The teahouse suddenly quieted down, as the main performance was about to begin.

The private room on the third floor seemed even quieter.

Cheng Changyan’s gaze was fixed on the cup of black pearl milk tea. In that instant, his dark eyes became sparse and fragmented, his expression gradually dimming.

Li Zhiyue looked at him in surprise.

She couldn’t help but feel that he seemed to have suddenly fallen into a shadow, overwhelmed by a thick and inescapable melancholy.

But when she looked more carefully, that trace of melancholy disappeared, as if it had been an illusion.

“It is indeed of high quality,” Cheng Changyan commented after taking a sip.

Li Zhiyue smiled. “Of course, otherwise how would the Princess like it? The play is starting, Lord Cheng, enjoy the show.”

As the man began to watch the play, she couldn’t help but study him.

Since she was sitting close, she could tell that his clothes were not made from fine material; some areas even showed signs of stitching and mending. Yet, despite this, it couldn’t conceal his elegant appearance, like a jade tree.

Li Zhiyue remembered that he lived on the outskirts of the capital.

He was, after all, the third-ranked Minister of Justice, with a salary that was not much, but being in such a high position, he could easily have his family engage in some business, so why would they be in such poverty?

Perhaps scholars were naturally high-minded and disdainful of material wealth.

Cheng Changyan lowered his head and silently took another sip of milk tea.

He had intended to pretend not to notice her gaze, but her look was too direct, making him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

He was usually the one who made others uneasy, but this was the first time he had experienced this feeling.

Unable to endure it any longer, he finally met her gaze. “Miss Li, what are you looking at?”

“Looking, looking at the play.” Li Zhiyue was caught red-handed and awkwardly rubbed her nose. “I wrote this play. It’s not bad, right?”

Cheng Changyan struggled to shift his focus back to the performance, nodding. “It is indeed good.”

The main hall of the teahouse was filled with hundreds of people, but it was exceptionally quiet now, indicating that everyone was completely engrossed in the play.

The play centered on a woman whose husband died while saving a wealthy man. She became a widow at a young age, but fortunately, the wealthy man took care of her and her children in gratitude. The widow was able to raise her children with great difficulty, and she was deeply grateful to the wealthy man, forging a strong bond between the two families.

At this point in the play, the audience began to catch on to the message.

“Ha, this is a roundabout way of telling everyone that the Xiangyang Marquis’s family is ungrateful!”

“Did she really buy the house, or did she just say that? If there was a place to live, why would she be living in an inn with her family?”

“The Xiangyang Marquis’s family is serving us a pile of nonsense! Anyone still watching this play must be a fool!”

“I’ll stop watching this play!”

“Wait, quickly, look, there’s a twist in the plot!”

On stage, the widow’s nephew appeared, kneeling and asking the wealthy man to help him get into a top academy. The wealthy man, unable to help, suggested that the nephew might try something else.

With a clever thought, the nephew convinced the widow to sell the house the wealthy man had bought for her, using the money to buy a spot in the academy under someone else’s name.

This act led to the wealthy man being implicated, sent to prison, and his fortune lost.

The audience in the teahouse erupted in a frenzy.

“Heavens, an identity swap!”

“Such a thing actually happens in the world!”

“You’ve all been emotionally manipulated! Didn’t you realize that this is just a piece of fiction created by the Marquis’s family to mislead the public?”

“Remember, this is a play troupe hired by the Marquis’s family, so whatever is sung, it’s what they want!”

“The widow’s nephew is named Zhen Heng. He was a classmate of mine. He did get into Yan Mountain Academy, but every time he was tested, he barely scraped by in third or fourth place. How could he have been selected by Yan Mountain Academy? He must have swapped names with someone else!”

“If he can get in, why can’t I?”

“…”

It has always been the case that scholars looked down on each other. When former classmates entered the best academies, how could others not feel envious?

When they discovered that name-swapping might have occurred, most of the scholars were outraged.

Why should someone with money be able to enter the best academy, while they, after years of hard study, couldn’t even get close to the gates of Yan Mountain Academy?

Why?

At that moment, Zhen Heng was at the Yue Lai Inn, the largest inn in the capital.

It was a large establishment with a spacious lobby.

He took a sip of tea and smiled. “Aunt, just hold on for a few more days, and the Marquis’s family will surely compromise. They’ll either provide another house for you or invite you into the Marquis’s residence. I think it’s best for you to move in there. This way, my cousin can become a young lady of the Marquis’s family and marry into a high family in the future.”

Madam Zhen frowned slightly. “There are all sorts of rumors about the Marquis’s family on the streets. Do you think they might… turn against us?”

“They shouldn’t,” Lu Jingxue said softly. “The Marquis’s family has no real power in the court. They are insignificant, and if they are impeached by the censors, they may never be able to secure a good position again. Let’s just wait and see.”

Zhen Heng praised her. “I didn’t expect my cousin, a woman, to be so knowledgeable about court affairs.”

Lu Jingxue sighed.

What did it matter if she knew about court affairs?

She was just a commoner woman.

Even if she had passionate ideals, she had no power to act on them.

At the table, Shitou suddenly threw his chopsticks down and cried, “I don’t want to eat vegetables and porridge every day! I want to eat meat! I want to gnaw on chicken legs!”

Madam Zhen was heartbroken.

Zhen Heng spoke up. “Let him cry. The louder he cries, the more people will ask questions. The Marquis’s reputation will only get worse!”

Just then, a group of people suddenly surged into the inn.

“It’s them!”

“That’s Zhen Heng, the one who got into Yan Mountain Academy!”

A dozen scholars gathered around.

Zhen Heng stood up calmly.

Ever since he had entered Yan Mountain Academy, the other scholars no longer dared to look down on him.

This group of people was probably here to discuss literature with him.

“I am Zhen Heng, and I did get into Yan Mountain Academy!”

His voice was filled with pride and smugness, but before he could finish his sentence, angry voices rang out from the crowd.

“A disgrace to scholars! To think such a troublemaker is among us!”

“To swap someone else’s identity and enter Yan Mountain Academy! What arrogance! Does he think money can make him do anything?”

“He even ruined the Marquis’s family! He sold their house and tarnished their reputation. How vile!”

“The Marquis’s family nearly got ruined by him!”

Zhen Heng’s mind exploded.

What were they saying?

Aren’t they supposed to be criticizing the Marquis’s family for being ungrateful?

Why are they attacking him?

How could these people know about his identity swap to get into Yan Mountain Academy?

He had been so careful about keeping it a secret that even his parents didn’t know. How did these people know all the details?

“You’re lying! You’re all lying!”

Zhen Heng shouted in desperation.

“Whether we’re lying or not, we’ll know after an investigation at the magistrate’s office!”

Four constables came in and immediately pinned Zhen Heng’s shoulders, dragging him out.

Madam Zhen tried to rush forward.

But she was stopped by Lu Jingxue, who whispered, “Mother, don’t get us involved…”