Qingchen wanted to say something more, but Han Yuanshu had already lowered his head and said, "Get out of here."

He disagreed, so she had no choice but to say goodbye and leave.

Perhaps she hadn't studied the information carefully enough, which was why she couldn't impress him. She needed to prepare more thoroughly and find a way to persuade him. Thinking this, Qingchen went to borrow a few more books from the steward.

Before leaving, she casually reminded the steward that a stove should be provided for Han Yuanshu.

The steward quickly brought the lit stove into Han Yuanshu's room.

"Lord Han hasn't let us into the house these past few days, and I was negligent, forgetting that you don't have a stove here," the steward said while stirring the charcoal. "Fortunately, Shen Qingchen reminded me."

Upon hearing this name, Han Yuanshu frowned slightly, put down his pen, and continued, "That day, after I scolded him, he was resentful and tried to prove his abilities to me. Does he even have the ability...?"

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at the burning stove and said disdainfully, "If you have any talent, it's probably just the ability to flatter."

Shen Qingchen returned to the Observation Room with the books in her arms. Only Gu Shaoheng was in the room; Xu Silin was nowhere to be found.

When the curtain was lifted, a gust of cold wind rushed into the room, making Gu Shaoheng shiver. "Judging from your appearance... Lord Han didn't agree?"

Qingchen nodded. "Mm."

"But I scolded you again?"

"Um."

"That weirdo!"

"Shaoheng," Qingchen reminded him, "keep your voice down."

Gu Shaoheng got excited, took off his collar and put it aside, and said excitedly, "Listen to me..."

Han Yuanshu was born into a wealthy family in Jiangnan and was the eldest son of the main wife. However, after he entered the capital to serve as an official, he lived a very simple life. At first, people thought he was pretending to be poor, but later they found out that he was really poor.

In his early years, he used his family fortune to build houses, temples, and roads. Once a project was completed, he would let people live there for free before moving on to the next one. Later, he had a big fight with his father over these things, and he never returned home, stopped contacting his family, and even abandoned his betrothed. He went to the capital alone. By chance, he met Song Yue, who was then serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Song Yue made an exception and appointed him as a principal officer in the Ministry of Works.

The Ming Dynasty had strict social etiquette, and it was usually the fathers who didn't acknowledge their sons. It was really strange that he, as a son, refused to acknowledge his father, who was also a wealthy man.

What's even stranger is that this man has a fiery temper, frequently uses foul language, and doesn't care about his appearance. His slovenliness is notorious and has even reached the emperor's ears. At that time, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs conveyed the emperor's edict, telling him to pay attention to his appearance, at least his official robes shouldn't look like prison garb.

He replied, "Who says my official robes are dirty? I think they are much cleaner than the fine clothes of many officials."

His chin was so sharp and hard that it could probably clash with an imperial sword.

Because of this personality, he offended many people in the court. At first, everyone was angry with him, but later they felt that being angry was pointless and simply kept their distance. They thought he was hopeless and gave up on him completely.

Listening to Gu Shaoheng's description, Qingchen recalled that the man had probably called her "idle person" three times, "useless" twice, and "get lost" several times. However, she still felt that this person resembled a certain type of person.

Dressed in rags, acting on impulse, coming and going as he pleased, unrestrained and free-spirited... Beneath the exterior of that down-on-his-luck nobleman lies a fearless and upright heart, filled with concern for the common people.

Like a knight-errant.

“There aren’t many ‘disobedient’ people left in this court. Han Yuanshu is definitely in the top three.” Gu Shaoheng glanced at the lattice door and, seeing that Xu Silin had not yet returned, said, “Although the Ministry of Works has a low level of order, there are quite a few lucrative positions. In key positions, they will definitely put their own people in. What’s rare is that Grand Secretary Xu has been able to let him stay until now.”

Since it's a complete corruption operation, every step must be meticulous. Han Yuanshu is like a white piece surrounded by black pieces, yet he hasn't been captured. This lonely little man, even when surrounded, isn't afraid and can still open his mouth to mock...

