Still holding a grudge?

Clouds and Sound Waterfront.

The Chi family came bearing heavy gifts to pay a visit, but Rong Yu still refused to see anyone.

"Chi Minfang has invoked the name of the Crown Prince's Concubine to request an audience with the Heir, hoping that the Heir will restore Chi Zhiyi's score. It seems the Chi family is truly getting desperate," Li Mochen said with a light cough.

Rong Yu played with an ivory-carved bamboo tablet in his hand, his gaze resting on a scroll in front of him for careful appreciation, paying no mind to the Chi family.

Li Mochen continued, "Who would have thought that Old Scholar Yu has such a fiery temper; he directly struck Chi Zhiyi's score from the records. The Chi family is now running everywhere proclaiming that Old Scholar Yu is unfair, causing gossip to fly across the court and the common folk. Heir, should we perhaps reconsider the revocation of her qualification for the selection?"

During the Zhaohuang Selection, having one's score revoked simply because a chief examiner disliked the candidate felt as unfair as passing the imperial examinations only to be dismissed because one had offended the chief examiner.

Rong Yu raised his eyes. "Old Yu spoke correctly. Virtue and propriety are not answers written on a test paper. If anyone wishes to debate the matter, Mochen, feel free to debate them. There is no need to worry about the imperial court; the Emperor will not inquire about this."

"Given the Emperor's trust in the Heir, indeed His Majesty wouldn't care about such a minor matter. I shall leave the scholarly opinion to be resolved by me," Li Mochen nodded.

Rong Yu's gaze fell back upon the scroll.

"Old Yu acted with fairness and impartiality. Write a memorial for him recommending him for a meritorious service award," Rong Yu said casually, "and stamp it with my official seal."

Li Mochen was stunned. "Ah?"

Yu Kangru had acted recklessly; it was already merciful that he was not punished, yet the Heir wanted to submit a merit report for him?

"Mm," Rong Yu emphasized, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Li Mochen thought of Lin Yuejiao, then looked at Rong Yu, seeming to understand something as he rubbed the space between his eyebrows, torn between laughter and tears.

Thus, while scholarly circles were still debating whether Yu Kangru's actions were appropriate, an imperial decree arrived straight from the capital.

Yu Kangru had been promoted.

On the eve of the selection of the Six Arts, the young ladies of Jiangnan eagerly prepared for their evaluations, as this concerned the futures of both themselves and their families.

Only Lin Yuejiao remained lazily nestled in her courtyard, having no intention of participating in the evaluations of the Six Arts, choosing instead to wait for the final examination in the third round.

Between her fingers, a bolt of red and white silk transformed into a garment.

The Zhaohuang Selection was a golden carp leaping over the dragon's gate for every noble young lady, and securing a place on the honor roll greatly increased the likelihood of entering the Zhaohuang Academy.

Yet this year was utterly bizarre; some young ladies who had made the honor roll actually missed their exams.

"Eldest Sister, Sisi Yingxi failed to show up for the second round of selections. Everyone in the imperial lodge is gossiping like mad today," Lin Zijin said with a puzzled expression. "She had a very high chance of entering Zhaohuang Academy. To give it up so easily is just too strange."

Lin Yuejiao continued her embroidery, pressed her lips together, and said, "Zijin, your sources are poorly informed. Sisi Yingxi has gone missing."

"Ah?" Lin Zijin froze. "How could she go missing?"

After the incident at Black Wind Fortress, Lin Zijin had no intention of letting Sisi Yingxi off easily, but compared to dealing with Sisi Yingxi, the Zhaohuang Selection was the paramount matter.

"I heard that Sisi Yingxi sent a millennium-old spirit ganoderma to Young Master Li, and Young Master Li invited her to meet him alone. But after keeping the appointment, she never returned. Sisi Chengyu went to the Clouds and Sound Waterfront to inquire, and Young Master Li stated that he never received the millennium-old spirit ganoderma, nor did he invite Sisi Yingxi." Lin Yuejiao threaded her needle with delicate fingers, her gaze fixed on the red garment in her hands, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on her lips. "At first, the Sisi family refused to believe it. However, Young Master Li pointed out that among the gifts and medicinal herbs sent by so many young ladies in Jiangnan, he had not accepted a single one—why would he make an exception for Sisi Yingxi? Furthermore, since arriving in Jiangnan, he had never privately invited any woman; why would he suddenly invite Sisi Yingxi?"

To suggest that Li Mochen had taken a fancy to Sisi Yingxi was something not a single young lady in Jiangnan would believe.

"I never expected it to be linked to Young Master Li. What happened next? Did the Sisi family cause trouble for Young Master Li?" Lin Zijin asked with concern.

