After the spring equinox, the weather grew steadily warmer. The various flowers planted in the courtyard began to bloom one after another, filling the small yard with a delicate fragrance.

Zhao Nanyu had recently been transferred from the Hanlin Academy to a post at the Court of Judicial Review. His daily schedule was neither overly hectic nor entirely idle. Many of his peers, who had passed the imperial exam alongside him back then, were now thriving in court politics. It seemed that he alone had spent the past two years in relative obscurity.

The imperial court had its share of opportunists. Seeing that he wasn’t in the emperor’s good graces nor highly favored, most people kept their distance from him. Some young masters from aristocratic families even took to mocking him, treating him as a convenient target for their jests.

Zhao Nanyu often overheard sneering remarks and critical gossip about him. On the surface, he appeared calm and indifferent, as if none of it mattered to him in the slightest.

One morning, court dismissed unusually early. When Zhao Nanyu returned home, his young son, Zhi’er, had only read a couple of pages from his book. Upon seeing him, the child dutifully greeted, “Father.”

Zhao Nanyu walked over and gently patted his son’s head. “Can you understand what you’re reading?”

Zhi’er nodded earnestly. “I can. Uncle explained it to me.”

“Your uncle was here?” Zhao Nanyu raised a brow.

“Yes, he’s waiting for you.”

In the Zhao family, the only one who had a relatively good relationship with Zhao Nanyu was his younger brother, Zhao Chao. Born to one of Second Master Zhao’s concubines, Zhao Chao was also a illegitimate son in the Zhao family but Second Master Zhao treated him quite well.

Zhao Nanyu found Zhao Chao in the study, the latter smiled at him and greeted. “Second Brother.”

Zhao Nanyu replied with a cool “Mm,” then paused briefly before asking, “What brings you here?”

As it turned out, Zhao Chao hadn’t sought him out for anything urgent. Today happened to be the first day of the month, and on the first day of every month, the Zhao family hosted a formal family banquet. Everyone was expected to gather at the main house for the meal. This tradition had been personally established by the family patriarch, and naturally, no one dared to defy it.

Of course, on occasions like these, Zhao Nanyu—despised even by his own father—was never the focus of attention. More often than not, he’d overhear a few of his cousins making snide remarks about him.

In this household, aside from Zhao Chao, everyone regarded his origins with contempt, treating him as a source of shame.

Zhao Chao, smiling as always, said. “It’s nothing much. I just happened to come by to help Zhi’er with his lessons and thought I’d wait for you so we could head to the family banquet together.”

Zhao Chao wasn’t particularly fond of the family banquets either. None of the brothers truly got along, each nursing private grievances, and the atmosphere was always tense.

Zhao Nanyu was silent for a moment, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. Finally, he said slowly. “I’m afraid that won’t work. I need to wait for your second sister-in-law to finish getting ready before heading to the main house. You don’t need to wait for me—go on ahead.”

Zhao Chao’s smile faltered, and his face showed a flicker of shock. “Second Sister-in-law?”

That woman dared to be called Second Sister-in-law? She neglected Zhi’er, flirted shamelessly, and had a scandalous nature that had caused no end of embarrassment for his second brother. The worst incident was when she secretly borrowed money from a moneylender using Zhao Nanyu’s name. When she couldn’t repay it, the creditor took the matter to their grandfather.

That time, the patriarch had punished Zhao Nanyu with the family’s strictest disciplinary measures, nearly beating him to death.

Zhao Nanyu understood exactly why Zhao Chao was so surprised, but he offered no explanation. “Just go ahead without me.”

Zhao Chao, however, wasn’t about to let it go so easily and wanted an answer. Not long ago, Zhi’er had mentioned something positive about her, but Zhao Chao had dismissed it at the time. That venomous woman—how could she possibly have changed? He didn’t believe it for a second.

“Second Brother, can’t you see what kind of person she really is? You can’t let her fool you!”

Zhao Nanyu chuckled lightly. The faint smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes—it carried an edge of sarcasm rather than sincerity. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Zhao Chao gradually collected himself. It was true—his second brother was much sharper than he was, both in wit and in resolve. Surely, someone like him wouldn’t be easily deceived by that woman.

“Alright, I’ll go ahead first then,” Zhao Chao said.

“Mm,” Zhao Nanyu responded without much emotion.

After Zhao Chao left, Zhao Nanyu remained in the study for a while longer. He practiced his calligraphy for the time it took a stick of incense to burn before heading toward Huaishui Residence.

Song Luan had only just learned about the evening’s family banquet at the main house. In the novel Minister of Power, details about the Zhao family were often glossed over. Minor day-to-day matters like this banquet weren’t even mentioned.

She did, however, know the fates of the Zhao family members. The gossipy servants and the dismissive brothers wouldn’t meet any great fortune—though they wouldn’t end up in abject misery either. The old patriarch would lose his power, and Zhao Nanyu’s unreliable father would be left with absolutely nothing.

None of that was directly relevant to Song Luan as there had been no entanglements between her and those individuals. What gave her a headache was Zhao Nanyu’s biological younger brother, Zhao Wenyan, the legitimate son that their useless father doted on like a prized treasure. The problem? That 17-year-old boy had history with her!

In the original story of Minister of Power, Zhao Wenyan fell hopelessly in love with Song Luan after passing the imperial examination. His devotion was unwavering—practically to the extent of carving out his heart, liver, and lungs for her if she so wished. He remained unmarried for her sake and even saved her from life-threatening predicaments several times. Later, when the original Song Luan was ravaged by poison and left bedridden, caught in a torturous limbo between life and death, it was Zhao Wenyan who tirelessly searched for a cure.

After her death, Zhao Wenyan fell into complete despair and soon followed her to the grave.

To be fair, Song Luan thought, Zhao Wenyan was genuinely a good person—devoted, pure-hearted, and unwavering in his love for the original her. But now that she had taken her place, the idea of getting entangled with him was out of the question.

^_^