Chapter 31 Cousin Will Serve You for a Lifetime

“Official Qiu’s painting skills are very good.” Yue Guanyi’s face was expressionless, like an insincere compliment machine.

“I also think it’s quite good.” Qin Qing couldn’t let go of his love, looking left and right, wishing he could frame this small portrait and hang it at the head of his bed to look at day and night.

Yue Guanyi couldn’t stand Qin Qing’s old tree blooming in spring, and felt even more sorry for Qiu Shuzhi being entangled by this old widower for an afternoon, saying, “Father Empress Dowager, this son came to discuss something.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Qiu Shuzhi, indicating that she should quickly leave the clutches of Qin Qing, this old man.

Qiu Shuzhi understood and said, “Empress Dowager, since there’s nothing for this official here, I’ll take my leave first.”

“Wait.” Qin Qing’s voice stopped her, his large hand tightly gripping her wrist through the sleeve, not letting go. Yue Guanyi’s eyes almost shot out nails, wishing to pierce Qin Qing’s hand.

“Official Qiu is now my confidant, there’s nothing she can’t hear.” Qin Qing’s palm temperature transmitted through the sleeve to her wrist, his fingertips gently rubbing the back of her hand.

A flash of surprise appeared on Qiu Shuzhi’s face. She hadn’t expected Qin Qing to call her his confidant in front of Yue Guanyi.

She was very clear about her own abilities. Apart from her merits in managing the mine theft in Yanshun County, she didn’t have much political achievement.

People like Gu Zheng, who had been deeply entrenched in officialdom for many years with extensive connections and power, should be his confidants. How could she rank among them?

Moreover, he said it in front of Yue Guanyi without any reservations. Could it be that he was setting her up for a fall?

Historically, there have been such people, suddenly rising to power after being favored by the upper echelons, similar to the emperor’s favored eunuchs.

It seemed like a meteoric rise, but in reality, they were being used as pawns to do those unspeakable or hateful things. Once they lost their urgent value, they would be quickly disassociated.

The fate of such people often ended up being labeled as corrupt officials, with their entire families executed.

Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes were indescribably deep. The young emperor’s foundation was still shallow, the Empress Dowager’s thoughts were unpredictable, and Yue Guanyi was even more…

Ah, she sighed inwardly, the road ahead must be trodden even more carefully, every step calculated.

“This son came this time to report on the matter of selecting consorts,” Yue Guanyi quickly glanced at Qiu Shuzhi, seeing her brows furrowed with a faint trace of worry. His heart ached, unable to imagine what Qin Qing had done to her during the time he wasn’t there.

His eyes turned fierce, it seemed it was time to plant some Jinyiwei spies in Qingning Palace.

Qin Qing sat down again, pulling Qiu Shuzhi to stand beside him.

“How is the selection going? Have the families made any moves?” Qin Qing’s tone was light, his long fingers as white as new snow, personally fitting the apricot blossom fan face Qiu Shuzhi had just painted onto the fan ribs.

“The selection is proceeding as usual. None of the officials above the third rank have sent their sons for selection, but the King of Dian has sent one.”

“The King of Dian?” Qin Qing’s fingertips paused, snorting coldly, “That old thing wants to meddle too?”

“I heard it’s a very beautiful young man, and with the King of Dian’s influence, it’s inevitable that Her Majesty might choose him.”

Qin Qing continued fiddling with the fan face, his tone as cold as ice, “What if he’s as beautiful as a celestial being? Once in the palace, whether he lives or dies depends entirely on my word.”

Qiu Shuzhi listened silently, her mind already picturing the breathtaking scenes from palace intrigue dramas.

“What do you think, Official Qiu?”

As soon as the fan was ready, Qin Qing waved it casually in his hand. The ink jade fan handle paired with the apricot blossom and misty rain fan face should have been extremely incompatible, but in Qin Qing’s hands, it looked particularly harmonious.

“Very good, it suits the Empress Dowager very well,” she said.

A flash of viciousness passed through Yue Guanyi’s eyes, staring at the fan as if wishing to turn it into hellfire and burn it to ashes.

Qin Qing smiled warmly, his delicate eyebrows slightly curved: “It’s not that the fan suits me, it’s that your painting and I are well-matched.”

Qiu Shuzhi was slightly stunned, not knowing how to respond to this. To say more would make her appear overly fawning.

Qin Qing preciously inserted the folding fan into the jade belt at his waist. He had missed Qiu Shuzhi for so long, and didn’t know when they would meet again. Fortunately, he had kept two paintings as keepsakes. When he missed her, he could take them out to look at, to alleviate the pain of longing.

Leaving Qingning Palace, it was nearly dusk. On the way, they occasionally encountered a few officials who saw them coming together from the direction of Qingning Palace. Although their expressions were slightly surprised, there was nothing unusual. However, if Qiu Shuzhi had come out alone, it would have been another juicy piece of gossip.

Yue Guanyi had no mind to care about the gazes of those officials. His mind was full of thoughts on how to warn her to stay away from Qin Qing, but no matter how he organized his words, he felt that saying it out loud would be an insult to her.

As long as it involved matters concerning Qiu Shuzhi, he became particularly cautious and meticulous.

The path quickly came to an end, with the palace gates close at hand. The twilight glow draped over Qiu Shuzhi like a light gauze: “Thank you, Your Highness, for escorting this official out. The palace gates are not far, so this official will take her leave first.”

