After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Ning Nan was somewhat surprised; he never expected to run into the eldest grandson of the Prime Minister Qin while having a meal at Tianjinlou.

He subconsciously counted and found that there were quite a few familiar faces across from him.

One of the men wearing a melon-shaped hat seemed to be named Lu Jing. I had seen him at the North-South Poetry Gathering, and he was very famous in the capital.

They used to tease Zhao Jing, saying, "South Jing, North Jing, which one is the real Jing?" Zhao Jing was always greatly embarrassed.

If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter, but the other party was a Tartar. No matter how distressed Zhao Jing was, he was unwilling to demean himself and could only shake his head and smile bitterly.

Another melon-shaped hat... Ning Nan smiled... He had seen it just a few days ago.

That so-called Seventh Prince, the Beile of the Iron-Capped Prince.

He was also the younger brother of the fourth young master whom he had beaten before. However, the fourth young master was born out of wedlock, while the seventh young master was the legitimate son, who was granted the title of Beile and would inherit the title of King.

Ning Nan's smile remained unchanged as he clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Young Master Qin."

After a brief bow, Ning Nan turned his head away without even glancing at the prince again. Seeing that Tang Lianbin and the other three looked somewhat uncomfortable, he didn't introduce them, but simply smiled and said:

"Gentlemen, let's go inside."

Tang Lianbin and the other three looked relieved and grateful, and clasped their hands in a fist salute.

The five people left and stepped onto the stairs.

Qin Yun withdrew his gaze, not caring much. He turned his head and saw Hong Feng beside him staring at Ning Baixuan's back, his eyelids twitching slightly.

A slight smile played on his lips; it seemed the Prince had taken a grudge against Ning Baixuan.

He had heard about the feud between the two. It was said that a few days ago, this prince wanted to go to Bailu Academy to solve the Laurel Chess Game and begged Headmaster Gongsun to take him as a disciple.

Miss Gongsun displayed her extraordinary prowess, overcoming initial setbacks to win two games against Prince Beile, thus breaking the Laurel Chess Game.

On the day of the Tianjinlou literary gathering, he saw Miss Gongsun become Ning Baixuan's disciple.

No one in the capital could have imagined that the opponent would actually break the game in the end.

Qin Yun was secretly annoyed. In the past few days, in addition to preparing for the imperial examination, he had also been trying to break through the current situation so that he could make a name for himself at Bailu Academy.

If this person hadn't intervened, Gongsun and Ning Baixuan would never have been able to break the chess game guarded by the mountain chief. Now, however, they have no chance.

A gentle evening breeze swept across the long street, and a vein throbbed on Qin Yun's forehead.

"Your Highness,"

He flicked his folding fan into his palm, forcibly putting aside his regrets, and laughed:

"Your Highness, rest assured, we will wait in the private room 'Tingxiangxuan' on the second floor of Tianjinlou, and we will not let any irrelevant people disturb our enjoyment."

Hongfeng was taken aback, then realized who the "miscellaneous people" this man was referring to were, and couldn't help but feel a little happy, praising him:

"Young Master Qin truly lives up to his reputation as a son of a high-ranking official. I've heard that Tianjinlou is backed by the Zhu Liang imperial family, and recently, thanks to the report in the Nancheng Daily, it's been enjoying its zenith."

"I, Xiao Wang, came to the Imperial Academy today to visit my esteemed brother Lu. It just so happened that we met, and Young Master Qin arranged everything so thoughtfully. He truly has connections everywhere." He praised the other party.

Qin Yun said, "Your Highness is joking. It's just a pity that when I sent my men here, 'Zi Ru Xie' had already been reserved. We can only settle for second best and try to get less of the literary atmosphere."

After saying this, he gestured for Hongfeng and the other students of the Imperial Academy to enter.

The students, their faces beaming with excitement, followed the two men with great joy.

As soon as he entered, a waiter came running up with a fawning smile to greet him: "Greetings, Young Master Qin! Your reserved private room is ready..."

Qin Yun nodded with a faint smile.

Tianjinlou was packed, bustling with noise, laughter, and lively conversation. The aromas of food, dishes, wine, and even a touch of perfume wafted through the air, making one's mouth water.

Inside the restaurant, five or six waiters carried food trays, their steps hurried like dragons.

While loudly announcing dish names like "Wensi Tofu!", he moved between tables with a forced smile.

Qin Yun and the others chatted and laughed as they followed the hunched-over waiter.

But after taking only a few steps... he couldn't help but slow his pace a little.

About seven or eight steps ahead, another waiter, also hunched over and grinning from ear to ear, was leading Ning Baixuan and the others... ahead of them.

The diners on both sides were arguing loudly.

As Qin Yun walked, his brows furrowed more and more.

Not long after.

Ning Baixuan and the others went up the stairs to the second floor.

Qin Yun glanced back and saw that there were no empty seats on the first floor.

As he walked, he smiled at the waiter and asked, "Waiter, is the second floor empty today?"

The waiter shook his head vigorously, chuckling awkwardly, "The private rooms on the second floor are all booked. It's only because of Young Master Qin that the owner is reserving Tingxiangxuan for guests. When Young Master Qin said he wanted to come, the owner even invited his own guests to other restaurants."

That's incredibly kind of you.

Qin Yun looked slightly smug, while the other students of the Imperial Academy looked at him with envy, regretting that they were not born into the family of the Grand Secretary.

Hongfeng offered a few words of flattery, saying, "The Prime Minister of Qin has rendered great service to the country, and the people of the capital all remember him."

Upon hearing the other party flatter his grandfather, Qin Yun's impression of him improved even more.

