Ning Rushen’s mind rang with a buzzing sound.

A wave of heat rushed up his spine, straight to his scalp, making him freeze for a moment:

What—what does “why can’t” mean?

Did he misunderstand, or was he hearing things—

Or had Li Wuting been possessed by some unclean spirit?

Ning Rushen looked at him in confusion, his throat bobbing as he struggled to catch his breath. For a while, he couldn’t come up with any clever remarks.

The Imperial Study fell silent for a moment.

Li Wuting gently tapped his fingers, reminding him, “Exhale.”

Ning Rushen breathed out shakily, “Hoo…”

But the air still didn’t seem to come out properly.

Li Wuting watched as Ning Rushen’s face, pale as jade, slowly turned red from holding his breath, his entire body tense as if his hair might stand on end. For once, Li Wuting couldn’t respond, but he finally gave in and smiled, showing a rare bit of mercy.

“I was joking.”

“……”

Ning Rushen’s brain, which had been temporarily shut down, gradually came back online, and his breath became steady again. He stared at Li Wuting, who looked like he was enjoying himself, and for a moment, he felt dizzy.

Is this the kind of joke that can be made casually?

Who else would laugh besides you?

And if anyone else heard this—Ning Rushen looked around, his gaze landing right on De Quan, who had a grin spread across his face.

He… “…”

Well, it seems like they’re not quite normal either.

Li Wuting asked with concern, “Ning Qing, what’s wrong?”

…Forget it.

Ning Rushen took a deep breath and finally managed to respond, “Your Majesty, you’re quite the comedian.”

“Comedian?”

“Humor. It’s a saying from my hometown.”

Li Wuting commented, “It’s a bit of an accent.”

Ning Rushen paused for a second, then returned to the original point. “So, Your Majesty, what is this about?”

Li Wuting stopped teasing him. “Do you remember the day we went to Yuexian Tower? I asked you a question in the carriage?”

Ning Rushen thought for a moment: What question?

“About a bunch of unruly sons?”

“……”

Li Wuting skipped over his choice of words, his expression becoming serious. “Even if they have talent, they are unworthy of their position. Obsessed with schemes, wasting ten years reading the classics—if they were to take on a major responsibility, it would bring disaster to the country.”

His tone grew more and more stern as he spoke.

His gaze seemed to drift to some distant place, and a sharp light flashed from the depths of his eyes.

The servants bowed their heads, too afraid to make a sound. Even De Quan, recognizing the shift in atmosphere, closed his mouth and quietly stood to one side.

The Imperial Study fell into silence.

After a moment, Li Wuting snapped back from his thoughts.

He glanced over the servants, who were all silently watching, before turning to Ning Rushen, who was staring blankly in front of him. Ning Rushen’s pale hand lightly pressed against his chest, his lips slightly parted as he seemed about to speak—but then paused, as if his expression had been caught off guard by Li Wuting’s cold demeanor.

Li Wuting, after a slight hesitation, softened his tone. “What are you daydreaming about, Ning Qing?”

Ning Rushen slowly adjusted himself, looking somewhat surprised as he asked, “In Your Majesty’s eyes, am I truly such a lofty person?”

Li Wuting didn’t respond immediately. He stared at Ning Rushen’s slightly flushed face for a moment, then quietly murmured, “Mainly because you can cause trouble for those who threaten the country.”

Ning Rushen: .

That’s nonsense! He’s the one bringing dreams to everyone!

Ning Rushen continued to create dreams for the noble families after returning.

For several days, he worked hard, until one day, when he was about to leave for his estate, a young eunuch came to deliver an imperial edict:

“Lord Ning, His Majesty has summoned you to attend the Qionglin Banquet tomorrow.”

“???”

Ning Rushen agreed for now, “Yes.”

After the eunuch left, he stood in the courtyard, thinking for a moment before being interrupted by a “thud.”

Shi Yi dropped down from a tree. “Why are you standing still?”

Ning Rushen: “Am I supposed to attend the banquet as the previous year’s top scholar?”

Shi Yi: “…”

Shi Yi sighed. “The Qionglin Banquet in Da Cheng has always been a gathering where the emperor brings close ministers or top scholars to participate. It’s not strange for you to be invited.”

