Scans show that the repairs are now complete and there has been no contamination or overload. Shen Ni sets the mechanical arm to clean everything up. She studies herself in the mirror: her eyes are red and swollen, and she’s unkempt from three nights’ worth of sleeplessness. She takes a huge gulp of nutrient broth, and the strong taste of osmanthus blossom reminds her that all the nutrient broth in the house is flavoured with that paste.
Shen Ni goes over to the workbench, where Bian Jin is sleeping, and studies her beautiful face unrestrainedly for the first time since they reunited. Shen Ni undoes the leather cuffs, and discovers that there’s an unhealed cut across Bian Jin’s palm. She recalls seeing a bandage wrapped around that hand of Bian Jin’s a few days ago at breakfast, which coincided with the time an unidentified intruder was detected in the courtyard. Shen Ni stitches up the wound. Then she washes Bian Jin’s hair, which, despite her best efforts, still got some oil splashed on it.
After that, Shen Ni wraps Bian Jin up in a soft blanket and carries her back into their bedroom. Before leaving the room, she activates a quantum molecular resonance device, which will promote healing. The device costs ten thousand taels of silver to operate for two hours; Shen Ni sets it going for six, to start with.
Shen Ni steps outside, and sees the two female officials from Lijing Bureau who were tasked with making sure she and Shen Ni consummated their marriage. We’re finally given their names here: Dou Xuanji and Fang Pan. Rumour has it that the female officials of the Lijing Bureau are all orphans adopted by the head of the bureau, and have been trained to give their lives in service to the throne. Dou Xuanji and Fang Pan were initially nameless, and the two of them were awarded those names by the emperor for their services. Dou and Fang are the names of major noble clans.
Fang Pan informs Shen Ni that the emperor summoned her yesterday, and since she didn’t appear, Fang Pan and Dou Xuanji have been sent to fetch her. Shen Ni snarks at them as she takes her time getting washed and dressed, and snarks at them further as she gets ready to leave.
The three of them ride through the streets on horseback. Shen Ni notices that there’s no sign of the Great Wheel of Fire, and surmises that it must have been taken down after the Shangyuan festivities. To get one over her two unwilling escorts, she pretends that she’s about to fall off her horse, then straightens up again just as Dou Xuanji rushes up to her to prop her up. This leaves Dou Xuanji kneeling awkwardly before Shen Ni’s horse, as if she’s performing an obeisance. Shen Ni graciously tells her she may rise. Dou Xuanji is Not Amused.
Then they hear a low, feminine laugh. It’s Li Shan, passing by on a coach accompanied by two nobles from the Dou clan proper. Instead of her usual official’s robes, she gorgeously decked out in full femme clothing and makeup. There’s a barbed exchange where Li Shan cleverly insults Dou Xuanji, Shen Ni and the two Dou nobles in the same sentence, but Shen Ni gives as good as she gets, and does it with every appearance of guilelessness. Shen Ni wins this round: Li Shan is enraged, but not really in a position to take it out on anyone present, and Dou Xuanji decides that maybe Shen Ni isn’t the worst person in the world after all. Li Shan and her entourage continue on their way to the city of Luoyang, and Shen Ni and her Lijing escorts ride on towards the palace.
At the palace, Shen Ni projects her memories of the Liu Ji incident on the wall, to show Li Ruoyuan what took place. They have a discussion about the Black Box virus and possible strategies for defending against it, which culminates in Li Ruoyuan summoning Li Shan back from Luoyang immediately.
Li Shan comes rushing back, looking distinctly dishevelled from travel. As she enters the room, she trips over her own skirt, flinging her into a kneeling pose before Shen Ni — who, of course, doesn’t get up. Li Shan realises that Shen Ni must have known Li Ruoyuan would summon her back with all haste, and yet did nothing to stop her from leaving Chang’an. This merely stokes her anger.
Li Ruoyuan tells Li Shan that Shen Ni must immediately be given security clearance to enter the Supreme Bureau of R&D and the power to redirect its resources, and Li Shan has no choice but to assent.
As Li Shan and Shen Ni leave the emperor’s presence, Li Shan tells Shen Ni, ‘Bian Jin is just using you.’ She adds that Bian Jin is a creature of the Qin Wushang, the emperor of Xuanzhou, and is probably scheming to get hold of even more of TangPro’s state secrets via Shen Ni.
