Chapter 55: Intimacy—Growing to Like This Place

In the blink of an eye, autumn of that year had arrived.

Having been in Anle County for several months, Su Zhenyue had gradually adapted to the place.

When she had free time, she would even secretly watch Shen Ji adjudicate cases in the back hall of the yamen.

This place was not as prosperous as the capital. There were fewer types of goods, the local customs were a bit rough, the autumn winds were strong, the courtyard of the County Yamen Back Residence was not as large as the Jing An Marquis Estate, and there were often cases, big and small…

But Su Zhenyue was growing more and more accustomed to it, even fond of it.

Far from the rights and wrongs of the capital, even the air was free.

Sometimes she even thought that staying here for a lifetime wouldn’t be so bad.

But she would quickly stop that train of thought. No, Shen Ji was talented and ambitious; he shouldn’t be trapped in this place forever.

On Su Zhenyue’s birthday in the ninth month, Shen Ji gifted her a horse.

The horse was snow-white all over, tall, and had a gentle temperament.

Su Zhenyue loved it and named it “Sai Xue.” Because of this horse, she had recently become obsessed with equestrianism. Whenever she had time, she would practice in the outskirts. Perhaps because of the increased exercise, she felt her health was much better than before.

It was just a pity that Shen Ji was busy with official duties and couldn’t accompany her every time. However, with personal guards accompanying her and her own methods of self-protection, she didn’t have to worry about her safety.

In the evening, Su Zhenyue returned to the County Yamen Back Residence.

Just as she entered the courtyard, she heard Shen Ji’s voice from behind her. “You’re back?”

“Mhm.” Su Zhenyue immediately stopped in her tracks, feeling a little guilty.

Shen Ji slowly strolled up to her, his face expressionless. “You said you’d be home by youshi. What time is it now?”

Twilight had fallen. She was nearly an hour late.

“I just wasn’t paying attention to the time, was I?” Su Zhenyue’s mind whirred, and she linked her arm with his. “Speaking of which, this is all your fault, Cousin.”

“Oh?”

“Who told you to give me a horse that I like so much? Besides, I want to practice my riding skills so that when you go to the countryside, I can go with you,” Su Zhenyue said, full of self-righteousness.

—Since taking office, Shen Ji often went to the countryside to observe the people’s conditions.

Since he was here, he was determined to govern the place well and be worthy of its people.

Shen Ji’s brows twitched slightly, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “So you’re saying it’s all my fault you came back late?”

“Yes, yes.” Su Zhenyue nodded, then stood on her tiptoes and leaned close to his ear, lowering her voice. “I’m still in pain. You don’t even feel sorry for me, you just blame me for being late.”

Her breath was as fragrant as an orchid, her tone coquettish.

“What injury?” Shen Ji’s body stiffened. He immediately pulled her back to their room to carefully inspect her “injury.”

It wasn’t so much an injury as chafing on her inner thighs from riding. She didn’t ride often, and when she first started practicing, it was inevitable that she would apply pressure improperly, leaving her inner thighs a patch of purple and blue.

Her skin was fair, and this slight abnormality looked all the more alarming on her.

Within the bed curtains, Shen Ji applied ointment for her.

The ointment was specially made, a pale green color. It felt cool and refreshing on the skin and had a faint minty scent.

It was a little itchy as he applied it.

Su Zhenyue couldn’t stand being tickled. Her toes curled, and she subconsciously struggled a little, but Shen Ji noticed and held her leg down forcefully.

She stopped moving, only biting her lower lip lightly to keep herself from making any strange noises.

It had started as a proper application of medicine, but with the bed curtains drawn, the red candles flickering, and the ambiguous posture, the atmosphere had unknowingly changed.

By the time Shen Ji walked out of the room again, it was nearly haishi.

He directly ordered for the meal to be served.

Su Zhenyue did not leave the room; her dinner was eaten inside.

The medicine had been reapplied. It was just that the process was troublesome and took a long time, making it even more tiring than riding a horse.

