Chapter 19

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In the capital, inside the Duke’s mansion.

Qin Yin had just seen the eldest princess to bed and quietly slipped out of the East Warm Pavilion.

It was already past midnight, and the entire mansion was engulfed in silence, broken only occasionally by the footsteps of patrolling guards.

Qin Yin glanced at the night sky and whispered,

“Did the message you were supposed to deliver get through?”

Shao Yao looked around cautiously, then leaned close to Qin Yin, whispering,

“It was delivered, and the lady’s words were conveyed as well.”

“Then—”

Qin Yin tilted her head, touched the tassel on her hairpin, and a faint smile curved her lips.

“Let’s go have a look.”

The Begonia Courtyard lay in the southwest corner of the Duke’s mansion, a secluded spot. Especially with Shen Zhiyi absent from the residence, the courtyard’s lights were extinguished early, leaving the place so quiet it seemed even the wind dared not stir.

Qin Yin stood by the lake on the east side of the courtyard for a moment. Before long, soft footsteps approached from behind.

“You came.”

Her smile was gentle.

The visitor pulled back the hood covering her head, revealing a face illuminated by the bright moonlight—it was Xia He.

Xia He glanced around warily, frowning as she whispered,

“What do you want with me? I won’t betray my mistress.”

Qin Yin covered her lips with a handkerchief and chuckled softly, her tone intimate.

“Miss Xia He, you jest. Since you share a deep bond with Lady Shen, how could I ask you to harm her?”

“Then why did you call me here...?”

“If I said to catch up on old times, would you believe me?”

Qin Yin’s lips curved into a smile. Seeing Xia He’s scornful expression, her eyes twinkled even more.

“Let me tell you a story.”

Before Xia He could reply, Qin Yin began.

“Once upon a time in the capital, there was a reckless youth who did nothing but steal, rob, and cause trouble. Luckily, his sister worked in a wealthy household, and she managed to smooth over each of his misdeeds with silver—”

Qin Yin noted Xia He’s complexion faltering slightly and pressed on.

“As he grew older, he indulged in every vice: drinking, gambling, womanizing. Just a few days ago, he set his sights on a musician named Yu Niang at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. She performed but did not sell herself. Another young master also fancied her, and the two fought fiercely. The young master was no match for the youth and soon found his leg broken.”

Qin Yin stepped closer to Xia He, fixing her with a cold gaze as she enunciated each word.

“That young master is a scion of the Ministry of Rites, a branch of the Wang family. Now the Wangs have sent men to imprison the youth in the Heavenly Prison. I wonder if that good sister of his can still use silver to get him out...”

“What do you want me to do?”

Before Qin Yin could finish, Xia He’s voice trembled as she hurriedly asked.

Qin Yin smiled faintly, taking Xia He’s cold hand in hers with understanding.

“Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to do anything else. All you need to do is, after Lady Shen returns, pour the leftover medicinal residue under the tree nearby. Nothing else.”

She patted the back of Xia He’s icy hand, her tone carrying an unspoken threat.

“It’s just dumping some medicine residue. Does it matter where? But the person in prison might not survive ten days. I won’t force you; it’s your choice. If you refuse, then tonight, let’s pretend we never met.”

Watching Xia He’s despondent figure retreat, Shao Yao stepped forward to support Qin Yin.

“Will she agree?”

Qin Yin smiled lightly but did not answer. Instead, she asked,

“Has Yu Niang left?”

“According to the mistress’s orders, after instigating the conflict between Xia He’s brother and the Wang young master, she left the capital via East Tomb Road the next day.”

Qin Yin nodded and sighed with some regret.

“East Tomb Road, huh? I should send a message to Father. It’s time to act.”

Shao Yao shuddered.

“Miss...”

“What’s the fuss? I’ve already given Yu Niang enough silver to support her entire family. Do you think I’d keep her alive as leverage?”

Qin Yin glanced at her.

“When Shen Zhiyi returns, come at night to get the medicinal residue and take it to Doctor Chen. He must deduce exactly what illness Shen Zhiyi has from it.”

—

Chen Village lay on the mountains surrounding Yongzhou, where the weather was fickle.

Yesterday, the sky was clear, but today, large snowflakes fell heavily.

The temperature dropped sharply, blanketing roofs and hills in pristine white. The family, who had planned to gather herbs, were forced to stay indoors.

When Chen Nana’s family had nothing else to do, they wove bamboo baskets with previously saved bamboo, selling them in town when the weather cleared.

