Master, maid, no wonder others misunderstand. She is now Master Shangguan's personal maid.
That night, they escaped from the Northern Barbarians amidst the chaos. The journey that had taken five days to reach them took a full half-month. Although his injuries weren't severe, his recovery was extremely slow. He was delirious with fever on the way, to the point that he only recognized her for a time. Whether it was eating, applying hair dye, or even wiping his body, she was the one who helped him. Back in Jiangdu, he had dragged his broken leg for two days, so there was no reason for him to be so "delicate" two years later. She knew all along that his weakness was mostly an act. Even when he clung to her, causing her embarrassment and anger, as soon as she met his dark eyes, she lost her temper and let him be.
Now this old man is getting more and more into character. A few days ago, she only said "the girl has a hard life," and he immediately perked up.
"A maid? Is she a kitchen maid, a general maid, or a housekeeper's maid?" The master raised his arm, waiting for her to serve him.
"My personal maid." She resignedly helped the master change his clothes.
The master sighed, unable to hide his disappointment: "I thought she was just a maidservant."
Her fingertips faltered. She glared at him fiercely, until he looked back tremblingly, so cautiously, as if resenting her heartlessness. This sight made her feel even more unbearable. How could she not bear it? She owed him. No wonder her mother had said that there was a bond between men and women; in a marriage of equals, whose eyebrows were truly aligned? In a pair of swallows flying together, whose was the lead? She didn't aspire to be as assertive as her mother, but she couldn't be constantly suppressed. Especially since that person was Shangguan Yi. If she got used to being suppressed, it would be difficult to turn the tables.
A wise man keeps his talents hidden until the right time to act; let's see what happens.
Yu Zigui smiled slightly and parted the willow branches in front of him. He saw that the area below the city wall was teeming with people. The ten-mile-long embankment, with its weeping lake and misty willows, was the only way to enter the city. Now, with the stability of the Great Wei Dynasty, there were more and more merchants traveling from the north and south. Amidst the throng, a man and a woman led their horses into the city.
"Ah Luan!"
Yu Zigui waved her hand, and Cong Luan, who was ahead, turned around and quickly grabbed Xiao Kuang, who was ignoring her. The two stopped, and when Yu Zigui got closer, Cong Luan glanced at the fish and medicine in her hand and said, "What's wrong? It's been ten days, and Shangguan is still not better?"
Yu Zigui rolled her eyes at her: "You know it's been almost three months. We agreed that you and Xiao Kuang would first go back to the capital with Young Master Zhuofeng to negotiate, and then come to Jinling to meet us after things were settled. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, you're still having such a good time." She glanced at Xiao Kuang and asked, "Did my senior brother receive the letter I asked you to deliver?"
Concealing the gloom between his brows, Xiao Kuang forced a smile: "I received it. It was delivered personally by Aunt Yu Luo."
"Then how should I put it?" she asked cautiously.
"They didn't seem to say anything."
He didn't say anything. An elder brother is like a father. Sixth Senior Brother may seem gentle, but he's definitely not a kind father. This time, she's been running away from home for almost half a year and even came to Jinling with Ziyu without permission. Logically, Senior Brother shouldn't have let her off so easily, so why...?
Just then, Xiao Kuang said, "Aunt, you two talk first. Ah Luan, give me the reins." He then took Ah Luan's horse, nodded in greeting, and walked forward.
"What's wrong with him?" She looked at the somewhat lonely figure with great surprise. When she came to her senses, she saw Cong Luan sigh softly, looking as if he wanted to say something but was also sad.
"What, is the imperial court denying its promise?" she asked.
Cong Luan shook his head: "The abolition of the sword ban will be implemented next month. In addition, the rule that 'the court does not speak of the martial world' has also been included in the new emperor's first pardon in the first year of Xingping."
"Then Xiao Kuang..."
“I don’t know either.” Cong Luan’s voice was soft and painful. “He became like this after he met that person.”
Yu Zigui glanced at her, his brown eyes filled with a deep, troubled sadness.
"There is only one person's secret in the world. I dare not eavesdrop or peek, but it is precisely what I most want to know. Isn't that ridiculous?"
There's nothing left to offer in this world, and spring has already faded from Meishan.
The two remained silent for a long time. Yu Zigui silently accompanied her until she entered the Nanshan branch of the Beiji Pavilion, at which point he turned and walked towards the Shangguan Mansion.
As soon as she entered, Butler Lin came out to greet her. "Young Madam, where have you been?"
Although they were not yet married, everyone in the Shangguan household addressed her as "Madam." Yu Zigui knew that Shangguan Yi was deliberately trying to get her used to it; this man wouldn't even give her a chance to turn things around.