Thump, thump, thump... The group walked up the stairs, and the waiter, with a smile on his face, said, "Honored guests, be careful not to fall."

Once they reached the second floor, the waiter led the way, and Qin Yun frowned again... Ning Baixuan and the others were still walking ahead of them.

He looked embarrassed. He had boasted that there would be no unauthorized people around, but now... the unauthorized people were still heading in the same direction as them.

Not only did he discover this, but others did as well. Lu Jing couldn't help but exclaim "Eh!" Qin Yun remained silent. The others looked at each other, somewhat puzzled and surprised, but they didn't say anything to avoid displeasing Qin Yun.

Turn a corner.

As soon as Ning Baixuan and his group stopped, the waiter bowed and scraped as he opened the door for them.

Qin Yun's eyes widened in surprise. He looked up at the sign for that private room... He had been to that private room a few times before, and he knew where it was even without looking at the sign, but... he still couldn't help but look up.

Upon closer inspection, confirming the location once again, he felt a chill and narrowed his eyes.

The private room that Ning Baixuan entered... was the "Zi Ru Xie" that he couldn't book!

"Waiter!" Hongfeng called out, and everyone immediately stopped.

The young man in the melon-shaped hat pointed to "Zi Ru Xie" and smiled at the waiter, "Waiter, may I ask you a favor?"

The waiter said nervously, "Young master, please speak freely."

"I'll give you one hundred taels of silver, waiter. Could you please go into that private room and tell them that a distinguished guest is willing to pay one thousand taels of silver..."

Before Hongfeng could finish speaking, the waiter shook his head vigorously, waving his hands hastily:

"No, no, no..."

Hongfeng frowned slightly.

The waiter, his face flushed with anxiety, pointed tremblingly to the private room, stammering, "That, that, that private room..." He stammered, "It was specially arranged by the master, the master..."

The words were still stuck in his throat when his eyes suddenly widened, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Master!"

Qin Yun and the others were taken aback. Following the waiter's gaze, they turned their heads and saw a square-faced man in a brocade robe striding towards them with a cheerful expression.

Qin Yun laughed. The owner of Jinlou that day was his friend—the son-in-law of the Zhu Liang imperial clan leader, surnamed Tan.

The waiter had mentioned that Master Tan was hosting a banquet in another building, but upon his arrival, Master Tan disregarded his guests there and came to meet him instead. He was grateful.

Qin Yun lowered his eyes, took a slight breath, and smiled bitterly to himself. He could naturally see that the Northern Dynasty Prince wanted to embarrass Ning Baixuan, but Tianjinlou was not a place like other places. If he wanted Tan Dongjia to give him this face, he would have to owe him a big favor.

Qin Yun's mind raced with thoughts. If the North and South really formed an alliance through marriage... then it would be worthwhile to give face and owe Tan Dongjia a favor, and to stand up for this prince.

He raised his head slightly and saw that the imposing, square-faced man was already approaching. He quickly prepared a speech in his mind, thinking, "I have distinguished guests today. They have come to admire the reputation of Tianjinlou. May I ask Master Tan to speak with the distinguished guests in Ziruxie to change their seats? Whatever compensation they require, I, Qin, will bear it."

This explanation is reasonable.

Ning Baixuan was only hosting a few poor students, so there shouldn't be any particular formalities. As long as Ning Baixuan didn't know that he was the one who "invited" him out, he shouldn't hold a grudge.

Once the other party accepted the money, they realized that it was actually their money that had been paid. The other party was embarrassed and could only slink away.

Qin Yun smiled inwardly, thankfully he had come to Tianjinlou today.

The Imperial Clan Court strongly supports the marriage alliance between the North and South. Tan Dongjia is the son-in-law of the Imperial Clan Court Master. If the other party knew that the Prince beside him was the actual person to be married, he would probably go straight to drive away Ning Baixuan in order to win his favor.

Thump, thump, thump... The square-faced man's footsteps were loud, less than three feet away from him.

Qin Yun smiled and bowed slightly in greeting: "Qin greets Master Tan."

At this time.

Tan Dongjia, who had rushed back from a banquet in another building, seemed to have just seen him. His gaze shifted over and focused on him, his expression momentarily stunned.

A breath passed.

The dignified, forty-something-year-old clansman's son-in-law finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes lighting up with delight as he exclaimed, "Hey, hey, hey!"

He responded several times, chuckled, and quickly bowed with a smile, saying, "Haha, greetings, Young Master Qin!"

The other party was very polite, but Qin Yun's expression froze. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the other party... didn't seem to be looking at him just now.

Tan Dongjia didn't even glance at the others.

He looked up, his face hardening, and greeted the waiter:

"Take good care of Young Master Qin! All expenses for Young Master Qin today are on me. If you are impolite, I'll skin you alive!" The waiter replied obsequiously.

Upon hearing this, Qin Yun's strange feeling vanished, and he moved his lips slightly, intending to introduce the prince beside him.

Tan Dongjia, however, quickly smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"Haha, Young Master Qin, please enjoy your meal... I have urgent business to attend to today, please excuse me!"

That's all.

He didn't wait for Qin Yun's response.

Continue to stride forward with high spirits.

I walked a dozen or so steps.

"Knock knock, knock knock!"

He knocked on the carved wooden door of "Zi Ru Xie".

With a creak.

The door opened.

Then they heard the man in the brocade robe with the square face laugh loudly:

"Oh my! Young Master Ning, Young Master Ning... Your presence at our establishment is an honor to our humble abode!..."

Qin Yun's expression changed, and then... his gaze suddenly turned gloomy!