The soft morning light filtered into the courtyard as Yining awoke, having slept better than she had in a long time.
Standing in the corridor behind the house, she gazed at the water lilies in the pond. The courtyard’s scenery was tranquil and elegant, though the bustling sounds of the nearby market could be heard in the distance.
The Duke of Ying’s manor was closer to the imperial city, without lively markets nearby. In contrast, Xinqiao Hutong was quite bustling, with river transport passing not far away. Merchants and boats came and went in an endless stream.
Despite being in the capital for so long, Yining hadn’t gone out to explore. She felt a sense of anticipation.
Zhenzu brought her a bowl of hot tea and draped a long vest over her shoulders, saying, “You’ve just woken up, my lady. The wind outside is still cold.”
Yining watched the steam rise from her cup and suddenly said, “Father should have left the city by now.”
Wei Ling had set out on his expedition at dawn. Yining had wanted to see him off, but he wouldn’t allow it. She imagined Wei Ling in his armor, leading his troops into the distance through the morning mist. The thought filled her with a sense of helplessness, perhaps due to the uncertainty of the unknown. Thinking about it now, not seeing him off might have been for the best – Wei Ling probably wouldn’t have wanted her there anyway.
She took a sip of the hot tea and realized it was the sesame oil tea she had loved as a child.
Zhenzu remarked, “He should have left the city by now. The scenery here is truly lovely, my lady. The young master wanted to come with you too. It would have been lively if he were here.”
Wei Ling had taken Ting’er to the garrison, wanting him to train with the martial arts instructors. He was no longer a small child and needed to start building a foundation.
Of course, Ting’er was reluctant – the Duke of Ying’s manor was far more comfortable than the garrison. Wei Ling disliked seeing him so pampered, having grown up in military camps himself and killing enemies before he came of age. Ignoring Ting’er’s wishes, he had taken him to the garrison without allowing him to bring even a single maid or servant. Mama Tong, who doted on him the most, was probably still wiping away tears thinking of him back at the manor.
Yining smiled at the thought of Ting’er. She handed the teacup back to Zhenzu and asked a nearby maid, “Has Third Brother risen yet?”
The maid curtsied and replied, “…The Third Young Master always rises early. Would you like me to send word to him, my lady?”
Yining waved her hand, “No need. Just lead the way.” She wanted to see his courtyard and find out what he did in the early mornings.
The maid complied and led the way.
The manor was indeed beautifully designed, lush with vegetation, and poetic in atmosphere. After passing through a bamboo grove, they came upon a large lake with a winding corridor above it. Beyond a hall and through a moon gate, an expansive courtyard appeared. The yard was paved with neat bluestone bricks, meticulously swept clean. Tall trees stood in the courtyard, with guards posted on all four sides.
Yining noticed these guards were not from the Luo family. They seemed more rigorously trained, their breathing steady and unbroken – all skilled fighters.
The lead guard bowed to her and said, “Lord Luo is in his study. I’ll go announce you, my lady. Please wait a moment.”
His guards here were as good as those in the East Garden, Yining thought to herself, but she didn’t make things difficult for the guard. She sat in the portico to wait.
Before long, Luo Shenyuan emerged. He no longer favored wearing a straight robe, instead dressed in a gray-blue round-collared long robe with right-sided lapels, and a jade pendant hanging at his waist. He looked more imposing than before. Seeing her holding tea without drinking, Luo Shenyuan approached and led her inside. “I had the kitchen prepare oil tea for you this morning. Did you like it? It’s made by the cook we brought from home.”
Seeing Luo Shenyuan lead her in, the guards respectfully made way.
Noticing the guard’s respectful demeanor and his casual manner, Yining found it strange. “Third Brother, where did these guards come from? They seem as good as those at the Duke of Ying’s manor. Your household is so heavily guarded now. Before, when I visited you, there was no need for announcements.”
