A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 17

Chapter 17: Laxative

Shen Zhishu and the Eldest Princess were speaking in low voices when the person who had just asked the question grew impatient and began to shout again:

“This porridge clearly has mud and sand in it. The General, without distinguishing right from wrong, ordered the person who raised the question to be detained. What is the meaning of this?”

Shen Zhishu narrowed her eyes amidst the questioning.

She suddenly fell silent, just staring at that person faintly.

That person got goosebumps all over from being stared at. Just as he was about to boldly shout again, he suddenly saw the person in front of him curl her lips.

Her facial muscles were clearly moving upwards, but there was no clear and gentle smile in her eyes.

The unique murderous aura of someone who had been on the battlefield spread out, elusive and yet undetectable when one tried to trace it, as if that momentary sharpness was just one’s own illusion.

That person immediately dared not speak again.

He took a deep breath, and seeing Little General Shen suddenly raise her hand, he subconsciously closed his eyes, thinking he was about to suffer, but he didn’t feel any pain anywhere for a long time.

He opened his eyes in surprise and saw—

Shen Zhishu quickly picked up the enamel bowl beside her, scooped a spoonful of porridge from the pot, then opened her mouth and gulped it down.

A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

Shen Zhishu tucked the corners of her mouth, held up the empty bowl for the common people to see, and said loudly, “It was a mistake in the kitchen when they were cooking the porridge, and they accidentally mixed mud and sand into it. It was definitely not intentional to deceive you all. This porridge with mud and sand can still be drunk, it won’t poison you, at most it’s a little unclean. I have traveled north and south, fighting in wars for many years. When there were no rations, I ate grass roots directly, washing them casually and swallowing them. I’ve eaten a lot of mud and sand.”

“But…” she paused, then added, “It is indeed our fault. This porridge will be completely poured out and cooked again, and we will definitely not treat you harshly. As for the few who led the trouble just now, we will interrogate them carefully before making a conclusion, and we will definitely not wrong an innocent person.”

The commotion was completely quelled, and the few remaining idle remarks were drowned out by the words “You don’t even believe Little Lord Shen?”

Shen Zhishu waved to the crowd, whispered a reminder to the Eldest Princess’s ear, “Be careful of the spy in the kitchen,” and then grandly exited the scene, hiding her merit and fame.

She could feel the faint gaze of the person behind her on her.

But she didn’t stop for a single step.

She walked out of the shed with a calm and collected air, called over Xie Jin and her attendants with a calm and collected air, and walked out for half a li with a calm and collected air, before suddenly clutching her stomach and bending over.

Xie Jin was startled, “What’s wrong?”

“There’s definitely something else in this porridge,” Shen Zhishu’s face was pale with pain. “Where’s the latrine?”

“Serves you right for showing off,” Xie Jin patted her back rhythmically.

An attendant hurriedly led the way for her, and Shen Zhishu quickly followed.

**

Shen Zhishu squatted in the latrine for nearly half an hour and was almost exhausted when she came out. She was helped into the carriage by Xie Jin and drank a mouthful of water before she gradually looked like a human again.

Xie Jin’s gaze towards her showed a bit of heartache. Shen Zhishu waved her hand and smiled weakly, “This is worse than being shot by an arrow.”

“You should save your strength. Will you lose a piece of flesh if you say a few less words?” Xie Jin sighed and said to the attendant driving the carriage, “After we return to the manor, go to the palace and ask for an imperial physician to check on General Shen.”

Shen Zhishu hissed, “There’s no need for an imperial physician.”

“Still showing off at this time?!” Xie Jin’s eyebrows suddenly shot up.

“No, no, don’t be anxious first,” Shen Zhishu said. “The Shen Residence has its own doctor, I’ll just find my Mother Shen. The main thing is that I don’t know what the Eldest Princess’s plans are. If we make a big fuss and ask for an imperial physician, won’t everyone know about this?”

“That’s fine too,” Xie Jin thought for a moment and said, “In short, don’t mess around with your ‘as long as I’m not dead’ theory. If I find out you’re not getting proper medical treatment, I’ll go to the Eldest Princess’s Manor tomorrow to complain.”

Shen Zhishu: …Why is it the Eldest Princess again.

She suddenly thought, now that she was sick, Xie Jin wouldn’t have the heart to talk nonsense to a sick person.

Now was the perfect opportunity to force out the truth.

So Shen Zhishu said, “Hey now,” sat up straight, and looked at Xie Jin calmly, asking, “I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time, why do you always bring up the Eldest Princess? The Eldest Princess and I have no connection, but she’s closer to you, after all, you’re the Seventh Imperial Princess’s aunt-general.”

Xie Jin grinned, “That’s true, but from what I can see, the Eldest Princess seems to care more about you. You see, first she helped you out when the Emperor was bestowing a marriage, then she invited you to her manor, and she even asked you for a robe.”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu hugged a cushion, turned her head away without a word, and played “one, two, three, wooden man” with the carriage wall, with three words floating above her head: So what.

Xie Jin was still muttering, “Just say whether what I said is pertinent or not.”

