A glimmer flashed in Wei Mingxiu's eyes. He discreetly hid the small slip of paper and answered softly, "Mm."
After examining them, Zhou Ye drew up training plans for all three of them and handed each one to the eunuch attending them.
He told them to follow the plans when they got up each morning.
Wei Chengye had always been overbearing. He reached out and snatched Wei Mingxiu's plan from Xiao Wu. Seeing that it was less demanding than his own, he raised an eyebrow in satisfaction.
Only after thoroughly mocking Wei Mingxiu did he leave.
Throughout it all, Zhou Ye had not spoken up for Wei Mingxiu, acting as though it was none of his concern.
At lunch in Shuyue Palace, Wei Chengye told Noble Consort Shu everything.
"I think you were worried for nothing, Mother. That Junior Preceptor Zhou has probably realized that Father no longer values him. He was so polite to me that he's probably trying to curry favor with me."
"The Zhou family has never deliberately tried to curry favor with anyone," Noble Consort Shu said, sorting through a box of eastern pearls that Wei Zhao had sent someone to deliver the day before. "But you're right about one thing."
"Zhou Ye has realized how deep the waters run in the capital. This isn't the northern frontier where he could throw his weight around."
"Of course!" Wei Chengye looked proud. "Every civil and military official at court can see that Father trusts the Zhao family now. The Zhou family's glory belonged to the previous reign, not this one."
Noble Consort Shu's lips curled slightly. She was clearly quite pleased as well.
She kept the most beautiful and roundest eastern pearls, put the remaining misshapen ones back in the box, and handed it to a palace maid beside her. "Qiaohe, take this box of eastern pearls to Elegant Music Palace. Tell Consort Xian it's a small gift from me."
"Yes."
At Elegant Music Palace, the maid who had brought Zhou Ye his food box that day was named Xiao Tao. She took the box of pearls to Zhou Ya.
Zhou Ya came from the Marquis of Zhenbei's Household.
Although Zhou Zhenghai was an upright official, Wang Yulan's family was the wealthiest in Jiangnan, so Zhou Ya had seen many rare treasures since childhood.
She could naturally tell that the eastern pearls in the box were the ones left over after the best had been picked out.
She could not help smiling. "How stingy of Her Highness the Noble Consort to send such a gift."
"To others, it looks as though she sent me a gift to thank Xiao Ye for looking after the Third Prince today."
"But in truth, she's using these shabby things to mock Xiao Ye for not being valued by His Majesty."
Zhou Ya had entered the palace only to protect her family, so for the past three years, she had never fought or schemed for anything.
But that did not mean she was ignorant of the twists and turns of the imperial harem.
Xiao Tao was a maid who had followed her into the palace from the general's residence. She could not help saying, "Your Highness, Noble Consort Shu has gone too far. When the late emperor was still alive, the Zhao family would never have dared to act so arrogantly."
"Shh." Zhou Ya said, "Don't keep mentioning the late emperor. You might bring trouble upon yourself."
The late emperor had been wise. Mindful of how the Zhou family had repeatedly risked their lives on the battlefield, he had granted them great power and wealth.
He had also bestowed upon them an iron certificate inscribed in red and the title of marquis.
But after Emperor Chaoyang, Wei Zhao, ascended the throne, he had punished many of the meritorious officials who had served under the late emperor. He also could not bear to hear anyone say that the late emperor was better than him. It had been exceptionally difficult for the Zhou family to survive until now.
They had to act carefully.
Still indignant, Xiao Tao said, "Then, Your Highness, are you really going to put up with this?"
"Why should I?" Zhou Ya rose with a smile and said to another palace maid, "Yueyao, bring me the brocade His Majesty bestowed on me before."
Yueyao brought the brocade to Zhou Ya, who had Xiao Tao unfold it and hold the other end. Zhou Ya then removed the gold hairpin from her head and, under Xiao Tao's astonished gaze, slashed the inner layer more than a dozen times.
