At this moment, Shen Yu was utterly speechless. A hypocritical smile hung on her face while her gaze fell upon a burly, rugged fellow riding on one side.
Why on earth had she merely turned her head, only to attract the attention of that thick-browed, wide-eyed general trailing behind?
She had clearly acted discreetly enough!
Was a mere glance really worth all this?
Little Bao feels wronged, but Little Bao will not say a word.
The hulking man beside her, completely unaware of Shen Yu’s internal monologue, initiated a hearty conversation. “Once the Second Young Master gets through today, you will officially be Great Xia’s imperial consort! Chu Fang is here to offer his congratulations in advance to the Second Master!” As he spoke, he imperceptibly closed the distance between them.
Shen Yu felt a strange, creeping sensation down her spine and instinctively shifted her body aside. The next second, however, she felt a hard, awkward object poking against her elbow, accompanied by a subtle pushing motion. Shen Yu was instantly startled; her heart gave a sharp jolt, and her gentle smile nearly cracked right then and there!
Is he really being this direct?
The romance storybooks lied to me! Who said military men are thick-headed and devoid of social savvy?
This fellow is clearly a master of worldly interactions!
Chu Fang pursed his lips into a smile, transforming his initially naive expression into one that Shen Yu suddenly found rather crafty!
I have not even taken the consort’s seat yet, and I am already receiving bribes? This soldier is trying to ruin me!
She instinctively reached out to push the item back, but the brief contact allowed her to feel an unusual spiritual fluctuation.
Stunned and suspicious, she quietly probed it with her senses.
A sharp flash instantly erupted in her eyes.
Shen Yu gritted her teeth, feeling as though she must be dreaming. Her body and soul felt disconnected, her soul numb and indifferent while her bodily joints felt rusted solid.
With every slight movement, they let out a creaking, grating sound.
“My thanks to Brother Chu for the congratulations!”
Watching the family heirloom being pushed back into his arms, Chu Fang could not help looking bewildered.
Ever since he learned he would be accompanying Shen Lan on this journey, he had been plotting this. He naturally knew that the Second Young Master Shen had a formidable reputation. Although Shen’s household was only a minor fifth-rank official family, their horizons were undoubtedly much broader than his own impoverished background. Throwing around money by the handful like others did was simply impossible for a small fry like him.
Even by scraping and saving every penny, the total sum he could muster was merely ten taels of silver. Forget about bribing someone of Shen Lan’s stature; it probably would not even qualify to catch the eye of a commanding officer a single rank above him!
That was why he had taken an unorthodox approach to find out about Shen Lan’s preferences. Fortunately, the fact that Shen Lan loved collecting ancient treasures was no great secret, and he had not had to spend much effort to find out.
He had searched far and wide, but those so-called antiques were either cheap swindler’s fakes or substandard, flawed pieces, while the genuine articles displayed in antique shops were far beyond what he could afford.
After much hesitation and agonizing deliberation, he had finally decided to offer his family heirloom as a bribe. He knew that in Shen Lan’s eyes, it might not amount to much, but it was the only thing of any value he could bring to the table, and his sole opportunity! His only chance to be transferred to the frontier!
He knew how humble his origins were; Shen Lan was undoubtedly the highest-ranking person he would ever encounter in his lifetime!
He had to seize this chance!
Whether through the Shen family or by leveraging the Grand Princess’s influence, either path could easily get him reassigned to the borderlands!
Yet now…
He couldn’t help gripping the heirloom tighter, almost in denial as he pushed it back toward Shen Yu. Shen Yu’s smile grew somewhat strained as she steadily applied resistance, plunging the atmosphere into a brief standoff.
Gazing into Shen Yu’s calm, rippleless eyes, Chu Fang’s previously chaotic mind cleared just a fraction.
Perhaps this is just fate! The fate of remaining a nameless nobody.
Shen Yu felt her eyes must be playing tricks on her, as she actually saw an air of deep dejection wash over this nine-foot-tall man, all because she had rejected his bribe?
Even if she turned down the bribe, he should not look like this, right? Shouldn’t he look vicious and petty, glaring at her with venomous eyes instead?
Shen Yu was filled with doubts and confusion, but above all, Shen Yu felt heartbroken!
If she could, she really did not want to refuse either!
But I cannot, I simply cannot!
The karmic consequences brought by this object were far beyond what Shen Yu could bear. She had stayed behind precisely to resolve her mortal entanglements. Now that the root of those entanglements had not even been fully ascertained, if she were to give in to temporary greed and entangle herself in new karma all over again, wouldn’t that be walking straight into a death trap?
It was a fine treasure indeed, but if she could not bear the karmic backlash it carried, the disadvantages would vastly outweigh the benefits, potentially even cutting short her immortal path!
If she were truly destined to live out her life as an ordinary mortal, or if she were back in the immortal cultivation world, she would have taken it without a second thought. But this was the mortal realm, and Shen Yu was destined to become a cultivator. Of course, disputes between cultivators were fair game, boiled down simply to the victor taking all.
