Taking a long breath in, releasing a long breath out, she opened her hand. Two fingers pinched the flying ash, rubbing until nothing remained. Gazing at the charred black floating in the air, her eyes grew slightly warm, yet no tears could flow.
Before Qiu Sanniang saved her, her status was free, yet she had no true freedom to speak of. After becoming Qiu Sanniang’s maid, her status wasn’t free, but her heart flew higher and farther than ever before. She had thought Prince Jing’s mansion could shelter her, but in the end, what forced her to leave was also Prince Jing’s mansion.
So it turned out—fate truly couldn’t be bent to one’s will.
In this farce, she bore the brunt at first, but she also laughed last. The informant Jin Si would be dealt with by Qiu Sanniang. Qiu Sanniang, who wanted to separate and live independently, had performed the prelude. And she—despised as lowly by those high and mighty noblewomen like the Old Madam and Princess Consort—had her shackles unlocked from this moment forth.
Therefore, this was also a play within a play, a struggle within a struggle.
What she had instructed Zan Jin was to tell Yuan Cheng she was in trouble and needed his help. What she had instructed A’Yue was to go to Qiu Sanniang and report that her activities outside might have been discovered by people from Prince Jing’s mansion. A’Hao was to follow closely in secret, maintaining contact at all times and ready to rescue.
After being beaten and feigning unconsciousness that night, she decided to use this opportunity to get her hands on the deed of sale. The shipyard didn’t have five thousand taels in ready cash, and the agreement with Qiu Sanniang was for one year—only four-plus months had passed, with more than half a year remaining. Who knew if complications might arise during the long nights? Moreover, she couldn’t let the Old Madam beat her for nothing.
That night, after A’Hao left and Zan Jin came to check on her, she had him relay to Yuan Cheng the contents of the deed of sale she and Qiu Sanniang had signed, especially the transfer clause. She also said that if this opportunity was used well, it would be the best moment for her to leave Prince Jing’s mansion.
After Qiu Sanniang had given her free rein to manage the shipyard, she didn’t mind being Hongyu’s steward. But if Prince Jing’s mansion interfered, she wouldn’t be able to see her own future. For the transfer, Yuan Cheng was the best choice. His Yuan residence had the Qianniu Guardè·Army. The shadow force he was cultivating was coming into its own. And he treated her as an equal. If she must—if she had to—choose another master, she was willing to follow him.
Perhaps a little selfishness was at play?
No, this she would not admit.
When Qiu Sanniang said she had sold her, though ninety percent certain, there was ten percent fear that Yuan Cheng wouldn’t understand her meaning or wouldn’t be willing to help. Therefore, her expression was tense. It was precisely this tension that, upon hearing Yuan Cheng’s name, smoothly transformed into shock, preventing the Old Madam from suspecting.
As for Hongyu, she truly hadn’t expected Qiu Sanniang would sell it, though when she decided to leave Prince Jing’s mansion, she had also prepared to abandon it. She had expended considerable effort on Hongyu, but had never thought of possessing it. It was Qiu Sanniang’s dowry, and dowries were one of the few things women in this society could control autonomously. She had once schemed to obtain the position of steward, and schemed for this transfer of her deed of sale, but she wouldn’t scheme to swindle a woman’s dowry. Especially when this woman was shrewd, loved money, had a fiery temperament, yet had treated her fairly well. Could have not saved her, but did. Could have not let her be steward, but did. Could have not transferred her deed of sale, but did. Who else—for someone as hypocritically meek as her—besides Qiu Sanniang, what other wealthy young lady at that time could have tolerated her?
She didn’t consider Qiu Sanniang a bad master, just as Qiu Sanniang didn’t consider her a bad maid. One provided shelter for the other, one earned money for the other, one posed difficult problems for the other, one set traps for the other—for each other, it was a not-bad, kindred-spirit treatment.
