Every day like this would surely wear someone out, but this kind of exhaustion wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Throughout that snowy night, Commander Shen hadn’t been idle, as if trying to make up for years of deprivation all at once. However, the young wife, experiencing intimacy for the first time, could hardly keep up. Later, half-asleep, when he still tried to nestle close, she pushed him away with a swat, “It’s almost dawn, are you an ox or something?”
Commander Shen replied, “I’m not an ox, I’m a dragon.”
Dragons were known for their insatiable nature, mating with anything – Qingyuan felt he was even insulting her now. Unfortunately, her body ached too much to open her eyes, so she simply hugged him randomly and said in a sweet voice, “My lord, let’s sleep for a while. If we wake up too late, people will laugh at us…”
And so they slept until midday.
This was the advantage of not having in-laws – otherwise, they would have needed to rise early on the second day of marriage to pay respects to their elders. When Qingyuan opened her eyes, she couldn’t quite place where she was at first. Looking around at the red and green decorations filling the room, she finally remembered – she was married now, living in the Shen manor.
Shen Run was sleeping soundly, nestled against her chest. Feeling embarrassed, she covered her collar and pushed him twice, “Quick, get up, we’ve overslept.”
Shen Run had rarely slept so well in these years. In his high position, with duties in the Palace Command that kept him constantly on edge, as Yan Fu would say, he could only sleep with one eye open, ready to rise and move at the slightest disturbance. But last night’s exertion, combined with her presence beside him, brought particular peace to his heart. He had slept until now without feeling anything amiss.
He opened his drowsy eyes and reached out his long arm to hold her waist, “What time is it?”
Qingyuan flustered, “Almost noon… Oh my, get up quickly, the servants must have been waiting for ages. And the ancestral hall – I need to offer incense to your parents there.” She was nearly in tears, “What should we do? People will laugh themselves to death at us. It’s all your fault! All your fault!”
Shen Run remained unconcerned. As she busied herself looking for clothes, he pulled her back, pushing aside her crossed collar to kiss her round, delicate shoulder.
“You’re the highest authority in this manor – who would dare laugh at you? Don’t worry about my father and mother. They understand their twenty-six-year-old son who’s only just taken a wife. They won’t blame you.” After saying this, he shamelessly held her close, “Let’s have a morning nap.”
She was quite vexed, “I never knew you were this kind of person.”
He smiled with his eyes closed, “I’m only like this with my wife.”
Hearing him call her ‘wife’ so naturally, Qingyuan suddenly felt moved – she truly was someone’s wife now.
His features were relaxed, and in the daylight from the window, his face looked like that of a young gentleman barely twenty. Who would guess that when wearing armor and a helmet, he cut such an imposing figure? For the first time, Qingyuan felt unable to let go of someone – not even Dayuanzi had made her feel such an irresistible yearning. Only him – even the slight upward curve of his lips seemed incredibly alluring to her.
She lay by his ear and said, “You sleep. Sleep a little longer, just a little while, don’t mind me.” Then she kissed the corner of his lips, then his eyelids, mumbling softly, “I like you so much.”
How could he sleep? His smile grew more pleased as he pointed to his lips with eyes still closed, “Kiss here.”
She made a sound of protest, “Haven’t brushed teeth yet.” But she kissed his lips anyway, crisp and loud.
He suddenly flipped her over, skillfully pinning her down, “My wife, shall we go another round?”
Qingyuan demurred coyly, “Do you want to kill me? Besides, I need to check on Fangchun.”
At the mention of this, Shen Run also felt his mood dampen. Originally, the family should have been happily celebrating a joyous occasion together, but they had to cause trouble with divorce at this crucial moment. The Shen family tradition had always been one of marital harmony and respect – nothing like this had ever happened before. Fangchun was simply too idle, acting on every whim, leaving Shen Che buzzing around like a headless fly.
