Chapter 35 He treated me like a box, is there any justice left...?

A figure was projected onto the window paper, hair hanging down, head bowed, slowly passing by. The scene resembled something from a ghost story, exuding a deep sense of terror in the dark night.

For a moment, she didn't even dare to breathe. After he left, she observed him for a long time to make sure he had no intention of coming back before she closed her eyes with peace of mind.

Good heavens, I can't even imagine how comfortable it is to sleep alone. She can toss and turn in bed as she pleases, no longer afraid of anyone disturbing her. After much agonizing reflection, I truly can't understand it. Even though the marriage was fake, they've genuinely shared a bed for so long—why?

She slept well and woke up feeling much more refreshed the next day. She took her time to do her hair, tying it up with a hairpin in front of the mirror, and chose a narrow-sleeved blouse in a sea-sky hue, paired with a coral-red gauze skirt. Turning to admire herself, she contentedly tucked her hair behind her ear, lifted her skirt, and stepped out the door.

In the front hall, Lu Min was already having breakfast, showing no intention of waiting for her. He didn't even look up when he noticed her enter, and instead pointed to the water shield and bamboo shoots a little distance away from him. The attendant standing beside him quickly picked up the dishes and brought them to him.

The official was quite perceptive, and leaned down to ask, "What would Your Majesty like for breakfast? There is congee and side dishes, as well as bamboo shoot and fern wontons and locust leaf cold noodles. Would Your Majesty like just one of these, or a little of everything?"

Shi Michong smiled and said, "The eunuch really understands me better and better. Naturally, I'll have a little bit of everything. Back in Chong'an City, it won't have the same flavor as Shangdu."

The official agreed and gestured to the eunuch beside him to prepare the food, carefully placing it in a fine porcelain dish and arranging it side by side in front of her.

Shi Mi didn't care about the displeasure of her tablemates; no one could stop her from enjoying her meal. The cold noodles with locust leaves needed to be drizzled with plum vinegar to taste good, and the vinegar bottle was right next to him. She nudged him with her elbow, saying, "Give me that."

He was reluctant, but he did as he was told. He casually scooped it up and placed it right in front of her with a "snap," but Shi Mi ignored him, casually adding vinegar and eating her fill. She was already thinking that she could enjoy river delicacies again on the way back by water; she was truly in for a treat.

At the gate of the courtyard, Bai Heliang and several guards were busy making arrangements, ready to depart at any moment.

After washing her hands and rinsing her mouth, Shi Mi waited for the Grand Tutor to give the order to board the carriage. But he dismissed his attendants, suddenly turned around, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, "Why didn't you let me go back to my room last night?"

Although the advisor and the inner attendant were no longer there, people were still moving about in the courtyard. Sure enough, the guards looked over from afar, were shocked to see this scene, and hurriedly turned their heads away.

Shi Mi tried to peel him off, but couldn't figure it out. "Lu Min, I think something's wrong with you. Is your heart inside out? If you don't mind, let's take it out and reinstall it. It will be a little painful, but it's worth the risk if you can recover."

Unfortunately, he disagreed, saying, "I don't think I've done anything wrong, so why should I suffer again?"

Shimi said in distress, "Because I feel it's very wrong, I want to live a couple more days."

He chuckled. "You're the one who should adapt, not tear my heart out. That's how it should be between husband and wife. I've become more humane because of you, don't you like that?"

What's so appealing about deceiving the mind? The worst thing is to habitually put on an act. If you keep doing it for too long and end up deceiving yourself, then you'll lose more than you gain.

Helplessly, he raised his hand and patted him on the back a few times. "Grand Tutor, if you've had enough of this, get in the carriage. The Six Guards General is surely waiting for us."

He reluctantly let go of her, then took her hand and led her out. Even at the car, he didn't shy away from showing up, escorting her to the car in front of everyone… Thank goodness, thank goodness he was rational. She was truly afraid he might have impulsively carried her to the car; if that had happened, in terms of sheer acting skill, she would have been completely outmatched.

Later, upon reaching the ferry, the group boarded a ship to return to Zhongdu. She decided to distance herself from him and spend more time with the other ladies, learning more about the Six Guards Generals. The women felt comfortable together, always having endless things to talk about. After several days, they gradually became very open with each other. The wife of General Hu Kui was simple-minded, the wife of General Shuang Gong Wei remained dignified, and the wife of General Yin Lin Wei was extremely talkative. The remaining three wives were the most typical women of the inner quarters, expressing little and mainly listening.

However, Shi Mi noticed that the wife of the Heavy Cavalry Guard General looked worried, unlike when she arrived, so he specially poured her some tea and quietly asked, "Sister, has something happened to you? If there is anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask."

