Lu Zhengyang bowed his head lower in a humbler attitude, “I daren’t.” However, notwithstanding his lowering head, his back was straight. It was easy to tell that there wasn’t humidity in his bones. However, the Emperor sitting up high in this throne couldn’t possibly see the man below that clearly.

Hearing the world daren’t, the Emperor subtly snorted. He had expected a much more extraordinary man, but now the person displayed no difference from the rest of others. The Emperor lifted his vigilance a little.

Lu Zhengyang raised his chin, a smirk flashing upon taking form on his lips, and cautiously replied, “Master Ning is too noble for I, a common folk, to be friend with. It’s just we happened to know each other when we were youths. At that time, I was too stupid and knew little about rules and courtesies, so I called him brother. Now, things have changed, Master Ning is way beyond my reach. Even if I lend some courage, I won’t dare to call him brother anymore.”

This answer was cunningly clever, expressing the fact that he was on intimate terms with Ning Shaoqing and showing his current stance by claiming he no longer dared to call him brother.

Besides, as the word daren’t came out of his mouth, his facial expression showed none of that.

All these details were captured by the Emperor, who indulged himself in schemes and consipiracies all the time, surely understood his overtones.

He smiled. This man was much more appreciative than that arrogant master.

“As they say, a man changing according to actual situations is wise. I appreciate your straightforward loyalty and patriotism.”

This was obviously a praise to Lu Zhengyang.

Lu Zhengyang was flattered and moved, “An upright man dies for the one who truly understand him. I’ll do whatever Your Majesty needs me to do, because it’s the honor and pleasure of the Lu family to serve Your Majesty.”

“It’s indeed easier to talk to a smart person like you. Tell me, what do you what?” The Emperor said words of praise but held contempt in his heart. There’s no free lunch in the world, something the Emperor knew better than anyone.

As he was in a self-satisfaction, Lu Zhengyang blurted out, “I hope the Lu family could be entitled by Your Majesty…” Greediness shimmered when he said the words, but when he lowered his head again, the greediness all turned into slyness and indifference.

Before he finished, the chief eunuch shouted, “How dare you!” What the Emperor doing was to abolish the super or noble families, and now this person dared to ask for an entitlement? How dared him!

The Eight Families had gained their entitlement through military achievement and contribution in upholding the Emperor to take the throne. Lu Zhengyang was merely a merchant. Why should his family get entitled?!

Was him a descendent of the Lu family in the capital a century ago? The Emperor’s face was cold and showing murderousness.

“Please don’t be mad at me, Your Majesty. I…I just…want to stand out and win glory for my family…”

Lu Zhengyang got on his four limbs on hearing the scolding, totally different from the gesture of straight back he had displayed when he just came in. The Emperor’s let down his guard again and praised him, “You’re an ambitious man!”

A real descendant of the Lu family wouldn’t have exposed his final intention like this. The Emperor quickly calmed down, “If you complete this matter well, I certainly will reward well you and your family. Entitlement is impossible…but when everything is done, I’ll reward you with money and treasures and honor according to your contribution.”

The Emperor was an old fox. His promise meant nothing. There weren’t rewards in real terms at all.

Lu Zhengyang kowtowed, overjoyed, “Thanks. Your Majesty.” But the bowing eyes were nothing but gloom. They weren’t frightened or flattered at all, the fake complacency gone as well.

“I heard you have a great sword that helps you go to wherever you want, enough to resist against the Chill of Master Ning?”

“After all, Master Ning and I were friends. I feel in a dilemma.”

“Relax, I’m not asking you to fight against him.” Because you are not eligible!

“Then Your Majesty want me to?”

“I just want you to…”

“I won’t let you down, Your Majesty.”

“Hahahahah…” The Emperor laughed heartily seeing Lu Zhengyang agreed without hesitation, “You may leave now.”

Lu Zhengyang thanked the Emperor and left, under the lead of palace servants. Upon walking out of the gate, his back was straight again and his face full of satirizing sneer.

In the imperial study, seeing the Emperor was in a good mood, the chief eunuch stepped forward to give him a massage on the shoulders and asked with both flattery and confusion, “Your Majesty, is this man reliable?”

The Emperor closed his eyes, quite at ease over being able to control the situation, “As long as he does what I told him to, he will immediately become an enemy of Ning Shaoqing’s. By then, he will have no choice but to rely on me.”

