Ji Zhen really wasn’t cut out for studying. He’d barely been reading by candlelight for a quarter of an hour before his head tilted and he fell asleep on the desk.
He didn’t even remember two lines of poetry, and instead caught a cold from sleeping in thin clothes. By the next afternoon, he had a fever.
It was already early summer, but Ji Zhen was shaking from the cold, huddled in the quilts, clutching a nanny.
Ji An brought the medicine over. The moment Ji Zhen smelled it, his mouth went bitter. He waved his hand and said, “Take it away. It’s not a big deal. I’ll just sweat it out.”
Back at the Ji Mansion, whenever Ji Zhen fell ill and refused to take his medicine, Ji Jue would go to Wuxiang Lou to buy all kinds of preserved fruits to coax him, telling him to eat a piece for every sip of medicine. The medicine was kept warm on a small stove beside them, and it often took a full half-hour for him to finish it.
Ji Zhen seldom fell ill. Aside from the recent time he pretended to be sick and Shen Yanqing used medicine from the Imperial Medical to trick him, he had only needed medicine three times since arriving at the Shen Mansion.
The first time was when he had a high fever after their wedding night. He was delirious and passed out, thinking he was still at the Ji Mansion, and kept his mouth tightly shut, refusing to open it. Shen Yanqing didn’t like how spoiled he was, so he pinched his cheek and personally forced the medicine down twice, which made him cough and vomit. After that, he didn’t dare act spoiled in front of Shen Yanqing anymore.
The next two times were both from being chilled in cold weather. Shen Yanqing didn’t force the medicine on him again but simply stood by the bed like a glacier, watching him with a heavy gaze. Ji Zhen didn’t want Shen Yanqing to think he was such a grown man who needed so much fuss just to drink a bowl of medicine, so each time he would steel himself and swallow it, and only after the other party had left would he have Ji An give him a piece of preserved fruit to hold in his mouth.
After that, Ji Zhen hated drinking medicine even more and would drink as little as possible.
Ji An sighed but still took the medicine bowl away and tucked his master into the quilt.
The servants in the courtyard had all heard Shen Yanqing and Ji Zhen’s argument last night. As soon as Ji An stepped out, he saw two or three people gathered together, whispering. He couldn’t help but get angry and said, “Gossiping about the masters’ private affairs in our Ji Mansion would get you dragged out and beaten to death.”
A servant replied, “This is our Shen Mansion, not your Ji Mansion. Our Lord Shen is so benevolent and kind; he wouldn’t be like…”
In the end, he still valued his own life and didn’t dare to openly curse the Ji Mansion members.
Ji An’s face flushed with fury, darkening to the color of a pig’s liver. He was about to charge forward and confront them when the door to the east wing suddenly swung open.
Shen Yanqing came out of the room while facing the bright midday sun. The sunlight fell on his brow and eyes, his expression was clearly very calm, yet it added a sense of oppression to the bright courtyard.
He slowly glanced at the furious Ji An, then looked at the servants with their heads bowed, and said, “Those who were discussing will be fined half a month’s wages. Any objections?”
The servants didn’t dare to breathe.
“If there’s a next time, you will be expelled from the mansion.”
Ji An watched the servants scatter like a flock of birds, feeling that Lord Shen was exceptionally dashing today. He asked, “Didn’t you go to court, My Lord?”
“Today is a rest day.” Shen Yanqing looked at the medicine bowl in Ji An’s hand.
Ji An understood and replied, “The Young Master caught a chill last night…” He hesitated for a moment but ultimately felt that Ji Zhen’s health was more important, so he honestly answered, “He refuses to drink his medicine.”
Shen Yanqing nodded. “Reheat the medicine and take it in.”
Seeing the other party walk towards the main wing, Ji An urgently said, “My Lord.”
Shen Yanqing gestured for him to continue.
“This servant dares to speak out, but please, do not force the Young Master to drink medicine again. He has never suffered such a grievance.” Ji An realized his poor word choice and quickly slapped himself. “This servant misspoke.”
Shen Yanqing didn’t hold it against him either.
Ji An added, “I have some preserved fruits in my room. Should I get them for you, My Lord?”
“Preserved fruits?”
“Yes,” Ji An nodded. “Before, at the Ji Mansion, as long as the Eldest Young Master coaxed the Young Master with preserved fruits, he would definitely drink his medicine.”
