Chapter 22 Extra Update Extra Update

While some people made excuses for themselves, Qiu Shuzhi was naturally happy to be at ease. After all, this Dai Yun was not a good person either, so it was just right to use Yue Guanyi’s identity to pressure her.

Dai Yun wiped her cold sweat frantically. If it were an official sent from the Shuntian Prefecture to investigate, she wouldn’t fear such words at all, but Yue Guanyi was different. If he were to whisper something to the Empress Dowager, her official career would be over.

Dai Yun quickly changed the subject: “Your Highness must be tired from the journey and probably hasn’t had dinner yet. This official has already arranged for dinner to be prepared. Please, Your Highness and Qiu Daren, honor this official’s humble abode with your presence.”

Yue Guanyi looked at Dai Yun, who was shaking like a sieve, and a cold smile curved at the corner of his lips.

He turned to ask Qiu Shuzhi: “What does Qiu Daren think?”

“That’s fine.” Qiu Shuzhi nodded slightly, the lamplight reflecting in her bright eyes, as brilliant as stars.

Yue Guanyi lightly pressed his lips together, glad that Qiu Niang was willing.

Dai Yun was overjoyed: “Your Highness and Qiu Daren are willing to honor this official’s home, it truly brings light to my humble abode. This official will definitely entertain the two of you well.”

Qiu Shuzhi, looking at Dai Yun’s servile and fawning appearance, couldn’t help but laugh lightly in her heart.

She was just a powerless Zhizhong of Shuntian Prefecture, today’s scene was only because she had basked in Yue Guanyi’s glory.

The group walked out of the government office, with Ji Mei and Chang’an following their respective masters, attending to them.

Yue Guanyi was surrounded by people as he walked towards the luxurious carriage.

“Qiu Daren.” Yue Guanyi suddenly called out to Qiu Shuzhi, who was about to get into her own carriage.

“Ordinary carriages are bumpy, why don’t you ride in my carriage?” he said, looking down, his fingers nearly scratching through beneath his calm exterior.

Qiu Shuzhi was about to agree, but Qiu Qiushuang’s previous words suddenly came to mind.

Men and women should be kept separate, especially with the current prince. She really shouldn’t keep too close to him.

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but the journey is not long. This official will be fine in her own carriage,” she declined politely.

Yue Guanyi’s eyes fell in an instant, dejected like a stray dog drenched in the rain.

Qiu Shuzhi suddenly felt something tug at her heart.

She hurriedly got into the carriage, dropping the curtain to decisively block out Yue Guanyi’s disappointed figure.

Chang’an, seeing his master’s lost and dispirited appearance, like a young husband rejected by his wife-master, felt extremely pitiful.

He glared fiercely at Qiu Shuzhi’s carriage. How could she not want such a good man as his master!

His master had been busy running around for Qiu Shuzhi, even going so far as to scheme for an edict from the Empress Dowager, giving up his comfortable life in the capital to come suffer in this godforsaken place.

This Qiu Shuzhi not only failed to appreciate it but dared to reject his master. She must be blind!

“Your Highness, Qiu Daren’s carriage has already gone far. Please get in the carriage first,” Chang’an said in a low voice, afraid that speaking too loudly might startle Yue Guanyi, who was secretly heartbroken.

Yue Guanyi, gazing at Qiu Shuzhi’s departing carriage, seemed to come back to his senses, the light in his eyes dimming in an instant.

He silently got into the carriage. Naturally, the carriage of the Commander of the Imperial Guard was different from ordinary vehicles. The entire interior was filled with soft goose down, so even when traveling on rough dirt roads, one wouldn’t feel bumpy.

But he felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

If such a luxurious carriage didn’t catch her eye, then perhaps everything he possessed now was as unremarkable as ordinary pebbles in her eyes?

Indeed, she was a Tanhua graduate, raised on the classics of sages and philosophers from a young age.

