Young Master Hong looked pitifully at Shen Yu.
Shen Yu said, “If he can’t even handle this bit of illness, how can we expect him to amount to anything in the future?”
Ji Cheng was stunned. How could he speak like that? No wonder Young Master Hong was like a mouse before a cat in Shen Yu’s presence, all his liveliness vanishing without a trace.
“Thank you for coming to see me, Cousin,” Ji Cheng said, sitting up in bed and bowing to Shen Yu despite her illness.
Shen Yu didn’t say much, merely gesturing with his eyes to Young Master Hong. The boy took a small round porcelain box from his pouch and handed it to Ji Cheng. “This is Clearing Skin Cream. Father found it for you. Aunt, your wounds will heal quickly with this.”
Ji Cheng thanked Shen Yu again. After the father and son left, Ji Cheng felt overwhelmed with emotion. She truly hadn’t expected the usually cold Shen Yu to care about her injuries, which increased her sense of belonging to the Shen family.
Honestly, the world could be quite ironic. Her connection to the Shen family was because of her aunt, Ji Lan. Yet since arriving at the Shen household, everyone had treated her well, which deeply moved Ji Cheng. Ironically, it was her blood relatives who constantly schemed against her.
Ji Cheng played with the Clearing Skin Cream but didn’t apply it to her wounds. Since Chen Che had said he would find medicine for her, she didn’t dare use other remedies, fearing conflicting effects.
By evening, Liu Ye’er woke Ji Cheng to take her medicine just as Shen Qian and Chu Zhen came to visit.
Away from home, formalities were relaxed. Chu Zhen was considered a distant relative of the Shen family, and close families didn’t avoid each other. Since he came with Shen Qian, Ji Cheng sat up in bed and greeted them.
“Sister Cheng, you’re still injured and ill. Don’t strain yourself. We’re not outsiders,” Shen Qian said, hurrying to help Ji Cheng sit comfortably.
Chu Zhen wanted to look at Ji Cheng but didn’t dare, fearing it would be disrespectful. However, the redness showing through his dark skin betrayed his thoughts. He skillfully glanced around Ji Cheng’s inner tent. Although not her boudoir, it was close enough. So this was where she lived, Chu Zhen thought, his curiosity instantly satisfied.
Ji Cheng’s tent had few feminine touches, almost austere in its simplicity. She had come in a hurry and shared the space with Shen Cui, so her belongings were minimal.
Unknown to her, this suited Chu Zhen’s taste perfectly. He disliked the colorful decorations in women’s rooms and the seemingly refined but ultimately useless poetry and paintings.
Chu Zhen had always favored martial arts over literature, viewing poets and scholars as mere complainers. Seeing Ji Cheng like this, enduring such severe injuries without a whimper, unlike his sisters who would cause a commotion over a pinprick, made Chu Zhen feel even more strongly that they were a perfect match. No other girl could suit him better.
“Miss Ji, was it Fourth Lady Wang who deliberately rammed you with her horse yesterday?” Chu Zhen asked, his resolve strengthening as he now viewed Ji Cheng as his future wife. If she had been wronged, he felt obligated to seek justice for her.
Ji Cheng remembered Chen Che’s words from yesterday. He likely had a plan, so she didn’t want to cause conflict with the Wang family now. “Yesterday was merely due to my lack of skill,” she replied.
Ji Cheng was already suffering from an evil wind invasion. Though her fever had subsided, lung fire was rising, causing her throat and liver to ache. She coughed dryly, each sentence followed by three coughs, making Chu Zhen think she feared Fourth Lady Wang’s tyranny.
Chu Zhen felt anxious but understood that Ji Cheng, as a Ji family girl of humble origins, could only rely so much on the Shen family’s protection. He wanted to stand up for her but couldn’t speak plainly in front of Shen Qian.
“Miss Ji, don’t be afraid. You don’t need to cover for anyone. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up,” Chu Zhen said.
Ji Cheng’s eyelashes fluttered. She was also anxious, fearing Shen Qian might discern something. Ji Cheng didn’t understand how she had caught the eye of the dark-faced prince.
