A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 71

Chapter 71: Similar

If she didn’t deliberately remember her dreams from the past, she could forget them completely in a cup of tea’s time.

But the dreams of these past few days were always standing in her mind, the images clear, and every detail was vivid when she recalled them.

Shen Zhishu paused, thinking that the idea of a “previous life” was still too mysterious. Perhaps it was because she had been lacking in energy recently, so she decided to go out for some morning exercises.

She pushed open the door lightly and was about to go out when she suddenly heard a movement behind her.

The winter sun rose especially late, and even at this time, there was no shadow. The people and things in the room were all shrouded in a darkness where their outlines could not be seen.

Shen Zhishu turned her head and saw Jiang Yu sit up and look at her.

Their eyes met.

For some reason, Shen Zhishu suddenly couldn’t remember what tone her friend in the dream had used to speak to her. The voice in her memory had automatically been replaced with Jiang Yu’s clear and cold tone.

She paused for a while, turned her back and closed the door she had pushed open, and walked back, asking in a low voice:

“Why are you awake?”

“I usually wake up around this time,” Jiang Yu said.

“Your Highness’s schedule is quite regular.”

“The General is no less.”

Shen Zhishu smiled and waved her hand, “My schedule has been a mess since I returned to the capital. It’s all thanks to Your Highness taking me to bed early yesterday that I was able to get up early today.”

Jiang Yu replied in a faint voice, “If the General sleeps in the same bed with me every day, I’m sure you will be able to develop a good habit of sleeping early and waking up early, and thus live a few more years.”

“We’ll see. I don’t know how long I’ll be in the capital this time.”

“If the General retires and returns to your hometown, you can naturally stay in the capital forever.”

“That’s too outrageous,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “How old am I to retire? Others retire because they have lost an arm or a leg or are really unable to work. What am I?”

Jiang Yu nodded slightly and did not answer.

She sat up from the bed and slowly tidied up her slightly messy long hair from sleep.

Shen Zhishu took two more steps forward and got a little closer to the bed.

The familiar and clear scent of cedar came over again.

Jiang Yu blinked and got out of bed. She stood by the bedpost and tied her sash, and then started another topic in a faint voice, “How did the General sleep yesterday? Did you wake up later?”

“I slept soundly, it’s just…”

“Hmm?”

The dream of last night flooded into her mind. Shen Zhishu paused and continued, “I dreamed of my friend again last night and chatted with her for a long time.”

“Oh? Did the General see her face clearly this time?”

“No.”

Jiang Yu nodded and then muttered something, so low and fast that Shen Zhishu did not hear it clearly.

Perhaps because she was lazy, Shen Zhishu did not press this time. She turned around and was about to push the door open again when she suddenly heard Jiang Yu call “General” from behind.

Shen Zhishu stopped, “Hmm?”

“I… also had a dream last night.”

“What dream?”

Jiang Yu was quiet for a few breaths, as if she were recalling it carefully. She paced from the head of the bed to the table, suddenly stopped, and said with her hands on the table:

“I dreamed that I was sending a soul to rebirth.”

“What a coincidence?” Shen Zhishu was quite surprised and raised an eyebrow with a smile. “My friend claims to be from the Rebirth Sect, and her job is also to send souls to rebirth. It’s a good thing that Your Highness and I have become friends, even our dreams are so similar!”

Jiang Yu nodded, “But my dream is different from the General’s. The friend in the General’s dream has no clear face, but the soul in my dream… has a voice and a face.”

“How does it have a voice and a face?”

“The voice is the General’s voice, and the face is the General’s appearance.”

Shen Zhishu drew out an “Oh,” “Perhaps it’s because Your Highness has been with me all these days. You see my face during the day and dream of me at night, which is not surprising.”

Jiang Yu glanced at her and said in a faint voice, “That makes sense. But the General has also been with me all these days. Why haven’t you substituted me for your friend’s face?”

Shen Zhishu circled around her for a small half-circle and hissed, “Now that Your Highness says it… she gives me a very similar feeling to Your Highness.”

“How so?”

“She also speaks faintly and doesn’t like to laugh. I suppose it’s because I’ve been with Your Highness for a long time these past few days, so I have created a friend who is similar to Your Highness out of thin air. It’s alright, next time I’ll try to substitute Your Highness’s face, so we can be friends both in and out of dreams.”

Jiang Yu looked at her without blinking and suddenly asked, “Does the General really think so?”

“Of course,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “Becoming friends with Your Highness is the one thing I regret the least.”

Jiang Yu blinked, “Then what are the things that the General regrets?”

Shen Zhishu really crossed her arms and thought about it, “I regret… not meeting Your Highness sooner!”

“Flattery.”

“I’m just telling the truth.” Shen Zhishu suddenly thought of something and slapped her head. “It’s getting late, I have to go home first. Xie Jin’s daughter is going to Old Fu’s to study today, and Xie Jin will definitely come to my door early. If she finds out that I’m here, she will surely tease me again—”

Before her voice could fall, a report came, “General Xie has arrived!”

Shen Zhishu: …

The ultimate jinx, whatever she said came true.

**

Xie Jin came to the Eldest Princess’s Manor, and Shen Zhishu was quite surprised, “How did you know I was here?”

Xie Jin rolled her eyes at her, “I went to the General’s Manor first, then to the Shen Residence. You weren’t at either, so where else could you be?”

Shen Zhishu said with a hehe smile, “I’ve been a little close to the Eldest Princess recently.”

“Just a little?” Xie Jin muttered. “You two are almost like conjoined twins.”

“What, are you jealous because I’m a little better with her?” Shen Zhishu pushed her with a smile. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go and see Xie Da.”

