Early the next morning, Zhou Ming came to the outer courtyard of Begonia Court as usual to wait.

He had barely stood still for long when the steward walked over quickly, gathered all the attendants and guards in one place, and immediately made an announcement.

"Tomorrow, Empress Su Mingyue will be leaving the estate to attend the Spring Poetry Gathering on West Mountain."

Eldest Miss was going out.

To the ears of others, these few words were merely an ordinary instruction.

But for the servants of the Marquis's estate, it was equivalent to a military order.

Attendants had to scout the location in advance, guards had to set up defenses along the route, carriages and horses had to be inspected, and maids had to prepare clothing, tea sets, cushions, paper and brushes, snacks, and even contingency plans in case of rain had to be thought out beforehand.

When the female members of a high-ranking household went out, the spectacle was no less grand than a general setting out on an expedition.

The task Zhou Ming received was to accompany the steward and the Guard Commander to scout West Mountain.

It was currently the season of spring warmth and blooming flowers; West Mountain was lush with greenery, and wild peach and apricot blossoms were in full bloom across the hills. Pink and white intermingled, layering over half the hillside, looking from afar like a cloud dyed by the morning glow.

Dewdrops still clung to the tender grass shoots sprouting along the mountain path, and the air was mixed with the fragrance of flowers and the sweet, earthy scent of soil. Taking a deep breath made one feel refreshed.

Nominally, this poetry gathering was for appreciating flowers and reciting poems, but Zhou Ming understood it clearly in his heart.

Those who came were all young masters and young misses from various estates. It was said to be about making friends through poetry, but in reality, it was an unspoken matchmaking event.

In this world, social etiquette was strict, and sheltered young misses did not leave their homes.

Normally, they wouldn't even see a few men from outside, and it was only on such occasions that they could rightfully step out into public view and let the young men of various families catch a glimpse of them.

The steward and the Guard Commander led the men up the mountain and discovered that they were not the only ones who had arrived early.

On the mountaintop, people from quite a few estates were already busy; every household had sent servants to scout and set up defenses.

Some were checking if the stakes for the sunshades were secure, while others were measuring whether the distances between the resting areas for the female guests of each family were far enough apart.

There were also people specifically responsible for searching through the surrounding bushes, fearing that snakes or insects might be hiding there and startle the noble guests.

As soon as the steward and the Guard Commander arrived, they each set about their tasks.

The steward went to meet with the stewards of other estates to discuss how to allocate the sunshades for the young misses and young masters the next day, which family would supply the tea and fruit, and how the seating should be arranged.

These matters were the most trivial and the easiest to offend people with; if one was not careful, it could lead to secret rivalries later.

The Guard Commander took a few guards to patrol along the mountain road, noting where the view was open, where the terrain was narrow, and where it was easy to hide, so that he could arrange overt and covert sentries for the next day.

The remaining people were not idle either.

A steward took out several cloth bags and distributed them to everyone, telling them to scatter realgar and other insect- and snake-repelling powders along the grass and bushes around the poetry gathering venue.

This task sounded crude, but it could not be taken lightly. Everyone coming tomorrow was of noble birth; if any Young Miss were frightened by a grass snake and lost her composure, it would be a huge joke.

Zhou Ming carried a bag of sulfur and walked alone toward one side of West Mountain.

This hillside was in a more remote area, some distance from the main venue, and the trees were dense, so it did not seem like a place where noble people would set foot.

But the steward had given instructions: all grass within a hundred paces of the sunshades had to be sprinkled, with not a single spot missed.

Zhou Ming did not feel tired; as he walked, he flicked his wrist, scattering the sulfur powder evenly at the base of the bushes and between the stone crevices.

As he walked, he stopped in his tracks.

Behind the bushes in front of him, a corner of a dark, cavernous entrance was revealed—it was not large, barely enough for one person to bend over and crawl inside.

The weeds around the entrance were blown over halfway by the wind, and there were no traces of beasts having trampled them.

Zhou Ming poked his head inside and could only smell a dry, earthy odor.

He examined the cave for a few moments but couldn't make anything of it.

