Shi Buyu took the lotus seeds without going back inside. Instead, she headed straight to the covered walkway and sat in her usual spot. She ate the lotus seeds herself and tossed the shells to feed the fish.

“You’re not going to the academy?”

“The teacher said that there are scholarly gatherings happening everywhere lately, and it’s better than staying cooped up in the academy. He told me to go out and broaden my horizons.”

Yan Shian didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to her, so he stood sideways and watched her movements. He didn’t look like the master of this residence at all—more like a frequent guest in this courtyard.

Qingshan hurried over, carrying a chair, and set it down.

Yan Shian shifted the chair slightly, moving a bit closer to Miss Shi, who was acting anything but like the lady of the house. After sitting down, he asked, “Haven’t seen Auntie around?”

“She went out to take care of something.” Shi Buyu sat cross-legged and leisurely peeled lotus seeds while speaking. “I’ve made arrangements with Seventh Brother. That business will be registered under his name. Apart from arranging people to gather information inside, we won’t meddle. He’ll run things however he sees fit—rules, methods, all up to him. Of course, the funding comes from you.”

“Then I should thank him.”

“Thank me instead. I’ll accept it on his behalf.” Shi Buyu instantly put on a dignified, solemn expression. “How do you plan to thank me?”

Yan Shian couldn’t help smiling. “How would you like me to thank you?”

“Auntie won’t let me eat sashimi.”

That wasn’t just a hint—it was practically a blatant request. Yan Shian pressed his fist to his mouth to stifle a laugh. “If you sneak in a sashimi meal, it might not be worth it. Auntie won’t just stop you from eating it for a while—you might never get to eat it again. And I probably won’t be allowed in here anymore either.”

Shi Buyu thought for a moment and found his reasoning sound. With Auntie’s personality, if she ate raw food like that without restraint, she might not get another taste for an entire year.

“Forget it. Better to go slow and steady.” She gave up on the idea quite easily. “After some time, I’ll throw a tantrum and roll on the floor a bit—then Auntie will give me whatever I want.”

That kind of tactic only works if the people involved genuinely care.

Yan Shian turned to look at the lotus pond. He had been here before. This covered walkway was cooler than anywhere else. During this season, whenever he had free time, he liked to come and sit here to escape the heat, admire the lotus blossoms, and steal a brief moment of peace.

The scenery hadn’t changed, but the feeling now was completely different.

Perhaps it was because no one had dared disturb him before—back then, even the wind was quiet when he sat here. But now, Qingshan was sun-drying bedding, Zhaizhi was carrying water to wash the floor, and beside him, someone was nibbling crunch crunch crunch non-stop like a little mouse, he thought to himself.

The little mouse looked up at him. “I think I forgot to mention—Seventh Brother said as long as you provide the funds, he’ll take care of the place. Just make sure your men follow his instructions. If any of them dares to give my brother attitude, I’ll definitely take it out on you.”

Yan Shian laughed. “If anyone dares disrespect your brother, just deal with them. Why take it out on me?”

“If the master is a good master, how could he raise ill-behaved servants? If the servants are no good, that means the master failed in teaching them.”

“…” That was an argument impossible to refute.

Shi Buyu stared at him, clearly determined to get a promise. Her brother got involved in these matters because of her. If he were to be mistreated, it would be like stomping on his heart. Just the thought of such a scene made her uneasy, her whole body bristling with anxiety—as if a monster were about to tear out of her chest.

Yan Shian raised his hand in a mock oath. “I swear, my people will respect him as they do me.”

That was enough. All her restless emotions eased, and Shi Buyu lowered her head to continue peeling lotus seeds. The violent energy from earlier seemed like a fleeting mirage. But Yan Shian had seen it clearly. He suddenly realized—it was very likely that, as a child, her emotions had been uncontrollable, and someone had accidentally witnessed something, which eventually cemented her reputation as a bringer of misfortune.

Yan Shian grabbed a handful of lotus seeds and slowly began peeling them. The sun climbed higher, a cool breeze drifted by, and the lotus blossoms gradually began to close. In a haze, he recalled that autumn had already begun some time ago.

“What if I pass the imperial exam?” he asked.

“Then I’ll help you make a name for yourself and go down in history.” Shi Buyu spoke with casual ease, saying something utterly unordinary. “Has any emperor or imperial prince in history ever competed with the realm’s most brilliant minds? But you will. And you’ll win. When your identity is revealed, all those who pride themselves on selecting talent, all those who believe the Dayou Dynasty is doomed, all those who revere only the virtuous, and all the scholars gathered in the capital—will become your supporters. The culture shaped by generations of Dayou emperors will ultimately become your greatest ally.”

After a moment of silence, Yan Shian turned back to look at her. “I have no military power. That’s my greatest weakness. No matter how thorough my preparations are, no matter how many people support me—without control over troops, I could be erased at any moment.”

“I do,” Shi Buyu said, grabbing a handful of lotus seeds and letting them fall through her fingers, watching them scatter.

Yan Shian stared at her in shock. “How could you possibly…”

“Did I never mention it?” Shi Buyu tilted her head with a smile. “I have eleven older brothers.”

Still stunned, Yan Shian could hardly believe such fortune. “They’ll all help me?”

“They’ll help me.”

Shi Buyu set the lotus seeds aside. Until today, she had never dared say this. But now, knowing the white-bearded elder had set this game in motion, her brothers were already tied to her. And with the white-bearded one’s insight, how could he not know the significance of binding them together? Yet he still did it.

If the twelve disciples ever clashed, the white-bearded elder would surely take her side. But when it came to the life and death of her brothers, he would never make such a decision lightly. So if he did make a decision, it would be his wisest one—the final word.

“Ji’an, you have no choice but to win.”

Yan Shian looked at her. He didn’t know if he should believe her, but thinking back, though she often boasted wildly, she never spoke recklessly.

He felt he should trust her, but he still wanted to ask, “The military power you speak of—who exactly does it come from?”

Shi Buyu thought for a moment and answered truthfully—partially. “My Fifth Brother is Kuang Jing, the Prefect of Yanxi Commandery.”

The Prefect of Yanxi Commandery!

Yan Shian was inwardly shaken. Any other place wouldn’t have surprised him this much, but Yanxi Commandery was the one closest to the capital—it carried a weight no other region could rival. Though still a step below military authority, it was significant!

Of course! That explained everything—why she could find a mountain stronghold to shelter her family, how she could secretly transport them from the docks within Yanxi, how she knew about the river pirates of Fengxian River, and how she found missing people so quickly. Everything made sense.

And this was only one of her brothers. She still had ten more, not counting Chengjun Yu—so nine others.

Yan Shian couldn’t help but be tempted. Still, he needed to confirm. “Will your brothers just lend a hand? Or will they give everything they’ve got?”

“They’ll do everything they can to keep me alive.” The white-bearded elder placed her at the heart of the formation because only if she lived, could the others survive as well.

Shi Buyu stood up and dumped all the remaining lotus seeds into the pond, watching the fish chase after them.

The white-bearded elder had once asked her if she wanted to learn divination. She refused. If life could be fully calculated, what meaning would remain in living it?

Now, she hated the idea even more.