He sighed, falling back beside her and covering his eyes with his hand, “Actually, I was thinking we shouldn’t get involved in their affairs. Though you’re now the senior sister-in-law, Fangchun is still several years older than you, and it involves her natal family. If things aren’t handled well, you’ll end up being blamed.”
How could Qingyuan not understand this reasoning? But she couldn’t stand by and watch a good family fall apart. With youthful righteousness, she continued, “Before I married in, I certainly couldn’t interfere in family matters, but now that I’m the mistress of the household, it’s proper to say a few words. Yesterday, Granny Zhou told me that Miss Yao Nine seems to have other intentions…” She felt it wasn’t appropriate to be too detailed with a man, so she smiled and said, “Fangchun is currently in the dark. If no one awakens her, I’m afraid she’ll remain confused and ruin a good marriage.”
With Shen Run’s intelligence, he understood even without Qingyuan spelling it out. He frowned, “There are such shameless people in this world.”
Qingyuan got up and dressed, tying her sash as she spoke, “You men have the outside world to explore, while we women are confined to the inner quarters all day, dealing with nothing but household matters and life events. Even in such a small space, storms can brew – even a snail’s shell can be a place for enlightenment.” She turned to help him dress, carefully fastening his jade belt as she said, “I’ll meditate with Fangchun, but you need to speak with the Second Master. That Miss Yao – he must be especially wary of her, lest she take advantage of Fangchun’s confusion to do something untoward. A young lady’s reputation is paramount – if she makes one wrong step in this regard, she’ll have to marry whether they want it or not.”
Listening to her instructions, seeing such thorough and far-sighted consideration from such a young girl, he hugged her teasingly, “Which is the real you? The sweet darling from last night, or today’s capable mistress of the household?”
Qingyuan blushed shyly, gently pushing his hand away, “Outside, I’m the household mistress; before you, I’m your sweet darling.”
These words stirred his heart again, and he held her close, thoroughly embracing her, “I must have done something good in my previous life to marry you in this one.”
In their newlywed bliss, they clung to each other as much as possible, finally parting reluctantly to let the maids in to attend them.
The servants carried hot water to the door, while Baoxian and Hongmian brought the jewelry box and silver basin to the inner chamber. Qingyuan saw their smiling faces and felt somewhat awkward, standing uncertainly on the plush carpet.
The rustle of bamboo blinds moving came from the corridor. She turned to look outside – indeed, it had snowed all night, whitening the entire courtyard. The snowfall had lessened now, falling fine and light… Sometimes the accumulated snow on the branches grew too heavy and fell with a soft thud, making the branches tremble and causing snow on other branches to quiver precariously.
Shen Run was adjusting the fox fur on his collar nearby, drawling, “On a day like this, if we set up a small red clay brazier, my little cat and I could stay in and not go out – wouldn’t that be nice?”
Qingyuan knew he was teasing her again, muttering to herself, “What little cat…”
He moved closer, making a sound and pointing at her, “My… little cat won’t go out.” She nearly bit his finger off in annoyance.
But the snow fell so softly and silently, seeming to wash people’s hearts clean. She leaned on the wooden railing, half her body stretching out, turning her face to catch the snowflakes. Baoxian helplessly advised from the side, “My lady, please come in soon, or you’ll catch a cold.”
Such leisurely days in the inner chambers, unhurried and peaceful, were truly wonderful. Qingyuan glanced at Shen Run, seeing his eyes full of doting love, and suddenly felt shy. She quickly withdrew inside, sitting properly at her dressing table. Hongmian came to do her hair – she could no longer wear her maiden’s hairstyle. Her temples and bangs were smoothed with hair oil and swept up. Even her ornaments were changed to more matronly styles – pearl flowers and swaying pendants, all suggesting wealth and dignity.
She was selecting from among them, searching and searching until she chose a small gilt kingfisher-feather goldfish ornament, holding it up, “Let’s use this one.”
Hongmian seemed troubled, “This one is too childish…”
But Shen Run took it and pinned it in her hair, “Use this one, it looks good.”
