Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Chapter 42

He Jiashi's thoughts were far more discerning than Sui Yan's; not only had he recognized "Zhou Li" as a woman, but he had even deduced her identity. This, of course, was largely due to the poem Li Ci had composed at the Jingde Hou Mansion's flower appreciation banquet.

He had a distinct impression of Li Ci, knowing her to be the headmaster's granddaughter, roughly the same age as his own younger sister. She had been sickly since childhood and had come to Yingtian in recent years to recuperate. As for why she was disguised as a man at the academy today, He Jiashi simply attributed it to a young girl's playful whims, never suspecting that the respected headmaster had secretly "arranged" their encounter.

The afternoon sun blazed, and Li Ci had just finished her meal. Calculating the time until the lecture, He Jiashi suggested, "There's still some time to spare. Perhaps Young Master Zhou would like to rest here for a while before joining me at Xiansheng Hall."

Remembering Sui Yan's fabricated "rules," Li Ci remained silent, cautiously averting her gaze and nodding subtly.

He Jiashi was taken aback. Gentle by nature and the eldest son from a secondary wife, he had always been accustomed to looking after his younger siblings, prioritizing others. Over time, he had developed a thoughtful and considerate disposition, earning considerable praise from his peers at the academy. He had never before encountered someone as aloof and unresponsive as Li Ci. If she were naturally taciturn, it would be understandable, but she had been perfectly amiable with Sui Yan just moments ago.

Though puzzled, he didn't press the matter, simply smoothing things over by saying, "It seems Young Master Zhou is the quiet type."

This, in turn, left Li Ci bewildered. "Aren't we supposed to speak less at the academy?"

Though unsure why she held this belief, He Jiashi gently explained, "That rule applies during lessons. There are no instructors here, so there's no need to be so reserved."

Li Ci blinked. "Then is it alright to look at people and smile at them like this?"

Today, dressed in male attire, her complexion was dulled, and her features were drawn to appear more masculine, a stark contrast to the ethereal beauty she had displayed at the flower appreciation banquet. Only her eyes remained as vibrant as ever. Her dark, thick eyelashes fluttered casually like trembling butterfly wings, and her smiling eyes seemed to capture the summer sunlight—clear and radiant.

He Jiashi's heart skipped a beat. He was about to ask, "Who told you that?" but the moment his gaze met hers, he already knew the answer.

It seemed Sui Yan had his moments of subtlety after all.

He paused briefly before finally advising, "It's better not to."

"Alright," Li Ci pressed her lips together, retracting her smile, and snapped open her folding fan with a flourish, fanning her temples in what she imagined was a dashing manner.

She deliberately mimicked male mannerisms, but her wrists and waist were too slender. To He Jiashi, who had already seen through her disguise, she resembled a child playing dress-up in adult clothing—utterly adorable and amusing.

Noticing his smile, Li Ci continued fanning herself vigorously and innocently asked, "What is Master He laughing at?"

Unwilling to expose her, He Jiashi instead pointed to her fan. "I've just never seen such fan artwork before. It struck me as unusual."

The fan was crafted from mottled bamboo (Xiangfei bamboo), its ribs faintly adorned with purplish-brown speckles like teardrops. The fan surface depicted lush pine trees, exquisite towers, jade palaces, and majestic distant mountains—elegant and refined. The skill required to paint such a detailed scene on such a small surface was evident. However, the original painting had been a four-foot square, and shrinking it to fit the fan left large blank spaces on either side, making it appear somewhat peculiar.

He Jiashi asked seriously, "Did you paint this fan yourself, Young Master Zhou?"

Li Ci shook her head. "I bought the painting simply because I found it beautiful and had a skilled painter replicate it on the fan. What do you think, Master He?"

He Jiashi examined it closely. "The mountains and waters are grand, the towers exquisite—viewing it feels like being there in person. It's truly a masterpiece."

It was, in fact, the very painting Xie Zhenchuan had created, "Lofty Mountains and Jade Towers." She had only bought the painting for fifty coins, but replicating it on the fan had cost over fifty taels. Cousin Leng had said she got a bargain, so she came up with the idea of making it into a folding fan to gift to "Brother Xie Zheng."

