Qiu Sanniang did not return to Prince Jing’s mansion that night. She was never one to obediently follow orders, and besides, if she returned reeking of alcohol, who knew how much gossip it would provoke—the elders would never approve either.
With none of the senior maids able to make the decision, Mo Zi had Xiao San’s servant Qingque relay a message. The response that came back no longer insisted.
Returning to Deer Horn Alley, they had Hong Mei help care for Bai He and Lu Ju while Mo Zi and Xiao Yi helped Qiu Sanniang to bed to rest.
“Xiao Yi, go listen and see if there’s any movement from the guards in the outer courtyard.” Xiao San hadn’t come to Deer Horn Alley, having gone straight back to the Prince’s mansion in anger. But since he had declared that Qiu Sanniang should return to the mansion immediately, he should take some action.
Xiao Yi went out as instructed.
The candlelight was dim, and the bedroom was shadowy, the four walls covered in dark colors, creating an eerie atmosphere.
Mo Zi lowered the bed curtains and had just turned to leave when she heard Qiu Sanniang speak.
“Mo Zi.” Not “little Mo’er.”
“Not drunk anymore?” Mo Zi asked with a smile.
“Of those two jars of wine, more than half of one jar remains. One jar was drunk by Xiao Yi, and the other half jar was drunk by Bai He and the other two. If I hadn’t pretended to be drunk, Xiao Yong might have forced me back to Yonggu Studio on the spot.” Though not quite to the point of drunkenness, she had indeed drunk quite a bit.
“If you hadn’t said those things while drunk, if your husband got stubborn, there might be no room for maneuvering.” One could speak the truth while drunk, but also deny it afterward. Mo Zi stepped back a few paces and sat on a round stool.
“He’s not here, so stop calling him ‘husband’ this and ‘husband’ that. Who knows, in a few days he might be my former husband.” With a soft sigh, Qiu Sanniang rustled and turned over behind the bed curtains.
“Mistress, that’s not the right way to put it. From what I see, this will be a long campaign.” Mo Zi felt that although Xiao San was angry, it was more frustration than rage. Moreover, from his action of trying to confine Qiu Sanniang to the inner quarters, he showed no sign of agreeing to divorce.
“A long campaign?” Qiu Sanniang laughed lightly. “I’d rather have a quick decisive battle.”
“Given the current situation, it’s better to handle things calmly. Actually, tonight if you had only mentioned that the Tower of Autumn Longing was your business venture, that would have been enough. The other business ventures haven’t even materialized yet. Now that you’ve spoken of them, if your husband keeps a close watch on you, what will you do?” She should have given him psychological preparation.
“Who says they haven’t materialized? I want to do business in imported goods. An old friend of my father’s—when I invited him for drinks the other day, he mentioned organizing a fleet to go to sea. Someone dropped out midway, leaving one ship available, and asked if I wanted to fill the spot. I think it’s a good opportunity, but I don’t know who to send. Cen Er can’t leave the Tower of Autumn Longing, and you’re managing Hongyu Cove. Truly, when you need people, you realize how few you have.” Qiu Sanniang specialized in risky business ventures. Imported goods, with small capital investment but huge profits, was exactly her favorite way to make money.
To Mo Zi’s ears, it truly was a good opportunity. No wonder Qiu Sanniang chose the night before Mid-Autumn Festival, such an auspicious day, to lay her cards on the table. If she really took on the cargo for one ocean-going ship, Qiu Sanniang would have her hands full. Not to mention the varieties of imported goods—just selecting what to ship from here would require careful consideration. Moreover, Qiu Sanniang still had no one to lead the venture for her. To find someone reliable, honest, and with good judgment—by Qiu Sanniang’s standards, it would be almost impossible to find such a person in the short term.
“What do you think?” Without Mo Zi by her side, Qiu Sanniang had no one to discuss business matters with. Therefore, despite her currently terrible mood, she couldn’t help but bring it up.
“The risks are high, but the opportunity is good.” The biggest risk in the imported goods trade was the transportation process. Once the ship capsized and people died, it meant total loss of capital.
