On the day Tao Yashu entered the palace, she closed off most of her heart. Now she simply sat quietly in a corner of the palace hall, watching the solitary moon, her thoughts on the person beneath the moonlight…

But after pondering and feeling wistful, she turned and took up her brush and ink to write a letter to her mother.

Back then, because of Tao Yashu speaking up in the palace, Wu Shi had come home and scolded her thoroughly. Between the lines, the message was that Chu Linlang was of poor character and not to be associated with.

At the time, Tao Yashu had struggled to tell her mother about the incident of being seized by water bandits, and even less so about her aunt abandoning her — she didn’t want to sow discord between her aunt and her parents.

But now, Fourth Aunt had gone too far. Yet her mother had been so inconsiderate to the woman who had saved her daughter’s life.

Tao Yashu felt she need no longer spare her aunt any face — it was time to lay everything out before her mother, lest Fourth Aunt commit yet more outrageous acts.

After the letter was sent out, the aged Duke Tao, who had long since withdrawn from household affairs, summoned his fourth daughter to the Duke’s residence.

The old Duke gave this fourth daughter of his no face at all — he sat with a stern expression and questioned her, point by point, asking whether what his granddaughter Yashu had said was true.

Before being summoned into her father’s study, Tao Huiru truly had not expected that the underhanded scheme she had orchestrated from the shadows would be seen through by her sharp-eyed niece, who had even brought it before her grandfather.

She first attempted to argue her case, saying that she had genuinely not known about the drowning at the time, and that the claim she had said Tao Yashu instigated classmates to ostracize Yixiu Junzhu was simply absurd — she had merely been chatting idly with Su Shi, and it was Su Shi’s careless second daughter who had overheard and embellished it, going to the Fourth Princess Consort to stir up trouble.

This explanation might have worked to hoodwink her elder brother, but unfortunately Duke Tao was a veteran court official who had served through three generations, and his eyes were sharp when it came to reading people.

Moreover, did he not know his own daughter’s temperament?

When his granddaughter’s letter subtly pointed out that it was certainly because Fourth Aunt had mistakenly believed she had spoken ill of her to her father, ruining her cousin Tao Zan’s career prospects — the Duke saw through everything.

He raised his hand to stop Tao Huiru’s dry, hollow explanations, and said coldly: “If you hadn’t acted so outrageously, that child Yashu would have kept it all to herself and never said a word. Besides, don’t you know your own brother? He and your mother are the same — they’ve always pampered you. How could he take revenge on Tao Zan’s behalf just because Yashu spoke badly of you, ruining that child’s career? Not letting him go to the Ministry of Personnel was my decision. What does it have to do with Yashu?”

Hearing her father say this, Tao Huiru abruptly raised her head: “Father, what do you mean?”

Duke Tao felt that the family had protected their daughter too well, so much so that at the time she had not felt the blood and fire of the Yang Family’s annihilation at all.

But after all, Tao Zan was born of Yang blood. Sending him to the Ministry of Personnel would be adding trouble before the Emperor?

Father’s anger was great, and Tao Huiru had no choice but to listen in silence.

In the end, she only said, eyes brimming with tears: “What wrong has Zan’er done? He now carries the surname Tao — Father, why do you still invoke the Yang Family to ruin his prospects?”

Duke Tao said bitterly: “If it weren’t for your stubborn insistence on marrying Yang Yi back then, your son could have aimed for far more than the Ministry of Personnel! But you were bewitched at the time, insisting on going your own way — and what did you end up with? And yet you still know that your son should now bear the surname Tao — you should understand that the Tao Family is your greatest support! Yet you still go about sabotaging that child Yashu! What good does it do you for the Tao Family to suffer misfortune?”

In short, that day the Duke berated Tao Huiru so thoroughly it was as if he had poured a dog’s worth of blood over her head. He further warned Tao Huiru to put away her petty, vengeful thinking.

