At this moment, younger sister Cheng was sipping the mint tea handed to her by Shen Che. She usually didn’t drink tea in the evening due to her poor sleep, but Shen Che’s mint tea didn’t contain any tea leaves. The mint leaves were crushed to resemble tea leaves, hence it was called tea. Ji Cheng particularly enjoyed Shen Che’s mint tea, which seemed to contain dried peaches from last year, giving the tea a fragrant aroma and a slightly sweet aftertaste.
“Fourth Brother came to see me earlier,” Shen Che said, only revealing half of the conversation.
Ji Cheng didn’t feel guilty at first, but Shen Che’s habit of only telling half the story and giving her a meaningful look that said “I know” made her heart start to race. Could it be that Shen Jing had become so absorbed in his studies that he said something he shouldn’t have?
To be honest, Ji Cheng didn’t have a high opinion of people who were solely focused on studying. Just look at her eldest brother – pedantic and stubborn.
“What did he say?” Ji Cheng unwisely asked.
“He said…” Shen Che paused, making Ji Cheng’s heart skip a beat before he continued, “Why are you staring at me so nervously? What do you think Fourth Brother would say?”
Ji Cheng glared at Shen Che without speaking. This man just loved to tease her.
Shen Che laughed, “Judging by your expression, I think you want to splash water on me again.” He tugged at his robe, suggestively brushing off non-existent dust from his legs.
Ji Cheng’s face reddened once more.
“Fourth Brother came to thank me. I introduced him to a teacher surnamed Li. This man is quite extraordinary. He’s already forty-eight years old and has failed the imperial examinations multiple times. However, when it comes to predicting exam questions, he can always guess at least one correctly. Moreover, his insights into the methods of argumentation are quite impressive. It’s just that he’s poor and unknown, so not many people are aware of his abilities.”
Ji Cheng asked curiously, “If he’s so capable, why does he keep failing the exams himself?”
Shen Che explained, “There are people in this world who know the shortcuts but refuse to take them themselves, even though they can eloquently advise others. This Teacher Li has great ambitions and views the imperial examinations as child’s play. He analyzes and explains the methods of argumentation, and although he doesn’t pass himself, he wants to prove that his students can succeed using his theories. When he takes the exams, his essays are filled with grand ideas and criticisms of current affairs, even offering praise and censure for the present dynasty. Which examiner would dare to pass him?”
Ji Cheng nodded, feeling a newfound respect for Teacher Li. However, she couldn’t help but wonder if Shen Che’s words had a hidden meaning, implying that she knew the shortcuts but stubbornly refused to take them.
“So, Cousin Jing found it very effective?” Ji Cheng immediately thought of her eldest brother, thinking that if even Shen Che praised this teacher, he would be quite good. Perhaps her eldest brother should also go listen to him if only to brush up on his skills.
“Fourth Brother found it quite beneficial,” Shen Che replied.
Shen Che seemed to emphasize the words “Fourth Brother” slightly, and Ji Cheng immediately realized her mistake. “Then I’ll have someone go to Orchid Lane to tell my eldest brother about it, so he can go listen as well.”
Shen Che made a noncommittal sound.
The atmosphere was still pleasant, and discussing family matters didn’t seem trivial. Ji Cheng asked, “Is everything going smoothly with my second brother’s affairs?”
Ever since Ji Cheng began her mourning period, her second brother Ji Ze had been managing the Jinbei iron mine. Although Shen Che had jokingly said before their marriage that he would have the Ji family give this business to Ji Cheng as her dowry, he hadn’t touched this, the Ji family’s largest source of income.
Shen Che lowered his gaze and said, “That business? I’ve already informed the Emperor about it.”
Ji Cheng was only slightly surprised. She knew that Shen Che must have had a backup plan for this matter. There are no secrets that can be kept forever, and even if he was a royal relative, he might not be able to escape the law if it were exposed in the future.
“How did the Emperor react?” Ji Cheng asked.
“The Emperor needs money,” Shen Che summarized in one sentence. Many inconceivable and treasonous things can have unexpected results when spoken at the right time.
For example, after two years of war in the Northwest, the Ministry of Revenue had no surplus silver left. They couldn’t even allocate funds to the Ministry of Works to repair the palace buildings damaged by the fire before the New Year.
Emperor Jianping had no choice but to dig into his own pockets, allocating money from the inner treasury. The inner treasury was the Emperor’s private coffers, and it pained him to take out even a single coin. Shen Che seized this opportunity to present his proposal regarding the Western Regions.
Selling private weapons to the various states in the Western Regions and encouraging internal conflicts among them would have countless benefits and no drawbacks if managed properly. As for the profits, currently, fifty percent went to the inner treasury, with the remaining split between the Ji and Ling families. As for Yuan Qianhe, his position remained untouched. When it came time to withdraw from this venture, there would need to be a scapegoat, wouldn’t there? And Yuan Qianhe truly deserved it.
Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che, wondering how his mind worked. Had he calculated all of this from the beginning? No wonder he said he felt no pressure to marry her.
Shen Che seemed to enjoy Ji Cheng’s suspicious gaze as if she were looking at some strange creature. “Autumn is approaching, and this year the Central Plains have had a bountiful harvest. After autumn, the Turks in the Northwest will surely invade the border, plundering people and grain. We also want to engage in a hard battle to prevent the Turks from causing trouble for several years to come.”
Ji Cheng had heard Shen Che mention this before but didn’t know why he suddenly brought it up again.
“Is it Zhe Li?” Ji Cheng asked cautiously. This name was somewhat of a taboo between her and Shen Che. After all, it was Ji Cheng who had led Zhe Li to the Western Regions, resulting in Shen Che nearly dying there.
Ji Cheng felt uneasy, but Shen Che seemed to have no lingering resentment. “It’s Zhe Li’s master,” he said.
Ji Cheng made a sound of acknowledgment, actually having no concept of Zhe Li’s master. But then she heard Shen Che add, “My martial uncle.”
Ji Cheng’s eyes widened suddenly.
Shen Che explained, “He was once a member of the Jingshi Army, but he left because he was dissatisfied with my master giving me the position. He’s very familiar with the inner workings of the Jingshi Army, so for this Northwestern campaign, I’m using all recruits from the past few years. In a few days, I’ll be setting out for the Northwest and won’t return until the great battle is over.”
Ji Cheng nodded in understanding, realizing why Shen Che had brought up the Northwestern affairs on his own. “Alright, you go. I’ll take good care of the ancestors, parents, and mother at home. You don’t need to worry about things here.”
Shen Che smiled and said, “I’ve never doubted your abilities.”
Ji Cheng blinked and looked at Shen Che, suspecting she might have misunderstood.
Shen Che leaned closer to Ji Cheng and asked, “Don’t you want to come with me to see the Northwest?”
Ji Cheng hadn’t expected this to be Shen Che’s real intention. Her heart began to race inexplicably. “Me? How can I go?”
“You only need to decide if you want to go. I’ll arrange everything else,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng had always dreamed of personally visiting the Northwest and Western Regions. As a woman, she had read countless poems describing the beautiful landscapes, but confined by the rules for women, she would likely never travel beyond a hundred li in her lifetime.
“I’ll go,” Ji Cheng’s eyes shone like the morning star in the cold night sky.
Shen Che had always been a man of action. Somehow, he managed to persuade the Old Madam, who took the initiative to say, “It’s good for young people to travel around. With Ah Che taking care of you, I can rest assured.”
Ji Cheng, looking distressed, said, “But I’ve just started managing things at home.”
“What’s the matter? Can’t this old woman manage the household?” the Old Madam retorted.
Ji Cheng’s heart wasn’t made of stone. To be honest, the Old Madam had always treated her extremely well, so well that she felt undeserving. With tears in her eyes, she rested her face on the Old Madam’s knee and asked, “Old Ancestor, why are you so good to me?”
The Old Madam laughed, “You silly child, I’m not being good to you. It’s that little rascal Ah Che who threatened me, saying if I didn’t agree, he’d run away with you and wander the world.”
Ji Cheng laughed, “He wouldn’t do that. He cherishes you too much.”
The Old Madam said, “The little rascal even threatened me, saying if I didn’t let you go, I shouldn’t expect to hold my great-grandchildren.”
Ji Cheng couldn’t laugh anymore. Her face turned bright red, feeling somewhat guilty.
Finally, the Old Madam said, “Go and don’t feel burdened. When I was young, I also wanted to travel around, but you know…” The Old Madam’s mother-in-law hadn’t been so open-minded.
“So I just hope you young people won’t be constrained. You don’t have children yet, so it’s a good time to go out. It won’t be so convenient later, and you won’t want to leave them either,” the Old Madam said.
Some people, having suffered hardships themselves, want others to experience the same. But others, having endured difficulties, don’t want the next generation to suffer. The Old Madam was the latter.
That evening, when Ji Cheng saw Shen Che, she couldn’t help but complain, “I thought you had some clever way to deceive the family. But you just told the truth. I’ve never seen you have this virtue before. And, it’s me going to help you, but you make it sound like you’re taking me on a trip.” This way, it was too conspicuous, and there would surely be a lot of gossip behind their backs.
Shen Che shook his head and smiled, “You women are hard to please. Isn’t telling the truth good? All lies require countless more lies to cover up. It’s exhausting. Whenever I can tell the truth, I generally don’t lie. Besides, someone like the Old Madam is happier when you tell her the truth.”
Ji Cheng raised an eyebrow. Was Shen Che teaching her how to please the Old Madam? “Heh, when I can tell the truth, I never lie either.” Don’t act like you’re so principled.
