His eyes were deeper and darker than she had ever seen them, piercing through Shen Zhen, not even the smallest a spark of mercy in the midst of them. Opening his lips ever so slightly, he asked in his deep voice:
“Where does the Third Miss think she is going?”
Those eyes appeared to be devoid of humanity. The eyes of a falcon convincing its prey it could not escape.
Leaning down, Shen Zhen immediately preparing to cover Shen Hong’s ears with her hands.
“Close your eyes for Third Sister, Hong’er.”
Their father had taught them never to lie. It had been his mantra since their childhood. Even in such a situation, she refused to let Shen Hong see her go against their father’s most basic teachings. It would have been like saying that they were Shen no more.
Shen Zhen tried to gather her wits about her. This was yet another occasion to put her newfound talent as an actress to good use.
In a gentle tone, she addressed Lu Yan, trying to appear as calm as possible.
“A fire broke out in our courtyard, thus we had no choice but to escape. The fire was too great. It was spreading everywhere. Thus, I was planning to take my younger brother to a governmental instance.”
She was more than aware her story was full of loopholes. But she still held onto a sliver of hope.
Maybe … Maybe he would come to her help once more …
However, as soon as she finished her explanation, Yang Zong walked over, manhandling a soldier.
“Master, we have found someone.”
Shen Zhen looked around and turned pale at once. That soldier had a scar at the corner of his eye. Her fingertips started to shake. So did Shen Hong, who for his part, was getting colder and colder. And more scared with each passing moment.
He couldn’t help whispering:
“Third Sister, what is wrong? Can Hong’er open his eyes?”
Lu Yan glanced at the woman indifferently.
According to the laws of the Jin Dynasty, representatives could use rope and shackles to hinder people from escaping. But it was a girl who had not left the boudoir yet that he was facing. There was no need for such humiliation. Rather he walked forward in person, peeled her palms off Shen Hong’s ears, clamped both her wrists with one hand and asked with a deep voice that reverberated all through Shen Zhen:
“Does the Third Miss admit her guilt?”
Shen Zhen thought Lord Lu would drag her to the government directly. However, he went against all her expectations, making her cross two main streets and enter an obscure property in some obscure alley. And what a property!
Looking up at the red plaque hanging above their heads, one could read its name carved into wood —— Chengyuan.
(T/N: Chengyuan would mean something along the lines of Pure Garden)
The path leading to the courtyard was meandering and winding, bordered with sycamores and Chinese banana trees. There were ponds with small bridges and waterside pavilions. When spring came, this property would truly live up to the sentence “the trees in a desolate pavilion, the moon reflecting in a clear pond”. It would be most exquisite and soul-stirring.
(T/N: That sentence comes from the Yanyue, written in 1631 by Ji Cheng, a work revolving around the art of gardening.)
But Shen Zhen had not come to enjoy the scenery. The more she looked around, the more fearful and uneasy she felt.
However, her hands were clamped by Lu Yan and she was being dragged away by him. She did not have the strength, or the courage, to break free and make a run for it. She could just move forward alongside him.
Once they reached a building called Lanyue Pavilion, Lu Yan stropped in his tracks and shot Shen Hong a disagreeable glance.
“Take him to the West Chamber”, he ordered Yang Zong.
(T/N: Oh, the irony surrounding Lanyue. It means turbulent month, most probably in reference to all the bad things that happened to Shen Zhen in the past month. Lu Yan is not only unfeeling, he is mean in a very cruel, elegant way. As the Chinese say, killing without seeing blood.)
Shen Hong had been most obedient until that moment. For a five-year old child not to cry or to make trouble along the way was a great feat. But as soon as he heard that cold villain’s words, realizing he was about to be taken away, he started kicking his feet violently.
“Third Sister! Third Sister! Where are they taking me?!”
Shen Zhen could not break free to rush to him. She could only call out to try and pacify his fear.
“Don’t be scared, Hong’er! You can go with this gentleman without fear. Third Sister will come for you presently.”
Shen Hong was less than convinced, kicking around as much as he could with his short legs.
Yang Zong knew his master could not stand children. Let alone children tossing around and throwing tantrums. Grabbing onto the boy sideways, the guard whispered in a most calming voice:
“Now, now, Little Master. You will be able to see your Third Sister a bit later. Just wait patiently.”
After having seen Yang Zong take that repulsive pest away, Lu Yan led Shen Zhen into Lanyue Pavilion.
As soon as they stepped in, he let go of her hands, lit a lamp and said in a monotonous voice:
“This Official shall give you a chance. Speak.”
He must have been an official for a long time because his manner of speech had just the right amount of calm haughtiness to give off the impression they were at his office.
Not even the luxurious yellow pear scented rosewood canopy bed behind him could affect the aloof official aura he was exuding.
Shen Zhen clenched her fists, not knowing what to do.
Confess the crime?