If in the future he heard even the slightest rumor connected to the danger at Verdant Isle, regardless of whose mouth it came from, it would all be attributed to her as the source.

At that time, Tao Huiru had best not blame her own father for being heartless — it would all be dealt with according to family rules.

When Tao Huiru came out of the study that day, she had cried until her face was colorless, her lips pale as chalk.

Unfortunately, her pitiable appearance had never been effective on their father. But Tao Yashu’s father saw it and felt some sympathy for his younger sister.

Wu Shi watched coldly from the side, thinking inwardly: it was ultimately the daughter who knew how to handle her father. Yashu’s letter had only told her to speak to their grandfather — not to her father.

Otherwise, letting her husband, who doted on his younger sister, handle this would again result in a muddy, confused mess!

She too had never expected that her younger sister-in-law would cause so much trouble with her own daughter.

Thinking back now on how Tao Huiru had spoken so much ill of Chu Linlang in front of her — truly “painstaking effort”!

Thinking that she had previously allowed her daughter’s savior to be turned away at the door, Wu Shi genuinely felt some remorse.

After thinking it over, she used the pretext of her daughter newly entering the palace and being appointed as a female official, wanting to share the happy news with classmates, and instructed the estate manager to order a box of pastries from a capital restaurant to send to Chu Linlang.

When the gift box arrived, Chu Linlang heard it was sent by Madam Wu and was privately astonished.

She naturally understood Wu Shi’s gesture of goodwill, and guessed that Tao Yashu must have told her mother about what happened at Verdant Isle — Wu Shi was expressing her gratitude to her.

Chu Linlang listened as the Duke’s estate manager who delivered the pastries said that, although Tao Yashu had just entered the palace, she was very much appreciated by the Empress Dowager, and had been appointed as a First-Rank Guangxing Huzhu, in charge of managing the Empress Dowager’s palace seal, and even authorized to review important ceremonial protocols on the Empress Dowager’s behalf.

These kinds of duties the Empress Dowager had previously entrusted to Noble Consort Jing for co-management. Now she had taken back the majority of that authority and placed it in Tao Yashu’s hands, graciously calling it sharing Noble Consort Jing’s burden and providing her with experience.

Such boundless honor, with the quiet implication of sharing the power to govern the six palace chambers — it showed how dearly the Empress Dowager cherished the Tao Family’s daughter.

She shared the news of Tao Yashu’s situation with her classmates at the women’s academy and, along with it, distributed the pastries Wu Shi had sent to her classmates and the instructors. Everyone was very happy for Tao Xiaojie — after all, being appointed as a “Huzhu” female official was no small honor.

In addition, Chu Niangzi was also quite impressive, having received His Majesty’s commendation of “Xinmei Ren.”

Such a distinction — even many sixth-rank court ladies had never received the like. So Miss Guan took the lead, saying they should pool contributions and invite the newly titled Xinmei Ren for drinks.

Chu Linlang laughed and said: “How could I let you treat me? Next time I’ll host and we’ll all drink together.”

For a moment, everyone chatted with great animation, completely forgetting about their upcoming lessons.

But Instructor Liao, sitting in the main seat, letting them chatter away, was lost in thought.

Having returned from recuperating from his injury, he had come to the women’s academy this time to hand things over to the new instructor. After today, he would return to the Ministry of Works and need not come to the academy again.

Chu Linlang noticed his hair bun seemed not as neat and smooth as it had been those few days ago. Though much better than before and clearly done with some care, it was still a bit uneven — it seemed his sweetheart had been negligent these past few days, not supervising his grooming…

For some reason, when Instructor Liao Jingxuan was staring blankly at Tao Yashu’s empty seat, Chu Linlang suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and many things became clear in an instant.

She couldn’t help but wonder — the pair of embroidered slippers she had seen in Instructor Liao’s inner room that day… Tao Yashu had a pair just like them!

