“After all, Cheng’s illness was due to Honger, and now her marriage prospects have been ruined because of Qian’s loose tongue. Our Shen family owes her. When your great-grandfather was alive, he always said it was better to be wronged than to wrong others. That’s why our Shen family has come this far. No one can stand alone; we all need support. If we don’t treat Cheng well, it might dishearten everyone below us,” the Old Madam said.
Shen Yuan nodded in agreement.
Shen Qian glumly said, “In the end, it’s all my fault.”
The Old Madam tapped Shen Qian’s nose, “To know one’s fault and correct it is the greatest virtue. Now you understand that misfortune comes from the mouth, don’t you? Will you dare to speak so carelessly in the future?”
Shen Qian hurriedly shook her head, “I’ll never dare to do it again.”
They all knew that Su Yun had leaked the information to He Ning, but since Su Yun had already left, no one mentioned it. The Old Madam was instructing Shen Qian because, even though Su Yun was at fault, the root cause was still with Shen Qian.
When Ji Cheng learned that the Old Madam wanted her to move into her courtyard, she was slightly stunned. She knew the Old Madam would feel somewhat apologetic towards her, but she didn’t expect her to go this far.
It was well known that for a young lady to be raised in Old Madam Shen’s courtyard, learning from her for a year or two, would be immensely beneficial. It would also improve her future marriage prospects.
However, moving to the Old Madam’s courtyard would make it less convenient for Ji Cheng to act freely, at least making it harder to use the secret passage to the Nine Li Courtyard.
But since the Old Madam had already spoken, Ji Cheng naturally had to act pleasantly surprised. Within a day, she had packed her trunks, and early on the third morning, she moved into the side room of Ruiying Hall.
It’s only when people live together that they discover things about each other that are different from what they imagined.
For instance, one early morning when Ji Cheng couldn’t sleep and got up early, she saw the Old Madam, who was always dignified and elegant in public, wearing a set of white silk undergarments practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard.
Ji Cheng had already stepped halfway out but didn’t dare to move. The Old Madam turned and saw her, stopping her movements and asking, “Why are you up so early?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Ji Cheng replied.
“Are you not used to the bed?” the Old Madam asked again.
Ji Cheng shook her head, “No, it’s just that I’ve never slept well.”
The Old Madam said, “You young girls just don’t know how to take care of yourselves. When you reach my age, you’ll regret it. How can you not sleep well at such a young age? You might not see the ill effects now, but in a few years, you’ll know. You’ll age faster than others.”
Ji Cheng smiled, “I’m worried too, but I can’t always drink sleeping potions. But Ancestor, it’s still cold, why are you up so early before dawn to practice Tai Chi?”
The Old Madam said, “It’s all because of Ache’s mischief. That year, when he was only twelve, I had just recovered from a serious illness. He pestered me to learn Tai Chi. I was too lazy to move, so he would come to Ruiying Hall every day at this hour to knock on the door. When I told people to ignore him, he dared to beat gongs and drums outside my courtyard door. He couldn’t be beaten into submission. Now I’m used to it, and I feel uncomfortable if I don’t practice early in the morning.”
Ji Cheng hadn’t expected Shen Che to have such a time, and couldn’t help but laugh. Then she realized that she hadn’t seen Shen Che for a long time. If he were in the mansion, he should come to pay respects to the Old Madam in the morning, if not at night. Ji Cheng had been living in Ruiying Hall for some time now, and she had seen even the usually busy Shen Yu several times, but not Shen Che.
However, speak of the devil and he shall appear. As Ji Cheng was watching the Old Madam practice Tai Chi and trying to imitate her movements, then helping the Old Madam with her morning toilette, just as they were about to have breakfast, Shen Che came in.
The Old Madam immediately started scolding Shen Che, mainly complaining about him going off to who knows where to mess around again. Of course, in front of Ji Cheng, the Old Madam would never use the term “mess around,” but the meaning was about the same.
Shen Che listened to the Old Madam’s scolding with a constant smile, occasionally nodding and agreeing. Ji Cheng watched from the side, finding it amusing, unable to imagine that Shen Che could be so obedient.
