Zhenshu was baffled as to why she had been entangled with such a despicable person. She wanted to explode in anger but restrained herself. She flipped through a couple of pages of the *Great Tang Records on the Western Regions* in the inner room, then looked up to see Zhang Gui still standing in the front hall, seemingly burning with anxiety. She went out and straightened her expression, saying, “We are commoners, simply running a peaceful business. We do not seek to curry favor with the powerful or use this opportunity to climb the social ladder. Please leave, Mr. Zhang.”
Zhang Gui clasped his hands together in front of his forehead and kept bowing, saying, "Young shopkeeper, please, please!"
Zhenshu wanted to call Zhao He and Song Anrong out from the inner room, but ultimately refrained from doing so for fear of causing trouble and making things difficult to handle. Instead, she went back into the inner room. However, she was completely distracted that day and sat there with a focused and solemn expression.
After sitting for half a day without anyone coming, Zhenshu noticed that Zhang Gui had left sometime earlier, so she went to the door to check. She saw that Yu Yichen's car was still parked at the intersection on the left. She walked to the window, and Yu Yichen lifted the curtain, but his expression was even more unpleasant than hers: "In Miss Song's eyes, I am still someone you can curry favor with?"
Zhenshu suppressed her anger and said, "I heard that Eunuch Yu is now in charge of the Imperial Palace, so I'm afraid he shouldn't have such leisure time."
Yu Yichen said, “That’s right. After the death of Consort Song’s mother, her granddaughter, the fifth young mistress of the Marquis of Beishun’s mansion, submitted a memorial to the Empress Dowager in the palace, saying that her half-sister had stolen her silver notes worth more than 40,000 taels and asked the imperial army to send troops to recover them. I really don’t have time for that, it’s official business.”
Zhenshu lowered her voice and said, "I'm afraid there aren't that many. Zhenxiu's hands aren't clean, but the old lady keeps her money bag tightly closed. How could she possibly get that much?"
Yu Yichen nodded and asked in return, "So what do you mean?"
Zhenshu sighed and said in a low voice, "If you arrest her so openly, how will she ever get married? Why don't you extend the deadline, Eunuch Yu, and I'll go and get her myself and deliver her to the Marquis of Beishun's residence? Is that alright?"
After a long pause, Yu Yichen asked, "Did you bring the book?"
Zhen Shu knew she couldn't escape this time. She was angry that Zhen Xiuzhen had stolen the silver and also resented Yu Yichen for using this matter to humiliate an unmarried woman. She stormed back to her room, grabbed her books, and went into the inner room to find an excuse to deceive Song Anrong before leaving the mansion. She then rode in Yu Yichen's carriage to the Yu residence.
Yu Yichen led her around to a smaller gate at the back of the mansion, where they lowered the gate panel and entered the carriage directly. Once the carriage stopped, a servant jogged over to bring the footrest. Yu Yichen got out first, then reached out to help Zhenshu down.
Zhenshu saw a profusion of flowers in full bloom—orchids, purple jade, azaleas—all in their prime. Where the carriage stopped, the main road ended, replaced by a cobblestone path lined with vibrant blossoms. In the distance, thick, sturdy pear trees were also budding. At the far end of this sea of flowers stood a small, elegant building with sleek railings.
Zhenshu laughed and said, "Your mansion has two gates. One gate makes one feel cold to the bone, while the other gate makes one feel weak to the bone."
Yu Yichen smiled without saying a word, leading her across the pebble path. Since opening her mounting shop, Zhenshu had rarely gone out, spending her days scheming to make money, which had worn away all her former wildness. Seeing these flowers now, she felt a bit more carefree, like she did in the countryside of Huixian, and her steps became much lighter.
The sun was shining brightly today, and Zhenshu followed Yu Yichen upstairs. The building was spacious and airy, completely unlike the place he had stayed before. It was also filled with various pieces of furniture, clearly indicating that he often lived there.
The two-story building had a balcony, but it wasn't fenced off; it just stretched out straight out. Two straw mats were placed on the clean, tidy wooden floor. Zhenshu naturally knew that one of the straw mats was prepared for her, so she knelt down on it and opened her book.
