Chapter 27: Don’t Make a Sound
Inside the bridal chamber, beneath the gauzy canopy.
Qin Lang soaked in cold water still couldn’t rid himself of the heat coursing through his body, and with his left hand injured, she had helped dress the wound, making it rather inconvenient to attend to certain matters.
Shen Ruojin sat on the bed, uncertain how she had agreed to help him in the first place.
Perhaps it was because the notorious young Lord Qin, famed for his romantic exploits, surprisingly had no concubines or maids-in-waiting, and now, with his condition flaring up fiercely, there was no one else to turn to.
The young Lord Qin was strikingly handsome; even the sweat dripping from his brow was a captivating sight.
Shen Ruojin couldn’t simply assign a maid to assist him lightly; she had no choice but to reluctantly lend a hand herself.
“Shen Ruojin.”
Qin Lang leaned closer, the sweat on his face trailing down to his partially exposed chest.
His damp white undergarment clung to his youthful, muscular frame.
Though only he was afflicted, their breaths were both ragged and disordered.
Qin Lang’s voice was hoarse: “Shen Ruojin...”
“Silence.” Shen Ruojin’s patience snapped. “Don’t speak!”
His repeated calls unsettled her, making her restless and uneasy.
They struggled through the night until dawn, when the rooster crowed.
The morning breeze stirred the red gauze curtains.
Qin Lang’s voice was rough and strained, “Shen Ruojin...”
Exhausted, Shen Ruojin didn’t want to move. “Qin Lang, go find the Sixth Prince. I truly can’t help you.”
This was far more exhausting than a fight.
She simply couldn’t bear it.
“I have a wife. Why would I seek him?” Qin Lang hadn’t anticipated being duped by Yuan Ping, which led to this intimate encounter with Shen Ruojin.
Partly influenced by the intoxicating reunion, and partly overwhelmed with joy, he had truly not rested the entire night.
By the end, Shen Ruojin had no idea how she had fallen asleep.
In a haze, it seemed Qin Lang fetched water to wash her clean.
The bedding and even her clothes appeared to have been changed.
The next morning, the princess sent someone to inquire—it was Shen Ruojin’s return home day, and the steward had prepared two lists of gifts according to the capital’s customs, inviting her to come see.
---
Shen Ruojin awoke abruptly from a chaotic, absurd dream.
Qin Lang, who had been so reckless the night before, was nowhere to be found; she was alone under the gauze canopy.
Outside, the steward’s maid repeated her call, and even the sword attendant called out, “Miss.”
“Please inform the princess I will be there shortly,” Shen Ruojin replied.
She rose from the bed, changed her clothes, and let the maids in to assist with her washing.
By now, the sun was high in the sky.
She had no time for breakfast and headed straight to the princess’s quarters.
The sword attendant followed behind, recounting the deceitful incident at the Li estate from the day before, both angry and fearful.
“It’s fortunate you were so wary of that poisonous woman, sending me to the Apothecary Hall for a doctor, only for her to trick you into visiting the Li estate to deal with that scoundrel Li Er...”
The sword attendant could barely voice the filthy details, her teeth gnashing in fury.
Shen Ruojin remained composed. “She invited me to confront Li Er, and as I wished, I beat both master and servant alike.”
The sword attendant was speechless.
Indeed, that seemed to be the truth.
The steward maid sent by the princess led the way, glancing at the second young madam with some surprise.
Ordinary women would have been driven to despair by the events at the Li estate the day before.
Yet she faced it with such calm.
Moreover, few women could fight as she did.
It was said not only was the Li family’s second young master crippled by her, but everyone at the Li estate had been no exception, all thoroughly beaten.
She was truly worthy of being the young madam of the Northern Town Prince’s mansion.
A formidable woman indeed.
The steward maid spoke proudly and gently: “The princess is aware of the fire at the Li estate last night. The second young madam has long resided at the border and may not know how ruthless the capital’s noble ladies can be. After this, you must be even more cautious.”
Shen Ruojin responded with a simple, “Thank you for the warning.”
The steward maid quickly added, “The second young madam speaks humbly; these are instructions from the princess herself.”
The heir had returned in the morning to explain everything to the prince and princess. The steward maid, present the entire time, knew more than most.
She continued: “The fire at the Li estate destroyed much. The wife of the prime minister’s young master suffered a difficult childbirth and nearly lost her life, delivering a frail baby boy. Whether both survive is uncertain, but the Li family’s second young master is certainly crippled. The prince, fearing that the prime minister’s household would accuse them first, took the young master to court early this morning to pay respects to the emperor...”
Shen Ruojin thought it no wonder Qin Lang was nowhere to be found upon waking—he had been taken by the Northern Town Prince to court.
---
She had initially assumed Qin Lang had left early out of embarrassment after the night’s wild ordeal caused by the intoxicating reunion.
The steward maid saw Shen Ruojin’s silence and added, “The prince insisted that the young master attend court immediately; otherwise, he would have accompanied you to your return home ceremony.”
Though that wasn’t guaranteed.
Qin Lang was unpredictable in temperament and whereabouts.
The elders in the mansion hoped for harmony between the young lord and his bride and did their best to mediate.
Shen Ruojin said nothing at the time.
Instead, the sword attendant whispered in her ear, “Miss, why didn’t you report to the prince and princess immediately after returning from the Li estate last night? The heir came early this morning with news. The prince was furious but only scolded the young master, not you.”
Shen Ruojin answered, “He was truly innocent this time.”
In fact, Qin Lang had taken the blame on her behalf.
When the Northern Town Prince returned, she planned to explain everything properly.
The sword attendant, hearing this, couldn’t help but murmur, “Last night, as soon as you returned, you shut the door with the young master and didn’t call for anyone to serve you... What were you quietly up to?”
More precisely, it wasn’t quiet; sounds had leaked from the room that made people blush.
But the elder maids in the mansion said that when husband and wife shared a bed after marriage, they always sent someone with hot water at night.
The young master hadn’t called for anyone.
Shen Ruojin paused, her expression subtly shifting. “A young girl’s affairs—no need to ask.”
The sword attendant wanted to ask why, since in the past her lady had been curious about such matters for learning’s sake. Now she forbade it.
The young maid was puzzled, but upon meeting Shen Ruojin’s gaze, suddenly understood and fell silent.
Meanwhile, the steward maid seemed to have overheard something extraordinary.
The young master had indeed slept with his new bride last night.
This was their first night sharing a bed since marriage.
Surely, a good thing had come of it.
She must report this to the princess at once!