Emperor Chengfeng was wise and vigilant throughout his life, and he did not have any particularly trusted eunuchs in power. When the chief eunuchs in the palace learned that Yu Yichen was about to take office, they all came to pledge their allegiance and offer their greetings. As a result, he gained many more adopted sons and grandsons.
But among the eunuchs and palace maids bustling about in the inner palace, among the favored concubines who were about to retire in sorrow, did any of them ever ponder this question: Where did I come from, and where am I going? And why did I come, and why am I going?
At least, Yu Yichen himself wouldn't think about this question.
Wearing a wingless turban and holding a whisk in his arms, he stood to one side of the dragon throne in the Chuigong Hall, his eyebrows raised and eyes narrowed, a cold smile playing on his lips as he thought to himself: "A person like me has nowhere to come from and nowhere to go; hell is the only place I can go!"
The newly elevated sage Wang Ling was practically frostbitten, and Yu Yichen wasn't much better off. From the incredibly tedious sacrificial rites to the burial ceremony, he stood coldly, clutching his whisk. The only thing that warmed his heart was the image of that woman on the night of the Lantern Festival, her smile radiating warmth as she read. She was immersed in a distant, absurd world, a world built by the imaginations of pedantic scholars, a world where she escaped the mundane yet endless troubles of life, and from that world, a genuine smile emanated from her heart, devoid of any sadness or melancholy.
He remembered her smile and the few words she had spoken to him, which helped him get through the winter and the transition between two emperors.
Once the trivial matters in the palace had settled down, he was almost impatient to rush to see her, as if just seeing her would make the cold of this winter pass quickly.
Spring has finally arrived, and when the flowers in his mansion are in full bloom, he always has to find a way to lure her to the mansion so that they can enjoy the spring together, otherwise the spring will have been wasted.
Meanwhile, Zhenshu, bewildered by his antics, returned to the shop and checked the calendar, only to discover that today was actually the third day of the third lunar month. She now spent all her time in the mounting shop, and for the first time, she felt as if a day in the mountains had been a thousand years in the world. So she slumped against the counter, silently flipping through the *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions*.
On the tenth day of the third month, someone from the Song family came and said that the old matriarch, Madam Zhong, was probably not well and that the second branch of the family should also rush back. Song Anrong got off the shop door and returned to the Song family with his family. He saw that Song Anyuan from the third branch of the family had also rushed back, and Madam Lu from his branch of the family was also standing in the courtyard of Suihe Residence.
Su brought her daughters to the main room, but because of the foul smell inside, she left Zhenyi and Zhenyuan in the outer room and took Zhenshu into the inner room alone.
Madam Zhong was no longer able to recognize people, but Zhenxiu had tidied her up neatly and placed her on the kang (heated brick bed). Madam Su sat on the edge of the kang and affectionately called out, "Grandmother!"
Zhong remained silent for a while, then suddenly opened her eyes, glanced at Su, and closed her mouth slightly. Su leaned down to listen carefully and realized that she had asked, "Has Zhenyu arrived yet?"
Su thought to herself: My Zhenxiu worked herself to the bone to take care of you until the day she closed her eyes, but the one she couldn't let go of was still Zhenyu.
But she was also a soft-hearted person. Seeing that Zhong's eyes no longer held the arrogance of the past, but were instead filled with a pitiful hope, she gently comforted her, "They're coming, they're coming!"
A moment later, a commotion broke out outside, and Zhenyu, whose belly was already slightly swollen, rushed in, climbed onto the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and cried, "Grandmother!"
Madam Zhong reached out and grasped Zhenyu's hand, remaining silent for a long while. At this moment, the dowry maid, Granny Miao, also entered, spreading her arms wide and saying, "Everyone out, everyone out, let the matriarch and the second young lady stay for a while."
Zhenxiu stepped forward and said, "I must stay here and guard the Ancestor; I cannot leave."
Madam Miao was a bit taller than Zhenxiu. She blocked her way and said coldly, "Fourth Miss, now is not the time for you to offer your wicked advice. Take advantage of my good manners and get out of here."
Upon seeing this, Zhenshu pulled Zhenxiu out, and the maids brought by Zhenyu outside chased them all to the courtyard outside the main house before guarding the gate and watching the people in the courtyard. Song Anrong, not knowing their intentions, stepped forward and said, "Such an important matter, if the old lady is not well, she should put on her clothes first. How can you drive away all the guards?"
