Two cold laughs emerged from under the blanket, obviously from Ji Cheng. Her face was icy cold. If Shen Che were in front of her right now, her gaze could have turned into icicles and pierced him to death.
But should she coldly stab him the next time they meet? Ji Cheng asked herself.
This wasn’t a good strategy. Now, Ji Cheng was not in control of her fate. Whether due to threats or temptation, she and Shen Che were in the same boat. She could only rely on Shen Che, but Shen Che didn’t necessarily need her.
Shen Che showing some interest in her at this moment wasn’t a bad thing. If Ji Cheng could let loose and play coy with Shen Che, batting her eyelashes and such, it might make future dealings more convenient.
Shen Che had many things in his hands. The private trafficking of military weapons was just one of his means to deal with the Western Regions. Since Ji Cheng had already started, she wanted to do it to the best of her ability. Ideally, she could showcase her capabilities to the point where those above would realize it, and perhaps she could even replace Shen Che in the future.
Ji Cheng was daydreaming, of course. Given her current level, she naturally couldn’t guess that Shen Che was the leader of the Jingshi Army. Although she knew Shen Che’s position in the Jingshi Army must be high, she was unwilling to believe he could be the successor to lead the Jingshi Army, which had rendered great service to the Great Qin.
Ji Cheng sighed, irritably pushing aside the curtain. The thought of bowing and fawning over Shen Che made her uncomfortable. But if she coldly rebuffed him, it wouldn’t align with her usual “amiable” way of doing things. Offending her superior certainly wasn’t a wise move.
“Miss is awake.” Liu Ye’er quickly hooked up the bed curtain with the golden hook of the openwork flower basket and carp, bringing the pre-prepared peppermint spirit water to Ji Cheng’s lips to help her rinse her mouth.
Ji Cheng rubbed her temples, which ached from her anger at Shen Che, and glanced at the sun outside the window. “The weather is so nice this year. It’s already the end of September, yet it’s still so warm.”
“Indeed, in previous years, it would have snowed in the north by now, but there’s still no sign of it this year,” Liu Ye’er said, bringing a hot towel to wipe Ji Cheng’s face.
Hearing the commotion, Yu Qian’er brought in a Ru kiln celadon porcelain basin with floating white plum blossoms. She was about to add some flower dew when Ji Cheng said, “Use the essence that the red-haired merchant gave us two years ago.” That essence was neither oil nor dew, with a fragrance that was neither fruity nor floral, carrying a hint of herbal medicine. Ji Cheng quite liked it; for her, it was refreshing and calming. She had been using it sparingly, but it was almost finished. Today, because of Shen Che, she was even digging into her private stash.
Hearing this, Yu Qian’er put away the usual flower dew and took out the essence. She then took out a large white towel and wrapped it around Ji Cheng’s neck.
After brushing her teeth with bamboo salt using a brush, Ji Cheng let Yu Qian’er help her wash her face. Once all this was done, she felt refreshed and ready to pay her respects to Ji Lan’s room, have breakfast, and then go to the study hall.
At the study hall, Ji Cheng heard some earth-shattering news. Emperor Jianping, who hadn’t gone hunting for many years, had suddenly ordered a hunt in Nanyuan, the southern hunting grounds in the southeast.
The imperial family had two hunting grounds. One was Beiyuan in the north, located at the northern end of Leyou Plain. It was a combination of forest and grassland, with more grassland and an area three times that of Nanyuan. It was especially exhilarating for horseback hunting, and the Chu royal family often went there for hunts.
The southern Nanyuan was mostly dense forest, but it boasted more beautiful scenery.
However, whether it was Nanyuan or Beiyuan, autumn hunts usually took place in August, or at the latest, by mid-September. It was unexpected that Emperor Jianping, who hadn’t gone on an autumn hunt for ten years, suddenly wanted to go hunting in Nanyuan at the beginning of October.
“The weather is still quite warm this year, so it’s not too late to go hunting in Nanyuan now,” said Shen Qin, who loved to play the most, immediately finding an excuse for Emperor Jianping. “Nanyuan is even warmer than where we are.”
