In an instant, Ji Cheng’s mind raced through several thoughts, the most crucial being how to miscarry without anyone noticing.
Shen Che gently stroked Ji Cheng’s nose, “Are you that afraid? It’s just a few days late. Let me check your pulse.”
Ji Cheng quickly extended her hand. Shen Che felt her pulse and said, “It’s fine.”
Ji Cheng uncertainly asked, “Can you tell this early?”
Shen Che gave Ji Cheng a disdainful look, as if to say, “Are you doubting my medical skills?” However, Ji Cheng remained skeptical.
Shen Che pulled Ji Cheng back into his embrace and lay down, resting his chin on her shoulder. He whispered in her ear, “If we had a child, I wonder what they would look like? Probably harder to please than Hong’er, but prettier.”
Ji Cheng’s drowsiness had vanished, and now Shen Che’s musings frightened her so much that her palms began to sweat. She closed her eyes and said coldly, “We won’t have children.”
Shen Che replied nonchalantly, “Of course, it’s not suitable now.”
If it wasn’t suitable now, would it be suitable in the future? Ji Cheng grew increasingly afraid, more convinced that her decision was correct. Every man for himself, she thought. If Shen Che was toying with her, she naturally had to fight back.
Knowing that Ji Cheng was tense, Shen Che changed the subject, “I’m leaving for the Western Regions tomorrow.”
Ji Cheng’s heart tightened again upon hearing this, feeling utterly terrified by Shen Che.
The news came so suddenly that Ji Cheng didn’t know how to react. Had Mei Changhe succeeded? She hadn’t received any news yet, so she felt very uneasy. “Why are you suddenly going to the Western Regions? Wasn’t the recent news quite normal?”
Shen Che turned his head and gave Ji Cheng a meaningful look, “There’s something I need to attend to.”
“But tomorrow is Sister Yan’s wedding day. Is it that urgent?” Ji Cheng asked.
Shen Che replied, “I’ll leave after A’Yan completes the ceremony. Will you miss me during these days I’m gone, A’Cheng?”
“Of course,” Ji Cheng responded softly. She would certainly think of him day and night – this was no lie.
Shen Che squeezed Ji Cheng’s palm, “You look quite slender, but you’re not thin where it matters. The thickness of your palm indicates good fortune.” He then nibbled on Ji Cheng’s earlobe, “You have an ear pearl, which is also a sign of good fortune.”
Ji Cheng’s mind was in turmoil, unable to enjoy Shen Che’s compliments. “How am I fortunate?”
Shen Che chuckled and whispered in Ji Cheng’s ear, “Wait for me to return.”
The ceremony wouldn’t be until dusk, and there weren’t many matters that would make Shen Che rush to depart overnight. Ji Cheng thought that Mei Changhe must have succeeded in his mission, and Fang Xuan had been lured into Gumuo as per their plan.
As for Ji Cheng’s father, Ji Qing, he finally arrived in the capital on the morning of Shen Yan’s wedding day.
“Father, why did you arrive only today? Did something happen at home?” Ji Cheng asked as soon as she saw Ji Qing.
Ji Qing looked somewhat haggard, probably due to traveling overnight. “Nothing happened. Recently, Governor Yuan finally relented, and now we share the iron mine equally with the Tan and Chen families. Didn’t you urge me to hurry? So I stayed in Jin for two more days to check on the blacksmiths’ progress. Who exactly are we selling this batch to? The quantity is so large, and the timeline so tight?”
With Shen Che gone, Ji Cheng wasn’t afraid to tell Ji Qing the truth. “It’s for Gumuo and Jieshi. Father, did you have the craftsmen rush the production according to my requirements?”
Ji Qing nodded, “Of course. Bright, sharp, but prone to rust. They might not be usable after two or three years. Won’t this affect our reputation?”
Ji Cheng nodded, “I’ve already informed them. We’re selling this batch at cost, and I’ve notified them of the weapons’ defects. They only need them for the near future, so if this batch can be transported, it should be done as soon as possible.”
Ji Qing nodded, “After observing the ceremony today, I’ll return to Jin tomorrow. I’ll come back for A’Cui’s wedding.”
“Father, please don’t push yourself so hard. Let Uncle Chai and the others oversee things. It’s been only a year since I last saw you and your white hair is already noticeable,” Ji Cheng said. Seeing Ji Qing’s aging saddened her. If not for Shen Che’s interference, threats, and enticements, Ji Qing would have been enjoying his retirement at home with his grandchildren by now, instead of rushing about like this.
“This old body of mine can still move. I need to earn more for you siblings,” Ji Qing said. “You’ve worked hard these past few years. Your Second Brother’s leg has almost fully healed, and I’ve helped him find a suitable girl – your Uncle Chai’s daughter. You’ve met her before. She has the same commanding presence you had in your younger days. Once this period is over, you can relinquish your responsibilities and comfortably enjoy life as the eldest daughter of the Ji family.”
Ji Cheng nodded. It seemed that her decision to involve the Ji family in this turmoil had displeased Ji Qing. However, Ji Cheng would eventually have to hand over her authority. She was genuinely happy that her second brother, Ji Ze, could stand again. As for the disappointment in her heart, Ji Cheng suppressed it forcefully.