“I can still afford to lose a shipload of goods.” Cargo worth ten thousand taels could earn back ten or twenty times that amount. “Mo Zi, do you have anyone you think suitable to recommend to me?”
Mo Zi sat in the shadows and smiled. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll embezzle funds for myself?”
“Mo Zi, if you wanted to embezzle, why wait until today? You’re destined not to do anything truly bad. Besides, if you’re interested, I’ll reserve some space on that ship for you. You decide what to buy and sell, and I won’t be envious of the money you earn.” Once Qiu Sanniang made up her mind about something, she became carefree about it. Since she already had the intention of letting Mo Zi go, she wouldn’t be stingy about small matters.
But Mo Zi wasn’t accustomed to Qiu Sanniang being suddenly so generous. “Miss has drunk a bit too much wine today after all.”
Qiu Sanniang laughed. “You girl are truly no fun. I’m rarely this generous, and instead of thanking me, you imply I’m talking nonsense. I’m serious, but the silver you earn from this deal still can’t count toward Hongyu Cove’s five thousand taels.” One account was one account—she calculated clearly. “So, can you tell me a few names now? Don’t think I don’t know—without getting something good out of it, you’re too lazy to put your mind to it.”
Mo Zi raised an eyebrow. “Miss, I haven’t even said I want this benefit yet. As for candidates, it truly is difficult for me. It’s not so much about putting my mind to it—it’s just that I don’t know many more people than you do on a daily basis. Coming and going, there are only those two places: the Tower of Autumn Longing and Hongyu Cove.”
“Then think about those two places—is there anyone who can handle things independently and has good character?” Qiu Sanniang dismissed Mo Zi’s words. “Your eye for people has always been very good.”
“If Zhao Liang weren’t set on taking the imperial examinations, he would be suitable. His mind is meticulous and flexible. He’s educated but not pedantic, and he’s made no small contribution to the Tower of Autumn Longing this past half year.” Mo Zi really did think of someone.
“Zhao Liang?” Qiu Sanniang’s voice rose. “Indeed suitable. I think he should forget about the examinations—doing business earns more silver than an official’s salary. Didn’t they say he gets nervous in the examination hall and repeatedly fails?”
“Now that he’s become a manager, what kind of unreasonable customers hasn’t he dealt with? This time he shouldn’t panic. Who knows, perhaps our Tower of Autumn Longing can produce a top scholar who’ll write a plaque for us in his own hand—that would make us famous throughout the realm.” Mo Zi wanted to leverage the celebrity effect.
“…Besides Zhao Liang?” Qiu Sanniang turned over again, her voice dropping lower—she was tired.
Mo Zi thought of Wei Qing. If he remained a boatman, he’d probably labor his whole life as just a common worker, but his mind was extremely clever. She was planning to promote him to a position managing the shipyard’s external affairs. If she mentioned him to Qiu Sanniang, she would lose a talent herself, so she hesitated in her heart.
“…I can’t think of anyone at the moment. It’s late—Miss should rest.” A strong-willed woman who quarreled with her husband but could still focus her mind on business. Mo Zi sighed.
Qiu Sanniang didn’t respond to Mo Zi’s words. There was only light, shallow breathing that gradually became even.
Xiao Yi came in and whispered to Mo Zi, “The guards have doubled.”
Although Xiao Sanlang’s approach was too forceful, at least it showed he cared. Mo Zi was a clear-sighted observer, watching this couple each troubled by love, neither knowing the other’s heart—one wanting to flee, the other unwilling to let go. Truly, the more they struggled, the more tightly entangled they became. Things having reached this point, she could no longer interfere. Helping either one might be wrong. Those two could only resolve the question of where to go from here by themselves.
Early the next morning, the newly appointed Secondary Consort Wei Qiongyu came personally to fetch Qiu Sanniang, calling out affectionately several times, saying that the Old Princess Consort and the Princess Consort were very concerned about her, and pulled her onto the luxurious four-horse carriage.
It was one thing for Wei Qiongyu to come fetch someone, but she also very warmly spoke a few words with Mo Zi, instructing her to ride in the same carriage as her own personal maids.
