Chapter 37 Misunderstanding

Chapter 37 Misunderstanding

Jiang Shu was bathing in the room while Shen Changze was discussing matters of the estate with the new steward in the courtyard.

"Your Excellency, I have an urgent matter to report," said the guard, hurrying over with a worried expression.

The steward, being astute and perceptive, tactfully withdrew.

With no one else around, Shen Changze said, "Speak."

"Zhao Dezhu said that if Your Excellency doesn't meet him, once he reaches the magistrate's office, he will claim that Madam has been shielding and indulging him," the guard reported truthfully.

Hearing this, Shen Changze was enraged: "What a cunning servant!"

The guard stood by, not daring to breathe loudly.

Shen Changze rose angrily and strode towards the woodshed.

He wanted to see what Zhao Dezhu was up to.

After finishing her bath, Jiang Shu came out intending to call Shen Changze for his turn but found the courtyard empty.

The night air in the mountains was cool, so Jiang Shu sat in the courtyard to enjoy it.

Tanyu, drying her wet hair, sighed after looking up at the sky: "Clouds are heavy tonight; we won't be able to see the stars of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl this year."

Jiang Shu was taken aback: "Is today the Qixi Festival?"

"How could you forget, Lady?"

Indeed, Jiang Shu had forgotten. Her recent thoughts had been preoccupied with the estate, leaving no room for such details.

"The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet only once a year. Surely they won't miss it this time?" Tanyu spoke with regret.

Jiang Shu murmured softly: "Perhaps the Weaver Girl doesn't want to see the Cowherd."

"How could that be?" Tanyu wondered aloud: "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl love each other so deeply that even heaven and the Milky Way cannot separate them. Their annual meeting on the magpie bridge is so touching."

"Touching?"

Jiang Shu sneered: "A celestial maiden and a mortal. If the Cowherd truly loved the Weaver Girl, he should have set her free instead of stealing her celestial robe to force her to stay in the mortal world and suffer. He shouldn't have tricked her into having children with him either."

"True love should be mutual and voluntary, not selfish confinement and possession."

Tanyu was stunned: "So they don't really love each other?"

Jiang Shu smiled ambiguously without giving a direct answer.

Looking up at the dark sky, Jiang Shu frowned slightly: "It looks like it might rain tomorrow."

The weather had been gloomy for the past two days, always seeming on the verge of a storm.

"If it rains, the mountain path will be even harder to traverse," Tanyu complained softly.

Jiang Shu replied quietly: "We'll still have to go, no matter how difficult it is."

Tanyu was taken aback, realizing Jiang Shu wasn't talking about the road.

The night breeze was cool, and as Jiang Shu's damp hair nearly dried, Shen Changze returned, still fuming with anger.

"What's wrong, Your Excellency?" Jiang Shu asked, puzzled.

Seeing them, Shen Changze suppressed his anger and dismissed it: "Nothing."

After saying this, he went straight into the house to bathe.

The two women exchanged glances, sensing something had happened.

But since Shen Changze didn't want to talk about it, Jiang Shu didn't press further.

That night, Shen Changze slept on the floor just as he had the previous night.

Lying on the bed, both were lost in their own thoughts, silent.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Shu, half asleep, vaguely heard the sound of rain outside.

The rain woke Shen Changze, who turned over irritably.

The heavy rain continued to pour down, and the guards standing outside the woodshed retreated under the eaves to avoid getting wet.

"Boom—"

Thunder crashed, seemingly covering or reminding of something.

The next day, the rain had subsided, falling in light drops.

After breakfast, Jiang Shu and Shen Changze were preparing to leave when a guard rushed in, panicked.

"Bad news, Your Excellency! Zhao Dezhu has escaped!"

"What did you say!" Shen Changze demanded sternly.

The guard, visibly agitated, explained: "When I entered the woodshed earlier to take Zhao Dezhu to the magistrate's office, I found it empty. There's a newly dug hole in the wall."

"What were you doing last night? You couldn't hear someone digging a hole!" Shen Changze exploded in anger.