Scholars are always aloof. Perhaps all the luxury around him now not only failed to impress her but even seemed vulgar in her eyes!

His mood plummeted in this enclosed space.

He touched the inner garment he wore under his official robes. Though not ostentatious, it was made of understated and elegant soft silk, worth half a year’s expenses for an ordinary family.

His fingertips rubbed the soft texture of the silk, thinking that since Qiu Niang didn’t like it, he should change to ordinary cloth in the future, to avoid offending her eyes.

The carriage slowly came to a stop, and Chang’an’s voice sounded from outside: “Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”

Yue Guanyi lifted the curtain, instinctively looking towards the entrance. Qiu Shuzhi’s slender figure stood at the door.

She also sensed Yue Guanyi’s gaze and nodded slightly. The evening breeze blew her hair at the temples, disheveled yet not lacking in beauty. The lamplight was like colored glass, its clear and cold light falling on her, making her seem otherworldly.

Yue Guanyi lowered his head shyly, like a man long secluded in the inner chambers finally seeing his beloved woman, excited and bashful, his face red and ears hot, not daring to look at her.

It was as if the person who had been coldly neglected and disheartened earlier wasn’t him at all.

Chang’an placed a footstool down for Yue Guanyi to step on when getting out of the carriage.

Yue Guanyi walked down from the carriage, noticing that even the small stool he usually stepped on was made of huanghuali wood.

He directly bypassed the stool and got off the carriage, imperceptibly saying to Chang’an as he passed: “Get rid of this thing for me.”

Chang’an’s mind went blank. How had this ordinary stool offended him?

But the master’s order was like heaven’s command. It was just a huanghuali stool, throwing it away was no big deal. He would replace it with a small-leaf zitan wood one tomorrow, which should be more comfortable to step on and more fitting for His Highness’s noble status.

“Qiu Daren, sorry to keep you waiting,” Yue Guanyi came to Qiu Shuzhi’s side.

“Not at all, it’s right for this official to wait for you,” Qiu Shuzhi smiled politely: “Shall we go in together?”

“Alright.” Yue Guanyi sensed the faint indifference and coldness in her tone, and his upturned lips slightly pressed together, his already pale lips losing even more color.

As soon as they entered Dai Yun’s mansion, they were startled by the luxurious scene inside. It was a large residence with seven courtyards, each courtyard inside dazzling. The servants in the courtyard all wore pearl and jade ornaments, dressed much better than ordinary people.

The landscapes and precious flowers and trees in the courtyard were well-maintained, fragrant smoke curling everywhere, and faint sounds of silk and bamboo music could be heard from the courtyards.

The hall was even more impressive, with the finest ambergris incense as a base, adorned with porcelain and jade wares, famous calligraphy and paintings, and the priceless Eighteen Scholars camellia as decoration, presenting a scene of wealth and prosperity fit for a golden gate and jade household.

If not told, who could have imagined this was just the private residence of a seventh-rank county deputy magistrate.

The two sat down at the eight-immortals table at Dai Yun’s invitation, and the dishes began to be served, even more luxurious than the meals at Zhou Hu’s house a few days ago, practically a female-dominated version of the ‘Manchu Han Imperial Feast’.

“Why isn’t Your Highness eating? Is the food not to your liking?” Dai Yun saw that neither of them was touching their chopsticks and hurriedly said: “If Your Highness prefers any particular cuisine, please tell this humble official, and I will immediately instruct the kitchen to prepare it.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly: “It seems the chef in Dai Daren’s household is also a master, proficient in all cuisines.”

Dai Yun chuckled: “Not at all, not at all, Qiu Daren is too kind. This official is just trying her best to entertain Your Highness well.”

As she spoke, Dai Yun was about to toast Yue Guanyi: “Your Highness’s arrival today was sudden, and this official’s failure to entertain you properly is my dereliction of duty. This official will punish herself with three cups.”

