As soon as Yun Qing uttered those words, Zhao Si instantly recalled what Yan’er had told her the day before: “Shi Chong or whoever Wang Kai might be, how could our young miss possibly be Shi Chong?” As it turned out, Yan’er had known all along that Yun Qing would donate the thousands of gold pieces to provide relief for the disaster victims.
Only, how on earth could Yan’er have known?
While Zhao Si was racking her brains in utter bafflement, Official Hu made another move.
“Miss Yun Qing, are these words genuine?” Official Hu said, seemingly addressing Yun Qing, yet projecting his voice for the crowd below to hear. “Once these glittering gold ingots are handed out, getting them back will be nearly impossible.”
“Besides” Official Hu’s tone took a sharp turn as he abruptly raised a sleeve to point a finger straight at Zhao Si down in the crowd, wearing a look that mixed mock smiles with sarcasm. “Yun Qing, you were married just the day before yesterday. Why didn’t you consult your husband regarding the donation of a thousand gold pieces? Is he agreeable to this?”
Seeing the two fingers pointing directly in her direction, Zhao Si was so filled with fury she nearly bit off a piece of her own white teeth.
Trying to sow discord just because you couldn’t extort a letter of divorce out of me, eh? You old rascal!
Zhao Si clenched her fists tight. Realizing she couldn’t let Official Hu strut about and display his authority at a time like this, she immediately waved her arms and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Wife! Wife! How to dispose of this thousand gold entirely up to you to decide!”
As soon as Zhao Si finished shouting, Yun Qing immediately settled accounts with Official Hu regarding the gold. As for Official Hu, he stared hard at Zhao Si for a long while before finally letting his expression smooth out, soundlessly mouthing two phrases to her.
Zhao Si stared in utter confusion, when suddenly her shoulder received a light tap. Snapping back to attention, she saw the old man beside her giving her a thumbs-up, crying out with exuberant delight, “A fine young man! Miss Yun Qing has truly married into a good family!”
“Is that so?” Zhao Si’s face flushed red.
The old man patted her shoulder once more, speaking in a bold, hearty manner, “Good lad! What are you blushing for? Didn’t you see Official Hu praising you just now??”
“What did he say?”
“He said you’re a promising youth, lad! Ah, having the two of you in Cangzhou City is truly a blessing for Cangzhou! See you later, lad!” In the middle of his sentence, the old man turned around and sauntered away while humming the Song of Insufficiency, leaving a thoroughly bewildered Zhao Si standing frozen in place for a long while.
What did that old man just say?
He said that having her and Yun Qing in Cangzhou City was a blessing for Cangzhou?
Her and Yun Qing?
A blessing for Cangzhou?
My god!
Zhao Si chewed over the old man’s words repeatedly, her face burning with heat, yet the corners of her lips curled upward of their own accord.
So, having her and Yun Qing this couple in Cangzhou City really was a blessing for Cangzhou!
Zhao Si let out a slow, long breath, wearing a bright smile as she lifted her feet and walked toward the stage.
By the time Zhao Si ascended the stage, Official Hu had already departed with the yamen runners back to his yamen. When Zhao Si reached the center of the stage, she saw that aside from the craftsmen dismantling the platform, only Yun Qing and a single man remained. The man was around thirty years of age, dressed in coarse cloth garments, with a grave and solemn expression on his face.
Zhao Si hesitated for a moment, then walked toward the two of them, just in time to hear Yun Qing address the man as “Old Tenth Liu.”
As Zhao Si kept walking closer, she heard the very same “Old Tenth Liu” from Yun Qing’s mouth say, “Your husband has arrived.” Following that, Old Tenth Liu cut short his conversation with Yun Qing, gave Zhao Si a casual wave of his hand, and stopped talking.
Zhao Si came to a halt.
Old Tenth Liu bowed deeply toward Zhao Si and said, “Zhao Guanren is righteous beyond measure, and Tenth Liu deeply admires you. Until we meet again!”
With that parting bow, Old Tenth Liu turned and left. Zhao Si hurried forward to meet Yun Qing, wrapping her fingers around Yun Qing’s delicate hand.
“Wife, you must be starved. Let’s return to Yulu Pavilion to find Ying’er; she’s probably prepared meals for us long ago.”
“Why didn’t you ask about Old Tenth Liu?” Yun Qing raised her face, gazing fixedly at Zhao Si, her eyes as clear as autumn water.
“If my wife doesn’t bring him up, I won’t ask.” Zhao Si raised a hand to gently pinch the bridge of Yun Qing’s nose, her brows curved like a pair of crescent moons.
Yun Qing burst into laughter right along with her.
“My husband is truly bold!”
