Seeing the character “Shen Residence” illuminated under distant lanterns, Zhu Yan felt like she had crossed another world.
Perhaps following Jinglin’s instructions, the steward and a few servants stood silently in the cold wind outside the gate, waiting for their return.
“Welcome back, Lord Secretary. Welcome, Madam.”
Shen Du nodded, dismounted, and carried Zhu Yan directly into the residence.
Zhu Yan was torn between laughter and tears, but Shen Du moved swiftly. Thinking that there were few servants in the residence to witness this, she let it be.
The Shen Residence was brightly lit, lacking the desolate feeling of a sparsely populated night. It seemed the steward and servants had hurriedly made preparations.
Feeling a warmth in her heart, Zhu Yan finally experienced the true comfort of returning home.
Hearing Zhu Yan sigh in his arms, Shen Du crossed the threshold and set her down, holding her waist and touching her forehead with his. “Why are you sighing now that we’re home?”
Zhu Yan shook her head, but before she could say anything, she sneezed. Shen Du’s expression immediately changed, and he embraced her again, taking her behind a screen where a bathtub filled with hot water was steaming. Clean clothes and towels were placed on a low stool nearby.
The steward had truly arranged everything meticulously in such a short time.
When Zhu Yan inquired about this, Shen Du narrowed his eyes and explained: “The steward was originally from the Shen household. My father brought him back during his travels years ago. Shortly before the incident with our family, my father must have sensed something amiss and found an excuse to send the steward and his family back to their hometown, thus sparing them from the calamity. Later, when he heard I had survived and entered the palace, the steward returned and found other work. When I left the palace and was rewarded with this mansion for my merits, I sought him out to manage the Shen household again. By then, he had established his shop in the capital. He insisted on giving up his business, but I wouldn’t allow it and instead provided additional funds for his venture.”
Zhu Yan suddenly understood: “No wonder I rarely see him. It must be difficult for him, managing both the Shen household and his shop, and even withholding my dowry for the next Secretary’s wife.”
The jealousy in her voice reached Shen Du, whose eyes and brows were tinged with amusement. “Tomorrow, I’ll have him bring it out from the storehouse.”
As he began to help her undress, Zhu Yan grabbed his hands, her heart racing and her face flushed with embarrassment. She hurriedly said, “I can do it myself. You should go.”
Shen Du smiled and turned to leave, though he didn’t go far. He sat at the desk, looking over information the Grand Secretariat had collected in the capital during their absence.
From a young age, Shen Du had always been focused on his work, able to maintain clarity of mind even in the busiest markets. But today, his thoughts wouldn’t settle on the papers before him. His eyes, ears, and body were all attuned to the movements behind the screen.
Glancing at the dense text on the desk, Shen Du felt irritated and somewhat weary from the long journey. He couldn’t help but turn his gaze towards Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan was rising from the bathtub, her graceful silhouette visible through the thin screen. With a splash of water, a pair of long, slender legs emerged from the tub and stood behind the screen. Zhu Yan took a towel and began drying various parts of her body, then used another to wrap her waist-length black hair. She unfolded her close-fitting undergarment…
Shen Du’s eyes were fixed intently. Though he told himself it was improper, he couldn’t look away. His whole body tingled, his mouth dry. The fire in his lower abdomen spread to his limbs as the undergarment unfolded.
Suddenly, Shen Du raised his hand to his nose, alarmed to find a spot of bright red blood on his fingertip. Startled, he quickly pulled out a handkerchief, wiped it clean, and hid it in a corner.
The usually composed and indifferent Shen Du now had a faint blush on his face. He hurriedly averted his gaze, using his qi to suppress the changes in his body.
Unaware of Shen Du’s condition, Zhu Yan checked herself to ensure she was properly dressed before stepping out from behind the screen. She saw Shen Du sitting awkwardly at the desk, the book in his hands held upside down.
“I’ve finished bathing.”