“…”

Shen Zhishu couldn’t take it anymore. She swung her arm and threw the cushion, but Xie Jin dodged it nimbly.

The cushion hit the wall with a teeth-grinding thud.

Xie Jin clicked her tongue in amazement and smiled, “You see, as soon as I mention the Eldest Princess, you’re full of energy. Your stomach doesn’t hurt anymore, your back isn’t sore anymore, and you throw the pillow with more force than you wield a sword. If you ask me, why bother with a doctor? Just invite the Eldest Princess herself.”

Shen Zhishu: …

This Xie Jin must not be allowed to live!

So, half an incense stick’s time later, Xie Jin was unceremoniously kicked out of the carriage by someone and was shivering in the cold wind, wrapped in her robe. She asked the attendant who was sharing her fate beside her with a bewildered face, “Youzhi seems to be unhappy. Did I say something wrong?”

The attendant said matter-of-factly, “I don’t know.”

Xie Jin thought for a moment and had a sudden realization, “I know, she must be angry out of embarrassment!”

The attendant repeated, “Angry out of embarrassment.”

“Ashamed and indignant.”

“Ashamed and indignant.”

“Ashamed to be associated with.”

“Ashamed to be associated with.”

“Ashamed to be seen.”

“Ashamed…” The attendant suddenly realized something was wrong halfway through repeating, “General, isn’t this idiom chain a little off track?”

“Who cares…” Xie Jin waved her hand and said nonchalantly, “I’m a rough person, not very cultured. But I can be sure of one thing…”

“What?”

Xie Jin said firmly, “Youzhi is definitely shy!”

**

Shen Zhishu, who was declared to be shy, was currently collapsed on the Shen Residence, listening to Minister Shen’s incessant nagging.

“You really think your wings are hard now, you dare to get involved in everything, don’t you? It’s such an obvious dispute between the imperial princesses. You can say ‘I’m doing this for the common people,’ but you don’t know that in the Emperor’s eyes, you might have already taken a side.”

“You are my daughter, your attitude is my attitude. Do you know that all the imperial princesses have extended an olive branch to me, but I closed my eyes and ears and rejected them all. By doing this, aren’t you destroying years of my hard work?”

Shen Hantan paced around the hall for a full incense stick’s time, finally stopped, rubbed her brow, and asked Shen Zhishu in a deep voice, “Shu’er, tell me the truth, do you have any private dealings with the Second Imperial Princess?”

Shen Zhishu shook her head generously.

Shen Hantan patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief, “That’s good.”

But a retainer whispered something in Shen Hantan’s ear again, so Shen Zhishu saw her Mother Shen become nervous again and asked, “What about the Eldest Princess?”

Shen Zhishu hesitated for a few breaths and shook her head with a little guilt.

If it were Xie Jin, she would have seen through her lie at a glance. But Shen Hantan and Shen Zhishu had been separated for eight years and were already a little unfamiliar with her daughter’s small movements and habits.

She let out another long sigh of relief and said earnestly, “Shu’er, it’s not that I’m restricting your movements, but… you’ve just been appointed as the General Who Assists the Nation, and the Emperor’s favor is strong. Countless eyes are watching you in and out of the palace, you can’t make a single mistake.”

Shen Zhishu nodded silently.

Shen Hantan’s scholarly hands hovered over Shen Zhishu’s head for a while before finally landing. She gently rubbed her twice and asked, “Setting that aside, are you still feeling unwell?”

“I’m alright,” Shen Zhishu said with a smile. “I’m just a little exhausted from the diarrhea. I don’t think there was any poison in the porridge, just some laxatives.”

“And…” she paused, turned to glance at the door, her face dark, “Tell the aunts that there’s no need to be so sneaky and peek around. If they want to see me, they can just come in.”

She regretted saying this as soon as she said it, because—

As soon as her voice fell, a scream suddenly came from the door. The scream was a mixture of different tones from several people, like ninety-nine ducks running and wailing in a farmyard.

Shen Zhishu: …

The Sixth Concubine Xue was the first to rush in. She bent down, grabbed the shoulders of Shen Zhishu, who was sitting on the chair, looked left and right, and said with heartache, “Oh my, my Shu’er has suffered!”

The Second Concubine squeezed her aside, “What are you pretending for? You didn’t mention Shu’er for the eight years she was away, and now you’re all over her as soon as she’s back. Move aside and let me see. Oh my, she really has gotten thinner, my poor Shu’er…!”

The Fourth Concubine said with dissatisfaction, “She’s not dead, why are you two wailing? I think Shu’er is quite well, she’s grown taller and stronger, and her complexion looks better than before… oh my, why is her complexion so bad! Doctor, where’s the doctor?!”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu thought to herself, If you had ninety-nine ducks quacking in your ear, your complexion probably wouldn’t be very good either.

The doctor, summoned by the Fourth Concubine’s chorus of calls, came in lightly with his medicine box, carefully took Shen Zhishu’s pulse, and reported respectfully, “The General is fine, she just needs to rest quietly.”

The ninety-nine ducks froze and immediately fell silent.

The world suddenly became quiet.