A Midnight Tryst with His Lover

The abacus beads in the office clattered without end. By the third quarter of the Hour of the Dog, the chief clerk had presented the reconciled account books to Shen Tingjue.

Shen Tingjue flipped through the ledger. "The money owed to the Imperial Guard will be covered with funds allocated for repairing the river?"

Wang Zhonggui rubbed his hands and gave a dry laugh. "The Ministry of Works' river-repair project stopped halfway through, and they won't need the silver anytime soon. We'll allocate the money to the Imperial Guard first. It's all recorded in the books, clear coming and going."

Shen Tingjue tapped a finger lightly against his knee, narrowing his eyes. "Accounts are the easiest things to falsify. What if you're setting me up?"

"You overestimate me, Lord Shen." Wang Zhonggui smiled without warmth and answered evenly, "You are a man of great importance. It would be best if there were no grudges between us."

Shen Tingjue nodded, drained the tea in his cup, and finally rose. "As long as Minister Wang knows what he's doing. If you owe money again next time, I'll use you as drinking entertainment."

A chill ran down Wang Zhonggui's spine. He chuckled awkwardly several times, glanced at the Vice Minister of Revenue waiting nearby, and waved for him to see the guest out.

It was already dark, and the night wind carried a chill. Yu Gao respectfully escorted Shen Tingjue out of the Ministry of Revenue's gates and down the steps, then said in a low voice:

"Minister Wang has worked in the Ministry of Revenue for many years. He's long become an old hand. Tampering with accounts has always been one of his favored tricks."

Shen Tingjue stopped and glanced sideways at him.

Just then, Ministry of Revenue officials began filing out, chatting and laughing as they arranged to go drinking together. Yu Gao said no more and cupped his hands. "Take care, Lord Shen."

Shen Tingjue watched his departing back, stroked his chin, and clicked his tongue.

The silver was delivered to the Imperial Guard camp by the Imperial Guard Bureau, while Shen Tingjue wandered over to Vermilion Bird Street to buy sugar-roasted chestnuts, where he happened upon some sons of noble families bullying the weak.

Caught off guard, Xiang Cheng nearly had an eye blinded by a chestnut. He jumped from the pain, covered his left eye, and glared viciously over. When he saw it was Shen Tingjue, however, most of his arrogance immediately vanished.

"Don't you know this street falls under the Imperial Guard Bureau's jurisdiction?" Shen Tingjue tossed a chestnut into the air and said cheerfully, "Do you still want to kneel before the Worthy Achievement Stele and recite the Tao Te Ching?"

That utter humiliation remained vivid in his mind. Xiang Cheng glared at Shen Tingjue, cursed his bad luck inwardly, then shot another vicious glare at the white-robed scholar on the ground before leaving amid his servants' escort, grumbling curses all the way.

Letter papers lay scattered everywhere. Shen Tingjue went over to help pick them up. The white-robed scholar thanked him repeatedly, smiling with refined sincerity. He looked like the sort of bookish fool anyone could bully at a glance.

Shen Tingjue clicked his tongue. "They've messed up your most precious thing that badly, yet you can still endure it."

The white-robed scholar froze, embarrassment appearing on his face. "...Ah?"

"Why are you blushing?" Shen Tingjue said. "I meant your books. Don't you scholars all treasure books as dearly as your lives?"

The white-robed scholar had misunderstood. He gave an awkward smile, picked up the book torn in half, brushed off the shoeprints, and said bitterly, "I'm merely a poor scholar from a humble family. If I oppose the sons of noble families, it would be nothing more than an egg striking a stone—bringing suffering upon myself."

He cupped his hands in salute. "Thank you for helping me today, sir. My name is Su Yan. May I ask how I should address you?"

Shen Tingjue answered with a question. "You're the outstanding tribute student who entered the Imperial College after passing last year's examination?"

Su Yan was startled. "You know of me, sir?"

Shen Tingjue peeled chestnuts. "My father mentioned you. He said your learning was quite good, that you had a chance at the top three in next year's imperial examination—but that you were too honest and didn't understand tact. You'd suffer losses if you became an official, so it would be safer to go home and farm."