After the Old Madam finished scolding, Shen Che personally handed her a bowl of almond milk, “Grandmother, take a break and have some almond milk before you continue scolding.”
The Old Madam pointed at Shen Che’s nose angrily, “If you anger me again, do you believe I’ll find you a pockmarked wife to discipline you?”
Shen Che repeatedly begged for mercy, then turned to look at Ji Cheng, as if just noticing her, “Sister Cheng is so filial, coming so early.”
“Your Sister Cheng now lives in the side room of the courtyard. Look at you, rarely coming home, what do you know about things at home? You’re like a guest,” the Old Madam started scolding again.
The head maid Yun Jin, listening on the side, covered her mouth, but knowing that the Old Madam also feared scolding her most beloved grandson too much and making him impatient, she interjected, “Old Ancestor, breakfast is ready. There are freshly steamed pine nut goose oil rolls and thousand-layer radish pastries.”
These were both Shen Che’s favorites. Upon Yun Jin’s words, the Old Madam seemingly impatiently asked Shen Che, “Have you had breakfast? You’re not going out early in the morning again, are you?”
“How could I? Isn’t it because I was thinking of Grandmother’s radish pastries that I came early?” Shen Che smiled.
The Old Madam glared at Shen Che, “That’s more like it.”
Watching the interaction between the grandmother and grandson, Ji Cheng was stunned. In front of Shen Che, the Old Madam had completely transformed into another Honger.
During the meal, Ji Cheng consciously stood to the side to serve dishes for the Old Madam. The Old Madam said, “You’re also Ache’s sister, there’s no need for such formalities. Sit down and eat together. You’ve been practicing Tai Chi with me all morning, aren’t you hungry?”
Ji Cheng obediently sat down, and the Old Madam further instructed, “Drink the ginger tea mixed with milk first to warm your stomach before eating.”
Ji Cheng had been living in Ruiying Hall for over ten days now and was no longer as unfamiliar as when she first arrived. Hearing the Old Madam’s words, she smiled sweetly and responded with a “Yes.”
Old people just love to see smiling faces, so these past few days, Ji Cheng’s cheeks had been more tired than usual.
After breakfast, Shen Che excused himself and left, while Ji Cheng went to her lessons. The Old Madam sat alone, full of thoughts.
Maid Cao sat nearby, sewing shoe soles. She had been making the Old Madam’s shoes for decades. Maid Cao rubbed the long needle on her hair for oil and looked at the Old Madam, “Miss, what’s wrong? You’re sighing. Are you worried about Young Master Che’s marriage again?”
The Old Madam didn’t hide her concerns from this old servant who had been with her for decades, “Don’t you think Ache is a bit different towards Cheng?”
Maid Cao asked in surprise, “I didn’t notice. What did you see, Miss?”
The Old Madam shook her head, “I just feel something’s not right.”
“I think you’re too worried about Young Master Che’s marriage, so everything seems off to you. At least I haven’t noticed anything different about how Young Master Che treats Miss Cheng.”
“It’s the eyes,” the Old Madam suddenly said. “The eyes are not right. He looked at Cheng several times during the meal.”
Maid Cao found it amusing, “Miss Cheng is so beautiful, not just Young Master Che, even we want to look at her a few more times when we see her. What’s wrong with that?”
“I hope I’m overthinking,” the Old Madam sighed. “If Ache likes her, there’s nothing wrong with Cheng. You know Ache’s personality, if we marry him to someone he doesn’t like, it would be harmful to the girl. But Cheng’s health, I’m really worried. An’he only has Ache as his only child, the family line depends on Ache. What if she can’t conceive?”
Although Doctor Liu said Ji Cheng could recover, the Old Madam feared the worst, especially when this possibility fell on Shen Che, she couldn’t bear it.
“Young Master Che fancying Miss Cheng? That’s unlikely,” Maid Cao thought the Old Madam might be confused. Just because he looked a few more times doesn’t mean we should think about having children. “Young Master Che is filial. Back then, he liked that person so much, but he gave up with just one word from you. If you’re afraid Young Master Che might fancy Miss Cheng, you can just ask Miss Cheng to avoid him when he comes to pay respects in the future.”
