The Ninth Year of Shenchu
A parting today
Returning to her residence, Wei Tingxu went to bathe, while Zhen Wenjun stood outside the bathroom, waiting to serve her on the last night before going to Runing.
Every time they arrived in a county town, no matter how barren the location, Wei Tingxu could always find the best local courtyard to stay. Regardless of the season, the courtyard was always lush with trees like a spring scene. Most importantly, the bath pool had to be large and deep, capable of holding enough hot spring water, allowing Wei Tingxu to soak alone, even to swim two laps. The hot spring could invigorate the blood and dispel cold, relieving the coldness that had accumulated in her body over many years. Wei Tingxu could stay there for a long time.
Just now, Zhen Wenjun had carried Wei Tingxu in and seated her at the pool’s edge, helping her remove her hairpins and hairband, kneeling before her to loosen her clothing. Wei Tingxu was surprisingly unreserved, her hands hanging by her side, her big eyes watching Zhen Wenjun, allowing her to untie her outer garments layer by layer. When it came to the innermost garments, it was Zhen Wenjun who first admitted defeat and did not continue.
Two towels, one fine and one coarse, along with a dry, smooth long robe, were neatly folded and placed within Wei Tingxu’s reach by the pool edge. Soap beans and a hairnet were set on a long, curved bamboo slice, and a cup of clear, sweet juice to remove dryness was also placed there. After confirming everything was prepared, she said to Wei Tingxu, “Elder sister, I will wait outside. Call me when you have finished bathing.”
Wei Tingxu gave a faint “hmm” before sliding into the water, casually untying the strings at the back of her innermost garment, and gently stroking the water as she swam toward the other end.
As she swam forward with her back facing Zhen Wenjun, Zhen Wenjun clearly saw the scars on her back.
The scars were even more frightening than she had imagined, with several bite marks that were wide and deep, overlapping in places. Such wounds could only be formed by repeatedly gnawing the same spot. Her narrow back was unexpectedly covered with such scars, almost without an unblemished patch of skin. This was only the half of her back that was visible; it was hard to imagine if the rest of Wei Tingxu’s body was in the same condition.
The first time they bathed together was in Taojun City, where the hot spring was too hot, and the steaming heat concealed the scars on Wei Tingxu’s body, so Zhen Wenjun did not notice them. This time, although there was heat, it was not enough to obscure her view, allowing her to see the entire back clearly.
Zhen Wenjun had anticipated that Wei Tingxu’s scars would be quite shocking, having mentally prepared herself, but seeing them with her own eyes was several times more severe than she had expected.
“Elder sister, your back…” Zhen Wenjun couldn’t help but speak.
Wei Tingxu swam for a while longer before leaning against the pool edge to rest, soaking everything below her neck in the hot spring. Her long black hair was already wet, with a few strands sticking damply to the corners of her eyes, and the ends of her hair floated in the water. Her arms stretched slowly underwater, creating wave after wave of ripples. The gauze lamps hanging in the trees and corridors were covered with a layer of gold paper, casting golden reflections in the pool. The light circled around Wei Tingxu’s body, rising and falling, making her appear both beautiful and wicked, like a fragile yet resilient mythical beast.
“Does it look ugly? Did it frighten you?” Wei Tingxu blinked, her eyelashes damp with water vapor, her words carrying no trace of self-pity or self-abasement, yet they made Zhen Wenjun feel even more uncomfortable.
“Elder sister, what exactly happened… why are you so severely wounded?”
Wine, parting, and traces of past pain, these three deadly elements combined, nearly drove Zhen Wenjun’s emotions out of control. Wei Tingxu’s body held too many unsolvable mysteries, and it was precisely this allure of mystery that led Zhen Wenjun to begin her exploration. From the initial fear to the current reluctance to part, her feelings have changed several times. When threatened by Xie Taihang, she never thought she would develop any unwilling-to-sever feelings for the target she was supposed to assassinate.
If her mother knew, how disappointed would she be, and how would she educate her? She doesn’t know. She knows she shouldn’t have asked that question; it has already surpassed the usual master-servant relationship. Normally, they only listen when the lady speaks, but proactively asking means she is very concerned.
She tried hard to control her emotions, not wanting to fall behind, but on the night of parting, she wanted to be reckless, to ask clearly. Being placed beside Li Yanyi was Wei Tingxu’s plan, and she promised to secretly protect her, but the world is changeable, and once they part, the twists of the future are unknown, and when they will meet again, nobody knows. In turbulent times, life is cheap, and Zhen Wenjun, taking things step by step, is fortunate. She doesn’t know what the outcome will be if she takes a wrong step, when she will die, or where she will die, as she has no idea in her heart.
