The carriage quickly returned to the palace. Shen Guiyan was wiping the chicken blood from the corner of Gu Chaobei’s mouth and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when the carriage stopped. The Commander of the Imperial Guards came over and said, “Lady Gu, the Empress requests your presence.”

Shen Guiyan paused, lifting the curtain to look at him. “Must I enter the palace again?”

The Commander shook his head. “His Majesty has already returned to the palace. The Empress is waiting for you in the carriage ahead. The Imperial Guards will first escort Colonel Gu back to the residence. Please be assured.”

The Empress? Shen Guiyan was somewhat puzzled. She looked back at Gu Chaobei, then followed the Commander down from the carriage and walked forward.

From today’s events, it was clear the Empress was not a heartless person—she was simply intoxicated by power and too strong-willed. Shen Guiyan thought that she probably wanted to see her now because she had questions to ask.

However, when she got into the carriage, she was met with Empress Wen’s face, cold as a ghost. Shen Guiyan was startled. Suppressing the urge to retreat, she still properly performed her courtesies. “Your Majesty the Empress.”

Wen Xiuli reached out her hand and gently lifted Shen Guiyan’s chin, examining her for quite a while before saying, “You are a beauty, and also a clever woman.”

Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes, not daring to respond.

“This Palace knows that you are merely a vice minister’s daughter. You were able to marry into the Prime Minister’s residence entirely because of the claims about your ‘destiny.'” The Empress didn’t release her chin, but instead gripped it tighter and tighter. “Born with a phoenix jade in your mouth—the destiny of an empress?”

“This commoner woman would never dare!” Shen Guiyan’s face paled slightly. “That was merely the nonsense of a mad monk passing by. Who knows who spread it, passed from mouth to mouth, growing more and more absurd. Anyone with a bit of learning should know it was just mad ravings. This commoner woman has already married Fourth Young Master Gu and has not the slightest connection to the imperial family.”

Seeing her explain so urgently, the Empress actually laughed lightly. “This Palace is just joking with you. Look how frightened you are—you’re even breaking out in cold sweat.”

Shen Guiyan clenched her hands.

After laughing twice, Empress Wen’s gaze slowly turned cold. “However, you meddle in affairs like this, which This Palace very much dislikes. What should be done about that?”

“As the wife of a minor official, you should have self-awareness about what you should and shouldn’t do.” Releasing her chin, Wen Xiuli straightened Shen Guiyan’s clothing for her. “Being clever is a good thing, but being too obvious about it is dangerous. Do you understand?”

Her eyelashes trembled. Shen Guiyan opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by the Empress’s index finger.

“Your mouth is quite clever, but This Palace doesn’t like to hear it. Everything you say is not what you should be saying—talk of the common people under heaven, talk of the people’s suffering… These words can only be said when you sit in This Palace’s position. Do you understand?”

Shen Guiyan understood. Today she had thoroughly offended the Empress. And she was now just a small sparrow who couldn’t even compare to a phoenix’s tail feather. If the Empress closed her talons, she would die.

So now, what could she do to keep the Empress’s talons from closing?

“This commoner woman’s light is like a firefly’s—how could I be compared to the Empress?” Shen Guiyan trembled all over, kowtowing fearfully. “Your Majesty the Empress, please forgive me. This commoner woman was momentarily sympathetic, so I spoke without thinking in the great hall. Your Majesty, please forgive me.”

Seeing her shake so violently, as if she truly had been frightened, Empress Wen laughed faintly and looked down at her. “Momentary sympathy? Does that mean you have no connection with that filthy girl from today?”

Her heart skipped. Shen Guiyan hurriedly denied it. “Naturally there is none.”

“Is that so?” The Empress shifted her gaze. “You may rise. Today, This Palace merely wanted to teach you how to know your place. I won’t do anything else.”

Shen Guiyan paused. Looking up, she saw the Empress’s face was already smiling warmly. “You may go.”

She was letting her go just like that? A thin layer of sweat on Shen Guiyan’s back had already soaked through her clothing. She looked at the Empress somewhat incredulously.

Empress Wen merely waved her hand and leaned back against the cushions, as if tired.

Exiting the carriage, Shen Guiyan took a deep breath and shivered in the autumn wind, with something of a feeling of having survived a disaster.

The Empress was merely a woman, yet she had such an imposing presence. No wonder she had been able to rule from behind the curtain in court for so long.

Because of the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress, the Wen family had always been a great house among the aristocratic families. In all the realm, the only family that could be compared to them was probably the Nian family. Now that Consort Nian had been made Imperial Noble Consort, perhaps in the future she could compete with them.

Unfortunately, that Consort Nian had a strange temperament and had never gotten along with Prime Minister Gu. Even if the Nian family rose to power, it wouldn’t benefit the Gu family much.

Shaking her head, Shen Guiyan turned and found a carriage back to the Prime Minister’s residence.

Gu Chaobei was standing at the entrance to the North Courtyard. Seeing her return, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought that tigress had eaten you.”

Shen Guiyan paused before realizing he was talking about the Empress. Though unrestrained in his speech, this description was really quite apt.

“The Prime Minister is already personally investigating the Ministry of Revenue’s affairs.” Walking forward to take his hand and lead him into the courtyard, Shen Guiyan said, “Husband’s luck is good this time. You’ll certainly be promoted again.”

Speaking of which, Gu Chaobei’s luck was truly remarkable—rising and falling dramatically several times, yet every time people thought he was in trouble, he bounced back again. In a short time he’d changed official positions several times, and now he had another opportunity to be promoted to assistant general.

