Outside the carriage, Wan Zhu followed along with the other maids and servants, listening to the cheerful laughter inside. However, her heart was filled with uncertainty.
Ever since she had told Shen Xiling a few days ago in Wang Garden that she could track down the whereabouts of that Great Liang envoy, the Madam had taken this matter to heart. The next day, she had called Wan Zhu alone to her room, asking her to quietly investigate, keeping this secret even from Lian Zi. She had served their Madam for five years now and was quite familiar with her temperament—she had always been indifferent to most matters. Why was she now so concerned about this Great Liang envoy…
Wan Zhu couldn’t understand it.
However, since the Madam had given her orders, she naturally had to handle this task well. The servants at the separate residence where the envoy lived, aside from those they had brought from Great Liang, were all provided by the palace. Among them was a maid who was the wife’s younger sister of the Duke’s mansion’s accountant. With this connection, many things became easier to handle. However, although this servant girl worked in the envoy’s residence, she couldn’t get close to him and couldn’t learn much about the envoy’s affairs. Furthermore, since arriving in Great Wei, that envoy had lived reclusively and rarely went out, making things even more difficult to manage.
Fortunately, yesterday she heard that today the palace had invited the envoy to enter the palace. From his residence to the palace, he would certainly pass through Jianan Street, and from the Duke’s mansion to Jinyu Hall, they would also necessarily pass through Jianan Street. The Madam’s sudden decision today to go to Jinyu Hall to collect accounts was actually for this very reason.
Wan Zhu thought confusedly—though she knew the envoy was entering the palace today, she couldn’t easily find out when he would depart from his residence, so naturally she didn’t know if they could encounter him on Jianan Street. Even if they truly met on the street, with both parties sitting in carriages, how could they see each other’s faces? Even if by some miraculous chance they did see each other, what could the two of them possibly say?
Wan Zhu was deeply worried.
Inside the carriage, Gu Jingqi noticed that [Shen Xiling] kept lifting the gauze curtain to look outside, and couldn’t help feeling very curious. She also leaned over to look out: “Sister-in-law, what interesting thing are you looking at? Let me see too.”
Through the narrow window gap, Shen Xiling saw the bustling crowds on Jianan Street, a scene of lively prosperity and peace. There were indeed several carriages on the street, but none were in the style that would come from the envoy’s residence. Just as Gu Jingqi leaned forward, Shen Xiling calmly lowered the gauze curtain, turned to smile at the young girl, and said: “I haven’t come out for fresh air in a long time, just taking a casual look. What’s so interesting about it?”
Gu Jingqi pursed her lips, about to say something more, when Qin Shi laughingly pulled her back, saying: “Have you forgotten your brother’s words? He told you not to bother your sister-in-law on the road?”
Once her elder brother was mentioned, Gu Jingqi became completely obedient from head to toe, no longer clinging to her sister-in-law. She indeed adopted a dignified posture of sitting like a bell, making everyone laugh. Wan Zhu, listening to the laughter inside the carriage from outside, watched as Xu Chuan quickly drove the carriage past Jianan Street, not knowing for a moment whether she was happy or unhappy, her small face wrinkled into a ball.
Jinyu Hall, true to its name, was the most prestigious place in Shangjing City. Not only did princes and nobles frequently purchase gold, silver, jade ornaments, jewelry, and accessories there, but two years ago, Emperor Wei had also designated it as a royal purveyor. This made Shen Xiling an undisputed imperial merchant of Great Wei. Admittedly, when the ladies from various families gossiped during gatherings, they all angrily criticized how this merchant woman could have such fortune only because of Duke Yanguo’s influence. However, when they themselves went to buy jewelry, they still reluctantly and desperately crowded into the shop of this merchant woman they despised, very generously sending streams of money into that merchant woman’s pockets.
This situation really couldn’t be blamed on these ladies for being spineless—it was because Jinyu Hall’s jewelry was far more exquisite and elegant than other shops, always carrying a refined charm from Jiangzuo that led the fashion trends among the noble ladies’ circles in Shangjing City. If during gatherings you were the only one without a Jinyu Hall hairpin in your hair, or the only one without a Jinyu Hall bracelet on your wrist, you would be secretly mocked. In such circumstances, how could one blame the ladies from various families for losing their principles and adding bricks and tiles to Shen Xiling’s purse?
