Under the arrangement of the beautiful young master, Ji Linxi changed into a servant’s clothes and returned to the place where he lived. Chang Xi dismissed the people in the courtyard. Ji Linxi uttered a word of thanks, quickly pushed open the door, and entered.

With a creak, his back pressed against the door, and Ji Linxi could not wait to take out the ointment from his bosom. Holding it like this, he went to the bed, his eyes carefully admiring it. The ointment box body was already extremely exquisite, inlaid with gold and embedded with jade. Once opened, inside was snow-white cream, which also emitted the fresh fragrance of vegetation.

He took a deep sniff, and then used his fingernail to scrape a small piece and placed it on his hand. With a gentle rub of his fingertip, it melted over the chilblain, and the original itchiness settled down all at once.

It was indeed an excellent thing.

Having only applied it to this one spot, Ji Linxi treasured it deeply and valued it greatly, storing the box away and putting it back into his bosom.

He thought regretfully: With just this one small box, if I use it too quickly, there will be none left. I must keep it longer so that it can be used for remembrance.

Turning his thoughts again, he realized this was the ointment that had been rubbed on the beautiful young master’s hand. The beautiful young master rubbed it, and he rubbed it too; didn’t this mean that the hands of the two of them had intertwined?

Thinking this way, he felt his heart tingling intensely. His hand slipped under the quilt, and he went to work, extremely industrious.

……

Just as Ji Linxi had thought, Young Master Wang, who could not get out of bed, indeed sent someone to look. Hearing the reply from the trusted servant by his side that the arrays had all been set up, his heart immediately eased a lot.

After sleeping for a night, he recovered a bit, but he was not doing much better.

“This matter… don’t tell my father and mother for the time being,” he said, panting heavily.

If his parents knew right now that he had confessed this kind of matter just to avoid bloodletting, they would definitely discipline him harshly after he recovered. It would be better to wait until Daoist Master Chu resolved everything before telling his parents. If that really wouldn’t work, getting rid of Daoist Master Chu as a person would also do; letting the other party walk out of the Wang family mansion carrying such a secret was truly unsettling.

Thinking up to this point, a sinister look flashed through his eyes, and he had already made a decision.

……

As night fell, the front hall was arranged according to Old Master Wang’s orders, and a group of outstandingly beautiful dancers and musicians were also invited. The County Magistrate and Prefect, who had received invitations a day early, also came together to the Wang family mansion, personally welcomed through the door by Madam Wang and the housekeeper.

The two encountered each other. The County Magistrate, whose official rank was lower, stopped his sedan chair first, ordered the sedan carriers to lift it to the side, and himself walked a step faster to the front of the Prefect’s sedan chair to pay respects.

Patting his sleeves with his hands, he bent his waist, bowed, and cupped his hands: “This lower official greets Prefect Song.”

Inside the official sedan chair belonging to the Prefect, Prefect Song showed no joy for attending the banquet. Opposite him sat a master and a servant. The one who was the master wore a cloak and possessed an extraordinary bearing. His complexion had a bit of paleness from illness, yet it still did not conceal his handsome looks. Lowering his eyelashes, he put away the book in his hand, and when he raised his eyes, he was as cold as ice and snow, as bright as the clear moon.

The fake Second Young Master Shen had entered the Wang family.

The real Second Young Master Shen had also come.

This person before his eyes was the real Second Young Master Shen, so who was the Second Young Master Shen sent into the Wang family by the County Magistrate outside?

Prefect Song shuddered.

He dared not guess the possibilities within it.

Not to mention, this real Second Young Master Shen had even brought imperial guards from the palace, only that right now they were all disguised as sedan carriers and servants.

Anyone who could become the Prefect of a prefecture was no fool. After Prefect Song learned that the person in front of him was the real Second Young Master Shen, he wanted to decline the invitation to this Wang family banquet. This way, even if something really happened, he would most likely not be involved in it. However, a single sentence from Second Young Master Shen dispelled his thought: “If Lord Prefect does not go, do you know that the death penalty will be unavoidable?”

