Su Tan was choked by Shen Xiuwang’s threatening words.
Her misty peach-blossom eyes turned crimson from holding back tears, which shimmered in their sockets, stubbornly refusing to fall.
Like pear blossoms drenched in rain, she looked utterly pitiful.
Yet inwardly, she felt a flicker of calm—she had gambled correctly.
Shen Xiuwang had spent ten thousand gold, certainly not to kill her.
By the same logic, Qin Huai would not truly be punished by him either.
Sure enough, Chang Feng and Yuan Jing quietly withdrew, dragging the musician with them, leaving only Su Tan and Shen Xiuwang inside the Painted Pleasure Boat.
One knelt, the other sat.
Su Tan suppressed her urge to cry, her voice hoarse: “Thank you, my lord.”
The man’s warm fingertips still lingered at the corner of her eye.
Moments earlier, Shen Xiuwang had instinctively reached out to touch her, finding the sensation indescribably exquisite.
Was this girl molded from milk and fine jade?
The abrupt thought made Shen Xiuwang instantly scornful.
Truly, feminine charms lead men astray—what a nuisance.
Collecting himself, he withdrew his hand and tilted his chin slightly. “Not entirely foolish, it seems.”
“Rise.”
“Mei Wu is overwhelmed with gratitude for your mercy in sparing my life.”
Su Tan pushed herself up from her knees, trembling slightly as she stood with bowed head, like a quail feigning clumsiness.
Her hands clasped respectfully before her waist, she assumed a posture of humble obedience.
Men favored clever girls but disliked those who were overly shrewd.
“Come here.”
An impatient command reached her ears. Su Tan lifted her gaze to him.
Shen Xiuwang leaned back in his chair, legs slightly apart, his hand resting on his knee with fingers spread. He crooked his index finger toward her.
The man’s inherent laziness and ruthless decisiveness seemed to shift seamlessly.
Su Tan nodded, pressing her soft palm briefly against her waist before stepping forward.
The distance was close—so close that with one sweep of his arm, Shen Xiuwang could pull her into his embrace.
The man extended his long arm, his slender fingers hooking onto the soft silk gauze at her waist. Her slender waist seemed as if it could be snapped with a pinch.
“My lord…” Su Tan panicked again.
His fingers tightened, and her sash suddenly came loose, leaving her light robe half-open.
Clang! A sharp, thin piece of metal fell to the floor.
Shen Xiuwang lifted his eyelids to glance at her. “Indeed, a thorny one.”
With her last escape route fully exposed, Su Tan found herself beyond panic, instead embracing a calm acceptance of her fate.
An ant trying to shake a tree—utterly overestimating its strength.
Shen Xiuwang sneered coldly. “Poison and blades—Mei Wu’s determination to flee runs deep.”
Su Tan’s brow twitched. With a thud, she knelt once more to reply: “Your insight is sharp, my lord. Had there been another path, Mei Wu would not have resorted to this.”
Another path.
Such audacity, to dare cling to him.
Shen Xiuwang shifted his posture, raising a hand to rub his temple as he mocked, “Is being a courtesan so bad? Adored by thousands, adorned in gold and silver.”
Su Tan shook her head despondently. “It is not.”
She gently rolled up her sleeve, revealing a fair, slender arm where a vermilion Chastity Seal blazed like rosy clouds.
This was a bargaining chip Mama Yue had planted on her long ago.
“Tonight, Mei Wu receives such adoration solely for this. To spend a night with you is my fortune.”
She smiled faintly, self-deprecatingly. “But what of tomorrow? Or the day after? It will be an endless parade of men climbing into and out of my bed.”
What woman would willingly bear a lowly status, selling her body to be toyed with by others?
Such candid, earnest words stirred little ripples in Shen Xiuwang’s heart.
He considered himself devoid of idle sympathy for fragile beauties. Tales of deep affection, undying devotion, or rescuing fallen women only earned his contempt.
A faint sting on his lower lip—where her forced kiss had broken the skin earlier.
Bold and clever, her methods though naive held a hint of intrigue.
Gazing at the crimson, blood-like Chastity Seal, Shen Xiuwang’s eyes darkened.
“I’ll point you to a clear path.”
Life or death—it all depends on her own ability.
Su Tan understood clearly, offering a graceful bow. “I thank you, my lord.”
＊
The Painted Pleasure Boat swayed gently all night, only steadying as dawn’s light began to break.
The slender girl disembarked, supporting her waist.