Thinking of this, Chu Linlang gave a slight start and in turn thought of many things.

Including how, afterward, Tao Yashu had probed her with seemingly casual words, and the strange things she had said — looking back now, they were all tinged with sourness.

Thinking of this, Chu Linlang sprang to her feet and in a few steps went after Instructor Liao Jingxuan, who was walking toward the academy gate.

Once outside, with no one on either side, Chu Linlang called out: “Instructor, please wait!”

Instructor Liao turned to look at her: “What is it, Chu Niangzi?”

Chu Linlang stared into his eyes and asked quietly: “The one who gifted you the nourishing medicine that day — could it have been my classmate?”

Although Instructor Liao was covered with a full beard, she could still see a flash of awkward embarrassment cross his face.

Her guess was actually true!

Thinking of this, Chu Linlang’s protective instinct for someone dear to her rose at once!

Even though Tao Yashu ordinarily acted as mature and steady as could be, she was still only a young woman in the bloom of youth — she wouldn’t be immune to being deceived by someone.

But how old was Instructor Liao? How could he seduce a student like Tao Yashu?

Chu Linlang’s delicate brows shot up, and with one hand she grabbed Instructor Liao’s collar, asking in a low voice: “What have you done to her!”

This intimidating manner of a salt smuggler crashing a scene gave Instructor Liao quite a fright.

Knowing she had misunderstood, he couldn’t very well scuffle with Chu Niangzi, so he let her grab his collar and bowed his head helplessly: “What could I have done? You ladies are all heroic figures — you storm into a man’s courtyard as if there’s no one there. I naturally served you tea and respectfully saw you young ladies out, one by one!”

Being a casual, easygoing person, even having his collar grabbed by a female student and his dignity as an instructor wounded, he showed no sour expression, and even had the leisure to call out to the carriage beside the road: “Situ brother, come quickly and rescue me. I am innocent — it’s she who laid hands first!”

It turned out that the Aide’s carriage had, at some unknown point, arrived at the women’s academy gate. Situ Sheng lifted the hem of his robe and stepped down from the carriage, watching them with cold eyes.

The way things looked, if he didn’t intervene, Chu Linlang seemed about to drag Instructor Liao into the nearby dark alley.

Chu Linlang saw that Instructor Liao didn’t look like a guilty man lying through his teeth, and finally released her grip.

If it was as he said — that Tao Yashu had come only to pay him a concern visit, just like herself — then there was nothing to it.

It was just improper in terms of propriety, and it didn’t seem like something the well-bred young lady Tao Yashu would do.

Instructor Liao felt a little aggrieved, and waited for Situ Sheng to come over and rebuke his woman a little.

But Situ Sheng walked over and asked Chu Linlang: “Did he bully you?”

Instructor Liao’s jaw, buried under his beard, dropped half-open — truly unable to catch his breath. This man had no moral character! To forget a friend the moment he saw a woman!

“I say, Situ Sheng — how many wrongful cases have you misjudged at the Bureau of Judicial Review? It’s obviously she who bullied me!”

Chu Linlang had no desire to let word of Tao Yashu’s business spread as idle gossip. Since Instructor Liao didn’t look like someone who had tempted Tao Yashu into wrongdoing, she too decided to stop while she was ahead, and smiled to ease the tension: “I was just noticing that the instructor’s collar was badly askew — I was straightening it for him.”

And with some embarrassment, she reached out, wanting to tidy the collar she had yanked every which way.

This time, however — “smack” — her hand was slapped away by Situ Sheng.

Situ Sheng’s nostrils flared tightly, his tone cold and measured: “He has hands. He can straighten it himself.”

If Chu Linlang couldn’t see that this man was jealous, then she had lived all these years for nothing.

She stifled a laugh: “No… my relationship with Instructor Liao… it’s not what you think.”

