Zhenshu shook her head and cried, "I don't want to see you like that. Even if others curse and despise you, I still want you to be as peaceful and safe as you are now, without suffering the torture and pain you brought to inflict on them."
If he loses, the things displayed in his mansion will naturally be used against him as well.
Yu Yichen also stopped and said, "Then I will not lose."
Zhenshu continued walking forward, and after a long while, she said, "I don't wish for you to not be defeated. I wish you to leave that place from now on, or stop doing those things for the emperor. Wouldn't it be better to be a peaceful eunuch, just serving his daily needs?"
She looked on hopefully, even if he just nodded in agreement, she would still be willing to reconcile with him and marry him. But he remained silent and kept walking forward. Zhenshu followed, silently walking alongside him.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and the moisture in the early spring snow was so deep that Zhenshu's cotton shoes were already soaked through. Her feet gradually became frozen, and she suddenly slipped and almost fell. Yu Yichen quickly helped her up and, seeing that she was only wearing cotton shoes, asked with a hint of reproach, "Why aren't you wearing so many boots? Why are you only wearing cloth shoes in this cold weather?"
Suddenly he realized and said, "You haven't been to our courtyard again?"
He had prepared many shoes and clothes in that house, telling her to go there whenever she wanted. But she never went.
The two looked around, and everywhere they looked, there was only silent snow. Yu Yichen beckoned his attendant over and asked, "Where is this?"
The eunuch lowered his head and hid in the snow, saying, "It's not far from Chuanzi Alley."
Chuanzi Alley is the small courtyard that Yu Yichen set up. It is named Chuanzi Alley because it consists of three parallel alleys of the same length.
Yu Yichen helped Zhenshu up and said, "Go change your shoes first."
Although Zhenshu was also puzzled as to why he had brought her here again, they were both in the same situation, so she thought he wouldn't have done it on purpose. It was probably just a coincidence. She nodded and walked ahead.
He entered the alley and knocked on a door. An unfamiliar old man opened the door and was startled to see Yu Yichen. He quickly bowed and said, "This old servant has not seen you, sir. There is no fire in any of the houses. What should we do?"
Yu Yichen then coaxed Zhenshu to come here. Regardless of whether a fire had been lit or not, he waved his hand, and several eunuchs rushed in behind him. Some fetched charcoal braziers, some lit fires, and some boiled water. They were busy all at once.
They had gotten warm from walking, but the room was cold. Once inside, they took off their shoes and socks and shivered uncontrollably. Yu Yichen found a silk robe for Zhenshu to wrap herself in, and then took a large handkerchief to wipe her head. Seeing that her teeth were chattering from the cold, he came out and asked, "Why hasn't the fire been lit yet?"
☆、92.1
Several eunuchs, having just brought in the charcoal, dared not linger any longer. They carried it in with both hands and covered it with a lid. Yu Yichen helped Zhenshu sit down beside the charcoal brazier, took the foot warmer from the eunuch, added coal, and placed it under Zhenshu's feet. Seeing that she was still trembling, he stood up and said, "I'll have them heat up some water. A hot bath might help."
Zhenshu trembled as she agreed, and waited wrapped in her silk robe.
A moment later, Yu Yichen came in and said, "The water is ready. Come on, let's take a bath."
When Zhenshu arrived at the washroom, she saw a jar of hot water, hot water still on the stove beside it, and a bucket of clean water. She loosened her belt and said, "You can go out now."
Yu Yichen chuckled at her slightly embarrassed expression and said, "I haven't seen any part of your body before, so what's wrong with me washing you?"
Zhen Shu thought to herself that they were no longer in that kind of relationship. Seeing him come over and tie her hair, she didn't say anything and obediently took off her clothes and sat in the bathtub.
Yu Yichen scooped up water and poured it over Zhenshu, gently massaging her from her neck down, and asked in her ear, "Have you ever thought about me?"
Zhenshu felt a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen and quickly closed her eyes, replying, "No."
When she lied, she would glance at him suddenly, close her eyes, and purse her lips, looking ridiculous like a child who had just managed to fool an adult.