"..." Su Yan choked, his Adam's apple bobbing as he pressed his lips together. "May I ask... your esteemed father's name?"

Shen Tingjue gave only the surname "Shen," stuffed the remaining chestnuts into his hands, then hurried off to eat dinner at home. Without looking back, he soon vanished into the crowd.

Holding the oil-paper packet, Su Yan stood stunned for a moment before suddenly understanding. He respectfully bowed toward the direction Shen Tingjue had disappeared in, then turned and left, returning home to continue studying by lamplight late into the night.

The deeper the night grew, the fiercer the wind became, swaying the palace lanterns. A newly arrived young palace maid had just been scolded for making a mistake. She walked while quietly sobbing when she suddenly heard faint footsteps tapping across the roof tiles. A fierce gust swept past and blew over her whole body.

It happened to be the time when the Imperial Guard changed shifts, and no one was patrolling. The little palace maid was so frightened that her arms and legs moved in unison as she trembled and ran forward, nearly falling to the ground.

Beaded curtains blocked the light, and sandalwood incense curled through the air. After bathing, Xiao Hanye sat beside his desk in an outer robe, reading documents. He showed no sign of intending to rest.

Wu Dequan had made the bed and was just about to urge him to retire early when a sharp whistle suddenly sounded outside, followed by footsteps treading across roof tiles in the wind.

Startled, Wu Dequan craned his head outside and saw a covert guard abruptly leap into the air, chopping toward the darkness with his hand.

A black-robed figure moved like a ghost through the night, nimbly evading the strike before landing lightly on the ground. His hood fell away, revealing a handsome, refined face.

Wu Dequan stared wide-eyed. The cry of "Assassin!" caught in his throat as he rubbed his chest, still shaken.

"Good evening." Shen Tingjue smiled brightly and swept his gaze over the eaves. The covert guards had served under him for years. Seeing him look their way, they instinctively cupped their hands in salute and said respectfully, "Chief."

Shen Tingjue stared at the masked covert guards for a while, unable to recall the slightest impression of them. But that did not stop him from offering a friendly, warm smile, as though he had just met old friends of many years.

Wu Dequan puffed up his beard. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night, dressed all in black?"

"Meeting my lover in secret," Shen Tingjue said. "Shouldn't I sneak around?"

That was how the storybooks wrote it.

Wu Dequan: "..."

Shen Tingjue gave him a flirtatious whistle and walked straight into the Crown Prince's bedchamber.

Wu Dequan wanted to stop him but did not dare. His body wisely shifted aside, voluntarily making way for him.

From the inner chamber, Xiao Hanye heard Shen Tingjue's voice and immediately got another headache. He flung the documents back onto the desk, turned and climbed into bed, kicked off his boots in a few quick movements, wrapped himself in the blankets, and pretended to be deeply asleep.

The bed suddenly sank.

Shen Tingjue squeezed in behind him. "Are you asleep?"

Xiao Hanye's breathing remained long and even. He made no sound.

"His Highness has already retired. If you have anything to say, young master, you may tell this old servant first, and I will convey it to His Highness tomorrow." Wu Dequan rubbed his hands together and forced a smile. "It is late. You should return and rest early. It is important to keep up your strength."

"It's nothing." Shen Tingjue looked at him. "Can't I come if it's nothing? This used to be where I stayed too, didn't it? Is there anything wrong with coming to my own territory? And there's no problem if I sleep here tonight either, right?"

The East Palace's chief steward was utterly unable to withstand his shamelessness. Bludgeoned senseless by the string of questions, he opened his mouth but had no reply.

Hey!

What did he mean, your territory?

You had only been the chief covert guard here before, not the Crown Princess!

Shen Tingjue carried himself like the master of the house. "Leave."

Wu Dequan: "?"

Shen Tingjue smiled. "Don't worry. With me here, you won't need to attend to him."

Wu Dequan: "..."

Because you're here, it's even more damn impossible to feel at ease!