Situ Sheng didn’t let her explain, simply taking her hand and helping her up into the carriage, leaving Instructor Liao standing behind, calling out: “Hey, wasn’t it agreed that you’d come to send me to the Minister of Works’ residence for a meeting? Did you pick up the wrong person?”

Only then did Chu Linlang realize why Situ Sheng had appeared at the women’s academy gate — he had made an appointment with Instructor Liao!

Ever since the two of them had come to an understanding, they had always avoided each other’s company in public. But this time, Situ Sheng seemed unable to help himself, and his grip on Chu Linlang’s wrist was almost painful.

Chu Linlang had always known Situ Sheng’s character — no matter how deeply he concealed his thoughts, he was still a gracious and upright gentleman.

But today, she could clearly sense that Situ Sheng was angry, and moreover, that his jealousy was a strangely inexplicable flash of pique directed at his good friend.

In Chu Linlang’s view, this was entirely unnecessary, and not at all the sort of thing someone as cool-headed, rational, and self-controlled as Situ Sheng would do.

So she tugged at his sleeve and said: “Hey, why did you drag me over here? Even if you’re this old, don’t be so childish!”

Chu Linlang did not know that her one word, “childish,” had cleanly and decisively stabbed into Aide Situ’s very sore spot, sinking three inches deep and drawing blood!

So no matter how she explained that there was nothing between her and Instructor Liao, it didn’t particularly matter anymore.

Situ Sheng steadied the back of her slender neck with one hand, stroking it while grinding his teeth: “In the future — don’t be so casual with other men!”

He wasn’t saying that Chu Linlang had been deliberately flirting. But this woman had been steeped in the world of commerce since childhood — regardless of male or female, she was naturally familiar and at ease with people from the moment she met them, and she moved through interactions slickly.

Yet she also happened to have a bright and beautiful appearance, and sometimes she couldn’t help but make men’s hearts wander, stirring thoughts they couldn’t suppress.

Just two days ago, that Xia Qingyun had come again. It was said he wanted to discuss with Chu Linlang the matter of purchasing land in the northwest to grow medicinal herbs.

At the time he too was in the shop, watching coldly from behind the curtain. That Chu Linlang smiled once at that dark youth and the youth’s face flushed red through — to say that Chu Linlang’s polite refusal the last time had completely killed that young man’s feelings, not even ghosts would believe it!

Situ Sheng felt he needed to have a proper talk with Chu Linlang about what “not being casual” meant, to prevent more headstrong young men like Xia Qingyun from being drawn in.

Chu Linlang was gripped by the back of her neck and tumbled into his arms, furiously grabbing at his big palm: “Why are you losing your temper for no reason? I said it was a misunderstanding, didn’t I?”

Situ Sheng said nothing, only reaching out to draw Chu Linlang’s soft, yielding body into his own embrace, then gently rubbing her pinched neck, and quietly asking: “You called me childish? Am I… that young-looking?”

Hmm, this question — he had asked something similar in bed before. Of course, what he was asking then was certainly not about age.

But now what he should be asking about was probably age, wasn’t it?

Chu Linlang wasn’t sure what to make of him, and wondered: he was just the right age, twenty-five — could it be that, like a woman, he feared being told he looked too old?

Thinking of this, Chu Linlang no longer argued with him, only pinching his firmly-muscled arm and drawing little circles: “Anyway, you don’t look old — young and fresh like someone in their early twenties!”

She said it a little against her better judgment — after all, Situ Sheng was steadily mature in manner and nowhere near those fuzzy-cheeked young men. But to tell a person they looked young was never wrong, was it?

Unfortunately, this flattery landed on the wrong spot, and Situ Sheng’s handsome face darkened by half.

He naturally understood that Chu Linlang wouldn’t have any feelings for Instructor Liao. But just a moment ago, seeing the two of them, from a distance, seemingly whispering head to head, a surge of devilish fire had shot up to the top of his head.

This wasn’t her problem — it was his.