Therefore, he could only bite the bullet and bring the people over.

At this moment, the Prefect had already cursed the County Magistrate outside to high heaven in his heart, wishing nothing more than to step out of the sedan chair himself and kick the man flying away.

When you sent the person into the Wang family back then, did you never think to properly verify their identity? The person didn’t look for me, the Prefect, but instead looked for you, a County Magistrate; could it be that you couldn’t see through anything at all?! Idiot!

Seeing that the person had not come out yet, the County Magistrate outside bent his waist again: “Prefect Song?”

Prefect Song had no choice but to lift the sedan curtain and gave a response.

He got off the sedan, and the County Magistrate eagerly sidled up to speak with him. Prefect Song responded cold and detachedly, but unfortunately his subordinate was a foolish one who failed to perceive his intention and kept speaking, until two more people got down from the sedan. Noticing that one of them possessed an extraordinary bearing, he hurriedly inquired: “Prefect Song, this is…?”

Prefect Song was just about to speak when Shen Wenzhi, who was being supported by the servant beside him as he got off the sedan, already opened his mouth: “This humble self is a distant relative of Lord Prefect.”

A single sentence left Prefect Song with nothing more to say.

“So that’s how it is, no wonder the young master looks like a dragon or phoenix among men at first glance,” the County Magistrate immediately complimented.

Shen Wenzhi smiled slightly and did not speak.

Madam Wang came out to welcome them with the housekeeper. Seeing Shen Wenzhi, she also asked a question, and this time Prefect Song could only follow Second Young Master Shen’s words, saying he was his distant relative.

Madam Song looked a couple more times and nodded.

Things having come to this, Prefect Song could only comfort himself, hoping that no accidents would occur during this trip.

Passing through two festooned gates and arriving at the front hall of the Wang family, the Prefect saw at a single glance the two people sitting in the upper-left seats. In front of one person’s table lay a sword, and his appearance was handsome; he must be Yan Shizi. The other person sat even higher up, dressed sumptuously and wearing a snow-colored cloak. Prefect Song took only one look and dared not look further, the feeling of unease in his heart growing stronger.

“Lord Qian, Lord Song,” Old Master Wang came forward to greet them, “Please, take a seat quickly.”

Having said that, he led Prefect Song to the seat below Yan Shizi, while as for the County Magistrate, he had a servant lead him to the middle seat on the right side.

“This gentleman is—” He looked toward Shen Wenzhi.

Hearing Prefect Song say that this was his distant relative, he then arranged for him to sit in the lower seat on the left.

At the banquet, seeing Shen Wenzhi, Yan Huai widened his eyes in disbelief. Just as he was about to speak, his sleeve was tugged by Chu Yu beside him. Yan Huai, who had followed by His Highness’s side as a study partner since childhood, understood His Highness’s meaning, swallowed the words in his throat back down, and pretended not to know Shen Wenzhi at all.

Soon, the banquet began. Old Master Wang sat in the host’s position, raised a cup of wine from afar toward Yan Huai and Chu Yu, and spoke some words of farewell. The banquet commenced, and dancers and singing girls entered one by one to present their arts, presenting an immensely extravagant and pleasure-seeking display.

……

Ji Linxi was naturally not in this banquet. Old Master Wang had also come to ask him, but he was busy doing things for the beautiful young master and carried a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, so he naturally declined politely. Old Master Wang had also inquired with him about the situation at the Gentleman’s Pavilion, and upon learning from his mouth that everything was progressing smoothly, he left reassured.

Completely unaware that his wealth, status, and life were about to come to an end.

While the banquet in the front hall was lively, Ji Linxi was in his room, busy practicing his lines and expressions.

The task the beautiful young master handed to him was precisely to have him suddenly burst in with that girl from yesterday when the banquet proceeded to the sixth quarter of the Xu hour. Right now, there was still half an hour left until the sixth quarter of the Xu hour.

He practiced until he was fluent in front of the mirror, and only then did he go to the courtyard where those women were imprisoned. This time, Ji Linxi was not afraid of anything at all; the beautiful young master had said that as long as he took someone to make a scene at the banquet, he could successfully withdraw after completing the task.

