The Kingdom of Beitang.
At year’s end, the weather was bitterly cold, and the murky daylight could not pierce the thick clouds.
Heavy white snow blanketed the black tiles along the eaves of Wansong Academy in the capital.
The students’ commotion as they opened the lecture hall windows sent the snow sliding down with a soft rustle.
A young gentleman in fine silks planted a foot on the window frame and pointed at the frail youth kneeling outside, cursing him.
“What kind of damn prince are you? You, Xiao Chen, are nothing but a shameless, filthy lowlife!”
“You think you belong in the lecture hall? Let me tell you, if you dare show up tomorrow to hand in your punishment copy[1]Copying assigned texts by hand was a traditional form of disciplinary punishment in Chinese educational settings. Students could be ordered to repeatedly copy passages as a penalty for misconduct. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, I’ll make sure you meet a terrible end!”
Feng Yu’s words drew a round of snickers from the other students, who joined in with their taunts.
“His mother, an imperial consort[2]An imperial consort was a recognized partner of the emperor who held a position within the imperial household, generally ranking below the empress. Consorts could have different titles and degrees of … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, was demoted and sent to serve as a slave in the imperial mausoleum[3]An imperial mausoleum was a burial complex for deceased emperors and sometimes other members of the imperial family. Being forced into servitude there is presented as a severe punishment in this … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. He was thrown out of the palace and doesn’t even have a title. What kind of prince does that make him?”
“A dog doesn’t deserve a golden flower on its head.[4]This contemptuous metaphor compares an unworthy person to a dog adorned with a prestigious ornament. It mocks someone considered too lowly to receive honor or recognition. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); He actually thinks the Crown Prince’s tutor[5]The Crown Prince was the emperor’s designated heir to the throne. His tutor was responsible for educating and guiding the future ruler, making such an appointment prestigious and politically … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); would teach him? He ought to piss in a puddle and take a look at what a filthy creature he is!”
“Exactly. Just having him kneel there is enough to dirty Wansong Academy.”
Beside the frozen inkstone-washing pool, the youth sat kneeling at his desk, snow piled across his shoulders. He seemed not to hear a thing, his thin, crimson lips pressed tightly together.
He continued writing in steady strokes, but the fingers holding his brush trembled uncontrollably.
Beads of clear sweat slid from his sharp jaw down his neck.
It wasn’t the cold. He’d been drugged.
Another young gentleman from a prominent family, Zhang Fenglin, came to stand beside Feng Yu. A shadow passed through his eyes.
“Brother Feng, don’t lose your temper. It’s getting late, and it’s the Winter Solstice[6]Known as Dongzhi in Chinese, the Winter Solstice is an important traditional seasonal festival marking the year’s shortest day. Historically, it was associated with family gatherings, ancestral … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. Everyone needs to hurry home, so let’s call it a day.”
Then he lowered his voice.
“Don’t take this too far, either. The imperial decree hasn’t come down yet. If anything happens to him, His Majesty may not simply ignore it.”
Feng Yu couldn’t stand hearing that. He vaulted out the window.
“With His Highness the Crown Prince backing us, what are you afraid of, you coward? Watch me!”
Putting on a grand show of bravado, he strode up to Xiao Chen and shouted,
“You’re still writing? Did you hear a damn word I said?”
His temper flaring, he kicked Xiao Chen’s desk over.
In an instant, snow-white sheets of paper flew everywhere.
Ink splashed, and the inkstone that flew up struck Xiao Chen at the temple. Blood poured from the wound.
Bright, hot blood streamed down his cold cheek without stopping.
The inkstone went rolling through the snow… rolling and rolling… until it struck the toe of someone’s shoe.
Filthy ink soaked into her brocade boots.
Holding a flask of fine wine, she curled her lips at Feng Yu in a cold smile.
“Are you blind today, brat?”
Beneath Shen Junxi’s bold, sharply angled brows, her deep black eyes were alluring and wicked. Meeting her gaze sent an icy chill straight through you.
A thin sheen of sweat broke out across Feng Yu’s back.
Yet the shape of her eyes was exquisite—dangerous, captivating, upturned peach-blossom eyes[7]Peach-blossom eyes, or taohua yan, are a traditional Chinese description of attractive eyes, often slightly elongated and upturned, with a naturally alluring expression. The term frequently appears … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); that were impossible to look away from.
Young Marquis[8]A marquis was a high-ranking hereditary noble in traditional Chinese aristocratic systems. “Young Marquis” is a form of address for a young noble associated with a marquis household; the … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); Shen of the capital was notorious for her rakish ways, and her fame had spread far and wide.
Her breathtaking beauty had stirred the hearts of countless young women dreaming of love.
“Y-Young… Young Marquis, I… I didn’t know you’d come back! I’ve offended you, I’ve offended you! This worthless servant begs your forgiveness!”
“Please, Young Marquis, be magnanimous and forgive me!”
The notorious young wastrel Feng Yu turned into a mouse before a cat the moment he saw Shen Junxi.
As he spoke, he was so frightened that he crouched down and used his own fine silk robes to wipe the stains from her boots.
“Get away from me!”
Shen Junxi frowned, annoyed, and lifted her foot to kick Feng Yu where he crouched. She practiced martial arts, and the liquor’s effects had taken hold; the kick sent him flying into the nearby frozen inkstone-washing pool!
