Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist

Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 53

by Little Panda

Volume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place

Breaking the Stalemate

Ji Qingchi mentally filtered through the suspicious figures in the imperial court¹, finding that quite a few were suspect—like the Prime Minister², Marquis Zhenwei, the Ministers of the Six Ministries³, and even the Fifth Imperial Daughter.

These individuals had numerous partisans in court, held high positions of power and status, and had extensive connections. If it truly was them, they couldn’t be touched for the time being.

Dealing with them required pulling a tiger’s teeth—removing their fangs and sharp claws bit by tiny bit.

Having decided, Ji Qingchi said, “We cannot alert the enemy⁴ right now. We must proceed methodically.”

Su Yi nodded. “To be honest with Your Highness, this commoner girl thinks the same. However, this commoner girl believes that stabilizing the farmers before spring arrives is paramount.”

It was currently deep winter; spring was still over three months away. Ji Qingchi frowned, “Is there still time?”

Su Yi smiled confidently. “Rest assured, Your Highness, this commoner girl already has an idea. However, I will need Your Highness’s assistance.”

Although Su Yi was clearly ill, speaking weakly, as soft as if she hadn’t eaten for dozens of days, her words carried an imposing aura that seemed to look down on everything.

Ji Qingchi was momentarily captivated by her smile. Only after a while did she recall how the Second Imperial Daughter had been promoting Su Yi’s clothing shop everywhere some time ago. Tentatively, she asked, “Does Miss Su wish for This Palace, like Second Imperial Sister did last time, to help promote Miss Su’s shop?”

“That’s not it.” Su Yi coughed once. “This commoner girl… actually wants to ask the Ninth Highness for eight thousand taels.”

Second Imperial Sister got custom-made clothes and a grateful home visit, but when it came to her, forget clothes, there wasn’t even any preamble—just a direct request for money right off the bat.

Ji Qingchi’s smile stiffened slightly; she felt a pang in her chest⁵. “Miss Su, what is the meaning of this?”

“To be perfectly honest, this commoner wants to open a restaurant to compete with Yiyun Tower. This way, we can both raise grain prices and reduce the number of times people from our dynasty eat at Yiyun Tower. Perhaps it could even help prevent the trafficking of people. However… this commoner truly doesn’t have much money right now, so I was thinking of partnering with the Ninth Highness. Your Highness provides the funds for purchasing the restaurant and future maintenance, while this commoner provides the people and strategy. When we make silver, we split it fifty-fifty. What does Your Highness think?”

Ji Qingchi didn’t believe for a second that Su Yi had no money.

As far as she knew, the clothing shop Su Yi opened brought in at least three thousand taels a month. It had been several months already; she wouldn’t believe Su Yi didn’t have tens of thousands of taels on hand.

That’s right, Su Yi planned to get something from nothing⁶.

She herself had already fronted the money to buy the restaurant, and later she would have to pay to hire staff and maintain it, plus put in the effort to sell things. Now, she had eagerly rushed over to tell the female protagonist the important news; surely she couldn’t end up getting no benefits at all, right?

So, on the way to see Ji Qingchi, she had already figured out how to make money.

Let the female protagonist provide Jingdu. She had already paid for the restaurant herself; she’d just have Ji Qingchi reimburse her later. Not only that, but future maintenance costs, wages for the staff and manager, etc., would all be covered by Ji Qingchi. She would only provide the ideas, and when money came in, they’d split it together. Only this way could they show the sincerity of a happy partnership.

Ji Qingchi said faintly, “Miss Su, frankly, This Palace’s monthly allowance is only five hundred taels. For Miss Su to ask This Palace for eight thousand taels at once, isn’t that a bit… much?”

Su Yi mentally rolled her eyes, thinking, Playing poor with me? Don’t think I don’t know that besides your monthly allowance, you imperial daughters also have fiefdoms. The rent sent up by the tenants each month is at least a thousand taels of silver. Your daily food and entertainment are paid for by the imperial palace, and the Emperor gives rewards regularly. Even if she herself were poor enough to beg on the streets, these imperial daughters would never lack money.