The carriage stopped in front of Jinyu Hall. Shen Xiling, along with Qin Shi and Gu Jingqi, got out of the carriage. Seeing that Jinyu Hall was packed with customers and business was booming, Gu Jingqi exclaimed in admiration: “Tsk, sister-in-law, you… you’re really wealthy.”
Shen Xiling gave her a half-smiling glance. The three of them entered the hall with their respective maids, while Xu Chuan waited at the entrance.
Upon entering the hall, the shopkeeper immediately came forward to greet them. He was a man of modest height, about forty years old, treating Shen Xiling with great enthusiasm and respect, escorting her to the inner room to review the account books.
Shen Xiling gently said to Gu Jingqi and Qin Shi: “Please wait for me for a moment, I’ll be right back.” She paused and smiled: “What I said in the carriage earlier all counts—if there’s anything here that catches your eye, feel free to keep it and enjoy.”
Gu Jingqi and Qin Shi smiled and thanked Shen Xiling, who then turned and entered the inner room.
Qin Shi and Gu Jingqi strolled around together. After a short while, Qin Shi encountered a familiar lady from another mansion, and the two began chatting. Gu Jingqi, being an unmarried young lady, didn’t feel it appropriate to join their conversation, so she greeted Qin Shi and wandered around the hall by herself.
Jinyu Hall’s jewelry and accessories were dazzling in variety, mostly quite luxurious, and the more luxurious and astonishingly priced they were, the more people inquired about them, while the ordinary ones attracted little attention. Gu Jingqi wasn’t particularly interested in these gold, silver, pearls, and jade ornaments to begin with, so she just casually looked around in the less crowded areas. As she browsed, she actually found something that caught her eye: a jade mountain ornament no bigger than her palm.
She had seen many jade mountain ornaments before—her father’s study at home had many of them—but they were usually quite large, rarely seen in such exquisite and delicate form. Looking carefully, she could even see the jade-carved children in that small jade mountain, with each finger clearly distinguishable—truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Gu Jingqi was delighted by what she saw and reached out to take it, but unexpectedly, someone else got there first and took the item before her.
Gu Jingqi pouted and looked up, only to see that her competitor was a jade-faced young gentleman who appeared several years older than her, tall and slender with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes—exactly like the image from “Wei Feng Qi Ao” in the Book of Songs. She thus gave up any thought of competing with him, made a gesture to yield the item to the other party, and tactfully prepared to leave.
However, the Qi Ao young gentleman said: “This jade mountain, does the young lady like it?”
Gu Jingqi thought to herself that this Qi Ao young gentleman was not only good-looking but also had an extremely pleasant voice to listen to. This confirmed that her act of courtesy was indeed very necessary. Feeling quite pleased, she replied: “It is indeed an exquisite piece, but I only found it unique and beautiful. I’m not insistent on having it.”
The Qi Ao young gentleman smiled and said: “This little child is carved so finely, yet I can’t make out what story it represents.”
Gu Jingqi leaned closer to look at the jade mountain and saw the child situated among wild mountain scenery. Sometimes it seemed like the mood of “deep in the clouds, whereabouts unknown,” sometimes like the scene of “pointing toward the apricot blossom village,” and upon further consideration, “chasing yellow butterflies in haste” also seemed plausible. She indeed couldn’t determine the story, so she said: “I can’t tell either, but since it’s just an ornamental piece, in my view there’s no need to be too particular about it. Just appreciating its charm is enough. If the young master doesn’t like it, why not leave this item here to wait for someone with whom it’s destined to meet?”
The Qi Ao young gentleman raised an eyebrow and smiled: “The young lady is broad-minded and seems truly destined to meet this mountain ornament.”
Gu Jingqi didn’t know what to say in response, so she just smiled and nodded, then turned and walked away.
The Qi Ao young gentleman watched her departing figure, shook his head, and murmured to himself: “This little girl really has a poor memory…”
By the time Gu Jingqi had finished her round, Qin Shi had concluded her conversation and was holding a jade button in her hand.