Shen Che said, “That’s good. Someone like me is also happier when you tell me the truth.”
Ji Cheng remained silent. Talking to Shen Che was always mentally taxing. She always felt he was implying something.
“When do we leave?” Ji Cheng changed the subject.
“In three days,” Shen Che said. “You can start packing now. You don’t need to bring your maid. The situation in the Northwest is quite chaotic, and if we can’t protect her, it might harm your relationship. I’ll have Nan Gui accompany you, but she’s not skilled in serving people. I’ll assign you another maid to take care of your daily needs.”
The next morning, the maid Shen Che had found for Ji Cheng arrived. It was not a last-minute arrangement; he must have prepared this in advance.
“What’s your name?” Ji Cheng asked.
“This servant has no name. Please, Miss, bestow a name upon me,” the maid replied.
The Jingshi Army had many businesses, including training maids for wealthy families. They were skilled in various areas and guaranteed satisfaction.
“Then I’ll call you Lian Zi,” Ji Cheng said. Lotus seeds have a bitter core but can clear the liver and brighten the eyes.
This Lian Zi was quite capable. Even though Ji Cheng didn’t like that she was sent by Shen Che, she couldn’t help but appreciate her efficiency. Any task given to her was completed quickly and perfectly, and there seemed to be nothing she couldn’t do.
No wonder the Jingshi Army was in the business of selling maids. They were indeed a conscientious merchant.
In the evening, as Ji Cheng was packing her clothes, she was troubled by the fact that most of her dresses were cumbersome and might not be convenient for riding horses or walking in the Northwest. She asked Shen Che, “When I go to the Northwest with you, should I change my identity or something to make things easier?”
Shen Che raised an eyebrow and asked, “Make what easier for you?”
Before Shen Che asked this question, Ji Cheng hadn’t realized that her Ziyun brother was in the Northwest.
Ji Cheng glared at him and said, “I’m not as despicable as you think.”
Shen Che withdrew his gaze from Ji Cheng’s face and turned away, saying, “If you want convenience, wear men’s clothing.”
Ji Cheng always had men’s clothing prepared. As a young woman, it was indeed inconvenient for her to discuss business sometimes, so she would disguise herself as a man. However, most of the time, it couldn’t fool people’s eyes completely. It was just a thin veil of modesty, with everyone turning a blind eye.
When Ji Cheng wore men’s clothing, due to her tall stature and her eyebrows drawn thicker, she could indeed pass as somewhat androgynous. Add to that the fake Adam’s apple Shen Che had procured from somewhere, hidden in a high-collared garment, and it wasn’t easy to find flaws without careful observation.
Shen Che stood behind Ji Cheng, looking at her appearance in the full-length mirror. He slowly raised his hand to her shoulder, “I’ve always been curious…”
Before he could finish his curious thought, Shen Che’s hand slid down the smooth silk robe to Ji Cheng’s chest and pressed lightly.
Ji Cheng’s first reaction was to shrink her chest, then she lifted her foot and stepped on Shen Che’s instep.
Shen Che withdrew his hand in pain, laughing, “The first time I saw it, I was always curious how such large… things could be wrapped so tightly with chest bindings to look like a man’s.”
Ji Cheng could only angrily reply with three words, “You lecher.”
Shen Che had already taken “lecher” as a compliment. “Ah, I don’t know if there’s any effect. If it becomes like a pancake after a long time, that would be a loss for me.”
Ji Cheng could never match Shen Che’s thick skin in this area. She pointed at Shen Che’s nose, stuttering “You…” for a long time without being able to continue.
“So when you have time, you should let them out to breathe frequently,” Shen Che gently pushed away Ji Cheng’s hand. “Have you thought of a new name? Still Ah Cheng?”
“Why not? Just call me Ji Cheng, with the ‘Cheng’ meaning ‘success’,” Ji Cheng said.
Shen Che went along with it, “Mm, not bad. It’s a good omen.”
The news that Ji Cheng was going to accompany Shen Che to visit his elusive master quickly spread throughout the Shen mansion. Of course, visiting the master was just an excuse. Shen Che’s master had probably turned to bones by now, but others were unaware of this fact.
Taking a newly wedded wife to pay respects to one’s master was a reasonable excuse, so after Li Rui made a couple of envious remarks, only admiration remained.
However, on the day of Ji Cheng’s departure, Shen Cui caused trouble again. One thing that wasn’t mentioned before was that Shen Cui’s attempt to seek refuge with her maiden family on the day of Ji Lan’s birthday celebration had not been successful. The next day, the Old Madam had sent people to bring her back. She had to face the consequences of her actions.
However, whereas Shen Cui had previously returned in tears, this time she was fuming with anger. Instead of heading to Tie Mao Alley, she went straight to Jiuli Courtyard.