Chapter 9: Milk Candy

Deep in the night, all was silent. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the State Preceptor Manor. Qing Yi, who had been waiting a long time, drove the carriage forward.

She had waited a long time, yet she did not see the person inside the carriage come out.

Qing Yi waited, puzzled.

After an unknown amount of time, the carriage curtain swayed slightly. A jade-white hand pushed it aside. Qing Yi looked over. That hand was slender and pale, with evenly spaced knuckles—it was the State Preceptor.

Two breaths later, indeed, the State Preceptor emerged, followed by the Young General.

Qing Yi immediately stepped forward. “Fifth Miss.”

Shen Sheng wore a pained expression. She paid no attention to Qing Yi and instead stared at Anu’s retreating figure as she entered the manor, her heart aching immeasurably.

After Anu entered the manor, Shen Sheng returned to her own family’s carriage. Qing Yi asked impatiently, “Is that little child actually the young master’s flesh and blood?”

Shen Sheng rolled her eyes at her. “Which young master’s is she?”

“This… how would I know? But since all the young masters are gone, if an illegitimate daughter suddenly appears, won’t the Young Madams turn the house upside down?” Qing Yi shared her anxiety. It was too troubling.

Qing Yi didn’t even ride her horse anymore and climbed into the carriage instead. Shen Sheng remained silent. When she was with Anu, that faint, elusive scent of the sea was rather peculiar.

Could it be that she truly came from the South River?

She casually asked Qing Yi, “Do you know anything about the South River?”

“A little. The State Preceptor comes from the South River. They say it’s a place where immortals dwell. The South River Water can heal the dying and regrow flesh on bones—extraordinarily powerful. Our State Preceptor knows those methods too. Rumor has it that once, when His Majesty was injured in an assassination attempt during a hunt, the State Preceptor descended from the sky and used immortal arts to save His Majesty’s life.”

Shen Sheng: “…”

“What else?”

“The most remarkable thing about the South River is that if you drink its water, women can bear children too. And they say all the children born are daughters. Therefore, above the South River, there are only women, passed down through the generations. Such a place was bound to attract divine punishment. Later, the immortals grew angry and sent people to take back the South River Water. From then on, it dried up completely. Our State Preceptor is the last living person from the South River.”

Shen Sheng listened, utterly confused. According to the legend, then Jiang Buyan was Anu’s own child. Then why did she look so much like her?

A coincidence.

Qing Yi added in a whisper, “Fifth Miss, do you think that child might have drunk the South River Water…”

“Not likely. The South River Water is an ancient legend, and that child is only four or five years old. The timeline doesn’t match.” Shen Sheng rejected the idea herself.

Qing Yi was also bewildered. After pondering for a moment, she finally said, “Could the State Preceptor have found that child somewhere? A child that is the flesh and blood of one of the young masters?”

“That’s probably the guess closest to reality.” Shen Sheng’s face crumpled in misery.

Qing Yi immediately brightened. “Adding a new mouth to the family is a happy event. Why not tell the Madam and bring the child back?”

“In your dreams. Would the State Preceptor agree? Someone else worked hard to raise this child. Why should she return her to the Shen family based on some baseless blood relation? And after coming back, to be branded with the label of ‘illegitimate daughter’?” Shen Sheng couldn’t help but retort sarcastically. Then, after speaking, she lost her confidence. “Still, we need to ask the State Preceptor’s intentions.”

Master and servant muttered to each other the entire way home. When they arrived at the manor, Madam Shen had not yet rested and was waiting for her return.

Shen Sheng rushed to the Main Room to pay her respects to her mother. Madam Shen had prepared a sobering soup, which Shen Sheng drank in one go. She remained standing, however, and didn’t leave.

Madam Shen was not surprised. She quietly waited for her to sort out her thoughts and speak.

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Sheng finally voiced it. “A-Niang, did my brothers ever… ever keep any women outside?”

“Your brothers’ wives were the ones they themselves sought after. What need would they have for outside women? Your fourth brother was eighteen when he died. Did he have time to set up a mistress?” Madam Shen was slightly displeased. “Do you want to stir up trouble at home?”