Shen Zhiyi, unwilling to remain in the cramped room with Pei Huaijin, got up at dawn to help Chen Nana fetch water and light fires.

After breakfast, the family gathered by the stove, chatting as they wove baskets.

Chen Nana tied a knot in a bamboo strip, briefly burning the frayed edges over the fire, then casually asked,

“Madam Li, you’re still young. You don’t have children yet, do you?”

Shen Zhiyi paused in braiding the little white dog’s fur in her arms, suddenly recalling Pei Huaijin’s words from last night, her cheeks burning.

She shook her head and explained,

“We haven’t been married long.”

“That’s nothing to worry about,” Chen Nana replied.

Next to her, Cui Ya cheerfully clung to Shen Zhiyi’s arm.

“Exactly! I think sister is still young, just like me, still a kid.”

“Cui Ya!” Chen Qiushuang scolded her sharply. After a moment, she glanced cautiously at Shen Zhiyi and hesitantly asked,

“Then... Madam Li, are you the only legitimate wife in the Li household? Does Master Li have other concubines?”

Chen Nana disapproved of Chen Qiushuang’s question.

Though she knew it was improper, she had never encountered nobility before and was curious about life in high-ranking families—were men truly always accompanied by several wives and concubines as people said?

So she did not stop Chen Qiushuang.

Shen Zhiyi suddenly fell silent.

Chen Nana and Chen Qiushuang exchanged a glance and then said gently,

“Madam Li, don’t mind her. Qiushuang is just ignorant.”

Chen Nana tried to imitate the idle tone she had heard from two madams before.

“I’ve heard that it’s normal for men in wealthy families to have several concubines, but those concubines are merely servants. Only the main wife is the true mistress. No matter how many mistresses a man has, in the end, he lives properly with his legitimate wife, doesn’t he... Madam Li?”

Before she finished, Shen Zhiyi’s face suddenly turned pale. Chen Nana quickly dropped her basket and supported her.

“Is it because the drowning illness hasn’t fully healed?”

Shen Zhiyi waved her off.

“I’m fine. Just a sudden chest tightness.”

“Shall I help you back to your room to rest?”

Shen Zhiyi gripped Chen Nana’s hand tightly and hurriedly declined.

“No, no need. I’ll stay here a little while. I’m okay.”

Seeing her insist, Chen Nana said no more and poured a cup of hot water, handing it to her before sitting down again.

Shen Zhiyi pressed her palm to her chest. The episodes were becoming more frequent, and she feared one day she might faint without warning before Pei Huaijin.

The night fell early, and dinner was served early. After the meal, Shen Zhiyi carried the dishes to the kitchen and saw Chen Shun sitting under the eaves, smoking a pipe.

She thought for a moment and approached him softly.

“Uncle Chen.”

“Oh, young lady, eaten your fill?” Chen Shun quickly moved his pipe away and made room.

“Sit,” he invited.

“I won’t.”

Shen Zhiyi smiled, glanced around to ensure no one was near, then leaned in to ask quietly,

“Uncle Chen, you’ve surely seen countless herbs gathering on the mountain. Have you ever come across one called ‘Dragon’s Blood’?”

“Dragon’s Blood?”

Chen Shun frowned, recalling.

“Over twenty years ago, when I went up the mountain with my father to gather herbs, I saw my uncle find one. But soon after, a wealthy merchant from Lingnan came and bought it. After that, I never saw it again.”

Chen Shun studied her seriously.

“Why do you ask?”

“Nothing much.”

Shen Zhiyi smiled.

“Just asking for a friend. If there’s none, forget it. Please keep this secret. I don’t want to trouble my husband.”

Chen Shun nodded decisively.

“Understood.”

Shen Zhiyi smiled sweetly and thanked him, then noticed his leg and asked with concern,

“Uncle Chen, what happened to your leg? Have you seen a doctor?”

Chen Shun’s limp was subtle enough that only keen eyes like Shen Zhiyi’s would notice.

He instinctively raised his pipe to his mouth, then lowered it, waving a hand.

“I survived a near-death experience. Being alive is a blessing.”

“Near-death?”

Seeing Shen Zhiyi’s curiosity, Chen Shun briefly recounted,

“About the fourteenth year of the Xuanming era, I was serving in the Ganzu army, escorting supplies with General Wen’s troops. We were the vanguard but were ambushed by bandits. I was shot in the leg and waist and lost consciousness. When I awoke, all fourteen comrades were dead. I was lucky to survive.”

