Chapter 83
Chapter 83
The voice was muffled, its words impossible to make out.
Yet as if bewitched, Sun Baoqiong stopped in her tracks.
The hall lay shrouded in gloom, its lights deliberately dimmed. As the faint glow fell over the figure in red, it lent him a seductive allure that was at once sensual and ruthlessly cold.
Sun Baoqiong had never seen a man like him. Qi Prefecture was a prosperous place, and its men were no less talented, charming, or handsome than those of the capital. Yet not one of them was like Shen Si — so cold at first glance, yet capable of making someone throw all caution aside and fly toward him like a moth to a flame.
She resumed her steps more quietly. She wanted to hear what he was saying. What would such a noble, unapproachable man say when he was drunk?
But when Sun Baoqiong drew near, she caught only the mingled scents of agarwood and wine. No other sound came from him.
Once again entranced by the face before her, she lifted a hand, wanting to touch him. But the pair of tightly shut, icy eyes suddenly opened. His pitch-black gaze was utterly devoid of emotion, yet it frightened Sun Baoqiong into stumbling back. Not daring to look at him again, she hurriedly shoved open the hall doors and fled.
The cold wind struck her as soon as she stepped outside. She could not describe what she was feeling. All she knew was that her heart was pounding.
That single glance had been so cold and unfeeling that it left her shaken. It made her feel as though he possessed no human emotion or desire, no joy, anger, sorrow, or delight.
Even approaching him was terrifying.
She realized with startling clarity that she might never be able to get close to him, even if she spent her entire life trying. He was danger itself, and her courage failed her.
After Sun Baoqiong ran out, the cold wind swept into the hall. Wen’an hurried in to close the doors, then went to Shen Si’s side and asked softly, “Are we heading back, Marquis?”
Shen Si rubbed between his brows. An oppressive heat simmered throughout his body, with no way to vent it.
He shook his head.
Since His Majesty the Emperor had made these arrangements, he had to at least put on a token show.
Bracing a palm against the edge of the table, he rose to his feet and walked toward the inner bedchamber, his steps slightly unsteady.
Wen’an knew the Marquis truly was drunk. It simply did not show on him.
He followed him inside and saw the Marquis sitting on the edge of the bed. Shen Si tugged at his collar with slender fingers, then bent forward with his hands braced on his knees and breathed out a mouthful of wine-laden air.
“Where’s the letter?” he asked.
Wen’an did not understand at first. Only when the Marquis lifted his eyes and gave him a cool glance did he remember that their spy had been watching the Xie Family every day. He quickly took out the letter delivered that day and presented it to the Marquis with both hands.
This was probably the only matter the Marquis had cared about lately. Even in such a drunken state, he still could not stop thinking about the news from that side.
The alcohol surged through him, making the writing on the paper blur and overlap. Shen Si rubbed between his brows and squinted for a long while before he could continue reading by the lamplight.
When he read that Ji Hanyi had left the Xie Residence that morning, the tightness in his chest quietly eased. But upon reaching the final line — that the divorce had not gone through — his eyes slowly narrowed again.
The letter crumpled between his fingers. Shen Si’s head spun. It had been a long time since he had felt this wretched.
At that moment, all he could see behind his closed eyes was Ji Hanyi.
He missed her desperately. He ached for her with an almost consuming greed.
If she could be beside him now, even if she merely sat quietly at his side, he would feel as though she filled his entire heart. Instead, in this cold and silent night, there was only loneliness and a vast, hollow emptiness.
It was a kind of solitude he had never experienced before.
Ever since he learned that Ji Hanyi intended to divorce the Xie Family, that feeling had grown more intense by the day. Every day, he wanted to see her.
He wondered what she was doing at this very moment.
Yet he did not have a single reason to go see her.
Shen Si supported his aching forehead with one hand. A faint sheen of sweat had formed on his brow, and the scent of wine clung heavily to him, yet he still appeared as distant and composed as ever.
Wen’an approached cautiously and asked, “Would Marquis like to retire for the night?”
Shen Si kept his eyes closed. His thoughts were in turmoil, but every single one of them centered on the same person.
“What time is it?” he asked.
Wen’an answered softly, “It’s past nine.”
Then he added, “The hot water is ready.”
Shen Si remained silent for a long while before waving Wen’an away.
The suppressed heat in his body had not diminished in the slightest. Perhaps the alcohol was only growing stronger. Shen Si lowered his head and gazed at the earring in his palm, his tall frame slightly hunched.
He remembered the softness he had tasted that night, the enchanting and exquisite face beneath him. He could almost feel her fingertips clutching tightly at his collar again. Shen Si closed his eyes and let out a long, muffled groan.
It brought him the sole sliver of pleasure in this endless night.
The following day, the Empress summoned Shen Si to the palace around noon.
After Shen Si arrived, she asked him about what had happened the night before.
His Majesty the Emperor had taken a keen interest in the matter and had even specifically asked whether Shen Si had remained in the palace overnight.
The fact that His Majesty the Emperor had asked about that in particular made it clear that this was because Sun Baoqiong had fled the hall the night before. He suspected Shen Si had not been drunk at all and simply had no intention of accepting the match His Majesty the Emperor had arranged.
Fortunately, Shen Si had remained in the palace. The eunuch at the door also said that he had been so drunk he was practically unconscious. A man as fastidious as Shen Si had not even bathed before going straight to sleep.