If she didn’t ask about her concerns before parting, Zhen Wenjun feared she might never have the chance to ask again.
Zhen Wenjun’s emotions were intense, yet Wei Tingxu, looking at her, was completely unaffected, without a hint of hesitation.
She lowered her eyes, pushed her arm against the pool’s edge behind her, and broke the water’s surface with her body. Because her legs couldn’t exert force, she swam very slowly using only her arms’ strength.
Zhen Wenjun’s heart pounded as her gaze followed her.
“Wait for the next time we meet…” Wei Tingxu swam to the opposite side, supporting herself on the pool edge with one hand. Using the buoyancy of the hot spring, she somewhat strenuously turned over, floating on her back in the water. Her gaze shifted to Zhen Wenjun, and a soft smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, “I will tell you.”
Zhen Wenjun stood outside the door for a long time, continuously recalling the earlier scene, forgetting that so much time had passed and Wei Tingxu still hadn’t called her.
She didn’t know if the pool water was still hot enough. In the small county town, a natural hot spring source couldn’t be found; the hot spring here was an artificially filled pool. If she indulged too much in the bath, catching a cold would be bad.
“Elder sister!” Zhen Wenjun called out from outside, but Wei Tingxu didn’t respond.
“Elder sister!” Zhen Wenjun called again, and only heard a sound from the tree, as if far, as if near, making it impossible to determine the exact location:
“Lady Zhen, the young lady seems to have fallen asleep.”
“Asleep? Oh no.” Zhen Wenjun immediately walked inside. Wei Tingxu’s body was still immersed in the water, her head leaning tilted on the pool edge. The soap beans were used up, and the fruit juice was also finished. It seemed she was too comfortable after washing and reluctant to get up, continuing to soak, but because she drank alcohol and then encountered hot water, she fainted.
Zhen Wenjun immediately removed her thick coat and jumped into the pool, fiercely swimming towards Wei Tingxu’s direction, splashing water everywhere.
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“Elder sister, elder sister?” She checked her breathing; Wei Tingxu’s breathing was steady, with no life-threatening concern, and upon hearing movement, she even opened her eyes. So, she wasn’t even fainted; she really fell asleep? That’s right, she hadn’t even drunk much wine tonight.
She couldn’t help but lower her voice, calling her only by Wei Tingxu’s ear. Wei Tingxu lazily and reluctantly opened her eyes and exchanged a glance with Zhen Wenjun, slightly frowning like a child unhappy about being disturbed from sleep. Wei Tingxu gave a familiar “hmm” and naturally encircled Zhen Wenjun’s neck, squeezing her whole self into her embrace. Zhen Wenjun quickly looped her arms from under her legs and around her back, holding her firmly in her embrace.
“Elder sister, I’ll take you back to the room to sleep…”
Beneath the rippling water, Wei Tingxu’s bare skin was faintly visible, and there seemed to be scars on her snow-white chest. Zhen Wenjun’s heart ached, unable to bear looking further, and even more unwilling to defile her. She pulled down the robe from the poolside to wrap Wei Tingxu’s body tightly.
Holding Wei Tingxu, she walked ashore, not caring about her own soaked state, and covered her coat over Wei Tingxu, bringing her back to the bedroom.
The water on Wei Tingxu’s body was almost dried by the robe. Zhen Wenjun carefully placed her into bed, then removed the robe, patiently dried her long hair, and lit her favorite incense. She pressed the back of her hand to her own forehead to wipe away sweat, finally having everything properly tended to.
Wei Tingxu slept very quietly, but Zhen Wenjun always felt that something was unfinished and didn’t want to leave.
She opened the wooden cabinet and folded all of Wei Tingxu’s clothes neatly. Opening her jewelry box, she arranged different hairpins and earrings according to her preferences in the upper, middle, and lower layers. Rouge and alkanet were also neatly arranged by color shade. She sat in front of rows of similar small boxes, for the first time so interested in trying to remember all the colors, carefully distinguishing their differences, wondering why Wei Tingxu would buy so many similar colors.