The eunuch was all smiles and continued to analyze, “He as a common folk has no one to rely on, so he has to be loyal to Your Majesty in exchange for the chance to survive. Then, he’ll be merely a loyal dog to Your Majesty. Congratulations Your Majesty for obtaining one more sharp blade…”

*

Soon, it was summer as May came. The sun came out early. When Mo Qianxue opened her eyes, sunlight slanted in through the windows in the east, leaving on the floor stretched square shapes.

Mo Qianxue never formed the habit of sleeping late, and there were so many people serving her, so in a while, she got up and got dressed up.

When she was going to have breakfast, Ghost came in, silently saluted and handed a small bamboo tube before noiselessly leaving.

No one had ever heard Ghost say a word since he had worked in the mansion. Was his tongue cut?

Mo Qianxue, in a good mood, made a face at his back and then looked at the bamboo tube in her hand. Needless to say, this must be from Ning Shaoqing. They had just met yesterday, and why bother to write a letter?

Despite her inward complaining, she felt it so sweet. She opened the lid of the tube, poured out a small note, and unfolded it. There weren’t much words without any names.

She read carefully the words coming into her view: If you entered my deep mood of longing/ You would understand my suffering for yearning / Long yearning recalls long memories/ Short yearning has no end.

Was this…a love letter?!

Mo Qianxue flushed immediately. She had never expected to receive a real love letter in this world.

She remembered yesterday, when they walked quietly hand in hand on the grassland…

She remembered he treated her to galloping on the horse, and they were so close…

She remembered the kiss before she returned to the mansion, the heated domineering kiss, so fervent and passionate…

It seemed… a lifetime of lovesickness broke out in that single kiss, which still created heat in her heart when she thought of it now… The sudden stop was the sanity that if they continued to stick together, they would be burned into ashes by the heat.

“Prepare paper and pen…” Mo Qianxue sprang up and trotted to the desk.

Chuyi was cleaning the desk, and hearing her lady’s haste tone, believed something serious happened, so she began to ground ink right away.

Shiwu helped paved the paper. Mo Qianxue picked up a pen, and cute tiny characters like plum blossoms appeared on the paper.

“I wish your heart be but like mine/ Then not in vain for you I pine.”

Finishing writing that, she smiled sweet like honey, eyes soft as water.

Chuyi and Shiwu took a peep at what she had written down and instantly blushed.

Lady and Master Ning were too sticky together. However, their deep love was enviable.

Mo Qianxue blew to dry the ink, folded the paper, put it into the bamboo tube, and handed to Shiwu.

With love flowing in her eyes and heart, now Mo Qianxue’s voice sounded affectionate, “Go and give this to Ghost, and let him pass it to his master.”

Shiwu, flushing from shyness, walked out with the tube, but looked frustrated when she came back.

Chuyi was surprised, “What’s the matter? Ghost isn’t willing to send the letter?” How could that be possible? His master must be waiting with longing for their lady to write back.

Hearing the question, Shiwu looked up with shock and then quickly shook her head.

Nanny Mo scolded, “Then why are you pulling the face? What on earth happened?”

Shiwu was unhappy, “Lady, I’m afraid we can’t practice today.” During these days, Shiwu had been following Mo Qianxue to practice martial arts. She imitated the movements on the side, which was much funnier than staying quietly indoors.

Mo Qianxue paced over, still holding a sword, and heard Shiwu’s words. Judging from Shiwu’s unpleasant look, she knew there must be some unwelcomed visitors that she had to deal with.

The blush on her face vanishing, Mo Qianxue frowned, “Tell me that.”

Shiwu stepped forward, “Just now at the gate, a person sent by the butler told me Master Mo and a few Elders showed up early in the morning and are now waiting for you in the parlor…”

Shiwu didn’t finish yet, and Mo Qianxue frowned tighter. Couldn’t these people stop making troubles? She had already allowed them to make the name list of guests invited to her Puberty Ritual. What else did they want?

She threw the sword to Yuxuan and walked out at once.

Mo Qianxue was wearing the clothes for practice, which was not proper to be in to meet Master Mo, who although wasn’t of a noble identity, was a senior and guest after all.

Nanny Mo caught up in a hurry, “Lady, let’s change your clothes first.”

Mo Qianxue was in anger and asked irritably, “Why should I? The old things don’t deserve that effort!”

Now the whole mansion was under her command after rounds of rectification. The servants even didn’t dare to pass words randomly, not even Zhiling and Zhiqiao…

She paced all the way to the parlor and paused at the door.

Standing there, Mo Qianxue took a deep breath and said to herself: this time she would definitely humiliate Master Mo to the extent that he wouldn’t dare to visit putting on airs ever again!