She turned and pointed to the brightly lit Yingtian Prefecture in the distance, saying, "You can easily get women, fat or thin, those who can recite poetry or dance. As long as you want them, someone will send them to your bed, strip them naked, and let you enjoy them."
The gate behind them was removed, and the guards stood on both sides. Zhenshu turned back and walked inside, seeing Du Yu still following behind. As they entered the neighborhood and the guards were putting the gate back up, she said, "So, never appear in front of me again. If you never appear, I will have long forgotten the absurdity we had in Wuling Mountain. But you following me like this reminds me of my past debauchery and shame, making it hard for me to breathe. Do you understand?"
Seeing that Du Yu seemed to have taken her words to heart and was standing there blankly behind her, she strode towards the East Market. But after walking a short distance, she turned back and saw him following her again. Du Yu stammered, "I'm worried about your safety alone. I'll leave after I drop you off."
Zhenshu ignored him and returned to the small building in the backyard in the middle of the night, scaring Su Shi and Zhenyi half to death. She was wearing a man's robe, her hair was tied up with a ribbon, and her face was smeared with blood from who-knows-where. She was chopping wood and boiling water in the kitchen. Su Shi covered her hands with a handkerchief and asked, "What happened to you?"
Zhenshu glared fiercely at Su Shi, remained silent for a long time, and went to tend the fire.
Now that she holds half the position in the shop and her behavior is unlike that of ordinary women, even Madam Su is somewhat afraid of her. Seeing the resentment clearly in her eyes, she dared not confront her any longer and pushed Zhenyi, saying, "Come on, let's go upstairs to sleep."
Zhenshu boiled water and washed herself thoroughly before going upstairs to sleep. The next day, she slept until late morning. When she went downstairs to the shop, she found that Du Yu was indeed not there, and she felt much more relieved.
Having somehow learned that Zhang Rui had been beaten to death by the guards after his failed escape attempt the previous night, Madam Su was in a foul mood. She came downstairs and called Zhenshu into the inner room, complaining, "Look at your stubborn temper! If you had agreed to the marriage back then, you could not only have become the wife of the Prefect, but you could have also rescued your brother. Now that the Prefect's wife has passed away, a new wife is about to enter the family. Such a good thing has been snatched away by someone else."
Zhenshu didn't want to argue with her in the shop, so she pointed to the stairs in the inner room and said, "Mother, go upstairs quickly. This is a place for you to entertain customers."
Seeing that Zhenshu also ignored her, Madam Su was a little angry. She gave her a push and said, "Your sister is fine, anyway, there's Liu Wensi who can be your next husband. What are you going to do? You made such a big fuss about marrying a eunuch, which angered Father to death, but you just said you wouldn't marry him. Now you've let a prefect slip through your fingers. What are you going to do in the future?"
Because Madam Su was determined to have Zhenshu carry on the family line, she focused all her pressure on Zhenyuan to get married. Zhenshu had never experienced Madam Su's pressure before, and now her head was throbbing from her words. She also remembered that Zhang Rui had killed Song Anrong. She pulled Madam Su to the small building in the backyard and said through gritted teeth, "My father was killed by that Zhang Rui. Didn't Mother see how I was behaving when I came back last night? That's right, I went to Yingtian Prefecture to kill him."
Startled, Madam Su covered her face with her handkerchief and said, "Don't talk nonsense! He and your father have always been quiet with each other, how could he have killed your father?"
Zhenshu pointed at Madam Su and said, "And that Aunt Su, you should have less contact with her in the future."
After speaking, she went downstairs. Sitting in her chair, Madam Su still couldn't believe it: "Where did that child get the nerve? Zhenshu must have been bluffing me."
After a long pause, she began to believe him again. Thinking back to the day Zhang Rui came to her door on the fifteenth of August, she realized that because Zhen Shu had been ill for a long time, and Zhang Rui had come to ask for money again, she had given him a little too slowly and in a little less. She was afraid that he had harbored ill intentions and wanted to harm Song Anrong because of this. She covered her face with her handkerchief and cried, "It is clear that you can't raise other people's children. Raising them will only turn them into enemies."
After saying that, he sat down in the chair and began to wail.
