Princesse Xiangsi

Chapitre 1

text

A private residence in the Jiangnan region.

Just as the new lotus blossoms were beginning to open, Mo Xi sat in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, watching the scene of large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate, feeling very happy. She gently picked up a piece of plum blossom cake with her right hand, chewed it slowly, and then took a sip of preservative, immediately feeling the lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth, and couldn't help but secretly praise it again.

She quickly flipped through the catalog, finding it filled with petty theft and low-level business, the pay barely enough for a drink at the Jushui Pavilion. Disappointed, she tossed the booklet aside. A gentle breeze rustled the pages, stopping at a page marked with a maple leaf: "Xiao Yu, from Qiantang, wealthy merchant, twenty years old, widowed..." Five copper coins were drawn in the lower right corner. Mo Xi chuckled; this young man was quite valuable. After silently reading it twice, she gently tore the page off and placed it on the charcoal stove where water was boiling; it instantly turned to ash.

With a light leap, she steadily stepped onto the small boat, which, without any oarsmen, sped towards the shore like an arrow.

Qiantang River.

Mo Xi traveled down the river, enjoying the scenery along the way.

Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye. After enjoying a free trip, I didn't linger any longer and went straight to Hongyuan Pawnshop.

The first rule of assassins: The client is the emperor.

Mo Xi pondered to himself that, given his 36th place ranking within the organization, he probably wouldn't be getting a case with a Maple Leaf-level reward by the time it was his turn to choose. After all, everyone was in a dangerous business; killing wasn't about saving lives, and they weren't specifically targeting difficult cases. Return on investment was paramount. Besides, the organization's operating strategy was like a taxi company—everyone was on commission, and with the lion's share being exploited, who wouldn't choose the easier targets first? Taking down this Confucian businessman would be a piece of cake. The key was the note at the end of that page: "One must be filled with fear day and night before death." Killing was just a matter of a swift stroke of the blade, and it was over. Apparently, this client harbored a deep-seated hatred for his hostage. Fine, Mo Xi decided to be a good person and help the client overcome his psychological barriers to clear his karmic burden.

Mo Xi pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper. It wasn't that she disrespected office documents, but since it was kept close to her body, it was inevitably soaked with sweat. The shopkeeper glanced at it, turned, and went behind the curtain. A moment later, he came out with a blue booklet. Mo Xi took it and saw a row of plum blossom seal script on the cover: "Suiyuan Notes," which should be a woman's handwriting. She put it back in her pocket and sauntered out. That shopkeeper must have been a martial arts practitioner; judging from his hands, he had at least practiced some basic martial arts. She couldn't help but sigh that organizations these days were developing into conglomerates, with businesses spanning wine, shops, brothels, and pawnshops. The boss was indeed a genius. Mo Xi considered whether she should take a stake and become a partner. Exploiting others was much better than being exploited. Capitalism wasn't hateful, as long as she had capital.

It was dusk, and most of the street vendors were packing up and heading home. Mo Xi spotted the "Yue'an" inn sign from afar. She immediately started pondering the question she'd thought about a thousand times: which unknown author's poorly written martial arts novel had she transmigrated into? Having read Jin Yong, Gu Long, and Liang Yusheng since junior high, she knew perfectly well that the characters she'd encountered since her debut hadn't come from prestigious families. But looking at this sign, it lacked any originality.

The second rule of the assassin: Keep a truly low profile.

Assassins aren't celebrities; once their distinctive features are remembered, and if their past actions are questionable, it's not just a matter for the Six Doors constables to hunt them down—it becomes an internal purge. No one wants to be implicated because of someone else's foolishness. Survival is paramount.

Mo Xi's attire was utterly ordinary. Her long, grayish-blue robe was neither new nor old, and due to long-term exposure to sun and rain, her face lacked the pale, radiant complexion that women of the time sought. She was not particularly beautiful to begin with, and her movements were devoid of any feminine grace. Although her figure was somewhat frail compared to a robust man, there were many literati in Qiantang, so her disguise as a man did not seem out of place.

After the waiter brought tea and snacks, Mo Xi closed the door and began to study the Suiyuan Notes.

The booklet wasn't long. The first half was bound with peach blossom paper from Biluoxuan, and judging from the style, it must have been produced three years ago. The second half was on plain paper. The handwriting gradually became weak and feeble, starting small and delicate.

