The inner city of the Twin Cities emphasized a hierarchy of status; the higher one resided, the more noble their position. Fortunately, the climate here was accommodating. Even at the heights, there was no biting cold, merely the suggestion to add an outer coat, a welcome relief from the sweltering heat of the lowlands, akin to stepping into an air-conditioned room.

The Crown Prince did not reside in the West City. This area was primarily the domain of the Emperor's living quarters and court, along with the residences of consorts, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager. Madar had countless wives, yet only one had borne him a son: the Empress. He did, however, have more than twenty daughters; the eldest was already forty, while the youngest was barely nine or ten. It seemed the old man's labors, day and night, had been quite arduous.

Naturally, I lacked the standing to seek an audience with such weighty figures. I had only earned the Emperor’s favor due to the currency reform proposal I submitted. But relying on that alone to attain imperial nobility was utterly impossible; I possessed that much self-awareness. However, I could clearly see that Madar valued talent. Why he tolerated Pang Hu, though, remained beyond my comprehension.

That aerial tunnel was truly magnificent, vast enough in both width and height to comfortably allow three horses to ride abreast. Yet, I felt a twinge of apprehension; with only one towering wooden pillar supporting the span over a two-hundred-meter distance, it seemed perilously unstable. The young Eunuch escorting me strongly urged me to experience it, but I ultimately declined.

Ever since my superpowers temporarily vanished, I had become significantly more cautious. Moreover, with the four women still missing, I couldn't afford any mishap—what would become of them otherwise? Even if risks were necessary, they should only be taken after ensuring their security.

By the time I hurried back to the Ministry of Rites Guesthouse outside the Middle City, darkness had already fallen. I had intended to visit the Imperial Stables and the Ironworks that afternoon, but touring the Inner City consumed all my time. Madar was so busy that I didn't catch a glimpse of him all afternoon. The young Eunuch, following the Emperor’s instructions, showed me nearly every corner of the West City, finally releasing me only after dinner.

“Master, you’ve returned! Any later and I would have gone into the Inner City with Sister Yun Yao to find you,” Linglong said, ushering me out of the courtyard. In the corner, Dali Wan grinned at me, clutching his cudgel.

I explained, “The Emperor had me touring the Inner City. That enormous place took the entire afternoon; I’m exhausted. Get some hot water ready for Master’s feet; I need an early night.”

Yun Yao emerged from the room, giving me a reproachful look. “You really are treating Linglong like a mere servant girl! Let me do it, Sister Linglong. Don’t just listen to him boss people around.”

I had asked Linglong to fetch the foot-washing water, and she had been somewhat reluctant, but upon seeing Yun Yao, she changed her mind and rushed to fetch it instead. “Sister Yun Yao, you can attend to Brother Zhao Qian, so why shouldn’t I? I like taking his orders; he’s the Master, after all.”

I joked, “Linglong, then perhaps you could wash Master’s feet?”

Linglong didn’t get angry; instead, she laughed. “Certainly, but after you’ve washed Master’s feet, you must drink the water!”

The Guesthouse for the Ministry of Rites, located just outside the Middle City, held the highest rank among all the national stations because this was the Twin Cities, attracting high-ranking officials for tribute. Thus, we enjoyed exclusive, courtyard-within-a-courtyard accommodations, with each person assigned a private room. My feet were throbbing from exhaustion, so I retreated to my room early and sat on the edge of the bed to rest.

It didn't take long before Linglong and Yun Yao entered the room together. Linglong placed the basin of hot water at my feet, but then she stood up, climbed onto the bed, and knelt behind me. Then, her small hands gently kneaded my shoulders, beginning a massage. A shiver ran through me, and my feet suddenly felt chilled. Another pair of small hands deftly removed my somewhat misshapen leather shoes, then pulled my feet into the hot basin. The sudden warmth enveloped my feet as that little hand gently began to rub my soles.

I let out a groan of comfort. “You two… you two shouldn't be treating me so well. Master is overwhelmed by your favor.”

Linglong patted my lower back from behind. “Master, this is what a humble servant girl should do. You just enjoy it, Old Master.”

Yun Yao chuckled softly. “It’s not excessive for us to wash your feet and give you a massage after the Great Master has been busy outside all day.”

