Chapter 37

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The largest family school in town was located within the Moqi family estate and taught by several of the region’s most renowned scholars.

Because the classes were held in their own home, the four Moqi siblings had arrived early. Moqi Li was leaning over the same table as Moqi She, both intently focused on a clay jar filled with crickets. Moqi She, looking proud, boasted that he had stayed up an entire night to catch this prized cricket, which he named “Pea Yellow.”

Their youngest sister, Moqi Danliao, yawned out of boredom. Her fingernails, dyed bright red with impatiens petals, added to her bold and striking appearance, which discreetly drew the attention of several young men in the room.

As the eldest brother, Moqi Ji was much more composed. However, even he had set up a small gambling ring in the classroom.

A dozen sons of local businessmen were crowded around a long table—pieced together from four smaller tables—excitedly placing bets.

“Big! Big! Big!”

“Small! Small!”

When Lu Congruan entered the room, this was the lively scene that greeted him.

“You all started without me? How could you not wait?” he teased.

Moqi She looked up, and when he saw Lu Congruan—or more accurately, the beautifully dressed Li Zhi standing behind him—he let out a startled yelp and stumbled backward.

His abrupt retreat knocked into the table, toppling the clay jar. The prized cricket leapt out—only to be crushed under Moqi She’s own distracted foot.

Moqi She screamed again, this time over the untimely demise of “Pea Yellow,” who was now thoroughly dead.

A group of people surrounded Lu Congruan, showering him with compliments as though admiring a fine jade pendant, but their true focus was on the well-dressed Li Zhi behind him.

Lu Congruan looked smug as he introduced Li Zhi and made a point to emphasize her identity as the daughter of a disgraced minister.

“If not for the fall of the Li family, she would still be the daughter of a second-rank Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat. She wouldn’t have ended up in Mingyue Tower,” Lu Congruan boasted, clearly proud to have a maid with such a distinguished background.

The crowd’s varied gazes fixated on Li Zhi, who kept her head down and remained silent, her expression calm and composed.

“Move, move! Don’t block the way!” Moqi She squeezed into the crowd, still holding the lifeless cricket in his palm. Ignoring Lu Congruan entirely, he looked at Li Zhi with bright, excited eyes and began enthusiastically chatting with her. He peppered her with questions—asking why she was at the family school, and if she had time after class to visit his courtyard and see his cricket collection.

Unhappy that someone dared to covet what he considered his possession, Lu Congruan cut in to answer for Li Zhi.

“Don’t even think about it. Li Zhi belongs to the Duhu Mansion. If you want to ask her anything, you’ll have to get my permission first.”

Moqi She, still oblivious, earnestly asked, “Then can I take her to see the crickets after class?”

“No,” Lu Congruan replied without hesitation.

“Why not?”

“Because she has to return to the estate with me after class.”

“Just for a little while! Just a short visit!” Moqi She pleaded persistently.

Watching her brother act so foolishly, Moqi Danliao let out a disdainful scoff from the sidelines.

At that moment, a scholarly figure entered the classroom, holding a teaching ruler and a stack of books.

Everyone quickly scrambled to their seats. At Lu Congruan’s instruction, Li Zhi sat beside him.

The local customs of Mingyue Tower were liberal, and there was little concern over the separation of men and women. As a result, the classroom also included several young women from affluent families, dressed in luxurious silk garments.

Blending in among them, Li Zhi didn’t seem out of place.

The teacher cleared his throat and began calling on students to answer questions from the previous lesson.

Moqi She, unable to answer any of the questions, was struck ten times with the teaching ruler. When he muttered under his breath, “Why don’t we compete in horseback riding and archery instead?” he earned himself five more strikes.

Although his eyes were red from the pain, Moqi She stubbornly refused to cry out. His older brothers, watching from below, started cheering for him, claiming that he had displayed true masculine courage today.

After the review, the teacher began the lesson.

Li Zhi was fortunate—the day’s topic was not some obscure Confucian philosophy but rather the history of the Mingyue Tower.

“…The Mingyue Tower has existed for 200 years, spanning two dynasties and five reigns. It serves as an essential bulwark within the Yan Empire’s borders. Before the Yan dynasty, the area beneath Mingyue Tower was governed by five tributary prefectures and states. After the current emperor ascended the throne, Yizhou was also annexed as a tributary state under Mingyue Tower’s jurisdiction.”