The new deed of sale had turned to ash. Her thoughts returned to the person before her. She had thought that given Yuan Cheng’s self-centered personality, she would have to be a maid for a period of time. Who knew that before her feet even touched the ground of the Yuan residence, he had burned her deed of sale.
“Yuan Cheng?” She was cautious. Her heart had just begun to feel moved, yet she feared she was presuming too much.
“I already said, you don’t need to speak.” He said.
“I’m fine, superficial injuries.” The suffering of flesh and skin was far less than the pain of a dead heart. Having experienced death, why fear those third-rate punishments for disobedient maids? Not to mention her small trick of feigning unconsciousness—if Xiang Shiyi could kneel at the Yuan residence gate for three days before collapsing, and she became crippled after kneeling for half a shichen, that would be too pathetic. She never did things without confidence, nor would she show off bravado that risked her life. If Qiu Sanniang had been one minute later, she wouldn’t have cared about the original plan and would have truly confessed.
He beckoned. Ming Nian brought over a box. He opened the lid and personally delivered it before Mo Zi. It was a brand new Great Zhou household registration, with Mo Zi as the household head, registering one hundred mu of good farmland outside the capital, making her a small landowner.
Everything arranged perfectly and properly.
She was truly free now. Not only removed from slave registry, but had become the head of a household with land property.
“Congratulations.” His dark eyes shone brightly. “Five mu for one household—no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t bring myself to offer so little, so I rounded it up to a hundred mu. I was also afraid that if I gave too much, you’d be too embarrassed to accept and would blame me for being meddlesome instead.”
“Unwilling to give more, yet using me as an excuse. If you gave me a thousand mu, I’d still accept with peace of mind. Why not try it? In any case, property can still be added to the household register.” What did she have to be embarrassed about? He had accepted her bribe silver and still owed her money for lumber. She only complained about too little, never too much.
“Look at you—though your voice is hoarse, your body isn’t as bad as I imagined. Could it be that when happy events come, spirits are lifted? If I’d known you’d be this happy to be my maid, why would I have gone to such trouble?” He teased, yet with intimacy.
“Who says my body isn’t terrible? My back hurts, my legs hurt—I’m just inches away from fainting.” She also teased, without complaint.
“Faint then. As an elder brother, I’ll lend you a pair of arms.” He stepped closer.
She yelped with wide eyes, her body slowly leaning back, looking up at a vast clear sky. “Yuan Cheng, you’d better find someone to carry me. Your scholarly arms and legs that can’t even carry half a bucket when splashing water—where’s the strength to move me? I don’t want injury added to injury, having you turn it into internal injuries.”
His laughter was low as he ordered, “Hua Ying, carry Miss to her room.”
She was just wondering who Hua Ying was when the vast clear sky in her vision was suddenly blocked completely by a round pancake face, then her body suddenly became airborne.
“You needn’t be nervous. Last time you were injured, it was also Hua Ying who carried you. Like Luo Ying, she’s a laundry maid in the residence—trustworthy. I won’t follow. First wait for Physician Hua to examine you.” He saw her alarm.
That Hua Ying had a chubby head and face, and seemed tall too. In a few steps, she had walked ahead of Yuan Cheng.
From behind the plump arms, Mo Zi revealed a pair of eyes, watching the warm jade-like figure gradually recede, and suddenly said, “Thank you.”
“To thank me, you might as well not get injured again.” His smile faded.
“I’m a craftsman—how can there be no reason to get injured? However, I’ve promised myself that being innocently beaten like this—there won’t be a next time.” Her gaze was bright and intense.
Three days later, Mo Zi could already get out of bed and walk slowly. Moreover, idle with nothing to do, she asked Luo Ying for paper and brush to draw ship diagrams.
When Yuan Cheng entered, he saw her propping her cheek with one hand, biting the brush handle with her mouth, head turned toward the window in a daze.
“You like ships so much—how about I find you some work to do?” He sat opposite her, scanning the table a few times. “Warships?”
