Shen Qing frowned slightly.
It was early spring, the beginning of the third month, and the weather was still quite cold. To kneel in the courtyard all night in such weather, given her current physical condition, she would likely fall seriously ill.
She had only snuck in under a false identity to gather information; there was no need to torture herself like this. Kneeling was out of the question.
There were many ways to avoid this punishment, but it was nearly impossible to do so without any risk.
Shen Qing's thoughts raced as she silently gazed up at the sky.
'If I have no other choice, I'll have to accept my fate and end this little charade of a hidden identity today.'
'Besides, Yu Jiuqing was injured today. Choosing today to talk to him might actually be good timing.'
'After all, that man has always been adept at hiding his true intentions. He looks cold and distant, but he's incredibly cunning. One wrong move, and you'd fall right into his trap.'
Just as Shen Qing was contemplating the feasibility of confronting Yu Jiuqing today, a young Maid suddenly rushed in, bowed to Sumei Xue, and said, "Steward Su, Mr. Guo just arrived at the mansion!"
'Mr. Guo...'
A glint flashed in Shen Qing's eyes as she glanced at the Maid.
Sumei Xue seemed quite surprised. She looked at the pitch-black sky and mumbled to herself, "Mr. Guo is here? At this hour?"
Then, she turned to the Maid and said coolly, "If Mr. Guo is here, someone will naturally attend to him. This matter should have nothing to do with us."
She was the steward in charge of the household servants. Her main duty was managing them; guests of the Prime Minister's Mansion were not within her purview.
The Maid hurriedly replied, "That would normally be the case, but... but as soon as Mr. Guo arrived, he said a Maid from our mansion had helped him earlier. He said he came to repay the favor, and now... now he's heading this way..."
Sumei Xue froze, asking instinctively, "Which Maid?"
"Mr. Guo said the Maid's name is Shen Qing..."
Before she could finish, a set of rather bold footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard. A man's cheerful voice followed. "That's right! I have come to repay a debt of gratitude. My apologies for visiting so late and disturbing you all. But I've roamed the martial world, and I've never liked being indebted to anyone. As long as this favor remains unrepaid, I can't find a day's peace!"
The man who appeared before them with this voice had handsome features, smiling eyes, and was dressed in a sapphire-blue brocade robe.
He exuded an air of wealth from head to toe, but the seemingly perpetual smile on his face gave him a rare approachability. It diluted the gaudy aura of money about him, making him appear as harmless as a pale-faced scholar.
Recognizing the man's face, the corner of Shen Qing's mouth twitched.
'It really is Guo Chengfeng!'
'When did this guy start acting so flamboyantly? But more than that, his arrival at the Prime Minister's Mansion so quickly was somewhat unexpected.'
Behind Guo Chengfeng was a group of people who, at first glance, appeared to be his servants and stewards from the Prime Minister's Mansion.
'They all have unfamiliar faces. At least, there shouldn't be anyone in the group who can recognize me.'
The moment Guo Chengfeng entered, his eyes quickly swept across the small courtyard. Soon, his gaze locked onto Shen Qing, who was kneeling on the ground. His stare was as intense as a torch, filled with an unmistakable joy and excitement. He stared at her without blinking, silent for a long moment.
His gaze was so fervent that even the onlookers felt something was amiss.
Sumei Xue, having grasped the situation, spoke cautiously, "Mr. Guo, I hear the Maid you're looking for is named Shen Qing?"
"That's right."
Guo Chengfeng seemed to snap back to reality, the laughter in his eyes so intense it threatened to spill over. "Shen Qing. The 'Qing' from the line, 'Auspicious clouds glow bright, weaving through the sky.'"
Sumei Xue's mouth fell slightly agape.
Although she understood the situation now, she was still shocked.
'When did this Shen Qing help Mr. Guo? And of all times, he chose to come right when I was about to punish her!'
But this Mr. Guo was one of the top merchants in all of Da Qi. He visited their Lord and the young master at the Prime Minister's Mansion almost every year and was even known by the Holy Emperor. He was, without a doubt, an honored guest of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Compared to the punishment she was about to mete out, entertaining this honored guest was naturally far more important.