The ice had not frozen solid. With a loud crash—
Feng Yu plunged into a hole in the ice, screaming for help!
The students gathered at the windows sucked in sharp breaths at the sight. Terrified, not one of them dared go to his aid!
Quite a few even patted their chests in relief, thankful they hadn’t been the ones to offend Young Marquis Shen.
Shen Junxi—what sort of person was she?
Shen Junxi—the capital’s number-one rakish wastrel!
The one who had punched her way through the Wansong Examination Compound[9]An examination compound, known as a gongyuan, was a designated site where candidates took imperial civil-service examinations in historical China. Such examinations were central to selecting … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); and kicked her way through the Donglin Imperial Martial Academy!
Her grandfather was a founding general renowned throughout the realm for his outstanding military achievements, and had been granted the super-first-rank title[10]Traditional Chinese court hierarchies commonly divided official ranks into grades, with the first rank at the top. A super-first-rank designation indicated status above the ordinary first rank, … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_10').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_10', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); of Marquis of State Pacification.
Her two uncles, once famed along the borders, had both sacrificed their lives for the country, falling on the battlefield.
Her father had been chronically ill for years and had fathered no other children.
Shen Junxi was the sole heir of the loyal and illustrious Marquis of State Pacification household. When she returned to the capital three months ago, His Majesty himself bestowed a death-exemption gold token[11]A death-exemption token is a familiar device in Chinese historical fiction, representing an imperial grant of protection against execution. Such privileges were not universally guaranteed in actual … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_11').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_11', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); upon her.
With a status as exalted as Shen Junxi’s, as long as she didn’t commit treason by colluding with the enemy, what did it matter if she spent her life acting however she pleased?
Who would dare provoke her?
To put it bluntly, even if she “accidentally” kicked Feng Yu to death today, at worst she’d earn a bad reputation. Nothing more would come of it!
By now, Feng Yu’s cries for help sounded like a pig being slaughtered.
The Feng household servants who had been waiting outside the lecture hall were terrified!
Ignoring all propriety, they rushed in to save their young master!
The two servants in blue robes dropped to their knees before Shen Junxi with a thud, crying and begging.
“Young Marquis, spare him! If anything happens to our young master, our worthless lives will be forfeit too. We beg you to show mercy!”
“Please, Young Marquis, spare his life!”
The two men’s clamoring made Shen Junxi rub her brow. Irritated, she spat out a single word.
“Get lost.”
Only then did the servants dare go trembling to rescue Feng Yu.
Shen Junxi had had a wretched day. She tipped back her head and took another swig of wine.
As she passed Xiao Chen, a hand suddenly caught hold of the hem of her moon-white robe.
She looked down.
A long, bamboo-like hand, its knuckles sharply defined, clutched the edge of her robe.
“I, Xiao Chen, thank you for saving me, Young Marquis.”
Xiao Chen lifted his sharp chin, revealing a slender, pale neck.
At that moment, snow as thick as goose feathers fell from the sky like a curtain, blurring the outlines of everything.
His temple was wounded. One half of his face was aloof and otherworldly; the other, a vivid, savage red—luminous, bewitching, impossibly beautiful.
The sight immediately brought an old acquaintance to Shen Junxi’s mind: Liu Mingting.
She lifted the frail Xiao Chen with one hand, wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and said with a rueful laugh,
“Tonight, let’s drain a cup of wine together and ease a sorrow as old as time!”[12]This line echoes the closing sentiment of “Jiang Jin Jiu” (“Bring in the Wine”), a celebrated poem by the Tang-dynasty poet Li Bai. The poem invokes drinking with companions … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_12').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_12', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
Watching the two walk away, the students stared, dumbfounded.
Zhang Fenglin coolly watched Feng Yu being hauled out of the inkstone-washing pool. Unmoved, he murmured to himself,
“Tsk. Could Xiao Chen actually climb into Young Marquis Shen’s bed?”
A young gentleman named He Yu replied with open disdain,
“Who doesn’t know Young Marquis Shen spends most of his time at Cangjiao House[13]Cangjiao literally suggests “hiding a beauty,” an expression associated with keeping a favored lover in private. The name evokes a traditional Chinese romantic allusion and is used here … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_13').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_13', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });? It’s not just full of courtesans; there are plenty of male courtesans too. I’d heard Young Marquis Shen was a shameless libertine who’d try anything, but I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes. Interesting.”
He Yu’s father was the Minister of Personnel[14]In traditional Chinese imperial government, the Ministry of Personnel was one of the Six Ministries. It generally oversaw the appointment, evaluation, and promotion of civil officials, making its … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_14').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_14', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, a second-rank official. Only someone like He Yu would dare say such things outright.
“Let the Young Marquis have his fun first. Once he’s done, maybe we can have a turn too? A prince with skin as soft as his might feel pretty good.”
Another young gentleman with a lecherous look chuckled. His eyes gleamed with undisguised lust. He was Li Miao, the legitimate son[15]In traditional Chinese family hierarchy, a legitimate son, or dizi, was a son born to a man’s principal wife, as distinguished from sons born to concubines. This distinction could affect … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_15').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_15', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); of a Grand Academician[16]A Grand Academician, or daxueshi, was a prestigious senior scholarly official in various Chinese imperial administrations. Depending on the dynasty, such officials could advise the emperor, handle … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3736456_1_16').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3736456_1_16', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
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