Chapter 2 — The Fox Spirit Grand Preceptor Comes to Repay His Debt

It finally dawned on me that Ye Tianmiao had emerged completely unscathed, while I had utterly disgraced myself before the foreign envoys and fallen for the cheap tricks of Master Huaitang. Dazed and humiliated, I was escorted off the high platform by a pair of palace maids, still swallowed up in a Daoist robe that was several sizes too large for my frame. As we crossed the imperial garden, I tripped miserably over my own hem and sprawled flat on my face. Burdened by a weight far too heavy for my tender years, I pressed my face against the cold earth and wept aloud, completely unrestrained.

It feels rather unjust, does it not, to realize you have been so thoroughly deceived?

A voice drifted down from above. I let out a muffled, tear-clogged hum, only to look up and find the strikingly handsome face of Ye Tianmiao hovering right before me. In my eyes at that moment, he possessed nothing less than a pair of deceitful fox tails, though otherwise, he resembled an ordinary mortal. Yet, stubborn resentment flared anew. I heaved myself up from the dust, wiped away the traces of tears, and prepared to storm off. With a soft, lingering sigh, he reached out and scooped me up into his arms with the effortless ease of lifting a stray kitten.

Unhand me, you wretched spirit, you cunning fox!

I thrashed about with all my might, desperate to break free from his enclosure. Driven to absolute fury, I bared my teeth and clamped them down hard upon his forearm. He merely looked down at me with an amused expression, as though humoring a little puppy snapping blindly at the air. With his free hand, he slowly uncurled his palm. There, resting in the center, was the very pouch of silver that Master Huaitang had swindled from me. That this wicked fox should return good for evil was something I had never anticipated. Could it be that I had misjudged him all this time? Perhaps, in his own strange way, he was a benevolent spirit. It was the first time in my life I seriously doubted my own judgment. Yet this fragile epiphany barely lasted three seconds before his infuriated voice shattered the illusion.

The spirits are real, but the monk was a charlatan. Consider this silver returned to its rightful owner. Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess would do well to hold onto it more tightly in the future, lest she be so easily duped again.

Every word he uttered dripped with mockery at my expense. Indignant fury surged through me, and I bit down harder on his arm, determined to grind this ancient fox to dust. Dismissing my pathetic milk-teeth with absolute disdain, Ye Tianmiao simply carried me back to the State Preceptor's manor and gently tended to the scrapes I had suffered from my fall, his touch surprisingly tender. Realizing I was still too young and powerless to outwit this cunning creature, I concluded that discretion was the better part of valor. My time would be better spent focusing on my studies and securing a virtuous husband—that alone was the righteous path. My sights were firmly set on the annual Flower Appreciation Banquet. Each year, the capital celebrated this grand festival to crown the most beloved young gentleman, and maidens were permitted to cast their delicate floral branches at whichever nobleman captured their fancy. Should one catch his eye, a sweet romance might well blossom from that very moment. According to my intelligence, Qin Baichuan frequented the moat every year during this festival to set adrift floating lanterns in memory of his grandfather, the late general who had perished at the distant frontiers. Picture the scene: beneath the silvery moonlight and blooming flowers, a melancholic youth mourning his departed kin. If I were to approach him with tender sympathy and pour out my devotion, surely even a heart of stone would melt. In my mind's eye, I could already picture Qin Baichuan gathering me into his arms and murmuring my name, So-so. But the moment we reached the palace gates, our carriage was abruptly intercepted. Ye Tianmiao calmly boarded my carriage.

His Majesty remarked that the imperial city is far too crowded and bustling today, and commanded this minister to ensure the absolute safety of Her Royal Highness.

I froze into a statue upon the spot. It was bad enough that Ye Tianmiao made a daily sport of bullying me. Today, I was embarking on a critical mission to bestow my floral branch upon Qin Baichuan and secure him as my future imperial consort. Why on earth must I drag Ye Tianmiao along? Was he intending to act as a witness to my romance?

By the time the carriage rumbled into the bustling main avenue, I had still failed to shake off this persistent fox. The moment we stepped down, our striking pairing of a handsome man and a delicate maiden instantly drew the gazes of the surrounding crowd. As we paused to purchase a floral branch, the kindly old vendor beamed and teased us.

You must keep a tight watch on your young master, my lady, lest some other maiden sweeps him away.

My hands froze mid-gesture, and I hastily raised my voice for all to hear.

Good mother, this is merely my elder brother. If you know of any fine young ladies, you are quite welcome to introduce them to him.

Oh my, brother and sister? How my old eyes deceive me!

The nearby maidens, who had already been lingering with hungry, predatory gazes fixed on Ye Tianmiao, instantly surged forward the moment they heard we were mere siblings.

Young master, young master, take my flower!

Please accept mine, noble sir!

Young master...

Watching Ye Tianmiao become completely swallowed up by an enthusiastic mob of admirers, a wave of wicked satisfaction washed over me, and I seized the opportunity to slip away. I sprinted through two winding alleys, and only when I was certain no one was trailing me did I halt, gasping for breath, and made a direct dash for the moat. I had arrived far too early, well before the appointed hour for releasing the lanterns. The wind blowing across the water was biting and fierce, and clad as I was in a single layer of gossamer silk, I shivered violently from the cold. As the ink of night finally bled across the sky, Qin Baichuan arrived precisely on schedule. His arms were already laden with numerous floral branches, no doubt gifts pressed upon him by admirers along the way. After he silently set a floating lantern adrift upon the murky waters of the moat and gazed out into the distance with a profoundly lonely expression, I stepped softly to his side and murmured his name.

Young General Qin.