It had taken considerable effort to miniaturize the painting onto the fan, and it had only arrived at her residence yesterday. Since "Brother Xie Zheng" had turned out to be Xie Zhenchuan, who likely had no shortage of such fans, she decided to use it herself today.

Li Ci nodded with a hint of regret. The painting was still too subtle for her taste. In her opinion, it would have been better if the jade towers were replaced with golden tiles and red walls, and a couple of small deer were added to the forest.

Remembering she had seen a vermilion brush in the study earlier, she couldn't help but ask, "Can you paint, Master He?"

Uncertain why she asked, He Jiashi replied, "I know a little, but far from matching this painting."

Li Ci thought "a little" was more than enough and astonishingly declared, "Then could you help me paint over this tower with vermilion?"

"Ah?" He Jiashi was caught off guard.

Li Ci pointed to the upturned eaves on the fan. "I'd like the tile color here changed to reddish-yellow and the hanging pillars to cinnabar red."

He Jiashi couldn't hold back and chuckled softly.

"This…" He roughly understood Li Ci's thinking, as his own younger sister also loved wearing bright colors all day. Although he couldn't bear to refuse Li Ci's request, he was even more reluctant to ruin the painting's artistic integrity, so he found an excuse: "It's just that the lecture is about to begin. Painting now might make us late."

Li Ci had no choice but to concede. "Then please, Mr. He, lead the way to Xiansheng Hall first."

-

Xiansheng Hall was located in the central hall of the academy, with a raised platform in the courtyard that was ten steps high, and nearly a hundred seats below. The front rows were already fully occupied.

Considering Li Ci's identity, He Jiashi seated her in the farthest corner, separated from the crowd. However, since he was very well-liked in the academy, familiar students occasionally came over to chat, inevitably noticing Li Ci. He simply moved to the seat in front of her, effectively blocking others' view.

When it was about time, Zhou Zeshan also arrived at Xiansheng Hall and sat upright on the high platform. Although he was older, his eyes were still sharp and his mind clear. After scanning the crowd, he quickly spotted Li Ci. His favorite student was sitting in front of her, and the two occasionally whispered to each other, appearing very harmonious.

He nodded with satisfaction, wondering which candidate he and his wife had chosen their granddaughter would prefer.

But it was better to let things take their natural course.

Zhou Zeshan glanced at the sundial, saw that the time had come, and focused completely on the lecture.

A gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo leaves in the hall, creating a soft rustling sound. Below, some frowned slightly, as if deep in thought; some whispered praises, nodding in agreement; and some had a look of understanding, quickly taking notes. Only Li Ci only half understood, several times wanting to poke He Jiashi's shoulder to ask what it meant, but she remembered the academy's rules and stopped herself.

After another quarter of an hour, she heard someone sit down beside her, likely late and forced to sit in such a remote corner.

Li Ci turned to look and recognized a familiar face. Her eyes widened in delight, and she was about to speak but then remembered she was dressed as a man today, and the other might not recognize her.

Just as she thought this, Cheng Lixue already greeted her with a smile, mouthing the words: "Miss Li."

Unlike the disheveled appearance of their first meeting, he was today wearing the academy's uniform. Though his figure was slender, there was a bamboo-like resilience, as if awakened by the academy's spring breeze, gradually unfolding.

Upon seeing Li Ci, his dark eyes rarely showed a glimmer of light, and the slight worry between his brows seemed to dissolve like ink blending into water.

Seeing that he had seen through her disguise, Li Ci, like she'd been caught, urgently gestured for him to keep quiet. She looked around and, finding no one had noticed, finally relaxed.

She also quietly asked, "Why are you here?"

Cheng Lixue mouthed a few words in response. Seeing that Li Ci didn't understand, he whispered, "I was supposed to come today, but something delayed me."

As if hearing the commotion, He Jiashi turned around at that moment and glanced at the two.

Li Ci was very experienced with being caught distracted in class. She had already sat up straight by the time He Jiashi turned. Cheng Lixue, however, was still facing Li Ci, his words just finished.

He Jiashi naturally wouldn't blame the young lady. He only shook his head lightly at Cheng Lixue. Though he didn't look displeased, his eyes seemed to say, "If you're not listening, don't lead others astray."

Cheng Lixue also sat upright again. After a moment's thought, he wrote a line on the paper he carried with him and passed the page to Li Ci.