Zhou Ming mustered his courage and walked in. The entrance was narrow enough that only one person could crawl through while bending over, but once inside, the scene before his eyes was vastly different; the cave was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside.

The highest point of the cave ceiling was two or three people high, and the cave walls were jagged with strange rocks. Although the ground was uneven, it was more than enough to accommodate a hundred people.

The air was filled with a dry, earthy smell and a faint scent of rock. In the distance, a beam of light shone in, illuminating the cave brightly.

Zhou Ming followed the light. The end of the cave was actually on a cliff face.

At the bottom of the mountain were jagged rocks, about ten zhang below the cave entrance.

He looked around in the cave for a while but found nothing else special.

Zhou Ming walked out of the cave, brushed the sulfur powder from his hands, and turned to continue his work.

By the time he finished sprinkling the entire area, the sun had already sunk to the western ridgeline.

By the time the group returned to the outer courtyard, it was almost completely dark.

The next morning, before the sky was fully bright, the Marquis's estate became lively.

The maids and matrons rose half an hour earlier than usual, and the Kitchen had been brightly lit all night, just to prepare the food boxes for Eldest Miss to take today.

Zhou Ming got ready early. Thinking of the cave he saw yesterday, he planned to use the cave as a site for an Opportunity, to see if any heaven-favored child could find the Opportunity he had set up.

He tucked a copy of the "Dushi Sutra" into his bosom, left his room, and followed the group of attendants and guards to wait outside Begonia Court.

Before long, the main door opened wide, and Empress Su Mingyue walked out, surrounded by a group of maids.

Today, she was wearing a moon-white beizi embroidered with silver thread and hidden patterns; it was simple yet elegant.

Her expression remained that same indifferent look; one could not tell how much she was looking forward to today's poetry gathering.

The group passed through corridors and courtyards, arriving at the main gate of the Marquis's estate.

Before they had even exited the gatehouse, Zhou Ming heard the snorting of horses and the noisy sounds of people coming from outside the gate.

Once he stepped out, he looked up and immediately narrowed his eyes.

Young Master's entourage had already been waiting outside the gate.

A team of carriages and horses was parked beside the stone lions at the entrance of the Marquis's estate. In the center, a tall, snow-white horse was particularly eye-catching.

The horse did not have a single strand of discolored hair on its entire body. Its mane was braided into thin little plaits, and the tips of the braids were adorned with several silver bells the size of soybeans. When the horse shook its head gently, they rang out with a crisp, tinkling sound.

The white horse's bridle was made of vermilion leather inlaid with silver studs, and the saddle was covered with an entire white tiger pelt. The quiver on the side of the saddle contained no arrows; instead, it held a branch of peach blossoms that had just been broken off, the dew on the petals not yet dry.

Sitting upright on the horse was a person who was the master of this spectacle: the eldest young master of the Marquis's estate, Empress Su Mingyue's own older brother, Su Mingli.

Today, Su Mingli was dressed in a light green brocade robe, the fabric shimmering with a soft luster in the morning light.

The cuffs and collar of the robe were embroidered with dark golden cloud patterns. A jasper belt was fastened around his waist, and a piece of mutton-fat white jade pendant hung from the belt hook.

His left hand loosely held the reins, while his right hand wielded a gold-painted folding fan. The fan was half-unfurled, and one could vaguely see a line of poetry inscribed on it, with his own personal seal stamped at the signature.

Looking at his head, Zhou Ming almost lost his composure.

Su Mingli's jet-black hair was tied up meticulously, bound in a white jade crown, but on the side of the crown, a crimson peony the size of a bowl was brazenly pinned.

The flower was inserted at an angle, its petals blooming in layers. Paired with his light green brocade robe, the red and green complemented each other, making him look from afar just like a flowering tree.

He was actually quite handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, star-like eyes, and a high-bridged nose; his skin was even fairer than that of an average sheltered young lady, and a half-smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Yet it was precisely this appearance, paired with this affectation, that led Zhou Ming to silently give him an evaluation: flashy, extremely flashy.