“Has the palace said exactly when they’ll set out? And who’s going? Will they take us along?” Shen Cui immediately asked. She had never been to the imperial hunting grounds for an autumn hunt, mainly because Emperor Jianping didn’t go. But she knew that in the past, people from the Shen family would almost always accompany Emperor Jianping on autumn hunts.
The reason Shen Cui was so interested this year was because Qi was serving as a guard in the palace. If Emperor Jianping left the palace, he was likely to be in an escort, giving them many opportunities to meet.
Shen Qin, being Emperor Jianping’s niece, naturally had more up-to-date information from the palace. “Mother came back from the palace yesterday and said that this time, Uncle Emperor is having all officials of the third rank and above go, and of course, all of our families will be included. After all, it’s been ten years since the last autumn hunt, so this time it must be a grand affair.”
When things are out of the ordinary, there must be some mischief afoot. While Shen Qin and the others were excited about going out for some fun, Ji Cheng immediately thought of Wang Yueniang, who had just entered the palace.
An autumn hunt? It was too easy for accidents to happen.
Shen Qin’s source of information was very reliable. The next day, an old eunuch from the palace came to see the Old Madam at the Shen residence. Although Third Master Shen wasn’t qualified to accompany the imperial hunt, the Shen family’s granddaughters were on the invitation list because the imperial concubines said that having more young ladies would make it livelier and more colorful.
In the evening, Ji Cheng asked Nan Gui to inform Shen Che that she wanted to see him, to ask if Wang Yueniang had a hand in this autumn hunt, or if there was any ulterior motive. After all, it would be a waste not to use the readily available resources of the Jingshi Army.
However, Nan Gui returned quickly with the message: “The other side said that the Second Young Master has no free time these days, but…”
“But what?” Ji Cheng prompted.
“But the Second Young Master wants you to quickly sort out the accounts for the western route and draft a plan for him to review,” Nan Gui said.
Ji Cheng inwardly sneered. He had no time to see her, but he wasn’t afraid of running her ragged. Ji Cheng felt quite displeased, with a hint of petty grievance.
Originally, Ji Cheng shouldn’t have felt this grievance. Shen Che, holding the reins of the Jingshi Army, must have many affairs to attend to, so it was normal that he had no time to see her. But it was precisely because Shen Che had shown a bit of interest in her that the young lady began to play hard to get, feeling that he should at least coax and indulge her a little to win her heart.
As a result, Shen Che’s ruthless rejection, without giving her any face, created a gap in Ji Cheng’s expectations, leading to a sense of grievance.
By bedtime, Ji Cheng realized the danger in her state of mind from that tiny bit of grievance. It was too easy to fall into an irredeemable pit if one wasn’t careful, as evident from Su Yun’s pitiful state.
Having adjusted her mood and attitude, Ji Cheng no longer found any issue with Shen Che’s behavior.
Emperor Jianping’s imperial procession set out on the first day of the tenth month. Fortunately, Nanyuan was quite close to the capital. While it would take seven or eight days just to reach Beiyuan, it only took two days to reach Nanyuan.
For safety reasons, Ji Cheng didn’t go to Nanyuan with Princess An He and the others. The Old Madam, due to her advanced age, couldn’t withstand the jolting of the carriage and naturally stayed at home as well.
Ji Cheng had advised Shen Cui to pretend to be ill and not go, projecting her thoughts onto the situation. Wang Yueniang must hate the Shen family for ruining her purity and reputation, forcing her to enter the palace and live in constant fear.
However, in Ji Cheng’s view, Wang Yueniang had once admired Shen Che, and might still harbor some feelings for him. As for Ji Cheng and Shen Cui, who hadn’t lost a hair in the incident, seeing Wang Yueniang’s tragic fate in comparison, it was possible that Wang Yueniang hated them to death.
Why could Ji Cheng and Shen Cui enter Tianxiang Tower and escape unscathed, while she had to bear that outcome?
Shen Cui admitted that Ji Cheng had a point, but she couldn’t bear to miss the opportunity to see Qi. Instead, she comforted Ji Cheng, “It’s alright, both Big Brother and Second Brother will be there this time. Besides, I’ll be careful. Surely Wang Yueniang can’t do anything to me in broad daylight, can she?”
Such frightening naivety and childishness!
Ji Cheng couldn’t be bothered to persuade Shen Cui further. She had caught a cold two days before departure, coughing so badly she felt her lungs might come out. Naturally, she couldn’t set out for Nanyuan in this state.
