Compared with the night before, Shen Yanshui felt that the Crown Prince was proving remarkably quick to learn. As a result, the pleasure they shared—or perhaps the pleasure her body experienced—had grown all the more intense.
After this encounter, she was certain of it: whenever she and the Crown Prince became one, the faint supernatural ability within her would automatically begin circulating. It made her feel as though she were absorbing his yang energy to nourish her yin.
Bah. Judging by the Crown Prince’s condition, it was clearly more like dual cultivation.
The time they spent together seemed to have grown longer, too…
She simply couldn’t understand why this was happening.
Little by little, she began to enjoy it. At first, she had still forced herself to remember the rules and keep her voice down.
But later, all she could remember was the lean, muscular body beneath her, its smooth lines concealing powerful, explosive strength, while hot sweat rolled down…
The next morning, when Shen Yanshui opened her eyes, the person beside her was already gone. She wasn’t surprised. But when she saw the bedding, fresh and completely changed, she remembered the sheets that had been removed the night before—drenched in moisture, marked with patches of varying shades, and covered in all sorts of chaotic traces.
Her waist felt even more sore and weak than it had the previous night. She shifted position, closed her eyes, and gathered her focus. After sensing the supernatural ability within her and skillfully circulating it through her body once, the weariness gradually faded. When she opened her eyes again, she felt refreshed and invigorated.
According to the ranking system of her previous life, she had only just reached the early stage of Rank One.
There were no crystal cores from animals or plants in this world for her to absorb and use to advance. She could only cultivate by drawing upon the faint energy in nature and following the energy-circulation method promoted by the authorities in her previous life. She had no idea how long it would take before she could break through to Rank Two.
Only upon reaching Rank Two would her strength against enemies improve by leaps and bounds.
Otherwise, all she could do was regulate the body and slowly hasten the growth of plants.
“Why has the mistress sat up?”
Chunping came around the screen. Before she had time to be surprised by Shen Yanshui’s posture, she saw the quilt casually wrapped around her mistress. Through the slightly open gap, the marks beneath that fair collarbone were clearly visible, and Chunping’s cheeks flushed faintly.
Shen Yanshui asked about the Crown Prince. After learning that, just as yesterday, he had left at the third quarter of the Hour of the Tiger, she wasn’t surprised. Once she confirmed that the Crown Prince truly held no displeasure toward her laziness in the morning, she simply allowed herself to fall back asleep.
She threw off the quilt and rose. Since she had just circulated her supernatural ability, she did not feel cold.
Although this was not the first time Chunping had seen her, she still couldn’t help flushing and feeling her heart race at the sight of her mistress’s fair, delicate, shapely body.
Especially the peach-colored undergarment before her, which seemed barely able to contain…
Chunping dared not look any longer. She hurriedly and deftly helped her mistress get dressed.
Once everything was in order, she studied Shen Yanshui carefully before saying softly, “Mistress, the size of your undergarments and clothes seems to be a little small. Shall I have Xia’an and the others make you two new outfits?”
Shen Yanshui also glanced at herself in the mirror. The front of her bodice did seem a little tighter than before. The few outfits she currently owned had all been newly made by her birth mother’s embroiderers before she entered the palace, according to her measurements.
“Forget it. I expect the weather will grow warmer soon. We can save the fabric and use it to make summer clothes later.”
The clothing of the Great Yong Dynasty fell somewhere between the styles of the Tang and Song eras of her previous life. There were high-waisted ruqun skirts and waist-high ruqun skirts, as well as beizi jackets, half-sleeved garments, and wide-sleeved outer robes. A single set of spring clothing required quite a lot of fabric.
She received fabric as part of her monthly allotment, but not much. Given her rank, it would not be anything particularly fine, and it was nowhere near as comfortable as what she was wearing now.
As soon as she finished speaking, a commotion came from outside. Xia’an hurried into the inner room, her face full of delight, and whispered, “Mistress, please come out quickly to receive the decree. Her Majesty the Empress has sent gifts!”
Shen Yanshui did not dare delay. Seeing Matron Zhao, a familiar face from the courtyard, she knelt according to protocol and waited to hear the decree. Lady Liu had already knelt down as well.
Matron Zhao discreetly looked Lady Shen over carefully. Only after everyone had gathered did she smile and say, “By Her Majesty the Empress’s oral decree: to Crown Prince Lady Shen, a pair of gold pomegranate-patterned ruyi hairpins, a pair of tortoiseshell bracelets set with gold and jade beads, one bolt of brocade satin, two bolts of cloud satin, and two bolts of plain gauze.”
“To Crown Prince Lady Liu, a pair of jade butterfly hairpins set in gold, a pair of silver ruyi hairpins with pomegranate designs, two bolts of cloud satin, one bolt of blue plain satin, and one bolt of plain gauze.”
