In Earnest

"Your Prince, what would you like me to see?"

Lin Yunwan looked down the Covered Walkway and saw Yan Jingzong walking together with a maid.

A hint of a smile flickered in Qi Lingheng's eyes, "Can't you tell?"

Lin Yunwan took another look. The maid had a very alluring figure and fair skin; she was clearly a beauty. A maid like that, if she were clever, would be a popular and respected servant in any household.

Gradually, she heard the maid and Yan Jingzong laughing and talking. She covered her face and smiled shyly, while Yan Jingzong's expression remained unchanged.

The maid took out a delicate, fragrant piece of stationery from her sleeve, handed it to him, and said softly, "... I've heard that Young Master Yan is quite skilled in poetry. I've also learned a little bit myself. I wonder if I might have the opportunity to receive some guidance from Young Master Yan?"

Yan Jingzong was stunned.

He never expected that the Zhao family's maid would suddenly say such a thing to him.

"How could I possibly read a young lady's private work?"

Yan Jingzong stepped back and initially refused.

The maidservant shyly put away the letter, bowing her head in fear, and said, "It was my fault for being so presumptuous. I... I... I just heard that the young master... I had no other intentions."

She bit her lip, feeling utterly ashamed, and led the way, whispering, "This servant will not mention such impropriety again. Young Master Yan, please come with me!"

Yan Jingzong stood behind her for a while, and the young girl's face was flushed with shame.

He lowered his head and pondered for a while.

"The sage said, 'Education should be provided to all without discrimination.' Does that mean that even a maid cannot read, write, compose poetry, and write lyrics?"

After muttering to himself for a while, Yan Jingzong sighed and said, "Miss, let me take a look at you."

The maid turned around, and with great surprise, pulled a letter from her sleeve, saying happily, "Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Yan."

Upon reading the poem on the letter, Yan Jingzong's expression changed. This maid had truly put in the effort; her choice of words was extremely refined.

"... The girl used such beautiful words and phrases!"

The maidservant said with delight and humility, "I often pondered this at night, which is why I wrote this humble piece. It is no match for the young master's."

Yan Jingzong then told her, "The tonal patterns of this poem are correct, and this word is used wonderfully, but the artistic conception is slightly lacking."

"Young Master, how should I improve?"

The maid's eyes were filled with curiosity.

This stumped Yan Jingzong. He thought for a moment, then returned the letter and said, "I have a book on ci poetry. I'll give it to you, young lady. You can buy it and study it yourself."

"Girl, you've put in so much effort, so reading the metrical patterns must be easy for you."

He then told the maid the name of the musical score.

The two of them drifted further and further apart...

Lin Yunwan withdrew her gaze and asked Qi Lingheng, "What does Your Prince want me to see?"

Do you want to see how the maidservants get close to Yan Jingzong?

Qi Lingheng's eyes were deep. "... You think I arranged this?"

He said, "This isn't the first time the Yan family has come to the Zhao Residence; this maid has long had her eye on Yan Jingzong."

Lin Yunwan smiled faintly, "So what?"

Qi Lingheng continued, "If the Zhao Residence lets their maids run wild and doesn't do anything about it, what do you think will happen in the end?"

The answer is obvious: if a man cannot refuse a woman's advances from the start, he will most likely be unable to resist if the woman is interested.

"And these are just maids from the Zhao Residence."

"Lin Yunwan, there will be many more things like this and that happening in the future. Don't you find it annoying?"

Lin Yunwan faded.

She said calmly, "These kinds of things always happen, Your Prince —you'll encounter them too. Besides, Yan Jingzong felt pity for that maid, but he didn't overstep any boundaries. He handled it very well and with great dignity."

"No one can predict what will happen in the future. I can't always think the worst, can I?"

Her gaze was no longer Qi Lingheng.

Qi Lingheng insisted on looking directly at her and said, "I won't."

"Can't do what?"

Lin Yunwan didn't understand.

Qi Lingheng said, "I won't encounter such a thing."

Lin Yunwan frowned in confusion.

Qi Lingheng took a step closer and said in a low voice, "No woman may approach me without my permission."

Lin Yunwan frowned. "What will happen if we get closer?"

"He will die."

Qi Lingheng's words couldn't have been more understated.

Lin Yunwan quickly turned her head to look around... Where were the hidden guards? She knew that emperors, crown princes, and Princes all had their own hidden guards to protect them at all times.

Qi Lingheng laughed and said, "Don't look. There's no one here now."

Seeing her frightened expression amused him, and he forced himself to put his hands behind his back, otherwise he was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist hitting her.

Lin Yunwan looked back at him, and after a long while, she sighed softly.

Qi Lingheng was completely puzzled.

Lin Yunwan then asked him, "Why... why did you do this?"

She couldn't understand why the Prince wanted to marry her.

"Your Prince, you know my identity better than anyone. Marrying me will not help you in the slightest."

She was no longer the legitimate Di Daughter of the Lin clan, and the reputation her father had built up during his lifetime had nothing to do with her.

Since there are no political motives... they shouldn't take matters of the heart too seriously.

Lin Yunwan said, "It doesn't matter who you marry, it's still marriage."

There was really no need for them to get married.

"Lin Yunwan. There's no reason."

Qi Lingheng looked at her calmly and said, "I just wanted to do something that happened naturally."

Lin Yunwan was puzzled. Why did she just let things take their course?

Qi Lingheng also found it hard to explain... He didn't initially think he valued her that much, but he just wanted to marry her.

"Lin Yunwan, since these kinds of things always happen, and we can't predict what will happen in the future, why don't you consider me?"

I will never treat you unfairly.

"I'm serious. Think about it again."

Lin Yunwan paused for a moment, then said, "Your Prince, what would happen if I married someone else is unpredictable, but whatever happens, it's something I can handle. Marrying you... the consequences are unpredictable, and something I can't handle."

I really don't want to cause any more trouble for myself.

Qi Lingheng remained silent.

He knew perfectly well that her so-called "not wanting to cause trouble" was simply... she didn't want to endure trouble for his sake.

Fearing that Qi Lingheng might have second thoughts, Lin Yunwan hardened her heart and said, "You don't need to go to such lengths to see me like you did today. If it weren't for you today... I wouldn't have known that Yan Jingzong liked poetry. You've helped me a lot."

Qi Lingheng's gaze deepened, and he smiled helplessly, "How could I forget... you're also quite skilled in poetry and prose."

Just look at the article she wrote that stirred up conflict among the scholars of the Ji Mountain Society; if she wanted to keep Yan Jingzong's heart in check with such things, wouldn't it be an easy task?

He's made a mess of things.

Regardless of what Qi Lingheng thought, Lin Yunwan bowed her head and curtsied, saying, "Farewell."

Following her memory, she retraced her steps, found Xiruo, and returned to the place where the Zhao Residence had hosted a banquet.

When Zheng Shi saw her, she impatiently scolded, "All you do is run around everywhere! Other girls are all composing poems, haven't you been learning from Nanny Fan for so long? Why don't you give it a try!"

Before Lin Yunwan could even approach, she heard a young girl nearby finish a poem and present it to a woman, addressing her as "Madam Yan."

She looked up and saw that it should be Yan Jingzong's mother; the mother and son looked very similar.

It seems that Madam Zhao is asking Madam Yan to help evaluate the poems?

"Young lady, are you going?"

Xiruo asked in a low voice, "If you want to go, I'll go and help you grind the ink."

Lin Yunwan remained silent.

She should have gone...

"Nanny Fan hasn't taught me how to write poetry yet, I won't go."

This is what Lin Yunwan said to Xiruo and Zheng Shi, and it's also what she said to herself.