Though Zhenzhou had recently improved its water conservancy, few people realized the potential for increased land value due to the interconnected inland waterways. If her master were truly a merchant, they could simply wait for this remote shop to appreciate significantly.
As Liu Mentang excitedly explained this, a teasing laugh came from outside the shop: “Ninth Lord, with such an excellent wife, you’ll soon be as wealthy as a nation!”
Liu Mentang looked up to see Doctor Zhao, who had treated her illness, standing alongside her husband Cui Jiu. Both were tall, handsome men dressed in brocade robes and jade crowns, truly eye-catching. Fortunately, this was a secluded alley; otherwise, Cui Jiu alone would have attracted the attention of passing young women.
Having not seen her husband for several days, Liu Mentang felt a pleasant surprise. She hurried over and bowed to both men, saying, “How did you and the doctor find your way here, my lord?”
Zhao Quan quickly replied with a smile, “Cui Jiu and I were visiting a friend in the neighboring county. On our way back today, we happened to see you leading craftsmen this way, so we followed to take a look.”
Zhao Quan found Liu Mentang increasingly pleasing to look at. Though his household had many wives and concubines, they were all skilled at spending money but incapable of managing affairs.
His primary wife, the daughter of the Duke of An’guo, was dull-witted and, influenced by her mother, obsessed with Buddhist teachings. If not for her father’s strong opposition, she would have become a nun before their marriage.
Buddhists were supposed to be calm and open-minded, but his wife had taken it to extremes, neglecting worldly affairs. After marriage, there was no marital intimacy to speak of; in her eyes, Zhao Quan was less appealing than a wooden fish.
With the mistress of the house spending all day in the Buddhist shrine, the affairs of the marquis’s household were in disarray. So Marquis Zhao thought that if he could bring Liu Mentang back in the future, her intelligence would surely help manage the household affairs.
Hearing this, Mentang smiled modestly. Concerned that her husband might need the shop urgently, she hired craftsmen from the western market to renovate the building after securing it.
To save money, she and two old women were handling many of the less strenuous tasks. As a result, the shop was somewhat messy and unsuitable for visitors.
Noticing her husband’s pristine white robe, unsuited for the smoky shop environment, Mentang said, “I’ll have Madam Li return to the residence to prepare a meal. My lord, you can take Doctor Zhao back to rest at home.”
However, Marquis Zhao had some hidden intentions, and his gaze towards Mentang now carried a sense of familial concern.
Seeing her return to the shop and personally climb up to tear off the old oiled paper from the walls, the marquis immediately rolled up his sleeves and said, “Madam Liu, please come down and rest. I’ll do this for you.”
He rushed forward to tear off the oiled paper. Seeing the marquis climb up, his servant naturally couldn’t stand idle and joined in to help.
Mo Ru, Cui Xingzhou’s servant, brought a chair from inside the shop and placed it at the entrance for the prince to sit.
Cui Xingzhou didn’t sit down. Although it was early morning and the alley was quiet if he sat, wouldn’t it hinder Liu Mentang’s attempt to lure the enemy?
But as he coldly observed Zhao Quan’s unusual eagerness and capability, he could understand the Marquis of Zhennan’s intentions. He had truly been captivated by Liu Mentang…
Thinking this, he raised his voice, “Brother Zhao, we’ll be late for the chess meeting…”
Cui Xingzhou’s voice wasn’t loud, but those familiar with him knew he was displeased. Only then did Zhao Quan remember that he and Cui Xingzhou were traveling incognito today to meet the visiting Winter Creek Hermit.
The Winter Creek Hermit was eccentric but a chess master. It was rare for him to agree to meet, and only out of regard for his old friend Cui Xingzhou. Indeed, they couldn’t be late.
So Marquis Zhao quickly tore off two more sheets of oiled paper, then turned to Liu Mentang with an apologetic smile, “I’m busy today, but I’ll come to help you another time.”
Liu Mentang smiled, tightening the green scarf on her head, “Doctor, you’re too kind. How could I trouble you with such rough work?”
Zhao Quan jumped down from the table, accepting a wet towel and tea from his servant. He sincerely said, “I’m like brothers with the Ninth Lord, and you keep calling me ‘doctor’ so formally. Just call me by my courtesy name, ‘Jiayu’.”
Liu Mentang smiled, knowing it wouldn’t be proper to address her husband’s good friend by his surname. So she replied, “It seems your destiny lacks water, Mr. Zhao. Your name and courtesy name complement each other well.”
Zhao Quan also laughed, feeling that this woman truly had a refined and understanding nature. He felt his destiny lacked a gentle, understanding beauty like her.
After the two men boarded their carriage, Marquis Zhao still seemed reluctant to leave, frequently looking back at the beauty standing in front of the shop, respectfully seeing her husband off.
Only when the carriage turned the corner did he finally withdraw his gaze?
Cui Xingzhou felt it necessary to enlighten his misguided friend, so he calmly said, “The Marquis is kind-hearted, but you needn’t go too far. Remember, that woman is still a relative of rebels. Once involved, you’ll inevitably be implicated.”
Zhao Quan didn’t like hearing this and glared slightly, “A good woman kidnapped by bandits – how does that make her a rebel’s relative? When this matter is settled, Your Highness, you must uphold justice and give Miss Liu fair treatment!”
Cui Xingzhou felt his friend was somewhat naive about worldly affairs and didn’t want to argue further. He picked up a book placed nearby and, while flipping through it, said mildly, “Her father and brothers have all been convicted. She has no home to return to and bears a tainted reputation, unwelcome in society. If she helps me achieve a great merit, I’ll reward her with some silver to become a nun in a temple, living out the rest of her life in peace.”
