Liu Yun skimmed the testimony in one go, then casually placed a bowl of soup in front of Shen Yuezhuang.
She clearly had no intention of discussing the matter in detail with Shen Yuezhuang. Unable to glean anything from her expression, Shen Yuezhuang asked directly, “So it wasn’t Huang Dequan?”
“And also, who did Huang Dequan actually meet on the night of the fifteenth last month? Weren’t you going to kill him? Why did nothing happen after you came back from the journey?”
Shen Yuezhuang leaned close to Liu Yun, crouched like a cat with its paws tucked in. She rested her chin on her fingertips, which were stacked on the edge of the table in front of Liu Yun. Her shoulders were almost level with the tabletop.
She looked up at Liu Yun, revealing a long, graceful neck. Below her neck, her shoulders loosely supported her official robe. The fabric fell smoothly, then cinched at her slender waist.
Liu Yun’s gaze uncontrollably lingered on that indentation for a moment before she turned her head away. Raising her wrist, she scooped up a perfectly round, glistening crystal meatball and stuffed it into Shen Yuezhuang’s mouth.
“Can’t that talk of yours be stopped by some food?”
The crystal meatballs were made by steaming buns, peeling off the skin, drying them, and grinding them into powder. Then, fat meat was diced into small cubes, mixed into the powder, rolled into thumb-sized balls, and finally steamed again.
After steaming, the meatballs lost the greasiness of the fat. Each bite was soft, bouncy, and had a hint of sweetness. They were Shen Yuezhuang’s favorite, as she loved meat.
She swallowed it down in a few bites. “All gone.”
As if to prove her point, Shen Yuezhuang opened her mouth wide for Liu Yun to see. “Could it be that he went to the Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion and ended up seeing no one at all?”
It was, of course, impossible for him to have seen no one. The secret guards had reported that night that Huang Dequan had secretly met with a few officials. Their discussions were simply about which faction to support for the position of Empress.
After all, the preliminary examination had just ended. In the eyes of outsiders, the competition for the position of Empress was at its peak!
As the Inner Steward, Huang Dequan was only in charge of the Empress’s ceremonial regalia. But if he chose the right side, he would have regular access to the court.
At that time, the only ones likely to become Empress were He Dan and Pei Shangyu. Given He Dan’s father’s power and position in the capital, if he wanted to build alliances or plan, he wouldn’t do it in such a disreputable place. Nor would he use a mere Inner Steward to play the big shot.
And predictably, Huang Dequan was using Pei Shangyu’s name.
Not to mention that Pei Shangyu had already decided to leave the palace, just based on Liu Yun’s understanding of her at that time, she would never have let someone like Huang Dequan act on her behalf, especially not getting involved with government officials!
Therefore, Huang Dequan’s appearance that night was most likely his own initiative. He was simply using Pei Shangyu’s rising star to recruit a few officials for his own benefit and profit.
After all, although Chancellor He’s influence was great, not everyone could latch onto his coattails. Quite a few had failed. Or those who had already offended him naturally banded together to find a way to curry favor with Pei Shangyu.
But Pei Shangyu was deep within the palace. Liu Yun had been very strict with her subordinates while in the palace. It was only after leaving the palace that a small loophole appeared. These bold ones, buzzing around like headless flies, quickly made the connection.
Whether they could actually sell their favors was another matter, but according to the secret guards’ reports, Huang Dequan had collected quite a bit of profit from all this!
The reason he wasn’t dealt with afterwards was that news of Pei Shangyu’s impending departure from the palace had arrived while they were at the Precious Flower Temple. One reason was that once Pei Shangyu left the palace, this motley crew would naturally disperse. Another was that Liu Yun wanted to minimize any obstacles that Pei Shangyu might face in becoming an official.
If Huang Dequan’s actions were exposed, attention would inevitably turn back to Pei Shangyu. Unlike Shen Yuezhuang, whether because of her father’s or Pei Shangyu’s father’s attitude, or their respective reputations, Pei Shangyu needed to keep a low profile to smoothly assume the position of a female official.