Perhaps because she was too tired, Su Zhenyue woke up the next day to broad daylight.

Fortunately, there were no elders in the residence, so she didn’t have to wake up early to pay respects and follow etiquette.

Her back and waist were sore today, so Su Zhenyue simply gave up the idea of going out.

After breakfast, she changed her clothes and went to the back hall to listen to Shen Ji handle a case.

—This was another one of her great pleasures.

There were no major cases recently, but there were a few minor matters.

Su Zhenyue arrived at the back hall and listened with a tilted ear for a while, realizing it was a case about a widow remarrying.

A young woman had lost her husband and wished to remarry, but her late husband’s family forbade it and even withheld her dowry. The woman had hired a litigation master and filed a lawsuit with the county yamen.

Just as she was engrossed in listening, someone suddenly tugged on Su Zhenyue’s sleeve.

She turned her head to see Nanxing looking nervous. She told her in a low voice, “Miss, we have an honored guest.”

“An honored guest?” Su Zhenyue was startled. In Anle County, there weren’t many who could be called an honored guest.

Shen Ji was still presiding over a case in the public court, so she had to go entertain the guest first.

Hurrying away from the back hall, she passed through a long corridor and headed toward the residential courtyard.

“Which honored guest is it?” Su Zhenyue asked as she walked.

“Prince Yan’s heir,” Nanxing added after some thought. “He didn’t bring many people. It looks like he snuck out.”

Su Zhenyue’s eyelid twitched.

Prince Yan’s heir, Xiao Chengqi, was only eight years old this year, the age for being mischievous and making trouble. The reason they had been able to encounter Prince Yan’s party at the Dragon King Temple that night was because the young heir had run away from home and been bitten by a venomous snake.

How did he sneak out again?

She composed herself and quickened her pace toward the back courtyard.

She finally found Prince Yan’s heir near the stables.

The heir was teasing a horse with a handful of hay. Hearing the noise, he turned his head and asked curiously, “When did you get this horse? I didn’t see it last time I was here.”

—The last time he had come was on the eighteenth of the sixth month, to attend Shen Ji and Su Zhenyue’s wedding with his parents.

Su Zhenyue smiled. “I just bought it in the ninth month. Its name is Sai Xue.”

“The ninth month? No wonder.” The heir casually tossed aside the hay, cleared his throat, and said with a serious expression, “Madam Shen, I’d like to stay at your residence for a few nights. I wonder if you could prepare two rooms for me?”

“That’s not difficult. But do the Prince and Princess Consort know that you’ve come to Anle County?”

Prince Yan’s heir’s face flushed, and he waved his hand dismissively. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

He clearly looked guilty.

Su Zhenyue immediately understood. It seemed he really had snuck out.

She turned her head and whispered a few instructions in Nanxing’s ear.

Nanxing accepted the order and hurried off.

Prince Yan’s heir, however, looked at them suspiciously and frowned. “Madam Shen, if you have any sense of loyalty, don’t send someone to the Yan Prince Manor to report on me.”

Su Zhenyue smiled faintly, not admitting to anything. “What are you talking about, Your Highness? I was just asking her to prepare a room for you.”

—Preparing a room was a small matter; the main thing was to arrange for a personal guard to return to the Yan Prince Manor and report that he was safe.

The heir had snuck out; who knew how worried Prince Yan and his wife were.

“Oh.” Prince Yan’s heir looked a little sheepish.

Su Zhenyue didn’t ask for the specific reason the heir had run away. She just invited him to the main hall for a short rest, had someone serve tea and water, and also prepared some of Anle County’s specialty snacks, entertaining him hospitably.

The heir was probably hungry. He was reserved and declined at first, but after a while, while eating and drinking, he revealed the reason he had left home.

Su Zhenyue frowned as she listened for a while, finally understanding. “So, you feel that they wronged you?”

“Right!”

“Then why didn’t you explain it to them?” Su Zhenyue was puzzled.

