As one leaves Jin territory and enters the capital, passing through Jingxing is one route, with numerous teahouses along the way catering to traveling merchants, offering water, and caring for horses.
Early this morning, before the dew had even dispersed from the leaves, a procession of carriages and horses approached Sanbao’s teahouse with a clattering sound.
Sanbao hurried to greet them, helping the guests with their horses. He diligently wiped the dust off the long benches and brought out a stack of well-used, chipped cups, pouring steaming, golden tea into them.
“Watch what you’re doing!” barked a burly guest impatiently at Sanbao. Looking down, Sanbao realized the tea had overflowed. He quickly apologized and efficiently wiped the table.
The woman who had captivated Sanbao so much that he hadn’t noticed the spilling tea furrowed her willow-like brows and widened her almond eyes, ordering him, “Fill this kettle with boiling water.”
“Right away,” Sanbao grinned, taking the large-bellied, thin-necked brass kettle with a lotus-patterned lid from Yuqian’er. As he hefted it, he could tell it was double-layered—such kettles were extremely labor-intensive to make and far beyond the means of ordinary households.
Having served countless merchants at this teahouse, Sanbao had seen many exquisite kettles, but this one was undoubtedly used only by the wealthiest families.
Moments later, Sanbao handed the kettle, now filled with boiling water, back to Yuqian’er. “Miss, please be careful, it’s quite heavy.”
“Who are you calling ‘Miss’?” Yuqian’er glared at Sanbao. “Put it on the table.”
Sanbao’s body went weak, nearly dropping the kettle. He hastily placed it on the table. Yuqian’er took out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped the outside of the kettle before carrying it back to the middle carriage.
This blatant display of disdain didn’t affect Sanbao in the slightest; he was well accustomed to such treatment. He continued to smile foolishly. Never before had he seen such a striking young woman. Sanbao couldn’t help but wonder which family she belonged to, daring to employ such a beautiful maid. The future son-in-law would indeed be fortunate, he thought lecherously.
“Wake up, little fool.”
Startled, Sanbao turned just in time to catch a string of copper coins tossed his way. After counting them, he looked up to see the group preparing to depart, some mounting horses, others readying the carriages.
They were certainly generous. Sanbao wondered which great household they came from. Though he had never left home, his business of greeting and sending off travelers had exposed him to many people. The guards of this procession were robust and formidable, conducting themselves with great discretion—qualities not found in the servants of ordinary wealthy families. Thus, Sanbao concluded they must be from an official family from the West.
Yuqian’er carried the brass kettle into the carriage and set it down, rubbing her arms. After days of travel, her bones felt like they were falling apart. She glanced at her young mistress, who remained as graceful as if she were still in her home garden, elegantly reclining against a bolster—lost in thought.
Even while daydreaming, she maintained an exquisitely beautiful posture, causing Yuqian’er to sigh, “Young Miss, since no one’s watching, why don’t you lie down and rest for a bit?”
Ji Cheng ignored Yuqian’er’s suggestion. “The hot water’s here. Mix it for me to wash my face.”
Yuqian’er and Liuye’er attended to Ji Cheng as she washed her face and combed her hair. Ji Cheng even applied some peach blossom rouge to conceal the paleness caused by their night journey.
Although Yuqian’er had been serving her young mistress since she was ten, she still couldn’t understand her habit of always maintaining appearances. They had barely left the carriage all day; what was the point of applying makeup? Who was there to see?
Yuqian’er naturally couldn’t comprehend her mistress’s predicament, nor did Ji Cheng expect her to understand. The most crucial thing for a person is to maintain a consistent image in public and private. One slip could reveal one’s true nature. If she were truly from an eminent family, a little laxity might be excusable. But she wasn’t. Despite her family’s wealth and vast estates, if anyone caught a glimpse of her in a relaxed state, they would question her upbringing and character. That would dash any hope of marrying into an old, prestigious family.
Liuye’er, two years older than Yuqian’er, was more attuned to her mistress’s concerns. Noticing a trace of worry between Ji Cheng’s brows, she consoled her, “Young Miss will surely achieve her heart’s desire. Even Madam Aunt’s beauty doesn’t compare to yours.”
Ji Cheng turned to look at Liuye’er. Her experience was still too shallow. Her aunt’s “miraculous encounter” wasn’t solely due to her beauty; it also depended on meeting the right person.
For a woman, beauty, talent, and luck were all indispensable. In thousands of years, there had been few tales as extraordinary as her aunt’s. “Do you think everyone has the same fortune as my aunt?”
Ji Cheng’s aunt’s story was indeed legendary. In her generation, the Ji family was still just an ordinary merchant family from Jin. During the Flower Festival, Ji Cheng’s aunt, disguised as the Flower Goddess, caught the eye of the third young master of the Qi Dukedom. It was love at first sight, and he vowed to marry no one but her.
Given the Ji family’s status, the best Ji Lan could hope for was to enter the Qi Duke’s household as a concubine. But Ji Lan adamantly refused, and surprisingly, young Master Shen was willing to go on a hunger strike before his parents. In the end, he succeeded in marrying Ji Lan, creating a beautiful story that countless women of humble origins envied.
