The night wind was clear, and a single slender crescent moon hung in the sky.
Shen Yuezhuang stormed out of the palace and sped down most of the street.
Her initial fury gradually turned into resentment. Then, as she grew tired from walking, regret and worry mixed into the resentment. Had she made Liu Yun’s poison flare up again?
Her steps became hesitant. She sat down under the sign of a shop that had already closed for the day. Seeming nonchalant, she glanced over her shoulder at the palace, its golden tiles just visible at the end of the street. She saw Chun Rui and Second Brother Nie’s group following a dozen or so paces behind.
She wanted to turn back and check, but with everyone watching, she couldn’t bring herself to lose face. As she hesitated, she noticed two figures emerging from an alley farther down.
The alley was dark, but the main street was bathed in the bright, silvery-white moonlight. As the figures became clear, Shen Yuezhuang patted the dust off her behind and stood up.
“Sister Pei, A Sang, are you just leaving the office now?”
Pei Shangyu was still wearing her official robe. Unlike Shen Yuezhuang’s free-spirited sloppiness, Pei Shangyu’s every move was dignified and proper.
Second Brother Nie and the others relaxed their guard. Pei Shangyu walked slowly up to her, her voice warm. “Yes. After yesterday’s rain, the storeroom where the Ministry of Rites keeps its ritual texts and classics, which had been neglected for years, had a leaky roof that damaged quite a few books. I had nothing better to do, so I thought I’d reorganize and recopy them. I got so busy today sorting out the damaged scrolls that I simply lost track of the time.”
Pei Shangyu was already beside Shen Yuezhuang. Her gaze paused for a moment on Shen Yuezhuang’s dishevelled hair, then she leaned down slightly to look into her eyes. “As for you, why are you leaving the palace so early today?”
It was no secret that Shen Yuezhuang often went to the palace for meals. She’d eat lunch, take a nap in the afternoon, go to the office right before closing time, then after the office closed, she’d go back for another meal. By the time she dawdled her way home, it would be time for bed.
For Shen Yuezhuang, leaving at this hour was indeed early.
Following Pei Shangyu’s gaze, Shen Yuezhuang belatedly reached up to touch her own head.
She remembered that her official hat was still at the palace. But since the next day was a rest day, she wasn’t too worried. In fact, under Pei Shangyu’s concerned gaze, her guilt faded a bit, replaced by a more justified irritation.
“Don’t even mention it!” She hooked her arm through Pei Shangyu’s as they walked. “I’m already full from anger. How could I eat a meal?”
“Did you have a fight?” Pei Shangyu’s voice paused, then dropped even lower as she glanced behind them. “With… Her?”
Shen Yuezhuang let out a heavy sigh of frustration, then indignantly recounted the whole story to Pei Shangyu. Finally, she said, aggrievedly, “Even Lord Jiang takes the time to explain all the ins and outs to me. But she never tells me anything!”
Not just this time. And the previous time at the Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion, when the secret guards were reporting, she had even covered her ears so she couldn’t hear!
These were just the two times Shen Yuezhuang had caught her. Most of the time, Liu Yun would try her best to avoid Shen Yuezhuang when receiving reports…
The more Shen Yuezhuang thought about it, the more wronged she felt. She looked down at the bluestone bricks in the street, her nose stinging. Her eyes suddenly turned red.
There was a hint of a suppressed sob in her voice. “Do you think she thinks I’m stupid?”
Pei Shangyu gave her a surprised look. She thought for a moment, then neither comforted her nor made excuses for Liu Yun. Instead, she joked, “I remember a certain someone said, when she was very young, that she had her grandfather, maternal grandfather, and… someone else to plan and back her up. She didn’t need to think about anything except what to eat, drink, and play with to be happy.”
“It’s hard to say who is truly stupid or smart in this world. The path of the imperial examinations is the ‘righteous path’ today, but for an individual, happiness is also a righteous path. And when it comes to that path, you are far wiser than most! You’ve always been insightful, never one to just go along with others…”
Pei Shangyu’s willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly, as if in confusion. When she saw Shen Yuezhuang looking at her, her expression turned to curiosity. “Leave her aside for a moment. I don’t understand either. Lord Jiang’s report to the throne has nothing to do with you, in the end. He only told you because he wanted you to pass a message. You’ve never been interested in these things. If this had been in the past, and she told you not to get involved, you would probably have been happy to be relieved of the burden. Why did you get so angry today instead?”
Shen Yuezhuang pursed her lips. The official black leather boots under her red robe angrily kicked twice at the bluestone beneath her feet.
She couldn’t quite explain why she was angry. But at that moment, a wave of fury had just washed over her. Now that she had calmed down, she realized that what Pei Shangyu said was true. When Liu Yun was still in the Marquis Manor, she had always been like this with her, and it was exactly what Shen Yuezhuang had wanted.
So why was she feeling dissatisfied now?
Something seemed to have changed. But Shen Yuezhuang couldn’t figure out what it was. Frustrated and confused by her inability to understand, she just felt an overwhelming sense of irritation.
Seeing this, Pei Shangyu offered a timely way out. “Maybe it’s because you’ve been too busy lately? Since tomorrow is a rest day, you should get some good rest!”
