Seeing the expectant, dazed look in Xiang Qiao's eyes, Shen Qing fell silent for a moment. She bowed slightly and said, "I am no lady. I'm afraid you have the wrong person, miss."
Xiang Qiao seemed stung by the woman's calm words and finally came to her senses. She stared blankly at Shen Qing for a long moment before speaking. "Yes... I was mistaken. If I recall correctly, you're the maid who helped the young master hide in the courtyard yesterday, aren't you? The young master can be mischievous; I hope he didn't cause you any trouble.
What is your name? I don't believe I've seen you in the mansion before."
Shen Qing gave a faint smile. "My name is Shen Qing. I was just hired to work in the mansion yesterday."
At her words, both Xiang Qiao and Yu Zihan stared at her, stunned. Xiang Qiao took a sharp step forward, her voice trembling with an ineffable mix of hope and longing. "Is that... 'Qing' as in the color green?"
Shen Qing's expression remained unchanged. "It is the 'Qing' from classic literature."
'Shen Qing, Shen Qing... Though one character is different, the names are far too similar. Could it be a coincidence?'
'This woman's voice and appearance are so much like the lady's. Is that also a coincidence?'
'There are simply too many coincidences!'
Xiang Qiao's heart was a tempest of complex emotions. For years, because the Lord had ordered all of his wife's portraits put away and forbade any likenesses of her to circulate, people had finally stopped sending women who resembled her to the Prime Minister's Mansion. Still, she couldn't rule out the possibility that there were people in this world with ill intentions toward their Lord and young master, people who would try to use the lady's memory to get close to them.
Xiang Qiao didn't want to think the worst of this woman who felt so intensely familiar, but... no matter what, the young master's safety was paramount. Regardless of how much she resembled the lady, if she had approached the young master with an ulterior motive, Xiang Qiao would rather make a fatal mistake than let a threat slip by.
Forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart, she looked at the woman before her and said, "I just heard the young master say he wanted to recommend you for a position at the Wei Qi Marquis Mansion. What are your thoughts on that? I... I'll be honest with you. You bear a certain resemblance to our lady. Many of the staff here were hired in recent years and don't know what she looked like, which is why you were brought into the mansion.
If they had known you... shared some facial similarities with our lady, they would never have allowed you to enter."
Shen Qing put on a surprised expression.
'Given the nature of her previous work, her acting skills were maxed out. While it might be difficult to deceive Xiang Qiao, who knew her so well, fooling her for a short while wouldn't be a problem at all.'
"The lady you speak of... you mean the Lord's first wife? I... I didn't know..."
She lowered her eyes, appearing flustered and helpless. Watching her, Yu Zihan also grew inexplicably flustered and anxious. He said worriedly, "It's not your fault. It's all Father's fault for hiding all of Mother's portraits. I'm afraid... I'm afraid that if Mother came back now, hardly anyone would even recognize her..."
As he spoke the last sentence, the young boy's voice dropped, revealing a palpable sense of loss and sorrow, like a little puppy abandoned by its master.
Shen Qing's heart tightened. She looked at the little boy beside her, who only came up to her chest. "Young master, is it because you feel it's inappropriate for me to stay in the mansion that you want me to leave?"
Yu Zihan quickly glanced up at her, then pressed his lips together. "That's not the only reason. You don't know what my father is like. He doesn't like my mother anymore. If he saw you, there's no telling what he might do to you."
'Of course, he knew in his heart that the reason his father had treated those women who resembled his mother so cruelly back then was mostly because the people who sent them had ulterior motives. His father's actions were a warning to the tiger by beating the mountain—a clear signal for those people to stop their pointless little schemes.'
'But he couldn't possibly tell this woman any of that. Besides, he wasn't wrong. His father really didn't like his mother anymore.'
'Otherwise, why would he have so cruelly put away all her portraits and belongings, dismissed most of the people who used to serve her, and forbidden anyone around him from even mentioning her?'
'He also wouldn't be so cold to him, or have taken so many concubines.'
'Since Zihan had put it that way, she seemed to have no reason not to leave.'
'Moreover, Xiang Qiao was clearly suspicious of her. She was staring at her intently right now, as if any unusual move would make it impossible for her to even leave this room.'
