At the first quarter of the wei hour, just after Shen Qiyuan finished inspecting the leaking roof, a team of manor soldiers arrived at the entrance of Huixian Wine House.
Ruyi lifted the curtain to look out and happened to see He Zeyou leading the manor soldiers, standing before Shen Qiyuan and bowing to him with leisurely arrogance.
“Lord Shen.” His eyes held mockery. “Everyone in court says that you are magnanimous in appearance yet tolerant within, with conduct that crowns the imperial clan. I never expected that today you would interfere in the affairs of common merchants.”
He was referring to the earlier incident at the clothing shop.
Ruyi’s expression darkened. Just as she was about to get out of the carriage, she saw twenty-seven or twenty-eight purple-hatted guards suddenly emerge from the other side of the street. Their sabers clanged as they swiftly moved to protect Shen Qiyuan.
“Sir.” The purple-hatted guards looked at He Zeyou warily, their blades slightly unsheathed.
Shen Qiyuan raised his sleeve, his gaze calm: “Nothing serious.”
Upon hearing this, the purple-hatted guards retreated behind him, but their eyes still stared fiercely at the opposition.
Seeing this formation, He Zeyou’s arrogance instantly deflated, and he only muttered: “Such a grand ceremony when you go out, sir.”
“Second-rank marquises receive imperial grace and may travel by carriage with no more than twelve attendant guards.” Shen Qiyuan looked directly at him. “The marquis bringing twenty men to charge straight at me is already exceeding protocol—they are merely doing their duty.”
What he said was fact, written in black and white regulations, but somehow He Zeyou inexplicably felt humiliated.
“Sir, though you have no noble title and your official rank is merely second grade, you have nearly thirty accompanying guards.” He frowned. “Isn’t this exceeding protocol?”
Shen Qiyuan merely smiled without speaking.
Watching him, Ruyi felt as if there were spring breezes caressing jade cliffs, new willows sprouting, flowers blooming on branches, their fragrance filling the universe.
Supporting her chin, she thought that even though there were far more than just one beautiful thing in this world, this man would certainly rank among the top.
However, while he smiled so brilliantly like a god, He Zeyou, across from him, looked as ugly as a ghost.
Just as He Zeyou raised his question, a nearby guard quietly explained to him: “Marquis, Lord Shen has received imperial grace, specially permitted ceremonial guards equivalent to the Eastern Palace.”
After hearing this explanation, He Zeyou forced a smile: “It seems I am ignorant and ill-informed.”
He had thought that someone without noble rank would be easy to handle, never expecting to encounter such an iron plate.
“The marquis just mentioned merchant affairs.” Shen Qiyuan continued speaking. “If it were private trade, naturally it wouldn’t be the Zongzheng Office’s turn to interfere. But if the Commercial Affairs Bureau is derelict in duty, my Zongzheng Office has the right to intervene.”
“There are plenty of shops owned by court officials’ families in Lin’an City. Sir manages none of the others, yet specifically manages that one.” He Zeyou looked at him meaningfully. “To say there’s no personal interest involved would be impossible, wouldn’t it?”
Shen Qiyuan didn’t understand: “What personal interest could I have?”
With a light snort, He Zeyou looked toward the nearby carriage: “What other personal interest could there be? All worldly matters come down to nothing more than wealth and beauty.”
Liu Ruyi’s silver wasn’t just a little—it was mountains of gold and silver that could keep even him, a marquis, eating and drinking without worry for a lifetime. Who wouldn’t be tempted?
If not for this man surnamed Shen interfering, Liu Ruyi should have already been driven to desperation and come to the marquis’ manor seeking him.
Growing more irritated as he thought about it, he took two steps toward the carriage and said in a deep voice: “Yi’er, are you also fickle and unfaithful?”
Her delicate hand lifted the curtain, Ruyi’s eyebrows curved with a smile, and she couldn’t help but extend her other hand to give him clear, crisp applause.
“The marquis’s use of the word ‘also’ is truly wonderful.”
He Zeyou choked, showing slight reproach: “In broad daylight and public view, why must you make me lose face?”
“This stage was one the marquis climbed onto himself, and the play of mutual love and affection is already half-sung. What’s the point of coming down?” She smiled ambiguously. “Could it be that the manor doesn’t have enough silver to spend, and you’re thinking of asking me for money again?”
“…”
She actually wasn’t wrong. The marquis manor had enormous expenses, and without these shops to support it, it would be completely destitute within a year.
But He Zeyou still felt annoyed.
Her speaking so bluntly—what would others think of him when they heard?
“Forget it.” He flicked his sleeve. “I won’t say much about the other shops, but this Huixian Wine House alone, I’ve always personally managed. You can take all the other shops, just give me the property deeds for this place.”
Ruyi:?
She tilted her head, blinking as she looked at Shen Qiyuan: “Sir, this is blatant highway robbery in broad daylight. Aren’t you going to do anything about it?”
“Liu Ruyi!” He Zeyou said in a deep voice, “You and I had a time of love and affection at least. Let’s not push things to extremes.”
Ruyi stopped smiling.
She turned back, quietly looking at the man before her, a dark shadow slowly surging in her eyes.
“Liu Ruyi died in that time of love and affection.” She said softly.
From age fifteen to nineteen, an innocent and naive young girl spent all her flesh and blood loving a man, only to receive betrayal and contempt in return, ugly lies and bone-deep humiliation.
The man before her felt no guilt and had no awareness of how shameless he was. He still thought Liu Ruyi’s love for him was natural, and his demanding things from her was also natural.
Even acting like a benevolent benefactor looking down from above.
Irrepressible killing intent burst from her eyes. Ruyi’s figure moved like lightning, appearing before him in the blink of an eye, swiftly reaching out to grasp his throat.
However, in the next instant, a hand reached across from the side, steadily grasping her wrist.
“Let go.” Her voice was like ice.
“Calm down.” Shen Qiyuan said gently.
Whoever wanted to calm down could calm down—today, she would kill this beast no matter what.
Blood surging, Ruyi suddenly increased the force in her hand.
Qingyi in the carriage suddenly caught a whiff of a very peculiar fragrance, like willow flowers ground into juice with stones and mixed with strong liquor. With just one sniff, his vision became somewhat hazy.
However, that fragrance disappeared just an instant after emerging.
He lifted the carriage curtain with his bound hands, just in time to see the anger on Ruyi’s face replaced by bewilderment.
Her clear eyes widened slightly, her gaze moving from He Zeyou, whom she was strangling, to Shen Qiyuan, who was gripping her wrist, as if she couldn’t believe it.
Shen Qiyuan maintained his usual calm demeanor: “Let go.”
She obediently released her five fingers.
He Zeyou, nearly strangled unconscious, stepped back two paces, coughing and choking, pointing at Ruyi with anger and fear: “You dare attempt to murder a noble in broad daylight!”
Her emotions quickly stabilized. When Ruyi raised her head again, her eyes already carried their habitual languidness: “Just saw a fly and was helping the marquis shoo it away. What murder are you talking about?”
“Don’t try to argue! I will file a lawsuit to send you to court. Just wait for the official summons!”
Oh.
Ruyi waved her hand indifferently, not even glancing at him again, only turning to stare at Shen Qiyuan: “Lord Shen truly keeps his abilities hidden. It seems I’ve been pecked in the eye by a hawk.”
Her words were vague, but Shen Qiyuan understood.
His slender fingers withdrew into his sleeves. He didn’t answer her, only lowered his eyes and said: “You’re in trouble now.”