"The official in charge of the Ministry of Works before him was dismissed after less than two months in office because he was out of touch with reality..." Gu Shaoheng had a knowing look on his face.

Qingchen nodded, her gaze involuntarily falling on Xu Silin's desk.

On it were his silver fur collar, fox fur earmuffs, brocade gloves, and a set of expensive writing implements—things that ordinary people couldn't afford.

His surname is Xu, and he has been influenced by Xu Yan since childhood. If he wants to make great strides in his official career, he will probably have to rely on the Xu faction. Right now, he is just a small stream, but one day he will merge into the vast ocean of the Xu faction.

Because he was born on the same path as them, a path that ran through his entire life, and he had no other way to go.

Qingchen frowned as he thought about it.

"What are you thinking about?" Gu Shaoheng asked when he saw her lost in thought.

"I'm thinking about Xu Silin."

"He'll get his turn sooner or later..."

Just then, Xu Silin walked in, and Gu Shaoheng immediately shut up.

Xu Silin entered the room and saw that they seemed to be whispering something. He glanced at the two of them indifferently and then silently sat back down in his seat.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Gu Shaoheng could only try to ease the awkwardness by saying, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you all morning."

"Nowhere."

Actually, Xu Silin had just gone to find Lin Mo and Luo Yuanhao.

These days, because of the word "submission," he couldn't help but glance at her profile when she was reading, and he couldn't help staring at her back when she left the house. Sometimes he wondered, what if Shen Qingchen really was a woman? How would he then make her submit? In the end, he just shook his head, blaming himself for overthinking.

Xu Silin went to find Lin Mo and Luo Yuanhao, actually to seek inspiration. These two had voluntarily submitted and might be able to offer something.

On a freezing day, the three of them huddled at the entrance of the outhouse. After listening to two people spout a bunch of nonsense, Xu Silin was about to curse. Before leaving, Lin Mo said quietly, "Personal charm."

On his way back to the Ministry of Works, Xu Silin kept thinking about those four words. Because he wasn't wearing a collar, the cold wind blew straight into his collar. He didn't feel cold, but he felt that the four words were a bit novel and mysterious, but they had entered his mind.

Charm... but I don't know what kind of charm he needs to possess to be liked by that person.

"oh."

Seeing that Xu Silin only uttered three words, Gu Shaoheng didn't bother with him anymore and turned to Qingchen, saying, "I've been studying the records these past two days and have discovered some problems, but I need to go to the Registrar's Office to find the books first. Aren't you going to help Lord Han repair the dike? Perhaps this will be helpful to you. Wait for me!" After saying that, he went to the Registrar's Office.

As I went out, the curtain was rolled up, and the fire in the stove flickered.

Only the two of them remained inside.

Xu Silin was dressed in a light blue winter robe, holding a sleeve warmer in one hand and flipping through books with the other. After a while, he stopped and asked, "Did you go to see Lord Han?"

Qingchen paused for a moment, then looked up at him and said, "Yes."

“I just passed by his cell and overheard him.” He looked up and met her gaze. “You wanted to go to Huairou to see the embankment, but he didn’t agree.”

"Hmm." Qingchen shifted her gaze back to the book.

Since she stopped dwelling on the issue of gender, Xu Silin had acted like a normal classmate. Now, these words made her wonder if he had finally snapped and was trying to ridicule her after she had met with resistance.

“I can help you.” After a moment of silence, he said calmly, his dark eyes looking at her. “I have a way to get you there, and you can go today.”

Qingchen paused, somewhat disbelieving her ears, and looked up, "Why are you helping me?"

His eyelashes fluttered, and his hand unconsciously reached out to stroke the fur collar on the table. "It's not just about helping you; you have to help me too."

"Hmm?" Qingchen put down her pen and looked at him.

"Han Yuanshu doesn't give face to anyone. I'm not good at these things in the Ministry of Works, so you can help me write the evaluation report. By the way, if you win his favor this time, say a few words for me."

Qingchen listened without saying a word, somewhat puzzled that he would care about the performance evaluation of the officials. Even if he did nothing, the doors of the cabinet remained open for him after the meeting.