Having finished, Matron Zhao looked at the two women with a smile. “May you both conduct yourselves properly, observe your duties, and ease the burdens of His Highness the Crown Prince. May you soon bear branches and leaves for His Highness and extend his line.”
Shen Yanshui kowtowed and offered her thanks. “Thank you for Her Majesty’s gifts. I shall respectfully heed Her Majesty’s instructions.”
Lady Liu naturally kowtowed and gave thanks as well. However, when she heard that Lady Shen had received the additional tortoiseshell bracelet set with gold and jade and the brocade satin, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of jealousy.
The bracelet was one thing, but the brocade satin was an exceptionally fine material. Even the daily allotments of low-ranking consorts like them did not include it.
And yet… as she looked at Lady Shen, whose clothes had always been made from fine materials, her mood grew even more sour.
Without Shen Yanshui needing to say anything, Chunping smiled and slipped a purse into Matron Zhao’s hands. Silver Screen followed immediately after. This was an unspoken rule in the palace.
As someone trusted by Her Majesty the Empress, Matron Zhao naturally did not care about this small amount of silver, but she accepted it with a smile nonetheless.
Shen Yanshui said warmly, “You’ve gone to such trouble, Matron. Why not come inside and have a cup of tea and rest your feet?”
Matron Zhao smiled. “Thank you, Lady Shen, but I’m afraid I must decline. Her Majesty the Empress is waiting for me to report back. This servant will take her leave.”
Shen Yanshui inclined herself in a half-bow and returned the courtesy with a smile. “Then I won’t keep you today. Chunping, see Matron Zhao out.”
“Yes, mistress.”
With a smile on her face, Chunping bowed and said, “Matron, this way, please.”
After Chunping escorted Matron Zhao away, Shen Yanshui looked at the jewelry and bolts of fabric set aside nearby, unable to contain her delight. Afraid she might laugh outright, she exchanged a few words with Lady Liu before turning and returning to the room.
Only after there were no outsiders present did she finally laugh.
Looking at the “silver” that had come to her for free, she sincerely sighed, “Her Majesty the Empress truly has the heart of a bodhisattva. She really is a wonderful person. May Her Majesty enjoy good health and happiness, and live to a hundred years!”
*
“Did she really say that?”
The Empress looked rather surprised.
Matron Zhao, who was reporting in the hall, replied respectfully, “In answer to Your Majesty, that Lady Shen did indeed say those words.”
The Empress had originally been surprised to learn that the Crown Prince had not gone first to Lady Zhang’s residence. She was even more astonished when she discovered that he had spent both nights in a row in Lady Shen’s room.
That was why, taking advantage of the customary distribution of gifts to the palace’s new arrivals, she had deliberately sent Matron Zhao on this trip.
The Empress asked, “What do you think of this Lady Shen, Matron Zhao?”
Matron Zhao replied respectfully, “In answer to Your Majesty, this servant feels that Lady Shen’s temperament is rather unlike that of Lady Shen the Jieyu, despite the two of them being sisters.”
She did not beat around the bush and continued with a smile, “Lady Shen the Jieyu is clearly a high-born noblewoman at first glance. Although she is accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she cannot help being somewhat competitive, proud, and haughty.”
As she spoke, the image of Lady Shen came to mind. No matter the occasion, she always wore a bright smile, as though nothing in the world could trouble her. Lady Shen had also once taught the palace rules to the young women in the Palace of Gathered Elegance, so Matron Zhao knew her to some extent.
“As for Lady Shen, she doesn’t appear to be a complicated or scheming person. Back when she was in the Palace of Gathered Elegance, the thing she cared most about each day was what she would eat and drink. Her temperament is somewhat mild and placid. From what I saw today, Lady Shen is still much the same as before. I couldn’t discern any changes in her.”
The Empress was somewhat surprised. Still, she had considerable faith in Matron Zhao’s judgment of people. Lady Shen was merely the daughter of a concubine from the Loyal Righteous Earl’s manor, and it was hardly strange that her temperament differed from that of her legitimate elder sister.
With that, she let the matter go and paid it no further mind. At the end of the day, she trusted her son more. He was not some fool who would lose his head over a woman; he knew perfectly well what he ought to do and what he ought not.
*
Zheng Yuande waited until the Crown Prince and the two officials had finally finished discussing official matters. Only after the others had withdrawn did he quietly step forward and report, “Your Highness, the Crown Princess’s gifts have also been delivered.”
Cui Yu took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. His long, well-defined fingers rubbed the smooth, delicate surface of the celadon cup in his palm. After a moment, he raised his eyes and ordered, “Open the private treasury and select some things to send to Lady Shen.”
“Ah?” Zheng Yuande froze for an instant. When he caught the glance his master cast in his direction, he hurriedly smiled and said, “Yes, Your Highness. I’ll have someone see to it at once.”
Cui Yu suddenly seemed to think of something. “Wait.”
“Your Highness?”
Cui Yu said, “Choose several bolts of fine fabric as well and send them over.”
