"But Princess Sheng An is different. They may look down on her, but they can't best her. All they can do is talk behind her back."
"They talk behind her back?"
Yun Chuhuan stole a glance at Yun Shu, then chuckled mischievously.
"What did they say? Come on, tell me."
"Oh, things like the princess has a bad temper and an even worse personality. Arrogant, domineering, the usual. That her whole talk about freedom in marriage is just because no one wants to marry her anyway. Anyone with half-decent prospects wouldn't want to be her consort."
The simple-minded young lord mulled it over, then added with grave sincerity,
"Oh, and they say she's violent and crude too!"
Yun Shu blinked. "What?"
Yun Chuhuan also looked stunned. "What??"
"Who's your elder brother, exactly?"
Mind you, it had been Yun Chuhuan who'd harbored a mischievous urge to hear what others said behind his Fifth Sister's back. But now, faced with this nonsense, even he couldn't keep a straight face.
"Even if you want to insult someone, at least keep it realistic. Since when has Princess Sheng An ever been violent or crude?"
"What do you know, you brat?"
The simple-minded young lord gave a derisive snort.
"Remember that heir from Bei Xiang? The one who came with the diplomatic envoy last year? Ever heard the story? They say Princess Sheng An struck in one swift motion, and now that heir can only relieve himself while squatting."
Yun Chuhuan's eyes widened in horror.
Though the incident with the heir from Bei Xiang had caused quite a stir at the time, Yun Chuhuan had been too young to be told the details. Until now, he had no idea how the injury had actually occurred.
Now, hearing it straight from the mouth of this bumbling young noble, he slowly turned to look at Yun Shu, his expression torn between awe and disbelief.
"Wait, seriously?"
Yun Shu gave him a long, unreadable look.
"Of course it's true!" said the young lord, still watching the Tian Waitian Restaurant. He hadn't even noticed Yun Chuhuan's shift in expression. Assuming the question was directed at him, he answered readily,
"Though to be fair, the heir from Bei Xiang started the trouble. I mean, sure, what the princess did was violent, but it was also... kind of satisfying. Oh! My brother! He's here! Hahaha, he just ran into that fellow from the Wang family. What a riot!"
"Your brother is Ji Yongxing?"
Following his gaze, Yun Shu raised a brow.
"So you're a young master from the Marquis Xuanping's household?"
"You know my brother?"
He'd snuck out to watch his brother make a fool of himself, only to unexpectedly run into someone who actually knew Ji Yongxing. His expression shifted rapidly from amusement to caution.
"You're also friends with my brother?"
"I wouldn't say friends. We've crossed paths a couple of times."
Yun Shu gave a faint smile.
"But I don't believe I've ever seen you before."
"I'm a concubine-born son. Of course I'm not the same as him."
Realizing Yun Shu didn't seem particularly close to his brother, the young lord visibly relaxed. Then he scoffed.
"As far as my father's concerned, Ji Yongxing might as well be his only son. The rest of us are just excess baggage."
"Then your father's judgment is sorely lacking. I find you far more amusing than your brother."
Yun Shu's tone was light.
"What's your name?"
"Ji Yongtian."
Caught off guard by the rare praise, Ji Yongtian blurted out his name before thinking twice. He quickly narrowed his eyes.
"Why are you asking? You're not going to tattle to my brother, are you?"
"What would there be to tattle about?"
Yun Shu couldn't follow his logic. She tilted her chin and nodded toward Tian Waitian.
"Didn't you come here for the spectacle? Why not head inside to Xianting for a better view?"
"But only the tribute scholars who passed the examination are allowed in there, aren't they?"
Ji Yongtian froze. His eyes darted between Yun Shu and Yun Chuhuan, and then a realization seemed to strike. He gasped and covered his mouth in shock.
"You... you, you, you..."
Ah, so he was finally putting the pieces together.
Yun Shu looked at him with interest. Yun Chuhuan straightened up proudly.
And then came the punchline, delivered in a high-pitched squeak of disbelief—
"You're just a little brat! And you passed the tribute exam?!"
Yun Chuhuan stared blankly.
Yun Shu sighed. She had overestimated this one.
Shaking her head, she stepped out from the shadows.
"Forget it. Stay if you want."
"Wait, I never said I wouldn't go!"
Startled by her abrupt departure, Ji Yongtian hesitated for a moment, then couldn't resist the temptation to see what was happening inside. He hitched up his robes and ran after her.
"I was just worried we wouldn't be allowed in!"
"Don't worry. My sister is on good terms with the Tang family's eldest daughter. We'll get in."
Maybe it was Ji Yongtian's goofy charm, but Yun Chuhuan seemed eager to keep him around. Grinning, he added helpfully,
"Worst case, we can sneak in disguised as waiters."
"Waiters? Really?"
Ji Yongtian's eyes lit up.
"I want in! I definitely don't want my brother spotting me."
"Avoiding your brother's easy. They'll be handing out masks and cloaks at the entrance."
From the front, Yun Shu's voice floated back casually.
"With your face and clothes covered, who's going to recognize anyone?"
"Masks and cloaks?"
Even Yun Chuhuan hadn't heard about that. He widened his eyes.
"How are we supposed to recognize anyone then?"
"That's the point."
Yun Shu glanced up at the sky, her expression unreadable.
She hadn't initially planned for this kind of setup. But after she'd described Xianting to her Imperial Father, he'd become so intrigued that he insisted on seeing it for himself.
What was meant to be a carefree poetry gathering had now turned into a covert imperial outing. With the Emperor present, who could truly relax?
Yun Shu clenched her teeth and came up with a plausible excuse on the fly.
"Everyone wants today's poetry contest prize. Masks and cloaks keep things fair. No one can use their status to pressure others. Everyone competes on equal ground."
"But..."
But if someone did want to abuse their status, wouldn't they just announce who they were anyway?
Yun Chuhuan scratched his head. It felt like his brain was trying to grow.
As they rounded the back of Tian Waitian on their way to Xianting, they happened to witness an iconic scene.
Ji Yongtian's elder brother had just run into the Wang family's young master—and both were now awkwardly facing off with yet another man, the one who had once loudly proclaimed that anyone who showed up today would be a dog.
All three stood frozen, expressions strained to the limit.
"Brother Ji, Brother Wang, fancy meeting you here."
"Hahaha, yes, what a coincidence. Perhaps... we should dine together?"