After Laba Festival comes the New Year, and the days of the twelfth lunar month seem to fly by—Shen Shaoguang was busy inspecting her shops, updating the menu, doing year-end accounting, preparing New Year gifts, and squeezing in time for romance.
Lord Lin was also busy and couldn’t visit Shen Shaoguang every day. But when he did go and she wasn’t there, the next time they met, though he would say “it’s fine,” his eyes carried a hint of “melancholy.”
Perhaps because he was truly too handsome, this playful yet earnest “melancholy” always tugged at Shen Shaoguang’s heartstrings. A man who could act coquettish...
Could you reason with him at a time like this? No! Shen Shaoguang could only imagine herself as one of those tycoons who would spend fortunes just to make a beauty smile—"buy you a several-carat emerald necklace," "a villa with three hundred rooms," "a fleet of top-tier sports cars," "a yacht," "a private island"... But then she thought of her mortgage and sighed—time to wake up from the dream.
Noticing Shen Shaoguang’s shifting expressions, Lin Yan asked with a smile, “What are you thinking about?”
“I’m reminiscing about the past. Suddenly, I understand why King You lit the beacon fires just to make his beauty smile. As long as the beauty is happy, what does ancestral legacy matter? What do power and riches matter? Forget them, forget them all.” Shen Shaoguang waved her sleeves, putting on the airs of a nouveau riche.
Lin Yan couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Shen Shaoguang propped her chin on her hand. “Yan Lang, how did you become so good-looking?”
“The dashing young nobles of the East Market lack the refined elegance of scholars. Some of the scholars heading for the imperial exams may have that elegance, but they lack authority. Occasionally, court officials dine at the tavern—they might have both elegance and authority, but none are young anymore. Even the younger ones aren’t handsome enough... In my eyes, all others pale in comparison.” She shook her head. “Why is that? I wasn’t this picky before.”
Lin Yan laughed even harder. My A Qi, when she sets her mind to flattery, could coax the dead back to life.
Shen Shaoguang changed the subject. “When I inspect the shops every day, if I come across a delicious new dish, I think Lord Lin might like it and make a note to let him try it someday. If I see something amusing, I want to tell you about it, but then I think it’s better for you to see it in person—my retelling wouldn’t do it justice. Passing by the horse market, I often look around, wondering which steed would suit our Lord Lin. Even if I skip buying cosmetics, I’d buy a horse for him...”
“Today, on my way back in the carriage, I lifted the curtain and saw someone who looked like you. I turned and stared for the longest time.”
“I really wish I could be with you every day,” Shen Shaoguang sighed.
Lin Yan had been smiling earlier, but now he was moved. Wasn’t he the same, always thinking of her, wanting to be with her all the time?
Lin Yan reached out to touch Shen Shaoguang’s hair and face, gazing at her tenderly. Then he leaned over the small table, pressing his forehead lightly against hers. “A Qi—”
“Hmm?”
“So this is how wonderful it feels when two hearts beat as one.”
...
With her silver tongue, Shen Shaoguang saved herself from having to buy emerald necklaces, villas, sports cars, yachts, or private islands. Not only did she earn the forgiveness of the beautiful Lin, but she also received a grand confession in return—a real-life demonstration of how “words can be worth a fortune.”Shopkeeper Shen, who was thriving in love, was also making great strides in her career. Just as the Hotpot Month ended, the New Year's banquets took over. Various branches of her shop introduced auspiciously named feasts and seasonal dishes, while the Poetry Wall was adorned in festive red and bustling with activity. The Amusement troupe also arranged a special New Year performance. Additionally, the poetry collection curated by Lord Lin, who had helped edit and write the preface, was now available in her shop and bookstores across the East and West Markets.
Lord Lin, after all, was a prodigy from Hedong, having earned his Jinshi title at a young age. His preface to the collection was a masterpiece—beginning with free prose and transitioning into parallel prose, profound in thought and elegant in diction. It not only offered lofty insights into the purpose and significance of scholarly reading and writing but also brimmed with charm, advocating for life’s pleasures beyond statecraft and literature—savoring tea, admiring flowers, burning incense while listening to rain, and enjoying feasts and poetic exchanges—urging scholars not to become dry, pedantic Confucians.