Lin Yuejiao smiled faintly. "Who would dare cause trouble for the Great General's Manor? After Young Master Li gave his explanation, Sisi Chengyu himself concluded that Li Mochen had indeed not received the millennium-old spirit ganoderma. Given Li Mochen's temperament, if he needed one, a single word from the Loyal Heir could produce a ten-thousand-year-old spirit ganoderma; why would he deign to care for such meager offerings from the Sisi family? Therefore, Sisi Chengyu accepted the reality that his younger sister had been schemed against and deceived. The Sisi family believes that the gifts Sisi Yingxi sent were intercepted by someone with malicious intent, who then used Young Master Li's name to lure her to a meeting—certainly the work of some young lady jealous of Sisi Yingxi. Right now, the entire Sisi family is searching everywhere for her whereabouts. The city gate guards reported seeing Sisi Yingxi leave the city, but once outside Xinzhou City, roads lead in all directions; when she might be found is anyone's guess."

Lin Zijin wore a strange expression.

"Eldest Sister, the person who made the move must be... Young Master Li?" Quick-witted, Lin Zijin thought of Li Mochen immediately, her beautiful eyes lighting up.

Lin Yuejiao nodded. "I believe it is him as well. That day at Black Wind Fortress, Young Master Li said he would not let you suffer that grievance in vain; I never expected him to truly keep his word. Rest assured and focus on your selection; with Young Master Li making a move, you likely won't be seeing Sisi Yingxi before the Six Arts selections conclude."

"I never imagined Young Master Li would intervene. Actually doing this might damage his reputation..." Lin Zijin's maiden heart fluttered unrulily.

"Rest assured, apart from the two of us, no one will ever guess it was his doing, not even the Sisi family suspects him," Lin Yuejiao smiled faintly. "Young Master Li has lofty and untainted integrity; who could ever imagine he would use his own name to trick people? Yet this style of work truly shows the influence of close proximity—it has the very bearing of the Loyal and Righteous Heir."

A trace of a smile unconsciously spilled across her lips.

Lin Zijin's heart fluttered in disarray, and it took her quite a while to calm down before speaking. "Eldest Sister, apart from Sisi Yingxi, Miss Li Yingqiu also skipped the second round of selections. I heard that her family suffered a calamity; her father fell out of favor and committed an offense, so she is no longer the daughter of an official and has lost her qualification to continue the selection. Moreover, with the Li family facing such drastic changes, she had no heart for the selection and rushed back to Nanzhou overnight yesterday."

"Committed an offense? The timing is far too coincidental." Lin Yuejiao raised her delicate brows. She still retained some impression of Li Yingqiu—someone who spoke bluntly and rather unpleasantly, though not a person of malicious intent.

Lin Zijin said, "Indeed. In official circles, aside from a tiny handful of upright officials, how many can withstand an investigation? The Prefect of Nanzhou must have offended someone..."

"Recently, apart from Rong Yu, there are no towering figures in Jiangnan. It is impossible that he happened to cross Rong Yu's path. Could it be..." Brilliant and translucent-minded, Lin Yuejiao instantly grasped the crux of the matter.

Official business is notoriously dilatory; from investigating a case to finalizing the verdict usually takes at least half a month. If one were to grease the palms of superiors to buy time, an investigation could stretch for two or three months.

For there to be zero prior whisper of wind before a sudden conviction—such thunderous and decisive execution could only be managed by the supreme regional official of Jiangnan, the Jiangnan Administrative Commissioner.

Could it be that the ten thousand silver taels were the stake wagered by Lian Shi'er?

"Today is the first subject, the qin examination, and many people are waiting for Eldest Sister to participate," Lin Zijin said. "Upon learning that Eldest Sister is skipping the second round entirely, everyone was quite surprised. Eldest Sister, do you have absolute confidence in passing the third round? Perhaps you should take a few more subject exams to be safe?"

The Zhaohuang Selection required passing a minimum of eight subjects.

"No need. Don't worry about me; just focus on your exams. I heard you've already passed the qin examination; don't be discouraged if you didn't receive a superior grade," Lin Yuejiao replied with a calm smile.

Seeing Lin Yuejiao so serene, Lin Zijin felt somewhat reassured. She covered her mouth and smiled, "I'm not like Eldest Sister, aiming for a superior grade in every single subject; passing is already a supreme blessing. The Six Arts evaluations are terribly difficult. For the first test—the qin—aside from Lian Shi'er, not a single other person obtained a superior tablet, and very few even passed, merely a dozen or so."

This was entirely normal.

The two missing young ladies were merely inconspicuous droplets of rain, quickly cast behind people's minds.

Now, daily chatter in Xinzhou City revolved entirely around which young lady had passed how many of the Six Arts and secured how many superior tablets.

Lian Shi'er had become the absolute center of attention throughout Jiangnan.

Starting from the qin examination, across the first four subjects of the Six Arts—qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—she had claimed superior tablets for every single one.

Having seized the top spot four times in a row, plus the three superior tablets and one middle tablet from the first round, she had tested in a total of eight subjects: seven superior and one middle, surpassing Lin Yuejiao, who had only taken seven subjects.

Simultaneously, a rumor unfavorable to Lin Yuejiao began to spread wildly across Jiangnan.

