After Shu Changyu became Chancellor in his previous life, very few people ever used positive words to describe him, and even fewer called him a good person.
The owner of the tavern at the entrance of Yongning Alley was one of them.
Though Shu Changyu held immense power in his previous life, it also meant he was busy and burdened every day, rarely having time to stop and rest. His health had been poor then as well, but he always endured it alone to avoid giving his subordinates any cause for speculation. The strain built up inside him, and his mood grew increasingly gloomy.
Because of that, he had developed something close to a dependence on the Autumn Dew White brewed at this tavern. Every few days, if he managed to snatch even a brief moment of free time, he would come here for a drink.
Then one day, all the tables and chairs in the tavern had been overturned, and more than half the wine jars smashed.
The tavern owner was crying behind the counter, and business was clearly impossible.
Shu Changyu had already been in a foul mood. Now he couldn’t even get a drink, so naturally he was even more displeased.
He asked a few questions and learned that the tavern owner’s daughter had caught the eye of some petty official in the capital. The family had resisted to the bitter end and suffered harassment from that official.
That petty official happened to be one of Shu Changyu’s insignificant lackeys.
Shu Changyu dealt with the official on the spot, gave the tavern owner silver to repair the shop, bought two taels of Autumn Dew White, and left.
Before he left, the tavern owner grabbed his sleeve, tears streaming down his face.
“My lord, you truly are a good man.”
Shu Changyu knew he had only lifted a finger and saved this family’s lives, but hearing those words still struck him as strangely ironic.
Even he knew he wasn’t a good person.
Yet somehow, that one sentence stayed with him for a very long time.
Now, revisiting this old place, the scene from back then surfaced vividly before his eyes again.
After the Shu family carriage left, Shu Changyu entered the shop, walked straight to his usual seat, and ordered two taels of Autumn Dew White.
Nothing in this tavern had changed in more than ten years.
The tiny little shop still held only a few tables and chairs. The owner, doubling as server, eagerly came over and wiped the already spotless rough wooden table in front of him once more.
At this time, the owner looked much younger than he remembered from his previous life.
“Sir, shall I warm the wine for you?” the owner suggested. “The weather still isn’t that warm. Warm wine feels better going down.”
Shu Changyu smiled and shook his head.
“I want it cold.”
The owner answered and turned back to fetch the wine.
Just then, a shabby feather shuttlecock landed on Shu Changyu’s table with a soft thud.
Turning his head, he saw a little girl with twin buns in her hair, about five or six years old, running after it with quick little steps.
Shu Changyu thought to himself—this must be the tavern owner’s daughter, the one who had attracted that official’s unwanted attention.
“Is this yours?”
Shu Changyu picked up the shuttlecock, smiling warmly and gently as he handed it back to her.
“Yes!”
The little girl answered brightly, taking it from him. She tilted her head back and looked at him with large round eyes.
“Thank you, big brother.”
She really was a little beauty in the making.
Smiling inwardly, Shu Changyu reached out and gently patted her soft hair.
In his previous life, he had essentially saved her life.
For a moment, Shu Changyu felt as though he had returned to those years in his previous life. His expression softened with affection, making him seem far older than a young man not yet twenty.
The little girl wasn’t afraid of strangers at all.
She blinked, then smiled sweetly.
“Big brother is so handsome.”
At that moment, the owner came out carrying the wine. Seeing the little girl standing beside Shu Changyu, he quickly pulled her away.
“I told you to play in the back. You never listen. You’re disturbing the guest. Go back.”
The little girl let out a disappointed “oh” and ran back clutching her shuttlecock.
The owner set the wine on the table.
Shu Changyu smiled.
“Your daughter is very beautiful.”
Hearing that, the owner grinned from ear to ear and modestly waved it off.
“No, no.”
But the joy and pride on his face were impossible to hide.
This was exactly what Shu Changyu had loved about this place in his previous life.
At the height of his power, every person he met weighed interests in their heart while wearing masks on their faces.
Only here could he feel what it meant to live as a human being—to experience peace, safety, and simple joy.
But wasn’t that peace and joy fragile too?
Even raising a beautiful daughter at home was like a common man carrying a priceless jade.
One misstep, and the whole family could be ruined.
By the time Shu Changyu finished drinking and prepared to leave, rain had begun falling outside.
This tavern was usually quiet to begin with. Right now, Shu Changyu was its only customer.
When he hesitated by the entrance, the owner noticed.
Leaning forward, he saw the rain outside was falling hard. This guest wore thin clothing and stood alone in the cold wind.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, seeing the man standing there with his back turned and endless rain before him stirred an inexplicable pity in his heart.
It felt as if this person had always been alone—isolated in heaven and earth.
That cold loneliness seemed to seep from his very bones.
Acting on impulse, just as Shu Changyu stepped forward, the owner called out.
Shu Changyu turned.