Then came the exchange of glances in the mirror, eyes conveying affection – the newlyweds were so sweet it could make one’s teeth ache.
Baoxian was very happy though. She had witnessed firsthand the young lady’s hardships during those six months in the Xie household – she’d been slapped by both mother and daughter Hu, and the daily indignities were countless. Now things were better – she had married into a good family, her husband had status and cherished her dearly, finally making up for past deficiencies. From now on, she could enjoy a blessed life.
Once she was fully dressed and ready, Shen Run held an umbrella and led her to the ancestral hall. After entering, they lit candles, offered incense, and knelt in worship. Qingyuan knelt devoutly on the prayer cushion, murmuring, “Father, Mother, today I slept late – it was your daughter-in-law’s oversight, please forgive me. I have entered the Shen family and will be a Shen for life. Though your daughter-in-law is young, I will learn to serve my husband well and manage the household. May your spirits in heaven bless us with peace and prosperity, and grant us children soon…”
Shen Run, kneeling beside her, found her closed-eye mumblings quite amusing. She was still so childlike – before the servants, she was an unmistakable mistress, but with him, she was endearingly silly, even carefree.
He bowed to the ancestral tablets and asked what she had said. Qingyuan naturally couldn’t tell him the truth, vaguely replying, “I told Father and Mother that you would certainly take good care of me in the future, so they needn’t worry.”
He raised an eyebrow, looking at her sideways. She grew nervous and grinned, taking his arm, “I also told Father and Mother that I would take good care of you, not let you go hungry or cold, and never let you suffer grievances.”
That last part was most important – men weren’t made of iron, they too suffered grievances, though they didn’t speak of them. Like Shen Che – who knew what kind of days he was having now. Shen Run was concerned and said to Qingyuan, “Tonight let’s have a family dinner together, invite those from the Western Courtyard too.”
Qingyuan agreed, “While you’re both home, things that need to be said should be said clearly. Perhaps Fangchun will change her mind.”
Shen Run nodded, though feeling somewhat apologetic, “On just the second day of our marriage, you’re already having to worry about such matters.”
Qingyuan said, “Household peace is most important. If only we are happy while they fall apart, how can this family prosper?”
So they returned and instructed the servants to make arrangements, sending Baoxian and Hongmian personally to invite Shen Che and his wife to the Eastern Courtyard. During the meal, the brothers chatted and laughed as usual. Shen Che, having experienced the Three Cuts and Six Openings, maintained proper etiquette before his new sister-in-law despite any inner discontent.
Fangchun seemed somewhat awkward as she raised her cup to congratulate Qingyuan, saying, “Elder Sister, ever since Elder Brother chose you, I’ve been hoping you’d join our family soon to keep me company. Now that you’re finally here, I’m truly happy – let me drink to you.”
She was still straightforward by nature, but having been influenced by others, she had built up walls in her heart and no longer opened up to the Shen family members.
Qingyuan clinked glasses with her, “I know you’ve been lonely. In my heart, you’re not just a sister-in-law, but a true sister. From now on I’ll keep you company – when they’re not around, we’ll be companions for each other.”
Shen Run made a sound of agreement, “Palace Command duties are indeed busy, and after the New Year, Chengbing’s rank will rise another grade. He’ll likely be even busier then. With you two keeping each other company, we brothers can be at ease when we’re away. The mansion in the capital is almost ready. We’ll stay in Youzhou until the New Year, then when the weather warms up, we’ll all move to the capital. This way, husbands and wives can be together more often, preventing misunderstandings.” He paused, addressing his sister-in-law, “With Father and Mother gone, as the elder brother, I’m now head of the family. You lost a child before – no one in this family blames you for that. You and Chengbing are both young – what’s this small setback? Once you’ve recovered your health, you can have children in the future.”
For an elder brother-in-law to speak such words to his sister-in-law was quite awkward, but it was all for the family’s good, so he didn’t mind the impropriety. Hearing this, Fangchun was stunned for a moment, lowering her head to wipe away tears. Qingyuan squeezed her hand and said, “Don’t cry. Let me take you to the back to wash your face – your powder is running.”
