Wind And Snow On The Jade Steps - Chapter 5

Shen Hantan asked again, “Setting aside the Princess of Hua’an, do you still wish to see the State Preceptor?”

“Naturally,” Shen Zhishu replied.

“But I have already declined on your behalf.”

“It matters not,” Shen Zhishu said. “If she truly intends to see me, she will send another message. Speaking of which, Mother Shen, do you know where the State Preceptor’s loyalties lie among the Imperial Princesses?”

“She treats all the Princesses with equal distance, only maintaining a close relationship with the Emperor.”

Shen Zhishu laughed, “Didn’t you say that those who get close to the State Preceptor never meet a good end?”

Shen Hantan gave her a sharp look. “The Emperor is naturally protected by the gods.”

Shen Zhishu let out a skeptical “Huo!” and asked, “You actually believe that?”

Shen Hantan was momentarily choked by the remark. After a pause, she said solemnly, “I do not believe in ghosts or gods, but I believe in human effort. A ‘horrible death’ can be a curse, or it can be someone playing tricks. After all, no one dares touch the Emperor, but as for the others, it is hard to say. Take my word for it: stay far away from her, and you won’t go wrong.”

Shen Zhishu drawled a long “Understood” and slumped back into her chair even more shamelessly.

The snow on the eaves fell silently, reflecting a warm white light under the glow of the lanterns.

The hall suddenly fell quiet. Shen Zhishu’s weary eyes were tinted with a hint of red by the flickering candlelight.

Dealing with people is truly exhausting, she thought.

Compared to navigating social relationships, she was likely better suited for drawing a sword and killing.

Shen Hantan’s servant stood by with hands lowered. Lady He asked casually, “What time is it?”

The servant replied respectfully, “It is the second watch (around 9-11 PM).”

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhishu smiled. “Alright, don’t you two worry needlessly. I’ve lived this long; I have a sense of propriety in what I do. It’s late, and the carriage is ready. if you are too lazy to move, you can stay here at the General’s Mansion. If you still want to return to the Shen Estate, I won’t force you to stay.”

“It’s already the second watch!” Lady He exclaimed. She immediately became busy, waving over the servants of the General’s Mansion and barking out a string of orders. “The night wind is cold, don’t let your master stand outside for long. The hand warmer must be ready at all times. Urge your master to sleep early, there’s no need to wake her too early tomorrow. Don’t let her eat greasy food for breakfast, lest it upset her stomach…”

Shen Zhishu grabbed the hand of the frantic Lady He. “Since Mother is so worried, why not stay and keep me company tonight? We haven’t met in eight years, and I have a heart full of things to tell you.”

“Not tonight,” Lady He patted her arm, took her cloak from the servant, and rushed toward the door. Halfway there, she turned back and tossed out a long string of words:

“Shu’er, take care of yourself. Your Mother Shen and I must leave. Chunying, prepare the sedan!”

Shen Zhishu called out, “Why not tonight?”

“I agreed to play Mahjong with your aunties tonight. I have a hundred taels of silver staked there, and the game starts at the second watch. If I don’t go now, they’ll pocket my money!”

Shen Zhishu: ?

Abandoned for the sake of a hundred taels, Shen Zhishu became a lonely soul, guarding the General’s Mansion alone. She grabbed a servant in the cold wind to vent her feelings, “I think my Mother He has changed.”

The servant patted her shoulder and said matter-of-factly, “She has.”

“How so?”

“She’s become more beautiful.”

Shen Zhishu: …

She suspected everyone was conspiring against her.

But she had no proof.

The next day at noon, inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Imperial Palace.

The generals were clinking glasses. Shen Zhishu and Xie Jin were among them, their tables adjacent as they shared a toast.

Shen Zhishu glanced at her and asked, “General Xie, have you offended anyone lately?”

Xie Jin was already quite drunk, her tongue tripping over her words. “Offended? I’ve offended ple… plenty.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve killed hun… hundreds, thousands on the battle… battlefield. You tell me, is that plenty or not?”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu patted her shoulder, her eyes curving into a smile. “General Xie, you really have had too much to drink.”

