Xiao Jing’an knew that Pei Yan was going to repeat the same old trick on Lin Zhaoru.
Sheng Bei and Sheng Xi, who accompanied them at the side, exchanged glances.
It was hard to believe that their master could become so addicted to a person that he couldn’t help smiling just by listening to someone speak.
No wonder Sheng Dong said his master had changed.
He really had changed!
He had changed to the point where they couldn’t believe the master beside them was still that stern, cold, and aloof person.
Inside the room, Lin Zhaoru carefully examined the half of the poem on the scroll several times over.
Although he appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, a stormy sea was already raging in his heart.
This poem was so brilliantly superior that it was unprecedented and unapproached by anyone!
It was almost identical to his own style.
Yet he had not drafted it.
A trace of greed flashed through the depths of Lin Zhaoru’s eyes and vanished instantly.
If the tutor hadn’t only shown him half of it, he definitely would have claimed this poem as his own.
And framed this Pei Yan, who inexplicably gave him a sense of hostility, for stealing his poetry.
“Tutor, although this poem shares some similarities with this student’s literary style, it is truly not written by this student.”
Lin Zhaoru said with an innocent and harmless demeanor.
Pei Yan chimed in, “This student has always deeply admired Classmate Lin’s literary accomplishments and has tried hard to learn from him, which is why my literary style has ended up somewhat similar to his.”
Cheng Yue stroked his beard with one hand while putting away the scroll with the other. “Hmm, learning is not plagiarism, the child is teachable. I approve of you taking this poem of yours to participate in the competition.”
Just now, Cheng Yue had only revealed half of it to Lin Zhaoru, on one hand to prevent the student’s work from leaking, and on the other hand out of precaution.
He didn’t know enough about an intermediate transfer student like Lin Zhaoru and wasn’t sure of his true character.
“Tutor, may I sit next to Pei Yuning?”
As soon as Pei Yan finished speaking, he immediately explained, “I also want to learn well from him.”
Cheng Yue stroked his beard and twitched his eyebrows. “Zhou Hezhao is sitting next to him.”
“Tutor, this student can sit somewhere else.”
Zhou Hezhao suddenly called out.
Cheng Yue glared at him. “I’m not deaf, why are you yelling.”
Looking at Pei Yan, he said with a displeased tone, “You just got here, and there’s already so much trouble. Go sit down.”
With that, he spoke with a profound expression to the students in the hall: “In a few days, the Imperial College will hold a poetry competition with the literati of the Wenxuan Pavilion. Those who wish to participate must draft a piece of poetry and submit it for my review.”
He heightened his tone and continued: “Plagiarists will be severely punished without leniency.”
Once he finished speaking, he glared at Pei Yan, who looked like he was up to no good, and then turned and left.
At this moment, Lin Zhaoru said to Pei Yan, “Your literary composition and writing are exceptionally good, surpassing mine by far.”
Pei Yan politely said, “Brother Lin flatters me.”
Saying this, Pei Yan gazed into the depths of his eyes and slowed down his tone: “From now on, there are far, far too many things I need to learn from Brother Lin.”
In his heart, Pei Yan had already figured out how to retaliate against Lin Zhaoru.
Before Lin Zhaoru could speak, Zhou Hezhao pulled Pei Yan off to a corner.
He said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “My performance wasn’t bad, right? When are you going to help me?”
Pei Yan asked him, “Have you planted the peony flowers?”
Zhou Hezhao nodded heavily, “I planted quite a few patches of them, just waiting for the old man’s birthday to gift them to him.”
Pei Yan reminded him, “Be on guard against that pair of mother and son, don’t let them find out, and also.”
As he spoke, Pei Yan leaned close to Zhou Hezhao’s ear and explained everything to him in detail.
In his past life, Pei Yan had served by the emperor’s side for so long, making him quite adept at handling interpersonal relationships.
Thus, he quickly became well-acquainted with most of his classmates, chatting and laughing with them.
However, he managed to offend his little dad in the process.
When Pei Yan came to school, he wanted to give Pei Yuning a surprise, but instead gave him a scare.
He was terrified that this unstable element of his would stir up some kind of trouble.