Xie Jin stood still, put her arm around Shen Zhishu’s shoulder, and said to her in a serious whisper, “Don’t joke around first. Let me ask you, what are your feelings for her now?”

“Why are you suddenly asking this for no reason?” Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow. “It’s just appreciation between friends, what other feelings could there be?”

Xie Jin blinked, “Then do you appreciate me?”

“I do.”

“Bullshit, you appreciate the Eldest Princess and go to her manor every day. You appreciate me, but I don’t see you coming to my manor?”

Shen Zhishu was at a loss for words. After a moment’s thought, she smiled and said, “What are you comparing her with? How long have I known her, and how long have I known you?”

“That’s right, how long have you known her? How did you become so close like conjoined twins?” Xie Jin said. “Even Xie Da asked: Mother, why isn’t Sister Zhishu coming anymore? Did you offend her?”

“How did you answer?” Shen Zhishu became curious.

“I said,” Xie Jin cleared her throat and said seriously. “Your Sister Zhishu has a lover, so she naturally doesn’t think of me. Xie Da then said it’s alright, and asked Sister Zhishu to bring her lover to the Xie Residence to play. She has just learned how to make plum blossom cakes and will make one for each of you.”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu gave her a punch without any ceremony and pouted, “You’re not serious all day long. Be careful of corrupting a child.”

Xie Jin immediately cried out in injustice, “Hey now, who’s not serious? I’ve been training my soldiers every day these past few days, and I’ve been busy with serious matters. But you, you’re just strolling around leisurely every day.”

“It’s almost the New Year, and you’re still training?” Shen Zhishu smiled. “I’ve already let them go home to rest. A dozen or twenty days of rest won’t be a big deal. It’s not too late to train again next year.”

“It’s fine to train a little more. Anyway, I’m giving them subsidies, so they’re also happy.”

As the two of them were talking, they had already reached the side door of the Eldest Princess’s Manor.

Jiang Yu had just finished changing her clothes and was walking gracefully along the covered walkway, supported by Lantiao’s arm.

She was wearing a moon-white cloak and only had a plain hairpin in her hair. She did not have the luxurious air of a noble, but her beauty and demeanor were hard to hide.

Xie Jin stood up straight by the door and was about to go up and bow when she saw Shen Zhishu take a step forward before her, look Jiang Yu up and down carefully, and then turn to Lantiao, “This cloak looks quite thin. Isn’t your Highness cold? The wind is strong today, be careful of catching a cold.”

Lantiao smiled, “The lining is made of peacock down, it’s light and warm. Her Highness has always treasured it and has kept it well. But today, for some reason, she was in the mood and had someone bring it out.”

Shen Zhishu was relieved and then tilted her head to look at the cloak carefully, saying with emotion, “As the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover. This cloak looks quite ordinary, but I didn’t expect it to have such strength. But… it’s just a trip to Xie Jin’s manor today, why be so grand?”

Jiang Yu stood coolly and said in a faint voice, “There is a banquet later. The two generals will go with me.”

“So suddenly?” Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow. “What banquet?”

Jiang Yu opened her small mouth, “A family banquet. What about it? Is General Xie going?”

Xie Jin was originally smiling so much that her eyes were not eyes and her nose was not a nose. When she was suddenly called out by Jiang Yu, her tiger-like body trembled, and she waved her hands repeatedly, “Since it is Your Highness’s family banquet, this subordinate will not go. It should be enough with Youzhi’s company.”

“General Xie is the Seventh Imperial Princess’s aunt-general, so it is natural for you to attend this family banquet,” Jiang Yu said. “This is also Little Seven’s intention.”

“What about me?” Shen Zhishu took a step forward and smiled. “I am not related to you, what am I attending?”

Jiang Yu raised her eyes and met Shen Zhishu’s, “The General must go.”

…Because in the Emperor’s eyes, the two of them were already a couple.

Shen Zhishu knew the hidden meaning of Jiang Yu’s words. After a stalemate with Jiang Yu for a few breaths, she was defeated, “Alright, I’ll go. But who will be at Your Highness’s family banquet?”

“The Emperor’s relatives and the consorts of the harem.”

“The consorts of the harem? General Xie and I are both external subjects, I’m afraid it’s not convenient—”

“The Emperor will not mind these things.”

“I haven’t even met some of the Highnesses. With outsiders present, they might not be at ease—”

“It’s alright, they like the General very much and have also bought the General’s portrait and hung it in their rooms.”

“What if—”

“There is no ‘what if’.”

All the excuses were blocked by Jiang Yu. Shen Zhishu said, “Alright,” again and stood by the wall with her head down.

Jiang Yu glanced at her, “Is the General so unwilling to go?”

Xie Jin smiled, “Socializing is like death to her. The last time, at the Princess Consort’s birthday banquet, I had to drag her there. But speaking of which, it was really hard on Youzhi to have to pretend to be my sweetheart on the day of the Princess Consort’s birthday banquet, and it was even seen by Your Highness.”

“If the General hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about it,” Jiang Yu said faintly. “You two are on good terms, she is willing to help you like this.”

“Oh, after all, we’ve known each other for more than ten years,” Xie Jin said nonchalantly. “We are the closest people to each other apart from our relatives, and we’ve agreed to be the godmothers of each other’s children. Speaking of which, she became a godmother early on, but I haven’t even seen a shadow of her child. Your Highness can urge her for me when you have time. She doesn’t listen to me, but she listens to Your Highness.”

Jiang Yu nodded slightly, her expression a half-smile.

The three of them left the Eldest Princess’s Manor and came to the Xie family.