To Li Shan’s complete astonishment, Shen Ni only turns a captivating smile on her and says, ‘My wife is using me? Do you understand how wonderful every single word of that sounds?’
Li Shan is left speechless, and when Shen Ni archly thanks her for taking the trouble to tell her, Li Shan strides off in a huff.
We then cut to Bian Jin, who’s just waking up. She sees an ice-blue tanhua in front of her, in full bloom. She recalls that, a long time ago, when she was still at Shuangji Hall, she acquired two of these flowers, and planted them in the rear courtyard. Shen Ni was taken with them, and often came to look at the flowers. The tanhua were so delicate, however, that they faded after three days. Seeing Shen Ni’s disappointment, Bian Jin began furiously researching the art of cultivating ice-blue tanhua, and was so successfully that they eventually grew all over the courtyard. Despite many requests, Bian Jin never told anyone else the secret to cultivating the ice-blue tanhua, for reasons she has never thought deeply about.
Bian Jin then sees Shen Ni — or, as she puts it, the woman who forcibly restrained her onto the workbench — sitting in a corner of the bedroom. Shen Ni brings over a portion of nutrient broth. Bian Jin holds out her hand for it and Shen Ni gives it to her; their gazes don’t meet.
Shen Ni continues reviewing documents about the firewall, and as she does so she explains to Bian Jin that she sterilised everything multiple times and Bian Jin has nothing to worry about. Bian Jin replies, ‘It’s just a prosthetic. There’s no need for all this fuss.’ She’s still cross with me, Shen Ni realises, and says placatingly, ‘The proprieties must be observed.’ Bian Jin retorts, with an unusually high (for her) degree of vexation, ‘Last night, I kept asking you stop, but you didn't. I didn't see you observing the proprieties then.’ Shen Ni corrects her that it was three days ago.
Bian Jin falls silent, reflecting on what this must have meant — three sleepless nights, and multiple missed meals. A closer look at Shen Ni’s appearance confirms her guess, and she begins to regret her little outburst. After a long moment’s silence, she glances towards the ice-blue tanhua and asks if Shen Ni bought them. Shen Ni, still recalling how Bian Jin had described her to the Duchess of Chenghou, replies that it was a gift from a comrade.’
Shen Ni then explains to Bian Jin that she has a new mechanical spine and a new jade core, both of which will need further testing and fine-tuning. Bian Jin asks about the new jade core, and Shen Ni tells her, ‘It’s a jade core I made, called “Ni’s Heart”. It’s the only one of its kind in the whole world.’
Bian Jin thinks about the fact that an object with Shen Ni’s name on it is currently in her body, and has complicated Feelings about it. Shen Ni explains to her that they’ll have to run tests on her new mechanical spine and jade core every seven days for the next two months.
Bian Jin recalls, unbidden, the argument they had in Shen Ni’s workshop before the anaesthetic took effect, and the sensation of Shen Ni’s arm against her leg. If we need to do again what we did that night…
‘Shijie?’ asks Shen Ni, and Bian Jin blinks and says, ‘Yes.’ Shen Ni, gratified that her shijie has agreed, albeit grudgingly, tries obliquely to find out what Bian Jin had been up to on Shangyuan night that had gotten her so badly hurt. Bian Jin answers briefly that it was a personal matter, and Shen Ni doesn’t ask any further questions. However, she does decide that she’ll graciously disabuse Bian Jin of a misunderstanding.
She opens a message that she received from Diwu Que a little while ago. Diwu Que had asked whether she and Zeng Qingluo could come and visit Shen Ni and Bian Jin the day after tomorrow. Shen Ni tells her to come tomorrow instead. Diwu Que is confused by this.
Shen Ni then tells Bian Jin that an old friend of hers is coming tomorrow, and that if Bian Jin is free, she’s going to have to trouble Bian Jin to play the role of her wife again for the duration of the visit. Bian Jin asks what she should do. Shen Ni’s gaze falls on Bian Jin, and Bian Jin finds her heart suddenly beating faster. ‘Whatever a wife would usually do,’ says Shen Ni.
Bian Jin looks away from Shen Ni only to find her gaze being drawn to the box of sex toys. ‘I’ve never been a wife before, so I don’t know what a wife usually does,’ she says.
