A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 30

by Little Panda

Daily Life on Rest Days

The Shadow Play ‘The Female Consort’

The first snow of this winter fell exceptionally heavily. Snowflakes layered one over the other, drifting down from the sky in a sprawling dance. They say a timely snow promises an abundant year¹, so next year was bound to be a fruitful one.

Today was Shen Hetang’s rest day. The Jiang family planned to eat a mutton hotpot for dinner, and the nannies were already in the kitchen preparing the ingredients. The room was heated with silver frost charcoal², the warmth rushing against their faces. A faint, elegant incense wafted from the censer, a subtle and unobtrusive scent.

Shen Hetang wore a brocade robe embroidered with flowing clouds and flying birds. The off-white color accentuated his appearance as a jade-like young master, and with a silver openwork hair crown, he looked incredibly noble and handsome.

She held a green playing piece in her hand, sitting on the chaise longue playing chess with Jiang Chenyu. The two were earnestly playing a game of gomoku³. Jiang Chenyu held the white pieces, but her mind was entirely off the board. Instead, she covertly watched Shen Hetang’s excessively fair fingers. As he pinched a playing piece, the blue veins on the back of his hand were clearly visible. It was likely due to his regular martial arts practice. Although these hands didn’t look broad, they appeared full of strength. They suited her tastes perfectly.

Watching him hold the jasper piece, Jiang Chenyu suddenly got up and went over to the canopy bed. After a short moment, she swayed her way back to the kang table.

“We were having a good game. Why did you run off?” Shen Hetang asked, toying with the gomoku piece in her hand.

“Hold out your hand,” Jiang Chenyu said, her voice sweet and playful.

“For what?” She smiled in bemusement.

“To give you something.” Saying so, she took his hand and slipped an ice-type jade thumb ring with green floating flowers onto his finger. The ring was slightly too large. Jiang Chenyu tried it on his fingers one by one, finally settling on the middle finger, where it was neither too tight nor loose enough to fall off.

It was made of exceptionally fine jade, icy and translucent. The band was perfectly smooth and round, and the splash of green floating color gave it a striking, spirited vibrancy. Resting on Shen Hetang’s jade-white finger, it truly brought out the best in both.

“Do you like it?” Having shared something wonderful, the young girl looked at him, her face full of an eagerness to claim credit.

“It’s stunning. I love it. Thank you for the reward, noble person,” Shen Hetang said, rubbing the jade ring. Its touch was warm and smooth, its color crystal clear. It was incredibly beautiful.

“Are you only going to thank me with your mouth?” Jiang Chenyu looked at him with moist eyes, like a little deer.

“Hmm, then how else do you want me to thank you?” Shen Hetang’s long eyelashes veiled her dark eyes. The soft corners of her red lips quirked upward as she propped her chin on one hand, asking lazily.

“Thanking me with your mouth isn’t entirely unacceptable,” she murmured. Her body leaned forward, closing the distance until she was practically pressed against Shen Hetang.

A faint, sweet fragrance disrupted Shen Hetang’s breathing. In a sudden bout of panic, she toppled backward. The young girl straightened up, playfully stuck her tongue out at her, and turned away.

Her fingers, which had been gripping the armrest of the chaise longue, relaxed. Heart racing, she pushed herself back up, her earlobes growing hot. Seeing the girl leave the room, she felt a vague sense of disappointment.

Alas, she was a bit doomed. Things had gotten messed up⁴.

By the Hour of the Horse, the accumulated snow was half a palm deep, and the falling snowflakes had gradually lightened. Lunch was ready. A steaming copper hotpot was brought in, half clear broth and half spicy broth. Being able to eat spicy hotpot even after coming here left Shen Hetang overjoyed. Who said ancient times were backward? Isn’t everything pretty comprehensive here? she thought.

Eight small plates were laid out on the modest table, crowding the surface entirely and making for a lavish spread. There were four plates of thinly sliced beef and mutton. She heard it had been purchased from northern herders, meat from animals raised on wild herbs, making it not only sweet and tender but also highly nourishing. Fresh greens were scarce in winter, but there were plenty of dried goods: sliced napa cabbage, dried shiitake mushrooms, soft tofu, a platter of winter melon and potatoes, and chopped dried scallops.

