With the initial plan set, the fifth son and the old shopkeeper began working separately, determined to gather the forty carts of agarwood. Madam Cen was also busy, saying she would seek help from relatives and friends to collect even a small amount. It would be a win-win situation for everyone to earn some money together. She inevitably had to accompany them.
The family worked tirelessly for several days and made some progress, but they were still short by more than ten carts. They had exhausted the supplies of smaller vendors, and larger suppliers already had their outlets. As the situation became troublesome, the fifth son couldn’t help but sigh, wishing the sixth son hadn’t sold their stock earlier. Concubine Yang overheard this and felt indignant but dared not speak up. Despite his sighing, the fifth son had no choice but to inform the family and prepare to travel to nearby counties.
With the second son managing other family businesses, Mudan was left to watch over the spice shop. Her humble and friendly demeanor allowed her to get along well with the shop staff. Business continued steadily, with occasional visits from Xueniang and her friends to buy spices, Fanli coming to chat, and Zhang Wulang bringing people over to sit for a while. Each day passed busily, seeming to fly by in the blink of an eye.
One night, a light snow fell. Mudan caught a cold and arrived at the shop slightly later than usual. As she approached, she saw Qiushi standing at the door, looking around. Upon seeing her, he hobbled over excitedly, smiling, “Madam He, this lowly one Qiushi pays his respects.”
Mudan frowned, “What are you doing here?”
Shu’er stepped forward to push him away, scolding, “You little rascal, how dare you show your face before our madam! Why didn’t you drown last time?”
Qiushi nimbly dodged, but seeing several shop assistants emerge with unfriendly expressions, he quickly said, “Wait! I’m just a servant, what power do I have? I’m only here to deliver a message, then I’ll leave.”
Shu’er berated him, “Your belly is full of evil schemes. Listening to you for even a moment would shorten one’s life by ten days. Who has the patience to hear what you have to say? Get lost!” She signaled two assistants to grab him, keeping him away from Mudan.
Seeing Mudan walk past him into the shop, Qiushi hurriedly called out, “Madam He, do you not want to hear this message? It concerns your sixth young master and yourself. Don’t regret it later if you don’t listen.”
Mudan’s heart stirred, but she glanced at Gui and walked away without turning back.
Seeing this, Qiushi urgently said, “Madam He! How can you be so heartless? There’s a chance to save your sixth young master, yet you won’t even listen…” Noticing the shop assistants looking over, Qiushi was pleased and about to continue with more threats when he saw a young, unfamiliar servant approach him with a smile. The servant patted his shoulder, saying, “Young fellow, you don’t understand the rules.” Suddenly, Qiushi felt a weight on his shoulder and his knees buckled, forcing him to kneel.
Qiushi cried out in pain and turned to yell at Gui, “What are you doing? How dare you assault me in broad daylight?”
Gui grabbed Qiushi’s collar with one hand and stepped on his calf with the other. He slapped Qiushi hard, scolding, “Pah! Shameless dog! What business does the Liu family have with the He family’s affairs? Nothing good comes out of a dog’s mouth. You’re just asking for a beating. Keep making a racket, and I’ll cut out your tongue!”
Dazed from the slap, Qiushi struggled futilely and spat out bloody saliva, still shouting, “You wouldn’t dare!”
Gui dragged him towards the back of the shop by his collar, “Watch me!”
Frightened, Qiushi began screaming like a pig being slaughtered, desperately trying to resist, “Let me go! Let me go! I won’t go in!”
Gui, with a dark expression, grabbed Qiushi’s collar and slapped him hard twice, “Didn’t you want to come in earlier? Now that I’m letting you in, you refuse. What’s the logic in that?”
Qiushi, covering his face in pain, could only whimper. Gui shouted, “Still dare to talk nonsense?” He continued slapping Qiushi repeatedly.
In pain, Qiushi begged for mercy, “I won’t dare anymore!”
Gui asked, “Have you learned your lesson?”
Qiushi replied, “I have.”
Gui continued, “Will you dare to be so disrespectful to our madam again?”
Qiushi, with a miserable expression, said, “I won’t dare.”
Several shop assistants watched, covering their mouths and laughing. Shu’er came out and said with a smile, “Gui, madam says to throw him out. Don’t hurt your hand.”
Gui indeed called a few assistants over. They lifted Qiushi by his arms and legs, swung him back and forth a few times, and suddenly threw him out. Qiushi landed hard on the street and, after a moment, began to cry. Everyone stood at the spice shop’s entrance, arms folded, laughing heartily. Qiushi sat in the middle of the street crying for a while before throwing out a threat, “You’ll see!” Then, wiping his tears, he limped away to report to Liu Chang.