Gu Jingqi smiled and asked: “Third sister-in-law, did you pick this peace button for Hong’er?”
Qin Shi had already borne a son with the second branch’s second son, Gu Juyuan. The child had just turned two this year, and being the first and currently only child of this generation, he was quite spoiled by the family members.
Qin Shi laughed: “It’s exactly for that little monkey. He climbs up and down all day without letting anyone rest easy. The day before yesterday he almost fell from the couch and nearly broke his teeth!”
Qin Shi looked at her sister-in-law and saw her empty-handed, asking with a smile: “Are you really only thinking about Yilou’s pastries? Didn’t you pick even one thing?”
Gu Jingqi smiled, remembering the jade mountain from earlier. She turned to look in that direction, but saw that the jade mountain was gone, and the Qi Ao young gentleman was just turning to leave. She couldn’t help but ask Qin Shi: “Third sister-in-law, do you see that person? Which family is he from? He looks unfamiliar to me.”
Qin Shi looked in the direction she indicated, only seeing the back of the Qi Ao young gentleman before he quickly disappeared from sight. Naturally unable to recognize him, she only had a vague sense of familiarity and teasingly laughed: “What’s this? Has our Jingqi grown up?”
Gu Jingqi was stunned, then after realizing what was meant, her small face turned completely red. She said reproachfully: “Third sister-in-law… what are you saying! I was just asking casually!”
Qin Shi covered her mouth and laughed. Gu Jingqi was so embarrassed and annoyed that she stamped her feet repeatedly. When Shen Xiling finished with the account books and came out, she saw the two of them in the midst of their playful commotion. She approached with a smile and asked: “What’s happening here?”
Qin Shi was about to speak, but Gu Jingqi rushed to stop her, making such a fuss that Qin Shi had no choice but to say: “It’s nothing, nothing—she’s just making a fuss about wanting to eat pastries.”
Shen Xiling looked with a smile at Gu Jingqi’s flushed little face, didn’t pursue the matter further, and said with a smile: “Then let’s go.”
The three of them left Jinyu Hall together, got into the carriage, and headed toward Yilou.
Wan Zhu followed alongside the carriage. Seeing the carriage window curtain lifted a crack, Shen Xiling beckoned to her and whispered a few words. Wan Zhu nodded obediently, ran to Xu Chuan who was driving the carriage, and said to him: “Brother Xu Chuan, the Madam said to take Jianan Street.”
Going from Jinyu Hall to Yilou via Jianan Street would be taking a detour, and not a short one at that. But since the Madam had said so, Xu Chuan had no intention of objecting. He nodded and said: “Alright.”
Wan Zhu smiled and thanked him, then returned to her original position. Lian Zi glanced at her, and Wan Zhu avoided her inquiring gaze.
Jianan Street was still bustling with voices, but Wan Zhu had no interest in watching these lively scenes. She only craned her neck to look everywhere for traces of the envoy’s carriage, but after sweeping her gaze back and forth across the entire street three times, she saw no sign of it. Then she heard Shen Xiling call for a stop. Along with Qin Shi and Gu Jingqi, she got out of the carriage, instructed Xu Chuan to park the carriage to the side, and began looking at sugar paintings at a street stall.
Gu Jingqi clung to Shen Xiling and acted coquettishly: “Sister-in-law, why are we looking at sugar paintings? How could these compare to the pastries at your Yilou? Let’s go quickly—I’m already hungry.”
Shen Xiling scratched her nose and smiled: “Are you hungry or just greedy? These sugar paintings look interesting—shall I buy you one to try?”
Gu Jingqi repeatedly said she didn’t want one, but when Shen Xiling paid and handed the sugar painting to her, she pouted and reluctantly accepted it, then ate it with great enthusiasm, showing none of the disdain from moments before.
Shen Xiling seemed to browse the street stalls with great interest, occasionally exchanging a few words and laughs with Qin Shi, while the maids followed behind. Qin Shi didn’t understand why Shen Xiling had suddenly become interested in this, but she had always been gentle in temperament. Though she felt it strange, she still cooperated outwardly. As for Gu Jingqi, she was happily eating her sugar painting and had long forgotten to mind anything else. However, after finishing the sugar painting, she looked up at the sky and saw it was already time for the midday meal, yet her sister-in-law still showed no intention of getting back in the carriage. She really couldn’t bear it any longer. The sugar painting had opened her appetite, and now she not only wanted to eat Yilou’s pastries but also their snakehead fish slices and fish and water shield soup. So she pulled on Shen Xiling’s hand and shook it: “Sister-in-law, let’s go, let’s go!”
