Yun Niang, her face still bruised from Mian Tang’s slap earlier that day, was already in a foul mood. Little did she expect to be ambushed that night. The Dragon Guards were overcome by a potent sleeping gas, and in her dazed state, she was nearly stuffed into a sack and thrown into a carriage.
Only after her rescue did she learn that it was the Shuai Wang of Huizhou who had come to her aid. By then, she found herself at the Shuai Wang’s mansion.
Liu Pei, the youngest brother of the late emperor and born to the Empress Dowager late in life, had always been pampered. His tastes in food and lifestyle mirrored the extravagance of the capital, earning his mansion a reputation for opulence far and wide.
After Yun Niang awoke and freshened up, she was led by several graceful maids to meet the Shuai Wang. Though she had previously accompanied her father to pay respects to the Shuai Wang on a few occasions, their interactions had been limited. Her father and the Shuai Wang referred to each other as brothers, and she had been instructed to address Wang as her godfather. However, she realized that he was only twelve years her senior.
Despite his young age, the Shuai Wang was Liu Yu’s great-grandfather in terms of generational hierarchy. In truth, Yun Niang would have preferred to call him grandfather. Nevertheless, she followed her father’s lead in addressing the Shuai Wang, who was just entering his thirties, as “godfather” with relative ease.
The Shuai Wang was engrossed in watching a newly recruited songstress gently strumming a pipa and showcasing her melodious voice. His dark complexion, reminiscent of the late emperor, revealed a look of enchantment.
As Yun Niang bowed low in greeting, he pretended not to notice, continuing to tap out the rhythm with his jade ruyi scepter.
“If not for godfather’s timely intervention, Yun Niang would have fallen victim to a terrible abduction today. I am eternally grateful for your immense kindness,” she said, kowtowing once more.
Only then did the Shuai Wang turn his gaze towards her, responding with a warm smile, “As father and daughter, why speak of thanks?”
Granted a seat by the Shuai Wang, Yun Niang inquired, “May I ask who was behind this brazen kidnapping attempt in Lingquan territory?”
The Shuai Wang dismissed the songstresses, keeping only one beautiful concubine to serve tea. He then replied leisurely, “In that area, who else but the Huaiyang Wang would dare act so boldly? If your father hadn’t sought my help today, requesting that I escort you to stay at my villa for a while, my guards wouldn’t have noticed suspicious activity outside the inn while searching for you. They then notified General Gongsun in Qingzhou, who came to your rescue… I’m curious, though, how did you manage to provoke the Huaiyang Wang’s ire?”
Yun Niang was unaware that the Yangshan sect had long been a thorn in the Huaiyang Wang’s side. If news of her leaving the mountain had reached him, he might have sent people to capture her.
However, her father’s insistence on her leaving Yangshan displeased Yun Niang, causing her inner turmoil.
After exchanging pleasantries with his goddaughter, the Shuai Wang had little else to discuss. Sensing that Yun Niang still hoped to persuade him to let her return, he spoke directly, “General Sun doesn’t want you interfering with Young Master Ziyu’s marriage. His union with the daughter of General Shi will allow him to assume his official position and travel to the capital to receive the emperor’s appointment. Years of planning hinge on this single move. Don’t cause any trouble. If you’d rather not go, that can be arranged too – General Gongsun has plenty of sacks at his disposal!”
Yun Niang shuddered, looking up to meet her godfather’s undisguised threatening gaze. She quickly lowered her head and said, “How could I dare disobey father and godfather’s wishes? It’s just that there’s an unfinished matter in Lingquan Town. If not resolved cleanly, I fear it may lead to future troubles…”
The Shuai Wang, having heard reports of Yun Niang’s face being badly bruised, now saw the extent of her injuries firsthand. His curiosity piqued, and he inquired about it.
Seizing the opportunity, Yun Niang spoke softly, “Hasn’t Godfather always been curious about Lu Wen? ‘He’ consistently obstructed the godfather and the young master’s efforts to unite against the court’s villains while at Yangshan. Now… ‘he’ is in Lingshui Town.”
