When Yin Zhuli returned to the Prince of Fulu’s mansion, the night was already more than half spent. Upon entering the bedchamber, she found that Shen Tingjiao was not there. Lately, she had been keeping a very tight watch over him, fearing that Shen Tingyao might try to stab them in the back. She immediately summoned Xiao He. "Where is Master Nine?"
Xiao He replied respectfully, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, His Highness has been waiting for your return. At this moment, he is likely by the lotus pond, enjoying the moonlight."
Yin Zhuli’s expression darkened. "Who is with him?"
Seeing her displeasure, Xiao He became even more cautious. "Lian Kang is with him. It seems the young master went over there just now as well."
Since Zhang Qingyin was nominally Shen Tingjiao’s stepson, the people in the mansion always referred to him as the young master. Yin Zhuli breathed a sigh of relief. "You may go."
Following the gravel path, she reached the edge of the lotus pond. Shen Tingjiao was leaning against a tall water cedar. A few lanterns hung beside the tree, and a low table had been placed beneath them. He was taking advantage of the night to paint a study of lotuses under the moon. He wore a thin silk robe, his long hair tied loosely with a silver ribbon. The moonlight was like silver powder, the lotuses were in full bloom, and the evening breeze brushed against her face, stirring the hidden fragrance of the entire pond. The scene was somewhat ethereal. Yin Zhuli, who could never resist a beautiful sight, stood dazed for a moment before slowly approaching. Seeing how thinly he was dressed, she couldn't help but knit her brows. "The night is deep and the dew is heavy. Why didn't you put on more clothes?"
When Shen Tingjiao saw her, a look of joy appeared in his eyes. "You’re back?"
Yin Zhuli sat down on a bluestone by the pond and naturally pulled him into her arms. Ever since the finger-biting incident by the Penglai Pond, he hadn't gone near the water much. "Why come here again?"
Shen Tingjiao looked up at her, his eyes reflecting the moon like brilliant pearls. "You... you haven't paid any attention to me for days."
Yin Zhuli lightly flicked his forehead. His skin felt so good that she couldn't bring herself to strike hard. "Think about it with your heart. From the journey to Luoyang and back to Chang'an, which day have I not been running about, guarding against every possible threat?" She pressed her hand against his chest. "Besides, if I were ignoring you, what am I doing right now?"
Shen Tingjiao grasped the hand she had placed on his chest. His fingertips still carried the scent of ink. From the day Tang Yin arrived in Luoyang until now, he had been "abstinent" for quite some time.
Yin Zhuli glanced at him sideways. How could she not know what he meant? She simply gave a shallow smile. "What, is Master Nine feeling lonely?"
Shen Tingjiao was thin-skinned to begin with, and his face instantly turned beet-red, yet he endured it without contradicting her. Yin Zhuli leaned down and kissed him lightly. Seeing his submissive, "refusing yet welcoming" manner, she couldn't help but press him down onto the bluestone by the pond. "If you want it, just say it."
They were so close that their noses almost touched. Shen Tingjiao gazed at the face inches away, his breathing gradually quickening. Just as he opened his lips to speak, Yin Zhuli lowered her head, their lips meeting to silence his words.
The kiss was deep and lingered for a long while. In the shadows, He Jian couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned his face away. Zhang Qingyin’s eyes widened at first, but after a moment, his face also flushed. "Father... sigh..."
As the faint sounds of low moans drifted over, he finally covered his eyes with his hand, his expression one of deep sorrow. "It won't be easy for Father to ever win against Mother in this lifetime..."
He Jian, who usually disliked him, surprisingly didn't contradict him this time, remaining silent and lost in thought.
Seeing Shen Tingjiao’s breath in disarray, Yin Zhuli propped herself up again to look down at him. "Tell me, Master Nine, what are you thinking?"
Shen Tingjiao had grown up in the palace. Although he had later fallen out of favor, he was still a prince. Aside from Yin Zhuli, his social circle consisted entirely of refined scholars; his every word and action carried the elegant air of the nobility. Furthermore, he had no concubines and had little experience in the affairs of men and women. He was already ashamed; how could he possibly say it out loud now?
Seeing his expression, Yin Zhuli felt like teasing him further. "Speak. What do you want me to do?"
Shen Tingjiao’s cheeks were flushed like peach blossoms. "I... Zhuli..."
Yin Zhuli rose from the bluestone and straightened her hem as if to leave. "Since Master Nine has no other thoughts, I shall return to my room to rest and leave you to enjoy the moon."
Shen Tingjiao was right in the middle of his arousal; how could he let her leave like that? He immediately pulled her back. "Zhuli..." He truly couldn't bring himself to say those crude, unrefined words. "I... I want you."
He Jian’s face was lined with exasperation. As the Prince’s tutor, he had taught him the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and rhythm, but he had forgotten to teach him any skills for dealing with women.
Seeing that she had teased him enough, Yin Zhuli picked him up in her arms and headed toward the bedroom. As she passed the path, she made a gesture toward the two figures in the shadows. The meaning was clear—everyone go back to where you belong and do what you need to do. In other words... *all of you, get the hell out of here!*
Back in the bedroom, the weather was sweltering. Yin Zhuli placed Shen Tingjiao on the couch and poured a cup of hot tea to let it cool. She turned back and drew *Biluo’s Lead* from her waist, using it to flick through all his clothing ties. The sharp blade passed close to his skin, its bone-chilling coldness making Shen Tingjiao a bit nervous. However, knowing he was absolutely safe by her side, he kept his composure and did not move.
