In the afternoon, Shen Hao had just finished tidying up the documents on his desk and was about to leave when Wang Yiming walked in holding a copper rod, handed it to Shen Hao, then withdrew again.

The copper rod bore the secret seal of the Black Banner Battalion—top secret level.

As Shen Hao opened it, a meaningful smile slowly appeared on his face.

Earlier this morning, the first episode of a melodramatic soap opera had just played out at Tea Mountain Manor outside the Imperial City.

If Shen Hao were to name it, this soap opera would probably be called "Spy: The Minister Falls in Love with Me."

Of course, this would certainly be a tragic tale. The final fate of the Lord Minister would by no means end well.

As for the two heroines, at least judging by the reports sent back, their performance in this first episode was downright perfect. They exhibited the bearing of well-bred ladies, yet also had the youthful vivacity and cheerfulness expected of the young. As sisters—one elder and one younger—they brought rich nuance to their similar personalities through two very different expressions.

Finally, the idea to proactively ask for his name had only been added after Zhu Shou repeatedly persuaded Wang Jian. As Zhu Shou put it: as an old man myself, lively and forward girls are what interest old men the most.

Shen Hao had not meddled in the plot design of this melodrama at all; he simply watched the show. Most of the storyline was Zhu Shou’s handiwork—he even persuaded Wang Jian and Liu Meng.

Judging by this first encounter, Zhu Shou’s predictions were spot on. When Bai Changqing personally got out of the carriage after being hit by a snowball, that alone said a lot: would someone not interested in two pretty, lively girls bother to get out just for a snowball?

Then Bai Changqing even volunteered his own name and address.

So what’s he up to?

Frankly, he wanted the two girls to deliver his famous name back to the Xu Family, so the Xu Family would know Bai Changqing now knew these two girls. As for what would happen next, they’d wait and see.

As per Zhu Shou’s plan, the Xu Family Sisters would "randomly" encounter Bai Changqing again after some time. This time, they’d need to showcase their talents—painting and zither art, for example. Girls can’t just be naive and lively; they need eye-catching skills as well. It raises their value and also caters to Bai Changqing’s appetite for feminine depth.

Moreover, Bai Changqing himself had some knowledge of painting and zither art—these were universal social skills among the upper-tier of the Jingjiu Dynasty. He might not be a master but he would certainly appreciate them.

Now, that gives them a common topic, doesn’t it?

Add in the Xu Family’s wealth, and the fact that the Xu Family had zero official background. Bai Changqing wouldn’t feel the sisters were of too lowly a background, but also wouldn’t feel uneasy. After all, clean family background and no official connections made a person seem defenseless in the eyes of a boss like Bai Changqing—no threat and thus reassuring.

After reading the report, Shen Hao simply put it away, without replying. Things were progressing smoothly, so let the people below continue working. Only when Bai Changqing began to take the bait would he need to report to Jiang Cheng. For now, it was still early days.

Leaving the Public Office, Shen Hao was just about to get into his carriage when he sensed a gaze fall on him. Instantly alert, he gripped his sword hilt, expanded his perception, and saw—at a slanting distance behind him—a man leaning on a street corner, holding a wine gourd and eyeing him with an amused, half-smiling look. Who else could it be but Nie Yun, whom he hadn’t seen in half a month?

"Hahaha! Nie! Why wait for me here instead of coming in to find me?"

Upon seeing Nie Yun, Shen Hao was genuinely delighted. He strode over and greeted him loudly, drawing sideways looks from everyone at the Thousand Households Station gate—thinking: Who’s that rogue guy? Even Shen Shaxing is being so enthusiastic?

Obviously, Nie Yun’s reputation was only loud within the Sect—in the secular world, even among the Xuanqing Guard, no one had any impression of him.

"Forget it, you Xuanqing Guard people have too many rules. You and I are private friends at best. Waiting for you out here is a favor; if I went in and some sharp-eyed guy made a fuss, that’d be a headache." Nie Yun patted Shen Hao’s shoulder in a friendly, typically direct manner.

"Still, you could’ve waited somewhere with seats, you know."

"Enough with the chatter—let’s go, let’s go, time to drink!"

"How about coming to my place? I’ll cook up a few dishes for you to pair with the drinks."

"Yo, Lord Shen can cook? I definitely have to taste that for myself!"

They didn’t take the carriage—mainly because Nie Yun refused. He said carriages always reeked of horse piss and manure, plus they were stuffy; being shut in made him miserable. Seeing the carriage, he just looked disgusted. Shen Hao couldn’t be bothered to explain that his carriage was washed daily and couldn’t possibly stink.

They arrived at Shen Hao’s home, still the same small courtyard as before. Shen Hao planned to move to the new place later; mainly, the new courtyard was three times larger and needed more hands indoors and out—people he could trust. This couldn’t be rushed, so Hu Tian and Wang Jian were handling it together.

The door was opened by Xiaoma, who was naturally curious to see Shen Hao bringing a stranger home.

Nie Yun followed Shen Hao to the kitchen, startling Li Erfu—who’d been lazily napping with his legs up while minding the stewing chicken—so badly he fell straight to the floor.

Shen Hao went up and kicked Li Erfu: "Get lost, I’m manning the stove today."

Li Erfu knew that Master Shen could cook. He’d heard that the Xia Nu and Housekeeper Hu had also tasted Master Shen’s food and was eager to experience it himself. He awkwardly asked if he should stick around as an assistant, only to get kicked again and sent packing.

"Your servants at home don’t seem all that afraid of you," Nie Yun said, folding his arms as he entered the kitchen behind, clearly with no intention of helping and quickly grabbing a stool to sit on.

"Really?"

"Of course. The kid opening the door, that cook just now, and your Fox Race slave—they look at you without fear or dread, at most just a bit of respect."

Shen Hao glanced at the water vat; inside was a Pang Tou fish over three feet long, its head nearly half the size of its body—perfect for spicy chopped chili fish head. He netted it, stunned it on the board, and started scaling.

Keeping his hands busy, he chuckled and said to Nie Yun, "These are all old-timers in my household. We know each other inside out. Isn’t it better to keep things warm and harmonious? I get called a ’Evil Star’ all day outside—everyone sees me and gets the chills. Wouldn’t it be annoying if home was like that, too?"

Shen Hao hadn’t really expected Nie Yun to accept his philosophy of running his household. After all, the prevailing notion here was ’strict house rules and clear ranks’—even a minor misstep could get your servant beaten to death. He never liked that. Why make your home a toxic mess?

To his surprise, Nie Yun nodded repeatedly, and even said, "You’re right. No need to make home feel like a tomb. But aren’t you worried your servants will betray you?"

"Heh, not worried. If they dare, I’ll kill them first. I guarantee I’ll move faster than them."