Qin Lady was indeed still awake when Qin Zheng arrived.

As soon as Qin Zheng was announced at the back door, Qin Lady personally came out to greet her.

“Why has the Crown Princess Consort come over? You should be resting first,” Qin Lady said.

Despite her simple attire, there was a calm and graceful aura about her that transcended her appearance and age.

She looked Qin Zheng up and down with a motherly concern in her eyes. “Look how thin you’ve become…”

Qin Zheng smiled and took Qin Lady’s hand. “Mother always calls me little. Where am I thin? It’s just been busy lately, feeling tired.”

Qin Lady noticed the dark circles under Qin Zheng’s eyes and couldn’t help but scold Qin Jian, who stood nearby. “I told you to just find out some information, but you made your sister come all this way after she returned…”

Qin Jian stood to the side, smiling without saying a word, not bothering to defend himself.

Qin Zheng intervened, “Don’t blame Elder Brother. He advised me to come later, but I was worried about Mother, so I came to see her.”

Once inside, a maid immediately brought refreshments.

In a lacquered sandalwood tray arranged in a grid pattern were various delicacies such as pine nut candies, almond pastries, osmanthus cakes, candied fruit, crisp biscuits, ginger sugar, persimmon cakes, and more.

Although Qin Lady’s beloved daughter was right in front of her, once Qin Lady sat down, her words seemed somewhat rushed. “Mother remembers that you used to like these snacks before you got married.”

The fact that the maid brought out such a box of snacks so quickly indicated that they were usually kept on hand.

The intention was clear.

Qin Zheng felt even more guilty.

She picked up a piece of biscuit and began to munch on it.

The biscuit was thin and crispy, sprinkled with sesame seeds, fragrant and delicious.

She said, “Eating here with Mother always tastes better than anywhere else.”

The rush in Qin Lady’s expression dissipated upon hearing Qin Zheng’s affectionate words.

She picked up a piece of almond pastry and handed it to her. “Since you like it, take all of these back with you later.”

After preparing for the night raid by the Chen army for a day and night straight, Qin Zheng didn’t feel hungry before, but after eating a piece of biscuit, her appetite was stimulated.

She replied with a simple “Mm” and continued to nibble on the almond pastry that Qin Lady handed her.

Qin Jian watched his younger sister enjoying these snacks with the same contentment as before, then hesitated for a long time before speaking up, “I heard that it was your idea to dig the hidden channels inside the city?”

Qin Zheng had already anticipated that the Qin family might suspect her understanding of architectural engineering and had a ready response. “Originally, Mr. Cen Daoxi was concerned about the terrain of Qingzhou and wanted to build a flood drainage channel.

To avoid drawing attention, it was described as an underground channel for irrigation.”

She continued, “His Highness is busy with military affairs and has entrusted all Qingzhou matters to me.

With the assistance of experienced ministers like Master Song, I have been able to manage everything smoothly.”

Whenever she went to supervise the digging of the river and the construction of the channel, she was always accompanied by either Song Heqing or other officials knowledgeable in water management.

Her words were deliberately ambiguous, making Qin Jian believe that it was Song Heqing and others who were truly planning the waterways, and she was merely acting under their guidance.

However, the phrase “assistance” could imply many things, and it could be used later to justify that she was learning from these officials.

In the field of water management, she was indeed not an expert, and the final plan was the result of several days of discussion among many officials knowledgeable in water management.

Qin Jian’s doubts dissipated upon hearing Qin Zheng’s flawless explanation.

He felt guilty seeing how hard his younger sister was working, which was partly due to the current decline of the Qin family’s power.

As the eldest brother, he felt remorse for not being able to uphold the Qin family’s honor after their father’s passing.

He lowered his head and clenched his fists on his knees. “It’s my incompetence…”

Qin Zheng quickly interjected, “Elder Brother, that’s not true.

Mr. Cen was persuaded by you to come, and His Highness has gained a capable adviser.

Your proclamation condemning the Li family is also renowned throughout the land.”

Qin Jian smiled bitterly and shook his head. “All I can do now is write some documents.”

“Jian’er,” Qin Lady furrowed her brows and interrupted him, “Zheng’er doesn’t come back often. Don’t keep bringing this up.”

Qin Jian complied, but there was still a sense of melancholy lingering.

After sitting for a while, he left, leaving Qin Mother and Qin Zheng alone to chat.

After Qin Jian left, Qin Lady sighed. “Jian’er is impulsive and easily swayed.

When your father was alive, he said he wanted to accomplish great things in his lifetime and needed to experience many trials and tribulations.”

Qin Zheng nodded understandingly. “Father’s sudden passing was a blow, and Elder brother is desperate to grow up and protect Mother and us two sisters. But you can’t rush these things. He needs time to mature and stabilize.”

Qin Lady looked at Qin Zheng with a faint sense of satisfaction. “Among the three children, your elder brother and younger sister, one is too strong-willed, and the other is too weak.

Only you strike a balance.

I know that the path you and His Highness are walking now is a hundred times more difficult than when you entered the Eastern Palace.

