Chapter 7: Rivals Meet

When his elder brothers were still around, Qin Qi had come to the Shen family to exchange martial skills and strategize military tactics. Shen Ruo Jin had met him several times and was somewhat familiar with him. At that time, she was young; one was unmarried, the other unattached, and they were always surrounded by a large group of people, so there was no need for discretion.

But now, as elder cousin and younger sister-in-law, meeting in the corridor meant they couldn’t stand too close or speak too freely.

“This is a matter between Qin Lang and me; there’s no need to trouble you, elder brother,” Shen Ruo Jin said, addressing him with the familial rank on her husband’s side. It wasn’t that old acquaintances had grown distant, but life in the capital and inside the noble residence no longer allowed the same carefree ways as at the border.

Qin Qi paused upon hearing “elder brother,” then said softly, “Second brother acts recklessly; I can’t bear to see him bully you.”

That was going too far.

Shen Ruo Jin smiled lightly, “You’re speaking prematurely. Who’s bullying whom is yet uncertain.”

“Ruo Jin—”

Qin Qi wanted to say more.

“Thank you for your kindness, elder brother. But…” Without wishing to reminisce, Shen Ruo Jin strode forward, brushing past Qin Qi. “I, Shen Ruo Jin, never rely on others to do what I must do.”

Her refusal was straightforward, neither showing weakness nor invoking old ties.

Qin Qi stood under the corridor, watching Shen Ruo Jin pass through. Late autumn leaves fell in swirling patterns, the wind lifting her sleeves. She moved through the embroidered crowd, untouched by a single leaf.

The carriage, prepared by the steward, awaited at the gate, and a retainer sent to find the young prince returned with news: “The young prince is listening to music at the Fanghua Pavilion.”

Fanghua Pavilion was the capital’s most renowned theater. In recent years, Haitang Hong, the star performer, had captivated the entire city there.

It made sense that after Qin Lang’s heroic rescue yesterday, he stayed there.

The tales of talented scholars and beauties onstage, and roguish performers offstage, were the talk of every street corner.

The cautious retainer glanced nervously at the new bride’s expression.

Shen Ruo Jin’s face remained calm; she nodded lightly, “Understood,” and with her sword attendant, stepped into the carriage.

Moments later, the attendant’s voice came from inside: “To Fanghua Pavilion.”

“Yes,” the driver responded promptly and set off.

The steward dared not oppose Shen Ruo Jin’s wishes, nor allow the new bride to go with only one maid. He hurriedly called his son, He Cheng, who managed affairs at the mansion.

The old steward instructed, “Take two men and follow quickly. If the young lady and the young prince get into a fight at the pavilion, even if you have to throw yourself between them and take the blows, you must stop it.”

The young prince was a wild rogue, and the newlywed lady was skilled in martial arts. If they started fighting in public on the second day of their marriage, it would be a disaster.

“I understand the gravity, Father. I’ll go immediately,” He Cheng said decisively and swiftly mounted his horse with two retainers.

...

Three incense sticks later, at Fanghua Pavilion.

The most bustling theater in the capital stood on the prosperous East Street, surrounded by shops and taverns, busy with people even in the morning.

News of the young prince’s furious rescue of a beauty the previous night, abandoning his newlywed wife to confront the second son of the Prime Minister’s mansion and leaving him unrecognizable even to his own mother, had spread like wildfire. The early shows at Fanghua Pavilion were packed with spectators eager for the spectacle.

Watching Haitang Hong perform while witnessing the uproar of the Zhenbei Prince’s mansion nearby—buying one ticket to see two dramas—what a bargain!

As the carriage of the Zhenbei Prince’s mansion arrived at the theater, the crowd outside erupted with excitement. “They’re here! The show’s about to start!”

Shen Ruo Jin sat composed in the carriage, serenely observing the commotion without immediately stepping out.

Her sword attendant ground his teeth in frustration. “Are people in the capital all this idle? Always stirring up trouble like busybodies, loving to watch chaos.”

“Don’t be angry. If you get upset, it just makes them more entertained,” Shen Ruo Jin said, preparing to alight.

