Chapter 33: The Lady Who Worried About Her Country and People

  Her four eyes met, and Yuwen Changqing was taken aback for a moment. He didn't know if it was because he had seen few women, but the woman in front of him had delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, warm like jade in his hand, making him feel comfortable at first sight.

  However, he is now without any disguise, and if this face is seen by others, it will be a disaster. Yuwen Changqing came back to his senses and was about to find something to cover his face when Shen Guiyan had already lowered her eyelids.

  "Are you in the wrong place?"

  Her voice was like the oriole's in the valley, neither sharp nor coquettish. Yuwen Changqing's heart lit up another small lantern, and he awkwardly cupped his hands: "I mistakenly entered the young lady's boudoir, please forgive me."

  Shen Guiyan was very curious about what this person was doing and how he suddenly appeared in the Swallow Building. Just as she was about to ask, a laborious voice came from the window: "Yan'er, pull me up."

  Gu Zhaobei? Shen Guiyan was taken aback and hurried over to take a look. Who knows what's wrong with this person, the door is not working, but he actually climbed in from outside the window?

  He turned into the house, and Gu Zhao Bei made a gesture towards Wuwen Changqing, then pulled Shen Guiyan and said: "My waist is sprained!"

  "What?" Shen Guiyan's mouth twitched and she quickly lowered her head to massage his temples: "Come over and lie down, I'll get Bao Shan to bring some medicinal wine."

  "Good." Gu Zhaobei grinned and dragged Shen Guiyan to the bedside, giving Yuwen Changqing the opportunity to slip away from the window.

  But he didn't know what was going on and stared blankly for a while until Gu Zhaobei coughed lightly, then he came to his senses and walked away with three glances back.

  What's so good to look at? Gu Zhaobei cursed in a low voice.

  Shen Guiyan pretended not to see his gaze and instead massaged his waist: "Master is fine, why did you climb the wall?"

  Gu Zhaobei paused for a moment, then said very seriously: "It's been too long since I've exercised, let me practice."

  Shen Guiyan: "......"

  That person didn't look ordinary at first glance. Gu Zhaobei's friends are all rich kids, so who is that person?

  Ask Gu Zhaobei, this person will definitely not say. Shen Guiyan was also curious in her heart.

  After staying at the Shen residence for most of the day, it was getting late in the afternoon and I was feeling bored. Gu Zhaobei said he wanted to go out for a walk, and Shen Guiyan nodded in agreement. After serving some refreshments to Old Master Shen, she also followed them out of the residence.

  Gu Zhaobei went out to have fun, they naturally took different roads. Shen Guiyan went to the grain store and asked about the current grain price.

  "What does Miss want to do?" Bao Shan asked curiously.

  Shen Guiyan calculated the cost and said, "Don't I still have some silver at home? With so many refugees in the capital now, it's better to use the silver rather than just leaving it there. Except for what's needed for opening a school, the rest of the silver can be used to provide relief."

  "Miss, would you like some porridge?"

  "Hmm." Shen Guiyan raised her eyes to look at the refugees on the street: "Being able to do something is better than withering away day by day in that bustling crowd."

  "But..." Bao Ge frowned: "That's what the government should be doing."

  Yamen? Shen Guiyan smiled lightly: "Look at this world, yamens are all places for officials to have fun, who still cares about the lives and deaths of the common people? Although I may not be able to save everyone, being able to save some is also good, just consider it as accumulating blessings for myself."

  Bao Shan thought for a moment and sighed: "After all, Miss is kind-hearted, so the slave will go find someone to help with things."

  "Good." Shen Guiyan nodded.

  With silver and an official background, it's easy to do these small things. The next day, a porridge stall was set up on a street near the Shen Mansion, distributing food at dawn and again in the late morning, specifically for the refugees nearby. After eating their fill, the refugees were organized to clean two dirty alleys, laying out mats and bedding, making it temporarily habitable.

  Shen Guiyan watched with a good mood as Bao Shan was busy on the other end of the street, while Gu Zhaobei stood beside her and hummed: "Women are easily softhearted, how many people do you think you can save?"

  "It's a matter of how much can be saved." Shen Guiyan shrugged: "At least I feel at ease in my heart, they can have something to eat, what's wrong with that?"

  "Too kind-hearted people can't survive in this world, don't you know?" Gu Zhaobei looked at the refugees lining up for porridge and said solemnly: "You help these people, but you won't get anything yourself."

  Why do you have to gain something before doing good deeds? Shen Guiyan doesn't think so, nor does she consider herself kind. She's not being nice to everyone unconditionally, it's just that looking at the refugees is pitiful, and it's just a matter of lifting her hand. If even the slightest sympathy won't move you, that's what's scary.

  However, for some others, she remembers all the grudges very clearly and won't let anyone off.

  Refugees lined up in an orderly manner, holding bowls to receive porridge, attracting many onlookers. Passersby curiously asked: "Whose house set up this porridge shed?"

  Bao Shan replied softly according to Shen Guiyan's words: "Anonymous."

  "This is really a good deed." A refugee who had received the porridge sighed as he walked away, "If only our current emperor had such thoughts for his people, we wouldn't have to wander about homeless."

  The sound gradually dissipated in the air, and the man in Chinese attire on the street listened to this sentence, looking at the porridge shed in the distance with a deep gaze.

  After doing a good deed, one's mood will be great. Shen Guiyan rarely held hands with Gu Zhaobei all the way back to the mansion.

