As the eunuch bearing the imperial decree finished speaking, the faces of everyone present immediately turned grim.
Uncle Lyu's face went pale, his hands trembling as he held the reins. He turned back to look at Zhu Qingyu and Zhang Shen in the carriage, his eyes full of terror.
Zhu Qingyu glanced to the side. Zhang Shen was as pale as paper, and she was no better off, her heart filled with unease.
Hadn't all the money been handed over to the court? Hadn't the emperor already issued a decree saying the Zhang family had completed their task? Hadn't they already left the city? Why was the emperor now sending someone to chase after them with another decree? What did he intend to do?
Zhu Qingyu had never faced the emperor and didn't know what kind of person he was.
Surely a sovereign of a nation wouldn't be so petty, so careless with his own reputation as to go back on his word—taking the money and then resorting to treachery?
She regretted it. She should have known, should have left a few days earlier. The moment the emperor issued that decree, she should have fled with the Zhang family so he couldn't find them.
No sooner had she thought this than she felt foolish. Under imperial authority, every inch of land belonged to the throne. Away from home, travel required documents and checkpoints at every turn. Even if she hid at the ends of the earth, how could she truly escape?
No matter what, since the eunuch had come to proclaim a decree—whether it brought good news or bad, even if it meant beheading—they had to receive it. No one could remain seated in the carriage as if oblivious.
There were three carriages in total. Zhang Ruohua and Nanny Wang rode in the middle carriage, with the steward driving. In the rear carriage were two imperial guards sent by Shen Xu. Everyone got out.
Zhang Shen jumped down first and reached out to help Zhu Qingyu.
Zhu Qingyu took his hand as she alighted—his touch was icy cold.
Even after stepping down, she did not let go of Zhang Shen's hand. Instead, she gripped it firmly, hoping the warmth of her palm might offer him some comfort.
Zhu Qingyu looked at Gu Zhao. He had deliberately ridden his horse at top speed to bring the eunuch, so he must know what this was all about.
Gu Zhao looked at her hand clasping Zhang Shen's, as if reading her thoughts. A mischievous smile played on his lips, his expression that of someone settling in to watch a good show.
Because of that expression, Zhu Qingyu calmed down instead.
She didn't know the emperor, but she knew Gu Zhao. Gu Zhao might not be the traditional, upright gentleman like Lord Zhuang was, but if the decree brought bad news, he would never come all this way just to gloat and mock her to her face.
Lord Gu was not that lacking in taste.
Zhu Qingyu smiled at Gu Zhao and knelt down beside Zhang Shen on the roadside.
At her smile, Gu Zhao seemed to think of something. His own smile faded, and his expression grew cold.
When everyone was properly kneeling, the eunuch began to proclaim the decree.
In the winter outskirts of the capital, rain and snow fell incessantly. The moment Zhu Qingyu knelt by the roadside, the snow water quickly soaked through her pants.
Whoever had written today's decree had filled the opening with a long, verbose passage full of obscure terms. Zhu Qingyu's attention drifted.
When the words "appointed to the post of Supervisor of the Jiangning Imperial Textile Mill" slid blandly into her left ear, she was still fretting about her soaked knees, wondering what to do next.
Just as those words were about to slip out of her right ear, Zhu Qingyu finally snapped back to attention. She grabbed hold of the phrase in her mind and stared in shock at the eunuch delivering the decree.
What was happening?
How had the emperor suddenly granted Zhang Shen the position of Supervisor of the Jiangning Imperial Textile Mill?
Zhu Qingyu was very familiar with this title. Not just because she had recently studied the court's roster of offices, but more importantly—as anyone with nine years of compulsory education knew—this was the very post once held by the ancestors of the great scholar Cao Xueqin.
Everyone who had ever sat in this position was undoubtedly the emperor's confidant.
Could this be what they meant by "imperial favor, be it thunder or rain, is still grace"?
The one who wanted to kill Zhang Shen was the emperor. The one who seized the Zhang family's wealth was the emperor. And now, the one who bestowed such a great favor on Zhang Shen was still the emperor.
And whether it was good or bad, whatever the emperor gave, they could only accept it—there was no room for refusal.