With such a preface, the entire collection was elevated to a higher standard, transforming what could have been a mere promotional booklet into a serious literary publication. Many scholars who flipped through the collection were immediately captivated by the preface, applauding its brilliance and inquiring about the identity of "The Master of the Eastern Hall"—a pseudonym Lin Yan had casually adopted, as his residence now lay east of Shen’s home.
The waitstaff, following their mistress’s instructions, simply replied that the author was a friend of the household.
Some scholars pressed further, "Such writing is certainly not the work of an ordinary person—could it be an official from the court?"
The attendants, as shrewd as their mistress beneath their seemingly honest demeanor, smiled and said, "How would we servants know our mistress’s private affairs..."
Upon hearing feedback from her shop and the bookstores, Shen Shaoguang realized her earlier estimate—that the poetry collection might take "eight to ten years" to gain traction—had been overly conservative. Lord Lin had single-handedly accelerated the process.
Before visiting Li Xiang’s residence, during breakfast at the Shen household, Shen Shaoguang lavished praise on Lin Yan. While Lin Yan’s literary skills surpassed hers, when it came to eloquence in person, ten Lin Yans couldn’t match Shen Shaoguang.
Lin Yan, an early riser by habit, arrived at the Shen household just as Shen Shaoguang was about to eat breakfast. She invited him to join, and he naturally accepted. Over the meal, Shen Shaoguang recounted the widespread admiration for his preface, comparing his talent to that of literary giants like Li Bai, Du Fu, Han Yu, and Liu Zongyuan.
Lin Yan listened with a smile as she exaggerated, though his thoughts drifted elsewhere. How wonderful it would be to share breakfast with A Qi every morning for decades to come, listening to her lively chatter. But then he wavered—his early court duties would require her to rise early too. Given her delicate constitution, it might be better to let her sleep in, reserving shared breakfasts for rest days.
Unaware that Lord Lin, elegantly savoring his chicken wontons, was already envisioning a lifetime of "mornings and evenings together," Shen Shaoguang continued her effusive praise.
After breakfast, much like a husband waiting for his wife to dress up before an outing, Lin Yan sat in the main hall sipping tea and reading a book while Shen Shaoguang prepared herself in the inner chambers.
It took quite a while before she emerged. As it was the New Year and they were visiting Li Xiang’s home, Shen Shaoguang had dressed festively, feeling like a giant red envelope.
Lin Yan smiled as he looked her over. "You look lovely." Then he added, "Especially today."
Shen Shaoguang laughed. He was learning to anticipate her reactions—Lord Lin’s survival instincts were sharp.
It was the third day of the New Year, and Li Yue, the former chancellor, had set aside half a day specifically to receive them. His graciousness moved and humbled Shen Shaoguang, who greeted him with the reverence of a junior. Lin Yan had already discussed matters with Li Yue in detail; this visit was primarily for Shen Shaoguang to formally pay her respects to this family elder.Li Yue disregarded propriety between men and women, personally helping her up and examining her carefully before sighing, "I never noticed before, but now I see—your nose and mouth resemble your father’s so much, only softer, as befits a young lady. My old eyes truly must be failing me, for I didn’t recognize it earlier."
Shen Shaoguang apologized once again.
Li Yue waved his hand and gestured for them to sit.
Looking at the young couple before him, Li Yue recalled what Chu Jiu had said before leaving: "Don’t try to arrange any more marriages for Lord Lin." When he had asked why, Chu Jiu had only smiled. So he had already seen it. Back in the court, there had been the saying "Chu Half-Eye," referring to how Chu Jiu could discern the hidden truth in legal cases with just half a glance. It seemed his skill hadn’t diminished at all. Then he thought of his old friend’s aborted career and the downfall of another dear friend... Shen Wu now had only this single drop of blood left in the world.
Li Yue continued to study Shen Shaoguang—this young woman, orphaned, raised in the harsh confines of the palace, yet not only refined but remarkably optimistic. Truly, she was Shen Wu’s child!
