Old Master Shen had already been retired for a long time, and they only had one Shen Yi - the kid who did not seek advancement. Shen Yi had shown signs of being a freak at a young age. Literary and martial arts, he was excellent at both, yet at the same time, he was obsessed with neither. He instead would hide away in the courtyard all day, messing with Machines.

In the Shen Family, from the house guard iron puppets, down to the steam lamp hanging in the room, there was not a single object that had not been dismantled by him.

Although Old Master Shen believed in Lao Zhuang*, and followed the idea of 'everything had its own will', it must have been because his practice was not thorough enough that he still harbored some expectations for this son of his.

*refers to the founders of Daoism, Laozi and Zhuangzi

Gu Yun was summoned into the palace early in the morning and had already left. Although he was not in the capital all year round, being of high status, he still received many gifts. The manor had no mistress, so the annual gifts for the holiday occasions were being taken care of by the old butler alone. Hearing that these were gifts from Shen Yi's father, Chang Geng had especially followed the old butler, curiously taking a look.

Old man Shen was also an oddball himself. Loved to play in his young age, continued to play in his middle age, and now that he had grown tired from playing in his later years, he began to seek enlightenment and immortality and did not pay attention to the common world. He naturally favored concocting pills of immortality and brewing wine.

In the presents he sent for Gu Yun, gold and silver jewels, silk satin, antique treasures... — there wasn't any of it, but instead, he directly gifted two carts of wine, all brewed by himself.

Chang Geng did not know whether to laugh or cry. As soon as he looked up, he could see the freshly-baked Southwest Commander rushing over on his horse.

Old Master Shen had made these arrangements by himself, by the time Shen Yi found out and chased after the cart, it was already too late. Shen Yi looked at the wine cart at the manor's entrance, burying his face in the neck of his horse: "How shameful!"

When Gu Yun returned later in the evening, he saw the servants unloading the wine from the cart, a pale-faced Shen Yi stood to the side.

No one knew what the Emperor had said to him. Gu Yun's expression appeared indifferent — he would normally become happy as soon as he returned to the manor. But this time, he did not laugh when he entered the door, and didn't crack jokes with the guards at the gate either - he must have been truly frustrated.

Gu Yun: "How come you are here?"