Past noon, every restaurant in North City was packed with talented scholars and fair maidens.
Especially Fengchun Tower where Li Huaigu was, spreading across three stories with each floor more crowded than the last.
There were Confucian scholars exchanging cups, bashful maidens, and some renowned figures and great scholars of the Shuzhou region.
Chief among them in status was the "Uncle Liu" whom Xiao Wuge spoke of, Liu Si, who served as the primary official of the Shuzhou prefectural office and the prefect of the state.
Leveraging this connection, Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge followed along to the main table.
Under Chen Yi's deliberate efforts to cultivate ties, he quickly grew quite familiar with Li Huaigu.
The two of them chatted and laughed with Xiao Wuge between them, discussing everything from the current imperial examinations to sights and sounds seen in Shuzhou, Jiangnan Prefecture, and the Capital Prefecture, running neck and neck.
As the conversation grew spirited, Li Huaigu even swapped seats with Xiao Wuge.
Although his learning and insight were naturally extraordinary, he fell far short compared to Chen Yi.
Often with just a simple word or two, Li Huaigu would well with admiration, thinking that the rumor widely circulated in Jiangnan Prefecture of Chen Yi being "loyal, filial, and extraordinarily talented" was no empty falsehood.
Take the policy question for this Metropolitan Examination, "A boat is upon the water; why does it capsize?" Chen Yi casually dropped the line "Water can carry a boat and also overturn it," directly cracking the prompt.
Li Huaigu felt deeply inferior, as his own thought at the time had been to crack the prompt from the angle of drifting with the current, emphasizing nature and non-action.
Compared with Chen Yi's sentence, the difference in caliber was instantly clear.
Even Shuzhou Prefect Liu Si, who had been listening sideways to their conversation, was somewhat startled.
Originally he thought little of Chen Yi; after all, Chen Yi's status was merely that of the Xiao Family son-in-law, and even composing a birthday ode could change nothing.
Yet hearing this now, Liu Si's thoughts happened to align with those of the former Shu Provincial Administration Sun Fu-it was somewhat a pity that this young man married into the Xiao Family.
At this, Li Huaigu said with a hint of melancholy, "Brother Qingzhou, it is truly a pity that you did not participate in this imperial examination, and that elder brother of yours, Yun Fan..."
Before he could finish, Liu Si on the other side coughed and said, "Fanggui, let us dispense with idle talk. I think we should leave it here for today."
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow inwardly, smiling as he said, "What the Prefect says is true. Today is Huaigu's auspicious day, so you should return early to rejoice with your family."
These powerful figures who had set foot in the Imperial Court certainly knew very well how to avoid suspicion.
Clearly Liu Si did not want to offend the Chen Family; even though Shuzhou was thousands of miles away from Jiangnan Prefecture, he had no wish to provoke unnecessary misunderstandings.
Yet from this point, Chen Yi understood that the matter of his "elder brother" Chen Yunfan placing as the top Zhuangyuan should hold hidden circumstances.
Li Huaigu hesitated and said, "Huaigu shall obey the teacher's instructions."
Liu Si nodded with satisfaction, looked at Xiao Wuge, and said, "Give your grandfather my regards. Later when Uncle calls at your home, I will teach you the rest."
With that, he exchanged a few low words of instruction with Li Huaigu and rose to leave.
The surrounding guests naturally offered respectful parting gazes, and only after he walked out of the private room did the atmosphere grow somewhat lively again.
Xiao Wuge looked left and right, finding it uninteresting, and spoke up, "Brother-in-law, let us head back as well."
Chen Yi paused, and just as he was about to stand, Li Huaigu grabbed him firmly by the arm.
"Brother Qingzhou, you and I have conversed most agreeably today. Why not accompany me to my home to serve as a witness?"
"Oh?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Li Huaigu caught sight of Xiao Wuge, knowing that with this Young Marquis present, his chances of success were greater.
He immediately spoke with a sincere tone, "There is something I have always wanted to do yet never dared, and I wish to fulfill this wish taking advantage of today's joyous occasion."
Chen Yi understood his intent in his heart, and thus smoothly went along with him.
Xiao Wuge, Xiao Die, and several armored guards were somewhat baffled, but seeing him smile happily, none spoke further.
Before long.
The group followed Li Huaigu back to his home-Luoyi Lane in the near-suburbs of North City.
Chen Yi swept his gaze across the surroundings, his eyes passing over those ancient, weathered courtyard walls and fresh trees to land upon a figure in the distance.
It was a slightly petite woman with two floral braids, a fine cloth headscarf wrapped around her head, and simple attire, her appearance merely clean and pleasant.
Upon seeing them arrive, a blush rose to the woman's face, and her hands instinctively twisted together.
With a brilliant smile, Li Huaigu stepped forward to take her hand, introducing her to Chen Yi and the others:
"Yunxiang, my, Li Huaigu's, unwed bride."
Chen Yi glanced sideways at him without exposing the falsehood, and led Xiao Wuge, Xiao Die, and the others in greeting Yunxiang.
Yunxiang was driven to a blush by Li Huaigu's words, her neck turning completely red, yet she only gave a shy response and uttered no words of refutation.
She allowed him to hold her hand.
Before any of them could speak again, a voice came from nearby:
"Fanggui, when has your mother ever arranged a match for you?"
"Eh."
