In front of the Song Mansion, the moonlight was faint, and the shadows of the trees were uneven.

The carriage clattered back to the gate.

After Song Yue got out of the carriage, he said to the driver, "You must be tired today, and it's so late. You haven't had your meal yet. Go and have some."

The driver was slightly touched, thinking that the lord had been busy all day and still remembered that he hadn't eaten. He nodded and replied, "Yes, sir. You've also had a long day, sir. Get some rest."

Song Yue nodded, entered the door, and his handsome figure disappeared behind the screen wall.

The coachman stroked the horse's mane and said to it casually, "You've had the hardest day. I have adults to care for me, and I care for you too, you beast. I won't let you suffer. I'll take you to eat some grass at night so you can gain more weight and run with more energy."

He unloaded the cart and was about to lead the horse into the mansion when he saw Zhou Shiping return carrying a wine jug, his face greasy and reeking of alcohol.

"Lord Zhou," the coachman called out.

Zhou Shiping glanced at him. "Judging from this, Lord Song has only just returned as well?"

"Yes, sir, you have just entered the manor."

"Where have you been so late?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Lord Song has gone to visit one of his students."

Zhou Shiping's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this. "Oh? Which student is it?"

The coachman honestly replied, "I don't know his name either, I only know that he came to our house once."

"It's him again." Zhou Shiping's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this.

He still remembered that young concubine who had slipped through his fingers last time. Her delicate and refined appearance, her slender and fair neck, her soft and boneless wrists…

Song Yue returned to his room, changed out of his official robes, and was about to go to the clean room to take a bath when he heard someone calling him from outside.

"Ziwang, you're still awake, aren't you? The moonlight is beautiful tonight, how about we play a game of chess?" Zhou Shiping called out from under the window.

"It's too late today, let's do it another day. I need to rest now."

The person outside persisted, and a voice from the darkness called out through the window, sounding somewhat eerie, "Hey, it's still early. A game of chess won't take up much time. I'm feeling very energetic today, and I can't sleep right now."

Song Yue lowered his head slightly, his expression indifferent. After a while, he put his coat back on and opened the door for Zhou Shiping. "Come in."

Zhou Shiping swirled the half-full jug of wine in his hand. "I knew you wouldn't leave me without compensation. Look, I even brought some wine."

"You've been drinking again," he said casually. "Sit down." Then he turned to get the chessboard and pieces.

“There are so many good things in the capital, I should try them all, otherwise all my years of hard work will have been in vain.” Zhou Shiping put down the wine pot, walked down to the round table, rubbed his hands and said, “Today I’m going to give you a good beating.”

Zhou Shiping's chess skills were actually quite average, while Song Yue was one of the top players in the court. The game had barely begun, and after only a few moves, Zhou Shiping wanted to take back his move.

"Oops, I got off at the wrong place. Ziwang, you don't mind if I move it, do you?"

Song Yue didn't say anything, just let him regret it, and casually picked up the covered bowl to take a sip of tea.

Zhou Shiping immediately stopped him, "Don't drink tea, drink wine. I brought you wine specially." Without waiting for a reply, he filled Song Yue's cup.

Song Yue glanced at the yellow soup in the cup, put down the covered bowl, picked it up and took a sip.

The liquor, when swallowed, is both spicy and potent.

After a while, just as Song Yue was making his move, Zhou Shiping suddenly said, "By the way, I recently received a letter from my father. The letter mentioned your parents. It said that your mother sewed winter clothes for you by hand, and your father, Lord Song, specially sent someone to deliver them to you?"

Song Yue didn't look up. "A letter was sent saying that they are still on the ship and will arrive in two days."

“Sigh, your parents are really good to you.” Zhou Shiping clicked his tongue and glanced at him sideways. “I’ve only been in the capital for a short time, and winter is almost here. My parents have only sent me one letter, which makes it seem like I’m not their biological child.”

Song Yue did not answer. Zhou Shiping's hint gave him a bad feeling.

Sure enough, after a while he asked, "Ziwang, you're back so late today, you must have been busy all day, right?"

"Um."

"Where did you go?"

"Nowhere."

Zhou Shiping smiled slightly, his beady eyes gleaming as he glanced at him. "You went to visit your student, didn't you?"

