Chapter 17: Deep Affection – So She Truly Did Adore Him

In late November, after lying in state for forty-nine days, Empress Dowager Zheng was finally interred.

The court’s prohibitions relaxed slightly. Although it was still the national mourning period, during which marriages and banquets were forbidden, the capital was no longer barred from butchering livestock. Titled ladies from outside the palace were also no longer required to enter the court daily to attend the mourning rituals.

On the twenty-seventh, the Jing’an Marquis Heir, Gu Yuanchen, went to the Princess Manor to escort Princess Changle Wen Shan home.

—The elders in his family had been pressing him urgently. Yesterday, even the Emperor himself had dropped a few pointed remarks. Gu Yuanchen could not act as if this imperially bestowed marriage did not exist.

Upon arriving at the Princess Manor, he soon saw Princess Changle Wen Shan.

She had clearly lost a great deal of weight, and her eyes were slightly red. After her maternal grandmother’s burial, Wen Shan had returned to her maternal home. Though she was with her mother and wanted for nothing, she couldn’t help but feel lost: was this how things were going to be with Gu Yuanchen from now on?

Now, hearing that Gu Yuanchen had come to welcome her in person, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy, and the two previous unpleasant incidents were instantly cast to the back of her mind.

Despite the newlywed couple having been separated for many days, Gu Yuanchen’s face showed not a trace of delight. His expression was cool and somewhat formal as he said, “Please accept my condolences regarding the Empress Dowager’s passing. I’ve come today to take you home.”

The simple words held no particular intimacy. But to Wen Shan’s ears, they made her nose tingle. She nodded emphatically. “Alright.”

“I misunderstood the matter of you falling into the water. My apologies,” Gu Yuanchen added.

—He did not mention the assassination because he still suspected the Eldest Princess and her daughter were behind it. He simply had no proof and thus couldn’t bring it up.

The grievances in Wen Shan’s heart instantly dissipated. Despite her proud birth, she unconsciously humbled herself before the man she admired. She immediately turned her head aside and said in a small voice, “I’ll go tell my mother before we leave.”

“Alright.”

Princess Chengping was not the least bit surprised that her daughter was returning to the Gu family. She only offered a few words of advice: “Go on. If you’re unhappy, come back and tell Mother. As for that woman surnamed Su, you needn’t pay her any mind.”

—She already had a solution, and had even chosen the person for the job. She was just waiting for the national mourning period to end.

“Mm,” Wen Shan acknowledged, and returned to the Gu residence with her husband.

News of Princess Changle’s return quickly spread throughout the Jing An Marquis Estate.

Old Madam Wen was very pleased and urged the couple to live their lives well together.

Meanwhile, Su Zhenyue was growing anxious. Wen Shan’s return meant that the hundred-day national mourning period was already more than halfway over.

Recently, she had tried to find Shen Ji twice, only to miss him both times. Once, he was with Jing’an Hou; the other time, he had left the estate.

Ping An had accepted the things she sent on Shen Ji’s behalf, and Shen Ji had later sent someone to deliver a return gift.

But this was not what Su Zhenyue wanted to see.

If this continued, when would she ever achieve her goal?

The twenty-ninth of November was the anniversary of Su Zhenyue’s father’s death. In previous years, Gu Yuanchen would personally accompany her to his grave to pay respects.

But this year, that was clearly impossible.

Ever since she had told Gu Yuanchen she would keep her distance and no longer interact with him, the two had not seen each other again. Moreover, because of the assassination attempt, Old Madam Wen forbade her from venturing out, saying only that she would find someone to perform the rites on her behalf.

Su Zhenyue had someone secretly prepare treasure candles and paper money, planning to quietly perform a remote ritual within the Jing An Marquis Estate.

“Miss, are we going to do it in the courtyard?” Nanxing whispered, gesturing outside. “Should I send them all away?”

After all, their lady was a guest here. Performing ancestral worship in someone else’s home was somewhat taboo. She could guarantee that she and Doukou wouldn’t gossip, but she couldn’t vouch for the lower-ranking servants in the courtyard. Nanxing didn’t want to stir up any more trouble.

Su Zhenyue shook her head. “No, not in the courtyard. We’ll go out.”

“Out?”

“Yes, isn’t there a small apricot grove over there? It’s cold, so no one will be there. I’ll just find a crossroads to pay my respects.”

According to old folk customs, a remote offering had to be made at a crossroads.

Of course, the most important thing was that it was the path Shen Ji had to take to return to Qingfeng Courtyard from Jing’an Hou’s residence.

He had been summoned by Jing’an Hou a while ago. Shouldn’t he be coming back soon?

Nanxing frowned in thought. “That could work. I’ll keep watch for you, Miss.”

“No, you stay here in the courtyard. If someone comes looking for me, you can handle it. Just have Doukou accompany me.”

Nanxing considered for a moment. She was indeed more level-headed than Doukou and better at handling unexpected situations. So, she nodded. “Alright.”

…

Jing’an Hou Gu Nianzhang had been at leisure recently and often summoned Shen Ji, either to discuss poetry and literature with his advisors or to simply talk about court affairs.

He was, intentionally or not, fostering a closer relationship between them.

The Jing An Marquis Estate had been established through military merit and had been extremely glorious in its early years. Unfortunately, the world had long been at peace, and military readiness had grown lax. The current Emperor also valued civil officials over military ones. Among the next generation of the Gu clan, besides Gu Yuanchen, the rest were all of mediocre talent.

