Shen Guiyan was led by Madam Shen to the side hall. The opening words were not surprising in the least.

“At the Gu residence, have you been properly supporting Ya’er?”

Shen Guiyan laughed lightly. Support her? They were practically trying to pack her up and send her to another man’s bed. It was already good enough that she hadn’t immediately retaliated.

“What? No face to speak to me about it now?” Madam Shen snorted lightly. “Even if you don’t tell me, I know. Ya’er has been looking after you at the Gu residence, even having the kitchen send you good dishes and fine meals. Yet you repaid kindness with enmity and stole her duties?”

The corners of Shen Guiyan’s mouth twitched, but she said nothing. Years of experience told her that refuting was useless, and clarifying was useless too. Before absolute unreasonableness, the only thing one could do was remain silent.

Madam Shen snorted coldly. “I already said before—if you dare make things difficult for Ya’er at the Gu residence, I won’t let you have an easy time.”

Shen Guiyan laughed lightly and looked up at her. “How does Madam plan to make Yan’er’s life difficult?”

Madam Shen froze, not expecting her to look up and question her like this. For a moment, she couldn’t quite react. Harsh words were meant to frighten people—how could she actually do anything?

“During these three days of the return visit, Yan’er will properly serve her parents and repay the debt of being raised and nurtured.” Shen Guiyan bowed respectfully to Madam Shen. “As for other matters, Yan’er knows her own limits. Madam need not worry.”

“You…” Madam Shen glared at her. “You’ve truly married out and have no reservations left whatsoever?”

“Indeed.” Shen Guiyan nodded, raising her eyes to look directly at her. “Moreover, Concubine Qin is already dead. What reservations should Yan’er still have? Don’t you agree, Mother?”

Madam Shen’s expression changed slightly. She averted her gaze and turned her head away. Shen Guiyan bowed. “Yan’er will return to settle in now. Mother, take care.”

Without waiting for her response, she left the side hall directly.

Outside, Gu Chaobei had already left as well.

Madam Shen stood in the side hall, her eyes dark as she watched Shen Guiyan’s retreating figure.

As soon as Gu Chaobei returned to Swallow Tower, he truly lay down on her bed to sleep again. Shen Guiyan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She sat at the bedside and continued sewing the sachet she hadn’t finished.

“I suddenly remembered something.” Gu Chaobei spoke with his eyes closed. “The first time I came to see you, why did you, a young lady, have a dagger under your pillow?”

The wound on his left shoulder had only just fully healed. However, the wound had been too deep—scarring was inevitable. What a pity for his previously flawless body.

Shen Guiyan didn’t even lift her head. “For self-defense.”

There were all sorts of troublemakers in this courtyard. Without keeping something for self-protection, how could she sleep peacefully?

Gu Chaobei opened his eyes to look at her, finding it amusing. A delicate, gentle maiden actually needed self-defense? Well, although the strike she gave him back then was indeed unexpected, who else would be as shameless as him to break into a young lady’s chambers?

Fourth Young Master Gu’s self-awareness was quite accurate.

Shen Guiyan had no intention of saying more, and Gu Chaobei didn’t ask further. After resting for a while and finishing the midday meal, the two went for a casual stroll around the Shen residence.

“Sixth Young Master is still young—there’s no need to worry about matters of career.” Passing by the courtyard of Literary Excellence Pavilion, they happened upon Shen Guiwen studying with his tutor.

Though Shen Guiwen was young, he was precocious. His small face was full of seriousness. “No one has established a rule that one must be older before entering government service. Guiwen is interested in court affairs and only wishes for Master to impart all his knowledge.”

Gu Chaobei raised an eyebrow.

That tutor was a renowned scholar invited by Master Shen, so naturally he knew more than ordinary people. He sighed. “Now the Wen clan holds sway—in civil matters there is Grand Scholar Fu, in military matters there is General Yuwen. Imperial authority has declined, with yin overshadowing yang. Meanwhile, the common people suffer from droughts and floods—this is the nation’s most perilous moment.”

Shen Guiwen laughed lightly. “So what? Those who serve as officials serve the people, not the ruler. No matter who holds the heavens, the earth remains the same earth.”

The tutor was speechless. Gu Chaobei smiled almost imperceptibly and pulled Shen Guiyan forward.

“Rare that your family has a good one.”

“What do you mean ‘rare’?” Shen Guiyan pointed at herself indignantly. “I’m good too.”

“Yes, yes, yes, you’re extremely good.” Gu Chaobei said, “Later I’ll have someone buy you some pastries to eat.”

Shen Guiyan nodded but couldn’t help looking back at Shen Guiwen’s courtyard. The tutor was still continuing: “Unfortunately, all the court ministers belong to the Empress’s faction. There are no righteous men to uphold imperial authority…”

She had met the Scholar Fu he mentioned earlier. As for General Yuwen, she had only heard of him. The two were the Empress’s right and left hands, helping the Empress interfere in government affairs.

Shen Guiyan remembered that on the wedding day, the Emperor had personally visited the Prime Minister’s residence, bringing his most favored Consort Nian, saying they were just wandering the streets and happened to pass by.

If there truly were an enlightened sovereign with imperial authority, he probably wouldn’t have the leisure to fool around like that.

“You go upstairs first. I’ll rest in the study for a while.” Stepping into the grounds of Swallow Tower, Gu Chaobei released Shen Guiyan’s hand and said with a smile.