“Second lady, please wait!” He Cheng hastily caught up on horseback, stopping beside the carriage window, dismounted, and bowed. “The theater is full of all sorts; I fear you might be jostled. Please remain inside a moment. I will go upstairs and invite Second Master down.”

Shen Ruo Jin lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, seeing the sweaty He Cheng and also Pei Jing emerging from the crowd.

Pei Jing was the very image of a refined scholar from a novel: slender and tall, pale-skinned, clad in plain blue cloth with a bamboo crown, his delicate features enhanced by his simple attire.

Judging by Pei Jing’s gentlemanly appearance, one would never guess he had eloped with the wife’s half-sister on their wedding day.

The onlookers whispered among themselves, often exclaiming, “Don’t judge a book by its cover!”

Shen Ruo Jin hadn’t expected to meet her former fiancé here, under such circumstances. She said nothing for a moment.

“Second lady, please wait. I’ll fetch Second Master now,” He Cheng assumed her silence was consent, handed the reins to a retainer behind him, and swiftly entered the theater, heading straight for the private room on the second floor.

This only stirred the crowd’s gossip louder.

Shen Ruo Jin lowered the curtain, ignoring Pei Jing and shielding herself from the prying eyes outside.

Pei Jing paid no mind to the murmurs. Approaching the Zhenbei Prince’s carriage, he whispered at the window, “Ruo Jin, I did not elope with Yun Wei. Yesterday’s events were a misunderstanding. This is no place to talk. Come with me somewhere private and I will explain everything.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Shen Ruo Jin replied coldly through the curtain. “You left with Mu Yun Wei on our wedding day, abandoning me alone—that is true. No matter how many excuses you have, it cannot change this fact.”

“That’s not—”

Pei Jing flung open the carriage curtain, veins bulging on his arm as he struggled to explain urgently, “I did not mean to abandon you. Yesterday, Wang Family Village was suddenly attacked by fire, nearly costing hundreds of lives. I took Yun Wei back because she...”

Shen Ruo Jin narrowed her phoenix eyes to interrupt him, “Because she could help you, right?”

Pei Jing hesitated, “Yes, but not only that...”

Shen Ruo Jin said firmly, “If you truly had urgent matters and wanted to cancel the marriage, you could have just told me. But you neither informed me nor left a word, disappearing with Mu Yun Wei without a trace. Coming back now to explain—isn’t it far too late?”

She had genuinely considered marrying Pei Jing, walking hand in hand with him. But fate was unpredictable and hearts fickle.

Three years ago, at fifteen, her uncle and brothers had promised that after the final battle was won and the border was peaceful, they would return to the capital and find her the finest husband in the world.

But that battle was lost, bloodied and brutal, and those who cared for her most stayed behind on that land.

The brothers who always said, “My sister is the finest lady under heaven,” died on horseback...

Shen Ruo Jin often reflected on the past, wondering if it was because she was disobedient, because she never listened, that Heaven punished her by taking away the most important people in her life one by one.

So when Pei Jing came with her mother’s token to propose, she accepted.

She tried to be an obedient girl—no more swordplay, no more martial arts. She learned to speak softly, kept to the rules in the noble house, practiced needlework, and wrapped cloth strips around her feet while walking, becoming the ideal eldest lady of the noble family in the eyes of the world.

During those days waiting in her chamber, Shen Ruo Jin felt as if she had been trapped in a long dream, shackled by the shadow of her lost loved ones.

Until yesterday, when Pei Jing eloped with Mu Yun Wei, she woke up with a start.

No matter what she did, her brothers would never return.

Being obedient was useless. Acting unlike herself as a noble lady was useless.

She had to live well and complete the unfinished tasks of her brothers to honor her life.

Shen Ruo Jin was never indecisive. Once she made a choice, she moved forward resolutely. Her eyes dark as ink, she looked at Pei Jing and said, “Pei Jing, what makes you think I’ll be waiting here for you?”

Pei Jing was stunned by her question and unable to respond. He could only admit fault, “I was wrong to break my promise on our wedding day... Ruo Jin, your anger and hatred toward me are justified. But you can’t treat your own future as a game. Qin Lang is a notorious womanizer, hardly a suitable match for you! You—”

Before he could finish, a sneer came from above, “If I’m not suitable, then are you?”