Chapter 40
Shen Nian's high spirits lasted only until Qi Junmu finished his court duties. It wasn't that he lacked the stamina—rather, Qi Junmu had forcefully ordered him to go home and get proper rest.
Shen Nian didn't actually feel all that tired. He was used to it.
On the North Frontier, there were times when, in order to slaughter the enemy, they would raise their blades, strike down, withdraw, and raise them again—over and over for hours on end. It was numbing, repetitive work, and they only got a chance to catch their breath when the enemy beat their drums to signal retreat.
They fought by day, and by night they hardly dared sleep for fear of a surprise attack. Over time, they developed the ability to stay awake through an entire night and still appear bright and alert the next day.
Now that he was back in the capital, living the most stable life he'd ever known, this insomnia stubbornly refused to leave him whenever something weighed on his mind. Sometimes in the dead of night, when Shen Nian jolted awake, his heart racing from a nightmare of days gone by, he would stare up at the roof beams in a daze.
It would take him a long moment to remember: Oh, I'm in the capital now, not on the North Frontier.
Shen Nian knew his own body well enough. So when the Emperor told him to go rest, his first instinct was to refuse—he felt he could still push on.
Qi Junmu had always considered himself a particularly stubborn man, but now that he'd met someone even more stubborn than himself, his mood soured at once. He said, "Just look at your complexion. How is that the face of someone who's fine? I'm telling you to go rest—it's not like I'm docking your pay. What are you so worried about?"
Qi Junmu thought that Shen Nian probably hadn't looked in a mirror lately. His spirit was indeed excellent, but having not slept all night, his complexion was far from healthy.
Since the Emperor had put it so plainly, Shen Nian stopped insisting. He gave a somewhat sheepish smile and said, "This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for your consideration."
Qi Junmu nodded. Then, thinking of the marquis's health, he instructed Ruan Jiqing to take a thousand-year-old ginseng from the imperial treasury for Shen Nian to take home and nourish himself with.
Shen Nian naturally declined, but the Emperor couldn't help saying, "Just take it. I have better ones in my treasury anyway. Your body is your own. If you don't take care of it and end up falling ill from overwork someday, you'll be the one suffering."
This was the first time Shen Nian had heard such direct words of concern since Shen Yi passed away.
There was no need to even mention the Shen family. Before he had even returned to the capital, Old Madam Shen had fallen ill from grief. Wen shi had never given him a second thought, let alone worried whether he was overtired.
Of course, many in the North Frontier Army—including Cheng Jin and his close comrades—cared deeply about him. But they never spoke to him this way, afraid of upsetting him, and also because they were grieving too. In front of them, Shen Nian was the banner they rallied behind; no matter how much he hurt, he couldn't show it.
Perhaps it was because his head was truly heavy and foggy from the sleepless night, but being offered such light, gentle concern from the Emperor made a sudden wave of bitterness rise in Shen Nian's heart.
Qi Junmu watched as the man before him blinked, the rims of his eyes reddening in an instant. He paused. Shen Nian had always been refined and gentle, the kind of person who seemed to have everything under control. Seeing him like this now made him look extraordinarily fragile.
Qi Junmu looked away, pretending not to notice, and said, "I'll have someone escort you back."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Shen Nian replied, his head bowed low, his voice slow.
Qi Junmu thought: The weight on Shen Nian's shoulders is too heavy. The man is exhausted.
He knew that the Shen family didn't hold Shen Nian in high regard. Now that Old Madam Shen was ill, the household was in complete disarray. To keep any of the more tactless Shen family members from making things difficult for him, the Emperor ordered Ruan Jiqing to personally escort Shen Nian home and see him settled.
This was exactly the sort of errand Ruan Jiqing relished. Once outside the palace, he represented the Emperor's own authority. Whatever he said or did, others had no choice but to listen and endure—they might fume inwardly, but they had to swallow it.
Watching those arrogant sorts squirm made Ruan Jiqing feel immensely satisfied. So he assured the Emperor, "This humble servant will make sure the marquis is properly settled before returning to the palace."
Seeing the look on his face, Qi Junmu couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He waved a hand, dismissing him.
Shen Nian found it amusing as well, and his expression brightened considerably.
Ruan Jiqing had Shen Nian carried back in a sedan chair, while he rode in one himself. Shen Nian didn't actually like the things—too bouncy, too soft. He much preferred riding a horse. But he didn't insist on making a fuss, since Ruan Jiqing was only trying to do right by him; he wouldn't repay kindness with ingratitude.
When they arrived at the Marquis Zhenbei residence, the maids and servants all called out, "Marquis," with passable respect. No one caused any trouble.
But Ruan Jiqing was no fool. He had climbed from the very bottom of the palace to his current position through more than just the Emperor's favor—he had skills of his own. His eyes were sharp, and he could see at once that the servants' respect for Shen Nian was rooted in fear. Every time these servants looked at Shen Nian, they instinctively showed traces of terror, as if they wanted to flee—as though he had done something utterly heinous.
Ruan Jiqing found it quite interesting. Just how much did the Shen family dislike Shen Nian, to have trained their servants to behave this way?
What struck him most was Shen Nian's own attitude—as if he couldn't care less.
Of course, Ruan Jiqing didn't pry. He escorted Shen Nian to his courtyard.
Shen Nian's courtyard was very quiet. No beautiful maidservants, and the young servants only served outside. The entire place felt cold and unwelcoming—hardly the feel of a home.
Shen Nian didn't send Ruan Jiqing away immediately. Instead, he invited him to stay for a cup of tea, which Ruan Jiqing readily accepted.
The tea in Shen Nian's courtyard was cold, but once he gave the order, it was quickly prepared.
After the servant withdrew, Shen Nian personally poured a cup for Ruan Jiqing and said with a smile, "Eunuch Ruan, as you can see, quite a few people in this house believe I survived on human flesh in the North Frontier. They're terrified of me. But even with all that fear, no one dares neglect my orders."
Ruan Jiqing understood the implication. Shen Nian was fully aware of the situation in his own household—he simply didn't care. Whether these people feared him or fawned over him, it was all the same. At the end of the day, he was the marquis, and they all depended on him to survive.
By saying this openly, Shen Nian was also using Ruan Jiqing as a messenger to put the Emperor's mind at ease.
Ruan Jiqing nodded, his smile deepening. "The marquis is indeed the marquis. His Majesty need not worry so much."
Shen Nian smiled faintly.
Ruan Jiqing finished his tea and took his leave, firmly refusing to let Shen Nian see him out. He said, "Marquis Shen, His Majesty ordered this servant to bring you home to rest. If you then go and escort me out yourself, His Majesty will surely flay me alive if he finds out."
At that, Shen Nian didn't insist. He watched Ruan Jiqing leave the courtyard.
Ruan Jiqing hadn't run into any of the other masters of the Marquis Zhenbei residence on his way in. But on his way out, he encountered Wen shi.
From the look of it, she had come looking for Shen Nian. Her expression was complicated—she seemed reluctant to be there, yet unable to suppress her curiosity.
When she spotted Ruan Jiqing, Wen shi's face shifted into a smile as she stepped forward. "And you are…?"
Ruan Jiqing's smile didn't waver. "This servant attends to His Majesty. The last time I came with the Emperor, the Marquis was still kneeling at the front gate. His Majesty was in quite a poor mood after that, and didn't even set foot inside the residence."
Wen shi's face changed at his first sentence—guilt and panic flickered across it. By the time he finished, she could barely stand steady.
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