Hearing this, Luo Shenyuan smiled and said, “I’ll tell them not to stop you next time.”
Perhaps it was due to his change in status and position. He had always been quiet and reserved before, but now he exuded a certain air of authority.
Yining followed him into the study. He seemed to have been reviewing case files, with the window open to a view of pine trees outside.
“I heard Xinqiao Hutong is near a canal,” Yining said as she sat down in the study. “I’ve never seen a canal before!”
Seeing her excited expression, Luo Shenyuan said, “I’ll take you there in a bit after I finish looking through these.”
He lowered his head to review the documents while Yining grew restless. She wandered around his study, which had always been full of books and now held many densely packed dossiers as well. She was only of average height for a woman, appearing quite petite next to him. Yining tried to reach for a book called “Collected Annotations on the Book of Documents” on a high shelf but couldn’t quite reach it. His cloak was hanging on a nearby rack, and as she reached for the book, she accidentally knocked it over.
Luo Shenyuan looked up at her.
Yining laughed nervously, saying, “Keep reading… It’s nothing.” As she straightened the coat rack, she found him already at her side asking, “Which book did you want?”
Luo Shenyuan helped her take down the book. As he reached for it, he moved closer to her. Yining watched his hand pass over her head, then the book appeared before her. She looked up at him as he asked gently, “Are you bored? If so, you can go play outside for a while.”
Just then, someone announced from outside, “My lord… Guard Stone requests your presence.”
Hearing this, Luo Shenyuan calmly replied, “I understand. I’ll be there shortly.” He placed the book in her hands, saying, “Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”
Yining watched him leave the study, the guard following behind. Her curiosity piqued, she flipped through a few pages of the book but found it uninteresting. After waiting a while without Luo Shenyuan’s return, she wondered why he hadn’t come back as promised. With no maids attending outside the study, she decided to go look for him herself.
Yining put down the book and left through the side door of the study. She walked slowly along the corridor, realizing how truly large the courtyard was as she passed several turns without seeing him. Finally, outside a side room, she heard people talking inside. A voice, cold and merciless, said, “…If he won’t talk, start the torture.”
She recognized it as her Third Brother’s voice.
Another person whimpered in pain, “Lord Liu has been kind to me… Even if you beat me to death, I won’t confess!”
Luo Shenyuan laughed coldly, “Very well, then we’ll beat you to death and be done with it.”
Yining heard a subordinate say something else. She moved closer, peering through the lattice screen to see the scene inside. The room, though called a side room, looked more like a torture chamber. One wall was covered with dark-colored instruments of torture. A man in tattered clothes was tied to a rack, wearing the blue official robes of a sixth-rank official, judging by the rank badge… His head hung low. Luo Shenyuan stood nearby, watching as someone took an iron whip and lashed the man’s face mercilessly, immediately splitting his skin! The man’s mouth was stuffed with cloth, preventing him from crying out even if he bit through his tongue. His face was pale, covered in cold sweat. Each lash left a bloody mark.
Watching this, Luo Shenyuan said, “Give me the whip.”
Taking the whip, he tested its force, then suddenly struck the man with terrifying brutality. The whip’s fine barbs tore at the man’s flesh, possibly injuring his eye. The victim shook uncontrollably in agony, unable to make a sound. Luo Shenyuan showed no sign of stopping, delivering another vicious lash that made the man’s head jerk to the side! From his ear to his mouth was a bloody mess. She even saw the man’s bare ear, possibly having been brutally cut off…
Yining suddenly felt very uncomfortable, almost nauseous.
She stepped back against the wall, feeling weak in her knees. She had never seen Luo Shenyuan like this before! So fierce and cold-blooded, his expression unchanging as flesh and blood flew. He was the Junior Minister of Justice, how could he engage in such bloody acts? She suddenly remembered what Old Lady Luo had told her about Luo Shenyuan as a child, how he had once let wolves kill a maid…
Perhaps hearing a sound, the door creaked open. Yining saw the full extent of the man’s condition, realizing he was a hundred times more miserable than she had initially thought, his body covered in wounds, some fingers missing. It was the first time she had seen someone tortured to such a gruesome state!
