In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

When Gu Zhao left Fu'an Hall, Zhu Qingyu had already walked out of the gate of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

The snowfall intensified, and the icy chill of the snow assaulted our senses.

Zhang Shen's carriage was already waiting for her. Seeing her emerge, Zhang Shen lifted the curtain, alighted from the carriage, and, holding an umbrella, hurried a few steps to greet her, calling out:

"My wife."

Zhu Qingyu thanked the nanny who saw her off, then hurried over to Zhang Shen, taking the umbrella from his hand as she said:

"Why did you come down? Hurry up and go back up. The snow is too heavy; you can't stand the wind."

Zhang Shen nodded to the nanny in greeting before helping Zhu Qingyu into the carriage.

Although it was only a few steps, the wind and snow were so heavy that he caught a chill in his collar when he got out of the car. As soon as he got back in, he leaned against the car wall and coughed a few times.

Zhu Qingyu quickly fetched him some hot tea, then took a handkerchief to wipe the rain and snow off his neck and hair, asking as she did so:

"Weren't you hosting a dinner for the new Salt Commissioner, Lord Dai? I thought you wouldn't be back until midnight. How come you have time to pick me up?"

The charcoal stove inside the carriage was burning brightly. After drinking some warm tea and warding off the chill, Zhang Shen felt a little better. He looked Zhu Qingyu up and down and said:

"We couldn't have a meal because of the Ministry of Revenue's reforms. The newly appointed Vice Minister Gu is cracking down on official misconduct. He just dealt with several officials in the Ministry of Revenue yesterday. It's a sensitive time for you, Lord Dai, so the dinner was canceled. We can save it for when Lord Yantai arrives in Yangzhou to take up his post. I thought that since it snowed heavily today, you probably didn't bring an umbrella, so I came to pick you up."

Seeing that her boots were covered in mud and snow, and the hem of her skirt was soaked with snow water, Zhang Shen quickly fetched his own hot water bottle for her.

"Don't just think about me, you should warm up too. Go back and change your clothes quickly. You're dressed too plainly today. People who don't know better might think that my Zhang family's business is failing. We're supposed to be a major merchant family, yet we can't even afford to buy our own wife cosmetics, clothes, and jewelry."

Zhu Qingyu put away the handkerchief, took the hot water bottle and held it in her arms, smiling:

"I'm going on a house call, not to visit someone. Why bring all that extra stuff? And why dress so brightly? It might cause trouble."

Thinking of something, Zhang Shen sighed:

"While caution is necessary, there's no need to be overly paranoid. The Gu family is, after all, the Emperor's maternal clan, and their reputation has always been upright; they're not some sleazy family. By the way, how is Old Madam Gu doing? Should we go again?"

Zhu Qingyu's trip to the capital to treat Old Madam Gu was at the recommendation of the wife of Lord Yang, the transport commissioner of Yangzhou.

Old Madam Gu injured her back some time ago and it hasn't fully healed. There are no good female doctors in the capital, and male doctors are inconvenient because they have to undress to perform acupuncture. So she searched high and low and somehow ended up with Zhu Qingyu.

Just then, Zhang Shen was making his routine trip to the capital to bribe his superiors, so Zhu Qingyu accompanied him to the capital to treat Old Madam Gu. Today was her third visit, and the medicine had cured her; she was no longer in serious condition. Therefore, Zhu Qingyu said:

"Everything is settled, there's no need to go anymore."

Zhang Shen breathed a sigh of relief:

"That's good. Although it's a good thing to be able to establish a relationship with the Duke of Dingguo's family, the capital is not like Yangzhou. I can't keep an eye on you while you're away, and I'm always worried about you."

During their casual conversation at dinner, Zhu Qingyu, still curious about the Gu family's heir she had met earlier that day, couldn't help but wonder: It's said that one's body and hair are gifts from one's parents, and this is a taboo subject at such times. How could the heir of a duke's family have such unusually unconventional hair? She asked Zhang Shen:

"Jingyan, have you met the young master of the Gu family?"

