35 Ye Cheng Fu

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Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Ye Cheng Fu

Chapter 35:

Shen Ye’s sudden bashfulness kept me tossing and turning all night. By the time he carefully wrapped a blanket around me and gently carried me to Bai Shaotang’s place at dawn, I was still somewhat conscious. However, I didn’t want to open my eyes, so I groggily let him hand me over to Bai Shaotang. “Don’t wake her up, let her sleep a bit more,” he instructed.

Surprisingly, Bai Shaotang didn’t argue with him this time and carefully took me, gently laying me on the bed.

Seeing the two of them so harmonious stirred an indescribable emotion within me. I couldn’t help but think that if we set aside what each represented, perhaps we could live peacefully like this forever.

This thought lingered even as I attended court, where the debate over the candidates for Minister of War continued. The factions fought fiercely, but my mind was elsewhere.

With no resolution in sight, the party struggle became more intense, and the atmosphere at court grew increasingly tense over the next few days. Understanding the Empress’s intent, I refrained from participating in the disputes, keeping a low profile.

Perhaps my unusual silence drew attention. After a week of heated arguments, the Empress finally lost patience and singled me out: “Minister Shu, you have been uncharacteristically silent these past days. Do you have any insights to share?”

“The other ministers have already made excellent points, Your Majesty. I have nothing more to add,” I replied.

Yes, evading the issue and smoothing things over is something I’ve always been good at. The Empress frowned. “Then tell me, of the current candidates, who do you think is most suitable for the position of Minister of War?”

Her tone was already tinged with anger. She had asked this question of everyone who mattered, but none had given her the answer she wanted. Now, it was down to me. If my answer wasn’t what she wanted to hear, I would likely become the scapegoat, allowing her to save face while appointing someone directly.

I pondered for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, I do have someone to recommend. This person possesses excellent knowledge and virtue, acts decisively, and is an ideal candidate for the Minister of War in terms of ability. However, this person is quite young, and I am concerned about their experience..."

"Since I have ascended the throne, I have always valued ability over experience. Minister Shu, speak frankly, and I will make the decision."

"The Censorate, Gu Qiangsheng," I said the name, and everyone present was stunned, including Gu Qiangsheng herself. On the high platform, the Empress's expression changed unpredictably as she looked at me with some doubt. "Minister Shu, why do you suddenly mention Minister Gu?"

"Minister Gu was transferred from the Ministry of War to the Censorate back then. During his tenure, I observed her excellent character and learning. Now that Your Majesty seeks to appoint a worthy candidate, the only person I can think of is Minister Gu."

My words were sincere, and the expressions of those present changed several times. In truth, there was nothing wrong with what I said. For Gu Qiangsheng to rise so quickly from humble beginnings, she must have had significant talent. The lack of recommendations was due to Gu Qiangsheng's refusal to form factions and her lack of family backing. Those he brought up held positions smaller than her, making it hard for them to speak up.

By proposing Gu Qiangsheng, I wasn't offering an ideal choice for the aristocratic families, but choosing a neutral person was better than picking someone from an opposing faction. The court fell into a rare silence, with no one praising or attacking the suggestion.

"Gu Qiangsheng..." The Empress tapped the table, seemingly deep in thought, though I knew her acting was impeccable.

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After a moment of consideration, she appeared to make up her mind and looked up. "Indeed, there is no more suitable candidate than Minister Gu. So be it, Minister Gu."

"Your Majesty," Gu Qiangsheng stepped forward and knelt.

The Empress, satisfied, said, "I hereby appoint you as the new Minister of War. May you remain diligent and serve the country to the best of your ability."

"Thank you for your gracious favor, Your Majesty," Gu Qiangsheng knelt upright. Seeing her smile, I couldn't help but shiver as goosebumps appeared on my arms. The emotions in the room were complex—both joy and sorrow.