“I’m not drunk!” Xie Jin slumped against Shen Zhishu. “Help me up, I can still drink!”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu shook her head, pushed the drunkard off her, and said to the servant standing behind Xie Jin, “Take your master out for some fresh air to sober her up.”

As she spoke, she also braced herself against the table and stood up, grabbing Xie Jin’s right arm and adding casually, “I’ll go for a walk with her.”

Outside the corridor, the winter snow was deep. The birdcage hanging under the eaves was empty. Shen Zhishu, draped in a white fox-fur cloak, toyed with the empty cage for a moment before hearing Xie Jin’s laughing voice from behind her.

“General Shen certainly has fine tastes.”

Shen Zhishu pulled back her hand and turned around, clicking her tongue. “I knew you weren’t drunk.”

“Oh?”

“Usually, when the mood strikes, you can drink ten catties without a flush or a skipped heartbeat. Now you collapse after three cups? Who are you fooling?”

Xie Jin laughed and shook her head, waving away the servants. She took a graceful step forward, her smile vanishing as she spoke seriously:

“That waist token is indeed real. I have no idea how it ended up in that assassin’s hands. After the banquet, I’ll go back to the mansion with you to see what that assassin looks like.”

Shen Zhishu leaned against a pillar, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. She was genuinely surprised. “Is that so? I thought it was a forgery. If it’s the real thing, it’s even more troublesome. Could you have a mole in your ranks?”

“Hard to say,” Xie Jin sighed, looking up at the sky. “I’ve been away from the capital for quite some time. Many people and things no longer match up, and I know nothing of the small stirrings within the estate. Right now, it feels as though I’m standing in a deep, cold pool, but I cannot see the bottom.”

“Who isn’t in that position?” Shen Zhishu said with a smile. “I’m even worse off; I see a ‘Deep Pool’ (Hantan) every single day.”

Xie Jin gave her a playful shove and laughed, “Enough with the cleverness. You know I was using ‘cold pool’ as a metaphor, I wasn’t talking about the Minister of Rites.”

Shen Zhishu nodded, brushed a withered leaf off Xie Jin’s collar, and slung an arm around her shoulder. “No matter. We’ll just keep investigating, we won’t die from it. If I didn’t die on the battlefield but lose my life in the capital instead, I can only say it was bad luck.”

Xie Jin sighed again as they walked down the corridor. “Did you notice the atmosphere in the hall earlier? The State Preceptor didn’t show up today, but the Princess of Hua’an, who usually has no interest in banquets, actually came. She just sat there with a stiff face, drinking tea and eating, occasionally glancing down at the guests. She was looking right at us. I truly don’t know what she’s thinking.”

The Princess?

She hadn’t noticed.

Or rather, she had noticed, but didn’t want to dwell on it.

The Princess’s indifferent expression was the same as ever. Even when their eyes happened to meet, no other emotion could be seen.

They simply looked away from each other, pretending nothing had happened and they didn’t know each other.

So, Shen Zhishu said, “I really didn’t notice. Could you have seen wrong? No one in our circle knows her, so why would she keep looking over here?”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Xie Jin frowned in thought. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit her, and she grabbed Shen Zhishu’s arm. “I’ve got it!”

“What have you got?”

Xie Jin had the expression of someone who had uncovered the ultimate truth. She slapped her palm and said, “Our Zhishu is so talented and handsome. Sitting there, you look like a fragrant orchid, valiant and heroic. It’s only natural for the Princess to steal a few extra glances.”

Shen Zhishu: …

Shen Zhishu turned to leave, but Xie Jin grabbed her outer robe. Xie Jin winked at her as if she’d discovered a secret and asked, “Why are you leaving, Young Master Shen? Could it be that I’ve hit the mark?”

Shen Zhishu only said lukewarmly, “There’s no such thing.”

