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The woman before him was not the Li he once knew…
Yongcheng Marquis Manor was an enemy to Li Yunli. Yun Chu knew this well.
In the previous life, Li Yunli had been forced to the northwest due to the schemes of Yongcheng Marquis, He Liancheng.
First, the marquis orchestrated an assassination attempt in broad daylight, sending weak and ineffective assassins after her.
But the woman was from a military background—brave and reckless. She personally fought off the assassins, cutting them down in the streets, earning admiration from the common folk.
Next, disaster struck Yongzhou, and news reached the capital. The Grand National Diviner cast a prediction, determining that she was the most suitable candidate for disaster relief.
Normally, disaster relief would not be assigned to a woman. However, she had just earned a reputation for courage and was far from weak. Moreover, Yongzhou was her fiefdom. The court officials found it entirely reasonable for her to take charge.
Li Yunli had initially resisted, refusing the assignment. But then, academy students were incited to protest, marching through the streets and crying out for the disaster victims. The uproar swept through the capital.
Yun Chu still remembered how the people petitioned in unison, their plea reaching the imperial court.
In the end, she had no choice but to leave the capital and head to Yongzhou.
He let out a cold laugh.
No matter how powerful the nobility, they could not defy public opinion. Li Yunli had been played like a pawn in their hands.
In the previous life, he had been unable to accompany her to the northwest.
This time, since she had whimsically decided to take him along…
Then he would not let her walk the same path again.
Yun Chu pushed aside the paper before him, carefully rewriting his message in small, precise calligraphy. Under the pretense of sending a note to A Si, he penned beautiful characters:
“Find an opportunity to head northwest and retrieve the stored books from Lushui Academy.”
“Lushui Academy? Did the consort leave something there?”
Li Yunli received the secret message at dusk. The note, delivered by her guard, contained only that one sentence:
“Find an opportunity to head northwest.”
It seemed that the consort had already begun laying the groundwork for his restoration plans. Even if he was going to Yongzhou with her, he still wanted A Si nearby for future schemes.
But what connection did Lushui Academy have to the consort?
Li Yunli held the note between her fingers, deep in thought. “Is that all it says?”
“Yes, just a short sentence on a small piece of paper,” the guard replied.
Since punishing Lin Feng last time, Li Yunli had reorganized her manor’s defenses, replacing all close guards with highly skilled and trustworthy individuals. Two of them, similar in height and appearance, were named Shi Liu and Shi Qi.
“Has anyone else in the manor had contact with the consort?”
“No,” Shi Liu confirmed. “The consort has not left his quarters in the past two days.”
That was strange.
Li Yunli pondered the mention of Lushui Academy. It had only appeared briefly in the original story—when its students had petitioned the court for the princess to handle disaster relief. After that, it was never mentioned again.
And that student protest had been orchestrated by Yongcheng Marquis, with no connection to the male lead, Yun Chu.
Was it just a coincidence?
“What about A Si? Any unusual movements?”
“He has been staying at an abandoned temple but has been taking odd jobs around the city. Recently, he started working at an escort agency.”
Li Yunli put down the note. “Investigate Lushui Academy. See who has been visiting recently and report back to me. Also, keep an eye on anyone in the manor who might be in contact with A Si.”
“Understood.”
Shi Liu left, and Li Yunli handed an invitation to Shi Qi.
“Deliver this to General Xiao’s residence. Invite him over in three days.”
Both guards took their orders and departed.
Tonight was the end of the month. After Shi Liu and Shi Qi left, Zhi Lan entered the room to discuss the monthly affairs of the manor.
In the past, these matters had been handled by Steward Wang. However, after the Bai Guo Banquet, the princess had stripped him of his duties.
Li Yunli was unfamiliar with the routine, so she told Zhi Lan, “You handle it.”
Zhi Lan acknowledged the order and left.
The princess had abandoned Steward Wang and entrusted these matters to her instead. It seemed Wang Quan’s influence had completely faded.
However, managing the affairs of the princess’s residence was no simple task. It required both discretion and the ability to anticipate the master’s wishes.
In this regard, Steward Wang had always excelled.
For example—
At the end of every month, the princess would summon Yun Chu to her chambers.
Typically, he would bathe in a fresh flower-scented bath, use certain… personal preparations, and dress in sheer sleeping robes before being sent to her.
Steward Wang had been meticulous, always catering to the princess’s tastes.
But…
Lately, Zhi Lan had noticed a change in the princess’s preferences.
And so, that night—
Yun Chu followed his usual routine, preparing himself as he always had.
He was well-practiced in this ritual, familiar with every step. He reached for the usual thin, revealing garment—
And then…
He received a new set of clothes, sent directly from the princess’s quarters.
When Li Yunli looked up from her desk and saw Yun Chu standing before her, fully dressed in a proper outfit, she blinked in surprise.
“Hm?”
She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
Yun Chu bowed. “Your Highness.”
Li Yunli quickly scanned him from head to toe.
Why was he here?
Fully clothed—was he here for official business?
But—
How did he end up in her sleeping quarters?!
She had been writing down notes, outlining future events from the original story. The desk was covered in unfinished passages!
In a panic, Li Yunli grabbed the papers and crumpled them into a ball.
Yun Chu glanced over, catching a glimpse of his own name—Yun Chu—written in large, round characters, circled.
His lips curled slightly.
Li Yunli glared. “What are you laughing at?!”
Clearly, he was amused by her handwriting.
She knew her brush calligraphy was terrible.
It wasn’t her fault! After years of writing with a pen, suddenly switching to a brush was an impossible adjustment!
He, on the other hand, had practiced calligraphy since childhood. His characters were elegant and sharp, like iron strokes and silver hooks. Of course, he had no right to mock her!
Yun Chu lowered his gaze, concealing his amusement.
But Li Yunli could still see the faint upward curve of his lips.
Her frustration flared but quickly faded. She smoothed out the paper and let out a breath. “Why are you here?”
For a fleeting moment, Yun Chu looked confused.
“I…” He coughed, correcting himself. “This slave…”
For a second, he almost forgot his role.
The end of the month meant only one thing—yet she was asking why he was here?
Yun Chu began to doubt if this woman was truly Li Yunli.
Could someone’s memory really be this bad?
“Come sit.”
Realizing the situation, Li Yunli gestured to the desk.
If he came at night, what else could it be but to serve as her bed companion?
Yun Chu, maintaining a composed expression, obeyed and knelt beside the table.
Li Yunli observed him—his hair loosely tied, dressed in a comfortable robe, giving him a gentler appearance.
“This outfit suits you,” she remarked. Remembering the previous revealing attire, she added, “Much better than last time.”
“But Your Highness used to prefer the previous one.”
Yun Chu folded his sleeves neatly.
“Did I?”
Li Yunli forced a laugh.
The original princess certainly had.
But she was not the original princess.
And, in this strict, hierarchical society, how humiliating must that previous attire have been for him?
His tone carried a trace of resentment.
Li Yunli sighed. “Yun Chu, you are quite bold.”