Luo Shenyuan, seeing Yining standing outside, looked startled.
“My lord, who is this… to witness such a scene…”
Noticing Yining’s pale face and slight trembling against the wall, Luo Shenyuan immediately walked out, embracing her from behind and covering her eyes with his hand. “Meimei, don’t look. If you don’t look, everything will be fine.”
Yining, held in his arms, was surrounded by his familiar scent. Yet she could smell the blood on his hands. Though she couldn’t see anything now, the scene she had just witnessed kept replaying in her mind – Luo Shenyuan’s whip coming down, flesh and blood flying. Knowing about something was one thing, but seeing it firsthand was far more impactful.
Luo Shenyuan simply picked her up, cradling her in his arms. Yining felt herself nestled against him as he turned her body towards him. She heard him say, “…Lock him up for now. Don’t worry about anything else.”
Luo Shenyuan strode out of the corridor, placing Yining on a bed in a nearby side room. Only then did she see his face. He asked softly, “Meimei, why did you come here? Are you frightened?”
Yining shook her head, looking at Luo Shenyuan. He still appeared as she knew him – thick, handsome eyebrows, a dignified face. When he smiled, he was as gentle as an ink painting, but when cold and stern, he was more terrifying than the ten kings of hell. She took a slow breath and said, “I’m fine…”
“Are you really?” he asked, remembering how she had leaned against the corridor pillar, pale-faced, looking at him with unfamiliar eyes.
This was his cruel and cold nature, likely impossible to change. Usually, in front of Yining, he tried his best to play the role of a good brother, a gentle older sibling. He just didn’t want her to fear him. After the incident with Concubine Qiao, many in the Luo family feared him, but this little girl had always trusted and been close to him since childhood. Now that she had seen his cold side, it must be terrifying for her.
Luo Shenyuan paused, then explained, “That man is special. He can’t be kept in the Ministry of Justice prison, so he’s being held here.”
Yining had calmed down somewhat. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen gruesome scenes before, but the fact that her Third Brother was the one inflicting such torture had momentarily overwhelmed her. She asked Luo Shenyuan, “Third Brother, I saw he was wearing official robes… Who exactly is he? If you’re torturing a government official without due process, what will happen if someone reports it?”
Luo Shenyuan shook his head, “Don’t ask.” Fearing she might misunderstand, he added, “It’s better if you don’t know.”
It must be a state secret; he certainly wouldn’t tell her.
Yining nodded to show she understood and moved to get off the bed. Luo Shenyuan reached out to help her, but Yining saw the blood on his hands. Luo Shenyuan noticed too and withdrew his hand after a moment, asking, “Shall I still accompany you to see the canal later?”
Yining nodded. She stood up and walked out, with Luo Shenyuan following. The sunlight cast his tall shadow over her from behind.
Suddenly, Yining asked him, “Third Brother, now that you’re the Junior Minister of Justice, do you have to do these things?”
Luo Shenyuan was silent for a moment before asking, “…Meimei, are you afraid of me now?”
Yining thought to herself that she wasn’t. She had long known what kind of person Luo Shenyuan was, but their prolonged interactions had made her forget his true nature. She only remembered the aloof yet caring older brother. She said, “You surely know what you’re doing. I trust you.”
Luo Shenyuan walked behind her, watching the little girl enveloped in his shadow. He lowered his gaze, his blood-stained hands clasped behind his back.
In the afternoon, Luo Shenyuan took her to see the canal.
The canal was indeed bustling – boats coming and going, fishermen, merchants selling goods. There were also peddlers and commoners going to the market. Yining sat in the carriage watching for a while but couldn’t go down. Luo Shenyuan then took her to a restaurant for a meal. This restaurant was particularly known for its excellent tea and snacks.