Although Zhenshu explicitly told Su Shi to have little contact with her aunt in the future, how could Aunt Su possibly refrain from getting involved in such a momentous event as Zhang Rui's death? She had originally arranged another good match for Magistrate Wang, a young woman of seventeen or eighteen. While not as beautiful and charming as Zhenshu, she was still quite attractive. Her reputation had been ruined by her affair with her cousin, and she was secretly trying to get out of trouble. That's why she was brought into the household before Magistrate Wang's wife arrived. Fortunately, on her wedding night, Magistrate Wang's first wife died.
After arranging such a grand match, Aunt Su wanted to show off to Madam Su and also inquire about the details of Zhang Rui's death. These days, thinking that Zhen Shu's anger might have subsided, she secretly went to the door of the small building, hiding her small basket and limping on her thin feet.
Because it was daytime, Zhenshu was entertaining some calligraphers and painters upstairs, writing poems and creating paintings, and didn't hear that Aunt Su had come. She and Su Shi sneaked up to the small building like thieves and hid in Su Shi's room. Before Su Shi could even offer her a cup of tea, Aunt Su began to talk about the marriage of the Prefect Wang, starting with why the young lady had an affair with her cousin, why her cousin couldn't marry her, and finally how she entered the household and how the Prefect Wang's wife died on their wedding night.
In reality, it was all just a series of coincidences, but in her words, the prefect of the Prince's mansion, because he doted on his concubine too much, took the concubine to visit the madam, and then became intimate with the concubine in front of her, which angered the sick madam so much that she vomited blood and died with resentment, etc., as if she had personally witnessed it.
Madam Su listened with shining eyes and nodded repeatedly. After a long while, she sighed, "Such a good thing has not come to my Zhenshu."
Grandma Su said, "Who says otherwise? It's just that our daughter has too high a standard and too little luck, so she didn't get to ride in this cloud-riding sedan chair."
Feeling troubled, Madam Su recalled another matter: "A few days ago, there was a young man, handsome with thick eyebrows and big eyes, who kept standing outside our shop, saying he wanted to marry Zhenshu. I heard he was a street patrolman, and I'm afraid he's of low birth and can't bring anyone to act as matchmaker. Now I'm telling you, in this capital, if anyone is willing to marry her, as long as they are decent-looking, I don't care about their family background. But he hasn't come back these past few days, otherwise I would have asked you to consider this for me."
Grandma Su said, "What's so difficult about that? He's an inspector, and he usually reports for duty in Yingtian Prefecture. I'll just go there, ask him about his family background, and arrange a marriage for them. What's wrong with that?"
Madam Su sighed, “That’s right. She’s becoming more and more eccentric these days. The other day she came home in the middle of the night wearing a man’s robe. Judging from the texture and style of the clothes, they must still be that eunuch’s. She’s become so blatant now. What am I supposed to do?”
Grandma Su slapped her thigh and said, "She's still a girl after all, and hasn't experienced the pleasures of love between a man and a woman. She just took a fancy to that eunuch because he looked good. If you're willing to give up your child, I'm not afraid of not being able to find a good husband for you."
Su was somewhat tempted by these words, but knowing that Zhenshu was too stubborn to be subdued, and fearing that she would throw a tantrum like last time, she replied in response, "I need to think about it some more."
Afterwards, Aunt Su brought up the events of that night in Yingtian Prefecture. She had heard rumors that Song Zhenshu had killed Zhang Rui with a sword, which startled Madam Su when she told her. Madam Su shrugged and said, "No wonder, when I came back that night, there was blood on my body and face, and I spent a long time wiping it off in the kitchen."
Grandma Su slapped her thigh, already having prepared a story to tell others when she got back: It turned out that Yu Yichen had someone protect Song Zhenshu, who went to the prison of Yingtian Prefecture to bring the prisoner. He personally cut the prisoner 180 times before handing the dead prisoner over to the yamen runners, and then left with the Grand Eunuch, General Weiwu, and the Inspector General of the Capital Region, Yu Yichen.
☆、106|Chapter 106
From then on, Madam Su and Aunt Su became increasingly close. After all, now that Zhenyi was all she had by her side, she was even less inclined to go out, spending her time doing embroidery at home. When she felt lonely, she would listen to Aunt Su's ramblings, which she didn't entirely believe but found somewhat interesting, and she increasingly liked to invite her over.
