The Heart Given to Brighten the Moon - Chapter 16

Most of what Old Man Cai said didn’t stick in Shen Danxin’s mind partly because their natures were different, partly because their eras were different, and mostly because their verbal sparring usually ended with Shen Danxin’s total victory. However, some of his words did enter her ears and sink into her heart.

For instance, Old Man Cai once said that most people in the palace with extraordinary skills kept them well-hidden. Consequently, Shen Danxin never breathed a word about her charcoal sketching. This was her “trump card,” hidden at the bottom of her chest; even Old Man Cai, who treated her like kin, had to be kept in the dark.

Time flew like a white stallion passing a crack in a wall, and a few more days went by. Shen Danxin’s brush-holding posture finally earned a nod from the rigorous and exacting Cai Xun. Overjoyed, she prepared to grind some ink and show off her skills, only for Cai Xun to order her to go plant flowers and grass instead. He said she shouldn’t pick up a brush at the artist’s desk again until “what was inside the painting became the painting, and what was outside became the painting as well.”

Ever since Shen Danxin moved into the Qingmo Academy, sneaking over to the Scholars’ Academy next door during the noon break had become a routine. The young attendant who greeted guests at the gate no longer wore a stiff, mechanical face when seeing her; occasionally, he would even squeeze out a “skin-deep” smile. This was largely thanks to the glutinous rice cakes Shen Danxin “borrowed” from Old Man Cai every day.

Having not seen the “young beauty” for several days, Shen Danxin missed her terribly. She pleaded for a long time, but the usually mild and soft-hearted Song Mingjue had uncharacteristically hardened his resolve, refusing to let the two meets.

Shen Danxin huffed and turned her face away, refusing to look at him. To her surprise, Song Mingjue merely let out a soft sigh and ignored her. The two sat back-to-back beneath the ancient banyan tree, stewing in their own silent anger. As the noon break drew to a close, Shen Danxin’s arrogance had already withered. Silence had bred a sliver of worry in her heart: Could my nonsense about wanting to marry his sister have scared this boy? That would truly be a case of “stealing a chicken only to lose the rice”!

Just as Shen Danxin was preparing to swallow her pride and coax her suddenly transformed “little brother,” one of the doors in the row of rooms to the left opened. Out stepped a graceful gentleman in silken robes and a golden crown.

It was old news both inside and outside the palace that Song Mingjue was close friends with Master Cai’s most favored young disciple. Even the countless scholars outside who had spent years seeking a master only to be ignored had long since fallen silent after their initial wailing. Thus, Song Mingjue didn’t fear Shen Danxin’s daily, blatant visits. Furthermore, since neither Cai Xun nor Head Master Chen of the Scholars’ Academy had said a word, Shen Danxin had grown even more audacious.

She knew that row of rooms was reserved for the various princes to rest, yet she had still loudly proclaimed her desire to see Song Mingyue, as if she were afraid no one would hear. However, Song Mingjue knew in his heart that these high-and-mighty royals didn’t deign to listen to petty gossip. Aside from Zhao Hui, who was obsessed with Song Mingyue, the other Imperial children maintained an air of indifference, treating the Song siblings like two harbingers of plague to be avoided at all costs.

Song Mingjue stood and brushed off his robes, bowing respectfully to the elegant gentleman. “Your Highness, Prince Cheng.”

Zhao Cheng had a face that looked gentle and kind, with eyes as bright and clear as the shimmering waters of a lake under a warm spring sun. Shen Danxin, who prided herself on having seen countless “flower-boy” beauties thought that while the man before her couldn’t be called a stunning beauty, those eyes were exceptionally striking. She couldn’t help but stare in a daze for a moment.

Zhao Cheng was alone. He walked toward them with a smile and said, “Today’s lesson on ‘State Governance’ was quite tedious, and the room was so stuffy it left my head spinning. So, I came out for a stroll. I hope I haven’t disturbed your pleasant chat?”