But you have supported each other through thick and thin, and your bond is unmatched.”

“Zheng’er, go and be with His Highness.”

Qin Zheng, moved by her mother’s affectionate gaze, squatted down and rested her face against his knee, softly responding, “Yes.”

When Qin Zheng returned to the mansion, the sky was already bright.

She had expected to find Chu Chengji in their room, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Upon inquiry, she learned that he had gone to the study with his advisors after she arrived at the Qin residence.

Qin Zheng couldn’t help but sigh softly.

She and Chu Chengji were always busy, and there was never a moment of leisure.

After bathing, a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup was sent from the kitchen, prepared by Chu Chengji.

This gesture brought a touch of warmth to Qin Zheng’s heart, but having eaten quite a few snacks at the Qin residence, she could only manage half a bowl.

Estimating that Chu Chengji would return soon, Qin Zheng didn’t go straight to bed.

Instead, she sat on a low cushion and tidied up her engineering documents before opening a difficult-to-understand ancient book on water management.

When Chu Chengji returned, Qin Zheng had already fallen asleep.

Her head rested on her arm, with a book lying open underneath.

Strands of hair escaped from her head, brushing against her cheek, and her unadorned neckline revealed a hint of fair skin.

At her feet lay a fluffy gray rabbit, leisurely nibbling on grass.

It was one of the rabbits brought back from Liuyan Mountain.

Presumably, Qin Zheng intentionally left the door open for him, as the rabbit had somehow escaped its cage and sought refuge inside the house.

Seeing him, the rabbit darted away agilely, scurrying towards the door.

Chu Chengji walked over, but he didn’t pay much attention to the rabbit.

Instead, he squatted beside Qin Zheng and gently touched her cheek. “Zheng’er, be careful not to catch a cold. Go to bed.”

Qin Zheng mumbled something indistinctly and fell back asleep.

Chu Chengji chuckled softly, feeling a pang of tenderness in his heart.

He knew she must be exhausted from these days.

With one hand supporting her back and the other under her knees, he lifted her up gently.

The movement finally woke Qin Zheng from her daze.

She squinted her eyes open, catching a whiff of the familiar scent of pine, and nuzzled her face into his neck. “You’re back?”

Her voice was lazy, like a cat basking in the sun on a tile roof on a spring afternoon.

Chu Chengji replied with a soft “Mm,” gently laying her down on the bed.

Qin Zheng didn’t loosen her grip around his neck, so he lay down halfway beside her. “If you’re sleepy, just sleep. What do you need me for?”

Yawning, Qin Zheng replied with a hint of disappointment, “You promised to reward me. If money isn’t tight lately, can you release the final payment for the construction of the underground channel to me?”

Seeing her still trying to discuss business even in her tired state, Chu Chengji couldn’t help but find it amusing. “Just for this?”

Qin Zheng glanced at him sheepishly. “There’s also a project to repair the embankment. Lü Da said that relying solely on manual labor to dredge the sediment in the lower reaches of the Yuan River is too slow.

He wants to build a dike to divert the water flow and carry away the sediment.

I’ve discussed it with Lu Da and the others, and the plan seems feasible.

But it will require another sum of money. Zhang Da, the accountant, always avoids me nowadays…”

In essence, she was asking for funding for another project after approving one.

Chu Chengji couldn’t help but laugh out loud this time. “Between us, all that’s left is discussing business?”

Qin Zheng pondered for a moment. Although he had promised her a reward, her direct request made her seem a bit greedy.

So, she gave him an extremely perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

After pulling away, she stared at him with bright eyes, as if asking, “Is that enough?”

Chu Chengji didn’t mean it that way, but seeing her like this, he lowered his gaze, looking at her with an ambiguous expression.

From his eyes, Qin Zheng clearly read two words: Not enough.

Unable to resist the temptation, she said softly, “This isn’t just for my own sake.”

Chu Chengji’s shirt was slightly open due to his reclined position, and from Qin Zheng’s angle, she could see his collarbones.

With his eyes lowered, his long lashes covered his deep and dark eyes, and there was a faint smile playing on his lips. “Did you think I would reward you for this? Am I supposed to use public funds for private matters? Zheng’er, you need to show a little more sincerity.”

Qin Zheng thought to herself that she could always pester Zhang Da herself for the funds later, but seeing the man in front of her, she couldn’t resist the temptation.

Trembling, she leaned closer to him and planted a kiss on his lips.

Thinking she was quite proficient in kissing by now, Qin Zheng followed his lead, giving a soft nibble after a gentle lick.

Taking charge of the sensation herself felt quite good?

Chu Chengji didn’t say anything, but the rise and fall of his chest suddenly became more pronounced.

Qin Zheng’s hand was still resting on his chest, feeling the rhythmic expansion and contraction of his muscles through his clothes.

She couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed, her face flushed and her heart racing.

Pretending to be calm, she raised her eyes that looked as if they had been washed with water and asked him, “Is this sincere enough?”

A large hand wrapped around her neck and pressed down on the back of her head, pulling her down again.