The joy came from the fact that the Censorate's top enforcer, Gu Qiangsheng, was finally leaving. No longer would there be someone obsessively catching everyone's mistakes. The worry, however, was that this person, now the Minister of War, might become an even stronger force.

But there were certainly two people who were happy about this—Gu Qiangsheng and the Empress.

The Empress looked at me kindly, a gentleness in her eyes that I had never experienced before. She said warmly, "Minister Shu, your recommendation has solved a great problem for me. You deserve a reward!"

For the first time in my life, I received a reward from the Empress in the court. As I carried the Empress's inkstone home, my mother looked at me with satisfaction.

"Cheng'er," she sighed, "perhaps there is hope for our relationship with the Empress."

That evening, I went to discuss the matter with Shen Ye.

"Do you think the Empress will suspect that you told me to do this?"

"The Empress isn't foolish."

"Won't the Empress be angry?"

"No, she won't."

"Why? Doesn't she think you exposed her intentions and betrayed her?"

"Because before I told you, I already spoke to the Empress," Shen Ye said nonchalantly as he flipped through a book while sitting in a rocking chair. "I told her I would find a way for Minister Shu to recommend Gu Qiangsheng."

Suddenly, I felt that Shen Ye was too dangerous, and I resolved never to trust his words again. He seemed to sense my thoughts, looked up, and smiled with narrowed eyes. "In any case, at least you didn't anger the Empress further. Instead, you made her a bit happier, didn't you?"

I didn't respond, carefully considering Shen Ye's words. He put down his book, stood up, and walked over to face me. Seeing my confused expression, he lightly poked my head and said helplessly, "If you don't even want to fathom the Empress' mind, no wonder the Empress always wants to get rid of you. If I were in her position, I'd also want to replace you with people who please me."

"Foolish ruler!" I scoffed. Shen Ye raised an eyebrow and suddenly reached out to pinch my cheek, laughing as he said, "Idiot."

With my face being pinched, I immediately snapped. Where did he get this habit from?

But I couldn't beat him or outwit him. Feeling utterly humiliated and angry, I was pinned down as he continued to pinch my cheeks.

The more he played, the more he enjoyed it, even muttering in amazement, "Tsk tsk, Shu Cheng, I never realized you have so much baby fat on your face."

"Get lost..." I said, full of grief and indignation.

Shen Ye, however, only became more enthusiastic. After a while, he collapsed onto me, hugging me tightly, and took a deep breath. "Shu Cheng, it would be so nice if you stayed with me like this forever."

I said nothing, stunned, unable to respond. I stared blankly at the flickering candlelight, opened my mouth, but found my throat dry and couldn't utter a word.

As the new year approached, the capital of Chu grew colder. Shen Ye also began to show signs of fatigue, often arriving in my room with icy hands and feet. I sent for a doctor, but he firmly refused, saying that Shen Cong had excellent medical skills and that I should trust him.

I didn't have much to be reassured or not about; his illness was caused by the Crown Princess being tormented by Her Majesty. However, his martial arts skills were formidable, and he had a strong constitution. With the various elixirs and potions I provided, he would probably recover in a while. I trusted him, and if there was anything I was worried about, it was that he might wander around the courtyard and stumble upon something.

As for the blood contract, I didn't understand it very well, but I knew that was his real purpose for coming. I absolutely couldn't let him succeed.

The matter of Gu Qiangsheng made me realize that Shen Ye ultimately belonged to Her Majesty, and there was always a barrier between us.

However, I couldn't act openly, so I sought out Bai Shaotang to discuss the matter with him.

"I want to confine Shen Ye, but it can't be too obvious. He'd better not leave his courtyard."

"That's easy," Bai Shaotang said with a sly smile. "He always looks down on someone like me, who specializes in stirring up trouble in the rear courtyard. Let him see what the rules of the rear courtyard are like."

I nodded, but couldn't imagine what rules Bai Shaotang would enforce to punish Shen Ye. However, it wasn't long before I heard a commotion in the courtyard after I had just returned from court one day. On my way to investigate, I encountered my mother, who was hurrying away with a look of fear on her face. I quickly asked, "Mother, what's going on?"