The Old Madam sighed again, “How could it be that easy?” Back then, Shen Che was young and could be controlled by her, but since then, every time the Old Madam wanted to bring up marriage with Shen Che, she had to be very careful, fearing it might bring up his past heartache and damage their relationship.
If this time Shen Che liked Ji Cheng, the Old Madam feared she would be powerless to stop it. When children grow up, they can’t be controlled by their parents, let alone with Shen Che’s personality, he is capable of doing anything.
Ji Cheng was unaware of the Old Madam’s worries, she was busy with other matters. The secret passage under her bed was going to be connected by noon today.
How could Shen Che not know about Ji Cheng moving? Even if he was away, he had eyes everywhere. On the first night, Ji Cheng moved to Ruiying Hall, she heard noises underground, frightening her into thinking the old house was haunted. It turned out to be Shen Che having people dig a secret passage.
If not for fear of making too much noise and alerting others in Ruiying Hall, the secret passage could have been dug out in two days. Now it was good, Ji Cheng no longer had to crawl through the well, she could easily enter the secret passage by turning over the bedboard.
When Ji Cheng met Shen Che in Lanyue Study, he brought her two pieces of news.
“The Su family’s boat encountered a big wind while passing through Taihu Lake. It capsized, and no one survived. The locals all said it was caused by the Dragon King’s anger. The fishermen and those who make a living on the water sacrificed animals by the water for three days before stopping,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng didn’t dare to look into Shen Che’s eyes, so she just stared at his hands as he brewed tea. This was indeed her doing, resolved with just one silver note. The black market was indeed a good place.
It probably harmed many innocent people, but if she had directly had someone kill Su Yun, not only would the officials investigate, but Ji Cheng, who had lost her marriage prospects because of Su Yun, might also become suspicious in the future. So Ji Cheng generously gave the silver note, buying eternal peace.
With the Dragon King’s anger killing the entire boat of people, suspicion wouldn’t fall on Ji Cheng. However, hearing this news, Ji Cheng also sighed. Those people hidden in the darkness dared to do anything.
Ji Cheng had also asked herself if this was too cruel, but since Su Yun had been able to scheme against her like that back then, Ji Cheng did not pity her. She was different from Wang Fourth Lady, Su Yun, and others. These people always focus on ruining one’s reputation. They not only wanted you dead but also wanted you to die carrying a lifelong stigma, or to live a life of constant fear and suffering.
Ji Cheng had no patience for these games with Su Yun. When dealing with people, she preferred the cleanest and most efficient methods.
Ji Cheng wanted to use the same approach as Wang’s Fourth Lady, but the Wang family was at the height of their power. Those desperate criminals knew which money they could spend and live, and which money would only buy them a coffin. No one dared to accept the job against Wang Fourth Lady, fearing it would backfire on them.
Ji Cheng listened to the bubbling sound of boiling water without speaking, waiting for Shen Che to continue.
However, after sharing that piece of news, Shen Che focused entirely on the tea in his hands, as if he hadn’t just mentioned the death of an entire shipload of people, but merely commented on the weather.
Shen Che handed the tea to Ji Cheng, who took a sip. Then she heard Shen Che say, “Such actions harm one’s karma. Find some time to go to Daci Temple and donate more money for oil and incense. Let the monks chant the Rebirth Mantra a few more times.”
“Yes,” Ji Cheng agreed readily.
Shen Che looked into Ji Cheng’s eyes, clear and sparkling. Who could read the ruthlessness behind such beautiful eyes?
When Shen Che first mentioned the underground black market, he had done so deliberately. He wanted to test Ji Cheng, but he hadn’t expected her to follow through, and so ruthlessly at that. This “don’t trouble me, and I won’t trouble you; but if you do, I’ll destroy your entire family” kind of cold and resolute mindset was indeed suitable for the position of “Flower Master.”
