CH 2

If the unmarried ladies in Chang’an could suggest a suitor for themselves, at the top of the list would no doubt be the Grand Secretary of the current dynasty, Su Shiyu.

Su Shiyu was born in an eminent family. The three generations before him were famed generals. His father, Su Jue, was the subject the former Emperor entrusted his country to, and as one of the Three Lords, he earned the deep trust of the Emperor. Yet there isn’t anything domineering in the nature of Su Shiyu’s character—he is proper and refined, well-mannered and gentle to people around him. People who tried to matchmake their own relatives with him were all declined, yet they refused to submit or give up, insisting on wanting him for their son-in-law.

But Chu Mingyun could not help feeling that Su Shiyu’s well-mannered behaviour enables him to conveniently put a distance between himself and others. He looks gentle and easygoing, but in reality he is distant. Chu Mingyun is disinterested in dealing with people of this type, hence even though they have shared the same court for many years, the Chu and Su Factions never stopped fighting. Between Su Shiyu and himself, they have never done anything more than nodding heads upon meeting.

But after today, being involved would be inevitable.

Chu Mingyun walks out from the great hall and finds the figure of the most desired man in the capital amongst a hundred varying officials.

“Your Excellency1 Su.”

Su Shiyu steps and turns around to ask, “Is something the matter, Your Excellency Chu?”

“Yes.” Chu Mingyun walks up to him. “There is something I have been thinking for a long time. I feel like I should tell you.”

“Please tell me.”

Chu Mingyun inhales deeply and grabs Su Shiyu’s hand. “Are you really willing to listen?”

“What is this talk about willingness?if there is something you want to say, speak it.” Su Shiyu draws back his hand without a trace, yet finds himself gripped even tighter. He gives a faint smile to the officials passing by before adding, “Rumours about Your Excellency Chu’s attraction to men are abound in the capital recently. In my humble opinion, we should avoid suspicion as the best course.”

“You want to avoid suspicion?” Chu Mingyun cants his head to the side slightly with a sorrowful expression, yet within the blink of an eye, before Su Shiyu could react, he grabs his arms with both hands and raises his voice to say, “Shiyu, I’ve liked you for a very long time.”

On the palace’s path, some officials almost trip.

“……” Su Shiyu freezes for a while, but in the blink of an eye, turns as gentle as he had always been. “This is not a funny joke to make, Your Excellency Chu……”

“You don’t believe me?” Chu Mingyun interrupts him and tightens his grip with a face full of honesty. “The Heavens and Earth may bear witness, in this life of mine I would only marry…… coughs, would only grow old with you alone. Are you willing?”

“No, I am not,” Su Shiyu honestly replies.

“I could have guessed. That is why I have never dared to confess my feelings in the past.” Chu Mingyun’s expression doesn’t change. “But I have managed to put it past me in recent days. Even if it is unattainable, one should still try.”

Su Shiyu laughs and says, “Has Your Excellency Chu been mistaken? You and I have always just been colleagues. Since when has it turned into miseries and woes?”

Chu Mingyun glares at  him. “Are these words of yours just accusing me of not being nice enough to you?”

“That is not what I meant; Your Excellency Chu has overthought.” Su Shiyu forcibly withdraws his hand.

“You’re irreproachable in your distrust of me. In the future, I will prove it to you. Shiyu, my heart does not lie.” With these words of deep passion, Chu Mingyun inserts his hand back into his sleeve and pinches himself.

Su Shiyu’s smile deepens all of a sudden. He squints his eyes and gently parts his mouth to say, “Are you sick?”

“Lovesickness,” Chu Mingyun answers resolutely.

“Excuse me.” Su Shiyu nods, turns away and leaves.

“I will wait for the day your heart changes.” Chu Mingyun warmly sends him off, dropping his expression only after Su Shiyu’s figure vanishes. His lips curl into a soft smile. He cares not for all the conflicting gazes of officials on him all around. Recalling all the words he’d said just now, he suddenly feels that although his acting skills were shallow, its effects were extremely obvious. He feels quite satisfied.

The footsteps of His Excellency Chu as he walks out of the palace today is light and swift.

Summer is peaceful; the guard by the gates of the Su Residence could not help raising his head. He squints his eyes as he enjoys the sunlight. Just as his mind is at ease, a sudden rumble of messy footsteps sound at his ears. He holds his halberd horizontally to stop the shadow going into the residence, halting them loudly: “Who goes there?”