Su Tan returned to the Fragrant Pavilion in a small sedan chair, where Mama Yue greeted her with a beaming smile.
The delicate flower was clearly exhausted.
“Oh my, Military Governor Shen really is… Hurry back to your room and rest.”
Su Tan didn’t even want to utter a single “mm” in response, allowing the maid to help her upstairs.
Mama Yue hummed twice but did not get angry.
Just moments ago, a guard from the Shen family had delivered a message: tonight, Military Governor Shen had requested Mei Wu again. With money pouring in like rain, how could she not be grinning from ear to ear?
Once in her room, Su Tan lay down on the bed and waved her hand, signaling the maid to leave.
This night had exhausted her thoroughly.
Closing her eyes and rubbing her waist, she silently pondered how to proceed on the path ahead.
With a creak, the door was pushed open.
“Ah Wu, are you alright?”
A young woman in an apricot-yellow gauze dress walked in, holding two jars of ointment in her hand, calling to her softly.
Su Tan opened her eyes and forced a gentle smile for her. “Sister Cai Wei, I’m fine.”
Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, she hardly looked fine.
Cai Wei sighed, sitting by the bed and handing her the medicine.
“For reducing swelling and bruising.”
Mentioning reducing swelling and bruising only made Su Tan feel a dull ache in her knees.
She lifted her skirt, revealing bruised and purple knees.
She had knelt too hard last night—with a thud that could have punched a hole in the boat’s cabin.
Cai Wei frowned, opened the jar, scooped a bit of white ointment onto her fingertip, and gently applied it to Su Tan.
“You couldn’t escape last night. You’ve suffered.”
Su Tan hissed in pain. “I still have to thank Sister Cai Wei and Qin Huai for planning for me. As long as you weren’t implicated, it’s fine.”
Seeing her sensitivity to pain, Cai Wei leaned over and blew gently, applying the medicine even more softly.
“If it had been Lin Sheng, you might have escaped, but it was Military Governor Shen…”
Cai Wei hesitated. “Was he in a foul mood? Did he torment you?”
Seeing how badly her knees were bruised, other places were likely even worse.
Su Tan, both physically and mentally exhausted, simply lay back down.
Giving her seven days to uncover an old incident from seven years ago in the pavilion—did he think she was Judge Dee reincarnated?
Shen Xiuwang must have something wrong with him—his mind or his body?
Others thought the pleasure boat had swayed all night, assuming it was filled with passionate, lustful encounters.
In reality, Shen Xiuwang had demanded she jump and sway in the lower cabin all night, claiming it was to “boost this Military Governor’s vigor.”
Through the gauzy sleeve, the Chastity Seal on the girl’s fair arm was faintly visible.
Su Tan let out a heavy sigh. “Tormented? He tormented me nearly to death.”
Seven days—if she couldn’t complete the clear path he pointed out,
she would be trapped to death in the Fragrant Pavilion.
She couldn’t reveal this to Cai Wei or Qin Huai; otherwise, Shen Xiuwang would surely kill them.
Ten thousand gold—what he bought wasn’t her first night, but clearly her life.
A man who showed no emotion, his schemes unfathomably deep.
Su Tan closed her eyes as drowsiness washed over her. At least for these seven days, she wouldn’t have to worry about being forced to entertain clients, and Shen Xiuwang likely wouldn’t touch her either.
She could only take the gamble.
Overnight, the scandalous affair of Military Governor Shen splurging ten thousand gold for a night with the Fragrant Pavilion’s top courtesan spread throughout the capital.
During the morning court session, Shen Xiuwang, with his devastatingly handsome face, appeared triumphant and utterly unbothered by the whispers around him.
The bruise on his lower lip had the old ministers stroking their beards and shaking their heads.
Some hinted obliquely at his improper conduct.
Yet the lofty sovereign merely offered a mild, perfunctory rebuke: “What nonsense.”
Who was Shen Xiuwang?
Born into a family of distinguished officials, with a hereditary title passed down through generations.
His grandfather had performed great deeds and was a trusted minister who had fought side by side with the late emperor on horseback.
His grandmother and the current empress dowager had been close as sisters since their maiden days.
Then there was Father Shen, a man of both literary and martial excellence, loyal and diligent in service to the sovereign, while Madam Shen hailed from the noble Cui family.
As the legitimate son of the Marquis of Jingning, Shen Xiuwang was born into a life of luxury and privilege, destined to rise effortlessly to great heights.
From childhood, he was fair and lovely, clever and sweet-tongued, deeply favored by the empress dowager.