Yet Shen Che couldn’t quite identify the source of the disappointment and even anger in his heart. He should have been pleased; in the future, when there were tasks he didn’t want to dirty his hands with, Ji Cheng might be able to complete them very well for him.
Ji Cheng noticed Shen Che’s gloomy expression and detected the sarcasm in his words, but she didn’t regret her actions. Instead, she thought that if she had access to the black market earlier, she could have killed Zhu Jijun with money, avoiding all these current troubles.
Shen Che could see that Ji Cheng had no regrets. He feared that after tasting the power of controlling life and death, she might become addicted to it. Especially someone of Ji Cheng’s background, who could easily fall into the trap of “becoming arrogant upon gaining power,” shifting from being bullied to retaliatory bullying of others, until she eventually became unrecognizable even to herself.
“Cousin Che, is there any news about the situation with Yan Xiagu?” Ji Cheng changed the subject. Shen Che’s gaze was growing increasingly dark, making her uncomfortable. But Ji Cheng felt that Shen Che was being somewhat hypocritical; she didn’t believe the Jingshi Army’s hands could be completely clean either.
“Yes. The mountain bandit problem has been resolved. I’ve already selected your first merchant convoy,” Shen Che replied.
It had only been about half a month, and Ji Cheng could hardly believe Shen Che’s efficiency. It was truly astonishing.
The Yan Xiagu incident had indeed stirred up the major powers in the Western Regions. The bandits in Yan Xiagu were so brazen that they must have had support from someone. Various forces were vying for control, which had prevented anyone from daring to touch Yan Xiagu.
Tong Xiang and his companions never believed Ji Cheng’s boast could be realized. So when they each returned to their lairs in the Western Regions and immediately heard that the Yan Xiagu bandits had been wiped out, their shock was something Ji Cheng would have found extremely satisfying to witness, had she been able to see it.
Although Tong Xiang and his two companions were not together, they all thought the same thing while gazing at the night sky: Who exactly was this Flower Lady?
Yes, initially, Ji Cheng was known to Tong Xiang and his companions simply as “Flower Lady.” These three rough men only knew that Ji Cheng’s mask and robes were embroidered with flowers, but they couldn’t identify the specific type. They didn’t know her title either, and the messenger had referred to her as “young lady.”
So Tong Xiang and his companions naturally called Ji Cheng “Flower Lady.”
Although Tong Xiang and his two companions knew they were working for the Jingshi Army, they were only considered external members, not even qualifying as outer core personnel. Their previous tasks had merely been to earn money for the Jingshi Army. They were unaware of what the Jingshi Army’s people were doing.
So when they first heard about Ji Cheng, they thought she was just a high-ranking merchant. But when they investigated the situation in Yan Xiagu, they realized they had underestimated her.
No ordinary merchant could have dealt with bandits who had occupied Yan Xiagu for over twenty years in just half a month. And her methods were quite remarkable.
According to Tong Xiang’s intelligence, the three bandit chiefs of Yan Xiagu – Ox Demon King, Deer Demon King, and Goat Demon King – were beheaded overnight, their heads displayed at the entrance of the mountain stronghold. The next morning, it gave an early-rising underlying such a fright that he nearly died.
With the three chiefs gone, the bandits immediately fell into disarray.
And then there was nothing more.
This was the strangest part.
The Yan Xiagu bandits numbered at least two to three hundred. To eradicate them would require an army of at least five hundred men. Even five hundred might not be enough, as the bandits were very familiar with the terrain. When faced with a strong force invading the mountains, they would disperse, only to regroup and raise their flag in Yan Xiagu once the danger had passed. No one could do anything about them.
But according to Tong Xiang’s inquiries, before this happened, no one had received any news, nor had anyone seen any sign of an army. Yet the Yan Xiagu bandits were wiped out.
Moreover, they only heard that the three chiefs were dead, but what about the remaining bandits? Where had they all gone? How could everything be so quiet without any disturbance? Had they all turned into sheep? Or had someone dug a big pit and buried them all?
No one could say for sure.