The owner, dressed in rough linen, took out an oil-paper umbrella from behind the counter and handed it to him with a smile.
“Sir, the rain is heavy. Take this umbrella.”
Shu Changyu looked at him.
In that instant, everything became clear.
Peace and joy were fragile and easily broken.
But wasn’t he, as an official and the son of a military family, born precisely to protect that peace and joy?
If he became a good man, how many more families in this world could live in peace and safety?
Compared to that, what were the wolves, tigers, and jackals he had to endure every day?
After a moment, Shu Changyu smiled.
His heart suddenly felt wide open and bright.
He walked to the owner, accepted the umbrella, and thanked him with a smile.
Then he placed a silver ingot on the counter.
Before the owner could refuse, he turned and left.
—
The General’s Manor was only two or three streets away.
But with wind driving the rain sideways, by the time Shu Changyu reached the manor gates, more than half his clothes were soaked through.
One gust of wind later, he was chilled to the bone.
As soon as he returned to his room, Kongqing hurried to help him change out of his wet clothes.
The rain-soaked fabric clung to his body, letting cold seep deep into his skin.
Only after Kongqing removed the upper layers did Shu Changyu begin to feel a little warmth return.
At that moment, two clicking sounds came from the ceiling beam.
It startled Kongqing so badly he yelped aloud.
It was a woman’s voice—clear but slightly husky.
Shu Changyu looked up and saw a tall woman in military attire crouched on his ceiling beam, grinning.
It was none other than his elder sister, Shu Changlan.
She had sneaked in like a thief, still wearing heavy military armor.
Yet somehow none of the ten or so servants attending Shu Changyu had noticed her.
“Elder Sister?”
Shu Changyu cried out in delighted surprise, almost thinking he was dreaming.
Counting his previous life, he hadn’t seen her in more than ten years.
In his previous life, when her remains were returned to the capital, he was imprisoned. He never saw her before she and his father were buried.
He had only vaguely heard that when she died, her right arm was gone, and even the stunning face once famous in the capital had been destroyed beyond recognition.
Warm tears almost rose in his eyes.
His sister lightly leapt down from the beam and landed before him.
She clicked her tongue twice, looking him over with blatant disdain, then pinched his thin shoulder.
“You really do have the body of a boiled chicken. Not much to look at.”
Then she let go and grabbed his waist.
“Oh? This waist is pretty slim and firm.”
Shu Changyu was especially ticklish around the waist.
He shrank from her touch and burst into laughter, quickly grabbing a clean outer robe from Kongqing and putting it on.
“You may leave,” Shu Changyu instructed.
Then smiling, he led Shu Changlan to sit on the couch.
“How did you come back today, Sister? You didn’t even tell Mother. You nearly scared everyone.”
Kongqing still held several layers of inner garments.
Knowing Shu Changyu hated the cold, he wanted to urge him to dress properly first.
But Shu Changyu casually wrapped the outer robe around his bare body and tied the sash as he walked.
Seeing the doors and windows were tightly shut, Kongqing reluctantly withdrew.
“In the north, spring means endless wind. All we do there is eat sand.”
Shu Changlan sat with her legs spread wide on the couch, every bit resembling General Shu.
She picked up the teapot and poured each of them a cup.
“Once spring starts, grass grows in Liao Kingdom’s pastures. Those Liao soldiers are all eager to go home and herd sheep. Who has time to fight? Things seemed quiet, so I slipped back. I’ll stay a few days and return.”
As she spoke, she leaned closer to Shu Changyu and raised her long brows with the look of a shameless flirt.
“Besides, I missed my handsome scholar.”
Shu Changyu laughed.
“You’ve barely returned, and within three sentences you’ve teased me two and a half times.”
But Shu Changlan ignored that.
As soon as she got close, she wrinkled her nose and sniffed twice.
“Aha! You brat!”
she declared loudly.
“I came back today and haven’t even seen Mother or Sister-in-law yet. I waited here over an hour for you. Wondered where you’d gone. Turns out you snuck off to drink good wine without me!”
Shu Changyu laughed.
“You stayed crouched on the roof beam for over an hour?”
“Your sister isn’t like you.”
Shu Changlan snorted.
“Can’t carry anything, can’t lift anything. Even if I stayed up there another two or three hours, it’d be nothing.”
Then she reached up and untied the wine gourd at her waist.
“Drunk yet? If not, drink another round with me. Consider it your apology.”
How could Shu Changyu refuse her?
Thus that night, rain pattered outside until long past midnight.
Inside, candlelight flickered just as late.
The next day, Shu Changyu’s forehead burned with fever.
His mind was hazy, and the fever was so bad he couldn’t get out of bed.
Author’s Note:
Jing Mu: Third day without appearing. Miss him miss him miss him.
—
This chapter suddenly feels very… morally upright, haha.
When Shu Changyu walked out, it felt like In the Name of the People background music started playing.
Also! Jing Mu darkening countdown: ongoing!