Chapter 167: A Plan

Chapter 167: A Plan

"Your Highness?"

Lin Yunwan observed Qi Lingheng.

Ever since he entered the attic, his demeanor had been strange. Although his expression remained unchanged, she felt he was different from usual.

"I'm fine. Whatever you want to say, go ahead."

Qi Lingheng, standing with his hands behind him, looked at the scholars in the Qijian Society, his expression much more subdued.

Lin Yunwan pressed down the booklet.

Qi Lingheng then turned to her and asked, "Why have you stopped speaking?"

Lin Yunwan replied softly, "I never intended to discuss it with you."

She had only shown the booklet to reassure him that she was well-prepared, not to worry him.

It wasn't to discuss whom she was interested in.

Qi Lingheng chuckled lightly, "Is it something you can't discuss with me?"

Lin Yunwan slightly bowed her head, "…No, it's not that."

"Then why?"

Lin Yunwan looked up, only to see Qi Lingheng asking quite earnestly.

"Does he truly not know?"

"She could tell him what she's doing now, but she doesn't want to share anything too personal with him!"

"Your Highness, what do you think the reason might be?"

Lin Yunwan clenched the book tightly.

Qi Lingheng smiled slightly and shook his head.

Lin Yunwan felt very... helpless.

She really doesn't know what the Prince is thinking.

"Doesn't he know that there should be a clear distinction between men and women? They are already disregarding major boundaries, are they now also ignoring the difference between genders?"

"Miss Lin, they have started."

Lin Yunwan turned towards the sound and saw that the scholars of the Qishan Society had already selected their topics and were taking turns reading their essays, all of which had been prepared in advance.

They were a bit too far to hear everything clearly; only fragments of sentences could be discerned, and the more complex parts were lost.

"They are debating 'the ways of learning'."

Qi Lingheng, with his sharp ears, picked up on it.

Lin Yunwan, partly guessing and partly understanding, recognized their topic of debate, saying, "This is the same topic debated between the followers of Xinxue and Lixue schools at the Goose Lake Meeting."

"Hmm."

Qi Lingheng nodded slightly, eager to hear what conclusions the scholars of the Qishan Society might come to in their debate.

Noticing Lin Yunwan's lack of focus, he asked in a mild tone, "Aren’t you supposed to be selecting someone? Why aren’t you watching?"

Lin Yunwan nodded and continued to observe the courtyard.

But her mind wasn't really on them.

...The prince is acting quite strangely today.

Shouldn't they be watching the scholars of the Qishan Society together from the attic?

Yet, she did need to take a good look at the people below; visiting the Xiao Xiang Pavilion wasn't something she could do whenever she wished.

"Have you taken a liking to any of them?"

Qi Lingheng asked Lin Yunwan.

Lin Yunwan slowly turned her head and said, "…Still observing."

Even though she couldn't hear clearly what was being said below, their actions, gestures, and expressions were crystal clear to her.

Based on simple portraits and character descriptions, she had identified three individuals.

Qi Lingheng asked leisurely, "Tell me, whom have you chosen?"

“……？”

Lin Yunwan glanced at Qi Lingheng again and then asked, "Your Highness, are you offering to help me decide?"

Qi Lingheng looked at her inscrutably.

Did he really mean that?

Well, let the misunderstanding stand.

Qi Lingheng smiled slightly, "Why not?"

Lin Yunwan pondered quietly, acknowledging that there was no harm in it.

The prince, having arrived in Jiangqian to establish his fief, surely knew more about the place than she did. Perhaps he was aware of some significant family secrets unknown to her and Dong Shuangshuang.

"Those three."

Lin Yunwan pointed out the locations of the three individuals and spoke about the one she favored most, Yan Jingzong.

"Yan Jingzong?"

Qi Lingheng singled out this name because Lin Yunwan's tone changed when she mentioned him, indicating a particular fondness.

Misunderstanding his focus, Lin Yunwan asked, "Your Highness, have you heard of this person?"

Qi Lingheng shook his head, "No."

