A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 45

Chapter 45: Matchmaking

Shen Zhishu did not stay the night.

She washed her hands, sat on the end of the bed, and suddenly stood up. She grabbed the outer robe on the rack and pushed open the door to leave.

The attendant guarding outside was startled and hurriedly asked, “Where is the General going?”

Shen Zhishu did not pause and said in a deep voice, “Home.”

“You’re going back now?” the attendant asked in astonishment.

“I’m going back,” Shen Zhishu finally stopped for a moment, turned around, and instructed, “Take good care of your master. Tell her that I will come again tomorrow.”

…Tonight’s events were too absurd.

After drinking, and being roasted by the charcoal fire, it seemed that one could always do some absurd things.

—For example, agreeing to Jiang Yu’s request as if possessed.

And if she stayed any longer, who knew what could happen.

A person’s value lies in their decisiveness.

Jiang Yu’s crimson corners of her eyes and the faint red mole lingered in her mind. Jiang Yu’s suppressed moans were as if they were in her ear. Jiang Yu’s trembling skin was soft and smooth. Jiang Yu…

Jiang Yu, Jiang Yu, her mind was full of Jiang Yu!

The cool wind blew, and Shen Zhishu calmed down in the night. She strode out of the manor, grabbed the reins handed to her by her attendant, and mounted her horse in one go, galloping towards the General’s Manor.

She urgently wanted to do something to suppress the lively thoughts in her mind.

So on the way, she broke three branches, fed four stray children, and teased five cats, and finally arrived at the General’s Manor.

The General’s Manor was brightly lit.

Mother He often came to the General’s Manor. Shen Zhishu thought that she probably hadn’t left yet. She knocked on the door absentmindedly, but unexpectedly, she ran into Mother Shen.

—Shen Hantan had moved a chair and was sitting motionlessly by the door, with an air that if Shen Zhishu did not return home tonight, she would turn the manor upside down.

Shen Zhishu was startled, “What is Mother doing here?”

Shen Hantan narrowed her eyes and looked her up and down, then said in a deep voice, “You still know that I am your mother.”

“I can’t bear what Mother is saying,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “Is Mother angry? I don’t know what taboo I have committed.”

Shen Hantan’s brow furrowed slightly, “I won’t play tricks with you either. Where is your attendant? I’ll just ask her.”

“She went to tie up my horse,” Shen Zhishu said. “If Mother has anything, it’s the same to ask me. I naturally wouldn’t dare to lie in front of Mother.”

“What wouldn’t you dare? You’re very bold,” Shen Hantan stood up, walked a few steps in the courtyard with her hands behind her back, “You went to the Eldest Princess’s Manor again tonight, didn’t you?”

Shen Zhishu was surprised and didn’t think of hiding it, “How did Mother know? I didn’t even tell the attendants in my manor.”

“Do you think that if you don’t tell anyone, your whereabouts can be hidden?” Shen Hantan sighed. “I’ve told you countless times that you are in the limelight now, and countless eyes are watching you in and out of the court. Even if you fart, they can know what you ate yesterday.”

Shen Zhishu smiled, “That’s an exaggeration.”

“It’s not an exaggeration at all,” Shen Hantan said. “Today, there was a sudden emergency in the Ministry of Rites a couple of hours ago. I went to deal with it and ran into the First Imperial Princess on the way back. She said that General Shen has become more lively and is willing to walk around everywhere, and that you were having a banquet at the Eldest Princess’s Manor tonight. I could only say that you probably ran into each other on the way and were invited to a meal, and that it was not a big deal. I’m asking you now, is this true? Why did you go to her manor for no reason?”

Shen Zhishu shrugged and said without blinking, “Yesterday, the Eldest Princess told me that it was her birthday today and invited me to her manor for a simple meal, and to discuss the details of the Martial Hall by the way.”

“Really?” Shen Hantan said. “If that’s the case, it’s still understandable. But in the eyes of others, you may not be so close.”

Shen Zhishu thought for a moment, “Actually, it’s fine. After all, we’re going to run the Martial Hall together, so our relationship is naturally better than others. And the matter of the Martial Hall is the Emperor’s idea. If someone with ulterior motives wants to make an issue of it, they will probably be a little more cautious and not dare to be so blatant. Besides, after talking with the Eldest Princess for so many days, I don’t think she has a clear preference among the imperial princesses. Even though she is on good terms with the Second Imperial Princess, she is still of one mind with the Emperor.”

