Сhарtеr 23: Тhe Bridаl Сhаmbеr
“Нmm,” rubbing her five slendеr, рale fingеrs, Zhu Yan frownеd, “Тhаt Маdаm Tang is susрicious.”
“Madam Tаng wаs widowеd yоung аnd is nоw оnly аrоund thirtу уеars оld. She is dignified, virtuous, аnd knоws her рlace. Shе’s also а closе friеnd оf Нis Нighnеss thе Princе оf Ying. Cоuld it bе thаt His Нighness hаsn’t nоticed аnуthing amiss?”
Shеn Du massaged his tеmples. “I’m afrаid еvеn if he sеnsed something, hе wоuldn’t сonsidеr it а рrоblеm.”
“Аfter аll, whо would bе so full оf deathlу aurа аt just thirtу?”
“Mоrеоvеr, the Hundred Мinds Incense she uses is а bit too strong, miхed with musk and рinewооd fragrаnce. Buddha halls generally favor this kind of incense, while ordinary women use pear-blossom bed-curtain incense, which is light and elegant. They would never use such a lingering, heavy scent.”
Shen Du had noticed this as well, but: “Madam Tang has been devoutly worshipping Buddha since her widowhood. It’s not unusual for her to prefer this incense.”
Thinking of Madam Tang’s eyes, which seemed to bring boundless darkness when she looked at someone, Zhu Yan shivered and stood up.
“I’m done eating. Let’s go home.”
Jing Lin, with bits of mutton clinging to the corner of his mouth, looked bewildered. “Aren’t we going to the Yong’an quarter in the West Market?”
Zhu Yan’s accumulated frustration from a day of nonstop activity suddenly erupted. “No.”
As if a sudden storm had been blocked by a high wall, Zhu Yan turned and left—not toward the Shen residence, but in the direction of the Zhu family.
A mere ant, even when angry, wouldn’t dare vent recklessly. Better to go home and let it out there.
However, Zhu Yan ultimately returned to the Shen residence. Before she had taken ten steps, Shen Du wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her onto his own mount. They sped like the wind all the way to the Shen estate. By the time Zhu Yan regained her senses, she was already standing in the bridal chamber.
The bridal chamber was beautifully decorated, filled with red as far as the eye could see. Double-happiness characters were pasted on the window lattices. On the wedding table, the incense and candles had already burned halfway down. On the bed, the dragon-and-phoenix brocade quilt was neatly arranged, scattered with dates, peanuts, lotus seeds, and longans—symbols of fertility and prosperity.
Cloud-like hair, flower-like face, golden hairpins swaying;
Warmth in the lotus-patterned bed curtains, a night of springtime delight.
If only the groom before her didn’t look so grim.
His handsome sword-like brows were locked in a frown. Shen Du reached out and swept the brocade quilt, along with the dried fruits like dates, peanuts, lotus seeds, and longans, onto a nearby daybed. He removed his cloak, outer robe, belt, and headpiece. Meanwhile, a maid brought in hot water to attend to Shen Du’s washing. Zhu Yan noticed the maid serving her was practically nodding her head to the ground and couldn’t help but find it amusing.
It was already past midnight. The maids were inevitably drowsy from waiting but dared not sleep. So she said:
“You don’t need to attend to me here. You may go.”
The maid was overjoyed, but remembering Shen Du was present, she didn’t dare leave without permission. Zhu Yan then said:
“Then go and attend to the Great Pavilion Commander. I’ll manage here myself.”
“This…” The maid glanced at the cold-faced, indifferent Shen Du and didn’t move.
Compared to the White King of Hell, Shen Du, she preferred to stay by the side of this newly appointed Madam Shen.
Shen Du had just taken the damp towel prepared by the maid to wipe his face and showed no reaction upon hearing this.
Zhu Yan paid no further mind either. After washing up herself, she went behind the screen to remove her outer robe. When she came out, the maids had already left. Shen Du was reaching to draw the gauze bed curtains. Zhu Yan calmly and composedly went to the daybed to arrange the brocade quilt, tidying up the dried fruits along with it. One brocade quilt—half to lie on, half to cover herself with. Perfect.
As soon as she touched the soft, plush quilt, the exhaustion from her nonstop day washed over her. Zhu Yan yawned repeatedly, too drowsy to keep her eyes open. Before closing her eyelids, all she saw was the pair of wedding cups on the wedding table and the red porcelain wine bottle engraved with the words “A Hundred Years of Harmony.”
