Getting drenched in winter rain was practically asking for trouble. Seeing the situation turn dire, the surrounding servants and martial maids quickly dragged the young man and woman into the house, half carrying them. Initially, the Lou family servants weren’t entirely sure what to do, but after hearing their young master’s passionate confession in the courtyard, they very naturally bundled Lou Yao and Young Lady Cheng together and sent them off to the county office. The Cheng family’s martial maids, who had also witnessed the scene, naturally didn’t object.
That evening, while going over accounts in the county office’s rear courtyard, Sang Shi received two unexpected "gifts": her dear little niece, soaked to the bone and already showing signs of catching a chill, and the young master of the Hedong Lou family, equally drenched but seemingly unaffected by the cold.
After bathing and changing, Shao Shang predictably fell ill—dizzy, feverish, with a runny nose and limbs so weak she couldn’t even hold a soup bowl before sinking into a heavy sleep. In contrast, Lou Yao, despite having traveled long distances continuously, remained robust and energetic. After downing three bowls of ginger soup without so much as a sneeze, he looked around eagerly for Shao Shang and even shyly asked if dinner would be a "family" affair.
Sang Shi smiled and replied, "Dinner will be just you, me, and your Uncle Cheng. Surprised?"
Before the meal was even finished, Cheng Zhi and his wife had thoroughly interrogated the young Lou heir.
Sang Shi rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought, occasionally sizing Lou Yao up and down.
Cheng Zhi, meanwhile, resumed his critical father-in-law act, dragging out his words: "You knew where we were headed. Since you were in the neighboring commandery and heard about the unrest in Dong Commandery, why didn’t you rush to see Shao Shang?"
Lou Yao frantically waved his hands. "No, no, Uncle, you misunderstand! Before the trouble in Dong Commandery, my father had already sent me back to the Capital City, saying he’d carefully consider the marriage proposal. So I took my time riding back. Half a month ago, just as I caught sight of the Capital’s gates, I heard that Fan Ni, the governor of Dong Commandery, had rebelled. I—I immediately turned my horse around to find you all! A few days ago, I ran into my family’s old servants on the road. They said my father had already agreed to the marriage—they were just returning to the Capital to deliver a letter to Mother!"
Cheng Zhi pursed his lips, about eighty percent satisfied.
As a responsible and self-righteous guardian, Cheng Zhi wanted to send Lou Yao back to Shanyang Commandery or the Capital the very next day. But upon hearing that Shao Shang was bedridden with illness, Lou Yao refused to leave no matter what. Since the Lou family had money to spare, he even proposed buying a residence in the county town to stay nearby.
The idea gave Cheng Zhi a headache. He hastily dragged the young Lou master into a guest room in the county office’s rear courtyard to settle him. After the loud argument between his niece and Lou Yao, witnessed by so many people inside and outside the medical hut, word had already reached his ears within half a day of returning from the city defenses. If Lou Yao were to live outside, with all the coming and going, the gossip would spread like wildfire.
Meanwhile, Sang Shi received one good and one bad piece of news.
The bad news: exhausted, emotionally distressed, and drenched in winter rain, her niece’s cold seemed to have worsened, and she was now running a low fever at night. The good news: the medical hut, which she had stubbornly refused to leave, could now be officially resigned from without further argument.
Yet Shao Shang remained ill for several days, drifting in and out of consciousness, leaving Sang Shi increasingly worried. Fortunately, the physician repeatedly assured her that it was merely exhaustion allowing the cold to take hold, and she would recover with gradual rest. Even so, Cheng Zhi still summoned a long-renowned and highly skilled shaman doctor from his senior brother Gongsun in a neighboring county to perform an elaborate ritual in the county office’s rear courtyard.It is said that ever since Cheng Zhi and his wife took in their niece, there wasn’t a day they didn’t worry about her. When they left the Capital City, they feared that after being beaten, the child might become withdrawn, so they spent their days taking her on outings—hiking, horseback riding, playing the flute, hosting banquets, and visiting friends.
Well, her mood improved, and she became more open-minded and generous. But then, just as things were looking up, she encountered a violent uprising, forcing her at such a young age to witness piles upon piles of corpses—most of them dismembered and gruesomely slain. Later, they sent her to the Medical Hut to lend a hand as a temporary measure. Who knew she would take it so seriously, working diligently and responsibly?