For a lunch between two people, it was more than an abundant feast. The milky white bone broth was simmered with red dates, goji berries, longans, bay leaves, and other seasonings. The other half, the spicy pot, looked glossy and red. The charcoal burned fiercely in the stove beneath, bringing the soup in the pot to a rolling boil that stoked the appetite.

She picked up a thin slice of beef with her chopsticks, rolling it a few times in the spicy broth. It came out fresh, tender, and flavorful with a mild kick. Sitting by the window on a snowy day, eating hotpot—it truly was a massive luxury.

“Why are you only eating winter melon and tofu?” Did someone with such a perfect figure still need to lose weight?

“Winter melon and tofu boiled in meat broth are more radiant. They taste just as good,” Jiang Chenyu said, picking up a piece of winter melon.

“Hah, you’re pretty easy to feed.” She looked up at Jiang Chenyu, who was eating nothing but vegetables like a rabbit.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Jiang Chenyu playfully retorted.

Two days after the snow stopped, word spread that a shadow play troupe was coming to perform in Qingyuan County. The people in the streets and alleys ignored the freezing cold, eagerly making preparations.

“Is it time? Shouldn’t we head out?” The stage had been set up not far from the Jiang Manor; a walk of two quarters of an hour would get her and Shen Hetang there.

Her dark, cloud-like hair was swept up with floral hairpins, a gemstone pendant resting against her forehead, and gold filigree lantern earrings swinging with a nimble, aristocratic grace. She wore an orange-yellow gold-woven jacket, paired with a brownish-red embroidered horse-face skirt⁵, and layered with a light-colored, printed bijia⁶. She looked slender and exquisite, but not thickly dressed enough for the weather.

“Why aren’t you wearing that cloak? The wind outside is laced with snowflakes,” Shen Hetang reminded her upon seeing how brightly dressed she was.

“Right, I’ll go get it.” Saying so, she trotted over to the wardrobe and pulled out the cloak she had carefully put away.

“Ah Tang, help me put it on,” she coquettishly requested, walking back over.

Shen Hetang shook out the fiery red cloak and draped it over her, pulling the hood up and wrapping her tightly. If Jiang Chenyu lowered her head, it would even cover her eyes.

Shen Hetang was dressed in a black long-jacket with subtle patterns and tight sleeves, overlaid with a light-colored, cloud-embroidered thick cotton vest. A leather belt was fastened around her waist, hanging a double-fish pendant⁷. She looked upright and exuded a heroic spirit.

The two held hands, the snow crunching beneath their boots as they walked. Shen Hetang grasped Jiang Chenyu’s hand, and Jiang Chenyu carried a rabbit lantern. Heading toward their destination, they left behind two trails of footprints. Against the snowy backdrop, the bright red embroidered cloak made her look like a mysterious snow lotus from the Heavenly Mountains, while the figure beside her stood like a dependable verdant pine.

The streets were indeed crowded with people hurrying to join the festivities. At this hour, some merchants hadn’t yet closed their shops. The colorful lanterns, coupled with the moon on the horizon, illuminated the bustling road. Young ladies waited with festive expressions for the performance on stage; some had even gone to buy candied hawthorn skewers while they waited.

“Do you want to eat a candied hawthorn skewer while we wait too?” Shen Hetang asked. The two were sitting on stools, looking around.

“Okay, I want one with sesame seeds.” She had noticed the young miss in front of them holding a candied hawthorn covered in sesame seeds.

“Sit here and don’t move. Wait for me.”

“I won’t move,” she answered obediently.

The stall selling candied hawthorn was right behind the stage, not too far away.

Passing the backstage area where they were preparing for the performance, Shen Hetang spotted a large box of props. Her heart stirred as a different idea came to mind. She walked up to the troupe master, pulled out a silver ingot—a full ten taels—and whispered a few words to him. The master agreed with a face full of smiles: “Yes, yes, no problem.”

“What, were there a lot of people buying candied hawthorn? It took you so long to come back,” Jiang Chenyu asked upon her return.