She often summoned him to the palace, raising him as if he were her own. He studied and dined alongside the imperial grandsons, addressing them as brothers.
Even if he were to poke a hole in the sky, the empress dowager would only pat his head and soothe him, never showing any alarm.
When Father Shen once delayed military action, losing cities and causing the entire army to be wiped out,
despite such a grave crime, the sovereign did not extend punishment to the entire Shen family.
Yet, at the tender age of fifteen, Shen Xiuwang volunteered to serve on the frontier, campaigning for eight years.
The young man fought across thousands of miles, his sword once holding off a million enemy troops.
Now, having returned in triumph, he was promoted to General of Agile Cavalry, restoring the Shen family’s prestige.
His grandfather, Shen Xuanchang, was now in the twilight of his heroism, long withdrawn from court affairs, the old marquis devoting himself to Buddhism in a temple.
In his youth, the people of the capital called him “Young Marquis.” Now, holding an official post and commanding troops, they respectfully addressed him as Grand Commandant.
After court adjourned, Shen Xiuwang returned to his residence.
Passing through the gate and entering from the right side of the screen wall, he hadn’t gone far before hearing the lively chatter and laughter of women in the Garden of Abundance.
“Old Madam, your spirits are especially high today.”
“Aunt, when will Brother Xiuwang return?”
Tsk, his dear grandmother and mother were at it again—selecting a granddaughter-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Since his return to the capital, the stream of visitors to the residence had been endless.
One cousin here, another cousin there, not to mention the daughters of noble families whose mothers were once close to Madam Shen.
Shen Xiuwang felt that even if he were split into eighteen pieces, it wouldn’t be enough to go around.
The servant Zhan Ming approached respectfully: “Second Young Master, Old Madam and Madam are waiting for you in the Garden of Abundance after court.”
Shen Xiuwang waved his hand. “Tell Grandmother and Mother that I was tired last night and will pay my respects to them later.”
Avoidance was his strategy—he had no interest whatsoever in marriage.
Was life not leisurely and carefree enough? To spend decades day and night with one person, then raise two or three troublesome children,
living a life that seemed predictable from the start—it was like a blindfolded donkey turning a millstone.
Why marry? It would only bring suffering.
Shen Xiuwang shook his head silently, his long legs carrying him on a detour.
After walking a stretch and turning past the covered corridor, he still encountered the matriarch surrounded by her entourage.
Grandmother Shen, her hair silver, feigned displeasure and snorted: “Let me see, why is Grand Commandant Shen so terribly busy?”
Beside her, a woman with an oval face and dignified features smiled: “Xiuwang, how improper to return without first paying respects to your grandmother.”
Behind them stood five or six young ladies, their delicate faces flushed, their adoring gazes fixed on Shen Xiuwang.
Cornered, Shen Xiuwang inwardly groaned, but his face instantly brightened with a smile. He stepped forward to support Grandmother Shen, bowing and coaxing:
“Grandmother, what are you saying? No matter how high an official your grandson becomes, he will always be your grandson.”
He gave a slight nod to the middle-aged woman. “Thank you for the reminder, Mother. I deserve to be scolded.”
Grandmother Shen was so delighted by his words that she reached out to gently pinch her grandson’s cheek, teasing, “You’re the only one who knows how to sweet-talk.”
Shen Xiuwang seized the opportunity to play along, joking, “Your grandson is both cultured and skilled in martial arts, all thanks to your excellent teaching.”
With that, the tense atmosphere eased considerably, and everyone broke into smiles.
“What happened to your lip?” the old lady asked, leaning in for a closer look.
She was still unaware of last night’s romantic escapade.
Madam Shen pressed a handkerchief to her lips and shot her son a meaningful glance, urging him to answer carefully.
Especially since there were several young ladies from other families present.
Shen Xiuwang clearly had no intention of giving a proper answer. He curled his lips slightly and said, “A cat bit it.”
“A cat?”
He recalled how last night, with arms outstretched, he had asked her to help him undress and bathe. The girl had kept her head bowed, her fair neck gleaming, taking what felt like an eternity just to untie his waistband.
The playful curve of his lips widened a little more.
“A clumsy white cat.”
Grandmother Shen nodded thoughtfully. “Then make sure to apply some ointment properly, so it doesn’t scar.”
The hearts of the young ladies from the other families instantly shattered into pieces.
That brothel woman had actually gotten close to him!
Everyone in the capital knew that although Shen Xiuwang enjoyed watching dances and listening to music, he never touched any women.
So why had he done so this time?