The moment the Fusheng Gathering opened, it immediately became the most popular cultured event in the capital.

When there are many people, spreading news becomes too easy.

The next day was the grand court session. The Grand Preceptor, one step ahead of the Prime Minister, accused the Ministry of Revenue’s Vice Minister Liu Zhenquan of serious disrespect, corruption, misconduct, negligence, seizing official lands, bullying women, and more—over ten charges listed.

The emperor was furious and immediately had Liu thrown into the great prison.

Shi Buyu nodded approvingly: “The Grand Preceptor did well.”

Yan Shian recalled, this was already the second time Shi Buyu had praised the Grand Preceptor: “The emperor probably didn’t expect that Prime Minister Zhang would personally arrest one of his own men.”

Shi Buyu stood up and approached a piece of rice paper where Liu Zhenquan’s name was written, crossing it out.

Seeing her action, Yan Shian said, “The Prime Minister will surely try to save him.”

“He won’t be able to.” Shi Buyu moved to another sheet with names of officials under the Grand Preceptor’s faction: “With evidence personally provided by him, the people on the Grand Preceptor’s side will definitely dig deeper along that direction, exposing everything piece by piece. Even if the emperor finds out in the end it’s the Prime Minister’s people, he won’t let them off.”

Shi Buyu snorted: “You think the emperor wouldn’t want the Prime Minister to cut off an arm of his own?”

Yan Shian nodded lightly: “He wants to use Zhang Xuzhi, but he can’t allow him to become too powerful.”

“He’s respected in court, the noble consort in the harem is respected, the emperor must have his own thoughts. If there’s no opportunity, then so be it. But now that there is a chance to weaken part of the Prime Minister’s power, he won’t miss it. Just wait for the Grand Preceptor’s side to gather all the evidence.”

“So we just wait?”

“No.” Shi Buyu walked to another paper listing Zhu Ling’s information. “Next time the Zhu family sends bodies out of the city, let them get exposed. Can we manage that?”

Yan Shian stood beside her, looking solemnly at everything about Zhu Ling on the paper: “We can.”

“These bodies tie together Zhu Ling, Zhang Xuzhi, and the emperor. As long as they remain secure, we’re passive. Once they make a move, I can follow the clues.” Shi Buyu placed her hand on the words “mass grave”: “If the bodies get exposed, they will worry about the mass grave. You arrange people disguised as locals to wait there, capture them, report to the authorities, and blow the matter wide open.”

Yan Shian looked at Shi Buyu now, so calm and different from her usual playful self, reminding him of the first time they talked business.

“Once that’s set, we just wait. You can focus on your studies. The autumn imperial exam is coming. People passing the exam is like fish leaping over the dragon gate at best. If you pass…” Shi Buyu turned to tease him, “In all history, no imperial prince has ever passed the exam. If you succeed, the emperors of all past dynasties will be turning in their graves.”

Yan Shian couldn’t help but laugh: “If my ancestors’ graves smoke, it’s deserved. The previous dynasty’s graves might catch fire.”

“Consider that their way of congratulating you.”

They exchanged a glance and smiled.

As an autumn rain fell, the capital cooled down. The scholars and talented men who had been competing openly and secretly seemed to lose their fighting spirit and got along peacefully.

But such calm lasted less than a day before a public case reignited the struggles.

“Not just in the capital, which place doesn’t have deaths every day? What’s wrong with sending bodies out of the city?”

“Who without a guilty conscience would hide corpses in a midnight incense cart? Why not send them out in the daytime?”

“Is that even guilty? Did you see it yourself?”

“The night incense vendor said he picked them up on the road.”

“It’s not gold or silver—would you pick up corpses on the road?”

“…”

In teahouses, taverns, and restaurants, debates over this matter were everywhere.

Yan Shian said, “I’ve had people watch the Zhu family, but no movement yet.”

“If Zhu Ling can’t even keep calm here, he wouldn’t have been chosen for this.”

Shi Buyu put down her brush after reading a letter carefully, sealed it, and said, “Agu, you must personally deliver this to Eldest Brother. If he asks about me, tell him the truth, and tell him he doesn’t need to get involved yet.”

Wan Xia nodded. This was the first time Shi Buyu contacted the eldest son, so she dared not neglect the task and went immediately.

This was also Yan Shian’s first time hearing Shi Buyu mention Eldest Brother, and he felt a stir: “Eldest Brother is in the capital?”

“Yes. Remind him so he won’t get caught up in this.” Shi Buyu rubbed her wrist and looked up at him: “Just have your people watch quietly below and report to me. I’ll handle it. You don’t need to worry too much.”

Yan Shian found it novel: “This is the first time someone’s cared about my studies so much, like I really am a scholar.”

“For now, you can just be a scholar. In this respect, you’re no different from the others. After all, those ‘those who know their Confucian classics’ won’t voluntarily dive into your brain or memorize what you learn. In this matter, whatever you learn belongs only to you.”

Belongs only to him, regardless of his prince status or whose son he was—just him. For this alone, Yan Shian wanted to work even harder.

Afterward, he truly stopped caring about outside matters and focused entirely on preparing for the autumn exam.

Shi Buyu took over all the affairs. That very night, she caught someone trying to investigate the mass grave, reported to the authorities, and made the matter public. She secretly guided the story to connect the corpses sent out at midnight with the mass grave. As more people paid attention, the government could do little but stall.

Shi Buyu wouldn’t let him get what he wanted, though. She soon released all kinds of true and false clues to muddy the waters, and the trail vaguely pointed to Zhu Ling.

Zhu Ling naturally cried innocence loudly.

The Prime Minister Zhang, who just lost Vice Minister Liu as an ally, was now doubted by his own men. At this point, no matter what, he had to protect Zhu Ling. A matter originally unrelated to him, yet now he spoke for Zhu Ling, causing many to think.

Shi Buyu didn’t confront him directly but handed the twisted clues to the Grand Preceptor to fight with the Prime Minister. She gradually withdrew from the spotlight, becoming just an observer—unraveling the tangled threads to get the information she wanted.

The capital was bustling and chaotic daily, but behind closed doors it was just three meals a day.

In the blink of an eye, the autumn imperial exam arrived.

Shi Buyu properly escorted Yan Shian to his destination and, seeing the crowd seeing him off, said, “You already have everything others do. Don’t overthink. Just focus on the exam.”

Only then did Yan Shian understand why she insisted on sending him off. Before, he hadn’t expected anything. Now that he got something beyond expectations, new thoughts arose: “After the exam, will you come pick up your family like the others?”

Shi Buyu hadn’t planned on coming back, but hearing others do, she couldn’t let him be the exception. She agreed immediately: “Definitely.”

Hearing that promise, Yan Shian was at ease: “Then, see you then.”

Shi Buyu waved, suddenly feeling a bit of adult worry. This kid, why so clingy?