“Not many. A young miss took a liking to me, and I was almost dragged off to be a live-in son-in-law⁸,” she spouted nonsense with a straight face.

Jiang Chenyu’s affectionate peach-blossom eyes immediately narrowed. Her long, curled eyelashes at the corners of her eyes lowered, and she raised her hand, reaching straight for the buttons at Shen Hetang’s collar.

“Hey, hey, hey, Miss, what are you doing in broad daylight?” she hurriedly caught Jiang Chenyu’s hand to stop her.

“You’re wearing too many clothes. I wanted to pinch you a couple of times, but I was afraid it wouldn’t hurt. What did you think I was trying to do?” Honestly, all he knew was how to spout nonsense. She ought to just pinch him to death.

“Save the pinching for when we go back, alright? Look, it’s about to start on stage.” That scared her half to death.

Following the clash of gongs and drums, a figure adorned with jade pendants stumbled onto the rectangular shadow screen, immediately followed by humorous and engaging voice acting.

The beautifully crafted figures vividly narrated the story: After her engagement was broken off, the woman’s father was falsely accused and implicated. With nowhere to turn, she was forced to disguise herself as a man and travel to the capital for the imperial examinations. Possessing incredible talent, the woman actually placed first as the Top Scholar. She caught the eye of the Princess and was chosen to be the Prince Consort. The Emperor and his ministers were exceptionally satisfied. Only the woman herself suffered in silence, without even the chance to explain. But for the sake of her father’s life, she had already committed the capital offense of cross-dressing for the exams—she didn’t care about adding one more death penalty to her name. As long as she could save her father before dying and bring down the abuse of power by the Prime Minister, she would accept even beheading.

Next came the scenes between the woman and the Princess. Beside Shen Hetang, Jiang Chenyu watched with rapt attention, barely taking two bites of her candied hawthorn.

“This person deceived the Princess’s feelings. Truly, a beheading wouldn’t be too harsh a punishment,” Shen Hetang prodded from the side, adding fuel to the fire.

“But she had no other choice. Besides, it was to save her father; she should be considered a person of love and righteousness,” Jiang Chenyu retorted, her breath puffing out in white mists in the freezing air.

“But she made a fool of royal blood, and the Princess was still willing to help her deal with her enemies. She truly deserves ten thousand deaths,” Shen Hetang pressed on.

“The Princess gave her heart to her, so naturally she is willing to help. Presumably, the Princess will not regret it either.”

“But after utilizing the Princess’s true feelings, she actually ended up leaving with her childhood sweetheart. Still, she isn’t worthy of staying by the Princess’s side anyway,” Shen Hetang continued to probe.

“But the Princess seemed to genuinely like her. If she had wanted to stay, the Princess might not have disagreed!” Jiang Chenyu seemed to lose interest as she watched the conclusion.

“Well, they are both women. Even if she stayed, what could they do? It would only add to their troubles!” In this shadow play, the scenes between the Consort and the Princess were abundant and highly dramatic. Although Jiang Chenyu wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending, she understood that public morals and social customs could not easily be defied, so she could only compromise.

Failing to glean the result she wanted from her probing, Shen Hetang stubbornly asked one last question: “If I were also a woman, and in the end, I went home and married a childhood sweetheart, what would you do?”

“I would kill him,” Jiang Chenyu said. Her voice was calm and soothing, completely devoid of inflection, as if she were talking about what they’d had for dinner.

Then, looking at a dumbfounded Shen Hetang, she added, “Man or woman, neither is acceptable. You had best stay far away, so as not to bring harm to them.”

She gently brushed the flying snow off Shen Hetang’s shoulder, her expression remaining unchanged. She looked innocent yet charming—in the flower-like prime of her youth—but those affectionate eyes stared back at Shen Hetang with a piercing sharpness.

“I was just talking nonsense. I’ll only be with you, I won’t run off with anyone else. Don’t worry.” Seeing Jiang Chenyu turn serious, she hurriedly declared her stance. She still lacked the courage to confess her true identity and had no idea how to even say it. Thus, emotionally, she wanted to take a step forward, yet found herself unable to advance.