Shen Zhiyi had never encountered such tales before; Chen Shun’s words made her feel the lurking danger.

Sensing her furrowed brow, Chen Shun changed the subject gently.

After chatting with Uncle Chen, Shen Zhiyi lingered in Cui Ya’s room for a while. Seeing how late it had grown, she reluctantly returned to her room.

Pei Huaijin sat reading by the lamp, his long, strong hands glowing jade-like in the warm light, the bones sharp and defined.

The night before, he had ordered Su An to acquire a box of candles from somewhere, most of which were given to Chen Nana’s family, with a few kept in his room.

Shen Zhiyi had barely acknowledged him all day, but at noon, passing through the corridor, she saw him helping Uncle Chen fix Cui Ya’s swing in the courtyard.

The wind and snow were heavy, yet Pei Huaijin did not wear his cloak, rolling up the wide sleeves on both sides.

The swing was suspended between two trees wide enough for a person to embrace. As he lifted the swing, she glimpsed the muscles and tendons on his arm bulge slightly, revealing the strength unique to a grown man.

She glanced once, then looked away. Turning her head, she noticed Chen Qiushuang on the other side of the corridor, her gaze fixed on the man in the yard, shy yet tinged with longing and reluctance.

“What are you standing at the door for? Won’t you come in?”

The man’s voice snapped Shen Zhiyi back to reality. She quickly lowered her chin and walked toward the bed without meeting his eyes.

Pei Huaijin spoke calmly from behind.

“You were avoiding me today.”

The girl stiffened, shaking her head mutely.

“No.”

His gaze fell on her slender back. He traced his fingers over her spine and called her full name,

“Shen Zhiyi—”

“Look at me.”

Shen Zhiyi remained still.

After a moment, Pei Huaijin sighed and put down his book, rising.

Just as he stood, the door was knocked.

He paused, glanced at Shen Zhiyi, then reluctantly opened the door.

“Master Li.”

Chen Qiushuang’s voice.

Shen Zhiyi stood with her back to them but pricked up her ears.

Chen Qiushuang said,

“It’s cold tonight, and there’s no firewood to keep the room warm. Mother feared the lady would catch cold, so she sent a jar of peach blossom wine to warm her.”

Her voice faltered as she glanced toward Shen Zhiyi, then added,

“This peach blossom wine is sweet and pleasant; women can drink a little.”

At the mention of her, Shen Zhiyi straightened. Pei Huaijin responded with a grunt.

“Thank you. Chen Nana is thoughtful.”

Chen Qiushuang replied, “You’re welcome, Lady. Rest early,” and the door creaked shut.

Shen Zhiyi swallowed unconsciously, lifted the quilt, and prepared to lie down.

Pei Huaijin said behind her,

“It’s cold. Drink some wine to warm yourself.”

She did not turn around, murmuring,

“I’m not cold.”

Silence followed. After a long pause, his tone softened.

“Come here, I have something to tell you.”

Shen Zhiyi clutched the quilt, standing by the bed, unmoving.

After a long wait, she heard him chuckle lightly. His gentle voice bore a subtle coldness.

“If you’re cold at night, you’ll have to hold me to keep warm. Do you want me to hold you while you sleep, or you warm up and sleep alone?”

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His speech was measured and deliberate, yet there was an unspoken hint of danger beneath.

Shen Zhiyi pressed her lips and finally turned around.

“Aren’t you the one who forbids me from drinking?”

The proper and self-controlled young master Pei seldom drank himself and had always kept her from touching a drop.

Three years ago, during the Lantern Festival, she drank with Pei Huaijin and Xie Changyu at a tavern.

Pei had stepped out on urgent business, leaving her and Xie Changyu to drink. They got drunk and fell asleep entwined by the time Pei returned.

That was the first time Pei was truly angry with her.

For months afterward, he ignored her.

Xie Changyu, however, mockingly wrapped an arm around her shoulder, grinning slyly like a fox.

“If he ignores you, ignore him! You’re going to be my Xie family bride eventually. Sooner or later, we’ll be sleeping together.”

After saying this, Shen Zhiyi called his name, and when he looked at her, she stomped hard on his foot and ran away.

Pei Huaijin set down the wine jar and poured two cups, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

“It’s cold tonight; a little warmth from wine won’t hurt.”