"I need to leave now. If you have anything to do, you should leave too! Don't go to the rear courtyard!"

"What happened..." I had rarely seen my mother so frightened. There was a look of sorrow in her eyes as she said, "Cheng'er, your father may not have been the sharpest, but when it comes to the art of 'inner courtyard battles,' he was top-notch. Now, with Bai Shaotang here, it's like three men performing a drama. I've lived peacefully for many years, and now, suddenly, there's turmoil again. I'm too old to handle this. No more talk; I'm leaving."

With that, she hurried away. I was left stunned, feeling a bit curious... After all, my mother and I were different. She had countless concubines, while I was experiencing marriage for the first time.

So I quickened my pace and went in. As soon as I stepped into my father's bedroom, I saw him sitting by the bed, looking at a child with eyes full of distress. Standing beside him was Bai Shaotang, along with a group of my mother's concubines, all glaring fiercely at Shen Ye and Shen Cong, who stood in the side hall.

My father's eyes were red. As soon as I entered, he shouted, "Shu Cheng, look at what you've done!"

"Daughter knows her mistake!" I knelt down immediately. When my father lost his temper, it was no joking matter.

He raised his head, eyes red, and said, "What kind of jinx have you married! As soon as he arrives, he pushes my niece into the water. In this freezing weather, if anything happens to my niece, how will you explain it to your aunt! This is your aunt's legitimate daughter!"

Hearing this, I understood immediately. There was no way Shen Ye would push a child into the water; it must have been Bai Shaotang's doing.

I couldn't help but frown and glanced at Bai Shaotang. He winked at me, indicating that the girl was fine, and I felt relieved. I looked at Shen Ye and shouted angrily, "Kneel!"

Shen Ye knelt down immediately, without a hint of hesitation. Shen Cong, though showing anger, followed and knelt as well.

"Apologize to my father."

"An apology is useless!" my father roared. "Just because I said a few words to you, you target my niece. With such a malicious heart, how can the Shu household tolerate you!"

"Father, I was wrong." Shen Ye lowered his head. "Let Shen Cong treat the young lady."

"No need," Bai Shaotang immediately objected. "You pushed the young lady, and now you say you want to save her. Who knows if you'll poison her this time?"

"I didn't push her." Shen Ye frowned. "I..."

Before he could finish, my father, with unexpected strength, suddenly jumped up from the bed and slapped Shen Ye across the face.

Shen Ye's face turned blue and purple from the slap. I hurriedly stood up to stop him, "Father!"

"Kneel!" Father shouted, "Or I'll hit you!"

I couldn't say anything for a moment. I just wanted him to be grounded; I hadn't planned on anything else. Bai Shaotang gestured to me secretly, and I stared at him in a daze before finally kneeling down.

Father, panting with anger, glared at Shen Ye and said furiously, "You are the most disrespectful man I have ever seen in my life! I don't know what tricks you've used to enchant Cheng'er, nor do I know what kind of power or status you hold. But remember this: once you enter the Shu family, you must follow our rules. Shaotang now holds the reins of the Shu family's inner quarters, and you must listen to him. Today, you openly challenged me, but it was really a message to Shaotang, showing that if you can bully your father-in-law, there's nothing you won't dare to do to him!"

"Father, you're being too harsh," Bai Shaotang stepped forward, supporting my father. "Sit down and have some tea to calm down. The doctor said the young lady is not seriously hurt and will wake up soon. Rongqing was just momentarily confused. Even if you don't consider Rongqing, think about your own health."

"Shaotang," my father said anxiously, gripping Bai Shaotang's hand, "you are too kind-hearted. You don't know that this courtyard is full of men who are like wolves in sheep's clothing!"

As soon as Father said that, all the concubines present turned their attention to him. Father quickly added, "I wasn't talking about any of you; I meant that fox spirit right in front of us!"

