Chapter 8

Chapter 8

In the distance, the low, deep, and clear voice of a young man drifted over.

It was Xie Hong.

"What book are you looking for?"

Yue Qian and Ye Cailing exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of shock in each other's eyes as the rules they adhered to were being broken.

After living in the mansion for so long, they had come to treat its rules as gospel. Nanny Ming had repeatedly warned them that no one was allowed into the library, and they had even been made to memorize the location of the keys and the entire process of retrieving books.

Yet now, not only had the eldest young master entered the library, but he had also brought a young lady with him.

"What do we do now?"

Yue Qian asked Ye Cailing silently.

"I'm not sure," Ye Cailing replied with her mouth, her mind in turmoil. If they tried to stop them now, they risked offending their master, who wouldn't take it lightly.

However, the books were arranged in a specific order, and if they allowed them to take books freely, they would be scolded by the stewardess.

"Should we say something? But if we go out now and really upset the eldest young master, what then?"

Yue Qian whispered.

Ye Cailing said, "Usually, the masters don't come to the library, but there's no rule saying they can't. Perhaps the eldest young master has his reasons..."

As they hesitated, they heard Xie Hong speak again.

"Grandmother asked you to fetch some books, but there are thousands of classics stored in the library."

"If you want to retrieve any, you should ask the library maids first. They work with books daily and can quickly guide you to what you need."

Ye Cailing felt a slight sense of relief.

Curious about the noble lady that Xie Hong had brought with him, the two maids quietly peeked at the pair ahead of them from behind the bookshelves.

The lady wore a luxurious pale peach floating light brocade dress with a subtle pattern. A white jade hairpin, carved in the shape of a magnolia flower, was pinned diagonally in her hair. A pair of delicate pearl earrings swayed gently with her movements as she spoke.

Though her background was unknown, her attire clearly indicated she was from a noble family.

At that moment, the light from outside the library fell on her face, her delicate eyebrows raised, her eyes fixed on Xie Hong.

With a hint of familiarity and coquettishness, she said, "I know, but the Crown Princess Rong told me that there are some classics in the Xie family's library that were annotated by famous ministers, and it's more interesting to find them yourself."

"Classics like 'Tan Sou,' 'Miscellaneous Records of the Southern Emperor,' which have annotations by the then-chief minister. And there's also 'Comprehensive Records of the Great Peace,' which she said was beautifully written, and I want to find it too."

The Crown Princess Rong was said to be from Yunzhou, and this noble lady seemed quite familiar with her as they talked.

Xie Hong pondered.

The noble lady added, her tone rising, "Besides, Grandmother has also permitted it."

As he looked at Wen Daoying, Xie Hong felt a headache coming on.

Wen Daoying, the daughter of Wen Huazhang, the director of the Imperial Academy, was known for her talent in the capital. Since joining the Hanlin Academy, he had encountered her frequently at gatherings.

He had thought this trip back to Yunzhou would allow him to avoid her for a while.

That morning, while paying respects to their grandmother, they saw Wen Daoying standing in the reception hall, chatting and laughing. She said she had come to Yunzhou on behalf of her mother to visit the elderly lady.

Today, Wen Daoying came to find him, claiming she was sent by her grandmother to retrieve some books.

He couldn't defy his grandmother's arrangements and had no choice but to bring her to the library.

Xie Hong had returned to his hometown to avoid entanglement in complicated social relationships, wishing only for a moment of peace.

He already knew why Wen Daoying had come and didn’t want to stay any longer. "All the books in the library are registered, including complete and rare editions," he said. "Instead of rummaging through them here, it would be quicker to ask the steward or the maidservants on duty."

"I have some matters to attend to here."

Wen Daoying glanced into the library.

The bookcases along the wall seemed endless. The Xie family's library in Yunzhou was indeed renowned, with an immense collection of books.

Seeing that Xie Hong had no intention of accompanying her, she turned, with an almost imperceptible frown, and said to him with a smile, "Then I'll have to ask Brother Xuan Cen to help me."

"I have a list here. If any of the books on the list are available, please fetch them for me."

Xie Hong looked down at the list.

"This copy of the *Nan Huang Miscellany* may not be available..."

As they discussed and walked, Ye Cailing and Yue Qian took the opportunity to emerge from the corridor, pretending to have just encountered the two.

"Are the books on the list easy to find?" Xie Hong asked the maidservants, gesturing for Wen Daoying to hand over the list. Wen Daoying had already extended the list towards Xie Hong but hesitated, leaving her hand suspended in the air. She thought Xie Hong would take it.

That subtle moment of awkwardness hung in the air.

She then placed the list in the maidservant's hand.

"*Tansou, Nan Huang Miscellany, Zhe Shan You*... these few..."

Focused on the list, Ye Cailing inadvertently read aloud.

Wen Daoying watched the maidservant's thoughtful expression with amusement.

Unlike in the capital, where maidservants unquestioningly obeyed their masters, the maidservant before her wore a hesitant look, as if facing some difficulty.

"Is there a problem? You can speak freely," she said softly.

Ye Cailing replied, "Several of these are rare editions, which can only be read within the library and cannot be taken out. With nearly twenty books on the list, it might not be possible to borrow them all at once."

Wen Daoying nodded but didn’t look at Ye Cailing.

Instead, she turned to Xie Hong. "Xuan Cen, you entered the court at a young age. Do you know the regulations for transcribing the Yellow Registers in the Ministry of Revenue?"

Xie Hong frowned slightly but didn’t engage further.

Wen Daoying continued, "The Yellow Registers are crucial to the foundation of the Da Zhou dynasty. The Ministry of Revenue is even stricter in managing them than the library. If someone wants to view the Yellow Registers, only the officials in charge of the registers in the Ministry of Revenue can enter the library to transcribe them; borrowing is not allowed."