The Sixth Prince, Zhao Cheng, was famous in the inner palace for his kind treatment of others; even the servants by his side lacked the usual arrogant air. But when Song Mingjue had been giving Shen Danxin “extra tutoring,” his brief on this Sixth Prince had been but a few words.

“Painter-attendant Shen Danxin pays respects to the Sixth Prince.” Shen Danxin kept her head bowed, grumbling internally. From the look of it, this Zhao Cheng truly is reserved and unremarkable. Not only was his conduct overly refined and scholarly, but aside from those eyes, his appearance was plain. Compared to the radiant Zhao Hui and the stunning Zhao Huan, he couldn’t even be called “handsome.” Shen Danxin’s curiosity flared: What exactly does Zhao Zongqian look like, to father such a diverse range of children?

“Though we are in the palace, we can be considered fellow students seeking the Way. Since we are peers, there is no need for such formalities. Would you mind if I sat and joined your conversation?” Zhao Cheng indeed lacked any princely airs, but the fact that he sat down beside Shen Danxin of his own accord still made her brow furrow slightly.

Seeing the two still standing, Zhao Cheng laughed. “Sit! Do you expect me to invite you formally?”

The two exchanged a glance and sat as ordered. Shen Danxin’s back was stiff and straight as she stared ahead. Song Mingjue kept his head down, counting the ants by his feet. Both remained silent. Zhao Cheng chuckled, seemingly used to this, and asked, “What were you discussing just now?”

A cold wind brushed past, yet Shen Danxin felt cold sweat breaking out on her back. She gave a forced smile and said, “His Highness likely knows I previously lived in the servants’ quarters. Thanks to Master Cai’s favor, I moved to the Qingmo Academy, so I often come here to ask Mingjue about family matters.”

“Family?” Zhao Cheng’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.

“This lowly one is an orphan. Since entering the palace, the sisters at the quarters have treated me kindly; the quarters are my home.” Shen Danxin told the lie with a sincere face.

Zhao Cheng rested his arms on his knees and looked up at the sky, murmuring with a hint of envy, “To think someone actually considers the Imperial Palace a home. Rare, truly rare.” Shen Danxin offered a polite smile, not daring to say another word.

“I thought you were discussing Song Mingyue’s marriage,” Zhao Cheng suddenly remarked, his words like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

“What marriage!?” Shen Danxin was struck dead-on. She wanted to grab Song Mingjue by the collar and demand the truth, but she couldn’t with Zhao Cheng present.

Zhao Cheng seemed to be intentionally keeping her in suspense, watching with interest as Shen Danxin’s face turned from pale to green. Only when she looked ready to explode did he say leisurely, “A few days ago, Imperial Father issued a decree betrothing Song Mingyue to the heir of Duke Lu. They are to wed after the New Year. Not only is the court buzzing with talk, but the palace is flooded with rumors. As Song Mingjue’s close friend, you truly didn’t know?”

He leaned in slightly, glancing at Song Mingjue who was still counting ants, then at the ashen-faced Shen Danxin. “Or was Song Mingjue intentionally keeping it from you?”

Perhaps Song Mingjue was tired of counting. He lifted his head, spared Shen Danxin a glance, and said indifferently, “Your Highness, this lowly one may have some friendship with this boy, but not to the extent of sharing every detail. There is no talk of ‘deception’.”

“Oh?” Zhao Cheng looked quite surprised. “Does he not know Song Mingyue?”

Shen Danxin, her face pale, offered a smile. “We have met a few times.”

“I see.”

Shen Danxin feared she would lose control and beat the heartless Song Mingjue with her shoe right in front of the Prince. She stood and bowed. “There is still half a garden of plants my Master ordered me to tend to. Pray, forgive my lack of hospitality, Your Highness. This lowly one shall take his leave.”

Zhao Cheng smiled and nodded, making no effort to stop her.

Before Shen Danxin had even cleared the gates, Song Mingjue also stood and bowed. “The break is nearly over; Mingjue shall also depart.”

Zhao Cheng maintained his kind expression. He watched Song Mingjue’s retreating back, then turned his gaze toward the gate where Shen Danxin had vanished, murmuring to himself:

“It seems you and Song Mingyue are also ‘quite well-acquainted’.”