Shen Sheng’s gaze froze. She panicked for a moment. “I-I met a small child. Her features somewhat resemble mine. Do you think it’s a coincidence?”

The corner of Madam Shen’s mouth curved slightly upwards. “Perhaps it is just a coincidence.”

“Why aren’t you surprised at all?” Shen Sheng was so worried she didn’t know what to do. Yet, seeing her mother faintly smiling, as if she had anticipated this, she subconsciously remembered that the State Preceptor had been living in the Imperial Capital for a long time. “Have you met Jiang Buyan before?”

“No, I haven’t. Alright, go back and rest. Even heaven-shaking matters can wait until tomorrow. Before you sleep, soak in a medicated bath; it’s good for your body.” Madam Shen instructed with earnest concern, summoning maids to help the drunkard back to her own courtyard.

The drunkard hesitated, wanting to say more, but the words swallowed themselves back down. No point in saying it. Saying it would be pointless.

Muddled, she returned to her room. She undressed for a bath, and in the end, she didn’t even know how she collapsed into bed.

She woke feeling refreshed, except for something that seemed to be pressing down on her. She opened her eyes and met a pair of round, beady little eyes.

“Whose family are you from?” Shen Sheng was about to lose her mind. Last night, it was Jiang Buyan. Today, where did this child come from?

As her words fell, a woman in a bright begonia-patterned winter dress walked around the screen. It was the Fourth Young Madam of the Shen family, Zhu Fan.

The one pressing down on Shen Sheng on the bed was her fourth brother’s daughter. Shen Sheng’s heart eased. She scooped up Shen Zhuzhu in a hug. “When did you get back, Sister-in-law?”

“Just now. Mother wrote me a letter that scared me half to death, so I brought Zhuzhu and came straight back.” Zhu Fan sighed and looked Shen Sheng up and down. Whole and complete, not missing a single part. She sighed meaningfully, “I know His Majesty’s intentions. Now that I’m back, I won’t leave again. What’s the use of fighting for this or that? Staying alive is best.”

Of the Shen family’s five children, only Shen Sheng was still alive. She had earned countless military achievements, yet was recalled in haste, without even the dignity of a proper welcome.

Shen Sheng kneaded Shen Zhuzhu’s chubby little cheeks and said with a playful smile, “Sister-in-law, I understand. I won’t leave.”

Hearing this, Zhu Fan breathed a sigh of relief. She picked up Shen Zhuzhu. “Hurry up and get dressed. I’m going to see Mother. We’ll wait for you in the Main Room. A big family reunion is coming soon. It’s a happy occasion.”

At these words, Shen Sheng also broke into a smile. Three years away, she had often imagined the day the family would reunite. The heavy burden on her shoulders had always made it hard to breathe.

By the time she finished breakfast and rushed over, a message had come from the palace, summoning her to enter.

Recalling yesterday’s events, a chill ran down Shen Sheng’s spine. She gave Qing Yi an instruction: “Go see where the State Preceptor is. If she’s at her manor, I’ll go find her immediately.”

Qing Yi immediately went to handle it. Shen Sheng went back to change her clothes. Zhu Fan, hearing the news, came again.

“Princess Anle has been particularly favored these past two years. Don’t provoke her. She cares tremendously about Zhou Yi,” Zhu Fan immediately warned. Fighting with a royal princess over a man was bound to end badly.

Who knew Shen Sheng would simply reply, “I don’t even like Zhou Yi. Why does she keep targeting me?”

“True enough. She lacks brains. There’s nothing you can do. Why don’t you just get married?” Zhu Fan was so worried she didn’t know what to do. “After you marry, she won’t make things difficult for you anymore. Such a love-brained princess… it’s truly hopeless.”

“Sister-in-law, which hairpin looks better?” Shen Sheng excitedly held up two pearl-studded hairpins to ask her sister-in-law.