While the teacher lectured earnestly, most of the students were preoccupied with their own activities.

The Moqi siblings were either dozing off or whispering to one another. The other students were equally distracted. Even Lu Congruan was busy questioning the wealthy young lady behind him about her bejewelled hairpin, intending to buy a similar one for Li Zhi after class.

In the entire classroom, Li Zhi was probably the only one paying attention.

Perhaps because of this, the teacher called on her to answer a question, even though she was not an officially enrolled student.

“Who currently governs Yizhou?”

“The person in charge of Yizhou’s military and political affairs is King Moqi Chuanmin,” Li Zhi replied.

“What is the name of the tallest mountain in Yi Prefecture?”

“Mount Fang.”

Impressed by her fluency, the teacher expanded the scope of his questions.

“If you were to depart from the capital and travel to Mingyue Tower by boat only, how many ports would you pass, and how long would the journey take?”

All eyes in the classroom turned toward Li Zhi.

Once again the center of attention, the meaning behind this moment was entirely different from when she first entered.

After a brief moment of thought, Li Zhi calmly replied, “Traveling via the inland river route, you would pass 11 ports, including Weizang Port in Qingzhou, Congwan Port in Chenzhou, and Biliu Port in Anzhou. The journey would take approximately one month.

If you take the coastal route, you would pass nine ports, including Weizang Port in Qingzhou, Qubei Port in Qiuzhou, and Shoujia Port in Huizhou. The journey would also take about one month. However, the exact timing depends on wind speed and direction.”

“Excellent! Very well said,” the teacher remarked enthusiastically. “For a young woman to be so knowledgeable about geography is truly rare.”

“Teacher, you are well-versed in the geography of the world,” Li Zhi began cautiously. “May I ask if you’ve ever heard of a place called Dashuo?”

“I wouldn’t claim to be an expert,” the teacher replied, stroking his beard. “I’ve traveled more than most, but I’ve never heard of Dashuo. What’s so special about this place?”

“…It’s just an imaginary empire. I don’t know much about it either,” Li Zhi said, concealing her disappointment.

The teacher allowed her to sit back down before continuing his lecture.

—–

After the geography lesson came a course on classical studies, which Li Zhi found less interesting. By the time all the lessons were finished, it was already past noon.

Moqi She once again tried to invite Li Zhi to see his crickets, but Lu Congruan declined on her behalf and took her back to the Duhu Mansion.

On their way home, they passed a jewelry shop the wealthy young lady had mentioned. Lu Congruan ordered the carriage to stop and sent his servant to buy an identical hairpin, which he forcefully tucked into Li Zhi’s hair.

“It looks much better on you than on those common women,” Lu Congruan said.

Li Zhi kept her head lowered, saying nothing. By now, she was accustomed to Lu Congruan’s domineering behavior.

The carriage driver cracked his whip, and the vehicle began moving again.

Inside the carriage, Lu Congruan gazed thoughtfully at Li Zhi. She assumed he was still basking in the satisfaction of giving her the hairpin, but instead, he spoke of something else, “If you enjoy reading, you’re welcome to borrow any book from my study.”

A master’s act of kindness naturally requires a response.

Even if Lu Congruan never truly cared about her feelings.

“…This servant thanks you, Young Master.” Sitting in the carriage, Li Zhi could only manage a half-bow due to the limited space.

“There’s no need to be so formal. You’ve been in the Fufeng Courtyard for so long, don’t you know what kind of person I am by now?” Lu Congruan said. “When there’s no one else around, you can call me Ah-Ruan.”

Li Zhi immediately lowered her head, her tone both respectful and distant. “There is a difference between master and servant. This servant dares not overstep.”

“Zhi Zhi.” Lu Congruan suddenly called out. “Is that your childhood name?”

Li Zhi didn’t respond, so he continued, “Do you still not understand my intentions toward you?”

Inside the carriage, the only sound was his voice. Li Zhi kept her head lowered, silently praying for the carriage to reach the Duhu Mansion as quickly as possible.

“I know you were once the daughter of an official family, proud and noble. I won’t insult you with talk of taking you as a concubine,” Lu Congruan said earnestly. “I will convince my parents to marry you into the family in a grand ceremony with an eight-carriage bridal procession. Zhi Zhi, would you be willing to marry me as my wife?”

