Chapter Seven: Do You Know Your Crime?

Qin Hao was brought into the Princess's estate. He breathed a slight sigh of relief; the first step was complete. Meanwhile, he silently calculated the time. An hour was a very short window. Once the time was up, that wretch Yang Suxin would undoubtedly move against him immediately. Even if she could not find him within the Princess's estate, she would eventually find Xiaoyu.

His intuition was correct. Although Yang Suxin did not know Qin Hao had entered the Princess's estate, her anxiety grew, and a sense of unease gnawed at her. She ordered the Qin household servants to search Qin Hao’s small courtyard once more. Even if they had to dig three feet into the ground, they were to find Xiaoyu. If Xiaoyu was not in the courtyard, they were to tear the place down. From this day forward, there was no place for Qin Hao in the Qin family.

Inside the Princess's estate, the steward arranged for servants to prepare a meal and had Qin Hao wash up and change into fresh clothes before heading off to report to the Princess.

In the study, Princess Li Qingyao was dressed in magnificent, form-fitting attire. She was beautiful yet elegant, like a lotus flower in summer—noble and pure, a sight that moved the soul. At this moment, a maid was grinding ink for her. The Princess raised her fair, jade-like hand to pick up the brush, the tip soaked with ink. With one sleeve tucked back, she began to write.

"Civil Governance and Martial Merit."

The four large characters leaped onto the paper. Her movements were fluid, like flowing clouds and running water. However, just as she finished the final stroke of the fourth character, the steward’s voice sounded from outside.

"Your Highness, someone has completed your matching couplet."

Li Qingyao’s hand paused, and the final character failed to close perfectly, leaving a blot of ink. The maid beside her widened her eyes in shock. "How is that possible? There were only two days left until your deadline..."

Li Qingyao took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes remaining calm. She set down the brush and said, "Come in."

The steward entered and respectfully presented the couplet Qin Hao had written. Li Qingyao opened the paper, and a line of "Slender Gold" calligraphy greeted her eyes. *Hmm?* It was a script she had never seen before—slender but not frail, possessing a unique, ethereal beauty. She looked at the content of the couplet:

*"Studying Han scrolls, the Hanlin scholar writes."*

Li Qingyao’s breath hitched. After a brief silence, she said calmly, "A fine couplet." She then asked, "Where is the person who wrote it?"

The steward replied, "He was in disarray, so I had him taken to wash and change. He should be waiting in the front hall now."

"Very well, the front hall."

As soon as Li Qingyao finished speaking, she headed toward the front hall. The maid, passing by the steward, looked frantic and signaled him, whispering, "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've caused?"

The steward was bewildered, having no idea what she meant. The maid dared not say more and hurried to follow.

***

Elsewhere, in less than a quarter of an hour, Qin Hao had finished washing, changed into new clothes, and filled his stomach. He looked like a different person. Though he was still somewhat thin, his bright, piercing eyes were remarkably captivating. Led by a maid, he went to the front hall to wait.

The maid left, and Qin Hao casually found a chair and sat down. Before long, he heard footsteps from the back hall. When he saw the steward following a peerlessly beautiful woman of noble bearing, he immediately stood up.

"How bold! The Princess hasn't arrived yet; who told you to sit?" The maid, seeing this, immediately scolded him.

Qin Hao was bewildered by the question and instinctively replied, "Are chairs not meant for sitting? Are they meant for looking at?"

The steward was startled, taken aback by Qin Hao's audacity. The person they were meeting was a royal Princess; everyone else stood and waited with the utmost caution. Qin Hao regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. He had forgotten—this was the wretched feudal society; one could not be disrespectful to royalty. He quickly folded his hands and performed a ninety-degree scholar’s bow. "I am Shen Hao, greetings to Your Highness, the Princess."

The steward was even more shocked, his jaw dropping. *You are facing the Princess herself; why are you not kneeling?*

Li Qingyao was also encountering such an impolite person for the first time. However, she said nothing. She sat in the seat of honor and said calmly, "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Qin Hao felt a weight lift; he had managed to bluff his way through. He didn't have to perform the wretched kneeling rite. But the moment he looked up at Li Qingyao, she said coldly, "Shen Hao, are you aware of your crime?"