At dawn, when the market’s street door opened, Zhen Wenjun went to purchase medicinal herbs. She bought all the herbs Wei Tingxu usually needed for exorcising evil, removing dryness, replenishing qi and restoring vitality, and unblocking meridians and restoring blood. After preparing them, she packaged them into small packets, labeled them with effects and how to take them, and handed them all to Lingbi. She also left a stack of silver notes exchanged from Qian Kun Bank for Lingbi, who initially refused, but Zhen Wenjun insisted she take them:
“Anyway, since I’m following the Eldest Princess, I should be entering the palace, and I won’t need much money there. Just taking some small silver pieces will be enough. These are all earned to help elder sister, you keep them for her.”
Zhen Wenjun’s sudden departure was unexpected even to herself, and for Lingbi, it was even more sudden. Holding the silver notes, Lingbi felt especially uncomfortable:
“Are you really going to leave? For how long?”
“How long I will go… I also don’t know. Asking ‘how long’ still holds hope of returning, but whether I can return is uncertain.”
“You’re not coming back?!”
“That depends on elder sister’s wish. If elder sister wants me to go, I will go. If she tells me not to return, I will not return.”
Lingbi was speechless. She saw Zhen Wenjun very calm, no longer struggling, and seemed to have thought everything through. Since that was the case, Lingbi also had no position to say more, so she let her wait here for a while.
Lingbi went inside the room and brought out an iron wrist guard for Zhen Wenjun to wear: “This is not an ordinary wrist guard; it is extremely tough and has hidden mysteries. Remember to always wear it, no matter when, never take it off. In times of crisis, it can save your life.”
“How can I accept such a precious treasure?”
“Don’t talk nonsense, just take it.” Lingbi said fiercely, then softened her emotions, looked at Zhen Wenjun’s face with rare gentleness, and said, “This is the only thing my father and mother left me. Now it seems somewhat bulky, but it indeed saved my life. These two years I haven’t worn it because I didn’t want to leave myself any room for complacency. If I thought there was still a life-saving tool, I might slack off. It was meant to temper my awareness to always remain vigilant. Now I entrust it to you. The young lady placing you by the Eldest Princess’ side certainly doesn’t mean she doesn’t want you; it means there is a more important task for you to accomplish. Take it, and I only hope you never have to use it.”
Zhen Wenjun held the wrist guard and lowered her head, mumbling “thank you” after a long pause.
“Why, little monkey, you’ve already grown taller than me and still love to cry so much!” Lingbi flicked her forehead and said loudly, “Without you by my side bothering me, I can live a few more years, without having to endure your temper all day!”
When Zhen Wenjun raised her reddened eyes to look at her, two streams of tears poured down. Seeing her like this, Lingbi’s nose immediately felt sour. She fiercely slapped her arm and also began to cry:
“Don’t be sentimental; you should be happy to work for the young lady! And sending letters by flying courier is very convenient, just don’t forget your elder sister Lingbi! It’s time to go, go on, don’t dawdle, the young lady is entrusted to us to take care of!”
Zhen Wenjun hugged Lingbi: “I will miss you.”
Lingbi couldn’t stand this child and cried until her makeup was ruined.
Zhen Wenjun packed her luggage to leave, and Lingbi said: “I’ll go call the young lady!”
“Don’t call her.” Zhen Wenjun mounted Yunzhong Feixue, with a bundle slung across her back. Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, were slowly returning to normal, replaced by a determined look that knew where the path lay, “Let elder sister sleep well for a while. After I reach Runing, I will send you letters.”
Li Yanyi’s convoy was already waiting for her outside the courtyard. Zhen Wenjun kicked the horse’s side, and Yunzhong Feixue clip-clopped taking her away.
Even Xiaohua came.
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These days, she had been bedridden recovering, and it was unexpected that she actually got up today.
Xiaohua’s face was still wrapped in thick cloth, and from afar, the strong medicinal scent from her body was noticeable. Not seen for days, Xiaohua’s swelling seemed to have reduced significantly, and the eyes that were visible appeared even larger than before. It was unclear whether they had truly enlarged or if the toxins had drained, restoring them to their original appearance.
“Take care.”
The usually quiet Xiaohua also came to bid farewell, and Zhen Wenjun’s mouth corner lifted uncontrollably.
“Drive!” She no longer looked back nor lingered, resolutely leaving this place with the flame in her heart.
When she arrived, she had nothing; upon leaving, her luggage was heavy and her heart was full.
