Su Mother had been feeling quite pleased with Su Xi lately.
Her daughter had always had good grades, but she’d never been the particularly hardworking type. On the contrary, she used to watch TV late into the night every day after school.
But recently, something seemed to have changed. After coming home from school, Su Xi no longer went out shopping, nor did she lounge in front of the TV. Instead, the moment she came through the door with her schoolbag, she would rush straight into her room, spread out her homework book, and start writing.
For the first few days, Su Mother worried that Su Xi was secretly playing games behind closed doors. Several times, under the pretense of bringing her milk, she pushed the door open to check.
Yet each time she entered, she found that Su Xi was truly sitting there, seriously working on her papers…! Though puzzled, her heart couldn’t help but feel deeply comforted.
What’s more, even though Su Xi had fallen behind for a while because of her fractured bone, she still managed to keep her place among the top three in her class during the last exam. After attending the parent–teacher meeting, Su Mother came home beaming, and even gave Su Xi a little extra pocket money.
As soon as Su Mother closed the door, Su Xi quietly let out a sigh of relief and lifted the test paper that had been covering her phone screen.
The phone screen was still lit up, paused on the game interface.
Inside the room, the little Zai Zai had just stood up, relighting the nearly burnt-out candle—completely unaware of what had just happened outside the screen.
It had to be said: playing this game made Su Xi feel greatly motivated by her Zai Zai.
His diligence was something she couldn’t hope to match. Feeling embarrassed to only complete her school homework every day, she went and bought a few extracurricular workbooks to do as well.
Moreover, though separated by a screen—one in a rain-drenched thatched hut, the other in a bright and clean apartment—working hard together gave Su Xi both comfort and joy.
…It was as if she finally had someone fighting alongside her, making the upcoming college entrance exams feel much less frightening.
Not long after the Grand Commandant Yun was reinstated to his post, he sent word through Yun Xiupang, inviting Lu Huan to the Commandant’s residence, saying that he and Yun Xiupang had once been classmates, and he hoped Lu Huan would attend to celebrate Yun Xiupang’s birthday.
Back when Lu Huan wrote that letter to Yun Xiupang, he had left certain clues in it.
Yun Xiupang was a simple, rather naïve youth, but the Grand Commandant Yun—who had climbed to the rank of a first-grade official—was certainly not a man of simple mind. He would inevitably put some things together.
So that day, after classes at the Imperial Academy ended, Lu Huan packed up his books and went along with Yun Xiupang.
——All of this had been within his and Su Xi’s expectations.
Only, Su Xi miserably discovered that she didn’t have enough points to unlock the Grand Commandant’s residence, and could only watch her Zai Zai go alone.
She really wished she could go with him, to see what the Commandant’s mansion looked like.
This whole game was almost indistinguishable from the real world; the landscapes of the Yan Kingdom were breathtaking. A few days ago, when she switched the map interface to Yunzhou, she had been stunned by the towering, cloud-piercing mountains that looked like an immortal’s realm, and by the painted pavilions and flying eaves built among them. She’d wandered through every corner in awe before finally getting back to her main tasks.
…If, in the future, once her Zai Zai regained his status as a prince and had free time, she really wanted to take him traveling together.
Even though she couldn’t go this time, the system quickly popped up with a summary of what had happened at the Commandant’s residence:
【Grand Commandant Yun believed that the protagonist, being only fifteen years old, could not possibly have orchestrated all this, even to the point of outwitting a veteran official like himself. He suspected there was someone behind the boy, and so put him through a series of difficulties and tests. But the protagonist answered every question with perfect composure, soon earning the Grand Commandant’s admiration and even sparking in him a subtle desire to nurture this young man.】
Reading from outside the screen, Su Xi felt immensely proud. The Imperial Academy students were said to be the most brilliant among the capital’s noble sons, yet to her, none could compare to her Zai Zai.
Besides, her Zai Zai was even younger than they were.