After much deliberation, Liu Yun had ultimately not dealt with Huang Dequan. But she never expected that besides him, others in the palace were still stirring up trouble right under her nose!
It seemed that with the recent flurry of activity in the palace and a new master about to ascend, some people couldn’t contain themselves!
Liu Yun had a general idea, but she didn’t want Shen Yuezhuang to know about these sordid matters.
These things were both easy and hard to explain. It came down to the unpredictable and fickle nature of people’s hearts. The few words she had spoken last time had subtly hinted at a certain truth to Shen Yuezhuang. Between her, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor, there was no familial affection or blood relation. Mutual restraint was an unspoken understanding between them.
She understood it. Li Jianyun understood it. But neither of them wanted Shen Yuezhuang to understand it.
That was why their reunions with Shen Yuezhuang, after all those years apart, were always in private.
It was as if, as long as Shen Yuezhuang didn’t understand, the untainted days of the past could remain pure and unblemished.
“Why are you so interested in who he saw? Don’t tell me you’re afraid I’ll show him favoritism?”
It was true that she hadn’t dealt with Huang Dequan yet. But it was only because she was afraid that someone like him would delay Pei Shangyu’s future, and she felt it wasn’t worth it.
But Shen Yuezhuang clearly didn’t see it that way.
It wasn’t exactly about favoritism. It was just that Liu Yun had said, “If it’s a beautiful woman, kill her. If it’s an official, execute him.” Shen Yuezhuang was unconsciously checking Liu Yun’s actions against her words, as if trying to verify what kind of person Liu Yun really was. She was almost instinctively trying to clear away the thick fog that had gathered around this person in the years they had been apart.
But Liu Yun’s evasive attitude made Shen Yuezhuang quite dissatisfied. It felt like there was a broken bridge between her and Liu Yun. She was stumbling her way towards the other side, and instead of helping, Liu Yun had cut the ropes herself!
A surge of irritation welled up inside Shen Yuezhuang. “I’ve already seen it. What’s wrong with asking? Why can’t I know?”
Unaware of the turmoil she was causing, Liu Yun merely continued to serve food with a steady hand. “It’s not your assignment. Why do you need to meddle in so many things?”
To Shen Yuezhuang’s ears, this was essentially the same as, “It’s none of your business. Just eat your meal and stop bothering about me.”
She felt an indescribable suffocation. Even the sight of the plates piled high with food irritated her. She shoved the plate away in a huff.
“Then you eat your meal and don’t bother about me either!”
She picked up her chopsticks, but looking at her favorite dishes before her, she suddenly lost her appetite.
Liu Yun had no idea what crazy notion had taken hold of her. She looked at Shen Yuezhuang’s heaving chest, both exasperated and amused. “Such a dog’s temper. Are you this angry just because I won’t tell you?”
There were countless things Liu Yun hadn’t told Shen Yuezhuang over the years. Sometimes, even when things were said right in front of her, she didn’t have the curiosity to listen.
That was mainly because Shen Yuezhuang had never been interested in such things. Her mind was always full of eating, drinking, and having fun. But… Liu Yun cast a thoughtful glance at the testimony lying on the table.
It bore the imprint of the Ministry of Justice. But if she remembered correctly, this testimony had been given to Shen Yuezhuang by Jiang Heng!
Liu Yun knew perfectly well that Jiang Huan was a worthless, irresponsible profligate. The reason the old Marquis had favoured him was because his family was simple. His only elder was Jiang Heng, the single-minded Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
In other words, the old Marquis was willing to form a marriage alliance with the Jiang family, not because of Jiang Huan, but because of Jiang Heng!
Jiang Heng was indeed a good person. Shortly after starting at the Court of Judicial Review, his mother passed away. The court couldn’t spare him, so Emperor Jiande had retained him during the mourning period. Jiang Heng had responded by observing an additional three years of filial piety. But soon after, the elder Lord Jiang also passed away.
With mourning periods extending over and over, the young Lord Jiang remained single into his thirties.
If the old Marquis hadn’t felt the age gap between the two generations was too wide, no one could say which Jiang Shen Yuezhuang would have married!