In Jiang Chenyu’s eyes, this was merely his hot-and-cold behavior, blowing distant and close, deeply insecure. Add to that her ignorance of his past—the mere thought of him regaining his memories and leaving with someone else caused a surge of violent hostility in her heart that she couldn’t suppress. She hadn’t focused at all on the “man or woman” part of the question.

Shen Hetang sensibly shut her mouth. Holding hands, the two walked back to the Jiang Manor. She had merely sussed out that Jiang Chenyu’s tolerance was decent, but hadn’t gleaned much more of her attitude.

In the night, a body supple as a water snake climbed over. Soft, boneless hands gently caressed the side of her face, and then that sweet, clear breath slowly drew near.

“…Mmh…!” Her rosy lips were instantly blocked off. Her learning ability was quite fast. Soft vermilion lips lightly sucked on hers, biting down and refusing to let go, as if she were some delicious piece of candy.

During their chess game, Jiang Chenyu had already harbored certain thoughts about these full, rosy lips, but during the day, she ultimately couldn’t throw caution to the wind. Now, in the dead of night, she’d like to see where he could run off to. Still dreaming of a childhood sweetheart? Not a chance.

Besides, there was no rule stating he could kiss her, but she couldn’t kiss him.

Shen Hetang’s lower lip felt numb from being sucked. Her mind abandoning all rational thought, she reached out to clasp the back of Jiang Chenyu’s head. Her other arm clamped around her waist, and the tip of her tongue began to probe and entangle.

A long moment later, Jiang Chenyu’s robes were disheveled, her face flushed and burning. Scattered marks were visible everywhere below her collarbones. Weakly, she buried her head into the quilt, panting softly as she tried to calm her breathing. How could it be like this? She had thought kissing was just bumping lips together.

Despite having gotten her way, Jiang Chenyu curled up like a quail, hiding motionless beneath the quilt.

Under the moonlight, a shimmering rippled in Shen Hetang’s eyes. Now that her mind had cleared, she was filled with regret. Even though she had been the one seduced, that couldn’t cover up the fact that she was a liar.

Mixed with the forbidden, thrilling sensation was an inescapable guilt. She pulled the girl, quilt and all, into her embrace, patting her gently. A subtle trace of faint sorrow knit her brows.

It was best to confess this matter as soon as possible—die early to reincarnate early⁹. If she let it continue developing like this, she didn’t know what she might end up doing. She figured that if push came to shove, she’d find an opportunity and just confess. Even if Shen Hetang herself could cast aside human decency for the sake of romance, she ultimately had to think of Jiang Chenyu. She wasn’t even seventeen years old yet. Could Shen Hetang let her ruin her entire life over a fleeting romance?

Jiang Chenyu suffered none of Shen Hetang’s inner turmoil. She felt their relationship had reached a breakthrough, and truly being together was only a matter of time.

On the other side, Zhang Qiming, who had been brooding for quite a few days, found his mind clearing somewhat as the weather turned colder. Last time, he truly had been drunk to commit such an irrational act out in the street. Although he remained unreconciled, Jiang-meimei had already married, and he had no choice but to carry on with his own life. Fortunately, his mother still doted on him; she had elevated his personal servant girl to be his concubine. Lately, he had been fiercely passionate with the concubine, gradually casting Jiang Chenyu to the back of his mind.

Watching the two of them act so cloying and sweet, the fisher-girl couldn’t help but remember how Zhang Qiming used to treat her. In just one short year, everything had changed. It truly was absurd—a complete waste of a scholar’s skin. No wonder people said, “The righteous are mostly dog butchers; the faithless are all scholars¹⁰.” The old sayings truly didn’t deceive her. Thoroughly disillusioned, she began to plan an escape route for herself and her child.

Recently, Jiang Chenyu had been visibly happy, a sweet smile hanging on her face all day long. Because Shen Hetang no longer evaded her intimacy and occasionally even reciprocated, everything was perfectly wonderful—until she received a letter from the Hua Manor.

She calmly opened the letter and read it word by word. To think that this father, who had vanished from her life, would one day actually remember her.

