This was perhaps the happiest smile he had ever given her since they had met. He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and acted like a mischievous teenager, whipping Zhenshu's horse once, then whipping his own, and shouting, "Giddy up!"
On the boundless fields where willows are newly green and spring grass is sprouting, two horses galloped off.
Zhen Shu glanced at Yu Yichen and saw that his round face was full of smiles, with no more of the gloom that had lingered over him. She smiled with relief and thought to herself: Maybe I really am a bad person, and he is too.
A short distance further on, they came to a market. Yu Yichen led Zhenshu off their horses and to an inn. Sun Yuan and his guards were stationed outside the inn, forming a tight security cordon. Zhenshu learned from Sun Yuan that the reason she hadn't been able to wait for the carriage was because Sun Yuan and his men had come to the market from another route. Therefore, Yu Yichen's trip today was likely not a spur-of-the-moment decision but rather a premeditated one.
Not only was there no innkeeper at the counter, but the entire inn was deserted from top to bottom. Zhen Shu followed Yu Yichen upstairs and quietly asked, "Tell me honestly, where did you put the innkeeper?"
Yu Yichen was in a great mood and pushed open the door, saying, "He might be counting silver at home, but we can't let him lose money."
Zhenshu entered the house and found it spacious and clean; the floor, presumably freshly mopped, still bore watermarks. She asked Yu Yichen, "Where do you live?"
Yu Yichen pointed behind him and said, "Next door."
Zhenshu jumped onto the bed and sat down, patting the soft bedding, saying, "I've never slept in such a wide bed before."
This is a large bed with a depth of six feet. It was probably newly painted, as it still smelled of paint.
Yu Yichen smiled and shook his head, then went to the next room. Zhenshu lay on the bed, gritting her teeth for a long time, gradually feeling a pang of regret. Knowing his intentions were impure, she had still followed him here, repeatedly resolving to break things off, yet her resolve remained wavering. If this continued, and rumors spread in the capital, Zhenyuan, Zhenxiu, and Zhenyi, now married, would likely suffer because of her reputation. Just as Zhenyu had said, a woman's respect in her husband's family depends on her dowry, but her family background is even more important. If it weren't for Consort Rong's insistence, Zhenyu probably wouldn't have been able to marry into the Marquis of Beishun's household. And since Consort Rong abdicated and lost power, even if Zhenyu had brought mountains of gold and silver to marry into the Marquis's household, she would still face difficulties from her mother-in-law.
Zhenyuan, Zhenxiu, and Zhenyi have neither powerful backers nor generous dowries. Except for Zhenxiu, the other two cannot stand up to others. If their reputations are further tarnished, they may not be able to hold their heads high even after marriage.
Having finished her plan, Zhenshu began to devise the words to persuade Yu Yichen to let go. While gritting her teeth and pondering these words, she fell asleep without realizing it.
When she woke up, she opened the window and saw that the sun was already setting. So she went out and knocked on the door next door, calling out, "Yu Yichen?"
Sun Yuan suddenly appeared out of nowhere, pushed open the door and said, "Father-in-law has gone out. He told Miss Song to wait for him here when she wakes up."
☆, Chapter 67 Evening Song
Zhenshu entered the room and found it to be much larger than the one she had just stayed in. A short Persian rug covered the floor, and the plush cushions on the small bed resembled those in the western room of the small building in the back courtyard of the Yu residence. She sat down and touched them, suspecting that Yu Yichen had moved these things from her own home. She chuckled to herself, thinking: if he really did that, it would be utterly absurd.
A moment later, Yu Yichen pushed open the door and came in, his sapphire blue robe still damp. He had taken off his boots outside and walked over in only his socks, sitting on the small couch. He took a handkerchief and carefully wiped the damp spot. Zhenshu asked, "What were you doing? Why did you get your clothes wet?"
Yu Yichen raised his eyes and smiled, "I heard that the river water here has just thawed and the mandarin fish are very plump. I personally went to the river to catch one and asked them to steam it for you."
For some reason, when Zhenshu heard him say that he had personally caught a fish, he suddenly thought of the fish that Du Yu had grilled for him in the Wuling Mountains more than a year ago, which was both fishy and raw, and that ill-fated relationship that had no end. His throat felt a little sore, but he swallowed it and said, "It's just a fish. You brought so many people with you, why don't you just let them catch it?"