But Ji Cheng’s presence at Nanyuan was only due to her connection with the Shen family, so her absence was of little consequence. Only Shen Yuan and the others expressed slight regret, as it was less fun without all the sisters together.
Taking advantage of this day when all the chattering young ladies had left the house, Ji Cheng went to the Old Madam’s room to get closer to her.
Ji Cheng entered the Old Madam’s Ruiying Hall, took off her peacock green double-colored gold and cyan cloak, and handed it to a little maid, before entering the west side room to pay her respects to the Old Madam.
“Weren’t you ill? Why did you come?” The Old Madam looked very pleased to see Ji Cheng. “I know you came because you were worried I’d be lonely, but you should be exposed to less wind when you’re sick.”
Ji Cheng smiled and said frankly, “Old Ancestor, my illness was a ruse.” Ji Cheng spread her hands coquettishly. “Look, I’m neither coughing nor short of breath now.”
The Old Madam laughed out loud. “You little minx, what’s this? Don’t you like hunting?”
Ji Cheng glanced at the servants in the Old Madam’s room, who were all her closest and most trusted, before speaking, “It’s not that. When I was in Jin territory before, I often went hunting with my brothers. It’s just that I find it strange that the Emperor suddenly ordered a hunt in Nanyuan this time. Moreover, Yueniang has just entered the palace. I’m afraid there might be some ulterior motive, so I came up with this excuse to avoid going.”
The Old Madam’s smile remained unchanged, but her gaze sharpened.
As if she hadn’t noticed, Ji Cheng continued, “I advised Fifth Sister, and I also told Aunt. But Fifth Sister insists on going, saying that with Big Brother and Second Brother there, there’s nothing to fear. I thought that made sense. So I reminded Sister Yuan and Sister Qin to be extra careful and to look after Fifth Sister. I decided not to go and add to the trouble. If something happens, I might just be a hindrance.”
The Old Madam took Ji Cheng’s hand and made her sit beside her. “It’s admirable that you’ve thought it through so thoroughly. I’ve spoken to A Yu and A Che, and they’ll be vigilant. You don’t need to worry about these things. I didn’t expect someone as young as you to be so thoughtful.”
Old people tend to like vibrant and beautiful people and things. Ji Cheng, with her snow-white, jade-like appearance, was naturally lovable. The more the Old Madam looked at her, the more she liked her. Seeing Ji Cheng speak so frankly about everything, she realized that while Ji Cheng had depth, her heart was kind. Such a girl would be welcomed anywhere, in any family.
The Old Madam thought that since Su Yun’s marriage was more or less settled, it was time to start looking for a match for Ji Cheng. They were all relatives of the family, after all, and deserved help.
Ji Cheng had lunch in the Old Madam’s room. The Old Madam liked her so much that she kept her in the gauze room for an afternoon nap. When she woke up, Yun Jin from the Old Madam’s room was arranging to play mahjong, and Ji Cheng naturally had to join in.
They had barely played one round when the Old Madam laughed and tapped Ji Cheng’s forehead, saying, “You’re just as clever as A Che. You can calculate whatever hand I’m trying to make. This round, you’ve been feeding me tiles, haven’t you?”
Ji Cheng smiled bashfully, “We’re all just trying to make you happy, Old Madam.”
The Old Madam laughed heartily, “That’s true. With such a lucky charm like you, I’m sure everyone in my household is delighted.” However, the Old Madam wasn’t criticizing Ji Cheng. She turned to Yun Jin and Jin Xiu, who were playing with them and said, “You’d better win quickly. Your Miss Ji doesn’t mind losing a bit of money. Use all your skills now; you might not get another chance like this.”
Ji Cheng pleaded, “Alright, alright, Old Ancestor. A Cheng was wrong. Let’s play seriously in the next round.”
The Old Madam nodded in agreement. Throughout the afternoon, the Old Madam, Yun Jin, and Jin Xiu conspired against Ji Cheng, but in the end, it was a draw.
The Old Madam repeatedly praised Ji Cheng, holding her hand and saying, “Don’t think that this old woman lost to you today. I’ve been playing mahjong for decades, and most people are no match for me. Even if I wanted to let them win, I couldn’t. Among all the people I’ve met, only you and A Che are true experts, seemingly able to calculate every tile.”