【Grand Commandant Yun and the Prime Minister had always been bitter political rivals, fated to clash wherever they met. Yun’s previous demotion for dereliction of duty had not been without the Prime Minister’s hand behind the scenes. Yet the Prime Minister was the Emperor’s brother-in-law—one man beneath the throne and above ten thousand others—not someone who could be easily overthrown like a paper tiger. Though Grand Commandant Yun had now been reinstated to office, the enmity between his residence and the Prime Minister’s manor still ran deep. Even if peace held on the surface for now, conflict between the two houses was bound to intensify sooner or later.】
【He turned this into a subtle allegory, disguising himself and the Prime Minister as two subordinate officials in a remote county who were vying for power and merit, and asked the protagonist what solution he would propose.】
Su Xi thought, the very fact that Grand Commandant Yun would pose such a test meant that he already regarded her Zai Zai with a certain degree of respect.
【The protagonist’s answer was this:
Though Subordinate A currently appears to be at a disadvantage, this can in fact be turned into his strength. Subordinate B may be basking in glory for the moment, yet that very glory can become his weakness. After all, when a subordinate’s achievements outshine his superior’s, no county magistrate would feel secure in his own seat.
Subordinate A may, therefore, hint to the magistrate: “There are rumors in town that Subordinate B has rendered many great services. Our county is small; perhaps he now holds himself too highly, and harbors rebellious intent. Would it not be wise to find a way to restrain him? For instance, aside from the magistrate’s wife, why not bring in another favored concubine, thereby weakening Subordinate B’s influence as the wife’s father?”
In this way, the contest between Subordinate A and Subordinate B becomes a three-sided struggle, dividing Subordinate B’s attention. Once a third party rises to prominence and drives a wedge between Subordinate B and the magistrate, Subordinate A can bide his time and strike at leisure.】
Outside the screen, Su Xi was speechless. “……!”
It felt like reading a historical chronicle—but once she studied the lines carefully, she could see right through her Zai Zai’s scheme.
Nothing more than stirring up muddy waters to fish for profit!
As the saying goes, “To secure the East, first strike the West.” The Emperor was always pondering how to control his ministers and was surely wary of the Prime Minister’s growing influence. Sending beauties into the palace seemed to dilute the Empress’s favor, but in truth, it was to cultivate another “imperial in-law,” dividing the Prime Minister’s power.
Once the situation turned into a tangled three-way standoff, opportunities would emerge—certainly better than the Grand Commandant’s current position of being beaten one-sidedly.
【Grand Commandant Yun was greatly impressed by the protagonist’s answer. He could hardly believe that someone so young could possess such insight. That very night, he summoned his youngest son, Yun Xiupang, and told him that since he and the protagonist were classmates, he should spend more time with him in the future.】
Su Xi thought, As expected. Even if that earlier side quest hadn’t been completed, Yun Xiupang was destined to become Zai Zai’s friend.
Still, if Zai Zai could truly make his first friend, that would be a good thing.
───♡───
After this storyline, the very next day, a decree was issued to the Prince of Ning’s residence!
No one knew exactly what Grand Commandant Yun had said to the Emperor in court—
Perhaps it had only been mentioned in passing. After all, the Grand Commandant had just rendered great service, and it was no big matter for the Emperor to grant a small request.
Besides, the position of Assistant Director of the Ministry of War was only of the fifth sub-rank—a modest post, far from a coveted one—and often served as a stepping stone for young noble heirs.
The Emperor, having some impression of the Zai Zai who had taken first place in the last Qiuyan Mountain Hunt, casually issued the decree.
But—this was a momentous event for the long-declining Prince of Ning’s household!
Who knew how many years it had been since the Ning Prince’s manor last received an imperial decree!
Ever since the Prince had been sent to the distant frontier, only women, children, and the elderly remained at home, and the family’s standing in the capital had grown worse by the day.