Shen Yanqing unconsciously pursed his lips. “No need. You just bring the medicine.”
Ji An waited until he reached the main wing door, then let out a long sigh of relief, patted his chest, and hurried off to warm the medicine.
The main wing was quiet.
Ji Zhen was hiding under the quilt, only his fluffy head peeking out. When he heard the sound, he thought it was Ji An and grumbled, “I already said I’m not drinking the medicine…”
He poked out his flushed face, but when he saw the cold-faced Shen Yanqing standing by the bed, his heart skipped a beat.
Shen Yanqing pulled a hexagonal stool to the side and sat down, asking softly, “You don’t want to drink your medicine?”
The two had a rather intense argument just last night, yet Shen Yanqing was now able to talk to Ji Zhen calmly, as if nothing had happened.
But Ji Zhen couldn’t easily turn the page. The moment he heard the other party’s voice, his eyes suddenly felt warm.
He pulled the quilt up again, covering his face and his swollen, teary eyes, and didn’t speak to Shen Yanqing.
Shen Yanqing didn’t seem to mind the silence and quietly waited for Ji An to come in and place the medicine on the small table.
Ji An didn’t just bring the medicine; he also took it upon himself to bring the preserved fruits. “Young Master, there is hawthorn cake from Wuxiang Lou.”
Shen Yanqing glanced at it. “Take it away.”
Hearing this, Ji Zhen popped his head out like a little blade of grass. He stared at the bulging cloth bundle with his moist eyes. “Don’t take it away! I want to eat it.”
Shen Yanqing simply threw the cloth bundle to Ji An. “Get out.”
Ji Zhen puffed out his cheeks and was about to snatch it, but Shen Yanqing grabbed his wrist and held him down. He protested, “Why won’t you let me eat it?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ji An chimed in. “My Lord, my Young Master loves the Wuxiang Lou’s…”
But a single look from Shen Yanqing silenced them both.
Ji Zhen could only watch pitifully as Ji An left with the hawthorn cake. He was already feeling unwell from his sickness, and now Shen Yanqing wouldn’t even let him have preserved fruits. He felt utterly aggrieved and burrowed back into the quilt, curling into a small ball.
Shen Yanqing picked up the medicine bowl and stirred it with a porcelain spoon. “Are you going to come out yourself, or should I pull the quilt off?”
A moment later, a disheveled Ji Zhen, with his hair loose, dejectedly reappeared in Shen Yanqing’s sight.
He mumbled, “I’ll drink it, alright?”
Shen Yanqing’s hand paused mid-motion, the porcelain spoon not yet reaching him, when Ji Zhen grabbed the rim of the bowl, closed his eyes, and, wearing a pained expression, drank the medicine in large gulps.
The porcelain spoon was still in Shen Yanqing’s hand. Ji Zhen’s face was scrunched up, and he asked with his tongue out, “What are you doing with that spoon?”
Shen Yanqing did not respond.
Ji Zhen took the water pitcher from the small table and gulped down a few mouthfuls of warm water to wash away the bitter taste. He then lay back on the bed, looking dispirited, and muttered, “I still want to eat hawthorn cake.”
Shen Yanqing’s tone was serious. “Food aversions can lessen the medicine’s effectiveness.”
Ji Zhen was surprised. “But I’ve always been like this before.”
Shen Yanqing removed his shoes and got onto the bed. Ji Zhen looked at him dazedly. “Are you tired too?”
“En.”
Ji Zhen’s mind began to work. As soon as Shen Yanqing lay down, he snuggled into his warm embrace.
Although the conflict from last night had left its mark, but he still couldn’t stop himself from craving Shen Yanqing. Besides, Shen Yanqing had spoken to him first this time, so he might as well take it as Shen Yanqing making peace with him.
Ji Zhen cautiously whispered, “In the future, can you not say things like that?”
“What kind of things?”
Ji Zhen looked up. “I won’t get a divorce.”
Shen Yanqing was silent.
Ji Zhen grew anxious. A moment later, he rustled and sat up, fumbling for something on the bed.
He felt a rough texture, gritted his teeth, and pulled out the hidden rattan cane. After a brief pause, he handed it to Shen Yanqing. “Hit me.”