The girl, who had been locked in the woodshed for several days without good food or drink, bit the back of her hand, her eyes completely filled with tension and fear of the unknown.

Will someone really come to save her?

Suddenly, she heard a sound outside.

Chang Xi arrived outside the courtyard. Through the letters passed back and forth, Ji Linxi had learned that girl’s name and told him. The servants stopped him, and he raised his chin, saying, “Our young master told me to come and take Miss Zhao Yun to his place. The young master cannot move in bed right now and wants Miss Zhao Yun to serve him.”

The servants knew he was someone by the young master’s side, and plus Chang Xi was also accompanied by Ji Linxi dressed as a servant, and he even called out the other party’s name, so they did not suspect much.

Chang Xi had never even entered the courtyard; if it weren’t for the young master’s orders, how could he know the other party’s name?

They opened the door of the woodshed and pulled Zhao Yun out with rough movements. Zhao Yun was dragged before Chang Xi with a face full of terror, “What are you going to do?”

Chang Xi [sneered], “What else can we do? Of course, our young master has something he needs you for.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yun struggled forcefully, thinking that everything during the night was a hoax, “No… no!”

Ji Linxi stepped forward to hold her down, “You have to even if you don’t want to, you are nothing but our young master’s plaything.” While speaking fiercely with his mouth, his hand took the opportunity to stuff a slip of paper into Zhao Yun’s hand, and at the same time, he gave Zhao Yun a meaningful look.

Touching the slip of paper, Zhao Yun was startled, and upon receiving Ji Linxi’s look, she immediately understood and stopped resisting.

The two of them brought Zhao Yun out just like that. Once outside, Zhao Yun grabbed Ji Linxi’s hand and said anxiously, “There are other older and younger sisters inside, can we rescue them together too?”

Even though the young girl’s hair was messy and her clothes were full of creases, her face was still extremely elegant and beautiful, yet Ji Linxi, whose hand was being held, was as still as water in his heart, without the slightest romantic or stray thought.

Although he was a lecher, he now already had someone he desired to be lecherous toward. That person occupied his entire heart and mind, and he could no longer spare any remaining thoughts to have his mind swayed by anyone else.

“If you make a scene with us, all of them will be saved,” he said.

“How do we make a scene?”

“In a moment, we will take you to the front hall, where Old Master Wang is hosting a banquet. There are two noble gentlemen from the capital; one’s father is a Marquis, and the other’s is a Grand Tutor. Both of them are kind-hearted people. We will expose the crimes of the Wang family one by one, and you just need to say everything you know.”

“Will they… really save us?”

“They will,” Ji Linxi comforted her. “It was precisely them who told us to come save you and your older and younger sisters, but due to certain reasons, they need to pretend not to know and go along with the flow.”

“Alright!” Zhao Yun bit her teeth and asked again, “Is it true that as long as I say it out, Wang He will receive the punishment he deserves?”

“Young Master Wang,” Ji Linxi laughed, “He is absolutely doomed to die.”

At the banquet in the front hall, Old Master Wang let out a long sigh of relief.

Today was the last day those two ancestors were staying here. As long as today was passed safely, there would be nothing left to worry about. He had kept people watching the Risheng Courtyard these past two days; except for the first day when they had a quarrel and Yan Shizi ran out for a short while, the two noble young masters had stayed inside the courtyard the rest of the time without stepping out the door.

A smile appeared on his face as he admired the beauties’ dancing, and he turned sideways to ask Yan Huai and Chu Yu.

“Do the two young masters fancy any of them? If there is any you fancy, after the banquet ends, I will have them go to present their arts to you privately.”

Yan Huai crisply said there was no need, and added a sentence: “Second Young Master Shen doesn’t need to either.”

Old Master Wang felt regretful for a moment, then focused on admiring the dance. His gaze swept across the faces of these women one by one; it was the gaze of searching for prey. Madam Wang on the side had a stiffened face, her eyes icy cold as she looked at these dancers and singing girls.