Following Li Yanyi’s carriage convoy all the way east, Zhen Wenjun placed the little wooden doll identical to her inside her clothing, only its small head showing. Looking back now, perhaps Wei Tingxu had planned everything all along; the doll was both a birthday gift and a token given at parting.
She placed it against her chest, moving forward together, no matter what she would encounter ahead, she would not fear.
“Young lady, Wenjun has gone.” After Zhen Wenjun left, Lingbi and Xiaohua entered the room together, finding Wei Tingxu already awake, sitting at the bedside, holding a withered and faded wandering flower, lost in thought. Hearing her words, she “hmm” and after putting the flower away, said:
“Xiaohua, how is your poison cure progressing?”
Xiaohua said: “Replying to young lady, I am no longer in harm.”
Lingbi hesitated to speak and looked at her.
“Good, then we should also set off.”
Li Yanyi’s carriage and horses were not luxurious, similar to Wei Tingxu’s, but the escort was more than twice that of Wei Tingxu’s, not including the shadow guards moving around without revealing themselves. Li Yanyi invited Zhen Wenjun several times into the carriage to avoid the wind and cold and to rest, but Zhen Wenjun insisted on riding on horseback. Beside Wei Tingxu, there was always a feeling of being watched; now, having left her, she felt much freer, and the desire to gallop was rare to stretch. Li Yanyi’s straightforward personality was different from the moody Wei Tingxu, and moreover, Zhen Wenjun came as Wei Tingxu’s trusted person, making it hard for Li Yanyi to guess that she was a spy sent by the Xie family. With everything turned around, she felt much more stable.
Thinking of how Wei Tingxu told her about Li Ju’s plan to sow discord, and now reflecting on it, Wei Tingxu’s method to resolve it was also quite clever and very interesting.
Liu Feng is the Huben Zhonglang General, and the Huben Army now protecting Li Yanyi is likely all her subordinates. Li Yanyi’s ability to entrust her safety to Liu Feng shows she must trust him greatly. Wei Tingxu letting Liu Feng go was a test for Li Yanyi, and Li Yanyi, without hesitation, agreed, and in return, Wei Tingxu sent a trusted person to her, somewhat meaning an exchange of “hostages.” This eliminated Li Yanyi’s suspicion and also increased her weight in Li Yanyi’s heart, ensuring that even if she wanted to act in the future, she would have scruples, immediately restoring the situation to a stable state. That day, Zhen Wenjun also personally witnessed how the sowing discord plan started, but she only saw the surface and did not delve into the deeper meaning, nor did she expect a series of complex subsequent developments. Her mother’s remark about her being shallow-eyed was indeed not wrong; if she were Wei Tingxu today, she would have long been sowed with discord. She thought she had grown, but in front of experts, she was still a child.
The next destination is the chaotic Runing, and she must be fully alert to analyze the big picture to stand invincible.
Now she has moved from Wei Tingxu’s side to the heart of the struggle with Li Yanyi, and for the Xie family, her importance has increased significantly, presenting a good opportunity for her counterattack. She must inform Xie Fuchen and gradually turn the tables.
Wei Tingxu’s health was not good, and usually, the carriage was not driven too fast to accommodate her. Li Yanyi, nearly thirty, was at her prime strength, with a fierce personality, and once the convoy hit the deserted official road, it moved like thunder, quickly leaving Suichuan’s borders. The convoy ran continuously for a day and night before resting in the wild. They were less than ten li from the county ahead, but Li Yanyi had no intention of going there. Reasonably, resting in the county magistrate’s residence would be more comfortable than camping in the wild, but she didn’t plan to go to the nearby county and even bypassed the city the next day, passing quickly through the wild.
She was planning a sudden attack. Zhen Wenjun pondered that Li Yanyi wanted to kill Li Ju by surprise.
Combining the conversation fragments heard along the way, Zhen Wenjun roughly understood the current situation. Back then, Wei Tingxu let her sell grain to Governor Hong, and now this person was caught; it turned out that her fifty thousand carts of grain caused trouble. If not for Li Yanyi mentioning it, Zhen Wenjun wouldn’t have known that the rice barrels contained mud and stone layers. She also didn’t know when Wei Tingxu had someone tamper with it; she unknowingly sold the grain, naturally leaving no trace, and Hong Ai couldn’t detect it. Truly, it was done without anyone knowing.
