Two days after the banquet, a shocking event occurred.
The governor of Jiangnan was found dead in his own residence. He was killed while bathing, and the blood from his severed throat dyed the entire tub a deep red. His body was a gruesome and terrifying sight.
His eyes had been gouged out and his tongue cut off. The servant who discovered the body fainted from fright. When the coroner came to examine the corpse, he was even more horrified to find that the governor’s manhood had also been chopped off.
This was no ordinary act of a burglar.
When Ji Zhen heard the news, he couldn’t even eat his lunch and had to gulp down three mouthfuls of cold water to calm himself. It was truly unsettling that a man full of life just days ago had now become a corpse.
Yet Shen Yanqing acted as if nothing had happened, even finding the time to practice his calligraphy.
“Do you think it was a revenge killing?” Ji Zhen asked. “If it was for wealth, the methods wouldn’t have been so cruel.”
Shen Yanqing finished writing a strong, powerful character, ‘calm’, on the rice paper before finally saying, “Isn’t it a good thing that someone killed him for you?”
At the banquet, Ji Zhen said he would ask his elder brother to kill the governor of Jiangnan.
“I said that in the heat of the moment. What does his death have to do with me?” Ji Zhen stammered, afraid of being implicated in the matter. “Besides, he didn’t deserve that.”
Shen Yanqing set the rice paper aside, his expression cold. “Do you pity him?”
Pity a lustful man who had spoken lecherous words and harbored ill intentions towards him?
Ji Zhen was pure-hearted. He knew nothing of the years of conflict and bloodshed his family had endured, so he naturally couldn’t bear to hear of such gruesome events. He thought for a moment and said, “I just don’t think such a brutal act was necessary. The culprit is far too savage.”
Shen Yanqing let out a soft huff, the meaning of which was unclear.
Ji Zhen continued to speculate on the killer’s identity. “Could the killer be a notorious bandit or a hired assassin? Wasn’t he afraid when he killed him? Or was he being instructed by someone…?”
Shen Yanqing asked casually, “What if he was instructed by someone?”
“Then the person behind it must be a brutal and cruel individual to order such a vicious and inhumane act.”
The more Ji Zhen spoke, the more afraid he became. He worried that someone might overhear their conversation, leading to trouble, so he got up and scurried over to Shen Yanqing’s side for comfort.
He clutched Shen Yanqing’s arm and muttered, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. I’m a little scared…”
Shen Yanqing looked down at him. “What are you scared of?”
Ji Zhen lowered his voice. “I’m scared of all of it.”
He was terrified of the vicious killer as well as the person who might be behind it.
Shen Yanqing barely furrowed his brow.
Ji Zhen leaned a little closer into his embrace, whispering, “But with you here, I’m not scared anymore.”
Shen Yanqing’s expression was unreadable. In the end, he simply gave a faint “en” in response.
The case of the murdered governor of Jiangnan was handed over to the local government. Yet before the murderer could be caught, a scandal broke exposing the governor’s corruption, bribery, and exploitation of the people. Passersby would spit at the gate of the governor’s mansion, saying he deserved to die. Some even formed groups to demand that the government stop investigating the cause of his death.
Although Shen Yanqing was only a seventh-rank official, his words carried weight since he worked directly under the Emperor.
When the government came to ask if the investigation should continue, he was silent for a moment before saying, “Since it is the will of the people, let’s close the case.”
That one sentence, “the will of the people,” gave the government the justification they needed to close the case.
No one was willing to go to great lengths for a dead, corrupt official, and so, the matter was left unsettled.
—
The day before they were to leave Jiangnan, Shen Yanqing finally finished his official business, and Ji Zhen insisted on dragging him out to sightsee.
The scenery of Jiangnan was beautiful everywhere they went, with gorgeous flowers and lovely sights at a perfect time of year. Ji Zhen’s playful nature took over, and he ran around freely. He would occasionally run too far, but with just a look from Shen Yanqing, he would obediently come back to his side.