He also remembered how Shen Wu had once wanted to buy a famous painting from the previous dynasty but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to do it. "I must save for A Qi’s dowry," he had said. Now the young lady was of marriageable age, but he could no longer see it.
Though Shen Shaoguang felt sorrow in her heart, she kept a smile on her face. Lin Yan remained his usual composed self, though he occasionally glanced at his beloved with quiet concern.
The New Year was no time for sorrowful talk, so Li Yue laughed and said, "I saw the poetry collection your tavern published. Never mind the quality of the poems—the preface was excellent." Then he gave Lin Yan a meaningful look.
Lin Yan smiled and bowed. "A mere trifle of mine, unworthy of Your Excellency’s praise."
Li Yue chuckled. "No need for such modesty among family. If I say it’s good, it truly is." Then he turned to Shen Shaoguang. "What does the young mistress think?" As the only daughter of the Shen family, with no close relatives, Shen Shaoguang was addressed as the "young mistress." Now that she was grown, Li Yue refrained from using her childhood name.
"I also thought it was very well done," Shen Shaoguang replied warmly, without standing on ceremony.
Li Yue laughed heartily, and Lin Yan couldn’t help but smile helplessly as the atmosphere in the hall lightened.
Naturally, the conversation turned to the poems in the collection. Li Yue commented on one about hot pot and remarked with a smile, "The snow, the wine, the hot pot—it reminds me of the hot pot His Majesty bestowed on us that snowy day. Last winter, the emperor gifted the old-style small cauldrons, but this year it was hot pot, exactly like the ones in your tavern." The ministers often dined together at noon in the administrative hall, and the emperor would occasionally send delicacies and wine to show his regard for his senior officials.
"Later, His Majesty even asked how it tasted, looking quite pleased with himself. So I told him about your tavern’s thirty-day rotation of hot pot varieties..." Li Yue grinned smugly.
Shen Shaoguang smiled. It seemed her uncle Li and the current emperor enjoyed a close and informal relationship, able to joke so casually.
"Chancellor Zhou and Chancellor Wu also said they must visit to try it someday."
Shen Shaoguang laughed. "To avoid embarrassing Uncle, I’ll have to make the hot pot even more varied and delicious."
"It’s already plentiful and excellent enough," Li Yue said, amused. "You even have someone who can compose poetry after eating it—what more could you want?"
Both Shen Shaoguang and Lin Yan laughed, recognizing his teasing reference to the playful verses about the hot pot with nandina.
"Young lady, such mischief!" Li Yue chided Shen Shaoguang with a smile. "I suspect this collection was your doing?"Shen Shaoguang didn't take credit and instead told him her method for collecting jokes.
Li Yue marveled, "Our young lady's method rather resembles the court's practice of 'collecting folk songs'."①
This time, Shen Shaoguang truly couldn't bring herself to shamelessly claim credit. She glanced at Lin Yan—time for you to step in, Lord Lin!
Li Yue had already noticed her glance. Before Lin Yan could speak, he laughed and said, "Speaking of that southern candle hot pot, An Ran's poetry has improved remarkably. Could it be from eating so much of that pot?"
Both Shen Shaoguang and Lin Yan recalled the "kidney-boosting and essence-enhancing" effects of the southern candle and their playful banter from a couple of days prior. Shen Shaoguang, unable to help herself, blushed, while Lin Yan managed to keep his composure, smiling faintly as he said, "We did eat quite a lot of it."
Li Yue laughed, but seeing the young man's smug and confident expression, he felt a pang of bitterness. If Fifth Brother Shen were here, he would surely have given him a hard time. Then, noticing Shen Shaoguang's maidenly shyness, his heart ached even more. Even if Fifth Brother Shen were here, what could he do? A grown daughter can't be kept at home forever.
Author's note: ① "Collecting folk songs" refers to the court's practice of observing public sentiment by gathering folk songs and ballads from the people.
————
As for who between Shen Shaoguang and Lin Yan has the thicker skin—that's actually quite hard to say...
OpenNovel