The Shuai Wang, who had just taken a puff from the water pipe offered by his beautiful concubine, suddenly opened his eyes and exclaimed, “Lu Wen? Wasn’t ‘he’ supposed to have had his tendons cut and been thrown into the river by my men?”
Yun Niang, noticing the Shuai Wang’s eyes gleaming with interest, felt a surge of hope.
Initially, her father had not agreed to eliminate Lu Wen, the leader of the Yangshan sect. After all, Yangshan’s growth from nothing relied on Lu Wen’s charisma, and her father believed Lu Wen still had potential uses.
However, in Yun Niang’s eyes, Lu Wen was a thorn in her side that needed to be removed quickly. So, behind her father’s back, she secretly informed the Shuai Wang, finally using his hand to dispose of “Lu Wen.”
Yet, unexpectedly, “Lu Wen” had resurfaced in Lingquan Town. To untie this knot, they needed the one who tied it. Since Ziyu was protecting “him,” it would be more prudent for the Shuai Wang to intervene.
Of course, all this had to be done secretly, without the knowledge of the Yangshan sect members.
The Shuai Wang had never personally seen Lu Wen, only knowing that “he” was a woman disguised as a man, competing with his goddaughter for Liu Yu’s affections.
Except for Yangshan’s key leaders, no one knew Lu Wen’s true background. Perhaps fearing the implication of family members in a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans, “he” rarely appeared in public, instead pretending to be Lu Wen’s captive concubine to deceive the Yangshan followers.
The Shuai Wang had thought the matter settled when they ambushed her during her quarrel with Liu Yu, but who would have thought Lu Wen was so resilient, returning to Lingquan Town… Interesting…
So Yun Niang told him everything – how “he” was now severely injured, amnesiac, and had become the kept lover of a merchant.
The Shuai Wang knew Yun Niang’s womanly schemes were merely using him to eliminate a rival. However, Lu Wen’s fierce competition with young Cui Xingzhou next door had indeed benefited him, allowing him to avoid the scrutiny of the treacherous imperial consort’s faction at court.
From this perspective, he should be grateful to Lu Wen.
Now that “he” had become incapacitated and lost all memory, it aroused his curiosity. If time permitted, he might take a look at this “Lu Wen” while she was still alive, to see why she had so bewitched Liu Yu.
Of course, this person would still have to die in the end. After all… hadn’t she stood in his way?
At this time, as schemes brewed across the three provinces, Mian Tang was no exception, her abacus clicking rapidly at the merchant guild.
Recently, the merchants in the Lingquan guild were in an uproar. The reason was simple: the Lian family had suddenly reneged on their contracts.
No one knew how the relationship between Third Miss He and Miss Lian had soured. Their once-good friendship had turned bitter, resulting not only in He Zhen failing to enter the Wang’s mansion but also in the Lian family choosing to order porcelain from Qinde Town, five hundred li away.
At the beginning of the month, the guild was in chaos. The gentlemen surrounded Second Master He and Third Miss He, demanding to know what to do with the materials they had prepared now that the Lian family had canceled their orders.
For a moment, the usual harmony of shared meals was replaced by uncontrolled arguments.
Mian Tang understood the underlying reasons. Seeing Second Master He restraining his anger while glaring at He Zhen, she felt a bit sorry for the third miss. She spoke up to diffuse the situation: “Alright, alright, let’s all calm down. Porcelain materials aren’t like rice that goes bad. You’ve all prepared them, so you won’t have to beg around when future orders come in, right?”
The gentlemen, who had previously agreed to extract compensation from the He family, immediately objected upon hearing Madam Cui’s words. They sarcastically retorted, “We’re not like you, taking small orders from the Lian family. Of course, you don’t suffer losses and have the leisure to play the good person here!”
Liu Mian Tang wasn’t angered by their jabs. She smiled and said, “I’m just trying to keep the peace among us. Very well, let me speak about some business first, then you can continue asking Master He for compensation.”
