ITVCFITB CHAPTER 7

 Chapter 7 – Write Me a Letter

Before Lady Liu became the Luo household’s main wife, Luo Shuyu had indeed addressed her as “Aunt Liu.” There was no disrespect in it. In his past life, still foolishly hopeful toward his so-called father, he had called her “Madam.” But now he had shed that skin. He knew his mother had trusted the wrong people and paid with her life, and Lady Liu was far from above suspicion. The inner courtyard hid too many sordid secrets.

Even now, he could not help but doubt: had his mother truly died of illness, or had someone murdered her? If it was the latter, he would see justice done.

As a child, his mother had been lively and healthy, rarely falling ill. Then, all at once, she began to cough. Her face went bloodless and white, and sometimes she coughed up blood. People said it was consumption, incurable, and mother and son were separated. Soon after, Heaven took her, as sudden as a snuffed flame.

Looking back, the illness came too abruptly, without warning.

Reborn, he no longer trusted what he’d been told. What you hear and see may be only what others wish you to hear and see. From the day he entered the Third Prince’s household, he had been a piece in Luo Renshou’s calculations. Perhaps Luo Renshou had never wanted him born; perhaps he had married his mother merely as a ladder for promotion.

By his reckoning, there was still more than a month before his wedding to Li Mingjin. There was time to investigate.

Lady Liu arrived with a train of unfamiliar young faces, handsome gers and pretty maids, all exquisitely turned out. Not servants for him to command, but warm bodies to send to the Third Prince’s bed.

That single “Aunt Liu” nearly made her spit blood. Still, she forced a smile and chose to mishear.

“Shuyu, those maids behaved poorly. I’ll punish them heavily. I’ve picked out a new set for you. Whichever you like, I’ll leave with you.”

Luo Shuyu gave them a cursory glance, the corner of his lips lifting without warmth. “There’s no need to send anyone, Aunt Liu. If I bring these into the Third Prince’s residence, what will people say? That the Luo family only knows how to serve with beauty? Your daughter and sons will all need to marry well, after all. I may not be your flesh and blood, but must you wear all your intentions on your face? In the past, I let it slide. That didn’t mean I was blind.”

He had been too easy to push around and they had taken every inch.

In the last life, he had brought this very lot into the prince’s estate. One after another had tried to climb into Li Mingjin’s bed. The prince had finally erupted, had them beaten, and only then calmed. Luo Shuyu, the fool that he was, had been angry that he “struck servants,” thinking it meant Li Mingjin didn’t value him. Looking back, Lady Liu had sown the seed long before. Whose fault? His own, for being stupid.

The bluntness of his reply sent Lady Liu reeling and he had pressed precisely where she was weakest. Her children were her lifeblood.

He was barefoot now and feared no boots. All the things he had left undone last time. This time he would do. He had no “kind face” to spare for Lady Liu.

Lady Liu was no innocent, either.

“Fine. If you don’t want them, then don’t. Don’t think you’re so clever.” Her smile dropped; her voice lowered to a hiss. “Don’t imagine that entering the Third Prince’s household makes you anything special. We’re leaving.” She paused at the door, then added, “Everyone knows you’re only going in, in Shen Mingyun’s place.”

Malice flickered across that once-gentle face. A deft bit of poison, meant to sow discord. In another life, it might have lodged in his heart.

Luo Shuyu didn’t so much as bristle. He even smiled. “Is that so?” He preferred to hear the truth from Li Mingjin himself.

Lady Liu couldn’t fathom how his temperament had shifted overnight. She didn’t see strength, only stupidity. He thought entering the Third Prince’s estate meant he could throw his weight around? Laughable. She would wait and see how quickly he was cast aside.

She swept from Ruyi Pavilion, never guessing what Luo Shuyu was planning behind that composed face.

With the thin veil between them ripped, there was no returning to their old, polite pretense.

The Luo family had never paid much heed to Luo Shuyu’s comings and goings. Few noticed anything he did, of late.

He could not easily go out himself, so he entrusted matters to Qingwang.

Orphaned young and sold to the Luo household, Qingwang had been chosen by Lady Chen to serve Luo Shuyu at his side. He and Qingquan had jointly managed Ruyi Pavilion; now that Qingquan had left early, everything fell to him plus a few new errands.

That night, Luo Shuyu dined alone in the courtyard. He didn’t feel lonely. Tonight, he had excellent gossip for an accompaniment.

Storyteller: Qingwang.

Qingwang poured him a cup of peach-blossom wine, brewed in spring. “Master, do you know what happened at the poetry gathering this afternoon?”

Luo Shuyu rolled the cool porcelain cup between his fingers. “Well?”

Qingwang lowered his voice theatrically. “Our… ah… free-spirited Young Master Shen barged straight into Eldest Young Master’s gathering. Said he was passing by, heard them composing, and thought it all rather ordinary. The princes were there too. Then he seized the spotlight, recited a poem and outshone everyone!”

“Oh? And then?”

“At first, everyone praised him to the skies. The First Prince even said the poem should be presented to the emperor. But just when Shen Gongzi was at his most pleased, the second son of Grand Academician Zhou stood up and declared the poem wasn’t Shen’s at all! Shen demanded to know whose it was. Zhou Second Young Master said he had seen it in an ancient collection and had even copied it down, the poet’s surname Li, given name Bai!”