Ning Rushen fell silent.

He almost forgot that Da Cheng was different from the history he knew:

In the original world, the “Qionglin Banquet” had been organized by the newly promoted scholars, funded by their own money at first, and later by the government.

Only newly appointed scholars could attend.

Ning Rushen thought for a moment, and during that time, Shi Yi seemed to believe that as a favorite of the emperor, it was natural for him to be included.

He nearly asked something, but then swallowed the words:

He might not remember things, but he couldn’t afford to forget “wrong” things.

Ning Rushen looked at the servants in the courtyard, then decided to ask Geng Yan, “Uncle Yan, go to Geng’s residence.”

Yan Min agreed, “Is it about the Qionglin Banquet?”

“Assistant Minister Geng… a chronic illness suddenly healed, so bring some modest gifts.”

“……”

Yan Min stuttered, “Then, we should prepare a gift to congratulate him.”

The two of them walked out of the courtyard.

Shi Yi, still hanging from the tree, pondered:

Chronic illness… Oh, he meant his hidden illness. Does he need to report this to the leader? But the leader had said that if he talked about irrelevant matters, he could just go back.

Forget it, Assistant Minister Geng’s hidden illness isn’t important anyway.

…

Ning Rushen carried a box of nut gifts all the way to Geng’s residence.

He decided to take a direct approach and knocked loudly on Geng Yan’s door, shouting, “Open up—inspection!”

Geng Yan was startled. “What the hell!”

Ning Rushen sent Yan Min away and asked Geng Yan to dismiss the servants. He set down the gift box and sat down. “His Majesty summoned me to the Qionglin Banquet, and he said I should do something.”

“You’re accompanying His Majesty to the Qionglin Banquet?” Geng Yan said. “Normally, ministers or great scholars who accompany the emperor are those with profound knowledge. They either help with discussions or choose disciples. As for you—”

He looked at Ning Rushen’s red attire. “You’re probably just there to bring some good luck?”

Ning Rushen swung his leg.

Geng Yan skillfully avoided the kick, chuckling, “You think His Majesty doesn’t know about your ‘mishap’? Of course, it’s not for discussions. He probably just wanted to bring you along.”

Ning Rushen gave chase, kicking again:

“There’s no way the emperor would just randomly bring someone along for such an occasion.”

Geng Yan met him kick for kick, “Why not… Ouch!”

“Don’t worry too much. Even if some new scholars challenge you, His Majesty will protect you. You’ve seen how His Majesty has taken care of you.”

“……”

What protection! And, “Where—”

Ning Rushen was about to argue when he suddenly paused.

Li Wuting’s words, “Why can’t?” echoed in his mind for a moment, but he quickly dismissed them as just a joke. He picked up the conversation again. “Where is His Majesty protecting me?”

Geng Yan stopped kicking, casually cracking nuts while ignoring him.

Ning Rushen reached over and closed his jaw.

Geng Yan: “Aahhh!!!”

Understanding the general process of the Qionglin Banquet, Ning Rushen accompanied the emperor the next day.

The banquet was held in the Qionglin Garden, located in the imperial palace. The garden was surrounded by bamboo and flowing streams, creating a beautiful and intricate scene. The banquet tables were set in the center of the garden, with a clear pond in the distance reflecting lotus flowers and peonies near the seating area.

Ning Rushen was surprised to find that Li Wuting had only brought two ministers. One was him, and the other was Ji Jie, a great scholar and the Grand Tutor.

The emperor probably planned to select disciples from among them.

Ji Jie was older and well-respected, and he greeted Ning Rushen with humility.

Ning Rushen responded, “I pay my respects to Grand Tutor Ji.”

After their greetings, they heard Li Wuting say, “Let’s go,” and they proceeded to the banquet area.

Ning Rushen followed quietly. “Yes.”

In the banquet hall, a group of newly promoted scholars was already waiting.

Everyone stood up and greeted the emperor.

Ning Rushen sat down to the right of Li Wuting. Looking around, he saw eager faces filled with nervous excitement, as if they were all about to take flight.

