The Eighth Year of Shenchu
Serving the Lord with Charm
To dispel Wei Tingxu’s suspicions and to ensure that Lingbi would someday cease to probe or assassinate innocents around her, Zhen Wenjun sought opportunities to showcase herself while searching for the hidden members of the Qingliu faction in the market of Taojun City.
The so-called opportunity to showcase herself was not one that would lead her mother to rebuke her for being greedy and reckless, but rather a seed planted in Wei Tingxu’s heart, a seed that could slowly germinate.
Since childhood, she knew her mind was more agile than most, able to discern the ebb and flow of situations. She was deemed a priceless talent by her mother. Her mother taught her to hide her brilliance but did not suppress any of her nature and talents. Instead, she meticulously nurtured her in her areas of strength. She knew her mother did not want her to be too conspicuous, “A pile standing out on the bank, the current will surely be swift; a person walking taller than others, the crowd will surely slander.” This was a principle her mother repeatedly taught her. Of course, living in chaotic times, although not striving for prominence, one must still retain some ability to protect oneself. Therefore, while repeatedly teaching her to be low-key in all matters, her mother also poured all her efforts into cultivating her, making her more outstanding day by day.
According to Wei Tingxu, the Wei family faced impeachment from the Qingliu faction due to their support of the Eldest Princess in political affairs. According to Lord Yunmeng, the Eldest Princess had reached the point of “intending to depose the emperor and seize the world,” and the current emperor naturally could not be without any precautionary actions. In the confrontation between the emperor and the Eldest Princess, there must be a massive faction behind both sides, having already engaged in countless battles both overt and covert. The strong support behind the Qingliu faction must be the emperor. With external threats unresolved and internal turmoil, the conflicts within the imperial family have deepened, and the situation is far more complex than the word “complex” can describe.
If Wei Tingxu wished to elevate the Eldest Princess to power, it would not be an easy task, no matter how exceptionally talented she was.
Why does the Eldest Princess want to seize power? It’s undoubtedly for the sake of Da Yu. To put it bluntly, she wants to rebel.
But as the Eldest Princess, wanting to usurp the throne and proclaim herself emperor is not something that can be achieved merely with reason, power, and soldiers. Not to mention that in the history of the Da Yu Kingdom, there has never been a female emperor. Even going back a thousand years, in the six previous dynasties, the status of women was extremely low. Women could not step outside the main gate or even the second gate before marriage, and they were not allowed to see men other than their family members. If a man saw their face before marriage, it was considered a great disgrace and could potentially affect their future marriage prospects. By the time of the Da Yu Kingdom, the national customs had become more open, but there were still no female officials in the court. The idea of a female emperor was as unrealistic as trying to catch wind with a net or waiting for a mountain child to grind stone into powder.
In such a difficult situation, Wei Tingxu and the Eldest Princess would certainly need to recruit various extraordinary talents, leveraging the right timing, geography, and human harmony to successfully rebel.
Zhen Wenjun continually sought opportunities to demonstrate her money-making abilities in front of Lingbi, hoping that Lingbi would relay this information to Wei Tingxu, telling her: there is a useful person here.
Indeed, the ability to make money is a very important skill and the cornerstone of rebellion. Without silver, who would be willing to risk their lives for you? Without funds, you can’t even equip horses and supplies, and soldiers wouldn’t have armor. How could you possibly fight against tens of thousands of elite enemy troops? Wei Tingxu certainly understood this principle, and she would definitely not overlook someone who could channel a river of silver into the Wei family.
Zhen Wenjun showed off a few more times in front of Lingbi, managing to secure 200 taels of silver without any capital. It was evident that Lingbi’s gaze towards her had changed slightly, and she once subtly inquired:
“Since you are adept at business, why did your foster father sell you to a broker instead of starting a business himself?”
Zhen Wenjun sighed, “My foster father always said that a young lady should just find a good family to marry into. Doing business requires showing one’s face in public, which is too improper and unsuitable. Besides, they adopted me with the hope that I might catch the eye of a noble family’s son and earn a sizable dowry. If I didn’t have such good fortune, selling me to a broker wouldn’t be a loss either. Moreover, all the work over the years by their side was done by me.”
Lingbi agreed, “Young lady, you are beautiful; no wonder your foster father had hopes of you marrying into a wealthy family.”
Lingbi’s words suddenly made Zhen Wenjun understand why Jiang Daochang and his group were so certain that selling her to Broker Wang would lead her to join the opera troupe—it was because of her face. It made sense to Lingbi and left Wei Tingxu longing for her. This face, once praised by Ah Xun, was indeed extraordinary. That’s why the brokers kept increasing her price through several transactions. At that time, they probably heard that Third Lady Du was looking for a successor to Yue Niang and bet on whether she would be chosen by Third Lady Du. Even if she wasn’t chosen, it wouldn’t matter; they would just keep looking for opportunities. Unexpectedly, their first try succeeded, and it even led her to Wei Tingxu through the clue of Ah Liao. Jiang Daochang and A Jiao were indeed intelligent and experienced assassins, but it was unexpected that such capable individuals would easily die at Wei Tingxu’s hands.