All day long until classes ended, Pei Yuning didn’t pay any attention to Pei Yan.
At the Imperial College, Pei Yan couldn’t say just anything or act too intimately with Pei Yuning.
Especially since he still needed to investigate the person who poisoned his little dad, Zhuang Zhi.
Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy is the only way to win every battle.
Influenced by institutional social norms, everyone attending the Imperial College was male.
However, when class dismissal time arrived, quite a few springtime-stirring maidens would gather outside the gate of the Imperial College.
Among them, there was no shortage of young ladies from official households coming to choose a desirable husband.
After all, those able to enter the Imperial College to study were either exceptionally wealthy or rare talents.
Especially those who possessed both talent and good looks, they were fiercely sought-after targets.
Pei Yuning was one of the most popular among them.
But now there was one more.
And that was Pei Yan.
As soon as these two walked out of the Imperial College, several aristocratic young ladies took a fancy to them.
They successively dispatched their accompanying maidservants over to deliver silk handkerchiefs.
Embroidered on the handkerchiefs were their maiden names.
Determined to complete the task assigned by their young mistresses, the maidservants acted somewhat aggressively, forcibly stuffing the handkerchiefs into the hands of Pei Yuning and Pei Yan.
At this moment, Pei Yan looked at the colorful silk handkerchiefs in his hand.
His expression held a hint of bewilderment.
“Why are so many women sending handkerchiefs today?”
Zhou Hezhao stood empty-handed, speaking with a sour tone, “Today is the Festival of Upper Affinity, a day for lovers to confess their romantic feelings to one another. If one party is interested in the other, they will gift them items, ranging from small items like silk handkerchiefs and hairpins, all the way up to brocade robes and women’s dresses.”
“So that’s how it is.”
After speaking, Pei Yan began searching through his little dad’s hands for handkerchiefs.
Carefully examining the names embroidered upon them.
“Liu Ruyue, Nan Xiang, Gu Yuhan.”
Pei Yuning curiously asked him, “What are you looking for?”
Naturally, he was looking for his mother.
Yet Pei Yan couldn’t say that.
While sifting through the handkerchiefs for his mother’s name, he smilingly said to Pei Yuning, “I know how to tell fortunes, and I can figure out which of these women is your destined match.”
Before Pei Yuning could speak, Zhou Hezhao craned his neck forward, peering at the names on the handkerchiefs.
“Which one is his destined match?”
Pei Yan shrugged his shoulders and said with great regret, “None of them.”
There were simply too many handkerchiefs in Pei Yuning’s hands, and failing to hold onto them properly, one of them dropped to the ground.
Before he could pick it up, someone else picked it up for him.
Lin Zhaoru glanced at the name embroidered on the handkerchief, Li Wan’er.
A trace of jealousy flashed across the depths of his eyes and vanished instantly.
Immediately afterward, he handed the handkerchief in his hand to Pei Yuning while smiling and saying, “Brother Pei is truly fortunate.”
Pei Yan took that handkerchief on Pei Yuning’s behalf, glanced at the numerous silk handkerchiefs clenched in Lin Zhaoru’s other hand, and said, “Brother Lin is also a fortunate person, having so many exceptional women yearning for him.”
Lin Zhaoru wore an all-around amiable expression, “We are all fortunate people.”
From the side, Zhou Hezhao chimed in unhappily, “Does that mean I’m the only unfortunate person here!”
As soon as he finished speaking, all of them burst into laughter.
After chatting briefly for a bit, Lin Zhaoru took his leave.
Seeing him walk away, Pei Yan restrained the hypocritical smile on his face, picked up that silk handkerchief, and asked Zhou Hezhao.
“Do you know which household’s young lady this Li Wan’er is?”
Zhou Hezhao’s father still held an official post in the court, so he recognized many people, and naturally understood a thing or two through familiar exposure.
Coincidentally, his father had mentioned this name in front of the two brothers.
“She is the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Punishments.”
Zhou Hezhao sighed once more, “Her maternal family also holds a pivotal position of power in the court. Whoever manages to marry her will surely experience a smooth official career and have no worries for the future!”
