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

Just as dawn was breaking, the Zhang family residence in Qingyi Lane welcomed distinguished guests.

As soon as Xie Ze entered the door, he announced the good news to Zhu Qingyu:

"I've spoken with Shen Chongshu, and he's promised not to lay a hand on you again, so you can relax."

The idea of ​​a mentally ill person with power trying to kill you is terrifying to anyone.

Therefore, the news Xie Ze brought was indeed the best possible news.

Zhu Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief:

"Thank you so much, young marquis. You must have spent a lot of time and money. I can't let you spend your money for nothing."

Xie Ze waved his hand:

"Hey, hold on, Madam Zhu, let's not talk about money. I didn't spend any money either. Shen Chongshu and I are cousins, it was just a matter of a few words, no money required. There's another matter. You need to send something to Zhang Jingyan, I've already made arrangements for you. The prison changes shifts every three days, and I know someone who will be on the shift the day after tomorrow. He can just take it in as his own. But he's afraid of taking responsibility, so he won't dare to help relay messages, and he definitely can't bring any large, conspicuous items. Just bring some essential clothes, medicine, and things like that. The jailers will give these to your husband as if they were prison property, so he can get things done discreetly. Prepare these in the next couple of days, I'll come to pick them up early the day after tomorrow."

Zhu Qingyu was deeply moved that Xie Ze had resolved these two major issues for her in just one night.

"Young Marquis, I really don't know what to say. I'm so glad I met you. Otherwise, I don't know how much effort it would have taken me to accomplish these things on my own."

Xie Ze blushed at the praise. He first touched his hair, then coughed lightly, but ultimately couldn't maintain his composure and grinned, saying:

"I didn't do anything, so don't worry too much, things will be alright. I'll come back at this time the day after tomorrow, so you can start preparing these next two days."

After Xie Ze left, Zhu Qingyu immediately opened the storeroom and took out two bolts of fine cotton cloth.

Zhang Shen is currently in the imperial prison and must be very worried about her and Ruohua. However, this time, they are not allowed to send messages as well as deliver the items. She needs to find a way to let Zhang Shen know that it was her who sent the items and that she has come to the capital.

If Zhang Shen could sense that she was sending him things, he would understand that she and Ruohua were both alright, and that she was trying to save him from outside, which would put his mind at ease.

In an environment like the imperial prison, what breaks down more easily than the body is one's will.

She wanted to send Zhang Shen things, not just clothes and other necessities. Sending those once or twice would be fine, but she couldn't send them every day. The key thing she wanted to send was a hope for survival.

After taking out the cotton cloth, Wang's mother saw her cutting the cloth as if she were making clothes, so she came over to help:

"Madam, are you making clothes for the master? Let me help."

Zhu Qingyu refused:

"Mother Wang, I have to make my own clothes."

Although Zhu Qingyu had learned to make clothes for Zhang Shen before, she was not good at it and had never done it well. Not to mention compared with the professional embroiderers in the mansion, even compared with amateur locals like Wang Mama, her personal style of needlework was obviously rough.

When she brought in the clothes she had made, Zhang Shen would know it was her just by touching the stitches.

It was just a simple undergarment. Zhu Qingyu spent two days and two nights cutting and sewing it, and barely finished it on the morning of the third day. She packed it up with other medicines and silver, waiting for Xie Ze to come.

An hour passed after the agreed time, and Zhu Qingyu began to worry, fearing that something might have happened to him, but Xie Ze still hadn't arrived.

While Zhu Qingyu was anxious, Xie Ze, who was imprisoned in the Marquis of Anyuan's mansion, was equally anxious. It wasn't that he didn't want to come; it was that he simply couldn't get out.

After finishing his breakfast, Xie Ze put down his chopsticks and tried to slip away, but was stopped by Lady Anyuan.

"Stop right there! What are you doing? I told you a few days ago that the Grand Princess is coming to visit today. You'd better stay in the manor and greet our distinguished guest. Don't go out and fool around with cats and dogs."