Ji Cheng quickly replied, “I often helped my father with account books at home, so I’m inevitably more sensitive to numbers.”
Yun Jin teased from the side, “No wonder Miss Ji always likes to win with the ‘ten thousand’ character. It must be because she thinks it’s the luckiest.” This was a playful jab at Ji Cheng’s love for money.
Ji Cheng didn’t get angry; Yun Jin meant no harm. Everyone giggled, growing closer.
The Old Madam kept Ji Cheng for dinner. After eating and resting for half an hour, she had Yun Jin prepare a ginseng tonic pill dissolved in wujiapi wine for Ji Cheng. “Even though the weather is still warm, it gets chilly at night starting from your feet. Take this pill to ward off the cold on your way back.”
Ji Cheng agreed.
The autumn hunt in Nanyuan was expected to last five or six days. Ji Cheng thought she wouldn’t see Shen Qin and the others for a few more days, but unexpectedly, a palace eunuch arrived at the Shen residence overnight, saying that Beauty Wang missed her little sister Ji Cheng and requested her presence in Nanyuan.
What a poor excuse, not even bothering to find a plausible one. This was the privilege of those in power.
Ji Cheng couldn’t refuse and had to set out early in the morning under the Old Madam’s worried gaze.
Ji Cheng sat lost in thought in the carriage. The “Beauty Wang” mentioned by the eunuch was none other than Wang Yueniang. She didn’t seem to hold a high rank, but she must be highly favored. Otherwise, the eunuch wouldn’t have rushed overnight just for the excuse of a beauty missing her little sister.
As for Wang Yueniang’s blatant summons, Ji Cheng couldn’t fathom her intentions. She found it hard to understand people like Wang Yueniang who didn’t play by the rules. Their minds seemed to work differently, always doing strange things. She just hoped she wouldn’t fall victim to Wang Yueniang’s unpredictable actions.
Feeling troubled, Ji Cheng glanced at Nan Gui, who was meditating in the carriage. She was reminded of Shen Che’s thoughtfulness. With Nan Gui present, Ji Cheng felt much more at ease. She didn’t want to leave Nan Gui’s sight, so this time she only brought Nan Gui and Yu Qian’er, leaving Liu Ye’er behind.
The carriage jolted, making Ji Cheng’s bottom sore. Looking at the motionless Nan Gui sitting as still as a bell, she asked, “Sister Nan Gui, doesn’t the jolting of the carriage hurt you?”
“It’s fine,” Nan Gui replied calmly, opening her eyes.
Ji Cheng asked again, “Sister Nan Gui, is closing your eyes and sitting cross-legged to regulate your breathing considered practice?”
“Yes, this breathing technique can calm the mind and nourish the spirit. If combined with other practices, it can even prolong life,” Nan Gui replied woodenly.
Nan Gui seemed wooden in appearance, utterly unremarkable, and even her speech was flat and monotonous.
Feeling in dire need of calming her mind, Ji Cheng asked, “Sister Nan Gui, could you teach me this breathing technique?”
This technique wasn’t particularly mysterious or a closely guarded secret. Nan Gui generously replied, “If the young miss wants to learn, I can teach you now.”
Ji Cheng proved to be an excellent student, her aptitude far surpassing Nan Gui’s when she first learned the technique. In less than half an hour, Ji Cheng had grasped the basics and could use the breathing method to calm her mind.
At first, Nan Gui told Ji Cheng that she didn’t need to sit cross-legged, just to sit comfortably. But Ji Cheng insisted on sitting cross-legged, feeling that the ritual aspect helped her immerse in the breathing exercise. Being a beginner, she had to uncross her legs and shake her feet every so often to relieve the numbness and pain.
By the time the carriage arrived at Nanyuan, Ji Cheng could sit motionless like a bell for half an hour.
Yu Qian’er enthusiastically flattered her, “Young Miss, sitting cross-legged like that, you look just like a Bodhisattva.” With her jade-like complexion and icy demeanor, she did indeed have an otherworldly air. “Even Sister Nan Gui says you have a talent for cultivation.”
