HomeA Cup of LoveYi Ou Chun - Chapter 36

Yi Ou Chun – Chapter 36

So he remembered! Then he hadn’t been drunk that night after all! But if he wasn’t drunk, why did he give her that jade pendant… Anyway, now that they’d met, returning the item would resolve this troubling matter.

Qingyuan said, “After that day, I visited your residence but unfortunately didn’t meet the Palace Commander. What a coincidence today – I thought the Palace Commander wasn’t in Youzhou…” It was quite strange – Fangchun had just said his next day off wouldn’t be for half a month, yet here he was. Probably here on official business, she thought, not dwelling on it further. She removed the pouch from her button and offered it with both hands, “I’ve kept it safe for the Palace Commander these past days, always storing it properly. Now returning the jade intact…”

Shen Run looked at the young lady standing in the wind, always wearing a smile. The tiger’s den of the Xie family hadn’t managed to crush the optimism and wisdom in her nature. Indeed, one’s growing environment was crucial – the elderly couple in Hengtang who had raised her for fourteen years were deeply versed in the ways of the world. Having no children, they focused solely on raising her. She began her education at six, was composing poetry by eight, and was quite accomplished in both studies and feminine arts. Most importantly, she possessed a clever and clear mind… Everything matched his expectations, very well. It was just that the Xie family was truly troublesome – when a girl had an undesirable maternal family, it diminished her value as well. A mere concubine’s daughter, waiting to be sold – when Xie Shu had fallen into the ditch and couldn’t climb out, even marrying her off as a concubine to a sixth or seventh-rank minor official would have been acceptable. Now that Xie Shu had climbed ashore, the youngest daughter originally prepared to be sacrificed for clearing obstacles surely had to be promoted from a minor official’s concubine to a high official’s primary wife!

His gaze fell to her hands – they were beautiful hands, with delicate soft fingers and fragile thin nails. He didn’t take the pouch, just smiled slightly and said, “That’s not it.”

Qingyuan was puzzled, thinking how could it not be this? He hadn’t even looked at it – how did he know it wasn’t this? Was he judging by the size? Did he want to exchange this small beast-faced pendant for a wine urn? The more she thought, the more alarmed she became. This was no joking matter – the Xie family might have been willing to pay tens of thousands in silver for their master’s midnight gold, but for her, they probably wouldn’t even be willing to spend a hundred taels.

Growing anxious, she blushed slightly, raising the small pouch again respectfully, “Palace Commander, it is this one, there’s no mistake. I checked it this morning and put it in here myself…”

He glanced down at her words, “Has Fourth Miss been carrying it with her all along?”

Qingyuan recalled Aoxian’s words and hesitated slightly, “I’ve been wanting to find an opportunity to return it to the Palace Commander, so I bring it every time I go out.”

Shen Run’s expression gradually lost its sharpness, amusement settling in his eyes, “Fourth Miss is very thoughtful. So you’ve been waiting for Shen Run all this time? Had I known, I should have visited Fourth Miss at your residence.”

When he spoke his name, there was a kind of modest, gentle air about it. Qingyuan still remembered that dark and windy night, his words “Fourth Miss seems quite afraid of Shen Run” – not nitpicking, completely in the context of private feelings. Qingyuan liked to study how these public figures spoke, every word choice, every pause carrying their deeper meaning. But this time she glimpsed something unusual and caught the teasing in his words. As a young lady from a secluded household, she had never experienced such things and immediately became very uncomfortable.

She glanced at the guards behind him – they seemed deaf to their superior’s words, apparently accustomed to his hidden verbal traps. Qingyuan’s lips trembled slightly as she stammered, “I wouldn’t dare presume. I meant to return the Palace Commander’s possession – it should have been me visiting the Palace Commander.” She raised her hands again, “Please, Palace Commander, examine it.”

Shen Run shook his head, “It’s not this.” As he finished speaking, he narrowed his eyes slightly, gently taking her in within his gaze.

She grew anxious, her cheeks flushed, a faint glimmer of moisture appearing in her eyes. A fifteen-year-old girl was still too naive, not understanding what a man’s roundabout way meant. He hadn’t intended to take back that jade pendant either – once given, it was given. Since she had accepted it, it was her possession.

But suddenly she collected herself, letting out a light breath, “Perhaps I made a mistake, and this item isn’t the Palace Commander’s.” She smiled, “Then what did the Palace Commander leave at the Xie residence? I’ll go back and look for it, and when I find it, I’ll bring it to you.”

Now the smile vanished from his face as he looked at this orchid-like child, smiling so sweetly and innocently.

She was skilled at advancing by retreating – the most appropriate tactic when confronting the powerful. In human nature, being too unyielding leads to breaking, and being too clever has its consequences. Rather than racking one’s brains, better to throw the question back.

He slowly raised his head, looking around, “This is a place of worldly peace – speaking too much would be disrespectful to the Buddha.” Then he looked at the pouch in her hand again, “Fourth Miss should keep it safe – that’s your possession now, make sure not to lose it.”