Zhao Quan, tormented by his Buddhism-obsessed primary wife, now got a headache just hearing the words “temple” and “nun.” He wondered what he owed the Buddha in his previous life to have such a troubled marriage in this one.
He had finally found a woman who moved his heart, yet Cui Xingzhou wanted to send her to a temple!
Feeling displeased, Marquis Zhao thought perhaps his friend didn’t understand his feelings for the woman, hence his cold-heartedness. So he tried to hint, “Ninth Lord, you’re about to have a joyous event yourself, marrying your second cousin Lian. You’ll make a fine couple. But although I bear the name of being married, no one cares for my daily needs. I truly lack someone as charming as Miss Liu…”
Unfortunately, his words met with no response.
The Prince of Huaiyang leaned back on the carriage’s soft cushions, supporting his forehead with one hand, seriously reading his book. He seemed to have little interest in discussing his upcoming happy event.
The Second Miss Lian that Zhao Quan mentioned was the niece of Cui Xingzhou’s mother, the old Princess Chu.
Years ago, the old prince had been a philanderer, and the old princess had an unhappy marriage after entering the household. In six years of marriage, she had only one daughter and no son.
Growing impatient, the old prince took three noble concubines in succession. Over four years, they took turns trying to conceive, competing to give birth to eight sons.
In the seventh year, perhaps moved by the incense money the old princess had donated, the Child-Giving Goddess finally blessed her with a pregnancy, and she gave birth to a legitimate son, Cui Xingzhou.
Thus, although Cui Xingzhou bore the title of the legitimate son, he ranked ninth among his brothers in the family.
The noble concubines all came from decent backgrounds and had sons in their chambers. The open conflicts and hidden struggles in the prince’s mansion rivaled those of the imperial palace, enough to make storytellers talk until their mouths went dry.
The old princess was naturally gentle, and her ability to stand firm amidst the concubines’ struggles was due to her family’s deep roots, her capable brothers, and her strong backing.
More importantly, her son proved to be exceptional.
In short, when the old prince passed away and Cui Xingzhou inherited the title, only four of his elder brothers remained. The bloody turmoil during that period was something everyone in the prince’s mansion avoided mentioning.
Seeing how chaotic his father’s harem had been, with arrogant and domineering noble concubines, when it came time for Cui Xingzhou to marry, the selection of the new princess was extremely cautious. The first requirement was a gentle disposition, not arrogant or domineering.
There was no choice; his mother was too weak, and if he married someone tough, she might not be able to handle her role as a mother-in-law.
He had no interest in women and didn’t want to take concubines or chambermaids. The new bride just needed to be modest in temperament, able to be filial to his mother, and capable of bearing children to continue the lineage.
Finally, at his mother’s strong suggestion, he chose his cousin Lian Silan, whose temperament resembled his mother’s.
Lian Silan was the second daughter of the old princess’s sister, Zhao Chu-shi. Her father was Lian Hanshan, the maternal uncle of Marquis Zhao Quan.
So the Second Miss Lian was both Cui Xingzhou’s maternal cousin and Marquis Zhao’s paternal cousin.
Cui Xingzhou and Zhao Quan were also doubly related, their ties as close as a marrow to the bone.
Back then, the Second Miss Lian, surrounded by a group of excellent cousins, had almost been spoiled for choice. In the end, she chose the handsome Prince Cui Xingzhou, making other young ladies green with envy.
Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. Two years ago, the Second Miss Lian’s grandmother suddenly passed away after choking on a peach. This unexpected incident caught the family off guard, unable to avoid the mourning period by arranging marriages in advance.
As a result, the wedding between Lian Silan and Cui Xingzhou had to be postponed for three years.
Now, two years have passed. After another year, the Huaiyang Prince’s mansion would welcome its new mistress.
However, the old Princess Chu often missed her future daughter-in-law and, feeling lonely without company, frequently invited her to stay at the prince’s mansion.
Cui Xingzhou didn’t question his mother’s decision but was unwilling to let his cousin face criticism before officially entering the family. So when Lian Silan visited the prince’s mansion, he avoided returning home to prevent rumors of secret meetings during the mourning period, which could tarnish both their reputations and give ammunition to censorious officials.
By his reckoning, it had been half a year since he last returned to the prince’s mansion. After this chess meeting, he would have to rush back to attend his mother’s birthday celebration.
The chess meeting with the hermit was quite enjoyable. Cui Xingzhou was a master of chess strategy. Outside of official duties, he disliked noisy banquets and preferred this kind of silent entertainment.
Recently, court officials had been criticizing him for amassing troops and becoming too powerful. The emperor was also waiting for him to personally hand over his military seal and disband the local army.
Cui Xingzhou was tired of dealing with the verbal probing of bureaucrats and found it more pleasant to interact with free spirits like Zhao Quan and the Winter Creek Hermit.
After half a day of chess, the usually reserved Winter Creek Hermit praised, “It’s been just a few days, yet the Prince of Huaiyang’s moves have become even more cunning. Playing against you is truly exhilarating!”
Saying this, he took out an incomplete set of chess manuals and said, “A bet’s a bet. I lost to you three times today, so I’ll give you these Lanke chess manuals. However, this peerless chess manual is incomplete, with only this version remaining. If you can find the latter half in the future, I hope you’ll let me have a look.”
Cui Xingzhou smiled slightly and naturally agreed.