Wu Zhen noticed how the young lord’s hand stiffened uncomfortably, yet he dared not withdraw it. Finding his reaction amusing, she deliberately prolonged her touch before releasing his hand. As soon as she let go, Mei Zhuyu quickly hid his hand in his sleeve. He was still unaccustomed to intimate physical contact with others. When most people got too close, he felt a sense of repulsion. However, with Wu Zhen, the feeling was slightly different. There was no repulsion, but his heart raced uncontrollably, making it difficult to focus.
“It’s almost time for your shift to end. Are you heading home now?” Wu Zhen asked.
Mei Zhuyu shook his head. “No, I need to return to the office first.” Regretting his earlier unconscious remark to Wu Zhen, he attempted to rectify the situation. “If you have urgent matters to attend to, please go ahead. I’ll return to the Ministry of Justice first.” He then went to retrieve his horse.
However, when he returned, he found Wu Zhen still waiting there.
“I don’t have any pressing matters. I’ll accompany you and see you off at the palace gate,” Wu Zhen said as she mounted her horse, stroking its mane. She chuckled softly, “Didn’t you say earlier that you hadn’t seen me in a long time?” The young lord was too shy to admit he wanted to see her.
Mei Zhuyu silently mounted his horse. The two horses walked side by side, maintaining an arm’s length distance between them. Neither rider urged their mount to gallop, instead opting for a leisurely pace.
Wu Zhen tugged on her reins, bringing the horses closer together. She turned to Mei Zhuyu and asked, “How’s your drinking practice going?”
Mei Zhuyu replied, “I practice every night when I return home.” Which meant he ended up drunk every night.
Wu Zhen could imagine the situation and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She wasn’t sure how to advise him. “My lord, drinking should be a pleasurable experience. It’s only enjoyable when you can truly appreciate the taste. If you force yourself to drink large quantities every day without finding any pleasure in it, there’s no point in continuing.”
“If you don’t enjoy drinking, there’s no need to practice building up your tolerance. When the time comes for the wedding banquet, I’ll find a way to ensure you don’t drink too much. You won’t need to drink on other occasions either. You can keep the remaining wine at home for me to drink later.”
Hearing her words, Mei Zhuyu appeared somewhat displeased. Panicking, he tightened his grip on the reins, causing his horse to suddenly rear its head and stop.
“I… I won’t waste your wine anymore. I just haven’t gotten used to the taste yet… Why don’t you keep that wine for yourself, and I’ll get some more on my own? If I drink more, I’m sure I’ll come to like it, truly.”
Wu Zhen stopped her horse and reassured the anxious young lord, “I didn’t say you were wasting my wine. I just don’t want you to force yourself. After all, I’m the kind of person who never forces myself to do things I don’t like. You don’t need to force yourself either. Wouldn’t it be better to live more freely?”
Mei Zhuyu glanced at her and said, “I am following my heart.” He had given his heart to someone, and now he wanted to follow her in everything.
Wu Zhen didn’t know how to respond. “Alright then, but don’t rush to drink. Drink less, and in the future, I’ll drink with you. Perhaps drinking together will make it more enjoyable.”
“Agreed,” Mei Zhuyu responded, already looking forward to it.
The two rode slowly, reaching the palace gate just as officials were leaving work to return home. As they were about to say goodbye, a man emerged from within the palace.
This middle-aged man stood straight-backed with a solemn expression. His eyebrows slanted upwards, with a few strands of gray at his temples. His downturned mouth made him appear quite unapproachable.
Wu Zhen recognized him as the father of her friend Snake Girl, or Liu Taizhen – Censor Liu. Known for his impartiality and rigid principles, Censor Liu despised wastrels like Wu Zhen who squandered their lives on frivolous pursuits and corrupted others. Whenever he saw Wu Zhen, Censor Liu would glare at her with bristling whiskers – much like a disapproving father-in-law eyeing an unsatisfactory son-in-law.
Of course, Wu Zhen reasonably suspected that Censor Liu’s dislike stemmed from a misunderstanding about her relationship with Liu Taizhen. That youthful misunderstanding had persisted until now, leaving Wu Zhen both amused and exasperated. If Censor Liu ever discovered that she and his precious daughter Liu Taizhen were actually good friends, he might suffer a shock.
Speaking of which, there was an interesting anecdote. A couple of years ago, before many ladies in Chang’an started wearing men’s robes, this ‘improper trend’ had begun with Wu Zhen. After she started parading around in men’s attire, more and more women followed suit. Eventually, even palace consorts and princesses occasionally donned men’s robes. Censor Liu strongly disapproved of this practice and severely criticized it in court, causing the emperor considerable distress. In truth, the emperor quite enjoyed seeing his consorts in different styles of dress, finding it amusing, though he dared not say so. If he had, Censor Liu would surely have given him no end of trouble.
When Wu Zhen visited the palace to listen to new music, the emperor confided his frustrations to her. Mischievously, Wu Zhen sent a set of handsome men’s robes to her friend Liu Taizhen that very day. Having been friends for many years, Liu Taizhen understood Wu Zhen’s intentions perfectly. She put on the robes immediately and, when her father Censor Liu returned home, asked with a smile, “Everyone says I look good in this. What do you think, Father?”
How could Censor Liu respond? Could he say his precious daughter looked bad in men’s clothes? Of course not. This principled censor’s greatest principle was to have no principles when it came to his daughter.