“Ninth Highness.” Thinking this, Su Yi stared earnestly into the eyes of the imperial daughter crying poverty to her. “Ninth Highness, please place a hand over your left chest.”

Su Yi’s eyes were clear and bright, reflecting Ji Qingchi’s image.

Stared at intently by her, Ji Qingchi felt her chest tighten and couldn’t help but do as she said. “Mm… and then?”

“And then?” Su Yi raised an eyebrow. “And then, Ninth Highness, please clutch your conscience and seriously reflect: when facing this commoner, someone who truly started from scratch⁷, someone who has to split every tael of silver into several pieces to spend⁸, doesn’t Your Highness feel even the slightest bit of guilt saying you have no money?”

Ji Qingchi, “…”

She only just realized Su Yi was teasing her.

She had discovered that ever since becoming the direct great-granddaughter of Marquis Pingyang, Su Yi had become increasingly bold.

Previously, Su Yi spoke before her respectfully, almost to the point of wanting to worship her. Now, if not for restraining herself due to Ji Qingchi’s imperial status, Su Yi would probably roll her eyes to the heavens the moment she saw her.

However, Ji Qingchi didn’t dislike this change; instead, she was quite pleased. She didn’t want Su Yi to fear her. She was interested in the previously reserved Su Yi, but she was also happy to see the lively Su Yi of today.

It just felt like her face burned a little after being exposed.

Ji Qingchi turned her face away and summoned the steward, asking her to fetch some silver for her.

The steward followed instructions and brought ten thousand taels in bank notes. When handing them to Ji Qingchi, she thoughtfully also brought a cup of refreshing and thirst-quenching lotus seed tea⁹.

Ji Qingchi took the money, somewhat puzzled. “Isn’t this tea for summer?”

The steward replied considerately, “This servant saw Your Highness’s face was burning fiercely, all flushed red, and thought perhaps the floor heating¹⁰ was too hot, so I brewed this tea for Your Highness.”

Saying this, she looked towards Su Yi with particular concern. “Does Miss Su want a cup too? However, this servant saw Miss Su’s pale complexion and thought her stomach might not handle this tea well, so I didn’t brew extra. If Miss Su needs some, this servant will have someone bring it immediately.”

Because Ji Qingchi had her back turned, Su Yi couldn’t see her expression. Now, hearing the steward’s words, she immediately guessed what was happening.

Inwardly, Su Yi was already laughing so hard it felt like mountains were crumbling and the earth splitting¹¹. For Ji Qingchi’s sake, she tried hard to hold it in, but couldn’t manage, making her expression look quite contorted. “No need, my face isn’t burning, my chest doesn’t hurt, I don’t need tea.”

The steward was somewhat confused, but before she could ask anything, her master dismissed her. “Alright, you may leave first.”

The tone seemed somewhat angry out of embarrassment.

The steward left, bewildered. For quite a while, Ji Qingchi didn’t turn back around.

Having been pampered by the entire Marquis Pingyang household recently, Su Yi felt more confident and much bolder. Seeing Ji Qingchi motionless, she couldn’t resist stepping forward and poking her shoulder. “Your Highness, this commoner was just joking earlier. Please don’t take it seriously.”

Ji Qingchi downed the tea in one gulp, managing with great difficulty to control her emotions using True Qi. Hearing Su Yi’s words, she almost lost control again, hurriedly circulated her inner energy once more, and only then turned around, saying with utmost seriousness, “This Palace is not the type to take jokes seriously.”

Su Yi suppressed her laughter. “This commoner believes Your Highness.”

“Alright, here is ten thousand taels of silver. Miss Su, take it.” Fearing Su Yi would tease her further, Ji Qingchi quickly handed her the bank notes and sat upright formally. “Miss Su said she wants to open a restaurant jointly with This Palace. Is that true?”