Qingyuan’s heart jumped – maintaining his dignity in public, his eyes carried an indescribable meaning. If he dismissed his attendants and removed this official uniform, he would likely be an even more heart-pounding rogue.

Truthfully, in all her years, besides her brothers and her grandfather’s nephew Quan’er, she had only encountered Li Guanling and Li Congxin. Li Guanling was a gentleman of virtue, steadfast and proper, his mind entirely focused on scholarship. As for Li Congxin, he was a noble young master who grew up against a backdrop of splendor, self-satisfied and carefree, with his own self-righteous loyal heart. But this Palace Commander – a young military talent in a high position with great authority – could terrify the entire Xie household one moment, then turn around with smiles and jokes the next.

Qingyuan gripped the beast-faced pendant tightly, knowing this topic should end here. The breeze blew at the loose hair by her temples, and she hooked it back with her little finger, smiling, “Is the Palace Commander here at Huguo Temple on official business?”

Just this casual gesture, that tiny red fingertip, carried its charm. Shen Run’s eyes darkened slightly as he said in a drawn-out voice, “Today we’re confiscating Fu Chunchun’s property. He and the temple’s abbot were old friends – I’m here to arrest someone.”

More confiscation, more arrests – these words came from his mouth as simply as eating and sleeping. He had just spoken of this being a peaceful place where worldly matters shouldn’t be discussed, then immediately brought the air of weapons into the Buddhist sanctuary.

Qingyuan was still hesitating when suddenly there was an uproar from the Guanyin Hall behind them. She quickly turned to look – a line of guards was escorting a monk forward with large strides. The monk had probably resisted, as his face was beaten black and blue. The guard captain saw Shen Run and came forward with clasped hands in greeting, “Palace Commander, we have the person in custody, awaiting your orders.”

Shen Run cast a bland glance, “Why create such a commotion? It’s not good to disturb the worshippers!”

Qingyuan understood perfectly well – he was putting on an act of being a gentleman, deliberately speaking for others to hear. After speaking, he calmly turned, raised a finger, and led his subordinates toward the temple gate.

Power, seen up close, showed its true horrifying face. The most frightening thing in the world was people trampling on people. Fu Chunchun had fallen from grace, and those who had deep connections with him had to be implicated as well. Whether you were an official or a monk, as long as the investigation required it, you had to enter the gates of the Palace Guard.

Qingyuan watched Shen Run walk away, still holding the beast-faced pendant in her hand. The item she had been determined to return, he wouldn’t accept, yet he kept saying he had left something with her. She began to worry vaguely whether the box of cosmetics she had received from her grandmother in the Chen family would be safe. Or perhaps this Commander, knowing the Xie family’s intentions and looking down on her, was deliberately trying to provoke her… Qingyuan suddenly felt the sky pressing down, a knot of air stuck firmly in her chest, unable to swallow it down or spit it out, nearly suffocating her.

Aoxian and Chuntai only approached at this moment. Lighting incense shouldn’t have taken long, but seeing their young miss standing face to face with Commander Shen, they hadn’t dared to come forward.

It was hard to say exactly why – partly intimidation, partly consideration. Watching the two of them standing there talking, one in blood-red brocade, the other as light as smoke – it was like a stroke of rich ink suddenly appearing on an elegant background, unexpectedly pleasing to the eye.

Since their young miss was returning something to him, there would naturally be much to say, so they observed from afar, watching their every movement. But in the end, the jade pendant wasn’t returned, and Aoxian grew somewhat worried, “Young Miss, did the Palace Commander refuse to accept it?”

Qingyuan shook her head with furrowed brows, lowering her eyes to look at her palm. Though separated by a layer of mirror-patterned silk, she could still feel the weight beneath. She murmured, “What am I to do? I can’t keep it, but I can’t throw it away either…”

As she hesitated, Fangchun came out of the main hall, waving a charm in her hand while saying, “They say this is very effective. I got one to try… Who was that just leading the group? Didn’t it look like the Palace Commander?”

Qingyuan managed a forced smile, “It was indeed the Palace Commander. I didn’t expect to meet him here.”

Fangchun wasn’t surprised, “Youzhou is close to the capital, and these days with the Governor of Yong being stripped of his rank and questioned – after all, he’s a second-rank official, how could the Palace Commander not personally oversee it!” She paused, carefully observing Qingyuan’s expression, “Did you get to speak with him?”

Qingyuan nodded, “We happened to meet, so naturally exchanged greetings.”

Fangchun smiled, “You’ve asked several times whether the Palace Commander was in Youzhou. I thought you had something important to tell him, but now meeting him, you only exchanged greetings?”

Those private matters couldn’t be spoken of – Fangchun was after all from the Shen family. Telling her about the Palace Commander’s strange behavior, if the words reached his ears later, wouldn’t be good.

“I merely wanted to thank the Palace Commander on behalf of my father. My father leaves for Jiannan tomorrow, and with the Palace Commander not in Youzhou, the meeting wouldn’t be easy. Grandmother always said we should thank the Palace Commander, so encountering him today, I naturally conveyed the message.”

Whether Fangchun believed her or not was unknown, but that beast-faced pendant had ultimately become a source of anxiety.

