When Shen Qianyu returned to camp from the city, Yan Qing had already been waiting there for nearly an hour. Just as she was about to lose patience, Shen Qianyu strode into the tent with large steps.

“His Highness had quite a fruitful day.”

Wan Xiao smiled and stepped forward to receive the items in his hands, but Shen Qianyu refused.

“No need. This Prince will handle them himself.”

Yan Qing saw that from the moment he entered the tent, he began arranging the items in his hands. Nothing among them was particularly precious—most were ordinary things commonly seen on the streets.

Yet from embroidered shoes and fabric to face powder and rouge, everything was for women’s use.

Before she could wonder who His Highness intended to give these things to, she heard him speak: “Qin Rao sent you to find this Prince—what matter is it now?”

“It wasn’t the Princess who sent this servant.”

Her voice was like a mosquito’s drone, thin and soft. Shen Qianyu had to strain his ears to hear clearly.

Wan Xiao tactfully withdrew outside the tent. Shen Qianyu said: “What business do you have?”

“Nothing in particular. I only thought to seek a moment’s peace here with Your Highness.”

Yan Qing smiled bitterly as she revealed the arm the physician had just bandaged for her, her words seeming like lamentation: “May Your Highness not blame this servant for the disturbance.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianyu nodded faintly, but his hand remained on a square box wrapped tightly in indigo silk, apparently pondering something.

“Is this servant delaying Your Highness from important matters? If I’m in Your Highness’s way, this servant will leave immediately.”

After speaking, she walked toward the tent entrance with reddened eyes, but her steps were extremely slow, leaving ample opportunity for Shen Qianyu to call her back.

Yet Yan Qing hadn’t expected that even when one hand had already grasped the bright yellow tent curtain, Shen Qianyu still hadn’t uttered a sound.

Her eyelids drooped slightly. After thinking, she turned her head and dropped to her knees with a thud.

“This servant begs Your Highness, for the sake of our past connection, to show this servant some mercy. This servant truly has no way to survive.”

Women were naturally delicate and frail, especially someone like Yan Qing who possessed an innate three parts weakness. With tears in her eyes, begging so pitifully, she was all the more heart-stirring.

She sobbed quietly, crying like pear blossoms in rain, a touching and moving sight.

“You won’t.”

Yan Qing was crying with such emotion when, hearing these words, she blankly raised her head. First came a moment of confusion, then after a pause she said: “This servant doesn’t understand Your Highness’s meaning.”

“This Prince says you won’t have no way to survive.”

Glancing at the indigo-wrapped package, Shen Qianyu said: “Before Qin Rao reaches a cooperative agreement with this Prince, neither Uncle Yan nor you will be in mortal danger.”

“There may be no mortal danger, but we still must suffer physical torment.”

Yan Qing pressed her lips together, her eyes full of worry as she continued: “Your Highness also knows what circumstances this servant is in. This servant…”

“Just endure it for now.”

His fingertips tapped lightly on the wooden box. Thinking of the embarrassment that day, Shen Qianyu unconsciously touched his nose.

Yan Qing seemed to notice that his mind was completely elsewhere, and gradually a layer of resentment rose in her heart.

“For the sake of how Father cared for you so much in those years, can Your Highness not save Qing’er and Father?”

“This Prince already said you should endure for now. The time is not yet right.”

Shen Qianyu finally moved his hand from the package. He turned his head to look at Yan Qing.

That Qin Rao had brought her father and daughter to Dongning indicated she was certain he valued Uncle Yan and his daughter. If he showed even half a trace of concern at this time, it would make Qin Rao intensify her behavior even more.

He didn’t know if Yan Qing had been driven foolish over these years by the aphrodisiac incense powder on Qin Rao’s person—she couldn’t even understand such a simple principle.

“When the time is right, this Prince will naturally act.”

Yan Qing pressed her lips tightly together and pressed him repeatedly: “Could it be Your Highness has forgotten the past…”

Shen Qianyu impatiently cut her off.

“Why don’t you tell me—what do you want this Prince to do?”

Imperial Physician Yan had shown him grace that he could not shirk. If Yan Qing’s words were not excessive, he could also do his utmost to fulfill them.

