After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

A day later, the group arrived safely in Danzhou Prefecture.

Gan Cai'er chose a luxurious inn to stay in. Since her rebirth, she had never traveled this far before, and her back was about to break after sitting in the carriage for a day.

Upon entering the room, she practically collapsed onto the bed, too lazy to even wash up, and just wanted to go to sleep.

"You must be tired from your journey, take a good rest," Lan Tingzhou said.

"Aren't you going to rest?" Gan Cai'er asked in surprise.

She saw Lan Tingzhou take out an outer robe to change into, as if he was about to go out.

"I made plans to have a small get-together with some classmates before I came. I'll be right back."

After saying that, Lan Tingzhou closed the door and left.

Gan Cai'er was instantly wide awake and startled. When did Lan Tingzhou have classmates in Danzhou Prefecture?

Lan Tingzhou's school, Qizhi Academy, had only about fifty students and teachers, all from the surrounding villages and towns. No one there was known to be from Danzhou Prefecture.

In her previous life, there was no such thing as the two of them coming to Danzhou Prefecture together, so she had no idea that Lan Tingzhou had become involved with the people of Danzhou Prefecture at this time.

Gan Cai'er suddenly had a strange thought. Perhaps she had never truly understood Lan Tingzhou, and he was not as simple as she thought.

Inside the elegant interior of Mingpin Tea House.

A young man in a black robe sat by the window, legs crossed, leisurely sipping his tea in a very relaxed and casual manner.

When Lan Tingzhou pushed open the door, this was the scene that greeted him. Although the two had not seen each other for ten years, the familiar features made him recognize her at a glance: Lu Qingning.

Lantingzhou stood there for a long time.

"Hehe, don't tell me you're going to cry." Lu Qingning raised her eyes and laughed teasingly.

"Ten years have passed, and you haven't changed a bit in your temperament," Lan Tingzhou said with a faint smile.

"It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. Aren't you always the same, with a stern face and a cold demeanor?" Lu Qingning chuckled.

Lan Tingzhou walked over slowly, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea.

"I heard you've been promoted to head of the Imperial Guards. I'm offering you tea instead of wine to congratulate you."

"Haha, congratulations to you too! I also congratulate you on winning the top score in the county examination."

Lu Qingning downed the tea in one gulp with a hearty gesture, as if he were drinking fine wine, not tea.

Lan Tingzhou smiled; Lu Qingning was still the same person of temperament.

After two cups of hot tea, the subtle sense of unfamiliarity between them vanished without a trace. After all, they had been exchanging letters frequently and without interruption over the years.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two began to discuss business.

"What is the situation in Kyoto now?" Lan Tingzhou asked.

"It's still the same old story. His Majesty is weak, and the entire court is controlled by the Regent," Lu Qingning replied.

"No rush, there will always be an opportunity." Lan Tingzhou lowered his eyes and said calmly.

The connection between Lantingzhou and Lu Qingning originated from Regent Gongsun Yi.

Lu Qingning's original name was Lu Yu. His father, Lu Jun, was a Zhonglang General, a fifth-rank official, stationed on the northwestern border of Dayong.

During the reign of the late emperor, Lu Jun was implicated in a corruption case and was later sentenced by the Ministry of Justice to be stripped of his official position and his entire family exiled three thousand miles away.

Lan Tingzhou's father, Lan Yaoshi, was serving as an imperial censor at the time. He sensed something amiss in the case and submitted three memorials to the late emperor, earnestly requesting him to reinvestigate it. He even directly remonstrated with the emperor in the court during a grand court assembly.

Lan Yaoshi was a famous outspoken and resolute official in the capital. Although the late emperor was furious with him, he always cherished his reputation and had no choice but to send the case back to the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice for a joint retrial.

Finally, this case led to a shocking case involving the embezzlement of military pay and the illegal minting of official silver.

Five or six officials of the third rank or above were investigated and punished, while more than twenty others were dismissed from their posts, had their homes confiscated, or were exiled.

Lu Jun's crimes were finally cleared. The late emperor issued an edict restoring him to his original position, and all the items confiscated from his home were returned.

But justice came too late. Lu Jun's family had already fallen ill during their exile, and some died while they were being exiled; none survived.

Lu Qingning survived because, during the exile, Madam Lu bribed the escorting officials with silver notes hidden in the soles of her shoes, thus saving seven-year-old Lu Yu's life.

Later, Lu Yu wandered all the way back to the capital, changed his name to Lu Qingning, and joined the army.

After Lu Jun was exonerated, he unusually remained silent and did not come forward to restore his identity.

