HMHSE - 84

Shen Rong woke up lying on her stomach. It took a while for her to open her eyes.

A pale morning light shone through the window, illuminating half of her fair shoulder, which bore two distinct red marks.

Suddenly, the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. She cautiously glanced to her side but didn’t see the man’s figure. Only then did she sit up, and with a soft hiss, she gently rubbed her waist.

“Is Young Mistress awake?” Zirui’s voice asked from outside.

“No need to come in and serve me,” Shen Rong said, stopping her. She then realized her voice was a little hoarse. After clearing her throat, she started to get dressed herself.

After putting on her undergarment, she went to get her skirt. She stepped onto the floor barefoot, and her body felt weak and soft. She had to hold onto the edge of the bed for support.

Her waist was sore and heavy. Shan Zong had been tireless, as if he wanted to use all his strength to ravage her.

In the end, she couldn’t even remember when she had fallen asleep.

“Young Mistress, are you sure you don’t need my help?” Zirui asked softly.

“I’m sure,” Shen Rong said, gritting her teeth and silently cursing the man for being so inconsiderate. She endured the discomfort and put on her skirt.

Zirui said, “Then I’ll go prepare a meal for you, Young Mistress.”

Shen Rong heard her leave. She looked back at the messy bed, her face flushing slightly. She raised her hand to smooth her black hair, which had long since become dishevelled.

The air around her seemed to still hold an indescribable scent...

By the time Shen Rong left her room, the sun was already high in the sky.

She had changed out of her usual skirt and instead wore a layered Hu-style garment with a high collar to hide the marks on her neck and chest.

Zirui followed behind, saying, “The official residence has been bustling since early this morning. Many people have come.”

Shen Rong gave a casual “hmm,” assuming they were just more people coming to recuperate. She was distracted and didn’t pay much attention, walking very slowly.

When she reached the front courtyard, she saw that there were many soldiers bustling about outside the main gate of the official residence. She could faintly hear the continuous sound of approaching hooves.

Under a corridor in a corner of the courtyard stood Zhao Jinkam in his official robe. He seemed to have just arrived and was talking to someone with his side turned.

As Shen Rong got closer, she saw the fierce black figure in Hu-style clothes standing next to him.

Shan Zong looked up from there and saw her instantly.

Shen Rong’s gaze met his deep, dark eyes. She immediately stopped, her eyes flitting away slightly.

From the corner of her eye, she seemed to see Shan Zong smirking, a wicked and roguish look on his face. She couldn’t help but bite her lip and quietly curse him as a scoundrel in her heart.

Zhao Jinkam had already seen her. He turned and smiled as he spoke. “Lady, congratulations.”

Shen Rong looked over. “Congratulations?”

“Yes,” Zhao Jinkam said, pointing to Shan Zong beside him. “I heard from Lord Chong that you two are married. I was invited here today to bear witness for you.”

Shen Rong immediately looked at Shan Zong.

He touched his mouth, his smile undiminished. “Hmm, I invited him.”

Shen Rong looked back. No wonder Zirui had said it was busy this morning. Was it because of this?

Zirui was surprised. Noticing Shen Rong’s gaze, she silently lowered her head and moved away.

Zhao Jinkam glanced at Shen Rong and took a step closer to Shan Zong. He sighed quietly and said in a low voice, “I know the Duke of Zhao’s residence will not be pleased.”

Shan Zong quirked the corner of his mouth. “Then why did you agree?”

Zhao Jinkam smiled and shook his head. “Youzhou narrowly escaped a disaster this time. Since the hero who defended Youzhou asked me to bear witness, I have no reason to refuse. Consider it my life in the company of a gentleman.”

Shan Zong’s smile widened. He nodded at him. “Thank you.”

Zhao Jinkam looked back at Shen Rong again, stroked his short beard, and said loudly, “There are many things to attend to in Youzhou city right now, so we cannot hold a proper ceremony for you two. We will have to wait for another day. The Danzhou army under General Zhou needs to be rewarded, so I will take my leave now.”

With that, he left.

