Chapter 1905: Qi Lie's Intentions (Patreon)

Chapter 1905: Qi Lie's Intentions

Seeing her silence, Qi Lie glanced at Meng Yunzheng, who calmly sipped his tea. Qi Lie raised an eyebrow and continued, "I believe Changjin Prefecture has great potential, and since this is Yunzheng's hometown, the Meng family has deep roots here. It would be convenient for you to move back and forth in the future, right?"

Shu Yu nodded in agreement.

Qi Lie chuckled. "Take a look at the property deeds I've selected for you. I spent quite some time picking out the three most suitable locations. You can check them all out and choose the one you like."

Picking out properties for her? Weren't you extremely busy with official matters?

"Is Lord Qi giving these to me?" Shu Yu asked.

Qi Lie silently took a sip of tea. He was quite financially strained, and the shops in the better locations of Changjin Prefecture were not cheap at all.

"Why talk about it as a gift or not? These are rewards from the court. Your contributions were significant, and the title of County princess Wen'an is just one of your rewards. It's only appropriate to grant you a shop in the prefectural city as well. Back when you were appointed as a village lord by the former emperor, you were given a large mansion in Jiangyuan County. Now that you're a county princess, receiving a shop is just a modest reward."

Qi Lie was earnest, and what he said was true.

These property deeds were highly coveted by many people in Changjin Prefecture and other cities. The official stance was that they would be auctioned off, and any attempts at private deals would be frowned upon.

So, giving them to her as a reward from the court was the most reasonable choice.

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow. It seemed that her position as a county princess was quite worthwhile, as these three shops were not cheap. Of course, if they were to be auctioned publicly, the starting price might be lower, but in prime locations, competition could drive the final price even higher.

Shu Yu graciously accepted, saying, "Thank you very much, Lord Qi. However, I'll need to take a look at the locations of these three shops first."

"Of course," Qi Lie replied, visibly relieved, as if he had been holding his breath until she accepted.

This expression only deepened Shu Yu's suspicion. She felt that he had some ulterior motive.

But looking at Meng Yunzheng's lack of objections by her side, she figured that even if there was a hidden agenda, it likely wouldn't harm her.

Shu Yu got up to leave, and Meng Yunzheng stood up to accompany her. He told Qi Lie, "I'll go with her."

Qi Lie raised his hand as if to stop him, wanting to say something, but Meng Yunzheng swiftly walked away. The study's door slammed shut.

Qi Lie ground his teeth and finally sighed. "Well, I'll let you be indulged for a while."

As Meng Yunzheng hurriedly caught up to Shu Yu, she asked, "What's going on? Why did Lord Qi suddenly have this idea? Did you talk to him about it?"

"No," Meng Yun Zheng answered, holding her hand as they walked. "The shops are something you deserve. But Qi Lie also wants to use this as a way to keep you here and, well... keep me here too."

Earlier, before the new year, Meng Yunzheng had mentioned to Qi Lie that he intended to return to Dong'an Prefecture with Shu Yu. Qi Lie, a man lost in the throes of love, found it difficult to accept. In his eyes, Shu Yu was more than capable of handling herself, and he couldn't understand why Meng Yunzheng felt the need to stay and protect her.

Meng Yunzheng was resolute, and Qi Lie had no choice but to reluctantly agree for the time being.