Unlike Lian Shi'er, whose superior tablets in the second round were won publicly during the Zhaohuang Academy selections while surrounded by crowds of scholars and young gentry, with two chief examiners jointly evaluating and granting the tokens, Lin Yuejiao's three superior tablets from the second round—aside from the painting subject where her left-handed drawing techniques had leaked out—had no witnesses for the remaining two subjects of culinary arts and needlework.

Consequently, many people felt that the origins of Lin Yuejiao's two superior tablets were questionable.

Previously, when the first-round results were released, such skeptical voices had been slapped down by hard facts.

Now that Lin Yuejiao had skipped the second round, the gossip and rumors, fueled by those with hidden agendas, came flooding back into the dust and clouds.

At the end of June, the second round of selections drew to a close.

Lian Shi'er temporarily claimed first place with seven superior tablets and one middle tablet, a fourth-rank noble young lady whom none of the Jiangnan maidens could rival.

Inside the Clouds and Sound Waterfront, Rong Yu turned the pages of a book in his hands.

"Heir, Chi Zhiyi harbors deep resentment toward Lin Yuejiao and has hired a group of scholars to proclaim that the Fourth Miss's superior tablets for needlework and culinary arts have dubious origins. Actually, when the Heir first bestowed those tokens, no one dared to gossip, as everyone knew the Heir's character and disdained such petty thoughts. Now that there is such malicious slander, it is merely because too many people are green-eyed with envy over the Fourth Miss's achievements..." Li Mochen paused and continued, "Aside from the Chi family, there is another force fanning the flames behind the scenes, making the rumors grow fiercer. But the other party is extremely cautious, leaving no handle for us to grab."

Rong Yu lightly raised a brow. "Aside from the Lian family, there is no one else who could stir up waves in Jiangnan without you managing to catch them."

"As the Heir says, Mochen thought the same," Li Mochen nodded with a smile. "After all, the Fourth Miss's only real rival in Jiangnan is Miss Lian Shi'er."

Rong Yu said dismissively, "Lian Shi'er is hardly qualified to be her rival."

That little maiden possessed a wisdom bordering on the demonic, paired with a profound, dark, and enchanting depth. In his eyes, not a single person in this world was qualified to be her match.

Unique and peerless across heaven and earth, Lin Yuejiao stood alone.

Li Mochen fell silent.

Rong Yu tapped his index finger against the low table of the daybed. Contemplating something, he knit his brows slightly before smoothing them out. "The Qionglang Banquet is set for tomorrow, correct?"

"Yes, tomorrow at the hour of Shen, hosted at the Jinghua Imperial Lodge."

Rong Yu instructed, "Invite a selection of the scholars of Jiangnan, especially those of Sisi Chengyu's ilk. And Chi Zhiyi—send her an invitation as well."

"Heir, what are you planning..." Li Mochen asked in astonishment.

Rong Yu nodded. "Just arrange it thus."

He had never cared for rumors, nor could he tell that Lin Yuejiao cared; otherwise, she would not have allowed the rumors to run rampant while remaining calm, composed, and leisurely at home.

However, because the rumors targeted Lin Yuejiao, he cared deeply.

Since certain people had nothing but water sloshing around inside their skulls, he would simply give those people a few resounding slaps to beat all the water out of their brains, teaching them once and for all that one's head should not be casually flooded.

"Courtesy demands reciprocity. After letting the Chi family bounce around for so many days, it is time to close the net. On that very day, let us present a surprise to the Chi family and to Chi Zhiyi," Rong Yu said.

The Heir was not only dark-hearted, but he also held grudges.

Li Mochen cupped his fist in salute. "Understood. Heir, as for the Xinzhou Gambling House, recently some troublemaking gamblers have shown up. Yan Zhenhao can no longer hold the line and has come seeking your rescue. The gambling den set up by the Heir last time caused Lian Shi'er to lose ten thousand taels, and she is deliberately seeking revenge. However, Lian Shi'er also knows the gambling house operates under the banner of the Four Seas Firm, so she doesn't dare make a blatant move, but has secretly dispatched a pack of gamblers trying to make the house lose enough to shut its doors."

"Such a trivial matter—just dispatch a detachment of men to assist him," Rong Yu said indifferently.

Yan Zhenhao, the proprietor of the Xinzhou Gambling House, was the manager of the Xinzhou branch of the Four Seas Firm, and the initial purpose of opening this gambling house had been to investigate the Jinghua Imperial Lodge case and gather intelligence.

This time, when the gambling house opened books for the Zhaohuang Selection, Rong Yu had laid down a wager, acting as the bookmaker himself to bet that Lin Yuejiao would pass. Aside from him, who else possessed such overwhelming boldness?

Of course, Yan Zhenhao had no idea that the person issuing these instructions was Rong Yu himself, assuming instead it came from the upper echelons of the Four Seas Firm.

"Heir, Fourth Miss Lin requests an audience," Yun Jian walked in to report.

A smile unconsciously bloomed across Rong Yu's face, and a brilliant light instantly ignited within his deep eyes. Hearing that she had come to see him filled him with joy, yet immediately afterward, he tightened his features into a mask of expressionless indifference and said, "Invite her in."