  Gu Zhongbei didn't approve of her behavior in his heart, but seeing how happy she was, he just sighed and gave up.

  Good things are not that easy to do, some people will be grateful, but some people will only take advantage of the situation. On the second day of distributing porridge, many refugees came to receive it, but soon there was not enough porridge left. The refugees who had waited in line for a long time and did not get any porridge became angry and violent, overturning the porridge shed, scaring Bao Fan pale, and he quickly led his people back to the mansion.

  "They're too ignorant." Bao Shan said with a lingering fear: "Almost hurt someone."

  Shen Guiyan furrowed her brow, she had originally thought that making congee was a simple matter, but didn't expect something like this to happen.

  "I've told you before, why sympathize with them?" Gu Zhaobei raised his leg and said indifferently: "Just live your own life well, what business is it of yours what they do?"

  "It was me who didn't think it through."

  "It's good that you understand." Gu Zhaobei chuckled twice: "Tomorrow, just honestly go back to the Prime Minister's mansion."

  She lowered her eyelids and didn't respond, Shen Guiyan stared blankly at the sachet in her hand, Gu Zhaobei thought she had really come to a realization, and sat comfortably in the chair thinking about his own affairs.

  Tomorrow, General Yuwen will return to the capital, followed by two major events in the capital: the imperial examination and the birthday of the Empress Dowager. The imperial examination is no big deal, after all, his own elder brother will also take the lead. He must enter the palace before the birthday banquet.

  But what method should be used to enter the palace? Under what pretext can one enter the palace? This is indeed a headache.

  The headache lasted until dawn of the second day, but Shen Guiyan was nowhere to be found.

  "What about Ren?" he asked Zhuīyún.

  Chui Yun helplessly said: "Early this morning, Young Mistress left, and she went to the grain store."

  Gu Zhounan covered his face, how did he end up marrying a wife who worries about the country and its people?

  Shen Guiyan said yesterday that the consideration was not thorough, it's not about the porridge itself, but the quantity of the porridge. The refugees who received the porridge were getting more and more, so naturally they should buy more rice, anyway it's not expensive, her own monthly allowance can support this large group of disaster victims to eat half a month's worth of porridge.

  So this morning, she went out to buy porridge first. At noon, she returned to pack her things and bid farewell, then headed back to the Chancellor's mansion.

  "Does Mistress Gu want rice?" The grain shop owner was somewhat surprised: "Yesterday such a thing happened, everyone is saying that there will be no porridge today."

  Shen Guiyan smiled and handed over the silver ticket: "Whatever can be arranged is whatever."

  The grain shop owner sighed and said: "You really have a Bodhisattva's heart."

  Then he weighed out the silver and bought rice with it.

  A man in ordinary clothes next to him couldn't help but glance at Shen Guiyan: "The porridge has already caused a riot, why do you still want to do it?"

  Shen Guiyan was taken aback and turned her head to look at him. This man was a kind-eyed uncle, looking at her with great curiosity.

  "The reason for the riot is that there's not enough porridge, it's not the fault of the porridge." Shen Guiya said: "If the porridge is not at fault, then why didn't you increase the quantity and continue to provide it?"

  The uncle disapprovingly said: "How much silver can you have, and how long will your porridge last?"

  "This little girl has calculated it." Shen Guiyan smiled slightly: "With part of the dowry, I can use 30 taels of silver, enough to buy 300 stones of grain, enough for them to eat for three months. After three months, they should also settle down in Beijing or other places and live by their own labor."

  "If three months later, people are still relying on the little girl to make a living by selling porridge, then except for the elderly, weak, sick and disabled, no other little girls will continue to lend a helping hand."

  Sympathy also has its limits.

  The uncle looked at her deeply and turned to leave. Shen Guiyan glanced at the ill-fitting linen clothes on the man's body, thought about it briefly, but didn't pursue it further.

  After arranging the flow of porridge, Shen Guiyan rushed back to Shen's house to prepare for farewell. Mr. Shen had not yet arrived at the main hall, and Mrs. Shen sat on top looking at her, smiling and saying: "Master praised you for being sensible, so I did something that will surely make you happy."

  Shen Guiyan looked up somewhat dazedly.

  Madam Shen said with a fake smile: "Aunt Qin has been serving the old master for so long, no merit but hard work, I had someone put her spirit tablet in the Shen family ancestral hall."

  Qin Yiniang's spirit tablet was originally enshrined in the upper floor of the Swallow Tower, and Shen Guiyan had offered incense there before she left early.

  What does "Shen Fu Ren" mean?

  "Aren't you happy?" Madame Shen raised an eyebrow: "This is a great honor, she's just a lowly concubine, originally didn't have the chance to enter the ancestral hall."

  "Since there's no chance, Mother gave Qin Niang's spirit tablet to Yan Er instead. It's better that she takes it with her." Shen Guiyan furrowed his brow: "The blessings are too thick in this place, Auntie can't bear them."

  "Preposterous!" Madam Shen slapped the tea table with a loud bang: "I only let Qin Shi into the ancestral hall because of your face, where is the reason to take it away? Besides, if you bring the spirit tablet back to your husband's family, what would people say?"

  Shen Guiyan knelt down with a somewhat unsightly expression, after Qin Niang's death, she had nothing to hold on to here, and was free to come and go as she pleased.

  Who would have thought that they wouldn't even let go of a dead person's spirit tablet?