Passing through the bustling streets of Yedu, on a plum ridge in the western outskirts stood the Plum Residence of the Xue clan of Suinan.

It was said that twenty years ago, the Plum Residence had merely been an earthen fort built for self-protection during the Rebellion of the King of Beiyue.

Yet twenty years had passed, and the Plum Residence had gradually expanded. Within were workshops, granaries, and watchtowers. Among them lived hundreds of Xue clansmen, who could close the gates and hold fast for several months without going out, or open the gates and quickly arm themselves, possessing the strength to resist the enemy.

In her previous life, Lizhu had never left Luoyang. This was the first time she had seen with her own eyes the fortress of the Xue clan.

The group lay prone on a small earthen slope nearby, observing cautiously.

Danzhu exclaimed in awe: “…This is a fortress? So big! If one didn’t know, they’d think it was the imperial palace of Luoyang!”

“It’s not as large as the imperial palace of Luoyang,” Chang Jun glanced toward Lizhu, “but now I understand why His Majesty wishes to support Minister Tan.”

Lizhu pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Danzhu tilted her head, fiddling with the beaded hairpin on Chang Jun’s head as she asked:

“This Xue clan, compared to that dog thief Tan family from Wan Commandery, which one is more powerful?”

The hairpins clinked and rattled. With face covered in lead powder, Chang Jun said seriously:

“Of course it’s the Xue clan. Though Tan Rong can mobilize troops and horses, his grain and supplies are limited, and he must be restrained by the court. Tan Jing holds the post of Minister of State Affairs, but though that title carries weight, its duties are light. In essence, His Majesty merely uses the title of Minister to divide away the Chancellor’s authority…”

“All right, all right, what Minister, what Chancellor, I can’t understand your talk.”

Danzhu, who only understood the first half of the sentence, hurriedly interrupted.

Chang Jun glanced at her helplessly.

Pei Zhaoye said: “In other words, the Tan family is an unformed Xue clan. If the Tan family can borrow the court’s power to suppress the Xue clan, then in an instant, the Tan family will surpass the Xue clan and rise to a higher level—”

He turned his head toward Lizhu, whose expression remained calm.

All along, was this what she had been worried about?

Lizhu worried about this, but not only this.

In her previous life, the Xue clan had taken the uprising of the displaced people of Jiangzhou as a pretext, borrowing the name of self-defense to recruit troops and rise in rebellion.

In this life, the great tide of famine and chaos had been suppressed by her in advance. The rebel army that would have sided with the Xue clan had been divided and weakened by her.

Yet the Xue clan’s strength and ambition still remained.

Next, under what opportunity, and with what excuse, would the Xue clan rebel again?

…Completely unpredictable.

Lizhu sighed silently in her heart.

The situation of the world changed endlessly; even living it again, she could only gain a slight advantage at best.

“—Today at the jewelry shop, the Princess encountered the third young lady of the Xue clan, as well as that young lady’s aunt.”

Taking advantage of this moment, Gu Bing’an quickly and quietly said beside Pei Zhaoye’s ear.

Pei Zhaoye asked: “What were you doing at the jewelry shop?”

“……”

Gu Bing’an had promised the Princess not to tell, so he could only stiffly change the subject:

“That’s not the point. The point is, those two said many unpleasant things about the Princess behind her back. I couldn’t stand listening.”

After he finished speaking, he briefly recounted to him everything he had heard in the jewelry shop.

Gu Bing’an had a good memory; every word those two had said in the shop, he imitated exactly without a single mistake.

At first, Pei Zhaoye did not realize who the third young lady’s aunt was.

Not until he heard the name Tan Xun did the cold stillness in his brows suddenly ripple, and his expression showed fluctuation.

…It was her.

Tan Jing’s legitimate wife, Tan Xun’s birth mother, Xue Daorong.

The chill of blade striking against tooth was awakened; Pei Zhaoye’s arm resting on his knee tightened, his finger joints contracting uncontrollably.

No wonder she had suddenly become so dejected just now.

Though these years he had been in Yiling, Pei Zhaoye was not entirely ignorant of matters in Luoyang.

Xue Daorong, on behalf of Tan Jing, socialized and maneuvered among the women in the inner residence, assisting him in advancing step by step in officialdom.

Toward her son Tan Xun, she was all-encompassing in care, personally attentive to every matter, and had raised him single-handedly into a courteous and intelligent refined gentleman.

Within Luoyang City, everyone who mentioned Xue Daorong praised her as a virtuous wife possessing all four feminine virtues, skillful in managing the household.

Yet to those who threatened her position as mistress of the Tan household, she was another face entirely—that of a wicked ghost.

A large hand fell upon Lizhu’s head, surprising her somewhat.

His hand exerted neither too much nor too little force, five fingers slowly patting her as if soothing a child, yet without explaining the reason.

Pei Zhaoye handed the embroidered shoe he had just bought from the shop to Danzhu.

He said, “Do as I instructed earlier, go and vent your Princess’s anger.”

Chang Jun and Danzhu received the order.