Watching from the side, Qin Shi saw that Shen Xiling’s expression was quite subtle. Although her face appeared serene and gentle, her eyes carried some restlessness and faintly seemed to show disappointment, making her feel even more puzzled. She heard Shen Xiling remain silent for a while, then sigh and say: “Alright, let’s go.”
Gu Jingqi was very happy and pulled both her sisters-in-law toward the carriage. She was the first to climb in, with Qin Shi following behind her. Just as Qin Shi had climbed two steps on the footboard, she heard the rumbling sound of carriage wheels behind her, along with a series of bronze bell chimes.
Qin Shi turned to look and saw a carriage approaching from the far end of the long street. It had a fragrant wood body with bronze bells at the four corners, and its windows were covered by gauze curtains. Judging by its style, it didn’t seem to belong to any of the noble families of Great Wei, causing the common people to crane their necks to look. Upon closer examination, they realized this was the envoy’s carriage. That long-renowned foremost power minister of Jiangzuo was presumably sitting inside at this very moment. Looking at the direction it was coming from, it should be returning to the envoy’s residence from the palace.
Qin Shi was lost in thought when she heard Lian Zi quietly call “Madam.” Qin Shi came back to her senses and turned to look at Shen Xiling, who had her back turned and whose expression couldn’t be seen. Lian Zi was supporting her right hand, Wan Zhu stood on her left side with a slightly panicked expression—the atmosphere was quite subtle.
Qin Shi frowned, stepped down from the footboard, walked to Shen Xiling’s side, and tentatively asked: “Sister-in-law?”
Shen Xiling seemed to awaken from a dream, looking at her with somewhat hazy eyes, then lowered her gaze and said as if extremely weary: “It’s nothing, let’s get in the carriage.”
Qin Shi looked at her with some worry, not understanding what was happening, and helped Shen Xiling into the carriage.
Behind them, Lian Zi glared fiercely at Wan Zhu, who shrank her neck in fright.
Inside Yilou, business was thriving. The shopkeeper first spoke a few words with Shen Xiling, then she sat at their usual table with Qin Shi and Gu Jingqi. Gu Jingqi ordered a large table full of delicacies and ate with great joy. Shen Xiling was somewhat silent, and Qin Shi occasionally looked at her with worried eyes.
Qin Shi put down her chopsticks and poured Shen Xiling a cup of tea: “Sister-in-law, have some tea.”
Shen Xiling came back to her senses, smiled at Qin Shi, thanked her, and picked up the cup to take a sip.
Qin Shi continued: “Has sister-in-law been feeling restless lately? It so happens that the wife of the Imperial Censor is hosting a tea gathering in a few days, making it quite lively. Why don’t you go and have a look, sister-in-law? It might help dispel any gloom.”
Shen Xiling put down her teacup and said: “I don’t particularly feel restless, so I won’t go.”
Gu Jingqi chimed in from the side: “I say there’s no need to go either. Such tea gatherings are extremely boring—nothing more than ladies getting together to gossip. Very uninteresting.”
Qin Shi smiled and said: “If it were an ordinary tea gathering, I wouldn’t mention it to sister-in-law either. But this matter has something special about it. I heard that originally it was just an ordinary tea gathering, but recently I heard that the Imperial Censor has also invited Prince Jing to attend, though he’ll be in a different area from the ladies.”
Gu Jingqi blinked: “Prince Jing? Is that His Majesty’s younger brother?”
Qin Shi said: “Exactly. I heard that this Prince has also invited the envoy from Great Liang to accompany him, though I don’t know if it’s true.”
Shen Xiling’s eyelid twitched as she asked: “Envoy? Which envoy?”
Qin Shi smiled: “Which envoy could it be? Naturally the one everyone is competing to meet nowadays.”
Shen Xiling was speechless.