From what the heir said, it seemed he had a conflict with his tutor. His parents just assumed he was being naughty, blamed him for not respecting his teacher, and even wanted to punish him.

But this time, he was clearly wronged; the tutor was the one at fault.

Prince Yan’s heir sneered. “Explain? Is explaining any use? They don’t listen at all.”

“If you explained it properly, they would most likely listen. You are the person the Prince and Princess Consort dote on the most. The last time you were bitten by a snake, the Princess Consort didn’t know at first. When she found out, she was so heartbroken she cried several times,” Su Zhenyue coaxed gently. “The first time I saw the Princess Consort, her eyes were swollen.”

Prince Yan’s heir snorted coldly and said nothing.

Su Zhenyue then used herself as an example. “You also know that our family is that of a minor official. The reason we are valued by the Prince and Princess Consort, isn’t it all because of you, Your Highness?”

Prince Yan’s heir thought to himself: That’s not entirely true. Father had already valued Number One Scholar Shen’s talent from the beginning. But since Madam Shen was persuading him so gently and sincerely, he didn’t refute her.

After a long while, he finally sighed and said like a little adult, “Madam Shen, you don’t understand.”

Su Zhenyue gave a wry smile. “I don’t understand. I just envy that Your Highness still has a mother and father to dote on you. I wish I could talk to my parents, even if it was just to get scolded by them.”

She had meant to comfort the child, but as she spoke, she thought of her parents who had passed away early, and her eyes reddened.

The heir was stunned for a long moment. “How are both your parents gone?”

He remembered that during Lord and Madam Shen’s wedding ceremony, four memorial tablets were placed on the high platform. An inexplicable pang shot through his heart.

Su Zhenyue told him, “Not long after I was born, my mother passed away from illness. As for my father, when I was six, he died on the southwestern battlefield.”

Youzhou was close to the border. Although there had been no large-scale conflicts in recent years, there were occasional raids by the northern Hu people, and minor skirmishes never ceased.

Prince Yan’s heir had grown up here, hearing stories of the battlefield since he was a child.

So when he heard her talk about her father’s sacrifice, the heir hesitated for a moment, then his heart soured. He put himself in her shoes and suddenly felt that being scolded by his parents seemed like a small matter.

At least his parents were still alive.

Thus, Prince Yan’s heir turned around and awkwardly comforted her, “The dead cannot be brought back to life. Madam Shen, don’t be too sad.”

“You are right, Your Highness,” Su Zhenyue said with a smile.

Having dealt with several cases in a row today, it was already noon when Shen Ji left the yamen. Hearing that Prince Yan’s heir had snuck over, Shen Ji was slightly surprised. “Where is he?”

“He’s asleep in the guest room,” Su Zhenyue replied in a low voice, coming out of the room upon hearing him.

Prince Yan’s heir had secretly left home last night and traveled for half the night. After arriving here, eating his fill, and being comforted, drowsiness overcame him, and he quickly fell asleep.

Shen Ji hummed lightly in acknowledgment.

Su Zhenyue added, “I’ve already sent a personal guard to the Yan Prince Manor to deliver the news. The two places are over a hundred li apart. The people from the Yan Prince Manor should arrive by tomorrow at the latest.”

Shen Ji nodded slightly and said sincerely, “Mianmian, this has been hard on you.”

“What’s so hard about this?” Su Zhenyue muttered under her breath. “If you really think it’s hard on me, then don’t torment me so much at night.”

“What?” Her voice was too low for Shen Ji to hear clearly.

“No, nothing.” Su Zhenyue put on a serious face. “Are you hungry? Shall we have the meal served?”

“Alright, serve the meal.”

— — — —

Prince Yan’s heir slept until dusk.

A child at his age was in a period of growth. When he woke up, he was ravenously hungry. But being proud, he was too embarrassed to say he was hungry.

Just then, the hosts of this place invited him to share the evening meal.

Prince Yan’s heir was overjoyed and happily went to eat with them.