In the classroom, Zhao Cheng’s gaze occasionally drifted toward Song Mingjue, who was as usual buried in his books, seemingly deaf to the world. Song Mingjue didn’t disappoint him. Breaking his habit, he answered a question in Master Chen’s class: “Identical twins are known only to their mother; identical interests are known only to the wise.” It was a response that earned him a rare look of approval from the Head Master.

And Song Mingjue, who usually stayed late after class, was the first to bolt out of the academy.

Next door at the Qingmo Academy, the silent and stern Cai Xun looked at a row of crooked, messy flowerbeds and sighed with a shake of his head.

Shen Danxin was waiting in ambush on a path by the nameless lake. She had already decimated the surrounding plants by the time Song Mingjue came trudging over. By now, he had lost his cold facade and was approaching timidly, not daring to get too close.

Before Shen Danxin could demand an explanation, Song Mingjue confessed, raising his hands in surrender: “My sister specifically told me! Anyone can know, but you must not!”

Shen Danxin jumped up and delivered a punch. “I know now, don’t I!?” she roared.

Song Mingjue accepted his bad luck and rubbed the back of his head. “You mustn’t go tell her! This is the Emperor’s decree; she’s already suffering. If you go to her and she decides to defy the decree, what then?”

Shen Danxin stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes wide. “So, I just do nothing? With her stubborn ‘don’t-care-if-I-die’ temper, she might just go and hang herself!”

Song Mingjue waved a hand, offering gentle comfort. “Don’t worry. Though she is even more silent than usual, she is still following her daily routine. Do not be rash; let her settle for a few more days, and I shall arrange for you to meet.”

Shen Danxin didn’t care what he said. She paced back and forth in circles. On the fifteenth circle, she finally collapsed onto the roadside with a dejected sigh. With her current status, forget a Song Mingyue, she couldn’t even help a maid in the Laundry Bureau. Furthermore, today a “plain” Sixth Prince had left her terrified; how could she ever face the true Son of Heaven on the Dragon Throne?

The insignificance of man remains the same through the ages; only ‘high and low, rich and poor’ vary.

But Shen Danxin was different. Though she was terrified, she still dared to lie to Zhao Cheng’s face. Staring at the calm, stagnant surface of the lake, she also regained her composure. She said, “Tell me about this Duke Lu.”

Song Mingjue had seen many Imperial children who were cautious and hid their emotions, and even more servants who smiled while hiding daggers. But someone who could transform so instantly like Shen Danxin… there was only Shen Danxin. His own restless heart steadied at her calm demeanor. He began to explain slowly:

“Duke Lu, Chu Yancheng, was once the current Emperor’s right-hand man, a peerless general. But with no wars in recent years, holding a massive army is akin to ‘harboring private strength.’ Though he escaped the fate of the ‘donkey being slaughtered once the harvest is done,’ he could not escape the court’s gossip. A single decree sent him to the Northern Frontier, where he has stood guard for eight years. Have you heard the rumor, Master Shen?”

“What rumor?”

“On the battlefield, those who slaughter are all men of heavy sin.” Seeing Shen Danxin look stunned, Song Mingjue smiled and continued, “I didn’t believe it at first. But of Chu Yancheng’s five children, four died in infancy—the oldest barely reached a year. Only Chu Yunheng grew to adulthood. In these years, that fierce, hot-tempered general has also learned the art of ‘hiding one’s light’ like the various princes. I hear Chu Yunheng is humble and polite, yet he is a ‘martial-maniac.’ Fame, fortune, beauties, and wine… none of them are worth as much to him as the seven-foot blade in his hand.”

Shen Danxin was appalled. If this man wasn’t truly obsessed, then he was a master of hiding in plain sight. ‘When he speaks not, he is silent; when he cries, he startles the heavens.’

Marrying such a man was no different from a gamble and a gamble where one staked their very life.

It wasn’t worth it. Not worth it at all.

Besides, Song Mingyue wouldn’t want him anyway!