Shen Wangshu froze for a moment, not expecting that the several large chests of items had all been prepared for her by him.
When she opened the box of books, she discovered that they were indeed not the Three-Character Classic or children’s primers she had imagined, but medical texts, travelogues, and story collections she had never seen before… clearly things chosen especially for her.
“I was just joking, my lord,” Shen Wangshu said quickly when she saw the man’s clearly displeased expression. Her eyes curved as she hurried to coax him. “At a glance, it’s obvious these were prepared for me. I like them far too much—how could I bear to throw them away?”
Chen Ting looked at her suspiciously. “Really?”
Shen Wangshu walked around to stand in front of him, softening her voice as she spoke gently. “Of course it’s true. How did my lord know I was just thinking of finding some books to read?”
Chen Ting could hardly say that it was because he had people keeping an eye on her every move. With a blank expression, he replied, “Just a guess.”
Shen Wangshu snorted softly to herself, thinking, Just a guess? More like spying on me. Aloud, however, she said sweetly, “My lord truly guessed what was in my heart. I like these books very much. As for the toys, give them to Hao’er. I’m already past the age of playing with such things.”
Chen Ting said, “Since they’re for you, do as you wish with them.”
Aside from the books, what Shen Wangshu liked most was another chest filled with gold ornaments—pure gold, solid all the way through, beautiful and valuable. If she ever had the chance to run away, taking this whole basket with her would be enough to ensure a lifetime of food and clothing without worry.
She couldn’t help picking up a round little golden pig, smiling so widely that her teeth showed. Chen Ting couldn’t help curling the corner of his lips as well.
The books and toys had all been prepared by Fuyao. Only this chest of gold had been his idea… He hadn’t expected her to like these shiny golden trinkets just as much as he did.
The slight irritation he had felt earlier instantly vanished, replaced by a faint sense of pleasure.
The night was long. Chen Ting had been out all day, and after dinner he had no intention of going out again. He went to the side room to fetch a bucket of water and wash up briefly. When he returned, he saw Shen Wangshu had also just finished washing her feet and was curling up on the bed.
As if nothing were amiss, he picked up a military treatise from the desk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shen Wangshu happily clutching a book as well—completely ignoring him.
He cleared his throat lightly.
Taohong, who was passing by, immediately knelt in panic, her voice trembling. “General.”
Chen Ting responded aloud, but his gaze remained fixed on the person behind the gauze curtain.
At last, Taohong’s voice dragged this utterly oblivious woman’s attention back. Shen Wangshu reluctantly but quickly extended the foot she had just withdrawn, bent down to put on her shoes, and hurried over. “Ahem… my lord, you’re back.”
Chen Ting didn’t even know why he wanted her attention—perhaps he simply couldn’t allow her to ignore him.
Thinking this way, he straightforwardly informed her of what he had considered all day. “Starting tonight, I won’t be sleeping in the study.”
Shen Wangshu was inwardly complaining that this man was troublesome when she heard those words. She blinked in confusion and said, “Of course…? My lord may sleep wherever he wishes.”
She was dressed only in snow-white inner robes, without the elaborate makeup of the wedding night. She looked more like a lotus fresh from the water. Standing close, there was a faint medicinal fragrance lingering at her nose.
Chen Ting emphasized, “This is my room. Although you have married into it, I can also rest and sleep here.”
Only then did Shen Wangshu understand the meaning of his words, and she was caught off guard by his inner thoughts: So she can’t kick me out of the room again tonight!
So it was just about sleeping together.
Shen Wangshu nodded, having no objections. “Alright. I left a pillow for my lord.”
She hadn’t planned to drive him away last night anyway—it had been his own decision to leave.
Since he wasn’t refused, Chen Ting was satisfied. Holding his book, he went back to sit by the table and read, no longer paying her any mind.
Shen Wangshu returned to the bed. After Meixue finished combing her hair, she leaned comfortably against the headboard and began flipping through the books Chen Ting had found for her.
Her family had once been a medical household. Her maternal grandparents—one a professor of traditional Chinese medicine, the other a professor of Western medicine—had shelves filled with medical works from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign. Shen Wangshu had been steeped in this environment since childhood. Books that others found incomprehensible and unbearably dull struck her as interesting instead. Before long, she was fully immersed in the medical knowledge of this era.
With the limitations of ancient conditions, ordinary ailments like headaches and fevers were easy enough to treat, but anything slightly more complicated became a difficult case. Whether it could be cured depended entirely on luck—and there were even all sorts of absurd records of elixir recipes.
When Shen Wangshu looked at the ingredients, they were all kinds of heavy metals. They were better suited for making bombs. Yet wealthy families loved stuffing these heavy-metal-laden substances into their mouths, hoping to attain immortality.
As she read, she couldn’t help leaning out and calling, “My lord!”
Chen Ting looked up at her. “What is it?”
“Come up to the bed. Let’s chat a bit.”
After spending a day and a night together, Shen Wangshu had roughly figured out his temperament. Though it didn’t show on his face, Chen Ting was actually quite good-natured, and his values weren’t as rigid or male-dominated as those of most people in this era.
Moreover, as long as one stroked him the right way, he rarely truly took offense. He was easy to placate.
If she was going to live here for the rest of her life, Shen Wangshu needed to understand this world better.
When she called, Chen Ting indeed came over.
Shen Wangshu scooted inward, making a large space for him, and patted it. “I didn’t have anyone remove my lord’s pillow.”
This time, Chen Ting didn’t remove his clothes. Sitting upright, he asked, “What do you want to talk about?”
“I was in poor health before and stayed secluded for a long time, so I don’t know much about matters outside. I wanted to ask my lord—does Great Zhou have a practice of alchemy?”
Chen Ting frowned instinctively. “Yes. His Majesty pursues immortality. The palace keeps a group of men who claim to practice cultivation, and there’s even a Longevity Temple used to refine various elixirs.”
“Some prominent families in the capital also have their own alchemy rooms.”
“Is it effective?” Shen Wangshu propped her chin on her hand. “The books say one pill grants immense strength, another makes people feel as if they’re floating. Is it really that miraculous?”
“Of course not,” Chen Ting said, glancing at her seriously. “This isn’t legitimate medicine. I never take it, and it has always been forbidden in the army.”
“You’re in poor health. I’ll find the best physicians to treat you,” he said. “But this kind of thing is not allowed.”
“I understand,” Shen Wangshu replied with a smile.
“What were you like before, at the Xiahou residence?” Chen Ting looked at the dry, tedious medical text in her hands and suddenly grew curious. “Why do you like reading this kind of book?”
“Long illness makes one into a doctor. I don’t just read—I know a little as well,” she answered, half in jest, half in truth.
“Hm. Let me take a look…” She continued, “My lord has long been campaigning outside. Your body harbors old injuries, and because of certain matters, you’ve accumulated deep emotional stagnation. If it erupts, the consequences could be severe. You need to take good care of yourself.”