He had originally thought the food in Anle County wouldn’t be very good, but when he actually sat down at the table, he found that it tasted surprisingly decent.

The heir ate his fill, but after the meal, he felt a little homesick.

But how could a real man admit he was homesick?

He didn’t mention it at all, only saying he was tired and wanted to go back to his room to rest.

Su Zhenyue didn’t suspect anything and quickly had someone lead the way.

—Until Prince Yan’s people arrived, they had to be careful and ensure the heir’s safety.

Therefore, before going to sleep, she even made a special trip with a lantern to check outside the guest room where the heir was staying.

Shen Ji stood behind her and said softly, “Don’t worry. With the personal guards on watch, the back residence is quite safe.”

“Mhm.” Su Zhenyue nodded.

Even so, as hosts, they still had to be more attentive. This was Prince Yan’s heir, and moreover, the future Crown Prince.

Seeing that the heir seemed to be asleep, the two of them returned to their room.

The next morning, someone beat the drum to announce a grievance, and Shen Ji continued to handle cases.

There was no longer any trace of homesickness on Prince Yan’s heir’s face. He stayed with Su Zhenyue in the back hall, listening to Shen Ji adjudicate cases.

The child was not old and had a bad temper, but he had a strong sense of justice. As he listened, he was at times indignant, at times sympathetic, and a few times he even wanted to rush out and beat up the villains.

In the afternoon, Shen Ji went out of the city, and Prince Yan’s heir wanted to go with him.

Shen Ji agreed, but he had to set three rules with him.

The heir thought for a moment and agreed.

Born in the Prince Manor, he rarely visited the countryside to observe the people’s conditions. Finding it novel, he was also willing to take the initiative to help.

Just like that, Prince Yan’s heir stayed in Anle County for three days. Although he was a little homesick, he also felt exceptionally fulfilled.

During this time, there was no news from the Yan Prince Manor.

Su Zhenyue muttered to herself: Didn’t I already have someone send a message? Do Prince Yan and Yan Wangfei just not care that their son is here?

Who knew that just as the sky was beginning to lighten on this day, a sudden, urgent knocking sounded at the door.

Su Zhenyue woke from her sleep with a start. Just as she was about to get up, Shen Ji gently pressed her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll go see first. You sleep a little longer.”

He quickly dressed and got out of bed.

At that moment, a personal guard’s voice came from outside the door. “My lord, Prince Yan and Yan Wangfei have arrived.”

Su Zhenyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, figuring they were probably here to pick up their child.

It had been several days. They were finally here.

Seeing the situation, how could she possibly go back to sleep? She also quickly got up and dressed.

Indeed, Prince Yan and his wife were here to get their son.

After being scolded a few days ago, their son had disappeared in the middle of the night. The entire estate had searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Just as they were getting anxious, the personal guard who had been sent to Anle County earlier came back to report that the heir had gone to Anle County and was in the County Yamen Back Residence.

Prince Yan and his wife were both angry and worried. Hearing that he was in Anle County, at an acquaintance’s place, they were slightly relieved. They had originally wanted to give him the cold shoulder for a few days to teach him a lesson so he wouldn’t make the same mistake again. But after three or four days, as parents, they were ultimately still worried that he wasn’t eating or dressing warmly outside.

Especially Yan Wangfei. Although she said she wouldn’t care about him this time, her heart still ached for him.

Thus, they had brought people and ridden through the night to Anle County, knocking on the door as soon as the sky brightened.

After several days apart, when the family saw each other again, much of the anger on both sides had dissipated.

“Your son has been unfilial, leaving home without permission and making his parents worry,” Prince Yan’s heir said with his head bowed, his attitude respectful.

Seeing him like this, Yan Wangfei’s heart was filled with almost nothing but pity, especially when she saw him wearing ready-made clothes bought from some unknown shop.

But she still put on a stern face. “So you do know you’ve been unfilial.”

