Her father, still with an ashen face, told Xie Youran that since she had married into the Zhou family, she was a member of the Zhou family, and her husband would naturally discipline her. From now on, unless the household sent word, she was not to keep running back to her parents’ home.

Before Xie Youran could even react, Zhou Sui’an rushed her home.

Once back at the Zhou household, Xie Youran had only complained a few words about her father, mentioning that she wanted to go to Aunt An’s to find out what was going on, when Zhou Sui’an suddenly flew into a rage. He pointed at her and declared that from now on she was forbidden from causing trouble for the woman surnamed Chu, and absolutely could not have any further dealings with that troublemaking aunt of hers.

She asked Zhou Sui’an what her father had said, but Zhou Sui’an refused to be explicit and again abandoned her alone, returning to the study to sleep by himself.

Xie Youran was both angry and anxious, thoroughly confused, and since she could not see her mother either, she could only look for an opportunity to go find Aunt An to get to the bottom of things.

But to her complete surprise, the maidservant she had managed to send out with a message came back with a stricken expression and quietly told her that the An household had exploded!

At first it had still been manageable — it was merely old General Xie going there to demand an accounting, saying that the Xie family’s scandal had originated from the An household’s courtyard.

Two concubines who had been eavesdropping and leaking secrets were thus unearthed, beaten with a cane, and sold off by Aunt An.

But then An Feng — the biological nephew of Aunt An’s husband, the man who managed the waterways — through some unknown circumstances, was summoned for questioning by Xie Sheng, and on his way back, somehow ended up falling into the waterway canal.

By the time he was found, the body had bloated and swollen beyond recognition. The authorities investigated briefly and closed the case as an accidental fall into the water.

But An Feng’s father — the younger biological brother of Aunt An’s husband — refused to believe it and came to the An household multiple times to cause a scene, declaring that his sister-in-law had stirred up disaster and the Xie family had killed his son, and demanding that his older brother go to the Xie household and seek justice.

Aunt An, feeling aggrieved, responded with cold sneering remarks — never pausing to consider that the man had lost his son, and how could he possibly be expected to take more fuel being added to his fire?

The result was that she was struck on the head with a floor brick by her brother-in-law, splitting her skull open and leaving blood streaming down her face.

The brother-in-law said that since his son was dead, he had no reason to go on living either. His son had previously been a law-abiding man, but had he not been instigated by that vicious woman An Su Shi, growing increasingly bold, he would never have engaged in graft and corruption, pulling in every flag and banner around him, until he brought ruin upon himself.

In short, that day the An household nearly saw a loss of life, and only when the clan elder stepped in was the situation finally contained.

Shortly after, Aunt An suddenly contracted a “serious illness” and was sent by her husband overnight to the family’s rural farm estate in the countryside. It was said she would not be returning for several years.

With her mind, she simply could not figure out the connections and implications no matter how she tried.

So she went to the study to find Zhou Sui’an and demand clarity.

But at the door of the study, she saw the little concubine surnamed Hu delivering a nutritious soup to Zhou Sui’an. Hu’s figure, slightly rounded from pregnancy, was pressed too close to Zhou Sui’an.

Jealousy immediately flared. Xie Youran charged forward and slapped Hu across the face.

Hu stumbled backward in fright. She had entered the household this long and had always enjoyed Zhao Shi’s favor. The previous legal wife Chu Linlang had also treated her kindly, never imposing rules on her. Even desirable food was always given first to her as the pregnant woman.

This new mistress was a daughter of a prominent noble family! What terrible lack of breeding — what kind of person walks in without a word and personally hits people?

Did she think Hu, a legitimate good concubine, was some maidservant bought for a few taels of silver?

Hu Shi could bear it no longer. Cradling her belly and covering her mouth, she sobbed as she knelt at Zhou Sui’an’s feet and begged him to permit her to return to her family home — lest she suffer both her own death and the child’s, worn to death in this deep, secluded compound.

In the end it escalated to the point where Zhao Shi and the younger sister-in-law both arrived. The younger sister helped Hu Shi up and took her back to her own room.

Zhao Shi had harbored resentment toward the new bride since the very day of the wedding, and now finally had proper grounds to make an issue of it. She asked Xie Youran how she, also carrying a child, could be expected to have a compassionate heart — how could she be so viciously unreasonable toward a concubine in the household? The Zhou family might not match the Xie family, but her son was a proper sixth-rank official — how could she be allowed to corrupt the family’s reputation so?