She then turned to He Zhen and said, “Third Miss He, you mentioned to me earlier that the Huaiyang Wang’s mansion doesn’t share orders with the Cui family. The Tai Fei is accustomed to He family porcelain, so for her son’s wedding, they’ll likely send a steward to make purchases. When the time comes, please reserve some of the lucrative orders for our Yushao Porcelain Shop!”
He Zhen wasn’t foolish. She understood Liu Niang’s intention in mentioning this unconfirmed matter at such a crucial moment. She quickly played along, “Oh my, this isn’t settled yet. How could you mention it in front of so many people, Madam?”
Although the two weren’t sworn sisters, their coordination was natural and smooth, confusing the gentlemen who began to hesitate. They suddenly realized they might have been short-sighted, as the He family apparently had orders from the Wang’s mansion. One by one, they softened their stance and began to retract their words.
He Zhen, using the excuse of needing to check the color of new dyes at Liu Mian Tang’s porcelain shop, left the guild with her.
Once they were out of the stone alley, He Zhen gratefully said, “If not for you, I wouldn’t have been able to escape. I’ll surely be scolded by father when I return home. But the order from the Wang’s mansion you mentioned doesn’t exist. Now that Miss Lian is upset with me for some reason, if she persuades the Tai Fei to stop patronizing the He family, won’t the other gentlemen cause trouble for my father again?”
Liu Mian Tang wasn’t worried about this. Smiling as she tucked her handkerchief into her waist, she said, “Using a suspended carrot to lure a donkey forward – as long as you keep the donkey moving, does it matter if it gets to eat? Surely I don’t need to explain such tactics to Third Miss He?”
Although He Zhen was capable, her family had always followed the path of imperial merchants, maintaining a sense of pride and restraint. In the ways of “unscrupulous merchants,” she was not as naturally adept as the foreign-born Madam Liu.
He Zhen reflected that without the skills passed down by her ancestors and the foundation they had built, the He family wouldn’t have come this far.
In terms of survival skills alone, both she and her father were far inferior to Madam Liu from a foreign land.
With this in mind, He Zhen took Liu Mian Tang’s hand and said, “I’ve been neglecting our friendship lately and haven’t had the chance to invite you for tea. No time like the present – let me treat you to some desserts at Subao Zhai. Come on!”
Liu Mian Tang, having nothing pressing to do, smiled and agreed to join Third Miss He for desserts.
Subao Zhai was famous for its delicious desserts, so dining there usually required a reservation. Fortunately, the He family, due to business needs, had a year-round private room there and didn’t need to make reservations.
However, as they alighted from their carriage today, they saw three or four luxurious carriages parked at the entrance of Subao Zhai.
A waiter approached them, and upon recognizing Third Miss He, said apologetically, “Third Miss, I’m sorry, but all the private rooms on the second floor have been reserved by distinguished guests today. They’re almost finished with their tea… Would you mind waiting at a table on the first floor for a while?”
He Zhen was displeased, “Our He family has paid a full year’s worth of silver to reserve the Liuxian Residence upstairs. How could you give it to others when I’m not here?”
The waiter’s face crumpled with worry, “Well, you see, these are very important guests. How could we not accommodate them? We’re just a small business, trying not to offend anyone. They had a large party, and we didn’t have enough private rooms. Please understand, Third Miss.”
These guests, of unknown background, were all dressed in fine clothes and spending lavishly. Their tips alone amounted to over ten taels of silver, so naturally, the staff couldn’t refuse them entry to the private rooms.
Just when they thought the He family wouldn’t come at this time and it would be fine to temporarily use the private room, speak of the devil, the He family arrived!
He Zhen glanced at the carriages outside, noting they didn’t look like ordinary merchant vehicles. They could belong to some noble household. Her family often dealt with officials, so she understood the importance of discretion and said no more.
Liu Mian Tang suggested, “Let’s just go eat somewhere else.”
As they were about to leave, a clamor of voices came from the carved wooden stairs on the second floor. Several men descended, engaged in lively conversation.
