing.

Walking onto the stage with the scholar was a fair-faced young monk.

Yan Sanhe had no mind for watching opera—her thoughts were all on Lu Shi.

She saw him with one hand on the table and one hand on his leg, the one on his leg beating time to the drum rhythm.

Lu Da beside him waited for the tea to cool before presenting it to Lu Shi’s hand.

Lu Shi took it and brought it to his lips. Just then the scholar on stage sang something that made Lu Shi set the teacup down again.

Watching him like that, Yan Sanhe suddenly felt some interest in the people on stage.

“Who is that scholar, and who is the young monk?”

The old attendant was about to speak when Yan Sanhe’s peripheral vision caught the red-clothed maid giving Li Buyan a meaningful look.

Li Buyan tossed out a liang of silver. “You may go. The red-clothed maid stays.”

The old attendant took the silver and bowed as he left with the green-clothed maid.

“Come here.”

Li Buyan beckoned to the red-clothed maid and pulled out another liang of silver from her robes.

“Whatever my young lady asks, you answer.”

Who doesn’t love gleaming white silver?

The red-clothed maid happily took the silver and stood beside Yan Sanhe.

“Miss, that poor scholar is called Zhang Sheng, named Gong, styled Runduan, going to the capital for the examinations and lodging at Salvation Temple. That fair-faced young monk is a monk from the temple.”

As she spoke, a red-clothed woman walked onto the stage, holding a fan and calling behind her, “Miss, Miss!”

Before Yan Sanhe could ask, the maid smiled. “This person is Hong Niang. The young lady she’s calling is Cui Yingying, the only daughter of Minister Cui.”

A poor scholar?

A minister’s only daughter?

Yan Sanhe’s peripheral vision drifted toward Lu Shi again.

At some point, Lu Shi had produced a folding fan and was slowly waving it.

After a night of wind and rain, the temperature had suddenly dropped four or five degrees. Fanning himself at this time… could it be his official robes were very thick?

Yan Sanhe withdrew her gaze and lightly tapped the table three times with her finger. Li Buyan stretched lazily and stood up.

“Miss, I’m going to the privy. I’ll be right back.”

“Miss, the privy is…”

Li Buyan patted the maid’s shoulder. “Don’t say it. I’ll ask someone myself—don’t disturb my young lady’s mood for watching opera.”

Just then, the stage suddenly fell quiet.

The handsome scholar and the beautiful young lady’s eyes met. One couldn’t turn his eyeballs, the other’s powdered face flushed bright red.

In their ears was the howling wind, beside them the young monk and Hong Niang—yet in this moment when their eyes met, it was as if they’d filtered out the entire world.

Love at first sight.

Yan Sanhe asked in a low voice, “Why is Cui Yingying at Salvation Temple?”

The red-clothed maid: “In answer to Miss, Minister Cui fell ill and died. Minister Cui’s wife brought her daughter to escort the coffin home for burial, and they happened to pass by Salvation Temple and lodge there as well.”

“What happened between these two afterward?”

“The local garrison commander Sun Feihu rebelled, and the rebel army surrounded Salvation Temple, wanting to seize Yingying as his mountain fortress wife.”

“And then?”

“In her crisis, the old madam made a promise—whoever could defeat the rebels and break the siege would be wed to Yingying as his wife.”

“Zhang Sheng defeated the rebels and broke the siege?”

“Yes. Zhang Sheng asked his good friend, the White Horse General Du Que who guarded Tongguan Pass, to come to the rescue. Du Que arrived, pacified the rebel soldiers, and lifted the siege of Salvation Temple.”

“It seems this Zhang Sheng has considerable ability.”

“But the old madam looked down on Zhang Sheng as a poor scholar, thinking them mismatched in status, and only allowed Zhang Sheng and Yingying to address each other as brother and sister—truly going back on her word.”

“The old madam isn’t going back on her word—she has foresight.”

Yan Sanhe shook her head slightly. “Mismatched in status—there will be plenty of troubles ahead.”

The maid: “…”

“How does it develop afterward?”

“So Zhang Sheng fell lovesick and begged Hong Niang to secretly deliver love letters. Miss, you can listen carefully to this part in a moment.”

The maid couldn’t help but smile. “This part is quite interesting.”