A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 90

Chapter 90: Finding Someone

When Jiang Yu spoke, she was very close to Shen Zhishu.

Her face was too pale and small, and it was quietly hidden in the dimness. Her features were not so clear, which made Shen Zhishu a little dazed.

The clear and cold scent of cedar filled the small space. For a moment, no one spoke, and the carriage was so silent that she could hear her own heartbeat.

It was almost like a drum.

…What did Jiang Yu mean?

Was she joking, or…

Forget it, perhaps she didn’t know what “starting a family” meant to ordinary people, and only thought that it was to be together for a long, long time.

Shen Zhishu did not dare to think deeply. She pursed her lips and said, “Then if I don’t get married, will Your Highness be alone forever?”

Jiang Yu seemed to have thought about this question many times, so at this moment, she answered without hesitation, “Mm.”

Jiang Yu’s voice was always light and faint, and this “mm” was also like this, floating lightly in the cold winter air, making it hard to guess her emotions.

Shen Zhishu suddenly didn’t know how to answer.

Should I pretend to be deaf and dumb? she thought. After all, I’ve made up my mind not to get married, so I’m destined to not be able to respond to Jiang Yu’s words.

Or was what Jiang Yu was trying to express not what she understood at all? Or perhaps people’s hearts are fickle. After a while, when Jiang Yu meets more people and she is no longer her special existence, she probably won’t have such an obsession anymore.

Shen Zhishu let her thoughts wander for a long time. It was not until the carriage turned again and she was thrown out a little by the inertia that she suddenly came back to her senses.

She stared at the indigo-colored carpet and sneered in her heart. For no reason, she thought, I actually have such a constrained day.

…In her previous life, her love was not declared until she died, and it would probably be no different in this life.

Shen Youshu. If Xie Jin knew, she would probably say, Even a silent gourd is not like you.

She stammered for a while and just said, “That’s a pity.”

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s so pitiful?”

“Your Highness is not getting married, and your house is cold and lonely. I feel sorry for Your Highness.”

Jiang Yu said, “The General can come to my house often, and it won’t be cold and lonely.”

Shen Zhishu smiled, “Haven’t I been a frequent guest at Your Highness’s manor recently? I’m afraid the doorman at your manor is almost annoyed with me, opening the door several times a day.”

“He won’t,” Jiang Yu said.

“Hmm?”

“They get half a string of cash every time they open the door.”

Shen Zhishu said, “Oh,” “Your Highness is so generous.”

Lantiao chimed in at the right time, “General, have you set off the firecracker that Your Highness gave you?”

“I have. What’s wrong?”

Lantiao opened her mouth, “That firecracker costs one hundred taels each.”

Shen Zhishu: ???

Shen Zhishu asked in astonishment, “Is this firecracker made of gold?”

“The craftsmanship is a little more complicated,” Jiang Yu said. “It can be bought with silver, so it’s not very valuable.”

“I can’t answer what Your Highness is saying,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “When I think that Your Highness gave me one hundred taels of silver for the new year, but I only gave Your Highness a cedar branch, I feel that I am very stingy.”

Jiang Yu blinked, “Then I have another wish. Can the General help me fulfill it?”

“What wish?” Shen Zhishu replied casually.

“I want…”

Before Jiang Yu’s words could come out, Shen Zhishu suddenly thought of that person’s outrageous personality and thought to herself that this was not good, “There are still others here, Your Highness, don’t say anything too outrageous.”

But Jiang Yu’s voice had already flowed out, “I want to set off a firecracker with the General.”

…It wasn’t something like “I want to sleep with the General,” “I want the General to help me”?

Shen Zhishu was relieved and smiled, “That’s naturally good. I’m free today.”

But Jiang Yu blinked, “What did the General think I was going to say just now, and told me not to be too outrageous?”

Shen Zhishu: …

Jiang Yu tilted her head and continued, “Could it be… those romantic things?”

Shen Zhishu: …

Why does it seem like my mind is full of love and affection?

Jiang Yu is really… outrageous!

**

Although Jiang Yu was acquainted with the State Preceptor, they were not familiar with each other. This was her first time visiting her manor so openly.

It could be seen that the State Preceptor attached great importance to this meeting. A table was set with cold and hot dishes, and two large pots of thick soup were also served.

A’Shui welcomed the two of them and Lantiao and Hongli in. Shen Zhishu said, “Oh,” at the round table that was placed in the courtyard. “We’ve already eaten, I’m afraid we can’t eat anymore.”

“Is that so?” The State Preceptor flicked her sleeve. “It’s alright, just have a little. It’s not something that will fill your stomach anyway.”

Shen Zhishu said, “Then we will be disrespectful,” and when she turned her head, she saw that Jiang Yu’s expression was a little strange.

Shen Zhishu thought for a while and had a sudden realization—she had just chatted with the State Preceptor yesterday, and today she was speaking so casually. In Jiang Yu’s eyes, there must be something fishy.

So she respectfully bowed to the State Preceptor again, and when she turned her head to look again, that person’s expression had indeed softened a lot, and she had returned to her indifferent and emotionless demeanor.

The three of them took their seats, and A’Shui poured a cup of tea for each of them.

This attendant is quite unfamiliar, Shen Zhishu thought. She shouldn’t be an old friend of mine from my previous life.

The State Preceptor was the first to speak, “I invited Your Highness and the General here today because of what I talked about with the General yesterday regarding Her Highness the Prince of Chen. The General has already explained the whole story to me, and I have also told the General that the matter of General Xie dreaming of ‘Jiyuan’ is indeed my doing. But this matter is complicated and cannot be explained in a short time, so I invited the General to my home for a chat. Thinking that Her Highness Huai’an has a connection with the General and the First Highness, I also invited Your Highness. I am honored that Your Highness is willing to grace my humble abode with your presence.”

