Today, Hanbi wore that expression again, giving Ji Cheng hope of finally unraveling the mystery surrounding her. While Shen Che’s past was difficult to investigate, Manager Bai could still inquire about Aunt Hanbi’s history.
As expected, Bai Shouchun quickly gathered the information. Aunt Hanbi was a master of the zither, while Fang Xuan was a master of musical instruments. The two admired each other, and although Hanbi resided in Hangzhou, Master Fang Xuan had visited her in the south several times.
If that person was indeed Fang Xuan, Ji Cheng could understand. Although she had never met Fang Xuan, she had heard many legends about her. This would also explain why Shen Che had intervened to protect Hanbi and hired her to teach Shen Qin the zither – it was simply a case of loving the house for its inhabitants.
Of course, this was just speculation, as Hanbi’s old acquaintances weren’t limited to Fang Xuan. However, Bai Shouchun was thorough and even procured a portrait of Fang Xuan for Ji Cheng. At one time, Fang Xuan had captivated all the young nobles in the capital, and countless people had drawn miniature portraits of her based on their mental images.
Fengqing did indeed resemble Fang Xuan’s features somewhat, but Ji Cheng felt their auras must be vastly different. Otherwise, Shen Che wouldn’t have been so indifferent upon seeing Fengqing.
The fact that Shen Che’s beloved was Fang Xuan truly surprised Ji Cheng. Fang Xuan was in the Western Regions.
Ji Cheng quickly sent a confidential letter to Mei Changhe, naturally avoiding Shen Che’s surveillance. She was now quite familiar with the Jingshi Army’s influence in the Western Regions, making it easy to evade them.
Ji Cheng’s father, Ji Qing, also sent news. With the Wang family’s downfall, Governor Yuan’s position had become precarious. The Ji family had invested so much effort, and if Governor Yuan were to leave, they would have to start over. Moreover, they didn’t know what kind of person the new governor would be, or if they would dare to manipulate the iron mines.
Ji Cheng had initially thought Shen Che would only target the Wang sisters, but she hadn’t expected a small nail to bring down the entire Wang family. Governor Yuan’s situation was indeed tricky, but Ji Cheng didn’t believe Shen Che had a backup plan.
Ji Cheng had considered Governor Yuan’s situation as soon as the Wang family fell, but that night Shen Che had been quite intense with her, and after getting distracted, she forgot to ask him. Later, they didn’t have many opportunities to meet or talk. Now that Ji Qing had written, Ji Cheng was naturally anxious to find Shen Che and ask about countermeasures.
The Sanhao Residence in the secret room was indeed stuffy. After waiting for a long time without seeing Shen Che, Ji Cheng boldly climbed the stone stairs to Shen Che’s living quarters in Jiuli Courtyard.
The living room was empty. As Shen Che had said, without his orders, the servants below dared not come up.
Ji Cheng didn’t have the leisure to brew tea. She leaned against a cushion, watching the small pond with koi fish in the courtyard, lost in thought. Gradually, drowsiness overcame her, and she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The Old Madam, being elderly, slept much less and was still talking with Maid Cao in her room. Fengqing was resting in the gauze-curtained bed in the west side room, so there was no worry about her overhearing the conversation in the Old Madam’s bedroom to the east.
“Miss, what are you thinking? People in the family have started gossiping. Do you intend to have Che marry Fengqing?” Maid Cao gently tapped the Old Madam’s legs with a massage stick.
“What do you think of Fengqing?” the Old Madam asked.
Maid Cao replied, “Her appearance is naturally fine, but she’s too shy and timid. How could she manage the household affairs of a Duke’s manor in the future?”
“People are forced to adapt. If she marries Che, she’ll naturally learn to manage the household,” the Old Madam said.
Maid Cao asked in surprise, “Miss, do you have such plans?”
The Old Madam glanced at Maid Cao, “What use are my plans if Che hasn’t taken a liking to Fengqing?”
“But her face…” Maid Cao hesitated.
The Old Madam said, “Is Che the type to only care about a face? If so, there are many more beautiful than Fang Xuan. Have you seen him show interest in anyone these years?”
“That’s true,” Maid Cao agreed.
The Old Madam frowned, “I feel Che treats Cheng somewhat differently.”
Maid Cao said, “You mean when he served food to Cheng that day? I think Che just cares for his cousin, that’s all. As for Yun, it’s fine if she wants to help Fengqing, but why use Cheng as a tool? Che is too smart for that; he must have done it for Yun to see.”
The Old Madam and Maid Cao could see through Shen Yun’s intentions. “Sigh, Yun must not have it easy in her husband’s family. Madam Huang only takes care of her superficially. She wants to rely on the Shen family to establish herself in her husband’s family, so naturally, her thoughts have become heavy. If not for Yun, why would I let Fengqing stay in the gauze-curtained bed?”
Maid Cao recited a Buddhist chant, “You have the kindest heart, Miss. It’s just a pity that Yun’s plans might fail.”
The Old Madam said, “She’s too impatient. What does she take Che for? Does she think he’s the type to lose his way at the sight of any woman?” The Old Madam had some complaints about Shen Yun, but women had it harder than men in this world, so she didn’t blame Shen Yun.
Whether or not Shen Che was the type to lose his way at the sight of any woman, he certainly didn’t walk away when he saw Ji Cheng in Jiuli Courtyard.