All of Yu Yichen's worries vanished instantly, and he felt a surge of joy, almost wanting to burst into laughter. He finally restrained himself and tentatively asked, "Then it's obvious you've found someone else again."
Zhen Shu glared at Yu Yichen angrily and said, "Who would I look for? Who could I possibly look for?"
Her coquettish expression was even more adorable, carrying a hint of fierceness, like a child throwing a tantrum with unwavering self-righteousness.
Yu Yichen was massaging her neck when she looked up and closed her eyes to wait. Yu Yichen stared intently at Zhenshu and said, "Or it might be a man, a real man."
Zhen Shu opened her eyes, glanced at Yu Yichen, shook her head and smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid I'll never get married in this lifetime, at least not in the capital."
Yu Yichen poured water over her and whispered in her ear, "Even if you don't want to marry me, you can never fall in love with another man. Because I've spoiled you, my little shopkeeper."
His eyes and brows were full of gentle smiles. If only he could always be like this, and if those terrible things hadn't happened behind him. Zhenshu thought this, then suddenly asked Yu Yichen, "If you weren't a eunuch, but a real man, would you still treat me like this?"
Yu Yichen stopped what she was doing, a touch of charming melancholy gradually appearing between her brows. After a long while, she smiled and said, "I never thought about it, I never thought about it, what if I weren't like this now? Because damn it, that thing will never exist."
After a long pause, he smiled again and said, "Maybe not. Maybe I will still meet you and still love you, because loving you is something that comes from my heart. But I won't be able to understand your pain and helplessness as deeply as I dote on you like this. Because if I were really a man, it would be very easy for me to receive and be loved."
It must be said that his answer was very rational and pertinent.
Zhenshu lowered her head and said, "No matter what you look like, whether you are a real man now or not, I love you not for everything you can give me, not for money, not for your gentleness and kindness, I love you as a person. I can't give you everything that heaven and this world have taken away from you, but I hope to make it up to you."
She paused for a moment, then shook her head and said, "But there's nothing I can do to help you. I can't even persuade you to stop."
Yu Yichen said, "It's like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you'll fall behind. I won't and can't stop. As for everything I've done, I only feel sorry for you."
He ultimately refused to admit his mistake and refused to acknowledge that he was guilty of leading the Tartars into the Central Plains.
Zhen Shu turned and stared at Yu Yichen, tears streaming down her face. She stammered, "If you stop now, I'm willing to share the sins of everything you've done. Even if we go to hell, I'm willing to take half of the punishments for you. I'll suffer half of all the terrible tortures in the Ksitigarbha Sutra for you, husband and wife sharing the burden. But if you don't stop, not only will I not marry you, but I will never see you again."
Yu Yichen took a handkerchief to dry her whole body, and then took the long robe she had worn before and put it on her. He wrapped her tightly in the robe and took her out to the outer room. At this time, everyone was tending to the charcoal brazier, and it was much hotter than before. Zhenshu was still cold and sneezed.
She had just thrown off her robe and crawled into bed when Yu Yichen came in with a small plate and got into bed as well. He poured her a cup and said, "Drink something hot to ward off the cold."
Zhen Shu put on her silk robe and sat up. The two of them sat at opposite ends of the quilt, holding cups of warm yellow wine. Yu Yichen stretched out his feet, searching for Zhen Shu's warm feet, and then placed his own icy feet between her warm thighs. Only then did he say, "Let's not talk about outside matters today, let's just enjoy a cup of wine, shall we?"
Zhenshu had been trying to persuade him ever since they met, and seeing that he couldn't be persuaded, she nodded helplessly and sipped her rice wine. Yu Yichen warmed a mouthful of rice wine in his mouth, and seeing Zhenshu silently twirling the rim of the wine cup with her fingertip, he got up, pushed the plate to the ground, and, with a mouthful of rice wine in his mouth, forced the entire mouthful into Zhenshu's mouth before asking again, "You really haven't thought about me?"
Zhenshu swallowed the wine, kissed him deeply, and then said, "I want to."
Seeing him kiss her again, Zhenshu tilted her head, hid her eyes, and stared at Yu Yichen, saying slowly and deliberately, "But I will never marry you."