She left early and returned late, personally handling every task. Watching her return from the Medical Hut each day with an increasingly somber and sorrowful expression, Cheng Zhi and Sang Shi could hardly resist slapping themselves. The couple couldn’t help but debate whose terrible idea this had been in the first place!
"...Oh, I remember now. At the time, I was still recovering from my leg injury. The next morning, I got up and heard A Zhu say Niao Niao had gone to the Medical Hut. It was you! It was your terrible idea!" Sang Shi glared resentfully at her husband while anxiously watching the girl lying unconscious on the bed.
Cheng Zhi sat across from the bed. "Wasn’t it you who kept saying that since we’d encountered such chaos, we might as well help Niao Niao earn a good reputation—something about compassion and benevolence? There are influential families in this county too. Once word of Niao Niao’s kindness spreads back to the Capital City, it’ll be easier for her to find a good match in the future."
Sang Shi stroked the girl’s flushed, feverish cheek. "But did it have to be the Medical Hut?"
"Where else could she have gone? To the city defenses to watch thousands of half-naked laborers at work? Or to the barracks to listen to grown men telling crude jokes? Or maybe out into the countryside to comfort the villagers—what if she ran into escaped bandits? The Medical Hut was different. It’s inside the city, guarded by our family generals, with medicine and supplies you arranged to be delivered. All she had to do was boil some herbs and keep accounts!"
Cheng Zhi felt wronged. "Besides, she didn’t even flinch at the mountains of corpses we passed on the road. A mere Medical Hut should’ve been nothing to her."
"What do you know?" Sang Shi lowered her voice. "This is just how Niao Niao is. If she’s wronged or treated unfairly, she won’t tolerate it—she’ll pay it back in kind. But if her heart is wounded..." She sighed. "She’ll bury it deep inside and hide it from everyone."
Cheng Zhi sighed heavily. "Yes, she needs to recover quickly. She’s about to be married, after all."
Sang Shi looked at her husband expressionlessly. "I think you’ve forgotten two things. First, who said Niao Niao is marrying Young Master Lou? Nothing’s been settled yet."
Cheng Zhi grew agitated. "Why shouldn’t she? The Lou Family is the foremost noble clan in Hedong Pengcheng! Besides, A Yao is such a good boy—a bit clumsy with words, but his heart is warm. Haven’t you seen how he’s been these past days?"
Once he started listing Young Master Lou’s virtues, Cheng Zhi couldn’t stop. "Yesterday, after the elder master’s mourning hall was dismantled, the elder madam wanted to take the family back to their hometown with the coffin. We were so busy we could barely manage, and there were bound to be oversights. But A Yao was running around handling everything—from fine charcoal that produced little smoke to fur-lined bedding. He even rode out of the city with them for dozens of miles to see them off. The elder madam said that if her two granddaughters weren’t already married, she’d fight us for such a son-in-law! Now, who in this county isn’t praising our good fortune? A prestigious family like the Lou Clan of Hedong is going to such lengths to propose marriage!"Sang Shi glared and said, "It's only been a few days, and you're already calling him 'A Yao, A Yao' all the time. If this doesn't work out in the future, how will you handle the awkward situation? The second thing you forgot is that Niao Niao isn't our child. Her marriage is for her own father and mother to decide!"
Cheng Zhi fell silent. After a while, he sighed deeply and said, "Who says it isn't so? If Niao Niao were our child, I'd have settled this marriage with a slam on the table right away! Ah, I wonder if Wei Wei will ever have such a good son-in-law in the future."
This time, even Sang Shi sighed. "Yes, if it were Wei Wei, I'd be overjoyed to have a son-in-law like A Yao! I wonder what my husband's sister-in-law is really planning?"
"What else can we do but wait? Let's just hope Elder Sister Yuan Yi doesn't make a foolish mistake in this matter," Cheng Zhi said helplessly.
—However, the couple had both miscalculated. The first response they received was actually from Cheng Shi.
After four days of drifting in and out of consciousness, Shao Shang finally broke her fever and woke up completely. Though she had awakened intermittently before, her mind had remained foggy, and her limbs had been too weak to obey her. Now, though her body was still frail, her mind was clear, and she was obviously out of danger.
