A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 102

Chapter 102: Reminiscing

On the day the imperial examination results were announced, Cui Qi, as the third-place finisher, personally went to the General’s Manor to express her gratitude.

But she did not find her at the General’s Manor. The doorman said with a grin, “The General is at the Eldest Princess’s Manor,” so Cui Qi rushed to the east of the city on horseback.

However, when she arrived at the Eldest Princess’s Manor, the reply she received was: the two of them were at the General’s Manor.

Cui Qi: ?

Cui Qi almost thought that Shen Zhishu and Jiang Yu were unwilling to see her. Fortunately, Lantiao had sharp eyes and recognized the person standing at the door at a glance. She hurriedly ran out of the hall and said with a smile, “Don’t be offended, top scorer. The General and Her Highness were just here, but they went out a quarter of an hour ago, without letting anyone follow, and without saying where they were going. The doormen don’t know, and they thought they had gone to the General’s Manor, but I don’t think so. If you’re not in a hurry, you can rest here and have a cup of tea. The General and Her Highness will probably be back in a while.”

Cui Qi waved her hand and said, “I know that Your Highness and the General are busy, and this subordinate does not want to bother you any further. In that case, please help me pass on a message. Just say that student Cui Qi is holding a banquet at the Banquet Again Pavilion today. If Your Highness and the General have time, please be sure to grace us with your presence.”

Shen Zhishu had actually gone out to hide.

As soon as the results were announced today, the manor would surely be lively. It wouldn’t have been so bad before, after all, there was a distinction between civil and military officials. But now that she had the additional status of the current Prince Consort, she was even more eye-catching than before.

Look, she had gotten up at the Hour of the Dragon, and by the Hour of the Snake, two groups of people had already arrived at the General’s Manor.

She had originally instructed Hongli to say, “If a guest comes, just say that I am so sick that I am about to die,” but Jiang Yu had said, “Misfortune comes from the mouth, I have never seen anyone curse themselves like this.”

“Then what should I do?” Shen Zhishu smiled. “I’ll hide, and Your Highness can receive all the guests.”

“The General is being a little too heartless,” Jiang Yu said. “There is a way—we can go to my manor first to avoid the limelight.”

“Your manor must also be bustling with activity.”

“Who knows? Let’s see first.”

So they left the General’s Manor and went to the Eldest Princess’s Manor, and then they fled from the Eldest Princess’s Manor and went to the suburbs of the capital to relax.

But on the way, they happened to run into Xie Jin and Vice Minister Wen.

Xie Jin had also come out to hide.

Shen Zhishu smiled, “You are a military officer, who would go to your manor to pay their respects?”

“You’re still laughing, isn’t it because of you?” Xie Jin muttered. “Everyone in the capital knows that you and I are on good terms. The Martial Hall is closed today, and I was originally thinking of getting up early in the morning to practice swordsmanship, but who knew that a letter of introduction would be sent in every two joss stick’s time. I accepted a few at first, but later I really couldn’t take it anymore, so I said that I suddenly remembered that there was something to do at the winery in the suburbs, and I had to go there.”

Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow, “Are you wronged for being my friend?”

“How would I dare, Little Lord Shen,” Xie Jin said with a smile. “Alright, I won’t disturb you two. I’m going to the winery, see you later.”

“You’re not coming with us?”

“You don’t have to say that. You’re not sincerely inviting me, and I know my place.”

Shen Zhishu gave her a punch and then turned to Vice Minister Wen, “Lord Wen looks frail, but your horsemanship is really good. It’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Vice Minister Wen cupped her hands on horseback, “The General overpraises me. By the way, it’s a real coincidence today. I was out on business and first ran into General Xie on the road, and now I’ve run into Your Highness and Lord Shen. It must be that I have a fate with all of you.”

Wen Zhizhong was beaming when she spoke. Shen Zhishu took a closer look and was a little curious, “Lord Wen looks so happy. I suppose this ‘matter’ should be a happy event?”

“The General has guessed correctly. The results were announced today, and my cousin passed the imperial examinations. She is holding a grand banquet in the west of the city, and she has also invited me.”

Shen Zhishu nodded and smiled, “I haven’t heard you mention this cousin before, my lord.”

Vice Minister Wen said with a serious air, “We’re not very familiar. She is the great-granddaughter of my aunt’s husband’s sister-in-law’s aunt’s husband’s grand-niece. My mother asked me to take care of her.”

Shen Zhishu: …It would be a ghost if they were familiar.

After a few words of small talk, Shen Zhishu and Jiang Yu said goodbye to the two of them and continued to head west.

When they reached the grassland they often went to, Jiang Yu suddenly had a new idea.

“There is a mountain forest not far away,” she said. “The forest there is very similar to the one near the Cold Cloud Palace. Does the General want to go and see?”

Shen Zhishu naturally agreed.

The pine forest was on the mountainside, and a clear and cold breath rushed to meet them. The soil on the ground was soft and creaked when they stepped on it.

Shen Zhishu and Jiang Yu walked leisurely. There was no one in between, only the sound of birds and the wind.

Jiang Yu suddenly raised her head and looked up at the sky.

“What is Your Highness looking at?” Shen Zhishu asked.

Jiang Yu did not speak, lowered her head, and walked a short distance slowly before she said, “Does the General still remember the scene of our first meeting?”