However, due to the morning’s events, Yining’s interest had waned. Luo Shen Yuan didn’t force her, and they returned shortly after.
Upon arriving at the mansion, they saw a carriage surrounded by servants stopped in front of the screen wall.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Yining saw a jade-white hand, followed by a delicate and charming face. The young lady’s eyes brightened slightly when she saw Luo Shen Yuan, but she turned to Yining and said softly, “You must be Sister Yining? I haven’t had the chance to meet you yet.”
Yining observed her demeanor and gentle demeanor, guessing that this must be Miss Sun, her future third sister-in-law.
Yining curtsied slightly and asked with a smile, “Indeed I am. Might you be Sister Sun?”
Yining glanced at Luo Shen Yuan, who maintained his usual expressionless face and didn’t step forward to greet the visitor. Why wasn’t he showing any warmth? She was a beautiful woman, after all.
Yining escorted Sun Congwan into the mansion, leading her to the main hall outside her third brother’s courtyard.
Sun Congwan held a brocade box, which she placed on the table.
A maid brought fresh yangmei berries, plump and purplish-red, looking deliciously sweet and sour. Yining pushed the plate towards Sun Congwan, smiling as she said, “I’ve long heard of Sister Congwan’s reputation but never had the chance to meet. Today, I finally have the pleasure.”
Sun Congwan wore her hair in a bun with a single jade hairpin, looking truly graceful. She smiled gently at Yining’s words, “I shouldn’t have come. Father said there was something he wanted me to teach the Third Young Master, so I came. I didn’t expect to see you here, Sister Yining. Had I known, I would have brought you a gift!”
As she spoke, Sun Congwan glanced at Luo Shen Yuan standing nearby.
She had heard that this adopted sister Yining was much beloved by Luo Shen Yuan, so she naturally showed some desire to please. But seeing Luo Shen Yuan treat her even more coldly than usual, seemingly displeased by her sudden visit, she felt a bit at a loss. Although she had come under the pretense of her father’s orders, it was also because she hadn’t seen him in a while and missed him dearly.
Yining knew that Miss Sun likely had ulterior motives.
Seeing Sun Congwan standing beside Luo Shen Yuan, Yining thought they made a good match—her third brother was tall and imposing, and Miss Sun was gentle and pretty. But on the other hand, Yining felt a twinge of melancholy. Was her third brother going to marry Sun Congwan? Her brilliant and formidable third brother would also marry and have children.
Who had Luo Shen Yuan married in his previous life? She only remembered that he had been married before. Even if it wasn’t Sun Congwan, it must have been someone similar to her.
“Sister Congwan could have just sent someone to deliver it, there was no need to come in person,” Luo Shen Yuan said, taking the brocade box and gesturing inside. “Please, let’s go in and sit.”
He looked at Yining and said, “I still have matters to attend to. You entertain Miss Sun.”
Hearing him mention being busy, Yining couldn’t help but think of the whip he had coiled in his hand earlier, with blood on it…
“Go ahead with your business. I’ll take a walk around the courtyard with Sister Congwan,” Yining agreed. He nodded and strode out of the hall with his hands behind his back, his guards following behind.
Yining led her future third sister-in-law on a stroll around the lotus pond, with a little maid carrying stools, tea, and other items behind them. Sun Congwan was very gracious in her manner, every inch a young lady from a noble family. Her speech was clever, and because she liked Luo Shen Yuan, she viewed Yining favorably as well. Before long, the two grew closer, and as they chatted, they discovered a shared interest in tea and snacks, which made their conversation even more intimate.
Sun Congwan mentioned seventeen or eighteen types of vegetarian tea snacks and took Yining’s hand, saying, “I know a teahouse nearby with excellent vegetarian dishes. I usually can’t go out, but why don’t we go together tomorrow? We can bring some guards and old women—from the second floor, we can even see the Grand Canal.”
