Chapter 079: Dressed in Fine Clothes, Riding with Fury, Beauty in My Arms (First Update)

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Because Lin Yan-yao had invited her for breakfast at the Lin residence, Wu Tan rose early the next morning. After dressing and arranging her hair, she boarded the carriage and set off for the Lin household.

Back when Lin Wan-niang was alive, she had been a cherished daughter in her family. Since her passing, everyone in the Lin household doted on her two children even more. Although the families lived in separate mansions and visits were not frequent, Wu Tan and her brother were never treated as mere guests at the Lin residence. Even if Lin Yan-yao hadn't given prior notice, the old doorman would always let her in without question.

Entering the garden, Wu Tan was about to catch a servant to ask after the old Chancellor when Lin Yan-yao emerged from the back courtyard, hurrying over.

"I forgot to tell the doorman you were coming yesterday. I just remembered and rushed out," Lin Yan-yao apologized, taking Wu Tan's hand.

"They'd never leave me standing outside," Wu Tan replied with a grin, fixing her eyes on her cousin and giving her a once-over.

The Lin family was known for their scholarly pursuits; whether legitimate or concubine-born, every girl was educated from a young age and their attire was always understated and elegant. Lin Yan-yao usually wore plain colors, but today she was dressed in a newly made, modified palace robe—a soft grass-green embroidered with gold-threaded patterns, complemented by a full set of pure silver hair ornaments. Though the style remained restrained, the color was strikingly eye-catching amid the spring, making her appear dazzlingly fresh.

With her graceful demeanor as a true lady of a great house, Wu Tan found her cousin's appearance particularly pleasing to the eye.

Noticing Wu Tan's gaze, Lin Yan-yao blushed ever so slightly. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

She linked arms with Wu Tan and led her into the courtyard. "Grandfather is practicing calligraphy in his study this morning. I'll take you to him."

Wu Tan nudged her playfully with an elbow. "You never answered my question yesterday. Are you really not out to size up a potential suitor? If you won't tell me, I'll just stay here and chat with Second Aunt instead of accompanying you to the street today."

The two maids trailing behind heard this. Embarrassed, Lin Yan-yao quickly tried to cover Wu Tan's mouth, whispering, "Enough, don't shout. Let's see Grandfather first; I'll tell you later."

Lin Yan-yao had always conducted herself with poise, so seeing her so flustered and red-faced, Wu Tan decided to let it go.

The old Chancellor had a lifelong habit of rising early to practice calligraphy, a discipline he'd maintained since childhood. Lin Yan-yao led Wu Tan to his study, where the old man was indeed deeply absorbed in his writing.

"Grandfather!" Wu Tan lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold, going straight to his side. "Your granddaughter is here to greet you."

The old Chancellor's face lit up at the sight of her, and he immediately set aside his brush, smiling. "It's been a while since I saw you. I thought you'd forgotten where your grandfather lives."

He stood to practice his writing, and Wu Tan, pouting, squeezed past him and boldly sat in his grand official’s chair, grumbling, "Our house has been full of troubles lately. I wanted to visit you, but I was afraid to bring you more worries."

Even though the old Chancellor no longer served at court, he had disciples all over the capital, and any news worth knowing reached the Lin residence quickly, sometimes even before other households. For instance, he was the first to hear the Emperor's intention to betroth Wu Tan to the Crown Prince, Xiao Yun. Wu Tan knew that with all the recent troubles in the Marquis’s household, the old man was surely aware.

Yet over the years, he had grown to utterly despise the Wu family, refusing even to mention their name.

As expected, upon Wu Tan's words, the smile vanished from the old Chancellor's face and he gave no reply.

Fortunately, a maid entered just then to serve tea. Lin Yan-yao quickly brought the tea to both of them. "Mother is preparing breakfast. Grandfather, Cousin, have some tea first."

Receiving the tea from his granddaughter, the old Chancellor's expression softened a little.

Wu Tan quickly hopped off the chair, eagerly yielding the seat to him.

Once he was seated and had sipped his tea, Wu Tan sidled up to him again, coaxing, "Grandfather, Mother has been gone so many years. Are you still angry at my father?"

Everyone knew he hated any mention of the Wu family, so for over a decade, everyone avoided speaking of them in his presence.

Lin Yan-yao, having just sat down, grew tense at Wu Tan's words.

Sure enough, the old man's hand froze around his teacup. He looked up, brow deeply furrowed. "What, has someone in the Wu family bullied you?"

