A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 86

Chapter 86: Teasing

Perhaps it was because her brain was too dull from the hangover that she couldn’t hold back. Shen Zhishu almost fled from the Eldest Princess’s Manor.

Shen Hantan and Mistress He had gone to visit relatives and friends, and the aunts had also returned to the Shen Residence. The General’s Manor was suddenly much quieter.

Shen Zhishu got off her horse, using the stirrup, and suddenly didn’t want to go back to the manor.

I’ll go for a walk, she thought.

She got back on her horse, turned it around, and was about to head south when she suddenly saw Xie Jin rushing over, shouting at her from afar, “Where are you going? To find Her Highness Huai’an?”

One sentence attracted the attention of the passersby.

Shen Zhishu: …

So Shen Zhishu’s plan to “go for a walk” was ruined. A joss stick’s time later, she was sitting face to face with Xie Jin in the flower hall.

Xie Jin was complaining of the heat, took off her outer robe, and drank three cups of cold tea in one go.

Shen Zhishu smiled, “Isn’t your grandmother of a ripe old age? If I remember correctly, tomorrow is her birthday. Why are you here today instead of staying at home with her?”

Xie Jin waved her hand and said, “Don’t mention it. I was staying up for the New Year’s Eve vigil last night, and as I was staying up, I probably got too sleepy and dozed off for a while. But guess what? I dreamed of Jiyuan again! This time, Jiyuan had a strange face, and I suspect it was Huang San. Don’t you think this is a ghost? I was immediately scared awake, and after breakfast, I came to your place. You—”

Before her voice could fall, Shen Zhishu’s stomach rumbled.

Xie Jin stopped talking, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “You haven’t eaten?”

Shen Zhishu rubbed her nose and said, “Mm.”

Xie Jin’s interest was completely piqued by this, “You’re running out without eating?”

Shen Zhishu said casually, “I’m going out to buy something to eat,” and urged Xie Jin to continue, but Xie Jin shook her head and smiled, “You’re not even good at making things up. It’s the first day of the new year, where are the restaurants open? Even the small stalls are not set up.”

Shen Zhishu said vaguely, “I forgot,” and Xie Jin glanced at her and said with an old-fashioned air, “I don’t think you forgot at all. Tell me, did you just come back from the Eldest Princess’s Manor? Don’t even think about hiding your little things from me.”

“…Are you here to gossip today?” Shen Zhishu asked with a smile. “Let’s talk about serious matters.”

Xie Jin spread her hands, “I’ve already said my piece. I came to you to discuss how I should deal with it. After all, Huang San is still young and was used as a shield by her mother—how can there be such a heartless mother in the world, using her own daughter as a bait?—so if I deal with her directly, I can’t bear it. How can I take down Huang Shizhong without hurting the child?”

As she spoke, she took out a square handkerchief from her lapel, threw it on the table, and pushed it in Shen Zhishu’s direction, “Plum blossom cakes, you can just have some.”

Shen Zhishu took it, but did not rush to eat it. After a moment’s thought, she had an idea, “Let’s just wait and see for now. If we don’t make a move for a long time, they will also get anxious, and they will probably make a move the next time Old Fu teaches. You can just have Xie Da take it all in. If Huang San suggests going to the Xie family to see, then have Xie Da take her to the Xie family. We can have a heart-to-heart talk with the little girl Huang. A child’s mouth should not be so tight, and it’s not impossible that she will reveal something.”

Xie Jin nodded and then became alert, “Don’t you use the same methods you use to interrogate criminals on Huang San. The child is innocent.”

“Of course not,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “Am I such an image of being unable to distinguish right from wrong and being a fierce god in your heart?”

Xie Jin took the plum blossom cakes back and took a bite with a crunch, “I was just saying.”

Shen Zhishu said with a wooden face, “You said you would give them to me to eat? Why are you eating them yourself?”

“Oh, I forgot, I couldn’t help it,” Xie Jin said with a grin. “I’m sure there’s something to eat in the small kitchen. Shall I go and find it with you?”

“No need, Hongli and the others should be bringing it up in a while.”

“Oh, how strange,” Xie Jin said with a smile. “You finally remembered your attendant’s name? This is a happy event that’s worth celebrating with a banquet.”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu finally couldn’t bear it anymore and picked up her teacup to see her guest off, “Since we’ve finished talking about serious matters, please see yourself out.”

Just then, Hongli came up with a bowl of clear soup noodles. Xie Jin stayed put, looked into the bowl, and smacked her lips, “Is this what you eat for breakfast? It’s too light. Are you trying to be healthy?”

Hongli said hurriedly, “It’s made with black chicken, star anise, and ginseng. It only looks light, but the taste is actually very strong.”

“Ginseng?” Xie Jin was surprised. “Why are you stewing ginseng for no reason? Did your master ask you to?”

Hongli shook her head and said with a somewhat shy smile, “The General was not back all night yesterday. She must have gone to the Eldest Princess’s Manor and probably didn’t sleep much, so I was thinking of replenishing the General’s strength…”

Shen Zhishu: …

Xie Jin had a “I knew it” look on her face, and her eyes were not eyes, and her nose was not a nose.

Shen Zhishu frowned and said, “What’s with that expression?”

Xie Jin turned her head, “You didn’t stay at home for the New Year’s Eve vigil last night. Why did you go to the Eldest Princess’s Manor?”

Shen Zhishu said with conviction, “I was afraid that there was no one on duty in her room, so I went to check and confirm her safety. Is there a problem?”

Xie Jin: “No problem, no problem. It’s just that there was no one on duty in my room either. Why didn’t you come and see me?”