Shen Yanqing leaned against the side of the bed, watching his wife kneel upon it. His smooth black hair cascading down, clad only in a loose, thin white inner garment, his expression timid and submissive. He was twenty years old, but if one peeled back the tender shell, the fruit inside was already ripe.
Shen Yanqing rubbed his fingers together slightly as his eyes growing dark. “You want to be hit so badly?”
Ji Zhen slightly hunched his shoulders, nodding and then shaking his head. He just wanted to get over what happened last night quickly.
“The servants said you were reciting poetry last night?”
Shen Yanqing took the rattan cane but didn’t strike him. He just rested the very tip of it against the opening of Ji Zhen’s collar.
Ji Zhen’s face turned red. “I only remember one line.”
The rattan cane nudged open his collar. Shen Yanqing said, “Recite it for me.”
Ji Zhen had no choice but to try his best to ignore the rough feeling against his skin, and he stammered as he began, “When the golden breeze and jade dew meet, they will surpass countless meetings between mortals…”
Even his pauses were wrong.
Shen Yanqing closed his eyes for a moment. “You do deserve a beating.”
Ji Zhen thought the rattan cane was about to come down and closed his eyes in fright.
But the expected pain didn’t come. Instead, there was a different sensation.
The rough cane was rubbing against his chest… Ji Zhen’s long eyelashes fluttered. He opened his eyes and looked down at the misbehaving rattan cane.
His face was unbelievably red, and his voice was soft. “Stop rubbing…”
But when Shen Yanqing really put the rattan cane away, he said clingily, “It tickles.”
Shen Yanqing pulled him into his arms and said, “I’ll owe you the sixty strikes. I’ll punish you after you’re better.”
Ji Zhen was a little groggy from the medicine and mumbled a response. He snuggled against Shen Yanqing, then processed what he had said and said discontentedly, “You’re really going to punish me?”
Shen Yanqing kneaded the spot that had been rubbed until it tingled. Ji Zhen curled up and gave two soft hums of contentment. He heard no reply and drifted into sleep, caught between wakefulness and dreams.
The afternoon breeze was gentle, and the room was silent.
Shen Yanqing lowered his eyes to see Ji Zhen, whose cheeks were flushed, asleep in his arms. He gently held Ji Zhen’s jaw, tilting his face up slightly to examine him closely.
For three years, Ji Zhen had not grown a single inch; he was still foolish and ignorant, but his love was undiminished.
No matter when, whether he was joyful, pained, or humiliated, as long as Shen Yanqing was willing to look at him with a serious expression, his eyes would always hold warmth and deep affection. It was as if no matter how much he was driven away or ignored, Ji Zhen would always find a way to reveal his admiration.
In the treacherous capital, he was a rare example of a pure and sincere heart.
Ji Zhen had certainly been raised with care by Ji Jue, yet now he was in Shen Yanqing’s hands, who could shape him as he pleased.
If one day Ji Zhen were to learn that the assassination on the long street had been planned by Shen Yanqing, to know that the man he shared a bed with had once tried to kill him, would he still be willing to offer such a heartfelt devotion?
If one day the Third Prince were to realize his grand ambitions, and eliminating those who opposed him…
There were hidden dangers everywhere, both in the past and in the future.
Shen Yanqing frowned and slowly let go of the arms he had wrapped around Ji Zhen.
In political disputes, there was never a right or wrong side. It was simply a matter of which faction the person belonged to. The winner takes all; it has always been this way since ancient times.
The Crown Prince and the Third Prince, the Ji family and the Shen family, Ji Zhen and Shen Yanqing—all were in opposition. Even with occasional overlaps, there would always be a day when they would face each other in battle. At that time, conflict and bloodshed would be inevitable.
And how would the naive Ji Zhen fare?
Shen Yanqing walked to the window with his hands clasped behind his back, and quietly watching the dancing shadows outside. Meanwhile, the person on the bed was sleeping peacefully, deep in a sweet dream, completely unaware of the approaching storm.
“If he gets in the way of the grand plan, just kill him.”
But while strategies could be devised, the human heart was hard to calculate.
Private desires arise too easily.
The author has something to say:
Late-night Ji Zhen (confident): “I’m going to secretly study and become a literary master to amaze everyone!”
Daytime Ji Zhen (crying): “Waaah! I can’t do it! I’m just useless.”