Yu Yichen was still smiling, but he didn't say anything. He was a little too happy today, and his smile was somewhat silly. Although Zhenshu had prepared a reason to refuse him, she couldn't bring herself to say it. She sighed inwardly: Let's eat properly first.
A moment later, Sun Yuan brought out a table of dishes, and in the center was a large, steamed mandarin fish. Zhen Shu picked up a piece with her chopsticks and tasted it. It was indeed fresh and tender, so she nodded and said, "I remember there was a poem from the previous dynasty that said: 'Peach blossoms float on the flowing water, and the mandarin fish is fat; white egrets fly before Xisai Mountain.' Although the peach blossoms have not yet bloomed, this fish is already quite plump."
Yu Yichen also took a bite and ate slowly without saying a word. After the two finished their meal, Sun Yuan came in and cleared the table. Yu Yichen then picked up the guqin again and began to play it. Zhen Shu didn't understand classical music, but she remembered that the piece he played on the canal that day was very beautiful. She smiled and said, "Could you play that piece, 'Guangling Zhixi,' again for us to hear?"
Yu Yichen stopped playing the zither, tapped her nose with his finger and smiled, "Today I am far from the state of mind I was in, so the music doesn't sound good."
Zhen Shu also sat cross-legged on the ground. The fish she had just seen reminded her of the dog she had given to Liu Zhang from the Eastern Palace in Hui County. The dog then reminded her of Du Yu, and Du Yu reminded her of what she had overheard that night about Yu Yichen going to Chengjia Fortress on the banks of the Daxia River to steal a treasure map. So she rested her chin on her hand and asked, "I heard that you went to the banks of the Daxia River to steal some kind of treasure map? I've only ever seen treasure maps in stories. I didn't expect them to actually exist. Is it a map?"
Yu Yichen smiled slightly and asked, "Who told you that?"
Zhenshu rolled her eyes and said, "One of my mother's great-aunts is a city-inspecting censor. There's nothing in the capital that she doesn't know."
Yu Yichen frowned and said seriously, "There are no women holding official positions in this dynasty. Who is this aunt of yours, your mother?"
Zhenshu realized he had taken it seriously and laughed uncontrollably, saying, "She's not a real city patrol censor. It's just that she walks around the city on her bound feet all day long, and no matter how trivial the matter is in the capital, it can't escape her eyes. That's why she's called a city patrol censor."
Yu Yichen shook his head and smiled gently, amused by her words: "It's not a treasure map. If it were, whoever gets it can dig it up and become rich. Why bother handing it over to the royal family?"
Zhen Shu asked, "If it's not a treasure map, then what is it?"
Yu Yichen took the hairpin from his hair and gestured on the ground: "It's just a mountain range, but it contains a lot of gold. And that treasure map is a map of this mountain range and marks the specific location of the gold mine."
Zhen Shu said, "Even so, that person should have dug it up and taken it home himself. Why should it be handed over to the royal family?"
Yu Yichen patiently explained, "That mountain range is called Helan Mountain, which was originally the lifeblood of the fallen Western Xia dynasty. Although there is gold in the mountain, it is located extremely deep inside, and ordinary people cannot dig it out. It would require tens of thousands of soldiers to mine it manually. Ordinary people can only sigh at the mountain, and besides, having the map in hand is like a hot potato, so the person who obtained the map handed it over to the royal family."
Zhenshu asked, "Did you get it?"
Yu Yichen remained noncommittal for a long while before asking, "Guess?"
Zhenshu had heard Dou Mingluan mention that Du Yu was also there at the time. She certainly didn't know who ultimately obtained the map, but the current emperor and Prince Ping had clashed over it, even implicating Consort Song, indicating there were still untold secrets involved. She shook her head and said, "How could I possibly guess?"
Yu Yichen remained silent, continuing to trace patterns on the blanket with the hairpin. Zhenshu had seen him many times, and this wooden hairpin was all he wore; it was rather plain. Now, seeing him holding it in his hand, though it was a simple wooden hairpin, it was translucent, with the wood grain clearly visible, and it had a certain charm. So she smiled and said, "Your hairpin is very pretty, but it's a bit too plain."
Yu Yichen handed it over and asked, "Do you like it?"
Zhenshu nodded, and he placed the wooden hairpin in her hand, saying, "If you like it, I'll give it to you."
Zhenshu handed the book back to him, saying, "I don't want it. If I take it, won't you be disheveled?"
Yu Yichen ruffled her hair and said, "Silly girl, how could I not even have a hairpin?"