Yu Yichen sat cross-legged on the other monk's seat, closed his eyes and faced the sunlight, saying, "Recite."
Zhen Shu began, “Throughout history, the imperial plans and records have been observed. From Fuxi emerging from the earth at the beginning of the Zhen hexagram, to Xuanyuan beginning the practice of wearing robes, these were the means to govern the people and define the boundaries of the land. Then came Tang Yao receiving the mandate of heaven, his brilliance reaching the four corners of the earth; and Yu Shun receiving the map, his virtue flowing throughout the nine regions. Since then, only written records exist, and we hear only tales from past generations and the words of historians. How can this compare to those who are fortunate enough to live under a virtuous ruler and whose destiny is one of non-interference? I…”
Beneath their feet, a vast sea of flowers was in full bloom. The two of them, one kneeling and one sitting, floated above the flower stamens amidst the otherworldly fragrance of flowers and birdsong. The sun was warm, the spring breeze was gentle, and the world was vast and clear. Only the soft, slightly hoarse voice of the woman reading aloud echoed in the sky that could be reached by looking up.
"...Then he recounted the whole story. The king found it extraordinary. So he built a monastery to commemorate the beautiful deeds and spread their fame to future generations. From there, he traveled more than 600 li westward, passing through the small desert to the kingdom of Baluka." Zhen Shu carefully closed the book and put the bookmark on it. He turned around and saw that Yu Yichen's eyes were closed, as if he were asleep.
Her mouth was dry from reading for so long, and she looked around for something to quench her thirst. Turning around, she saw a very handsome young man kneeling behind her with a tea tray. She took the tea and drank it all in one gulp. As she put the teacup down, she quietly asked the young man, "What's your name?"
The young man quickly bowed and said, "My surname is Sun and my given name is Yuan."
Zhenshu smiled and said, "Thank you, Xiao Sun. Your master is asleep, but I still have to go home. Please let him know when he wakes up."
After saying this, he got up, took the book, went down the small building, followed the way he came out of the main gate, and went through the Imperial Street to the East Market.
Yu Yichen remained seated cross-legged on the balcony, the sunlight still blindingly intense, but it had taken away the gentle warmth that had lingered on him. His full, red lips drooped, his long eyebrows closed, and he resembled an old monk in deep meditation.
Sun Yuan shuffled over and knelt on the balcony, saying softly, "A decree has arrived from the palace, summoning you to enter the palace immediately, Your Excellency."
Yu Yichen got up, went inside to change into the eunuch's clothes, and strode downstairs. The carriage was already waiting outside the door.
Li Xuzhe frowned in the Chuigong Hall. When he saw Yu Yichen arrive, he smiled and said, "You are on leave today, and I shouldn't have summoned you. But those old ministers are too misleading. The Empress is pregnant and thinks the furnishings in Yanfu Palace are too simple and wants to replace them with new ones. This is a very simple matter, but as soon as I mentioned it, they strongly objected, thinking that the Empress and I are extravagant and that I am not like the late Emperor."
Yu Yichen held the whisk and laughed, "Your Majesty is naturally different from the late Emperor. Your Majesty has your own ideals and decisions, as well as your own policies. Why should you imitate the late Emperor?"
Li Xuzhe said, "Isn't that right?"
Yu Yichen said, "Let's talk about Huang Feng first. He is in charge of the capital region and serves as an envoy in the Censorate. How could he allow people from Liangzhou to openly carry out collusion between inside and outside the capital? He himself is corrupt, so how can he speak ill of others?"
Li Xuze said, "These past few days, many officials have been impeaching him. Why don't we start with him?"
Yu Yichen laughed: "Make an example of someone to warn others. If we take control of the capital region and the Censorate, we can do a lot of things."
Li Xuzhe shook his head and said, "Dou Tianrui and Du Wu are the most troublesome."
Yu Yichen said, "Since they are troublesome, let's save them for later and deal with the easier ones first."