It was on this day that the colorful bracelet was woven.
By the lake, an elderly couple with white hair had set up a small stall selling various colored threads, and Ji Zhen curiously leaned in to look.
The old woman had lost all her teeth and spoke a bit indistinctly, “Young man, do you have a sweetheart? If you buy my colored rope, it will bless you two with a sweet life together until old age.”
These auspicious words were just for good luck, but the two elderly people were a living testament, and Ji Zhen believed them, also hoping he and Shen Yanqing could grow old together.
He tugged on Shen Yanqing’s sleeve, his eyes shining brightly. “I want this! Weave one for me.”
Shen Yanqing refused to play along. “It’s getting dark. We should head back to the inn.”
No matter how much Ji Zhen begged, Shen Yanqing was unmoved.
The old man, seeing their relationship, said with a lisp, “You have to be nice to your wife. How can you be so ungrateful? Be careful that your wife will get fed up with you and run off with someone else!”
Shen Yanqing’s expression remained unchanged as he simply asked Ji Zhen, “Are you coming or not?”
Ji Zhen threw a tantrum, pouting as he squatted down and hugged his legs. “No.”
“Then go back by yourself.”
Ji Zhen didn’t look up, instead fiddling with the threads. After a long while, he bit his lip sadly when he saw Shen Yanqing really leave without him.
Shen Yanqing disliked him; how could he want to grow old with him? But even if it was just wishful thinking on his part, a person had to have some hope.
Seeing Ji Zhen upset, the elderly couple comforted him, “Don’t mind him. This old lady will teach you how to weave the rope.”
Ji Zhen reluctantly cheered up and began to learn, but his mind had already drifted far away. The threads became a tangled mess in his hands.
He couldn’t get the hang of it no matter what he tried and sighed softly, “I’m too clumsy. I can’t do it.”
If he couldn’t even do this small thing, how could he possibly hope to spend his life with Shen Yanqing? It was like trying to catch the moon in the water.
Ji Zhen’s eyes welled up slightly as he dejectedly handed the threads back. “I don’t want to weave anymore…”
A hand with well-defined knuckles reached out and took the tangled mess of threads from him.
Ji Zhen looked up in surprise. Shen Yanqing had come back and was standing in the magnificent twilight, with a sky full of iridescent clouds behind him. The golden light cast a deep shadow over his brow as he looked down at a stunned Ji Zhen and said softly, “Just this once.”
Before Ji Zhen could react, Shen Yanqing crouched down to ask for guidance. “Grandma, is this right?”
The old couple exchanged a glance and broke into smiles. “Yes, yes.”
Ji Zhen was overjoyed and scooted closer to Shen Yanqing.
The seven-colored threads were obedient in Shen Yanqing’s hands, and soon the bracelet began to take shape. Ji Zhen watched his focused expression with admiration, his voice filled with affection. “Shen Yanqing, you’re amazing…”
Shen Yanqing didn’t say anything, but the corners of his lips curled into the slightest smile.
Ji Zhen would never forget the peace and beauty of that day.
The gentle breeze of Jiangnan blew, intertwining his hair with Shen Yanqing’s for a moment before separating them. Shen Yanqing fastened the finished bracelet around his wrist with a hint of helplessness and a little smile in his voice. “Are you satisfied now?”
Ji Zhen ran his fingers over the slightly rough threads and felt that no treasure in the world could compare to it.
Lost in a moment of rapture, he forgot they were on a crowded street and quickly pecked Shen Yanqing’s cheek.
The old couple covered their eyes with an “aiyo,” laughing heartily. “How shameless, how shameless…”
This was one of the few fond memories Ji Zhen had with Shen Yanqing, and recalling it now made him smile involuntarily. But the smile was soon followed by a bitter taste.
The pleasant scenery of Jiangnan had brought a certain tenderness to Shen Yanqing, but upon returning to the turbulent capital, everything was back to normal.