Although people all said she brought prosperity to her husband, even Shen Guiyan herself found it somewhat hard to believe. Wasn’t this too miraculous?

“Could there really be such a thing as bringing prosperity to one’s husband?” Shen Guiyan muttered quietly.

Gu Chaobei heard her and grabbed her hand, his eyes full of mirth. “This husband will certainly do everything in his power to maintain my wife’s destiny of bringing prosperity to her husband.”

Shen Guiyan paused. Looking into his eyes, she was actually somewhat moved. Just as she was about to call out to him, this person pursed his lips and leaned in. “Seeing how good this husband is, won’t you reward me with one?”

She couldn’t help lowering her head and stomping on his foot in embarrassed annoyance.

“I said something nice and you still don’t like to hear it. Why are you stepping on me?” His roguish manner came out again as he shamelessly wrapped his arms around her waist. “Women are just contrary. They love to hear sweet words, but when they hear them they scold people for being bad. If I say ‘my dear wife, this husband misses you so much,’ you’d definitely call me improper. I have to say ‘I think of you a thousand times, finally meeting beneath the moon’ before my wife is pleased.”

Shen Guiyan was somewhat surprised—not for any other reason, but because this unlearned person actually had some ink in his belly and could even recite poetry.

“Excessively blunt words naturally don’t please many people.” Shen Guiyan pulled him toward the room. “It’s fortunate that Chinese characters are profound and extensive—one meaning can be expressed a thousand ways. For different people, there are always different words that make them happy.”

Gu Chaobei was not too pleased. “Why must my wife and I be so formal with each other? Just say whatever you think. Polite words are for outsiders to hear.”

Humming, Shen Guiyan closed the door and looked at him. “You don’t consider me an outsider? Then I can say anything?”

Gu Chaobei nodded. “Naturally. Between husband and wife is different from others. Of course you can say anything to me.”

Raising an eyebrow with a smile, Shen Guiyan imitated his manner, reaching out to drape her arm over his shoulder and asked roguishly, “Are the women outside beautiful, or am I beautiful?”

Her eyes sparkled and her brows held a thousand charms. Gu Chaobei was stunned for quite a while before coming back to his senses. Without warning, he lightly pecked her lips. “Naturally you are beautiful.”

Having grown accustomed to being teased, Shen Guiyan no longer blushed. She continued, “Since I’m beautiful, why is Husband always having his soul seduced by vixens outside?”

Clearly, she was still hung up on what Baoshan had said last time.

Gu Chaobei paused, then looked at her with great excitement. “My wife is jealous?”

“No.” Shen Guiyan released him and pressed her lips together. “I was just imitating Husband’s manner to have some fun, but Husband is so thick-skinned, it’s really boring. I’m also somewhat tired today. Let’s rest early.”

With that, she moved past him toward the bed.

Gu Chaobei caught her in his arms with a swoosh, clicking his tongue twice as he stared into her eyes. “Is it me who’s boring, or is it my wife who’s even more boring? You hide everything from everyone. Whether you’re angry or sad or hurt, you never let anyone know. It’s like you’ve built a city wall and won’t let anyone in.”

Although they had been married for quite some time and got along fairly well, he felt Yan’er was too calm. He’d never seen her angry, never seen her lose her composure. She always had that same gentle and magnanimous face. It was fine at first, but after looking at it for a long time, it became vexing.

It was as if only he had emotions while she felt nothing at all.

Shen Guiyan paused, then broke free from his embrace and laughed lightly. “A woman’s heart doesn’t have city walls—it has only a water pool. If you insist I tear down that pool’s edge for you to see inside, I’m afraid you’ll be drowned by the water and come blame me again.”

A water pool? Gu Chaobei laughed derisively. “Even if it’s a pit of fire, my wife should tear it down. This husband is not afraid.”

He spoke so easily. That pool contained what all women had—jealousy, pettiness, calculation, suspicion. No man would like it. He said this only because he’d never seen it and was too curious.

Turning to make the bed, Shen Guiyan didn’t respond to him, only saying, “Let’s sleep.”

Gu Chaobei frowned. Pressing his lips together somewhat displeased, he got into bed and lay down with his back to her.

This contrary woman. He didn’t care whether her heart was a water pool or a city wall—he had to see it to know for sure.

The next day when Shen Guiyan got up, Gu Chaobei had already left. On the table was a note with some dish names written on it.

“What’s this?” Shen Guiyan looked at it curiously.

“Braised stuffed cauliflower, shrimp playing among lotus, almond tofu.” Baoshan said, “These are what Young Master said he wanted to eat at noon. He can’t return today—he’ll have his midday meal at the training grounds.”

She had to deliver food again. Shen Guiyan nodded. These dishes she could just about manage to make. She’d prepare them well for him at noon.

After organizing the account books and bustling about in the kitchen for over an hour, Shen Guiyan looked at the dishes on the table that were meant for herself and simply put them all in the food box together. She’d go eat with him.

Today’s tofu was especially tender and the shrimp was fresh. Shen Guiyan was in a good mood. Even the jolting of the carriage didn’t bother her. She only urged them to hurry so the food wouldn’t get cold.

Full of joy, she arrived at the training grounds, only to find that Gu Chaobei had already put down his chopsticks.

“Delicious.”

The woman beside him smiled with great delight. “I’m honored that you don’t find it distasteful, my lord.”

“How could I find it distasteful?” Gu Chaobei glanced from the corner of his eye at the person standing at the entrance, smiling very deliberately. “Your cooking is the best I’ve ever tasted. I like it more than I can say.”