Shen Zhishu: …

Xie Jin, while shouting “You’re just guilty,” “You’re putting your lover before your friend,” and so on, was swept out of the door by someone. In the end, she put her arm on Shen Zhishu’s shoulder and said earnestly, “If you have anything, just tell me. I will be your most reliable wingman.”

Shen Zhishu said with a blank expression, “If you can be reliable, mushrooms can bloom.”

Xie Jin’s eyebrows rose, “Why do you only refute ‘reliable’ and not ‘wingman’? Is it because I’ve hit the mark?”

Shen Zhishu: …

In the end, Xie Jin fled at a speed of a hundred li per hour.

Because Shen Zhishu had turned back into the room and, after a moment, had come out with a red-tasseled spear.

**

Shen Zhishu was lazing at home today, and she had turned down five or six invitations from various officials. In the end, she ordered Hongli to take the turtles in the pond out to sunbathe.

Hongli asked in confusion, “Why is the General sunbathing them?”

Shen Zhishu opened her small mouth, “I’m bored.”

“Bored…” Hongli thought for a moment, and a flash of inspiration struck her. She smiled and said, “I have an idea. Half of the attendants in the manor have gone home to visit their relatives today, so the manor is much emptier. Does the General want to play hide-and-seek with us?”

Shen Zhishu pouted, “Childish.”

“It’s not childish,” Hongli tried to persuade Shen Zhishu. “And it’s the first day of the new year. I’ll be bold and ask for a reward for us who are playful—there are sixteen of us in total. If the General can’t find us all in half an hour, you can reward us with some gold and silver jewelry, how about it?”

Shen Zhishu’s interest was piqued, “Finding sixteen people in half an hour is more than enough.”

“Just say whether you’ll play or not, General,” Hongli said with a smile. “We’re very confident. The General is definitely going to bleed a little today.”

So, after two joss stick’s time, everyone had hidden, and Shen Zhishu was sitting in the flower hall with a blank expression, thinking to herself, How did I agree to this?

…It was all the fault of a certain uninvited guest.

It was unclear when Jiang Yu had come, or who had opened the door for her, and why the doorman had not announced her. In short, when Shen Zhishu smelled that familiar and clear scent of cedar, Jiang Yu had already gracefully entered the flower hall and had found a chair to sit down on her own.

Hongli was still pestering Shen Zhishu to play hide-and-seek at that time. Shen Zhishu’s brain had a short circuit, and she opened her mouth and said, “Alright.” And by the time Hongli had run off to inform the other attendants with a cheer, Shen Zhishu finally realized what she had said.

At this moment, only the two of them were left in the flower hall.

The scent of cedar was elusive, and along with it, the enchanting dream in her memory was also elusive.

Shen Zhishu closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath impassively, and said as if nothing had happened, “Why is Your Highness here?”

Jiang Yu also opened her mouth at this moment, “Does the General want to play hide-and-seek?”

Their voices collided, and the two of them paused at the same time.

The flower hall was open to the north and south, and the north wind was passing through. For a moment, only the sound of the wind could be heard in the hall.

After a moment, it was Shen Zhishu who spoke first, “It’s all them who want to play, and they’re even asking me for a reward.”

Jiang Yu replied in a low voice, “Then I have come at an inopportune time and have disturbed the General and them from playing. This reward must come from me.”

“That would be great,” Shen Zhishu said.

She lowered her eyes and tidied up her sleeves, thinking, It seems that nothing happened last night, and there is still no rift between them.

But… actually, nothing had happened, right? It was just that she had had a dream, and in the dream, she had traveled through thousands of mountains and rivers with an old friend, and then had said goodbye in a not-so-decent way.

Jiang Yu stood up and suddenly asked, “Does the General want me to help you?”

“Hmm?”

“Help you find people.”

Shen Zhishu blinked and smiled, “Is Your Highness afraid that I will lose and then have to take the reward money from your pocket?”

“Could it be that in the General’s heart, I am such a stingy image?” Jiang Yu said in a faint voice. “It’s just that as the General’s friend, I am just doing my best.”

Just then, Hongli rushed in and ran to Jiang Yu, stopped, and joked boldly, “If Your Highness helps the General to find them, won’t we lose so badly that we don’t even have our underpants left? We originally agreed to give the General half an hour to find people. If Your Highness finds them with the General, then we can only give you two quarters of an hour.”

Shen Zhishu spread her hands at Jiang Yu, “What about it? Is Your Highness still participating?”

Jiang Yu only said, “I’ll listen to the General.”

Hongli was urging her on the side like a grasshopper, “Participate, participate. It’s more fun with one more person.”

“You’re really good at making plans,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “In two quarters of an hour, you can’t even finish touring the General’s Manor. How can you find everyone?”

Hongli smiled, “The General and Your Highness can search separately, so the search area will be reduced by half, right? Or is it that the General must accompany Her Highness Huai’an at all times and cannot be separated for a single moment?”

Shen Zhishu: …

Jiang Yu gracefully walked out a few steps, continued Hongli’s words, and as if she had taken the wrong medicine, her words were a little teasing, “I didn’t know the General’s feelings were so deep.”

Hongli opened her small mouth, “The General is naturally very good to Your Highness. In my opinion, she is even better than my mother to my mother.”

“Is that so?”

“It is so!” Hongli became excited. “So Your Highness, if the General has feelings for Your Highness, is Your Highness willing to become the master of the General’s Manor?”

Shen Zhishu: ???

Shen Zhishu: …

Wait, I didn’t keep an eye on them, how did my subordinates start talking nonsense???

Hongli’s gossipy energy was the same as Lantiao and the others. She would sooner or later pack this person up and send her to the Eldest Princess’s Manor.