Upon arriving at the prefect's residence, Qiao Qiu alighted from her sedan chair. Before she even stepped inside, she encountered the prefect who had come to greet her.

"Your Excellency, how could I trouble you to come and fetch me?"

The prefect smiled, his mustache twitching as he said, "We've known each other for a long time. Inviting you to the prefecture today isn't about official business, and it doesn't matter if I'm not here as the prefect to receive you."

"You're too kind, Prefect."

"Let's go inside."

"good."

Qiao Qiu followed the prefect into the mansion. Seeing many gardenias along the way, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She didn't like white flowers, but she particularly liked white gardenias. Firstly, gardenias had medicinal properties; secondly, they smelled wonderful; and thirdly, she loved the symbolism of gardenias—strength, eternal love, and lifelong devotion. If her lover was still willing to love and protect her in every lifetime, then she was willing to wait for him and cherish her feelings for him.

The prefect saw her looking at the gardenias and smiled, "Young Master Shen, I heard that you love gardenias, so I was curious about what's so special about them. That's why I bought some. I never expected that your wife would fall in love with them so quickly and fill the whole mansion with them, including some in other colors. I invited you here today to enjoy the flowers."

Qiao Qiu smiled and said, "I am truly flattered that the Prefect can think of me in every way. These flowers are indeed beautiful, blooming so brightly and pleasing to the eye."

There's more here.

The prefect gradually led Qiao Qiu to the back garden, where gardenias bloomed in abundance, their various colors creating a delightful scene, their fragrance filling the air—a truly magnificent sight.

Qiao Qiu glanced past the flowers and spotted the person in the pavilion. A glint flashed in her eyes; it was indeed him.

The injury she sustained yesterday hasn't fully healed yet, so she can't reveal any flaws, otherwise the secret behind her mask will be exposed.

"Your Excellency, I didn't know you had guests. I won't bother you any longer."

"Young Master Shen..." The prefect called out to her, somewhat embarrassed, after all, he had lied to her. He forced a smile and said, "Young Master Shen, you mustn't be presumptuous. This important figure is someone you can't afford to offend. You refused to see him yesterday. Now that you've met, why don't you clear things up to avoid hurting our relationship?"

Qiao Qiu smiled faintly, "Your Excellency is too kind. I am but a merchant of low status. How could I dare to speak of 'harmony'?"

"Shen Junbai, I am only doing this for your own good, why don't you appreciate it?" The prefect was somewhat angry.

Qiao Qiu smiled and said, "I know the prefect's intentions, and I also know that you have no room to disobey orders from your superiors. I am grateful that you are still thinking of me under these circumstances, but gratitude does not mean compromise. Well then, let's wait and see."

The prefect couldn't fathom what Shen Junbai was really thinking, but since he was willing to meet him, his mission was accomplished. "Young Master Shen, you should go by yourself. He has some confidential matters to discuss with you, and it's inappropriate for me to be present."

Qiao Qiu assessed her current situation and nodded, "Okay, I'll go by myself."

After the prefect left the back garden, Qiao Qiu looked at the garden full of flowers and her lips twitched. Why did she have the feeling that a beautiful woman was having a secret rendezvous with a talented man?

Of course, if that were the case, then so be it. But the key point is that she is a man now. Although her soul is not, her body is real. This feeling has changed all of a sudden, and it makes me furious.

Qiao Qiu brushed aside the messy things and strode into the pavilion, meeting the handsome man's appraising gaze. "I suppose you must be Young Master Li."

Young Master Li had already spotted him. Upon closer inspection, he was indeed the exceptional man he had imagined. Moreover, unlike the wealthy merchants he had met before, Shen Junbai was aloof and independent. Although he wore a mask, he still gave off the feeling of "a gentleman as beautiful as jade, unparalleled in the world."

"Does this humble servant still meet your approval, young master?"

Upon hearing this, Young Master Li laughed and said, "Young Master Shen is joking. A genius like you should be asking whether I am worthy of your attention."

"Stop flattering me, I'm not buying it. Just tell me what you want." Qiao Qiu wouldn't be polite to this person unless he revealed his true identity.

"I didn't expect Young Master Shen to be such a generous person. With such sharp eyes, can't you guess my intentions?" Despite Qiao Qiu's aggressive questioning, Young Master Li remained calm and composed, chatting and laughing as if nothing was wrong.

Seeing that he was completely unaffected by her, Qiao Qiu figured he must be a man of strong will. She said, "How could I possibly guess your intentions? I'm not a mind reader. What do you think of these flowers, Young Master Li?"

Qiao Qiu suddenly changed the subject, catching Young Master Li slightly off guard, but he quickly regained his composure and looked at the flower, saying, "This flower is extremely resilient. Although it cannot compare to noble flowers, it has its own unique world."

"Though flowers are small, their function is great. How can they survive everywhere? This shows their strong vitality. If Young Master Li understands flowers, he should not only look at their small world and ignore their other aspects."

Only then did Young Master Li notice that Qiao Qiu's clothes were embroidered with green bamboo. Bamboo symbolizes nobility and seclusion. Was he using this to tell him that she would not be of use to him?

"How about we discuss a deal?"

"A deal is all about sincerity. If you're not sincere, there's no point in discussing it." Qiao Qiu deftly deflected the question, bringing the conversation back to the point.

Young Master Li's eyes flashed. Shen Junbai was quite formidable. It seemed that he was capable of driving the development of the entire Xiangzhou and was definitely not an ordinary person. Thinking of this, he made up his mind that if such a person was not controlled, he would surely become a great threat in the future.

"Alright, I'll openly discuss this deal with you. Shen Junbai, you're the first person to force me to willingly reveal my identity in such a short time."

Qiao Qiu was startled. She had thought it was some prince, but this guy was actually the emperor?!

She lifted her robe and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble subject greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

"Rise." The Emperor walked to the stone bench and sat down, saying to Qiao Qiu, "Sit down."

"This humble subject thanks Your Majesty, but I dare not stand on equal footing with Your Majesty. I thank Your Majesty for sending troops to quell the bandits a month ago. My grievances and the grievances of the people have been avenged." Qiao Qiu bowed again, stood up, and stood aside.

The Emperor didn't force her. Looking at her mask, he asked, "I heard that you destroyed your face in a fit of anger after being insulted by bandits?"

Qiao Qiu touched the mask and said, "Back then, I was young and impetuous. After my parents died, I was already in poor mental condition. How could I bear such humiliation? I regretted it very much afterward, but it was already a fact, and there was no use in trying to undo it. I had no choice but to wear this mask to avoid scaring people."

The Emperor sighed regretfully, "I heard that you were once the most outstanding young master in both Shuzhou and Xiangzhou, which is truly a pity."