“And how did Cousin Shen respond?”

“He stammered, looked struck to the core and couldn’t get a word out. He went pale and fainted on the spot. They carried him out. I heard the servants say Eldest and Second Young Masters lost face completely.”

“At the beginning, my two brothers should have been enjoying themselves.”

“Oh, yes. They basked in it, proud as anything of Shen Gongzi's¹. talent.”

“No princes spoke up for him?”

“They say the Fourth Prince offered a word, only to be firmly put in place by the First. The Third Prince kicked over a table on the spot. Many scholars felt humiliated and left with the princes, straight out of our gates.”

“Interesting. And now?” The peach fragrance lingered; Luo Shuyu’s lids lowered, a light flush warming the corners of his eyes.

Kicking a table, that was very like Li Mingjin. They called him “untutored,” after all.

“When the Master returned and heard, he hauled them all into the study and scolded them soundly. Shen Gongzi was confined to quarters, told not to run about and Eldest and Second Young Masters were ordered to make private apologies, laying all the blame on Shen. Shen Gongzi has quite a name in the capital with his shops; this will surely hurt him.”

“Mmn. It shouldn’t...” Luo Shuyu murmured. That counterfeit cousin had tricks aplenty, and a system tailor-made to make him famous. Still, blunting his edge did no harm. In the book, Shen Mingyun had never tasted a real setback, any mishap, and a patron would appear. But what if no patrons came?

After eating and sipping his wine, Luo Shuyu walked the courtyard to clear his head, then had Qingwang grind the ink.

His memory had always been sharp. He copied down every Li Bai poem he recalled from the book into a slim notebook.

“Tomorrow,” he said, “find a chance to deliver this collection to the Third Prince’s residence. Let him decide how to use it.”

“Master, if I go, won’t people talk?” Qingwang asked.

“It’s fine. Dig up the other jar of peach-blossom wine from the garden and send that too.”

“…Understood!” Qingwang’s eyes gleamed. “Master, will you be writing the Third Prince a letter as well?”

Luo Shuyu hesitated. “…No letter.”

Qingwang had seen the Third Prince that afternoon. His master had not feared him, and the Third Prince had not lashed anyone. The rumors did not quite fit the man.

---

The Third Prince’s Estate.

Li Mingjin had just finished a set of sword forms; sweat ran down his neck, soaking the thin training robes.

He took the towel Shadow Three handed him. “Why didn’t he write me a letter?”

Shadow Three bowed his head. “This subordinate does not know.”

Li Mingjin tossed the towel aside. “Useless.”

Shadow Three wilted. What did the future consort’s not writing have to do with him?

Li Mingjin did not linger on the lack of a letter. He found himself, inexplicably, anticipating the peach-blossom wine.

“The peach wine, he brewed it himself?”

Shadow Three hunched a little. “This subordinate… suspects so.”

After that small, bright note, the guard reported Lady Liu’s antics. Li Mingjin’s gaze chilled. “Tomorrow, send him a few capable people.”

So those scraps dared to make trouble on his watch.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And you, go personally to fetch the wine.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

---

At dawn the next day, Luo Shuyu rose early. The flowers and shrubs shone with morning light, all spirit and freshness.

He stretched lazily.

Qingwang brought breakfast up from the small kitchen himself. No sooner had they finished than clamor sounded outside.

At the fore stood the household butler, usually too lofty to glance sideways, beside him an elderly matron and a young imperial guard. Behind them, six sturdy nursemaids, every one with perfect posture, not a fault to pick. Before the butler could speak, the stern-faced matron stepped forward and bowed.

“Greetings to Young Master Luo. By order of the Third Prince, we have come to attend you. Command us, and we will obey.”

Luo Shuyu blinked at the display. “The Third Prince?”

“Yes,” the old matron affirmed.

The guard stepped forward and held out a letter. “Young Master Luo, this is from His Highness. Please read it—and please reply.”

“…All right,” Luo Shuyu said, accepting the letter.

The people and the letter, so abrupt. In the last life, Li Mingjin had had no dealings with him before the wedding.

Was it because he had cried so miserably yesterday that he’d stuck in the prince’s mind?

He accepted the nursemaids, then turned to the guard. “Wait a moment.”

He opened the letter. Inside were only seven brief characters: three of them his name.

“Write me a letter. —Li Mingjin.”

Without thinking, Luo Shuyu took up the brush and replied.

Moments later, the guard departed the Luo residence, carrying Luo Shuyu’s dried reply, along with a jar of peach-blossom wine and a thin poetry collection.

---

By midday, Li Mingjin, for once, had not gone out to drink and hear music. He waited in the estate for the reply.

At the sight of the letter, the corner of his mouth lifted, just a fraction. After reading it, the smile vanished, and his expression darkened a shade.

“All right. —Luo Shuyu.”

…And the letter?

---

Author’s Note:
Li Mingjin: Consort, this is a bit much.
Luo Shuyu: And what will you do about it?
Li Mingjin: … [pitiful.jpg]

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Little note(s):
Gongzi: is a respectful title historically used to address or refer to young men of noble birth or high status. A noble son or young master.