Mo Zi’s eyes lit up. “You understand them?”
“I can roughly see the ship outline—that’s all.” When he was prime minister, the Ministry of War’s new ships always required his approval of silver to build. He didn’t like to stamp seals casually, so from not understanding, he came to understand.
“What work will you give me?” Mo Zi asked.
“Wait until your injuries are fully healed—manage a property for me? You can handle all matters large and small with full authority. Submit three thousand taels per year, anything more is yours. If you don’t want to do it, tell me in advance and you can seek employment elsewhere. If you’re willing, then you’ll be Chief Steward Mo of my Yuan residence.” Yuan Cheng knew she was a woman who liked doing practical things.
Chief Steward Mo? If she accepted, would that count as a promotion? Sounded good, however—
“What property?” What she knew was quite limited.
“What you’re best at—the shipping business.” Yuan Cheng reached out to take the brush she was biting, dipped it in ink, wrote four characters, and pushed the paper under her nose. “This place.”
Mo Zi looked and exclaimed, “Hongyu Shipyard?”
This old brother who liked to keep suspense nodded. “Familiar territory—I wonder if you covet this position of chief steward?”
“Qiu Sanniang sold the shipyard to you?” Why?
Yuan Cheng didn’t answer.
“How much did she sell it for?” For Qiu Sanniang to sell her dowry, Yuan Cheng must have offered a price she couldn’t refuse. “Also, for transferring me to you, what benefit did you give her?”
“It’s already sold—why worry about how much silver or what benefits?” Yuan Cheng wouldn’t say. “I haven’t lived in Great Zhou long, yet I’ve acquired quite a few treasures. In any case, I haven’t bankrupted my family fortune and can still afford to hire you, so this transaction worked out well enough. Moreover, I’ve always believed that the more money spent, the more earned.”
Since he wouldn’t say, Mo Zi had no recourse. She simply seriously considered his proposal. After a long while, she answered him, “You’re offering such good conditions—I’d be foolish not to agree. So from now on, should I call you Boss?”
“I’m not really your boss—I neither check accounts nor manage affairs, merely collecting three thousand taels of silver from you each year. Consider it your elder brother entrusting management to you. You carry the title of chief steward, but in reality, you’re no different from the boss. In strangers’ eyes, you’re an honored guest I’ve invited. In the Yuan residence, you’re half a master of a different surname.” When Yuan Cheng said “honored guest,” he clarified his relationship with Mo Zi—not employment, no distinction of superior and inferior, much less master and servant, but an honored guest invited for her abilities. Adding the sworn brotherhood of elder and younger brother, those in the know would treat Mo Zi as a master of the Yuan residence.
Mo Zi waved her hands and shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Hongyu was bought by you, so you’re the boss. I’m employed by you to manage it, making me your employee—no need for special treatment.” A true working relationship, but she earned her living by ability, her status not inferior to anyone.
“Third Brother is so eager to draw clear lines—could you be afraid elder brother will have some trouble in the future that would implicate you?” Yuan Cheng had an understanding expression. “True enough, I often accept people’s benefits—who knows, I might be labeled Great Zhou’s number one corrupt official and exiled a thousand miles away.”
Mo Zi narrowed her right eye. “Go ahead and play pitiful. However, looking at the current situation, there are quite a few more corrupt than you—I’m afraid it won’t be your turn to be as imposing as ‘number one.'” The palace eunuchs were more corrupt and ruthless than him.
Yuan Cheng’s smile came and went. From his sleeve, he produced a jade pendant. The pendant was carved with openwork showing two dancing white cranes, with jade beads suspended within the cranes, strung on nearly transparent thread—exquisitely crafted.
“This is the token for entering and leaving the residence. This place will be your future courtyard. In a couple of days, when you’re feeling better, find an official marriage broker to select some maids and servant women for your use. I’ll arrange other matters myself.”