When the Empress saw the expression on His Majesty the Emperor’s face ease at the news, she also breathed a sigh of relief.
In the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor, this was an opportunity for Shen Si to prove his loyalty. If Shen Si refused outright, His Majesty the Emperor would certainly be displeased. She had summoned him now precisely because she wanted to know what he thought.
As far as Shen Si’s marriage was concerned, Sun Baoqiong was certainly a suitable choice. She was one of the most distinguished noble ladies in Qi Prefecture, and neither her character nor her appearance left anything to be desired. But given Shen Si’s temperament, how could the Empress, his own elder sister, not understand him? If he had been willing to settle, he would have done so long ago.
By now, not a trace of last night’s drunkenness remained on Shen Si. He was once again elegant and impeccably composed.
He sat in a chair with a cup of his usual Junshan tea in hand, calmly lowering his gaze to take a sip.
Seeing him so composed, the Empress could not help asking, “Did a woman approach you last night?”
Shen Si gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.
The Empress asked, “Do you know who she was?”
Only then did Shen Si raise his eyes. “I do.”
The Empress was taken aback. When Shen Si added that he had only found out that morning, she realized he had deliberately made inquiries about Sun Baoqiong. Clearly, he had already discerned the intentions of His Majesty the Emperor.
She asked bluntly, “What do you think?”
“I had someone investigate her. Her maternal grandmother actually isn’t especially close to the Empress Dowager. Even if she is on the Empress Dowager’s side, she would certainly live in the capital after marrying you. If the two of you were to settle down and build a life together, she should make a gentle and virtuous wife.”
Shen Si waited until the Empress had finished, then set his teacup aside. In a low voice, he said, “I have no interest in her.”
The Empress was not the least bit surprised by his answer. She merely asked, “Then what are you going to tell His Majesty the Emperor?”
She continued, “She is County Princess Rongxian’s only maternal granddaughter, so there is no question that her status is distinguished. But if the Empress Dowager and His Majesty the Emperor truly intend to arrange this match, have you decided how you will refuse them?”
Shen Si remained silent and unruffled. He rose to his feet and said only, “We’ll deal with that when the time comes.”
Seeing that he was about to leave, the Empress called after him, “What is that supposed to mean? What exactly do you plan to do?”
Shen Si walked out without even looking back. The Empress stared after him in surprise, then let out a long sigh.
Because of what had happened the previous night, the Empress had deliberately visited the Empress Dowager that morning to sound out both the Empress Dowager’s intentions and Sun Baoqiong’s thoughts.
She understood the Empress Dowager well. The Empress Dowager had always been free of worldly desires and never involved herself in court affairs. For her to suddenly bring Sun Baoqiong to her side was most likely done at the behest of His Majesty the Emperor.
Sun Baoqiong, for her part, had carried herself with poise and propriety. She spoke tactfully, never once mentioning what had happened the previous night or revealing her stance on the matter.
That was perfectly understandable. After all, this concerned her lifelong happiness, and she was still an unmarried young lady awaiting marriage. A single careless word could damage her reputation.
The Empress found herself admiring Sun Baoqiong’s thoughtfulness and discretion. The young woman was always smiling, gentle and gracious, and knew exactly how to please others. She looked exceptionally capable. Clearly, she was a noble lady who had been raised impeccably and groomed from childhood to become the mistress of a great household.
The Empress then recalled the incident involving the Gu Family’s daughter. Compared with Sun Baoqiong, the Third Young Lady of the Gu Family was more reserved and shy, and not quite as poised. Although Shen Si had not gone to meet her that day, when the Empress later asked whether he would be willing to meet her another time, he had said it made no difference to him.
For Shen Si to say even that much was as rare as the sun rising in the west.
When the Empress heard that answer, she had thought he might have some interest in the Gu Family’s daughter.
Just now, she had wanted to ask Shen Si which woman he favored more. Did he prefer the Gu Family’s daughter or Sun Baoqiong? Unfortunately, he had acted as though the chair beneath him were covered in nails, unwilling to remain for even a moment longer.
After leaving the palace, Shen Si sat in his carriage. The effects of last night’s drinking had not faded completely, and he still had a headache.
A faint weariness clung to him. Rubbing his brow, he nevertheless instructed Wen’an to bring in the letters he had not read the previous day.
Wen’an had prepared them long ago. When the Marquis woke in the palace that morning, the first thing he had done was ask about the letters. But since the Marquis had stayed in the palace overnight, the letters had not been delivered to him. Wen’an had gone out to retrieve them only that morning.
Wen’an knew that no one else could be allowed even a glimpse of their contents, so he handled everything personally, afraid that the slightest mistake might cause the information to leak.
There were two letters in total. Shen Si rubbed his brow once more before leaning back and unfolding the first.
When his gaze fell on the report that Xie Yuheng had vomited blood and lost consciousness, a trace of cold amusement touched his thin lips.
He opened the second letter. It said that Xie Yuheng had taken sick leave from the Court of Judicial Review and that Xie Zhiguan had personally written the request for leave.
By now, Xie Zhiguan should already have been on his way to his new post. Once the Imperially Bestowed Banquet ended, local officials were required to depart the following day without delay. Since Xie Zhiguan had learned of the matter while still on the road, it seemed Xie Yuheng truly had vomited blood.
Shen Si let out a quiet, derisive scoff, then ordered the carriage to proceed to the Censorate.