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

Zhu Qingyu groped under the covers and grabbed Zhang Shen's hand, then turned to hug his arm and whispered comfortingly:

"I have never regretted it. I just don't know who else in this world could be a better husband than you. Meeting you was my good fortune. Even though you provided me with a dowry, I wouldn't have wanted to marry anyone else."

Zhu Qingyu was speaking from the heart.

Survival is the first priority, and a single woman will inevitably encounter many setbacks and malice in order to survive alone in this world.

She was very lucky; the first person she met after transmigrating to this world was Zhang Shen. If it weren't for Zhang Shen's mediation and protection, she would have been killed by some powerful figure two years ago.

Over the past two years, Zhang Shen has been gentle and considerate towards her, never letting her suffer the humiliation of being confined to the inner quarters, and never depriving her of food, clothing, or daily necessities. He even funded the opening of a clinic for her. She didn't know what she could possibly be dissatisfied with.

There is no need for romantic love between husband and wife. Being like family members can also lead to a long and lasting relationship.

Zhu Qingyu spoke sincerely, but it's unclear whether Zhang Shen didn't take it to heart or caught a cold, as he developed a fever in the middle of the night and remained ill for several days.

Zhang Shen wanted to go to the shop to check the accounts, but Zhu Qingyu pressed him down in bed to prevent him from getting up.

"Can you just take your medicine and rest properly? It's so cold, don't overdo it."

Zhang Shen had been sickly since childhood, and he knew his own body well. He wanted to live a few more years, so he didn't dare to push himself. Therefore, he said:

"Then you'll go in my place, okay?"

Originally, it was agreed that everyone would cover for each other and that this marriage should not be taken seriously.

But at some point, Zhang Shen began to let Zhu Qingyu get involved in the Zhang family's business, taking her to meet the Zhang family's managers in various places and teaching her how to read account books.

In Zhang Shen's own words:

"What if I suddenly die? You can't be completely unaware of our family business and let someone swindle and embezzle it for nothing."

This wasn't the first time Zhu Qingyu had done something like checking accounts, so she agreed.

"Okay, I'll check. You get some rest."

So Zhu Qingyu got busy. After Zhang Shen recovered, she didn't dare let him work alone. She helped him sort out the affairs in the capital. It was already the ninth day of the tenth month.

When winter came, the capital city was bustling with activity, and every household was extremely busy.

On the ninth day of the tenth month, Gu Zhao was so busy that he didn't leave the palace until almost the time when the palace gates were about to be locked. He returned to the Duke's mansion, and by the time he finished his dinner and washed up, it was almost 9 PM.

It was already past midnight, and Old Madam Gu was still awake. She sent a maid to the study in the front yard to inquire:

"The old lady asked if the young master would be at the manor tomorrow? Would it be alright if Miss Yan were to serve you tea then?"

Gu Zhao had been so busy recently that she had forgotten about it, but she only remembered it now that the nanny had asked her about it.

Indeed, it was the tenth day of the tenth lunar month, a day of rest, as I had promised my grandmother last time.

It turns out her surname is Yan.

Gu Zhaodao:

"I've already made an appointment for tomorrow during the day, let's arrange it for the hour of You (5-7 PM). Tell Grandma I'll be back at the hour of You and we'll go to the backyard."

The old woman not only came in person, but also brought some things:

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 20 ...

"Yes, the old lady also instructed that although someone has been arranged to teach her, Miss Yan used to be from a scholarly family. Young ladies are not very concerned about their reputation and do not know much. She may not be thorough enough. Please be more understanding, young master."

The nanny brought over several books.

After seeing the nanny off, Gu Zhao flipped through the books and realized that her grandmother wasn't worried that the young lady wouldn't understand, but rather that he wouldn't understand.

The nanny brought a fire-avoidance diagram.

Gu Zhao had never actually seen this before, mainly because the circumstances didn't allow it.

From the time the Emperor began his studies, Gu Zhao served as the Crown Prince's companion and lived in the palace, rarely residing in his residence for many years.

