“Yue Niang, you’re amazing!”

After leaving the gambling house, Li Muyun happily followed Li Zhiyue and climbed into the carriage behind her.

“Yue Niang, how did you play? Teach your big brother, will you?”

“Also, this beauty painting — it’s useless for a girl like you to keep it. Let me hold it for you.”

“Slap!”

Li Zhiyue forcefully pried his hand open.

She said coldly, “How could it be useless? Burning it in winter is perfect for keeping warm.”

Li Muyun’s eyes widened. “Do you know how hard it is to collect these beauty paintings? Even the Prince Renjun wanted one, and I didn’t give it to him. And you want to burn it? Such a waste!”

“I won it, so I decide what to do with it.” Li Zhiyue smiled. “If big brother wants it back, there’s a way. Want to hear it?”

Li Muyun immediately leaned in.

“This year’s autumn exam, big brother should take part, right?” Her smile grew wider. “If you pass the Jinshi exam, the beauty painting will be my congratulatory gift.”

“Are you joking?”

Li Muyun’s eyes almost popped out.

Grandfather didn’t pass, father didn’t pass, so he definitely won’t pass either. There’s no need to even take the exam.

Li Zhiyue didn’t bother to reply.

Since childhood, big brother had been studying at the Imperial Academy, the best school in the country. He had learned quite a bit but hadn’t applied it to anything proper. He needed a push. Passing the Jinshi exam wasn’t the main point; the key was to cultivate his character.

The carriage soon arrived at the Hou residence.

It was already evening, dinnertime. The siblings went straight to the flower hall.

Bai Ruzhu asked curiously, “Why did you two come back together? Where did you go?”

Li Muyun frantically gave his sister a meaningful look.

Although the Li family had three generations of wastrels, none ever gambled. Grandfather said it was fine to play any game — just no gambling, or else family punishment would follow. He didn’t want to kneel at the ancestral hall…

Li Zhiyue smiled and said, “I went out for a walk and happened to meet big brother.”

The whole family began to eat, a large table full of delicious food that made it impossible to stop.

“Yue Niang, there’s something I have to tell you.” After eating, the old Marquis put down his chopsticks. “Our Hou residence isn’t short of money. Use ice cubes as needed. No need to be frugal.”

Li Suifeng nodded vigorously. “Our family treasure trove is endless. If necessary, just sell a few items.”

Since Yue Niang took over management today, the ice usage in the residence had been cut.

Previously, every room had ice regardless of occupancy, but now ice followed the person to the room they went to. This meant the rooms initially felt very hot and took a while to cool down.

People used to comfort found this hard to accept.

Li Zhiyue spoke slowly, “The sage said, ‘The virtue of moderation is the highest. People rarely follow it anymore.’”

The old Marquis and Li Suifeng were baffled.

Li Muyun struggled, “Yue Niang means… to follow the doctrine of the mean?”

“Big brother is learned indeed.” Li Zhiyue smiled. “The sage’s pursuit of moderation means not to chase extremes in anything, neither biased nor indifferent, neither good nor bad, neither cold nor hot — that is moderation. Grandfather, Father, isn’t that right?”

Li Muyun solemnly recited, “Achieving harmony in the middle, heaven and earth take their places, all things grow; that is moderation.”

The old Marquis: “…”

Li Suifeng: “…”

The two exchanged glances and gave a dry laugh, nodding, “Yes, what Yun Ge and Yue Niang say is very true.”

Bai Ruzhu took a sip of tea and said, “Yue Niang, I heard from the servants that this year we won’t plant autumn chrysanthemums. Every autumn, the Hou residence holds a flower viewing banquet. Without chrysanthemums, it can’t be held.”

Li Zhiyue said, “Everyone holds a flower banquet. What’s the point? If we hold one, it should be a banquet no one else can hold.”

Bai Ruzhu was surprised. “What do you mean?”

“Big brother said he will take the autumn exam this year.” Li Zhiyue smiled. “If big brother passes the Jinshi exam, our family will hold a poetry appreciation gathering. Won’t that be impressive?”

Bai Ruzhu couldn’t believe it. “Really?”

The old Marquis was delighted. “Our Li family will have a Jinshi scholar!”

Li Suifeng slapped the table, “Let’s see who dares to mock the Li family as fools now. Come, Father, let’s drink a toast to Yun Ge passing the Jinshi exam in advance!”

Li Muyun: “…”

He almost buried his head in his pants.

Only three months left before the provincial exam.

Even if he started studying hard now, tying his head to the beam and pricking his thigh, there was no way he’d pass!

Night gradually fell.

Li Zhiyue’s first day managing the household ended just like that.

That night, she dreamed she had returned to modern times.

After graduating from university, she passed the civil service exam and worked as a librarian at the National Library, nine to five, a relaxed job. She could finish a book every three to five days. Life was simple and fulfilling.

Maybe she was too lazy, so heaven sent her to this era.

Though born with noble blood, two years later she would be exiled. She simply couldn’t rest easy doing nothing…

She slept well. Upon waking, a maid came in to serve her.

After breakfast, the household managers all came to report on yesterday’s events and arrange today’s work.

There were few masters in the Hou residence, so things weren’t many — a cup of tea’s time and it was done.

Li Qingsong stepped forward. “Miss, the li mengzi you asked me to buy yesterday isn’t available in the capital. We need to send someone to Yuzhou to buy it, riding fast horses. It will take about seven days.”

Li Zhiyue asked, “Have you asked about the price?”

“I heard li mengzi is very sour and disliked by wealthy families, so the market is not good. It costs just a few wen per piece.” Li Qingsong replied, “But times are unstable, so we have to go with a caravan or escort agency to Yuzhou, which costs extra. That fee isn’t cheap.”

Li Zhiyue sighed.

In thousands of years of ancient times, there were few peaceful years.

First, several years of bad harvest caused many refugees, who formed rebel bands that occasionally staged uprisings; second, various tribes outside always eyed the border and stirred trouble, so wars never ceased…

Later, princes in the palace began fighting for the throne, causing internal strife and a divided court.

Then internal and external troubles combined — that was true unrest.

She said, “Put the li mengzi matter on hold for now. We’ll discuss it later.”

If milk tea wasn’t popular in ancient times, buying it now was a waste. Once the business picked up, then send someone.

After finishing business, Li Zhiyue headed to the kitchen.

The Marquis of Xiangyang’s household was famous for its pursuit of delicious food, with more than ten servants in the kitchen alone.

Seeing the eldest miss arrive, everyone quickly put down their work and greeted her.

“No need to be so formal.” Li Zhiyue smiled and glanced over them. “Who usually makes the pastries?”

Four cooks stepped forward.

Li Zhiyue picked two: an older woman from Zhang Kui’s family, called Aunt Zhang by everyone, and a younger girl named Qiu’er.

“I plan to make pearl milk tea.” She said, “Aunt Zhang, you’ll make the pearls. Qiu’er, you’ll cook the milk tea.”

The two looked utterly confused.

They knew what pearls were, knew milk was, knew tea was — but putting all three together was a bit hard to understand.