Shen Qing's thoughts turned. She adopted a look of disappointment mixed with gratitude. "I see. I never imagined the young master would be so considerate of me. I certainly can't refuse your kind intentions. As for working at the Wei Qi Marquis Mansion, I'll leave it in your hands, young master."
'Under the circumstances, she could only agree for now.'
'But Zihan probably wouldn't send her out of the Prime Minister's Mansion immediately. Based on what he just said, she should have a few more days here.'
'She had come here with her identity concealed only because she wanted to first get a clear picture of the current situation in the Prime Minister's Mansion and with Yu Jiuqing. That way, she wouldn't be at such a disadvantage when she finally faced him.'
'She never planned on avoiding Yu Jiuqing, which was why her disguise upon entering the Prime Minister's Mansion was cursory at best. It was just to buy as much time as she possibly could.'
'A few more days would be more than enough for her.'
Hearing this, Yu Zihan couldn't help but stare blankly at the woman before him.
'He knew it was only natural for this woman to agree to leave the Prime Minister's Mansion. If she had refused to leave no matter what, then, as much as he didn't want to, he would have had to suspect she had entered the mansion with a hidden agenda.'
'It was just that... the thought of her leaving made his heart feel inexplicably empty. He had only met her twice and could hardly say they were acquainted, yet he was already starting to feel lonely.'
Xiang Qiao's feelings were also incredibly complicated. After a long pause, she said in a hoarse voice, "Rest assured, our young master will see to this matter. It's getting late. You should be heading back. I'll see you out."
With that, she turned and walked out.
Shen Qing knew Xiang Qiao didn't want her spending too much time with Zihan. Xiang Qiao was still very vigilant. Even though Shen Qing had just agreed to leave the Prime Minister's Mansion, it clearly wasn't enough to completely dispel her suspicions.
She turned, bowed to Yu Zihan, and then followed Xiang Qiao.
Yu Zihan found himself staring wistfully at Shen Qing's departing figure.
Watching from the side, Qian Zhao Sheng couldn't help but say, "Young master, if you like that maid so much, just keep her here. Didn't you ask Marquis Wei Qi to put in a good word for these maids with the Lord? The Lord will still listen to what Marquis Wei Qi says. If you ask him for another favor, the Lord might be willing to turn a blind eye to this maid."
Yu Zihan was silent for a long while. He sat down on a nearby couch and buried his head in his arms in dejection, only his pair of dark, glistening eyes visible. "No," he said in a low voice. "She isn't Mother. If I kept her here, Mother would definitely be unhappy when she comes back."
His mother was one of a kind, irreplaceable.
Ten years ago, he was just a child of a little over two, and he remembered almost nothing about his mother. But he did have a vague memory of a woman sitting beside him as he threw a feverish tantrum, unable to sleep. A pair of gentle hands had rested on his forehead, her soft fingertips soothingly tracing his temples.
He couldn't even recall what his mother looked like back then, but he could still clearly feel the pity and heartache in those hands as they touched him.
Seeing the listless young master, Qian Zhao Sheng seemed a bit at a loss. He paused, then said, "But, young master, what if the lady never comes back? It's been ten years, after all. What if she can't come back, or... or she has a new family somewhere else..."
Before he could finish, a decorative rosewood horse figurine came flying straight at him. Qian Zhao Sheng let out a "YIPE—" and dodged it with great agility.
He looked over and saw his young master glaring at him resentfully, the corners of his eyes red. Biting his lower lip, he said, "Mother will come back! She's not the kind of woman those people outside say she is!"
Over the years, more than a few people had told him that he and his father had been abandoned by his mother.
His mother was said to have been a remarkable woman, in no way inferior to his father. She had disguised herself as a man and helped his father quell the civil unrest in Da Qi, earning even the deep respect of the current Holy Emperor.
How could such a person vanish for ten years without a reason, without a single word, and with no indication that her disappearance was the result of foul play?
It seemed much more likely that she had left of her own free will and simply never returned.
Thus, all sorts of unsavory rumors circulated about the disappearance of the Prime Minister's wife with the legendary life. There was no shortage of people who deliberately came to him to say such things just to upset him.
It wasn't that Yu Zihan hadn't wavered or had his doubts.
It was just that, with his father already treating him this way, he couldn't bear to imagine that his mother had also deliberately left him, that she didn't want him.
He had always kept the purest, most flawless image of his mother in his heart. It wasn't so much that he believed in his mother as it was his own stubborn insistence.