A soft voice drifted to his ear—Li Wuting’s voice. “Ning Qing, does this scene feel familiar to you?”

Ning Rushen nodded. “The noble families’ students who came to bid for positions always looked like this.”

It felt like they were about to soar high.

Li Wuting remained silent for a moment before continuing, as if he had no intention of pursuing the subject further.

The sound of music and dancing soon filled the air, and the banquet began.

The Qionglin Banquet traditionally began with the “Flying Flower Game,” where newly promoted scholars showcased their skills, composing poetry and reciting verses, each one more brilliant than the last.

Li Wuting had posed two challenges during the event.

Grand Tutor Ji Jie also offered advice and critiques from the side. The atmosphere grew lively, with voices filled with joy and excitement.

Ning Rushen sat quietly, nibbling on pastries.

The pastries were adorned with the character “Lu” and were sponsored by the Lu family’s bakery.

The banquet moved along smoothly, and before long, most of the time had passed.

Ning Rushen, still enjoying his pastries in silence, was suddenly interrupted by a scholar who stood up enthusiastically and cupped his hands towards him.

“Lord Ning!”

“I’ve long admired your great talent. Now that you’re here at the banquet, how about joining us in two rounds?”

As the scholar finished speaking, the others turned their attention to Ning Rushen.

Ning Rushen lifted his pastry and looked up, confused.

It was the top scholar, Fan Wan, who reacted quickly, rising to say, “Lord Ning is our senior. It’s fine if he casually gives us a few pointers or asks a question.”

“……”

For Ning Rushen to give pointers—this was quite a leap.

Ning Rushen hesitated, then glanced at Li Wuting, his gaze seeking permission.

But he saw Li Wuting quietly looking at him, as if saying: It’s up to you whether you want to participate.

Ning Rushen froze for a second, his thoughts racing.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’m afraid my knowledge is shallow, so I’ll pass on giving pointers. However, I do remember a story related to poetry. If His Majesty is interested, I’d be happy to share it.”

Li Wuting seemed intrigued. “Go ahead.”

Ning Rushen picked up a brush and wrote down Wang Zhihuan’s Liang Zhou Poem, and once he finished, he quietly leaned toward Li Wuting:

“Your Majesty, have you ever seen this poem?”

This was the famous “Yellow River rises far into the sky, white clouds between…”

Li Wuting took the paper and read it carefully. “Good poem. Where did you find this?”

“I came across it in some old books from my family.”

“And you…”

Li Wuting was about to ask something when he suddenly noticed the faint trace of white sugar frosting on the corner of Ning Rushen’s lips. In that moment, his lashes fluttered slightly, but he remained still, not reacting outwardly.

Ning Rushen was puzzled. “Hm?”

The crowd below was still looking up at them, eagerly watching.

The second place scholar, Zhuang Qin, was practically on the edge of his seat, whispering, “What did Lord Ning write? What did he write?” He was anxious, so anxious, it was almost unbearable…

Fan Wan glanced over and saw his lips moving, but didn’t say anything.

He reassured Zhuang Qin, “Brother Zhuang, don’t worry. We’ll have to wait for His Majesty to review it before we can see it.”

“Oh, I see.” Zhuang Qin, slightly calmed, refocused his attention.

From below, they could see Ning Rushen with his back to them, his red sleeves brushing against the table as he leaned closer to the emperor. The emperor’s face was partially obscured, so his expression was hard to make out.

Zhuang Qin scratched his head. “Lord Ning is practically sitting on the emperor’s lap…”

…

Above, Li Wuting was silent for a while.

Finally, Ning Rushen, feeling the tension, noticed that his breathing had stopped and realized what Li Wuting had been looking at. Then, finally, he heard Li Wuting quietly say, “The corner of your mouth.”

Ning Rushen, after a couple of seconds, raised his lips slightly. “Like this?”

“……”

Li Wuting, unable to hold back anymore, muttered, “The sugar frosting.”

Ning Rushen finally understood! He quickly swept his tongue across the corner of his lips and indeed tasted a bit of sweetness. He felt a little embarrassed and whispered, “Is there more?”

“No, that’s it.”