Shen Zhishu took over the conversation, “The State Preceptor is too polite. To have disturbed the State Preceptor with such a small matter, I am grateful that the State Preceptor has not abandoned me.”

“The General’s words are wrong. This is not a small matter.”

“Oh?” Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow and asked. “What do you mean by that?”

“It’s a long story,” the State Preceptor said leisurely. “A month ago, Her Highness the Prince of Chen came to me and said that she had something to ask of me. I asked what it was. She said that she had fallen in love with General Xie at first sight in the army, and now that she knew that General Xie was returning to the capital, she asked me to help her.”

“Love at first sight?” Shen Zhishu keenly caught the detail.

“That’s what she said,” the State Preceptor said. “I’m not very interested in ‘real love at first sight’ or ‘fake love at first sight.’ I just asked her how she wanted me to help. She said that she would first see if she could succeed on her own, and if she couldn’t, she would ask me for help.”

Jiang Yu took a sip of tea and happened to open her mouth at this moment, “The State Preceptor is really of a good temperament. The First Imperial Princess asked you for help, and you helped her.”

The State Preceptor was noncommittal, “I enjoy helping others.”

Shen Zhishu said curiously, “What was the First Highness’s plan for ‘whether she could succeed or not’?”

“First, she sent Qiuyan, General Xie’s late wife’s former attendant, to assassinate you. If it could cause a rift between the General and General Xie, that would be for the best—if that were the case, General Xie would definitely be sad, and she could take the opportunity to comfort her, and feelings would grow over time—if it couldn’t cause a rift, and General Xie was at a loss about this matter and had to investigate it, she could also take the opportunity to release some clues and pretend to help, so that General Xie would be grateful.”

Shen Zhishu smiled, “So that’s what the First Highness was thinking! This line of thought is so strange, no wonder the three of us have been unable to figure out her motive. But the First Highness did not expect that I am familiar with Her Highness Huai’an. With Her Highness Huai’an’s amazing ability to investigate cases, she directly investigated her, and did not let her ‘help Xie Jin’ plan succeed.”

The State Preceptor continued, “She saw that she could not succeed, and instead made General Xie wary of her. In the end, she still came to me and asked me to create a dream for General Xie.”

“Create a dream?”

“Yes,” the State Preceptor said. “This is not difficult for me, so I just gave her a hand and connected ‘Jiyuan’ with General Xie’s late wife in the dream. But you were not fooled at all. This is ultimately the First Highness’s lack of good fortune, and I can only help her this far. As for what happens next, it is beyond human ability.”

Shen Zhishu nodded and said, “Thank you for telling me everything, State Preceptor. I have a good idea of the situation now, and I will tell Xie Jin when I go back.”

Jiang Yu listened quietly, taking a sip of her teacup from time to time. At this moment, she suddenly spoke, “I have a question… why was the State Preceptor willing to help the First Imperial Princess before, but now you are suddenly telling us these things?”

The State Preceptor clapped her hands, “I am not on anyone’s side and will not help anyone blindly. The First Highness asked me before, her words were sincere, and she told me in detail how deep her affection for General Xie was. I was very moved and agreed to her request—oh, actually, it was mainly because she promised to help me find someone.”

“Who?” Jiang Yu asked.

…It should be A’Chu, Shen Zhishu thought.

But she thought it would be better to pretend not to know in front of Jiang Yu, so she also asked, “Who?”

“…” The State Preceptor glanced at her and said. “Doesn’t the General know?”

Shen Zhishu: …Wait, why are you tearing down my stage???

Shen Zhishu frantically winked at the State Preceptor, and the State Preceptor finally received her signal and said, “Ah,” “Just kidding, the General probably doesn’t know. By the way, I wonder if Your Highness has heard any rumors about me, saying that I have lived for more than three hundred years and am a solitary star of misfortune?”

Jiang Yu nodded.

The State Preceptor continued, “Actually, I haven’t lived for more than three hundred years, but much longer than that. It’s just that I was in a coma before and only woke up more than three hundred years ago. I am not a person of Nan’an. I came to Nan’an to find someone. That person looks very similar to the current Holy Majesty. She was a playmate of mine before and died tens of thousands of years ago. I suppose she should have been reincarnated by now.”

Jiang Yu nodded, her faint face showing no emotion, as if she was not surprised at all by what the State Preceptor had said.

But Shen Zhishu reacted greatly, “Is that so! Then the State Preceptor is probably a god-like figure. I have been disrespectful before, I hope you will forgive me.”

The State Preceptor cooperated and shook her head, “The General doesn’t have to be polite. The matter of being a god is already in the past. Now that I am the State Preceptor of Nan’an, I should share the worries of the people. But since I have told this to Your Highness and the General, I will be bold and ask you two to also help me find her.”

Shen Zhishu cupped her fists, “Of course! A person who looks very similar to the Emperor, right? We will turn the world upside down to find her for the State Preceptor!”

After she had exaggeratedly acted, she thought to herself that she had no flaws, and Jiang Yu should not suspect that she had a deeper connection with the State Preceptor.

But she saw Jiang Yu turn to her, her expression complex.

Shen Zhishu’s internal alarm bells went off, and she thought to herself, Could it be that she is still suspicious? The next moment, she saw Jiang Yu say gracefully.

“General,” she said in a faint voice. “The General seems to be very compatible with the State Preceptor. Such enthusiasm is something I have never seen before. Since you two have hit it off at first sight, I will not bother you here anymore. I will go back to my manor first, and you two can chat slowly.”

Shen Zhishu: …

…So Jiang Yu wasn’t suspicious, she was just jealous that she was talking too much with her ‘new friend’.

Hiss, it seems I’ve overacted. What should I do?