The group startled, and saw a well-dressed matron step out from the courtyard not far away, her brows knit as she looked at them.
Li Huaigu turned his head to look at the newcomer, a look of awkwardness on his face, "Mother, I..."
Yunxiang's face paled, and she dared not even raise her head.
Chen Yi, however, maintained a natural expression, having already known of the "Breaking Up Lovers" situation.
He simply had not expected that Li Huaigu's affections ran so deep that he went so far as to drag them along to serve as witnesses, yet lacked even the chance to introduce their identities.
Only Xiao Die, Xiao Wuge, and the others looked on without understanding the situation.
At this, Li Huaigu finally remembered Xiao Wuge and the others, and spoke up, "Mother, they are..."
"Be quiet!"
Before he could finish, Li's mother glared at him, then looked at the cowering Yunxiang, saying indifferently:
"Yunniang, today is Fanggui's auspicious day, and I originally did not wish to say much, but you are growing increasingly unbridled."
Li Huaigu caught hold of her, pleading, "Mother..."
Li's mother ignored him, still looking at Yunxiang: "Auntie might as well speak more plainly."
"Now Fanggui has placed third as the Tanhua; even if he does not find a maiden of matching social standing, she should at least be well-read and sensible. But you do not know a single character, and I cannot possibly let Fanggui marry you."
By the time she finished speaking, Yunxiang's face was already full of wretched misery.
That heartbroken and desolate look was enough to move not only Li Huaigu, whose affections ran deep, but even Xiao Die and the others to unbearable pity.
Enduring the stinging in her eyes, Yunxiang still offered a respectful bow, and with a slight choke in her voice said:
"Yunxiang wouldn't dare. I only hope... Aunt Li will not be angry."
With that, she skirted past the group, wiping at the corners of her eyes as she hurried away.
"Yunxiang!"
Seeing this, Li Huaigu could care for nothing else, shook off his mother's hand, and gave chase after Yunxiang.
Li's mother startled, "Fanggui!"
Yet those two figures had already run far off.
Only then did Li's mother notice Chen Yi and the others, her anger dissipating somewhat as she squeezed out a smile:
"You are... Fanggui's friends?"
Xiao Wuge, Xiao Die, Wang Lixing, and the others all frowned as they looked at her without speaking.
Chen Yi, however, shook his head, looking squarely at Li's mother as he said, "Pardon us, but I fear we are hardly suited to be friends with your son."
"..."
Before Li's mother could reply, Chen Yi offered a slight bow and led Xiao Wuge and the others in pursuit of Li Huaigu.
Watching their retreating backs, Li's mother opened her mouth.
"Who cares for the likes of you?"
A moment later, Chen Yi and the others found Li Huaigu and Yunxiang outside Luoyi Lane.
Only, compared to their previous lingering affection, an enormous chasm now seemed to lie between them.
With her head lowered, Yunxiang twirled a piece of jade in her slightly calloused hands and said softly:
"Li Lang, the hunter next door wishes to marry me. He sent a matchmaker to my door a few days ago, and the betrothal gift is enough to buy two sheep."
"You, you should still listen to Aunt Li's words and find someone of matching family background..."
Before she finished speaking, she thrust the piece of jade into Li Huaigu's hands and ran off without looking back.
Li Huaigu watched her retreating back and chose not to pursue further, his fingertips touching the recessed carved marks upon the jade.
After a long while.
Li Huaigu looked toward Chen Yi and the others, "You have witnessed a joke."
Chen Yi frowned, "Huaigu, what do you plan to do?"
Li Huaigu gave a bitter laugh, asking with a desolate expression, "Brother Qingzhou, it is widely rumored in Jiangnan Prefecture that you are 'loyal and filial'. Then... can love also be kept whole?"
Before Chen Yi could reply, Li Huaigu shook his head, walked past him, and muttered under his breath:
"I wish to be bound to you, with life unending and love undiminished, the mountains without peaks..."
Chen Yi's gaze followed his gradually receding figure as his vision blurred:
[Witnessed the Tanhua Li Huaigu parting ways with his childhood sweetheart, henceforth separated by the ends of the earth. Reward: Medical Classic "Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders", Fortune +20.]
[Crit: Arrived in person, heard the voices, witnessed the scene, yet took no action whatsoever-the mark of a cold and callous temperament.]
Chen Yi glanced at the evaluation on the light screen and remained silent.
At that very moment.
A stifled sob came from beside him, and Chen Yi turned back to look.
Xiao Die noticed his gaze, wiping her tears with her sleeve, yet no matter how she wiped, they would not stop.
"They, are they not... yet clearly they... Young... Young Master, can we help them?"
Xiao Wuge looked at Chen Yi, "Brother-in-law, although I do not understand, I can tell that these two ought to be, ought to be... husband and wife."
Wang Lixing and the others held similarly complicated emotions, and the more sentimental Ge Laosan had red-rimmed eyes as he cursed angrily:
"That damned heavens is utterly heartless."
After a long while.
Chen Yi raised his head to look at the afternoon sky and let out a long breath.
"What's the point in believing in the heavens? I only believe that man can conquer nature!"
Xiao Die lifted her tear-filled head. "Son-in-law...?"
Chen Yi reached out to wipe the tear tracks from her face and said with a smile, "This time, we need you to step up."
"Me?"
"We always need to first find out whether that hunter really gave the betrothal gifts or not, right?"
Before you continue