The five ladies fell silent, staring speechlessly at the Lady of the Heavy Cavalry. Sometimes, words are unnecessary; a single glance is enough to convey meaning. Behind the seemingly glamorous facade, there are unresolved issues.

"What's wrong?" Shi asked, bewildered, then smiled again. "It seems everyone knows the inside story except me. I guess everyone is unwilling to open up to me yet, so I'll wait a little longer."

Lady Heavy Cavalry awkwardly pressed her hand down, "It's not like that. It's just that family matters are not something that can be discussed openly, and I can't bring myself to talk about them. If I told you, Madam, I was afraid it would offend your ears."

Shimi said, “We have known each other for some time now. My husband and I work together in Jiuzhang Prefecture, and we have no relatives in Chong’an City. We should be closer than sisters. As for family matters, every family has its own. Who is laughing at whom?”

Because it was a superior addressing a subordinate, it was very persuasive. As soon as she uttered these words of respect and humility, everyone immediately lowered their guard.

"I suppose the Lady of the County, who rarely goes out, hasn't heard of this matter, but we've heard about it before." Lady Shuanggong glanced at the Lady of the Heavy Cavalry opposite her. "You won't blame me for telling you, will you?"

Lady Heavy Cavalry shook her head dejectedly. "It's like being slowly sliced ​​to death by my lips. Just tell me, there's nothing left to hide anyway."

So Lady Shuanggong began to vividly describe the scene: "Her husband has a beloved concubine who used to be her father-in-law's woman. She must have been hard-won, and it must have been a great honor for her. She's arrogant and domineering at home, and she doesn't hold back when she's out. She acts like a married couple with her husband, completely disregarding the Empress. Take this time when we returned to the capital to celebrate the Emperor's birthday, General Yang, out of respect for the Grand Tutor, didn't dare bring that concubine with him, so he let her travel separately. When we got back to the mansion, the concubine cried and made a scene, wanting to go to the palace with General Yang. It took a lot of brocade and rouge to appease her."

Shi Mi was astonished. "Can a concubine accompany the master to a palace banquet? If discovered, she will probably be beaten to death on the spot."

"It's just a fuss to get some benefits," Lady Hu Kui chimed in.

"Yesterday was the anniversary of General Yang's father's death. That concubine caused a scene at the ancestral hall again, rushing to perform the rites before the Queen. Madam Yang wanted to whip her, and the two groups pushed and shoved each other into the market. As a result, General Yang was determined to protect his own, so the concubine said in front of everyone that from now on she would perform the wife's rites before the Queen, and General Yang actually acquiesced."

This is quite a show. Shimi hesitated and asked the Lady of the Heavy Cavalry repeatedly, "Aren't you afraid? If she were to poison your bowl in the future, your position would easily become hers."

Lady Chongqi stared at her blankly, then came to her senses and covered her face, sobbing. "What should I do? I'm scared too. But my household is in disrepair. If possible, please, Madam, plead with the Grand Tutor to give my husband a warning."

Shi Mi was somewhat troubled. "This is a private matter. The Grand Tutor can manage official business, but how can he interfere in private affairs?"

Lady Shuanggong said, "In my opinion, we should just sell that slut off when the lord is away one of these days."

Shi Mi asked, "How will General Yang explain this? Favoring a concubine over the wife is not just the concubine overstepping her bounds, but also the head of the household's indulgence."

Now everyone fell silent. In truth, everyone knew the root of the problem lay with the man. Even if you defeat one scoundrel, there will be many more, even more troublesome ones. How much strength do you have to keep fighting like this?

Lady Chongqi cried even harder, rambling on, "To tell you the truth, that day when we returned to Shangdu, it was the first time I ate shrimp he peeled... Just one shrimp was enough to erase all the humiliation I'd suffered for years. I thought we could start over. He's not a bad person by nature; perhaps seeing how well the Grand Tutor treats his wife will make him reflect on his behavior and change his ways. But I was too optimistic. He's completely under her spell; he can't pull himself out of it. Back in Shangdu, he continued to do as he pleased. Anyway, everyone in the family knows he dotes on that wretch, so what's a little more pampering? He's trampled my face, his first wife, into the mud... I'd rather be dead."

No, no, no! Everyone quickly tried to dissuade her, saying, "If you die, that bitch will get off easy!"

Shimi tried his best to comfort him: "Don't say discouraging things. There must be a good medicine in this world to make him change his mind. It's just a matter of timing."

Lady Heavy Cavalry sighed, "There's no such medicine. If there were, what would we have to worry about?"

The phrase "we people" exposed the true nature of all the ladies present who had been trying to maintain a facade of peace. Embarrassed smiles appeared on everyone's faces, and no one dared to say another word.