Yun Yao was acceptable; she was my wife, and I could accept her more intimate actions with peace of mind. But Linglong was not my maid; she was here purely out of obligation to protect me. If anything, I should be the one massaging her. Heh, I recalled 'massaging' Madam Wu in her room once; that budding figure was certainly not comparable to the loli figure of Zhao Fang.

As I was lost in thought, Linglong had already left the room with the foot-washing water. Yun Yao sat behind me, her delicate lips close to my ear. “Master, would you like a serving girl to accompany you to bed for a rest?”

Linglong and Dali Wan naturally knew the true nature of my relationship with Yun Yao, so I wasn’t afraid of their mockery. I spun around, pulled Yun Yao onto me, and pinned her underneath. “Yes, you little temptress, you’re getting better and better at seducing men.”

Yun Yao laughed, kissing my cheek. “Master, I’ve only ever

I don't know how Ma Xiaoda managed to get on the wrong side of Grand Tutor Pang, but Ma Da had always favored Pang Hu. Even if Ma Xiaoda held a grudge, he would have kept it buried deep before. However, that trip to Feiyu County stirred up everything inside him. But his very first step in his plan upon returning to Shuangcheng was immediately obstructed, which made him terribly anxious. He snuck out of the inner city late that night—first to apologize, and second to figure out another way to kill Pang Hu. After analyzing the situation, he now understood: killing Pang Hu was an endeavor bordering on the impossible.

Linglong, who was scolding fiercely, snapped at Ma Xiaoda, "Ma Xiaoda, shut your mouth! Or I’ll have to ask you to leave."

The Crown Prince, surprisingly patient today, wasn't angered by Linglong’s reprimand at all. "Fourth Sister, what business is it of yours that I curse that Pang villain? If you were truly my sister, you’d curse him along with me."

Linglong retorted, "What good does cursing him fiercely do? Can it wish Grand Tutor Pang dead? Can you just quiet down and let the Master think of a solution?"

A light flashed across Ma Xiaoda's face. "Ah, thanks to Fourth Sister for reminding me! No matter how powerful that Pang villain is, how can he be more powerful than our Master Zhao Qian, right? Didn't you say he was the Bird God? Between a god and a villain, which one is higher or lower is obvious at a glance. Master Zhao Qian, have you thought of a way to deal with the Pang villain?"

This fellow actually dug up something from so long ago. I had finally managed to get people to stop calling me the Bird God, and here he brought it up again. I rolled my eyes at him. "No, I'm not a real immortal. We'll take it one step at a time. We currently have no foundation; we must first develop our influence."

Ma Xiaoda chimed in, "Yes, it’s precisely because we lack a foundation that I wanted to leverage the great victory against the horse bandits to accumulate some capital. Who knew my imperial father would reject it entirely? I hate him, I hate him to death!"

"No!" I said. "Your father was right."

"Huh?" Not only Ma Xiaoda was stunned, but even Linglong looked confused.

I explained, "Isn't the logic simple? Grand Tutor Pang’s power is at its zenith right now. If we remain obscure and achieve nothing, he naturally won't pay us any mind. But if we suddenly start recruiting soldiers and raising an army, making it look like we intend to oppose him, do you think he would still allow us to develop freely? I’d be lucky if I weren't stripped of my post the day after becoming a general, I’d probably be assassinated. Therefore, the poorer and more insignificant we appear now, the better. Only by staying beneath Pang Taishi's notice can we have time to develop and consolidate our strength, giving us hope to eliminate Pang Hu in the future."

"Scholar Zhao is truly no ordinary person," Ma Xiaoda said, giving me a thumbs-up. "Brilliant, truly brilliant! How did I not see this before? By this logic, my imperial father wasn't wrong at all; I should probably even be grateful to him."

Linglong said smugly to Ma Xiaoda, "If you could think of that, you’d be Lord Bird God too. Too bad you aren't."

I carefully reviewed the information I had on Ma Da and then said to Ma Xiaoda, "Don't misunderstand your father anymore. I don't think he is the type of muddle-headed ruler people claim. It’s likely Pang Hu's rise wasn't your father's intention either, but Pang Hu’s influence grew day by day, and your father was helpless to stop it, which led you to misunderstand him."

Ma Xiaoda snorted, "Don't try to be a peacemaker between us. I'm not interested in the old man. He sometimes doesn't even come to the East City to see me for a year. I sometimes wonder if I’m even his biological son. Some people say he can only father daughters; I suspect..."