“The truth is one thing, but you can’t stand the rumor of three people becoming a tiger. If everyone says so, can you break the rumor on your own?” Shen Hantan waved her hand and said, “Forget it, I believe you have your own sense of propriety. That’s it for today. I think what the First Imperial Princess said to me also has a hidden meaning. Alas, the dispute between the imperial princesses is difficult to handle. I just hope that my only daughter can stay out of it.”

Shen Zhishu opened her mouth and stammered for a long time.

She should have had a lot to say, but in the end, she only replied with a low “Yes.”

After Shen Hantan finished speaking, she straightened her skirt and was about to leave when Shen Zhishu suddenly remembered something and asked with a smile, “That’s right, Mother, you just said that I am your ‘only daughter’… I was just thinking, I’ve been to the Shen Residence so many times, but I haven’t seen my younger sister. Now that there are so many aunts in the manor, is there really no other child besides me?”

Shen Hantan coughed, “This is not something a child should worry about.”

“…Mother, I’m twenty-two.”

As if she had just found out about this, Shen Hantan looked her up and down in astonishment, and after looking at her two or three times, she suddenly turned her head and called out to the hall, “Mistress.”

“What is it?” Mistress He rushed over with a swoosh.

Shen Hantan frowned and said, “Shu’er is twenty-two.”

“What, is this the first time she’s twenty-two? Why are you so surprised?” Mistress He smiled.

“No, no, that’s not what I mean…” Shen Hantan hissed. “I was just thinking that most people are already married with children at twenty-two, but Shu’er doesn’t even have a shadow of a family. Should we find a match for her?”

Shen Zhishu: …

She opened her mouth and was about to say “No need,” but as soon as she uttered a syllable, Shen Hantan waved her hand and interrupted her, “Adults are talking, children shouldn’t interrupt.”

Shen Zhishu: …

She thought, If I don’t speak, then I won’t speak. If I can’t afford to offend you, can’t I afford to hide? She lifted her foot and ran away from the scene, wanting to go to the covered walkway.

But when she looked up, she saw nine people squatting by the pillars of the covered walkway, their nine pairs of eyes staring at her like lanterns. After meeting Shen Zhishu’s gaze, they looked away as if nothing had happened.

The First Concubine flicked her hair and pointed to the tree beside Shen Zhishu, “This tree is really a tree.”

The Second Concubine looked at the lamp on the corridor, “This lamp is really a lamp.”

The Third Concubine lowered her head, “This wood is really wood.”

The Fourth Concubine looked up at the sky, “These stars are really stars.”

Shen Zhishu: …

I’ve only been away from home for a few hours tonight, and this group of people has come to the General’s Manor for a team-building activity???

Shen Zhishu ran in another direction, but was grabbed by the collar by Shen Hantan.

Shen Hantan was a little dissatisfied, “Why are you running? Are you not concerned about your lifelong event?”

Mistress He smoothed things over on the side, “Alright, Shu’er also has her own plans. This kind of thing can’t be rushed. When the time is right, fate will come to her.”

…As expected, Mother He is the best!

Shen Zhishu hugged Mistress He’s arm and rubbed against her happily, “I knew my Mother He dotes on me.”

Mistress He blinked and changed the subject, “But if you just wait, I’m afraid the General’s Manor is too deep, and fate will get lost. The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Wen, has two daughters. The second daughter is exactly three years younger than you. A few days ago, Minister Zhang also personally came to express his intention of marriage. I have seen the Second Miss Zhang, and her appearance and character are first-rate. If you are willing to meet the Second Miss Zhang, I will arrange it for you.”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu let out a dry laugh, “Mother, aren’t you just asking me to harm a young girl?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I…” Shen Zhishu couldn’t say “I don’t know when I will die on the battlefield” in front of Mother He and Mother Shen, so she said vaguely, “I might have to go on an expedition again in a few days. If I hastily get into a relationship, will I be letting her wait in an empty room?”