Pressing her lips together, Zhu Yan felt somewhat embarrassed. She sighed at her lack of composure – it wasn’t the first time she had been alone with Shen Du, yet she still reacted this way. Surely Shen Du would laugh at her again if he saw.
Shen Du gave a soft acknowledgment, stood up, and brushed past Zhu Yan, only giving her a fleeting glance before going behind the screen to undress himself.
Zhu Yan hurriedly said, “Wait,” her voice getting softer, “The water’s cold now. Let’s have the steward change it.”
Shen Du’s hand paused as he was untying his belt, and then his expression softened into a smile. “It’s fine. I’ve bathed in cold water during military campaigns and long days of investigation.”
But that wasn’t the issue. The issue was that she had used it.
The sound of water splashing made Zhu Yan look up. Shen Du had boldly stepped into the tub and sat down, scooping water over himself. Zhu Yan could imagine the water droplets sliding down his neck, over his collarbone, across his chest and abdomen before falling back into the water.
Zhu Yan quickly patted her face, the movement catching Shen Du’s attention. Hearing her, he advised:
“The steward brought some ginger soup earlier. The temperature should be just right. You should drink it while it’s warm.”
Zhu Yan murmured a response. Indeed, there were two bowls of ginger soup on the table, still quite hot. Zhu Yan sipped it slowly, glancing at the bed and wondering how they would sleep tonight.
They were husband and wife, after all, and had opened their hearts to each other the night before leaving Yingzhou. It seemed inappropriate to place objects between them as they had done before but without any barrier…
By the time Zhu Yan finished her bowl of ginger soup, Shen Du had finished bathing and come out. Zhu Yan opened her mouth in surprise: “You bathed so quickly.”
Shen Du said nothing, walking behind Zhu Yan and picking up a towel to dry her hair.
Zhu Yan reached up to gather her hair, noting that it was already half-dry thanks to the heated floor in the room. She said, “Don’t worry about me. Drink your ginger soup.”
Shen Du nodded, picked up the bowl, and drank it all in one go. He looked out the window, then picked up Zhu Yan, blew out the candles, and walked towards the bed.
They had been delayed in the capital for nearly a month, and deep autumn had set in. The nights were cool, but the heated floor kept the room warm. Both of them wore only their middle garments, and being so close, they could feel each other’s body heat.
Zhu Yan was thankful for the darkness hiding her blush. When she saw Shen Du lift the covers and lie down, reaching into the blanket to hold her hand, she was startled. She tried to pull away, but Shen Du held on firmly. Zhu Yan steeled herself:
“Shen Du, I…”
“Shh!”
Shen Du wrapped his arm around Zhu Yan, letting her rest her head on his arm. The strong beat of his heart reached her ears, making Zhu Yan feel waves of heat and discomfort.
“Sleep well. I won’t touch you tonight.”
Zhu Yan nodded, then became confused. He wouldn’t touch her tonight, but what about tomorrow night?
It seemed she would have to move back to her room tomorrow night.
Exhausted from days of travel and relaxed from the hot bath, Zhu Yan soon fell into a deep sleep.
Shen Du, however, couldn’t sleep. With the soft, fragrant body in his arms, he lay awake until dawn before finally succumbing to fatigue.
Early the next morning, the imperial edict of rewards arrived. It was mostly gold, silver, jade, and precious medicines. The Empress ordered Zhu Yan’s promotion to Director of the Bureau of Justice under the Ministry of Justice, raising her rank to the sixth grade. For Shen Du, there was a series of commendations, and the Yingzhou affair was considered settled.
With such good news, everyone naturally offered congratulations, which Zhu Yan graciously accepted. Zhang Baohuan handed the imperial edict to Zhu Yan, who invited him in for tea. Zhang Baohuan waved off the invitation but showed no intention of leaving.
Zhu Yan couldn’t help but wonder: “Does Eunuch Zhang have other matters to discuss?” Could he be hoping to visit the Zhu family to see Han Shiyuan through her?
But then Zhang Baohuan pulled out another imperial edict and unfolded it, his expression serious. Shen Du focused his gaze, unsure of its contents.