Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: Zhaozhao, Sleep

Chapter 290: Zhaozhao, Sleep

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Herlyee Translations

‘What’s wrong?” Ji Zhao blinked, her expression innocent and cute.

Shen Yao smiled and did not say anything. He slowly approached her. Just as his lips were about to approach her red lips—

“Ahem!” Qin Minghong, who was covering his face with a fan, deliberately raised his eyebrows. His tone was filled with undisguised teasing. “I know you two are newlyweds, but you have to pay attention to the occasion!”

“Brother Qin?” Ji Zhao called out in surprise.

“Here, a wedding gift for the two of you.” Qin Minghong put away the folding fan in his hand and nodded at the servant behind him. The latter immediately respectfully handed the box in his arms to Ji Zhao.

“Thank you, Brother Qin.”

Ji Zhao accepted the heavy box and smiled.

“By the way, Brother Qin hasn’t had dinner yet, right? Coincidentally, there are still cold skin noodles noodles in the kitchen. Shall I make a bowl of sesame sauce cold skin noodles noodles for you to try?”

“Alright.” Qin Minghong readily agreed.

Fifteen minutes later.

Ji Zhao made a big bowl of cold skin noodles with sesame sauce and a bowl of osmanthus sour plum soup.

“Fragrant!’

Qin Minghong sighed with nostalgia. “When I was in the prefecture capital, Ah Tao’s cooking was what I missed the most.”

“If Brother Qin likes it, eat more.”

“Definitely!’

At that moment, Shen Yao, who was sitting opposite him, drank a cup of cold tea to dissipate the heat lingering in his heart. Then, he lowered his eyes and said, ‘One never visits unless they need something.”

‘Why do I feel like you don’t welcome me?” Qin Minghong rolled his eyes at him. “You’ve already gotten the beauty, why are you still so stingy?” “You rushed over so late at night. What happened?”

Shen Yao ignored the complaint in his tone and asked in a low voice.

“The prefectural city is about to change.” Qin Minghong looked back at the manservant standing behind him. The latter obediently retreated and waited outside the door. Only then did he say, “l heard that the salt transporters in Jiangnan were killed by the Cao Gang, who smuggled illicit salt. In the past five years, the salt transporters sent by the imperial court have basically never returned. The emperor was furious and ordered a strict investigation. The person in charge of this matter is the current governor of Yunchuan Prefecture, Sun Xiangnian.”

“I heard from Eldest Aunt that this is an opportunity that Noble Consort Sun fought for.”

“There are even rumors in the capital that His Majesty wants to abolish the Empress and reestablish the Noble Consort as the Empress.”

Qin Minghong said in a low voice, “Once Noble Consort Sun becomes the mother of the country, it won’t be easy to shake the Sun Family.”

Shen Yao, who was listening to the news quietly, remained calm.

Qin Minghong did not understand his indifference. “You don’t seem to care about this at all? Don’t you want to take revenge?”

‘Why wouldn’t I?” Shen Yao knocked on the table lightly and looked up thoughtfully. He said calmly, “It’s just that I don’t think we can be anxious about revenge. Ifwe don’t have the confidence to succeed in one strike, we can’t take the risk.”

Ten years was never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.

The most important thing was that he had to learn to lie low in these ‘ten years’. He had to collect all the evidence of the Sun family’s crimes and capture them in one fell swoop. He could not give them any chance to rise again.

“The current Sun family is in the midst of blooming flowers. If you want to shake them, it’s no different from a fool’s dream.” Qin Minghong sighed softly. “Long before we left the prefecture capital, I had already contacted my uncle. The disappearance of the previous salt transporters in Jiangnan has nothing to do with Cao Gang.”

“The Cao Gang has been running a serious business all these years. The so-called bootlegging of illicit salt is simply nonsense.” Qin Minghong silently clenched his fists and said in a deep voice, “It’s just that government officials have more say, so the Cao Gang’s people are powerless to explain. They can only grit their teeth and bear the blame again and again. If not for the fact that the brothers of the Cao Gang had to support their families, no one would be willing to bear those groundless infamy.”

‘Will Brother Qin participate in this autumn’s imperial examination?” Shen Yao suddenly changed the topic and asked softly.

“Huh?” Qin Minghong had never thought of this question. He was a little stunned for a moment. Then, after a moment of silence, he shook his head.

‘Why not?”

“I don’t want to participate,” Qin Minghong said straightforwardly. ‘This time, I decided to leave the prefecture capital. Firstly, I want to send you a message. Secondly, I want to leave for Jiangnan. I want to help Uncle.

“As for officialdom, hell.” Qin Minghong chuckled. The contempt in his words was self-evident. “l once heard a saying that when turbidity becomes the norm, innocence will only become another sin.”

“Brother Qin, you shouldn’t think that way.” Shen Yao shook his head in disapproval. “Compared to the Qin family, I think you care more about your uncle. Uncle Qin comes from Cao Gang, but Cao Gang is only a martial arts organization after all. If they encounter those unreasonable officials, I’m afraid their lives will be very torturous. So, why can’t Brother Qin jump out of this circle and think from an outsider’s perspective?”

“For example, if Brother Qin becomes an official of the imperial court in Jiangnan, can some policies be changed appropriately?” Shen Yao suggested softly. “I’m not advocating self-interest. I just think that if Brother Qin is willing, you can quietly help Uncle Qin in another way. Perhaps it will be twice the result with half the effort?”

After chatting with Shen Yao for two hours, Qin Minghong came to a realization.

Some of the questions that had been bothering him had also been answered.

“It’s getting late. Take care. I won’t send you off.”

Just as Qin Minghong was about to ask to stay the night, Shen Yao immediately dispelled his idea.

‘Why don’t we clean up a guest room for Brother Qin? It’s getting dark,” Ji Zhao suggested with a smile.

“It’s fine. Brother Qin has a carriage. The carriage is very fast.”

“But didn’t the gates close long ago?”

“It’s fine. As the family of an official of the Imperial Court, Brother Qin must have a pass. ‘

“Then goodbye, Brother Qin?” Ji Zhao waved at Qin Minghong obediently.

Qin Minghong put on a polite smile as he listened to the couple.

However, Ji Zhao could tell from his expression that he was gritting his teeth.

Qin Minghong had no choice but to reluctantly get into the carriage.

Ji Zhao, who was standing outside the courtyard, watched the carriage leave. She gradually retracted his gaze. “Shen Yao?”

“Zhaozhao, it’s time for us to go to bed.”

Hearing this, Ji Zhao couldn’t help but shiver and mutter softly.

Could they just chat under the blanket later?

The answer was obviously no.

Ji Zhao was so exhausted that she couldn’t even open her eyes after a prolonged bout of wind and rain.

Shen Yao took a towel and gently wiped the sweat on her face. His heart ached.

“Shen Yao…”

“Zhaozhao, go to sleep,” Shen Yao kissed her lips and said gently.

In a daze, Ji Zhao had another dream..