A few days after Shen Che’s departure, Ji Cheng received a secret letter from Mei Changhe. The letter was sent on the day he confirmed Fang Xuan had entered Gumuo. Shen Che had received the news several days earlier than Ji Cheng, proving the renowned speed of the Jingshi Army’s intelligence network.
Ji Cheng burned Mei Changhe’s letter, hoping everything would go smoothly and prevent Shen Che from returning.
Now that Shen Che had set out for the Western Regions, Ji Cheng needed to activate her secret network in the Northern Hu. She placed her token along with a secret letter in a bamboo tube, sealed it with wax, and had it delivered.
From this point on, matters in the Western Regions were beyond Ji Cheng’s control. The distance was too great for her to manage directly, so she could only place her hopes on Mei Changhe.
As for whether they could keep Shen Che in the Western Regions permanently, Ji Cheng also pinned some hope on Zhe Li, the war god of the Northern Hu.
Although Shen Che had never mentioned Zhe Li to Ji Cheng, she knew of such a famous figure. Shen Che’s statement that the Northern Hu could only be subdued by force and not through divisive policies indicated how troublesome they were.
Ji Cheng didn’t know that Zhe Li and Shen Che had previously clashed, but she felt that someone in the Northern Hu would surely be interested in the Jing Lord. If they could entice Zhe Li to act, that would be ideal. If he wasn’t interested, it didn’t matter – as long as things were handled well in the Western Regions, and if the people of Gumuo and Jieshi weren’t completely foolish, they still had a good chance of success.
Regarding the Jingshi Army in the Western Regions, Ji Cheng had already sent messages to Tong Xiang and others. She had already moved all the Jingshi Army personnel under her control far away from Gumuo, leaving Shen Che to fight alone.
No matter how capable Shen Che was, he couldn’t fight against overwhelming odds. Moreover, he would be facing the army under the Gumuo Crown Prince, as well as assassins sent by the King of Jieshi.
Ji Cheng comforted herself with these thoughts. However, for some reason, when Shen Che was around, she could always sleep at Jiuli Academy, but now she was sleepless again, lying awake until dawn.
On the third day after Shen Yan’s wedding, it was time for her to return home. Ji Cheng had dark circles under her eyes and had to apply some powder to conceal her haggard appearance.
The newlywed Shen Yan looked radiant, her complexion glowing, with an indescribable charm that wasn’t present when she was unmarried. As she entered with Zeng Xiuwen, her face bore the shy expression of a newly married woman, her head slightly lowered.
The Old Madam held Shen Yan’s hand and talked for a long while, asking this and that, repeating each question two or three times before finally letting go.
As soon as Shen Yan was free, Shen Qin quickly pulled her into a nearby warm room to talk with the other sisters.
Zeng Xiuwen was naturally very good to Shen Yan, as the sisters had overheard during the Old Madam’s questioning. Shen He and Shen Yun, being married women, were more open-minded and “improper” than the younger girls.
Shen He whispered, “Is your husband gentle with you? Does he take care of you at night? A man his age, and with the Zeng family being so strict, I heard he doesn’t even have a concubine. Don’t let him only think of himself and neglect you. You mustn’t let him have his way all the time.”
Shen He’s words made Shen Yan’s face turn bright red. “Elder Sister, what are you saying? A’Qin and A’Cheng are still here.”
Shen Cui was naturally excluded from this conversation, as she already had a child.
Shen Qin initially didn’t understand the meaning of Shen He’s words, but upon hearing Shen Yan’s response, she immediately realized the impropriety and quickly stood up. “Elder Sister, why are you asking such things? It’s so embarrassing.” As she spoke, Shen Qin tried to rush out.
Shen He grabbed Shen Qin, saying, “What are you afraid of? It’s just us sisters talking privately. You silly girl, you’re of marriageable age too. It’s better to hear these things than not. What’s there to be embarrassed about? This day will come for you sooner or later.”
Shen Qin still hesitated to sit down, and Ji Cheng naturally stood up as well. One was held by Shen He, the other by Shen Yun. The two elder sisters, who had just become brides themselves, were indeed shy when they first married. With no one to teach them and only vague words from their mothers on their wedding nights, how much could their mothers say to their daughters? As a result, they had suffered quite a bit.
Especially Shen He and her husband – when they first married, they were truly like honeymooners. Among the many daughters of the Shen family, Shen He was the most beautiful. She married in the prime of her youth, and they were inseparable day and night. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse her husband, and in the end, she had to take more than a dozen doses of medicine and rest for a full three months to recover. To make matters worse, this displeased her mother-in-law, who accused her of not taking care of her son’s health.
During Shen He’s recovery period, her mother-in-law constantly prepared tonics for her son. Eventually, she even started interfering in their bedroom, dictating how many times they should be intimate each month.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qin was even more dumbfounded. Unable to listen any further, she stamped her foot and ran out. Ji Cheng hurriedly chased after her. To be honest, she wasn’t interested in this topic either and found it irritating to hear.
For Shen He, these matters were embarrassing yet sweet, but for Ji Cheng, they were only embarrassing.
However, curiosity is inevitable. Although Ji Cheng didn’t want to listen, Shen He had already filled her ears. If nothing else, Shen He’s repeated words conveyed that young men often lack self-control.
When it came to such matters, the only person Ji Cheng could associate with was Shen Che.