Chapter 7: Calculations

Shen Shurong smiled faintly. She knew—he wanted to give her the very best.

Ever since she was brought out from the Palace, fine things had arrived like flowing water, delivered day after day. People, too, came by, stopping in for a chat every two or three days.

She still had no name, no identity, unseen by the world—only he knew she was still alive.

Yet every time he came, he sat behind the beaded curtain, never staying more than a quarter of an hour. It was his way of being cautious, of protecting her.

She could tell that each visit was made in good spirits—he clearly wanted to see her.

But once, when she stepped out from behind the curtain to chase after him, she startled him so badly that he left even faster—and didn’t dare return for an entire month.

Whenever she doubted his intentions, she would ask Suihan, and Suihan would always respond with the same unwavering certainty she did now.

Then, one night a month later, he came to her reeking of wine and pulled her into his arms without a word.

Suihan covered her eyes and fled the room, shutting the door behind her with a smile tugging at her lips.

At that moment, her mind went completely blank.

“Who am I?”

“Ah Zhao, it’s Ah Zhao. You’ve had too much to drink—get up!” How could she not have longed for this? And yet, she feared it was only the wine that had driven him here…

“No, Rongrong… don’t push me away…”

The hands that had been resisting him slowly dropped…

……

She never would have imagined that at over thirty years of age, he was still… inexperienced.

But after that night, he never came again—most likely out of shame.

And yet, she knew—across from her, in the corner tower, he was often there. Watching her in silence.

A year later, when she was gravely ill and hovering at death’s door, she awoke with great difficulty—only to find both her hands held in someone’s warm grasp, the faint heat seeping through her skin, into her very bones.

The man seated by her bedside was pulled down by the slight force of her hand. His deep voice was hoarse, trembling with unshed tears. “I’m sorry, Sister-in-law. I truly didn’t know that by losing that identity, I would also lose you.”

“Don’t call me ‘Sister-in-law.’ Call me ‘Wife.’” If there’s another life, no matter who you are, I’ll marry you—only you.

Warm tears fell onto the side of Shen Shurong’s face. The man obeyed her and softly called out:

“Wife, please get better soon. I’ll avenge you—you haven’t even seen it yet.”

She knew he was planning a rebellion. The Great Zhou was already on its last legs—she hoped he would succeed. This decaying regime had long deserved to be overthrown.

He was not only her hero, but the hero of the world.

It was only a pity that she would never witness the peace and prosperity he would bring.

In less than a quarter of an hour, she lay content in his arms, her life coming to its final end.

……

Suihan held a handkerchief, gently wiping away the tears at the corner of Shen Shurong’s eyes.

Shen Shurong collected herself—so even in a dream from last night, she had wept.

“Junzhu, what are your thoughts?”

Shen Shurong closed her eyes, then opened them again, a light flickering within. “All I know is, when I nearly drowned, he saved me. When my reputation was ruined, he saved me again.”

“If Junzhu sees it this way, this servant can finally be at ease.”

“Do you think he might believe that I still carry Heir Zheng’s in my heart, I’ve somehow wronged him?” Shen Shurong asked, pointing to her chest.

“Please don’t overthink it, Junzhu. Things have only just changed—it takes time to adjust. The more you spend time together, the more Master will understand how grateful you are to him.”

“You make sense—it’s about spending more time together. We have an Imperial Decree of Marriage. No one would dare say a word.”

Of course a servant wishes the best for her mistress. A thought formed in Suihan’s mind. “Junzhu, you should rest early. Since Master has sent so many gifts, allow me to return the courtesy on your behalf tomorrow.”

Shen Shurong chuckled. Clever girl. “Alright, let’s sleep early then.”

Outside the gates of the Grand Princess’ Estate, a young man in green robes dashed off toward the Duke of Lu’s Mansion, a wide grin stretched across his face.

“Second Master, the gifts you sent—Junzhu accepted all of them.”

Xie Yunzhao had already suspected it, as none had been returned even this late at night. But hearing Qingying confirm it still made his heart stir with excitement.

His voice light and pleased, tinged with pride, he said, “If she likes them, I’ll go to Mother’s storeroom tomorrow and pick out more. Send everything to her.”

“Congratulations, Second Master. The fact that Junzhu is willing to accept your gifts means she doesn’t reject you anymore.”

“Who said she rejects me? She used to love playing with me the most,” Xie Yunzhao shot him a glare. Before she was confined, she used to watch him often.

“Yes, yes, your subordinate spoke out of turn—I’ll slap myself.” Qingying gave his own cheek a pat. “Tomorrow, I’ll go with you to deliver more gifts.”