She put the hairpin back in her bun and had Xiao Tao and Yueyao fold the brocade so that only the undamaged parts showed.
"She mocks the Zhou family's waning influence, so I'll mock the Zhao family for being rotten on the inside."
With that, Zhou Ya sat back down at the table and said calmly to Xiao Tao,
"Take it to Shuyue Palace."
"Tell her it's a return gift from me."
Xiao Tao asked in shock, "But if Her Highness the Noble Consort decides to pursue the matter..."
Before Zhou Ya could speak, Yueyao explained on her behalf. "Noble Consort Shu won't pursue it with Her Highness."
"Her Highness is returning the gift for the other palaces to see. Refusing a favor would show that we at Elegant Music Palace don't want to stand with Shuyue Palace."
"And they wouldn't dare mention the slashed brocade. Their gift was meant to mock us in the first place. If they exposed us, people would certainly have harsh words for them too."
"So they can only swallow this insult."
Only then did Xiao Tao understand. She broke into a delighted smile and left with the brocade in her arms.
Zhou Ya watched her skipping steps, a smile in her eyes.
"I told Xiao Ye to be careful, yet I'm the first one who couldn't hold back."
"Still, it's just as well that our positions are clear. Now we'll see what Xiao Ye and that prince do next."
After leaving the palace, Zhou Ye returned to the Marquis of Zhenbei's Household, but he did not use the main entrance. Instead, he tied his horse to a tree by the back gate, then slipped over and cautiously knocked three times.
Zhou Da had been waiting inside for a long while.
He hurried to open the gate, and the two exchanged a glance.
"Don't worry, General. Madam doesn't know you came in through the back gate."
"She's receiving guests with the master in the front hall. Zhou Er is keeping watch in the front courtyard, too. Hurry inside and change your clothes."
Only then did Zhou Ye breathe a sigh of relief.
He was not deliberately trying to avoid Wang Yulan.
But lately, Wang Yulan had been introducing him to young women in the capital at every opportunity.
In his previous life, Zhou Ye had been an orphan. He had only ever seen videos online of parents pressuring their children to marry.
He had never experienced it himself.
He had not expected to experience it firsthand after transmigrating to ancient times.
Still, he could not blame Wang Yulan.
After all, according to the customs here, plenty of men married at fifteen.
The original owner of his body was already twenty-five, so it was only natural for Wang Yulan to be anxious.
Previously, there had always been fighting on the northern frontier, and no matter how anxious she was, she could not get hold of Zhou Ye. Now that he had finally returned, she wished she could chase him around every day, arranging matches for him.
Zhou Ye had no choice but to avoid her.
The two took a side path back to Zhou Ye's room.
Zhou Da watched as Zhou Ye changed into a set of pale-green everyday robes and let half his long hair down.
He secured only the upper half with a jade hairpin.
Finally, Zhou Ye took a folding fan in hand and turned his wrist, and the fierce aura he had acquired on the blood-soaked battlefield faded. He looked every bit a dashing young master of the capital.
"General, don't tell me you're going to Jade Fragrance House again today?"
"That's right."
Jade Fragrance House was the largest brothel in the capital.
It had not only singing girls but male courtesans as well.
It catered to both men and women and was exceptionally decadent.
Zhou Ye had been visiting Jade Fragrance House these past few days.
Zhou Da scratched his head, anxious on his behalf. "Madam is trying everything she can to find you a match, but you keep going to Jade Fragrance House and staying until late at night. If word gets out, it'll ruin your reputation in the capital. What young lady would dare marry you then?"
"All the better if my reputation is ruined. All the better if no one dares marry me." Zhou Ye chuckled unconcernedly.
He waved his folding fan and headed outside.
Zhou Ye knew himself well.
For a man destined to die, getting married would only ruin a young woman's life.
Besides, there was an even more important reason.
It was also the fundamental reason he could not accept Wang Yulan's pressure to marry.
It was because... he did not like women.
He...
Only liked men.