"Of course not," Wu Tan quickly backed down, laughing. "No one in the Wu family would dare bully me. Grandmother treats me well, and my brother is in the capital these days."

Unable to glean anything from Wu Qinglin, and unable to question the old matron directly, Wu Tan had thought to probe her grandfather for any hidden truths. She hadn't expected that merely mentioning Wu Xun would infuriate him.

"Good," the old Chancellor replied coldly, taking a few more sips of tea before his demeanor gradually softened. Seeing Wu Tan lounging idly over his desk, he rose and yielded the spot to her. "You haven't visited in ages, and I've had no chance to examine your studies. Have you kept up with your reading? Come, copy this essay for me so I can see if your calligraphy has improved."

The old man was always fond of testing his grandchildren. Wu Qinglin, being well-rounded and diligent, was unafraid of these impromptu assessments, but Wu Tan's scalp tingled at the prospect.

"Grandfather, I haven't eaten yet," she protested, seizing the excuse to avoid the task, keeping her tone cheerful so as not to betray her nerves. "Cousin said I should come to you first. I came hungry on purpose."

Just then, Second Madam Li entered the room.

Wu Tan immediately ran to her. "Second Aunt!" She winked at Li behind the old Chancellor's back.

Li stifled her laughter, patted Wu Tan’s back, then curtsied to the old man. "Father-in-law, breakfast is set in the main hall. Shall I take the children over?"

"Yes," the old Chancellor nodded. "You go ahead. I'll finish these few characters and join you shortly."

"Very well," Li exchanged a knowing glance with Wu Tan and took her hand to lead her out of the study.

Lin Yan-yao, who had been suppressing her laughter, quickly rose, curtsied to the old man, and hurried out after them.

The Lin family's eldest branch had moved away when the eldest master was posted elsewhere as an official; the three younger sons had been given separate houses when they married and no longer lived in the main residence. Now, only the second branch lived with the old Chancellor in the Lin house.

The second master had earned scholarly honors years ago, but instead of pursuing a government post, he had taken a position in the Hanlin Academy as an editor, dedicating himself to scholarship. Li’s two sons—her eldest had passed the preliminary exams and then stayed on as a teacher at the clan school, while her second son, still young, was still studying.

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Thus, after the three men of the house went about their morning affairs, the breakfast table held only four of them, along with the second branch’s six-year-old daughter.

Afraid of being dragged off for another impromptu examination by the old Chancellor, Wu Tan hurried through her breakfast and quickly urged Lin Yan-yao to leave with her.

The Lin family, a venerable scholarly clan rooted in the capital for generations, enjoyed a prime location; their ancestral home was quite close to Chang'an Avenue, where today the top scholar’s triumphant procession would pass. The two girls, accompanied by their maids, set out on foot.

Usually, such an outing required only a single maid, so Lin Yan-yao felt awkward seeing two guards trailing behind. She turned to Wu Tan, "It's not far. Do we really need guards?"

These two guards had been assigned to Wu Tan by Wu Qinglin, mainly as protection against Lady Meng.

Wu Tan didn’t want to discuss her family troubles and simply said, "There’ll be huge crowds on Chang'an Avenue today. If it gets too packed, it's good to have a couple of people to clear a path."

Lin Yan-yao didn't suspect anything, but a faint blush colored her cheeks. She pressed her lips together and said, "I reserved the best-viewing private room at Vermillion Bird Pavilion two weeks ago. No one will be able to crowd you."

Wu Tan, reminded by this, suddenly recalled their interrupted conversation. She shot Lin Yan-yao a meaningful look.

Lin Yan-yao bit her lip, motioned for the maids to withdraw, then pulled Wu Tan close and whispered, "It's… it's my cousin Pingzhi from my aunt's side. Actually, when I was seven, Mother arranged it for us, saying that when we grew up, we could see if we liked each other. Our families are close and know each other well, so there are no surprises. He took the imperial exams this time, and my aunt came by recently to say that during the palace exam he even received the Emperor’s praise. At the very least, he’ll rank among the second tier. My aunt's hoping that once everything is settled, our engagement will be formalized."

Because their mothers were sisters, Jiang Pingzhi and Lin Yan-yao were not strangers; they’d met from time to time. With the match all but settled, Lin Yan-yao naturally anticipated her fiancé’s triumphant procession with excitement.

A lifelong matter like this was no joke; though Wu Tan was close to Lin Yan-yao, she didn’t tease her, only lamented, "Our family and the Jiangs aren’t close. Once you're married, I won’t be able to visit you as often."

