Xinyi Zigu frowned: "Yuyao!"

"I know I was wrong." Jiang Yuyao deliberately showed the scars on her neck as she knelt on the ground. "Sister Yu wants to punish me."

"That's enough!" Jiang Yihuan stood up suddenly. Looking at his sister's humble appearance, he suddenly remembered that year in the snow, when Jiang Songyi had to protect Yuyao from being molested by a playboy. He still has a scar on his forehead.

As dusk deepened, Jiang Yihuan spurred his horse out of the Fourth Prince's residence. Passing the corner gate of the Yongding Marquis's residence, he spotted a disheveled beggar picking up stale rice. The moment the man looked up, he nearly broke his reins—it was clearly Jiang Baichuan, who had been missing for over a month!

The golden python pattern on Xinyi Zigu's palm left a shallow mark on Jiang Yihan's shoulder: "The Marquis has always loved you, so you should at least let him know. When the return gift was carried back last month, even this prince's pair of jade Pixiu were covered in dust." His thumb stroked the coiled dragon pendant on his waist - this was given to him by the old man of the Yang family yesterday, saying that it can explore people's hearts.

Jiang Yihuan's shoulder muscles tensed like a drawn bowstring. "Father always said there's a difference between ruler and subject." His answer was flawless, and the bronze bells on the eaves jingled in the north wind. Xinyi Zigu caught a glimpse of the water marks Jiang Yuyao's fingertips had left on the tea tray and suddenly remembered the news his spies had brought that morning: Marquis Yongding had entered the palace yesterday, bringing reports from the Second Prince on the Northern Frontier Army.

After three rounds of tea, Jiang Yuyao's wrist trembled slightly as she held the teapot. As the crab-eye tea poured into the azure-glazed teacup, Xinyi Zigu suddenly clapped his hands. "I've heard that the Black Tiger Cavalry's scouts can tell whether horse manure is fresh or old from a hundred miles away? If only Brother Yihuan could give me some pointers..."

"Ahem!" Jiang Yihuan choked, his tea spilling onto his sleeves and leaving deep stains on his dark fabric. He flashed back to Xin Yiwei's ridiculous insistence on combing his warhorse's mane in the camp, and a fishy, sweet taste welled up in his throat.

Jiang Yuyao hurriedly handed over the rosin handkerchief, and the jade bracelet on her wrist knocked against the corner of the table: "Third brother often said at the border that the second prince even wanted his stirrups gilded." She deliberately described Xin Yiwei as a playboy, but out of the corner of her eye she saw that Xin Yi Zigu's knuckles were white - the gilded stirrups were exactly the birthday gift from Grand Tutor Yang.

The storyteller outside the window was telling the story of "The infatuated girl ran thirty miles at night". Amid the laughter in the room, Xinyi Zigu stood up, brushed off the tea stalks from the corner of his robe and said, "The Grand Tutor's Mansion has just obtained a set of chess manuals from the previous dynasty. I would like to ask Brother Yihuan to appreciate it another day." He emphasized the three words "Grand Tutor's Mansion" on purpose, and his python-patterned boots rolled over half a dead leaf on the ground before leaving.

When the footsteps disappeared around the corner of the stairs, Jiang Yihuan suddenly grabbed his sister's wrist. Jiang Yuyao cried out in pain, and the place where her sleeve slipped down revealed crisscross red marks, as if it had been strangled by a rope.

"He hit you?" Jiang Yihuan's eyes were bloodshot, thinking of the spies captured on the battlefield. Jiang Yuyao lowered her eyes and chuckled, "Third brother, look at this mark... It was caused by the belt of the mink cloak that the Fourth Prince tied because he was afraid I'd be cold."

The tea gradually cooled. Jiang Yuyao's fingertips traced the water stains on the table. "That day when I returned home, my father had the housekeeper pass on a message: 'Now that you've entered the royal family, life or death doesn't matter.'" She suddenly raised her eyes, the watery glint in them making Jiang Yihuan's heart tighten. "Third brother, do you know that when I knelt on the stone steps of the Marquis' Mansion, I was thinking about that year when you carried me on your back to pick apricots..."

Jiang Yihuan slammed his fist down on the rosewood table, causing the teacup to jump. "Follow me!" He dropped a half-sized tiger talisman from his sleeve. It was given to him by the emperor this morning. Jiang Yuyao, however, pressed the back of his hand. "Third brother, do you want me to be like my aunt, with people pointing fingers at me behind my back and calling me an 'abandoned woman'?"

There was a sudden commotion downstairs; it was Bai Linxi leaping after a silk handkerchief that had been blown away by the wind. Jiang Yihuan stared at the lilac figure that had knocked over Dr. Tea, but his words were as cold as steel: "A girl riding the Black Tiger can hit the bull's eye from a horse even with a broken leg."

Jiang Yuyao dug her nails into her palms. She remembered last year's Qiqiao Festival, when Jiang Songyi had insisted on dragging Bai Linxi into a pot-throwing game, and the lame girl had hit all five of her shots. The icicles on the eaves cracked, and she suddenly chuckled, "Third brother, do you know that the Fourth Prince promised me... that if I have a son in the future, I will make my concubine my equal."

As dusk streamed through the window lattice, Jiang Yihuan stared at the pearl hairpin in his sister's hair—it was one he had sent back from the South China Sea by caravan last year, now stained with a suspicious rouge color. When the waiter came to refill the lamp oil for the third time, he finally said in a hoarse voice, "The Black Tiger Cavalry has a villa west of the city."

Jiang Yuyao stroked the red mark on her wrist, smiling silently. The night watchman's call echoed in the distance. She looked at the lanterns rising toward the Fourth Prince's residence and recalled the secret letter Xin Yi Zigu had slipped her that morning—the letter had been soaked in a potion specially formulated by Grand Tutor Yang, which, when heated, would reveal the words "arms."

Jiang Yuyao's fingertips brushed against the carved window lattice. Suddenly, she turned and grasped Jiang Yihuan's sleeve. "If Third Brother truly loves me, he'll help His Highness achieve his wish soon." She looked up, her eyes reflecting the patrolling Jinyiwei outside the window. "The Black Tiger Cavalry, with its hundred thousand iron hooves."

"Yuyao!" Jiang Yihuan violently shook her hand away. The purple clay teapot was knocked over, and the Biluochun tea left a dark stain on the green brick. He stared at the new Dongzhu hairpin in his sister's hair, and suddenly remembered the list of tributes confiscated by the Northern Pacification Office half a month ago.

Jiang Yuyao smiled and took his arm. "There's no one else here." Her fingertips traced the tiger talisman mark on his waist. "When I was little, my third brother said he would give me the black tiger flag to make a kite."

"Things are different now." Jiang Yihuan pressed the hilt of his sword. Footsteps could be heard on the attic's wooden stairs. A waiter, carrying almond yogurt, peeked out from behind the beaded curtain.

"I know. Just be careful with what you say and do." Jiang Yuyao pouted and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake. "Then third brother, will you accompany me to the West Market? I saw a pair of jade earrings the other day."

Jiang Yihuan looked at the cake crumbs on her cheek, and vaguely saw the little girl who had chased him for a candy figurine when she was twelve years old. He sighed and stood up. "Take whatever you want."

The lobby of Youkang Teahouse was bustling with activity. The storyteller clapped his wooden stick, startling Bai Linxi so much that she dropped all the melon seeds from her hands. "This Mr. Zizhu is truly amazing!" she smiled at Jiang Songyi, picking up the melon seeds. "Last time, we had a female general take command, and this time, a fairy turns Lecher into a plowing ox!"

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!