Li Ci took it and looked. The handwriting was neat and formal, in official script. It still expressed gratitude for her and Xie Zhenchuan's rescue the previous time, and mentioned that, thanks to Lord Xie, he had come to study at the academy. He had intended to attend the lecture today but was delayed by something.

She then remembered the troubled look between Cheng Lixue's brows earlier and also wrote a line on the paper, asking what the matter was and if he needed help.

Cheng Lixue looked at the elegant handwriting on the paper but didn't write anything back for a long time.

He had only learned today that the one who had helped in the market that day was the famous Zhuoying Si Commander Xie Zhenchuan. He had thought there was hope for the Jiangnan imperial examination fraud case and his unfair failing, but just now, Zhu Xiujin had come to him. First, he offered an insincere apology for the previous humiliation, then both threatened and bribed him not to reveal a word to Xie Zhenchuan, even threatening his mother's life.

Zhu Xiujin easily detailed his mother's illness, the clinics she had visited, and the prescriptions she took, finally presenting high-quality ginseng and a thousand taels in silver notes.

He might be able to wait for the day the truth came out, but his mother's illness couldn't wait.

After much thought, he ultimately agreed under Zhu Xiujin's mocking smile.

Cheng Lixue gripped the pen tightly until pain shot through his fingers, then snapped back to reality. He noticed Li Ci watching him closely, a trace of concern in her eyes.

He put on a casual air and shook his head. "Nothing's wrong."

-

Xie Zhenchuan and his companions headed out first thing in the morning. To stay under the radar, they simply borrowed a carriage from the Earl of Guangcheng's residence, with Bei Ming driving.

Nan Xuan sat to the side, watching the trees flash by along the roadside, and mused, "It's been over a month since the Young Master arrived in Yingtian undercover, and he hasn’t been in a carriage since."

Bei Ming offered him the reins. "Why don't you take over?"

"No, no," Nan Xuan waved his hands frantically. He still couldn't forget the time he drove a donkey-drawn cart to bring the Young Master to Yingtian, only to be passed by an old man at the city gate. Worse yet, the old man was carrying a back-basket full of carrots, and the donkey stubbornly followed him wherever he went, refusing to be pulled back. The experience had left him with a lingering dread of driving.

After an hour of riding at a gallop, the carriage finally came to a stop. Bei Ming tugged the reins to a halt. "Young Master, we've arrived."

Xie Zhenchuan got down from the carriage and looked up at the three large characters written in gold on the temple gate: "Jingming Temple." His expression was a bit unreadable, but he still took the steps two at a time.

Bei Ming, recalling his earlier misunderstanding about the divination slip, scratched his head and muttered under his breath, "Why did we choose this place?"

Nan Xuan, however, knew the reason. He hoisted the pack on his back and egged him on, "Don't you know? Jingming Temple suffered flood damage in the previous dynasty, and the previous emperor ordered Cang Yunzi to oversee the restoration of the Buddha statues. Look, the Young Master has already gone in. Stop asking questions and hurry up."

The temple was packed; worshippers streamed in continuously. The sound of Buddhist chants mingled with the smoke of incense, creating an atmosphere of solemnity and reverence, intertwined with the bustle of everyday life.

Xie Zhenchuan cut straight through the main hall without glancing sideways and headed directly toward the Guanyin Hall.

Even before stepping through the hall's entrance, the scent of sandalwood greeted them. The interior was dimly lit, with only a few long-life lamps hanging in the corners. Sunlight slanted in from the high windows, illuminating the feet of the devotees bowing in prayer.

Xie Zhenchuan stood at the front of the hall, coldly watching the worshippers bowing and kneeling in the center. He showed no intention of paying respects himself but instead raised his eyes slightly to carefully examine the Guanyin statue.

It was a Guanyin statue made of wood and lacquer, about five feet tall, with a dignified and serene face. Her eyes were lowered as if gazing down upon all living beings.

She held a vase of pure water in her hand, with a slender willow branch and flowing robes. The lines of her face were clear and gentle, carrying a compassionate smile that could ease the mind at a glance.

Truly a work of Cang Yunzi.

As Xie Zhenchuan focused on the statue, someone nearby had already secretly turned their gaze toward him.

