The group of people drifted on the boat for a few more days. Fortunately, nothing significant happened during this time. When the boat finally docked, Lu Zhao supported Shen Qingyao as she disembarked. Shen Qingyao still felt unsteady on her feet, nearly collapsing into a deep bow when she met Cui Qiao, whom she hadn’t seen in days.
“Oh no, Miss! You shouldn’t be making such a big gesture!” Cui Qiao exclaimed as she saw Shen Qingyao stumble. She quickly moved forward, but seeing that Lu Zhao had already steadied Shen Qingyao, she stopped and teased with a smile. The two had grown up together, and since Shen Qingyao transmigrated, Shen Qingyao had been quite informal and playful with Cui Qiao, who wasn’t afraid of Shen Qingyao at all.
Shen Qingyao pretended to widen her eyes in disbelief and said, “Cui Qiao! You’ve changed! You weren’t like this before! You don’t care about me anymore!”
Cui Qiao turned her head to hide her laughter. Her eyes fell on the tightly held hands of Lu Zhao and Shen Qingyao, and she teased, “Haven’t I changed? Now, it’s not my place to care about you, Miss. Isn’t Young Master here to care for you?”
She had always felt that although Miss and Young Master seemed close before, something had subtly changed after this trip. Pleased for them both, her smile grew more satisfied.
Shen Qingyao’s face turned bright red at Cui Qiao’s words, and she wished she could pounce on Cui Qiao to give her a good scolding for her impudence.
“Husband… look, even Cui Qiao is bullying me!” She couldn’t beat Cui Qiao, so she clung to Lu Zhao’s sleeve and whined.
Lu Zhao watched the reunited mistress and servant bantering back and forth with a helpless, indulgent smile. Seeing his little girl at a disadvantage, he tightened his grip on her hand and laughed, “Alright, I’ll help you teach her a lesson.”
Cui Qiao shrank back, frightened, but then Lu Zhao added, “But what she said is true. Now you have me… mmph.”
Shen Qingyao covered his mouth with her hand. She seemed to know what he was about to say. If Cui Qiao said it, she could refute it. But if Lu Zhao said it… it was better left unsaid, or she might explode.
Cui Qiao giggled behind her hand again. Her eyes turned to Hong Yun, who stood quietly behind Shen Qingyao. Her eyes lit up.
Hong Yun, with her sweet and quiet demeanor, was particularly endearing. Her large eyes darted between the people, surprised to see how the masters interacted with their servants. Just as she was lost in thought, Cui Qiao pulled her over.
The two chatted happily, with Cui Qiao asking about their journey in low tones, and Hong Yun carefully responding. They whispered and occasionally burst into laughter.
Shen Qingyao felt slightly relieved. Cui Qiao had been with her for many years, and though Hong Yun had only joined recently, Hong Yun had taken good care of her. Seeing them get along well made her happy.
“Let’s go.” Lu Zhao squeezed her hand gently, his eyes tender. “I’ll take you to see our new home.”
Shen Qingyao looked back at him, nodded with a smile, and felt a sense of security. Though the script didn’t cover this unknown territory of the South, as long as Lu Zhao was with her, she felt less afraid and uncertain.
However, they couldn’t head straight to the new residence that Lu Zhao had prepared. As soon as they entered the city gates, they were stopped.
The person who stopped them was an unusually thin middle-aged man. His wide scholar’s robe hung loosely on him, billowing in the wind. His face was gaunt, with sunken cheeks and dark circles under his eyes. He approached with a smile and, for some reason, headed straight for Shen Qingyao, startling her. Before she could react, Lu Zhao had already stepped in front of her protectively.
The man seemed to notice Lu Zhao only then. He quickly changed direction, bowing and nodding obsequiously to Lu Zhao, a fawning demeanor that made Shen Qingyao frown.
“Who is this guy? He might as well write ‘I’m not a good person’ on his face,” Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but complain to the system, which wholeheartedly agreed.
“Who are you?” Without needing Lu Zhao to speak, a guard had already stepped forward to block the person, asking sharply.
“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding! I am the secretary of the Lingnan Prefecture! Today, I heard that Young Master was entering the city, so I came to welcome him!” As he spoke, he exaggeratedly rubbed his eyes and craned his neck to look at Shen Qingyao, who was hiding behind Lu Zhao. When he saw her face, a strange look flashed in his eyes, and then he immediately put on a sorrowful expression and said to the group, “I have been reading under the lamp for years and hurt my eyes. I didn’t see which one was Young Master and which was Young Madam. If I scared Young Madam, I apologize! I apologize!”