Wei Tingxu was indeed an extremely difficult person to deal with—Zhen Wenjun soon personally experienced the true meaning of this statement.
It was certain that Lingbi had informed Wei Tingxu about her helping various bosses and vendors in Taojun City to earn considerable wealth during these days. In fact, everything she did each day was undoubtedly conveyed to Wei Tingxu without any omissions by Lingbi. However, Wei Tingxu had shown no reaction whatsoever, displaying no intention of employing Zhen Wenjun. Even when Zhen Wenjun, with great courage, visited the main courtyard at midnight, fully aware that Wei Tingxu was likely staying up late handling various documents, and volunteered to help share her burdens, Wei Tingxu had no response. She merely gently instructed Lingbi to escort Zhen Wenjun back to her room to rest.
After arriving by Wei Tingxu’s side, everything proceeded smoothly. Little did she expect to be ensnared in such a predicament just at the start of the one-year period she had requested from Qingliu.
Yes, Wei Tingxu did not trust her. Lingbi still followed her, still rolled up all the bamboo slips and neatly stacked the silk papers upon her arrival. On the surface, Wei Tingxu treated her like a benefactor, occasionally sending her small trinkets to pass the time. In reality, she never genuinely intended to close the distance between them. Perhaps she believed that Zhen Wenjun was indeed her childhood savior, but she would never trust a long-lost savior. This matter was more troublesome than expected.
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Wei Tingxu was very busy, only coming to Taojun City for two or three days each month, and sometimes she would not be seen for two or three months. Everything she did left no traces, preventing anyone from grasping any patterns.
Days passed one by one, and seeing that there was only one month left of the year-long agreement with Qingliu, Zhen Wenjun was so anxious that she couldn’t sleep all night long.
How exactly could she open Wei Tingxu’s heart? No, it was already too late. With only one month left, even if a miracle happened and she immediately got close to Wei Tingxu, it would be impossible to gain her trust instantly. What should she do? Should she just kill her when she sees her? Zhen Wenjun understood that although she couldn’t be alone with Wei Tingxu, there were still opportunities to get close to her. Xiaohua was incredibly strong, and Lingbi likely had some skills as well. No matter how many shadow guards there were or how many hidden weapons were in the room, if she put everything into a desperate strike, it was possible to use the Golden Cicada Knife to slash Wei Tingxu’s neck and take her life in a very short time. But by doing so, she would have no chance of survival; Wei Tingxu’s guards would definitely tear her to pieces.
Forced assassination was the last resort of last resorts, a strategy of exchanging her life for her mother’s life. Moreover, killing Wei Tingxu might not even guarantee that Qingliu would spare her mother.
What about poisoning?
Wei Tingxu rarely ate in front of others, not even drinking water. Zhen Wenjun had observed in secret that she usually ate at dawn when the sky was still dim. She knew that all the food Wei Tingxu ate in Taojun City was personally prepared by Xiaohua. Even so, Xiaohua would test everything for poison before serving it to Wei Tingxu, without exception. It was probably because Wei Tingxu had a poor appetite that Xiaohua always tried to make the food visually appealing, fragrant, and tasty. Despite her rough hands, they were extraordinarily dexterous, carving carrots into koi fish, sculpting cheese into peonies, and molding steamed buns into the shapes of little chickens and ducks, making them adorably unique. Even so, Wei Tingxu usually only took a couple of bites before stopping, and Xiaohua would not waste the leftovers, eating them all herself.
If she were to poison, it would be necessary to find an extremely reliable method, and the best approach would be through the source of the food. Xiaohua was very focused and serious when cooking, and she personally brought the food to Wei Tingxu after it was done, making it very difficult to find a gap to make a move. Releasing a poisonous spider to drip poison into the soup from the beams of the roof, which is colorless and tasteless, might work, but it would be hard to escape the poison-testing stage. Poisoning Xiaohua first and then killing Wei Tingxu? No, no, she still has shadow guards and a room full of traps and hidden weapons…
After several sleepless nights, Zhen Wenjun had become emaciated and anxiously asked Lingbi about when Sister Tingxu would come.
Lingbi asked her back if there was an urgent matter.
Zhen Wenjun coquettishly said, “Sister left me here all alone, and it’s so boring. Everywhere I go, it’s the same flowers and trees, and I’ve walked all over Taojun City. I don’t know when I’ll be able to see Sister.”
“The lady’s whereabouts are never told to me. Judging by the days, she should be back soon. Don’t worry.”
How could she not be anxious?
But she had no way to express her anxiety to others and could only endure the long, restless nights alone.
Perhaps she was still lucky.
Just the day after she asked Lingbi, Wei Tingxu returned. A lone carriage rushed back to the courtyard from afar. When Xiaohua lifted Wei Tingxu out of the carriage and placed her into a four-wheeled cart, Zhen Wenjun immediately came up to her, eyes full of tears. Without expressing her longing, she only asked if she was tired from the journey, mentioned that she had made a few pieces of clothing to give her, and insisted on personally cooking a few of her specialty dishes for her sister that night.
