The carriage passed through rows of uneven houses. When the smell of the sea slowly filled the air, a slender hand gently pushed open the window. Outside came the shouts of boatmen and the sound of waves hitting the shore, growing clearer and clearer.
After turning through several streets, the carriage finally stopped in front of a tall archway. On it were written three bold characters: “Ruyi Harbor.”
Under the archway, traffic was busy and guests came and went. The Pei family’s servants and maids who welcomed guests were well trained and orderly, with confident looks on their faces.
Suddenly, the clear sound of jewelry clinking was heard, and many guests turned their heads.
A young woman was stepping down from a carriage. Her face could not be seen clearly as she lowered her head and lifted her skirt, but her hairstyle drew everyone’s attention. Her black hair was covered with a full set of golden hair ornaments, inlaid with jewels. There were designs of butterflies, flowers, lucky beasts, gourds, and vases. Pearl tassels hung from the ornaments and swayed beautifully as she moved.
Looking further down, people saw a shining pearl shoulder shawl, each pearl full and glowing. Under it was a light purple silk jacket, and below that a peach-red skirt made of fine brocade. A green sash tied her waist. So many bright colors were piled together that it felt like a bucket of dye had been spilled on her. People looked again and again but still could not tell what her face looked like, or whether she was beautiful or not. All they remembered was the gold, silver, and jewels covering her body, dazzling their eyes.
Eastern Zhejiang was already rich and loved luxury, yet this woman still stood out. Her outfit was clearly over the top.
But she was unfamiliar.
“Which family’s wife is this? Why have I never seen her before?” someone asked Pei Sixth Miss, Pei Hening, in a low voice.
Pei Hening seemed distracted. Her eyes were fixed on the woman, and she forgot to move her feet.
She was staring at the butterfly-shaped golden hairpin on the woman’s head. The butterfly’s body was inlaid with South Sea pearls and rubies. Its wings were made of thin gold pieces layered together, each carved with fine patterns. From afar, the golden wings looked alive, trembling slightly as the woman walked, like a butterfly about to fly.
This hairpin was a top item from Fengxiang Pavilion, sold at an extremely high price and only to customers who had spent over five hundred taels there last year. When Pei Hening saw it, she couldn’t walk away from the counter. But her mother thought it was flashy and wasteful, and didn’t want to spend that much money. Even though Pei Hening was now at the age to be introduced to marriage and wanted to stand out at the Tide Banquet, she still couldn’t get it.
Now it appeared on another woman’s head—but that woman wore it so badly that not even one-tenth of its beauty showed. Instead, it looked vulgar. This made Pei Hening feel annoyed.
Still, she had no idea who this woman was.
This woman was Xu Miaoxue.
She raised her head and walked forward, ignoring the judging stares around her. But it would be a lie to say she was not nervous.
Before, she had only been secretly planning things and could always run away if needed. But now she had boarded the Sixth Master’s ship. The Sixth Master was like a fierce beast watching her closely, pushing her forward without mercy. She had no retreat now. She could only close her eyes and charge ahead—either die in Sixth Master’s hands or spill blood in Ruyi Harbor. Since both paths led to death, she might as well gamble.
Although the time to prepare was short, Xu Miaoxue firmly chose to continue the original plan. So far, everything has gone smoothly. They had stopped the wife of Scholar Pei Shuye on the road, lured her away from Ningbo, and stolen the documents she carried. By coincidence, that woman’s surname was also Xu—her name was Xu Fei.
Finally, the day of the Pearl Banquet arrived. The most worrying part was having to act like a noble lady on the spot.
Xu Miaoxue had never been a real noblewoman. Everything relied on her poor imagination, so her acting was clumsy. Her earlier rule was to stay mysterious—the less she did, the fewer mistakes she would make. She tried not to stand in crowds. When many people talked at once, it was easy to expose herself.
But now, Xu Miaoxue had a new idea.
“Who says Pei Shuye’s wife must be a noble lady?”
Ruyi Harbor was an island connected to land by a stone causeway. At the front of the causeway stood an archway with the words “Ruyi Harbor.” On the day of the Tide Banquet, officials sealed off the entrance. Only guests who showed an invitation could enter.
Xu Miaoxue dressed herself like a newly rich merchant woman, walking with an exaggerated sway and showing off as she reached the archway. As expected, she was stopped because she could not produce an invitation.
Ali stepped forward and whispered something to the servant. The servant was shocked, quickly sent someone to report, and then led them to a small building outside the archway.
This building was used for servants and drivers to rest during banquets. There were also a few better rooms. Every Pearl Banquet attracted people who wanted to sneak in. If such people had some status and couldn’t be chased away directly, they were politely brought here to sit, drink tea, and eventually leave on their own when they realized they couldn’t attend.