Just to keep Zhenshu out of the way, they dared not let her come openly, and instead secretly went up and down the stairs when Zhenshu was downstairs. As a result, for several months, Zhenshu was unaware of the gossip and trouble that Aunt Su was spreading every day in the small building behind the house.
Du Yu returned home and lived a quiet life for over half a month, renting a small courtyard for himself not far from the East Market. Although Yu Yichen was in charge of overseeing the capital region, his primary duty was still to serve as a eunuch for the emperor, so the heavy workload of the Capital Region Supervisory Office fell to Du Yu. After all, he came from a noble family and had worked with Du Wu since childhood, and had also worked independently in Liangzhou for three years. He quickly managed the defense of the capital region perfectly and, in conjunction with Yingtian Prefecture, systematically rounded out and killed all the Tartars lurking in the capital and surrounding villages and counties.
During the day, things were alright, but at night, returning to his rented little home, he recalled the absurdity of the past few years and the sorrow of these past years, all of which seemed like illusions. Gradually, he matured and was no longer as easily angered as before. Yu Yichen was his superior, and knowing that he still coveted Zhenshu, he would always bring him up to scold and criticize him whenever he returned to the Inspectorate.
He remained calm and composed, bowing his head and listening attentively. He would handle any matter Yu Yichen pointed out with utmost care and would always provide a report the following morning. Although Yu Yichen was currently locked in a fierce power struggle with Duke Du, he did admire Yu Yichen for having such a fine son.
More than half a month later, he still couldn't let go of Zhenshu. Every night after finishing his business, he would still sneak out to the door of the mounting shop to take a look from afar. He kept watching like this for two months. He saw that Zhenshu would occasionally go out, but she always took one or two apprentices with her. When she came back, she would be busy in the shop all day long, and it seemed that she had no contact with Yu Yichen anymore.
She probably knew he was disabled and couldn't marry, but she had a natural affinity for the weak, and she probably felt the same way she had for her in the Five Mausoleums Mountains—she only felt pity for him because of his deformity. Thinking of this, she felt even more guilty and loving towards her, and every time the court session ended, she would come over and take a look at her from afar before leaving.
Just as he was about to leave that day, he turned around and saw a slender old woman carrying a small basket looking up at him with a wide smile. He bowed and said, "Greetings, ma'am!"
Grandma Su nodded and said, "My legs are a little sore. I wonder if you, young master, could help me and escort me to the front?"
Du Yu bent down to help her up, slowed his pace as he walked forward, and then heard the old woman ask, "Where does the young master live?"
Du Yu pointed and said, "Go down into the alley, it's not far."
Grandma Su pointed to her legs and said, "I'm old and my legs are thin, and my feet are small so I can't walk. May I rest at your house for a while and ask for a drink of water?"
Du Yu was quite patient with these elderly people, so he helped them into the alley, and after several twists and turns, they arrived at his rented courtyard.
When Aunt Su entered the house, she pretended that her feet hurt. But as soon as she sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) in the west room, she became energetic, put her hands on her hips, pointed to the courtyard, and asked, "Is this the family's or rented?"
Du Yu truthfully replied, "It was rented."
Houses in the capital are truly expensive these days. Not to mention the main family's, even renting a small courtyard like this would probably require mortgaging seventy or eighty thousand taels of silver. Granny Su lifted the curtain and looked around, asking, "Is anyone else in the house?"
Du Yu had already brought her a cup of hot tea, and waved his hand, saying, "There's no one else here; I live alone."
Grandma Su saw that he was tall and imposing, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a high, straight nose—a truly handsome man, a perfect match for Zhen Shu. Furthermore, he was dressed in official robes, and the gold fish-shaped pouch peeking out from his eyes clearly indicated he was a high-ranking official. A high-ranking official with no parents and his own small courtyard, free from the troubles of in-laws and concubines—though the courtyard was simple, if this young man managed it well and made good use of his resources, surely a grand mansion would be within his reach.
Thinking of this, Granny Su couldn't help but laugh out loud and asked, "Where is the young master working now, and what kind of job is he doing?"
Du Yu frankly said, "I want to be a deputy inspector in the Censorate."
The highest-ranking official that Aunt Su had ever met was Prefect Wang, so she asked, "Compared to the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture?"
Du Yu said, "Now I am in charge of him."