Xie Jin shook her head, raising an eyebrow at her. “Lying is for bad children. I see you’re not in a hurry at all to start a family. Come to think of it, when I was your age, my kids were already running around. What does that say about you?”

Shen Zhishu said matter-of-factly, “It says you’re amazing.”

Xie Jin: …

Whenever Shen Zhishu put on that “so what?” attitude, Xie Jin was helpless. Once, during the battle in Gansu, the army was out of rations and reinforcements hadn’t arrived. When a subordinate brought the last bowl of porridge to Shen Zhishu, she gave it to a wounded soldier on the spot, wearing that exact same expression.

Although wives and rations have no theoretical similarities, Xie Jin felt that in Shen Zhishu’s eyes, they were probably of the same nature:

If you have them, you have them. If you don’t, at worst you gnaw on tree bark.

Either way, you’ll survive.

This young General Shen always had a “as long as I’m alive, it’s fine” attitude.

For instance, at this moment, she spoke leisurely, “If the Princess has taken an interest, I’m afraid it won’t go well with the Emperor. Have you heard? The Princess is very close to the Second Princess, and our Emperor hates factions more than anything. Oh well, we won’t die from it. Whatever she wants, let her do it. I’ll just walk my own path.”

Xie Jin was surprised. “I actually haven’t heard that.”

Shen Zhishu was also surprised. “Didn’t your house guests tell you?”

Xie Jin squinted and thought for a while, then slapped her thigh and laughed, “Ah, that’s right. I hadn’t seen them for so long that I was too busy drinking with them yesterday.”

Shen Zhishu: …

The two chatted for a few more minutes before returning to their seats. Along the way, Shen Zhishu toyed with the trees and teased the birds. Her fingertips were red from the cold, so she tucked them back into her wide sleeves after returning to the hall.

However, as soon as she entered the door, the Emperor sitting at the head spoke up: “When did my dear official leave the hall? Is there some urgent matter?”

Shen Zhishu had to take her hands out again, bowing as she replied, “There was no urgent matter, only that General Xie was drunk and talking nonsense about love and affection. I was afraid it would offend the imperial ears, so I escorted her out. She’s just now sobered up.”

The entire hall erupted in laughter, the sound startling a flock of crows resting on the roof.

After finishing her serious reply, Shen Zhishu hid her contributions and fame, tucking her hands back in.

The back of her hand was a bit itchy.

She looked down and frowned imperceptibly.

Shen Zhishu had spent eight years exposed to the elements, undergoing a thousand refinements, and her constitution was excellent. However, she had one small ailment—she was prone to chilblains.

But almost no one knew.

After all, the North Desert was dry. The snow was like sand and didn’t clump together. Even when it was cold, chilblains rarely flared up.

But the Kingdom of Nan’an was different.

Nan’an had a long coastline, and the capital was near the sea, so the humidity was high on snowy days. Having been in the cold just now, she was afraid her chilblains were about to flare up again.

Yet Shen Zhishu maintained her “won’t die from it anyway” attitude. She simply asked the servant behind her for a freshly warmed green coral hand warmer and sat down peacefully. She clinked glasses with Xie Jin and began watching the performance with her wine cup in hand.

By this time, the banquet was halfway through, and the atmosphere had reached its peak. People were clinking glasses, and several martial generals had already been drunk under the table.

Likely flushed from the heat, Shen Zhishu absentmindedly toyed with her teacup. If someone came to toast her, she would only raise her glass as a formality, feeling too lazy to move.

She had planned to take Xie Jin straight home after the banquet, but unexpectedly, her name was called again by the person at the head.

Shen Zhishu, who was resting with her eyes closed, snapped her head up. For no reason, she saw a hint of a half-smile in the Emperor’s resolute and sharp features.

She thought to herself that this was bad. She stood up a beat late and strode to the center of the hall, only to hear the Emperor ask:

“Does my dear official have a beloved? Since today is an auspicious day, how about I grant you a marriage?”

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