Zhou Sui’an then erupted in fury, berating Xie Youran for being consumed by jealousy and treating the good concubine who had been in the household before her — and was already with child — in such a manner. She had absolutely no bearing as a proper wife!

Mother and son joined forces against her. Xie Youran, in her fury, clutched her own belly and threatened to dash herself against a pillar. In the end the maidservants and old servants held her back and everyone worked to calm things down. Hu Shi was eventually brought over to apologize to the mistress Xie Shi, and only then did both sides have a way to step down.

But as a result of all this, the newlywed couple fell into another cold war for days.

Zhou Sui’an now practically treated the study as his bedchamber and had almost never returned to the bridal chamber.

By Zhou Sui’an’s rank, he would not normally have qualified to attend the Fourth Prince’s banquet for a cup of wine.

Xie Youran, wanting to show off her connections before Zhou Sui’an and prove that all the rumors had left her completely unscathed, had specifically sought out someone to obtain an invitation card.

The Fourth Princess Consort, out of consideration for the fact that Lord Zhou was the Sixth Princess Consort’s brother-in-law, had ordered someone to send an invitation card.

Zhou Sui’an, seeing her produce an invitation from a popular prince’s household, softened somewhat, and the two of them were at last able to present themselves in public as a properly matched couple.

However, Xie Youran’s seating among the female guests had been arranged far off at a side table, far from the main host’s table. She had been trying to find an opportunity to exchange a few words with her older sister, but never found the chance.

Who could have guessed that her older sister, who had supposedly been “too busy” to speak with her, would be pulling Chu Linlang — that discarded, divorced woman — by the hand, walking over with smiles and animated conversation, heading together toward the main host’s table.

This left Xie Youran so shocked her eyes nearly fell out.

Had her older sister gone mad? How could she treat Chu Linlang as her own flesh-and-blood sister?

Had she forgotten Chu Linlang’s misdeeds? Besides, Chu Linlang was now nothing more than a servant in the Lesser Court Director’s household — what virtue or ability did she have that made her worthy of a seat at the Fourth Imperial Prince’s main table?

Watching her older sister warmly holding Chu Linlang’s hand in friendly conversation, Xie Youran was so furious she wanted to flip the table.

As for Chu Linlang, although she had been graciously offered seats by the two princess consorts, she knew her own place. She was no longer an official’s wife now — it was not fitting for her to dine at the same table as princess consorts.

She dared not sit down, but only stood beside the table, picked up a wine cup, respectfully toasted the two of them, stood in attendance at their side, exchanged the appropriate pleasantries and polite words, and delivered the auspicious congratulations on behalf of Lord Situ — and was finally able to excuse herself and take her leave.

Just as she led her maidservant toward the exit of the princely residence, she heard someone shout loudly from behind: “Chu Linlang!”

Chu Linlang turned back to look and saw Xie Youran chasing after her with her maidservant.

She frowned. She had absolutely no desire to speak with this woman. She turned and prepared to board the carriage.

But Xie Youran had already caught up to her from behind and said with full resentment: “Why the hurry to leave? Did you do something wrong and dare not face me?”

Chu Linlang was already in the carriage and said coolly from behind the curtain: “I haven’t stolen anyone’s husband — why would I be afraid to show my face?”

Xie Youran’s face flushed crimson: “You… you took my family’s money and then went about ruining my reputation everywhere. Get down from that carriage! If I don’t tear your mouth apart today, I’ll change my own surname!”

The newly wed Madam Zhou had been with child early on! If she got too close, and Madam Zhou twisted her ankle, it would all be blamed on her — she was naturally going to keep her distance. Only a fool would get out of the carriage!

Linlang sat comfortably in the carriage and said lightly: “If you weren’t bouncing around in front of my eyes, I’d nearly have forgotten who you are. And spreading word to ruin your reputation? That would only dirty my own mouth! Your Aunt An did such fine work herself — I wouldn’t dare steal credit from her. If I were you, I’d hurry home and stay put. Do you still dare stand in front of an imperial prince’s gate and shout at people? Go back quickly. Lord Zhou cares about his face — if you accidentally cost him his dignity outside, watch out for your husband sleeping in the study for a few more days without speaking to you!”

Having said this, Chu Linlang patted the side of the carriage, and the coachman drove the horse away in a flash, disappearing into the distance.

Xie Youran was left standing there, her cheeks trembling slightly with rage.