Xie Ze has been extremely busy these past few days with Zhu Qingyu's affairs, trying to find connections for her. He hasn't paid any attention to the trivial matters his mother discussed at the dinner table, so he wouldn't have remembered the Grand Princess's visit.

Upon hearing this, he thought, "Oh no, we can't get out. That Lady Zhu must be so worried."

Xie Ze tried to cheat on his mother:

"Mother, you have something to talk about with the Grand Princess, but I have nothing to talk about. I have important business to attend to today and I'll be right back. Please, Mother, I'll catch you a big, fat fish later, a wild one, it'll be super delicious."

Lady Anyuan remained unmoved:

"I know you too well. What important business could you possibly have? You have nothing to talk about with the Grand Princess, so why don't you have a good chat with Miss Wen? You're about the same age, so you should be able to get along well."

Xie Ze had heard his mother mention that the Grand Princess and General Wen had twin daughters who were about the same age as him. Now that he heard that the Wen family was coming to visit, alarm bells went off immediately. Heavens, could it be a matchmaking meeting?

As if knowing what Xie Ze was thinking, Lady Anyuan threatened:

"You ruined the marriage with the Kong family girl last time, and your father was already very angry. If you dare to cause trouble again this time, and your father hangs you up and beats you again, I won't save you. Behave yourself today and don't cause any trouble."

Lady Anyuan's threat was not only verbal but also physical. She arranged for four guards to follow Xie Ze closely, preventing him from sneaking out of the mansion.

With the appointed time for meeting with Lady Zhu fast approaching, Xie Ze was extremely anxious and had no choice but to devise a roundabout way to achieve his goal.

Xie Ze thought to himself that none of his personal attendants had ever met Lady Zhu. If he arranged for them to go, Lady Zhu might not believe him. He needed to find a middleman that both of them knew each other. So he immediately thought of Xiong Kun, who had been to Qingyi Lane that day. He immediately arranged for his personal attendant to take his token to the Duke of Dingguo’s mansion to find Xiong Kun and ask him to make a trip to the Zhang family to pick up the items first, and then to the Embroidered Uniform Guard that he had contacted to deliver the items.

When Xiong Kun received the news, he was stunned. Since it involved Lady Zhu, he didn't dare to agree on his own, so he ran to Gu Zhao for instructions.

Because Gu Zhao had been flogged that day and had just returned to the capital, the emperor granted him a few days of leave to recuperate.

So after handing over the relevant files of the Lei Dawu case in the palace that day, Gu Zhao hasn't been to the palace for the past few days. Today, after having breakfast, he is reading in his study.

When Xiong Kun came to ask for instructions, Gu Zhao was staring blankly at the familiar furnishings in his study.

When the attendant was arranging the study on the official ship, he referenced the layout of the study in the mansion, and it was almost identical.

But for some reason, Gu Zhao always felt that something was missing from the study.

What exactly is missing?

Almost subconsciously, Gu Zhao looked towards the empty window, as if there should be a chaise lounge there, and on the chaise lounge, there should be a beautiful woman who loves to fall asleep while reading, wrapped in a soft blanket, holding a book in her hand, sleeping with her cheeks flushed.

Gu Zhao suddenly came to his senses and realized that in the days since she left, he had started to miss her countless times.

Not only in my dreams at night, but even during the day I always fall into these uncontrollable wild thoughts.

He clearly made up his mind never to see her again in this life, and he clearly decided that he would never care about her affairs again.

But what a person wants to do and what a person can actually do are worlds apart, and this is true even for someone as prudent and self-disciplined as Lord Gu.

Just then, Xiong Kun nervously reported back from outside:

"My lord, the young marquis of Anyuan Marquis's mansion has sent someone to deliver a message. He had arranged with Lady Zhu to take some things to the imperial prison for her husband today, but the young marquis has something urgent to attend to and cannot come out. Lady Zhu does not know anyone else in the mansion, so he would like to ask us to help go to Qingyi Lane and deliver the things to Lady Zhu."