Ji Cheng was awakened by Shen Che’s ministrations. When she opened her eyes, her thin summer clothes had already been removed by Shen Che, with only the frost-white embroidered camellia chest wrap still hanging on her body. Ji Cheng was helpless against Shen Che; he was always so eager.
Ji Cheng covered her chest with both hands, making a soft sound of protest. “I have something to discuss with you.”
“Mm, we can discuss it later,” Shen Che said, keeping his head lowered and refusing to stop.
Ji Cheng used all her strength to push him away. “Later, I won’t have the energy to talk to you.”
This was true. Shen Che chuckled softly, helping Ji Cheng fix her clothes, and embraced her as they leaned back against the large pillow. “Speak, then.”
Although Shen Che’s mouth behaved, his fingers were still mischievous. Ji Cheng couldn’t escape, so she could only pinch Shen Che. After a few exchanges like this, Shen Che’s breathing began to grow heavy again. Ji Cheng dared not resist anymore and quickly changed the subject: “My father wrote asking about Yuan Qianjing’s situation. Can he still keep his position as governor?”
“Naturally, some want to take his position.” Many people wanted a piece of the iron mines in Jin territory. Although Shen Che had extensive influence, he had his weaknesses. The appointment and dismissal of court officials were not under his control. Or rather, he could easily bring down an official, but he couldn’t easily put someone in power. The Ministry of Personnel wasn’t in Shen Che’s hands, and he couldn’t enter the Hall of State Affairs, which was the center of Great Qin’s political orders.
Ji Cheng knew Shen Che couldn’t control this aspect, which was why she was worried. “What kind of person will the newcomer be?” she asked. If it was someone like Yuan Qianjing, they could still be bought, but if it was someone slightly more upright, Shen Che’s “goodwill” might not work.
Shen Che played with Ji Cheng’s fingers as he spoke, “I’ll try my best to keep Yuan Qianjing in place. It’s not appropriate to move him now. We can only use these tricks to keep the Western Regions in chaos for now. The north has been restless lately, and Great Qin doesn’t have enough troops to fight on two fronts.”
Ji Cheng tensed. “You mean we might go to war with the north?”
“Mm. If Liang Jinhe continues to suppress the military officials like this, there won’t be enough troops to use when the time comes. The north will be in chaos within two years.”
The Liang Jinhe that Shen Che mentioned was the Chief Secretary, most trusted by Emperor Jianping, and wielded the most power in the Hall of State Affairs.
“Can’t we use the same methods we use in the Western Regions against the North?” Ji Cheng asked.
“No. The Northern Hu is fierce and hard to tame. They have no other products except cattle and sheep, unlike the Western Regions. The Western Regions are rich in resources. Although they covet the Central Plains, it’s not as urgent as the Northern Hu. To deal with the Northern Hu, we can only beat them down before they’ll admit defeat.”
Talking about these matters seemed to dampen Shen Che’s mood. He got up to scoop water for tea.
Ji Cheng adjusted her clothes. “Then I’ll head back first.”
“Don’t go. Stay here and keep me company,” Shen Che said, grasping Ji Cheng’s wrist. His mood wasn’t very high, so Ji Cheng thought for a moment and decided to stay.
Suddenly remembering something, Ji Cheng asked, “That day during breakfast, how come others couldn’t hear what you said to me?”
Shen Che smiled, “That’s a skill called ‘transmitting sound into secrecy.’ It goes from my mouth directly into your ear; others can’t hear it.”
This was the first time Ji Cheng had heard of such a skill. She was extremely envious. “Is this skill hard to learn?”
Shen Che looked Ji Cheng up and down. “With your age and aptitude, if you start practicing now… about fifty years.”
Ji Cheng immediately gave up the idea.
“What I said that day was true. Don’t mind Shen Yun. The Old Madam also says being able to eat is a blessing. Your body is still weak, too thin.” Sometimes he was afraid to use too much force – this was what Shen Che didn’t say.
Mentioning this made Ji Cheng think of Fengqing. She leaned slightly towards Shen Che, “Speaking of which, Miss Fengqing’s appetite is really poor. When eating with her, I feel embarrassed to use my chopsticks too much.”
Shen Che also leaned a bit closer to Ji Cheng, reaching out to pinch her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Are you hinting at something?”
Not wanting to reveal that she knew about Fang Xuan, Ji Cheng raised an eyebrow and said, “I’m not hinting at anything. It’s just that the Old Madam seems to like Fengqing a lot, and Second Sister’s intentions are…” Ji Cheng considered her words, “…quite obvious.”
The corner of Shen Che’s lips curved up significantly. “Jealous?”
“Mm, and it’s aged vinegar at that.” Ji Cheng admitted frankly.
This playfulness showed that she didn’t take it to heart. Shen Che didn’t say more and turned to tend to his tea.
Ji Cheng lazily leaned against the pillow, yawned, and her eyelids started to droop. She was already tired, having just been woken up by Shen Che earlier. As sleepiness overtook her, Shen Che’s slow and elegant tea-making motions were perfect for lulling her to sleep. Soon, she drifted off again.
Shen Che’s water hadn’t even boiled yet, but Ji Cheng’s breathing had already become even and steady. He quietly watched Ji Cheng, his brows slightly furrowed, fingers lightly tapping the table surface.