The Minister: Cold by Day, Hot by Night

Hearing this, Zhi Wan looked up from the ledger. "You’re doing an excellent job. Why wouldn’t you continue? Besides, I entrusted this shop to you and your husband to manage long ago. You can decide on minor matters like this yourselves. There’s no need to consult me."

’If it’s good for the shop, why would I object?’

’Besides, the whole reason I bought them was to have them manage this shop.’

’If they have to ask me about every single thing, what use are they to me?’

’Lady Yu’s approach is excellent.’

’She doesn’t just follow the old rules; she knows how to increase revenue and cut costs for the shop.’

Seeing that she was not being blamed, Lady Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "I’m relieved to hear you’re not upset, Owner."

"As long as it benefits the shop, feel free to do what you think is best," Zhi Wan said.

"We’ll follow your instructions, Owner," Lady Yu and Zhao Dong immediately replied.

Zhi Wan didn’t stay in the shop much longer. After getting half of a salted goose, which Lady Wei was fond of, she prepared to head back.

"Zhi Wan?"

However, just as she and Shuang’er stepped out of the shop, a sharp female voice called out to them.

Zhi Wan looked up and saw Xuanyuan Jing ahead, sitting on horseback, a whip in her hand, staring at her with a hostile expression.

"Princess Gao Yang." Zhi Wan paused. Instead of approaching, she curtsied from a distance.

Xuanyuan Jing gripped her horsewhip, her eyes filled with hatred as she sneered, "So it really is you. Enemies truly are destined to meet on a narrow path!"

Zhi Wan straightened up and replied lightly, "Your Highness jests. This street is wide enough for four carriages to pass side-by-side. How could it be narrow?"

"Don’t play dumb with me," Xuanyuan Jing said, toying with her horsewhip and sizing Zhi Wan up. "You made me lose face last time. Did you really think I’d let you off the hook?" She then raised her arm, preparing to lash out with the whip.

"Princess Gao Yang, I’m just on my way to Princess Chang Le Mansion," Zhi Wan said quickly. "Would Your Highness like to come along?"

At her words, Xuanyuan Jing froze. She eyed her with suspicion. "You’re going to the Princess Mansion?"

"Precisely." Zhi Wan nodded calmly, showing no nervousness that would betray a lie.

Xuanyuan Jing’s expression soured. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Don’t think I’ll be scared just because you bring my aunt into this."

"That was not my intention; Your Highness is overthinking it. I do, in fact, have an arrangement with Princess Chang Le," Zhi Wan said with perfect composure. "If Your Highness has no further business, then please forgive me for taking my leave." After another curtsy, she turned to leave with Shuang’er.

Xuanyuan Jing gripped her horsewhip tightly, her voice cold as she warned, "Zhi Wan, don’t think I won’t dare touch you just because you’ve found a backer in my aunt. Crushing you would be as easy as crushing an ant. But since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll let you go for now. Tomorrow, I’ll be waiting for you at the Suburban Villa. If you don’t show up, you can have your cousin collect your corpse!" With that, she wheeled her horse around and galloped away with her attendants.

Seeing her really leave, Zhi Wan let out a breath of relief.

’Just as I thought. Mentioning Princess Chang Le is enough to make Xuanyuan Jing hesitate.’

"Miss, what about tomorrow?" Shuang’er asked, worried. "That Princess Gao Yang is so domineering; I doubt she’ll let this go easily. And with the Princely Heir away... what are we going to do?"

"The worst-case scenario is that I simply never leave the Duke Mansion again," Zhi Wan said, not overly concerned. "Is she really going to storm the Duke Mansion just to kill me?"

’But Xuanyuan Jing is definitely not someone to be trifled with, and I can’t hide in the Duke Mansion for the rest of my life.’

After a moment of thought, she said, "We’ll go back to the mansion first, then head to Princess Chang Le Mansion to try our luck."

"You’re really going to the Princess Mansion?" Shuang’er asked in surprise.

"I have to," Zhi Wan nodded.

After returning to the Duke Mansion, she went to her courtyard to retrieve a painting album and then headed out again.

"Miss, where are you going?"

