Chapter 18: Bathing
Page 1/3
Meng Yunshao listened quietly, no longer daring to speak. He Zhiyu placed her gently on the bed and called to Zhu An, “Go prepare some hot water. The Young Madam needs to bathe.”
Meng Yunshao’s small face, flushed from the cold, showed a hint of hesitation as she murmured, “Young Master, there’s no need to bathe here. I’m not that cold, and it would be the same back at Fuyue Pavilion.”
But He Zhiyu paid no mind and continued instructing Zhu An, “Make sure everything is ready. The water must be hot, and prepare some extra just in case. Place the large bathing tub in the side chamber where I usually wash up.”
Zhu An nodded and hurried off to make the preparations.
Meng Yunshao’s voice was barely audible, yet she still whispered in protest, “Young Master, there isn’t even a female attendant near the study, it’s inconvenient. Perhaps I should just return…”
He Zhiyu turned to look at her, a faint shadow of displeasure on his face as he asked, “What are you afraid of?”
Seeing his displeased expression, her round apricot eyes fluttered once, and she fell silent.
He Zhiyu said calmly, “You knelt there for an hour and a half. The Marquis’s residence isn’t large; news like this is bound to spread quickly among the households. What you wanted, you’ve already gotten. It’s late now, and all the other rooms and courtyards have fallen silent. It’s just the two of us here—there’s no need for pretense.”
Caught red-handed, Meng Yunshao blushed slightly and whispered, “Does the Young Master blame me?”
She had only done this so that everyone would think He Zhiyu had returned, thus following the Marquis’s wishes to punish her, putting both the Marquis and Marchioness at ease and ending their troubles.
He Zhiyu was always magnanimous; seeing her truly suffer, he wouldn’t hold onto petty grievances.
Yet he was sharp-eyed and saw through her ruse immediately.
In truth, this matter had been handled rather unorthodoxly, with her taking advantage of him.
He Zhiyu frowned slightly, displeased. “How could I blame you? I only scolded you a few times this afternoon, and by nightfall, you were kneeling in the snow and refusing to rise. If it weren’t for Zhu An going out to fetch charcoal, would you have knelt all night? Don’t you see what kind of weather this is?”
Knowing she was in the wrong, Meng Yunshao lowered her head sheepishly and softly explained, “I heard Zhu An say that before blowing out the lamp, he always prepares charcoal, candles, and clean water. He had to go out once.”
He Zhiyu laughed bitterly, “Meng Yunshao, you really are clever.”
She didn’t continue the exchange but tugged at He Zhiyu’s sleeve, persistently asking, “So, Young Master, do you still blame me?”
He Zhiyu, a bit helpless like a deflated pufferfish, turned his face away without looking at her. “No, I don’t.”
Meng Yunshao smiled triumphantly.
He Zhiyu saw her long hair wet from melting snow clinging to her face, her delicate nose red from the cold—looking both pitiful and proud at once. Suddenly, he couldn’t resist reaching out to brush her nose lightly.
Both froze for a moment.
He Zhiyu awkwardly turned his head, “You… have some snow on your nose.”
Meng Yunshao believed him and reached up to touch it. “Oh.”
At that moment, Zhu An returned, reporting that everything was ready and asked if the Young Master wanted to summon two female attendants from Fuyue Pavilion to help the Young Madam bathe.
Meng Yunshao told Zhu An, “No need. The snow and wind outside are so harsh; don’t make them run back and forth.” Then she turned to He Zhiyu, “Young Master, I can bathe myself, though long hair is a bit troublesome to wash.”
He Zhiyu was still recovering from the earlier awkwardness, his head a little dizzy, and inexplicably said, “I’ll help you wash.”
Page 2/3
Meng Yunshao hurriedly said, “No, no, no…”
Seeing her strong resistance, He Zhiyu felt annoyed. “You bathe me all the time. What’s the difference?”
Meng Yunshao thought to herself, how could it be the same? He was a noble lord, and she didn’t want rumors to spread. Yet she couldn’t find a proper excuse to say.
Zhu An, surprised at his master’s unusual assertiveness, quickly smiled and said, “Very well! Young Master and Young Madam, please,” and without further ado, led them to the side chamber.
The candlelight flickered gently, steam swirling in the air.
Meng Yunshao undressed with her back to He Zhiyu, who turned his face away without looking.
Though they had shared the most intimate moments, both now felt shy.
Her heart beat uncontrollably fast, filling her chest with a burning warmth.
It felt as though she was shedding not only her snow-soaked clothes but something else entirely.
Something she had tightly suppressed, never allowing to bloom or see the light of day, was now about to peek out in the warm night air.
It was dangerous.
She couldn’t help but wonder if all he did—the formalities, the appearances—was truly just about propriety and face, without a single hidden motive.
Yet she dared not think further.
Afraid she might be deluding herself, fearing it was just an illusion.
Men’s infatuations can be shaken off; women’s cannot.
She had read the classics since childhood and knew this well.
Meng Yunshao sat in the warm water, her back to He Zhiyu.
His long fingers threaded through her flowing hair, moving lightly and slowly, as if afraid of pulling a strand and causing her pain.