Qingyuan sat on the beauty couch, trying hard to recall that day’s circumstances. Could she have made a mistake? Was it not him she met in the alley at Yiou Spring? But she heard him identify himself as Shen Run… For some reason, this man always left her puzzled. She couldn’t fathom his thoughts and thus appeared somewhat foolish before him.

All the worldly rules and proprieties, he paid no attention to them at all, and all her previously learned ways of handling situations proved useless. She felt somewhat discouraged, falling back onto the beauty couch listlessly. Footsteps came from the doorway – she couldn’t be bothered to get up, just lifted her head to look upside down. Aoxian entered carrying a plate of fruit, appearing upside down, standing between heaven and earth.

“What’s wrong with Young Miss?” Aoxian couldn’t help but smile, “You’ve been unhappy since returning from the temple.”

Qingyuan said it was nothing, turning to her side and closing her eyes.

Aoxian put the fruit plate on the table and stood by the couch asking, “Is it still about the jade pendant?”

Qingyuan opened her eyes and said helplessly, “He said he left something with me. When I tried to return the jade pendant, he wouldn’t take it, insisting it wasn’t that.”

“Then what did he mean he left behind?”

“How would I know? On one hand, he asks me for something, on the other he won’t acknowledge this jade pendant.”

Aoxian pondered for a moment, then said with a smile, “This is strange indeed. If not the jade pendant, then what? Could it be his heart?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Qingyuan’s face reddened, and she scolded in a low voice, “Don’t talk nonsense! What would people think if they heard?”

Having served by her side for long, Aoxian wasn’t afraid of her truly being angry, just repeatedly admitting fault, “This servant spoke out of turn, please forgive me.” But she still didn’t show true remorse, analyzing softly, “Young Miss, don’t be angry yet. Though I was just teasing you earlier, thinking about it now, mightn’t there be some truth to it? Think carefully, Young Miss – the second time you met, he blocked your path in the alley, using wine as an excuse to give you something. If today he had acknowledged it, saying he was drunk that night, that would be one thing, but he didn’t. What does this mean? If we’re talking about extortion, I don’t think the dignified Palace Guard Commander would stoop to that, so what other reason could there be for this ambiguous interaction with Young Miss?”

Qingyuan gave Aoxian a bitter look, “We shouldn’t make wild guesses. What if he has other intentions? The Palace Guard people never act without profit – just look at those dozen wine urns Madam prepared last time.”

Aoxian laughed lightly, “If the Shen brothers have such large appetites, how much oil could they squeeze from Young Miss?”

That was true – she was just a minor concubine’s daughter, not valued by the family. Putting effort into her would be completely futile. Shen Run was skilled at calculations, and last time’s gains were quite substantial – why would he bother entangling himself with her? Looking at it this way, there seemed to be only one possibility.

“Last time when Master encountered trouble, Grandmother’s actions were obvious to any keen observer. Now he looks at me as just someone to be toyed with, someone he can treat frivolously at will.” Qingyuan tiredly raised her hand to cover her forehead, “If Shen Run sent someone to say he wanted me to serve in the Shen household, guess how Grandmother would respond?”

Aoxian thought for a moment and said, “At first she would certainly decline, saying our good family’s daughter doesn’t become anyone’s concubine – if she marries, she must be the primary wife.”

“In your view, with my background, could I be someone’s primary wife?”

Aoxian’s eyes darkened – the crime Concubine Jin was accused of could probably never be cleared. For Young Miss to clear her mother’s name, unless it went to court… but in the current situation, she was after all from the Xie family. No matter how close she was to the Chen family, her name wouldn’t appear in their household registry. A girl whose maternal family was ruined in disgrace – where in the world could accept her?

Whether bearing Concubine Jin’s crime or clearing her name, neither path led to becoming a primary wife. Aoxian sighed softly, “In the end, Grandmother would certainly half-heartedly agree. What does Young Miss plan to do?”

Qingyuan shook her head, truly unable to think of a good solution for now, only able to take things one step at a time. But there was one principle she held firm: “I won’t be anyone’s concubine. If I truly have nowhere to turn, I’ll explain myself directly. The Palace Commander has seen much of the world – he must know that forced melons aren’t sweet.”

Aoxian pondered, “Or perhaps we could find the Commander’s wife and ask her to mediate?”

Qingyuan gave a bitter smile, “I was wondering why she was so unusually warm toward me from the first meeting. Now it seems she already knew everything. Why should we deliver ourselves to her door, giving people something to talk about!”

Indeed, they say wealth shouldn’t be flaunted, but when a girl grows up, she can’t be hidden away. It wasn’t enough that countless eyes were watching – her own family didn’t respect her, so how could others treat her with dignity? Aoxian had always known life wasn’t easy for her young miss, but now discovered it was increasingly difficult. For instance, like carrying precious treasure, drawing eyes wherever she went – here comes a marquis’s son, there comes a commander. Though both were of high status, one had family obstacles, while the other saw her as a bribe to be accepted with a smile. Truly speaking, neither was a good match.

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