Glancing at Shen Qian, Ji Cheng saw a thoughtful expression on her face. She coughed twice, covering her chest. “Sister Qian, I’m afraid I’m not fit to entertain guests. Please help me bid farewell to Young Master Chu. Thank you, Young Master, for visiting me today. I heard you were the first to see me fall from my horse yesterday. Ji Cheng is deeply grateful, but yesterday’s incident truly had nothing to do with Fourth Miss Wang.”
After struggling through this long speech, Ji Cheng closed her eyes and breathed heavily, appearing gravely ill. Shen Qian hurriedly pulled Chu Zhen out. “Cousin, let’s go. We should let Sister Cheng rest properly.”
Chu Zhen had no choice but to follow Shen Qian out.
Outside the tent, Shen Qian probed, “Cousin, why are you so concerned about Sister Cheng?”
Chu Zhen hesitated but knew he needed to protect Ji Cheng’s reputation. He said solemnly, “I simply can’t stand seeing people abuse their power. If I hadn’t witnessed it, that would be one thing, but since I saw it, I had to do something.”
Hearing this, Shen Qian felt relieved. She had thought Chu Zhen might have taken a liking to Ji Cheng, but it turned out he was just being chivalrous. In a young girl’s heart, every virtue of her beloved is magnified infinitely. The more Shen Qian thought about it, the happier she felt, believing Chu Zhen’s character was noble and worthy of lifelong commitment.
Finally, after all the visitors had left, Ji Cheng could rest. However, her luck had been poor lately, and that evening, it began to snow in the South Garden.
Heaven seemed to have reclaimed all the good weather of the previous days, unleashing the season’s snowstorms upon the mortal world with a vengeance.
The howling snow-laden wind raged, and Ji Cheng, lying in bed, truly feared the tent might be blown away. Fortunately, the Shen family’s experienced servants had secured the tents well. The next day, Ji Cheng overheard Yu Qian’er discussing whose tent had been overturned in the night.
With the snow came gloomy, cold weather. Firewood and charcoal were in short supply. The imperial villa’s resources naturally went to the nobles first, leaving the officials’ families to suffer. Those accustomed to luxury at home now found themselves living worse than commoners in some respects.
With the charcoal shortage, everyone was shivering. The South Garden was an imperial garden where not a tree or blade of grass could be touched at will. Although some secretly cut branches for firewood, the wet wood was difficult to ignite and produced unbearable smoke.
Ji Cheng, already ill, saw her condition worsen with the sudden cold. Shen Yuan and the others had already given her their tents’ charcoal, leaving Ji Cheng at a loss for how to express her gratitude.
Normally, such a sudden weather change would prompt a return to the palace, but for some reason, Emperor Jianping seemed captivated by the vast whiteness and the mountains dancing like silver snakes. Oblivious to the hunger and cold outside the imperial villa, he enjoyed the warmth of charcoal and the fragrance of flowers, drinking wine and admiring the snow in comfort.
The small amount of charcoal wasn’t enough for Ji Cheng’s needs. Thankfully, Princess An He sent half a basket of charcoal the next day, barely enough to last another day.
Princess An He was Emperor Jianping’s sister. Those cunning courtiers might slight others, but they dared not offend Princess An He. Yet Princess An He was one thing, and Ji Cheng quite another. That the princess would remember Ji Cheng touched her deeply.
Ji Cheng sent Liu Ye’er to thank Princess An He. When Liu Ye’er arrived, she encountered Chen Che leaving after paying his respects to the princess.
Chen Che glanced at Liu Ye’er. “Are you here because your Miss has some business?”
Liu Ye’er lowered her head and said, “The princess sent our Miss half a basket of charcoal. My Miss sent me to express her thanks and to say that she’ll come to pay her respects to the princess once she’s recovered.”
Chen Che’s body was impervious to cold, so he couldn’t fully appreciate what Ji Cheng and the others were experiencing. Although Ji Cheng was covered with thick blankets, the tent offered little protection from the cold, and the wind crept through the cracks, chilling to the bone. How could she endure this? Moreover, the severe cold meant they couldn’t open the tent flaps, and burning charcoal made the air stuffy. It was nearly torture for Ji Cheng.
Chen Che asked further, “Has your Miss’s condition improved?”