The guard knelt in fear: "Last night, the rain was too heavy, so I took shelter under the eaves and kept watch on the door of the woodshed. I never expected anyone would dig a hole during the rain. It's my fault."

"Search! Gather men and find him. We must bring him back!" Shen Changze's face was livid with rage.

The guards dared not disobey and hurriedly led a few people to track him down.

But the heavy rain had fallen for half the night, washing away all traces, leaving nothing to follow.

Shen Changze and Jiang Shu waited for half a day, but received no satisfactory news.

Wang Cui and the others, upon hearing that Zhao Dezhu had escaped, were terrified, fearing he might seek revenge in secret.

Shen Changze, with a stern face, assured them that he would definitely catch Zhao Dezhu. If Zhao Dezhu dared to escape again, he would be killed and fed to the wolves.

Jiang Shu looked at his serious demeanor and felt a sneer in her heart.

In the afternoon, when the rain stopped, Shen Changze left half of the guards to search for Zhao Dezhu and set off with Jiang Shu to the next manor.

The mountain road after the rain was difficult to navigate, making the carriage jolt violently.

Shen Changze sat upright with a cold expression, still angry about Zhao Dezhu's escape.

Jiang Shu did not want to see his pretense and leaned against the carriage wall, closing her eyes to rest.

After rushing all the way, they finally arrived at Xiaoyuan Manor as dusk fell.

Unlike the previous two manors, Xiaoyuan Manor had almost no arable land; it was mostly barren mountainous terrain where herbs were planted without much care.

As there was little profit to be made, the accounts here were relatively clean, and the head of the manor was honest and simple, though too old for the demanding task of patrolling the mountains.

The handover at Xiaoyuan Manor went smoothly, with the former head retaining his position to live out his days there.

Jiang Shu and Shen Changze decided to plant flowers and fruits in Xiaoyuan Manor for winemaking, given the local conditions.

With two more estates left, they continued their journey after a night's rest.

Greed is human nature, and the remaining two estates were similar to Sangyan Manor, with chaotic and unclear accounts, and officials who had been embezzling and exploiting the people.

Fortunately, the situation was not as severe as with Zhao Dezhu, so Shen Changze dealt with them leniently, as he had done with Sangyan Manor.

After circling around to inspect all the manors, Jiang Shu and Shen Changze headed back to the capital.

They traveled all day and arrived at Cenhe Manor before sunset.

Four days had passed, and Zhao Dezhu was still not caught, causing panic among the residents of Cenhe Manor.

Shen Changze could only order the guards to stay and continue searching to reassure the villagers.

At night, Jiang Shu finished tidying up and went to bed.

Shen Changze asked her, "Where do you think Zhao Dezhu might be hiding?"

Zhao Dezhu had no close relatives left, and Mother Shen had initially taken pity on him, giving him a place to settle down.

But she never expected him to become a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a menace to be nurtured.

"Doesn't His Lordship know where he might be hiding?" Jiang Shu countered sarcastically.

Shen Changze sensed something amiss. "What do you mean by that?"

Jiang Shu paused for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "That night, did His Lordship meet with Zhao Dezhu?"

When Shen Changze returned that night, he was visibly angry, leading Jiang Shu to suspect it was related to Zhao Dezhu.

The next day, when Zhao Dezhu escaped, Jiang Shu confirmed her suspicions and became extremely disappointed in Shen Changze.

"Yes. He threatened me with Mother’s reputation to meet him," Shen Changze admitted.

Jiang Shu sneered and fell silent.

Shen Changze frowned deeply in the darkness, displeased. "Do you think I let him go because of personal favors?"

"Whether or not that is true, His Lordship knows in his heart," Jiang Shu said, turning her back to him, unwilling to continue.

Shen Changze grew angry and sat up, questioning her, "Is this how you see me?"

"His Lordship is being too harsh. It's just a matter of weighing the pros and cons. I understand," Jiang Shu mocked.

She knew everything but could do nothing about it.

"A fine understanding indeed," Shen Changze said through gritted teeth.