Chapter 53: Heart In A Mess

The silver needle shot out, and at the moment it pierced the assassin’s throat, Fang Rui turned and grabbed Shen Yu’s hand, placing it back over his shoulder and steadying Shen Yu, who had nearly fallen, having been unexpectedly released by him a moment before. The needle flew from his sleeve and by the time he steadied Shen Yu it had been no more than the blink of an eye.

Even in that blink, Shen Yu had not yet recovered from her shock.

“Yu’er!”

At that moment Mrs. Shen’s voice came from behind. For some reason Shen Yu, as if a guilty thief, withdrew and wrenched her hand free from Fang Rui, turning around. Shen Yu’s mother, supported by Rong Tai, approached, and a few men in plain clothes clutching long swords followed behind. It seemed these men had been brought by Fang Rui.

Seeing her mother unharmed, Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief and limped over.

Shen Yu suddenly pulled her hand away from his shoulder and Fang Rui was stunned for a moment. Watching how she limped away, he felt an undefinable stirring in his heart.

Seeing Shen Yu limp, her mother quickened her pace, seized Shen Yu’s arms and asked anxiously, “Yu’er, what’s wrong with you?”

“Mother, I’m fine. I was just caught by an animal trap in the mountain and injured my foot. It was only thanks to His Majesty’s timely arrival that I escaped with my life.”

At the mention of ‘His Majesty’ Shen Yu’s mother was startled; she looked toward the black-robed Fang Rui behind Shen Yu, immediately let go of Shen Yu’s hand and prepared to bow. “I, Madam Chen, pay respects to His Majesty.”

Fang Rui stepped forward quickly and stopped Shen Yu’s mother from bowing, saying, “Mrs. Shen, you need not bow. This is outside the palace, not inside, so formalities are unnecessary.”

“Your Majesty, etiquette must not be abandoned,” Shen Yu’s mother insisted and still performed the bow.

Fang Rui felt somewhat helpless and said no more. He turned to Shen Yu, “It’s not safe for us to stay here. Return to the capital first, we’ll discuss it there.”

Fang Rui had ridden out on horseback while Shen Yu had come by carriage with her mother. Once the plainclothes guards gathered the servants who had fled into the mountain, they set off back to the capital.

Although each of those servants had fled alone instead of protecting their employer when danger came, Shen Yu still had them return to the capital together. Once back at the Grand Guardian’s residence, the steward would deal with them.

Shen Yu’s party had originally planned to go to Bozi Mountain to sweep the tombs at 9am and return around the 3pm, but they encountered the men in black and then had to search the mountain for the fleeing servants, so they were delayed until past 5pm.

Bozi Mountain was about two hour’s journey from the capital, and dusk was approaching. The weather that day for Double Ninth was poor: the sky had been gray since morning with no hint of rain, as if holding back a great storm. They were an hour from the capital when suddenly lightning and thunder struck, and before they could find shelter the rain began to pour. Fortunately, they were close to the capital and familiar with the area, and quickly found a City God Temple to take cover.

Because it was Double Ninth, ordinary people coming out from the capital to sweep tombs would first pay respects at the City God Temple before continuing, so the temple had been tidied and still had large candles on the shrine that had not yet burned out, so the dim candlelight lent the place a sense of lingering bustle.

The riders and servants were soaked through. Shen Yu and her mother, being in the carriage, were only dampened and had gotten some splashed rain when alighting.

The City God Temple had a main hall and two small side rooms flanking the City God’s statue. Since there were women among them, Rong Tai immediately arranged for the women to take the small room on the right, His Majesty to the left small room, and the remaining men to keep watch in the main hall.

At that moment… Shen Yu felt a headache. She felt she didn’t belong anywhere.

If she stayed outside in the main hall watching the men, all dripping wet, when the women went into the small room they’d surely strip off wet layers and stand bare-armed to let clothes dry. No matter how steadfast she was, it would be improper for her to remain among such a large group of half-undressed men.

Because there were many nearby hills, some tomb-sweepers had cut firewood and left it at the City God Temple intending to return the next day to retrieve it. They borrowed it for now and once the fires were lit, Fang Rui glanced at Shen Yu imperceptibly and, leading Rong Tai, entered the small room first. When His Majesty had gone in, the other women followed. Shen Yu’s mother, standing aside, looked at her anxiously, her brow knit and unrelenting. “Yu’er…”

Shen Yu shook her head at her mother, composed, “Mother, you should step away first.”

Her mother understood Shen Yu’s awkward status but had no other choice. She gritted her teeth, sighed with the support of her maid, and entered the small room on the right. The room had a yellow curtain blocking the entrance. Once inside, one could use a small stick to wedge into a crack between bricks with cloth to fix it in place and prevent the curtain from swaying in the wind.

The women all went in, and His Majesty entered his own area as well. The men outside began loosening their belts. Unable to watch, Shen Yu stood by the door and stared out at the curtain of rain.