The Old Madam had been anxious to see her grandsons enter officialdom for this very reason—fearing that she would not live to see it happen, and that the Ning Prince’s line would die out completely.
But to think—how long had it even been since he entered the Imperial Academy? And now this illegitimate grandson of hers had been recommended for promotion, rising in one leap from a ninth-rank reader-companion to a fifth-rank Assistant Director of the Ministry of War!
Though fifth-rank was still low and did not require attendance at court, it was nevertheless an official position—and this alone gave the Old Madam a renewed sense of hope.
The Old Madam’s joy was written all over her face, but in the past few days, within the Ning Prince’s residence, the Princess Consort of Ning and the two brothers, Lu Yuan and Lu Wenxiu, had been as dejected as wilted eggplants, unable to lift their heads.
After all, the Princess Consort’s natal family, the Shangguan clan, had collapsed entirely—meaning she no longer had anyone to rely on.
She had always been somewhat inferior before the Old Madam, but now she didn’t even dare appear before her, keeping her head down and her tail tucked between her legs.
A tragedy on one side and a joy on the other, the entire Ning Prince’s residence was abuzz with discussion.
Su Xi was so excited that she deliberately waited for the scene where the imperial decree arrived. Her current mood was like that of a proud parent watching their child, after much tutoring, rise from the bottom of the kindergarten class to become a group leader. He could now collect homework from others! What mother wouldn’t be thrilled?!
After the decree arrived, her Zai Zai was also granted a few rewards, along with many gifts that the Old Madam had sent through her maids.
The bestowed treasures filled half the room—several chests in total. Counting these among his possessions, his wealth now far surpassed that of the two legitimate grandsons.
Lu Huan appeared indifferent, but when he turned around and heard the faint rustle of pearls and jewelry shifting within the chests, a subtle smile tugged at his lips.
…She had always been fond of shiny things.
In the Yan Kingdom, most officials entered court service in their twenties; even the earliest among the noble sons were only seventeen.
To enter service at fifteen and be promoted to the fifth sub-rank was already a rare accomplishment.
However, since a fifth-rank position was still minor, it didn’t draw much attention in the capital. The only reactions came from the mixed emotions within the Ning Prince’s household and the hushed discussions among the Imperial Academy students.
Once the decree had been delivered and dinner with the Old Madam concluded, Lu Huan returned to the thatched courtyard and began packing his belongings.
As a fifth-rank official, he was required to move into the Ministry of War’s quarters.
Since childhood, Lu Huan had often imagined how he would one day leave the Ning Prince’s residence—and what that moment would look like.
Now, that day had finally come.
Standing beneath the eaves, it felt as though he had escaped from a mire that had bound him for years. He exhaled deeply, lifting his head toward the vast sky—moon bright, stars scattered, the heavens boundless.
Though leaving the Ning Prince’s residence had long been his wish, he found himself reluctant to part with this humble courtyard.
Every corner of it held traces of her—the bamboo grove she had once straightened, the kitchen she had neatly organized, the soft yellow rabbit-shaped lantern hanging under the eaves, the mended door and patched roof. These were all the reasons he had refused to move to Jingyuan, the finer courtyard the Old Madam had granted him.
He had few belongings; everything he intended to bring was connected to her—the charcoal brazier, the lantern, his clothes, his boots, and the little notes she had sent him, all carefully preserved.
He took down the lantern, packed these things neatly into a chest, and planned to take it along when he assumed his post at the Ministry of War.
During the time Su Xi stepped away for dinner, night had already fallen inside the game.
When she logged back in, she saw her Zai Zai sitting quietly on the threshold, gazing at the empty air, as though patiently waiting for her return. Entering the house, she saw that he had already packed everything, and a pang of melancholy stirred in her chest. Though the Ning Prince’s residence had always been hateful, this thatched courtyard… she and her Zai Zai had indeed spent quite a long time here.
