Chapter 33: A Gift That Came From Someone Else

Returning to the palace from the Grand Guardian’s residence, Fang Rui’s mind was full of images of Shen Yu’s flushed face and her shoulders half exposed. They kept circling in his head and would not go away. Guilt like that of a thief made him too ashamed to seek her out, and Fang Rui had not gone to see Shen Yu for three straight days, unaware that the dagger under Shen Yu’s bedside pillow had been left unused for three days.

When Shen Yu woke, she didn’t recall what had happened the night before. Only when she undressed to change did she notice a red mark on her shoulder. Looking in a mirror at her neck, she found several small red patches there as well.

Suspicion showed in her eyes, and as she thought through what she’d done after drinking last night… She didn’t want to remember, but once she did, everything came back: how Fang Rui had coaxed her and the various acts of molestation he carried out.

She clenched her fists, a murderous gleam flashing in her eyes.

That bastard Jia Ming!

How dare he commit such a grievous disrespect against her!

That very night Shen Yu picked a sharp, sturdy dagger and hid it under her pillow, furious and intending to stab Fang Rui the next time he showed up.

She tolerated his usual smooth talk, but she hadn’t expected that the more she gave him face, the more audacious he became.

Shen Yu wanted to teach him a lesson, but who could have guessed that the Jia Ming who loitered around her every day wouldn’t appear for three whole days.

Shen Yu cursed silently: such a shameless person, and yet he had the sense to be guilty and avoid seeing her!

Fang Rui truly was too ashamed to face Shen Yu. If that night he’d molested her while she was fully conscious, he could still cavort before her the next day. But if he had crossed the line while she was not of sound mind, such actions would be just like Consort He drugging him in his past life, and that would only make him loathe himself.

If it were Shen Yu in his position, she would certainly detest him. But he had worked hard to infiltrate his opponent’s camp and could not afford to squander a lifetime’s cultivation in one moment.

Fang Rui did not sneak into Shen Yu’s again at night, nor did he summon her back to the palace. Coupled with being unable to align that timing with the two days she returned from the Court of Judicial Review for court, he had not seen Shen Yu for these three days.

Rong Tai saw his sovereign obediently remaining in the Zichen Hall for three days and was full of questions, though he did not ask them aloud.

Although he hadn’t sought Shen Yu in these days, Fang Rui had not relaxed about matters concerning her. The day before yesterday the Court of Judicial Review brought Huyan Suoyun to Shen Yu’s residence. Whatever was said, Shen Yu released him that same day. Half an hour after he was freed Fang Rui learned why: Huyan Suoyun’s mother was gravely ill, and upon seeing Shen Yu he knelt and begged Shen Yu to let him return to tend his dying mother, promising to come back once her condition stabilized and submit to Shen Yu’s judgment.

At that moment Shen Yu only said one sentence to Huyan Suoyun, “Filial piety comes before all else. You may go back.”

In that instant Huyan Suoyun’s admiration for Shen Yu sprang from his heart.

The Huyan Suoyun matter was thus settled, but the person who troubled Fang Rui most was no one else but his sister, Princess De’an.

“Your Majesty, in the past three days Princess De’an has visited the Grand Guardian’s residence twice, met Lord Shen once at a teahouse, and sent an invitation to Lord Shen to come to the Princess’s residence.”

The eunuch listed Princess De’an’s recent movements one by one, and her itinerary revolved almost entirely around Shen Yu.

Fang Rui rubbed his forehead weakly and asked, “When did De’an present the invitation to Lord Shen?”

The eunuch replied, “Your Majesty, it seems to have been half an hour ago. At this hour, Lord Shen should have arrived at the Princess’s residence.”

When the previous emperor was alive, fearing the Empress Dowager might treat De’an poorly and that De’an might feel stifled in the palace, he had early on established a princess’s residence so she could live either inside the palace or outside as she pleased.

Fang Rui waved him off and said, “You may go.”

After the eunuch withdrew, Fang Rui looked at Rong Tai and decisively said, “We’re leaving the palace, head to the Princess’s residence.”

Rong Tai raised an eyebrow. He was still wondering how His Majesty was able to remain so calm. Now he proved that he couldn’t contain himself any longer.