The maid Qiu Chun said in a shrill voice, "Second Master, there is a thief in this house. I heard from Granny Lü that the old lady's belongings were all taken by the thief. Our young lady has returned to the manor to find the thief. Please stay in the courtyard."
Song Angu stepped forward and pulled Song Anrong down, saying, "Second Brother is usually the least willing to stand out. What is he up to? Let's just watch and not say a word."
Song Anrong whispered, "After all, she raised us, we can't let her leave naked."
Song Angu shook his head and went back to stand aside.
A moment later, Zhenyu stepped out of the door, stood on the steps, pointed at the crowd, and said, "Which of you is holding me back from telling me that my grandmother is seriously ill? You've kept it a secret from me without revealing a single detail."
Each time, Madam Shen would only inquire after the guests outside the courtyard, bringing them food and medicine. Only Zhenxiu personally attended to her. At this moment, everyone's gaze fell upon Zhenxiu, who covered her face and said, "How could I have hidden it from Second Sister? Every day, a servant woman goes to the Marquis's residence to deliver messages. You said you were pregnant and afraid of being tainted by deathly aura..."
Then, Mother Miao came down and slapped Zhenxiu across the face, saying, "You've got some nerve, haven't you?"
When Madam Su saw that her daughter had been beaten, she couldn't bear it. She stepped forward and stopped Granny Miao, saying, "Although you are an old woman, they are young ladies. It is not your place to discipline the young ladies of this household."
Zhenyu pointed at Zhenxiu and said, "Give her a good beating! She stole all of our ancestor's lifeblood. If we don't beat her, who should we beat?"
Suddenly, Madam Lu's voice rang out loudly, "What's all this noise about? Aren't you all ashamed? The old man is still on the kang (heated brick bed), and you're already starting a fight?"
She pushed through the crowd and went up the steps. The maids tried to block her, but she tossed them aside like chickens. When she entered, Madam Zhong was already dying. Madam Lu was a shrew, and having lived in the countryside for a long time, she was used to working in the fields and didn't mind the dirt. She reached under the mattress, touched it, and shouted, "Come quickly to wash and dress her, she's already dying."
Since Madam Su and Madam Shen were, after all, daughters-in-law, it was their duty to dress the deceased in burial clothes. So they hurried inside as well. Zhenyuan and Zhenshu wanted to follow, but Madam Su nudged them and said, "Stand here properly, don't get tainted by the aura of the dead."
Zhenyu brought many people from the Prince's mansion. At this moment, Shen and Lu were wiping and dressing the dying Zhong, while the maids of the Prince's mansion were ransacking the place. Zhenyu stood on the ground with her back turned and a long face, clutching her stomach. Zhong was still dying, her eyes fixed on Zhenyu, wanting to take one last look at her face, but Zhenyu did not turn her face away.
After Shen and Lu had dressed the body in its burial clothes, the corpse was still limp. The Taoist priest invited by Song Angu had also arrived and was performing rituals for the deceased Zhong. Zhenyu's maids had found a full box of belongings and were still searching through the rooms. Mother Miao whispered a few words in Zhenyu's ear, and Zhenyu slowly walked outside, looking at the people standing in the courtyard, and said, "You uncles and aunts, you all divided your property long ago, you are all landowners with land and fields. Our ancestor treated you well, so you shouldn't be after her death."
She asked Granny Miao to help her up, and several maids escorted her to Zhenxiu's side. They stared intently at Zhenxiu and said, "Under the guise of serving the old matriarch, you not only killed her but also coveted her money. Do you really think I didn't know?"
Before Zhenxiu could speak, several maids behind Zhenyu surrounded her. Seeing this, Zhenyuan and Zhenshu also rushed forward to confront the maids. Although Zhenshu knew Zhenxiu's character, she was her sister and couldn't remain silent at this moment. So she stared at Zhenyu and said, "The Marquis's mansion isn't far from here. If you really care, who among these old women and maids can't you send? If you're afraid the servants will steal the treasure, you should be guarding it."
Knowing Zhenshu's eloquence and temperament, and knowing that she was pregnant and unable to confront her directly, Zhenyu stared intently at Zhenxiu and said, "Grandmother has about 200,000 taels of silver and valuables in her possession. I just glanced at them briefly, and they are already much less. If you don't hand them over, don't blame me for handing you over to the authorities."