In short, after seeing his daughter start wearing men’s robes like Wu Zhen, Censor Liu quieted down and never again spoke against women wearing inappropriate clothing. He feared that one wrong word might inadvertently criticize his beloved daughter. From then on, Censor Liu could only turn a blind eye to such outrageous behavior.
Wu Zhen was accustomed to Censor Liu’s disapproval and greeted him as cheerfully as ever, smiling brightly. However, the more amiable she acted, the less Censor Liu seemed to like her, for reasons unknown.
Surprisingly, Censor Liu’s attitude towards Mei Zhuyu was exceptionally good. Wu Zhen had never seen Censor Liu display such a benevolent expression towards herself. After exchanging greetings and a few words with Mei Zhuyu, Censor Liu left without so much as a glance at Wu Zhen. Mei Zhuyu watched his retreating figure curiously, then turned to examine Wu Zhen.
“I didn’t know you were acquainted with Censor Liu,” Wu Zhen remarked.
Mei Zhuyu explained, “Previously, Censor Liu wanted to recommend me for a position in the Censorate, but I felt the Ministry of Justice suited me well, so I declined his kind offer. However, Censor Liu is very knowledgeable and experienced, so I occasionally seek his advice on various matters. Over time, we’ve developed something of a relationship. Censor Liu has a good temperament and is always patient in teaching his juniors and students.”
Good temperament? Patient in teaching? Wu Zhen wondered if they were talking about the same Censor Liu.
For the first time, Wu Zhen looked at the young lord with admiration. To be on good terms with Censor Liu was no small feat. Then again, considering Mei Zhuyu’s personality, it seemed natural that Censor Liu would like him. But this raised a puzzling question: how could they get along so well when one despised her so much and the other was so fond of her?
Wu Zhen pondered this question all the way to the Demon Market. Liu Taizhen was at the Yan Tower today, and Wu Zhen saw her sitting and writing something. She walked over, tapped on the table, and said, “Little Snake, I ran into your father today. He still had that perpetually displeased expression. Do you think he still believes I bullied you in the past? Why don’t you clear up this misunderstanding with him?”
Liu Taizhen didn’t look up. “I’ve already explained it to him.”
Wu Zhen pressed on, “Then why does he still dislike me so much? Oh, by the way, while he can’t stand me, he’s quite fond of my fiancé. His amiable attitude surprised me.”
Liu Taizhen continued writing, her tone calm, “My father does indeed admire the Mei family’s eldest son. About half a year ago, he quietly asked me if I’d consider choosing such a husband. It seemed he wanted to match us up, but I refused. I told him I didn’t like that type.”
Wu Zhen was unaware of this development. She couldn’t help but imagine the stern-faced Censor Liu, the cold and severe Liu Taizhen, and the expressionless young lord together. The mental image made her break out in a cold sweat – it was terrifying. The oppressive atmosphere and force they would create together could only be described as righteousness incarnate.
Shaking the image from her mind, Wu Zhen curiously asked Liu Taizhen, “You told Censor Liu directly that you didn’t like someone like the young lord? Did he ask what type you do like?”
Liu Taizhen still didn’t look up, her tone dismissive. “He did.”
Wu Zhen pressed further, “So how did you answer?”
Liu Taizhen replied, “I said, ‘If Wu Zhen were a man, I’d like that type.'”
Wu Zhen was speechless. Well, now she understood why Censor Liu always looked at her with such disapproval.
“What are you writing here that’s so engrossing you can’t even spare a moment to chat with me?” Wu Zhen leaned over to see what Liu Taizhen was writing, forcibly prying open the first scroll.
“‘Records of Spirits and Monsters’? You certainly have time for leisure pursuits. You previously wrote ‘Records of Ghosts and Demons’, and now you’re writing about spirits and monsters.”
Liu Taizhen swatted her hand away irritably. “Don’t interfere with my work.”
Thinking of the “Records of Ghosts and Demons” reminded Wu Zhen of Mei Si. That fellow greatly enjoyed the book and had said he wanted to create an entire illustrated volume for the author, White Snake Gentleman. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Mei Si for a couple of days. He was probably holed up at home, fully absorbed in his painting.
“Snake Girl.” A man with a scholarly and refined demeanor ascended the Yan Tower, carrying a scroll. A well-built woman followed behind him, holding a basket containing several pieces of pork.
“Cat Gentleman is here too. Perfect timing. My wife and I caught something interesting. We’d like you both to take a look and tell us what it might be.”
The man’s features were unremarkable, but his gentle and quiet demeanor easily endeared him to others. He placed the scroll in front of Wu Zhen and Liu Taizhen, inviting them to look.
The woman accompanying him exuded a fierce aura. She set down the basket and said, “We caught this while patrolling a couple of nights ago.”
This couple were Liu Taizhen’s two deputies, a husband and wife. The man’s name was Ling Xiao, a wisteria spirit who ran a bookshop in the East Market. The woman, a pig spirit named Zhu Ying, was a butcher. During the day, the couple worked in the East Market – one selling books, the other selling pork. At night, they voluntarily patrolled Chang’an to prevent ghostly disturbances.
Compared to them, Wu Zhen’s two deputies – one a charlatan and the other a pearl spirit – were truly unproductive.
Liu Taizhen reached out to unroll the painting Ling Xiao had brought. It depicted dozens of ghosts with fierce expressions. She examined it closely and praised, “This painting is quite good, with a touch of spiritual energy.”
Wu Zhen studied it for a while before exclaiming in surprise, “This style looks very familiar. How strange – it seems to be the work of Mei Si?”