Zhe Qing’s nonchalant attitude left Lu Tang quite dissatisfied, while Zhe Qing simply looked back at her calmly, her brows and eyes as picturesque and ethereal, cold and peerless.
At that single look, the irritation in Lu Tang’s heart drifted away of its own accord.
For the sake of such beauty, she decided not to quibble with her anymore.
In front of Zhe Qing, Lu Tang put on a calm front. “Believe it if you want, don’t believe it if you don’t. But I’m telling you, the Qi Dynasty ends twenty years from now.”
Zhe Qing narrowed her eyes. The other woman’s eyes were filled with craftiness as she watched her with high spirits.
At that moment, she felt as though Lu Tang was playing a prank on her.
She wasn’t close to Lu Tang; their closest encounter had been the last time when Lu Tang had cursed her out as a traitor.
Yet she hadn’t held it against Lu Tang. In her eyes, Lu Tang was merely a young woman confined to the inner quarters for too long, ignorant of the ways of the world.
After just a few days apart, Lu Tang was discussing state affairs with her again, her words and actions differing entirely from ordinary people.
Who doesn’t like talking to smart people?
Yet the Lu Tang before her was far too astute, capable of seeing the tiny hints of a trend and deducing the general course of events from just a few words.
Such a person was well-suited to be a political strategist.
She wanted to recruit her, but Lu Tang was entirely too much like a crafty fox, tricking her time and time again.
It made it impossible to trust her.
Zhe Qing sneered. “You think I’d believe you?”
Lu Tang propped her chin on her hand, gazing at her. “Chancellor Zhe, I may not know about other matters, but I am dead certain that Gu Sitang is alive. Aren’t you curious?”
Zhe Qing fell into deep thought, her expression cold and detached. Before long, she looked back at the young woman. “What is your name?”
Lu Tang: “Gu Tang.”
Zhe Qing: “You want to say you’ve been resurrected from the dead in another body, right?”
Lu Tang: “You don’t have to believe it now, but you will in the future. Actually, your political views differ from those of your mentor.”
Hearing this, Zhe Qing had no choice but to look at the young woman seriously. “How did you figure that out?”
Lu Tang broke into a smile, radiant with the vitality of youth. Light bloomed in her eyes; having returned from the dead, she had seen through many things and was no longer so obsessed with seizing supreme political power.
She said earnestly: “You once proposed to ‘clearly weed out the corrupt and promote the capable, suppress opportunistic freeloaders, equalize public fields, and enrich agriculture and sericulture,’ didn’t you?”
Zhe Qing fell silent.
Lu Tang continued: “What about your mentor?”
Lin Huaijin’s philosophy ran completely counter to that, ignoring the livelihood of the common people, prioritizing civil officials over military generals, and buttering up the powerful and noble.
Lu Tang let out a sorrowful sigh. “If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t. Just remember my words: a person can play the fool, but they cannot truly be a fool.”
“Just like how you may not need to draw your sword, you must always hold a sword in your hand.”
Lu Tang reached out, snatched a “little piglet,” popped it into her mouth, raised an eyebrow, and added: “Keep pretending if you want to keep pretending. I’m going home.”
She had gone out on a trip, yet she hadn’t even managed to eat a decent meal, and on top of that, she had wasted a ring for nothing.
Lu Tang stared at the ring on Zhe Qing’s finger. Seeing this, Zhe Qing reached out to take it off again, her fingertips hooking the edge of the ring to pull it outward, but no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge.
Zhe Qing felt constrained. “I’ll figure out a way to take it off and return it to you later.”
“Forget it. Rings choose their owners; even if I take it back, it won’t suit me. Keep it as a gift,” Lu Tang conceded. “I really should be heading back. Do you have a carriage? I don’t want to walk back; the distance is too far, and I’m afraid my feet will hurt.”
She was lazy and didn’t want to walk, who wouldn’t want to sit comfortably in a carriage and enjoy the scenery?
Zhe Qing thought for a moment and said, “There are vehicle rentals nearby, right at the first house at the alley entrance. Go rent one yourself.”
“What about you?” Lu Tang asked.
Zhe Qing lowered her gaze. “By the way, drop me off at the Lin residence.”
“You clearly have the ability to establish your own estate, why do you still insist on living at the Lin residence?” Lu Tang couldn’t fathom it. “She wants to control you, and you’re just letting her continue to control you?”
Zhe Qing replied as before: “Her kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain.”
“Wait, let me sort this out for you.” Lu Tang cut her off.
“Teacher Gu and your mentor had a falling out, why did they fall out? Could it have anything to do with the Zhe family? If your mentor is connected to the Zhe family’s tragedy, and then turns around to adopt you, can that still be considered kindness?”
The young woman’s words were sharp, her eyes carrying a flash of disdain. “Didn’t you ever think about the sequence of events?”