The contents of the letter were very simple: The eighth day of the first lunar month was her grandmother’s sixtieth birthday. As people grew older, they placed more importance on family bonds and wished for a full family reunion. He hoped she could fulfill the old woman’s wish by spending this year’s Spring Festival at the Hua Manor, allowing her to reconnect with her siblings.

Heh, how absurd. How laughable. For so many years, he had never once thought of her. Yet now, for the sake of the old woman, he actually wanted her to return and play the filial daughter. That old woman had utterly despised her back then, tossing her aside as easily as a dirty rag used for wiping tables. How was it that now she was older, she suddenly found Jiang Chenyu to be good and missed her? Who was she trying to fool? Who would believe such a thing?

She casually tossed the letter onto the table. To say she felt no emotional ripple at all would be impossible. The blood of the Hua family flowed through her veins. Lineage was truly a strange feeling; she bore traces of that man, making her father seem like her most unfamiliar acquaintance. Even though she had harbored deep resentment toward him in the past, her hatred had gradually dissipated once she became self-sufficient. Now that she had Ah Tang, she placed the Hua family in her heart even less. However, regarding the fact that she had been deprived of her father’s company while her two younger siblings enjoyed it, there was ultimately a corner deep in her heart that remained unwilling and unreconciled.

If not for his heartlessness, how could she have ended up tangling with a scumbag like Wu Daoyuan for so many years, guarding against him day and night like a thief? The hardships of all that were known only to herself. She had been thirteen the year her mother passed away, increasingly taking on the appearance of a young woman. Even though her outside businesses were starting to see success, where could a motherless child go? Jiang Ning frequently led men on expeditions out of town, and Jiang Chenyu had still been too small, her wings not yet fully grown. She couldn’t leave the shelter of adults. If her looks had been more ordinary, she might have dared to openly rebel against Wu Daoyuan and take her chances. But she knew that once she left the Jiang Manor, she would be a piece of fat meat that everyone wanted to take a bite out of. If she were kidnapped and sold to the red-light district, she truly would have nothing left to live for.

Even so, she had never considered seeking out the Hua family. She couldn’t forget the sight she beheld when she went to find her father—him holding her younger sister and leading her younger brother by the hand, the family of four heading out on a pleasure outing.

When Shen Hetang returned home, she saw Jiang Chenyu lying listlessly sideways on the chaise longue, not even bothering to pull a blanket over herself. Her long hair, having been bound up all day, was let down, cascading loosely with the traces of waves. Coupled with that lazy expression, she exuded a captivating charm.

“What’s wrong? You don’t look very energetic,” Shen Hetang said, approaching her and gathering her hip-length hair into her hands.

Jiang Chenyu twisted her body and buried her face into Shen Hetang’s waist, her arms hanging onto him like a wronged child, saying nothing.

“The Hua Manor said they want me to go back for the New Year,” she finally spoke after a long moment.

“The Hua Manor? Your father’s place?” She rarely brought it up—almost never—but Shen Hetang knew of its existence.

“Mhm.” Jiang Chenyu nodded, her head rubbing against his waist.

“Do you want to go?” she asked, cupping Chenyu’s small face in her hands.

“I don’t know. I thought I didn’t care about him anymore, but I also want him to know that I’ve grown up perfectly well all on my own,” Jiang Chenyu murmured, somewhat blankly.

“If you want to go, I can accompany you. There’s not much to do at the yamen at the end of the year, and I still have some rest days. If worse comes to worst, I’ll just ask for a few days of leave.”

“Mhm… I’ll have to think about it. He might not even know I’m married.”

“Then I definitely have to follow along. My Madam is so beautiful; if someone were to abduct her, I would surely regret it until the end of my days.”

“Hehehe, as long as you know.” Jiang Chenyu was amused by him, her mood improving considerably.

Inside a grand and spacious mansion, an elegant and luxurious woman hurriedly walked up to Hua Rong. With an anxious expression, she asked, “Master, regarding Liaoliao coming to our manor for the New Year, has she agreed to it?”

“We haven’t received a reply yet, so I don’t know if she will agree. Ultimately, to secure the Jiang family’s silver back then, we let the Jiang family take her away. She has likely grown distant from the Hua family. If she isn’t willing to come, I won’t blame her.” Hua Rong acted with the demeanor of a true hypocrite¹¹. He didn’t feel the slightest bit ashamed about trading his daughter for silver. Over the years, he had other children to seek joy at his knee, so he had achieved a state of absolute indifference toward his remarried ex-wife and his first daughter.

