Zhao Shu was listening intently when Qin Ji arrived.
She was startled, thinking that Qin Ji was going to take her to Emperor Mingde. If she were taken there at this time, she feared she would suffer a terrible fate.
Qin Ji looked at the woman in front of him. She had a heroic air about her, was neither humble nor arrogant, and was extremely proud. Her bright eyes seemed to be able to see through people's souls.
Zhao Shu stepped back from the wall, forcing herself to remain calm, and asked in a low voice, "What does Steward Qin want?"
"Princess, come with me." He also lowered his voice.
With his voice lowered, Zhao Shu understood that he wasn't trying to harm her, and breathed a sigh of relief. Although she wanted to listen more, Qin Ji clearly wouldn't allow it. She took a deep look at the wall blocking her view and had no choice but to follow Qin Ji out the side door.
Qin Ji was also shocked. He never expected that Zhao Shu could enter the palace so quietly and even reach the Taihe Hall. If he hadn't occasionally protected Emperor Mingde in the side hall, he wouldn't have discovered her.
Xiao Zhu was terrified. The intelligence from the palace said that the Erdian Palace was usually deserted, so he felt safe to bring Zhao Shu over.
Zhao Shu glared at Xiao Zhuzi, implying that they should settle accounts when they got back. Qin Ji noticed this little gesture. After the group left the side hall, he said, "I heard that the princess was seriously injured, the prince is still crying in Cining Palace, and the empress dowager is almost moving her private treasury to the Yong Prince's mansion."
"Chief Steward Qin is joking. I am indeed badly injured." She was gambling on Qin Ji's feelings for Wei Tingsi, hoping that he was not blindly loyal to Emperor Mingde.
Qin Ji chuckled, turned past several artificial hills, and arrived at his forbidden residence. "Princess, there's no need to be nervous. I didn't expose you in Jiangnan, and I won't expose you again when I return to the capital."
He didn't tell Zhao Shu that he had also saved Huo Baichuan.
Zhao Shu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a great weight lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you so much, Steward Qin, for your kindness. I, Zhao Shu, will never forget it."
“Chang’an calls me Master, you should start addressing me differently.” He looked at Zhao Shu with a smile, like a prospective father-in-law, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction.
Zhao Shu was genuinely embarrassed this time. In her previous life in the Gu family, no so-called father-in-law had ever spoken to her like this. Old Master Gu of the Gu family was too pretentious, unlike Qin Ji, who was so kind and approachable and would joke with the younger generation.
Two blushes rose to her cheeks. "It's still early, Steward Qin, don't tease me. What brings you here today?" she quickly changed the subject.
Qin Ji thought about it and agreed. They hadn't gone through the proper etiquette yet, so it would be against the rules to ask her to change her address so abruptly. Anyway, it was only a matter of time, so he let Zhao Shu go, gestured for her to sit down, and then instructed Xiao Zhu to brew tea.
This place is quite peculiar; a pavilion is surrounded by vegetables that are growing exceptionally well, lush and green. Qin Ji pointed to one of the plots and said, "These were grown in Chang'an."
"He can grow vegetables?" Zhao Shu looked for a while but couldn't name them. She had eaten them before. If this were a fill-in-the-blank question based on a picture, she definitely wouldn't get any points, even if it was an easy question.
Qin Ji was quite proud and said with a smile, "He has done everything: fishing, growing vegetables, chopping wood and carrying water. A martial artist is not just someone who knows how to wield a knife and spear."
Zhao Shu thought to herself, "Is this how it is here? Other places might not have fishing, growing vegetables, chopping wood, or diving. But it's always good to have a skill. These days, having a skill is very important."
"You taught me so well." She didn't hold back her praise.
Qin Ji was even more satisfied. His apprentice's wife was beautiful, smart, and articulate. Most importantly, she was sensible. The more he looked at her, the more satisfied he became. "Chang'an learns quickly and is willing to work hard. This child is good in every way, except that he is proud. He has never mentioned any other girl to me before. You are the first one."
See, never be stingy with praise. As soon as you utter a compliment, you get a reward. Zhao Shu felt inexplicably sweet. But women always have a tendency to say, "Once is enough, twice is more likely. I'm afraid you'll be even happier in the future."
Qin Ji leaned back slightly, his eyes widening. This apprentice's wife was no ordinary woman; she was already starting to control him. His foolish apprentice was in for a rough time. He had never married or had children and knew nothing about the ways of men and women, but being controlled was quite blissful. He didn't find anything wrong with Zhao Shu's words at all. "Don't worry, if he dares to do anything wrong, just tell me, and I'll beat him to death."
"As the saying goes, 'Teach your apprentice and you'll starve.' Can you even beat him?" Zhao Shu teased. She noticed that Qin Ji and Physician Peng were somewhat similar; they both became more adorable with age. However, Physician Peng looked much older, while Qin Ji looked no more than forty or fifty.
The saying "life lies in movement" is indeed very true.
"I'm just waiting for this one day. Don't worry, he hasn't learned my ultimate move yet, he's definitely no match for me. I can help you get revenge." He waved his hand, and the green vegetables swayed in the wind, their leaves bending to one side, revealing astonishing internal strength.
Zhao Shu wanted to cover her mouth and chuckle, but she held it back. "That's really unfair of you. He respects you like a father, and you're holding back."
"Hey, you little girl, who am I doing this for? The sage said that only women and petty men are difficult to deal with, and it's really true." He puffed out his beard and glared.
"Pfft..." Little Zhu couldn't help but laugh, so Qin Ji pointed to the thatched hut on the other side of the vegetable garden, "Go, fetch water to irrigate the land."
Xiao Zhuzi immediately stopped smiling, looking at Zhao Shu with pleading eyes.
Zhao Shu raised an eyebrow and glanced at him sideways. Xiao Zhuzi immediately understood that the princess was angry. He hurriedly made tea for the two of them and then went to fetch water.
After Xiao Zhuzi left, Qin Ji said with a heavy expression, "The Huo family boy is a smart man, he actually managed to fake his death."
"Does Chief Steward Qin have anything to say? The situation is not optimistic. We must work together to overcome this difficulty." She had already figured it out from the previous words. If the old party and the revenge party were to unite, and Emperor Mingde were to lose, the first person to be abandoned would be Wei Tingsi. He held military power, and his soldiers were a sword hanging over his head. Under pressure, Emperor Mingde could not protect him. His only options were to rebel or die. Even if he gave up his military power, no one would feel at ease.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