Shen Guiyan raised an eyebrow. “There are only books in the study.”

“So what?” Gu Chaobei hummed. “Sleeping with books as a pillow—who knows, I might even dream of a golden house.”

Shen Guiyan shook her head, turned, and went upstairs first. Watching her go up and close the door, only then did Gu Chaobei drop his smile and turn to look at Zhuiyun. “Where is he?”

“Already in the study.” Sweat beaded faintly on Zhuiyun’s forehead. “This servant will keep watch. Master, go ahead.”

Gu Chaobei muttered something under his breath, looked around, and tried to appear nonchalant as he entered the study.

As soon as he entered, someone greeted him with a punch.

Gu Chaobei swore, dodged to the side, grabbed the person’s hand with his backhand, and drove his knee heavily into the man’s stomach.

Yuwen Changqing grunted and quieted down.

Gu Chaobei angrily threw him off. “Are you courting death? Don’t drag others down with you. We agreed on three days from now—why did you insist on entering the capital early today?”

The person before him was in his early twenties but even more undisciplined than him. Leaning against the wall, he laughed. “There’s a matter at hand. Hey, you’re just a minor fourth young master of the Gu family—how dare you be so fierce with me every time?” Yuwen Changqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’m a favored person before the Empress.”

“Real men don’t discuss status—they speak with their fists.” Gu Chaobei’s face was expressionless as he raised his hand and formed a fist.

“No more fooling around. There truly is an urgent matter, which is why I risked coming here.” Yuwen Changqing immediately became serious, straightening up and saying in a low voice, “This time I brought one hundred thousand soldiers into the capital. We should have rested in Wuzhen, but orders came down for me to station outside the capital’s outskirts.”

Gu Chaobei frowned. “You’ve already arrived?”

“I came ahead. The rest should still take some days.” Yuwen Changqing said, “In a few more days will be the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration. I don’t know what that master has planned. Time is pressing, so I could only come find you first to figure something out.”

The current realm was truly a pot of thin gruel. The Empress and the Emperor competed for power, the Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince competed for position. People like them had to constantly watch the movements, fearing that one misstep would lead to disaster.

If heavy troops were amassed at the capital’s outskirts, did that mean forcing the palace? But what reason would the Empress have to force the palace? Without a pretext, as a woman she couldn’t even occupy the throne—what use would it be?

Gu Chaobei was silent for a long time. “You’d better go inform the master first.”

Yuwen Changqing said discontentedly, “Do you know how much pressure I’m under coming to find you? And you’re still telling me to go inform him?”

“…Then I’ll send someone. You leave the city first.”

“Fine.” Yuwen Changqing nodded, then looked him up and down. “I heard you got married, and to quite a beauty at that.”

Gu Chaobei’s face darkened again. “What business is it of yours? Hurry up and leave!”

“Hey, hey, don’t be like that. We’re brothers who’ve been through life and death together.” Yuwen Changqing clutched at the window frame. “At least let me meet her?”

“Stop your nonsense.” Gu Chaobei frowned. “If your whereabouts are exposed later, everything will be finished for you.”

With a light snort, Yuwen Changqing sat on the window preparing to climb out. “Then take care. When I enter the capital, I’ll find you again for a sparring match.”

Gu Chaobei waved him off.

As for how he had gotten involved with Yuwen Changqing, that would require going back a long time—too tedious to explain. The only thing worth saying was that the two of them were now in the same camp, and their acquaintance was known to only one other person.

If a fourth person learned of it and leaked the information, a great many people might die.

Yuwen Changqing had been stationed in the south and had finally returned to the capital, making him somewhat reckless. He should have been able to leave the Shen residence safely, but when departing from Swallow Tower, he kicked over a flower vase that a maid had left outside to air.

“Who’s there?!” A household guard was just passing by the entrance to Swallow Tower. Seeing the shadow of a man in this area, he shouted.

Gu Chaobei in the study was startled and immediately opened the door to look out. Yuwen Changqing’s reaction was lightning-fast—he immediately ran up toward Swallow Tower.

Gu Chaobei’s face turned livid. Going up would frighten Shen Guiyan, and if she let out a scream, wouldn’t everything be finished? Did Yuwen Changqing only have eyes but no brain?

Fortunately, Zhuiyun reacted quickly. He pushed his master back into the study, then chased toward Swallow Tower shouting, “Fourth Young Master!”

Three or four household guards stood below Swallow Tower. The one who had just heard the noise looked at Zhuiyun with confusion. “That person just now was dressed in black—didn’t look like Fourth Young Master.”

Zhuiyun said calmly, “My master changed his clothes. What’s so strange about that?”

“Then why was he running?” the guard muttered.

Zhuiyun blocked the stairway. “No need for you to manage it. In any case, there’s nothing wrong here. You can leave now.”

The guards couldn’t argue with someone from the Prime Minister’s residence and could only leave with three backward glances. Zhuiyun breathed a sigh of relief, turned to open the study door, only to find the window wide open inside and his master already gone!

Upstairs in Swallow Tower, Shen Guiyan pricked her own hand with a needle, looking at the person before her in great astonishment.

A man in black had appeared from who knows where, with a clean and capable appearance, handsome brows and a prominent nose—quite striking.

This looked far more robust than Gu Chaobei, that fair and delicate young beauty.

Yuwen Changqing had been fully prepared to come up and cover someone’s mouth, but who knew this beauty before him wouldn’t scream or make a fuss, instead looking at him with great curiosity.