Hearing him say this, the anxiety in Madam Hua’s eyes deepened, but she couldn’t push too hard. If worse came to worst, she would simply send another letter in a couple of days.

“But Master, seeing Liaoliao is your mother’s wish. Regardless of anything, she is of the Hua family’s bloodline. Naturally, she bears the responsibility of showing filial piety to her grandmother,” Madam Hua continued to persuade.

“The Hua family’s bloodline? That’s not what you said when you wanted to marry into the family.” Back then, he truly had chosen the daughter of a Rank 5 Office of Transmission Councilor for the sake of his official career. However, if the current Madam Hua hadn’t intentionally approached him, he wouldn’t have divorced his ex-wife so readily. Moreover, his father-in-law had only possessed enough influence to make his career as a minor Rank 7 official go a little smoother. Madam Hua’s dowry hadn’t been nearly as substantial as the Jiang family’s wealth. Ultimately, under Madam Hua’s persuasion, he had agreed to exchange his daughter to keep his ex-wife’s dowry.

Madam Hua’s motive had been even simpler. The departure of the Jiang mother and daughter was practically killing two birds with one stone for her. With the eyesore of a legitimate eldest daughter gone, she also got to keep a hefty dowry. From then on, both the man and the wealth belonged to her, meaning she hadn’t married a previously married man for nothing. Though she genuinely liked Hua Rong’s handsome skin, who would complain about having too much money?

“I was young and ignorant back then. Master, please don’t hold it against me. Right now, the proper thing to do is to quickly invite the girl over and make Mother happy. Besides, her younger brother and sister are all grown up now. Full siblings ought to be close to one another, lest they walk down the street in the future and not even recognize each other. Wouldn’t that make a joke of us?” Madam Hua, still possessing a mature charm, spoke so cleverly that she firmed Hua Rong’s resolve to bring his eldest daughter back.

Jiang Chenyu ultimately decided to go visit the Hua Manor. Shen Hetang had half a month of rest days, so the two planned to return to the Hua Manor together for the New Year. It would serve to resolve the knot in her heart from all those years ago, drawing her past to a perfect close. Furthermore, she was already married; even if they tried to pull any wicked tricks¹², she wasn’t afraid.

Since the birthday banquet was on the eighth day of the first lunar month, they planned to head over three days before New Year’s Eve. That way, staying until the eighth would only take about ten days. Bringing two changes of clothes each and a visiting gift would be enough. Chuntao still needed to guard the Jiang Manor, so she couldn’t accompany them.

She didn’t need to be too fussy. She slipped a new soft silver ring onto her index finger, which concealed an extendable needle. It wasn’t long, but it was sufficient. Since she wanted to go back and take a look, how could she go entirely defenseless? These strange, peculiar gadgets Jiang Ning had sent her were finally going to be put to use…!

Footnotes

A traditional Chinese proverb (ruìxuě zhào fēngnián) reflecting the agricultural belief that heavy winter snow kills pests and provides spring moisture for crops.
A high-quality, smokeless charcoal used by the wealthy for heating.
A strategy board game played with Go pieces, aiming to get five in a row.
A modern Taiwanese/internet slang term (dàtiáo) meaning things have gotten out of hand, complicated, or serious.
A traditional Chinese skirt with pleated sides and flat front/back panels.
A traditional sleeveless outer garment or vest.
A jade accessory shaped like two paired fish, worn at the waist.
A man who marries into his wife's family (a matrilocal husband).
A colloquial phrase meaning to accept one's fate and get it over with, rather than dragging out the suffering.
A famous poetic couplet historically attributed to Ming Dynasty scholar Cao Xueqin or earlier poets, expressing disillusionment with the hypocrisy of the educated class.
A classical insult for someone openly selfish and lacking moral principles.
A Northern Chinese colloquialism (yāo'ézi) referring to unexpected bad ideas, tricks, or unreasonable demands.

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A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 30

Footnotes

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