Unexpectedly, the female protagonist is quite generous. Asked for eight thousand, directly gave ten thousand.

Su Yi tucked the silver into her sleeve¹², smiling brightly. “Naturally, it’s true. This commoner has already bought Tianyi Tower.”

Ji Qingchi had vaguely heard from a deputy general in the army that the Tianyi Teahouse was recently up for sale. She frowned. “That teahouse is said to be quite decrepit. How does Miss Su plan to bring it back from the dead?”¹³

“This commoner naturally has a way. Your Highness just wait and see.” Having received the money, Su Yi felt about seventy percent confident things would work out. She then bid farewell to Ji Qingchi and returned to her residence.

Su Yi acted much like a charlatan¹⁴; ordinary people hearing her words would probably just laugh it off and certainly wouldn’t give her money. But Ji Qingchi believed Su Yi completely. After all, ever since they met, Su Yi’s little head¹⁵ had been filled with all sorts of strange and wondrous ideas. Whatever Su Yi set her mind to, she would definitely accomplish.

Therefore, not only did she give the money, but she also secretly instructed the steward to assign some people to Su Yi.

Preparations for the palace banquet could not be delayed. Recently, there were faint rumors of unrest on the border, making her uneasy about Jingdu’s defenses. She also needed to go to the barracks to supervise the troops. Leaving early and returning late every day, she truly had no free time. After waiting about eleven or twelve days, once the palace banquet security was finally confirmed to be flawless, she finally had some leisure.

The steward was a sharp person. Seeing Ji Qingchi wasn’t running off to the imperial palace all day, she sent a message to Su Yi’s place. Soon, an invitation card was sent back. She took it and reported to Ji Qingchi, “Your Highness, Miss Su’s side says that if you have time today, you should make a trip to Tianyi Tower.”

“Good.” Ji Qingchi had been worrying about lacking an excuse to catch a glimpse of Su Yi. Seeing the invitation, her eyes curved into crescents. “This Palace will go take a look.”

It was snowing heavily today, making sedan chairs inconvenient. Ji Qingchi changed into plain clothes and led several maids to the street where Tianyi Tower was located. Seeing the customers jostling shoulder-to-shoulder¹⁶ as they entered and exited, she was quite startled. “It’s only been a few days, what has Miss Su done?”

“Ninth Highness.” Not far away, Su Yi stood clad in a snow-white fox fur cloak, more delicate than the nearby wintersweet plums¹⁷. Standing under a red plum blossom paper umbrella¹⁸, she waved slightly towards Ji Qingchi.

The branches behind her were covered in ice and snow, making her look as if she had stepped out of a painting. Ji Qingchi seemed to be able to smell the fresh fragrance of plum blossoms.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, Miss Su is calling us.”

Only then did Ji Qingchi return to her senses. “Oh, alright, let’s go over.”

Walking closer, she saw Su Yi holding a hand warmer¹⁹, her pale, bloodless little face tucked into her hood. Seeing Ji Qingchi arrive, a faint smile appeared on her face. “Your Highness, let’s go sit inside the restaurant. It’s too cold out here.”

Ji Qingchi’s gaze lingered on her, then quickly shifted away when Su Yi looked over, feeling somewhat bashful²⁰. “Alright.”

Su Yi felt the female protagonist was acting a bit strange, but whatever. She had come to terms with things these past two days. She and the female protagonist were now partners. She herself was also the direct great-granddaughter of Marquis Pingyang. Even if the female protagonist were to go on a killing spree, she would have to give face for her great-grandmother’s sake²¹ and wouldn’t touch their household. So, she couldn’t be bothered to constantly tend to Ji Qingchi’s emotions anymore.

Ignoring Ji Qingchi’s odd behavior, she led her towards the restaurant while explaining Tianyi Tower’s business operations since reopening.