Song Yue paused for a moment, then replied calmly, "She was injured, so I went to see her."

Seeing that he had been exposed and had to admit it, Zhou Shiping smiled and said, "Ziwang is so busy, yet you still find time to visit him. You treat your student quite specially."

"I am her teacher, so it is only right that I care about her and do my part." As he spoke, he placed another piece on the board.

Seeing that he was at a disadvantage, Zhou Shiping quickly picked up the one he had just placed and put it in another spot, saying, "I was originally going to place it here."

“This young student Ziwang…” he said after taking back his move, “is not bad-looking.”

Song Yue frowned slightly. "What do you mean by this?"

Zhou Shiping took a swig of wine, burped, and tentatively asked, "I've noticed that homosexuality is quite prevalent in the capital lately, with many people getting involved with young and handsome men. Could it be that Ziwang has also taken a liking to this? Or has he taken a fancy to your student?"

Song Yue slightly raised her eyelids and looked at him coldly, "No."

Zhou Shiping smiled. "Really not?... That's good. I was afraid of taking away your favorite."

He shamelessly continued, "Since you don't like it, how about you give it to me?"

The night was still and quiet, and a wisp of wind lingered under the door.

Under the table, Song Yue's hand, which was holding a chess piece, involuntarily shrank, and the chess piece in his palm suddenly felt particularly cold. He replied calmly, "He's just a man like you, not unusual at all. What's so good about him?"

“You’re right, they’re both men, and it’s unusual,” Zhou Shiping paused, tilting his head to look at him. “How come I fell for him?”

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Ever since you brought him back to the manor that day, I haven't been able to forget him. Ziwang, it's all your fault."

Song Yue lowered his head slightly, feeling a long-lost anger rising in his heart, surging through his body and pounding against every bone in his body.

Zhou Shiping has had a penchant for taking things from him since he was a child. Whether he genuinely liked them or not, he would snatch anything that belonged to him. From his toys to his maids, and now his students. All these years later, this man hasn't changed; he's like a haunting ghost, impossible to shake off.

He originally thought that since Qingchen was a man on the surface, Zhou Shiping wouldn't have any designs on her. He never expected that Zhou Shiping would be so persistent and relentless, like a fly swarming around him, giving her no chance to breathe.

Song Yue frowned slightly, his hand unconsciously placing a chess piece down. It was his fault; ever since he learned Qingchen's identity and became curious about her, he hadn't realized that he felt a special connection with her.

“Ziwang?” Zhou Shiping urged, “We shouldn’t waste such a well-behaved and handsome student. Give him to me.”

Song Yue looked up at him, and after a long while, he spoke coldly, "It can't be done. This is not appropriate. You haven't thought things through enough." Zhou Shiping loved to argue with him over things, so he couldn't show any concern for Qingchen, otherwise it would only provoke him more.

Zhou Shiping asked doubtfully, "How is it not thorough? You are his teacher and a Grand Secretary. If you give him to me, what can he do?"

“You’ve just arrived in the capital to serve as a censor. If this gets out, your future will be ruined.” Song Yue said, suppressing his anger. “I think he’s a man of strong character. He won’t stay silent after being insulted. In the end, it will only result in mutual destruction. Don’t even think about it.”

"Hey—Ziwang, don't worry, I've thought it all out." He said stubbornly, "Who can believe what he says on his own? As long as you speak up for me, Ziwang, and say that he is wronging me, the Three Judicial Offices will not side with him, but will listen to you, Grand Secretary."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent, filled with a sinister and cunning atmosphere that seemed especially chilling and malevolent in the autumn night.

Song Yue felt a breath catch in his throat, and after suppressing it, he said, "Don't forget, she has more than just me as her teacher; she also has classmates. Among the junior officials in this cohort, there is Xu Grand Secretary's precious son. The two of them have a good relationship, and if something happens, they will surely help each other. I don't need to elaborate on the power of the Xu faction; I am only the second-in-command, while Xu Yan is the first-in-command."

Zhou Shiping hadn't considered this aspect and clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, "So there's this connection. Alas, it's a pity Ziwang is only the second-in-command; it would be better if he were the first-in-command."