It was rare for Zhu Qingyu to take the initiative to ask about someone, but Zhang Shen wasn't surprised. He had also been startled when he first met Minister Gu, and thus whispered:

"Did you see him today? It's my fault, I thought you wouldn't run into him in the inner quarters, I should have told you earlier so you could be prepared. I inquired, and it turns out that Vice Minister Gu was a monk at Huangjue Temple, and he had been a monk for several years. When the Emperor ascended the throne, he wanted to summon him to court, but he refused. In the end, the Emperor had to personally come and bring him back. After all, he is the Emperor's cousin, and when he returned, he was directly appointed as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

So that's how it is. He's a monk, Zhu Qingyu thought to herself. He's definitely not from the same hometown. Luckily, she didn't foolishly go up and strike up a conversation.

However, under imperial power, all things are indeed like ants. Even the emperor's cousin, imperial relatives, princes and nobles do not have the freedom to become monks.

They dared not delve into the royal family's private matters, so they changed the subject and moved on from the topic of the Gu family's heir.

In the capital, land is incredibly valuable and powerful figures abound. Although the Zhang family was a prominent merchant family in Yangzhou with immense wealth, they maintained a low profile in the capital. They traveled in a blue cloth carriage and lived in a small courtyard with only two courtyards.

Compared to the Zhang family's mansion in Yangzhou, Zhu Qingyu, a modern person, didn't feel anything special, but Zhang Shen, a pampered young master who had been spoiled since childhood, felt rather constrained living there.

With Zhu Qingyu's business settled and Zhang Shen's charcoal offerings nearly all delivered, and given the extreme cold in the capital, Zhang Shen and Zhu Qingyu discussed, after washing up and blowing out the lamp, their bedside conversation in the tent. They decided that once he had finished checking the accounts of the storekeepers in the capital, they would return to Yangzhou in a few days.

Zhu Qingyu was a little sleepy and replied groggily:

"Alright, I'll start packing my luggage tomorrow. Also, my third sister asked me to buy some jewelry from the capital to take back to her..."

Halfway through her sentence, a warm breath brushed against her ear, and Zhu Qingyu fell silent, not daring to move.

When Zhu Qingyu married Zhang Shen, it was more of a temporary measure for both of them. Zhang Shen needed someone to cover for him, while Zhu Qingyu needed an identity to protect him.

After all, adult men who never marry always arouse suspicion, while single, beautiful women without any powerful connections always attract unwanted attention.

But after spending more time together, it seemed that Zhang Shen wanted more than just a cover-up.

The warm breath drew closer, landing on her ear and then on Zhu Qingyu's neck. Zhang Shen leaned in and half-pressed down on her. Seeing that she did not object, he went to unbutton her clothes.

As they got closer, a faint, bitter medicinal scent wafted from him.

A few days ago, Zhang Shen somehow got hold of a packet of medicine and secretly hid it in his trunk so she wouldn't know. It smelled like this.

Zhu Qingyu didn't want to hurt his pride, and she was also worried that he would harm his health by using those random drugs, so she secretly checked him when he went out.

It's basically a drug that has no effect and no harm; the only downside is being scammed out of some money.

So Zhu Qingyu pretended not to know and put it back to him as it was.

Sure enough, after only a few kisses and before he had even finished undressing her, Zhang Shen suddenly groaned and began panting in her ear.

After a moment, Zhang Shen turned over and sat silently to the side.

Zhu Qingyu dared not move, dared not utter a single word, and dared not even breathe loudly, for fear that she might do something wrong and make him feel that she was mocking him and hurting him.

It was Zhang Shen who spoke first in the darkness:

"Qingyu, I have some regrets."

After considering for a moment, Zhu Qingyu cautiously asked:

"Regret what?"

Zhang Shen chuckled, a bittersweet laugh tinged with his voice:

"I regret not preparing a dowry for you and finding you a good husband. In the end, it was I who delayed you."