"Yes, it was handed directly to me by someone named Meng. I was quite puzzled at the time, thinking this 'Leisure Hermit' had changed his pen name... Miss, is something wrong? Is this playbook not right?"
Yulu craned her neck to peek, but Chu Ruoyan quickly hid it behind her back. "N-no, nothing."
She had only skimmed briefly, but the playbook's Li Yongniang—aside from her husband Teacher Zhou and cousin Scholar Zhang—also entangled with a martial arts escort leader, a county constable, and even Teacher Zhou's student, who was over a decade her junior. One woman and five men—utterly scandalous!
What was Third Yan trying to imply?
Sending her such a thing—was he telling her to emulate Li Yongniang or to learn those wanton tricks?
Taking a deep breath, she walked to the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote a few words before slipping the note between the pages. "Yulu, return this playbook... No, wait. Nanny Zhou, you take it back instead."
Yulu, an unmarried girl, shouldn’t see such indecent content.
Nanny Zhou complied, delivering it to the general’s residence that very night. Within an hour, Meng Yang arrived, beaming. "Well, Nanny? Did the young madam like the playbook? My lord personally fetched it from Dazhu Bookshop, hoping to please her!"
Nanny Zhou replied sternly, "Whether the young madam liked it or not, this old servant cannot say. But I do know she prefers the works of 'Leisure Wanderer,' not this 'Leisure Hermit.'"
"Ah?" Meng Yang scratched his head awkwardly. "They both have 'Leisure' in the name—surely there’s no big difference?"
Nanny Zhou pursed her lips, unwilling to correct the dense soldier. "Just return it, young Meng. My lady left a letter inside."
Meng Yang brightened. A letter meant forgiveness!
He sprinted back to the estate, cradling the playbook like a treasure.
Yan Zheng was strategizing over a sand table when he received it.
"My lord, I delivered it at dusk, and by early night, the young madam had already finished reading! Clearly, she adored your thoughtful gift. And—"
His voice died as Yan Zheng flipped open the book.
There, before the prologue, lay a pristine sheet of paper.
On it were four stark characters:
"Shameless and brazen!"
Yan Zheng’s brow arched. "This is what you call 'adored'?"
Meng Yang gulped as if swallowing a fly. He snatched the book, shaking it—nothing else fell out.
"Perhaps... perhaps the young madam hasn’t fully forgiven you yet. But my lord, think of it this way—she replied immediately! Even if the words weren’t kind, she didn’t leave you waiting all night. That must mean she still cares!"
The reasoning somewhat placated Yan Zheng.
He pinched the bridge of his nose with two slender fingers. "Fine. You may leave."
Once alone, he picked up the scolding note again. Under the candlelight, he could almost see her furious, delicate frown as she wrote...
"Her handwriting is exquisite."
A faint smile touched his lips as he tucked the note into a brocade box.
Meanwhile, The Tale of Yongniang lay forgotten in a corner.
That night, Chu Ruoyan had a "nightmare."
In her dream, she was first betrothed to Su Tingyun, then Pei Zhuo intervened, and finally, Yan Zheng stormed the wedding on horseback, sword in hand, abducting her...
In the Bodhi Courtyard, she resisted, but he pinned her against the wall. Outside, her family called for her, yet he leaned in dangerously, biting her lips in a ruthless, devouring kiss...
"Ah!"
She woke with a start, clutching the blankets tightly.
"Miss? Awake?" Nanny Zhou chuckled, drawing the curtains. Chu Ruoyan realized it was already mid-morning.
After reading that playbook, she had slept unusually soundly—though her body felt damp, her spirits were oddly refreshed.
"Miss, what were you dreaming about?" Yulu giggled. "Nanny and I heard you calling out the Marquis of Anning’s name..."
Chu Ruoyan’s face burned. She splashed water on it. "Nothing!"
Damn that Third Yan! Sending her that erotic playbook wasn’t enough—now he haunted her dreams too!
As if summoned by her thoughts, he appeared.
Dressed in a moon-white robe with a snow-fox fur collar, he looked almost ethereal—until he spoke:
"Relax. Your father has left for court."
Chu Ruoyan choked. She dismissed Nanny Zhou and Yulu first. "If my father is at court, why aren’t you?"
Yan Zheng smirked. "So you’ll finally talk to me?"
She turned to leave, but he caught her wrist. "Don’t be angry, A-Yan. I’ll explain. Many officials are absent these days—I’m not the only one."
"Oh?" She paused. "Because of the military appointments?"
His smile deepened. "Clever girl. After Meng Ze seized Tiger Prison Pass, he began recruiting troops, itching for war. Our emperor panicked—recalling Feng Huan from the northern deserts and even sending the Mei family to replace the garrison at Xiao Pass."
"But General Feng is in the far north, and the Mei family is miles away! They can’t return overnight!"
"Exactly. So the emperor summoned all fifth-rank officers and above, offering a marquisate and promotion to Left Army Commander to anyone who could repel the southern barbarians."
Left Army Commander—second only to the general-in-chief.
Yet despite the lavish rewards, Yan Zheng mentioned many absences...
Chu Ruoyan blinked. "Let me guess—not a single officer volunteered."
His eyes gleamed with approval. "Brilliant. Some claimed sick mothers, others wives in labor, or impending weddings. The best was Duke Zou—he resigned, citing his ailing father. Even Prince Yu rushed to the Zou estate, 'to care for his father-in-law and fulfill his wife’s filial duties.'"
Filial duties?
Princess Yongyang, Duke Zou’s daughter, was still alive—since when did a son-in-law take over such obligations?
Just another excuse to avoid war.
Seeing the cold mockery in Yan Zheng’s eyes, Chu Ruoyan felt a pang of sorrow. "Not one brave soul in the entire court... If only the Grand General were still here—"
"If he were, these cowards would’ve lost their heads." Yan Zheng’s gaze dropped to his legs.
She quickly knelt before him. "Don’t dwell on it. Even if your legs were unharmed, Princess Ansheng would never let her 'son' go to war! Besides, didn’t you say the southerners are just posturing for better terms? They won’t actually attack..."
The woman's gaze softened with tender concern, gently dispelling the gloom in his heart.
Yan Zheng's expression shifted suddenly as he reached out and lifted her up. "Ruoyan, you're no longer angry with me?"
