Ruyi left the Shen Manor in excellent spirits. Though there wasn’t anything particularly worth celebrating, everything she saw seemed pleasant—dew falling between the parasol trees, wind coming from beneath the willows—as if the long winter days were finally coming to an end.

She smiled, waving away the carriage and walking back to the tavern on her own with light steps, her mind filled with Shen Qiyuan’s slightly youthful yet sincere gaze.

Ah, well, matters of love weren’t indispensable things, not worth showing such joy over.

Though she thought this way, the smile in her eyes couldn’t help but bubble over. She spun around on her tiptoes, her skirt hem lifting slightly, then continuing to flutter cheerfully as she moved forward.

“Big sister, spare some money, please.” Passing by an alley entrance, a filthy child grabbed hold of her skirt hem.

Ruyi raised an eyebrow, supporting her knee as she crouched down slightly: “You’ve got the wrong person. I never feel compassion.”

The child looked at her helplessly, his thin hand with protruding bones slowly sliding away.

“However,” she changed her tone, “I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll give you this.”

She pulled out a small piece of broken silver from her purse.

The silver wasn’t much, probably around two qian, but as soon as it fell into the child’s hand, commotion arose all around. The refugees who had been lying against the wall corner all stood up, surging toward her like madmen. Some were still polite in their begging, while others directly reached for her purse, pushing and shoving until she nearly fell.

Ruyi’s expression darkened. She held up her purse and said coldly: “Outright robbery?”

“You gave it to him, so why can’t you give it to us?” someone said righteously.

She scoffed: “I’ll give to whoever I want. What business is it of yours?”

These words were like a stone thrown into the crowd. Instantly, many refugees became angry, pushing and grabbing while forcing their way forward, their mud-stained fingers scratching several dark red wounds on her wrist.

Ruyi grew impatient and tried to break free, but before she could move, a group of people suddenly appeared, separating the refugees and rescuing her.

“When people are nearly starved to death, they have no manners,” an elegant middle-aged man approached with a smile. “They don’t worry about having little, but about inequality. Though the young lady meant well, I’m afraid you may have harmed that child.”

This voice seemed familiar somehow.

Ruyi turned to look him up and down, felt no impression of him, so she perfunctorily cupped her hands and tried to leave.

Inspector Chen raised his hand to stop her, somewhat surprised: “Miss, leaving so soon?”

By normal logic, this kind-hearted young lady should be very grateful to him at this moment, then ask him to rescue the child who was surrounded because of her. Through such back and forth, the two would become connected, and she would naturally owe him a favor.

However, the person he stopped looked up with mockery in her eyes and brows: “From your words, you must be a kind-hearted bodhisattva. Since you’re here, there’s no need for me. Why shouldn’t I leave?”

Inspector Chen: “…”

Though it made sense, wasn’t it rather too cold? The woman Lord Shen liked should be virtuous and talented, shouldn’t she?

He coughed awkwardly and pointed to her arm: “Miss, you’re injured. Why not come with me to the nearby medicine hall to apply some medicine? The doctor there has good skills and guarantees no scars will remain.”

Following his pointing direction, Ruyi smiled meaningfully: “Thank you for praising our medicine hall’s doctor’s skills.”

Our medicine hall? Inspector Chen was puzzled: “This San Bu Qi Medicine Hall?”

“I opened it.”

“…”

The young lady in front of him walked away without looking back, leaving him standing there speechless.

“Rather troublesome,” Deputy Minister Xu emerged from the side and walked to Inspector Chen. “Seems the soft approach won’t work.”

“You dare use the hard approach on her?” Inspector Chen frowned deeply. “She’s Shen Qiyuan’s person.”

“Do you and I have any other choice right now?” Deputy Minister Xu asked sternly.

The memorial from Huizhou would reach Lin’an in three days. Without struggling a bit more, they truly wouldn’t even know how they died.

His heart sinking, Inspector Chen reconsidered. She was just a civilian merchant woman after all—subduing her would be simple, no need for so much concern.

Having made up their minds, the two followed in the direction she had left.

Ruyi returned to the Meeting Immortals Tavern, delighted to discover business was good today—all twenty-plus tables in the main hall were occupied with guests.

As soon as He Tinglan saw her, she quickly waved: “Come help quickly.”

Hua Fuman and Zhao Yanning had already departed for Huizhou, leaving only her and a few servers in the entire tavern, completely overwhelmed.

Ruyi nodded and helped at the counter with accounts. But after calculating for just a short while, the noisy main hall quieted down.

She looked up, puzzled, and saw that the man from the alley earlier had brought a team of guards to block the tavern entrance. The guests in the hall panicked momentarily, all stopping their drinking and eating.

“This guest,” she frowned, and stepped forward. “Dining or lodging?”

“I have some business with you,” Inspector Chen said.

This was much more straightforward than before, directly getting to the point.

Ruyi nodded but still didn’t relax her brow: “You brought so many people—I can’t do business anymore.”

“If you can’t do business, then don’t,” Deputy Minister Xu stepped through the door, signaling the guards behind to clear the place.

Guests who had been eating peacefully were all driven away. Naturally, they wouldn’t pay their bills, and many were angry, waving their sleeves at the door to show they’d never return.

Ruyi’s face darkened considerably.

With the main hall cleared, she sat before these two men with a false smile: “What instruction do you have?”

“Earlier, you gave that child two qian of silver, causing him to be beaten to death by other refugees,” Deputy Minister Xu spoke first. “This violates Great Qian’s laws—by law, you must pay with your life.”

Ruyi laughed: “Refugees fill the city, yet the court doesn’t open granaries for relief nor set up shelters for placement. Thousands die of hunger and cold without anyone paying with their life, yet I, someone who gave silver to refugees, have violated the law?”

She clapped her hands: “I understand now—the officials who drafted the laws are relatives of the King of Hell, so they must take care of his business.”

“How dare you!” Deputy Minister Xu slammed the table and stood up. “Speaking such wild words—I could arrest you and throw you in prison right now, and it would be justified!”

Having served as Deputy Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for so many years, he carried an imposing presence. Even fellow court officials would be intimidated by him, let alone a small woman.

However, the young lady across from him showed no reaction whatsoever. Far from being flustered, she didn’t even look at him directly, only asking carelessly: “Then why not arrest me? Does the almanac say today isn’t suitable for committing evil?”

“You—” Deputy Minister Xu was speechless with anger.

Inspector Chen intervened, giving him a way out, then turned to address Ruyi gently: “Miss, please calm your anger. We aren’t bad people, and even have had many years of friendship with Lord Shen. We came today only hoping the young lady would help us with a favor.”

As he spoke, he pushed a box toward Ruyi: “This is half the payment. After the matter is completed, we’ll present the other half.”

The box, about the size of two hands, was packed full of silver notes worth one hundred taels each.