Zhenshu straightened her hair, thinking about what she wanted to say to him to end things. Just as she was thinking about how to start, she heard him get up and say, "Go back to your room and sleep. I'm going to sleep too."
She was still thinking about how to refuse him, but he wanted to send her back to her room.
Zhenshu got up to take her leave and returned to her room, where she found that Sun Yuan had already prepared a hot bath for her. Remembering that her change of clothes was still in the carriage, she was about to go out to fetch them when she saw a set of clothes neatly folded on the bed—her own. Clearly, Sun Yuan had retrieved it from the carriage. She loosened her hair, took off her clothes, and soaked comfortably in the hot bath before lying down on the bed. Just then, she heard a knock at the door—three long knocks followed by two short ones.
Wearing only her undergarments, Zhenshu did not get out of bed but called out loudly, "Who is it?"
“Miss Song, it’s me.” It was Sun Yuan’s voice.
Zhenshu asked, "What is it?"
...
Just as Zhenshu was about to drift off to sleep, the knocking on the door started again. Zhenshu put on her long robe and went to the door, asking, "Who is it?"
“Miss Song, it’s me.” It was Sun Yuan again.
Zhenshu was a little angry and stood by the door, asking, "What is it? Speak."
Sun Yuan then stammered, "My father-in-law says he's feeling a bit inspired to play the zither and wants Miss Song to come and listen to him play."
Zhenshu yawned and said, "Since he wants to play, I can still hear it from here. Tell him I'm not going."
She lay back down on the bed, her head barely touching the pillow, when the knocking started again. Annoyed, Zhenshu threw on her clothes, went to the door, lowered the sheath, opened it, and asked, "What is it now?"
Sun Yuan bowed and stood apologetically, saying, "Your father-in-law instructed that you must call me over."
She went back inside to dress neatly, then came out and pushed open the door next door. There she saw Yu Yichen, as expected, still sitting cross-legged on a futon on the floor, playing the zither. She also sat cross-legged on the floor and gestured, saying, "Yu Yichen, I'm here. Play quickly."
Yu Yichen raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, a gentle smile playing on his lips. He reached out and began to play, but it wasn't the "Guangling Zhixi" from that day. This piece was extremely cheerful and uplifting, the music powerful and vigorous. Though it was just a guqin, he transformed it into a symphony of interwoven beginnings and endings.
Yu Yichen's slender fingers flew across the zither, the music rising and falling, fast and slow, constantly changing.
His eyes sparkled with excitement, his posture shifted gracefully, and his gaze followed the expression on Zhen Shu's face as he looked at her with a smile.
Zhen Shu, who was initially very sleepy, was suddenly jolted awake by the music, and his heart filled with joy as the music resonated with him. Suddenly, the music softened, carrying a hint of hazy intoxication, and then gradually stopped. Yu Yichen placed his hands on the zither to stop the music, looked up, and asked with a gentle smile, "Was it pleasant to listen to?"
Zhenshu nodded: "It's very beautiful. What piece is this?"
Yu Yichen said, "It's Pi Rixiu's 'Drunken Fisherman's Evening Song' from the previous dynasty."
Zhenshu laughed and said, "So the person in the song is a drunkard. No wonder he can be so happy and carefree."
Her long, freshly washed hair was loose, and because the ends were still damp, she used her fingers to shake it dry. Yu Yichen pushed his zither aside and came closer, also using his fingers to smooth her hair: "You have to wait until your hair is dry before you can sleep, otherwise you'll get a headache."
He gently pulled Zhenshu down by the shoulders and laid her in his arms, then swept her long black hair along his legs and gently stroked it with his fingers: "Tell me now how many things you've thought of to make me give up."
Zhenshu lay in his arms, seeing that his face still held a calm and carefree expression, yet a look of sorrow had crept into his brows. She felt a pang of pity and stared blankly at his eyes. Finally, when she had made up her mind to speak, he used his strength to lift her up, saying, "Since you can't say it, why not have some wine?"
Zhenshu felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders and nodded, saying, "Okay!"
Perhaps after a few drinks, some things are easier to say.
Yu Yichen got up and opened the door. A moment later, he brought out a small tray with a cup of warm yellow wine and two wine cups on it. He remained sitting cross-legged on the ground, placed the tray on the ground as well, and poured a cup for himself and Zhenshu. Zhenshu picked up her wine cup and said, "I've never drunk wine before. If I get drunk and make a fool of myself, please don't laugh at me."