Zhu Fan, who had been pondering the matter of the love-brained princess, was stunned by the question. “Since when do you care about these kinds of accessories?”

“Just tell me.” Shen Sheng urged her impatiently.

Zhu Fan’s expression changed. “They’re all hideous. None of them are nice. Go to my place and get some pretty ones. Who are you going to see?”

Shen Sheng replied, “A lover.”

The State Preceptor was at home. She hadn’t yet gone out. Shen Sheng knocked on the door, and the gatekeeper led her to the front hall to await the master.

Unexpectedly, before the master arrived, two waist-high little figures came.

Jiang Buyu was still thinking about yesterday’s tangerines. Jiang Buyan was leaning on her back, sneaking a peek. After standing for a moment, Jiang Buyan asked Jiang Buyu, “Are you going in or not?”

“No. She still owes me a tangerine.” Jiang Buyu shook her head. She had come empty-handed. She hadn’t brought anything.

No going in!

Jiang Buyan sighed with an air of elderly wisdom. “Then I’ll go. Look, her pouch is bulging. Maybe there’s candy to be had.”

“Is there no candy at home?” Jiang Buyu scoffed.

Jiang Buyan shook her head. “The candy she gives is sweet. Wasn’t last night’s tangerine sweet?”

Jiang Buyu fell silent. Last night’s tangerine had been exceptionally sweet.

Very quickly, Jiang Buyu went inside. Jiang Buyan, left outside, was dumbfounded. “Didn’t you say you weren’t going?”

As soon as Jiang Buyu entered the door, Shen Sheng noticed her. Her gaze fell on the gray silk ribbons on her hair buns. “Gray doesn’t look good. The red ones from last night were very nice.”

Outside the house, Jiang Buyan subconsciously touched the red silk ribbons in her own hair. Actually, red meant a happy mood.

Gray meant she was in a bad mood.

Inside the house, Jiang Buyu’s gaze landed on Shen Sheng’s pouch. Shen Sheng immediately took a palm-sized wooden box out of her sleeve pocket. Though it looked small, it was exquisitely made.

It was a box of candy Shen Sheng had secretly taken from Zhuzhu’s room.

She carefully opened it, revealing a row of rabbit-shaped milk candies. “For you.”

The corners of Jiang Buyu’s mouth turned down slightly. She stiffly extended her hand. The moment her fingers touched the box, a sudden warmth rose in her heart. She quickly took it, turned, and ran off.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Shen Sheng was surprised. She had been so talkative last night.

Jiang Buyu ran all the way out of the front courtyard in one breath. Jiang Buyan chased after her desperately.

“Jiang Buyu, there’s still my half in there!”

Jiang Buyu stopped, opened the box, and held it out to Jiang Buyan. “There are five in the box. It doesn’t divide evenly.”

“She owed you a tangerine, so you eat three. That’s the same as her owing me a candy. Fair,” Jiang Buyan declared generously.

At that moment, Anu came to see Shen Sheng.

Shen Sheng said anxiously, “His Majesty has summoned me to the palace.”

“His Majesty summoned you to the palace?” Anu muttered, her gaze falling on Shen Sheng’s face.

The Young General, who was about to go out, had specially dressed up. A short goose-yellow coat, a light layer of powder and rouge on her face. She looked as fresh and dewy as a water lotus.

Shen Sheng felt extremely uncomfortable under that gaze, her cheeks starting to burn. She quickly turned her body aside. “Are you going to the palace as well?”

She avoided Anu’s direct gaze, but missed the faint smile on Anu’s lips. That slight curve disappeared in an instant.

“His Majesty has long neglected state affairs. Summoning you is pointless. But since he has summoned you, you should go. Let’s leave.” Anu withdrew her gaze and turned to leave, her demeanor lofty and untroubled.

Shen Sheng hurriedly followed. “Yesterday, Anle ambushed me in the corridor. She wants to kill me.”

Anu paid her no mind, walking straight towards the gate.

After the two boarded the carriage, the two little ones from the rear courtyard, having finished their candy, came back and poked their heads in to look.

Huh. Gone again.