“Wait.” Qiu Shuzhi was like a fleeting beam of light about to disappear before his eyes. At this moment, he could no longer keep himself calm and composed: “The Empress Dowager is not a good person, don’t trust him.”

Qiu Shuzhi was slightly startled, then calmly nodded: “Thank you for Your Highness’s reminder.”

Seeing her calm expression, Yue Guanyi thought she didn’t believe him and hurriedly said, “Miss Qiu, believe me, the Empress Dowager doesn’t have good intentions towards you, he just wants to…” His chest heaved violently, but he ultimately couldn’t speak of Qin Qing’s filthy thoughts.

Qin Qing might disregard Qiu Shuzhi’s reputation, summoning her into the palace to be alone in a room in broad daylight, letting palace rumors run wild.

But he would never do anything that would damage her reputation. She was the person he held dear in his heart, the one he had missed for ten years. Even if he had to tear apart his relationship with Qin Qing, he would never allow her to be tainted in the slightest.

“I know,” Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly. “I believe you.”

Qin Qing’s behavior today was indeed not the proper distance between a ruler and an official. In this afternoon, she finally experienced the feeling of being a male favorite in ancient times, constantly on edge, having to carefully consider every word. She felt utterly exhausted.

Moreover, Qin Qing’s words about her being his “confidant” still rang in her ears, making her feel as if she were treading on thin ice at all times. She never had the slightest romantic thought, only feeling that this official path was becoming increasingly difficult to tread.

It was Yue Guanyi’s reaction that she found somewhat strange. He was clearly on the same side as Qin Qing, so why would he warn her?

Wasn’t he afraid of falling out with Qin Qing?

“It’s good that you understand.” Yue Guanyi, blushing and tugging at his clothes, boldly asked, “I heard that Her Majesty has granted you an official residence, and that you will be hosting a banquet to invite guests. Is my name on the list?”

Qiu Shuzhi was amused by his blushing appearance. She deliberately smiled and said, “Does Your Highness want to come?”

Yue Guanyi lowered his head, his eyelashes trembling. Though he was as shy and bashful as a boy, he forcefully put aside his dignified status as the eldest prince.

“I want…” he nodded quickly, stammering, the pearls hanging from his official hat swaying slightly with his movements.

“It would be my honor if Your Highness could come,” Qiu Shuzhi said, a gentle smile spreading to her bones.

Yue Guanyi’s deep phoenix eyes instantly brightened like jewels, flashing with clear light.

“Then, then I’ll wait for your invitation.” He bit his lip, holding back the excitement continuously surging in his heart, but that joy still leaked out from the corners of his mouth.

Qiu Shuzhi’s heart softened. It was just an ordinary banquet invitation, yet Yue Guanyi’s reaction was as if he had received some great blessing.

She nodded with a smile.

“Cousin, I’m back.” Walking back home, Qiu Qiushuang had already prepared the meal. Smelling the familiar aroma of home cooking, Qiu Shuzhi’s nerves, which had been tense all day, finally relaxed at this moment.

No one or anything in the palace could make her let her guard down. Only her childhood sweetheart, cousin Qiu Qiushuang, was someone she could trust without any reservations.

Hearing her voice, Qiu Qiushuang quickly ran out from the kitchen. Disregarding all etiquette, he suddenly hugged her tightly, his arms fiercely wrapping around her waist, so tight that it made her a bit breathless.

“Cousin-” She gently patted his back, knowing that leaving him alone at home during this time had really been unfair to him.

Qiu Qiushuang buried his entire face in the crook of her neck, a drop of warm tear falling from the corner of his eye, soaking her official robe.

“I missed you so much.” Qiu Qiushuang gestured with his hands.

Qiu Shuzhi gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, coaxing him tenderly, “Be good, don’t cry. I’m back now, aren’t I?”

Qiu Qiushuang was still not satisfied and continued to gesture, asking, “Will you leave again in the future?”

Qiu Shuzhi held his hand: “I won’t leave anymore. We’ll stay in the capital from now on, we won’t go anywhere.”

Only then did Qiu Qiushuang set his mind at ease.

In fact, even Qiu Shuzhi herself wasn’t sure if she could always stay in the capital, but she could only comfort Qiu Qiushuang like this for now.

He was her last relative in this matriarchal country, and the person who had accompanied her the longest. He was just an ordinary man in this female-dominated country, with no ambitions surpassing women, gentle and dedicating his entire being to the family. The more he was like this, the more Qiu Shuzhi wanted to take good care of him, find him a suitable good family, and let him be happy forever.

Qiu Qiushuang pulled her to the dining table, which was full of dishes, arousing her appetite: “It smells so good. When I was in Yanshun County, I missed the food you cooked for me every day. I can eat two big bowls today.”

Qiu Qiushuang chuckled, his fingers quickly gesturing: “These are all your favorite dishes, eat more.”

Qiu Shuzhi picked up a piece of tender fish meat and put it in her mouth, finally satisfying the hungry bug in her stomach: “Cousin is always the one who understands me best. If you get married in the future, I’ll really miss you.”

Qiu Qiushuang’s expression froze slightly, a twinge of pain rising in his heart. Then he bitterly gestured: “Then I won’t get married. Cousin will serve you for a lifetime, okay?”