Qin Hao's heart sank. *Surely not? Just for not kneeling or sitting early? If she has me dragged out and beheaded, I’m done for.*

Qin Hao quickly said, "Your Highness, I am but a humble scholar. If there is any etiquette I have failed to observe, I beg your indulgence. I completed this couplet because I have long admired you and came seeking to serve under your banner." He offered another scholar's bow, thinking to himself, *See, I’ve come to join your side; we’re on the same team now. No need to be so petty. Let’s get this over with; I still need to save Xiaoyu.*

Li Qingyao’s expression remained icy. "You have committed a crime precisely because you completed the couplet. This absolute couplet was a wager I made with the court officials. If no one completed it within a month, I would win. If someone did, I would lose. Do you see now why you are guilty?"

Qin Hao’s eyes widened. He had heard nothing of this. How could there be a wager between the Princess and the officials? If the Princess were to be believed, he had not performed a meritorious deed, but rather a disservice. *That’s absurd.*

The truth was, aside from the Emperor, the Princess, and the officials, no one knew of the wager. A month ago, the Princess had proposed the idea of "Civil Governance and Martial Merit," hoping the court would stop favoring civil officials over military generals. Her proposal was met with fierce opposition from the civil faction. In her frustration, she had written this "absolute" couplet and declared that if any scholar could complete it, she would never mention civil and martial balance again. Consequently, no scholar in the entire court dared to speak up, and the scholars of the Hanlin Academy had studied it in vain.

Qin Hao, of course, knew none of this. He had only come to the Princess's estate to save his own life.

"It’s all your fault! You caused the Princess to lose the bet! It was only two days! Just two days!" The maid was so angry her cheeks were flushed.

"Xiao Zhao, step back," Li Qingyao said quietly. Xiao Zhao dared not speak further but glared at Qin Hao with resentment.

Qin Hao realized then that if the Princess allowed her servants to interrupt, she was not truly a petty person. It was likely not his lack of protocol that had angered her. Seeing how upset the maid was about the bet, it was clear that this matter was truly significant to the Princess. Yet, even in this situation, the Princess remained composed. Such temperament lived up to the rumors: if the Princess were a man, the Crown Prince might not have stood a chance.

Faced with such a coincidence, Qin Hao could only say, "Your Highness, my completion of the couplet has not been made public. If this wager is truly of such importance to you, you may treat it as if I never provided the answer. If you do not believe me, you may ask the steward."

He then braced himself. If he could not become a member of the Princess’s staff, he would reveal his identity as the former fiancé of the Third Princess and beg for his life, even if it meant kneeling.

Li Qingyao glanced at the steward. The steward, sweating, had only just learned of the existence of the bet. He knelt before Qin Hao and said, "Yes, Your Highness, the matching line has not been made public. As soon as Master Shen wrote it, I took it and brought it directly to you."

Li Qingyao waved her hand. "No need. A loss is a loss. I underestimated the scholars of the world. Go and post the matching couplet."

The steward was stunned. "But..."

"Go."

The steward obeyed and departed. Qin Hao held Li Qingyao in higher regard. For his own safety, he asked, "Your Highness, am I now a member of your staff?"

Xiao Zhao was furious. "You still want to be on her staff? The Princess lost her bet because of you! How can you have the nerve to ask?"

Qin Hao was in a rush, and the maid’s constant accusations finally wore thin on his patience. "I am speaking to the Princess; where does it fall to you to scold me? Besides, it’s just a couplet. What does it matter if it’s completed? If you want absolute couplets, I can give you several."

Xiao Zhao was startled by his boldness, then grew even angrier. "You speak lightly! That was an absolute couplet—an absolute! You think you can just churn them out?"

Qin Hao pouted. "An 'absolute' is only an absolute if no one can find a matching line. Since I found one, it is no longer an absolute. It simply means those who couldn't match it were incompetent." He turned back to the Princess. "Your Highness, I truly did not know of your wager. If you require more absolute couplets, I have a few I can offer you."

Li Qingyao had been in a foul mood, but Qin Hao’s audacity and boasting piqued her interest. Regardless of whether he had caused her to lose the bet by accident, his ability to solve her "absolute" was enough to earn her respect in the realm of letters. She remembered her father teaching her brother that the first rule of a ruler was the capacity to tolerate what others could not. If the offender proved to be a man of talent, then punishing him would be a waste.

She looked Qin Hao over and said calmly, "Let me hear them. If they truly qualify as absolute, I will overlook your ruining of my wager, and you shall join my staff."