How could she recognize such a horrendous crime?!
Lie?
She had been caught red-handed, how could she even think about lying?!
Frowning, her mind was trying to come up with a solution. But after a while, she could not bear the torment of his indifferent, mocking gaze anymore. Overpowered, she simply whispered:
“Everything was my doing. I admit it.”
Hearing this, the corners of Lu Yan’s mouth rose in a sneer.
“Everything? And what exactly does this everything imply?”
Shen Zhen bit her lip, torturing it between her small, white teeth. Her eyes filled with tears, reddening. However, she would not disgrace herself. She would not cry. Obeying him, she answered.
“The crimes of not repaying a debt and attempting to leave the city without permission.”
At those words, she steeled herself. It was the end. There was no salvation to be expected. She had lost.
“Since Lord Lu has caught me, I will not lose his time any longer. Tomorrow, you can send me to Jin’s moneylending business?”
Lu Yan snickered in disdain.
“Send you to Jin’s moneylending business?”
He approached her slowly, like a wildcat stalking its prey. His long fingers reached for her, penetrating into her outer blouse. Running across her ribs. Or what would have been her ribs had there not been a thick document covering them. He tore it out from underneath her clothes.
At once, Shen Zhen’s pupils shrunk. She tried to grab onto the document. But the man was faster, much faster, simply lifting his hand out of reach.
Making a fool of herself, Shen Zhen stood on tiptoes, pathetically trying to recuperate the papers and failing at it miserably.
In an ominous snap, one of the documents was unfolded and spread out in front of Shen Zhen’s eyes. It seemed as if Lu Yan did not even need to read the words to know what he was holding.
“Forgery of documents, arson, bribery of officials. What do you think the punishment for those crimes to be?”
Seeing as he had fully uncovered the extent of their escape plan, Shen Zhen felt panic choke her without pity.
She had the clear, innocent eyes of deer. And at that moment, these beautiful eyes were filled with confusion as cold sweat gathered on her forehead.
He knew everything. It turned out he knew everything.
If he were to investigate further …
Retainer An, Eldest Sister, all her dear ones would be dragged into this affair.
For a few moments, a deep silence reigned in the room. Until his deep voice broke it. He was towering over her, crushing him by the sheer weight of his presence.
“Just for forgery of official documents, one can be sentenced to two thousand miles in exile. If the other crimes mentioned were added, one would be facing the death penalty by hanging. Of course, these would apply to all the people involved.”
The treacherous waters of the court had been Lu Yan’s habitat for many years now. He knew better than anyone the words to be said to break a fully-grown man’s resolve. Let alone a sixteen-year-old girl’s.
Shen Zhen felt like she had been punched full-force. Her heart must have stopped, making her unable to stand, tears swirling in her eyes. Not giving her the chance to even faint, Lu Yan grabbed onto her chin with his cold fingers, forcefully lifting her face to have her take a good, hard look at him.
His eyes were ablaze.
“Shen Zhen, why do you think I brought you here?”
That intense stare was oppressive to the point she could not breath, leaving her deeply confused, unable to put a name on her emotions.
Yes … Why had he not taken her to the Supreme Court?! Instead, he had dragged her to this private property.
Trying to make sense of it all, her eyes suddenly fell on Lu Yan’s clothes. He was not wearing the dark purple robes of an official. Rather, he was covered in a black cloak. And at that moment, she finally understood the abnormal, unexpected, all-consuming fire she had seen in his eyes.
Shen Zhen’s face went pale. All sorts of words were rushing through her mind, but she did not dare to think too deep. She might have, must have, been wrong.
He was so very close to her, penetrating her personal space, breathing the air she breathed. Lu Yan, a man of little sensitivity, thought nothing of it. However, Shen Zhen was different. Now that a very specific idea had wormed its way into her mind, she could no longer bear the dense aroma of sandalwood that came from him and engulfed her.
There was a wall behind her, cutting off any possibility of escape. In anxiety, forgetting herself, the blood pounding in her ears, she placed her two palms squarely against Lu Yan’s chest, calling out to him in a frail voice:
“Your Lordship.”
Her voice was sad and full of entreaty.
And, at that moment, her tears started falling. Against her will. Leading exactly to what she wanted to avoid. Making a fool out of herself. As soon as she started crying, Lu Yan frowned. His chest tightened in the all-too familiar pain that had become his constant companion in the last few days. However, as he looked down at her
Ever since he had met her, he had developed this strange disease. But today had permitted for him to draw a few conclusions. It seemed that as long as she did not cry, he would not feel pain. Did this mean he had to humor her in all her whims, just for her not to cry?!
He looked up at the room’s beams and gnashed his teeth in rage. Well, one thing was sure, at that moment, at the very least, he had no other choice but to take a step back and let her calm down. He considered himself all patience as he waited for her to stop sniveling. Seeing as it were not part of her plans, he frowned in annoyance.
