Unfortunately, he had to return to the capital the next day, as officials were only granted five days of marriage leave. He currently held two positions – while the Lulong Army was only mobilized during wartime and mainly served as a ceremonial guard during peacetime, his duties at the Palace Guard remained paramount. As the year-end approached, security in the capital became increasingly important. From major criminal cases to fire prevention and drainage, everything required his attention.
Qingyuan, nestled in their bedding, employed all her powers of endearment, hugging his waist as she said, “I don’t want you to leave.”
At this moment, Shen Run’s demeanor was leisurely and elegant. Satisfied by their intimacy, he lounged lazily, propping up his head to look down at her.
His little wife truly showed two different faces in public and private. He loved both her serious manner when handling household affairs and her coquettish, clingy behavior when she sought his attention. He raised his fingertip, gently and tenderly kneading her earlobe as he said softly, “I have official duties that can’t be avoided. I suggest you come with me to the capital, but you can’t leave things here. Just endure it for another month – I’ll find time to come back and see you when I can.”
But she couldn’t bear to see him traveling back and forth like this, so she said never mind, “Just focus on your work, don’t worry about home. It’s too cold right now, I won’t let you travel in the bitter wind. What if you catch a chill!”
He chuckled, “For you, I’ve trained through the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter.”
She slithered up even more snake-like, nuzzling and breathing against his neck, “Now that you’ve brought your wife home, why still go to such trouble?”
He fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “My dear, I will be good to you for our entire lives.”
Qingyuan was stunned. Though his words weren’t as flowery as before, they struck straight to her heart for some reason.
She made a sound of acknowledgment, placing her hand over his, and said coyly: “Feel my earlobe – is it big?”
He said it was big, “Not just your earlobe…” his gaze slid downward, glancing meaningfully at her chest.
Qingyuan chided him, pulling the brocade quilt higher to cover herself below, and returned to speaking seriously, “Grandmother said people with big earlobes are blessed with good fortune. When I first got engaged, I felt somewhat melancholic – having to marry so soon after coming of age, feeling I hadn’t spent enough time as a maiden.”
His eyes were misty, his gaze making one weak, “And now?”
She smiled, pursing her lips, and tilted her face up to kiss the corner of his mouth, “Now I think everything is wonderful. I truly am a fortunate person. Though I lost my mother, I have my grandparents who love me dearly. Later when I returned to the Xie family, I suffered some grievances, but then I met you during my hardest time. I barely tasted the bitterness of life before falling into a pot of honey. You don’t know how happy I am to have married you.”
He laughed, amused by her childlike way of speaking everything so directly.
“Why shouldn’t I say it?” She caressed his shoulder – he was a trained fighter, and his shoulder and necklines were especially beautiful, not in a feminine way, but with strength, bony yet not weak, perfectly proportioned. Any more would be too muscular, any less would be too thin. As she caressed him with growing interest, she murmured, “When I like something, I want to say it, let you know what I’m thinking. In the future, if you make me unhappy, I’ll tell you honestly too, make you reflect and stand straight to take your punishment.”
The Commander Shen shuddered internally, “Still need punishment?”
Those beautiful eyes lifted to give him a disdainful look, “If you do something wrong, why shouldn’t you be punished? You won’t remember without punishment. I need to help you learn your lesson.”
Shen Run sighed, “Then what about you? What happens if you do something wrong?”
She thought for a moment, “I won’t do anything wrong.”
“I mean hypothetically, what if you did something wrong?”
“Then it must be because you did something wrong first, and I was just following my husband’s lead.”
At this moment, such an excuse was very effective. Shen Run was drawn into her logic – in the end, the wife was never wrong, and even if she was, it was because he had erred first.
He nodded, accepting his fate. Looking at his beauty in the red gauze bed curtains, she was both gentle and alluring. He turned to lie down, pulling her into his embrace, “Earlier when you said you were happy to marry me, I was happy for you too. If you had married Li Congxin, who knows what kind of life you’d be living now – opening your eyes to in-laws and sisters-in-law, closing your eyes wondering which bed he’s sleeping in tonight… Ah, if you were living such a pitiful life, it would pain my heart.”