“Why are you so certain that Teacher Gu’s affairs are connected to the Zhe family?” Zhe Qing retorted. The young woman was simply far too brazen.
Lu Tang, however, wore a solemn expression as she continued to argue with her: “What do the Taoist teachings say? ‘Out of Dao comes one, out of one comes two, out of two comes three’ there has to be a ‘one’ before there’s a ‘two.’ Without the Zhe family incident happening first, why would you have become an orphan? Why would Teacher Gu have had a falling out with your Grand Tutor to the point of never seeing each other again until the day they died?”
Zhe Qing glanced at her, stood up, and said with a lingering, profound tone: “I won’t debate this with you any longer. I’m going to the alley entrance to rent a carriage.”
With that, she extended her hand toward Zhe Qing: “Hand over the money.”
Zhe Qing unfastened the money pouch from her waist, fished out a gold nugget, and handed it to her.
Lu Tang: “…”
“This is my money!”
Zhe Qing chuckled lightly. “You gave it to me, which means it’s mine. I’ll use it however I please.”
Lu Tang reached out to catch the gold nugget, stuffed it into her own coin pouch, let out a deep sigh, and said with a tone of profound earnestness: “Zhe Qing, my biggest mistake was bringing you back to the inn. I should have just…”
“I should have…”
Stammering and tripping over her words, Lu Tang tried twice but failed to complete the sentence, finally muttering under her breath: “Shameless.”
With that, she stomped out angrily to rent a carriage.
Watching the young woman hurry away in a rush, Ji Yao slipped back into the room. “Chancellor Zhe, has she left?”
“She went to rent a carriage.” Zhe Qing collected her smile and sat up straight.
Ji Yao glanced sideways at the stern, unsmiling Zhe Qing, sighed silently, and said, “It’s time to get married. Once you’re married, you can move out and live on your own.”
Once you’re married, you can move out and live on your own.
Ji Yao chattered on endlessly: “Once you’re married, you’ll be an adult. Look at it this way, if you move out, how much more carefree will you be? That way, no one can say you’re heartless for abandoning your adoptive mentor.”
“Aunt, why did you suddenly start talking like this? Was it Teacher Gu who taught you to say these things?” Zhe Qing looked directly at Ji Yao. “Why does she feel I ought to leave the Lin residence?”
Ji Yao was struck dumb. “How would I know? My master told me to say it no wait, I wanted to say it myself.”
Ji Yao betrayed her master in a single sentence, then offered an awkward laugh. “Are you going to consider it?”
Zhe Qing’s expression remained as calm and solid as water.
Ji Yao continued: “My master said she can help you propose marriage. Well, not quite proposing marriage, just sounding out Lady Lu’s intentions.”
Zhe Qing lowered her head and remained silent.
Ji Yao waited for a moment.
Half a day passed, and Zhe Qing offered no reply.
Ji Yao grew impatient. “Aish, what on earth is your stance? Look, Lady Lu also wants to move out of the Xiao residence; the two of you share the same mindset, how wonderful is that?”
Establishing a household was the best excuse to have a separate estate.
And it wouldn’t carry the taint of being ungrateful and devoid of affection.
Zhe Qing said, “I’ll go back and ask my mentor for her opinion.”
“You’re the one getting married, why are you asking her?” Ji Yao didn’t understand. “You need to ask Lu Tang’s opinion! You’re the one marrying Lu Tang; what good is asking that old crone?”
Zhe Qing pondered for a moment. “It’s only proper to ask’ the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers.'”
Ji Yao rolled her eyes. “You really are hopelessly pedantic. Fine, I won’t ask you; I’ll go ask Lady Lu in a bit. Judging by her, she’s certainly more open-minded than you.”
Zhe Qing neither objected nor agreed, remaining completely mute.
Ji Yao grabbed a handful of melon seeds and went to the doorway to wait for Lu Tang.
By the time she finished a pocketful of melon seeds, a carriage had pulled up at the entrance, and Lu Tang hopped down.
The moment her feet hit the ground, Lu Tang caught sight of Ji Yao, missed her footing, pitched forward, and promptly took a neat tumble right onto her knees before Ji Yao.
The melon seeds in Ji Yao’s hand suddenly lost their appeal. “Oh my, what a grand kowtow! Are you thanking me for helping you find such a fine marriage match?”
Lu Tang spat out an angry “Ptoo!” Her knees hurt so badly that the world momentarily went black in front of her eyes. Kindly helping her up, Ji Yao patted the dust off Lu Tang’s clothes and said, “I’ll find you a marriage match that lets you move out of the Xiao residence, how does that sound?”
The first part didn’t sound great, but the second part made Lu Tang’s entire body glow with comfort.
Right, getting married was another way to move out of the Xiao residence. Her spirits instantly perked up. “Whose family are they marrying into?”
