The river breeze swept across as Madam Li Xu stood on the deck with her maid. Gone was the pitiful, sorrowful expression she had worn at the Ji residence. Instead, her lips curved in a dignified smile as she stood straight-backed, addressing the visitor with cool detachment: “Master Le?”
Master Le bent at the waist and cupped his hands in greeting: “Greetings, Lady Li.”
Madam Li Xu gave a slight nod before stepping into the cabin. No matter how wealthy a merchant’s wife might be, without an imperial title, she would at most be addressed as Madam. She was a Baroness – she would never lower her noble head to merchants. She had schemed over her sister’s marriage just so that even a concubine-born daughter could possess such dignity.
Once inside the cabin and seated according to their stations, Madam Li Xu sighed: “My sister’s home is merely a three-courtyard residence with a shop. The dye house in the back courtyard isn’t even as large as my family’s garden courtyard. Even with their secret formula, they can’t earn much silver in a year.”
She couldn’t understand what made the Ji family worth such elaborate scheming from the other party.
Master Le stroked the two drooping whiskers above his lips and smiled, “The Ji family’s dye house is too small. With my master’s large dyeing operation, the profits would be quite different.”
Madam Li Xu smiled thinly, “My sister is too principled. I fear even if she sold the dye house and residence, she still wouldn’t hand over the secret formula.”
“My master has his ways.” Master Le didn’t elaborate but took out a box from his sleeve and placed it on the table. “This is the other half of the deed. I wish Madam a safe journey.”
The maid took the box and placed it beside Madam Li Xu. Without opening it, she tapped her fingers on the armrest and said, “I had only heard that Yi Prefecture was renowned for its brocades, with colors dancing across the river. Seeing is believing indeed. During my half-month stay, I noticed the Huanhua Dye House’s Shu red silk and Huanhua silk are the pride of Yi Prefecture. Even the officials at the Imperial Textile Bureau showed great interest in my sister’s secret formula. At year’s end, my legitimate younger sister, the Military Commissioner’s wife of Fengyang, will celebrate her birthday. My husband and I plan to prepare generous gifts. I wasn’t sure what to give her at first, but after coming to Yi Prefecture and seeing the magnificent Shu brocade, I made up my mind. I hope your master can prepare three hundred bolts of brocade for me.”
Two farming estates totaling three thousand mu of land, two shops in the East Market, a residence in the city, plus this boat of silk – and still not enough? She wants three hundred bolts of brocade? Even two thousand bolts of silk weren’t worth half the price of three hundred bolts of brocade. The Baron of Yichuan had been continuously marrying off children. Under the noble title was nothing but poverty. Master Le silently cursed Madam Li Xu’s greed. But hearing her mention the Imperial Textile Bureau officials, he swallowed his urge to slam the table and shout. Offending the Bureau officials meant they could find fault with next year’s tribute brocade, which would be fatal for any weaving household.
“A small matter. I can approve this on behalf of my master. Madam may collect the goods from our Chang’an shop.” Master Le agreed without even negotiating the price.
Seeing his generous response, Madam Li Xu slightly regretted not asking for more. Still, thinking of the rich rewards from this trip and how Yan’er could finally have a grand wedding, she felt deeply satisfied.
After sending Master Le away, she opened the box. Seeing the other half of the property deed inside, she couldn’t help but sneer, “How crafty these merchants are. Even when giving a gift, they must tear it in half. Bring the other half.”
The maid entered the inner chamber and brought out another box. Madam Li Xu took out the torn half of the deed inside and matched it with the new piece. They fit perfectly without any discrepancy. Satisfied, she gathered them together and put them away.
“Madam, since we’ve received our reward, why not quietly warn Madam Ji?” The maid thought of how her mistress and Madam Ji were sisters bound by blood. Warning her would fulfill the sisterly obligation and ease some guilt.
“Warn her? Wouldn’t that just be telling her I’m the one who betrayed her? Why should I make her see me as despicable? It’s wise to leave some room for maneuver. If she can survive this crisis, she might be useful in the future.” Madam Li Xu sneered, clearly finding her maid’s loyalty admirable but lacking in cunning. “Second Sister has this calamity in her fate because she’s too naive. After twenty years without contact, why should she trust me? This will be a lesson. As long as she holds onto the secret formula, she can make a comeback eventually. All I can do is wait for the dust to settle, then send someone to redeem the residence. Consider this boat of silk as business done on her behalf.”
The maid realized her suggestion had been naive, but then felt her mistress was ruthless, pushing the blame onto Ji’s kindness. Following such a mistress, if she wasn’t completely loyal, nothing good would come of it. She gradually began harboring different thoughts.
“Let’s sleep. We’ll depart from Yi Prefecture at dawn.”
Madam Li Xu lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long while.
The gold that Madam Ji had pressed into her hands at parting weighed heavily. She kept it under her pillow, mumbling, “Second Sister, I must think of my Yan’er. Wealth moves people’s hearts. Don’t blame me.”
Like Madam Ji, she was born of a concubine. Unable to compare with their legitimate sister, she naturally compared herself with her elder sister. Madam Ji was born delicate and charming, better at the tea ceremony than her, even better at horsemanship. Their legitimate sister always called for Madam Ji’s company when playing polo. Even their father’s main wife looked upon her more favorably. The Baron of Yichuan had originally sought marriage regardless of legitimate or concubine birth status because of Madam Ji’s reputation.
The cabin was quiet, with only the sound of river water lapping against the shore. Thinking of this, Madam Li Xu felt somewhat heartbroken: “If the main wife had found me a good marriage, I wouldn’t have needed to envy and scheme against Second Sister. For our legitimate sister’s marriage, the main wife chose a small merchant who merely rented our courtyard to store goods. Was I just an object to be given away? Though born of a concubine, I’m still a descendant of the Duke of Ying.”
Such was the way of the world. The Military Commissioners each governed their territories. They showed respect to the Emperor on the surface but had become local kings in practice. Even the Emperor in his palace was manipulated by the eunuchs. The Baron of Yichuan could probably collect only two-tenths of his household’s due taxes. He was nothing but a coward. If she didn’t plan for herself and her daughter, would they have to bow to concubine-born sons in the future?
With these thoughts, Madam Li Xu gradually found peace and fell into a deep sleep.
The lamp hanging from the bow quietly illuminated the river. Another boat was moored at the other end of the dock. Master Le stood on the deck, gazing at the ink-stained character “Li” on the distant boat’s lantern, his expression dark.
“Excessive greed leads to self-destruction.” Originally, his master hadn’t planned to harm Madam Li Xu. She was, after all, of noble relation. After one successful cooperation, the Baron of Yichuan might have been able to establish some connections in Chang’an. But Madam Li Xu was too greedy. Cooperating with such a person, if the Ji family wasn’t destroyed, might bring trouble upon themselves.
Master Le spoke coldly, “She must have the other half of the deed with her. Retrieve it. Once we enter the Yangtze River, find a secluded spot to act. Make it clean.”
A man dressed as a warrior beside him acknowledged, then hesitated: “What about the two thousand bolts of silk on the boat?”
Master Le turned back, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s: “The master has said before. Actions must be clean and decisive. A few thousand taels of silver are nothing. Don’t let greed leave future troubles. Sink it all in the river.”
The master’s imposing spirit showed through Master Le’s words. The warrior felt a chill in his heart and replied solemnly: “Rest assured, Master Le.”