“Naturally. If I weren’t bold, how could I have married such a fine wife?” Zhao Si opened her arms, gathered Yun Qing into her embrace, and turned to walk toward Yulu Pavilion. “You weren’t down by the stage just now, so you don’t know how much the people of Cangzhou adore you. Even that old man praised that having you in Cangzhou City is a blessing for Cangzhou.”
“Does my husband think so too?” Yun Qing’s voice grew slightly softer.
Walking as she spoke, Zhao Si chuckled, “Naturally, I think so too. Yan’er said that competing in extravagance is an unbenevolent act; since my wife was able to transform an unbenevolent act into a righteous cause, it’s a brilliant move. How could your husband not address my wife as a ‘female Zhuge’?”
“Then Yun Qing has something to say, and I hope my husband won’t be displeased.” Yun Qing’s volume rose slightly.
“Alright,” Zhao Si agreed readily, then quickly appended a condition: “No asking for a letter of divorce, though.”
“How could it ever be a letter of divorce? Yun Qing fears letters of divorce the most. Alright, Husband, just listen: back in the eleventh month of last year, we suffered a snow disaster, and this March brought a bitter spring frost. Cangzhou suffered such severe catastrophes that the displaced are everywhere, which is why Yun Qing handed her entire personal fortune over to Old Tenth Liu, asking him to assist Official Hu in disaster relief.” Nearing the end, Yun Qing cautiously tightened her grip on Zhao Si’s hand, murmuring, “Husband, now I am completely penniless you won’t divorce me over this, will you?”
“Pfft, Wife, how could you think that?” Zhao Si stopped in her tracks, bent down slightly to stroke Yun Qing’s cheek, and giggled, “We agreed before we got married: our relationship and marriage are entirely up to you to decide.”
“Besides, Wife, you forgot something!” Zhao Si lifted the Tianjiao bow in her hand to show Yun Qing. “If you’re willing, this bow can also be pawned off to Old Tenth Liu along with everything else.”
“But isn’t this your prized possession, Husband?” Yun Qing looked at Zhao Si in confusion.
“Silly! What’s mine is my wife’s.” Zhao Si didn’t fake sincerity in the slightest.
Yun Qing didn’t quite believe it and pressed further, “You’re not forcing yourself?”
“I’m not forcing myself at all!” Zhao Si stated with ringing clarity.
“Well… alright, then.” Yun Qing bit her lower lip, then suddenly wrapped her arms around Zhao Si’s neck, buried her head down, and spoke in a soft, melting tone, “Yun Qing will remember this well: the marriage between Husband and Yun Qing—Yun Qing has the final say.”
“Alright!” Zhao Si allowed Yun Qing to hold her like that until Ying’er came searching for them. Only then did she pick Yun Qing up horizontally and swagger all the way into Yulu Pavilion.
When Zhao Si entered Yulu Pavilion this time, the establishment had grown considerably more desolate. Aside from a few cleaning servants, only Cui Qian remained at the entrance, clicking away on a golden abacus as he welcomed guests.
Catching sight of Cui Qian, this semi-familiar face, Zhao Si greeted him: “Accountant Cui!”
Hearing his name, Cui Qian turned his head, and upon seeing it was Zhao Si, he immediately bowed with a beaming, smiling face to welcome her: “Aiya! Good day to you, Zhao Guanren! Starting from tomorrow, there won’t be any more Yulu Pavilion. If you ever want to buy some health tonics, just come find me at the Tianjiao Pavilion next door.”
“Isn’t next door the Golden Wind Pavilion?” Ying’er skipped out from behind Zhao Si to interject. “Could it be that overnight, Yulu Pavilion is finished, and Golden Wind Pavilion is finished too?”
“Shoo, shoo, shoo! Miss Ying’er, don’t talk nonsense! How could such a thing happen? Golden Wind Pavilion is doing just fine. It’s just that their head courtesan collapsed. Since our Yulu Pavilion was being disbanded anyway, the master of Golden Wind Pavilion took a fancy to this location of ours. Of course, they didn’t just take a fancy to it on their own initiative, either.” Cui Qian flicked the beads on his golden abacus and lowered his voice. “Word has it that Jiang Sanhu, the proprietor of the Poultry Shop, wants to come do business in Cangzhou. She specifically chose the site of Golden Wind Pavilion, saying their horoscopes matched well, which makes it convenient for her to find her little husband.”
“You mean Jiang Sanhu is a cut-sleeve?” Ying’er’s eyes widened in shock.
Cui Qian covered Ying’er’s mouth with his hand, then lightly slapped his own mouth with his other hand as he begged for mercy: “My good grandmother, stop running your mouth with nonsense! What cut-sleeve or no cut-sleeve! Jiang Sanhu is a woman a woman among women!”