Watching their departing figures, Lizhu, for a moment forgetting the heavy affairs of the world, could not help but laugh and said:

“This time, Chang Jun’s sacrifice is far too great… later when we return, we must remember to buy him his favorite lotus-leaf sticky rice chicken.”

Pei Zhaoye: “Don’t you think he actually suits that kind of attire?”

Lizhu slapped the back of his hand lightly, saying seriously:

“Don’t say that about Chang Jun. He entered the palace as an eunuch at fourteen; before that, he too was a clean and proper young master from a civil official’s household. Danzhu would be unhappy being mistaken for a man, and Chang Jun would be just as angry being told he suits wearing skirts.”

Her slightly furrowed fine brows fell into Pei Zhaoye’s gaze, and he said:

“When you yourself are being bullied, if only you could talk back like this.”

Lizhu was stunned for a moment, then turned her head and glared at Gu Bing’an.

Silently, she mouthed: Spy! Despicable!

The latter gave an embarrassed laugh and cupped his hands in apology.

“—Aside from Xue San, the one Xue Daorong loves most is this nephew Xue Huaifang.”

Below, the two gradually approached the fortress. A flicker of amusement rippled in the dark depths of Pei Zhaoye’s eyes.

The north wind howled over the slope. Standing high above, he said:

“In that case, let the aunt’s debt be repaid by the nephew. Since he suffers, settle both accounts together.”

•—–٠✤٠—–•

Inside the Plum Residence, Xue Huaifang was drowsy with midday sleepiness.

In the inner chamber sat quite a few elders of the Xue clan, gathered around the brazier discussing matters.

“…According to the spies’ report, those refugee troops stationed at Yanshan have been fighting fiercely among themselves these days. That Wu Yan, being able to become the leader of five thousand Yanshan troops, surely has some ability—how could he be willing to serve under a twenty-year-old youngster?”

“I fear the refugee army hasn’t even taken proper shape yet. Just fighting over the position of commander is enough to make them collapse on their own!”

“In that case, why should we bother? Let’s just sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight…”

Fragrant smoke curled up from the Boshan censer. The costly incense, worth a thousand in gold, wafted continuously from the inner chamber to the outer courtyard, consuming a cartful in a single day.

Listening to the old men’s laughter and chatter, Xue Huaifang felt rather bored. Shaking his knife-handled fan, he drawled lazily:

“I think not necessarily.”

Everyone turned to look at him.

“That Princess of Qinghe and her deeds in Yiling—you uncles aren’t unaware. Don’t forget, if she hadn’t resolved the famine in Jiangzhou and quelled the Yanshan uprising, our family would’ve long been preparing to take action already—what if she has the ability to make Wu Yan and Pei Zhaoye shake hands and reconcile, and together pledge allegiance to her?”

Hearing this, the Xue elders began whispering among themselves. Someone asked:

“Zilan, have you heard any rumors?”

“No.”

Xue Huaifang rubbed his chin and smiled ambiguously:

“However, the Princess of Qinghe’s mother was the number one beauty of Nanyong. If she uses a little bit of feminine charm, wouldn’t it be easy to hook those two bumpkins who’ve never seen the world?”

The elders of the Xue clan showed awkward expressions and averted their gaze.

This Xue Er, among the younger generation of the Xue clan, was considered clever, yet his conduct was vile—his lustfulness was so notorious that no one in Jiangzhou did not know of it.

To speak such words on such an occasion!

An elder of the Xue clan said:

“Set aside the refugee army for now. The Tan clan, on the other hand, is the one we must be more cautious and guarded against. If they remain neutral, so be it—but if they intend to become the blade in Emperor Mingzhao’s hand…”

Xue Huaifang said:

“I’ve already sent my younger sister to test our aunt. Since the marriage between Princess Qinghe and Tan Yuhui has already been called off, we’ll see now whether the Tan clan will agree to a marriage between my sister and Tan Yuhui. By then, the Tan clan’s stance will naturally become clear.”

The charcoal fire filled the room with warmth, yet the atmosphere suddenly turned grim and severe.

After the discussion ended, a household servant came hastily and said to Xue Huaifang:

“Second Young Master, someone outside the Plum Residence seeks an audience. It’s a man and a woman. The woman says there’s something that fell into your possession and asks you to return it, to make the pair complete.”

“What are their names?”

“They didn’t give names.”

Xue Huaifang waved a hand: “They dare to ask to see me without even giving their names… wait.”

He suddenly came to his senses and sat up straight.

“Did that woman say what she wanted me to return?”

The servant said: “She didn’t, but that woman is rather strange—she’s holding a shoe in her hand…”

“Did you see her appearance?”

Seeing the sudden eagerness in Xue Huaifang’s gaze, the servant was momentarily stunned before answering:

“She—she was wearing a white veiled hat, couldn’t see clearly, but when the wind blew, I vaguely caught a glimpse… seemed to be a beauty.”

As soon as the words fell, Xue Huaifang leapt up.

…It must be that little beauty he’d seen that day while inspecting the estates.

Recalling that face which had kept him sleepless for many nights, Xue Huaifang’s eyes went unfocused again, filled with infatuation.