Mudan sat in the back hall, stirring the charcoal embers in the brazier, watching the coals glow bright red, lost in thought. Gui entered quietly and reported, “He’s gone.”
Impressed by his competence, Mudan had always held Gui in high regard. She had Shu’er bring a stool for him to sit by the brazier and added a bowl of hot tea.
Gui had been waiting for her to ask about the incident, but since she didn’t, he ventured, “What does madam think of what just happened? It seems some information has leaked. Should I inquire with Commander Guo? From what I know of him, he’s not the type to do this, but something might have gone wrong somewhere…”
“No need to ask,” Mudan said. “I’m thinking that the Liu family either knows something or is just guessing and trying to test us. If I had been afraid of that servant’s shouting, they might have become more suspicious. As for Commander Guo, if he did leak our information, it would be useless to confront him. If he didn’t, we’d only hurt his feelings. It would be harder to ask for his help next time. If we do need to approach him, we should first clarify the situation and find out where the leak occurred before asking for his assistance.”
Gui pondered for a moment, then said, “So what should we do now? Even if the Liu family has no real evidence and is just guessing wildly, this kind of disturbance isn’t good. If word gets back to the family, Concubine Yang, and others might accuse you of not trying to save him… If this becomes public knowledge, it could cause trouble.”
Mudan coughed softly and said, “Let’s wait. If the Liu family knows something, they’ll come knocking soon. If they don’t and were just testing us, they won’t come.” She paused, then added, “Besides, I bet he won’t dare spread this around. Unless he wants us both to suffer the consequences.”
Just then, someone came to report, “Madam, there’s a customer who says he wants to buy agarwood. The old shopkeeper asked how much he wanted, and he said one cart. When told we didn’t have any, he sat down and refused to leave, saying how could such a big shop not have agarwood.”
This was deliberate trouble-making, specifically asking for agarwood. It seemed like someone who knew some inside information. Mudan frowned and asked, “Who is it?”
The assistant hesitated, then said, “It’s Liu Chang.”
Mudan’s eyelid twitched involuntarily. She said, “Tell him the He family doesn’t do business with him.”
The assistant left to deliver the message. Gui and Shu’er fell silent, realizing this confirmed what Mudan had just said – Liu Chang had some leverage, which is why he showed up so quickly.
Shu’er worriedly said, “Madam, what should we do? This person isn’t like Qiushi, we can’t easily get rid of him.”
Mudan replied, “I’ve thought it through. I’m not afraid. Let’s keep him waiting and see what he wants.” She had considered this possibility long before taking action, knowing that if the truth ever came out, the sixth son, Concubine Yang, and others might resent her. She was prepared to bear that burden – someone had to play the villain, and she couldn’t stand by and watch the sixth son drag down the entire family.
Soon, the old shopkeeper came in personally: “Miss Mudan, perhaps you should go home for now. It’s busy out front with customers, and he says either you meet him or he’ll have people shout in the street that the He family’s spice shop is empty and has no goods. If you go home, he’ll have nothing to say.”
Mudan smiled, “He came as a customer to buy something. Even if I go home, he can still cause trouble. If this goes on all day, we won’t be able to do business. Don’t worry, old shopkeeper. Let him come in.”
The old shopkeeper gave Mudan a sympathetic look before going out to personally escort Liu Chang to the back hall.
This was Liu Chang’s first time entering the He family’s spice shop. He had passed by countless times before, with the He family warmly inviting him in, but he had never entered. Now that he wanted to enter, he had to devise a way to do so. The threshold of a shop could be so high… He thought bitterly, with a hint of alcohol on his breath. Ignoring the beautifully blooming winter plum blossoms in the courtyard and their fragrance, he strode across and pushed aside the light blue curtain at the door.
A warm, fragrant scent wafted through the air, but Liu Chang didn’t see Mudan. Instead, he first noticed Shu’er’s annoyed face, followed by a young, robust, unfamiliar servant. The servant’s boldness was striking; he brazenly looked Liu Chang up and down without a hint of deference. The two of them blocked the doorway, obscuring Mudan from view.
This must be the one who had beaten Qiushi black and blue and left him in the street, Liu Chang thought. He narrowed his eyes at Gui, his previously calm demeanor suddenly provoked. With a cold laugh, he said, “He Mudan! Why are you hiding? Have you done something you’re ashamed of and can’t face people?”
“Let him in,” Mudan’s voice was remarkably calm, devoid of any discernible emotion. Gui and Shu’er stepped aside, making way. Liu Chang looked up and saw Mudan sitting on a soft couch, wearing a scarlet jacket trimmed with white fox fur. She held a shiny copper chopstick in her hand, her face flushed from the charcoal fire. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and sneezed, her eyes watery, looking particularly charming and delicate.