Seeing her hesitate, he continued, "We're each getting what we need, so neither of us owes the other anything. The dike repair can't be delayed. There are hundreds of thousands of people in Huairou County, so much farmland. If, unfortunately, the flood season comes early next year..." He spoke each word slowly and calmly, his eyes fixed on her, the faint glow of the stove reflected in his dark pupils.

Qingchen was somewhat persuaded by his words. She pursed her lips and asked, "What's your plan? Lord Han won't allow me to take leave, and I can't be absent without a reason. Besides, even if I take a carriage to Huairou, it will take most of the day to go there and back. It's already this late, how can I go today?"

Seeing that she was already somewhat interested, Xu Silin's excitement surged. He walked up to her, leaned on her desk with one hand, and looked down at her. "Simple."

Qingchen was startled by his actions, and recalling how he had lifted her chin, she leaned back involuntarily.

“It’s too late to go by carriage.” He looked down to find her gaze, his tone certain with a hint of pride. “But if we go by horse, it won’t take more than two hours to go and back. After we finish our duty this afternoon, I… you can set off immediately. It shouldn’t be dark when we get to Huairou. After you’ve finished looking around, it will be late afternoon at the latest, just in time to get home before curfew.”

Qingchen had forgotten that he came from a wealthy family, and his household naturally had no shortage of fine horses. Huairou wasn't too far, and the horses had enough stamina. If it were a truly fast horse, it could indeed save a lot of time going back and forth. His method... was feasible.

"Can you ride a horse?" Xu Silin asked.

Qingchen wasn't very good at riding horses. Her second uncle had made her practice a few times because she was to ride a horse through the streets when she passed the imperial examination. However, she could only ride slowly and dared not ride fast. She could never control a thoroughbred horse running at high speed.

She shook her head. "I'm not very good at riding horses..."

Looking at her slender figure, Xu Silin had already guessed what was going on. "It's alright, I have plenty of servants who can ride horses. You just need to sit. This afternoon I'll have someone bring the horse to the outside of the Daming Gate. After you finish your duty, go to the outside of the Daming Gate to find him, and then set off immediately."

Having suffered a setback with Han Yuanshu, Shen Qingchen couldn't very well ask her second uncle for leave again after her trip to Tongzhou. She was originally worried about how to go see the dam, but unexpectedly, someone immediately offered to let her go. Moreover, he had arranged all the details. As long as she could walk to Daming Gate, the trip would immediately become a reality... This sudden and unexpected trip made her a little excited.

"It'll be a bit cold riding a horse." Xu Silin glanced out the window, then turned back and continued, "But it's the only way. Are you worried about the cold and don't want to go?"

Qingchen immediately shook her head. As long as they could see the dam as soon as possible, a little cold didn't matter. Her only concern was her status as a woman; riding a horse with a man would be somewhat inconvenient. But upon closer inspection, she realized that she was wearing many layers in winter, and she could simply place her bundle between them without the rider noticing.

Seeing that Qingchen's gaze had lost focus again, Xu Silin tapped her desk with his fingers. "Then it's settled. Get ready, I'll go and arrange this in a bit."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the house. As the curtain was lifted, Qingchen couldn't help but call out, "...Wait."

He turned around, sunlight falling on half of his handsome face. "What's wrong? Do you have a better idea?"

After hesitating for a moment, Qingchen shook her head. "No."

"Okay, let's get ready then."

In the afternoon, before the end of the shift, Xu Silin disappeared.

Qingchen couldn't calm down, and had already packed her bag early in the morning. When it was time to leave duty, she hesitated for a moment, then picked up her bag and went out.

The weather was pretty good today; it was cloudy in the morning but cleared up in the afternoon. However, the sun was already setting in the west.

When she arrived outside the Daming Gate, Qingchen looked around and saw many carriages, but no one riding a horse. She walked a little further and suddenly heard someone calling her from behind.

She turned around and saw a magnificent black horse slowly approaching from behind.

The man on horseback wore a blue winter robe with a silver fur collar around his neck. The setting sun cast a soft halo around him.

He rode slowly to her side, bent down, and extended his hand to her. "Get on!"