Qingyuan punched him lightly, “Why should you care about another man’s wife!”
He caught her leg and draped it over his waist, laughing as he said, “Precisely because it’s you that I would care. Then I’d have to go to the trouble of arranging your divorce so I could steal you away… Fortunately, you showed good judgment and didn’t marry him.”
This was the face of a man who had gained an advantage yet still wanted to show off. They started roughhousing again, pushing and shoving under the covers until the bedding turned cold. Later, feeling the chill, they hurried to embrace each other for warmth. In their private chambers, Shen Run wasn’t a high official, and Qingyuan wasn’t the lady of the house – whatever silly words or petty moods they wished to express, they could freely do so, knowing there was someone who would catch their foolishness.
But when dawn broke, each had to return to their proper roles. Qingyuan helped him don his official robes, lowering her eyes as she said, “When you have left before the new year, let’s host a banquet at home to properly thank those colleagues who sent wedding gifts but couldn’t attend in person. Moreover, the three-guard units are interconnected like teeth and lips – we should maintain good relations with the other two commands. I’ll personally send invitations to the wives of the Infantry and Cavalry commanders. If we women maintain good relationships, it will greatly benefit you.”
Shen Run held out his arms for her attention, listening with pleasure before saying with a faint smile, “My wife is my worthy helper. Before, I struggled without someone to maintain connections behind the scenes – my interactions with others in officialdom were strictly formal, missing many opportunities for personal relationships. Now with you mediating, maintaining contact with those noble ladies, my official business will become much easier.” As he spoke, taking advantage of when the servants weren’t paying attention, he cupped her face and planted a fierce kiss on her lips.
Qingyuan, having had her kiss stolen, could only smile bashfully, before fastening his jade belt hook and carefully instructing: “It’s been snowing these past few days, the roads must be difficult to travel. You must go slowly, don’t just spur your horse, understand?”
He said he understood – this was a cherished wife’s earnest reminder to her husband traveling far. Though the words were simple, they warmed his heart.
As she continued bustling about, he took her hand and held it in his palm, “You think of everything for me, but have you thought about yourself? I’ve seen you so busy lately – being married isn’t as leisurely as being a maiden. I feel somewhat guilty toward you. When I’m not here, take good care of yourself. Handle what you can manage, and let go of what you can’t – I’ll take care of it all when I return, remember?”
Qingyuan knew what he meant and agreed with a smile. After everything was prepared, they moved to the side hall for breakfast. Hetang and Shousong announced in the corridor that the escort troops were ready. Shen Run stood to leave, and Qingyuan accompanied him to the mansion gates. He held his horsewhip, looking back to see her gazing at him longingly, and truly found it difficult to take a step.
She saw him off to the bottom of the steps, standing in the light snow. He frowned and waved his hand, “Go back inside.”
She took half a step back to show her obedience, watching him mount his horse and lead his men toward the main road. Only after his figure disappeared into the wind and snow did she return dejectedly to the doorway.
He had gone back to his duties, and though they had just parted, she already began to miss him.
Baoxian said softly beside her, “My lady, let’s go back, lest you catch a chill.”
She made a sound of agreement and finally returned reluctantly to the inner courtyard.
Speaking of being idle, she truly couldn’t rest now. The weather was too cold, and her grandfather had developed wheezing symptoms with added wind chill, giving her no peace since her marriage. Now that Shen Run had gone to the capital, she could go check on him, so she instructed Honglian to prepare the carriage to head to Qin’an Street.
The carriage had barely stopped before she even appeared when they heard the gatekeeper’s cheerful announcement: “Our eldest young mistress has returned!”
Now she had changed from “young lady” to “young mistress” – just as Baoxian said, the transformation of status and position happened in an instant.
Old Madam Chen came out to welcome her upon hearing the news, looking at her and then behind her, “The son-in-law didn’t come with you?”