Liuye’er remained silent upon hearing this, while the quick-tongued Yuqian’er said, “Whoever marries our Young Miss will have earned good fortune from their previous life.” To her, her young mistress was as precious as gold. “I don’t believe there’s anyone in this world who doesn’t love money.”
“Yuqian’er!” Liuye’er rebuked. How could this girl be so tactless? Wasn’t she essentially saying their young mistress had nothing but money?
Ji Cheng waved her hand dismissively. She wasn’t upset by Yuqian’er’s frankness. “You lack experience. In this world, there are indeed people who despise the stench of money.”
Yuqian’er fell silent. If her young mistress said some people disliked the smell of money, then there must be.
The wheels of the carriage creaked as they slowly entered Tongque Street in the capital. Three vermilion gates occupied nearly half of this street, and all three households shared the same surname—Shen.
The Qi Duke Shen family had three branches. Although the Shen family’s old madam was still alive, the three branches had already divided the household. The eldest son, Shen Zhuoshang, had married a princess and inherited the title of Duke of Qi. The second son, Shen Xiu, had been granted the title of Marquis of Zhongyi for his meritorious service in saving the emperor. The previous emperor had specially bestowed a mansion next to the Qi Duke’s residence, allowing the Marquis of Zhongyi to establish his household while still being able to care for the old madam.
The old Madam Shen was an open-minded person. She took this opportunity to divide the family. With both the eldest and second sons holding titles, it wasn’t appropriate to keep them under one roof, as it could easily lead to conflicts.
As for the least accomplished third son, Shen Ying, he had managed to secure a position as a Lang Zhong in the Ministry of War. His residence, also on Tongque Street, was purchased by the old madam using her private funds. However, its gate faced a side alley, unable to compare with his two brothers.
The Ji family’s carriage turned into Tiemao Alley and entered Shen Ying’s residence through a side gate. Immediately, a servant came forward to tend to the horses. “Young Master, the master is still at the ministry and hasn’t returned. The madam invites you and the young miss to meet her in the inner courtyard.”
Ji Yuan nodded and dismounted. Ji Cheng remained seated in the carriage until they reached the hanging flower gate. Only then did she allow her maids and the elderly female servants to assist her in alighting from the carriage and entering the second gate.
The elderly servant who came to receive Ji Cheng was unfamiliar; she wasn’t Shen Wanli’s housekeeper who had been by Ji Lan’s side when Ji Cheng visited a few years ago. This woman introduced herself as Madam Cui.
Liuye’er stepped forward, warmly addressing her as “Madam Cui” and discreetly slipping her a purse. “Madam, you seem unfamiliar. Have you only recently begun serving my aunt in the past couple of years?”
Madam Cui weighed the purse and smiled, “This old servant doesn’t have such good fortune. I just manage the tea room for the madam in the front courtyard.”
Yuqian’er, standing nearby, almost failed to maintain her composure upon hearing this, while Ji Cheng’s face remained adorned with a gentle smile.
A servant managing the tea room was typically responsible for receiving guests when the household had visitors. For slightly more familiar female guests who came to call, if Ji Lan had any sense, she should have sent one of her servants to receive them. Having been the third madam of the Shen family for over a decade, it was impossible for her not to understand such social etiquette.
Ji Cheng understood clearly that her aunt was subtly putting her in her place. Wasn’t this just another example of someone who despised the smell of money?
However, the Ji family needed her aunt’s help. If Ji Cheng wanted to stay in the capital and enter the circle of noble young ladies, she would have to rely entirely on Ji Lan’s introductions. So even if it was humiliating, she had to endure it. Ji Lan had probably counted on this very fact.
Ji Cheng followed her elder brother Ji Yuan into the courtyard housing the main rooms of the Shen residence. She had visited briefly with her father over three years ago, staying for two days. Now, looking at the courtyard, it seemed even more modest than before. If Ji Cheng didn’t know exactly how much money the Ji family sent to her aunt each year, she might have thought the third branch of the Shen family was struggling to make ends meet.
Ji Lan was seated in the main hall when she received her nephew and niece, Ji Yuan and Ji Cheng. As the two crossed the threshold, the room seemed to brighten, causing Ji Lan to squint slightly.
Ji Yuan led Ji Cheng in bowing to Ji Lan. “Aunt.”
Ji Lan smiled and said, “You must be Yuan. It’s been so many years; I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Ji Yuan, with his steady temperament, simply smiled in response.
“Your father’s letter already mentioned your situation. I’ve asked your Uncle Shen to inquire about the academy, and there shouldn’t be any problems. You can settle in with peace of mind,” Ji Lan said, quite satisfied with Ji Yuan, who stood like a jade tree in the wind.
“Thank you, Aunt. Are my cousins not here?” Ji Yuan asked. Ji Lan’s two sons, one sixteen and the other eight, with the elder Shen Jing already enrolled in Dongshan Academy, had long been in correspondence with Ji Yuan. He was eager to meet and discuss literature and arts with Shen Jing.
“We’ve had many guests these past few days, so they’re attending to the old madam,” Ji Lan explained with a smile.
Ji Yuan nodded in understanding.
Only then did Ji Lan turn her gaze to Ji Cheng. There were no unattractive people in the Ji family, but the person before her had taken the Ji family’s beauty to its pinnacle. To say she embodied the essence of heaven and earth would not be an exaggeration. If her family background were better, she might even be worthy of becoming an imperial consort.