“This Prince considers himself someone who repays grace received. Go ahead and speak.”

Hearing this, Yan Qing finally let go of the heart she’d been holding suspended. With reddened eyes she said: “This servant seeks nothing from Your Highness, only that Your Highness might request this servant from the Princess. This servant is willing to work like an ox or horse for Your Highness, only seeking Your Highness’s protection.”

“Impossible.”

“Why… why not?”

Yan Qing looked at him in disbelief, her eyes full of shock.

“This servant made no excessive demands. Why does Your Highness disagree?”

She clutched desperately at her collar, never having imagined Shen Qianyu would refuse so readily.

It was merely a servant’s position—even this wouldn’t do?

She gazed imploringly at Shen Qianyu, who now possessed the full威严 of a superior, but could no longer find any trace of the barbarian slave she once knew.

The barbarian slave of those years had clearly respected Father greatly and had been quite kind to her as well. Why would he now refuse even such a small request?

Yan Qing clutched her arm, her tone desperate: “Can Your Highness truly not recall any old sentiment? Father, he…”

Shen Qianyu raised his hand to interrupt Yan Qing’s words.

The man straightened his body, his features cold and severe: “This Prince does not bring women back from outside travels, regardless of their status. Whether servant or concubine, this Prince does not do such things.”

With Jiang Xingjian as that “fine jade” as precedent, how would he dare poke at Wan’er’s heart again?

If he went out and returned to court having also brought back an old acquaintance to keep by his side, it would surely disgust Wan’er so much she couldn’t eat for three days.

Shen Qianyu’s gaze swept past the box at his side, his eyes lowering slightly.

If he really brought back such a thing, forget about wanting to sleep in the same bed as Wan’er—he’d probably have difficulty even getting Wan’er to kiss and touch him again.

Listlessly fiddling with the porcelain figurine he’d bought for Song Wan, Shen Qianyu spoke indifferently: “You must know that the one who showed grace to this Prince is Imperial Physician Yan, not you, Yan Qing. If not for Uncle Yan’s sake, this Prince truly couldn’t be bothered to waste words with you.”

The man stood up, his eyes full of impatience: “You’ve repeatedly mentioned past grace, but you must know that those past matters become grace only if this Prince acknowledges them. If you leverage grace to demand repayment, it becomes enmity instead.”

Having been steeped in palace life for so long, Yan Qing couldn’t even see through such a simple matter—truly extraordinarily foolish.

“You may go. When necessary, this Prince will act to rescue you and Uncle Yan.”

She had thought that relying on their old acquaintance, she could secure a path for herself with Shen Qianyu. Who would have expected him to be so cold and heartless?

Yan Qing stared wide-eyed, full of unwillingness.

She was unwilling to accept this!

A person’s life should not be wasted thus. If there was even the slightest possibility of advancement, she needed to seize the opportunity. If she missed Shen Qianyu, she would never again in this life have a chance to escape Qin Rao’s clutches.

“Man Nu, don’t be angry.”

Tears slowly fell from her eyes as Yan Qing said: “I’m only too mindful of the words you and I exchanged that day.”

“Under the eaves and corridors of Xiguang Hall, you once said that if one day you returned to Dongning, you would certainly rescue Father and me from dire straits. All these years I’ve waited and hoped only for this day.”

“It was I who overstepped. It was I who shouldn’t have presumed to imagine those things I cannot imagine.”

“It was I who shouldn’t have foolishly clung to those notions, causing you to misunderstand that I was leveraging grace for repayment.”

“I’ve just been waiting for you for too long…”

“I thought that as long as my heart was sincere and devoted, I could have my wish.”

Yan Qing cried most pitifully, her mouth ceaselessly recounting past affections.

Perhaps because he had seen Song Wan so many times remaining composed even in difficult circumstances, never presenting herself in a weak and lowly manner—such integrity—suddenly seeing Yan Qing’s affected and contrived attitude made Shen Qianyu feel extremely uncomfortable.

But he had no intention of kicking her while she was down. After thinking, he still yielded three parts to old sentiment and spoke words of comfort: “If sincerity and devotion could achieve one’s wishes, this Prince would have long since ascended the throne as Emperor.”