Shen Qingyao looked at him with an expression suggesting he was an idiot, thinking that maybe it wasn’t his eyes that were bad. People with bad eyes can’t see features clearly, but he couldn’t even distinguish between men and women.
Sure enough, Lu Zhao’s face darkened at his words, and when he noticed the man’s wandering eyes, he became even more displeased. He shielded Shen Qingyao completely and asked in a deep voice, “Are you Huang Zhiyuan, Qi Yunchuan’s man?”
The man was stunned, not expecting Lu Zhao to already know him, but then quickly nodded, “Yes, yes, yes, I am Huang Zhiyuan. As for whether I’m Lord Qi’s man… hehe, I’m just a secretary. Whoever is the governor, I’m their man…”
As he spoke, a strong scent of cheap perfume wafted from Secretary Huang’s sleeve, making Shen Qingyao wrinkle her nose in disgust.
“This man is not only not a good person, but he also seems to be a lecher,” Shen Qingyao muttered, scrunching her nose and moving closer to Lu Zhao’s back to avoid the offensive smell. “How disgusting.”
The system’s response was even more direct : [*Vomit*…]
“What do you want from me, Secretary Huang?” Lu Zhao ignored his flattery and asked directly. This man was one of Qi Yunchuan’s people, and one of Lu Zhao’s main tasks was to investigate Qi Yunchuan’s decade-long corruption, murder, and land-grabbing. Clearly, this man was involved. Lu Zhao suppressed his impatience and stared at him deeply.
“Young Master, you misunderstand, I…”
“Secretary Huang, since I’ve left the capital, I’m no longer the heir of the Duke’s estate but the new governor of Lingnan. You should call me Lord Lu,” Lu Zhao said coldly.
Secretary Huang’s smile froze, becoming awkward, but he could only nod repeatedly.
“Lord Lu, the new residence has been prepared for you. Shall I take you and Young Madam there now?”
Despite being a seasoned flatterer in the officialdom, Secretary Huang quickly recovered and spoke obsequiously, looking hopeful.
Lu Zhao’s face darkened, not giving an inch: “No need. My wife is frail and needs peace and quiet. The government residence, though good, is too noisy. I have other arrangements.”
Meaning, your place is too shabby for my liking. Shen Qingyao buried her face in Lu Zhao’s back, chuckling.
“This… this might be against the rules,” Secretary Huang said, looking troubled but feeling secretly pleased. Breaking the rules would give him leverage.
Lu Zhao seemed to see through his thoughts and snorted, “It is against the rules.”
Secretary Huang’s face lit up, about to exploit this, when Lu Zhao continued, “But my mother, Grand Princess Duanhua, has already obtained an imperial decree allowing us to set up a separate residence. Secretary Huang, what do you think is more important, the rules or the Emperor’s decree?” He smiled coldly, “Or do you need me to show you the decree, Secretary Huang?”
Secretary Huang broke into a cold sweat. He cursed inwardly and realized he had forgotten that the person before him was different from the typical candidates who only relied on the imperial examinations. This person could meet the Emperor at any time and the Emperor was even his uncle.
“No need… no need…” He chuckled awkwardly, his thin, weary face contorted. He had initially thought that newcomers like Lu Zhao and the others would give him some face. After he had settled them into the Prefectural Mansion, he could easily manipulate them as he pleased. Unexpectedly, they gave him no face at all. With no excuses left, he found it improper to stay longer, hastily exchanged a few more pleasantries, mentioned he would be waiting for Lu Zhao at the Prefectural Office for the handover, and left dejectedly.
As soon as he left, Lu Zhao’s face darkened completely.
Shen Qingyao pinched her nose and emerged from behind him, finally daring to take a deep breath. It was obvious that Secretary Huang spent his years in places like brothels and pleasure houses, as he reeked of powder and indulgence to the point of ruining himself. The occasional glances he cast their way was expecially discomforting.
She turned to see Lu Zhao’s grim expression and tugged at his sleeve, asking softly, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, is there something wrong with that Secretary Huang?”
“Mm.” Lu Zhao nodded slightly. By now, his demeanor had softened considerably. Holding Shen Qingyao’s hand, he walked forward and explained, “He is the trusted aide of the current Governor Qi Yunchuan. But this Qi Yunchuan… despite his notorious deeds, he manages to maintain a facade that shields him from accusations. This time, my arrival also involves some tasks to investigate him for the Emperor. He strongly insisted we stay at his prepared mansion, likely intending to lure us into a trap woven with spies once we step inside.”
