A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 11
by Little PandaDaily Life at Jiang Manor
A Touch of Makeup, Added Grace
Qingyuan County lay close to the city gates, and beyond those gates stretched dense mountain forests. That man-eating white tiger with its slanting amber eyes had descended from those woods. It had appeared twice at the city gate, terrifying passersby out of their wits. Word was that it had dragged two people straight into the forest and killed them — after that, no one dared to throw themselves into the tiger’s jaws. On ordinary days, they might have taken their time discussing how to avoid it. But now they had to kill the great beast within ten days. If the Imperial Inspector got eaten by a tiger in their Qingyuan County, the magistrate could forget about a peaceful retirement.
And so they had resorted to that combination of threats and deception against Shen Hetang. By rights, they should have found two strapping young men — but everyone nearby knew what the Yamen was like. They knew that taking the job meant risking one’s life, and the credit for any success would go to the County Magistrate’s relatives anyway. So no one came forward to volunteer. They had only snared Shen Hetang, this outsider looking for work.
When she returned home and Jiang Chenyu heard that Shen Hetang had found work at the Yamen, pride mingled with worry in her heart.
“Will being a bailiff be dangerous? Dealing with brawls and disturbances — what if you get hurt?” The young woman, her face soft as peach petals, her hairpin shimmering with a kingfisher-feather butterfly1, had a smile sweet as honey just fading from her lips. Now her misty brows drew together in concern.
“I’ll be very careful not to get hurt. Don’t worry too much.” Though the wife was fake, the feeling of having someone care for her was pleasant — it moved this poor soul who had no siblings and had never known love.
“Yaoyao, come here a moment.” She saw the cinnabar on the desk, and looking at the heart shape formed by Jiang Chenyu’s wispy bangs across her forehead, she spoke.
“What for?” The young woman, her cloud-dark hair adorned with pearl hairpins, was caught off guard by the request to come closer. A bit bewildered, she still leaned her upper body forward.
Shen Hetang dipped her pinky into the brilliant red cinnabar, then raised her hand and pressed it to the space between Jiang Chenyu’s brows. That face, already uncommonly lovely, now gained an added mystery and allure — truly living up to her name, which meant “sinking fish.” She was as beautiful as her name suggested.2
She thought that at least one thing Wu Daoyuan had said was correct — he truly was raising this flower with tender care. But his filthy, obscene intentions destined him to become Jiang Chenyu’s enemy.
She had been sitting in a rosewood chair3. Jiang Chenyu, leaning slightly forward, happened to be positioned above her. The two of them looked quite intimate. Little Chuntao happened to push open the door just then, bringing fruit. Seeing their posture, she hurriedly covered her eyes, set down her things, and fled the bedroom as if a dog were chasing her.
Shen Hetang heard the commotion and turned to look outside, catching sight of Chuntao running out like she was being chased by a dog. She curled her lips into a laugh, straightened up, and picked up a bronze mirror to hold before Jiang Chenyu.
“My wife is too beautiful. It seems guarding the inner quarters will be a weighty responsibility indeed,” she joked.
“What? You don’t like it?” He had just dotted a forehead ornament4 on her forehead, making her heart race like a deer — but did he dislike her appearance? It was true that being too beautiful could bring many troubles. Wu Daoyuan came to mind, and the starlight in her eyes dimmed.
“If Ah Tang thinks I’m too showy, I’ll be more plain from now on.” Her voice drifted, stubborn yet laced with grievance.
Shen Hetang was dumbfounded. What had she said? How had one sentence carried a hidden edge, and the next sentence been full of grievance? She was a woman herself, but this was the first time she understood why people said girls were made of water. If she said two more sentences, there would be tears in those eyes. She, a woman made of concrete, was honestly a bit afraid of this.
“You’ve wronged me. If I disliked you for being too dazzling, I wouldn’t have applied your makeup for you. I’m only afraid I won’t be able to protect you well enough, that’s all.” This needed to be clarified quickly — offending her patron would not do.
“Don’t worry, I won’t cause you trouble. I don’t usually go out, and if I do have to go somewhere, I’ll wear a veil.” Her eyes held a careful promise as she spoke.
That pitiful little look made Shen Hetang uncomfortable inside. Being beautiful wasn’t her fault. But if something happened, she would be the one bearing the consequences. Even if she wanted to give Jiang Chenyu more freedom, she knew there were no human rights here. With just her flashy but useless martial arts5, she couldn’t protect her. She could handle Wu Daoyuan, but she had no way to deal with powerful, influential people. Better to be careful.
“When I become a high official someday, you’ll be able to swagger through Qingyuan County like a crab walking sideways, all right?” She would never actually become an official — she was just coaxing the young lady. At most she’d end up a head bailiff.
“All right. I’ll remember that. You’re not allowed to deceive me.” Though she wasn’t smiling, the laughter in her eyes couldn’t be contained. The long lashes at the corners of her eyes curled upward, giving her a charming, tender look.
“Mm, I won’t deceive you.” No wonder men loved looking at beauties. She felt she rather liked looking at them too — especially this enchanting type. They had lethal power over straight women. Fortunately, she had the willpower of a police reserve trainee. She couldn’t let herself fall into this.
She hadn’t dared tell Jiang Chenyu about the tiger-hunting expedition. She just quietly went to the Yamen to report. She heard they’d found some young men with martial arts skills to lead them outside the city. Those ten-plus bailiffs couldn’t keep slacking off and playing the lord anymore — they had to grit their teeth and come out to prepare together.
Footnotes
- A traditional Chinese decorative hairpin featuring a butterfly ornament crafted using the diǎncuì technique — inlaying kingfisher feathers into metalwork to create brilliant, iridescent jewelry.
- A reference to the Chinese idiom chényu luòyàn (沉鱼落雁), 'fish sink and wild geese alight,' describing beauty so extraordinary that it captivates even nature. The phrase is traditionally associated with the legendary beauty Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Jiang Chenyu's given name contains the character for 'sink' (chén), evoking this allusion.
- A traditional Chinese chair with a low, curved backrest and no armrests, typically made of rosewood or similar hardwood. Named for its elegant, rose-like appearance.
- Huādiàn (花钿), a decorative makeup mark or ornament applied to the forehead, typically between the brows. Popular in the Tang dynasty and later periods, it could be painted directly on the skin or affixed as a small ornament. The cinnabar dot Shen Hetang applies is a simple form of this adornment.
- Huāquán xiùtuǐ (花拳绣腿), literally 'flowery fists and embroidered legs' — a derogatory term for martial arts that look impressive but are ineffective in actual combat. The phrase compares flashy but useless techniques to ornamental embroidery.
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