Chapter 154: Awakening

"Mercy..." Zhao Zhen mused, falling silent once more.

After a long while, he finally said, "Perhaps I really have been too merciful."

Chen Lin thought for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, what about the horse farm..."

"Give the horse farm to him. After all, he won it fair and square."

Zhao Zhen gave up the horse farm quite readily, for his imperial ancestors had once similarly lost Mount Hua. Having lost Mount Hua, they became emperors. Now, facing the same kind of loss, Zhao Zhen felt not even a shred of reluctance.

"Very well, Your Majesty. I shall have someone deliver the deed shortly." Chen Lin was equally ungrudging.

Although they had appeared calm when Shen Shi performed his arts, inwardly they were profoundly stirred. Ever since the founding of the Great Song by Zhao Kuangyin, the court had constantly sought out and recruited Daoists. The more impressive the skills Shen Shi displayed, the happier they would be. Chen Lin understood this well.

Compared to that, what did a single horse farm matter?

Delighted at the prospect of acquiring a genuine Daoist, Zhao Zhen chuckled, "I can understand why he wanted Mount Hua. But what could he possibly want with a horse farm?"

He asked this merely in passing, as coveting famous mountains and great rivers was easy to comprehend. A horse farm, however, seemed somewhat trivial by comparison.

After brief consideration, Zhao Zhen added, "When you send someone to deliver the deed to the horse farm, have them sound him out. If he wishes to exchange it for something else, grant his wish. Any mountain he chooses will do."

"As you command, Your Majesty." Chen Lin first acknowledged the order, then raised a practical concern, "Your Majesty, once he obtains the famous mountains and rivers of his desire, might he retreat into the mountain forests and never return?"

"Hiss—"

Zhao Zhen drew a sharp breath. "Right, right, right! Had you not mentioned it, Old Chen, I would have completely forgotten. These Daoists indeed show little inclination to linger in the imperial court."

It was not as though the Great Song had never summoned Daoist priests before, but those with genuine abilities invariably claimed a renowned mountain and vanished into seclusion. Take Old Ancestor Chen Tuan, for instance. Did he possess true abilities? He did. After obtaining Mount Hua, what did he do? Absolutely nothing.

And as for those Daoists lacking genuine ability, what use were they anyway?

"Just have the courier give him the horse farm and say nothing more," Zhao Zhen decided decisively.

"Your Majesty, what about the Prince of Runan's estate?" Chen Lin inquired.

"The immortal's warning was correct; I have been far too lenient with them. Here, Old Chen, go to the Prince of Runan's residence and deliver a reprimand. Let the matter end at that."

Clearly, Zhao Zhen was siding with Shen Shi. And that was quite enough.

As for evidence—he was the emperor, did he even need any?

Besides, he, the emperor, coveted those fine horses of Shen Shi's as well!

"Understood, Your Majesty!" Chen Lin bowed and departed to carry out the decree.

***

The Prince of Runan's estate surely never dreamed they would be caught in the crossfire so unjustly. Today's events had absolutely nothing to do with them whatsoever.

***

On the other side, Tang Renxian remained under arrest, while Shen Shi and his party were released to return home. Along the way, Shen Yuejiao fidgeted nervously. Whether it was Zhao Zongjing or Cao Jinhua, she found them both thoroughly appealing—truly.

One was a commandery prince, the other an imperial brother-in-law; what possible reason did she have to be dissatisfied?

Her only grievance was why her cousin constantly neglected to introduce her. No matter what, she was a proper, unmarried maiden; surely she couldn't just walk right up to them and introduce herself?

Where would her modesty be?

Of course, for the sake of her future happiness, discarding a bit of modesty wasn't entirely out of the question, but doing so might startle them, which wouldn't be ideal.

Yet they just kept talking and talking, completely ignoring her. What on earth was she to do? It was driving her mad with anxiety!

Unable to squeeze her way into the conversation directly, Shen Yuejiao had no choice but to speak to Shen Ancai: "Elder Brother, what is the cousin's relationship with those people? Why are they so familiar with one another?"

Shen Ancai looked at his snobbish cousin. He desperately wished he could tell her that he was just as clueless and didn't want to be kept in the dark either, but the truth was: "I don't know."