Shen Yuezhuang didn’t delve deeper into it. Since she couldn’t figure it out, she wouldn’t think about it. She let out a long breath. “You’re right. Why should this be my fault? She could have easily avoided this by just explaining a few things to me. It’s clearly her fault!”
“…”
Well, she was certainly moving forward with determination on her path to self-gratification, completely indifferent to others’ struggles!
Pei Shangyu laughed behind her hand. “Mm, maybe she was too busy too, and didn’t have time to think about you.”
Shen Yuezhuang nodded, seeming to accept this explanation. She generously declared, “Next time I go to the palace, I’ll be sure to remind her!”
Seeing Shen Yuezhuang perk up again, Pei Shangyu felt a bit relieved. Her tone lightened as she began counting on her fingers. “The remnants of the Xiongnu are almost cleaned up. The army should be returning within a few days. Then comes the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth of the fifth month, the eighth is the auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Observatory for the Empress’s enthronement ceremony, and the thirteenth is His Majesty’s birthday festival. With all these events piled up, the entire Ministry of Rites is run off their feet. And the Empress Dowager must be even busier.”
“So many events?” Shen Yuezhuang was also surprised. She had been busy with the accounts lately. She knew all these events were approaching, but she hadn’t really felt it. Hearing Pei Shangyu list the dates made her realize just how many things there were, all happening at the same time.
But… if the entire Ministry of Rites was run off their feet, why was Pei Shangyu saying she had nothing better to do and was recopying books?
Pei Shangyu saw through her thoughts immediately. She chuckled lightly. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not being marginalized. The lords at the Ministry of Rites still respect my grandfather quite a bit. Although my father didn’t want me to become an official, they wouldn’t make things difficult for me, out of consideration for him.”
With that, she pulled Shen Yuezhuang closer and lowered her voice further. “And I heard that for His Majesty’s birthday festival this time, Nanchu has also sent a congratulatory gift!”
Pei Shangyu glanced at A Sang, who was a few steps behind them. She took a deep breath. “Back then, during the incessant wars between Nanchu and Great Liang, Governor Yang used that opportunity to build his army and gain power, becoming a tiger in the south that the court could do nothing about.”
“Since the Xuanwu era, the court has tried many times to weaken Governor Yang’s power. But it’s hard for a strong dragon to crush a local snake. Governor Yang was arrogant and refused to obey orders. Worse, he framed many loyal officials and good generals!”
“A Sang’s father was framed for treason by him, and that person’s family was also destroyed because of him.”
“At first, the court was wary of Nanchu, which is why they repeatedly gave in to Governor Yang. But if we can establish diplomatic relations with Nanchu this time…”
She didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear. Unbeknownst to her, they had arrived at the side gate of the Marquis Manor. Pei Shangyu stopped, gently squeezing Shen Yuezhuang’s fingertips.
“She helped me smoothly secure a position as a female official. If we succeed in making peace with Nanchu, it would also be a great revenge for A Sang. So, whether for public or private reasons, logically or emotionally, I have to say this to you: she carries a heavy heart. Her family’s vengeance goes unavenged. The pent-up bitterness in her chest cannot be dissolved by mere wine. You two grew up together, and you hold a special place in her heart that no one else can match. If…”
Pei Shangyu spoke word by word, but then paused. Her eyes were deep and unfathomable, carrying a meaning that Shen Yuezhuang couldn’t grasp.
Looking into those eyes, Shen Yuezhuang’s heart inexplicably began to race. She pressed on, “If what?”
But Pei Shangyu fell silent. She had caught a glimpse of A Sang in her peripheral vision.
So the words “step away in time” that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down. She lowered her eyes, seeming to let out a silent sigh.
Telling others was always easier than doing it oneself. Putting oneself in another’s shoes, she found it hard to continue the thought.
After a long silence, when she looked up again, Pei Shangyu’s smile was warm, gentle, and faintly tinged with a touch of bitterness.
“If, when the time comes, a Nanchu envoy arrives, you’ll have to help me with the reception!”
~~~
Shen Yuezhuang could tell that Pei Shangyu’s last remark was obviously just a filler. But she didn’t feel angry.
Sister Pei must have her own considerations. She didn’t need to ask.
However, this only served to highlight Liu Yun’s secretiveness towards her as “ungrateful.” It wasn’t like she just cared about anyone’s affairs or got angry over just anyone!
Shen Yuezhuang had a warm heart and was an expert at getting others to reflect on themselves. After this comparison, she only became angrier at Liu Yun for hiding things.
The result of her anger was that she didn’t go to the palace for the next two days. Then, by the time her anger had subsided and she wanted to go, she had run out of excuses. The debtors in the Ministry of Revenue had mostly paid up in the previous days. The few remaining were either families in genuine difficulty or those who had no intention of paying at all!
She’d set aside the genuine cases for now. But the ones who didn’t intend to pay were the real big debtors.
They were all noble houses. After all, Emperor Qianyuan had only allowed those in financial difficulty to borrow from the court. He hadn’t said they had to be poor. Many powerful families, with the shrewd mentality of taking every advantage they could, had borrowed considerable sums.