He had never told her that five years after he was taken away to be raised under his adoptive mother’s knee, he had once passed through Jiangkou while traveling with his academy on a study tour.

At the time, still a student, he had specifically asked his teacher for a day’s leave, boarded a section of river, and come to Jiangkou, wanting to see the headstrong little girl next door.

At the time, he carried in his arms savings he had accumulated over a full year in loose silver.

Simply because he remembered that five years before, the little neighbor had once said that she wanted to go to the biggest restaurant in Jiangkou to try their signature salt-baked pork offal, but unfortunately the copper coins earned from selling clay figurines weren’t enough.

Now his savings were sufficient — enough to treat her to a big meal, and at the same time check in on how she had been doing over these past five years without him.

But the long-anticipated reunion could not withstand the passage of five years’ time.

The Chu Linlang of those days was already a gracefully grown young woman. She was pulling a young man along with her face full of delight, the two of them strolling the street and buying groceries. And her hairstyle had already taken on the style of a married woman…

He had heard that her courage was extraordinary — she had eloped behind her family’s back and had just married the man she ran away with.

He had heard that she was now living happily, her husband was good at his studies, had already passed the county examination, and would undoubtedly have a bright future.

That agile young girl, even more spirited than before, had not recognized the young man who had grown much taller and completely changed in appearance.

Only when he stood dumbstruck, blocking the stall she wanted to browse, did that young girl say to him, his face still young and unformed: “Little brother, step aside — I want to buy something here.”

That one word, “little brother,” jolted him awake from the nameless emotion he had been lost in.

It turned out that the only one who had lingered in the memories of the past, standing still and refusing to move on, was him alone…

As a youth, he had not opened his mouth to greet his former neighbor, not made himself known to her. He had only clenched his fist tightly, then turned and walked away without looking back.

In the years that followed, Situ Sheng had thought he had long since forgotten whatever feelings had stirred in him at the time.

But just now, when he had mistakenly thought from a distance that Chu Linlang was being intimate with Instructor Liao, it had all surged back at once.

So it was that at the market stall in Jiangkou, when he had watched that young woman full of joyful vitality, pulling a stranger’s arm and walking intimately beside him — that stinging, nose-prickling sensation had been jealousy!

He had apparently liked his headstrong neighbor girl even earlier than he had believed.

Of course, Situ Sheng would absolutely never open his mouth to tell Chu Linlang about such an embarrassing and disheveled chapter of his youth.

He was no longer that youth who had been powerless to keep anyone or anything for himself.

But… this woman had told him with her own mouth that she liked older men. There was no guarantee she didn’t actually admire Instructor Liao’s bearded, aged manner more.

Thinking of this, he bowed his head and rubbed the tip of his nose against Linlang’s cheek: “Received the Emperor’s title of Ren, and your temper’s grown too? You’re casual with other men, and yet I’m not allowed to be jealous?”

Linlang, seeing his tone finally return to normal and become teasing again, let out a laugh: “Even if you want to be jealous, you should pick someone worth being jealous of. The instructor — what’s there to be jealous of?”

She was someone who cared about looks, wasn’t she? Whether her former husband or this current “lover” of hers — which one of them wasn’t a handsome man with jade-smooth complexion?

Instructor Liao, all beard and mop-head, what was there to be jealous of?

So when the topic shifted to Situ Sheng asking whether he should follow Instructor Liao’s example and grow a beard too, Chu Linlang was the one who was aghast, shaking her head like a rattle-drum!

“Absolutely not! I have no desire to eat a mouthful of bristly whiskers!”

After saying this, she couldn’t help but reach up and place a flattering kiss on the man’s clean, handsome chin.

If he grew a beard, how could she so freely admire his thin lips and the face as clear and magnificent as bright mountain ranges?

If he dared grow one, she would dare sneak up on him with a blade in the middle of the night and shave him clean!