Tianyi Tower used to sell both tea and wine. But in this cold weather, people actually preferred drinking some wine to warm themselves up.

Currently, Yiyun Tower was the sole dominant player²², selling everything. Furthermore, someone was maliciously buying up large quantities of silkworm cocoons, causing farmers to abandon grain cultivation for mulberry trees.

Facing this predicament, Su Yi thought for a whole night and came up with a good idea.

She decided Tianyi Tower would specialize in selling wine. She also secretly bought a small shop across the street from Tianyi Tower to sell rouge and powder.

Wine is made from grain. Before Su Yi transmigrated, she enjoyed drinking. She found the taste of various modern alcoholic beverages lacking. During her work breaks, she researched how different types of alcohol were made and tried making them herself. After killing dozens of chickens bought for experimentation, Su Yi’s brewing skills were comparable to professionals.

After making her decision, she had people buy up surplus grain from farming households at high prices overnight, offering even more than the price for silkworm cocoons.

During winter, folks had no other means of income; who wouldn’t want a chance to earn money?

Except for what they kept for seeds and personal consumption, they sold all their remaining rice. In a short time, Su Yi collected a considerable amount of grain.

Su Yi deliberately had people spread the word that she wanted to buy even more grain next year for brewing. Hearing this, those with little surplus grain regretted it immensely, quickly refertilized the fields intended for mulberry trees, and went back to planting grain, praying for a bountiful harvest next year.

After having the grain sorted, aside from the moldy old grain, she directed people to use the rest for brewing wine.

The technological level in Yanxue Kingdom was not high. The locally brewed wine didn’t taste good, carrying a rusty flavor, and its alcohol content wasn’t very high either. Su Yi took a tiny taste with a chopstick and felt it was probably less than 1% ABV.

The wine she made herself had an alcohol content roughly equivalent to modern rice wine or fruit wine, at most reaching the level of a cocktail. After all, she didn’t want people getting drunk and causing trouble; being slightly tipsy was actually the best state.

Once launched, her wine quickly gained popularity. After all, who wouldn’t like something sweet that could also make one feel pleasantly lightheaded?

Su Yi divided the wine into four categories. The type sold exclusively to high officials and nobles was packaged in elegant bamboo tubes. The type sold to merchants and other wealthy people used ordinary jars. The type sold to common folk used gourd ladles²³. Additionally, one vat of wine was set aside daily, served in tea bowls, and given free to laborers who couldn’t afford to buy wine.

The different containers also dictated different prices. The wine for high officials and nobles was the most expensive at five taels per container, the wealthy paid three taels per container, and common folk paid one hundred fifty wen per gourd ladle.

The distinction in containers served well to signify status. Moreover, the wine tasted good and was suitable for entertaining guests. High officials and nobles loved it, buying it in bulk. Merchants and commoners felt they could drink the same thing as the nobility and also came to buy. Thus, her wine quickly gained unanimous praise from top to bottom in Jingdu.

Just from wine sales alone, the daily income reached three hundred taels.

Su Yi wasn’t just making money herself; she was also leading everyone to prosperity, while simultaneously fleecing²⁴ Yiyun Tower.

For the wine containers—gourd ladles and bamboo tubes—many families in the outskirts grew bamboo and gourds. She paid them to continue growing these and sell them to her next year. Of course, the price was one-third lower than what she paid for grain. If the prices were the same, she worried other grain farmers would find out and follow suit, as growing grain was much harder work than growing bamboo and gourds.

She then gave the work of carving the bamboo tubes and gourd ladles to Carpenter Li, the one who had previously carved wooden blocks for her, letting her work with her apprentices and several friends.

For the jars, she contacted several pottery artisans in Jingdu and had them supply her. Jars could be used for a long time, and artisans often made things that took a long time to sell. Now, with Su Yi as a stable customer, they were overjoyed and readily agreed.