The fragments of his clothes fell onto the couch like butterflies. The little Prince was left barely covered, the two vermilion beads on his chest faintly visible—a fresh and delicious sight. He felt a secret resentment in his heart—*where on earth did this woman learn so many tricks! In the future, I must teach her a good lesson and discipline her strictly...*
Yin Zhuli didn't notice his thoughts. She casually picked up an ice cube from the ice basin. The little Prince felt a chill at a sensitive spot, and his train of thought began to scatter.
*Who the hell taught her this? Could Tang Yin actually have dared to teach her this?!* He took a deep breath, his fingers tightly gripping the white bedsheets embroidered with mandarin ducks and lilies. The ice cube moved down from his chest, all his attention condensing on the path it traveled. Finally, when it intimately brushed against the arrogant general standing ready for battle, Shen Tingjiao forgot all about investigating the source of this skill.
Yin Zhuli picked up another piece of crushed ice and held it in her mouth, leaning down to give that swaggering rebel general a bit of a lesson. Shen Tingjiao gripped her shoulders tightly, slowly coordinating with her rhythm. Sensing the ice had melted, she turned to take the hot tea from the table. Taking a mouthful of the tea, she leaned down again. The little Prince had very little experience and couldn't withstand such stimulation. In an instant, his words became incoherent. "Yin Zhuli... even if I die beneath you like this, this Prince is willing..."
Actually, regarding these matters... it wasn't so bad to learn more. Shen Tingjiao involuntarily clung to her, his eyes seeing nothing. It was as if countless fireworks were exploding over the Junji River in his mind; the sky and the emerald waters were both blooming with flowers, a beauty so intense it brought tears to his eyes, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
Yin Zhuli rinsed her mouth with the remaining tea. Knowing this had exhausted too much of his strength, she didn't push him further. The little Prince at least had a bit of a conscience. "What about... you?"
Yin Zhuli straightened her clothes, ordered someone to clear away the scraps of fabric on the couch, and then served him as he lay down, tucking him in with a thin quilt. "Darling, I’ve been away from Chang'an for many days, and things have piled up. The ledgers are one thing, but the stocking and selling of goods cannot be delayed. You sleep first." Shen Tingjiao wanted to say more, but thinking of her temperament, he ultimately said nothing and obediently closed his eyes.
Yin Zhuli entered the study. The summer night was quiet, with the occasional chirp of cicadas in the courtyard. She spent some time reviewing the procurement plans for the various shops. Feeling a bit tired from sitting, she stood up to walk around just as Qing Wan brought in some tea and snacks. Seeing that the servants had brought in the painting of the moonlit lotus that the little Prince had finished, her interest was piqued. She picked up a brush and wrote a piece of doggerel in the upper right corner:
*When you glare at me, I look at you and think it’s a laugh;*
*When you strike me, I bear it and take it as a bit of flirting;*
*When you scold me, I listen and think you’re calling me ‘darling.’*
*I love the sound of your scolding voice; I love the grace of your striking hand.*
*I love you whether you’re happy or cross; the more you’re cross, the better it feels.*
Qing Wan knew her mistress's personality well. Seeing this, she nearly doubled over with laughter. "Chief, if the Master sees this, he will surely make you copy the *Admonitions for Women*!"
Yin Zhuli set down the brush, looking at her work with increasing satisfaction. "Master is good in every way, except he’s far too stubborn about the rules."
Qing Wan handed her a silk cloth to wipe her hands. After a long silence, she whispered, "Chief, do you like Master Nine?"
Yin Zhuli paused, her brows knitting as she thought for a while. Her answer was very frank. "I don't know." She leaned closer to Qing Wan, her smile turning suggestive. "However, what I said before still stands. Whenever you manage to get him, I’ll support you as his side-consort. Think it over carefully. Don't look at him as just an idle prince now; if he ever leaps through the Dragon Gate, who knows what might happen? It will be much harder to gain a position then."
She spoke so solemnly that Qing Wan couldn't help but blush. "Chief, Master Nine has no eyes for anyone... except you!"
As they were joking, the little Prince, dressed in a single robe with his black hair draped over his shoulders, walked in. "Zhuli, I can't sleep. Let me look over the ledgers with you."
Yin Zhuli shook her head and sighed. "Darling, I want to sleep but can't, and you can sleep but won't. This world is truly unfair."
Despite her words, she still pulled him into her arms. Qing Wan felt embarrassed to stay any longer and took her leave from the study.
Yin Zhuli examined the ledgers very closely, but her speed was fast; she read ten lines at a glance and possessed a photographic memory. Shen Tingjiao curled up in her arms, leaning against her chest as he drifted into a drowse. As dawn approached, she also felt exhausted. Seeing that Shen Tingjiao was sleeping soundly, she didn't disturb him, but simply carried him to the daybed in the study and lay down to sleep with him in her arms.
In her embrace, the little Prince wasn't actually very sleepy. Seeing that she seemed to have fallen asleep, he remained motionless, fearing he would disturb her. When the sky grew bright, Hao Jian pushed open the door. Lifting the curtain and seeing the two of them, he was startled. Shen Tingjiao signaled for him to be quiet and gestured for him to withdraw.
Hao Jian took the hint. He lowered the curtain, gathered the ledgers and procurement lists she had already reviewed from the desk, and quietly closed the door as he left.
That afternoon, a spy was caught in the Prince of Fulu’s mansion. The reason was that he had seen the painting of the moonlit lotus and heard someone read the poem written beside it. He couldn't help but remark to a companion, "Our Prince is truly good to the Princess Consort..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was seized and beaten. The servants shouted angrily, "Er Zhuzi has worked in the Prince's mansion for half a year. How could he not know the situation? One look at this poem and anyone can tell the Princess Consort wrote it!"
After a round of interrogation, it turned out the fellow really was an impostor who had sneaked into the mansion by posing as Er Zhuzi.