Liu Yun’s phoenix eyes narrowed into slits. She looked at Shen Yuezhuang with a faint, ambiguous smile.
“What’s this? Are you that interested in Lord Jiang’s affairs?”
Liu Yun was clearer than anyone that all the intimacy between her and Shen Yuezhuang over these days was nothing but a mirage built on Shen Yuezhuang’s half-understanding.
Perhaps she truly had more than just the affection of a close friend for her. But until that affection was fully acknowledged, it could be dismissed at any moment as a mere “whim” of Shen Yuezhuang’s. Ultimately, it would be abandoned without a trace!
If that happened, could she accept being nothing? Could she accept Shen Yuezhuang discarding this bond and happily marrying someone else?
No. She could not. She was not willing.
But if she were to confess and explain her feelings clearly, would Shen Yuezhuang be scared away?
Liu Yun didn’t know. She didn’t dare to gamble.
This world offered too few options for women. Even someone as unruly and lawless as Shen Yuezhuang had been taught by her family and friends that marriage was a woman’s necessary path.
To her, marriage might have no meaning, but it had to happen.
But what if it was just a formality, a marriage in name only?
The Liu Yun of the past might have accepted that. She had never even possessed an illusion, so she hadn’t had that much ambition.
But the Liu Yun of now could not.
These days of intimacy had made her greedy, making her push forward relentlessly.
If it weren’t for this, she wouldn’t have handed the choice over to Shen Yuezhuang. Saying it was voluntary was too hypocritical. It was merely a compromise she had been forced to make because of her current dilemma.
As for the “decision-making” she had shown in the past, that was just the best image she could create for herself in her hopelessness. At least, in Shen Yuezhuang’s heart, she would still be seen as someone who considered her best interests.
But Jiang Heng had broken this delicate balance. He was undoubtedly the needle that stirred up Liu Yun, a needle that pierced deep into her bones. It shattered the mirror of her dreams from these past days, raising immediate alarm and suspicion in her heart.
She spoke as if she were punishing herself. “Lord Jiang is a man of impeccable character. Although he is a bit older, he is virtuous and clean-living. Why don’t you talk to your father? If you can’t marry Jiang Huan, Lord Jiang himself might not be out of the question.”
She stared unblinkingly at Shen Yuezhuang’s brows and eyes, searching for some sign of disgust towards Jiang Heng, some disdain for her own outrageous suggestion.
But Shen Yuezhuang bit her lip and slammed her chopsticks down on the table, hard. Without hesitation, she said, “Lord Jiang is of course wonderful. When he asks me to deliver a message, he at least takes the time to explain the whole situation to me! What about you? You don’t tell me anything, and yet you never allow me to keep secrets from you! Why should I treat you any differently?”
Shen Yuezhuang felt as if she were standing on that severed bridge, surrounded by thick fog, while Liu Yun was mocking her from the other side.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She stood up in a fury, shook her sleeves, and strode towards the door.
Liu Yun’s face turned a sickly green. She gripped the edge of the table tightly, barely restraining herself from running after her. But the fury in her voice couldn’t be hidden. She barked at the retreating figure, “Stop! Where do you think you’re going?!”
Shen Yuezhuang didn’t even pause, let alone stop. She called back as she walked, “None of your business! I’ve delivered your message. If you won’t tell me anything from now on, don’t expect me to tell you everything either!”
The flash of a red silhouette disappeared through the palace gate. The peaceful, relaxed atmosphere in the Longevity Palace over the past few days was shattered instantly, revealing the looming dark clouds beneath.
The palace attendants didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. For a long time, no one dared to enter the hall to wait on her.
After an unknown length of time, as the ink of night thickened in the sky, the sound of breaking bowls and dishes came from inside the hall.
A serving dish shattered against the threshold. A perfectly round meatball rolled out, quickly fell down the steps, and tumbled into a puddle of mud nearby.
On the other side, Shen Yuezhuang stormed out of the palace.
She didn’t take a sedan chair. In the dimming light, she strode directly towards her family mansion.