Shen Hantan sighed, “There’s nothing to be done about that. Your Mother He and I have already decided, and we have also told the Zhang family that you will meet the Second Miss Zhang at the Hong Hui Pavilion tomorrow afternoon. If you are not willing, you can just treat it as making a friend. You can’t just let her wait there.”

Shen Zhishu: …

So these two were clearly not coming with good intentions today. Then why did Shen Hantan pretend not to remember her age before?!

…A textbook-level act first and report later.

**

Shen Hantan and Mistress He returned home as if they had won a battle. The nine aunts passed by Shen Zhishu in a line, each shouting “Good luck.”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu’s mind suddenly flashed to the scene of Xie Jin asking her for help to get rid of her peach blossom.

Speaking of which, even if she rejected the Second Miss Zhang this time, there would probably be a Third Miss Zhao, a Fourth Miss Li tomorrow, so the top priority was to get rid of her Mother Shen and Mother He’s idea of finding a match for her.

But if she really wanted Xie Jin to act in a play with her in front of her two mothers—

Forget it, she and Xie Jin were too familiar with each other, and just thinking about it gave her goosebumps.

If Xie Jin couldn’t do it, then who else could help?

A figure appeared in Shen Zhishu’s mind, and she pushed it back.

…Jiang Yu is definitely not an option!

Setting aside the fact that if she told Shen Hantan that she was with Jiang Yu, Shen Hantan would probably faint on the spot; just talking about the Eldest Princess… with her personality of being serious about everything, what if the fake play became real?

As soon as she thought of the Eldest Princess, probably because of what happened tonight, Shen Zhishu felt her face get a little hot.

She grabbed the already cold tea on the stone table and gulped it down, which brought a scream from an attendant, “Why is the General so thirsty? This tea was left over by the Third Concubine. I’ll pour you another cup!”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu shook her head, “No need.”

The attendant circled around her twice and smiled, “Is the General worried about the matchmaking?”

“…” Shen Zhishu lowered her eyes and glanced at her, “Although I’m worried, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I have a way,” the attendant turned her head to observe the surroundings, suddenly took a step forward, and said mysteriously in a low voice, “Does the General want to hear it?”

Shen Zhishu’s interest was piqued, “What way?”

The attendant cleared her throat, and her voice immediately became soft and charming, “You can just tell the mistresses that you already have a sweetheart in your heart, and that person is this servant. If the mistresses get angry, it’s fine if they take it out on this servant. It doesn’t matter if this servant suffers a little grievance, I can’t let you suffer, General.”

“…” Shen Zhishu was a little amused, “Where did you get this crazy idea?”

“I read it in a storybook,” the attendant blinked. “What do you think, isn’t it very clever?”

“First of all, my Mother Shen and Mother He only want me to be happy. It doesn’t matter who I like, they won’t be harsh on the other party because of this; secondly…” Shen Zhishu shook her head, “If you tell one lie, you have to use countless lies to cover it up, which is too tiring. Besides, if you have your own fate in the future, won’t this delay you?”

The attendant nodded, “It’s alright, I have another plan.”

“Oh?”

“When the General goes to the appointment tomorrow, you can deliberately act difficult to get along with, so that the other party will be dissatisfied with you, and this matter will be off, right?”

“Hiss,” Shen Zhishu took a breath. “This sounds like a good idea, but if I overdo it and cause physical and mental harm to the young girl, it wouldn’t be good.”

“What’s so difficult about that?” the attendant said. “The General can just say ‘I want ten children.’ When the other girl hears that, she will definitely be scared away. Who can bear to have ten children? After that, if this matter spreads in the capital, those who come to propose marriage will probably think twice, which is a once-and-for-all solution!”

Shen Zhishu’s eyes lit up, and she nodded, “That makes sense. Your monthly salary will be doubled this month.”

The attendant was overjoyed.

So at noon the next day, Shen Zhishu went to the restaurant as scheduled. After meeting the Second Miss Fang, she opened her mouth and said, “I want ten children.”

But the Second Miss Zhang blinked and became excited, “I once told someone that I wanted ten children, but no one understood and said that it would be too noisy. But I just like children, and the more they make noise, the happier I am. I didn’t expect the General to also like children so much. The General and I are really fated!”

Shen Zhishu: …

What a stupid idea.

She would confiscate that attendant’s monthly salary when she got back.