Wind And Snow On The Jade Steps - Chapter 6

The music and dancing inside stopped, and the bustling hall fell silent. Everyone collectively held their breath, shifting their gaze toward the tall, elegant figure standing in the center of the hall.

After a moment, some officers began to whisper. The one sitting behind Xie Jin nudged her shoulder and asked in a low voice, “Do you know how old General Shen is?”

Xie Jin gave a polite smile and shook her head.

Others didn’t catch those words, but Shen Zhishu’s ears were sharp, picking them up perfectly.

What does this have to do with age? Does one have to marry just because they are in their twenties? she thought.

She then reflected that she wasn’t actually opposed to marriage, she was simply used to being unrestrained and was too lazy to go through the process of adjusting her life for someone else.

Shen Zhishu cupped her hands toward the head of the hall and said, “This official has no beloved. To receive a marriage granted by your Majesty would be a great honor. However, I still wish to stay at home longer to fulfill my filial duties to my parents.”

As she spoke, she caught a glimpse of a gaze with an incredibly strong presence, the Princess of Hua’an was staring at her expressionless.

The Emperor, completely oblivious, laughed cheerfully and said, “True, you haven’t been back for eight years. Minister Shen must miss you dearly. However, I see Hua’an is also present today. If you two were paired together, it would be a beautiful thing.”

A beautiful thing? More like a beautiful way to die.

Was the Emperor being sincere, or was she saying this to test the relationship between her and the Princess?

Could it be that a third party had found out about last night?

Countless thoughts flashed through Shen Zhishu’s mind, which was currently a bit foggy from the heat. She suddenly looked up, her eyes briefly clashing with that cold gaze.

The Princess’s expression remained shallow. She shifted her gaze away from Shen Zhishu without changing her face, then turned to the Emperor and said indifferently, “Imperial Sister, I have no intention of starting a family yet. I wish to spend more time accompanying you.”

These words were spoken without any emotional fluctuation, sounding as cold as a flimsy excuse, yet the Emperor was very pleased to hear them.

Holding a white jade wine cup, she raised it toward the Princess from afar, “It is rare for Hua’an to have such a heart.”

So, was this chapter finally closed?

Shen Zhishu let out a subtle sigh of relief and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty’s love and consideration for your younger sister is truly moving to us officials.”

Unexpectedly, the Emperor did not put down her wine cup. Instead, her tone shifted as she smiled toward the guests, “Do any of my dear officials have daughters of suitable age in their clans? Even if it isn’t for the purpose of marriage, it would be good to introduce them to General Shen.”

Shen Zhishu: ?

It’s still not over?

She grit her teeth and thought self-destructively, Fine, I won’t die from it anyway.

The hall became lively again as several generals looked eager to speak. She snapped to her feet, and just as she uttered the word “This official,” she saw the cold-eyed woman at the head of the hall cover her lips and cough twice. The Princess suddenly spoke up:

“Imperial Sister, look. General Shen seems unable to handle her wine, her complexion doesn’t look good.”

Xie Jin stared wide-eyed at Shen Zhishu standing in the middle of the hall, looking her up and down several times before also standing up to reply, “Your Majesty, General Shen’s tolerance for alcohol has always been poor. She was likely happy today and had a few too many cups. It was not intentional. Your Majesty is broad-minded and surely won’t hold it against a mere official.”

The Emperor did not answer.

She didn’t even give the “drunk” Shen Zhishu a single glance. Instead, she stared at the Princess with a half-smile, looking thoughtful.

A suffocating silence filled the great hall. The generals who had been eager to propose a match shrunk back into their seats.

After an unknown amount of time, long enough for a whole stick of incense to burn out in the burner beside the hall, the Emperor finally nodded. She spoke to Shen Zhishu, who was still standing as if being punished, “In that case, go home and rest well. Once you have regained your energy in half a month, it won’t be too late to attend court.”

Having said that, she nodded to the ministers in the hall, “I am feeling somewhat fatigued, so I shall take my leave first. Officials, do not be restrained, make sure to eat and drink your fill.”