After speaking, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and downed the glass in one gulp. The strong, sweet taste warmed her from her lips and tongue, flowing down to her chest. She patted her chest and said, "It's actually sweet!"
☆, Chapter 68 Wooden Hairpin
It's sweet and warm, no wonder he always loves to hold it and drink a cup.
Yu Yichen held the wine cup and sipped it lightly. He then poured another cup for Zhenshu and said, "This is Shaoxing wine. It's been simmered with dried tangerine peel, green plums, rock sugar, and other ingredients. It's the lightest sweet wine that won't make you drunk."
Since drinking wouldn't make her drunk, and it was a rare opportunity to escape the house and be carefree, why not have a few more drinks? Zhenshu thought to herself, and ended up drinking a few more cups, not even noticing when Yu Yichen got up to refill her cup. But for some reason, she gradually felt herself becoming more and more sober. Yu Yichen before her was crystal clear; the way his eyes were fixed on her, his smile, the tenderness in his eyes—all were crystal clear.
She seemed to understand everything unknown, yet also felt lost in a state of selflessness; her mind was clear and cheerful, but her heart was filled with pent-up emotions. She reached out to touch the tenderness in his eyes, but her hand slipped down against her will, and she fell into his arms.
Yu Yichen still held Zhenshu in his arms, and continued to tangle her dry hair in his hands, letting it fall and then letting it fall again, staring at her brow and saying, "If you want to refuse me, say it now."
Zhenshu shook her head and patted her chest, saying, "I can't say."
Yu Yichen lowered his head and kissed her, his lips rubbing against hers. Zhen Shu couldn't wait and slightly parted her lips, but he licked and caressed her all the way to her ear. Zhen Shu's mind was perfectly clear, but her whole body felt weak. Suddenly, she remembered that night in the Wuling Mountains, the night when she and Du Yu were both drenched in sweat as if they had been pulled out of the water.
She suddenly said, "No, you can't do this."
Yu Yichen's eyes reddened, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Why not?"
Zhenshu was too drunk to exert any strength, but her tongue was still nimble. She explained, "Actually, I am no longer a virgin. I know what love between men and women is. Although marriage is not my wish, I still need a man."
A real man.
These words sounded incredibly cruel, especially to Yu Yichen, but she had no choice but to say them. These were the words she had pondered all afternoon to reject him, but they were too cruel to utter.
Yu Yichen stared into her eyes and asked, "That man, is he that tribute student surnamed Tong?"
Zhen Shu, puzzled as to why he would think of Tong Qisheng, quickly shook her head and said, "No, why would you think of him?"
Yu Yichen smiled and said, "I only heard him say something about his past relationship with the second young lady of the Song family's mounting shop when he was drunk."
Zhen Shu gritted her teeth and said, "Shameless scoundrel!"
Seeing that she had sobered up considerably after his words, Yu Yichen climbed over and pinned her down on the bed, whispering in her ear, "Who was that man?"
Zhenshu looked up at the bed canopy and smiled bitterly, “It’s a bandit, a bandit from Wuling Mountain. I told you, I lost it before.”
Yu Yichen asked, "Did he force himself on you?"
Zhenshu shook her head: "No, it was my own choice."
Since leaving Wuling Mountain, she had never admitted to this matter. Although she pretended not to care, the lie had been suffocating her for more than a year. Today, she happened to meet someone just as bad, and she couldn't help but reveal the truth, not for pity or to gain forgiveness, but simply to tell the truth together with the third party.
Yu Yichen covered her clothes, inserted his slender fingers into her long black hair, lifted her head and held her to his chest, and murmured, "No matter what, it's all in the past."
Zhenshu shook her head: "No. He's a liar. He lied to me. I thought he was just a farmhand. I even planned to start a business with him, but he was just a liar after all. And I was just a fool who was easily fooled."
From Dou Mingluan to Liu Wenxiang, and then to Song Zhenshu, Du Yu had been deceiving people all the way from the capital to Liangzhou. She had always thought that because she had grown up outside the capital and read many books, she was more knowledgeable than other women. She could accept losing her virginity, she could accept being deceived; the only thing she couldn't accept was realizing that she was actually more shallow, ignorant, and naive than Liu Wenxiang and Dou Mingluan. This was the most heartbreaking thing she had been unwilling to admit for over a year, yet had to.