Inside Shoroin Temple.

  Po Feng stood upright in the small courtyard, waiting for the master of Chao Lu Yard. Qin Miao had just returned from seeing the managers in the flower hall when she saw him quietly waiting on one side.

  "Isn't this Breaking Wind?" Qin Miao took one glance and saw that this fellow was Xie Zhen's personal attendant.

  Po Feng had rarely seen Qin Miao properly a few times, but was suddenly remembered by the new master, and his heart was also delighted. "Please, madam!"

  "No need for formalities, what is it? Is there something on your mind?" Qin Miao Yin had just scolded a group of people in the flower hall, and her anger was still lingering, so her words were still tinged with severity.

  Nature, Po Feng was not used to the delicate and spoiled new mistress who had her own temperament. Originally gentle eyes were even more afraid to look around. "Master Hou asked me to come back and report, tonight's shift will be on duty, and I won't be back for dinner." After finishing speaking, he bowed his head and quickly retreated.

  "Wait!" The daughter of the gentle wife's voice rose, interrupting the momentum of Po Feng who was about to leave. She then lowered her tone and instructed someone beside her, before returning to the house. Meanwhile, Zi Xuan, who had received the instruction, approached him.

  "The food in the government office is not as good as that in our mansion, you wait a moment, I'll prepare a dinner box for us to take together."

  Po Feng actually wanted to say no need to bother, but it's not easy to open his mouth and say gloomy things, so he had to follow Zi Xuan's response.

  Qin Miao returned to the inner room, dragging her somewhat heavy body, and lay down on the bed for a while. By the time Zi Xuan softly called out to her, the sky was already filled with evening clouds.

  "Madam, why don't you take a rest? I'll follow the wind to deliver it to Master Hou." Zixuan saw that she had slept for a while, and the flush on her face was even more pronounced, making her feel somewhat uneasy.

  Qin Miao propped herself up, waved her hand, and let Zi Xuan wait on her as she simply tidied up a bit. "No need, I rarely get to send lunch to my husband. If everything is ready, let's go."

  Po Feng had already prepared the carriage outside the mansion gate, and after the new madam and Zi Xuan got on the carriage, he let out a long sigh, not caring about anything else, and got on first, guarding one side of the carriage as they headed to the Ministry of War together.

  For some reason, perhaps due to the bumps during the horse carriage ride, Qin Miao felt dizzy and heavy-headed. She only heard Po Feng say "Madam has arrived" through the carriage curtain, before Zi Xuan helped her down.

  The sky was not yet dark, and the large lanterns at the gate of the government office had already been lit, casting a faintly dim shadow on the two huge stone lions at the entrance. The copper door of the government office was majestic, and Qin Miao looked up with her head raised, feeling a bit tired in her neck. What a magnificent government office!

  Perhaps it was the majesty of the government office, or perhaps it was her slightly drowsy body, but Qin Miaoyu held a food box in her hand and stood very obediently on one side of the gate, waiting for Bao Feng and the guards at the side door to whisper to each other.

  The young guard wasn't very tall, and his age was still tender, with a pair of ears that were quite eye-catching. He saw the clear eyes gradually filled with doubt: "Why is it another lady from the Weiyuan Marquis's residence? Just now there were two people who claimed to be from the Weiyuan Marquis's residence, and they just went in not long ago. How can there be another one?" The little guard held a silver spear that was somewhat disproportionate to his body, sizing up Qin Miao who was waiting on one side. He was somewhat familiar with the two attendants beside Xie Houye, but the Ministry of War was after all an important place in the imperial court, and it wasn't good to let random people come and go as they pleased. Moreover, he had already let two people in earlier... Now there's another one... He was still a new recruit, would his hand be too loose?

  Qin Miao was casually looking around, but she saw a small sedan chair hiding in the darkness not far from the Marquis's carriage. At this time, she didn't think much and thought it might be some other family's daughter coming to deliver food to her husband like her. As soon as she thought that she would see Xie Yan later, her drowsy head seemed to clear up a lot. Lately, they had been busy with things in the mansion, and their own little plan with Xie Yan hadn't been implemented much. Tonight's move of sending food as a daughter-in-law was sure to bring them closer together emotionally.

  She was thinking beautifully, but then saw Po Feng and the little guard talking for a long time, so she impatiently came forward: "Young man, I am the wife of Wei Yuan Hou Xie Yan. Recently my husband is on duty, specially came to deliver food, and hope to let me pass."

  Qin Miao finished speaking and still couldn't help but give the little guard a sweet smile, instantly making the little guard's ears turn red. "Uh... let me go ask Lord Xie if he... can wait for a moment."

  Before long, the little guard came running out from inside, his face awkwardly smiling at Qin Miao: "Madam, I'm really sorry about just now. You can go in now."

  "Thanks a lot, little brother."

