On the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, Shen Qing traveled from Hengzhou to the capital. He traveled for three days without sleep before finally entering the palace.
Carrying her suitcase, she was led into a dark brown, single-story building, ready to undergo an inspection and interrogation by the Ministry of the Interior.
She entered a dimly lit little house, and as soon as she went in, someone took her suitcase and someone else asked her to go to another small room.
The small room contained only a small chair, and two officials stood there, one holding a notebook and the other carrying a knife.
It didn't look like a routine investigation by the Imperial Household Department; it looked more like they were going to kill her on the spot if they couldn't get anything out of her.
In the twelfth lunar month, Shen Qing's back and forehead were covered in sweat, his attention completely focused on the hairpin knife in his hair.
This was her habit; whenever she sensed danger approaching, she was always ready to pull out her hairpin knife to protect herself.
Unexpectedly, the officer with the sword only asked, "Are you Lord Qi's third daughter-in-law?"
Shen Qing thought that this "Lord Qi" must be Qi Zhenheng's father, and nodded, "Yes, I am Qi Zhenheng's wife."
Even though she had never met Qi Zhenheng's father, having a connection in this kind of place could save her life in a critical moment.
The two officials exchanged a glance and nodded. One made a note in his notebook, while the other returned her suitcase to her.
"I was just following the rules, and I hope Madam Qi will understand. Please put in a good word for me with Lord Qi."
Shen Qing breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Yes, I will."
He thought to himself: Qi Zhenheng's father must be quite influential in the palace.
It's no wonder that Qi Zhenheng was able to mediate the military supplies case and clear her name.
"Madam Qi, please follow me this way."
Shen Qing turned around and followed him out of the Imperial Household Department.
The sun came out and the snow outside had melted. She looked up at the sky and felt a sense of disorientation.
She followed behind the two officials from the Imperial Household Department, walking around for quite a while.
Shen Qing looked up at the unassuming palace, recalling the photos in the history book.
After the Empress Dowager turned sixty, she lived here for a long time and even met with diplomatic envoys here.
Recalling the unofficial historical accounts of the Empress Dowager, Shen Qing felt a little nervous.
In the short time she was distracted, a man dressed as a eunuch walked out of the gate, flicked his whisk behind his arm, and looked in her direction.
The officials from the Imperial Household Department hurriedly led Shen Qing upstairs. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, they said to the eunuch, "Eunuch Li, this is Lord Qi's third daughter-in-law, who has been ordered to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager."
Eunuch Li?
Upon hearing this title, a name that Shen Qing hadn't thought of in the past few years immediately popped into her mind.
Li Zhongman.
Is that the dead eunuch who coveted the Gao family mansion, tried to kill her time and time again, and even wanted to become emperor?
Shen Qing wasn't sure, since there were many people with the same surname.
She didn't make a sound, nor did she look at Eunuch Li standing high above under the eaves. She kept her face down and observed him secretly.
“Raise your head…” Eunuch Li said in a sissy voice.
Shen Qing looked up and boldly stared at the person.
His face was fair and rosy, with two rosy blushes on his cheeks, and his lips were also pink and tender.
If it weren't for the few gray hairs at his temples, Shen Qing would have thought this person was still young.
When Eunuch Li saw her face clearly, his expression immediately changed. He looked angrily at the people from the Imperial Household Department and said, "How dare you! Isn't this the widow of the Gao family in Jiangzhou? When did she become Lord Qi's daughter-in-law?"
"Reporting to Father-in-law, she is indeed the third daughter-in-law of Lord Qi. Eunuch Liu personally brought her from the residence of Lord Qi's third son."
Only then did Eunuch Li lower his triangular eyes and glance at Shen Qing: "Then come in with me!"
Shen Qing quickly followed.
Stepping through the gate, he turned and waved to the two officials from the Imperial Household Department. Turning back again, he saw Eunuch Li standing behind the door, staring at him with his gloomy triangular eyes.
She was startled, but pretended not to suspect that he was Li Zhongman.
"Hmph!" Eunuch Li glared at her hatefully and snorted, "This is the Empress Dowager's palace. When you see her later, watch your words and actions! If you dare to disrespect the Empress Dowager, you'll lose your life!"
Shen Qing understood the implication in those words.
He lamented that he could have lost his life at any moment if he hadn't been careful on this trip.
"Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch. I will certainly act with caution," Shen Qing said humbly.
It wasn't that she yielded to someone who abused their power, but rather that now was not the time to offend such a person.
Her two children were waiting for her at home; she couldn't risk her life for a moment of verbal sparring.
"Hmph! I've heard of you." Eunuch Li said as he walked.
Shen Qing came to her senses: "Hmm? What has Father-in-law heard of me?"
Eunuch Li glanced at her and said sarcastically, "You were a widow from the Gao family in Jiangzhou before, how did you manage to climb up to the Qi family?"
Shen Qing smiled and said, "It's true that I was a widow in the Gao family before. Later, I met Zhenheng, had a child, and got married."
She deliberately portrayed her marriage to Qi Zhenheng as a case of getting married first and then buying a ticket later, which would make outsiders more convinced that the two children were Qi Zhenheng's, and that she, a widow, had indeed used the children to control Qi Zhenheng, who had never been married before.
Otherwise, her marriage to Qi Zhenheng would seem strange no matter how you look at it.
Qi Zhenheng was a governor at a young age, yet he was tall and handsome. His father was also a high-ranking official in the court. It would not be unreasonable for Qi Zhenheng to marry a princess. It is hard not to have doubts about his marriage to a widow.
Sooner or later, it will arouse suspicion.
Once her marriage to Qi Zhenheng arouses suspicion from the outside world, the mystery of the biological father of their two children will soon be thoroughly investigated.
She couldn't let the outside world know that her two children were Cheng Zhiwen's...
"Hmph, you've got some tricks up your sleeve. I've met the third young master of Lord Qi's family; that boy's naive, that's why he was fooled by a slut like you!"
Shen Qing: "..."
This eunuch Li is extremely hostile towards her, and knowing that she doesn't speak up, it must be Li Zhongman.
Shen Qing took a deep breath and smiled, "Although I have been married before, I have never had any children, and I am a few years younger than my husband... Moreover, I am good at business, while my husband is a lowly official who lives on his meager monthly salary. By marrying me, he also gained all of my businesses and assets, such as..."
She paused here and looked at Eunuch Li.
Li Gonggong, who was walking in front, also stopped and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye with his triangular eyes.
"For example, the Gao family's factory, silk shop, and—the Gao family's residence! These all now belong to the Qi family."
She deliberately emphasized the last two sentences.
As expected, Eunuch Li's eyes widened in shock, and a sharp glare swept across her face.
He felt an urge to get rid of her as soon as possible.
Shen Qing suppressed the fear in her heart and continued, "Actually, over the years, people have often come to ask me to buy the Gao family's house, and I have always left it to my master to handle."
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