Lowering her eyes, she gave the Princess one last deep look, then leaned on the hand of her eunuch and swept away.

The Princess remained expressionless, as if the surrounding turmoil had nothing to do with her.

It reminded Shen Zhishu of a phrase: Showing neither joy nor anger on one’s face.

However, she seemed to sense that the Princess’s mood had dipped slightly, like a house cat that had lost its way and hadn’t returned home by the middle of the night.

She then thought that perhaps the atmosphere just now was too stagnant, causing her to have such an illusion.

But there was still one question left unexplained: the Princess’s words just now were clearly meant to bail her out.

Why did she do it? Was it to repay the favor?

Shen Zhishu thought for a long while without an answer, so she simply gave up. She walked back toward the seats with her hands behind her back, swaying slightly.

Since the Princess and Xie Jin had lied for her, she had to make the lie convincing. Thus, Shen Zhishu returned to her seat and sat with her head propped up, looking as if she were overwhelmed by the wine.

Xie Jin said loudly from the side, “General Shen, can you still hold on?”

Shen Zhishu understood her intent and cooperated by shaking her head.

“In that case, I shall accompany the General and take her back to her mansion first,” Xie Jin bowed to the others in the hall. “Please suit yourselves, we must excuse ourselves.”

The sun outside wasn’t very warm and couldn’t melt the snow on the ground. A sparrow, unafraid of the cold, hopped down from a branch with snowflakes on its back, burying its head to look for food.

As soon as they left the hall, Shen Zhishu took her arm off Xie Jin’s neck and gave her shoulder a punch, “Thanks.”

“A small matter,” Xie Jin rubbed the spot where she was hit and hissed, “You really have quite a lot of strength.”

Having said that, she squinted at Shen Zhishu’s face and asked with a laugh, “You’re done acting?”

“Done,” Shen Zhishu stretched. “I’ve done enough to show the intent. Those cunning people in the hall all know exactly what’s going on.”

Their servants followed closely behind them, carefully holding the brocade boxes gifted by the Emperor while whispering to each other.

One asked, “How old are you, sister?”

The other replied, “Sixteen. And you?”

“I’m eighteen.”

“Then I should call you sister.”

“Our masters are so close, there’s no need for us to be formal. We can just call each other ‘you’ and ‘I’.”

“How can that be? That breaks the rules.”

“What rules? We’re all family anyway. Hey, why do I feel like someone is behind us?”

The two stopped together and turned their heads at the same time.

There really was someone.

The newcomer was wearing a moon-white feather-shroud cloak, walking neither too fast nor too slow, and without a sound. She casually caught a white plum blossom petal as it fluttered down.

The servants hurried to catch up with their masters and said quickly in low voices, “Her Highness the Princess is behind us.”

Thus, the two people who stopped turned into four.

Xie Jin pulled Shen Zhishu around and gave a distant bow to the Princess.

Shen Zhishu’s hand, hidden by her sleeve, unconsciously clenched into a fist.

The Princess walked with a gentle pace, but she was not slow. In a few breaths, she had reached them.

A very faint, fresh scent arrived with her.

It reminded Shen Zhishu of the cedar forests she passed through in the Northwest three years ago.

Shen Zhishu asked herself honestly, at this moment, she wasn’t particularly willing to deal with her.

Even though that accident had been tacitly locked away in the dust by both of them, seeing the faint mole at the corner of the Princess’s eye always made her think of the inn room on that snowy night yesterday.

The rapid and uncontrollable breathing seemed to be right in her ear.

However, no matter how unwilling she was, etiquette had to be maintained.

So, Shen Zhishu gave a bow, her sense of respect and boundaries handled perfectly, “Peace be with your Highness. Thank you for the help just now.”

The Princess stood on the palace path with her hands folded and her back straight, her expression faint, “What help?”

Shen Zhishu: ?

Could it be that I was just being sentimental?

Xie Jin secretly tugged at Shen Zhishu’s coat, stepped forward, and laughed brightly, “To tell you the truth, General Shen actually has no intention of starting a family. Your Highness saying the General ‘looked unwell’ prevented the Emperor from playing matchmaker further, which helped her out indirectly.”

