In the blink of an eye, night fell.
Atop the Viewing Tower in the prince's residence, the Third Imperial Prince, Li Chong, held a new-model Thousand-Li Mirror just delivered by the Ministry of Works and admired the city's nightscape.
Wang Jiwen sat beside him, idly fiddling with the tea set as he spoke with some satisfaction:
"There really is something to 'the third time's the charm.' See? Didn't it work out? Fatty Zhang, who went to watch the chess matches, said that after Hua Qingzhi came out of the grove, even the way she looked at her guard had changed. Even her maid kept sticking close to him..."
Although Li Chong had doubts about his cousin's competence, he really had handled today's affair without a hitch, so Li Chong offered a word of praise:
"Even a fool gets something right once in a thousand tries."
"Ah, you flatter me... hmm?"
Li Chong turned back and sat on the couch.
"Just a joke. What do you plan to arrange next, Cousin?"
Considering that this was his younger cousin, Wang Jiwen let the verbal slip pass. He pondered briefly.
"Between men and women, the worst thing is for everything to stay as bland as water, with nothing happening. Create enough opportunities, and even if they fight every day, they'll eventually beat some affection into each other. After today's hero rescuing a beauty, Hua Qingzhi must already see her guard in a new light. Next, we naturally have to strike while the iron's hot. Hmm... do the Twelve Offices have any more wanted bandits?"
Li Chong was somewhat speechless at that.
"Are you planning to keep driving tigers to devour wolves?"
"What else? This method not only brings Hua Qingzhi and her guard together, but also rids the people of menaces along the