Liu Chang momentarily lost his composure. He remembered the winter when she had just married, the night after the first snowfall. He had returned from outside to find her in his study, personally tending to the charcoal brazier for him. She was younger then, not as beautiful as now, but equally lovely and eye-catching. Yet her gaze was different now. Back then, she had looked at him shyly, happily, expectantly. Now, she regarded him coolly, saying impatiently, “What do you want this time?”
“Don’t you know in your heart? Do I have to spell it out for you to understand the danger?” Liu Chang felt a wave of irritation. He tore his gaze from Mudan and strode towards her, looking for a suitable place to sit without losing his authority. But as he might, he couldn’t find an appropriate seat. Other establishments’ back rooms, meant for entertaining important guests and clients, would have several chairs for everyone to sit at the same level to discuss business.
But Mudan’s place was peculiar – she sat on a soft couch, with only a small stool opposite her. If he sat there, he’d be noticeably lower than her… but standing to talk… He involuntarily glanced at Gui and Shu’er. Standing while speaking was for servants… Liu Chang glared angrily at Mudan. This troublemaker always opposed him endlessly! Even in such small matters, she sought to make him uncomfortable.
Mudan had no idea what Liu Chang was thinking. She didn’t call for anyone to pour him tea, but said casually, “Inspector Liu must be very idle, neglecting his duties to meddle in others’ affairs everywhere. One moment buying incense, the next sending a dog to bark nonsense. You never do your actual job, aren’t you ashamed to take a salary?”
Liu Chang looked at Mudan askance, leaning against the window. He sneered, “Don’t change the subject. I’ve heard something concerning your sixth brother and you. I can hardly believe you’d be so audacious, so I’ve come to confirm it personally.”
Mudan remained silent, taking a small sip of tea without even raising her eyes. She made no move to dismiss her attendants.
Liu Chang had no choice but to lower his voice, “How dare you do such a heartless thing?! If your sixth brother has a gambling problem, you could have had your mother and elder brother teach him a lesson. Why resort to such a vicious act? Colluding with the Imperial Guard to raid someone’s establishment, having them imprisoned with an uncertain fate, while you sit here comfortably by the fire, drinking tea and making money, living a life of ease… There are no secrets under heaven.
Aren’t you afraid your sixth brother will find out about your black heart? Aren’t you afraid those who suffered losses will learn of this and tear you to pieces? You’ve been with Jiang Dalang too long; you’ve become as black-hearted as him.” As he spoke, he suddenly realized his tone was off. He was here to threaten her, after all. He imperceptibly adjusted his posture, thinking, “Damned woman, these days she’s always parading past his tavern, it’s irritating to see.”
Mudan looked at him with amusement, “How strange. What relation are you to me, Inspector Liu? Where did you hear such things? How are my family matters any of your concerns? You are too idle! Your eagerness to meddle only makes me more inclined to believe a certain rumor.”
Liu Chang was fuming. He swept his sleeve angrily, saying, “He Mudan, don’t reject my kindness only to face punishment. Do you think I’d come here without reason? I have evidence!” He suddenly stepped closer, lowering his head near Mudan, and hissed through gritted teeth, “I don’t care about your family’s sordid affairs, but do you know who else was involved in that gambling den? If I let slip even a hint, you’ll be reduced to dust!” Before he finished speaking, he caught the warm scent of Mudan’s perfume, causing his heart to race uncontrollably. He couldn’t finish what he intended to say and involuntarily took a large step back, taking a deep breath to regain his composure.
“Evidence?” Mudan caught the faint smell of alcohol on him and gave him a look of disgust. She sneered, “Don’t try to frame me with false accusations. You can’t scare me. You’re not the only one in this world with a brain and a mouth, able to say whatever you please. I have evidence too, showing that you, a government official, neglect your duties, lure good men into gambling, and practice usury, driving families to ruin. If this reaches the Censorate, I’m afraid it won’t end well for you. Who knows what fate might befall you?”
Liu Chang had only heard bits and pieces before, and though he had his suspicions, after much reasoning, he believed the He family was behind it all. Jiang Changyang was from the Imperial Guard, and Mudan had the most convenient connection to them. Hearing Mudan speak this way now, he was almost certain it was her doing. A surge of anger rose from his heart, quickly spreading through his limbs. His entire body filled with rage as he burst out, “He Mudan! You’re so brazen. It was you!”
Mudan scoffed, “Don’t talk nonsense. Commoners don’t fight officials. I don’t dare to provoke your family, nor am I powerful enough to mobilize the Imperial Guard. I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell you: your actions are seen by heaven. Be careful! One day you might die without a burial place, with no one to shed a tear for you or even attend your funeral!”
Liu Chang’s face alternated between pale and flushed. “Say that again?” he demanded.