Shen Zhiyi snapped out of her thoughts and looked at his sharply defined fingers. The pale skin seemed warm under the candlelight.

She stepped forward and drank the sweet wine in one gulp.

Pei Huaijin watched her drink, playing with his cup. The pale pink liquid rippled gently, reminiscent of the waves she had stirred when she jumped into the lake that night.

“Shen Zhiyi, that day on the boat, you should never have risked your life like that—”

“But I wasn’t risking my life. Brother Huaijin, didn’t you risk your own to protect your fiancée?”

Shen Zhiyi stared at her cup, her tone casual.

Pei Huaijin tightened his grip on the cup and frowned.

“You learned horseback archery in school, so you could protect yourself. But Qin Yin... she’s too fragile.”

Seeing her lips twitch, unwilling to reply, he added,

“Besides, I had everything planned that day—”

He glanced at her.

“You’re too willful.”

Shen Zhiyi’s hand holding the cup paused, then she drank several more sips, the sweet wine sliding down smoothly. She smiled softly.

“Brother Huaijin, don’t you know? I’ve been willful since I was little.”

She finally dared to look him in the eyes for the first time today.

The candlelight reflected in her moist eyes, sparkling brilliantly.

He was always like this. When he did something that hurt her, she hoped he would explain.

But he was always indifferent, leaving her alone with her hurt and doubts, making her deal with it herself.

Only after she had calmed down would he calmly explain the pros and cons of what happened, never caring whether she had been upset or heartbroken in the moment.

Shen Zhiyi thought, perhaps if he were not so rational to the point of coldness, Pei Huaijin might not be such a capable young magistrate of the Dali Court.

He was not wrong; he had done all he could.

He should hate the Shen family, yet when they fell, he still took her in. He defied his oath to help her claim her brother’s inheritance.

He was the heir of the Duke’s household, upright and just—the honorable young magistrate Pei, who distinguished right from wrong and sought justice for the innocent.

He was perfect, except he did not love her.

All the years of her admiration and devotion were like a dream she alone had fallen into.

Perhaps from drinking too quickly, Shen Zhiyi felt a wave of intoxication and a strange lightness of heart.

She swayed as she got up and moved toward Pei Huaijin, reaching out to touch his cool yet tender peach blossom eyes.

But before her hand reached him, he frowned and turned away, as if offended by her boldness, his expression full of displeasure.

“What are you doing?”

Shen Zhiyi rested her palm on her chin, lightly tapping her cheek, then smiled mischievously and leaned closer.

Her breath, scented with sweet wine, brushed his neck. Her eyes curved like a crescent moon, sparkling with slyness.

In the dim light, Pei Huaijin seemed to see the once most flamboyant and radiant Shen San of the capital.

It was as if she would shamelessly say,

“Top scholar, as the ancient saying goes, marry a virtuous wife. Even my second brother says Shen Zhiyi is the most kind and gentle woman in the world, so when will you marry me?”

The young girl’s voice was crisp, her eyes curved in a smile like a little fox, with none of the modesty expected of a lady.

Pei Huaijin looked at Shen Zhiyi and felt a faint, unnamable string inside him tremble slightly, wondering what she might say drunk next.

But the girl only smiled softly and whispered,

“Brother Huaijin, when we return, please let me go.”

Pei Huaijin froze, his gaze scanning her face, a subtle, unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes.

After a long moment, he withdrew his gaze, toyed with the wine cup, and said vaguely,

“Let you go? Who do you want to find? Xie Changyu?”

Shen Zhiyi shook her head.

She stared at Pei Huaijin for a long time, then giggled, tears shimmering in her eyes.

“Anyone will do, as long as... I leave the Pei mansion.”

Leave you.

His gaze lingered on her face, inscrutable.

“Shen Zhiyi, are you sure?”

Pei Huaijin’s voice was icy.

Shen Zhiyi nodded, her voice sweetened by the wine,

“I’m sure.”

He stared at her steadily, his knuckles whitening on the cup, veins clear on his pale hand.

After a long silence, he set the cup down with a thud, lifted the corner of his mouth, and lightly said,

“As you wish.”

The alcohol dulled Shen Zhiyi’s mind. Hearing his words, she felt both relief and sorrow, her tense heart loosening yet empty.

She tilted her head, blinked, and swayed to steady herself, holding the table as she stood, about to walk to the bedside.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang, followed by a clamor of voices and hurried footsteps outside.

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