“Young Master…” Li Zhi finally spoke, her tone calm. “You are the son of the Commander, and I am merely the daughter of a disgraced official. If you marry me, it will only tarnish your reputation.”

“The inability to hold office doesn’t matter to me,” Lu Congruan replied nonchalantly. “If we become a celestial couple, roaming the mountains and rivers together, wouldn’t that be far better than the rigid life of passing exams and becoming an official?”

Li Zhi changed her approach, trying to persuade him further. “Even if that is how you feel, Young Master, your parents may not see it the same way. As the only son of the family, you bear the responsibility of revitalizing the family name.”

“I’ll convince them; you don’t need to worry about that,” Lu Congruan said with absolute confidence.

Li Zhi understood where his confidence came from—he was the family’s only son.

Lu Han, as a father, would never go so far as to harm his only heir in the name of “breaking up the pair.” As for the doting Madam of the family, she would likely support him in whatever he decided. As long as Lu Congruan was determined, no parental objection could truly stop him.

Li Zhi realized that Lu Congruan was serious. If she didn’t come up with a way to deter him, he might actually escalate this to his parents.

She didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention, let alone make a spectacle of herself for Lu Congruan’s sake.

As Li Zhi racked her brains for a way to fend off this unexpected “branch” of trouble, she returned to the Duhu Mansion only to hear a shocking piece of news—

Xie Lanxu’s leg injury had healed, and he had already left the estate earlier that day to serve at the Xipeng Grasslands.

She couldn’t believe it and immediately sent Jia Sui to the Bamboo Courtyard to inquire. When Jia Sui returned, her expression was grim as she confirmed that the courtyard was indeed empty.

“How could this happen?” Li Zhi frowned.

“I was just as surprised. Why did he leave in such a hurry?” Jia Sui looked worried. “I heard people say that a long-term official named Yu Jingrong from the Mingyue Tower repeatedly submitted memorials to argue that the ex-Crown Prince’s son, sent here by imperial decree to serve his punishment, should be treated as an ordinary criminal. He claimed that otherwise, it could provoke suspicion in the capital and make people think the Commander was befriending the prince for ulterior motives.”

“Who is this Yu Jingrong?”

“I’ve never seen him,” Jia Sui shook her head. “But I heard he’s an honest and upright official—just a bit rigid.”

Yu Jingrong hadn’t submitted his advice earlier or later; why had he done so at this precise moment?

Li Zhi instinctively connected this to Lu Congruan. Over the past few days, he had clearly become more relaxed, as if some significant concern had been resolved. It seemed he had found a reliable “spearhead” to help him remove a thorn in his side.

Li Zhi reassured Jia Sui not to worry, then turned and headed for the Fufeng Courtyard to request an audience with Lu Congruan.

On her way there, she didn’t encounter anyone of note and quickly reached the courtyard. The maids in the yard lowered their heads respectfully and somewhat fearfully when they saw her.

Lu Congruan was in his study, smiling brightly. His personal attendant stood by his side, and the two of them radiated an air of satisfaction, as if they had just received some excellent news.

Li Zhi entered the room, holding the fine silk dress she had worn earlier. Lu Congruan’s smile faded when he noticed her dressed once again in her servant’s uniform. He waved for his attendant to leave.

“What is it? Are you here to borrow books already?” Lu Congruan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, and his tone carried a faint note of warning.

Li Zhi could tell that he knew why she had come but was deliberately avoiding the topic. Instead, he brought up the matter of books, likely hoping to stop her from speaking.

But he would not have his way.

Li Zhi knelt down and performed a silent kowtow.

When she stood, she removed the jeweled hairpin from her hair, unhooked the pearl earrings from her ears, and stripped away every mark of finery that didn’t belong to her.

Lu Congruan’s face darkened instantly.

“…What are you doing?”

“I am grateful for the Young Master’s generosity,” Li Zhi said steadily, her tone unyielding. “But this servant’s fate is too lowly and her fortune too meager to bear such kindness. I am willing to work in the stables, caring for your horses and praying every day for your success as a great general and noble marquis.”

She held out the fine silk dress with both hands. The luxurious jewelry gleamed brightly atop the ornate fabric.

Her expression was resolute as she met Lu Congruan’s furious gaze and continued, “…This servant has made her decision. I beg the Young Master to allow it.”