Perhaps the decree was so unexpected that a profound silence fell over the scene. No one spoke.
Zhang Shen knelt beside her, seemingly stunned as well. He could only gape at the eunuch, unable to say a word.
If they received the decree without expressing gratitude, could the emperor charge them with the crime of grave disrespect?
Would this title of Supervisor of the Jiangning Imperial Textile Mill slip through their fingers before they even had it in hand?
Zhu Qingyu quickly nudged Zhang Shen.
"Jingyan, express your gratitude quickly!"
Zhang Shen snapped out of his daze, knelt down, and thanked the emperor.
"Long live the emperor, who has shown me boundless favor."
The eunuch delivering the decree had been dragged all the way here by Gu Zhao and was thoroughly exhausted. Once the Zhang family rose to their feet and received the decree, he had no energy left for idle chatter. He gave the newly appointed official the customary advice:
"Lord Supervisor, you must remember to submit a thank-you memorial to the Office of Transmission as soon as possible. In all likelihood, the emperor will summon you to court in a few days."
Zhang Shen had been stunned senseless by the enormous gift from the heavens. Now that he came to, long accustomed to dealing with officials of all kinds, he understood immediately. He took out his money pouch and stuffed it all into the eunuch's sleeve.
"Many thanks for your guidance, honored eunuch."
The eunuch weighed the heavy pouch and was very pleased with Lord Zhang's tact. He beamed like a blooming flower.
"Ah, you're too kind. Too kind. Well, Lord Zhang, shall we head back?"
They naturally had to go back. On the return journey, the eunuch flatly refused to ride Gu Zhao's horse again.
Zhu Qingyu switched to ride with Zhang Ruohua, while Zhang Shen invited the eunuch into his carriage.
Zhang Ruohua, usually lively and talkative, seemed stunned by the sudden decree as well. For a long time, she said nothing. Finally, she whispered to Zhu Qingyu:
"Sister-in-law, why?"
Zhu Qingyu also wanted to ask Gu Zhao: why?
He had deliberately brought the eunuch here. Zhang Shen's appointment had to be connected to him.
What was he doing this for? What was he after?
Surely not that a single night of passion came with after-sales service—responsible not only for getting Zhang Shen out of trouble but also for securing his future?
Thinking like this, deeply puzzled by Gu Zhao's motives, Zhu Qingyu found herself involuntarily gazing out the slightly open window at Gu Zhao riding ahead.
But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't figure out what benefit bestowing such a great favor on Zhang Shen could possibly bring to Gu Zhao.
The next time she looked out, Gu Zhao, who had been riding ahead, had somehow appeared beside her window. With that same mischievous look, he smiled and said:
"Have you been staring at me this whole time? What's the matter? Didn't manage to run, and I dragged you back—it must have infuriated you, right? What were you just thinking? Were you afraid I was going to harm him, and were you thinking you'd live and die with him?"
Did this man have eyes in the back of his head? How could he notice?
Caught red-handed, Zhu Qingyu no longer hid. She looked directly at Gu Zhao and said frankly:
“When I saw it was you, I knew there would be good news. I never imagined you would harm him—you’re just not that kind of person. Besides, you helped him secure an official rank of the fifth degree. How could I be angry? I’m not so ungrateful as to not appreciate that. Shouming, although I don’t know why you did it, I am truly, deeply grateful for how you’ve helped us.”
Gu Zhao gave a sharp “Ha,” already immune to her honeyed words, and said:
“Zhu Qingyu, gratitude again? Spare me. Aside from being grateful, can’t you find some other way to placate me?”
Zhu Qingyu leaned her head halfway out the window and said sincerely:
“Shouming, I’ve realized something—you are truly, genuinely a wonderful person.”
On this winter day when all things withered, a cluster of red plum blossoms boldly bloomed by the roadside.
And because of this truly, genuinely wonderful person, Gu Zhao—who had already built up his immunity—suddenly found he couldn’t resist. Not only did his neck flush red all the way to his ears, but the unrestrained, glowing smile on his face also burst forth like those red plum blossoms, impossible to hide, proudly flaunting itself.
Gu Zhao gave another “Ha”:
“Ha, well, of course. At least you know quality when you see it.”