"I went to get medicine for Ziyu. What, he's awake?" She said, handing the fish and medicine to Uncle Lin.
"The young mistress woke up just a moment after she left."
Seeing Lin Bo's unspoken suffering, she became suspicious. Although Master Shangguan had been a bit "spoiled" lately, he wouldn't take his anger out on others just because he couldn't see her; something must have happened. Thinking this, she quickened her pace. When she entered the flower hall, she saw Xiao Kuang, who had returned earlier, standing with his hands behind his back, his starry eyes fixed on the corridor outside. In the shade of the bamboo in the courtyard, two ochre-colored figures were faintly visible. With just a glance, she could tell that the two were motionless, clearly martial artists.
"A distinguished guest has arrived?" she asked with her eyes. Uncle Lin glanced at Xiao Kuang, hesitating to speak.
So it turns out his suffering wasn't for Master Shangguan, but for—
Yu Zigui was secretly surprised. Following the old man's gaze, he heard Xiao Kuang say, "Uncle Lin, who is outside the door?"
With a twitch of his wrinkled face, Uncle Lin looked shakily at Yu Zigui.
The way those eyes seemed to follow her every word made her eyes twitch. Good, good, no wonder it's the evil tradition of the Shangguan family, this is clearly a frame-up!
"Aunt?" Sure enough, the innocent child was fooled.
Suppressing the urge in her eyes, she sighed, "Alas!" Her heavy tone indeed stunned the two of them. Leaning against the wall, she said with heartache, "Half a month ago, your uncle and I returned to Jinling. Somehow, a libertine saw us. He coveted your uncle's beauty while he was ill, and he actually... he actually brought his servants to harass us every day! Alas, as for which libertine it is, Uncle Lin will tell you."
Hmph, let her explain? Luckily, she got a good book the other day, about a libertine lusting after a sick scholar and a wicked servant abducting a beauty. It was worth the few days she spent enjoying herself. Now she can pick it up at will. It's truly a good book, a good book indeed.
"Uncle Lin, is this all true?" Xiao Kuang's expression could only be described as "wonderful".
"Fake! Of course it's fake!" The old man's eyes widened in anger.
"Who are those people?"
"Yes...yes..."
Through the corner of her sleeve, she saw Lin Bofeng making a messy face, but she ignored him completely and turned to Xiao Kuang: "Don't worry, with me here, your uncle will be fine. I'll go and meet that playboy now."
With that, she turned and walked away, ignoring Lin Bo's calls to her. She closed her ears, automatically silencing him. Who was this guest that the old servant of the Shangguan family was so wary of, preferring to let her speak carelessly rather than reveal his identity? Lost in thought, she walked through the courtyard, only to feel several pairs of eyes glaring at her. It was the two men in ochre robes. She stopped, smiled, and looked back, her gaze falling on their swords.
The ban on swords won't be abolished until next month; until then, only officials can openly carry swords. This can't be told to Xiao Kuang, and he's brought two top imperial guards with him—it seems the inevitable has finally arrived.
(To be continued)
Chapter Two
Springtime was in full bloom, and Sui Garden was tinged with a light spring hue. Quietly walking to the outside of the study, Yu Zigui lifted the curtain of the side room and went straight to sit down by the door. She parted a corner of the bamboo curtain and saw Shangguan Yi facing the side room, his posture casual yet slightly arrogant. He slightly curled his lips, and his narrow eyes glanced at her with a mocking gaze that did not miss a beat.
"Oh? Lord Ji is only letting go of me, who aided and abetted the wicked, disrupted the court, plotted against the late emperor, and intended to overthrow the Great Wei dynasty, because of our past relationship?" This voice was completely devoid of fear, and could even be described as a lighthearted mockery.
Upon hearing this, the man sitting opposite him coldly snorted: "Shangguan Yi, why do you need me to spell it out? If it weren't for my relationship with A-Kuang, I would have had the Prefect of Yingtian lock you up long ago."
Although there were silver strands in his hair, he did not sound old. Curious about the man's appearance, Yu Zigui lifted the curtain a little wider and peeked out, only to meet a pair of dark eyes.
With his gaze fixed on her, Shangguan Yi scoffed, "Affection? Lord Ji is always an impartial and incorruptible official. When it comes to being ruthless, he will not hesitate to act even towards his mentor. Why tarnish your reputation for such a small favor? Why not just lock me up now?" He walked to the man's side, spreading his hands as if to cooperate, but his sleeves precisely blocked her scrutiny.