Liu Ye’er replied, “She seemed to be getting better, but it worsened again today. She had another fever last night.”
Chen Che didn’t inquire further, only saying, “You may go.”
Liu Ye’er thanked Princess An He and returned to the tent. Not long after, Nan Gui appeared carrying a basket of charcoal from somewhere.
Liu Ye’er recognized it immediately. “Oh! This is red silk charcoal. Where did you get it? Isn’t this only used by nobles in the palace?”
Red silk charcoal was smokeless and odorless, burned to a grayish-white without exploding, and lasted a long time. It was the best charcoal for winter use indoors, likely only found in the rooms of the emperor and his most favored consorts at this time.
Nan Gui hushed her. “Keep your voice down. The Second Young Master found it for the Miss to use. Be careful not to let others see. The Miss is ill, and other charcoal produces too much smoke.”
Liu Ye’er immediately quieted down and helped Nan Gui place the red silk charcoal in Ji Cheng’s inner tent, lighting a new brazier. “This is much better now.”
When Ji Cheng woke up, she immediately noticed the different smell. “Where did this red silk charcoal come from?” Although red silk charcoal was excellent and only used in the palace in the capital, in Jin territory, you could burn any kind of charcoal if you had the silver for it.
“Second Young Master had Sister Nan Gui bring it over,” Yu Qian’er quickly answered. “Miss, the Second Young Master is so thoughtful. He may seem distant usually, but he does care for his people.”
Ji Cheng thought to herself that Chen Che knew how to win people over. Sending charcoal in the snow, he easily gained their hearts. Ji Cheng still felt a bit uncomfortable, but she couldn’t deny that her impression of Chen Che had indeed improved.
On the third day, Chen Che indeed had Nan Gui deliver a jar of medicinal ointment. The ointment was translucent green, with a cool, refreshing scent and a faint herbal aroma that was very soothing.
Ji Cheng handed the medicine pot to Liu Ye’er, instructing her to apply the medicine. Ji Cheng was not an ungrateful person. From the Old Madam to Princess An He, and even Shen Che, who wasn’t all that bad, Ji Cheng always felt indebted to the Shen family.
Take the Crown Prince of Chu, for instance. Ji Cheng had noticed his intentions. Unlike other noble families, the Wang family’s royal status was already at its peak. If they aimed any higher, the Emperor would grow suspicious. Ironically, this made the Wang family’s doors easier to enter than those of ordinary noble houses.
Ji Cheng had considered Chu Zhen before. His family background and character were excellent choices. Unfortunately, Shen Qian had also set her sights on him. Ji Cheng could have competed for him, as matters of the heart depended on fate and strategy, and Shen Qian might not necessarily have won against Ji Cheng.
However, Ji Cheng had never acted, partly out of fear of Shen Che’s retaliation, but also out of gratitude for the Shen family’s kindness. As of today, Ji Cheng has further abandoned those fleeting fantasies, deciding it would be best to avoid Chu Zhen in the future.
Not only was she lenient towards Shen Qian, but Ji Cheng also couldn’t bring herself to ignore Shen Cui.
There are no evil people in this world. If nurtured with warmth, anyone’s heart would soften. Moreover, Ji Cheng was far from being a heartless villain. Although she didn’t want to meddle in Shen Cui’s affairs, remembering how the Shen family had cared for her, she felt obligated to worry.
However, Ji Cheng hadn’t seen much of Shen Cui during the days she was recuperating in the tent. Due to her illness, Shen Cui moved to another tent to allow Ji Cheng to rest quietly.
During the day, Shen Cui would visit Ji Cheng briefly, always in a hurry, and then disappear for the rest of the day.
A few days later, as the weather suddenly turned cold and snowy, with howling winds that were quite frightening, Emperor Jianping ordered an early return to the capital. It was only when Ji Cheng returned to her small courtyard to recover that she finally saw Shen Cui sitting quietly by her bedside, inquiring about her health, instead of asking one question and running off.
Shen Cui knew she had been somewhat in the wrong. After all, wasn’t Ji Cheng’s severe injury all for her sake? But Shen Cui rarely had the chance to spend time with her lover, so she naturally wanted to make the most of their time in Nanyuan. Now that they were back home under strict supervision, she no longer thought about sneaking out.