So these ladies, though outwardly glamorous, actually have it tough. Staying in Shangdu means worrying about men's misbehavior, while following them to Zhongdu means enduring daily mistreatment. This is the pitiful state of young ladies confined to their homes; lacking any real solutions, they can only continue to endure. If Shimi were to encounter such a situation, she would definitely kill all these men without hesitation. She also wanted to suggest this, but there was no guarantee that most of them would still be willing to compromise. Therefore, she had to deal with them one by one and couldn't be too hasty.

Taking the hand of the Lady of the Heavy Cavalry, Shi Mi said gently, "Sister, don't worry. If there's really no other way, I'll mention it to my husband and see if he can persuade General Yang to change his mind."

Lady Heavy Cavalry still had tears on her face. Hearing her say this, she didn't bother to wipe them away and squeezed her hand tightly. "If you are so willing to help me, then you are my benefactor. I will go through fire and water to obey your orders in the future."

“Between us, there’s no question of gratitude,” Shimi said. “I will try my best, but I’m afraid even the Grand Tutor’s words might not work. If that’s the case, then there’s no other way out, and we’ll have to think of another way.”

Lady Chongqi nodded repeatedly, "I thank you in advance, Madam. With the Grand Tutor's help, I am sure he will restrain himself a bit."

Shi Mi agreed and brought out a teapot to pour tea for everyone. Gazing at the setting sun over the river and listening to their gossip about the inner quarters, it got dark before they knew it.

The small kitchen on the boat is excellent at cooking river delicacies; even a bowl of fish soup simmered in a small clay pot is incredibly delicious.

Shimi and the ladies had dinner together. After eating, they returned to their cabins, swaying their shawls. Lu Min was still reading under the lamp.

As expected, the Grand Tutor's knowledge was not acquired in vain. He still maintains the habit of reading, and when he noticed her entering the room, he only slightly raised his eyes.

"Have you eaten?" Shimi asked, feigning concern.

He hummed in agreement. "It was sent from the kitchen to the cabin. I just ate a couple of bites?"

"You're eating alone? Not with the generals?"

He frowned. "I get impatient with all the noise at meals." As he spoke, he turned a page, not forgetting to tease her a couple of times, "You must have had a great time eating with those ladies. You've been hanging out with them since boarding the ship, do you really have that much to say?"

Shimi said yes, "I need to ask you how to do needlework, because I still need to report back to you."

He gently curled his lips. "Just talking about how to sew?"

"Of course there are others, but I won't report them all to you." She pulled off her shawl and threw it onto the official's chair. A maid brought warm water from outside the door, and she wrung out the handkerchief to wipe her face. After wiping, she threw another handful, then tossed it to him.

He didn't mind at all, and slowly and meticulously wiped his face and hands with the towel she had used. Only after he finished did he complain, "What did you eat? You smell fishy!"

Shimi stood before the tall lamp tree, gazing at him, a touch of melancholy creeping into her heart. A fake couple, yet they were surprisingly open with each other in subtle ways; indeed, after spending so much time together, they were practically family. Of course, a heart-to-heart talk was out of the question. She wouldn't mention her promise to the Lady of the Heavy Cavalry; she was waiting for that lady to be utterly disappointed in her husband, so she could seize the opportunity.

"I ate boiled catfish." She gestured with her hand. "Those long whiskers... the meat was delicious, but the head was still a bit scary. If you think I'm fishy, ​​you can sleep in the deck chair tonight, so I don't bother you with the smell."

After she finished speaking, she yanked open the screen with a "whoosh," hid behind it to brush her teeth and clean herself, and put a clove in her mouth. Once everything was tidied up, the maid came in to remove the utensils, and she lay down to sleep, pondering her perfect plan.

There was a rustling sound outside, and she didn't know what he was busy with. She didn't have time to pay attention to it, so she turned over, hugged her pillow, and closed her eyes.

Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, he indeed came, saying that he couldn't be stopped without three heavy locks. Oh well, she'd make do for tonight. Once they got back to the detached house, she planned to set up traps in her bedroom.

He leaned closer from behind and gently called to her, "Ami, why didn't you let me into the room last night?"

Shi Mi coldly said, "Because the passion of newlyweds has faded. Old married couples sleep separately, so sleeping together makes their relationship seem exceptionally good."

"Are you in a good relationship?" He patted her a couple of times and pulled her into his arms. "I heard that every puppeteer has their own box. The puppeteer didn't prepare a box for me, but he married you to me. It seems that you are my box."

Shimi felt that his words were ambiguous and warned him with great dissatisfaction, "Watch your words! When did I become your box? From tomorrow on, you will have to get used to sleeping alone. You are allowed to spend the night in the detached building on the first and fifteenth of each month. I will have someone prepare a new bed for you, but you are not allowed to enter my inner chamber without my permission."

