Men taking care of their wives and disciplining their daughters—this was the tradition passed down by the ancestors…

Shen Qingtang quickly rose to his feet and straightened his clothing. Ji Zhaohé’s hands had been restless, constantly touching and pinching here and there. With the recent hot weather and his thin attire, his robes were easily disheveled.

He bit his lip lightly and cast a reproachful glance at the Third Princess, who maintained a composed expression.

“Come in,” Ji Zhaohé said in a deep voice.

The visitor was a young man dressed in plain white robes, wearing a veil and carrying himself with the demeanor of a modest gentleman. He walked with steady steps, knelt, and paid his respects to Ji Zhaohé with an elegant posture.

As he knelt, Ji Zhaohé shot a sharp glance at Jiang Deming, who shrugged helplessly, indicating that he was also unaware of the situation. Jiang Deming then turned to look at Qingque, who remained silent, as if oblivious to his hint.

Nearby, Shen Qingtang lowered his eyelids, his expression unreadable.

The once intimate atmosphere in the room dissipated, replaced by an overwhelming awkwardness.

After the young man rose to his feet, Ji Zhaohé cleared her throat and asked, “What is your name?” Perhaps because her voice was too gentle, someone tugged lightly at her sleeve.

This was supposed to be a tender moment between her and her newlywed husband—a crucial step toward solidifying their relationship. Was her elder sister trying to ruin things? Sending someone over secretly like this!

“This humble one is named Yan Li,” he replied, his tone cool and detached, like an icy lake in winter. In the warm weather, his voice brought a refreshing and soothing sensation. Unlike Shen Qingtang’s coldness, this man exuded an aura of aloofness, keeping others at a distance. His every movement was measured and deliberate, flawless and unhurried.

As he spoke, he casually removed his veil, revealing a face as fair as jade. His eyes were indifferent, his expression serene, and his jet-black hair was simply tied up with a white jade hairpin, giving him an ethereal and transcendent appearance.

Ji Zhaohé suppressed the awe in her eyes and grew even more puzzled. If her elder sister had such a beauty in her possession, would she really give him to her good-for-nothing younger sister?

She lowered her head, deliberately avoiding looking at him. “What did my elder sister instruct you to do here?”

His cold voice remained as placid as ever. “This humble one does not know.”

If he didn’t know, and she didn’t know either, the only option was to settle him in for now. Ji Zhaohé turned her head and instructed, “Tangtang, please arrange a place for him. I have matters to attend to and must take my leave.”

Once outside the room, Jiang Deming noticed Ji Zhaohé’s detached, hands-off attitude and grew anxious again. “Your Highness, how could you leave two gentlemen alone together?”

Ji Zhaohé waved her hand dismissively and corrected him, “Three. Fu Jiu is also there.”

“My elder sister didn’t specify why she sent him. What if Tangtang mistakes him for a concubine she’s foisting on me? It’s better to let him investigate this person on his own to set his mind at ease.”

Inside the room, Fu Jiu knelt to the side, preparing tea while watching the two play weichi.

A piece was placed on the board.

“You, sir, are no ordinary fish trapped in a pond. How could you be content to marry the Third Princess?”

Shen Qingtang studied the board without lifting his eyes. “What makes you say that?”

Yan Li chuckled softly. “Since I entered the room, I noticed the essays on the desk and the delicate calligraphy. Rumors say the Third Princess is uneducated and her handwriting is atrocious—certainly not hers. That leaves only one conclusion.”

“You, sir, harbor lofty ambitions yet confine yourself to a corner, sacrificing yourself under the Third Princess’s wing. Are you truly content?”

Seeing Shen Qingtang frown, Yan Li grew bolder. “We are the same kind of people. It is only because of our identities as men that we cannot realize our aspirations. If you are willing, I have a way to pull you out of this mire.”

Hearing this, Fu Jiu’s heart pounded like a drum. His master had indeed enjoyed reading books typically favored by women since childhood. Although Fu Jiu was illiterate, on the rare occasions when his master’s writings were discovered by Minister Shen, she would sigh regretfully and say, “If only Tang’er were a woman.” This proved his master’s talents were no less than those of a woman. Given the current situation, would his master be tempted?

But for a married man to flee privately was a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations…

Hearing this, Shen Qingtang understood the man’s intentions and vaguely guessed Yan Li’s identity. Instead of refuting him, he played along. “How would you do it?”

The game on the table had reached a stalemate. Yan Li placed the white piece back into the pot and whispered, “Fake your death to escape.”

Fu Jiu’s pupils contracted, and he nearly gasped aloud. Shen Qingtang smiled faintly and said nothing, leisurely gathering the black pieces from the board into his hand.

After a long while, when all the black pieces had been collected, Shen Qingtang straightened up, stood, and gently smoothed his robes. “From the beginning, you addressed me as ‘sir’ rather than ‘master.’ You claim we are the same kind of people, yet you judge others based on superficial observations. Pull me out of the mire? Or plunge me into a deeper abyss?”

Yan Li’s expression remained unchanged. “The person behind me can guarantee the success of this plan.”

When the Crown Princess sent him, he had inquired about matters in the capital. His original intention was to rescue the son of Minister Shen from the clutches of the Third Princess. Who would have thought that Shen Qingtang would be so ungrateful, willingly reducing himself to a plaything of the Third Princess?

If all men in the world were bound by these decadent rules, trapped in deep chambers, how could they save countless comrades from suffering?

Shen Qingtang: “I have heard of a place in this world called the Lingyin Workshop. Its master is a man of exceptional talent, highly skilled in musical instruments. It specifically takes in pitiful men who have been beaten and abused by their wives, or homeless men who have been divorced. Today, I see that its founder is not only skilled in music but also adept at manipulating people’s hearts.”