Li Xuzhe was somewhat worried and asked Yu Yichen to help him stand up. After leaving the main hall, he asked Yu Yichen, "My father has just passed away. Is it too heartless of me to slaughter the ministers he left behind?"
Yu Yichen continued to help Li Xuzhe walk slowly, shaking his head and saying, "No. Parents always want to help their children more, but for children, learning to walk on their own is the most important thing."
Li Xuzhe nodded, and after a long while said, "From now on, you will keep the Inspectorate under your supervision. I don't trust anyone else."
A few days later, Zhenshu deliberately chose a time when Zhenxiu was alone to enter her small room, intending to ask her if she had indeed embezzled any money. Since serving the late Madam Zhong of the Song family until her death, and then suffering a serious illness, Zhenxiu had become noticeably thinner and more sallow, as if she had shed a layer of skin. Her face and body were covered with dark yellow marks. The illness had taken its toll, and Zhenxiu had lost her former competitive spirit, sitting alone by the small window embroidering a cloud-shaped shoulder ornament.
Zhenshu sat on the edge of her bed and asked, "Are you feeling any better lately?"
Zhenxiu hummed in agreement and said nothing more.
Helpless, Zhenshu asked again, "Have Zhenyu and the Marquis of Beishun come to see you again?"
Zhenxiu raised an eyebrow and glared at Zhenshu, asking, "What does she want with me?"
Seeing that she wouldn't admit it no matter what, Zhenshu said directly, "Silver."
Zhenxiu gave a cold smile and stared at Zhenshu, saying, "What, are you jealous and think I really got some money? You're wrong, I didn't!"
She lifted her shirt and exposed her chest, showing Zhenshu all the way down: "Look at these black and yellow marks on my body. They were pinched by Aunt Miao a few days ago, and now the blood is coming out and fading away."
Zhenshu couldn't bear to watch and covered her mouth, saying, "When did she pinch herself? How could we not have known?"
Zhenxiu poked the needle and said, "It was during the days of the funeral that they detained me in the Shanshu Academy and interrogated me for three whole days, lying to the outside world that I was sick."
Zhenshu couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her: "Why didn't you send Xiao Jiu to tell us that you haven't shown any signs of it all these days?"
Zhenxiu said coldly, "What's the use of telling you? Even if I framed someone, you wouldn't believe me. I was proven guilty as a thief and kicked out penniless. And now you still want to interrogate me?"
Although Zhenshu still didn't believe Zhenxiu, she could see that the marks were genuine, which showed that the old women under Zhenyu's command had been ruthless. She went out to Su's room and saw that Su seemed quite happy today, chatting away with Zhenyuan about something. So she sat down and asked, "Why are you so happy?"
Zhenyuan smiled and lowered her head. Madam Su did not answer, but instead asked Zhenshu, "What were you talking about with Zhenxiu next door just now?"
Zhenshu said, "I was just asking about the money, and I was afraid Zhenyu would cause trouble again."
Madam Su sighed and said, "Logically speaking, Zhenxiu served her until her death, so it's only right to give Zhenxiu something. The old lady is too biased towards Zhenyu."
Zhen Shu said, “That is true, but a gentleman loves money but acquires it in a proper way. If you are being filial to your grandmother for the sake of making money, you should have made that clear from the beginning. Otherwise, it is wrong to take it for yourself.”
Su comforted Zhenshu, saying, "If something is wrong, it's a matter of officials not reporting it and the people not investigating. Since Zhenyu isn't pursuing it, the matter is over. Why are you still making a fuss about it?"
Chapter 51 Monks
Zhenshu suddenly realized that Zhenyu was currently pregnant and probably didn't take it seriously. Otherwise, she would have already gone to the small building to ask for it herself. Why would she have gone to the palace to submit a petition to the Empress Dowager, asking her to manage the domestic affairs of a disgraced concubine? Thinking of this, Zhenshu gritted her teeth and muttered to herself: She was actually fooled by him.