Zhenxiu cried, “Good sister, I really didn’t take those things. I serve the old lady by the bedside all day long, eating and sleeping with her. All the maids and servants in the room can see me. Have I ever gone out?”
Zhenyu sneered, "It seems you really need me to send you to the authorities before you'll spit it out."
She raised her head and shouted, "Someone come here!"
Surprisingly, the servants of the Marquis's mansion she had brought were still outside the courtyard. They swarmed in, completely surrounding the people inside. A light drizzle began to fall in March. In the misty rain, the geomancer chanted incantations, sprinkling water and burning paper money around the crowd, while praying to the heavens. He seemed accustomed to the scenes of inheritance disputes after the deaths of elderly people in these mansions, and thus found it unsurprising, continuing with his work as usual.
Just now, when changing and washing the dying person, Su and Shen only handed over the clothes and shoes; the dirtiest tasks were all done by Lu alone. At this moment, she took the dirty clothes that had been changed off and handed them to the servants, instructing them to burn them. Then she turned around and walked up to Zhenyu, saying, "It's time for our ancestors' funeral. We should be mourning together. Why are we all so tense? Everyone, put on your mourning clothes and go mourn."
Now that the ancestors have passed away, it's time for the second wife and her husband to take over. However, Su is not a respectable woman, so Lu, who is usually lazy about housework, has taken charge.
Upon hearing that she had to wear mourning clothes, Zhenyu shook her head and said, "I am currently pregnant and cannot wear mourning clothes."
Seeing that the maids had arranged the boxes on the steps, she instructed Mother Miao to call the servants to carry them. She then pointed at Zhenxiu and said, "Our score isn't settled yet, you wait here."
All the valuables in the mansion had already been given to her as part of her dowry. The little Zhong Shi had left, except for the bare plaster, had all gone into Zhenyu's purse. She didn't complain to the Song brothers about their hardship, didn't even burn a single piece of paper money, and swaggered out of the Song mansion to return home.
Chapter 49: The Deception
After she left, the entire Song family dressed in mourning clothes and began to prepare for Zhong's funeral.
With Zhong's own son gone, and her granddaughter having moved all her belongings away, the concubine's sons took over the funeral arrangements and did a surprisingly good job. Although there had been no news from Consort Rong for a long time, Song Angu still sent a death notice to the palace gate, hoping to inform Consort Rong.
Now that Crown Prince Li Xuzhe has ascended the throne, Consort Rong should logically become a Dowager Consort. However, since no imperial edict has been issued, Song Angu still reported Consort Rong's title.
March is Qingming Festival, but there are no auspicious days for funerals. After the funeral is held, the coffin is sent to Guangji Temple outside the city for temporary storage, and will be buried on an auspicious day three years later.
Outside, the monks chanted their sutras so loudly it was deafening. Zhenshu and Zhenyuan huddled together in front of the coffin, adjusting the oil lamp. Zhenyuan sighed, "Zhenxiu is used to being arrogant at home, thinking that the capital is still like home. Now she has suffered a great loss."
Zhenshu also sighed, "Look how much thinner she has become. She looks better in mourning clothes than before."
Because so many people came to mourn, Song Anrong and the others, all dressed in mourning clothes and hemp shoes, knelt in the grass and kowtowed in return, occasionally crying for a while under the guidance of the funeral director. Zhenxiu, who had endured months of hardship, was exhausted and curled up in a ball on the straw mat, dozing off. Zhenyuan and Zhenshu looked at her pitiful appearance, exchanged a glance, and sighed.
Later that evening, someone from the Marquis's residence secretly summoned her, telling everyone that she was ill.
Suddenly, Zhenyuan asked Zhenshu, "Do you think Zhenyu will pursue this further?"
Zhenshu shook her head and said, "I'm afraid not. They're all close sisters. Would they really cause a scene in the government?"
Jung-won then asked in a low voice, "Do you think Jung-soo managed to snag a few?"
Zhenshu found her question amusing. Seeing that she was also staring at him with bright eyes, looking very much like Su Shi, he pointed to the coffin above his head and said, "The dead know everything. Ask her."
Zhenyuan was startled by her and reached out to pinch Zhenshu lightly, saying, "You little devil, you dare to scare me."
Zhenshu snorted and rubbed her sore spot, saying, "If you ask me, it's only right that Zhenxiu gets a few. She did the dirtiest work that even the most obnoxious servants wouldn't do, staying by the side of a dying man night after night. I wouldn't do that even if you gave me all 200,000."