Qingyuan smiled, “Grandmother forgot, he returned to the capital today to report for duty. I had some free time, so I came back to see you.”
“Oh my, I am getting muddled,” the old lady touched her forehead, “All because of your grandfather’s antics.”
Qingyuan asked how her grandfather was doing now, “Shouya said there’s a retired imperial physician in Youzhou City who’s extremely skilled. Let’s go visit him soon – whatever it takes, getting someone to examine grandfather is important.”
The old lady waved her hand, “He’s almost better now, just using his illness to throw his weight around, demanding to eat this and that. If things don’t go exactly his way, he jumps up wanting to go fishing.”
Qingyuan was surprised, “That won’t do! It’s freezing outside with ice and snow, he’ll catch his death of cold.”
“Isn’t that exactly the leverage he’s using to frighten people? Don’t pay him any attention!”
Laughing as they entered the inner room, they found the old master reclining in bed looking at chess manuals. Qingyuan went forward and called out “Grandfather,” asking, “Are you feeling better today?”
The old master coughed twice with a grunt, then complained in a drawn-out tone, “I should have been better by now, but unfortunately no one is taking proper care of me. They won’t even let me eat braised duck feet when I want them. It’s stifling – I’ll have to stay in bed a few more days.”
Qingyuan couldn’t help but laugh – her grandfather had become more childlike with age. He had always been lively in his younger days, and though he was difficult in his old age, it wasn’t irritating. But old children still needed coaxing, and the old madam didn’t have the patience to endure his whining – she was about ready to take a bamboo pole to him. Qingyuan was very patient, saying gently, “Your wheezing is so severe, braised foods aren’t good for your health. Wait a couple more days until the illness has passed, then you can eat them. I just passed by Hongyan Tower when their pastries were coming out of the oven, so I bought two boxes back. Why don’t you get up and wash, then we can eat together, hmm?”
The old master perked up at this, and since his granddaughter had come back, he couldn’t keep lying in bed. He threw back the covers and got up, slowly shuffling to the side room to get ready.
Qingyuan and the old madam withdrew to the front hall to wait. In this snowy and windy weather, sitting together around the brazier and drinking tea was quite pleasant. The old madam chatted with her about household matters and asked about recent events at the Western Mansion. Qingyuan told her about the intentions of the Yao mother and daughter, and the old madam sighed deeply: “There are always those greedy eyes and full bellies – their status isn’t low, yet they keep looking at higher peaks, wanting to grab all the good things in the world for themselves. The Second Madam of the Western Mansion is muddle-headed. Knowing her aunt had such intentions, she should have cut off contact. What family would willingly let their daughter become someone’s concubine? Any mother who would do that is either foolish or completely confident their daughter can rise to the top later.”
Grandmother had always seen through things. Having received her teachings for many years, Qingyuan had absorbed this wisdom and could now handle matters so skillfully. But there was no need to dwell on such unpleasant matters now. She poked at the brazier with the fire iron, saying, “Shouya has prepared the residence in the capital and plans to move there next year to avoid constant travel. But I can’t rest easy leaving you and grandfather in Youzhou – why don’t we all go together? That way we can look after each other.”
But grandmother shook her head, “Once married, one should act like it. I’ve never heard of taking your maternal family along. You and your husband are loving, and when you have happy news, I can come look after you – that would be proper. But to randomly move in with you, that I absolutely cannot do.”
The old madam’s wisdom wasn’t just in her direct handling of the old master, but more in her understanding of human relations. Even the best relationships between in-laws couldn’t withstand the friction of living together day and night. Young couples inevitably have occasional squabbles, and in the heat of the moment, they seek out close relatives to complain to. The maternal family naturally takes their side out of love, and small matters become big ones. That’s why relationships between sons-in-law and mothers-in-law, or between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, must maintain appropriate distance. ‘Distance makes the heart grow fonder’ – that’s the principle.
So Qingyuan didn’t insist, just smiled and said, “Grandmother thinks far ahead – it will be some time before I have such happy news and you come.”