On the same day, Cheng Zhi and his wife received a silk letter delivered by urgent military courier. The sealing wax bore the military emblem of Cheng Shi, their elder brother. The couple was momentarily stunned. Upon reading the letter, they learned that Cheng Shi was currently in Pingyuan County, Qingzhou, just two days' journey from Shanyang County, Yanzhou, where Lou Fu was stationed.
Cheng Shi's message was simple: The Lou family was a prominent clan, and it would be a great fortune for the Cheng family to form a marriage alliance with them. The decision should be left entirely to the young lady's wishes. If she agreed, the marriage could proceed; if not, it should be declined.
Cheng Zhi read the letter three times before slumping back in his seat. "Eldest brother is really... Marriage is a matter for elders to decide. How can it be left to a child? What does Niao Niao know?"
"You're the one who knows nothing," Sang Shi retorted, gathering the silk scroll and heading out. "Our elder brother is wise though he appears simple. Your cleverness is all on the surface. With Niao Niao's temperament and abilities, if she doesn't agree to a marriage, she'll make sure it's anything but peaceful! On the other hand..." She smiled slightly. "If she agrees, it'll go smoothly."
With that, she turned and left, her figure disappearing around the winding corridors as she headed straight for Shao Shang's room.
At that moment, A Zhu had just finished bathing Shao Shang and was serving her bone broth and honey-steamed cakes. Shao Shang kept begging A Zhu to open the window a little to let in some fresh air, complaining that the room reeked of illness and food, making it unbearable.
A Zhu's face was as dark as a pot. She had gone through immense hardship to pull the young lady back from the brink of death and had nursed her back to health, plump and fair. Naturally, she had little patience for anyone who didn't appreciate her efforts—including Shao Shang herself!
After much pleading, coaxing, and even A Mei joining in to help, A Zhu finally relented and opened the window halfway. But when Sang Shi entered and dismissed everyone, A Zhu promptly closed it again.
Watching A Zhu's stiff retreating back, Sang Shi turned and laughed. "If you don't take better care of yourself next time, I'll tie you up and send you back to your mother. Have you no thought for your uncle and me? Your father entrusted you to us. If anything happened to you, how could we ever show our faces in the Capital City again?"
Shao Shang lay on the couch, weakly raising her arms in a mock salute. "Aunt, spare me! I've already admitted my mistake. These past few days, A Zhu hasn't given me a single kind look."Sang Shi stepped forward to tuck the girl back into the bedding, handing her the silk scroll and briefly summarizing its key points.
“Why is Father in Qingzhou?” Shao Shang quickly skimmed through the letter, her first thought being how much Old Man Cheng suited her tastes—not only was his wording straightforward, but he even wrote in a script she could easily read.
Sang Shi neatly tucked in the corners of the bedding and said, “Your father is tight-lipped. We only just found out ourselves. Recently, the Emperor has been strictly ordering the eradication of banditry in Qingzhou. Most petty thieves and small-time bandits surrendered at the mere rumor of the imperial forces. However, in Pingyuan County, there’s a particularly fierce group of bandits who, relying on their remote mountain stronghold, have been nearly impossible to defeat.”
“The Emperor sent Father to wipe them out?! How dangerous!” Shao Shang immediately tensed up. A husband could be divorced and replaced, but she didn’t want to trade in a father as wonderful as Old Man Cheng!
“No! With His Majesty’s current military strength, what bandits couldn’t be crushed?” Sang Shi pressed the girl’s shoulders back into the bedding. “The Emperor heard that these were supposedly righteous bandits who had protected villages during years of turmoil and were deeply beloved by the people. His Majesty couldn’t bear to slaughter them outright, so he wanted to offer them amnesty. Your father once successfully negotiated the surrender of a large stronghold in Quling—handling everything so thoroughly that everyone was satisfied. The Emperor was very pleased, which is why he sent him to do it again. Otherwise, someone like General Wu—though fierce and unmatched in battle—would’ve just slaughtered the captives and left rivers of blood in his wake, something His Majesty dislikes.”
Hearing that no brutal fighting was required, Shao Shang relaxed.
Seeing her reaction, Sang Shi pursed her lips in amusement and poked her teasingly. “Hey, don’t worry about your father just yet—I hear the negotiations are nearly settled. What about you? Are you getting married or not?” Her tone was playful, deliberately teasing the girl, waiting to see her niece blush in embarrassment.