Everything else aside — how did Chu Linlang know that Zhou Sui’an had been sleeping in the study these past few days?

Could it be… could it be that the two of them were still in contact behind her back?

At this thought, Xie Youran’s complexion changed drastically. She only silently ground her teeth and decided to go home and settle accounts with Zhou Sui’an!

But when she turned around, she found Zhou Sui’an standing not far away, his eyes lingering with reluctant affection on the departing carriage.

Xie Youran walked over and said, suppressing her anger: “What’s this? You regret it? Having second thoughts?”

Zhou Sui’an said nothing. He could hardly tell his wife of less than one month that he had already regretted it long ago.

On the day of the newlywed couple’s return visit to the bride’s family, Zhou Sui’an had not received the treatment befitting a new son-in-law.

His father-in-law had hauled him into the study. Only then did he learn that the An family connection had brought down devastating disaster. Such a petty official had actually dared to drag in the Sixth Prince’s and the Xie family’s banners and wade into the whirlpool of princes’ rivalries!

His father-in-law had specifically called only him into the study because some things were not suitable for women to know. Especially Xie Youran, with her loose tongue that couldn’t contain even two taels of sesame paste — she most certainly could not be allowed to know.

At any rate, the daughter had been handed over to Zhou Sui’an. Xie Sheng felt as though he had put down a great burden. From now on, if Xie Youran caused more trouble, it would be the Zhou family’s problem.

He laid out the gravity of the situation for his son-in-law, which also served as a formal transfer of responsibility.

Thinking of his father-in-law staring wide-eyed, gripping his shoulders, and spelling out word by word his instructions that Xie Youran was never again to have contact with Aunt An — Zhou Sui’an felt cold sweat break out down his spine.

Having just wed his new bride, Zhou Sui’an found himself, for some inexplicable reason, suddenly thinking about Chu Linlang.

If she were here, the household at least would be quiet and orderly.

When he entered the study, he only needed to make up some plausible excuse about needing to concentrate on his work, and Chu Linlang would ensure no one disturbed him. She would also deliver tea and snacks on schedule, add a piece of incense to the incense burner, and then when he paused from writing, she would come over and loosen his shoulders, softly asking if there was anything he wanted to eat.

In those days, though his official position wasn’t high, his life had been incomparably comfortable and pleasant.

Linlang had never made him worry about domestic matters, and though that former father-in-law of his had been a crude and vulgar merchant who occasionally came to sponge off him, at least things had been peaceful — he brought none of these scorching, ruinous troubles.

And now, though he had seemingly married a high official’s daughter, he felt a desolation as though it wasn’t worth as much as being a merchant’s son-in-law after all.

These past few days, Xie Shi had been brooding resentfully that he hadn’t taken her somewhere scenic for an outing, complaining that he was nothing like his romantic, elegant self before the marriage.

Zhou Sui’an could honestly have said in return that looking at Second Young Miss Xie now, with her figure changed and her face full of spite and bitterness, she was nothing like her former demure, genteel self either.

Of course, Lord Zhou had not entirely lost his senses, and these words only turned over in his mind — he said nothing aloud to provoke Xie Shi’s outburst.

Seeing Xie Youran about to launch another interrogation, he could only play dumb, saying he had just come out for some air and happened to run into her and the woman surnamed Chu by chance.

Zhou Sui’an had honestly had quite enough of her throwing tantrums regardless of time or place. He was starting to regret having come at all. It was only because both former wife and new wife had appeared simultaneously just now, that curiosity had clearly been stirred in the people around them, who had begun pointing and whispering about him.

Xie Shi truly loved to make a spectacle of herself! She had insisted on dragging him here — didn’t she know that having conceived before the wedding, she ought to keep a low profile and avoid people?

At this thought, Zhou Sui’an said coldly: “If you want to keep quarreling, feel free to go back in and do it in front of all the guests. Our Zhou family only has so much face left — you might as well lose it all at once, and I’ll finally have some peace!”

With that, without even waiting for Xie Youran, he led his personal manservant away and departed in his own carriage without a backward glance.

Now that his father-in-law had issued his instructions forbidding Xie Shi from returning home, Zhou Sui’an was not afraid of her going back to complain to her parents.

If he didn’t cool her down a bit, she would always be holding that “daughter of a general” status over his head.

His mother was right — it was time to establish some rules with the new bride Xie Shi!