Clang, clang, clang, three cups of clear wine went down, and Dai Yun’s speech and breath carried a hint of alcohol. Seeing that Yue Guanyi didn’t speak, she punished herself with several more cups without waiting for him to say anything.

Unfortunately, her set of vulgar drinking customs from official banquets had no effect on Yue Guanyi, and instead increased his disgust.

Qiu Shuzhi saw Yue Guanyi’s brows tighten, his eyes looking at the wine cup in front of him with rejection, and even more disgust at Dai Yun’s flushed face and eyes clouded by alcohol.

Perhaps the strong smell of alcohol had numbed Dai Yun’s perception, and she failed to notice Yue Guanyi’s unpleasant expression.

Instead, she boldly poured more wine into his cup.

“As a man, Your Highness should not drink. This official will drink this cup on Your Highness’s behalf.” Seeing Yue Guanyi’s face becoming increasingly displeased, Qiu Shuzhi picked up the wine cup in front of him and drained it in one go.

As soon as the wine went down, Qiu Shuzhi somewhat regretted it. It was truly strong, the alcohol rushing straight to her brain.

Yue Guanyi looked at her in surprise, his stunned eyes seeming to reflect a faint watery light.

His bloodless lips trembled slightly, as if trying to say something, yet unable to say anything.

Stuttering, he managed to utter one word: “You……”

Dai Yun also seemed startled by Qiu Shuzhi’s action, and after the shock came instant sobriety.

She had been so focused on pleasing Yue Guanyi that she forgot his status as a man. Her frequent toasting, far from pleasing Yue Guanyi, seemed more like a form of disrespect in his eyes.

Qiu Shuzhi’s alcohol tolerance was also average, and she didn’t drink often. Suddenly gulping down a cup of strong liquor, she was still having trouble adjusting.

She gently rubbed her temples: “Let’s eat.”

Dai Yun was instantly awakened by Qiu Shuzhi’s words and hurriedly used the serving chopsticks to place a few pieces of soft fried chicken into Yue Guanyi’s plate.

Yue Guanyi, already disgusted with this woman Dai Yun, looked at the soft fried chicken in the dish as if he was looking at something revolting, not even having the desire to use his chopsticks.

Moreover, his attention was now completely focused on Qiu Shuzhi.

She was willing to drink on his behalf.

Yue Guanyi looked at the wine cup she had drunk from, his heart leaping with joy, his ears and cheeks blushing in a mess.

Qiu Shuzhi was sitting right next to him, a faint smell of alcohol coming from her. In the past, he was most disgusted by women who had been drinking.

When he was young and stranded in the brothel, he had seen too many such women, reeking of alcohol, pressing themselves onto men and constantly demanding, their flesh intertwining like worms, vulgar words entering his ears. He hated such scenes to the extreme.

So much so that now he never drank alcohol, nor would he let women drink in front of him. Whoever dared to disobey this order would die.

But when Qiu Shuzhi sat beside him with the smell of alcohol, that feeling of disgust seemed to disappear in an instant, as if it wasn’t the smell of alcohol, but the fragrance of wine.

His fingers nervously gripped his official robe, his heart pounding so hard it almost wrinkled the robe.

“Why isn’t Qiu Daren eating?” he asked, his gentle and submissive tone surprising Dai Yun.

Qiu Shuzhi’s heart was burning from the strong alcohol, and she still felt nauseous and unable to eat anything.

But since the Crown Prince had spoken, she had to eat at least a little.

She picked up a piece of spicy shrimp and put it in her mouth, swallowing it while resisting the urge to vomit.

“Your Highness should eat more too,” she said, her head dizzy from the strong alcohol, leaning on her hand with her eyes slightly hazy and soft.

“Mm……” Yue Guanyi’s voice trembled, as if he felt drunk too.

That glance made his heart tremble, numb all over. The faint wine fragrance made him blush, and he struggled to maintain his composure under her spring-like tender gaze. With shaking chopsticks, he picked up the spicy shrimp she had just eaten and put it in his mouth.