Shen Ye remained silent, kneeling on the ground, his pale face making him look even more alluring.

To be honest, I could understand Father's hostility towards Shen Ye; after all, Shen Ye was indeed too good-looking.

Listening to Father's words, I glanced sideways at Bai Shaotang, thinking that men from prestigious families were indeed different... their "courtyard battle" skills were truly superb. While I was watching Bai Shaotang, I suddenly felt a sharp look directed at me. Turning my head, I found Shen Ye quietly observing me.

I immediately understood that this was a warning from him. The reason he was obediently kneeling there, enduring Father's humiliation, was because his bottom line had not been crossed. Hastily, I averted my gaze and said, "Father, you've scolded him and vented your anger. How about..."

"This isn't over!" Father roared. Just as I was about to say something, Father shouted, "Go back to the Tour courtyard, and without my orders, don't come out for the rest of your life!"

Hmm... I wondered if Bai Shaotang had spoken to Father beforehand; this decision was very much to my liking.

Shen Ye didn't say much either. After kowtowing and agreeing, he made no other moves. Seeing him so obedient, Father had no choice but to wave his hand and let me take him out.

As soon as we stepped outside, the cold wind hit us in the face. Shen Ye instinctively walked ahead of me, shielding me from the wind. A servant quickly handed me a hand warmer, but there was none for him. Walking beside him, I thought for a moment and then handed the warmer to him, saying, "Your health is still fragile. Take this."

He slightly turned his head, looking down at the warmer in my hand. After a moment, he said, "You might as well give me your hand."

I wanted to scold him, but when he extended his hand, the icy coldness of his jade-like hand left me speechless. I could only hold his hand, trying to warm him up.

The two of us walked back to my courtyard. Once inside, I instructed Shen Cong, "Go get some ointment; his face is swollen."

Shen Cong finally lost his temper, no longer as patient as before. He snorted coldly, took out a clean little bottle from his sleeve, threw it at me, and turned to leave. As he went out, he slammed the door.

His emotions were too obvious for me to ignore. I rubbed my nose and said, "He's young but has quite a temper."

"I've never treated him like a servant. The temperament of a young master is often like this. The fact that he didn't stand up and hit your father today is already quite good."

As he spoke, I took out the ointment from the bottle and began applying it to his face. He frowned, seemingly in some pain. I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous, but then he said, "This temper still needs some polishing before it can be useful."

So he was thinking about something serious...

I couldn't help but get a little irritated and poked his face. He looked at me, puzzled, "Are you trying to hurt me?"

I had nothing to say, realizing he wasn't in pain at all. Seeing my tacit admission, he smiled and asked, "You don't believe it was me who pushed her, do you?"

"Why didn't you defend yourself?"

"In situations like this, with no evidence, it all comes down to whether people believe you or not. Your father has wanted to deal with me for a long time; today was just an opportunity. Besides, as long as you believe me, that's enough."

"I believe you because I still have my wits about me. Why would someone like you push a child?" I said, closing the bottle and muttering in dissatisfaction, "You let my father slap you just to show me a 'suffering ploy,' didn't you?"

He smiled without saying anything, and as I turned away, he suddenly said, "Shu Cheng, I promised you that I am just Su Rongqing. As long as you keep your promise, I will just be the gentle young master, Su Rongqing. Shu Cheng," he came up behind me and gently hugged me, "I know you don't trust me, but I will slowly earn your trust. Do you believe me, hmm?"

“Hmm…” In his embrace, I felt my face flush, unable to say a word, only responding softly. Suddenly, he tensed up, and after a moment, he asked in a hoarse voice, “Shu Cheng, when will we consummate our marriage? I've been married to you for quite some time now…”

“Later,” I snapped back to reality, laughing awkwardly as I struggled out of his embrace. I hurriedly said, “I need to go notify them to serve the dishes.”

With that, I rushed out, and only when the winter chill hit me did I finally regain my composure.

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35 Ye Cheng Fu

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