Wei Tingxu treated her with the usual gentleness, but the clothes sent to her were never worn, and the meticulously prepared banquet, although she did come, was taste-tested by Xiaohua in front of Zhen Wenjun. Even after the poison test, Wei Tingxu did not take a single bite, only engaging in casual conversation.
Zhen Wenjun simply drank a few more cups.
She was still young and had not developed a habit of drinking since childhood. After three cups, her face would turn red; after five cups, her tongue would start to twist; and after seven cups, she would lose consciousness.
To know oneself and know the enemy is the key to a hundred victories. Zhen Wenjun knew herself very well.
She drank six cups.
At six cups, her drunken demeanor was fully evident and did not seem feigned, but her consciousness was still intact and her actions controllable.
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Her hand shook, the wine cup toppled, but Zhen Wenjun did not let go of Wei Tingxu’s hand. She could no longer sit upright and lay sprawled on the table.
Her small face was slightly red, tinged with an intoxicating peach blossom color. Her eyes were half-filled with tears, and she finally spoke the words hidden in her heart, emboldened by the alcohol:
“I thought sister had forgotten me.”
“Does little sister resent me?” Wei Tingxu explained to her, “I had some matters that required me to go out and handle. My elder brother passed away at a young age, and both the master of the house (father) and mother have high expectations of me. I need to shoulder heavy responsibilities and not fail them.”
“Sister is worn out from working on documents, and the only thing I think about is being by sister’s side, even if it’s just to share a little bit of her troubles,” Zhen Wenjun said, gently scratching and stroking Wei Tingxu’s palm and pinching her little finger as if coquettishly. Her vermilion lips slightly parted, eyes filled with longing, she gazed at Wei Tingxu with deep and sincere emotion, “I really… miss you so, so much.”
Wei Tingxu shook her head sorrowfully, “I don’t want you, little sister, to get involved in those troublesome matters.”
The desk was neither high nor long; the two were initially at opposite ends, with Wei Tingxu sitting and Zhen Wenjun kneeling.
At some point, Zhen Wenjun had moved to Wei Tingxu’s side, holding her hand and pressing it to her chest.
“Although Wenjun is useless, at least I can keep sister company and alleviate her boredom. I really don’t want to be separated from sister again. Can sister promise me to take me with her?” Zhen Wenjun wrapped her arms around Wei Tingxu’s waist, her face pressed against her shoulder, hot tears rolling into her chest.
Perhaps Wei Tingxu, like Ah Liao, had a fondness for beautiful women.
Nestled in Wei Tingxu’s embrace, Zhen Wenjun’s eyes were resolute.
The fiery look in Wei Tingxu’s eyes when she looked at Xiaohua, and the lingering touch of her fingers when passing objects to Lingbi, Zhen Wenjun saw it all. Although not as wanton as Ah Liao, it was evident that Wei Tingxu had a tender affection for the maidservants in the household, showing leniency even when they made mistakes. Zhen Wenjun bet in her heart that she was very likely highly interested in women.
Zhen Wenjun knew that in Da Yu, as long as the family was powerful, people of noble birth often had some peculiar habits, as if ordinary emotions could no longer satisfy them. Even Xie Suishan kept a few handsome young lads for his amusement. For someone as fiercely spirited as Wei Tingxu, it was not surprising for her to keep a house full of female slaves for her entertainment.
Delicate fingertips hooked onto Wei Tingxu’s collar, rubbing against her neck.
The seduction techniques taught by A Jiao were not in vain. Zhen Wenjun planned to take a risk, using her beauty to serve her mistress.
Wei Tingxu reversed her grip and held her hand.
Zhen Wenjun’s heart stirred, and when she looked up eagerly, what met her gaze were Wei Tingxu’s cold eyes.
Her smile froze on her face as Wei Tingxu grasped her chin and tilted her face upward, revealing her lips adorned with pink lipstick.
Wei Tingxu carefully savored her hesitant face and lips, the slightly puckered lip beads almost touching several times.
“Cannot.”
Just when Zhen Wenjun’s heart was pounding wildly, thinking she was about to receive a passionate and domineering kiss, Wei Tingxu pushed her away.
A rejection without any emotion, sudden coldness, Wei Tingxu was picked up by Xiaohua and taken away, leaving Zhen Wenjun in stunned silence.
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A table full of leftover food, cold ashes in the corner, a dazed Zhen Wenjun. They were all motionless decorations in the room.
Where was the previous tenderness and thoughtfulness? Where did Wei Tingxu, who traveled hundreds of miles to find a small trinket just to make her happy, go?
This person was unpredictable, difficult to understand, and elusive.
Zhen Wenjun asked herself: Could it be that I was wrong? Is Wei Tingxu actually not interested in women?
Xiaohua’s resolute face suddenly appeared in her mind, making her shudder defenselessly.
Or is it that Wei Tingxu actually likes the type like Xiaohua? Is that it?
She was confused again.
In the eighth year of Shenchu, there were many, many things that puzzled the fourteen-year-old Zhen Wenjun.