Qingyuan led her from the table, through the corridor to the back quarters. A maid brought hot towels to attend to them. After washing her face, Qingyuan helped reapply her powder, saying, “Sister, I still call you sister because you’re older than me. Before you, I won’t act as an elder sister-in-law. I sincerely hope for all of us to be well. Look at your husbands – rising rapidly in their careers, with so many envying us from outside. We must hold steady ourselves, absolutely must not destroy our walls or throw ourselves into chaos.”
Hearing this, Fangchun lowered her eyes, putting the powder puff back in its box with a sigh, “You don’t understand…”
“I do understand. I’ve heard about you and Second Master – you told me before that you were willing to marry beneath your station, waiting for him for three years. When he succeeded, the first thing he did was send ten carriages of betrothal gifts for you. You’re both people who value loyalty and righteousness – how did it come to this? Listen to me – there are two kinds of people in this world: those who would split open their hearts for you, and those who seem to place you above all else but are lifting you only to destroy you. In your heart, you know who truly wishes you well and who means to drag you into the abyss, but you’ve heard their words so long you’ve come to believe them. You have your natal family, as do I, and natal families come in all types – some like my grandparents, others like the Xie family.” Qingyuan paused, looking at her shyly, “There’s something even our lord doesn’t know, something I’ve been too embarrassed to tell you. Would you like to hear it?”
Put this way, Fangchun grew increasingly curious, hesitantly asking, “What is it?”
Qingyuan pulled her to sit down and said softly, “My earlier interactions with you were all under Old Madam Xie’s instructions. Though she never said it explicitly, I could see her intention – she wanted me to enter the Commander’s manor, but not for the Commander himself, rather for the Deputy Commander.”
Fangchun was shocked, “That old jackal, how could she have such a black heart?”
Qingyuan shook her head, “There are many black-hearted people in this world – Old Madam Xie wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. For people of our background to marry into the Commander’s manor – isn’t it like a dream? I was somewhat better off; though my mother died wrongfully, my father was still a Military Commissioner. But you – coming from Yunzhong, with a father of low rank, you have neither power nor influence, no one to rely on behind you. Many wish to replace you, and if you divorce, how many would clap with joy – do you know that?”
After she spoke at length, Fangchun seemed somewhat moved, but still appeared unreceptive, lowering her head to say, “I understand your meaning, but not all natal family members have lost their conscience. I’ve had no mother since childhood – it was my aunt who raised me, and in my eyes, she’s no different from my birth mother. As for Xuexue, she truly cares for me, coming to accompany me daily during my most difficult times. She’s a proper young lady from an official family – running to someone else’s manor every day, wouldn’t that invite gossip?”
Qingyuan smiled slightly, thinking how Xuexue’s careful persuasion had truly taken root in Fangchun’s heart. After months of such whispers, how could her few words make a difference? Only by presenting Fangchun with clear evidence might she be convinced.
Arguing forcefully now would be useless – better to soothe her first. So she said, “How about this – I ask sister to promise me one thing. I just got married yesterday – if you create trouble with divorce, who knows what outside people will say about me? If you care for me, don’t mention those two words before the New Year. We can discuss everything after – alright?”
Fangchun looked at her for a long time, seeing her clear autumn-water eyes gazing earnestly, and couldn’t bear to refuse. Counting the time, it was still over a month away – it wouldn’t hurt to not mention it for now. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted – deeply loving Shen Che on one hand, yet twisted up inside on the other, unable to find relief, tormenting herself day and night.
She nodded in agreement. Qingyuan breathed a sigh of relief, “And don’t mention it to Miss Xuexue, alright?”
Fangchun had no choice but to nod again.
Qingyuan was confident that this would make the Yao family restless. Once restless, they would make mistakes, and once they made mistakes, the fox’s tail would show itself.