As the head of the clan, he couldn’t help but consider the future of the Gu family.

Fortunately, a cousin had now arrived who was exceptionally talented and looked destined to soar to great heights sooner or later. Naturally, he had to get closer to him.

As dusk fell, a maidservant replaced the tea with a fresh, hot pot.

Shen Ji’s gaze inadvertently fell upon a young maid with a few wintersweet blossoms pinned in her hair.

His mind stirred, and Su Zhenyue’s face unexpectedly surfaced in his thoughts.

Though he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he could almost picture her holding a bundle of wintersweet.

Speaking of which, it had been several days since he had last seen her.

…

A ritual at home, unlike one outside, was kept simple.

The area around the Apricot Grove was deserted, without a single person in sight.

By the side of the path, Su Zhenyue used a clod of earth to draw a circle on the ground.

She had Doukou stand guard a short distance away to keep watch. She then lit the incense, arranged the offerings, and burned the paper money.

The paper money burst into flames, the flickering firelight casting a ruddy glow on her cheeks.

Su Zhenyue took out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve.

It was wine she had someone fetch from outside.

It had been eleven years since her father’s death, and her impression of him had already grown hazy. She only vaguely remembered him lifting her up, tossing her high into the air and catching her, and secretly bringing her maltose candy from outside.

Her grandmother forbade her father from drinking, but he would drink in secret, with a particular fondness for rice wine.

Unfortunately, her father and grandmother passed away one after another, and her life was rewritten from that point on.

Su Zhenyue poured the rice wine onto the ground, speaking as if making small talk. “Father, I brought you some wine. I don’t know if you’ll be able to drink it. This year is different from the past. I can’t visit your grave to pay my respects, so I can only make do here…”

Initially, her plan had been to create a chance encounter with Shen Ji while paying respects to her father. But now, as the incense truly burned, a sourness filled her heart, and a lump formed in her throat.

In less than a year, she had undergone several drastic changes. Once high-spirited and full of plans for the future, she was now solely focused on preserving her own life.

At this moment, she couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if her parents were still alive.

Under their protection, she would only need to be an obedient daughter. When troubled, she could confide in them. They would even help arrange her marriage.

Alas, she couldn’t remember her mother’s face, and even her father’s features were fading from her memory…

The night wind was cold. Doukou rubbed her hands together, pacing back and forth. Guessing that enough time had passed, she walked over to Su Zhenyue. “Miss, are you done?”

Su Zhenyue composed herself, sorting through her emotions. She pointed at the incense that had yet to burn out and said in a low voice, “The incense isn’t finished yet. It’s dry out. If a fire starts, it would be a grave offense on my part.”

Besides, Shen Ji hadn’t returned yet. She hadn’t managed her “chance encounter” for the day.

Just a little longer. What if she ran into him?

“That’s true.” Doukou thought it made sense. “Then let’s wait a bit longer. We’ll leave after the incense has burned out.”

She simply squatted down next to Su Zhenyue and murmured, “General Su, if your spirit is in heaven, you must protect our Miss and keep her safe and healthy. And those masterminds from last time must be caught. Oh, and it would be best if you could also bless our Miss with finding a perfect husband…”

Hearing this, Su Zhenyue couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. As she casually glanced up, she saw a figure walking toward them in the distance.

Though the night was dark, she recognized him at a glance just from his silhouette. It was Shen Ji.

Her original plan was merely to create a chance encounter tonight, but at this moment, her mind turned, and she changed her plan on the spot. How could an ordinary chance encounter be more heart-stirring than an unintentional display of deep affection?

She wanted to take a gamble.

Thus, Su Zhenyue pretended not to have seen him. She pressed her palms together, looking utterly devout. “I hope Father’s spirit in heaven will bless his daughter with peace and also bless…”

Here, she paused for a moment, her tone carrying a hint of faint shyness. “And also bless Cousin Shen to pass the imperial examination with flying colors and have a smooth and successful life.”

Her words carried clearly to Shen Ji’s ears.

He had left Jing’an Hou’s residence and was on his way back. As he passed the Apricot Grove, he saw a flicker of firelight from a distance.

By the glow of the fire, Shen Ji could see clearly that it was Su Zhenyue.

She was focused on her task, completely unaware of his approach.

Shen Ji took a few steps closer.

The night wind carried the faint scent of sandalwood, mixed with the smell of burning paper money.

Shen Ji paused, then realized she was likely paying respects to someone.

It would be inappropriate to approach rashly at a time like this.

He composed himself and slipped behind a tree, intending to wait for her to leave before continuing on his way.

It was quiet all around, and Shen Ji’s hearing was excellent. The young woman’s shy yet devout voice drifted into his ears: “…And also bless Cousin Shen to pass the imperial examination with flying colors and have a smooth and successful life.”

His heart stirred slightly.

Hm, she didn’t forget to pray for me.

The next moment, he heard the young woman say, “And hopefully, he will also see my one-sided devotion.”

These few words were as light as a feather, yet they seemed to carry the weight of a thousand catties, striking Shen Ji’s heart with immense force.

Shen Ji’s eyes flew wide open, and he stood frozen in place.

He had had his guesses, his suspicions, but he had intentionally or unintentionally suppressed them all. But now, the words she had spoken herself stated a fact, clear as day.

She had feelings for him, and it was a one-sided devotion.

So she truly did adore him. It wasn’t his imagination.

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