She thought he would try to reason with her after hearing her words, but he didn't. He just gave a short chuckle and said, "I won't agree."

Shi Mi turned around and questioned, "Why? I'm a grown woman, sharing a bed with you every day, is that appropriate?"

He lay on the pillow, his black hair spreading across the bed, gazing intently at her from the depths of his hair. "If you find the identity of a young woman difficult to accept, you can choose to become a married woman."

Shi Mi gritted his teeth, "You really do have ill intentions towards me; I wasn't wrong about you."

He smiled and said, "Originally, I just wanted to lean on you, but you said it was inconvenient, so let's find a way to turn inconvenience into convenience."

She immediately backed down. A wise man doesn't fight when he's already at a disadvantage. If a fight breaks out on the ship, the commotion will surely alert everyone on board, which would be bad.

So she chose to compromise, saying, "Now that I think about it, it doesn't seem so difficult. If you like leaning on me, then lean on me."

He didn't say anything more, but pressed his face against her neck, and that alone was enough to satisfy him.

Shi Mi endured a frustrating night, feeling somewhat resentful. However, aside from his stubborn desire to get closer, he didn't do anything else out of line. He decided to be patient for now and deal with it once they reached Zhongdu.

They followed the same route they had come by, reaching Langya Ferry before taking a carriage back to Chong'an City. Upon returning to the isolated building, they found Ran Dian and the others waiting in the courtyard. Seeing her, they immediately perked up and rushed over to inquire, "Ami, how have you been these past few days?"

The pure-hearted Yanren only cares about whether she is living well or not, unlike the intelligent Banyan who is so difficult to please.

Shi Mi said it was very good, "We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and ate delicious food." After saying that, he turned to look at Ali Dao, "I'll give you a job, make me a purse."

Ali Dao stared blankly at his hands. "I can only hold a knife, not make a pouch."

“Learn,” Shimi said. “A successful Yanren needs to learn and observe more; this is beneficial for developing intelligence. I ask you, do you want to become like Fifth Sea?”

Ali nodded firmly, "I want to."

Shimi said, "Fifth Sea learned needlework first, and then how to draw human skin masks. I'm entrusting this task to you because I want to train you well. You must not let me down. You must do a good job with the purse, understand?"

After a few sweet talk, Ali Dao was indeed fooled. He patted his chest with great confidence and said, "Don't worry, Ali Dao, I'll take care of everything."

Shi Mi nodded appreciatively, "Being able to hold a needle and thread shows that your fingers are nimble enough. You are capable of great things in the future and your future is limitless."

Encouraged, Ali Dao turned around and went to find someone to ask for needles and thread. Since the detached house never provided these, he had to find Nezan to get everything he needed.

Although Nezan had prepared everything for him, he was still a little confused. "Does the Queen need needles and thread? I have twenty-five colors of silk thread here. Should I take them back with me?"

Ali Dao pushed the basket forward, "I want them all. But it's not the Queen who needs the needlework, it's me."

Neizan grinned, unsure whether to laugh or not. After a long while, he could only sigh, "No wonder she's a maid; she's adept at doing women's work, which we greatly admire."

Ali raised his head even higher and returned to the solitary building with his basket slung over his shoulder.

Upon entering the courtyard, they immediately sensed something amiss. Looking around, they discovered two small spring-loaded devices, each the size of an ink box, installed diagonally opposite the entrance to the porch. Also, at the bedroom's main door, Ami and Ran Dianyan were clinging to the doorframe, banging away with hammers.

Ali Dao glanced down at the basket in his hand, pondered for a long time, and said, "I feel like we should switch jobs?"

Ran Dian said, "Ami never favors one over the other. Since you've been nurtured, of course we should be nurtured too. So you do the needlework, and we do the mechanisms. That makes perfect sense."

Ali Dao didn't mind, after all, in his eyes, there was no difference between men and women in work, nor between high and low status. He was just curious, "Why set up so many traps? Who are you trying to deal with? Why bother with all this effort? Why not just kill them?"

Shi Mi was also troubled, "I can't kill him, and it's very troublesome. Fortunately, I have a lot of confidence in my mechanical skills, so I can make sure he can't break in."

Yan Dian, with her simple mind, finally discerned the implication in her words: "Are you wary of the Grand Tutor? It seems a lot has happened between you two since I last saw you.

Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Shimi straightened up and gave a bitter laugh, "He treated me like a box. Is there no justice in this world?!"

San Yan fell silent. After all, the box was important to every Yan person, and it seemed reasonable for the Grand Tutor to want a box.

Ran Dian looked up and around, "Is this mechanism amazing? Won't it kill him?"

She was confident in her ability to decipher this mechanism; it was a defensive device, not an offensive one. She had learned it from her master for a long time before mastering it, so it would be truly unbelievable if he could easily crack it.