At that time, Consort Gao and the Second Prince were at the height of their power, and the late emperor already intended to establish a new crown prince. Gu Zhao was cautious in her words and deeds, wishing she could hold herself to the standards of a saint. She was under constant pressure in the palace every day, and dared not make the slightest mistake, for fear that someone would seize on her mistakes and give the late emperor an excuse to depose the crown prince.

So he never even glanced at the palace maids, let alone looked at the fire-avoidance diagrams.

Three years ago, Consort Gao and the Second Prince both died of an epidemic. The late emperor almost went mad. In order to protect the emperor, Gu Zhao was ordered to become a nun and entered the holy land of Buddhism. She would never touch these worldly things again.

Times have changed, and now that his grandmother has sent it, Gu Zhao doesn't bother to hide it. Taking advantage of the free time before bed, he sits upright at his desk and flips through the pages one by one, as if he were looking at official documents in the cabinet, with a cold expression.

After the servant came in and made Gu Zhao's bed, he saw the young master reading the classics by lamplight and, afraid of disturbing his work, didn't dare to make a sound and quietly left.

Gu Zhao never gave up halfway through anything he started; once he began, he was determined to finish it. So he read until midnight, finishing all the books his grandmother had sent him, before finally blowing out the lamp and going to bed.

She didn't notice it when she was looking at it, but after lying down, Gu Zhao realized that her breathing was a little unsteady, her heart was beating very loudly in the quiet night, and even her palms were sweaty.

Food and sex are human nature, and Gu Zhao didn't take the heat seriously and went to sleep.

Once I fell asleep, I realized how powerful it was; its effects were truly remarkable.

One night, Gu Zhao dreamt of indulging in sensual pleasures and beauties of unparalleled allure. As dawn broke, he woke up gasping for breath amidst the boundless romance.

I touched my neck and found my hand was covered in sweat.

I've had similar beautiful dreams before, but they were mostly fragmented and blurry pieces.

Never before had the beauty's face been so vividly displayed before my eyes, her murmured breaths so alluring and seductive, as if they were right beside my ears. It felt so real, so alive, so viscous, as if it had truly happened.

Hearing the noise, the servant whispered from outside the door:

"Young Master, are you getting up?"

Gu Zhao did not get up immediately as usual. The lingering dream from last night still lingered in his mind, and the pleasure that had not yet dissipated enveloped his body, making him unable to move and unwilling to move. He even felt a little nostalgic and reluctant to leave, making it even more difficult for him to wake up immediately.

Fortunately, it was in a dream.

Fortunately, the person I offended in the dream was someone from my own household.

Therefore, it is only natural and cannot be considered anything out of the ordinary.

After a while, Gu Zhao let out a long sigh, stood up with a normal expression, and while finding clothes to change into and tidying up her disheveled state, asked her attendant:

"What time is it?"

Chang Suidao:

"Your Highness, it's almost 7 AM."

Chen Shi (7-9 AM) is five hours before You Shi (5-7 PM).

Gu Zhao suddenly felt a little regretful; drinking tea during the day was actually fine.

The time had already been arranged, and it was not easy to change it. The invitation from earlier in the day still had to be accepted.

After attending a banquet hosted by a friend at Zuixianlou at noon, Gu Zhao was supposed to return home, but he turned his horse around and headed towards Zhuque Street.

He recalled how she looked when he first saw her; she was rather plain-looking.

My grandmother said that her family had suffered a disaster and that the mansion had bought her back. I'm afraid she was brought into the mansion with nothing of value and was only using the mansion's allowance.

Although he wasn't marrying a principal wife, she was, after all, the person he would be living with from now on. Gu Zhao thought that even though there wasn't a grand sedan chair, since they had just paid their respects today, he should at least get her some decent jewelry.

The noble ladies of the capital usually buy rouge, face powder, clothes and jewelry on Zhuque Street. Gu Zhao didn't know anything about these things, nor did she know which store was good, so she just picked the one with the most expensive-looking storefront and went into a jewelry store.

Upon entering, I saw the girl from my dream last night, with her charming smile and captivating beauty, standing in front of the counter, holding two gold-inlaid jade hairpins in her hands, examining them under the light, looking indecisive and unsure which one to choose.