The one at the center of attention walked in front, broad-shouldered and stout with a dark complexion, looking quite imposing. His attire was rather unusual: he wore his hair loose and donned a monk’s robe made of fine linen interwoven with barely visible silver threads. A string of gold-threaded sandalwood prayer beads wrapped around his large hand, with a jade cicada pendant. He looked like a layman practicing Buddhism while keeping his hair.
However, his piercing eyes lacked the detachment expected of a Buddhist practitioner. His gaze was intense, seeming to pierce through people.
Mian Tang accidentally made eye contact with this monk-robed giant. Feeling uncomfortable under his predatory stare, she immediately turned aside and lowered her head, stepping back to let the male guests pass.
But the man’s casual glance was caught by Mian Tang’s extraordinary beauty. He slowed his pace and said to those behind him, “They say Lingquan Town’s porcelain is beautiful, but I think it’s the people who are beautiful. This woman, as white as snow, is like a porcelain sculpture…”
Hearing this, the well-dressed men behind him also looked towards Liu Mian Tang. Indeed! Such beauty would be considered outstanding even in the capital.
These men’s behavior was extremely discourteous, speaking frivolously as if no one else was present.
Bicao, standing behind Liu Mian Tang, was angered and about to shout when Mama Li grabbed her arm tightly, preventing her from making a scene.
Others might not recognize this long-haired lord, but Mama Li had seen him before!
Shuai Wang Liu Pei had been prominent in the capital in his youth. When Mama Li accompanied Tai Fei to the capital, she had seen the young Liu Pei galloping through the streets and remembered his particularly rugged appearance.
Now dressed as a layman, he had reportedly vowed to keep his hair and practice Buddhism for three years, copying sutras for his deceased imperial brother when the previous emperor passed away.
At the time, the Shuai Wang’s sincere grief for the late emperor was praised throughout the court. Now, it seemed he still indulged in wine and women, maintaining his old domineering ways from the capital.
After recognizing the Shuai Wang, Mama Li secretly worried for Mian Tang, fearing she might confront him as she had done with others recently, potentially offending this unruly prince of Da Yan.
However, Liu Mian Tang, despite being openly appraised by the group of men, didn’t even raise an eyelid. She quickly turned, pulling He Zhen through the side door of the dessert shop and out the back.
Even He Zhen felt those men were too frivolous, angrily saying, “Where did they come from, being so openly disrespectful, judging people like that?”
Liu Mian Tang, regretting her recent trouble with the ruffian climbing the wall and not wanting to cause more problems for her husband, had become more low-key than before.
Those men came from distinguished backgrounds. She chose to avoid them, not wanting to bring trouble to her husband. So she smiled slightly and made another appointment with He Zhen for tea another time.
Liu Mian Tang thought that the encounter at the tea house was just a one-time occurrence, unrelated to her, and could be avoided.
After returning to her shop, she removed some of her solid gold hairpins. Being in her store, she didn’t need to maintain the lavish appearance required at the merchant guild.
She simply braided her hair loosely, securing it with a jade hairpin on top, allowing wisps of hair to curl around her face. She changed into a loose robe with a rabbit fur-trimmed collar and sat on a high stool by the counter to check inventory and balance accounts.
Dressed this way, she exuded a girlish charm, especially with the fluffy rabbit fur making her face appear even more delicate.
Passersby, regardless of age or gender, couldn’t help but glance into the Yushao Porcelain Shop, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lingshui Town’s premier beauty.
Just then, the welcome bell at the shop door rang.
Mian Tang smiled and looked up to greet the customer, but was startled to see it was the long-haired ascetic she had encountered earlier.
The man entered without looking at the porcelain, heading straight for the counter.
When he saw Mian Tang sitting by the counter, he also seemed surprised, his eyes narrowing as he hesitantly asked, “Are you the shopkeeper’s wife?”
Adhering to the principle that all visitors are customers, Mian Tang couldn’t rudely drive him away. She nodded slightly and called to her assistant, “Guisheng, attend to the customer!”