Jung-won pointed to the coffin and said, "The dead know everything. She heard all your unfilial words."
The two suddenly remembered and looked back at the ever-burning lamp, which had been extinguished for who knows how long. They quickly and quietly lit it again with a smile. Zhenshu said, "Our ancestor is now on the road to the underworld, and the light and darkness are intermittent. We don't know how she walked with her bound feet."
The two of them must have gone out countless times while guarding this lamp; Zhong's journey to the underworld must have been shaky and gloomy.
The whole family was exhausted after three days of staying up late, looking like they could collapse and fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Song Anrong went to the outer room at night to drink, keep vigil, and keep company with relatives. Su and Shen also made excuses to lie down on the bed in the inner room. Zhenxiu fell ill, and Zhenyuan, Zhenyi, and the younger Zhenyao and Zhenyan gradually all left. By the latter half of the third night, only Lu and Zhenshu remained by the coffin. Lu burned paper money, Zhenshu lit the lamp, and the old women in the outer room had gone off to drink. The monks finished chanting their sutras and went to their rooms to rest. The courtyard was now empty except for the servants keeping vigil.
After burning some paper money, Madam Lu lay sprawled in the grass, snoring loudly. Zhen Shu thought to herself that she hadn't fulfilled her filial duties to Madam Zhong when she was alive, and even if she did now, Madam Zhong probably wouldn't know. So she ignored the oil lamp and lay down in the grass to doze off. However, Madam Lu's loud snoring kept her from getting a good night's sleep.
As the fourth watch approached, Yu Yichen entered the Song family mansion. The desolate and dilapidated courtyard was filled with mourning banners, and servants huddled together under the eaves. The entire mansion was in a deep slumber. He gestured to stop the guards from following behind and entered the main courtyard alone. He knew what kind of expectations he had, yet he also felt that they were somewhat absurd and laughable.
He stepped into the mourning hall of Chen's coffin. Amidst the deafening snores of a boorish woman, the adorable little shopkeeper lay curled up against a pillar, fast asleep, drool dripping from her mouth. She possessed a pair of remarkably rare natural feet; in the Central Plains, it was difficult to find shoes that fit such feet. Nowadays, women still bound their feet, breaking the bones of their perfectly good natural feet and folding them under their insteps. Their shoes were incredibly exquisite, with intricate embroidery—these deformed little embroidered shoes made him frown at the sight of them.
She was wearing a pair of black suede cloth shoes, the kind that teenagers often wear. They were probably a little small and pinched her feet, so there were gaps on both sides.
Yu Yichen knelt before Zhen Shu, a slight smile playing on his lips. He silently gazed at her somewhat spirited thick eyebrows, her small, round nose, and her completely unguarded face. Drooling saliva dripped down her cheeks, and Yu Yichen couldn't help but reach out and gently wipe it from her lips, then took out a handkerchief.
Zhenshu didn't know how long she had slept when she suddenly felt a slight coolness at the corner of her mouth. She woke up and looked at the ever-burning lamp; the cocoon had long since burned away, leaving only a long, caterpillar-like thread floating in the clear oil. She sighed and went to borrow a light, but when she turned around, she saw a man kneeling beside her, pointing a finger. Startled, she backed away against a pillar and asked hesitantly, "Eunuch Yu."
Yu Yichen pointed to the light, his finger glistening with tiny, shimmering particles. He asked, "Do you know what this is?"
Zhenshu wiped her mouth and said, "People drool when they sleep sitting up."
Yu Yichen was clearly afraid of getting the dry grass on the ground dirty, so he tightened his clothes and said, "Your grandmother is really wronged. I don't know how many miles she has walked in the dark."
Zhenshu knew he was a eunuch, formerly serving in the Eastern Palace. Now that the Eastern Palace had become the Emperor, he had likely advanced further into the palace. Such a person didn't seem like the type to wander around aimlessly, so she asked, "May I ask what brings you here, sir?"
Yu Yichen said, "Naturally, it's for mourning. The Empress Dowager Song's mother has passed away, and the Imperial Palace should hold a mourning ceremony."
Zhen Shu thought to herself, "You're a bit too late." But of course, she couldn't say that to his face.
As she was looking at Yu Yichen, she saw him lightly clench his fist to cover his lips and smile slightly, "Of course, I didn't need to come in person. But knowing you were here, I knew I had to come."