"Don't worry about it, it's not worth it."

Zhou Shiping suddenly stood up, threw a chess piece onto the chessboard, and said, "I'm leaving. I'm not in the mood to play today." With that, he picked up the wine pot, pushed open the partition, and left.

Song Yue stared at the unfinished game, pondered for a long time, and finally tidied up the pieces.

The chess pieces fell into the box, one by one, making a crisp sound, yet it sounded rather desolate.

September 25th was the birthday of the Duke of Dingguo. Emperor Zhu Rui was in a good mood, so he summoned the over sixty-year-old Duke to the Qianqing Palace and offered him a few words of greeting.

When he left, Zhu Rui specifically asked Lu Shenyun to escort him.

As he descended the stone steps of the Qianqing Palace, the Duke of Dingguo lost his footing and nearly stumbled. Lu Shenyun nimbly caught him, preventing him from falling. The wind billowed the black cloak behind him, causing it to cling halfway to his back.

The Duke of Dingguo grabbed his arm, his wrinkled hand squeezing it. He thought to himself, "These muscles are really hard. What a fierce general of the Ming Dynasty!"

Lu Shenyun noticed the old man pinching him and a hint of puzzlement flashed through his mind, but his expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Duke, be careful."

"Good, good. I'm very grateful to you just now." The Duke of Dingguo said with a smile, "Lord Lu is twenty-seven this year?"

"I'm twenty-eight."

"...If I remember correctly, you are not yet married, are you?"

"No."

The Duke of Dingguo tilted his head to the side and asked again, "Have you taken any concubines?"

"No." Lu Shenyun placed his hand on the embroidered spring knife, without looking at him.

As the Duke of Dingguo's beloved daughter grew older, his heart was constantly filled with worry. His daughter refused to settle for less, which often brought tears to his eyes. But despite his distress, he had to pull himself together and make arrangements for his daughter. So, while he repeatedly failed in his attempts to win over Song Yue, he also kept an eye out for suitable candidates.

At this moment, he carefully examined Lu Shenyun. He thought that Lu Shenyun came from a noble family, was the emperor's personal guard, was quick-witted and skilled, and although he was somewhat aloof, he was an outstanding talent. Moreover, he was not interested in women and kept himself pure, which was truly rare.

I just don't know how to make him catch my daughter's eye.

After thinking for a moment, the Duke of Dingguo decided against stating his intentions directly and instead preemptively said, "I've heard that old man Marquis Guangping has been searching for a husband for his daughter all the time. That fellow is dishonest. If he goes after Lord Lu, you should think twice." The old man dared to compete with him for Song Yue, so he wouldn't let him get away with it. He wouldn't give him a single good match.

Lu Shenyun was taken aback, not quite understanding what he meant, so he simply said, "Thank you, Duke."

"You're welcome, you're welcome. It's nothing." Duke Dingguo smiled ingratiatingly. "Oh, by the way, I heard that Lord Lu likes to read military strategy books and has some treasured military strategy books at home that you may not have read yet. If you have time, please come and visit me often."

"Your Excellency is too kind. I will pay you a visit when I have time."

"Okay, okay, hurry up and come... I mean, winter is coming soon, it's getting cold."

After leaving the Daming Gate, Lu Shenyun parted ways with the Duke of Dingguo and returned to the Zhenfu Division office.

Huang Yu sat in the hall shelling and eating peanuts, swinging one leg across the other.

Seeing Lu Shenyun return, he peeled a peanut and tossed it to him, saying, "Here you go."

Lu Shenyun deftly grabbed the peanuts, his elbow tracing a graceful arc, and glanced at him. "Finished work? Just waiting to die?"

"Hey, look at what you're saying, it's still so unpleasant." He chuckled as he chewed on a peanut. "I came all this way just to see you back, because I have some news to tell you."

"What?"

"Your savior is injured. He got into an argument with Xu Ge Lao's son, rolled down the stairs, and passed out on the spot." Huang Yu glanced at him. "It's a 'major' matter, and I didn't dare to delay for a moment. My brothers just told me, and I rushed back to tell you immediately."

"Lord Lu, would you like to go and see him?"