Yet Chu Fang was an ordinary mortal. Although Shen Yu was also currently in a mortal shell, the moment she recovered her status as a cultivator, all the accumulated causal karma and mortal entanglements would lock onto her, making every step of her immortal journey an agonizing struggle!
She had failed precisely because of this in her past life; how could she possibly stumble over the exact same rock a second time?
If Heavenly Dao’s favoritism had a ranking, it was undoubtedly Human Race > Demon Race > Monster Race. Within the Human Race, Heavenly Dao granted extra preferential treatment to ordinary mortals!
Consequently, cultivators in the immortal cultivation world were extremely reluctant to forge excessive ties with mortals!
Karmic consequences were not something that could be easily severed.
Reluctant as she was, she had to let it go!
No affinity! Truly no affinity!
Alas, how sorrowful, how tragic, how painful!
Perhaps sensing the atmosphere was far too bizarre, both of them harboring secret agendas while exuding a palpable sense of depression, the thick-browed, wide-eyed commanding officer behind them noticed. He spurred his horse forward until he was riding alongside Shen Yu’s other flank.
Catching the movement behind her, Shen Yu quickly concealed her inner heartache, putting on a facade as cool and serene as a mountain breeze.
The thick-browed man was Chi Zhen, a sixth-rank battalion commander. He respectfully performed a greeting with his hands cupped before his chest toward Shen Yu, then spoke up.
“This subordinate noticed from behind that the Second Young Master’s horse had slowed down. Is something the matter?”
Though his words seemed directed at Shen Yu, his gaze dropped straight onto the dazed figure of Chu Fang beside them, carrying a hint of pressure. Chu Fang felt his hands and feet turn cold, as though struck squarely by a heavy staff, and he fell abruptly silent.
Seeing this, Shen Yu felt her brow twitch and could only bite the bullet to take over the conversation.
“Ah! Just now, Brother Chu and I were discussing how the sun is setting quite rapidly, yet we have not even covered half the distance. We were considering picking up the pace a bit for fear of missing the auspicious hour.”
This excuse had originally been prepared for Chu Fang, but since that fellow had taken her completely by surprise and short-circuited that plan, it now came in handy to use on Chi Zhen instead.
Shen Yu’s delivery was unhurried, her words earnest, her attitude respectful, and her expression entirely convincing. Chi Zhen swallowed most of the story, though he privately found it rather miraculous. Rumor had it that the Second Young Master Shen had risen to fame at a young age and had always been arrogant and aloof; such a modest attitude ran entirely counter to the gossip. Still, this was no time for contemplation. He glanced at the sun, which had somehow drifted far ahead, and weighed his options for a moment.
“The Second Young Master speaks wisely. It was a lack of foresight on our part. I shall go discuss it with the vanguard and make a decision.”
With that, he cupped his fists in a salute, cast one more sharp glance at Chu Fang, and galloped back to the rear, pausing only to instruct Chu Fang to properly protect Shen Lan on his way.
Only after Chi Zhen departed did Chu Fang finally snap back to reality. Overwhelmed by a mix of shock and profound gratitude, he clasped his fists toward Shen Yu, shaking with lingering fear.
“Thank you, Young Master, for your great kindness!”
The military maintained strict discipline, and Great Xia’s laws explicitly prohibited bribery. A minor offense resulted in the stripping of military rank, a major one barred three generations of descendants from entering official service alongside exile to perform hard labor in Beimo, and the most severe cases meant execution on the spot!
His actions just now would not only have plunged himself into a pit of fire, but would also have implicated Shen Lan. Yet Young Master Shen’s immense benevolence had provided him cover.
Filled with self-reproach, Shen Yu offered a faint, internal smile, though her expression was tinged with a fair bit of financial agony.
Before long, Shen Yu heard the command to accelerate!
Once the pace picked up, the remaining distance visibly melted away.
She could not help yearning for the spatial-folding arts of the immortal cultivation world.
Meanwhile, at the Princess’s Estate.
Her lifelong personal maid bustled around her busily, chattering away. The maid spoke of the imperial consort her mistress was about to meet in the distance, of His Majesty’s boundless grace and favor, and of how breathtakingly beautiful her mistress looked right now.
Song Shiwei let the words wash over her, her mind unable to latch onto a single syllable as she sat like an exquisite, manipulated wooden doll.
Yuniang gently untied the hair that had been casually styled for today’s departure ceremony. Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, as smooth and lustrous as black silk. Tears shimmered in Yuniang’s eyes while her lips continued to murmur softly.
It was the traditional hair-combing chant.
“First combing brings harmony to old age, second combing brings white hair and eyebrows matched in harmony. Third combing brings descendants filling the courtyard, fourth combing brings meeting noble patrons upon encounters. Fifth combing brings harmony among in-laws, sixth combing brings mutual respect between husband and wife.”
Yuniang smiled, blinking rapidly as her eye rims burned red, her voice laced with a trace of choked emotion.
She never imagined that the frail little princess of her memories had finally reached the age of becoming a wife.
“Why is Mammy crying? I am not leaving the Princess’s Estate!”