The intruder stops just in time before the halberd. He pants with his body bent as he raises his head, revealing a clean-cut and handsome young face. Su Bai wipes the sweat off his forehead. “It’s me!”

The guard recognized him as the Young Master’s personal attendant. He immediately withdraws his weapons, apologizing but couldn’t help teasing with a laugh: “Why in such a hurry? Which little Young Master have you lost this time?”

“Go to hell.” Su Bai is impatient. “Something big happened. Where is the Young Master?”

“I saw the Young Master walk in the direction of the study just now. He should still be there.”

Su Bai immediately rushes towards the study. Without pause, he shouts urgently as he pushes the door open, “Young Master! It’s a disaster!”

The two people talking inside the room pause to turn in his direction. Once he sees the middle-aged person next to his Young Master, Su Bai’s knees grow weak. He lowers his head to shut his mouth.

The housekeeper, Su Yi, turns around to bow at Su Shiyu and says, “Then this humble one will take his leave first.” Once Su Shiyu nods his head and allows it, Su Yi walks towards Su Bai and reprimands him with a low voice, “Not even a lick of manners. Jumping around like that, what does that make you look like?!”

Su Bai lowers his head silently. “Dad……”

Since Su Shiyu is present, Su Yi didn’t say much. He glares as a warning and leaves.

Su Shiyu smiles, lightly standing behind the desk. “Not knowing to ask who is present before coming in got you a scolding, didn’t it?”

Su Bai raises his head at this and rubs his nose, flushing as he says, “Young Master is still the best.” He approaches and catches sight of the invitation in Su Shiyu’s hand. “What is this?”

“An invitation from the new Zhuangyuan2, Song Heng. In a few days, he will be having a celebration banquet.” Su Shiyu places the invitation aside. “He was fluent in diction during the Imperial Examination. Could be a worthy fellow to get to know.”

“I see.” Su Bai nods his head.

“What did you say just now? What happened?” Su Shiyu asks.

“Oh!” Su Bai abruptly recalls and urgently says, “Everyone outside is saying that Grand Marshal Chu seeks after you!”

Su Shiyu takes a sip of tea and replies plainly, “That’s just nonsense.”

“But—but everyone is talking about it in the teahouses! His Excellency Chu goes all out gathering information to gain your favour, including even the places you’ve been to! Even all the beautiful maidens in his residence were dismissed without a single one left……” Su Bai looks like a tangled mess. “This subject thinks…… it might not be nonsense.”

“We’ve interacted sparsely, and yet all of a sudden he says he seeks after me, would you believe it?” Su Shiyu raises his eyes to look at him.

Su Bai nods his head and after meeting Su Shiyu’s gaze he immediately shakes his head.

“Baseless gossip; just let them be. To argue with them on purpose would instead be suspected of concealment., so why not let them dissipate on their own?”

“That won’t do, Young Master!” Su Bai urgently says, “If this continues, it wouldn’t be beneficial for you to get married in future! You aren’t even married presently, and after this series of events, let alone others suspecting whether you are…… with a love rival like Grand Marshal Chu alone, how would any maiden dare marry you in future?!”

“……You truly think far ahead.” Su Shiyu sighs, looking at Su Bai behaving like he is on fire. Su Shiyu helplessly reaches into his sleeve to take the jade and says, “Then, order……”

“No! Young Master, you don’t know what they have said!” Su Bai urgently interrupts his words, then bites his lip down in determination and steels his heart as he spits out the words: “They say that you look righteous, and therefore when Chu Mingyun is on the bed he is…… mostly on the bottom.”

“……” Su Shiyu withdraws his hand, taking his time to raise the cup and replies with an “Oh”, before he nods his head with a smile. “Aren’t they just praising me then? Why pay attention to gossip?”

Su Bai’s face turns from shock, confused and undecided, before he is finally enlightened with admiration. “Young Master, you are truly extraordinary in your magnanimity!”

“Let’s stop this here.” Su Shiyu smiles. “How is the person I ordered you to receive?”

“We met. He’s at the back. He should have arrived by now.”

[1] 大人(daren) a form of address to higher-ups or aristocracy.

[2] 状元 (Zhuangyuan): title given to the scholar who achieved the highest score on highest level of the Imperial examination.