Overall, this is a collection of lyrical essays recounting the grievances of a woman confined to her boudoir. The author of the book, from her unmarried days to her newlywed life, abruptly ends with the final essay, "Viewing the Autumn Scenery of Suiyuan," residing in the same place called Suiyuan throughout. It seems that Xiao Yu's first wife, Liu, was quite talented.

Her name should contain the character "lotus," as the opening describes her first encounter with Xiao Yu at a lotus pond. They were simply a perfect match, a match made in heaven. However, Miss Liu believed that her father's choice of "lotus" as her name foreshadowed her future marriage, a destiny ordained by fate, adding a touch of romance to her budding love. Later, they discussed marriage, their affections deeply intertwined. After the death of her father, Liu, having been childless for two years, Miss Liu, concerned for an heir, proposed that Xiao Yu take her as a concubine. Xiao Yu refused, but Miss Liu, moved by his deep affection and ashamed of her public appearances, remained silent. At this time, the old servants who had served her father were old and frail and needed to be dismissed and sent back to their hometowns. Xiao Yu took charge of the new servants in the household, and his actions were quite organized. Miss Liu, grieving, caught a cold and was unable to manage the household business, so she gradually handed it over to Xiao Yu.

Mo Xi sneered inwardly. Miss Liu lived in Sui Garden until her death, indicating that Xiao Yu had married into the Liu family. Her handwriting was weakening, a sign of exhaustion; she had likely succumbed to depletion, perhaps dying from exhaustion. It was very likely that the lotus leaf and lotus seed soup she ate daily as a sign of lingering affection was the cause. Before her death, Miss Liu's daily expenses had been significantly reduced; otherwise, given her usual frugality and the Liu family's continued prosperity, how could they have been unable to afford even paper? In her last letter, she mentioned wanting to take advantage of her still-healthy state to revisit the place where she first met Xiao Yu. She sent a servant to search for her at the shop, but he didn't return for a long time. She had no choice but to suppress her disappointment and go to the garden herself to reminisce for a moment. This showed that Miss Liu was already immobile before her death, unable even to command a servant.

The third rule of assassins is that crowds are the best cover.

Mo Xi got up early, quickly washed up, and went to Juxian across the street. She chose a lively spot by the window, ordered a bowl of fish porridge, two mushroom and bamboo shoot buns, and a plate of braised beef, and then sat down to enjoy the view. Their line of work wasn't like that of a modern sniper; in the era of cold weapons, success required close-range contact. This meant there was no such thing as someone else not being able to observe you; it was only you who could observe others' landing points. Little did they know that staying away from the crowd was the most conspicuous thing to do.

"I heard the Xiao family is getting married again. The young master of the Xiao family is so young, yet he has already lost two wives. The first one, Liu, at least lasted two years, but this Wang was killed by bandits just three months after her marriage. It's truly pitiful." The name of this teahouse is quite fitting, as those who come here are indeed idle people. The speaker is an old man carrying a birdcage, his hair and beard are all white, but he still has a strong voice.

"Is there no law anymore? It is said that the young lady Wang died unjustly. The thief failed to steal, but she just happened to run into him."

"Once the Xiao family's reputation for being cursed with having many wives spreads, it won't be easy for Xiao Xiaolang to get married again."

"What's there to be afraid of? The Liu family used to be incredibly wealthy, but it all went to the Xiao family. Are you worried about not being able to marry a daughter from a good family?"

"But now, things have changed, and Xiao Yu's connections are not as strong as they were when the Liu family was building them. It seems that things are not as good as before."

"I heard that in the past, Master Liu was a retainer of the Seventh Prince and a royal merchant. With the word 'royal' attached to him, he was bound to be very wealthy."

"What do you know? Xiao Xiaolang just sold a batch of grain a few days ago, this much..." The man gestured with his hand, and everyone gasped in astonishment.

While listening to the chatter, Mo Xi ate her breakfast, pondering the origin of the blue-covered notebook.

Xiao Jiayulang

These past few days, Matchmaker Qian's legs have been worn out. She's visited every household in Qiantang with an unmarried daughter, practically wearing down the threshold of the Xiao family's house. But there's been no good news. Although the Xiao family is extremely wealthy, the word "merchant" is not something that families with even a hint of scholarly refinement would readily agree to, especially since Xiao Yu has a reputation for bringing misfortune to his wives.

