For Yan, with Great Zhou’s army pressing at the borders and Yan’s main forces trapped in Xiliang, and with Yan unable to hand over their Empress Dowager to appease Great Zhou’s anger, Yan Emperor Murong Li would surely be drowned by the people’s criticism!
After all, the Great Zhou’s ambition to annex the world was known to all. This was an excellent opportunity for the Great Zhou to destroy Yan—how could the Great Zhou possibly let it pass?
Only by having Murong Li publicize the method of determining the two countries’ victory through national policies and merging the two countries into one to spare the people from the ravages of war, forcing her elder sister to worry about public opinion and be unable to refuse, could they gain a thread of hope for their Yan.
But when had Murong Li sent Wang Hanbing as an envoy to Great Zhou? She hadn’t received even a bit of news about this.
Bai Jintong knew every court official in Yan’s court—not only their names and family backgrounds, but also who their wives and concubines were, and even some secrets.
But this Wang Hanbing, of humble birth… was the second-place winner of Yan’s previous imperial examination. Because of his poor temperament and arrogant reliance on his talents, he was severely ostracized and had no room to display his abilities in the Ministry of Rites. Bai Jintong had never paid him any attention initially. Who would have known… this person had openly resigned from office, but had gone to the Great Zhou.
This was her oversight—she had failed to investigate thoroughly why Wang Hanbing resigned, assuming preconceptively that Wang Hanbing was frustrated by his lack of success and chose to resign.
Bai Jintong’s people, in less than two hours, had investigated Wang Hanbing’s life, personality, family background… and even his preferences thoroughly.
Upon hearing her subordinates’ report while bathing, Bai Jintong didn’t dare delay. She got up and personally wrote a secret letter, planning to send the news back to her elder sister.
In the elegantly ancient study, Bai Jintong sat on the soft couch by the window with her undried long hair draped over her shoulders, leaning against a ginger-yellow passiflower satin cushion. She held the secret letter close to the gently flickering candlelight, checking the letter to her elder sister one final time. After confirming there were no problems, she placed it in a message tube and instructed her hidden guards to send it out, then reopened the account books to balance the accounts.
The blue stone floor in the courtyard was bathed in warm yellow light streaming from the window, and even the moss in the wall corners took on a warm hue. Soon, light rain began pattering on the blue tiles, moistening the delicate orchid leaves placed under the eaves and making soft rustling sounds.
Dan Zhi, now dressed as a noble lady, had the servants move all the orchids from under the corridors into the warm pavilion. Turning back, she saw Bai Jintong’s slender silhouette reflected on the window lattice. She turned to ask her maid, “Has my husband’s bird’s nest soup finished cooking?”
“Madam, rest assured, the small kitchen prepared it long ago and has been simmering it continuously,” Dan Zhi’s maid replied.
“Good, have them bring it over!” Dan Zhi said.
Soon, Dan Zhi, wearing a pomegranate-red dress embroidered with white orchids and moonlight patterns, entered carrying the bird’s nest soup. She placed it on the black lacquered table in front of Bai Jintong, where the abacus and account books were spread out, saying, “Husband, have some bird’s nest soup first. Checking accounts late at night strains the eyes—why not rest today and continue tomorrow?”
This time when Bai Jintong came to Yan, she brought her personal maid Dan Zhi, having her pose as Cui Fengnian’s beloved concubine.
Bai Jintong told others that Cui Fengnian and Dan Zhi had grown up together since childhood. When his family met with disaster, Dan Zhi never abandoned Cui Fengnian. They had suffered hardships together, so their bond was extraordinary. Cui Fengnian would never betray Dan Zhi in his lifetime, but due to Dan Zhi’s status, he could only elevate her to beloved concubine. However, in Cui Fengnian’s heart, Dan Zhi was his wife for life.
The reason Bai Jintong fabricated this romantic story between Cui Fengnian and Dan Zhi was to explain when socializing… why she never touched other women and never stayed overnight in pleasure quarters.
Second… although merchants had lowly status, when Bai Jintong was previously in Xiliang, the Zhai family among Xiliang’s eight great families had taken notice of Bai Jintong’s business abilities and intended to recruit her as a live-in son-in-law.
This time, as a precaution in case any Yan court officials wanted to recruit her as a son-in-law, she deliberately arranged for Cui Fengnian to have a beloved concubine with whom he had shared hardships, and for whom he never touched other women. Anyone wanting to recruit Cui Fengnian as a son-in-law would have to consider clearly for their daughter’s sake—marrying a man who already had a concubine before taking a wife, and this concubine held the position of a legitimate wife in Cui Fengnian’s heart, how awkward would their daughter’s position be?
To avoid being seen through, Dan Zhi would call Bai Jintong “husband” both in public and private, and would share a room with Bai Jintong every night.
“Leave the bird’s nest soup for now!” Cui Fengnian kept her head down, turning the account book with one hand while rapidly working the abacus with the other, “I’m almost finished calculating.”
Bai Jintong’s hands moved extremely fast. Sitting under the lamp, she worked the abacus with one hand, allowing people to see only the afterimages of her slender fingers. Only the crisp sound of the abacus beads could let people sense how fast she was calculating.
Dan Zhi sat down across from Bai Jintong and said in a low voice, “Husband, that Madam Meng sent someone with an invitation today, saying their old lady’s birthday is on the fifteenth of this month. Since our Cui mansion currently has no other female family members besides me, she asked me to attend that day. I feel my status makes it inappropriate to go—why doesn’t husband go instead?”
Without pausing her account checking and abacus work, Bai Jintong multitasked as she spoke, “The invitation was addressed to you. I’m originally of merchant background—if I went, I’d have to deliberately curry favor with the Meng mansion first. Moreover, Madam Meng didn’t sincerely hope for you to attend when she sent you the invitation. She simply hopes to gather news about Concubine Meng from your conversation.”
Bai Jintong turned a page of the account book and continued, “Choose some valuable items from the storehouse. Tomorrow, have the steward personally deliver them and apologize first, saying your lowly status makes you fear you wouldn’t know proper etiquette and might cause embarrassment at the Meng mansion. After Old Lady Meng’s birthday, whenever Madam Meng has free time and wants someone to chat with, you’ll certainly be at her service.”
“Yes, I’ve noted it down!” Dan Zhi looked up at her, Third Miss working the abacus, and felt genuinely happy for her. Third Miss had ultimately become the person she most wanted to be.
She still remembered when Third Miss made birthday wishes, she said she wanted to become a merchant wealthy enough to rival nations. Now she truly had become a merchant.
“Go sleep first, no need to wait for me!” Bai Jintong said.
“It’s fine, I just want to keep my husband company here!” Dan Zhi said with a smile.
Seeing that Bai Jintong had finished with the account books, Dan Zhi quickly arranged a hot cloth and handed it to Bai Jintong to wipe her hands. After Bai Jintong wiped her hands, Dan Zhi immediately brought hot tea to her side, attending to Bai Jintong’s every need perfectly.
“Finally finished looking through the account books. Now… husband can rest peacefully!” Dan Zhi said with a smile, “I’ll go prepare the bed for husband.”