Shen Rong watched him whisper to Shan Zong for a while before leaving. She glanced at Shan Zong, raised her hand to smooth her hair, and hid her discomfort. “You arranged everything on your own.”

Shan Zong walked closer, chuckling. “Did you really think a simple ceremony in the mountains would be enough? I first asked Zhao Jinkam to bear witness so you would not be without a name. Once Youzhou’s matters are settled and the entire prefecture is out of danger, I will find another opportunity to go to Chang’an.”

He himself didn’t mind. He was used to being a vagabond and never cared about superficial formalities, but she was the cherished daughter of the eldest grandson’s family. It wouldn’t be right to do it so haphazardly, and he didn’t want to wrong her.

Shen Rong thought to herself that since it had come to this, there was no turning back. But she hadn’t expected him to have planned it all out already. She felt pleased, and her eyes curved into a smile. When she looked up, she said lightly, “How will you go? You can’t leave Youzhou.”

“There will always be a way,” Shan Zong said.

Shen Rong remembered that it was the same thing he had said last time, his tone just as confident as ever.

A soldier came quickly from outside the main gate and reported, “Chief, everyone who can be here has arrived.”

“Good,” Shan Zong said, looking at Shen Rong. “Come with me.”

Shen Rong saw him walk straight to the main gate and slowly followed.

The main gate of the official residence was quiet.

Shen Rong slowly walked out, holding her skirt. She was stunned when she looked up.

The steps were filled with people, mostly dressed in short Hu-style garments with armour over them. Some were wounded. They were the centurions from the military camp and the soldiers patrolling the city.

Because there were so many of them, they couldn’t all fit inside the official residence and had to stand outside, almost all the way to the street.

Hu Shi Yi, who was recuperating here, pushed his way to the front, his shoulder propped up. Next to him was Zhang Wei. They were both looking inside the gate.

As soon as Shen Rong came out, everyone suddenly stood at attention, as if by instinct, staring at her from the front.

Shan Zong stood there, glanced at her, and then looked back at the crowd, waving his hand.

Guangyuan came out from inside, followed by a group of servants. Each of them was holding a large jar of wine. Someone behind them was carrying bowls. Right there, outside the main gate, they poured wine into the bowls and handed them to everyone.

Hu Shi Yi was badly wounded and couldn’t drink, but he still held a bowl in his hand and couldn’t help but ask, “What is the chief doing?”

“Rewarding the army,” Shan Zong said, taking a bowl of wine from Guangyuan.

A cheer immediately rose from the crowd. They were proud of the battle in which a small force had driven back a large one.

They didn’t drink the first bowl of wine. Shan Zong took the lead and poured the wine from his bowl onto the ground.

Instantly, everyone else also poured their wine on the ground in a tribute to the fallen.

After the bowls were refilled, everyone’s faces showed the joy of victory once again.

Hu Shi Yi, holding his empty bowl, caught sight of Jin Jiaojiao standing at the back and asked, “Is it just to reward the army?”

“Of course not,” Shan Zong said, holding his bowl. He looked at everyone present. “I have been here for many years, and I have only been with you day and night. You are my subordinates during training, and we have shared life and death on the battlefield. I have no close relatives in Youzhou except for you. In the future, we will still have to go through life and death together. So, I asked you all to come here today to also meet my wife.”

As he spoke, he turned and reached out, pulling Shen Rong to his side.

Shen Rong was suddenly next to him. Before she could react, a chorus of “Madam” rang out from below.

The voices of the army were exceptionally loud, as if the entire city of Youzhou could hear them.

She was caught off guard, and her heart began to beat rapidly. She looked up at the man next to her. He happened to be looking down at her, and his lips curved slightly. He wasn’t smiling, but he had a roguish look on his face.

Someone’s bowl was just filled with wine. They raised it and toasted her.

For a moment, it seemed as if they were celebrating a wedding with wine.

Guangyuan was the most excited. He immediately poured a bowl of wine and handed it to Shen Rong, happily calling her, “Madam.”

Shen Rong took the bowl. She tried to hold it in, but her cheeks still uncontrollably turned red, though her expression remained calm.