  The little guard looked in the direction where Qin Miao had gone, and before long, she had already disappeared from view. Thinking of the scene when he went to find Master Xie just now, his heart felt stuffy. But he was just a gatekeeper, so he could only sigh heavily towards the direction where Qin Miao had disappeared.

  The eaves of the Ministry of War's hall were stern and cold, with carvings that seemed to have been hacked out with an axe. A few ancient pines towered into the clouds, but at this dusk hour they looked somewhat eerie. Row upon row of wing rooms stood in neat array; after walking for a stretch, he came to a wing room on the east side of the yamen.

  At this moment, the person had not yet arrived, but the fragrance had already permeated the air, and a wisp of delicate scent slipped into her nostrils unnoticed. What a refreshing and subtle aroma! Qin Miao followed the scent and saw a yellow-robed figure emerging from the hazy sunset. The woman's attire was simple yet elegant, with a cherry-colored hairpin on her forehead and delicate clouds embroidered on the hem of her skirt.

  The woman's left hand naturally held a lunchbox, and the tip of her right hand lightly touched the top of the box. It seemed that she was also sending food to her husband who was on night shift like everyone else. Qin Miao smiled warmly at the woman approaching her, as if they shared an understanding among people in the same profession. However, even though it was very subtle, she still felt that the woman's gaze towards her was somewhat unusual. The woman looked extremely good, but her phoenix eyes were slightly raised, and a flash of discontent quickly passed through her eyes. What was going on?

  Qin Miao didn't think much about it, as Po Feng had already brought her to a room, which seemed to be the office of her husband, Xie Yan.

  The door was open, and it was a large room. The interior was similar to that of a common house study. There was one case, one frame, one table, and one couch. Xie Yan was sitting upright at the desk against the wall, staring intently at Qin Miao as she entered the room, as if he had been waiting for her all along. This made Qin Miao feel somewhat uneasy in her heart - shouldn't he be busy with his books, then look up after hearing a soft "husband", and gaze at her dazedly?

  It was actually the scene that Qin Miao had been expecting in her heart since she entered the door, but Xie Yan didn't live up to her expectations. She smiled wryly in her heart, when did he ever follow your script?

  "Hubby, must be hungry." Qin Miao decided to continue with the plan of being a good wife and mother today, still calling out in a soft voice as she walked towards the octagonal table in the room with the food box. At this time, Xie Yan also cooperated very well, walking around from the desk to the octagonal table, watching Qin Miao take out bowl after bowl of dinner from the food box and arrange them on the table.

  "This is the Eight Treasures Tofu, with added scallions and crispy fried shallots. And this, the Crispy Fried Pancake, I had the kitchen filter the oil so it shouldn't be too greasy. Hmm... Sugar and Vinegar Ribs, since you haven't been feeling well lately due to the heat, I specifically asked them to adjust the Suzhou-style vinegar sauce...and also..."

  From the moment Qin Miao entered the door, her mind was preoccupied with how to play the role of a virtuous wife. When she saw Xie Yan gazing at her, she was overjoyed and didn't think much about it. However, what she didn't know was that her body had actually become a burden to her... Before they could even share a delicious meal together as husband and wife, she had already fallen sideways and collapsed...

  The person who was just happily reporting the dish names suddenly fell to one side, causing Xie Yun to hurriedly wrap his arms around her waist.

  The person in his arms was flushed with a red face, and his eyes were slightly closed. As soon as he touched him, he was startled by the scorching heat.

  "Break the wind, quick! Return to the mansion!" Xie Yan picked up Qin Miao horizontally and rushed out in big strides. The Break the Wind who was yelled at by him had not yet come back to his senses when he saw his own master flash before his eyes like the wind, with feet that seemed to have wings. He hastily caught up with even greater speed, and upon seeing Qin Miao already unconscious in Xie Yan's arms, he anxiously tiptoed to the entrance of the yamen, where the carriage driver was waiting at attention by the time Xie Yan brought the person over.

  Xie Xuan and Po Feng were both worried about Qin Miao, who was ill, and didn't notice the sedan chair still standing by the side of the carriage. The woman inside the sedan chair had just lifted the curtain and saw Xie Xuan rushing out of the yamen with Qin Miao in his arms. Even back then, she hadn't seen him so anxious and worried. She twisted the handkerchief in her hand again and again, and the resentment in her heart was spreading wildly. If it weren't for Lao Mama pressing down on her, she might have already rushed to Xie Xuan's side to question him.

  After the young master's grand wedding, he rarely came to Ziwei Lane anymore. Even if someone was sent to invite him, it was often impossible to get an invitation. Today, I finally learned from Po Feng that he was on duty, and perhaps I would have to wait for a good while before seeing the young master.

  Why...

  Her lips had been bitten open without her realizing it, and the metallic taste was spreading in her mouth. Why was she born into this kind of life? If not for her identity, perhaps the one standing beside him now would be herself...