On the surface she showed no sign of disturbance, but God knew how much Shen Yu wanted to leave. Even standing in the rain would be better than staying inside. Yet if she truly ran out, others would think this Lord Shen was acting strangely.

A large group of men behind her were loosening their garments in the open. Any other woman would have found their faces and ears red. Shen Yu’s face wasn’t fully red, but her ears were warmed. Before long, Rong Tai came out of the small room, stood behind Shen Yu and said to her, “Lord Shen, His Majesty requests you to come in.”

At that, Shen Yu felt as if pardoned. She turned, stared straight at the similarly dripping Rong Tai and said, “I’ll go in now.”

She propped herself against the wall outside the door and said, “Your Majesty, it is your subject.”

From inside the small room came Fang Rui’s deep voice, “Come in.”

After Shen Yu entered, Rong Tai did not follow but stood outside guard with eyes straight ahead, still wearing his soaked clothing without a hint of concern.

He had to guard the doorway. If some fool burst in and discovered what His Majesty and Lord Shen were up to, with so many people present it would be hard to cover up. So he remained at the door, hoping his emperor would show restraint. After all, Shen Yu’s mother was next door.

Shen Yu lifted the curtain and entered to find Fang Rui had only taken off his outer robe and fashioned a makeshift drying rack from a few branches near the fire. The robe lay on a crude rack warming over the flames. Fang Rui sat by the fire, his clothes appearing wrung out and no longer dripping wet.

A pool of water in the corner proved that Fang Rui had indeed wrung out his clothes. Shen Yu was slightly suspicious: if he were the same as other men, he wouldn’t be so reserved. Certainly not to the extent of merely wringing his garments briefly before putting them back on.

If it wasn’t reserve, was there something he was hiding?

Shen Yu’s thoughts raced, but she did not let it affect her in paying respects to Fang Rui.

Fang Rui rose from the floor cushion and said to Shen Yu, “Come here.”

Shen Yu hesitated for a breath, then limped over and stood before Fang Rui. He looked at her and said, “Sit down.”

Shen Yu was stunned, then bowed her head, “I dare not.” Since ancient times, how could an emperor stand while his subject sat?

Fang Rui suddenly smiled, “My beloved aide Shen, there is no one else here, and this is not the palace, so you needn’t be so formal. Sit. Let me see the wound. It’s been in water and could fester.”

“How dare I trouble Your Majesty.”

Seeing Shen Yu’s stubbornness, Fang Rui expected as much. He took her hand, placed a bottle of refined wound medicine into it and said, “This was taken from the guards. Since you won’t let me examine it, tend it yourself. I am rather tired today and will rest awhile. You were frightened too, so don’t go back out, it’s noisy and crowded out there.”

With that, Fang Rui moved to the corner and, regardless of the dirty floor, sat down, leaned against the wall and closed his eyes to feign sleep.

Shen Yu glanced at Fang Rui with his eyes shut, then down at the wound medicine in her hand and sat. She did not remove her shoes, only rolled up her trouser leg. As she unwound the cloth binding, it stuck to skin and inevitably pulled at the wound. She frowned and bit her lip while undoing the bandage before applying the salve. Unbeknownst to her, Fang Rui knew she would be reserved and not behave immodestly before him, so he pretended to be tired. His eyes were closed, but his ears listened intently to her every movement.

Outside the City God Temple the rain pattered on the leaves with a rustling sound, which masked the eerie quiet of the little room.

Shen Yu furtively raised her eyes to look at Fang Rui and a nervous expression crossed her face. She lifted a hand and, as if to cover Fang Rui’s face with her palm, squinted slightly and in her mind wondered what Jia Ming had looked like when he wore a mask.

The image of Jia Ming in her mind overlapped with the emperor before her. Shen Yu, as if startled, lowered her hand. A chill swept in through the door, lifting the curtain. The draft struck Shen Yu as if the cold had reached her bones.

Shen Yu shut her eyes and shook her head fiercely, telling herself quietly it was impossible. Lookalikes were common, and Jia Ming was unruly while His Majesty was steady and responsible, plus their voices were different. She must be overthinking.

She had barely found that excuse for herself when memories returned: the day at the Court of Judicial Review, His Majesty spoke only to her about finding someone from the jianghu to assist, and Jia Ming had appeared punctually. What had Jia Ming used to persuade Chen Chi to cooperate? And a few nights earlier, she had drunk with Jia Ming until late. The next morning when she met His Majesty at the Department of Prudence, there had been a similar smell of wine on him.

How could she reconcile all that?

Shen Yu’s mind was in a mess and she dared not think further. If her worst fear were true, how could she face His Majesty?

The shameless Jia Ming who had taken advantage of her. How could he possibly be His Majesty!?

The fake dozing Fang Rui was still musing on assuming Jia Ming’s identity the next day to visit Shen Yu at night, and thereby righteously check on her foot wound, unaware that his dual identity was precariously close to being exposed in Shen Yu’s mind.

The fire crackled now and then. On this stormy night the rain fell fiercely, as if trying to wash something away and reveal its true form.