Chapter 37: The Fire-Avoidance Chart

The coachman didn’t return until nightfall. He went straight to Shen Yu’s courtyard and told her the results of the day’s inquiries.

After hearing the coachman, Shen Yu frowned and asked, “Are you certain you’ve questioned every dried-goods shop in the entire Jindu?”

The coachman nodded and confirmed again, “We’ve asked. They all say they’ve never seen this kind of dried fish. One shopkeeper said it should be a rare delicacy.”

Hearing that, Shen Yu looked at the dried fish she had been handed back and her eyes showed thoughtful consideration.

After a long moment, Shen Yu wrapped the dried fish up again, handed it to the coachman and said, “Tomorrow go ask those traveling general stores that go north and south.”

The coachman acknowledged with a sound and took the dried fish, retreating once more.

Shen Yu remained seated, her eyes narrowing slightly as she rubbed with her fingertip. A thousand thoughts swirled in her mind: a rare little dried fish that couldn’t be found anywhere in Jindu, not even by shops that specialized in dried goods. What on earth was Jia Ming’s status to be able to produce such a treasure?

After thinking for a long time, Shen Yu still couldn’t make sense of it.

As for Jia Ming, who had said he’d bring the Fire-Avoidance Chart to broaden her horizons, he had not come tonight.

Meanwhile, Fang Rui…

The imperial palace, Zichen Hall.

He picked up his brush and, after setting it down again on a document already filled with writing over the blank space, had written only a few characters before looking up at Consort He sitting properly at his side.

Consort He noticed the Emperor looking at her and raised her watery eyes to return his gaze. Her expression was full of tender affection, a faint smile at her lips.

At the sight of that smile, Fang Rui’s hand trembled. A drop of ink fell on the document, blotting out a small area.

Seeing that the document was about to be ruined by His Majesty’s own terror, Rong Tai picked up a blank page from the side and opened it before him.

As he placed it down, Rong Tai noticed His Majesty writing the same few words over and over on the paper: “Leave quickly… leave quickly…”

Rong Tai sighed inwardly. He was going to pretend he didn’t see anything, otherwise His Majesty would start using him as if he could perform miracles. After all, it was impossible for him to drive away Consort He sent by the Empress Dowager in person, plus when the Empress Dowager left she said that she hoped her son would not disappoint her.

Wasn’t that plainly asking His Majesty to favor Consort He tonight!? But His Majesty doesn’t like women! Moreover, he inherited Emperor Cheng’s faithfulness, only liking Lord Shen!

Tonight was destined to disappoint the Empress Dowager.

But Fang Rui planned to endure. He wanted to see who would break first between him and Consort He. Even if he stayed awake a whole day and night, it would be no great problem for him, but Consort He was different. She was an ordinary person, so once the hour for sleep passed and she hadn’t rested, she’d certainly grow sleepy, and Fang Rui was waiting for that moment.

If she could hold out, he’d count it as her victory and let her stay the night in Zichen Hall. If she couldn’t, then he’d count it as his win.

It was nearly 11pm. Consort He had long since lost the earlier vigor. Sleepiness came over her and her head bobbed little by little.

Seeing that Consort He could no longer resist, Fang Rui’s mouth curved slightly and he beckoned to Rong Tai.

Rong Tai came closer, and Fang Rui said to him, “I will return to rest first, in a bit of time you wake Consort He.” She fell asleep on her own, so it’s not his fault.

Having waited most of the night and not seeing Fang Rui, Shen Yu stopped waiting. Early in the morning she had one of her male servants fetch a Fire-Avoidance Chart. When he first heard, the servant was stunned for a moment, then thought: didn’t the young master’s courtyard just take in a pretty maid? That maid was arranged personally by the old master too. So it seemed like the young master was now willing to consider male and female relations.

In almost no time, the servant returned with a small booklet no bigger than a child’s palm. It was tightly wrapped in coarse cloth, as if afraid others would see it and gossip.

After placing the booklet down, the servant stammered, “I’ll take my leave now. If the young master doesn’t understand… I can explain it for you.” Saying that, the servant retreated.

Shen Yu glanced at the bundle wrapped in coarse cloth, then after a moment opened it and took out the booklet. The title was so blunt that even she understood… “Dianluan Daofeng” — didn’t that mean man and woman making love?

Shen Yu understood the meaning but did not know how a man and woman were supposed to make love.

From the moment she saw the title, Shen Yu knew this was not a wholesome thing, and Jia Ming was no good either, but she couldn’t help her curiosity and opened the booklet. After reading only two pages, her entire face flushed. The drawings on those two pages depicted the absurd things Jia Ming had done to her before.

Turning a few more pages, Shen Yu’s whole face became as red as a bride’s veil. She felt her face burning hot, swallowed, then suddenly stood up, stepping back to the cabinet. Looking at the booklet on the table, she felt as if it were a hot potato.

