Chapter 5
The night was deep and quiet, but candles were still lit in Qinghui Hall.
A white cat jumped onto the platform and lazily licked its paws.
Inside the room, someone was sitting with their eyes closed. The table was piled high with letters, and the dim candlelight cast a soft glow on their brow, as if they were blessed with a unique and elegant beauty that made it difficult to look directly at them.
It was quiet outside, but suddenly a series of footsteps broke the tranquility.
The guard knelt respectfully on the ground with a solemn expression: "Master, a secret letter from the capital."
Shen Ji opened his eyes, his slender fingers took the letter, then gently unfolded it. After scanning it, he rolled the envelope into the candle flame, where it burned to ashes with the flames.
"Keep people watching."
"yes."
The guard responded and then left quietly.
Having witnessed everything, Matsumoto comfortably changed his position, curled up in one spot, and quietly fell asleep.
Shen Ji smoothed the creases on the hem of his clothes; half of his handsome face was illuminated by the candlelight, while the other half remained hidden in the shadows.
That night, Shen Ji was trapped in a nightmare.
In the first year of Showa, Emperor Seimei passed away. On the third day of the third month, Crown Prince Yong'an plotted a rebellion. Fortunately, Prince Sui was wise and righteous and led his troops to capture Crown Prince Yong'an alive in front of Xuanwu Gate. Prince Sui, considering the deep bond between brothers, could not bear to kill the Crown Prince and imprisoned him in the Crown Prince's residence.
But no one expected that the Crown Prince of Yong'an, unable to bear the humiliation, would commit suicide on the spot.
His family members also perished in a raging fire.
The country was at peace until the Prince of Sui ascended the throne.
...
"Chen'er, hurry up and go."
“Mother, I’m not leaving. Father hasn’t returned yet. Didn’t we agree to wait for Father to come back and then leave together?”
In the pitch-black night, flames blazed to the sky, blood flowed all around, and corpses littered the ground.
The woman's expression was one of grief and indignation, but her eyes were unusually bright: "Chen'er, your mother can no longer stay with you. Live well, no matter what happens, you must live well."
The young boy, dressed in brocade robes, hid in the secret passage, unaware of what was happening outside. He saw his mother run out without regard for anything, and then die by the guard's blade.
"You treacherous Prince Sui, you have turned black into white and are plotting a rebellion. I will wait for you in this hell. One day, the world will see your true colors."
"Your Highness, I've come to keep you company."
...
The orphaned boy recklessly followed the secret passage out, witnessing his mother die before his eyes, powerless to stop it. Overwhelmed by immense grief and sorrow, he didn't know where he was going or where the path led. All he knew was that his mother had just given her life to save him.
He cannot die; he must seek revenge. One day, he will kill those who have humiliated them.
Snowflakes fell gently on his brow. The boy, who had been walking all night, finally saw a glimmer of light. Exhausted, he desperately tried to grasp it, but in doing so, he fell into the snow.
All the past events flashed through my mind, those vivid faces, and finally, the image of my mother's resolute suicide today was fixed.
A wave of intense pain washed over him. In that instant, he seemed to lose all his senses, becoming like a walking corpse. The wind and snow cutting into his cheeks felt like soft knives. Behind him, he could faintly hear disordered footsteps, and in the vast expanse of white snow, there was only endless darkness...
Like a death warrant, it repeatedly shattered his psychological defenses.
There was no way out, neither life nor death.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of chanting coming from the Buddhist temple.
If gods and Buddhas truly exist in this world, why should kind people suffer such calamities? His father was devoted to poetry and books and had no interest in politics, yet he died without a burial place because of the crime of possessing a treasure.
The boy was on the verge of death and could no longer distinguish between dreams and reality. In his blurry vision, he seemed to see his mother appear beside him. His mother reached out her hand, and he tried to take it, but no matter what he did, he could not grasp the warmth that was so close at hand.
A tattered umbrella hung overhead. The young boy struggled to open his eyes, only to see a soft hem of clothing and a very small girl.
*
The east is turning white.
As soon as Jiang Mian opened her eyes, she felt something pressing down on her. She turned her head and saw that Chen Yan was sleeping soundly beside her.
Jiang Mian sighed and gently placed her cousin's wrist aside. The two of them had talked for a long time last night and went to bed very late. They had to go to school today, and it would be bad if they were late.
Thinking of this, Jiang Mian shook Chen Yan's shoulder and whispered, "Fourth sister, wake up."
"Fifth sister, don't make a fuss. Let me finish this plate of peach blossom pastries before I go out with you."
Chen Yan turned over, her brows furrowing slightly.
Jiang Mian said helplessly, "Fourth sister, Master Zhou still has classes today. If we are late, he will punish us again."
The words had barely left her mouth when Chen Yan suddenly opened her eyes wide: "What!"
"There's still time."
...
After tidying everything up, Chen Yan was still a little sleepy: "I really envy my second sister. She's getting married soon and won't have to go to school like us anymore."
“Studying isn’t necessarily bad, and marriage isn’t necessarily good either.” Perhaps because the two of them had become much closer last night, Jiang Mian was less cautious today.
"That's true. I've read in those storybooks that it's all about devoted women and heartless men. If I had to choose, I'd still prefer to listen to Master Zhou's lectures. It's a bit tough, but I can secretly read the storybooks and even sneak some peach blossom pastries in when he's not looking."
As she spoke of these things, Chen Yan's eyes shone brightly.
Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly said, "But then again, Fifth Sister, haven't you ever imagined what your future husband would be like?"
Jiang Mian's eyes darkened, and a figure suddenly popped into her mind.
The spring scenery was beautiful, and the boy broke off a peach branch and played with it in his palm.
"Mian'er, although your parents are gone, you still have me. No matter what happens, I will never leave you."
"These are flowers I just picked, and there are still dewdrops on them. They all say that a beautiful woman should wear flowers in her hair. Mian'er, these flowers suit you very well."
"I will study hard and, after I pass the imperial examination, I will come to your house to propose marriage."
The scene shifts to the riverbank, where a young man in a blue robe reluctantly touches her forehead.
"wait for me."
Spring came and autumn went, withered trees sprouted new buds, and plants grew vibrantly. The young girl waited day after day, but in the end, she received a letter from her travel companion.
"Please accept my condolences. I heard that he accidentally fell off a cliff, and this is his last possession."
All those familiar faces and smiles are now just memories. Holding the jade pendant, Jiang Mian felt weak and almost fell to the ground.
She lamented countless times the unfairness of fate, wondering why those she cared about kept leaving her. Her parents were gone, Song Mingyan was gone, and even her grandmother was gone.
Memories fade away, but thoughts return.
Jiang Mian lowered her eyes and shook her head: "No."
For her now, simply surviving is a struggle, and she dares not ask for too much. Moreover, not everyone around her has a smooth marriage. Now that she has come to the Shen family, marriage is even more of a matter of personal choice. She does not ask her future husband to be devoted to her alone; she only hopes that he can provide her with a safe and secure place, treat her sincerely, and be respectful to her.
Seeing her indifferent mood, Shen Yan couldn't help but say, "I still have some hope. Although my mother always says that a woman should prioritize her future and interests, and not care about her husband's love, I think it's not bad to find someone who truly loves you."
Jiang Mian curled her lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Everyone in the world has different ideas. Sometimes she even envied Chen Yan, who lived a carefree life.
The next few days passed uneventfully at the school.
Master Zhou remained strict. Although he had slapped their hands on the first day, he had not deliberately made things difficult for them in the past few days. On the occasional occasions he called on Jiang Mian to answer questions, he also praised her generously.
Another half month passed, and the day of Shen Rong's wedding arrived.
In Jeju City, the Shen family is one of the most prominent and wealthy families. Today, many guests have come and surrounded Madam Jiang, praising her highly.
"Fifth sister, come over here."
Shen Yan gripped her sleeve tightly, afraid of being separated by the crowd. There were many guests today, and Jiang was busy dealing with them and couldn't pay attention to them for the time being. Even if she could notice them, she would keep Shen Tang by her side at all times. Now, many women were openly or secretly inquiring about Shen Tang, but Jiang was proud and arrogant and naturally didn't take these people seriously.
Chen Yan found a quiet place. The manor hadn't been this lively in a long time. "Fifth sister, you're new here and don't understand. The more lively the occasion, the less we should participate. Otherwise, we'll be surrounded by people asking us all sorts of questions. Just thinking about it is terrifying."
"Look, even someone like Third Sister, but Third Sister is both beautiful and talented, and she doesn't resist. If it were me, I'm afraid there would be a hole I could crawl into right away."
Jiang Mian couldn't help but chuckle. She had experienced the scene that Chen Yan mentioned before. She had thought that only gossipy people in alleys would behave this way, but she didn't expect that it was the same in wealthy and powerful families.
But that's fine, she doesn't like dealing with those people either.
But what she said came true. Jiang's eyes swept around, seemingly looking for someone. When she saw Chen Yan hiding somewhere, looking like she was stealing a chicken, Jiang rushed over in a few steps: "Little Si, stop eating and come with me to get to know her."
"Mother, today is my second sister's wedding day, please don't drag me along."
"Have you ignored all the things I've said to you in the past? Today is such an important occasion. If you don't perform well, how will you find a spouse in the future? I've told you so many times. Your third sister is so outstanding. Why don't you learn from her? You're always thinking of nonsense. When will you put your mind to something worthwhile!"
Jiang scolded her in a low voice, and without saying another word, pulled Chenyan back.
Chen Yan lowered her head and muttered softly, "Not everyone is like Third Sister."
These words were spoken very softly, and Madam Jiang did not hear them. She simply looked up at Jiang Mian and smiled, saying, "Xiao Wu, although there are many guests today, we are at home, so there is no need to be so formal."
"Thank you for your concern, Second Aunt." Jiang Mian bowed, and as she looked up, she saw Jiang Shi pulling Chen Yan and quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Amidst the clamor, Jiang Mian stood aloof from the excitement, feeling no particular emotion. The main characters today were the Shen family; after all, she was just a newly arrived relative who happened to be there on her second sister's wedding day, which brought her joy.
However, there is a slight sense of loneliness.
Jiang Mian stood outside the crowd, and a birch tree happened to be blocking her view. Sunlight fell on the branches and leaves, creating dappled light and shadow on the ground. At that moment, no one noticed that a young girl was standing there.
She looked around, intending to find her grandmother, but unexpectedly discovered a lonely figure standing under the covered bridge.
The man was holding a cat in his arms.
He also stood outside the crowd.
Refined and elegant, with dazzling brilliance.
Like the moon in the clouds, it is unattainable.
This was her first impression of Shen Ji.
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