But after his initial surprise, the man’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. He approached the counter, slowly looking her up and down, and said, “No need for others. Since you’re the shopkeeper’s wife, you should be the best one to introduce things.”
Mian Tang, seeing it was broad daylight and not fearing he would do anything in her shop, calmly asked, “What would the customer like to buy?”
This visitor was none other than Shuai Wang Liu Pei!
Truthfully, when he first saw this beauty at the tea house, he had merely thought it remarkable to find such a stunning woman in a small town but hadn’t given it much thought.
However, when he came to the Yushao Porcelain Shop mentioned by Yun Niang and saw this seemingly delicate woman again, he suddenly realized that this woman was the feared bandit leader — Lu Wen!
If he wasn’t certain that Yun Niang wouldn’t dare deceive him, he couldn’t have imagined that this fragile-looking young woman had once commanded such authority on Yangshan…
Thinking of this, he narrowed his eyes but didn’t answer Mian Tang’s question. Instead, he moved closer and reached out to grab her.
Mian Tang hadn’t expected him to be so bold and quick. She was caught off guard as he grasped her wrist.
When Liu Pei held her wrist, he immediately felt that it was damaged, indeed with severed tendons… This must have been caused by the expert he had sent to ambush her.
According to their report, this woman had resisted fiercely, thwarting their attempt to capture her alive. After her hand and foot tendons were cut, she had unexpectedly thrown herself into the rushing river when they were off guard. The shore was far, and with her severe injuries, she shouldn’t have survived.
Now it seemed heaven had taken pity on this rare beauty, allowing her to live… But the next moment, Liu Pei’s hand was suddenly gripped tightly, causing him intense pain and forcing him to release Mian Tang’s hand.
Angered, he turned to see a stone-faced man squeezing his hand.
“How dare you!” Liu Pei’s guards, not expecting a man to suddenly appear and act so swiftly, rushed forward to subdue him.
However, the man had already released his grip after Liu Pei let go of Mian Tang, and his group of followers also surged forward. Seeing the situation escalating and fearing for her porcelain, Mian Tang widened her eyes and shouted, “Sir, why are you manhandling people in broad daylight? If you want to go to jail, the magistrate’s office is just down the street. I can have someone escort you there!”
Liu Pei was here incognito and didn’t want to alert Cui Xingzhou.
Currently, Cui Xingzhou was focused on fighting the Yangshan rebels and opposing the court’s troop reduction order. With him occupied, Liu Pei was quite comfortable.
Thinking this, he just smiled at Liu Mian Tang, saying meaningfully, “When we’re far from the magistrate’s office with no one to interfere, I’ll have a good chat with you…”
According to Yun Niang, Liu Mian Tang had come down from the mountain with a large sum of money. If he could extort this money, it would be quite profitable.
Since she had lost her memory and become a merchant’s wife, she should be easy to manipulate. As for the man who had grabbed his hand, he must be the merchant who had tricked the amnesiac woman into becoming his wife.
Liu Pei was just passing through Lingquan Town and had come out of curiosity to see the legendary Lu Wen. He had more important matters and didn’t want to create complications here, so he took one last deep look at Mian Tang before leaving the shop.
Liu Mian Tang gratefully looked at the man who had intervened, recognizing him as the strong fellow who had helped her send those ruffians to the magistrate’s office a few days ago. His group of brothers was still with him.
“Madam, you should sit less at the counter in the future. If I hadn’t happened to pass by, wouldn’t you have been in trouble again?”
This time, the strong man spoke in longer sentences, as if reciting. After finishing, he didn’t wait for Liu Mian Tang to offer a red envelope with money. He cupped his hands in farewell and left.
Liu Mian Tang called after him to take some silver, but he didn’t look back.
She stood helplessly at the shop door, thinking that Lingquan Town truly had good people, all so warm-hearted…
Meanwhile, the strong man and his followers turned a corner and bowed to a waiting carriage, saying softly, “My lord, the Shuai Wang has left… Should we continue to follow him?”
Cui Xingzhou’s gaze was cold as he replied, “No need. I already know who he’s going to find.”