"Useless!" Shen Yuejiao thought to herself. "He's just as useless as my betrothed, Meng Longtan."

In the past, Shen Yuejiao had also fancied scholars, since scholars had sweet tongues and recited lovely poetry. However, when the Meng family's fortunes declined, she instantly lost interest.

As a man, as a son—to simply stand by and watch his family's fortunes fall apart without the ability to change a thing—what good was such scholarship? Naturally, only men with power and wealth were good men.

Just like her own elder cousin: he had studied hard and earned the title of a scholar, yet what good did it do? He remained utterly ignorant, unable even to brush against the fringes of high society.

Looking at his scholar's robes and then glancing at those other men, the contrast was stark. They seemed utterly out of place together, as if they belonged to two entirely different worlds. Indeed, they were people of two different worlds.

Wait—what about her elder female cousin?

"Elder Brother, if you don't want to tell me, fine. But why lie to me?" Shen Yuejiao demanded angrily.

"When did this elder brother lie to you? What could I have possibly lied about?" Shen Ancai protested, completely bewildered. He hadn't lied at all.

"You still deny it! Isn't Elder Female Cousin chatting happily with him?" Shen Yuejiao pointed a finger at Shen Yue'e and Zhao Zongjing.

Her anger stemmed from the fact that while her cousin claimed ignorance to her face, he was simultaneously mingling with those very people behind her back.

"Elder Brother, is it because Elder Female Cousin is your real sister while I am just a distant relative?"

Consumed by envy, jealousy, and bitter resentment, Shen Yuejiao wished nothing more than to push her cousin aside and take her place.

"Yue'e?" Shen Ancai turned to look, equally dumbfounded. He had no earthly idea what was happening.

Why on earth would his sister know a commandery prince?

Seeing that her elder brother was hopelessly pedantic and utterly useless, Shen Yuejiao realized she would have to rely on herself.

Without another word, she urged her small horse forward and squeezed her way through.

"Sister, what are you all chatting about?" Shen Yuejiao decided to break the ice through her cousin, seeing as she was much more familiar with her than with Shen Shi.

"N-nothing. He was simply inquiring about our younger cousin," Shen Yue'e stammered, looking flustered and somewhat evasive.

"Cousin? What about our cousin? Do tell me as well."

Acting as though she saw nothing and understood even less, Shen Yuejiao rudely wedged herself into the conversation. Her behavior was the textbook definition of a third wheel, yet her intrusion actually brought a wave of relief to Shen Yue'e.

To be honest, ever since Zhao Zongjing had recognized her and began pestering her, she hadn't known how to handle the situation.

Disrespect him? How could she continue performing and earning silver in the future? Furthermore, she had no idea what relationship Zhao Zongjing shared with her cousin's family, making him all the more difficult to offend.

Not to mention that when they had first met, he had never once revealed that he was a commandery prince.

Shen Yue'e was entirely different from Shen Yuejiao. One could even say they possessed completely opposing worldviews.

Shen Yue'e was single-mindedly determined to marry into a prominent aristocratic family and become a young mistress of a great household. Shen Yuejiao, however, preferred a match of equal social standing; she did not care for overwhelming power or wealth, hoping only to find a suitable husband who would not look down upon her family, which would be quite enough.

As for someone like a commandery prince, she would never dream of provoking such a figure, nor did she harbor any intention of entangling herself with one.

Yet matters of the heart do not always heed one's avoidance. When she played the zither at the poetry gathering last year, Zhao Zongjing had instantly taken a fancy to her.

As for why he hadn't married her outright?

That was a long story; simply put, it was a case of boarding the wrong bridal sedan chair and marrying the wrong bride.

Women like Shen Yuejiao were not uncommon. The widespread rumor that Zhao Zongjing had married a singing girl actually stemmed from the fact that he had married the wrong person by mistake.

Ancient times differed from the modern era; a groom would never know which bride awaited him until the bridal veil was lifted.

And once the veil was lifted, they had already consummated the marriage. During those first intimate nights, driven by youthful ardor, men were naturally as inseparable as glue.

Had he not run into Shen Yue'e today, he would never have known that she was not a courtesan from the entertainment quarters at all, but a woman of a respectable family.