“It was my fault, I admit it. But what I didn’t do wrong, I didn’t do wrong. That day, it was clearly the tutor’s fault…” The heir’s chin was half-raised, his eyes stubborn, as he recounted the details of that day one by one.

Their family reunited, they discussed the rights and wrongs in detail.

Su Zhenyue found it inconvenient to disturb them and only watched from a short distance away.

She stood by Shen Ji’s side and said in a low voice, “It seems that getting along with children isn’t an easy thing.”

Shen Ji’s gaze lingered on her flat abdomen for a few moments. “It’s fine. If we really have one, we’ll teach them together.”

Su Zhenyue didn’t say anything, only giving his lower back a pinch that was neither light nor heavy.

Shen Ji hissed lightly and caught her mischievous hand. “Don’t mess around.”

“How am I messing around?” Su Zhenyue feigned ignorance, blinking her eyes.

Shen Ji didn’t argue with her, only holding her hand gently.

Family disputes have always been the hardest to judge.

The Prince Yan family each argued their own points. After a long debate, they finally reached a consensus.

“Sister,” Yan Wangfei approached, her face apologetic. “Qi’er has been mischievous. We’ve troubled you these past few days.”

“What are you saying, Your Highness? It was no trouble at all. We were only afraid we might have neglected the heir. Besides, the heir has helped us a lot while he was here,” Su Zhenyue said earnestly.

Yan Wangfei didn’t believe it. “Him? He could help you?”

“Of course.” Su Zhenyue was very serious and recounted a few of Prince Yan’s heir’s good deeds.

These past few days, seeing this other side of the mischievous child, she had no doubt that in a few years he would become the qualified imperial successor from the book.

As a mother, Yan Wangfei might scold her son, but hearing that he pitied the poor and weak and was not of bad character, her heart felt comforted. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly. “Is that so? I suppose he has some redeeming qualities then.”

She knew her child had a good heart, but unfortunately, he was mischievous, willful, and stubborn. She didn’t know who he took after.

After picking up their child, Prince Yan’s party rested for a short while before taking their leave.

These past few days with Prince Yan’s heir in Anle County, Su Zhenyue had worried quite a bit. Now that she had sent off this great personage, she felt truly relieved.

After these events, their relationship with the Yan Prince Manor became even closer.

Half a month later, for the Royal Grand Concubine’s birthday, the Yan Prince Manor even sent them a special invitation.

That night, Su Zhenyue held the invitation and examined it closely under the lamp.

Shen Ji glanced at it. “Want to go?”

“Mhm.” Su Zhenyue nodded.

When she was young in the capital, she had lived under someone else’s roof and rarely went out to socialize. Now in Anle County, her mood was cheerful, she had made a few friends, and her mind was much more active. Moreover, Yan Wangfei treated her well, and she also had the intention of befriending the Yan Prince Manor.

“If you want to go, then go. It’s not a big deal.”

Su Zhenyue was a little hesitant. “But the round trip will probably take two or three days. You’re so busy with official duties…”

But Shen Ji said, “It’s fine. The birthday banquet is on the tenth of the tenth month, which happens to be a rest day. We can travel at night. If we hurry, we should be able to make it.”

The Yan Prince Manor was, at most, just over a hundred li from here. There was enough time.

It was rare that she wanted to go.

Su Zhenyue smiled sweetly. “Cousin is the best.”

She had originally thought that, at worst, she would go by herself. From his words, it was clear he intended to accompany her.

A glint flashed in Shen Ji’s eyes. “Just ‘Cousin is the best’? Nothing else?”

Su Zhenyue tilted her head up, hooked her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the lips. “There’s more, I…”

Before she could finish her sentence, her body was lifted into the air. Shen Ji had actually picked her up.

Although she knew he wouldn’t let her fall, she still hugged him tightly out of instinct.

Today was the third of the tenth month. A full year had passed since they first met.

Back then, they were complete strangers, but now they were the most intimate people in the world and would do the most intimate things.