His hand had already slipped inside her open dress, roaming up and down. Zhen Shu arched her back and let out a soft groan. Encouraged by this, Yu Yichen reached for the sheep's eye ring soaking in the golden cup on the table and the Burmese bell nestled in the warm charcoal. He then traced his way down her lips, still searching for the source that could bring her pleasure to the point of death.
He tossed and turned for an unknown amount of time that night, until she was exhausted and her lower body was dry. He then gave her some saliva and continued stirring, trying each ingredient in the bowl again and again. Zhenshu felt a tingling sensation all over her skin, even her hair felt numb. Finally, exhausted, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, ignoring his continued entanglement.
When Zhenshu woke up suddenly, she saw Yu Yichen still dressed in his full eunuch's robes, leaning against the bedside and looking at her. Seeing that she was awake, Yu Yichen smiled and kissed her forehead, saying, "I'm going to the palace."
Zhenshu was still half asleep when she saw that it was only half-lit outside. She asked, "What time is it?"
Yu Yichen said, "It's not even four in the morning yet, you should sleep a little longer."
Recently, the situation in the court has been volatile, and Li Xuzhe is exhausted from dealing with it. Every morning, he has to be woken up to accompany him to court, arriving at least 25 minutes earlier than the other ministers.
Seeing that he was all ready, Zhenshu knew he was about to leave. She quickly jumped off the bed, wrapped herself in an outer garment, then put on the silk robe, and hastily slipped on a pair of boots, saying, "Come on, I'll see you out."
Yu Yichen tightened the sash of her clothes before saying, "Okay."
He walked ahead, and she followed behind. They went downstairs and out of the small building, and saw that the snow had stopped sometime earlier, leaving a thick layer of glistening white snow in the courtyard. Yu Yichen stepped into the snow first, his boots making a crunching sound, while Zhenshu followed behind, breathing in the incredibly cold air outside. She accompanied him all the way out of the courtyard to the road, then to the side gate and finally to the main gate of the courtyard.
She had imagined countless times that if they got married, she would get up early to send him off to his shift, cook dinner in the evening and wait for him to come back, then they would eat together, talk about the interesting things that happened to them during the day, and then fall asleep in each other's arms at night.
It doesn't matter if we don't have children; she's willing to live with him for the rest of her life.
In fact, perhaps this was the only time in her life she would give him this gift.
Upon reaching the gate, the carriage was already parked outside. Zhenshu saw Yu Yichen stop and turn around, so she stood inside the gate, looking up at him. Yu Yichen turned around, still holding the wooden hairpin in his hand, and handed it to her, saying, "I got up late today and couldn't do your hair. Can you do it yourself?"
Zhenshu turned the hairpin around and put it in his hand, saying, "I cannot marry you, and I will not take this thing anymore."
Yu Yichen held her in his arms and whispered, "Okay. But you have to promise me one thing: as long as I'm alive, you can't marry any man."
Zhenshu nodded and said, "Alright, I will never marry any man."
Yu Yichen added, "If I see you marry another man, I will kill him with my own hands."
After saying this, he took the hairpin back into his hand, turned around, and went out.
Zhenshu stood on the gate, watching the carriage with its lantern and accompanying eunuchs stir up the snow in the alley and disappear around the corner before returning to the courtyard and her small building. Having just experienced the cold air, her mind was clear and her body felt refreshed. She lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, so she got up early, dressed, greeted the old man guarding the gate, and headed to the mounting shop in the East Market.
It's common for the value of calligraphy and paintings to double after a person's death in the art market. Song Anrong, a commoner with no official rank or grade, possessed extraordinary skills and almost became the father-in-law of Yu Yichen, the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Palace. With the passing of such a legendary figure, the prices of his calligraphy and paintings skyrocketed.
Regardless of what others said, Song Anrong's calligraphy and paintings in the Song family's mounting shop were still priced at 1,000 taels of silver for a full sheet of 1.6-foot scrolls, gradually decreasing to 200 taels for a full sheet of 4-foot scrolls, and decreasing to only 20 or 30 taels for small pieces such as mirrors and fans. However, now that he has passed away, apart from those hanging outside, the paintings and calligraphy hidden upstairs are gradually no longer sold, and the mounting shop rarely displays his works anymore.