Ji Cheng patted Yu Qian’er’s head. She wasn’t trying to practice any martial arts; she just wanted to distract herself. Her bottom was truly sore from the jolting. No wonder Southerners preferred to travel by boat.
The carriage traveled day and night, changing horses four or five times, finally arriving at Nanyuan the following evening.
The Emperor’s temporary palace in Nanyuan was built against the mountain, but it had last been renovated twenty years ago and now looked quite old and small. This was because the Chu royal family preferred Beiyuan for autumn hunts.
This time, all officials of the third rank and above, as well as nobles, had brought their families. The temporary palace couldn’t accommodate so many people, so each family had to set up their camp near the mountain.
Fortunately, Nanyuan encompassed three mountains, providing enough space for everyone to set up camp.
When Ji Cheng arrived, the moon was already high in the sky. The temporary palace was ablaze with lights, and tents with warm orange lights stretched from the palace down the mountain. In the distance, lights could be seen on the other two mountains as well. From afar, the three mountains looked like a golden filigree crown on a lady’s head, dazzling and eye-catching.
At the foot of the mountain, a young eunuch rushed to greet the eunuch surnamed Zeng as soon as he saw him.
A moment later, Ji Cheng heard Eunuch Zeng approach the carriage and say, “Miss Ji, the Shen family’s tents are over on Qixia Mountain.”
“Thank you for your care along the journey, Sir,” Ji Cheng replied.
Hearing Ji Cheng’s words, Yu Qian’er, standing below the carriage, quietly slipped a money pouch to Eunuch Zeng. After weighing it discreetly, Eunuch Zeng smiled and said, “There’s no need for the young miss to hurry. Beauty Wang has already retired for the night. The young miss should rest well; I expect you’ll be summoned tomorrow.”
Ji Cheng thanked him again.
When Ji Cheng arrived at the Shen family’s tents, Shen Yuan, Shen Qin, and the others weren’t surprised to see her. Yesterday, during a rest stop, Wang Yueniang had summoned the Shen family’s young ladies to question them. Noticing Ji Cheng’s absence, she said it made things less lively, ignoring Shen Yuan’s explanation that Ji Cheng was ill. She directly sent a eunuch on horseback to bring Ji Cheng over.
“A Cheng, has your illness improved?” Shen Yuan asked worriedly.
Ji Cheng committed to her act, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and coughed a few times before replying weakly, “It’s a bit better.”
Shen Yuan frowned, “You call this better when you’re coughing like that?” She immediately called for a maid to prepare some loquat syrup for Ji Cheng.
“This isn’t like home, otherwise we should steam some snow pears with fritillary bulbs for you,” Shen Yuan fussed.
Ji Cheng held Shen Yuan’s hand and said, “Dear sister, I know you care for me. But all this worrying doesn’t suit a seventeen-year-old girl. It’s more fitting for a seventy-year-old.”
Hearing this, Shen Yuan immediately glared at her and pinched Ji Cheng’s smooth cheek. “Oh, you naughty girl. Here I am, worried about you, and you tease me instead.”
The playful exchange finally smoothed the frown from Shen Yuan’s brow. Ji Cheng looked around and asked, “Where’s Fifth Sister?”
“That girl disappeared after arriving this afternoon. But don’t worry, she has Xue Liu with her, so nothing serious will happen,” Shen Yuan said. Xue Liu was the skilled maid Shen Che had found for Shen Cui.
Ji Cheng nodded, “Sister Yuan, I’ve never had much contact with Beauty Wang. You know her sisters have never liked me, and then that incident happened. Do you know why she’s so insistent on my presence? I feel uneasy about it.”
Shen Yuan replied, “I’m puzzled too. I can’t guess her intentions; we can only take it one step at a time. She’s currently in favor. I hear even Beauty Wang Shu has taken a step back compared to her.”
“That’s right,” Shen Qin chimed in, “Wang Yueniang and Beauty Wang Shu have fallen out.”
Hearing this gossip, all the young ladies in the tent became interested. Su Yun and Lu Yuan gathered around.
Shen Qin sat down smugly, took a sip of tea, and began, “I just heard this from Sister Li Hui’s tent. They say Wang Yueniang was in Beauty Wang Shu’s palace when my uncle got drunk. She seized Beauty Wang Shu’s authority, infuriating her to no end.”