"Did Master foresee my situation today, which is why he sent you to help me?"

The waiter brought over the freshly brewed tea and placed it on the table next to her.

She lifted the lid and set it aside to let the tea cool down a bit before drinking it.

Upon seeing this, Feng Ziyi's expression darkened. "Your habit is just like my master's."

Shu Yun smiled and said, "Otherwise, how could we become friends?"

"As for the situation you mentioned, your master isn't... a god. How could she possibly be so prescient as to foresee your current predicament? Like your master, I'm not very good at the cunning tactics of the imperial court."

"That……"

“Your master said you are kind-hearted, but too stubborn. He is always worried about you and asked me to guide you when necessary.”

“So that’s how it is,” Feng Ziyi said, his voice low and somber. “We are in a chaotic world right now, and the Lan Dynasty is teetering on the brink of collapse. Local lords are ruling their own territories, wars are raging everywhere, and the people are suffering.”

"No wonder your master is worried about you. Your personality is too gentle, and you care about the people. In this chaotic world where heroes are vying for power, it is easy for you to go down a dark path. If you really care about the suffering of the people, then you should see the general trend of the world. A good bird chooses a good tree, and a wise minister chooses a good lord to serve."

Shu Yun picked up the teacup, the steam obscuring her eyes and brows. She blew on the floating tea leaves and took a sip.

He put down the teacup without any expression; it was bitter and astringent, and tasted terrible.

Feng Ziyi stared at her blankly, as if he could see her clear, bright eyes through the wisps of smoke. For a moment when she said those words, he seemed to see the image of his own master.

“What you said is exactly the same as what my master wrote to me before he passed away.”

Shu Yun raised an eyebrow, and the camellia flower at the corner of her eye, drawn with an extremely fine and tiny detail, came to life with her movement. "Great minds think alike."

The Wang family hosted a banquet, and invitations were delivered by servants to many prominent families in the capital. The invitations clearly stated that it was for their grandson's one-month celebration.

Such a grand celebration was held for a single month's baby, inviting princes and nobles, decorating with lanterns and colorful streamers, and announcing it everywhere.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Wang family is now an all-powerful family in the imperial court. Memorials impeaching the Wang family are presented to the emperor of Lan Dynasty every day, but the emperor has never taken any action.

The civil officials, who had devoted themselves to the country, continued to impeach the royal family day after day until they received a satisfactory answer, and openly criticized the royal family's extravagance and waste during court sessions.

The political climate in the imperial court was turbulent, but that did not prevent the powerful families in the capital from interacting with the royal family. The royal family was a big target, but as long as the emperor did not take action, the royal family would remain the powerful family that held sway over the court. At this time, it would be a loss to provoke the royal family.

Originally, Feng Ziyi's official rank was not high enough for this banquet, but Feng Ziyi, who was not favored by the powerful families who protected each other, was a useful talent in the eyes of the emperor. The Wang family did not dare to openly only invite nobles, so they dragged some scholars from poor families along as a fig leaf to cover up the situation.

Even though everyone saw through the Wang family's intentions, at least the Wang family invited other people, so on the surface it wasn't considered forming cliques or engaging in factionalism.

When the invitation arrived at Jiangyuan, Jiang Yan was brewing tea. He took out the lotus dew buried under the osmanthus tree in the garden, added some bamboo leaves and green tangerines, and the tea tasted refreshing and sweet.

Jiang Yan took a small sip. This taste was sure to be loved by that person. The flavor was even better than that of Peach Blossom Spring in Pingyang.

As he sipped his tea, he flipped through the Wang family's invitations. To him, a leisurely man from the capital, was to receive such an invitation; the Wang family truly extended invitations to all the poor scholars in the land.

As soon as Ke Min entered, he smelled the delicate aroma of tea, which was different from the other teas and had a hint of sweetness.

"I heard the Wang family sent an invitation. Will you decline again, Master?"

Jiang Yan's slender fingertips gently traced the words on the invitation. Recalling the Wang family's behind-the-scenes actions, a hint of sarcasm appeared in his eyes. "No, this time we should pay a visit to the Wang family."

He closed the invitation, and a tiny white petal swirled in through the window and landed on his finger that was covering the invitation.

Ke Min glanced at the hands. On the festive red invitation, the hands were fair and slender. After the petals fell, it was hard to tell whether the flowers were whiter or the hands were whiter.

These are the hands that stir up trouble in the chaotic and treacherous hell of the world, leading them and their followers to lie dormant in the darkness, waiting for the day they will break through the soil.

The petals were a little cool, and felt refreshingly cold on my hand. The pear tree outside the window, which had been covered in white blossoms after the rainstorm, now had only a few left, looking desolate and forlorn.

Though fallen to the ground and crushed into dust, its fragrance remains unchanged.

"You come when we tell you to. People are restless at banquets like this, and it's easy to see some hidden clues, which will help us figure out the relationships between the people inside and outside the banquet hall."

Shu Yun looked at Feng Ziyi, whose face was ashen, and felt a deep disappointment in him.

With a dark and sullen face, he wasted his handsome face. With his gentle and refined temperament and excellent looks, he might have been able to flirt with the young ladies of noble families and get some information out of them.

Upon hearing her words, Feng Ziyi nodded in understanding, "I see."

But he couldn't help but tense up.

Never mind, this is normal in other people's eyes.

Shu Yun put on the veil that Feng Ziyi had prepared for her. A layer of white chiffon gauze hung straight down around the brim, obscuring her beautiful face. The length was just past her shoulders.

Her appearance is too striking; if she were to stay by Feng Ziyi's side, it might bring him unnecessary trouble. It would be better for her to conceal her appearance.

"arrive."

The coachman called out a reminder from outside the sedan chair.

Feng Ziyi bent down and got off the carriage first, then stood by the carriage and helped Shu Yun down.

Really on the road.

The more Shu Yun looked at Feng Ziyi, the more pleasing he found to be during his tribulation period compared to the Feng Ziyi who usually brought his family to Penglai to freeload.

The Wang family truly lives up to its reputation as the most prominent and influential family in the capital. Their mansion is magnificent and resplendent, with a building every five steps and a pavilion every ten, winding corridors, and soaring eaves.

In the backyard, there are large, blooming begonias, stretching as far as the eye can see, with butterflies fluttering among the blossoms, a truly beautiful sight. They also spend a fortune cultivating precious green chrysanthemums, which are sent to the palace as tribute every year.

The banquet arranged by the Wang family was not the same as the traditional flowing water; it was a banquet style called "winding stream banquet." Men and women sat together along both sides of a water feature, while servants served water and dishes to each other.

Someone noticed Feng Ziyi taking his seat and whispered to the person next to them, "Why is he here? The Wang family actually invited him?"

The person beside him had no grudge against Feng Ziyi. He glanced at the Wang family's surprised expression when they saw the newcomer and explained objectively, "Not only did he invite other scholars from humble backgrounds, but the Wang family probably didn't expect that this person would actually come."