Qu Jingyun chuckled and leaned over to give Shen Yunting a light peck on the corner of his mouth.
In a gentle tone, she said, "You stay here and wait for me to come back. I'll bring you your favorite osmanthus pastry."
Shen Yunting gave a soft "hmm," watching Qu Jingyun leave with a reluctant gaze.
Once Qu Jingyun's figure disappeared from sight, a chilling glint flashed in his eyes.
"Did you find it?"
A somber voice came from the corner: "Not yet, we're continuing our investigation."
Shen Yunting gave a soft "hmm," concealing the expression in his eyes.
He said in a low voice, "Have someone secretly protect the lady. If anything happens to her, bring your head to me."
A soft "hmm" came from the corner, and then there was no more sound.
Shen Yunting looked up at the distance and his face darkened.
On the surface, everything seemed to have returned to calm, but anyone with discerning eyes could see that turbulent waves were still lurking beneath the surface.
This apparent tranquility was quickly shattered.
"Madam, someone is causing trouble in the shop."
Xiao Liu rushed in, looking flustered.
Qu Jingyun composed herself and quickly said, "Don't rush, tell me slowly what happened."
"Someone said they were disfigured after using the rouge from our shop and are causing trouble in the shop. The shopkeeper has been trying to stop them, but to no avail."
Upon hearing Xiao Liu's words, Qu Jingyun quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll go with you right away."
Shen Yunting, who was also standing nearby, quickly said after hearing this, "I'll go with you to take a look."
"No need." Qu Jingyun shook her head and gently patted the back of his hand to comfort him.
She spoke gently, "We don't know what they're after yet, so it's not convenient for you to get involved."
Shen Yunting frowned, his face showing displeasure.
But in the end, they let Qu Jingyun leave alone.
He simply watched her retreating figure and whispered, "Follow Madam and report back immediately if anything happens."
Qu Jingyun rushed to the rouge shop as quickly as possible.
Seeing the shop smashed to pieces, anger surged within him.
He glanced coldly at the arrogant man inside the shop: "What are you doing? Under the Emperor's nose, how dare you cause trouble like this? Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the authorities?"
"Then go report it to the authorities," the other person said dismissively.
He sneered, "My wife developed sores on her face after using the rouge from your shop; it's quite a horrifying sight."
“So what if I smash up your heartless businesses? Even if I take it to the authorities, I have my reasons.”
A large crowd of onlookers had gathered around the shop, pointing and commenting on it.
Qu Jingyun took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
"There is absolutely no problem with the rouge in our shop. Everyone in the capital who has used our rouge is fine. Your wife's problem is probably due to something else. Why don't you have a doctor take a good look at her and determine the cause first?"
Qu Jingyun patiently discussed the matter with the other party.
But the other party completely ignored her words.
He spoke up to himself, saying, "There's no other reason besides the rouge from your shop."
"I think you two are both heartless. General Shen embezzled the people's hard-earned money, and you, as the former general's wife, are now also making money against your conscience. You really are a match made in heaven."
"You two shouldn't get a divorce; you should stay together for a long time."
The other person's expression was full of mockery, and then they said, "What? Now that General Shen can no longer use his position to embezzle, you've come out to sell this harmful rouge?"
A chilling glint flashed in Qu Jingyun's eyes.
It seems this person came prepared!
"What exactly do you want to do?" Qu Jingyun asked directly, her dark eyes flashing.
Her eyes grew colder and colder.
She retorted bluntly, "I am now a county princess personally appointed by the Emperor. Who gave you the audacity to come here and slander me?"
Upon hearing this, the other person's expression froze, but they quickly recovered.
His smile deepened: "Of course, it's about seeking justice."
He smiled slightly and said, "My name is Lu Guang. My distant cousin is Lord Zhang Zhou. Others may be afraid of you and dare not say anything even if they are wronged, but I am different."
“My cousin is the Minister of Justice. Even if you are a county princess, if you do such a heinous thing, I have to stand up for you.”
His expression grew increasingly smug, and he said directly, "Not to mention that my wife and I are deeply in love, and I absolutely cannot tolerate her being harmed like this by you."
Zhang Zhou?
Qu Jingyun's eyes flashed, as if she had just realized something.
The fact that Shen Yunting was framed for embezzlement was related to Zhang Zhou, and now it's him again!
What did he want to do by suddenly appearing at her shop?
Qu Jingyun quickly calmed herself down and looked coldly at Lu Guang in front of her.
He said bluntly, "You keep saying that your wife was disfigured after using my rouge. Are you here at the shop to demand compensation?"
“If you really cared about your wife, you would have taken her to see a doctor by now. Why would you be here talking about seeking justice for her?”
"Judging from your wife's serious condition, it's probably been delayed for who knows how long. So tell me straight, how much justice do you want to get by using your wife's influence?"
Qu Jingyun scoffed and said bluntly, "I'll just consider it a loss to avoid further trouble. Just tell me."
"Everyone can see for themselves what's in my shop. Some of the items have even been sent to the palace for the ladies to use. If there were any problems, I would have been torn to pieces long ago. Who would be here to cause trouble?"
"But your cousin is actually Lord Zhang, so I can't afford to offend him. Who knows if I might end up being falsely accused one day?"
"So just tell me straight, how much silver do you want as compensation? I'll consider it money to avoid trouble."
Upon hearing this, Lu Guang's expression changed repeatedly.
He retorted indignantly, "What nonsense are you spouting? My cousin is an upright official, how could he do such a thing? Don't talk nonsense."
Qu Jingyun sneered upon hearing this.
He didn't say it directly, but simply said, "Everyone knows the truth of the matter."
"Lord Zhang took the position of Minister by taking advantage of General Shen. Not only is he not grateful, but he also allows his relatives to slander him. This has truly opened my eyes."
"Everyone knows what kind of person General Shen is, and the quality of the things I sell in my shop goes without saying. Are you sure you want to continue arguing with me here?"
"Or should we take this directly to the Emperor? I've already been bullied to this extent, so I don't care if things get even worse."
"I was just about to take this opportunity to go to the Golden Palace and ask Lord Zhang if he's trying to force General Shen to his death, and to force me to my death as well?"
Qu Jingyun questioned him repeatedly, and Lu Guang's army was utterly defeated.
This matter must not be blown out of proportion.
If this really escalates to the imperial palace, it's hard to say whose side the emperor will take.
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