“If you do not stop crying, I might be tempted to visit the Li family first thing in the morning and demand to see the Young Madam of the household.”
The Li family referred to Li Di’s home. Who happened to be Shen Zhen’s eldest brother-in-law.
Sure enough, those words shut her up and the sobbing finally faded. Shen Zhen was forced to swallow her tears, provoking him being the last thing she wished to do. Her contained anguish left a bitter taste in the back of her throat.
Seeing as Shen Zhen’s shoulders were not shaking anymore, Lu Yan opened two small chests in front of her.
“These are eight thousand copper coins”, he Yan matter-of-factly stated.
Eight thousand coppers coins happened to be the debt the Shen family supposedly owed Jin’s moneylending business.
Shen raised her head in astonishment.
“What does Lord Lu mean?”
Lu Yan placed the candle on the table and took an instant to look at her without restraints, piercing through her with his sharp eyes.
“The curfew is in effect. Neither you nor I can go out tonight. There is a whole night in front you. Use it to think this through and understand what I mean by this.”
His voice was full of ridicule. He did not like people to feign ignorance. He was not offering her such a large sum of money for her to play dumb. He might not have had undue respect for her intellectual abilities, but he knew her not to be slow either. Any additional words would be a loss of his saliva with her.
Shen Zhen gnawed at her lips, her teeth pulling at them until they turned blood-red. Suddenly, an amusing realization dawned on her. This looked like a trial. If she were to speak wrong, this man would have no pity. Just that Lu Yan was different from Prince Teng and Shopkeeper Jin. Not only did he dangle money in front of her nose, but he also had proofs against her having committed a crime. The falsified traveling documents were in his possession.
What choice did she really have?!
Thinking this through, she felt her defenses crumble. She could not do anything. She had to accept her fate, whatever it was. Shen Zhen knew she was in no position to make demands, whoever there was a point about which she had to be daring.
“Your Lordship, my brother is only five years old. He cannot leave me.”
Shen Zhen was mercilessly interrupted.
“Shen Hong will be leaving Chang’an.”
He’d said it once. He would say it again. The Shen family was synonymous with trouble in Chang’an. As far as he knew, the reason the Marquis Yunyang, who was serving his sentence in jail, was not allowed to receive visits was because the Emperor himself had given Lord Zhou of the Central Judicial Office orders.
The Emperor himself … How interesting. Why was the Emperor giving the impression he was going to war against a guilty minister who had been served a two-year prison sentence and had been deposed from his rank of marquis. And then … There were those people in the capital who wanted to forcibly take possession of Shen Zhen. Their purpose was unclear. Lu Yan could not believe it was simply for money.
Although he had no choice but to keep Shen Zhen because of those chaotic dreams that plagued him, he did not propose to go bring trouble to his doorstep for her sake.
He shot her a disgusted glance.
“There are so many people having their eyes set on you in the capital. How do you propose to hide two people here, of which one is of a fragile constitution? I assume you will have a doctor shuttling back and forth. How long do you think it will take for a doctor’s presence in a dark alley to attract unwanted attention? Unless you plan on letting your brother die without any medical care?”
He had spoken slowly, however his words had been more than categorical. Shen Hong could not stay. For his own good.
“I will send him to be a disciple under Master Chu Xun.”
Lu Yan was not completely devoid of proper feelings. If it did not cost him any particular effort, he was more than willing to do good. Master Chu Xun was a renowned scholar of Yangzhou. Even if the Shen family had remained at the top of their glory, Shen Hong might never have had such a great opportunity.
After hearing as much, Shen Zhen laid her last worries to rest. She was more than aware that nothing came for free in this world. And she could clearly see where this was going. However, in such a situation, with Shen Hong being so well taken care of, what was there to regret anymore? It appeared a more than fair exchange from any point of view.
“Does His Lordship have orders for me?”, Shen Zhen asked in a small voice, lowering her eyes in defeat.
Lu Yan was quite satisfied with her rational behavior, so he answered directly, without sugar-coating his words.
“I cannot bear women who cry.”
Shen Zhen was left stunned. She could not understand where such an order came from. Seeing as she had stopped crying, Lu Yan gave her a cold glance.
“Be sure to remember”, he ordered, his nerves irritated.
Shen Zhen took a deep breath, swallowing her unspoken criticism and alongside it, her individuality.
“I will remember.”
Lu Yan made a guttural sound of acknowledgment.
“Do you understand your identity?”, he asked matter-of-factly.
Shen Zhen understood his identity. She also understood hers. What was there not to understand?
It was clear his mother, Princess Royale Jing’an, would never permit him to have a concubine before he were to be legally married. And Shen Zhen considered it for the best, in fact.
She lowered her eyes. Opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it once more. Finally she succeeded in biting out:
“I am Your Lordship’s mistress.”