The old madam smiled warmly, “It will happen quickly. As soon as the weather clears, I’ll go to Huguo Temple to pray for blessing tokens for you.” She sighed reflectively, “Isn’t this what life is? When young we long to grow up, when grown we long to marry, after marriage we long for grandchildren – day by day, before we know it, we’re old.”
Though Qingyuan was young, hearing their grandmother’s words, she could truly empathize. She had walked about half that path herself – though it was too early to think about grandchildren, her thoughts were all with that person who had departed for the capital.
Seeing her distraction, the old madam smiled, “Missing your husband? You’ve only just married and already separated – the court isn’t being considerate in this matter.”
Qingyuan felt somewhat embarrassed, lowering her head to smooth the hand warmer as she said, “With the New Year approaching, there’s too much work at the Palace Guard for him to handle alone – he needs to be there to oversee things. I’m not missing him, it’s just that when he leaves, my heart feels empty.”
The old madam was quite pleased – the deep feelings between the couple were rare in arranged marriages. Earlier there had been talk of Shen Run’s calculating nature, how he had schemed step by step to secure this marriage. Looking at it now, some fated connections required strategy – if left to chance, they would now be east and west, each pursuing their future.
As grandmother and granddaughter were whispering together, a servant woman came up the middle path, stopping in the corridor to report: “Old Madam, there’s someone who’s been lingering outside our gate. When the doorman went to ask, they said they were from the Xie family, requesting to see our eldest young lady.”
The old madam’s face immediately turned cold upon hearing this, “Xie family? After everything that’s happened, how dare they come calling? What scheme are they plotting now, who are they trying to manipulate this time?” The old madam stood up, “Send them away – say the young lady has just been married and won’t see such unlucky people in the first three months.”
The servant woman acknowledged with a “yes,” adding, “That person seemed to know the young lady wouldn’t see them, so they asked the doorman to pass on a message – saying that Commander Xie is gravely ill, begging the young lady to think of their flesh and blood relationship and go see him.”
Qingyuan also stood up, momentarily stunned, “How could he suddenly fall ill?”
The old madam pondered, “Most likely the battle at Stone Fort severely damaged his health, and returning to find the emperor’s disfavor weighed heavily on his mind until he fell ill. When people are confined to a sickbed, they think more deeply than usual – perhaps he thought of you, as you are still his flesh and blood.”
The old madam had never prevented children from acknowledging their ancestral roots, but because the Xie family’s old madam had caused such trouble before, she had thought that path completely severed. But now it was different – Qingyuan was separated from Xie’s old madam by a layer, but she was still Xie Shu’s direct daughter. They could ignore the old madam’s life or death, but when it came to Xie Shu, it needed more consideration.
However, Qingyuan had always been decisive in handling matters. She raised her voice to instruct the servant: “Tell that messenger what I say – I have no more connection with the Xie family, and in the future, they need not come here with any news about the Xie family.”
The servant hurriedly left with the message, and Madam Chen said, “Commander Xie is still your father after all…”
“Grandmother, don’t be soft-hearted – who knows how much truth there is in this? If this is another one of their schemes, and I foolishly go back, wouldn’t that be falling right into their trap?”
Yet despite these words, she couldn’t say her heart was completely unmoved. But she kept silent about it, staying at the Chen residence to eat with her grandparents before returning to the Commander’s mansion in the late afternoon.
As night was falling and she was preparing for bed, the elderly Mrs. Zhou came in to report that the eldest young lady and young master from the Xie family were waiting in the front hall to see her. Her heart sank upon hearing this, knowing that Qinghe would not come as a messenger without good reason. And Zhengze, as the eldest son of the family, had never thought much of her as a sister – for both of them to come together today meant the master must truly be unwell.
She stood there frozen, her mind flashing to the figure who had been turned away at the Chen family gate, still feeling melancholic when she thought about it. She could have refused to see the Xie family members, but since Qinghe had come, she couldn’t completely cut ties. So she had Honglian help her dress again, and only after she was properly attired did she head to the front hall.