Perhaps because Chu Linlang’s reasoning was convincing and persuasive, or perhaps because those tiny, fine kisses left him in no mood for words —

Just as Chu Linlang was gnashing her teeth and threatening to shave off his beard, Situ Sheng deftly closed over her cherry lips and began exacting his desired, insatiable response from her…

As Situ Sheng’s carriage drove away, behind the carriage it was not only Instructor Liao shaking his head in helpless exasperation. Two ladies who had just walked over from beside the bamboo grove next to the academy were left somewhat open-mouthed.

These two were none other than the Tao family’s Fourth Aunt, Tao Huiru, and Hua Shi. Behind them were the wife of General Xie, Su Shi, and Xie Youran.

The reason the Forgetful Dust Lay Buddhist and Su Shi had come together to visit Hua Shi was this:

After Chu Linlang had come to find Xie Youran and asked her to clarify the situation, then threatened to drag her into an alley, Xie Youran had been thoroughly frightened.

Having learned that Chu Linlang had been personally titled “Ren” by the Emperor, Xie Youran was both envious and afraid, and in the end still told her mother Su Shi.

Su Shi, hearing this, furiously pointed her finger at Xie Youran’s forehead: “Were you switched out for someone else in the countryside? Are you still my daughter? How could you run off and tell the Fourth Princess Consort about our private chat with Madam Tao? Gossiping behind someone’s back is one thing — but letting people find out about it! No wonder she grabbed you by the collar!”

Because of the period Xie Youran had spent fostered in the countryside as a child, Su Shi generally wouldn’t mention it. But she was close to being cried to tears by her daughter’s foolishness, and so in her fury she said she must have been switched.

Xie Youran had been badly frightened by Chu Linlang. Even in front of her mother she had lost her usual arrogance.

If that Chu Linlang were merely a merchant woman, that would be one thing. But she was so good at maneuvering herself — quietly obtaining a sixth-rank “Ren” commendation, and even getting to hold the butter lamps for His Majesty’s Dharma assembly. What enormous honor!

Could it be because she was quite attractive and had caught the Emperor’s eye? It was only because she was a previously married woman who could not enter the palace that the Emperor had given her a title, keeping her as an outside favorite.

Thinking of this, Su Shi found it increasingly plausible, and increasingly frightening. If Chu Linlang rose to power in the future, favored so dearly by the Emperor — wouldn’t their family be in serious trouble?

Su Shi was at a loss for a moment. This sort of trouble caused by gossiping behind someone’s back could not be brought to the General’s attention.

So she went straight to find Tao Huiru, recounting from beginning to end how her daughter had gone to stir up trouble with the Fourth Princess Consort.

Up to the first half, things were fine. But when Tao Huiru heard that Chu Linlang and Tao Yashu had not been made difficult by Noble Consort Jing, and that Chu Shi had even received the commendation, she couldn’t help but narrow her eyes hard.

Ever since she had been scolded by her father last time, Tao Huiru had barely gone out, and didn’t even know the details of Chu Shi’s appointment.

She had been puzzling over why the Yun Family had made no move, letting her niece enter the palace without incident.

So it was all because Chu Shi had used her looks to gain the Emperor’s favor!

Tao Huiru had long since known things had come to light. She was not as flustered as Su Shi, only frowning and saying: “How is that speaking ill of people — it was merely idle chatter between women, passing along some hearsay.”

Su Shi nodded as well, saying that was exactly right.

Then Tao Huiru decided they should go find the head woman of the Rongling Women’s Academy, Madam Hua, and ask her to act as a mediator, going to that Chu Niangzi to explain that all of this was Xie Youran mishearing and exaggerating things, unintentionally causing trouble.

After all, if Su Shi was right that Chu Linlang had gained the Emperor’s favor, she truly was a woman one could not afford to offend.

Tao Huiru did not want to offend every last person inside and outside the family, and naturally wanted to smooth things over and turn them around — so she went to Hua Shi to mediate.