Ji Cheng glanced at Liu Ye’er and the others, who tactfully withdrew, closing the door behind them as they left.
“Fifth Sister, are you and the Qi family’s eldest son involved?” Ji Cheng asked bluntly.
“Where did you hear such nonsense? How can you ask me such a baseless question? What do you take me for?” Shen Cui bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Ji Cheng’s heart sank. Shen Cui’s reaction was so strong; could it be that she had done something she shouldn’t have?
Ji Cheng rubbed her temples. “I misspoke, Fifth Sister. If there’s nothing to it, I apologize. You can punish me however you see fit. But if there is something, I advise you to tell Aunt about your feelings early on to avoid future complications.” Ji Cheng left some words unsaid: if Qi Zheng couldn’t secure a connection to the Shen family through Shen Cui, he might abandon her, leaving Shen Cui devastated.
Shen Cui couldn’t understand Ji Cheng’s good intentions. If her mother could easily agree, why would she need to meet her lover in secret? Ji Cheng was truly speaking from a position of comfort.
From Ji Cheng’s perspective, Shen Cui was truly troublesome. Knowing that Ji Lan wouldn’t agree, her secret meetings with Qi Zheng were futile. Wasn’t this courting death? Seeking momentary happiness without fearing the lifelong consequences.
“I’ve already told you nothing is going on. Why are you pestering me? Could it be that you’ve taken a liking to Qi Zheng yourself and are falsely accusing me?” Shen Cui rolled her eyes. She had heard from Qi Hua that Ji Cheng had eagerly gone to the Qi family, presumably for Qi Zheng’s sake. She even tried to win their favor with a thousand-year-old ginseng, though it was merely worth fifty thousand taels of silver.
Fifty thousand taels of silver was already a huge sum, enough to buy a three-courtyard house with a garden in the best area of the capital. However, Shen Cui had been spoiled by Ji Lan. In private, Ji Lan often complained about how much silver she had spent on Third Master Shen and Shen Jing, often tens of thousands of taels at a time. This led Shen Cui to believe that her mother had mountains of gold and silver piled up.
For this reason, Shen Cui had also boasted to Qi Zheng, which was why he had so quickly made up his mind to win her over. Qi Zheng naturally liked such a naive young lady from a good family with a guaranteed substantial dowry.
Ji Cheng’s face turned cold. “Consider it me meddling in your affairs. But Shen Cui, you should know why Wang Fourth Miss specifically targeted you that day. Think carefully about the reason. If she hadn’t noticed something, why would she single you out? You’d better be careful. Don’t let Wang Fourth Miss expose your secret before you have a chance to speak up yourself.”
Shen Cui’s heart skipped a beat. That day, when she and Qi Zheng had emerged one after another from behind Guanyun Mountain, they had indeed encountered Wang Fourth Miss. At the time, Wang Fourth Miss hadn’t said anything, and Shen Cui had secretly rejoiced that she hadn’t noticed. Now that Ji Cheng had pointed it out, Shen Cui suddenly remembered.
Having already spoken those words, Shen Cui couldn’t take them back. She could only stubbornly say, “Anyway, my business is none of your concern.”
There are people like Shen Cui in this world who walk blindfolded towards a cliff. When others kindly advise them to turn back, they suspect ulterior motives.
However, Ji Cheng was only doing her duty, seeking to be without guilt. If Shen Cui doesn’t listen to advice, she has no intention of pushing herself to be disliked. Moreover, Ji Cheng had truly injured her Yuan Power this time. Even though she could recover well in the Shen residence, it would still take time. During this period, she was quite ill.
During this time, Shen Jing and Ji Yuan came together to visit her. Shen Jing naturally harbored immense concern in his heart without expressing it, becoming increasingly diligent in his studies. He hoped that after passing the autumn imperial examinations next year, he could entreat his mother to arrange a marriage between him and Ji Cheng.
While Ji Cheng’s marriage prospects were still uncertain, Su Yun had received good news. Her marriage had been arranged to Li Zhi, the youngest son of the Jingwu Marquis, who was also Li Hui’s elder brother.