Xie Youran had not expected Zhou Sui’an to actually leave her behind and go alone. What kind of man was this, calling himself gentle and considerate? Had he behaved this way with Chu Linlang when they had been together?

Xie Youran was livid and immediately began stamping her feet and weeping in front of the Fourth Prince’s residence gate.

But the words turned on her tongue, and she suddenly remembered what Chu Linlang had said to her.

Though he was handsome, he was certainly not a low-ranking official she could afford to keep as a paramour.

She had been a wife before. When her husband grew tired from studying, she would use this massaging technique to relieve his fatigue, so her hands were quite practiced at it.

Situ Sheng took a sip of the bitter tea and said indifferently: “I would think Your Highness should know — keeping some distance between us would serve Your Highness best.”

Heaven above, have mercy! It was always said that feminine wiles could charm a man into squandering his entire fortune.

A master-servant relationship was best kept simple and pure. Talking about money always had a way of souring the feeling.

Situ Sheng’s ears finally found some peace. He prepared to send the foolish beloved disciple on his way with a few brief words.

His honored teacher was right — this tea was so bitter it truly drained away the urge to weep. His tongue had gone numb, and words were somewhat difficult to get out.

Situ Sheng listened quietly, then suddenly shifted the topic: “The household is getting crowded, and living here is becoming inconvenient. My former superior has been reassigned and has a property to sell. I went to look at it a few days ago — the style is decent, but the price is a bit high. I’m not sure if the household has enough money to move to a new residence?”

Chu Linlang had no idea of the underlying reasons. She only felt that the Sixth Princess Consort had been so eagerly attentive that it made her feel rather ill at ease all over.

She only told her own nanny to quickly bring two maidservants and escort Xie Youran into the Sixth Prince’s carriage to be sent back to the Zhou household.

The Sixth Prince hurriedly rose and eagerly poured a cup of tea for his junior mentor. He poured a cup for himself as well and took a large gulp.

Situ Sheng glanced at her and then closed his eyes: “Well then… I will trouble Madam Chu.”

When she returned to Jicui Alley, even Xia He couldn’t help muttering: “Young mistress, how is it that the Sixth Princess Consort holds no grudge at all?”

Situ Sheng reached out and nudged the teapot: “The rice tea brewed by my household’s steward — drinking it tends to put one in a better mood…”

She was also feeling quite furious at heart, feeling that Zhou Sui’an was completely out of line — how could he abandon his pregnant sister-in-law and storm off alone like that?

So she cleared her throat and tried cautiously: “If his lordship truly wants to move, perhaps I could go negotiate with the owner. If it’s just a rental, it wouldn’t require too much money. And even if your salary is insufficient, I… could set aside some silver, and lend your lordship a little…”

Having seen what she wanted to see, she carefully rose and slipped out of the room.

A parent’s love for their child is always thinking far ahead — yet he had been harboring resentment against his junior mentor in secret, never comprehending his father-like painstaking care. At this moment, waves of remorse crashed over him like a flooding tide!

So it was that when Situ Sheng had refused to give him face at the time, it was actually meant as a performance for others to see — and more importantly to put the other imperial princes at ease that he, the Sixth Prince, had absolutely no ambition for the succession!

Situ Sheng, seeing that Chu Linlang had thoughtfully dismissed the maidservants at the door and deliberately sent them far away, then closed the study door carefully, reached out and helped his former beloved disciple to his feet.

Chu Linlang had originally intended to set down the rice tea and leave, but seeing his state, he appeared to be suffering from headaches due to poor rest.

She had said before that if one wanted to live well, it was a matter of giving oneself more choices.

She had even heard that some officials of no low rank, being clean and honest, could not afford to buy a residence and, finding city housing too expensive, had moved to the outskirts of the capital to live.

To everyone’s surprise, Situ Sheng accepted the assignment without a word.

The moment he took up his post, he had given his superior a hard problem — telling Situ Sheng he had three days to sort through all the accumulated case files of the past ten years and transcribe them all afresh into new volumes.

He had light sleep and always had nightmares once he drifted off. Sometimes he went entire nights without sleeping. For now he relied on his youth and strong constitution to endure it, but if this went on, it would eventually leave lasting illness.

Situ Sheng lay with his eyes closed, feeling the gentle fingertips press and knead. It was as if a stream of vital essence flowed into the acupoints in his head, and the inexplicable tension began to release considerably.

Chu Linlang, seeing that he hadn’t heard her mention lending him money, felt a quiet wave of relief wash over her.