Furthermore, after meeting Ji Cheng in the capital, Tong Xiang and his companions rushed back to the Western Regions day and night. They had barely arrived when they heard that the Yan Xiagu bandits had already been dealt with. The speed was astounding.
In the end, it was Pang Junxiong who first received the news. He was instructed to go to Yan Xiagu immediately.
The large red ox-head flag that once flew over the former bandit stronghold was nowhere to be seen. In front of the main fortress where the Ox Demon King used to live, a new thirty-foot flagpole had been erected, flying a new black flag embroidered with four large golden characters: “Yuelai Inn.”
Pang Junxiong’s first thought was, “How much gold thread was wasted on that? Such extravagance!”
In the newly renovated stronghold, Pang Junxiong met the remaining 152 bandits. These once ruthless mountain bandits were now as docile as sheep. Each wore a waist token, and according to them, they were now called the “Jia Unit.” The tokens were numbered from Jia One to Jia One Hundred and Twenty-Five.
This was Ji Cheng’s first convoy, specifically responsible for transporting goods from the Western Regions to Yan City. Their methods still retained traces of their former bandit ways.
Merchants wishing to pass safely through Yan Xiagu? No problem! They didn’t even need to pay a toll, but they had to entrust their goods to this group for transport, with a reasonable service fee, of course. The merchants themselves could travel lightly to Yan City ahead to receive their goods, guaranteed not to be short even a single grain of rice.
If anyone refused and insisted on transporting their goods, these transporters would instantly revert to being bandits, robbing everything and leaving the merchants with nothing but despair and thoughts of suicide.
Under such tyrannical practices, who dared not to use the Jia Unit for transport? Most importantly, they were truly honest and fair, and their fees were reasonable.
How reasonable? The cost of hiring the Jia Unit was nearly the same as finding your own horse or camel team, but if you transported goods yourself, you bore all the risks, such as encountering bandits or losing goods to storms or heavy rain. You could only blame your bad luck.
But if you entrusted your goods to the Jia Unit, they would compensate for any losses during transit. At first, merchants didn’t believe this condition. Where in the world could you find such a good deal? These people were former bandits, after all.
However, there was an incident that proved it true. The Western Regions rarely saw rain, but this year there was a heavy downpour. Liu Lian’er’s tea leaves were soaked and completely ruined. He had already arrived in Yan City when he heard the news, but he didn’t dare to ask the Jia Unit for compensation, believing it wasn’t their fault.
To his surprise, the Jia Unit sought out Liu Lian’er first, handing him a banknote for two thousand taels of silver as compensation for the damaged goods, and fully refunding the transport fee.
This single incident established the Jia Unit’s credibility. Later, as business boomed, they no longer needed to intimidate merchants into entrusting them with goods. People even sought various connections, hoping to establish ties with the Jia Unit and have their goods transported first, as the unit’s business was so prosperous that they were often overwhelmed with orders.
Of course, this was all in hindsight.
When Pang Junxiong arrived in Yan Xiagu and understood what had transpired, he was left with nothing but fear and admiration for Ji Cheng. In his correspondence with Tong Xiang and the others, he no longer dared to call Ji Cheng “Flower Lady,” instead jokingly referring to her as “Flower Master.”
The implication was that Ji Cheng’s methods and cunning surpassed those of many powerful men. Later, after Pang Junxiong, following Ji Cheng’s instructions had developed the Jia Unit into a thriving enterprise, the title “Flower Master” became established.
However, if Ji Cheng were to hear this title, she would probably cough up blood three times. It was just too vulgar for her taste.
The topic has strayed too far. Let’s return to the Lanyue Study in February, where Shen Che poured another cup of tea for Ji Cheng, then looked around and said, “With snow all around at this time of year, it seems a bit out of place.”
They should have changed the decorations earlier. The paper on the walls was starting to peel, but Ji Cheng hadn’t had time to attend to such matters. Besides, Shen Che’s change of topic was rather abrupt.
“The Yan Xiagu bandits were cleared out so quickly?” Ji Cheng ignored Shen Che’s “small talk.”