Grandma Su was somewhat skeptical, staring at him for a long time as if her eyes were about to pop out, before slapping her thigh and saying, "You are the one who chased Zhenshu that day!"
Du Yu frowned and looked at her for a long time, unable to recall who she was, but upon hearing Zhenshu's name, he asked again, "Does the old lady know Zhenshu?"
Grandma Su said, "I am her maternal great-aunt, and I specialize in matchmaking. She is getting older and it is difficult for her to get married, which is also a worry for me."
Du Yu thought to himself that the wait had finally paid off, and the opportunity had arrived. He hurriedly served tea to Aunt Su and, suppressing his joy, asked, "Why can't she get married? I think Miss Song is beautiful and has a lovely figure; I'm afraid many people would be vying for her."
Grandma Su was a smooth talker, and she spoke her mind without hesitation. She didn't hide anything and whispered, "She's taken a fancy to a handsome eunuch and has some affection for him, but how can a eunuch become husband and wife? Everyone in the capital knows this, so I can't hide it from you. But to be honest, she just hasn't experienced the benefits of a proper man. If she gets some taste of the good things, why would she still remember that powerless eunuch?"
Du Yu clenched his fist and thought to himself that this was exactly right. But fearing that this young lady would see through his eagerness, he pretended to be honest and asked, "What does this young lady intend to do?"
Grandma Su said, "She is someone who shows her face in public. It's true that some young men admire her, but I'm afraid they don't dare to marry her and keep her at home because they don't have the means to do so. I wonder which type you are."
Du Yu told her the truth: "To tell you the truth, I have a past relationship with Miss Zhenshu, but I hurt her and she is still angry with me. If I can get her to come back, I would be willing to ride on my head all day long, let alone show my face in public."
Grandma Su smiled broadly, "It's precisely because of your kind of heart that you are worthy of my Zhenshu. However, such matters require careful consideration of the timing. Grandma and her mother will plan ahead for you. Don't be impatient; it's something that might not be accomplished in ten days or half a month, okay?"
Du Yu thought to himself: Damn it, I've waited for more than three years and haven't even touched a woman yet, so what's ten days or half a month?
He immediately said, "No matter how long it takes, I can wait three or five years. Please, my dear aunt, make plans for me."
After saying this, he rummaged through chests and cabinets and found a large handful of silver ingots. He scooped them up and put them in Aunt Su's arms, saying, "These are just a small token of my respect. Please accept them and help me with these matters."
This was all the monthly allowance sent to him by the Duke's mansion for settling down, which he had nowhere to use, so it was all left to rot in the cabinet. Besides, he was a young master from a noble family, and money had never left his hands since childhood, so he spent it as carelessly as throwing stones. When Aunt Su saw that although he was penniless, there was a lot of silver jingling in that chest, and he could easily scoop up a handful of silver ingots, it was clear that he was a corrupt official who was secretly greedy for a lot of money. How could such a person not rise to power one day?
Overjoyed, and having never seen so much silver before, she trembled as she handed it back to Du Yu, saying, "I arranged this marriage for you not for money, so please take it back and keep it safe."
Du Yu thought she really didn't want it, so he hurriedly grabbed it and threw it back into the basket for her, saying, "If you can persuade Miss Zhenshu to change her mind, what does this money matter?"
Grandma Su felt that her trip had not been in vain, as she had found a good husband. She stood up and said, "Very well, I'll take my leave and go home now."
Seeing that she hadn't even had a sip of tea, Du Yu hurriedly came out and urged, "Grandma, have a sip of tea before you go."
Grandma Su walked with her two thin legs and two small feet as if she were riding on wheels of fire. She turned around and waved, saying, "Go back quickly. Don't you dare mention this to Zhenshu. I will try to reconcile you privately."
Du Yu saw her off at the door and nodded in agreement. Seeing that her little legs were moving even faster than his own, he sighed, "What a nimble old lady."
The next day, when Grandma Su arrived at the Su family's small building, she exclaimed loudly with trembling hands before even climbing the stairs, "Oh my goodness! This is incredible!"
Startled, Madam Su quickly pulled her up, saying, "Grandma, Zhenshu doesn't get along with you these days, so please don't be so loud."
Grandma Su pushed Su aside and sat down heavily, saying, "That was actually a high-ranking official, the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture. He even wore a gold fish pouch, and the silver in his chests was so white it shone on half the wall."