After settling these arrangements, she secretly had maids from her residence dress up as wealthy merchants, take the wine to Yiyun Tower, boast about how well their wine sold and how good it tasted, and offer free samples to some customers to spread the word.

Brothels²⁵ have always been major consumers of alcohol. To please customers and encourage them to spend more, Yiyun Tower indeed sent people over to buy wine from them.

Su Yi had the container makers deliberately make the vessels for Yiyun Tower one-fifth smaller. Without careful comparison, it was unnoticeable. Smaller containers meant less wine, forcing Yiyun Tower to spend more money to buy the same amount.

While Su Yi played tricks with the wine, she also devised a plan for the rouge and powder shop.

The cosmetics she made herself used Chinese medicinal herbs. Considering that many herbs might be needed in a future war, and fearing a shortage, she consulted Feng Ruoqing and selected several common herbs used for treating injuries. She mixed these into the cosmetic ingredients and had people search for and purchase them at high prices.

Families growing these herbs would see the potential profit and plant more.

Su Yi secretly had the steward deliver the acquired injury medicine to the military camp, while she bought the other herbs herself to make cosmetics.

Cosmetics weren’t like wine; women in Yanxue Kingdom didn’t favor them much. Only men needed to apply rouge and powder.

The women in Yiyun Tower were from Huachen Kingdom and Dongli Kingdom. To please the men there, they naturally liked cosmetics. Now, working as entertainers²⁶, they naturally needed to buy them to please clients.

However, Yiyun Tower was clearly very guarded, with specific personnel responsible for purchasing cosmetics. She really couldn’t find an opening to get them to buy from her shop.

To lure Yiyun Tower, Su Yi really spared no expense or effort²⁷. She put on makeup herself every day and wandered around near Yiyun Tower. From time to time, she forced the maids in her residence to also apply cosmetics and stroll near Yiyun Tower. She even had them pretend to be merchants visiting Yiyun Tower, seizing opportunities to promote the products to the girls.

Heaven rewards the diligent²⁸. Amidst the tearful accusations from Su Yi’s maids, one after another, Yiyun Tower’s buyer finally noticed their shop and started purchasing cosmetics from them. Of course, Su Yi secretly raised the price by twenty percent.

With the dual approach of wine and cosmetics, she could fleece Yiyun Tower for an income of one hundred taels every day.

“Truly, heaven rewards the diligent. Making money really isn’t easy.” After telling Ji Qingchi about her activities during this period, Su Yi sighed with emotion. Heaven knew how tiring it was worrying about everything daily.

“Miss is still talking!” Yan Can, as Su Yi’s personal maid, was the primary victim. She clenched her fist and protested, “I have to wear rouge every day! The older sisters²⁹ serving in the front courtyard see me and ask if I’ve been taken into Miss’s room³⁰. Wuwuwu, my reputation³¹…”

Shaoyao was also secretly heartbroken. “I’ve been asked too, if I’ve become Miss’s concubine.”

Gancao nodded repeatedly. “I’ve been asked too! Some people even said Miss is truly not what she seems, not even sparing a child, truly worse than a beast³²!”

Feng Ruoqing, the biggest victim, said faintly, “That’s nothing. By now, I’m afraid scandalous rumors³³ about Miss Su and me have spread throughout the entire capital.”