The Princess nodded slightly, “Is that so? I did indeed see that the General’s complexion was poor and mentioned it in passing. There is no need for thanks.”

Xie Jin was about to offer more pleasantries but was cut off before she could speak. The Princess suddenly raised her hand to pull her cloak tighter, then turned to Shen Zhishu and asked quietly, “General, could you follow me? I have something to ask you.”

Shen Zhishu remained silent for a moment before saying, “Please lead the way, your Highness.”

Xie Jin: ? I’m just being left behind like this?

Xie Jin didn’t understand the sudden and somewhat mysterious behavior of the two. She stood in place, watching as Shen Zhishu was led to a plum blossom tree a short distance away.

The branches were thick, obscuring half of Shen Zhishu’s body, while the Princess was completely enveloped within them.

From a distance, not a single sound from over there could be heard. When the two finally finished their conversation and emerged from beneath the branches half a stick of incense later, Xie Jin’s sharp eyes noticed that her friend’s face… seemed a bit red?

Xie Jin: ??

She suspected she had seen it wrong and blinked hard. When she looked again, she saw Shen Zhishu’s expression was normal as she cupped her hands to bid the Princess farewell.

So it really was my imagination.

Xie Jin walked a few steps quickly and slung her arm around Shen Zhishu’s shoulder, asking curiously, “What did she want with you?”

“Nothing major,” Shen Zhishu rubbed her nose. “She said my robe looked nice and seemed comfortable to wear, so she asked if I could send her a set.”

Xie Jin: ???

The General’s Mansion.

Xie Jin frowned as she looked at the corpse lying on the floor tiles, its face turned blue. She let out a soft “Ah,” “So it was her.”

“Who is it?” Shen Zhishu asked.

Xie Jin said, “My late wife’s former personal servant, Qiu Yan.”

She spoke slowly, “After my wife passed away, I originally intended to let the group of servants who served her leave, but Qiu Yan didn’t want to go. My wife and Concubine Pure in the palace were sisters, so Qiu Yan was taken in by her. After going through several changes, she must have left Concubine Pure’s palace and been chosen by the Household Department to be gifted to you.”

“No wonder she had a Xie Estate waist token,” Shen Zhishu nodded.

“But it’s strange…” Xie Jin pondered with her arms crossed. “Why would she come to assassinate you? And why keep saying ‘Xie Jin ordered me’?”

Shen Zhishu speculated, “Perhaps her lifeline was held by someone behind the scenes. For example… threatening the lives of her family?”

“The person behind this is far too mysterious. Sending someone so weak, an assassination was never going to succeed. What are they actually after?” Xie Jin felt completely bewildered. “Could it be they just wanted to drive a wedge between us? But that tactic is too childish, you obviously wouldn’t believe it.”

Shen Zhishu also felt it was far too absurd.

She raised her hand to call someone in, ordering them to take care of Qiu Yan’s body, then turned and leaned against the table, asking, “How do you intend to proceed?”

“Let’s investigate further for now,” Xie Jin said. “I’m afraid this matter will eventually end without a resolution.”

Shen Zhishu said in a deep voice, “How to investigate? Looking into the palace?”

“I’ll send a message to Concubine Pure later,” Xie Jin patted Shen Zhishu’s shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. This matter likely has nothing to do with you, assassinating you was just a cover.”

Shen Zhishu stared at her for a while, narrowed her eyes, and suddenly laughed as she slung an arm over Xie Jin’s shoulder:

“Let me ask you, Zhiyu, how many years have we known each other?”

Zhiyu was Xie Jin’s courtesy name.

Xie Jin pretended to think for a moment and murmured, “I don’t remember.”

“Bullshit,” Shen Zhishu laughed and gave her a playful punch. “Don’t fake it, I’m not trying to be sentimental, just give me a straight answer.”

Xie Jin patted her chest and let out a big sigh of relief, “That’s good. I, Xie Jin, fear nothing in heaven or on earth, except for people being sentimental.”

“So, how many years?”

“Let me think… if we count properly, about eleven years?”

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