After wiping away the last trace of imperfection, Ning Rushen returned to the conversation. “If His Majesty feels it’s acceptable, I’d like to present this poem as the topic for today’s discussion.”

Li Wuting hummed in agreement.

Ning Rushen then withdrew, instructing someone to copy and distribute the poem, and spoke frankly, “This poem was not written by me. The story behind it is something I read in a book. It’s about a ruler who deeply loved this Liang Zhou Poem poem and ordered his ministers to copy it onto his jade fan. However, one of the ministers accidentally left out a character—‘jian’ (间). He was supposed to be punished, but then, on a whim, he cleverly altered the poem…”

As the poem was distributed, the crowd began murmuring with admiration.

Upon hearing this, they became even more interested and eagerly looked toward Ning Rushen.

“If any of you are interested,” Ning Rushen continued, “you can try to make your own alterations.”

The entire room erupted into lively discussion.

“This is the first time we’ve seen such a topic!”

“This poem is wonderful, and the story is brilliant…”

As the scholars eagerly debated and pondered, Ning Rushen relaxed into his seat:

Crisis averted, time to enjoy the show!

Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Ning Qing, where did you find this ancient book?”

Ning Rushen stood up alertly. “Some local folk tales.”

Li Wuting’s voice came leisurely, “Local folk tales?”

“Yes.” Ning Rushen nodded, recalling what Li Wuting had mentioned about his hometown and added, “I brought it from Yuchuan.”

Li Wuting simply looked at him and smiled.

“……?”

Ning Rushen silently backed away a little, choosing not to engage in conversation.

He quickly realized that whenever Li Wuting smiled, it was a sign that he was about to get him into trouble.

…

After about a quarter of an hour of thinking, Ning Rushen finally revealed the “original” answer to the poem: “The Yellow River rises far into the sky, a solitary city stands beneath the cliffs…”

The scholars compared their altered versions to the original and either sighed in frustration or exclaimed in realization: “No wonder I felt something was off! So it was this!”

Zhuang Qin was still comparing the last few lines, sighing in disappointment, “I still couldn’t break free of the usual conventions… So close! Ugh…”

As the session wrapped up and the next part of the banquet began, the atmosphere lightened.

Fan Wan carefully folded the paper with the poem and tucked it into his chest, clearly planning to go home and study it further.

…

With the highlight of the banquet over, the remaining parts seemed a little dull. The Qionglin Banquet was gradually drawing to a close, with several rounds of poetry and wine leading to its conclusion.

As Ning Rushen was preparing to leave, two figures approached him: Fan Wan, the top scholar, and Grand Tutor Ji Jie.

Grand Tutor Ji Jie, perhaps having drunk a little too much, was flushed with color, but still pulled Ning Rushen aside enthusiastically. “Lord Ning, how many more of those ancient books do you have in your estate? Would you allow this old man to borrow one for a read?”

Ning Rushen stumbled a little as Ji Jie pulled him. “My estate was recently robbed, and those books were all lost.”

Grand Tutor Ji Jie’s expression instantly fell, and he sighed, “Ah…”

Ning Rushen quickly corrected himself, “However, I can make a handwritten copy for you.”

“Ah! Thank you!” Ji Jie cheered up immediately, repeatedly thanking him before leaving in high spirits.

Once the revived Grand Tutor Ji Jie left, Fan Wan bowed to Ning Rushen with great respect and praised him, “Lord Ning truly is a person of vast knowledge. I once thought I had read all the world’s books, but now I see there is so much more to learn!”

Ning Rushen sighed, “Actually, I never expected it either…”

Indeed, it was an entirely different world.

Fan Wan took this as a sign of humility and continued to shower Ning Rushen with compliments. Finally, he shyly asked, “Would it be possible for me to visit Lord Ning’s estate and have a look at your ancient books?”

Ning Rushen caught a glimpse of the fox tail peeking out behind him and said, “Sure.”

Fan Wan beamed with joy. “It is truly an honor to make friends with Lord Ning—”

Before he could continue with his praise, a eunuch approached, bowing to both of them.

“Lord Ning, Lord Fan, His Majesty has summoned the top scholar to meet with him.”