Footnotes

朝廷 | Cháotíng | The imperial court or central government administration.
丞相 | Chéngxiàng | The highest administrative official under the Emperor, equivalent to a Prime Minister or Chancellor.
六部 | Liù Bù | The six central government ministries in imperial China (Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, Works).
打草惊蛇 | dǎ cǎo jīng shé | Lit. “beat the grass and startle the snake”; To act rashly and alert the opponent.
心梗了一下 | xīn gěng le yīxià | Lit. “heart choked/blocked a bit”; Modern slang expressing a feeling of sudden emotional distress, shock, or being speechless.
空手套白狼 | kōng shǒu tào bái láng | Lit. “catch a white wolf with bare hands”; An idiom meaning to gain something substantial through trickery or without investing any capital.
白手起家 | báishǒu qǐjiā | Lit. “start a house with white hands”; To build up a fortune or enterprise from nothing.
一两银子都得掰成几瓣花 | yī liǎng yínzi dōu děi bāi chéng jǐ bàn huā | Lit. “have to break one tael of silver into several petals to spend”; Vividly describes extreme frugality.
莲子茶 | Liánzǐ chá | Tea made with lotus seeds, often considered cooling in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
地龙 | Dìlóng | Lit. “earth dragon”; A traditional Chinese underfloor heating system.
山崩地裂 | shānbēng dìliè | Lit. “mountains collapse and the earth splits”; An idiom describing a huge upheaval or, metaphorically, intense emotion like uncontrollable laughter or grief.
袖笼 | Xiùlǒng | The wide sleeve of traditional Chinese robes, often used as a pocket.
起死回生 | qǐsǐ huíshēng | Lit. “rise from death and return to life”; To revive something that is dying or failing.
神棍 | Shéngùn | Lit. “god stick”; Slang for a charlatan, swindler, or someone who pretends to have supernatural abilities or makes unbelievable claims.
小脑袋瓜子 | xiǎo nǎodaiguāzi | Lit. “small head-melon seed”; A colloquial and slightly affectionate term for someone’s head or brain, often implying cleverness or being full of ideas.
摩肩擦踵 | mó jiān cā zhǒng | Lit. “rub shoulders and scrape heels”; Describes a very crowded place.
腊梅 | Láméi | Chimonanthus praecox; Wintersweet or Japanese allspice, a flowering plant known for its fragrant yellow blossoms in winter.
红梅纸伞 | hóngméi zhǐsǎn | A paper umbrella decorated with red plum blossoms.
手炉 | Shǒulú | A small, portable hand warmer, often metal, containing hot coals or embers.
心虚 | Xīnxū | Lit. “heart empty”; Feeling guilty, lacking confidence, or having a guilty conscience; can also imply bashfulness or shyness in certain contexts.
不看僧面看佛面 | bù kàn sēng miàn kàn fó miàn | Lit. “if not for the monk’s face, then for the Buddha’s face”; An idiom meaning to do something out of respect or consideration for a third party, even if one dislikes the person directly involved.
一家独大 | yījiā dúdà | Lit. “one family solely big”; Describes a situation where one entity dominates the market or field.
葫芦瓢 | Húlú piáo | A ladle made from a dried gourd.
薅 | Hāo | Modern slang, originally meaning ‘to pull out weeds’, now often used to mean ‘to fleece’, ‘to take advantage of a loophole for benefits’, or ‘to grab perks’.
青楼 | Qīnglóu | Lit. “green/blue tower”; Historically referred to houses of courtesans or high-class brothels.
伎子 | Jìzi | Female entertainer, courtesan, or singing girl in historical context.
下了血本 | xià le xuèběn | Lit. “put down blood capital”; To invest heavily, spare no expense, or make a significant effort, often implying risk.
皇天不负有心人 | Huángtiān bù fù yǒuxīnrén | Lit. “Imperial Heaven does not let down the person with heart/intention”; Providence favors the determined; hard work pays off.
姐姐们 | Jiějiemen | Older sisters; can be used for actual sisters or politely for unrelated young women slightly older than the speaker, or female colleagues/peers.
收到房里去了 | shōu dào fáng lǐ qù le | Lit. “received into the room”; Euphemism for being taken as a concubine or bed servant.
清白 | Qīngbái | Lit. “clear white”; Innocence, purity, chastity, or a clean reputation.
禽兽不如 | qínshòu bùrú | Lit. “inferior to birds and beasts”; Worse than an animal; utterly depraved.
逸闻 | Yìwén | Anecdotes, tales, or often, scandalous rumors or gossip.

Volume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place

Footnotes

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