Shen Ni thinks this over for a moment. ‘Just act as if you love me, shijie.’
Tech watch: quantum molecular resonance device; possible flying coaches (belonging to Li Shan’s entourage). Named men: 6.5 Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
Chapter 18
Shen Ni goes over to the workbench, where Bian Jin is sleeping, and studies her beautiful face unrestrainedly for the first time since they reunited. Shen Ni undoes the leather cuffs, and discovers that there’s an unhealed cut across Bian Jin’s palm. She recalls seeing a bandage wrapped around that hand of Bian Jin’s a few days ago at breakfast, which coincided with the time an unidentified intruder was detected in the courtyard. Shen Ni stitches up the wound. Then she washes Bian Jin’s hair, which, despite her best efforts, still got some oil splashed on it.
After that, Shen Ni wraps Bian Jin up in a soft blanket and carries her back into their bedroom. Before leaving the room, she activates a quantum molecular resonance device, which will promote healing. The device costs ten thousand taels of silver to operate for two hours; Shen Ni sets it going for six, to start with.
Shen Ni steps outside, and sees the two female officials from Lijing Bureau who were tasked with making sure she and Shen Ni consummated their marriage. We’re finally given their names here: Dou Xuanji and Fang Pan. Rumour has it that the female officials of the Lijing Bureau are all orphans adopted by the head of the bureau, and have been trained to give their lives in service to the throne. Dou Xuanji and Fang Pan were initially nameless, and the two of them were awarded those names by the emperor for their services. Dou and Fang are the names of major noble clans.
Fang Pan informs Shen Ni that the emperor summoned her yesterday, and since she didn’t appear, Fang Pan and Dou Xuanji have been sent to fetch her. Shen Ni snarks at them as she takes her time getting washed and dressed, and snarks at them further as she gets ready to leave.
The three of them ride through the streets on horseback. Shen Ni notices that there’s no sign of the Great Wheel of Fire, and surmises that it must have been taken down after the Shangyuan festivities. To get one over her two unwilling escorts, she pretends that she’s about to fall off her horse, then straightens up again just as Dou Xuanji rushes up to her to prop her up. This leaves Dou Xuanji kneeling awkwardly before Shen Ni’s horse, as if she’s performing an obeisance. Shen Ni graciously tells her she may rise. Dou Xuanji is Not Amused.
Then they hear a low, feminine laugh. It’s Li Shan, passing by on a coach accompanied by two nobles from the Dou clan proper. Instead of her usual official’s robes, she gorgeously decked out in full femme clothing and makeup. There’s a barbed exchange where Li Shan cleverly insults Dou Xuanji, Shen Ni and the two Dou nobles in the same sentence, but Shen Ni gives as good as she gets, and does it with every appearance of guilelessness. Shen Ni wins this round: Li Shan is enraged, but not really in a position to take it out on anyone present, and Dou Xuanji decides that maybe Shen Ni isn’t the worst person in the world after all. Li Shan and her entourage continue on their way to the city of Luoyang, and Shen Ni and her Lijing escorts ride on towards the palace.
At the palace, Shen Ni projects her memories of the Liu Ji incident on the wall, to show Li Ruoyuan what took place. They have a discussion about the Black Box virus and possible strategies for defending against it, which culminates in Li Ruoyuan summoning Li Shan back from Luoyang immediately.
Li Shan comes rushing back, looking distinctly dishevelled from travel. As she enters the room, she trips over her own skirt, flinging her into a kneeling pose before Shen Ni — who, of course, doesn’t get up. Li Shan realises that Shen Ni must have known Li Ruoyuan would summon her back with all haste, and yet did nothing to stop her from leaving Chang’an. This merely stokes her anger.
Li Ruoyuan tells Li Shan that Shen Ni must immediately be given security clearance to enter the Supreme Bureau of R&D and the power to redirect its resources, and Li Shan has no choice but to assent.
As Li Shan and Shen Ni leave the emperor’s presence, Li Shan tells Shen Ni, ‘Bian Jin is just using you.’ She adds that Bian Jin is a creature of the Qin Wushang, the emperor of Xuanzhou, and is probably scheming to get hold of even more of TangPro’s state secrets via Shen Ni.
To Li Shan’s complete astonishment, Shen Ni only turns a captivating smile on her and says, ‘My wife is using me? Do you understand how wonderful every single word of that sounds?’