Mo Zi had originally planned to take advantage of this chaos to hurry back to Hongyu Cove. Now she could only follow along into the Prince’s mansion.
The last time she left, the Prince’s mansion had been decorated with lanterns and colored streamers for the Old Princess Consort’s birthday. This time when she returned, the Prince’s mansion was still decorated with lanterns and colored streamers for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
As soon as Qiu Sanniang entered the mansion, she took the four senior maids and went directly to pay respects to the Princess Consort.
Mo Zi directed the junior maids of Mozhi Courtyard to properly arrange all the trunks and cases from Qiu Sanniang’s trip, then returned to the bamboo grove. After being away for more than a month, the small courtyard was quiet and deserted, dust and cobwebs everywhere. By the time she finished cleaning, she discovered it was already past noon. In this chaotic time, no one thought to send her a meal either.
Staring at the folding bamboo ladder in the storage room, Mo Zi thought: who knows if that crow next door could still toss a piece of meat to the fox? Speaking of which, that person who kept his door closed while cooking soup—it must be meat soup. Since he invited her to eat this closed-door meat soup, she shouldn’t be polite. Taking ten thousand steps back, even if the main gate wouldn’t let her through, she could climb the wall—surely he’d have nothing to say about that? Didn’t he say before? Borrow the path and help yourself. She wasn’t going to visit him—taking a shortcut to get provisions, what of it?
The more she thought about it, the more justified she felt.
In no time at all, she set up the folding ladder and Mo Zi climbed the wall. Peering over from atop the wall, she saw the ladder the crow had gifted still in its old place, and her heart relaxed somewhat.
So she climbed over the wall and descended the ladder halfway when her eyes blinked, then blinked again. On the right-hand railing of the ladder were actually two lines carved—
Three climbs require no silver, past three pay ten gold.
Meaning: climb three times, free of charge. After three times, to use the ladder again would cost ten pieces of gold.
Her mouth half-opened in surprise as she looked to the left side, immediately wanting to curse. It turned out the left side also had two lines, which she had seen the first time she climbed the ladder.
The four lines formed a classical five-character verse. Read aloud, it went:
The crow sincerely gifts this, to you a wall-crossing ladder. Three climbs require no silver, past three pay ten gold.
Yuan Cheng had deceived her.
With one touch, she knew these four lines weren’t recently carved but had been there for some time. Looking again, she saw the ladder had been turned around—the back had become the front. When she first saw the ladder and those two lines, she had even thought herself petty. It turned out, from beginning to end, the petty one was Yuan Cheng.
“Yuan Cheng!” Mo Zi, now burdened with a ten-gold debt, ground her teeth as she jumped down.
“Who goes there?” A harsh shout.
Mo Zi had just heard a sword being unsheathed when two cold lines touched her neck, and beneath her eyes, two blades crossed with chilling menace.
“Speak quickly!” Another ruthless voice.
Huh? What was happening?
Mo Zi’s first thought was that Yuan Cheng’s enemies had found him, killed him, and occupied this place, waiting to catch anyone connected to Yuan Cheng—killing whoever came, one by one, or two by two.
So she steeled her heart, mustering a fearless spirit while actually being very afraid of death. “I have absolutely no connection to the people of this household. Good heroes, spare my life!”
Someone laughed heartily. “Yuan Qing, I heard your wild grounds produce particularly fresh and delicious rabbit meat, so I came specially to satisfy my craving. Who knew I wouldn’t see any rabbits, but instead a foolish rabbit spirit came running out.”
Then came Yuan Cheng’s gentle, refined voice. “Not a rabbit spirit—the lazy maid from the Prince Jing’s mansion next door. She finds the main gate too far and time-consuming, so she often borrows this path. Her courage isn’t great, she’s somewhat greedy, and though her mouth is picky, she’s actually not a bad person.”
A voice said there was no need for alarm.
The two swords gleaming with cold light disappeared from before Mo Zi’s eyes.
Sorry everyone, recently I’ve been ridiculously busy with matters big and small.
I’ll do my best to post double updates soon. My apologies.
And thank you all for your support.