Unfortunately, she was just a hair's breadth away from seeing it. She regretted it deeply, when she heard the man angrily say, "Shangguan Yi, don't be so stubborn!"
"What if the superior insists on drinking this penalty wine?"
"You!" The man slammed his hand on the table and stood up. Just as he was about to reveal his true face, Yu Zigui excitedly opened his eyes, only to see Shangguan Yi turn to the side at the right moment, just enough to cover the man's face.
It was intentional, absolutely intentional. She glared, he glared back, until he glared her back into the curtain, only then did Shangguan turn around, revealing the man's true face.
Through the curtain, Yu Zigui could vaguely make out his features. He had a sharp, aged face, and wasn't exactly a stunningly handsome man, so why was Ziyu so wary of her? Just as Yu Zigui was wondering, Ji Junze glanced at her casually, his eyes shrewd, as if he were constantly calculating. This made Yu Zigui wary; it turned out Ziyu wasn't wary of her after all. What a pair of superior eyes! She became slightly alert and shifted back slightly.
Glancing across the empty curtain, Ji Jun concealed the coldness in his eyes, and with the spring light of March returning, he raised his head and said sincerely, "Brother Shangguan, putting aside our past grievances, just looking at this boundless imperial grace, you should repay it."
"Grateful?" Shangguan chuckled, glancing at him. "You need something from someone and then pretend to do them a favor? Lord Ji, if you want to play the honey trap, you should at least consider your target. The day I was able to leave the capital, I knew this day would come." He raised a handsome eyebrow and leaned closer. "How does it feel, sir? You were almost killed, and not only can you not take revenge, but you also have to bow down to your enemy. How does that feel?"
Ji Junze's hand, which was resting on the table, turned slightly white. Shangguan Yi glanced at him and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "The new emperor will surely grant a general amnesty upon his ascension to the throne. Provinces affected by disasters will be exempt from taxes and grain rations, and the heavy taxes in Jiangnan will be reduced to alleviate the burden. Although the Grand Secretary's stroke of the pen has won the hearts of the people, he must act within his means. How much silver is left in the national treasury? Five million or six million? Even at the highest point, it will not last more than three months."
Ji Junze's face trembled, but he managed to hold back.
“The military pay in Sichuan and beyond the Great Wall is all on credit, and this year’s spring planting will require the repair of large areas of waterlogged fields, plus—” Shangguan Jun raised his eyebrows and curled his lips, “the monetary system issues during the Shengde era.”
This sentence made Ji Junze furious.
Shangguan Yitong glanced at him and gave a strange smile: "What, do you think you can still hide it, sir? Just find two copper coins made during the Shengde era and the previous one, and you'll know the truth by comparing them."
Behind the curtain, Yu Zigui divided the loose coins in her purse into two sides. At first glance, they all appeared to be square-holed, but upon closer inspection, one side was much rougher than the other. Picking up a coin of slightly lower quality, she squinted at it against the light and saw four blurry seals on its surface—"Shengde Tongbao."
"Copper coins are made from a mixture of copper and lead. The more copper, the finer the quality, and vice versa. The ancestral system of the Great Wei Dynasty stipulated that coins should be minted with a 50/50 ratio of copper and lead. Even during the Yuanning era, when the old emperor was incompetent, he dared not disrupt this monetary system. Unexpectedly, it was broken during the Shengde era. Copper was three parts and lead seven parts. Hmph, the government exchanged coins for coins, using three parts copper to exchange for five parts copper, then melted them down and remade them. Just by changing hands twice, they could double their profits. But there is no such thing as a single business. Since the government can exchange coins for coins, why don't the merchants just produce the same thing?"
Upon hearing this, she put down the copper coin in her hand, looked through the curtain again, and saw the faint spring light shining down, falling into Ji Junze's wide eyes.
Shangguan chuckled: "What are you so surprised about, Minister? Merchants value profit and officials are greedy—this has been the way of things since ancient times. What can the people under the emperor gain from minting coins? Even if they were to embezzle a little, how much could they gain? It's better for everyone to benefit each other. Merchants melt down copper to mint their own coins and use those coins to pay taxes. As long as the tax officials turn a blind eye, they can save nearly half a tael of silver. Nowadays, even street vendors know that they would rather accept one tael of silver than a hundred coins. The collapse of the Wei Dynasty's monetary system is an open secret among merchants."
No wonder the fishmonger was willing to sell her a fish at a low price rather than just one fish today! She suddenly understood, and then heard someone behind the curtain say through gritted teeth, "Shangguan Yi, aren't you afraid I'll investigate the Shangguan family's tax revenue for saying these things!"