“Does the person behind you know about these grand deeds of yours? Or do they know and are simply using you?”

Yan Li pressed his lips together and stood up. “It seems I overthought things. However, if you ever change your mind, sir, you are welcome to join us at any time.”

Shen Qingtang: “Fu Jiu, take him to the west wing and settle him in. Take good care of him.”

Yan Li performed a graceful bow, put on his veil, and followed Fu Jiu out. Just as his foot stepped over the threshold, a voice came from behind.

“Her Highness the Crown Princess chose a useless good-for-nothing as her principal husband. You must be deeply unwilling, sir. But in this world, the one who falls in love first often loses utterly. You affect an air of aloofness, deceiving yourself into believing you are privately sequestered in Jiangnan merely to serve that person. Isn’t that just self-deception? The Third Princess and I are deeply devoted to each other. Henceforth, Mr. Yan, you would do well not to make presumptuous remarks about Her Highness in my presence. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that your words today will not find their way into a memorial to the throne tomorrow.”

After the man left, Shen Qingtang finally let his strength drain away and collapsed onto the couch, disregarding his usual dignified image. His typically rosy, fair face was now deathly pale, devoid of its usual vitality and color. His hands hung limply at his sides, his knuckles slightly white.

He couldn’t deny that, for a moment, he had been tempted. What man in this world doesn’t yearn for freedom, for a life unshackled from worldly prejudices? But this Mr. Yan—no, he shouldn’t be called that. This ‘Li’—did it mean knowledgeable and courteous, restraining oneself and returning to propriety, or something else entirely?

Trapped in his own mire, how could he even think of saving others? Wouldn’t that be the greatest joke in the world?

The Lingyin Workshop, the Lingyin Workshop—it was merely using the banner of freedom to continue pressuring men to conform to rules. The imperial family kept these people around, surely for some ulterior purpose. If he got involved, it would be like a sword hanging over the entire Shen clan.

A man’s life is about taking care of his wife and disciplining his daughters—this is the wisdom passed down by our ancestors. If men were to govern, with their greed and hypocrisy, they would only plunge the world into misery and suffering.

Only women possess the great love capable of encompassing the well-being of the common people.

…

“She really said that?” Ji Zhaohé raised an eyebrow, placing the shelled sunflower seeds into a small dish.

Jiang Deming’s face crinkled into a smile full of folds. “Your Highness, every word I reported is accurate.”

“To think I believed she was trying to steal his loyalty, when in fact she was trying to steal mine. My elder sister truly…” Ji Zhaohé looked at the dish full of shelled seeds and couldn’t help but chuckle.

She turned to Qingque. “But what use is he, really?”

Qingque, remembering that the Crown Princess had fully transferred his allegiance to the Third Princess, didn’t hesitate to sell out Ji Zhaoyi: “This man is Her Highness the Crown Princess’s outside lover, the master of the Lingyin Workshop. But his true identity is Qian Zhou, the son of the late Grand Commandant Qian, who faked his death three years ago to escape.”

“Ah,” Ji Zhaohé’s mouth fell open, her gossipy heart rising. “So, this ‘Lingyin Workshop’ is an organization my elder sister helped him establish? What does this organization do?”

Her mind raced with images of male assassins, male courtesans, male musicians, and the like. However, Qingque’s explanation shattered all her fantasies.

“To put it bluntly, it’s just an organization to boost Her Highness the Crown Princess’s reputation.” Once Ji Zhaoyi ascended the throne, if this matter were “accidentally” leaked, it would become another beautiful tale passed down through the ages.

Moreover, entrusting this task to a man who adored her and yearned for equality between men and women meant she didn’t have to worry about it at all.

Qingque hadn’t expected the Third Princess to grasp the deeper meaning so quickly. That self-righteous Young Master Qian truly believed that Her Highness the Crown Princess was benevolent and had feelings for him, which was why she agreed to his unconventional request to establish the Lingyin Workshop.

Ji Zhaohé couldn’t resist reaching for the dish of seeds, slowly popping them into her mouth one by one. She mumbled, “Young Master Qian and my Tangtang should swap their exteriors. One appears shrewd but is actually incredibly foolish; the other looks adorable but understands everything inside.”

Jiang Deming quietly interjected, “Your Highness, Master Shen isn’t really the ‘adorable’ type.” Weren’t they both part of the aloof and cold category?! Sometimes, when Master Shen coldly glared, the servants didn’t even dare to breathe heavily. He only appeared sweet and adorable around you. Truly, In the eyes of a lover, one becomes a Xi Shi [a great beauty].

“That’s not the point,” Ji Zhaohé waved her hand dismissively.

The thought of Young Master Qian’s aloof exterior hiding a foolish, love-struck brain gave her a sense of cognitive dissonance.

Could it be that her elder sister preferred this type of brainless, easily controllable man?

Remembering the first line Jiang Deming had relayed—”Her Highness the Crown Princess chose a useless good-for-nothing as her principal husband”—she became even more convinced that Ji Zhaoyi had a preference for silly, sweet simpletons.

Well, Ji Zhaoyi’s position as Crown Princess was secure. She didn’t need a powerful in-law family for support. So, why not find someone she liked, someone easily controllable and sweet-natured?

Absentmindedly, she finished the entire dish of shelled seeds. Ji Zhaohé let out a regretful “Ah.” She had originally intended to shell them for Shen Qingtang, as a reward for her little husband who was so “deeply devoted” to her…

Sigh! She could only blame the irresistible deliciousness of eating a whole pile of shelled seeds at once!

“Jiang Deming, shell another plate for me.” She could just pretend that the ones she ate were shelled by Jiang Deming, and the ones Shen Qingtang would eat were shelled by her. The commutative property of multiplication—the result remained the same. Wonderful! Perfect!