Yan Shi’an picked up his teacup and took a sip. The room was silent, the two of them polite but distant.

Lan Hua recalled how in the past, whenever she went to visit the young master, he would light up with joy upon seeing her suddenly appear. She also couldn’t help remembering how he would, ever so discreetly, try to find out if her lady had come as well—asking where she was, if she’d been seen.

Back then, the young master had anticipation in his eyes. Now, they were as calm as still water.

Lan Hua also took a sip of tea and got to the point. “I stayed in the palace for a few days this time. Miss Sujuan found a chance to come by, and I took the opportunity to tell her the name of her younger sister. In return, she gave me a piece of information.”

Yan Shi’an looked up at her.

Lan Hua continued, “She heard from the Bureau of Wardrobe that the clothes ordered by the Noble Consort’s palace this month were thirty percent fewer than last month.”

If he hadn’t heard those things from Yisheng, a thirty percent drop in clothing orders would be suspicious, but not necessarily alarming. Now, however, it immediately gave Yan Shi’an a clear direction—too many had died in the palace the emperor used for pleasure, and recently, they hadn’t been able to replenish the people.

“I understand.”

Lan Hua stood and bowed. “Please take care of your health, young master. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, avoid taking personal risks.”

Yan Shi’an smiled faintly. “I wonder, is that advice from you, Aunt Lan, or from my mother?”

Lan Hua was about to say it was from the lady when the young master added, “There’s no need for lies.”

Lan Hua sighed and bowed again before taking her leave.

Yan Shi’an sat quietly for a long time before heading to inform Miss Shi in her courtyard.

“The weather is bitter cold and travel is difficult,” Shi Buyu said, resting her chin on one hand. “So the person who caught you said they wanted to round up more people in advance, in case they ran short. But after that incident, even if they managed to capture someone, they wouldn’t dare bring them into the capital now.”

“Have someone scout around the hot spring estate,” she added. “If we have enough hands, we can look farther out. The emperor’s been mad for this long—if he suddenly has no one to toy with, he won’t be able to bear it. He’ll definitely press for action.”

Yan Shi’an nodded slightly. “Then this case can’t afford any big movements.”

“Judging by the timing, the Danba Kingdom should’ve already taken Baokou City. Let’s wait and see. If they just let it sit there unoccupied, I’ll lose all respect for their general.”

Yan Shi’an had a difficult expression. Miss Shi’s disdain seemed to be exactly what Dayou needed—after all, Dayou had already lost three cities.

“As long as we get that war report, the news cycle will shift,” Shi Buyu said, unfazed by her own reasoning. “So what if the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s household gets dragged out for scolding again? Let them scold. It doesn’t hurt.”

She handed him a letter from beneath a pile of scrolls. “Got a letter from Ninth Brother early this morning. The princess of Danba and the prince of Zhamu have gotten engaged.”

Yan Shi’an’s face darkened as he read the contents. “If they’re willing to take this step, it means they’ve already made some secret deal.”

“An engagement, but the wedding date’s vague. That means the deal can be pushed forward—or pulled back.” Shi Buyu took the letter back, folded it, and tucked it into the envelope. “We’ll know more when Ninth Brother sends his next letter.”

“A turbulent time,” Yan Shi’an murmured.

Who could disagree? Shi Buyu thought to herself: If not for these troubled times, she’d be having the time of her life with her white-bearded man.

Speaking of that, she suddenly remembered something. “Still no word from the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage?”

Yan Shi’an shook his head. “Not a single bit of news.”

“It’s been five months since the Shi family people left. If there were any news, Shi Xu would’ve sent someone to tell me.” Shi Buyu hugged her hand warmer and mumbled, “It’s so cold…”

“The Shi family has always been loyal and brave. They’ll surely be protected by heaven.”

If heaven were truly protecting them, this disaster wouldn’t have happened. In her heart, Shi Buyu cursed the dog emperor to hell and back again.

Wanxia came in with a letter. “Miss, Seventh Young Master sent a letter.”

Though it was said to be from the Seventh Young Master, when Shi Buyu opened it, the handwriting was clearly that of her Fifth Brother.

“Bring him with you to Qingping County.”

Shi Buyu jumped to her feet. Her hand warmer fell to the floor and rolled far away, the sudden movement startling Yan Shi’an, who quickly stood and asked, “What happened?”

“Hurry, hurry! Fifth Brother wants us to go find him! Ah Gu! Ah Gu! Prepare lots of good food!”

Wanxia responded at once and rushed to make preparations.

Yan Shi’an felt inexplicably nervous. “Fifth Brother said I should go too?”

“Look, see for yourself.” Shi Buyu bounced in front of him, unfolding the letter just long enough to let him glimpse it before folding it back up and tucking it into a box—along with the letter from Ninth Brother and several others already inside.

Seeing Yan Shi’an still frozen in place, she urged him, “Come on! Fifth Brother hates waiting. Even I get scolded if I’m late.”

Yan Shi’an didn’t know what to prepare, but Yan Ze surely did. After arranging matters with Luo Qing, he went to the storehouse to select a gift. In the end, he picked a fine inkstone as a meeting gift—it wouldn’t do to arrive empty-handed.

Yanxi Commandery was the closest to the capital, with Qingping County as its seat.

The weather was cold, and riding horseback would be torture.

Shi Buyu never made things hard on herself. She immediately chose to ride in a carriage—luxuriously outfitted with thick bedding, three or four foot warmers, seven or eight novels, and a mountain of snacks. She crafted herself a cozy little den.

She munched on snacks, read stories, lay down when tired of sitting, sprawled when tired of lying down, and eventually fell asleep.

This cycle repeated over two days. By the time they arrived in Qingping County, Wanxia noticed that Yan Shi’an looked visibly worn, while her own young lady… had rosy cheeks, pillow marks on her face, and even looked a bit plumper.

A blast of cold wind made Shi Buyu shiver. She quickly wrapped her cloak tighter and hid behind the tall Yan Shi’an to block the wind.

Seeing her like this, Yan Shi’an couldn’t help but laugh. How could someone make you want to spoil them even more, no matter what they did?

“I greet the Twelfth Young Lady,” an older woman, who had been waiting for who knows how long, hurried up to salute.

“Ah, Aunt Qian! You were waiting for me?”

Shi Buyu smiled at the woman. She had many brothers—eleven, to be exact—and naturally, many had already married. But she hadn’t met most of their wives. Fifth Brother’s wife, she’d only seen last time when she’d come to ask for help—a gentle-looking woman with hidden depths. A perfect match for her Fifth Brother.

“Yes, the Master said you would arrive today. Madam specially sent me to wait for you,” Aunt Qian said. She also greeted the unfamiliar young master, then nodded at Wanxia before leading the group inside. “It’s cold—come in quickly.”

Aunt Qian led them into the rear courtyard, but it wasn’t Fifth Brother’s wife waiting for them.

Shi Buyu dashed forward, calling out as she ran, “Brother! I came the moment I got your letter—didn’t delay at all! If I was late, it was Seventh Brother’s fault, not mine!”

Kuang Jing had a small goatee and rather plain features, but in scholar’s robes, he had a certain charm and grace.