Chen Jiu, who was just returning, saw her heading out and immediately asked.

"Nowhere in particular, just for a walk," Zhi Wan replied.

"I’ll accompany you," Chen Jiu said hurriedly.

Zhi Wan shook her head, refusing. "No need."

"But the Princely Heir ordered me to stay with you and protect you," Chen Jiu said anxiously.

Zhi Wan froze, looking at him in surprise. "My cousin ordered that?"

"Yes." Chen Jiu nodded emphatically.

Zhi Wan frowned. "My cousin’s affairs are complicated. Don’t you need to hurry back to Yangzhou to assist him?"

"My duty from now on is to protect you," Chen Jiu said with a serious expression. "The Princely Heir has other people to help him."

Zhi Wan was astounded. "You’re not just trying to slack off and using me as an excuse, are you?"

Chen Jiu’s face was grim. "How could I do something like that? It really was the Princely Heir’s order. Please, Miss, don’t make things difficult for me. If the Princely Heir returns and learns that I didn’t do my utmost to protect you, he will undoubtedly punish me severely."

Seeing he wasn’t joking, Zhi Wan felt troubled. "But it’s inconvenient to have you following me."

"I will follow from a distance," Chen Jiu promised. "I will maintain a proper distance and not make you uncomfortable, Miss."

Zhi Wan considered it for a moment, then reluctantly agreed. "Fine, then."

’It wasn’t that she minded Chen Jiu following her. But he was her cousin’s man. If he was always around, he would surely discover her selling her paintings, and he would probably tell the Princely Heir.’

’She didn’t want anyone to know that she sold her paintings. Even though her cousin was very kind to her, she didn’t want him to find out.’

’Still, Chen Jiu was only following the Princely Heir’s orders. Refusing would put him in a difficult position.’

’I’ll just have to wait and see. If it comes to it, I can have Shuang’er deliver the paintings instead.’

"Where are you going, Miss? I’ll prepare the carriage," Chen Jiu asked eagerly.

’Others might not realize it, but he knew. The Princely Heir held the Miss in such high regard; she might very well be the future mistress of the Duke Dingguo Mansion.’

’Of course he had to be more attentive.’

"To Princess Chang Le Mansion," Zhi Wan said.

Chen Jiu was extremely surprised, but he asked no questions and quickly readied the carriage.

「Princess Chang Le Mansion.」

Zhi Wan had come today just to try her luck.

To her surprise, not long after she handed the painting album to the mansion’s gatekeeper to be delivered, someone came out to usher her inside.

"The Princess is waiting for you in the garden," said the servant leading the way, his attitude polite and respectful.

"Thank you," Zhi Wan said with a nod.

Shuang’er and Chen Jiu were left in the outer courtyard and did not follow her in.

Upon reaching the Princess Mansion’s garden, Zhi Wan saw from a distance a beautiful young woman sitting leisurely in a rocking chair under a grape arbor, flipping through a painting album.

As she drew closer, Zhi Wan curtsied to the woman in the chair. "Zhi Wan greets Your Highness the Princess."

Princess Chang Le closed the album, her gaze landing on Zhi Wan. Her expression was without a hint of a smile. "These paintings are quite good. But do you know what happened to the last person who tried to presume my intentions? The grass on their grave is already three feet tall."

A chill shot through Zhi Wan’s heart, and she immediately knelt. "Your Highness, please quell your anger. I have never dared to presume Your Highness’s intentions. My audacity in coming here today was born of desperation."

"Oh?" Princess Chang Le’s interest was piqued, and she watched Zhi Wan with a playful expression. "Do explain."

Zhi Wan paused before replying. "Today, I encountered Princess Gao Yang on the street. She still resents me for what happened at the birthday banquet, and she stopped me, intending to teach me a lesson. I had no other choice but to invoke Your Highness’s name.

It was only thanks to Your Highness that I avoided calamity. But Princess Gao Yang has ordered me to the Prince’s Villa tomorrow. She threatened that if I don’t go, my cousin will have to collect my corpse. My cousin is not in the Capital City, which is why I took the liberty of seeking an audience with Your Highness.

If I have caused any offense, I beg for Your Highness’s forgiveness!"