“Indeed!” Pei Yan slightly knitted his brows, and immediately spoke to Pei Yuning, who was clueless as to why he was asking this question: “Just now, Lin Zhaoru was jealous of you, you must be on guard against him.”
Zhou Hezhao said, “I think he’s quite a good person, and he hasn’t done anything to harm Yuning, has he?”
In his past life, Pei Yan had navigated official circles for many years and considered himself a good judge of character. Especially given what Lin Zhaoru had done to him, he knew clearly that Lin Zhaoru was no good person.
Yet it was true that he hadn’t harmed Pei Yuning.
However, for reasons unknown, he simply felt that Lin Zhaoru harbored a sinister intention hidden deep down toward his little dad.
Pei Yan rubbed his temples and did not continue this topic.
As the three of them conversed, they had already walked a certain distance.
Pei Yan hurried ahead to the sugar figure stall to retrieve the new clothes he had purchased earlier and left in storage there.
After all, he couldn’t possibly carry a huge bundle while studying at the Imperial College.
Seeing Pei Yan retrieve a large bundle, Zhou Hezhao curiously asked, “What is this?”
As he spoke, he impatiently tore open the bundle with his hands.
And then…
“Oh my god!” Pei Yan pressed a hand to his forehead. “My clothes!”
Zhou Hezhao stared at the clothes reduced to pulverized smithereens inside the bundle.
Pei Yuning extended his hand and pulled out a handful of red and green cloth strips: “Who on earth did you offend to end up like this?”
Zhou Hezhao grinned hideously as he glared at that bundle of tattered rags and shreds: “Of course it was the sugar figure stall owner! Didn’t you leave your bundle with him the whole time!”
“It wasn’t him.”
Pei Yan immediately denied it.
He had interacted with the stall owner for a few years and understood his character, otherwise he wouldn’t have felt at ease leaving his bundle there.
Seeing Pei Yan so resolute, Zhou Hezhao asked, “Then who turned your clothes into this ghost-like state?”
Pei Yan bit down on his back teeth, narrowing his eyes as he said, “A meddlesome turtle bastard.”
“Achoo.”
Xiao Jing’an sneered a sneeze.
Lang Zhen, who was currently reporting to him, stopped and asked with concern, “Is the master feeling unwell?”
Xiao Jing’an swallowed a sip of hot tea. “Caught a cold yesterday, continue reporting.”
Lang Zhen continued to brief him: “My subordinates have already gathered evidence of the Minister of Revenue’s corruption and secretly handed it to his political rival, the Prime Minister of Military Affairs. Tomorrow during morning court, the Prime Minister of Military Affairs will present it to the emperor.”
Xiao Jing’an nodded in satisfaction.
Lang Zhen said with a hint of elation, “This time, I’m afraid the Third Prince will never be able to make a comeback.”
Xiao Jing’an slowly turned the teacup with his slender fingers. “All matters in the world are without absolute certainty, we must not lower our guard.”
Reaching this point, his gaze turned deep and dark like ink, and the corners of his lips curved upward slightly, revealing a cold and thin smile.
“Even if the Third Prince loses power from this point on, he would never pass the throne to me.”
Lang Zhen had always been unclear about one matter, and took this opportunity to ask: “Yet among all the princes, he treats you the best, satisfying you with whatever he possibly can.”
The cold thinness in the depths of Xiao Jing’an’s eyes had already turned into mockery.
“Prisoners awaiting execution often have their final meal rather lavishly prepared, so as to satisfy their demands as much as possible.”
Having said this, Xiao Jing’an waved his hand toward Lang Zhen, whose complexion had turned slightly pale with fright, signaling him to withdraw.
After Lang Zhen retreated, Xiao Jing’an cast his gaze toward the direction of the Imperial College.
“He has been studying at the Imperial College for three days, and he’s been quite well-behaved after all.”
Just as Xiao Jing’an finished speaking, the steward hurried into the study.
“Master, the Libationer of the Imperial College is requesting your presence.”
Xiao Jing’an’s right eyelid twitched abruptly. “What business does he have calling me over?”
The steward: “Young Master Pei has caused trouble.”