With a slight smile, Shangguan said coldly, "Since I dare to say it, why would I be afraid of your investigation? Ji Junze, you think too highly of yourself."
"you!"
"Even the Great Wei is struggling to make ends meet right now. Even if you know that the merchants are cheating each other, what can you do? Are you going to confiscate the property of a few more wealthy families?"
Ji Jun frowned and remained silent.
"Actually, the monetary system is just the tip of the iceberg. Great Wei is short of silver. When money is worthless, silver becomes even more expensive. Great Wei's silver mines are already scarce, and in recent years, merchants have been afraid that the court will introduce some kind of new currency, so wealthy households have been hoarding silver, making the silver available in circulation even more scarce. If I'm not mistaken, Your Excellency has put aside court affairs and traveled thousands of miles to Jinling to borrow silver from Your Excellency. Is that correct?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Junze's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he remained silent.
Shangguan Yi wasn't in a hurry. He casually picked up a book and began to read. A gentle spring breeze stirred, ruffling his black hair and casting a warm glow on his face, making his handsome features even more striking.
"This is truly a peerless beauty," she thought, slightly bewildered. She stole another glance, only to be caught red-handed by his glint in the eye. His dark eyes shone suspiciously, and the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his smugness. "Hmph, what's there to be smug about? She only glanced at him and mistook a devil for a celestial being."
She turned her head with a determined air, her gaze casually sweeping over the book in his hands. Glancing over it, then returning to it.
She was stunned.
She had clearly hidden the book well, so how did it end up in his hands? The story of the prodigal son and the sickly scholar is truly... beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
Turning her back to the curtain, she felt a sudden rush of breath. That wretched, sickly scholar! He thinks she's a wild, dissolute womanizer. Hmph, if she can't do it openly, can she at least secretly fantasize? Watch her like a tiger descending the mountain, watch her like a monkey stealing peaches! Scholar, oh scholar, why aren't you begging for mercy!
As she was secretly plotting her revenge, she saw a figure outside the side room door. She suddenly focused, held her breath, walked to the door, and unexpectedly lifted the curtain.
Staring directly into each other's eyes, Xiao Kuang looked somewhat embarrassed, but his gaze still lingered unconsciously on the doorway. He stared intently at the bamboo curtain, his eyes filled with a melancholy that even the gentle spring breeze couldn't dispel. Uncle Lin couldn't stop him after all; who could? Yu Zigui sighed inwardly, stepping aside to let him in.
The room was quiet, unlike the confrontational silence of the study. The quiet in the side room was sorrowful. It was the first time she had ever seen someone so affectionate show such pain. Since spring was already over, why struggle to hold onto it? She didn't understand this kind of pain, but Luan said it was because the one who liked first had already lost, and not only lost, but suffered a complete defeat with no chance of recovery. Therefore, one had to be the dealer in matters of the heart.
"Can't we start a rebellion?" Her question stumped Ah Luan.
Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? Rather than grieve in silence, let's rise up in rebellion!
Thinking of this, Yu Zigui felt a surge of excitement. She lifted the corner of the curtain and met Shangguan's dark eyes.
What a perfect understanding, Brother Chen Sheng! Wu Guang was truly touched and lifted the curtain wider, revealing Xiao Kuang gazing intently at her.
Seeing this, Shangguan raised an eyebrow slightly, and she raised hers in return. In a flash, their eyes met, and his eye twitched. Finally, unable to resist, he glanced away. There's no need to be so moved. It's just a small exchange between sworn brothers; look how composed she is!
She carefully straightened the bamboo curtain, then sat down to one side, contemplating her own thoughts. Before long, someone finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Shangguan Yi, you've won." The voice was filled with resentment, even gritted teeth. "I have come here on the orders of the new emperor to borrow silver from the Shangguan family in Jinling."
On the low couch, someone gently turned a page of a book, reading with great interest, seemingly oblivious to everything else.
Ji Jun angrily said, "Shangguan Yi, why don't you accept the imperial decree!"
Shangguan Yi glanced lightly at the paper, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. She slowly sat up and straightened her wrinkled spring robe. "I won't lend it."
"You intend to defy the imperial decree?"
Shangguan Yi closed the book and glanced at him lazily: "Your Excellency can simply have the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture confiscate the Shangguan family's property. That way, wealthy households across the land will see that it's better to hide their silver."
Her words hit the nail on the head, striking right at Ji Junze's sore spot. Seeing his furious, ashen face, Shangguan Yi felt a surge of joy. "It's not impossible for the Shangguan family to lend us money."