Seeing that Song's mounting shop was reluctant to sell, many people who were willing to collect calligraphy and paintings outside started to speculate on his works. By the beginning of March of the following year, a six-foot scroll was being speculated to fetch more than ten thousand taels of silver.
Zhenyu now lives alone in a rented courtyard. The deposed Marquis of Beishun died in prison, and four of his five sons are dead. Zhang Shi, along with her unmarried daughter Dou Mingluan, now lives with Dou Keming and Zhenyu. Zhenyu's dowry was fully recovered from the confiscated Marquis of Beishun's mansion, but now that the Marquis's title is gone and his property is confiscated, she feels like she's running out of money despite having a mountain of wealth. Gradually, she wants to earn some money for herself, but having never been involved in business since childhood, she has no idea what it's like to do business.
Hearing rumors that her second uncle Song Anrong's calligraphy and paintings were worth a thousand taels of gold each, she thought angrily, "If that's true, Zhenshu will be rich!" Who knows how many paintings Song Anrong had painted for her back then, keeping them by her side? And then she thought about how Zhenxiu had swallowed up such a huge sum of money from the Dowager Empress, and how she had sent dozens of people to search the whole city but still couldn't find Zhenxiu.
Thinking to himself that the second branch of the family had enjoyed so many benefits, if the calligraphy and paintings were truly valuable, he might as well ask Zhenshu to send him two pieces to keep as a source of income or as part of his daughter's dowry. Having made up his mind, he wrote a letter expressing his desire to request two pieces of calligraphy from Song Anrong, to hang at home and remember his second uncle's voice and appearance.
Because she deliberately mentioned that her house was spacious and she wanted the largest painting available, Zhenshu was in a difficult position. This was because paintings larger than six feet were too energy-consuming, and Song Anrong rarely painted them. Although he did have a few large calligraphy works, they were all his masterpieces, which she now wanted to keep hidden away and refused to share.
After much deliberation, Zhenshu chose a six-foot painting and a square painting. The six-foot painting was of Bodhidharma, and the square painting contained four lines from a poem by Du Fu of the previous dynasty, "The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup": "Li Bai drinks a jug of wine and writes a hundred poems, sleeps in a tavern in Chang'an. The emperor summons him, but he refuses to board the boat, proclaiming himself an immortal of wine."
☆、93
She carefully wrapped the two paintings, didn't call for a carriage, and informed Hua'er to watch the counter for her. Then, she left the East Market and followed Zhenyu's servants to Zhenyu's residence. The house Zhenyu bought wasn't far from the former Beishun Marquis's residence, just across the street. However, the house was much smaller, just a simple courtyard like the one Yu Yichen had purchased. But nowadays, land in the capital was sold by the square foot, and even such a small house cost hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, which showed how enormous Zhenyu's dowry was.
Her home still contained the same furnishings she had brought with her when she was a bride at the Marquis of Beishun's residence. However, due to the recent relocation, they were now somewhat worn and damaged, no longer looking brand new and pristine. Moreover, most of the servants in the household had left, and only Ji Chun remained to serve her personally.
Zhenyu was full of hope that Zhenshu would bring her two precious paintings, so she hurriedly asked Jichun to unfold the paintings and take a look. She saw that the Bodhidharma was a bitter-faced old man worshipping Buddha, and that the calligraphy on the square painting was only a few lines. She was already a little displeased. She thought to herself that Zhenshu thought she was down on her luck and was trying to fool her with such things. She was a little disappointed and the two of them just sat there on the small couch.
She suddenly recalled the fright she experienced while under house arrest at the Marquis of Beishun's residence, and the fact that Zhenshu and Yu Yichen had discussed marriage. She also heard rumors that Yu Yichen had shown Zhenshu tenderness and affection when he visited the Song residence to offer condolences. She picked up her teacup and said, "Sisters are said to be the closest of kin. I can never forget the kindness of you in taking Nannan out of the mansion. But we were confined to the mansion, a family of women locked up in the large house behind the Marquis's residence. We were cold, hungry, and exhausted. I will never forget how many days we endured."
Zhen Shu said, "It's easy to get the baby out, after all, how old is she? But it's difficult for the adult."