"Jinshan, have you seen a box from Shiwei Zhai?" Bu Shulin asked.
Jinshan thought for a moment: "The one with carved wooden peonies?"
"Yes, yes, bring it to me." Bu Shulin nodded.
"I thought it looked exquisite, so I gave it to Cui Shaoqing," Jinshan replied.
Bu Shulin: !!!
Her face flushed with anger as she grabbed Jinshan by the collar: "Who told you to give that to him!"
"I... thought it was pastries..." Jinshan didn't understand why Bu Shulin was so furious.
Bu Shulin slapped her forehead and strode toward the Dali Temple.
Inside were some erotic poems and risqué paintings she had collected in Henan Prefecture, meant for her disreputable friends.
She had found the pastry box from Shiwei Zhai particularly unique—when opened, there was a hidden compartment beneath where the pastries were stored. Since she couldn't directly gift such items (if her family found out, she'd surely get a beating), she had hidden them in the compartment.
She had planned to personally deliver them with subtle hints, but upon her return, Shen Xihe immediately brought Xie Yunhuai to detoxify her. Then this embarrassing incident occurred—she had forgotten about the box of pastries. Among all the things she brought back, why did Jinshan have to pick that particular box?
Bu Shulin rushed to the Dali Temple, only to learn that Cui Jinbai had already returned home. She charged straight to the Cui residence.
Cui Jinbai wasn't on duty today. Usually, he would review old case files at the Dali Temple, but Bu Shulin had irritated him so much he couldn't focus, so he went home early. Upon arriving, his attendant set down the local souvenirs and quietly withdrew.
Cui Jinbai didn't understand why he felt so unsettled—perhaps Bu Shlin had reminded him of past grievances. He and Xie Yunhuai were close in age and often compared since childhood. Xie Yunhuai was exceptionally handsome, smooth-tongued, and well-liked.
Cui Jinbai, mature for his years, was consistently taciturn and fell short of Xie Yunhuai in every way. He had held grudges as a child, but as he grew older, he let them go—people have different strengths, and with his current magnanimity, he wouldn't bother with such trivialities.
He had thought himself broad-minded, with old grievances long forgotten. Yet today, when mentioned, he still felt displeased. It seemed his self-cultivation was insufficient. Cui Jinbai picked up The Doctrine of the Mean to read.
Whenever his mind was troubled, Cui Jinbai could always calm himself by reading The Doctrine of the Mean. This time was no exception.
After settling his thoughts, Cui Jinbai noticed the bundle nearby. Remembering it, he got up and unwrapped it. On top was the pastry box from Shiwei Zhai. He didn't particularly like pastries, but this old establishment was a favorite of his mother.
Thinking of something, Cui Jinbai's expression softened. He opened the box and was greeted by a book titled The Doctrine of the Mean. He paused in slight surprise, then a faint smile touched his lips—until he flipped it open and saw the explicit illustrations. He snapped the book shut with a sharp slap, his face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Disgraceful! Utterly disgraceful!
"Cui Shitou, Cui Shitou..." At that moment, Bu Shulin came charging in, ignoring the servants' attempts to stop her and too impatient to wait for an announcement.
Cui Jinbai calmly covered the Shiwei Zhai box. As Bu Shulin entered, she happened to see him turning away.
She rushed forward and saw the opened bundle with the Shiwei Zhai pastry box on top. She grinned awkwardly: "That... the gift was given to the wrong person. One box of pastries was entrusted to me by someone else. I only bought one box and didn't want to break my promise. I'll... get you another box another day."As she spoke, she lunged for the pastry box, but Cui Jinbai pressed it down with a backhanded slap. "Who entrusted this to you?"
"Ding Jue, the third son of the Northern Garrison Marquis' household."
Ding Jue had always been close friends with Bu Shulin. When Shen Xihe arrived in the capital, Ding Jue's elder brother Ding Zhi was manipulated by the Xuanping Marquis' household to target Shen Xihe. Unexpectedly, Shen Xihe resolved the situation effortlessly. The Northern Garrison Marquis' household felt grateful to Shen Xihe, and when Ding Jue learned that Bu Shulin was on good terms with Shen Xihe, their friendship grew even stronger.
"You two seem quite close," Cui Jinbai remarked with a vague tone of mockery.
"Of course, we're sworn friends who've been through life and death," Bu Shulin declared, prying Cui Jinbai's hand away and taking the food box.
Cui Jinbai didn't stop her. She thought the matter was over, but the next day, when she delivered the items to the Ding residence, Ding Jue wept, "My father is sending me to the Dali Temple."
"What crime did you commit?" Bu Shulin's first thought was that he must have done something heinous, and the Northern Garrison Marquis was righteously disowning him.
"Can't you wish me well?" Ding Jue fumed. "I don't know where he heard that the Dali Temple has an opening, but he's tired of me idling around all day. He says he doesn't expect me to achieve greatness—he just hopes I'll learn how to be a proper person at the Dali Temple."
As if he weren't already a person and needed to go to the Dali Temple to become one.
"Just fake an illness and refuse. You're best at pretending to be sick," Bu Shulin suggested. If it were a position that could be filled directly, it couldn't be an important one.
"I can't. The Dali Temple has already issued the document. I'm officially registered there. If I don't go, my father says it's a crime of deceiving the emperor. He'll personally kneel before His Majesty to confess and request punishment, so our whole family can be exiled." Ding Jue looked utterly defeated. "My father said I either learn at the Dali Temple or learn on the road to exile..."
Bu Shulin stifled a laugh. "Your father is ruthless."
"I envy you—your father isn't around, so you don't have to act subservient every day." Ding Jue's greatest envy was undoubtedly reserved for Bu Shulin.
What did it matter to be a hostage in the capital? She enjoyed fine wine and good food, claimed illness to avoid duties every day, and His Majesty never bothered her. Plus, she had endless wealth. Not like him! His monthly allowance was a mere ten strings of coins, and even his mother's subsidies felt like stealing.
Every trip to the pleasure quarters had to be done stealthily. If his father found out, it meant another beating.
Bu Shulin winked at him.
"Is your eye twitching? Should I call a doctor for you?" Ding Jue asked with concern.
Bu Shulin wanted to warn him, but meeting the stern gaze of the Northern Garrison Marquis standing behind Ding Jue, she chose silence.
The Northern Garrison Marquis was the General of the Golden Guard, and she belonged to the Golden Guard too.
"I... I'm fine," Bu Shulin murmured. "I'm leaving."
"A Lin, don't go! You have no idea how miserable I've been since you left. I'm starting to suspect my father picked up the wrong child—he doesn't treat me like a son at all. If I were someone else's son, he should just tell me, so I can go find my real parents... Ah!"
Before Ding Jue could finish, a kick to his calf sent him kneeling with a thud. Bu Shulin immediately tossed out a "Farewell" and fled.
From afar, she could still hear Ding Jue's wails and the Northern Garrison Marquis' furious shouts.
Feeling guilty for her earlier lack of loyalty, Bu Shulin went to find Cui Jinbai to see if he could get Ding Jue removed from the post. Someone as unambitious as Ding Jue would be happier remaining a ne'er-do-well.
"No," Cui Jinbai flatly refused."Don't be so unreasonable. Ding Jue is neither accomplished in literary pursuits nor martial arts—he would only cause trouble if he came to the Dali Temple," Bu Shulin pleaded earnestly.
"Organizing case files requires neither literary nor martial accomplishments. Basic literacy is sufficient," Cui Jinbai replied coldly.
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