He stood in a corner of the hall, where the light from the long-life lamps was faint, but sunlight streamed down generously, highlighting his tall, straight-backed figure. His eyes were deep and dark, with slightly upturned corners, giving him a hint of a smirk.

Most of those who came to the Guanyin Hall were women—young ladies praying for marriage, mothers-in-law praying for their daughters-in-law to bear children. Seeing such a handsome young man, they couldn't help but wish their prayers would be answered in such a way.

One particularly bold and confident young woman worked up the nerve and approached.

The Young Master was in plain clothes today. Just as Bei Ming was about to intervene, the young woman spoke softly from a step away, "May I ask what the young master seeks?"

Xie Zhenchuan didn't even spare her a glance, replying indifferently, "I seek peace and quiet."

He was already the center of attention. Though their voices weren't loud, those nearby heard clearly. Immediately, many turned to look, and the low murmurs of prayers in the hall paused. It was unclear whether they were criticizing Xie Zhenchuan for his lack of chivalry or mocking the young woman for overestimating herself.

The young woman, being easily embarrassed and unused to such cold treatment, immediately covered her face and fled.

Bei Ming and Nan Xuan exchanged glances. Well, no need to intervene now. From now on, anyone who saw the Young Master would likely give him a wide berth.

Xie Zhenchuan paid no mind to these trivial matters. He simply memorized what he needed to see with his eyes, then turned and headed to the meditation room.

Nan Xuan, carrying the Young Master's ink, brush, paper, and inkstone in his pack, hurried after him.

Three hours later.

Xie Zhenchuan looked down at today's copy of "The Statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva." The lines on the paper were strong and fluid, and the form was just like Cang Yunzi's work. Only the smile at the corners of the lips lacked some of the liveliness and compassion—it captured the shape but not the spirit.

There were only five days left until the meeting with the Nanjing Garrison Commander Feng Ruicai. As Nan Xuan carefully burned the drawing, he cautiously observed the Young Master's expression.

Xie Zhenchuan calmly wiped the ink from his fingers, his face as unreadable as ever, showing neither joy nor anger.

As the three left the meditation room and passed by a side hall, they were stopped by a monk.

Bei Ming immediately recognized him as Master Fanxian, the abbot of Jingming Temple. Today, the master held a staff, wore monastic robes, and had heavy brows and lowered eyes, exuding an aura of a transcendent sage.

But the moment he spoke, the aura was shattered. "Young sir, since you have some free time, why not draw a divination slip?"

Xie Zhenchuan had naturally guessed his identity. Recalling the divination slip that Li Ci had spent eighty thousand taels of incense money to obtain, he replied indifferently, "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Master. I have no money to donate for incense."

"No matter, no matter," Master Fanxian waved his hand. "This humble monk sees that you possess an extraordinary bearing, with an aura of nobility. This indicates both fortune and prosperity, with many smooth paths ahead. I wish to offer you this divination as a gesture of goodwill."

Such mystifying tricks only worked on simple, gullible fools.

Xie Zhenchuan chuckled coldly but, as if guided by some unseen force, still stepped up to the fortune slip box and drew one.

Nan Xuan and Bei Ming watched with bated breath and soon saw a very familiar line of text: "A pearl with virtuous qualities, returning to meet a noble spouse, filling the hall with honor."

Master Fanxian looked astonished. Hadn't he written only one of these slips? How did this young man draw it?

But as an abbot who had seen great storms, he quickly composed himself. Glancing at Xie Zhenchuan's plain and unadorned clothing, he said meaningfully, "Congratulations, benefactor! This is the highest auspicious sign for marriage, a most fortunate omen!"

Xie Zhenchuan looked down at the divination slip in his hand, its handwriting and paper identical to the previous one, his eyes turning cold.

So, was it this very slip they used to deceive Li Ci?

He curled his lips. "I'd like to hear the details."

Master Fanxian stroked his long beard. "Your star of love is stirring, benefactor. A marriage is imminent. Though it may involve marrying into the family, it is a match made in heaven. This union will not only be blissful but will also help you rise high, filling your hall with nobility."

Before he could finish, Bei Ming covered his mouth, horrified. "You—what nonsense are you spouting!"

Have you lost your mind?!