Cursing his children to die seemed a bit too vicious. Mudan snorted and turned her head away, refusing to speak further.
Liu Chang finally said what he came to say: “Go tell your family that for the incense materials needed by the palace this time, you are not allowed to participate. Moreover, you must sell all the incense materials in your possession to me!”
Mudan violently threw the copper chopstick into the brazier, sending sparks flying. “On what grounds?!” she exclaimed.
Seeing Mudan finally lose her temper, glaring at him with her chest heaving in anger, Liu Chang felt slightly better. While putting on an arrogant air, he couldn’t help but glance at her chest. He sneered, “No particular grounds. If you don’t agree, just wait and see. Do you believe me? I only need to spread a little rumor, and in a few days, I’ll have your He family’s shops shut down for good!”
Seeing him steal glances at her chest, Mudan angrily kicked over the brazier. Hot coals fell onto Liu Chang’s boots and robe, instantly spreading a burnt smell. Frightened, Liu Chang stepped back several paces. He first grabbed Mudan’s teacup to extinguish the fire, and when that wasn’t enough, he snatched the porcelain plate with narcissus flowers from the windowsill, tossed aside the flowers, and poured the water over himself. He then frantically patted himself down to finish the job. Shu’er laughed out loud at the sight but was silenced by Liu Chang’s fierce glare.
After he finished, Mudan coldly sneered, “I’m not a pushover you can bully. I’ve told you! Go ahead and try! Do whatever you want! But consider the consequences! If my He family’s shops close down, Inspector Liu’s official career will surely be over too! My mother sent someone to inquire about my sixth brother’s situation a while ago. I hear the Imperial Guard’s prison is quite nice! It has held many important figures. You might as well go experience it yourself. Who knows, you might even ascend to immortality in there, saving the cost of a coffin.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Liu Chang’s eyes turn bloodshot. His hands clenched into fists as he glared at her, seeming ready to lunge at her throat at any moment. Mudan quickly stepped back, and Gui came forward with a stern face. Liu Chang raised his hand, about to grab Gui, when suddenly Qiushi appeared at the door, his face bruised and swollen, crying out, “My lord, something terrible has happened, my lord!”
Liu Chang froze, then flew into a rage, raising his foot to kick Qiushi. “Your father is the one in trouble!”
Qiushi cried, his nose running, “My lord, it’s truly terrible. Young Master Qi is gone.”
Liu Chang stood dumbfounded. Although he didn’t like children and didn’t value his two concubine-born children much, he saw the two little ones with Concubine Qi every day. Qi’er, though young and afraid of him, always tried to curry favor with him. This morning when he left, Qi’er was still in Concubine Qi’s arms, coyly offering him a segment of tangerine. He naturally didn’t eat it, finding it dirty, and casually gave it to a servant. But now Qiushi was telling him the little one was gone.
Qiushi continued rambling, “Someone just came from home to tell us. It happened in just a moment. He wanted to eat a glutinous rice ball, but somehow he couldn’t swallow it. They couldn’t get it out no matter what they tried. In no time, his face turned purple… Both the madam and Concubine Biwu fainted from crying, and the master returned home. They’re all waiting for you.”
Liu Chang walked out in a daze. He couldn’t express his feelings. All his life, he seemed to be chasing things he couldn’t obtain, never able to grasp what he wanted. When he had things before, he didn’t care or think they were important. But when they disappeared from his life, he realized they had long been indispensable parts of his life, coming and going like the wind, lost before he was ready to accept it. He walked to the courtyard and suddenly turned back to look at Mudan, a strange smile on his face. “You’ve got your wish. My only son is dead.”
Mudan lowered her head in silence. She had cursed Liu Chang to die without anyone to bury him and had never liked his two concubine-born daughters, but she hadn’t expected little Qi’er to die so suddenly at such a young age.
Seeing her silence, Liu Chang continued, “You must have wanted him dead for a long time, right? Today you finally got your wish. Are you happy?”
Hearing his words, Mudan’s momentary sympathy instantly turned to irritation and disgust. “You’re utterly nonsensical! What does your son’s death have to do with me?! Instead of wasting time here, why don’t you go see how your son died?” As she spoke, she sneezed several times in succession, her eyes watering. She waved her hand at Shu’er, “Quickly lower the curtain, the cold wind is making me uncomfortable.”
Liu Chang stared fixedly at Mudan until the curtain was lowered and he could no longer see her. Then he quickly departed.
Shu’er, peering out the window, saw the master and servant walk away. He turned back to Mudan and said, “They’re gone.”
Mudan quietly instructed Gui, “While he’s too preoccupied to manage affairs here, quickly run to Commander Guo’s place. Prepare to get the person out in the next few days.”