Zhenshu sighed inwardly, wondering why she always attracted such abnormal men. The first one, Du Yu, had made her infamous throughout two counties; at least he was a real man. This Yu Yichen, a eunuch, was also trying to seduce her. For some reason, she felt a pang of self-loathing. Suddenly, she realized that perhaps it was precisely her unbound feet that made these abnormal men think she was an unfaithful and promiscuous woman, hence their deliberate provocations.
She felt ashamed and indignant, but she couldn't say it out loud. She sighed, looked up at Yu Yichen, and said, "I finally know what a deception is."
Yu Yichen said, "Tell me about it."
Zhenshu, amidst Lu Shi's snoring, slightly raised her foot and said, "My natural feet are probably just a decoy, so that men will see them and think I'm easy to fool and get their hands on."
These words stunned Yu Yichen. He seemed to realize it after a long while, and shook his head slightly, saying, "I am a eunuch. I have seen all kinds of women in the palace, and I did not mean to provoke you. It's just that the hurt from your mockery has not yet faded. I just want you to read some books and gain some wisdom to soothe the wounds in my heart."
He took out a handkerchief and wiped his finger, which was covered in her saliva, clean. He then held out the handkerchief to wipe Zhenshu's mouth, but Zhenshu quickly dodged to the side. Only then did he stand up, point at her, and say, "So, don't forget to come to my mansion on the 18th and read to me."
After saying that, he knelt down and stared intently at Zhenshu. Finally, he took a handkerchief and wiped the dried drool from the corner of Zhenshu's mouth, who had nowhere to hide. Then he got up, lifted his robe, and went out.
Zhenshu lay sprawled in the grass, stunned for a long while, when suddenly Song Angu rushed in with a group of people outside the door, shouting, "I heard that the Grand Eunuch Yu has come to offer condolences?"
Zhenshu nodded, then shook her head and said, "I don't recognize him."
The grand funeral at the Song family mansion was over. The coffin was temporarily placed in the temple, and the whole family returned to the Song mansion for the funeral banquet. Now that the dark cloud had lifted from her head, Madam Shen was in high spirits and even straightened her back considerably, directing the few servants who were on duty. Madam Su sat in front of the kitchen door, sighing repeatedly. Seeing this, Madam Lu went over and said, "Your husband is successful, and your daughter is doing well. You have a thriving calligraphy and painting shop that brings in a fortune every day. What's there to sigh about?"
Madam Su pulled Madam Lu over and said, "Third sister-in-law, you don't know, your two daughters are still young and not of marriageable age. My Zhenyuan is already of marriageable age, and Zhenshu is about to come of age. How will you get through these three years of mourning?"
Madam Lu said, "What's so difficult about that? Three years is too long. After all, she is a young lady. What's the big deal if she stays in her place for a year? The officials won't investigate and the people won't pursue the matter. There's no one else in charge of this household."
She pointed to the ceiling and said, "The one in the palace hasn't made a sound. He's probably been detained. Who would care about you?"
Even so, Madam Su still frowned, her heart heavy with worry, unable to find solace. Fortunately, Zhenyu never questioned Zhenxiu's guilt again. With the funeral over, Zhenxiu didn't want Zhenyu's old clothes anymore, and only took her own small box to go back to the mounting shop with Madam Su.
Zhen Shu remembered Yu Yichen's words that night. On March 18th, she was unwilling to go to the Yu residence, but she didn't know if he would come to East Street like last time if she didn't go. So she sat behind the counter, restless, flipping through books. After a while, Zhang Gui actually drove up in his carriage. He bowed deeply before saying, "Young manager, this is an emergency. Please come with me."
Zhenshu was annoyed that he was neglecting his business to act as a servant to a eunuch, but she still returned the greeting and said, "Master Zhang, if you want to buy a painting, you can keep an eye on it here and I will send someone to deliver it to your home. If it is something else, I'm sorry I cannot accompany you."
Zhang Gui bowed deeply again and said, “Young shopkeeper, although you are young, I can tell you are a chivalrous person. My godfather has the temperament to always want what he can’t have. Once you give it to him, he will naturally put it aside. You should do him a favor and go to him, be a little agreeable, and he will naturally let you go. Besides…”
He lowered his voice and said, "He's just a eunuch, he can't do anything to you."
Chapter 50 Reading