Lin Yunwan furrowed her brow, asking, "Then why... are you only interested in Yan Jingzong?"

Qi Lingheng glanced at her and said, "Think carefully about his name."

Lin Yunwan didn't see anything unusual about it.

Unable to resist, Qi Lingheng hinted, "There was a notorious traitor in the previous dynasty, Xu Jingzong—Yan Jingzong. What do you think?"

Lin Yunwan couldn't help but chuckle, "It's just a similar name, even the surnames are different. Perhaps it's a case of unfortunate repetition in the family tree, and they couldn't change it."

Qi Lingheng remained silent.

Lin Yunwan felt a slight unease, realizing upon deeper reflection that the prince's words were not without reason.

There were many taboos in the imperial court, such as avoiding names similar to the emperor’s and others.

Yan Jingzong was a legitimate son; why would his family choose such a name for him? Didn't they fear it might hinder his future career in government service?

"Do you intend to just observe them like this and then select someone who meets your criteria?"

Qi Lingheng asked.

"Of course not."

Lin Yunwan wouldn’t make such a foolish mistake, selecting a husband with just a glance. That would be too hasty. What's the difference between that and a blind and mute marriage?

Having suffered from a blind and mute marriage once, she couldn't afford to make the same mistake again.

"I have a small plan that can roughly test the character of several individuals."

Qi Lingheng listened without saying a word.

She didn't know them and couldn't even go down to listen to their debate clearly, so how could she discern their temperament?

"What plan? May I hear it?"

Lin Yunwan smiled, "Of course. Since you said the owner of this garden is your uncle, I need to ask for your help."

Without the prince coming over, it would indeed be a bit troublesome for her to act.

Qi Lingheng was really... out of patience.

"Tell me, what do you need my help with?"

Lin Yunwan said, "Please get some paper and a pen, I'll write an article and have you discreetly deliver it among the scholars, and find someone to read it aloud publicly."

This wasn't difficult.

Qi Lingheng gestured to A-Fu with a wave of his sleeve: "Go fetch them."

"Yes."

A-Fu brought the paper and pen, inviting Lin Yunwan over: "Miss, please."

Lin Yunwan picked up the pen and wrote an article. It wasn't strictly in the eight-legged essay style, but she started by breaking the topic of "the method of learning," imitating the scholars' style of writing in the imperial examination. Once mixed in with the scholars' writings, no one would recognize it.

After the ink dried, she was about to hand the article to A-Fu, saying, "Please trouble you to..."

"Aren't you going to let me see it first?"

Qi Lingheng approached.

Since she wrote it in front of him, he should naturally be the first to read her article.

Lin Yunwan turned around to see the prince, his face earnest, genuinely curious to see what she had written.

"Please have a look, Your Highness."

She handed the article to him.

Qi Lingheng took the article, intending to read it carefully, but upon seeing the first line where she broke the topic, he couldn't help but smile.

"Miss Lin, it seems I still don't fully understand you."

Lin Yunwan paused for a moment.

Was the prince teasing her?

She replied with a light and breezy tone, "My relationship with Your Highness has always been one of mutual respect. Naturally, you wouldn’t know... that I also have a cunning side."

Qi Lingheng smiled without a word, instructing A-Fu, "Take this to them and find someone to read it aloud in public."

"Yes."

This task was easily accomplished. Among the scholars of the Qishan Society, some could neither speak Jiangqian dialect nor Mandarin fluently, unable to clearly read their own writings, thus relying on servants or others to read for them.

In such a crowded and diverse gathering, this article would easily blend in.

"Your Highness, what do you think about the other two people I mentioned?"

As it would take some time for the article to be delivered, and there was nothing else to do, Lin Yunwan took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Qi Lingheng.

Qi Lingheng responded indifferently, "Nothing special."

Lin Yunwan wondered, why did the prince seem displeased with everyone today?

She thought about asking him for his opinion, but then decided against it.

She feared that the people she admired might turn out to be either traitors or enemies of the state.