On the third day of the fourth month, Zhenshu didn't need anyone to invite her. After reporting to Song Anrong, she walked to Yu Yichen's residence on her own. She walked quickly and didn't want to use the main gate, so she went around to the back gate and knocked on the door herself. Sun Yuan was guarding the door. He quickly opened it and said, "Your Excellency has been waiting for you, Miss. Please come in quickly."
Zhenshu followed him inside and saw that the various flowers in the courtyard were not blooming as they had before. In just half a month, the flowering season had already ended. On the contrary, the large pear tree by the wall in the distance of the courtyard was now in full bloom with snow-white pear blossoms, at its most magnificent.
Zhenshu went up to the small building and saw Yu Yichen sitting in the inner room on the second floor. The sky was overcast and gloomy today; although it hadn't rained, the clouds were very thick. The view from the small building was especially somber. Pear blossoms floated in mid-air, their white petals silently visible in the gloom.
Today, Yu Yichen was not on the balcony, but in a room on the east side of the building, on a platform about half a foot high and seven or eight feet long. This platform, like the floor, was made of wooden planks that had been oiled and polished repeatedly until they shone. A huge Persian long woolen carpet covered it. He sat cross-legged on the carpet, holding a cup in his hand, and on the small table in front of him was a pot of warm yellow wine, which he was slowly sipping.
Yu Yichen held out his hand and asked, "Would you like a drink?"
Zhenshu shook her head. She didn't want to get drunk and go home from this eunuch's house.
She sat down at the table, opened the book, and began to read: "The Kingdom of Baluka. It is over 600 li from east to west and over 300 li from north to south. The capital city is 5.6 li in circumference. The soil is suitable, the climate is orderly, and the people and customs are good. The writing system is the same as that of the Kingdom of Kucha. The language is slightly different. Fine felt and fine coarse cloth are valued by neighboring countries. There are dozens of monasteries and over a thousand monks who study the Hinayana teachings of the Sarvastivada school..."
"That Congling Mountains must be Mount Buzhou, right?" Yu Yichen suddenly interrupted and asked.
Zhenshu took the bookmark, closed the book, and said, "Exactly. It connects the Kanas and Kunlun Mountains with the Tianshan Mountains, stretching endlessly, with snow-capped peaks rising into the clouds."
Yu Yichen asked, "Why do ascetic monks travel to such places of extreme suffering?"
Zhen Shu said, "For the long-forgotten Buddhist teachings, and for the answer he sought to be a human being."
Yu Yichen shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Both monks and eunuchs are people who have severed their emotions and desires. However, monks are respected because they act out of compassion, while eunuchs are despised because they work for a living."
Zhen Shu said: "The reason why monks are respected is not because they have severed their emotions and destroyed their nature, but because they give up worldly desires to seek higher wisdom and dedicate their lives to it."
Yu Yichen seemed to be craving the steam from the cup. He was already thin, and today his face was exceptionally pale. He took another cup from the table, poured himself a cup of yellow wine, and handed it to Zhenshu, saying, "Even if you don't drink it, hold it. Otherwise, I'll feel too lonely."
Zhenshu finally took it, and when her hand touched his slender, long fingers, the coldness made her involuntarily pull her hand away.
The thick, light brown liquid had a sweet, intoxicating aroma. Zhen Shu took it and held it in her hands, then saw Yu Yichen point behind him and ask, "Have you seen that calligraphy?"
Zhenshu looked up and saw that it was his grandfather Song Shihong's calligraphy of "Qing Ping Le: Village Life".
She had offended him because of this calligraphy, and now, not knowing what he meant, she held the cup in silence.
Yu Yichen took a small sip, a touch of color returning to his lips, and his face gained a touch of allure from the brief warmth of the tea. His skin was naturally fair and delicate, and his melancholy was tinged with a poignant charm: "My father was a musician who played music for Emperor Taizong, and my mother was a palace maid in Yanfu Palace. In the depths of the inner palace, besides the indifferent eunuchs, the only ones who could truly move the hearts of those lonely palace maids were probably those gentle and refined musicians who had not been castrated."