Lin Yan-yao smiled, "That’s still far off. Mother says the engagement can be set now, but as for the wedding… it’ll have to wait until after I come of age next year."

As it wasn’t a conversation suitable for the street, they soon changed topics.

Not in a hurry, and walking at a leisurely pace, it took them nearly half an hour to reach their destination.

Chang'an Avenue was especially lively today. The crowds were several times their usual size, and every window along the street was thrown open, with faces peering out in anticipation.

They entered Vermillion Bird Pavilion.

This three-story teahouse was a favorite among the capital’s elite because of its superb location and excellent management. On days like this—

Lin Yan-yao had not only paid five times the usual price but also used her family’s influence to secure one of the best second-floor rooms with a private terrace.

They gave the name at the door, and a servant led them upstairs.

The room was spacious, featuring an outdoor terrace. Only three such rooms were on the second floor; theirs was the rightmost. Though the third floor also had terraces, those jutted out too far over the street and weren’t as ideal for watching the parade.

Inside, they found the inn had thoughtfully set up a small table and chairs on the terrace. The two girls sat outside, leaving the main table for their maids and guards.

Soon, refreshments were brought in.

Wu Tan peered down the street but saw no sign yet of the officials clearing the road. She took Lin Yan-yao’s hand and whispered, "Cousin, can you help me with something?"

Lin Yan-yao, seeing the gleam in Wu Tan’s eyes and her mischievous grin, asked, "What is it?"

"After all these years, Grandfather still won’t speak to my father. I suspect there's more to it, but I couldn’t get anything from my brother. Could you find a chance to ask Second Aunt for me?" Wu Tan was never shy when asking a favor; secrets or scandals meant nothing compared to respecting the person she asked.

Lin Yan-yao was startled. "Isn’t Grandfather’s grudge over the death of your mother?"

The mention brought a frown to Wu Tan’s face. She gnawed her fingertip. "That’s what I thought, but lately it all feels odd. I can’t ask Grandmother, and Brother is preoccupied and frustrated by all the scheming lately, so I don’t want to bother him. Please, see if you can learn anything from Second Aunt, will you?"

Lin Yan-yao had never seen Wu Tan so earnest about anything else. Since she had gone this far, it was impossible to refuse, so she nodded. "Fine. I’ll try. But let’s be clear: if Grandfather has already warned Mother not to discuss it—"

If there really was a deeply buried secret, it might be impossible to learn anything, even if she asked.

"I understand. Just do what you can!"

Wu Tan was deeply troubled by the matter and spoke with great concentration, oblivious to the group that had entered the neighboring room.

Xiao Yue had taken the room next door. Lei Ming, upon entering, checked all around for safety.

Noticing the terrace furniture, he glanced into the neighboring rooms. The left was shielded by a gauzy curtain, through which he could make out three women at the table, attended by five or six maids.

He glanced to the right and froze—

The Wu family’s young lady?! What ill-fated destiny was this, to run into her even here?

Inside, Xiao Yue was examining the painted teaware. Noticing Lei Ming standing outside, he asked casually, "What is it? A problem?"

Given his lord’s volatile mood whenever the Wu family was mentioned, Lei Ming braced himself, replying, "No."

He hurried back to report, "Both sides are female guests."

Time was still early, and Xiao Yue remained at the table.

The thought of the Wu family girl next door made Lei Ming nervous, so he ventured, "Master, haven’t we already looked into the matter with Huangfu Qi? Why come yourself?"

"It’s been years since I last witnessed the top scholar’s victory parade. After so long in the military, I’ve almost forgotten the youthful splendor of this city. It will be good to see it again," Xiao Yue replied, seemingly offhand.

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Lei Ming, knowing his master’s temper, said no more.

After a while, the waiter brought fruit and tea as in the neighboring room, and Xiao Yue finally took a seat on the terrace.

The crowd below grew denser and noisier. After about half an hour, the sound of gongs and drums, heralding the officials clearing the way, reached them.

The second-floor terrace of Vermillion Bird Pavilion was perfectly situated. At first, Wu Tan and Lin Yan-yao sat at the table, watching the distant commotion. As the sound of drums and the mounted guards drew nearer and the crowd below grew feverish, they could hear voices calling, "Look, the third-place scholar—he’s so handsome!"

The imperial exams were a grueling ordeal; many had vied for success into old age. The youngest top scholar in the past three hundred years was twenty-nine—an age when most men already had families.