Li Shan is left speechless, and when Shen Ni archly thanks her for taking the trouble to tell her, Li Shan strides off in a huff.
We then cut to Bian Jin, who’s just waking up. She sees an ice-blue tanhua in front of her, in full bloom. She recalls that, a long time ago, when she was still at Shuangji Hall, she acquired two of these flowers, and planted them in the rear courtyard. Shen Ni was taken with them, and often came to look at the flowers. The tanhua were so delicate, however, that they faded after three days. Seeing Shen Ni’s disappointment, Bian Jin began furiously researching the art of cultivating ice-blue tanhua, and was so successfully that they eventually grew all over the courtyard. Despite many requests, Bian Jin never told anyone else the secret to cultivating the ice-blue tanhua, for reasons she has never thought deeply about.
Bian Jin then sees Shen Ni — or, as she puts it, the woman who forcibly restrained her onto the workbench — sitting in a corner of the bedroom. Shen Ni brings over a portion of nutrient broth. Bian Jin holds out her hand for it and Shen Ni gives it to her; their gazes don’t meet.
Shen Ni continues reviewing documents about the firewall, and as she does so she explains to Bian Jin that she sterilised everything multiple times and Bian Jin has nothing to worry about. Bian Jin replies, ‘It’s just a prosthetic. There’s no need for all this fuss.’ She’s still cross with me, Shen Ni realises, and says placatingly, ‘The proprieties must be observed.’ Bian Jin retorts, with an unusually high (for her) degree of vexation, ‘Last night, I kept asking you stop, but you didn't. I didn't see you observing the proprieties then.’ Shen Ni corrects her that it was three days ago.
Bian Jin falls silent, reflecting on what this must have meant — three sleepless nights, and multiple missed meals. A closer look at Shen Ni’s appearance confirms her guess, and she begins to regret her little outburst. After a long moment’s silence, she glances towards the ice-blue tanhua and asks if Shen Ni bought them. Shen Ni, still recalling how Bian Jin had described her to the Duchess of Chenghou, replies that it was a gift from a comrade.’
Shen Ni then explains to Bian Jin that she has a new mechanical spine and a new jade core, both of which will need further testing and fine-tuning. Bian Jin asks about the new jade core, and Shen Ni tells her, ‘It’s a jade core I made, called “Ni’s Heart”. It’s the only one of its kind in the whole world.’
Bian Jin thinks about the fact that an object with Shen Ni’s name on it is currently in her body, and has complicated Feelings about it. Shen Ni explains to her that they’ll have to run tests on her new mechanical spine and jade core every seven days for the next two months.
Bian Jin recalls, unbidden, the argument they had in Shen Ni’s workshop before the anaesthetic took effect, and the sensation of Shen Ni’s arm against her leg. If we need to do again what we did that night…
‘Shijie?’ asks Shen Ni, and Bian Jin blinks and says, ‘Yes.’ Shen Ni, gratified that her shijie has agreed, albeit grudgingly, tries obliquely to find out what Bian Jin had been up to on Shangyuan night that had gotten her so badly hurt. Bian Jin answers briefly that it was a personal matter, and Shen Ni doesn’t ask any further questions. However, she does decide that she’ll graciously disabuse Bian Jin of a misunderstanding.
She opens a message that she received from Diwu Que a little while ago. Diwu Que had asked whether she and Zeng Qingluo could come and visit Shen Ni and Bian Jin the day after tomorrow. Shen Ni tells her to come tomorrow instead. Diwu Que is confused by this.
Shen Ni then tells Bian Jin that an old friend of hers is coming tomorrow, and that if Bian Jin is free, she’s going to have to trouble Bian Jin to play the role of her wife again for the duration of the visit. Bian Jin asks what she should do. Shen Ni’s gaze falls on Bian Jin, and Bian Jin finds her heart suddenly beating faster. ‘Whatever a wife would usually do,’ says Shen Ni.
Bian Jin looks away from Shen Ni only to find her gaze being drawn to the box of sex toys. ‘I’ve never been a wife before, so I don’t know what a wife usually does,’ she says.
Shen Ni thinks this over for a moment. ‘Just act as if you love me, shijie.’
Tech watch: quantum molecular resonance device; possible flying coaches (belonging to Li Shan’s entourage).
Named men: 6.5
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0