He took another sip, gazing at the pear blossoms in the distance outside the window, which were as blurry as floating clouds, and said, "At that time, my father still had some face in front of Emperor Taizong, so he used all means to send my mother out of the palace. Before she left, he gave her this calligraphy and told her to keep it."
Yu Yichen seemed lost in endless sorrowful memories, his eyebrows drooping, and a captivating blend of allure and melancholy, the kind only a woman of exceptional beauty could possess, floated in the corners of his eyes. His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and the beauty of his face was something to be admired from afar, not to be trifled with. He pointed behind him and said, "That is the handwriting of Master Jiaxuan. The calligraphy is bold and unrestrained, and it was personally bestowed by Emperor Taizong."
He raised his eyebrows again and looked out the window, as if telling someone else's story: "The first poem I learned was this Qing Ping Yue, and I also know that the happiness of an old couple with white hair is the most ordinary yet most precious happiness in the world."
Zhenshu hesitated, but ultimately did not ask Zhenyu about the return of the lost silver.
Yu Yichen suddenly covered his mouth and coughed lightly twice, took a sip of yellow wine to calm himself down, and looked up at Zhenshu and said, "No one would give me such verses, because no one would think that I want such a life."
Zhenshu felt a little flustered by his gaze and avoided his eyes, saying, "You are by the side of the king, and your wealth and power are already at the pinnacle. What can't you have if you want it?"
Yu Yichen sighed softly, "Silly girl!"
He looked up at her, his eyes sparkling, yet also exuding a sharp, possessive masculine aura.
Zhenshu was stunned by what he said, and suddenly realized what he meant. She thought to herself that this eunuch who was neither male nor female always liked to flirt with her. She got up with the book in her hand and said angrily, "Eunuch Yu, I have finished reading and it is time for me to go home."
She had changed into a light silk spring dress, and wore a cloud-shaped shawl, a favorite accessory of unmarried women, which made her look as delicate and beautiful as a flower. Even when she was engrossed in her book, she had an anxious expression, like a startled rabbit. Yu Yichen, still holding his cup, watched intently as she left and strode away.
Zhenshu returned to the mounting shop and found Song Anrong and Zhao He chatting idly in the outer room, so she went straight back to the small building. Before she even went upstairs, she heard bursts of laughter coming from upstairs. She thought it was Aunt Su coming to gossip again, thinking to herself that Aunt Su hadn't learned her lesson after spending twenty taels of silver. But when she looked up, she saw a familiar person coming.
When Madam Su saw Zhenshu arrive, she pointed at Zhang Rui and said, "Quickly call him brother!"
Zhenshu was already somewhat surprised to see a man sitting in the small hall on the second floor, and when she heard Madam Su tell her to call him "brother," she felt even more absurd. But then Zhang Rui stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Second sister!"
Zhenshu retreated to the top of the stairs and asked, "Young Master Zhang, what kind of address is that?"
Su and Zhang Rui exchanged a glance, then Su stood up and pulled Zhenshu over, saying, "He is now my godson and will be responsible for carrying on our family's lineage. You must treat him with respect and remember to greet him when you meet him in the future."
It turns out that Zhang Rui has taken Su as his godmother. It's just unclear whether he's looking for a casual godmother or if he intends to formally enter the ancestral hall to pray for the family business to be inherited.
Zhenshu glanced at Zhenyuan and saw her face flushed like the rising tide, knowing she was smitten. Zhenxiu now devoted herself to embroidery in her small room and refused to come out anymore. Zhenyi, still young and at the age where she could be charming and silly, clapped her hands and said, "I want all the lipsticks from Qunfang, all twelve colors. I don't want the ones from that rouge shop next door, they look like they've been diluted."
Madam Su said, "Now that I have no income, I have to rely on your second sister. Go and make trouble for her."
Zhenshu was most afraid of being bothered by Zhenyi with these useless things. She had nothing to do and was too lazy to do needlework. She spent her days accompanying Su to silver shops, embroidery shops and cosmetic shops. She was ambitious and would ask for money whenever they met.