"If borrowing is not possible now, Xuan Cen, you can send someone to transcribe these."

Ye Cailing felt a slight discomfort. Despite Wen Daoying's gentle demeanor, the air of superiority could not be concealed.

Throughout the conversation, Wen Daoying barely glanced at Ye Cailing or Yue Qian, as if they were invisible.

Communicate only with Xie Hong.

Wen Daoying, ever considerate, remarked, "That way, there's no need to come to the Wen Si Library repeatedly. Once it's copied, I'll send a maidservant to fetch it."

However, Xie Hong shook his head and said, "The Xie family's Wen Si Library has stood through three dynasties without being destroyed—there are rules within the estate that you should be aware of."

Although his words were gentle, the tone of refusal left Wen Daoying feeling displeased.

Having experienced the complexities of the court, Xie Hong noticed the delicate situation and softened his tone further, "I also have some copied classics that can be freely perused. If you wish to read them, just send someone to my steward to retrieve them."

Wen Daoying's expression remained serene, with a gentle smile on her face.

"Very well, but this copy of *Zhe Shan You* was specifically requested by the crown princess to be brought back."

Her nail-polished finger slid across the list as she smiled and said, "Brother Xuan Cen, I'll have to rely on your people for this book."

After saying this, she finally glanced at the two maidservants and casually pointed to Ye Cailing, "You, make a copy. Use the best ink and paper. You have three days to complete it."

Wen Daoying asked, "Brother Xuan Cen, is that acceptable?"

Ye Cailing took a deep breath.

There was no way to refuse this time. The other party had invoked the authority of the imperial city and was giving orders in front of young master Xie. Whether she liked it or not, she had no choice but to comply.

She bowed her head slightly and replied, "I understand. I will do my best to complete it within three days."

*

The outer chamber of the Wen Si Library was where the maidservants on duty stayed. If no one came to retrieve books, they would remain there on standby.

The library consisted of several interconnected multi-story buildings. The buildings were connected by winding corridors, and there were stairs between each level. In the event of a fire, only one section would be affected, preventing the entire library from burning down.

At that moment, in the outer room, Ye Cailing was copying the book *Zhe Shan You*.

She held her brush in mid-air, glanced at the book, silently recited a couple of lines in her mind, concentrated, and wrote on the paper in front of her.

*Zhe Shan You*, a work by the Qinghe Princess of the previous dynasty, was indeed written in a beautiful and clear style.

It made her lose herself in imagining the landscapes and scenery.

"Copying a book?"

At the sound of a voice, Ye Cailing quickly set down her brush, stood up, and bowed to the visitor.

It was Xie Hong again.

He wore a deep blue cloud-patterned robe made of kesi silk, layered and elegant.

This time, Xie Hong casually said, "Besides the Mingan County Gazetteer, do you know where the gazetteers of the other counties along the river in Huizhou Prefecture are?"

Ye Cailing was taken aback. Was he putting her to the test?

"This... I have an impression of the book titles, but I'm not familiar with the local hydrology. Please forgive me, Ink Sister, for my inability."

Ye Cailing showed a troubled expression.

Yue Qian stood by, not daring to speak much. Her familiarity with the library was even less than Ye Cailing's, so she probably couldn't help at all.

Xie Hong suddenly realized that his question was somewhat difficult. But for some reason, when facing this person, he always subconsciously set higher standards.

As if he expected, and by default believed, that she would meet them.

He shook his head. "This matter was indeed not well thought out by me."

He softly told her the title of the book.

Ye Cailing and Yue Qian went to search for the book.

"I don’t know why, but even though the Eldest Young Master is so gentle, I always feel tense around him. It’s different from how I feel with the Third Young Master."

Yue Qian said.

Ye Cailing took down a county record and placed it on the tray in her hand, pondering for a moment.

"The Third Young Master is more casual with us in his interactions."

She said seriously.

Although the Third Young Master was kind, Ye Cailing felt that his kindness had a subtle hint of flirtatiousness. However, while the Eldest Young Master made her feel a bit tense during their few meetings, she still thought he was a good person. He was also gentle and courteous to the maidservants, making them feel valued in his words and actions.

In fact, the attitudes of nobles like Wen Daoying were what the maidservants encountered on a daily basis. Hence, Ye Cailing felt that Xie Hong was even better.

But she couldn’t say this out loud, so she smiled and continued searching for the book with Yue Qian.

The two left the library.

Ye Cailing was stunned when she saw the figure in front of her.

Xie Hong was holding a book that seemed to be the one she had copied earlier. Seeing them come out, Xie Hong stopped flipping through the book and said, "Did you write this?"

He looked at Ye Cailing with certainty. She was startled and nodded instinctively.

Xie Hong looked at it, then suddenly asked, "Did you not use the ink I gave you before?"

"This maidservant did not use it. The Flower and Bird ink is too precious for someone of my status."

Xie Hong said, "The Flower and Bird ink is just right for a girl of your age to use. Besides, you were copying for Chi Yue, and her standards are always very high."

Xie Hong thought that while the ink given to the maidservants was of good quality, it likely wouldn’t meet Wen Daoying’s standards, so they would probably need to use the Flower and Bird ink.

Qing Shi had already retrieved the books and signed the register. Xie Hong didn’t say anything more and left the library at a leisurely pace.

Ye Cailing bowed to send him off, but after a short while, Qing Shi returned shortly after. He placed a large package on the table.

"This is—"

Qing Shi smiled. "It’s a gift from the Eldest Young Master. Please accept it, Miss."