To her surprise, Shao Shang showed no trace of shyness. As casually as if deciding between Soup Cake or porridge for dinner, she replied lightly, “Marry, of course. Please ask Uncle to write a letter to Father immediately, saying I’ve agreed.”
Sang Shi was stunned. “You—you’ve decided just like that? No second thoughts? No considering… others?”
Shao Shang slowly raised her head and looked at her. “Who does Aunt mean?”
Sang Shi hesitated before saying carefully, “What about Yuan Shanjian? Surely you don’t feel nothing for him. Didn’t you tell me he specially sent you medicine before leaving? And…” She bit her tongue, not mentioning another name.
Shao Shang lifted the silk scroll and said slowly, “So what? The Lou Family has been a prestigious household since the previous dynasty, remaining influential for generations.”
“The Yuan Family is also a prestigious household from the previous dynasty, equally enduring!”
“Young Master Lou treats me with utmost sincerity and simplicity, pure in heart.” Shao Shang’s slender fingers rolled the silk scroll neatly without a single misstep.
“A Yao is good, but in terms of talent, capability, and political influence, Yuan Shen surpasses him a hundredfold!”
“Then, has Yuan Shanjian come?” Shao Shang finished rolling the scroll and leisurely tied it with a silk ribbon.
Sang Shi fell silent.
Placing the scroll by her pillow, Shao Shang pulled Sang Shi to sit beside her and said slowly, “Aunt, let me ask you this. Is the Lou Family’s reputation undeserved? All show and no substance?”
Sang Shi shook her head. “The Lou Family is prosperous—perhaps not the wealthiest in the realm, but certainly among the richest in Hedong. Their standing in court is also excellent.”
“Then does Young Master Lou have some disgraceful history that makes him unworthy of marriage?”Sang Shi shook her head again and smiled wryly, "A Yao's former fiancée was He Zhaojun, a famously fierce and sharp-tongued young lady. If A Yao had any shortcomings, she would have shouted them across the entire city immediately."
"Then, is it because Young Master Lou's parents dislike my tarnished reputation and humble family background, and thus disapprove of me?"
Sang Shi chuckled and shook her head once more. "Judging by how eagerly the Lou County Magistrate has been sending letters to both your parents, it seems they hold no prejudice against you. As for Madam Lou (second)... I know a bit about her..." She smiled faintly. "She never particularly liked He Zhaojun and repeatedly hinted to Madam He that she should discipline her daughter better. After the He Family broke off the engagement, it left her humiliated, and she resented how her son was slighted. Right now, she must be full of expectations for you."
Shao Shang spread out her fair little hands and laughed, "If that's the case, then why shouldn't I marry Young Master Lou?"
Sang Shi hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. "But... don't you want to wait a little longer, to see if there might be a better match...?"
Shao Shang smiled, leaning back against the hidden cushion. "Aunt, I may not have much experience, but I know that the hardest thing to fathom in this world is the human heart. Hearts are separated by layers of flesh—how can you truly know what someone is thinking? Since we cannot guess their hearts, we must observe their actions. Young Master Lou may not be as outstanding as Yuan Shen in talent, but he has genuinely laid his heart bare before me."
Sang Shi remained silent.
"But as for what Yuan Shen truly thinks—I don't know, and no one does. What if he's just toying with me, with no real intention to marry me, and I reject such a good match for him?!" Shao Shang shook her head as if talking to herself. "I would never do that."
Sang Shi couldn't help but sigh.
Shao Shang looked at Sang Shi with a sweet smile. "Aunt, you see your own child as the best, always thinking I'm wonderful in every way. But I'm not that great—I'm just an ordinary girl. If there's anything different about me, it's that my tongue is sharper, my temper worse, and I'm more cunning. To have the Lou Family's favor now is my great fortune. Any more greed would be laughable."
After a long silence, Sang Shi could only say, "...What you say makes sense."
"Aunt?" Shao Shang suddenly raised her voice, laughing. "When you mentioned Yuan Shanjian earlier, were you also thinking of bringing up Ling Buyi?"
Sang Shi's heart skipped a beat, and she forced a smile. "What are you talking about?"