Although Madam Su knew that this young lady liked to exaggerate, she was still startled and asked with a wide smile, "What kind of official is he exactly?"
Grandma Su said, "The Deputy Inspector General of the Censorate."
Madam Su was a woman confined to the inner quarters and knew nothing of official power. As she was pondering, she heard Aunt Su say again, "A high-ranking official who directly governs the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Madam Su exclaimed, "That's outrageous! Not only is he young, but he's also a high-ranking official. I wonder if people dislike Zhenshu because of his bad reputation?"
Grandma Su wanted to show Madam Su her skills, so she shook her head and said, "He doesn't complain at all. At first, he was a little reluctant because Zhenshu was someone who showed her face in public. I had to talk to him a lot. Now he has said that he would be willing even if Zhenshu rode on his neck all day long."
After saying that, he whispered, "I've seen him. He has no elders above him and no children below him. He doesn't have to serve the old or fawn over the young when he enters the house. What a carefree life. Besides, he must be an official who knows how to make money, otherwise how could he have several large chests of silver hidden away?"
Actually, it was just a box with some silver, but Aunt Su's words made it seem as if Du Yu's little courtyard had become a treasure trove. Madam Su sighed, "Back then, I devoted myself to Zhenyuan, wanting her to find a good husband for me, but after all the twists and turns, she still ended up in the Liu family's courtyard in Hanjiahe. I didn't care about Zhenshu at all, but who knew she could find a good husband for herself while she was out all day. It shows that everything is determined by fate, and there's nothing we can do about it."
Grandma Su said, "Isn't that true? But the two children haven't fallen for each other yet, so it still takes our elders' help to make them a good match. You said that?"
Having been reprimanded by Zhenshu last time, Su was still terrified when she saw Zhenshu glaring at her. She hesitated and said, "I'd better just tell her directly. I'll try to persuade her to change her mind a few more times."
Grandma Su, who was bolder than the heavens, waved her hand and said, "Absolutely not. I heard that the young master has been lingering outside for a long time and has some old grudges with Zhenshu. I'm afraid that Zhenshu is angry now and will not only refuse but also drive him away. After all, she is a child and cannot make decisions on her own. She needs adults to make decisions for her."
Su asked, "Then what should we do?"
Grandma Su said, "She is infatuated with that eunuch, probably because of his looks. I also caught a glimpse of him from afar when your Song family held a funeral. He is indeed a handsome man. But Zhenshu is a young girl who has never experienced love and naturally does not know how men and women should act as husband and wife. If you don't give her some sweetness, how can she forget that eunuch?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Su hurriedly waved her hand and said, "No, no, how could a mother possibly want to harm her daughter's health? Absolutely not."
Grandma Su had received a large sum of money; how could she not get it done? Besides, she was known for her silver tongue and persuasive skills. She took Madam Su's hand and said, "She already missed out on such a good marriage with Magistrate Wang. Now, with such a high-ranking official, it's probably a stroke of good fortune arranged by heaven. But there's only one chance; if this opportunity slips through, will she really remain an old maid for life? How can someone so inexperienced know the good qualities of a man?"
Madam Su hesitated and sighed, "What if that man isn't a good one and takes Zhenshu's body and leaves? Look at my Zhenyuan, that's why she can't return to the capital."
Grandma Su said, "I told you you can't believe everything I say. I'll talk to him and take you to his house for a visit, then you can decide, okay?"
Only then did Madam Su begin to believe it, and she nodded perfunctorily as she saw her aunt out.
That evening, Zhenshu went upstairs and sat there combing her hair and soaking her feet, holding a book in her arms, reading and laughing. It turned out to be a book called "A Collection of Humorous Anecdotes," which recorded silly people and their foolish deeds, enough to make one laugh for a long time. Su Shi frowned at her carefree laughter and asked, "Do you really not want to get married anymore?"
☆、107|Chapter 107
Zhenshu raised her eyebrows and glared at her, saying, "If you're so free, why don't you go down and help Granny Wang with some cooking?"
Madam Su withdrew her hand and said, "You can't live like this forever. How can a woman manage on her own as she gets older? She still needs a husband to love and cherish her."
Zhenshu turned a page and shook her head, saying, "I'm fine as I am, Mother, don't worry anymore. I won't let you manipulate me like my older sister."