Because he knew that his parents had not died from illness, but had been murdered.

It was at that time that Lan Yaoshi sowed the seeds of his own downfall. The year after Lu Jun was exonerated, he was imprisoned.

This time, however, he didn't encounter another "Imperial Censor Lan" who was willing to stand up for him and speak out for justice.

Lan Tingzhou met Lu Qingning around that time.

The two share a common enemy who killed their fathers: the then Second Prince, now the Regent: Gongsun Yi.

However, for two powerless, penniless, and unarmed eighteen or nineteen-year-old boys to overthrow the nominal regent and de facto emperor of Dayong was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

But they never considered backing down.

“I showed the ‘Ode to Heavy Snow’ that you sent me last time to several officials. Among them, Minister Zhang from the Ministry of Rites particularly liked it and kept praising you,” Lu Qingning said.

"Is it Lord Zhang, or Lord Zhang?"

“Exactly. You know him?” Lu Qingning raised an eyebrow.

"I met him when I was a child. He was a junior scholar at the time and came to visit us. My father praised his talent and learning highly," Lan Tingzhou said with a smile.

"He's now a senior official in the Ministry of Rites. If you get his help when you get to the capital, it will be easier for you to establish yourself."

Lan Tingzhou nodded, then suddenly asked, "What do you think of Lord Lu who came this time?"

"Him? Don't even mention him! He's such a pedant, always spouting classical phrases, and he's always crying in the wind. He's a real headache."

Lan Tingzhou lowered his eyes and smiled slightly.

"No way? You know Lord Lu too?!"

"Yes, I hit him with a broom when we were kids," Lan Tingzhou said calmly.

"Huh?!" Lu Qingning was shocked.

Lan Tingzhou smiled but did not offer any further explanation.

Lu Yu and Lan Yaoshi were like enemies but also like friends.

Both of them were obsessed with calligraphy and painting, but they had huge differences in their views on the subject. One admired the Southern School, while the other admired the Northern School. Moreover, they were both equally stubborn and irritable.

When the two meet, they bicker like roosters. But if they get their hands on a good calligraphy model or a fine painting, they have to show it off to the other person and provoke them.

Once, Lan Yaoshi was so angry with Lu Yu that he couldn't eat for three days. Later, when Lu Yu came to visit again, five-year-old Lan Tingzhou simply picked up a broom and chased him out the door.

Lu Yu was obsessed with calligraphy and painting and disliked court intrigues. He spent most of his time holding a sinecure in the Hanlin Academy, and after more than thirty years in office, he was still only a sixth-rank scholar. He had once taught calligraphy and painting to Emperor Jinghe, and after Emperor Jinghe ascended the throne, suddenly many people came to curry favor with him.

"Lord Lu is deeply trusted by His Majesty. If you can get his recommendation, you will surely rise to great heights!" Lu Qingning said solemnly.

Lan Tingzhou shook his head.

"Lord Lu is honest and straightforward, and he is not familiar with the infighting in the court. If we involve him, it will not only harm him, but also us."

"You have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. You can't rush it. Qingning, don't worry, the blood debt will eventually be repaid in blood."

Lan Tingzhou's voice was light, calm, yet firm.

“Okay, as long as you have a plan,” Lu Qingning said.

"By the way, do you have an invitation to the lotus viewing banquet?" Lan Tingzhou asked.

"Didn't you just say you wouldn't drag Lord Lu into this?"

"Lord Du is hosting a lotus appreciation banquet, and all the scholars and literati with any reputation in Danzhou will be there. I just want to go and see for myself."

"Oh, is that so? I heard that invitations to this banquet are extremely hard to come by, and I don't have any either. However, I can take you in directly."

Lantingzhou felt slightly disappointed.

He breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "Then forget it. The relationship between us is not something that should be known to others at the moment."

Seeing that Lan Tingzhou refused, Lu Qingning didn't press the matter. Lan Tingzhou had always been a strong-willed person since childhood, and although Lu Qingning was a year older than him, she had always listened to him.

"Oh, you wrote to me before saying you got married? Is it the woman Tingzhi mentioned who bullies you every day?" Lu Qingning suddenly teased.

Lan Tingzhou remained silent for a moment, his ears turning slightly red uncontrollably, before slowly nodding.

Lu Qingning glanced at Lan Tingzhou several times, then said in surprise, "Huh, you actually blushed? Really? Were you really bullied by her?"

Lan Tingzhou glanced at him and said indifferently, "Are you very free?"

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves, turned around, and left.