Though Wu Tan’s earlier joke about snaring a scholar for herself was just that, she couldn’t help but be curious at the shouts, craning her neck for a better look.

The parade moved slowly from left to right, the street jammed with tea houses and restaurants packed with young noblewomen eager to watch the spectacle. The officials, aware of the interest, deliberately slowed the procession.

As the mounted scholars finally passed the Pavilion, Wu Tan scanned each face intently—

The champion… the runner-up… the third-place scholar?!

"Huh?" Wu Tan rubbed her eyes, thinking she’d imagined it, then, convinced she hadn’t, slapped the table and rushed to the far right, gripping the railing and exclaiming, "He actually made it? Has every scholar in the Empire died out?"

Below, the crowd was in uproar over the stunningly handsome third-place scholar.

Though Wu Tan’s exclamation was loud, it was drowned out by the cheers below. On the terrace next door, Xiao Yue’s hand, holding his teacup, suddenly paused.

For a moment, he thought he’d imagined the voice.

He sat with his back to them, body stiff, unmoving.

Lei Ming, sensing that his master might fly into a rage at any moment, was on high alert, standing rigidly behind him, determined not to speak first and risk trouble.

Below, Huangfu Shaohua, poised and radiant on horseback, scanned the crowd as if searching for someone. Unable to see the second floor clearly from below, he only spotted Wu Tan leaning over the rail as he rode almost directly beneath them.

His face, strikingly handsome, grew even more brilliant as his eyes lit up, causing hearts to flutter among the women watching from the surrounding balconies.

Wu Tan’s expression was oddly frustrated, but he winked flirtatiously at her, and as he passed right beneath, he deliberately reined in his horse, pausing in place.

Only then did Xiao Yue, still dazed, sense something amiss. His face darkened as he slowly turned to look.

Wu Tan had noticed someone on the neighboring terrace, but her focus had been on the street—and the shock of seeing Huangfu Qi—so she hadn’t noticed the familiar figure across the way.

Just then, as she and Huangfu Qi locked eyes, Xiao Yue’s gaze, brimming with menace, swept over her. Even Wu Tan, slow as she could be, sensed it immediately.

She looked up instinctively, and the moment she saw his face, she startled and leapt back a step.

What luck was this? Was she seeing ghosts in broad daylight? Why did this man haunt her everywhere?

Wu Tan suddenly felt that this was another day of dreadful luck. While she bit her lip, flustered, Lin Yan-yao, having spotted Jiang Pingzhi among the riders, was so delighted that she too leaned over the rail for a better look.

But as she rested her weight on the railing, Wu Tan heard the sharp crack of splintering wood.

It was a faint sound, lost on the others in the din, but Wu Tan, always alert, immediately spotted the crack at the joint of the rail beside her.

At the same moment, Lin Yan-yao’s body, deprived of support, pitched forward.

There was no time to warn her. Wu Tan’s heart leapt; she acted before she could think, grabbing Lin Yan-yao’s sleeve and yanking her back.

But the spot where Lin Yan-yao’s feet landed was slick with oil, and the aged floorboards polished smooth. The force of the pull sent Wu Tan herself flying, while Lin Yan-yao, slipping, tumbled after her.

Cries erupted below as people saw someone fall from the balcony.

Lei Ming, in a split second, leapt across from the opposite terrace. His hand shot out, barely grabbing Lin Yan-yao by the sash and tossing her back into the room.

Next door, Xiao Yue vaulted the railing and plunged downward.

By sheer coincidence, Huangfu Qi, unable to spot Wu Tan from below, was craning his neck when she suddenly fell from above. Seated atop his horse, he was perfectly positioned; as Xiao Yue leapt from the second floor, he saw Huangfu Qi catch Wu Tan in his arms.

Lei Ming, kneeling at the edge of the terrace, could hardly bear to watch. He thought to himself, “I’m doomed! Why couldn’t my lord have stayed home, sipping wine? What did he need with all this ‘youthful splendor’? Now look—while the city revels in its glory, the beauty is swept into someone else’s arms, an instant legend. How’s that for a blow?”

———Author’s Note———

Tan: Oh my! Did I really just get struck by a gorgeous, marriageable scholar? Luckiest day ever!

Someone, awkward and empty-handed: …

Lei Ming: Hmm, perhaps I should sign my lord up for the next imperial exam.

Everyone: Lei Ming, who always manages to steal a scene in every little skit, maybe you’re actually the male lead?

First published in this book. Please do not reproduce!