Shan Zong tilted his head back and drank the bowl of wine. The crowd below was still lively, their gazes almost all on the woman next to him.

He turned and stared at Shen Rong. He watched her hesitate, then she only touched the bowl to her lips. The pungent smell of the wine made her wrinkle her brows. He couldn’t help but smile. He reached out and took the bowl, placing it exactly where her lips had touched it. He tilted his head back and drank it all.

Another cheer erupted from the crowd. This time, it was more of a casual hooting.

Shen Rong watched Shan Zong’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed the wine, and she suddenly felt her face getting hotter.

________________________________________

After the crowd at the gate dispersed, the official residence finally became quiet.

Shen Rong walked back inside the door, glancing behind her. Shan Zong was following her, a faint smile still on his face.

Before she could speak, she saw the smile fade from his face, and his gaze landed behind her.

Shen Rong subconsciously turned around and saw a figure standing behind a corridor pillar in a corner of the courtyard, looking this way.

He still had messy hair, with streaks of white at his temples, and a weathered face. He was just wearing clean clothes, and his hand and foot shackles were removed. He looked less terrifying than before.

It was Jia Chen San. The courtyard behind him was where the few prisoners were recuperating.

He stared at Shan Zong for a while and then suddenly said, “Congratulations.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and went back into the courtyard.

Hu Shi Yi had just returned from the main gate. Seeing the situation, he walked up to Shan Zong, his shoulder propped up, and muttered, “Chief, what’s with these guys? They’re even being polite to you. Are we really not going to chain them anymore?”

Shan Zong was still looking at that spot. He suddenly said, “No chains. Once the military camp is restored, move all eighty-four of them into the camp.”

Hu Shi Yi’s face stiffened, and he exclaimed, “What? You’re letting them into the military camp? They’re not ordinary prisoners. They’re from the dungeon!”

Even Shen Rong looked at him.

“It’s decided,” Shan Zong said, giving the order directly and walking past him.

Hu Shi Yi was dumbfounded. He scratched his head and had no choice but to shut his mouth.

Shen Rong watched Shan Zong come towards her. She walked slowly forward, thinking to herself. She suddenly understood and whispered, “You must have had this idea for a long time.”

Shan Zong didn’t say anything, just quirked his lips, a silent admission.

“When the day comes that the Lulong Army is no longer a taboo, you might know everything. Otherwise...”

Shen Rong couldn’t help but look at him. “Otherwise what?”

Shan Zong just smiled. “Nothing.”

Otherwise, it would only be on the day he died. That was the secret order.

But he didn’t want to say something like that casually, especially now that he was a married man.

Shen Rong thought about it carefully again and even felt that when he arranged for them to come out and mine in the mountains, it might have been the first step in his plan to let them see the light of day again.

This man’s mind was too deep. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in Youzhou for all these years, guarding this secret all by himself until now.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and hooked her waist. “You’re daydreaming,” Shan Zong’s voice said from above her.

Shen Rong came back to her senses. She realized they had entered the inner courtyard, and they were the only two people there. He had her in a half-embrace, his arm wrapped around her waist. She immediately frowned because it still hurt a little.

“What’s wrong?” Shan Zong noticed her expression. He looked her up and down, having already noticed that she was walking very slowly today. His dark eyes fell on her high collar and saw the small marks he had left. He lowered his head a little and said in a deep voice, “Did I hurt you?”

Shen Rong remembered his wildness from last night. His arm was wrapped around her now, and even through several layers of clothing, she could still clearly remember the fierce and intense intimacy. Her heart pounded rapidly. She glanced at him and placed a hand on his arm, her fingers hooking onto it. “Let go.”

Shan Zong’s arm felt a little numb. He remembered last night, and his eyes darkened. He loosened his grip a little. He saw her walk inside with weak steps, but before he could follow, the door closed.

He quirked the corner of his mouth and stared at the door. “What are you doing?”

“So you don’t do anything bad again,” Shen Rong said in a muffled voice.

Shan Zong touched the tip of his nose with his finger, suppressing a laugh. He probably had been a little too rough last night.