It seems that masculine beauty, when working its allure, could also embolden a woman to throw away a thousand pieces of gold.

But she had implied that Situ Sheng’s official stipend was insufficient to buy a house, and after that Situ Sheng said nothing more — seemingly quite dejected.

In the capital, officials’ residences were mostly rented rather than self-owned. Only a select few had either purchased their own or received one as imperial reward. Like Zhou Sui’an, Situ Sheng’s residence, though allocated by the government, still required a monthly rental fee.

Her silver was meant to buy a house and land for herself someday!

Capital residences were extraordinarily expensive — beyond the means of the average official’s salary to purchase. For example, Zhou Sui’an: Situ Sheng’s residence, though officially assigned, still had to be paid for monthly.

That evening, Situ Sheng came home somewhat earlier than usual. When he entered, he looked exhausted all over his face, as though he had dealt with a great amount of official business.

Liu Ling blinked in bewilderment: “Could it be… that you’re still angry with me over something else?”

When she carried the tea into the room, Situ Sheng was slumped in the reclining chair, brow furrowed, pressing his temples with his fingers.

The Sixth Prince knelt on without getting up. But he was too slender — Situ Sheng simply lifted him one-handed, and placed him in the chair.

Situ Sheng said: “No need for that. Just brew me a pot of that roasted rice tea you used to make for me. The more bitter the better.”

Chu Linlang listened, feeling a pang of guilt. She went inside, quietly explained the events of that day at the Fourth Imperial Prince’s residence, and expressed her concern that she might have offended the Crown Prince’s chief steward and caused trouble for her employer.

This request was too absurd, but seeing his weary appearance, she hadn’t the heart to refuse. So she roasted scorched-rice tea for him again.

The full force of his imperial upbringing prevented the Sixth Prince from losing composure in public, so he had no choice but to gulp it down.

If at that time Situ Sheng had still maintained a close relationship with him, would that not have drawn the jealousy of both the Crown Prince and Fourth Imperial Brother?

Having heard this, Situ Sheng fell silent and said nothing further. One did not know whether a man’s pride had taken a blow or not.

His honored teacher had seemed heartless, but it was entirely the tender deep love of a parent for a child!

Not to mention that even among close friends, accounts should be kept clear. Even between childhood sweethearts, one ought to charge two parts interest!

Just like this, more than an hour passed. Before she had even had time to eat dinner, there came a knock at the door.

Chu Linlang also felt that the silence without words to fill it was rather awkward, so she began talking about recent affairs at the official land grant fields. The other day when she had gone, she happened to encounter some officials enclosing land — they had bought up neighboring farmers’ plots and incorporated them into the official fields. But the two parties hadn’t agreed on a price, and a dispute had broken out.

Guanqi had quietly mentioned that the Court of Judicial Review had a new Chief Justice. The newly appointed Lord Cheng appeared to be at odds with his lordship and belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction.

Situ Sheng knew that the Sixth Prince had formerly looked down on him, this junior mentor of humble origins.

Before she had finished explaining in detail, Situ Sheng had begun to breathe with a faint, light snore. At some unknown point, he had fallen into deep sleep to the lull of Linlang’s massaging.

If dissatisfied, one would have to go find another and pay a premium to rent elsewhere.

As it happened, the two of them had not met privately for quite some time. The Sixth Prince had also been drinking a little at Fourth Imperial Brother’s banquet today, and was using the slight intoxication to summon the nerve to come see his honored teacher.

That slender wrist, with its natural delicate fragrance, drifted naturally into his nostrils, and the restlessness in his heart inexplicably dispersed.

Fortunately, at the very edge of the words, reason had struck, and he had ultimately managed to hold back.

What right did a mere employee have to chip in money when the employer was planning to buy a home and establish his family?

Chu Linlang assumed the knocking was yet another person coming to present gifts and request favors, and had the gatekeeper shout toward outside that his lordship was not in.

Situ Sheng had just woken from sleep, looking considerably refreshed. He glanced at the visiting card and told Chu Linlang to invite the Sixth Prince in.

It was as others had said — the Sixth Prince was nothing more than a stepping stone beneath his feet. A foolish creature. Since things had already come to a head between them, there was no need to maintain false bonds of friendship.

Chu Linlang looked at his exhausted face and asked: “What would you like for a late-night meal? I’ll make it for you.”