“She must be a merchant,” Pei Hening said confidently.
“No wonder she has money but no taste.”
Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants had always ranked last. But times had changed. Doing business to get rich was now accepted. Fine clothes once limited to nobles were common among ordinary people. Even clothing laws written into the Ming Code had become meaningless. Wearing forbidden luxury no longer brought punishment but admiration.
Still, old wealthy families looked down on these new rich people. They had their own style—quiet, understated clothing made by old master craftsmen, with no identical designs on the market. They didn’t chase the most expensive materials but valued skill and detail. Their jewelry matched as a set, never mixing everything together. To them, mixing silk, brocade, pearls, and gold like this was clearly the behavior of someone who had suddenly gotten rich and wanted to show it off. Such people were not refined.
Thinking this, Pei Hening lifted her chin proudly.
A few hours earlier, her uncle Pei Shuye had finally returned home after everyone waited anxiously. Though he only briefly greeted the family before being taken to the Dragon King Temple by the prefect and clan elders, his return alone gave the Pei family confidence.
Pei Hening looked toward Ruyi Harbor. The stone causeway was narrow, only wide enough for one carriage. A small mistake could send a carriage into the sea, so everyone got down at the archway and walked.
The great families had turned Ruyi Harbor into a symbol of noble honor. Even chastity arches from the countryside had been moved onto the causeway. Along the short path stood several arches, their bases washed by sea waves, looking solemn and glorious.
Only the rich and powerful could walk beneath these arches. People naturally straightened their backs, feeling superior, as if the glory of the sea and their ancestors belonged entirely to them.
With this feeling, Pei Hening stepped onto the causeway and entered Ruyi Harbor.
The banquet had not yet begun, and women were still arriving. But Pei Hening sensed something wrong. The servants who had been welcoming guests were now rushing about. She heard someone say, “Sixth Madam has returned,” and her face immediately went pale.
Impossible!
Old Master Lu had let the Pei family host the Pearl Banquet entirely because of Pei Shuye’s rising status. The purpose was to find him a wife. How could he have married quietly?
And today, the Sixth Uncle had returned alone. He never mentioned having a wife.
Pei Hening thought hard and suddenly noticed something. It seemed the Old Madam had mentioned matchmaking to Sixth Uncle before, and he had refused.
At the time, it didn’t seem strange. She thought he simply disliked marriage arrangements. But now, could that refusal mean something else?
At this moment, the private room in the Sea-View Tower was silent. Old Madam Pei looked at the marriage document and household registry handed up by a servant, saying nothing. It clearly stated that Pei Shuye’s wife was a woman surnamed Xu, from a merchant family in Zhangzhou, Fujian.
Female relatives surrounded her, whispering softly.
If Pei Shuye really had a wife, then what had all their recent efforts been for? What did this Pearl Banquet—given with such sincerity by the Lu family—mean now?
Just one sentence, “Sixth Madam has returned,” crushed all expectations and preparations.
With a bang, someone pushed the door open. Everyone looked up and saw Pei Hening rush in. She scanned their faces and felt her heart sink.
She still couldn’t believe it.
“Is Sixth Madam really back?”
No one answered. Pei Hening grew anxious.
“Grandmother, I saw that woman just now! She has no taste at all, like a rich vulgar woman. Sixth Uncle has such high standards—how could he marry someone like that? I don’t believe it!”
“Really? What does she look like? Is she pretty or ugly?”
“I can’t imagine what kind of woman could catch Sixth Brother’s eye…”
Old Madam Pei, who had been silent, raised her eyes.
The younger generation was noisy, but her face was calm. Though over sixty, she was well kept. The wrinkles at her eyes only added authority.
“Where did this ‘Sixth Madam’ come from?” Old Madam Pei asked calmly.
“No formal visit to the parents, no proper marriage rites—then it is an improper union.”
Everyone immediately fell silent. No one dared to argue.
But the matter still had to be dealt with.
Now the one managing the household was Second Madam Pei. She was still worried and read the registry again.
“Mother, but the government records are already made. Xu Fei is indeed Chengju’s wife. Right now, Chengju is at the Dragon King Temple with the prefect and clan elders. We can’t call him back. But if he finds out that we neglected his new wife…”
It was a difficult problem.
Today was meant to be the Pei family’s proud moment. They wanted to find Pei Shuye, the best possible wife in Ningbo. They did not want to accept this daughter-in-law. But today was also a banquet day. If this was handled badly and outsiders laughed, the Pei family would lose face.
“Then… should we invite Xu over for you to see first?” someone suggested.
For the first time, anger appeared on Old Madam Pei’s face. The anger she had been holding back finally found an outlet.
“Is Ruyi Harbor a place that just anyone can enter?!”