A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 54

Chapter 54: Emotions

The touch on her face was novel and distinct.

Shen Zhishu paused, and just as she was about to turn her face away, Jiang Yu’s hand had already fallen.

The scattered lights from afar only left a faint shadow at the entrance of the alley, and an elusive scent of cedar lingered in the small space.

Shen Zhishu looked down at the top of Jiang Yu’s head and repeated, “Is it very soft?”

“Soft,” Jiang Yu said seriously. “I thought the General’s face would be as hard as the muscles on your body, but I didn’t expect it to be so different from what I thought.”

Shen Zhishu lowered her eyes, was silent for a while, and said with a light laugh, “Actually, the muscles are not entirely hard.”

“Hmm?”

“They are soft when they are relaxed,” Shen Zhishu raised her arm. “Your Highness can feel it.”

“Feel it through the clothes?” Jiang Yu shook her head. “I probably can’t feel it.”

Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow, “Do you want me to take them off here for you to feel?”

“I’m afraid you’ll catch a cold,” Jiang Yu said calmly. “There’s an inn just ahead. Why don’t we get a room?”

Shen Zhishu: …

The suggestion of “getting a room just to feel muscles” seemed a little insane. Shen Zhishu politely declined, “I told my attendant earlier that I would be back in half an hour. I suppose it’s about time now.”

Jiang Yu said, “Alright,” with a blank expression, her tone seeming quite regretful.

They walked onto the main road, and in a short while, they met up with Xie Jin and the First Imperial Princess, who were wandering around like headless flies.

At that time, the First Imperial Princess was talking about the new dancer in the music hall, and Xie Jin was responding idly.

“That girl’s features are somewhat similar to General Shen’s, but the lower half of her face is not the same,” the First Imperial Princess said. “Her dancing is really good, as light as a swallow. The General can come to my manor another day, and I’ll have her dance a piece for you.”

Xie Jin nodded, “Alright.”

“But I don’t know what kind of dance the General likes—oh my, General Shen!”

The First Imperial Princess greeted Shen Zhishu, but Xie Jin was not looking at Shen Zhishu and understood a little differently, “Is there a dance called ‘General Shen’? This subordinate has never heard of it—oh my, Shen Zhishu!”

Shen Zhishu, having heard “oh my” twice, found it a little amusing. She pulled Jiang Yu out from behind her, “What are you talking about so engrossed? You only saw me, and not Her Highness Huai’an?”

“I see her now,” the First Imperial Princess cupped her hands at Jiang Yu. “Greetings, Little Aunt.”

Xie Jin also greeted her.

“We were talking about the new dancer in the music hall,” the First Imperial Princess smiled. “But my little aunt has never been interested in these things. Oh right, General, I once told General Xie that I wanted to introduce a teacher to her child, and General Xie said she would ask for your opinion, General.”

“Oh?” Shen Zhishu smiled. “I wonder which tutor it is?”

“It is the tutor Fu Chunwang from the south of the city. My little aunt should have heard of her. Old Fu and the Second Sister are on very good terms. I have arranged a trial lesson for my friend’s child and was thinking of letting Miss Xie listen in as well. It’s not too late to make a decision after listening.”

“Oh?” Shen Zhishu said in surprise and turned to Jiang Yu, “Is Old Fu really familiar with the Second Highness?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yu said. “She can also be considered the Second Sister’s half-teacher.”

Shen Zhishu narrowed her eyes impassively.

Since Fu Chunwang was not the First Imperial Princess’s person—then what was the First Imperial Princess up to?

She paused, and suddenly remembered something, and asked, “I wonder which friend Your Highness was talking about just now? Does this subordinate know her?”

“I don’t know if you know her, but you have probably heard of her,” the First Imperial Princess said. “General Huang Shizhong.”

Huang Shizhong, a supporter of the First Imperial Princess, was inseparable from the matter of Qiuyan’s assassination, and her subordinates had previously planted new recruits in the Thirteenth Battalion of the Left Infantry at the training ground.

Shen Zhishu and Xie Jin exchanged a look. Xie Jin shot over, put her arm around Shen Zhishu’s shoulder, and said with a smile to the First Imperial Princess, “Your Highness, may I have a word with Shen Zhishu?”

The First Imperial Princess raised her hand to signal them to do as they pleased.

Shen Zhishu followed Xie Jin and moved a couple of steps to the side, asking in a low voice, “When did you have dealings with the First Imperial Princess?”

“It was not my intention,” Xie Jin said. “I ran into her on the street last time, and she said she wanted to introduce a teacher to my daughter. I was thinking that I’m not familiar with her, and we’ve never had any dealings before, so I didn’t rashly agree. The matter of Qiuyan is still in the dark. Do you think I should agree to her?”

“Although it was me who was assassinated by Qiuyan, I always feel that the person behind the scenes—that is, the First Imperial Princess—is probably after you…” Shen Zhishu frowned. “To be on the safe side, it’s better not to get involved in this mess.”

“I think so too, but she seems to be determined to achieve her goal. Every time she sees me, she brings this up. You pulled me out today to see what she’s up to, right? Actually, if that teacher is not a supporter of the First Imperial Princess, it’s not dangerous to let Xie Da go and try. I’ll just say that I won’t let her take classes with Huang Shizhong’s daughter and ask Old Fu to teach her separately.”

“Hiss, I don’t think that will work,” Shen Zhishu thought for a moment and smiled. “It’s obvious that the First Imperial Princess wants Huang Shizhong and you to have some dealings. I suspect that she will start with Xie Da and Huang’s daughter and try to get them to know each other first.”