Always sensitive to emotional shifts, Song Shiwei noticed Yuniang’s sentimentality and spoke up to offer comfort.
Hearing this, Yuniang offered a soft, gentle smile.
“This old servant simply remembered what Her Highness looked like the day she was born!”
A wave of nostalgia colored Yuniang’s tone, while her eyes simultaneously brimmed with an irrepressible warmth, momentarily buffering the sadness in her gaze.
A spark of light flickered suddenly in Song Shiwei’s eyes, and she developed a sudden curiosity about the childhood stories Mammy was telling, as she rarely ever heard Mammy speak of the past.
“What was I like when I was little?”
“Oh, back then!”
“When Her Highness was just born, you were not even as big as this old servant’s forearm. As the days passed, your mischievous childhood nature started to show.”
“Oh?”
Watching the princess’s look of utter disbelief, a trace of a smile danced across the corners of Yuniang’s eyes.
“You do not believe me? Her Highness has been clever since youth. Although your constitution was weak, you learned to walk no slower than anyone else. By one or two years old, you could crawl right off the bed, make your way over to Her Ladyship’s dressing table, and smear rouge all over your face until you looked like a spotted kitten.”
Song Shiwei shook her head, her face registering wonder without offering any verbal critique, though she thought quietly to herself: from as far back as she could remember, she had vaguely recalled being trapped within the deep palace walls, studying court etiquette. Her understanding of the world outside those walls came entirely from her younger brother; she had never imagined she could have once been so mischievous.
Thinking of that young boy who always tried to put on an air of premature maturity, the stiff tension between her brows unconsciously softened, and a smile crept onto the corners of her lips.
Yet very quickly, that smile turned bitter once more.
Mammy fell silent abruptly. Seeing the smile that had bloomed on Song Shiwei’s face, she knew her mistress must be thinking of the one currently inside the palace.
“Is the Princess thinking of His Majesty?”
Song Shiwei remained silent, but her gaze confirmed it. She wondered how her brother was faring.
“Speaking of which, His Majesty should be arriving soon.”
“Really?”
Song Shiwei’s pupils trembled slightly, as if suddenly infused with soul, and she hurriedly sat up to ask.
“Of course! On such an important day for Your Highness, how could His Majesty not come? Everyone in the whole world knows how deeply His Majesty cherishes you!”
Song Shiwei curved her crescent-moon eyes, her mood evidently much improved.
Ever since their quarrel two months ago, she had not seen her brother for a long time. Though she did not fully understand court politics or frontier affairs, she could still gather the gravity of the situation from the rumors outside.
Though frontier reports of victories had been frequent lately, the surrounding minor nations were being directed by someone unknown, and the traditionally solitary Xiongnu forces were beginning to form alliances. Even a thousand-mile dike could be breached by an ant’s nest, let alone the Xiongnu, who were vicious wolves and leopards rather than ants. Furthermore, court factions were numerous, each serving their own masters.
If not for their immediate imperial lineage being so thin with no rising stars to speak of, navigating this path of imperial power while dragging along a burden like herself would have been unimaginably difficult!
Lost in thought, a trace of sorrow once more clouded Song Shiwei’s brow. With her fragile body…
Ah!
She was not like the Princess of Xiliang, who could charge onto the battlefield amid a leaderless crisis, stunning ten thousand armies with a single spear, piercing enemy lines three times and out seven times to personally decapitate the opposing general, establishing Xiliang’s military might so thoroughly that no one dared invade for over a decade!
Nor was she like the female scholar of the Wei Dynasty, who used her sharp tongue to argue against rows of learned scholars until they were utterly speechless, and who personally wielded a sword to execute nine generations of traitors, splashing blood across the Golden Throne Hall. She did not possess the ability to reform laws, till fertile fields, or construct mountain paths to forge supreme majesty for a newly enthroned emperor.
She looked toward the chattering sparrows perched upon the tree branches.
The chaotic tangle of thoughts in her heart slowly cleared.
Perhaps, reaching up to touch the hair coiled by Mammy and gazing at her own stunning reflection in the mirror with an unreadable expression, marrying Shen Lan was one of the few ways she could actually help her brother!
Pushing forward with all haste, by the time the third tour of duty ended, dusk was drawing near, the absolute perfect timing. Treading right on the precipice of perfection as they stepped through the familiar city gates, Shen Yu sat straight in the saddle, quietly massaging her stiffening body without a trace of movement.
She was about to marry the princess; she did not want to dismount only to find her legs turning to jelly and earn a reputation for impotence on her wedding day!
Even though this body had undergone a qualitative leap through spellcasting, maintaining a motionless posture while jostled along the road for half a day…
None of this was standard mortal capability anyway!
She could not help wondering what would have happened if she still had the body she had arrived with.
The more she thought about it, the less Shen Yu understood.
Was the Shen family truly unafraid that she would expose herself, or did they genuinely believe those few days of intensive training could completely transform her?
Unable to figure it out, Shen Yu shook her head and dropped the matter entirely!
Right now, her priority was marrying the Grand Princess!