“The one inside the house. What do you think?” Ji Yao helped her stand upright and said, “Look at her, she’s gorgeous, and she has boundless power.”
“She is good-looking, but having boundless power sounds a bit fake, she doesn’t even dare stand up to her own mentor.” Lu Tang straightened her posture, glanced inward, and asked, “Does she agree?”
Ji Yao stammered, “Let me ask you first, and once you’re on board, I’ll go persuade her.”
“Why do you still need to persuade her wait, why are you urging me and her to tie the knot?” Lu Tang didn’t understand. “Are the two of us even a good match?”
Ji Yao rolled her eyes. “What match? You two just need to achieve your own respective goals, that’s all.”
Lu Tang was convinced. She figured it made sense, achieving their goals was what mattered, why sweat the details?
“Fine, I agree.” Lu Tang persuaded herself. After all, the perks were quite substantial. She said, “Then go persuade her. I’m heading home. Make sure you rent a carriage for her later.”
“Deal, off you go.” Ji Yao expressed her satisfaction and offered a parting reminder: “Drop by for a visit when you have free time.”
Lu Tang nodded, performed a junior’s bow of respect, turned around, and scrambled up onto the carriage. The hour was getting late; if she returned too late and got caught, sneaking out next time would be a nightmare.
Ji Yao watched the young girl depart, then turned right back inside to brief Zhe Qing: “She agreed. You two just need to untangle yourselves from your respective messes first.”
Zhe Qing wasn’t surprised. Lu Tang stood to gain from this; she had no reason to refuse.
However, she needed to clear up one doubt: “Aunt, why did Teacher Gu and the Grand Tutor fall out back then?”
“How should I know? The two of them met, had a massive argument, and suddenly stopped interacting with each other. I never bothered to ask,” Ji Yao replied. “I found it strange myself—how could the young miss, who adored Grand Tutor Lin so much, suddenly cut her off entirely and refuse to ever see her again?”
She was clueless herself.
Puzzled, she muttered, “You don’t suppose it was because of Princess Yuncheng, do you?”
Zhe Qing didn’t answer, but she had no intention of posing the question to Teacher Gu.
Ji Yao hurried her: “So what are you actually planning?”
Zhe Qing averted her gaze. “* I’ll go back and ask my mentor.”
“Fine, I’ll go rent a carriage for you. I already told Lu Tang to drop by for a visit when she has free time.” Ji Yao stopped nagging her.
Hearing this, Zhe Qing looked outward. “Where’s Lu Tang?”
Ji Yao: “Gone. She rented her own carriage and left.”
Zhe Qing’s face chilled. Lu Tang had taken her money and simply bolted just like that.
The little wretch had scammed her yet again. The next time she caught her, she wouldn’t let her off easy.
Ji Yao rented the carriage and helped Zhe Qing board it, though the carriage fare went unpaid.
Once they arrived at the Lin residence, Zhe Qing paid the carriage fare out of her own pocket, permanently logging Lu Tang’s debt in the back of her mind.
Supported by her maid, she limped back into the estate, the pain in her ankle burning and piercing with every step. Yet she endured it in silence, her expression as unyielding as ever.
Upon returning, Zhe Qing’s first stop was to see the Grand Tutor.
Lin Huaijin was busy watering flowers in the garden. Zhe Qing gritted her teeth against the pain and walked over, every single step feeling like needles piercing her skin.
“A-zhe is here.” Lin Huaijin stood up, gesturing broadly across her sprawling garden of blooms. “Look at this, how are they?”
“Teacher put her heart into this, naturally they are the finest.” Zhe Qing maintained her usual tone, lowering her gaze to the ground as she spoke, “Du Mingsu is dead. She was pushed down from a winehouse and died on the spot.”
With her back turned to Zhe Qing, Lin Huaijin kept her eyes fixed on the flowerbeds, adopting a tone of benevolent sorrow. “It is because her heart was crooked. Her Majesty spared her life, but the ways of the world would not forgive her.”
Zhe Qing asked, “Does Teacher feel she got what she deserved?”
“Yes. She deceived me, using that as leverage to curry favor and drive a wedge between your and my master-apprentice bond. Shouldn’t she die?” Lin Huaijin’s voice remained completely level.
Zhe Qing smiled faintly. Recalling Lu Tang’s words, she felt a wave of clarity wash over her, and she spoke up directly: “Teacher, I wish to marry.”
“What did you say?” Lin Huaijin turned around, staring at the tall, upright figure standing before her in utter disbelief. “Marry?”
Zhe Qing nodded. Deep within her chest, a quiet strength urged her forward: “I wish to enter a formal bond with the Lu family’s daughter, Lu Tang.”
“Lu Tang? The one who pointed at my nose and cursed me last time?” Lin Huaijin remembered her. “She’s only fifteen or sixteen! How old are you? Is this appropriate?”
Zhe Qing’s expression instantly darkened into something quite ugly.