He carefully poured water over her and gently lathered the soap nut.
Suddenly, He Zhiyu, who had been silent, asked, “Which ‘Sheng’?”
Meng Yunshao was puzzled, not understanding. “Young Master, what do you mean?”
He Zhiyu asked, “Ah Sheng… which ‘Sheng’ character?”
Only then did Meng Yunshao realize he was asking about her former name. Unwilling to dwell on it, she said, “Oh, that was a long time ago. An old name I no longer use. You needn’t mind it.”
He Zhiyu fell silent, seemingly convinced.
He continued carefully cleaning the soap nut, rinsing her hair with water mixed with a few drops of jasmine essential oil. Then he took a peachwood comb and patiently untangled her hair strand by strand, as if an artisan meticulously crafting a precious object.
After a while, He Zhiyu suddenly asked again, “Is it the ‘Sheng’ from ‘rise’ (升), ‘life’ (生), or ‘sound’ (声)?”
Meng Yunshao hadn’t expected him to keep asking. This time, it would be rude not to answer. She replied, “Young Master, it’s the ‘Sheng’ from ‘When the music fades, the travelers leave’ (笙歌散尽游人去). Before I joined the Meng family, my original name was Li Shengsheng. It wasn’t a special name. Later I changed it, and no one mentioned it again.”
Page 3/3
He Zhiyu pondered her explanation and recited softly, “‘When the music fades, the travelers leave, only then one feels the emptiness of spring.’ That’s a poem by Ouyang Xiu.”
Meng Yunshao whispered, “Yes.”
Her life had begun with a grand, flourishing gathering—music and dance in harmony—only to fall into emptiness now.
...
Early the next morning, the servants of Qingli Pavilion rose early to clear the accumulated snow in an orderly fashion.
Chen Mama seemed to have urgent matters, walking briskly but still composed.
She entered the inner chamber and saw the Marchioness still at her dressing table, her hair only half pinned up. Chen Mama approached and said to the two female attendants, “You may leave. I will take over.”
The two first-class maids immediately understood, not only leaving themselves but also calling out the other servants who were sweeping the outer room. Finally, they closed the door tightly.
The Marchioness asked, “What happened in the end yesterday?”
Chen Mama replied, “Madam, you foresaw it well. Miss Meng knelt outside the Young Master’s study. It must have been the Young Master’s intention.”
The Marchioness seemed to have anticipated it. “I guessed that Yunshao, hearing the Marquis’s words, feared she wouldn’t get past him and punished herself willingly. She is clever and obedient, always meticulous in her affairs. This way, the mouths of the Marquis and myself are sealed, the Young Master escapes any blame from his elders, and she clears herself of causing the Young Master trouble. Though she appears to be on the losing side, she truly embodies the conduct of the main wife of the Marquis’s household, securing her reputation as sensible and understanding. Only those blind to reason would continue to trouble her. I know the person I chose. The Young Master is kind-hearted and lenient—he wouldn’t have done these things otherwise.”
Chen Mama nodded, “The Marquis knew immediately yesterday. He praised the Young Master for doing the right thing and said nothing more against Miss Meng.”
The Marchioness asked again, “Then afterward, did the Young Master say anything to her?”
Chen Mama said, “Yesterday, Lu He hid in the shadows and watched the whole time, waiting for the Young Master to come out, but he didn’t say a word.”
The Marchioness frowned, “Not a single word? What does that mean?”
Chen Mama leaned close and whispered something in her ear.
The Marchioness was shocked, “What? Took her inside? How improper!”
Chen Mama agreed, “Exactly. Lu He saw clearly. When Miss Meng wanted to come down, the Young Master forbade it. Fortunately, there was truly no one around, and no one else saw besides her.”
The Marchioness furrowed her brow, her right hand supporting her forehead, her face full of worry. Suddenly, she looked up and said, “This Young Master truly cares for Yunshao.”
Chen Mama arranged the Marchioness’s elegant yuanbao hairpin hairstyle, carefully tidying stray hairs at her temples. “I’m not so sure. A few favors here and there don’t mean much.”
The Marchioness was troubled, “A few favors? How many rules has the Young Master broken for her? From the start, when he insisted on consummating the marriage, I felt something was wrong. And now, he even dared to lie openly to the Marquis. When have you ever seen the Young Master act this way? That second young master Jiang—do you know who he is? The Marquis might not, but I do. He was once betrothed to Yunshao! I oversee the entire household and have always investigated everything clearly! Even so, he manages to cover it up effortlessly!”
Chen Mama frowned too, “Then perhaps, we should use this matter to our advantage?”
The Marchioness snapped, “No! A woman’s virtue is paramount. Yunshao wouldn’t really do anything improper. Using this matter to attack her would be to condemn her to death.”
Chen Mama finished styling the Marchioness’s hair and began inserting pearl hairpins. “If you ask me, Madam is too kind to Miss Meng. You shouldn’t have softened toward her from the start. You should have let her suffer. Now, your daughter-in-law, Miss Yue, grows older by the day, hoping to marry in as a secondary wife. But that’s truly impossible now.”