Inside, the Duchess of Lu sat glowing with joy under the red candlelight, flipping through an album of noble ladies’ portraits, still unaware that her beloved son was about to raid her storeroom.

“I originally prepared these for Yunzhao, but he didn’t even spare them a glance. Now I suppose they’ll go to Yunzheng—though their background is far too low.”

The Duchess of Lu was just about to summon someone to remove the portraits when the Duke of Lu picked one up and examined it. “With the prestige of our mansion and Yunzheng’s scholarly talents, he can certainly secure a far better match. It doesn’t matter if she can’t compare to Yongjia Junzhu—no one can.”

“Yes.”

“If her status is too low, then keep her. She can be a concubine for Yunzheng.”

The Duchess slapped her forehead, nearly tossing the album aside. “Yunzhao might not take concubines, but Yunzheng must.” She sighed, “Poor my Zhao’er.”

“It’s all fine now.” The Duke of Lu drew his wife into his arms, his mood high—perfect for doing something pleasant.

The next morning, Shen Shurong woke up feeling much better, though she coughed twice. Jinzhi hurried in. “Junzhu, why are you coughing? You might have caught a chill. I’ll have someone prepare some medicine.”

Her makeup was thick—it was obvious she’d cried hard. Shen Shurong gave a faint smile. “Didn’t I tell you to rest until midday?”

“I don’t need that long, Junzhu. I just felt a sudden ache in my heart and cried a little. Thank you for your concern.”

“Mm, help me change.” She’s already recovered this quickly. Truly a skilled actress—not that Shen Shurong blamed herself for misjudging her.

“Where is Suihan?”

Suihan entered. “Junzhu, let me help you wash your hands.”

“Mm. Cough, cough.” As Shen Shurong looked at Suihan through her coughing, she retrieved the jade pendant carved with dragon patterns and handed it to her.

Suihan smiled. “Junzhu, I’ll go return the courtesy gift now and be right back to serve you the medicine.”

“Mm. You’re thoughtful.” Shen Shurong let Jinzhi continue with her makeup. Among the maids, she had to admit—Jinzhi did the best job.

As they spoke, Stewardess Wang arrived, bringing with her four people—two men and two women. Just like before, they were Fuxi, Fushun, Hua Mama, and Tian Mama.

They were all shrewd and smooth-tongued, clearly experienced. It was a pity that before, she hadn’t known how to make use of them, treating them merely as common servants to order about.

“We greet the Junzhu.”

As usual, Shen Shurong asked for their names, then dismissed them to be settled in.

She wouldn’t be using Jinzhi anymore—though the girl still had her uses. If she were to marry into the Duke of Lu’s Mansion, perhaps she could take advantage of being close at hand to gain favors first, and then stir the waters around Yingyue Lake until they were as murky as possible.

“Yinzhi, in a quarter of an hour, bring the two mamas to see me.”

“Yes, Junzhu.”

When the two mamas arrived, the maids had all been sent out. The two mamas, sensing the gravity of the situation, instinctively lowered their postures even further.

“From now on, you two will follow me. It may be tiring.”

“We are servants of the Junzhu. How could we ever say we are tired?”

“However, if the tasks are carried out well, there will be rewards.”

“Thank you, Junzhu. What would you have us do?”

“Gather information regarding my sister-in-law, Liang, when she reached adulthood. Do it discreetly, we must not alert anyone.”

“We understand.” Reaching adulthood meant she could begin discussing potential marriages. The Junzhu must have some suspicions.

“Also, regarding the people on this list, have Fuxi and Fushun investigate them discreetly. Start from their births—family background, character, abilities—every detail, but it must not be discovered.”

“We will remember, Junzhu.”

Shen Shurong suddenly remembered a little maid from Xie Yunzheng’s courtyard, one who had died tragically along with her sister in the past.

She knew exactly what the situation was like for the servants in Zhaohui Courtyard.

There must be an insider at Xie Yunzheng’s place. If she had saved that maid and her sister earlier, the girl would likely be grateful now.

“Hua Mama, there’s something that must be done in secrecy.”

“What is it, Junzhu?”

“…Remember, she is to be kept in the purple cedar.”

“I will ensure no one notices.”

As the two women left, the surprise in their eyes didn’t escape Shen Shurong’s notice. She was certain that after leaving Qiu Tong Courtyard, they would split up—one would return to deliver the Junzhu’s orders, and the other would head to the grandmother’s courtyard.

Three days later, at the palace banquet, the dog-like crown prince would bring up the matter of the treasury. He was nothing but a foul dog, always eyeing the bones in others’ hands.