Sumei Xue immediately said, "I never imagined Shen Qing and Mr. Guo shared such a connection. Please, Mr. Guo, follow this servant to the courtyard pavilion to rest for a moment. This servant will have Shen Qing tidy herself up and join you shortly..."
But Guo Chengfeng suddenly cut her off. "When I came in just now, I saw these three Maids kneeling on the ground. Did they do something wrong?"
Sumei Xue choked on her words. "They did indeed make some minor mistakes. This servant was about to administer a small punishment..."
Guo Chengfeng broke into a wide smile. "Since it's just a minor mistake, how about you spare Shen Qing this time, for my sake? Consider it part of my repayment to her."
Sumei Xue paused, momentarily at a loss.
'How could this Mr. Guo meddle so casually in another household's affairs?! He's a merchant, after all. He lacks the decorum of the great families.'
But as a mere steward, she could hardly refuse to give face to an honored guest of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Besides, while the Lord had told her to give the three Maids a small punishment, he hadn't specified *what* that punishment should be.
'Kneeling in the courtyard all night is a small punishment, but a verbal reprimand would also count as a small punishment.'
She quickly made up her mind, bowing to Guo Chengfeng. "Since Mr. Guo has spoken up for Shen Qing, it would be inappropriate for this servant to pursue the matter of her mistake any further. Shen Qing, you should thank Mr. Guo properly."
Feeling Guo Chengfeng's overly fervent gaze fixed on her, Shen Qing let out a dry laugh in her heart. On the surface, however, she adopted a docile and obedient expression. "Thank you, Mr. Guo."
Guo Chengfeng reacted as if he'd just witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. His smile grew even wider, and with a wave of his hand, he announced, "I feel bad for disturbing you all so late at night, so I had my men prepare some greeting gifts for everyone. Please, go and get them!"
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the courtyard instantly grew lively. Many of the Maids couldn't help but lift their gazes slightly, staring at the man before them with excitement.
'No wonder each of the young servants behind him is holding several boxes! This Mr. Guo is just as the rumors say—so generous and magnanimous!'
In this festive, almost New Year's-like atmosphere, Guo Chengfeng ignored Sumei Xue's suggestion to let Shen Qing go back and tidy up, instead leading her directly toward the pavilion outside.
Sumei Xue watched them with a hesitant expression but ultimately said nothing.
Just then, a Maid nearby whispered, "Look at the way Mr. Guo is looking at Shen Qing. He hasn't fallen for her, has he?"
After all, Shen Qing's beauty was plain to see.
Sumei Xue immediately shot her a cold glare. The Maid shrank back, not daring to say another word.
Sumei Xue turned back to the pair walking away.
'When a woman is too beautiful but of low status, she truly does attract a lot of trouble.'
'Was I wrong to have recruited Shen Qing into the Prime Minister's Mansion back then?'
Meanwhile, Guo Chengfeng led Shen Qing straight to an outdoor pavilion. After waving everyone away, he turned to face her with a faint smile, but didn't initiate the conversation.
Shen Qing paid him no mind, sitting down directly on the bench. She tapped her right index finger lightly on the table and said with a hint of impatience, "Guo Chengfeng, it's been ten years. Did a dog eat your sense of subtlety?"
Hearing her rather blunt words, the smile on Guo Chengfeng's face couldn't help but grow even wider.
'This is the Shen Qing I know!'
The fact that he was seeing her again after so many years was finally starting to feel real.
All evening, he'd been like a smiling Buddha statue; the grin never left his face.
"Ah Qing, I'm starting to suspect you've spent the last ten years in some forgotten, isolated corner of the world. The Da Qi of today is not the Da Qi of ten years ago. Your husband is exceptionally capable and has brought perfect order to the entire realm. As someone openly associated with the Prime Minister's Mansion, no one dares to openly move against me. If I were to act humbly now, wouldn't that just be asking to be bullied?"
He sat down across from Shen Qing, his eyes bright. "Or... are you blaming me for being too high-profile this time, for potentially exposing your identity? But Ah Qing, the you I know is not the type to hide and shy away from confronting Yu Jiuqing."
There weren't many people left in the world who still dared to call Yu Jiuqing by his full name.
Shen Qing glanced at him, the corners of her lips curling into a self-deprecating smile. "I never thought the day would come when I wouldn't know how to face him... or Zihan."