“Of course, thank you, Eunuch.” Fan Wan quickly composed himself and, after bidding Ning Rushen farewell, rushed off.

After Fan Wan left, the eunuch did not move.

Once the others were far away, he turned to Ning Rushen, saying, “Lord Ning, His Majesty has instructed you to wait in the carriage for now. Also… His Majesty doesn’t know how long the meeting will take, so he said you may rest or eat if you are tired or hungry.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

Ning Rushen nodded and left the Qionglin Garden first.

…

Outside the Qionglin Garden, dozens of carriages were lined up along the street.

Ning Rushen scanned the area and quickly spotted a familiar shade of blue amidst the sea of white and green. He walked over and nodded to the coachman waiting outside.

The coachman seemed momentarily surprised. “I’ve seen Lord Ning before.”

“I’ll go in and wait.”

Ning Rushen greeted him before lifting the curtain and climbing inside.

The carriage was simpler than usual—there was no small table, but a blanket was placed on the cushion. The light outside dimmed when the curtain was pulled down, and the interior was unclear in the shadows.

Ning Rushen didn’t think much of it, feeling that the soft, dim light was perfect for napping.

He had been exhausted from the banquet and had eaten quite a bit of pastry.

Now, with his stomach satisfied, sleepiness slowly crept up on him.

…Since Li Wuting had said he could rest if he was tired, it should be fine, right?

Ning Rushen’s eyelids grew heavy. He pulled the blanket over himself and curled up in a comfortable position, drifting off to sleep.

Outside the carriage, Fan Wan’s coachman was on edge.

Was this part of the plan with his master?

Ah, but he was just a third-rank official, so he didn’t dare ask!

A little more than half an hour later.

Li Wuting had finished his business and was standing with the top three from the imperial exam. He wasn’t worried about their capabilities; he already knew from his previous life how they would perform.

“Everything’s fine. You can go back now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Li Wuting gave the command and began to leave.

Fan Wan and the others followed behind the emperor as they walked out of the Qionglin Garden.

The other scholars had already left.

Outside, only three or four carriages remained, easily distinguishable.

Li Wuting’s carriage, made of blue-green bamboo, was parked further away. He didn’t like making a spectacle of himself when leaving the palace to avoid unnecessary distractions. His coachman was a plainclothes guard, not one of the imperial guards.

A few steps away, Ning Rushen’s carriage stood. Although it was also blue-green, it was slightly different from Li Wuting’s.

Li Wuting didn’t hesitate and walked straight to his own carriage. Once they were away from the crowd, he asked, “Did someone go into the carriage to wait?”

De Quan smiled. “Of course! By now, Lord Ning must have eaten all the snacks in the carriage and comfortably dozed off!”

Li Wuting didn’t get angry. Instead, he gave a light chuckle.

As they reached the carriage, De Quan quickly grabbed the curtain and called out, “Ning—”

The curtain lifted, but inside the carriage, it was empty. The snacks and blanket remained untouched, with no sign of Ning Rushen.

De Quan froze, his heart racing. He turned to the guard. “Hey, where is Lord Ning?”

The guard replied, “Lord Ning never came inside.”

Li Wuting’s lips tightened, and he remained silent.

De Quan broke into a cold sweat, looking around frantically—

Then he saw, a few steps away, Fan Wan standing still beside his own carriage, gazing at the empty carriage in confusion. He looked like he didn’t know what to do.

“…”

De Quan felt a sudden chill creep up his spine.

He carefully asked, “Your Majesty, do you think Lord Ning might be in there?”

Li Wuting followed De Quan’s gaze and saw Fan Wan hesitating, apparently thinking whether he should wake up the person sleeping inside or just return to the estate and deal with it later.

“……”

Li Wuting’s gaze deepened.

Even De Quan, who prided himself on his instincts, couldn’t decide what to do. He anxiously tested the waters.

“Your Majesty… should we go to the top scholar’s carriage and fetch Lord Ning?”

The Author’s Note:

Ning Cat: Passing by, what’s this? A little nap in my comfy nest!

Li Wuting: …

Fan Wan: What’s someone doing in my carriage…?

More to come!