I instantly clapped a hand over Ma Xiaoda's mouth. "You must never repeat that statement again. It’s too late now; hurry back to the city. We’ll talk more tomorrow if there is business."

Ma Xiaoda replied, "Right. Besides, you have to come teach me tomorrow."

Linglong looked puzzled. "Teach? Oh, right, what did you just call Master just now? Zhanshi?"

Ma Xiaoda said, "Yes, today my imperial father also conferred the title of Zhanshi in the Zhanshifu upon Zhao Qian—meaning, he’s my tutor, the Crown Prince’s teacher…"

Linglong suddenly covered her mouth and burst into laughter nearby. Ma Xiaoda looked confused and chased after her. "Fourth Sister, what are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?"

Linglong pushed him toward the door. "Hurry up and go. Haha, it has nothing to do with you. Just wait for Teacher Zhao to come teach you tomorrow."

After seeing Ma Xiaoda off, Linglong stood aside, glanced at me, and couldn't help but chuckle. I finally couldn't restrain myself and threatened her, "What's so funny? If you keep laughing in this deep quiet night, I might commit an indecency against you."

Linglong suddenly recalled that 'indecency' in Madam Wu’s room; her face flushed, yet she felt an indescribable comfort, a tingling warmth all over, almost wishing he would press down on her again. "You dare! I’ll turn you into a pincushion before I let you! Hee hee, ha ha, I’m going to find Sister Yun Yao... Lord Zhao Qian, who can’t recognize a single character, is going to be the Crown Prince’s teacher tomorrow!"

Hmph, I snorted at Linglong's retreating figure. What’s wrong with not knowing characters? I don't know their script here, but I know plenty of Chinese and English from Earth.

But how am I supposed to give lessons tomorrow? I hope the Zhanshifu only requires lecturing from the mouth, and not writing or drawing, and that there are no textbooks to follow—otherwise, it will be truly dreadful.

Having been left hanging by Yun Yao earlier, I wanted to go back and comfort her properly, but when I reached her room, I heard Linglong giggling inside. So, I resigned myself to returning to my own room to sleep. As for how I’ll teach Ma Xiaoda tomorrow, I’ll figure it out when the time comes. In short, the cart will find its way when it reaches the mountain.

What I didn't expect was that Linglong was up and dressing up at the crack of dawn the next day. When we sat down for breakfast, the delicate young girl was gone, replaced by a handsome young pageboy. The girl, who had only just started to bloom, looked even more unrecognizable as male or female after a little adornment. However, the fragrance she carried could not be concealed. Fortunately, she wasn't the only man in this place who carried a scent; at worst, people would just mistake her for being a bit effeminate.

Yun Yao said, "Brother Zhao, we thought it over last night and decided to have Linglong serve as your assistant instructor. Teaching the Crown Prince is a very serious and grand affair. If you can’t even write a single character or read their textbooks, you will surely be ridiculed. I also fear that someone with ill intentions might use this to accuse you of deceiving the sovereign."

I was deeply moved. "That’s wonderful. You two have thought this through so thoroughly. With your help, Zhao Qian, how can my great endeavor fail?"

Linglong pouted slightly. "Master, what great endeavor are you talking about?"

Yun Yao whispered a few words into Linglong's ear, causing Linglong's face to flush as if covered in red cloth. She turned her slender waist. "I’m ignoring you, Sister Yun Yao. You go be his assistant instructor yourself; I’ll stay here and look after the house."

Yun Yao hurriedly placated Linglong. "Alright, little Linglong, I was just teasing you, Sister. I don't know the written script of the Shuangcheng Kingdom. We sisters will definitely help you with this matter in the future. Hurry and finish your meal, pack up, and accompany Teacher Zhao to the Zhanshifu in the East City."

I don't know what joke Yun Yao and Linglong were sharing just now, but seeing Linglong stealing glances at me with that bashful look, my wife might be helping me court another girl again. This Yun Yao truly has no restraint, regardless of age! Linglong is only twelve, yet she dares to say anything.

It took us over an hour of walking to finally arrive at the Zhanshifu in the East City. I was utterly speechless regarding Shuangcheng’s transportation system. Even if riding pigs or horses wasn't allowed in the central and inner cities, couldn’t they at least arrange for a sedan chair? Failing that, even a rickshaw would suffice. Who would have the energy left to teach after walking such a long distance?