Hmm, no wedding ceremony, no exchange of nuptial cups—doesn’t count as husband and wife.Then again, Shen Du hadn’t kicked her out, probably because of Minister Zhang—afraid that if she died too soon, it would bring him trouble. Was that fortunate or unfortunate?
In truth, her father had chosen Minister Zhang’s faction only because Black Yama King Lai Luozhi had killed many innocent people over the years, and all of this had been tacitly permitted by the Empress—not because the Empress was a woman.
Zhu Yan simply stopped thinking about anything, pulled the quilt over her head, and slept soundly through the night, not even a dream in sight.
...
The May sunlight had already shed the warmth and gentleness of spring, carrying a hint of summer’s heat as it streamed through the gaps in the window lattice, casting patches of light and shadow on the soft couch where Zhu Yan lay.
It was this glaring sunlight that woke Zhu Yan, forcing her eyes open. She lay on her side, staring at the wedding table for a long time before her consciousness fully returned.
She was no longer at the Zhu residence. She was now Shen Du’s newlywed wife, destined to live only three months.
Sigh, staying alive was so difficult.
Muttering to herself, Zhu Yan got up. As she reached for the clothes on the screen, she was startled by a slender, upright figure, her hands trembling as she haphazardly tossed the clothes aside:
“Shen… Great Pavilion Commander, good morning.”
Picking up the clothes and examining them, she saw it was still the same blue official robe, covered in dust and carrying an unpleasant smell. Zhu Yan hesitated, unsure whether to put it on.
Shen Du turned around, then: “...”
Zhu Yan looked at him, her deer-like eyes bright and sparkling: “Where are my…” dowry items?
But Shen Du seemed unable to bear it any longer and turned away again: “Don’t you, as a young lady, know the propriety of avoiding contact between men and women?” Shouldn’t she have shyly covered her face when he turned around, then hopped behind the screen like a rabbit and scolded him as a “lecher”?
Unfazed, Zhu Yan turned around and slowly ambled behind the screen, picking up the dirty official robe and putting it on lazily. “It’s not like you’re at a disadvantage, so why are you making such a fuss?”
Shen Du: “...”
“By the way, where is my family’s dowry stored? I haven’t seen it.”
Shen Du snorted coldly: “What? Afraid I’d covet your family’s meager dowry?”
“Not exactly. It’s just that I went straight from the Ministry of Justice to getting married and didn’t have time to pack properly. I only managed to stuff a few changes of clothes into one of the dowry items.”
Shen Du’s mind conjured an image of Zhu Yan investigating a case in her wedding dress, later in her blue official robe—it seemed she really hadn’t worn any ordinary clothes. He had assumed she had no chance to wear them, but it turned out she hadn’t brought any.
He also knew Zhu Yan was a substitute bride, so naturally, she hadn’t had time to pack properly.
After that, Shen Du’s presence vanished from the room. Under normal circumstances, Zhu Yan would have been so delighted she’d have jumped for joy, but now, she began to feel troubled.
White King of Hell naturally didn’t care whether she had clothes to change into, but she did. Not to mention that this official robe couldn’t be washed and changed every day, but what about her undergarments? Ever since she got married, she had either been at a crime scene or on her way to one. She had no idea that, due to Shen Du’s attitude, the Shen residence’s steward hadn’t brought her dowry and other belongings into her room but had sent them directly to the storeroom.
Once this newlywed Lady Shen died, these items would be confiscated anyway—a pointless effort.
Today, they were heading to the Li Family Bank in Yong’an Lane of the West Market. Because the breakfast at the Shen residence was delicious, Zhu Yan’s bad mood from waking up improved considerably. She even noticed something different about Jing Lin:
“Jing Lin, you don’t look too well.”
Jing Lin, who was leading the horse on foot: “...” If you were the one who had to give up your own mount to someone else and then lead the horse for them, see how you’d feel.At this moment, there were only a few sparse figures on the long Vermilion Bird Street of Zhongliu. The orange morning sun struggled to pierce through the pale gray mist, clawing its way above the horizon and casting streaks of white light onto the bluish brick pavement.
It was just past the hour of Mao. Zhu Yan yawned and pretended to glance casually at Shen Du, noticing the dark circles under his eyes—clearly, he hadn’t rested well last night either.
Before Zhu Yan could withdraw her lingering gaze, it collided directly with Shen Du’s line of sight...
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