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

No one would say anything if Zhu Qingyu went to deliver it; at most, they would laugh at the young couple for being so lovey-dovey, even having lunch together.

If she brings him food, Zhang Shen is naturally happy to do so, and he would love to have lunch with her.

But when she thought of the way Lord Gu looked at her at the ferry that day, Zhang Shen hesitated again.

During this period, Lord Gu never came to see her, nor did he reveal any of his thoughts to her. Even when he was on duty at the government office, Zhu Qingyu was never mentioned in their conversations.

So perhaps he was overthinking it, but subconsciously, Zhang Shen didn't want Zhu Qingyu to appear under Lord Gu's nose again.

Zhang Shen shook his head:

"Forget it, let's not make an exception, lest we cause some trouble. Lord Gu is an imperial envoy, and he will eventually have to return after completing his duties for the Emperor. I'm not going to be working in the government office all the time either. If I hold on for a few more days, I might finish my business."

However, Zhang Shen clearly overestimated his physical abilities.

In Zhang Shen's father's generation, the power struggles among the wives and concubines in the family were extremely fierce. Not only did Zhang Shen's eldest brother perish in it, but Zhang Shen and Zhang Ruohua also suffered from it, becoming sick from childhood to adulthood. It was only in the last two years that Zhu Qingyu helped them recover, so their health was naturally weak.

A few days later, when Zhang Shen returned home at night, he fainted from hunger in the carriage and had to be carried back to the backyard.

When Zhu Qingyu found out, she was so angry that she scolded him:

"You're just showing off. Can you quit this job? Just say you're sick. A high-ranking official like Lord Gu wouldn't need someone like you to keep accounts, would he?"

Zhang Shen knew he was in the wrong, but he was still reluctant to give up the job, so he bowed and begged for mercy:

"With Grand Secretary Song gone, we have no one to look after us in court. Everyone is eager to come and have a meal, but that won't work. Now we have a rare opportunity to do errands for Lord Gu. If we do a good job, Lord Gu will remember it. In the future, we can send gifts to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion during festivals. If we can establish a relationship with the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, our family business will be more secure."

A family with money but no power is like water without a source or a tree without roots. It may look lively on the outside, but it has no foundation. It will collapse at the slightest disturbance.

Therefore, Zhang Shen didn't want to offend powerful figures like Gu Zhao, as long as there was no life-or-death conflict of interest and they could be on good terms. Zhu Qingyu was naturally the same.

Zhang Shen's words made sense, and Zhu Qingyu didn't insist on him returning, replying:

"Tomorrow, I'll bring you food, whether you agree or not. How can you not even have food to eat? Don't let the relationship fall apart before you even get to know him."

In the following days, Zhu Qingyu left the clinic half an hour early each day, first going home to get her meals, then going to the government office to deliver food to Zhang Shen, eating with him, and then returning to the clinic.

The backyard of the Yangzhou government office was not very large. Currently, half of it was occupied by Lord Liu's family, and the other half by Gu Zhao. Zhang Shen's office was located in the courtyard next to Gu Zhao's study.

Zhang Shen's earlier worry that Zhu Qingyu would run into Gu Zhao again when she brought him food was completely unfounded.

Lord Gu has been out of the city suppressing bandits for the past few days and has not returned for several days.

That day, Zhu Qingyu brought food as usual. It was hot inside, so the two of them moved a small table, opened both the front and back gates of the yard, and ate under a big tree in the yard.

A breeze blew through the courtyard, making it quite cool under the shade of the trees. As the two were eating, a flurry of footsteps sounded, and a group of people walked past from outside the courtyard.

Upon seeing the familiar figure, Zhu Qingyu whispered to Zhang Shen:

"It seems Lord Bear has returned."

Xiong Kun's physique is just as his name suggests; he is as strong as a bear and stands out in a crowd, making him hard to miss.

Lord Xiong is Lord Gu's chief bodyguard, and he follows Gu Zhao around every day. His return means that Gu Zhao has also returned.

Zhang Shen quickened his eating pace:

"Then let's eat quickly. Before Lord Gu left, he gave me a task and asked me to write a brief report for him. He might send it to me later."

The two finished their meal quickly. Zhu Qingyu put away the food box and gave them instructions:

"I'm going back to the clinic now. Lord Gu just returned today, and there must be many people waiting to see him. If you are at the back of the line, you'll have to come back later. Remember to send someone back to let them know so your family won't worry."

After giving these instructions, Zhu Qingyu carried the food box, left the courtyard, and walked along the covered walkway she had come from, preparing to return to the clinic.

At the other end of the corridor, Xiong Kun, holding a knife, was waiting for her. When she approached, he reached out and blocked her way.

Zhu Qingyu was somewhat surprised:

"Lord Bear?"

Xiong Kun said:

"Madam, the master invites you."

Zhu Qingyu was even more surprised. Gu Zhao had been away fighting bandits for several days, and when he returned, there must have been a mountain of problems. She had no connection with the bandit suppression, so why was she being asked to come to her?

As if knowing what she was thinking, Xiong Kun took the food box for her and said softly:

"Sir, I'm not feeling well."

Zhu Qingyu's first thought was whether Gu Zhao's heart palpitations and dizziness from that day on the ship had flared up again.

If it's just an occasional acute illness, it's not a big problem. Even ordinary people sometimes experience this kind of physiological fatigue after staying up all night.

However, if it occurs so frequently and becomes pathological, then it becomes quite troublesome.

On the way to see Gu Zhao with Xiong Kun, Zhu Qingyu asked:

"Have you been having trouble sleeping lately, having many dreams?"

Xiong Kun kept his eyes straight ahead.

"I haven't served you personally, so I don't know much."

Zhu Qingyu's question was actually a doctor's instinctive reaction. When a patient has a problem, the doctor routinely observes, listens, inquires, and examines. If the family members are present, the doctor will also ask about their situation.

But when Xiong Kun answered like that, Zhu Qingyu realized that her question seemed a bit ambiguous. It was something that only someone who served her closely should know, and the fact that she knew made it seem a bit strange.

Fortunately, Xiong Kun didn't seem to think much of it and calmly led the way to Gu Zhao's courtyard, saying:

"My lord is inside, please come in, madam."

This was Zhu Qingyu's second visit. The last time, on a stormy night, she pushed open the door and found the outer room empty, a meal laid out on the table, an incense burner in the room, and the sound of water coming from the inner room.

This time, the outer room was still empty, with food laid out on the table. Inside, an ice jar was placed, and from the inner room came Gu Zhao's summons:

"Qingyu, come in."