Apparently, a colorful bracelet couldn’t guarantee happiness, and all the well-wishes they had received were meaningless.
Footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard.
Ji Zhen snapped back to reality, put on both the bracelet and the Shen family’s heirloom jade on his wrist, rubbed his face, and walked to the door.
Two figures approached from afar, their official robes a deep and pale indigo, it was Shen Yanqing and Yi Zhi. They were talking, and when Yi Zhi mentioned something, Shen Yanqing smiled. His expression was one of helplessness but also indulgence.
Ji Zhen stared fixedly at the smile on Shen Yanqing’s lips, his heart churning. He couldn’t calm himself down.
Shen Yanqing had never smiled at him like that. Was he truly so inferior to Yi Zhi?
“I told you, Ji Zhen is madly in love with you. It’s been three years. Are you really that heartless, Lord Shen? Doesn’t he move you at all?”
“He sees me as a rival. The last time he saw me, his cheeks puffed out—it was truly amusing.”
“He’s definitely not going to give me a good time today…”
Yi Zhi chattered on, but before Shen Yanqing could silence him, he looked up and saw Ji Zhen at the door, and slowly, his smile vanished.
To Ji Zhen, who couldn’t catch the conversation, the gesture felt like a thousand arrows striking his heart.
He ought to have stepped forward to greet them, yet his legs felt like lead, refusing to budge, and his arms at his sides felt unbearably heavy. The pink jade and the bracelet he had so deliberately put on now only served to make his actions seem pathetic.
Still, Ji Zhen didn’t want to appear sad in front of his rival. He pinched his palm, forced a smile, and said with feigned cheerfulness, “The food is all warmed up. Come on in.”
Yi Zhi held his official hat in his hand and said with a smile, “Thank you, Saosao (Saosao means sister-in-law, I think Saosao sounds cute, so I’ll go with this.).”
The term “Saosao” made a good portion of Ji Zhen’s displeasure fade, and his cheeks grew slightly pink. But then he saw Shen Yanqing’s indifferent expression and remembered the difference in how Shen Yanqing treated him versus Yi Zhi, his emotions went up and down, and he even forgot to invite Shen Yanqing to the table.
Yi Zhi was humorous and witty, and even the most mundane topics became interesting when he spoke.
When they talked about the Ziyun Lou incident, he agreed with Ji Zhen’s insights, saying, “Those people are too stubborn. They think they’re sages just because they’ve read a few classics. Don’t take it to heart.”
Ji Zhen had wanted to show off the items on his wrist to Yi Zhi, but honestly, Yi Zhi was an upright and open person, and Ji Zhen felt like he was being petty. So, he discreetly pulled down his sleeve to cover the pink jade and the bracelet and smiled gratefully at Yi Zhi.
The meal was very harmonious.
Shen Yanqing followed the rule of “no talking while eating” and simply ate in silence, not engaging with Ji Zhen.
Ji Zhen saw the two out of the courtyard. He wanted to say something to Shen Yanqing, but the other party was already deep in conversation about official business with Yi Zhi. He could only swallow his words awkwardly and watch them leave. His heart felt like a spilled vinegar jar; the sourness made his eyes sting.
The items on his wrist shimmered under the setting sun, as if mocking his self-inflicted humiliation.
Ji Zhen gritted his teeth. If Shen Yanqing had a close friend, he had a male confidant, too. What was so special about that?
He raised his voice. “Ji An, prepare the carriage.”
Yi Zhi, who was walking out of the courtyard, heard Ji Zhen’s plan to go out and looked back curiously.
Shen Yanqing asked, “How are things with Miss Lin?”
Yi Zhi withdrew his gaze with a wide smile on his face. “We should be getting engaged at the end of the year. I’ll be sure to bring Ji Zhen to the wedding feast.”
“Good.”
The author has something to do:
Zhen Zhen (teary-eyed): I’m most afraid of people who are cruel and vicious by nature.
Lord Shen (hiding his cruel and vicious tail): Hmm, luckily I’m not.