Now Hong Ai was imprisoned in the imperial prison, and Tingwei Guan Xun personally interrogated him, using all kinds of torture. Surprisingly, this Governor Hong had some backbone, and no matter what, he didn’t admit to embezzling disaster relief grain funds. Li Ju, using the slogan of strictly investigating corruption, paid high attention to this matter, instructing Guan Xun to submit a signed confession from the prisoner, but without Hong Ai’s signature, Guan Xun was helpless.
“It seems Li Ju is trying to buy time to find a way to rescue Hong Ai, to ensure the Guozhang family’s safety. He’s probably already falsifying evidence to clear the embezzlement charges.” Li Yanyi, Zuo Xu, and Lin Quan were discussing the measures Li Ju might take, imagining what they would do if they were in Li Ju’s position, thus planning to disintegrate his efforts.
Zhen Wenjun greatly enjoyed listening to their discussions, where many clever ideas made her slap the table and exclaim in admiration. These powerful ministers were top strategists of Da Yu, knowledgeable and eloquent, opening Zhen Wenjun’s eyes wide. Afterward, Zhen Wenjun no longer rode horses but followed in the carriage, serving them tea and wine, conveniently learning in secret.
Li Yanyi, on her side, secretly urged the horses faster, soon to reach Runing, while on the other side, Empress Feng Xiyi found Li Ju, extremely anxious.
“Your Majesty, I heard that the Suichuan disaster relief funds mysteriously appeared in the Hong residence, and Hong Ai has been imprisoned in the imperial prison because of this. Guan Xun is personally interrogating him, having tortured him into a state of neither human nor ghost, attempting to force a confession. Your Majesty! You must stand up for my whole family!”
Feng Xiyi, with her big belly, knelt as she spoke, and the nearby maid couldn’t stop her in time.
“Zitong, what are you doing! Quickly get up!” Li Ju hurriedly put down the scroll in his hand to help her, dismissing the maid and eunuchs.
“It must be Li Yanyi stirring up trouble, falsely accusing my brother and trying to drag our entire family down!” Feng Xiyi, mentioning Li Yanyi, gnashed her teeth, wishing she could immediately bite her to death.
“I naturally know, and I also want to save him.”
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“Your Majesty, isn’t it just a matter of saying a word to protect him? Just say that the batch of official silver was secretly allocated by Your Majesty to him for other tasks. Whether for fighting the Hu tribe or anything else, as long as it’s unrelated to Suichuan, isn’t it fine? Who would dare to say more? Your Majesty is the supreme ruler.”
Li Ju helped Feng Xiyi to sit down: “Zitong, you do not understand, this matter isn’t simple. This batch of official silver is specifically for disaster relief, and once stamped, cannot be used elsewhere. To forcefully argue otherwise would be too far-fetched. Moreover, it wasn’t just official silver, but also Suichuan’s rice barrels were mixed with mud and stone, caught red-handed, making it hard to argue. Li Yanyi’s simultaneous tricks are truly vicious. Furthermore, embezzlement has been a very sensitive issue since the late emperor, and years of war have long emptied the treasury. Someone has already proposed increasing taxes to support the front line. Just now, a corruption case emerges, causing all the ministers to be angry. They all know he is your cousin, and if I act excessively now, it will be seen as shielding corrupt officials, leading to even more trouble with joint petitions. Precisely because I am the supreme ruler, I cannot act rashly. I cannot destroy my future path for him.”
Hearing this from Li Ju, Feng Xiyi also showed a difficult expression: “Then… then it’s hard for Hong Ai to escape calamity this time?”
“No.” Li Ju changed his tone, placing his hands behind his back, and slowly paced forward, “I have already thought of a countermeasure.”
Feng Xiyi was greatly pleased, holding her belly and stepping forward joyfully: “Since Your Majesty has thought of a countermeasure, quickly implement it! Rescue Hong Ai quickly, as the imperial prison is no place for people!”
“Wait a bit longer.”
“Wait a bit longer?” Feng Xiyi was puzzled, “What is Your Majesty still waiting for?”
Li Ju turned around, young and confident, exuding a spirit determined to win.
“Waiting for Li Yanyi to return. My spies have been secretly following her, and she avoids towns, only taking wild paths, just to rush back to catch me off guard. Hmph, unfortunately, I was already prepared.”
Feng Xiyi looked at Li Ju, full of admiration.
“Zitong, you don’t need to worry about court affairs.” Li Ju approached her belly and gently stroked it, “I will definitely eliminate Li Yanyi’s faction, protect you and our child, and protect all the people under heaven. I will firmly hold the rivers and mountains of Da Yu in my hands.”