"That day after we left the hunting lodge, Li Taigong whispered with you for a long time—was it about how Ling Buyi showed me special care?" Shao Shang looked at her aunt with amusement. "But just now, you didn't dare mention his name. Because you know that for someone of his high status and power, even a hint of presumption would be delusional. You were afraid of giving me wild ideas, so you avoided the topic altogether."
Sang Shi stared into the girl's clear eyes, unable to utter a word.
"Lord Ling is noble and kind-hearted. Despite his severe injuries, he came to save our lives. Yet he has to endure baseless fantasies—he must encounter this so often that he maintains that icy demeanor all the time." Shao Shang cheerfully mocked herself. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush—I learned that lesson long ago."
Sang Shi patted the girl's hand and sighed. "Very well, then. I'll go tell your uncle to write to your father."——Most parents worry their children might be too naive or overestimate themselves, but in our family, we worry our niece sees too clearly and thinks too wisely, making one’s heart ache for no reason.
Before she could sigh a few more times, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded in the courtyard outside, followed by a young man’s bright, hurried voice: “Mother Fu, is your lady feeling better today…?”
Then came A Zhu’s low murmur, indistinct from inside the room.
Shao Shang smiled. “Aunt doesn’t know. Mother Fu told me that every day at this time, Young Master Lou comes to ask after my well-being and stands in the courtyard for a while before leaving.” Suddenly, she raised her voice, “Mother Fu, I’m much better now. Please invite Young Master Lou in!”
The girl’s clear voice carried outside. Soon after, the sound of hurriedly removed boots could be heard. A Zhu slowly pushed the door open, careful not to let the cold wind in, and a tall, agile young man in a close-fitting outfit strode inside.
That day in the rain, she hadn’t gotten a good look at him. After two months apart, Lou Yao seemed to have grown a few inches taller, his face slightly tanned, the boyish stubbornness gradually fading, now resembling a proper young man.
Lou Yao first bowed respectfully to Sang Shi, who sat beside the bed. Only after she nodded and gestured for him to sit did he settle onto a fluffy cushion on the floor.
Shao Shang smiled at him. “Young Master Lou, the maids told me you’ve been busy running around these past few days. You’ve worked hard.”
Lou Yao looked up and saw the girl on the bed, her skin so pale after her long illness it seemed almost translucent, her lips barely tinted pink, her dark eyes appearing even larger. Her frail frame was draped in a wide, sleeveless robe, making her look pitifully delicate.
Yet to him, she was breathtakingly beautiful—like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, painfully shedding the plump, childlike softness of being coddled, transforming into a stunning, solitary beauty.
Lou Yao dared not look at her for more than a glance, his face flushing as he stammered polite words, avoiding her gaze the entire time.
Shao Shang picked up the silk scroll and waved it. “Young Master Lou, my father wrote today. He has agreed to the marriage.”
Lou Yao’s head snapped up, unable to contain his joy. “R-really…?!”
Shao Shang found it amusing and couldn’t help teasing, “People forge military reports and official documents, but I’ve never heard of anyone forging a letter consenting to a marriage.” Her tone then softened. “You don’t have a courtesy name yet. I heard Uncle and Aunt call you A Yao. May I call you that too?”
Lou Yao, moved by her gentle expression, felt warmth surge in his chest and stammered even more. “Yes! Then… can I call you… Shao Shang?”
“Of course.” Shao Shang smiled tenderly, like a lotus bud about to bloom. “Uncle told me you aspire to govern a region someday, even if it’s remote and poor, wanting to stand on your own merits. I can keep accounts, read documents, and understand farming. When the time comes, will you take me with you?”
Lou Yao’s eyes grew hot, tears of excitement welling up. Overjoyed beyond words, he declared loudly, “Yes! We’ll go together—even if we have to start from nothing!”Sang Shi remained silent, watching her niece out of the corner of her eye as the girl spoke weakly, forcing her most charming smile to enchant the young man into a dazed, fervent state—this was the most natural law of heaven and earth. The young female had finally grown up, learning how to use her beautiful fur to achieve her desires.
Author's Note:
I've been meaning to say, last episode of "Who's the Murderer" was really good. I'm very much looking forward to this week's.
Rest assured, I won't torment the female lead—I'm completely on her side. Actually, I won't torment anyone; everyone will be fine.
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