“Ah, I see.” Shen Qingyao began to understand more clearly, increasingly convinced that her intuition was right: that man was indeed not to be trusted.
“Moreover, our incident on the ship last time likely had Qi Yunchuan’s hand in it.” Lu Zhao added casually, his eyes flashing with a cold light, but he didn’t say more about Qi Yunchuan’s backers.
Shen Qingyao was stunned by this revelation. She instinctively glanced at Lu Zhao’s arm, still bandaged from the arrow that had almost pierced through it—had it been slightly off, it could have taken his life.
“What? It was them? Why did you let him go? Quickly, bring him back!” Shen Qingyao’s anger surged, her words becoming impulsive.
Seeing the little girl about to roll up her sleeves and go after the man herself, Lu Zhao, who had been serious and solemn until then, couldn’t help but smile. He quickly used his uninjured hand to restrain her. Turning his head, he asked her, “If we really brought him back, what would Yaoyao want to do?”
“Do?!” Shen Qingyao was puzzled by the question. Wasn’t it obvious? “Bring him back so I can get revenge for you!
It would be best if she could shoot a few arrows into him herself to ease her pent-up resentment!
However, of course, they couldn’t just apprehend him—what would be the point of catching a few small shrimps? Shrimps were used to lure big fish. Still, Lu Zhao chuckled softly, deeply moved by the girl’s sentiment. After comforting her for a while, Shen Qingyao finally calmed down.
“Behind Qi Yunchuan, there must be someone directing him, right?” After a while, Shen Qingyao asked gloomily. Her White Moonlight was injured, yet they couldn’t immediately reclaim their lost ground, which was deeply frustrating.
Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. He hadn’t discussed this with the little girl before.
“Is it Xiao Jing?” Shen Qingyao asked again. After all, he was the biggest antagonist in this story.
“How did Yaoyao guess it?” Lu Zhao curiously asked, genuinely surprised this time.
“Is it really him?” Shen Qingyao widened her eyes. This antagonist is so dedicated. He’s not content with just the male and female leads; he even targets the male supporting role who’s trying to stay out of trouble. Shen Qingyao finds him so annoying!
“Why did you think it was him, Yaoyao?” Lu Zhao asked again.
Suddenly, Shen Qingyao felt a pang of guilt. She seemed to have spoiled too much of the plot. She blinked rapidly and quickly found an excuse for herself: “Well, I don’t know anyone else… And besides, that arrow last time was aimed at me! Throughout the entire capital, who else would bear a grudge against me except for our Ninth Prince, who wants you but can’t get you, and turned love into hatred?”
“I offended him for your sake!” Shen Qingyao stared seriously at Lu Zhao, holding up two fingers emphatically. “Twice.”
Even though Lu Zhao doted on her, he couldn’t help rolling his eyes at her nonsense. Clenching his teeth, he grinned evilly as he pinched the young girl’s ear: “You still haven’t forgotten about that? How many times have I told you not to make wild guesses? Huh?”
Mimicking her tone, Lu Zhao said fiercely, “Three times! Don’t talk such nonsense anymore! I have nothing to do with him!”
If his little girl mentioned it again, he might not be able to resist sending someone to assassinate Xiao Jing.
“Ah, ouch… It hurts…” Shen Qingyao was caught off guard as he pinched her ear, not really in pain but feeling embarrassed with so many people watching. She could see Cui Qiao and Hong Yun snickering. “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, I’m sorry, please stop…”
Lu Zhao couldn’t bear her coquettishness, so he lost his temper and let go. After a while, he couldn’t help but laugh himself.
Seeing him laugh, Shen Qingyao covered her ear and leaned closer. Sticking out her tongue, she whispered softly, “I know you have nothing to do with him. I was just kidding to make you happy!”
Just now, Lu Zhao’s face was so gloomy that it seemed as if he was about to pick up a knife and chop someone in the next second.
“You call that making me happy?” Lu Zhao chuckled, looking at her amusedly.
“So, Elder Brother Lu Zhao, are you happy now?” Shen Qingyao reached out and held Lu Zhao’s arm, resting her chin on it, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
“…” Who can resist that look? Lu Zhao lost all his anger. “Yes, I’m very happy.”
“Haha.” Shen Qingyao burst into giggles. Listening to her laughter, Lu Zhao let out a sigh of relief and looked at the lively and peaceful city. The days here were just beginning…
Thanks for the chapter!!!!