Shen Zhishu knew that Jiang Yu was asking about their previous life.

“Mm, I remember,” she put her arm around Jiang Yu’s shoulder. “I jumped down from a tree and happened to land in front of you.”

“Then… does the General still remember your first impression of me?” Jiang Yu continued to ask.

Shen Zhishu tilted her head and thought for a while, “You were wearing a veil, you were mysterious, and you smelled very good.”

Jiang Yu raised half an eyebrow and said in a faint voice, “After tens of thousands of years, the General still has an impression.”

“That’s not surprising,” Shen Zhishu said with a smile. “Your Highness has an extraordinary demeanor, and it’s hard to forget once you’ve seen it.”

Jiang Yu had no reaction.

Shen Zhishu asked in return, “Then what was Your Highness’s impression of me at that time?”

“Your martial arts were extraordinary. You jumped down from such a high tree, but you were not afraid.”

“That’s it?”

“Or does the General need me to praise you a couple more times?” Jiang Yu said. “Heroic and valiant, handsome and elegant, with eyes as bright as the scorching sun, making one forget the mundane.”

“…” Shen Zhishu smiled. “I didn’t want to hear this… forget it—”

A noise suddenly came from afar, and Shen Zhishu’s voice paused.

Jiang Yu gracefully formed a seal, pushed it out, and then said, “It’s alright, it’s not a person, it’s a rabbit.”

“Does Your Highness want to eat rabbit meat?” Shen Zhishu said casually. “Do you want to catch it and make soup?”

Jiang Yu shook her head, “I don’t eat it.”

“Then what does Your Highness want for lunch?”

Jiang Yu opened her small mouth, “I want to eat you.”

Shen Zhishu: …

“Alright,” Shen Zhishu immediately made a move to take off her clothes. “It’s almost noon, and there’s no one around. Your Highness can just eat here.”

She was originally just joking and teasing, but she saw that Jiang Yu had no intention of stopping her from taking off her clothes.

So Shen Zhishu stopped her hands, and the next moment, she heard the person beside her ask, “Why don’t you continue?”

“…” Shen Zhishu smiled. “This is not indoors. Someone might come at any time. Is Your Highness sure you want me to take off my clothes here?”

“It’s alright,” Jiang Yu said. “I’ve cast an invisibility spell. If someone passes by, they won’t see.”

Shen Zhishu: …Wait, are you serious?

In the end, Shen Zhishu still did not take off her clothes, but not because she was unwilling, but because… the voice-recording talisman she had left at home had made a sound—

Shen Hantan had heard that Shen Zhishu had disappeared for a whole morning on the day the results were announced. She was so angry that she glared at her and kept accusing Shen Zhishu of being lazy. She also said that if she did not see her in an hour, she would punish the attendants in the General’s Manor with a month’s worth of monthly salary.

**

Shen Zhishu and Jiang Yu rushed home on horseback. After they had freed the attendants’ monthly salary, they obediently received guests with Shen Hantan.

By the time they were finished, it was already dinner time.

Jiang Yu was not with Shen Zhishu at that time. She had been temporarily called into the palace by Jiang Chu.

Shen Zhishu sent a young attendant to ask Jiang Yu “whether to accept Cui Qi’s invitation to the Banquet Again Pavilion.” The attendant was gone for half a day and came back saying, “Her Highness said that the General can go on your own. She is really not free today.”

Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow and asked, “What is so busy?”

“Her Highness did not say, and the people in front of the Emperor are also tight-lipped,” the attendant said. “Does this servant need to go and ask again?”

Shen Zhishu shook her head and said, “Forget it,” and went to the Banquet Again Pavilion for a meal alone.

She was thinking of Jiang Yu and turned down all the wine cups that were handed to her from all four directions. She did not drink much during the meal and returned home with a clear mind.

She had originally thought that Jiang Yu was still in the palace, but when she pushed open the door of her room, she saw that person sitting cross-legged on the bed, her slender white limbs baked to a warm color by the candlelight.

Shen Zhishu narrowed her eyes, turned around and closed the door tightly, took a few steps in, and said with a low laugh, “Your Highness has already returned to your manor. I was just thinking of sending someone to pick you up.”

Jiang Yu did not answer, but suddenly sat up and quickly drew three or five times in the air with her right hand.

Shen Zhishu felt a force on her waist, and the next moment, she was pushed down on the bed.

The scent of cedar was elusive.

“Hmm—” Shen Zhishu took a breath and said vaguely. “I haven’t taken a bath yet…”

“Then the General can go now,” Jiang Yu said in a faint voice.

Shen Zhishu did not move immediately, but blinked, “Did Your Highness encounter something in the palace today? Why are you so… anxious.”

Jiang Yu propped herself up and looked down at her, “No. It’s just that I haven’t seen you for half a day, and I miss you very much.”

…Because she had revisited an old place with an old friend during the day, the old dreams had surged up wantonly and loosely, and when she thought of the vicissitudes of life, half a day was more than tens of thousands of years.

The night was dark, and the bright moon was in the sky. The room was filled with a mist, and the sound of water from the bath filled the air.

Jiang Yu grabbed the edge of the bath, panting heavily, and the corners of her eyes and brows were flushed with crimson.