But those soft fingertips — like her lips that had, unintentionally on that day, pressed against him — whenever they touched, left a faint numbing, tingling sensation…

So it seemed tonight, his lordship would be burning the midnight oil once more.

Chu Linlang thought again: reckoning by the bond of childhood companions, by the code of camaraderie, if one encountered difficulty, one was obligated to lend a hand.

Liu Ling said with a choked voice: “Junior Mentor should understand me — that day, if I hadn’t been in an inebriated state, how could I have said words that offended my honored teacher? Every time I think of it now, I am tormented by remorse and cannot sleep. Junior Mentor refuses to acknowledge me — is it because there is still lingering anger in your heart?”

The Sixth Prince had just told him about secretly dealing with the waterway official from the An family. It seemed he was not completely foolish after all…

This was clearly a minor clerk’s work, yet it had been assigned to a fifth-rank Associate Director — to anyone with eyes, it was obvious this was someone deliberately making things difficult and putting obstacles in the way, giving Situ Sheng not even the smallest sliver of face.

Seeing that he still appeared only half-comprehending, Situ Sheng simply made it more explicit: “His Majesty is determined to purge the corrupt officials of the northern border regions. Your Highness has served well as a sharp blade, digging out the rot and restoring healthy tissue, treating the stubborn affliction. But having returned to the capital, His Majesty has no shortage of blades. If Your Highness does not know when to sheathe the blade and conceal its edge, I fear it may damage Your Highness’s own keen acuity.”

In the end it was the Sixth Princess Consort who heard from a servant of the Fourth Prince’s household and learned that her younger sister was once again creating a spectacle at someone else’s front gate.

But since the Sixth Prince had come, he must be entertained a little before being sent on his way.

Situ Sheng shook his head with a faint laugh: “If you had that kind of ability to bring disaster, I would certainly enshrine you and worship you as a plague god. Stop overthinking — it has nothing to do with you.”

With thoughts flowing, the Situ Sheng who had been prepared to send his guest away changed his mind: “Your Highness, do you truly believe that the reason I am unwilling to associate with you publicly is because I am angry with you?”

But those soft fingertips — the more she massaged, the more his body tensed up, which was far too taxing on her wrists.

The two of them had only shared a few months together as teacher and student, half of which was spent along the road executing corrupt officials, each with their own calculations — what beautiful sentiment could truly have developed from that?

She could do nothing but present it to Situ Sheng to see for himself.

Having heard this, Liu Ling finally understood: by so visibly and ruthlessly purging during his inspection tour, he had drawn out the Tai Prince’s faction and simultaneously tripped up Lady Jing Consort in the palace. What a dazzling show of brilliance!

Chu Linlang was smoothing the thick, sweeping ridges of his brow and looking at the curved, upswept lashes beneath her palm — and had nearly not been able to hold back, on the verge of opening her mouth to lend him some silver to make up the difference.

“His Highness the Sixth Prince, honored by heaven’s grace — there is no need to perform the great ceremony before this lowly official!”

Again, Chu Linlang had absolutely not anticipated that she would receive such remarkable treatment today at the imperial prince’s residence.

Chu Linlang heard the price of that residence, did some quick mental arithmetic, and very honestly told her employer that as long as he kept diligently working for another twenty years, he would most certainly be able to afford it.

And so Chu Linlang moved a stool over, sat down beside the reclining chair, and gently began pressing the acupoints in Situ Sheng’s head.

When they met face to face at last, Situ Sheng formally welcomed His Highness, while the Sixth Prince promptly knelt before Situ Sheng and said with a choked voice: “Junior Mentor, have you truly disowned me as a student?”

She couldn’t help but ask: “Would you like me to… press some acupoints in your head for you?”

She had been curious about why that farmer’s land was priced higher than elsewhere, even though those officials still bought it. Only then did she understand: it was to incorporate the land into the official field allocation, which would allow them to evade future tax obligations.

Chu Linlang had never imagined that her carelessly over-roasted tea from that time had become Situ Sheng’s stimulant of choice.

Only when Chu Linlang complained that he needed to relax more because her hands were wearing out did he finally make a conscious effort to suppress the hidden and unspeakable strangeness within himself, attempting to relax his body’s muscles.

However, before long, a visiting card came sliding through the gap at the door. The gatekeeper passed it to Steward Chu. She looked at it — it was the Sixth Prince’s visiting card.

Situ Sheng was in fact quite exhausted, yet there was still an impulse to scoop up a handful of tofu to drink in. His body naturally tensed up as well.

—