“Then why is she called ‘Sanhu’ [Three Tigers]?” Ying’er’s curiosity only deepened.
“Shoo, shoo, shoo! Don’t you know that women up in the mountains are tigers? Go play somewhere else! I can’t afford to offend our new proprietor.” Fiddling with his golden abacus, Cui Qian turned sideways and spoke with oily flattery to Zhao Si once more. “Zhao Guanren, there’s one more thing I forgot to mention. I heard you’ve changed your name to Tianjiao you simply must come visit Tianjiao Pavilion more often! Under heaven, you can’t write two ‘Tianjiao’ characters with a single stroke of the pen; who knows, maybe you and Lady Sanhu share some destiny?”
Cui Qian spoke with a mix of falsehood and truth, and Zhao Si naturally didn’t take him seriously. However, sensing the fabric at her shoulder tighten slightly, Zhao Si wrapped one arm more securely around Yun Qing while striking back at Cui Qian: “What destiny could there possibly be? Under heaven, you can’t write two ‘Xuguang’ characters with a single stroke, either! What does the master of Xuguang Pavilion have to do with anyone named ‘Xuguang’?”
With that retort, Zhao Si bypassed Cui Qian and continued walking toward Yun Qing’s courtyard. After taking a few steps, Zhao Si turned her head back to tell Cui Qian, “Accountant Cui, I see dark circles under your eyes you really ought to take some of your own medicine! After all, your medicine is guaranteed to work!”
“Many thanks for Zhao Guanren’s reminder!” Cui Qian bowed in gratitude once more, by which time Zhao Si had already carried Yun Qing around the corridor. Walking another half-shichen down the corridor brought them directly into Yun Qing’s small courtyard.
As soon as Zhao Si stepped into the courtyard, she saw Yan’er standing under the wisteria flower swing holding a sword. As she walked a bit closer, Zhao Si saw that the rooms on the eastern side were completely empty and stripped bare.
Thus, Zhao Si turned her gaze toward the western side rooms, only to be blocked by Yan’er.
Yan’er said coldly, “Husband should take the Miss up to the sixth floor of Yulu Pavilion, to the Qiuwang [Autumn Appreciation] Pavilion, to rest. This place has already been cleared out by Old Tenth Liu.”
“What about you?” Zhao Si worried that Yan’er would have nowhere to go.
“I’m going to the Muncun [Spring Bathing] Pavilion, the second room to the right on the Qiuwang Pavilion’s floor.”
“And Ying’er?”
“I’ll go find a new residence for Husband and the Miss!”
“Where will you get the silver?” Zhao Si remembered clearly that Yun Qing had told her just a moment ago she had given her entire personal fortune to Old Tenth Liu.
“Husband is being muddle-headed. Though Yan’er and I revere Yun Qing as our young miss, we were originally junior maidservants within the Yulu Pavilion’s chambers. We follow the Miss because we do so sincerely.” Ying’er blinked and said with a beaming smile, “Just like the Qiuwang Pavilion Yan’er mentioned a moment ago, that is precisely her personal bedchamber. Of course, Husband shouldn’t overthink it, Yulu Pavilion is the finest pleasure house in Cangzhou City, and most of the women within sell their art rather than their bodies. Husband can rest assured and sleep soundly.”
“Then Ying’er, you wait for me! Once I get my wife settled, we’ll go together to look for a new place!”
“Alright! Then Husband, follow me, I’ll lead you up to the sixth floor!” Ying’er blinked mischievously at Zhao Si, turned around, and lively and boisterously led Zhao Si up to the sixth floor of Yulu Pavilion, heading straight for the Qiuwang Pavilion.
Carrying Yun Qing, Zhao Si climbed all the way up the six flights of stairs in one breath without her legs aching or running out of breath, prompting Ying’er to shower her with enthusiastic praises for having such a sturdy physique.
“It’s not that my body is sturdy. Just yesterday, that Accountant Cui was still pressing me to buy medicine.” Zhao Si laughed as she replied to Ying’er.
Ying’er made a funny face at Zhao Si, and chattering merrily, she pushed open the carved sandalwood door closest to the stairwell landing, saying, “Husband, don’t hold a grudge; Master Cui just loves selling medicine. Master Cui’s ancestors came from a line of herbalists, and I heard his great-great-grandfather was even an imperial physician in the imperial capital. Of course, the medicines Master Cui makes are truly wondrous; even the Sixth Imperial Prince eats them and says they’re good.”
When Zhao Si stepped through the threshold, she quietly noticed a sheep-fat jade plaque hanging from a golden cord beside the wooden door, with three characters carved deeply into it: Qiuwang Pavilion. Following behind Ying’er into the room, she smiled and said, “You seem to know everything.”
“Naturally. In this establishment, I am the ultimate intelligence gatherer!”