While the two were speaking, they had already distanced themselves from the crowd.

Li Zhiyue couldn’t help asking, “Changyan, do you think the Emperor really granted the title of Princess to the Lady of Qingping just to compensate the Grand Princess?”

If it were truly out of guilt for the Grand Princess, shouldn’t he have executed the Jinyiwei commander Shangguan?

Cheng Changyan admired her sharp political instincts and replied softly, “The southwest front is under great pressure, and Great Wei has suffered repeated defeats. The largest state in the southwest, Changguo, proposed a peace marriage in secret letters. The Princess Qingping is very likely the candidate.”

Li Zhiyue struggled to swallow a cold breath.

The Grand Princess’s husband was dead, her son was dead, and now her only remaining daughter was to be sent off in a political marriage?

The most noble Grand Princess of Great Wei — and even she was being reduced to nothing…

The current Emperor was her full brother from the same mother!

She tried hard to recall the plot of the book.

There wasn’t much written about the Grand Princess.

The marriage alliance was barely mentioned, as most of the focus was on the Fourth Prince and Lu Jingxue, especially the struggles among the women in the Fourth Prince’s household.

Cheng Changyan looked into the distance. “This is only my guess.”

Li Zhiyue fell silent, not knowing what to say.

She felt a sorrowful sense of shared misfortune, like the mourning of a rabbit’s death by a fox.

She exhaled. “What’s the point of overthinking? If there are flowers worth picking, pick them while you can. Let’s enjoy the blossoms.”

She reached out to pluck a plum blossom.

Unexpectedly, her sleeve caught on a branch, and she stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.

A strong hand caught her by the waist.

The man’s burning palm seemed to penetrate her thick clothing. Her heart skipped a beat.

The next moment, Cheng Changyan let go and said calmly, “Be careful.”

Li Zhiyue was about to thank him.

Suddenly, her waist was grabbed again.

The man pulled her forcefully to the side, hiding them behind a thick plum tree.

“There’s killing intent,” Cheng Changyan said quietly.

His breath brushed against Li Zhiyue’s cheek.

She turned her face away.

Even in modern times, she had only been this close to women, never men.

She felt utterly uncomfortable.

She glanced at Cheng Changyan.

The man wore a cold expression.

He was from ancient times and didn’t seem so conservative—why was she making such a fuss?

After a bit of mental adjustment, Li Zhiyue finally looked in the same direction he was watching.

Two men in black were kneeling, reporting something to a man in embroidered robes.

That man in robes… was the Fourth Prince!

So the Fourth Prince had already begun laying his plans within the palace this early.

“I’ll take you away first,” Cheng Changyan said.

He grabbed Li Zhiyue’s waist again, leaped into the air, and carried her out of the plum grove.

Li Zhiyue instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

The wind howled past her ears.

Before long, they stopped. She opened her eyes and met the man’s deep gaze.

“Ahem!” Li Zhiyue quickly let go. “That’s just how we do it where I’m from, don’t take it personally…”

Cheng Changyan nodded. “Stay here and don’t wander.”

He turned and walked back to stand under a plum tree.

A voice sounded behind him. “So it’s Lord Cheng. I didn’t know you were here. How long have you been standing there?”

The Fourth Prince, Ning Ye, emerged from the grove, a faint chill hidden behind his elegant gaze.

He had been conspiring with deathsworn soldiers just now when he suddenly sensed someone in the woods. He immediately ordered an investigation to see who had come.

Turns out, the person hadn’t left but was hiding deeper inside.

Cheng Changyan cupped his hands. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Why is Lord Cheng enjoying the blossoms alone?” Ning Ye asked with a smile. “Did you hear or see anything?”

Cheng Changyan looked up. “This is a plum grove. All I can see are plum blossoms.”

“Is that so?”

Ning Ye suddenly raised his hand.

Cheng Changyan blocked the blow without hesitation.

“I’ve long heard of your skills, Lord Cheng. Might as well take this opportunity to spar a bit.”

Ning Ye’s attacks were swift and ruthless.

Each move aimed directly at vital points.

Cheng Changyan retreated step by step.

When he was forced back to a plum tree, he suddenly dodged aside.

Ning Ye’s hand struck the tree trunk.

He suddenly laughed. “Truly impressive. Serving as the Minister of Justice is a waste of your talents. Why not join me instead?”

“Your Highness flatters me,” Cheng Changyan withdrew and said coolly, “I am a subject of Great Wei. I serve the court, the Emperor, and the future Emperor. I’m afraid… I must decline.”

“Hahaha!”

Ning Ye laughed loudly.

“I understand what you mean. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re willing to follow me of your own accord.”

His goal was the throne.

Once he sat on it, all officials would fall in line.

Ning Ye left the grove laughing.

Cheng Changyan’s fingers slowly clenched into fists.

By the time the palace banquet ended, it was already dark.

Back at the marquis’s residence, Li Zhiyue wasted no time in starting to write a new play — Journey to the West.

This story had already gained popularity in the palace and would likely become the most favored play in the capital soon.

Before she finished writing, news came: Princess Qingping had indeed been arranged to marry into Changguo.

Aside from a sigh, she didn’t know what to say.

If even a princess couldn’t control her own fate, then what about her?

Li Zhiyue knew she couldn’t just sit and wait for things to happen.

First, she had to buy land. The Li family’s fields were all in the outskirts of the capital, but she knew the next few years would be unstable.

With the capital constantly under attack, the fields outside would become easy targets for military requisition.

So if not the capital, then where?

She studied the map for a long time. She wanted to choose a fertile region, but those places would also be contested during wartime.

“Li Qingsong,” Li Zhiyue instructed, “organize a team to go to Sizhou and buy several thousand mu of good farmland. Then go to Yuanzhou and Tianzhou and buy another thousand mu each. Assign trusted people from the household to manage them there.”

Li Qingsong was shocked. “These places are all far south. Why buy land so far away?”

Li Zhiyue shook her head. “Just do as I say.”

She couldn’t exactly explain that these areas would escape the war and have the highest grain tax returns in the coming years.

She had to leave a backup plan for the Li family.

At dinner, Li Zhiyue handed her father, Li Suiwen, a stack of silver notes. “Father, you’re now the High Minister of the Imperial Stables. It should be easy for you to buy horses, right?”

Li Suiwen sighed. “In the past year, because of the tense border situation, the number of tribute horses has decreased. The army is severely lacking horses. The Ministry of War keeps pressuring us. The court allocated funds to buy more, but there are only two thousand horses total. I fear not many will be left for our family.”

Li Zhiyue asked, “Who’s handling the horse purchasing?”

Li Suiwen thought for a moment. “It’s the Deputy of the Imperial Stables who’s in charge of negotiations with the horse merchants.”

“Then have a few trusted people accompany him,” Li Zhiyue smiled. “The court may not be able to buy all two thousand. Whatever’s left, we’ll buy it all.”

Corruption plagued the Great Wei, from top to bottom.

If the court allocated ten thousand taels, by the time it reached the officials making the purchases, less than half remained.

There was no way they could afford two thousand horses.

All they had to do was seize the leftovers.

Bai Ruzhu was shocked. “Why buy so many horses?”

“Well, in peaceful times, Grandfather can ride them for fun,” Li Zhiyue said cheerfully. “And if war breaks out, at least our family will be able to run faster than others, right?”

Her words left the Li family with an inexplicable sense of dread.