How could Fang Rui remain restrained? With his own sister being so forward, he truly worried De’an might follow in his footsteps. He had only learned at the last moment that Shen Yu was female. Even now he hadn’t fully recovered from his past life’s shock and still often dreamt of Shen Yu… as a man, and found himself somewhat intrigued. He didn’t want De’an to fall head over heels only to discover later that the Shen Yu she liked was actually a woman.

He knew his sister well: De’an was the sort who would compromise for what she desired. With that temperament, you never know where her limits lay. If she were to compromise to the point of not caring that Shen Yu was a woman, then the matter would indeed become troublesome.

Outside the palace, at the Princess’s residence.

“Lord Shen, try this floral tea. I picked the petals myself in the spring and dried them personally.” De’an looked at Shen Yu with a smile at the corner of her mouth, her expression fully infatuated.

A maid carried an exquisite celadon teapot and slowly poured the pale red floral tea into the cup, the scent of rose wafting forth, refreshing the senses.

Shen Yu lifted the cup to her nose and breathed in. The aroma was delicate and pleasant. She brought it to her lips and took a sip, the floral fragrance immediately spreading across her mouth.

No matter how fragrant the tea, Shen Yu did not overindulge. After a single sip she set the cup down, raised her eyes to Princess De’an, and asked, “May I ask what matter the Princess summoned this official for?”

De’an had a shallow dimple beside her mouth, so when she smiled it was very sweet. She said bluntly, “Must one have a reason to invite Lord Shen over?”

Shen Yu bowed her head slightly and replied, “Of course not.”

Looking at Shen Yu, De’an said, “But there is indeed a reason for inviting you. At last year’s New Year’s banquet, if not for you pulling me back in time, I might have fallen into the lake that freezing winter and lost more than half my life.”

When Princess De’an mentioned it, Shen Yu was puzzled. In her memory she had not rescued Princess De’an before.

Seeing Shen Yu’s faintly puzzled expression, De’an’s smile deepened and her little dimple grew more pronounced.

“Naturally you wouldn’t remember. But do you recall saving a young eunuch who was about to fall into the lake at last year’s banquet?”

When De’an mentioned the eunuch, Shen Yu remembered. Indeed that had happened. At last year’s New Year’s banquet the Emperor suggested a garden outing in the snowy cold, which Shen Yu couldn’t understand.

Shen Yu naturally found it bewildering. Seating at the banquet was arranged by closeness, so the front rows were filled with princesses and princes, then the Empress Dowager’s ministers, and Shen Yu was seated toward the back. Fang Rui wanted more chances to gaze at Shen Yu but was surrounded by people, so he proposed a garden outing in the middle of winter.

While others toured the garden, His Majesty’s gaze lingered only on Shen Yu.

After a while in the garden someone cried that Consort Li had fallen, shouting “Your Majesty!” Fang Rui had no choice but to make a show of helping, and the crowd surged forward without noticing whom they jostled. Shen Yu saw a young eunuch at the edge about to fall into the lake. The ice was thin and would surely crack. Without thinking she leapt and grabbed him, her wrist was cut by a stone on the lake bank before she managed to hold him, and in the end several people pulled together to haul the eunuch, who had been clinging to the icy wall, up.

The young eunuch was badly frightened and couldn’t form a complete sentence. Shen Yu simply instructed the other eunuchs, “Take good care of him,” and then left.

Shen Yu recalled the incident and looked at Princess De’an in surprise, exclaiming, “Princess, you were that young eunuch?!”

De’an nodded and laughed, “I wanted to give my brother a surprise, but it turned into a fright instead.”

“Lord Shen saved my life and I have never had the chance to repay you, so I invited you over partly to say this, and also…” De’an turned to her personal attendant and said, “Xiang’er, bring the item.”

The attendant called Xiang’er stepped back, and after a short while returned carrying an embroidered box.

De’an instructed Xiang’er, “Open it, let Lord Shen see what’s inside.”

Hearing this, Xiang’er slowly opened the box. Inside lay a male-style white jade hairpin carved in the shape of a peach blossom. The jade seemed to glow.

“I came across this jade by chance. The white jade is flawless, much like you, Lord Shen, and even like your name, as pure and admirable as jade,” De’an said, her eyes shining as brightly as the light emanating from the jade.

No sooner had she spoken than Fang Rui’s voice came from outside the door, “White jade? I recall not long ago my sister extorted a piece of white jade from her older brother, a piece mined from the Tianshan Mountains.”