In the blink of an eye, Yu Pingnian was thrilled with the idea of staging a marriage challenge on behalf of the He family, seeing it as invaluable advice. He admired the suggestion profoundly.

　　The strategy of Qing Hu can be said to be killing three birds with one stone. Firstly, it can stir up trouble for the He family and vent some anger. Secondly, if a large number of people do come, we can try to woo a few of them. Thirdly, when He Muxian learns that Yu Pingnian is engaging in such behavior, won't he be furious and punish him? If he really killed the adopted son of the Wen family, the Wen family would have to side with us even more.

　　However, if my family and the He family ever learn about my actions, the consequences would be unimaginable. A severe beating would be the least of it. I have to carefully consider every detail and devise a way to deal with it.

　　"Brother, you flatter me," the originator of the plan replied.

　　"Brother, I don't have much to thank you for. How about this: I've already reserved the entire Zhou's Tavern for you. Stay as long as you like, eat whatever you want. From today on, I'll cover all your expenses. What do you say?"

　　"That's not necessary... I couldn't possibly accept," Qing Hu protested.

　　Though half a month later, Yu Pingnian was walking without his legs aching and eating without his arms hurting. As his strength returned, he knew he had to do something useful. He summoned the Song brothers and asked them to find someone with excellent penmanship.

　　Before long, the Zhou Family Inn was abuzz with scholars, quacks, wandering monks, and even two itinerant exam candidates who wrote letters for others and a fortune-telling charlatan. Altogether, there were fourteen of them.

　　Yu Pingnian personally inspected their handwriting and found it all to be better than his own. Before assigning them any tasks, he treated them to a meal and had someone purchase calligraphy supplies and wedding invitations.

　　As they ate, he explained the contents of the invitations: the news that the prefect's daughter was holding a marriage challenge. No one could contain their amazement.

　　The task that followed was simple: writing the invitations, which were then distributed far and wide.

　　On the thirteenth day of the tenth month, Beichi County welcomed its first snow of the season. The flakes were small and fell gently to the ground, making no sound. The light snow continued throughout the night, and by daybreak, Shen Huan and Ji Yanshi were out sweeping the snow together.

　　The prefect's mansion had no shortage of workers, but they were sweeping the snow simply because they had nothing better to do and because there was a reclusive and temperamental young lady in the house.

　　Suddenly, Ji Yanshi had an idea. "I haven't been to the Tribunal in days. I wonder how busy Zhou Ge is. Shen, I'm going to check on him."

　　Shen Huan felt abandoned. "Don't leave me here alone..."

　　"How about this: let's grab a drink at the inn."

　　"You're not suggesting the Zhou Family Tavern again, are you?"

　　"Not that one, I promise," Ji Yanshi said, pushing Shen Huan as they walked out of the mansion together.

　　Despite their claims, the inn was right there in front of them. A stage had been set up in front of the tavern, towering over the crowd. It was decked out in red, exuding a festive atmosphere that seemed tailor-made for a marriage challenge.

　　There was a crowd gathered around the stage, a mix of locals and outsiders. The weather wasn't too cold, so quite a few people had gathered.

　　Inside the tavern, however, there were few guests. The entire inn had been reserved, and no one else could get in. The people gathered around the stage were either guests from other taverns or passersby.

　　From a financial perspective, the innkeeper was thrilled. He had never had it so easy since the inn opened. Whether the marriage challenge was real or not, he had already made a tidy profit.

　　On the other hand, the fact that Yu Pingnian and Qing Hu were causing trouble for the prefect's daughter was not a good sign. He had already made plans to leave this place and find a quiet spot to enjoy his retirement.

　　On the stage, Song Chang stood in the center, flanked by a small servant holding a copper gong and a small hammer. The servant struck the gong, and Song Chang bowed in all directions.

　　"Ladies and gentlemen, I explained this once already, but I'll say it again for those who just arrived. This stage is for a marriage challenge, intended for Miss He, the prefect's daughter. You might ask why Miss He isn't here to host the challenge herself. It's because, as a lady, she is too bashful. So, she has entrusted this matter to us, her cousins from her father's side. I am Song Chang, the personal attendant of Master Yu Pingnian, the adopted son of the benevolent Left National Master.

　　The crowd showed more respect when they heard that the son of the Left National Master was involved.

　　Song Chang continued, "I'm sure some of you have heard rumors about the He family, claiming that there is no marriage challenge. In truth, prefect He disagrees with his daughter's decision, which is why such rumors have spread. However, Miss He herself is eager to marry, and their relationship has become strained because of this. To prove the authenticity of my words, I have brought someone here today."

　　With that, Qing Hu walked onto the stage.

　　Song Chang added fuel to the fire, "Allow me to introduce this gentleman. His name is Qing Hu, and he is Miss He's cousin from her father's side. With his presence here, the authenticity of the marriage challenge is undeniable."

　　Qing Hu took a few steps forward and said, "The matter has been made clear, and the task has been carried out properly. You all have your own judgments to make. I will say no more." With that, he left the stage.

　　From afar, Shen Huan and Ji Yanshi understood that Qing Hu was trying to distance himself from the situation and place all the blame on Yu Pingnian.

　　After Qing Hu's departure, the servant struck the gong again, and Song Chang continued his introduction: "The challenge will begin on the first day of the twelfth lunar month. Please come and witness it!"

　　Ji Yanshi observed, "They've been shouting about it for almost half a month now..."

　　"Who knows what will happen to Miss He," Shen Huan mused.

　　"It's hard to say, but she'll probably cause a scene in public."

　　"Ugh, this is such a headache. Let's get out of here."

　　As they were leaving, they happened to bump into Zhou Ge and Lu Ying. Zhou Ge barely lifted his eyelids, pretending not to recognize them, while Lu Ying pretended not to see them by adjusting her basket of vegetables.

　　Ji Yanshi grabbed hold of Zhou Ge. "Zhou, where are you headed?"

　　"Oh, it's Ji. I was just dealing with a case and now I'm on my way back."

　　"Dealing with a case with your cook?"

　　"I stopped by to buy some vegetables on the way."

　　"How about joining us for a drink?"

　　Zhou Ge dreaded getting involved, but he had no choice but to send Lu Ying back to the mansion and follow them.

　　The three of them chose a secluded spot at a small restaurant across from the Zhou Family Inn. The restaurant owner, who knew these three VIPs were usually hard to come by, personally welcomed them.

　　They sat down and ordered some food and drink. They lingered over their meal, from morning until the afternoon, until their food was cold, until evening fell. No one mentioned going back to the mansion.

　　As the sky grew dark, a police officer from the Tribunal arrived. "Sir Zhou, I finally found you. I have a message: He Muyu has returned to the mansion and requests to see you urgently."

　　Shen Huan took a sip of his wine, pretending not to hear.

　　Ji Yanshi turned to look across the street, pretending not to notice.

　　"Did they contact Shen?" Zhou Ge asked.

　　"Miss He knows that Shen is busy and doesn't want to disturb him," the officer replied.

　　"Where is she now?"

　　"She's been waiting at the mansion for some time."