Yining knew the teahouse Sun Congwan was talking about; her third brother had taken her there that afternoon. Not wanting to refuse Sun Congwan’s goodwill, she smiled and said, “That sounds lovely. Sister Congwan can come to find me tomorrow then.”
As the two slowly walked back along the corridor, they saw Luo Shen Yuan sitting in the main hall talking to someone. The man wore an official robe and appeared to be in his forties or fifties. Luo Shen Yuan wore a faint smile, and the two seemed to be in pleasant conversation. Luo Shen Yuan turned and saw the two women, beckoning Yining over. “Yining… this is Lord Sun.”
So this was Sun Congwan’s father, Luo Chengzhang’s teacher, and a third-rank official of the imperial court.
Yining curtsied to Lord Sun, but as it was improper for her to meet with an unrelated man, Luo Shen Yuan asked her to wait behind the main hall. She could still hear their voices through the door.
Lord Sun greatly admired her third brother and said he had come to take Sun Congwan home. He casually inquired about Luo Chengzhang’s plans to come to the capital.
Luo Shen Yuan replied, “… Father will be coming soon.”
Before leaving, Sun Congwan came to say goodbye to Yining. After she left, Yining tugged on her third brother’s sleeve as he walked in and said, “I think Miss Sun is quite nice, and she’s very pretty too.”
She was standing quite close to him, and he could almost feel the curves of her body through her sleeve.
Luo Shen Yuan made her sit properly on the round stool. He sighed and said, “I have no interest in Miss Sun.”
Yining was shocked to hear this. Weren’t they supposed to be discussing marriage? How could he suddenly have no interest in Miss Sun? If he truly had no interest, why didn’t he refuse?
“From what I heard Lord Sun say, he seems ready for you two to marry,” Yining said. “Miss Sun has been waiting for you. If you don’t like her, you should have refused earlier—”
Luo Shen Yuan waved his hand dismissively, “I know what I’m doing.” Marrying Sun Congwan would certainly be beneficial for him, and she was indeed very suitable. At the time, he had tacitly agreed to his father’s arrangements. But later, he developed thoughts he shouldn’t have, desires he shouldn’t indulge, which was why this marriage had been delayed.
What could he possibly know about handling this?
Yining frowned. She didn’t like how he always acted this way, though all of them were like this. No one knew what they were thinking or planning. They might have schemes in mind, but no one knew what they were scheming about. He was like this, and so was Lu Jiaxue. Perhaps this was the mindset that those in power should have.
Yining suddenly thought of a possibility and, after a moment’s hesitation, asked in a low voice, “You—you don’t happen to like… that Second Miss Xie, do you?”
Luo Shen Yuan inwardly laughed coldly at her words. He stood up. The evening sunlight filtered through the latticed windows into the room. Yining wore a goose-yellow jacket with a persimmon pattern, her figure slender, indeed very petite compared to him. The sunset light illuminated her wrists, delicate and white, seemingly as fragile as a twig. He truly feared he might not be able to control himself… and do something he shouldn’t.
He had known from the start that he shouldn’t have brought her back. Keeping her by his side was dangerous, constantly making him more and more agitated.
Luo Shen Yuan leaned down and said to her, “I don’t like anyone. Stop guessing.”
Yining gazed into his eyes, dark as deep pools, feeling as if she couldn’t move. She could only smell his scent and see his clear, handsome face up close. No wonder so many people liked him… It wasn’t until Luo Shen Yuan had already walked out that she came back to her senses.
Songzhi brought in a plate of lychees, saying, “Miss, the Third Young Master had these prepared for you. They’ve just been brought in from Minnan…” She looked up and saw Yining, a bit surprised, “Why is your face red? Is it too hot with the windows closed?”
Yining unconsciously touched her face. It did feel a bit hot. She nodded and said, “… It is a bit stuffy. Let’s open the windows for some air.”