This was truly a prestigious match. Li Zhi’s grandmother was Princess Zhengping, Emperor Jianping’s aunt. She was now the only princess left of her generation, and Emperor Jianping always showed her great respect.
By rights, Su Yun’s background might not have been quite suitable for Li Zhi. After all, the Su family had declined, with no outstanding members in the younger generation, and the older generation only holding an insignificant fifth-rank official position in the provinces.
However, with Old Madam Shen’s recommendation and Su Yun’s beauty ranking among the top among the capital’s young ladies, Princess Zhengping decided to arrange the marriage with Li Zhi.
During the Double Ninth Festival climb, when the Old Madam only invited Su Yun to accompany her to Suyu Mountain, it was actually to introduce her to Li Zhi. It was thanks to Su Yun’s composure that no one knew her future husband was the youngest son of the Jingwu Marquis until the two families exchanged betrothal gifts.
Ji Cheng had Liu Ye’er open a box and select a pair of jade spring vases decorated with intertwined lotus flowers to send as a congratulatory gift to Su Yun. As she was still ill and Su Yun was celebrating a joyous occasion, Ji Cheng needed to be somewhat cautious.
Shen Yuan came to visit Ji Cheng and saw that her spirits were better than in the past two days. “You seem to be following Physician Song’s prescriptions well. Have the scabs on your wounds fallen off? Did they leave any marks?”
Because the person in the palace feared that using too much medicine might leave an unusual scent that Ji Cheng would notice and stop using, the snow lotus cream wasn’t applied in large amounts. Later, with the ointment given by Shen Che, the scabs had already fallen off. There were still marks on her feet and hands where the dry branches had cut deeply, but given time and as the color faded, they shouldn’t be noticeable unless examined closely.
Ji Cheng herself wasn’t concerned, but Shen Yuan looked regretful. “Your skin was so flawless, without even a single blemish that ordinary people develop. Now that you have scars, it’s truly a pity. A slight flaw on a piece of white jade.”
Ji Cheng lowered her sleeve and said, “They won’t be very noticeable after some time.”
Shen Yuan nodded and gently squeezed Ji Cheng’s palm. “Sister Yun’s good news has been settled. You’ll be next, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
If this had happened a few months ago, Ji Cheng would have felt somewhat resentful. But now, her desire to marry had lessened. With the tight rein Shen Che had on her, she might even have to follow his instructions when it came to her future marriage.
Ji Cheng didn’t want to dwell on it and pushed the fleeting thoughts from her mind. “I’m only happy for Sister Yun now that her good news has been settled. Sister Yuan, you don’t need to be so cautious with your words. It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable to hear you speak so indirectly.”
Shen Yuan burst out laughing. “I know you’ve always been generous. I was just worried you might not have come around yet, that’s why I came to comfort you.”
“Thank you for your concern, Sister,” Ji Cheng smiled.
Shen Yuan continued, “Your hands may look slender and delicate, with even your fingernails longer than ours, but your palms are plump. This is a sign of good fortune. My earlier words weren’t just to console you.”
Ji Cheng covered her ears and said, “Dear sister, please spare me. Your happy day is approaching, and Sister Yun has found her match. Are you here to tease me now? I think you should be more concerned about Sister Qian and Fifth Sister.”
“You’re older than both of them, so why should they be in a hurry? A talented person like you shouldn’t be carelessly matched. It would be a shame for heaven and earth,” Shen Yuan said. Although she spoke thus, she wasn’t without her motives. No matter how close Ji Cheng was, could she be closer than Shen Qian and herself? Shen Qian had fallen head over heels for Chu Zhen, but Shen Yuan was no fool. She had long noticed that Chu Zhen’s heart was tied to Ji Cheng. Perhaps it would be better to settle Ji Cheng’s affairs first, to cut off Chu Zhen’s thoughts early and avoid damaging the sisterly affection between them.
As for Shen Qian’s marriage, although Shen Yuan could be concerned, she had no right to interfere. There were still the Old Madam and Princess An He above her. So Shen Yuan only hoped that Ji Cheng’s matter could be settled first.
Ji Cheng secretly found it strange. Shen Yuan had always been dignified, often stopping the sisters when they joked about matters between men and women. Today, her unprompted words, though meant to reassure Ji Cheng, likely carried other implications.