Her lips quivered anxiously. She hurried back, wrapped the booklet again and intended to take it out and throw it away. She was almost at the door, but her feet stopped.

What if someone discovered it? The thought made her more uneasy. She put the booklet in the cabinet, but feeling insecure, took it out again and placed it inside a vase. But if a careless servant broke the vase, everyone would know she was hiding something shameful.

The cabinet, the vase, the bed… None of those places were safe to hide things. Shen Yu anxiously eyed the entire bedchamber, and finally saw a low space under the cabinet that could fit a fist. Glancing at the hot potato in her hands, she didn’t think further and hurried to the cabinet, pausing to place the item under it. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly remembered something and widened her eyes.

She immediately squatted down again, took the booklet out, flipped a few pages quickly. Then it slipped from her hands, her eyes were full of shock.

The drawings in this booklet…

Were not much different from what she’d seen last time on His Majesty’s desk in Great Yuan Hall. The only difference was… His Majesty’s was two men, while the booklet showed… one man and one woman!

Shen Yu was frightened, truly frightened.

Inwardly she reassured herself that the booklet she saw in Great Yuan Hall last time must have been about sumo!

Yes, that’s right! No mistake! His Majesty absolutely wasn’t that kind of person.

In the Great Qi there were courtesan houses for women, and naturally there were establishments for men as well. In Jindu there was a theater called the South Yard, where the actors were mostly pretty and slender. Shen Yu hadn’t known what activities took place there until, by chance during an investigation of a corrupt official, she learned that the South Yard was no different from a brothel. The only difference being that those there were young male entertainers, whereas brothels had women.

Shen Yu shook her head repeatedly, wrapped the booklet again and placed it back under the cabinet, but no matter what she could not sit still.

Too many things had happened recently and her thoughts were in utter turmoil.

Just as Shen Yu was about to untangle the knot of her thoughts, there was a knock at the door. A servant outside said, “Young Master, someone just came from the palace and said you must prepare. His Majesty wants you to accompany him to General Lei’s Tiger Roar Camp for an inspection.”

Hearing this, Shen Yu was stunned. Why would His Majesty want her to accompany him?!

Then Shen Yu patted her head and thought to herself: why ask so many whys? His Majesty must trust her, hence he often has her by his side.

“Did they say what time?”

The servant outside replied, “Young Master, that person said His Majesty’s carriage will arrive in half an hour. Prepare your clothes, you’ll go for three to five days.”

Three to five days… Shen Yu glanced at the spot under the cabinet, hoping it wouldn’t be discovered. Before leaving, she specially instructed the steward and maid of her courtyard to arrange that no one should tidy during her absence.

Shen Yu feared that in tidying they might find the booklet hidden under her cabinet.

…

Rong Tai felt that His Majesty was in an exceptionally good mood today. Yes, very good indeed. A smile lingered at his lips and even his brows were arched. Rong Tai knew exactly why His Majesty was so pleased.

Because he had to await the Emperor’s orders at any time, and as the most capable chief steward at the Emperor’s side, a room next to the Emperor’s bedchamber was set aside for his rest. Last night, not long after he fell asleep, he felt a scorching gaze watching him.

As chief steward he had a measure of vigilance. He opened his eyes instantly, and upon seeing His Majesty’s face at the bedside, Rong Tai’s whole spine broke out in sweat.

His Majesty… could it be that his gaze had shifted from Lord Shen to him?!

“Rong Tai, what do you think if I say I’m going to inspect the military camp tomorrow and take Shen Yu out of Jindu for a few days? How does that sound?”

Rong Tai stared back at His Majesty. Standing at his bedside in the dead of night over such a trifling matter?! Seriously?!

Lucky it’s only this trivial matter and nothing else.

With tears in his eyes, Rong Tai silently climbed out of bed, bowed to the Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, do you mean to avoid Consort He, Consort Li, Consort Xiao and the Empress Dowager?”

Fang Rui had still had a hint of a smile, but after Rong Tai spoke, the smile vanished and he said gloomily, “Can I place the three consorts in the Cold Palace now?”

Rong Tai thought seriously for a moment and said, “You cannot.”

And since he couldn’t, he had to do something like this instead. These three consorts lately were like they’d been injected with fighting spirit. Each was eager to get onto his dragon bed and of course, take him. It seemed his recent feigned illness had truly frightened them. If he died without an heir, the throne would naturally pass to another prince, and those consorts would either be sent to some remote palace to live out their days or to a nunnery to remain single forever. Neither option appealed to them, so they must hurry to conceive a child. Even if something happened to him later, they’d have some security.

Thinking of being alone with Shen Yu again filled Fang Rui with joy, but he did not know… that his character as emperor had already started to be doubted by Shen Yu.