On that very day, Qian the matchmaker hummed a little tune, braving the sun, her face, white as flour, covered in sweat, but she didn't bother to wipe it away, and went straight to the Xiao family.

"You wouldn't believe it, this Miss Chen just came from the capital with her whole family. The Chen family ancestors were high-ranking officials in the capital, but now there are no male heirs in the family, so all the children and relatives have returned to their ancestral home in Qiantang. Although Miss Chen is born out of wedlock, her appearance and demeanor are in no way inferior. There's absolutely no mistake." As soon as they met, the matchmaker Qian spat a mouthful of saliva onto Xiao Yu's pale scholarly face.

Xiao Yu didn't listen to her rambling any longer. He gave her five taels of silver, said he would take another look, and then sent the immediately dejected matchmaker away.

"Sir, how about I go and inquire about it myself?" In Steward Zhou's opinion, even if it was 70% true, that would be enough.

Xiao Yu nodded, his thoughts already turning to the batch of grain he had just sold. The total quantity was large; the account books from the previous two years were nowhere to be found, but according to the knowledgeable shopkeepers, this batch had been distributed to smaller quantities to various downstream buyers. He had long suspected that Old Man Liu, being older and more hesitant, was only able to sell in large quantities locally, driving down grain prices and monopolizing the local market with this price advantage. This saved him transportation and storage costs, allowing him to make huge profits simply by selling in large quantities. Since taking over this batch of grain, he had sold it to local merchants in just a few months, making a fortune. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of youthful success.

Xiao Yu was reclining on the chaise longue, looking at account books, when the messenger sent to report the death to the Wang family in Haining returned. Xiao Yu lazily said, "Let him in."

Xiao Yu noticed something strange about his expression but didn't mind. She took a sip of the freshly brewed Biluochun tea.

"You saw the Wang family?"

"Grandpa, isn't it strange? The Wang family's courtyard is now inhabited by new people. When we ask where they moved to, no one knows. They didn't even send anyone to inform Grandma before they moved."

"Perhaps they were thinking of sending someone to report after everything was settled. Since that's the case, let's just wait for them to come," Xiao Yu said sadly. Madam Wang was outstanding in every way—beauty, speech, and craftsmanship—and being newly married, she was enjoying the bliss of marriage when this happened. It truly proves the saying that beautiful women often have tragic fates.

Just as he was about to say something, he heard Steward Zhou return, so he waved for him to leave.

When Steward Zhou entered with a delighted expression, Xiao Yu knew that things were going well and her heart warmed.

Sure enough, Steward Zhou spilled the beans. Miss Chen was indeed a good woman. A few years ago, she was still in mourning in the capital and it wasn't convenient to arrange a marriage for her. Now, although she was a bit older, she was still only eighteen. The Chen family had no male heirs and was looking for a marriage partner; a son-in-law would be like a son to them, and could also support the family.

Xiao Yu was somewhat tempted. The Xiao family had only one son for three generations, and by his generation, even his parents had passed away, leaving him all alone. Now it was time for him to consider having offspring.

The Xiao and Chen families hit it off immediately, quickly exchanged birth charts, completed the engagement, and chose an auspicious day.

On the wedding day, the Xiao family had the sedan chair bearers carry the bride around twice, making quite a lively spectacle with music and fanfare.

After entertaining the guests, Xiao Yu returned to the bridal chamber feeling a little dizzy, but truly overjoyed. He lifted the veil, revealing a beautiful bride with a delicate face. Her bright, sparkling eyes glanced at him before she lowered her head. Xiao Yu felt as if his soul had been stolen away. He tried to look closer, but no matter how he coaxed her, she would only turn slightly to the side and raise her head, making him even more captivated. Xiao Yu hastily removed his wedding robe and pressed himself against her.

The next day, the young couple slept until late morning before calling in a maid to serve them. Since the Xiao family had no elders, the new bride didn't need to serve tea to her parents-in-law, which was convenient. Xiao Yu knew the maid who came in was Chen's dowry maid, whom she might keep in the future, so she couldn't help but glance at her. She was greatly disappointed; apart from being fair-skinned, the maid had nothing appealing about her. She thought to herself that the Chen family really doted on their daughter.

Looking at Madam Chen again, she was being helped by a maid to put on her inner clothes. When she saw him staring blankly, she gave him a quick glance. Xiao Yu thought of Madam Chen's gentleness and tenderness last night, and his body went weak.