Xie Jin’s eyes flickered, and she suddenly tugged on Shen Zhishu’s sleeve and asked, “I’ll just ask you one question now, and you answer me truthfully.”

“Hmm?”

“What is the relationship between you and the Eldest Princess… Just tell me, if you have a dispute with the First Imperial Princess, will she be biased towards you?”

Will she be biased?

Probably not. After all, one was family, and the other was a… friend she had just met.

Shen Zhishu blinked very lightly, her gaze passing through the crowd and landing on the person who was standing with her back to her not far away.

That person’s cloak, which reached her ankles, was dyed in a myriad of colors by the various colored lanterns.

Jiang Yu seemed to have a feeling and suddenly turned around.

Their gazes met in a flurry. Shen Zhishu subconsciously wanted to look away, but she forced herself to stay in place.

Jiang Yu did not move either.

They were separated by the scattered and looming figures, and they looked at each other in silence, as if there was no one else around.

Shen Zhishu was quiet for a moment, and she said to Xie Jin, but her eyes were on Jiang Yu, “It’s hard to say.”

“What do you mean?” Xie Jin asked.

“After all, they have known each other for more than ten years and share the same blood, while I am ultimately an outsider. Even though she told me before that the matter of Qiuyan was probably the First Imperial Princess’s doing, and she didn’t seem to be biased towards the First Imperial Princess, but after all, blood is thicker than water, and friendship may not be able to overcome kinship,” Shen Zhishu turned her head back. “But many things in the world seem to be hard to calculate. Even relatives can turn against each other, and close friends who have known each other for most of their lives can also become strangers. So I would say that for the answer to your question, I am probably only half sure.”

Xie Jin nodded and teased, “You’re only half sure after knowing each other for less than a month. In a few more days, won’t you be a hundred percent sure? Forget it, I’ll just agree to the First Imperial Princess. Firstly, she seems to be determined to achieve her goal, and secondly, if the Eldest Princess helps in the future, I don’t think anything bad will happen.”

Shen Zhishu’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she finally nodded, reminding her, “Tell your Xie Da to be careful and not to have any private dealings with Huang Shizhong’s daughter.”

The two of them walked back to the First Imperial Princess and Jiang Yu’s side. The First Imperial Princess glanced at them and was the first to tease, “Are you done chatting? You two always have endless heart-to-heart talks. My little aunt and I were originally thinking that we would have to wait another quarter of an hour, but unexpectedly, it was quick this time.”

“Oh, actually, there’s nothing much to talk about,” Xie Jin smiled. “We both think this is a rare opportunity. This subordinate thanks Your Highness in advance.”

“We’re all family anyway, no need to be polite,” the First Imperial Princess waved her hand nonchalantly. “It’s just a pity that General Shen doesn’t have any children yet, otherwise, it would be much more lively if they all went to school together.”

“This kind of thing just depends on fate,” Shen Zhishu said without thinking. “If not, perhaps Your Highness has a suitable candidate, you can introduce me?”

The First Imperial Princess really started to think about it, and after half a cup of tea’s time, she came to a conclusion:

“I can’t think of anyone, mainly because the condition of ten children is too harsh.”

Her good friend beside her couldn’t hold it in and let out a laugh. Shen Zhishu gently gave her a punch, and her peripheral vision quietly landed on Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu’s gaze seemed to be unfocused, neither on her nor on the First Imperial Princess, but on the string of ten lanterns under the eaves not far away, and it seemed as if she was looking past the lanterns at the tree in the courtyard that was taller than the eaves.

Shen Zhishu withdrew her gaze from Jiang Yu and smiled, continuing the First Imperial Princess’s words, “I think so too. Oh, I’ll just have to look slowly.”

The First Imperial Princess nodded and said, “The trial lesson is at Old Fu’s house the day after tomorrow. Don’t forget, you two generals. If you don’t know the way, I’ll have General Huang go to General Xie’s manor to pick you up.”

Xie Jin cupped her hands, “This subordinate thanks Your Highness in advance.”

The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a while, and Shen Zhishu listened idly. Unconsciously, another person had appeared beside her.

The scent of cedar came over with the fluttering north wind. Shen Zhishu turned her head to the side and called out, “Your Highness.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Yu looked up at her.

“Does Your Highness have anything to say to me?”

Jiang Yu was silent for a moment, as if she were composing her words.

Shen Zhishu did not rush her. After a cup of tea’s time, she heard that familiar and cool voice in her ear:

“The General seems to have made ‘ten children’ your trademark,” Jiang Yu said.

“Oh, there’s nothing to be done about that,” Shen Zhishu shrugged. “If there were other ways to avoid my mothers’ matchmaking, I wouldn’t have resorted to this.”

Jiang Yu nodded slightly and then asked, “Why don’t you tell the truth to Minister Shen and Mistress He?”

“The truth, you mean that the reason I don’t want to get married is because I’m afraid that I will die on the battlefield one day and my wife and children will have no one to take care of them?” Shen Zhishu said with a light laugh. “I wouldn’t dare to say such inauspicious words to them.”

“But… if you don’t dare to say it to them, why can you say it to a friend?” Jiang Yu’s voice became softer. “Probably anyone who cares about the General will be sad to hear that.”

“No, Xie Jin is not sad. Your Highness, don’t be—” Shen Zhishu replied casually, but halfway through, she seemed to have realized something, and her voice paused.

“Your Highness,” she lowered her head and met Jiang Yu’s gaze, which was half a head shorter than her. She called out in a low voice.

“Mm,” Jiang Yu replied.

“So what Your Highness means is… will Your Highness be sad when you hear me say that I might die on the battlefield one day?”

Jiang Yu gripped the mask she had been holding for half the way, and after a long time, she nodded, “Mm.”