Fish Meat – Chapter 21

The Seventh Year of Shenchu

The Opera Troupe

Young Master Liao is their most talked-about topic in daily life. In their mouths, this person is almost like an immortal descending to the mortal world, a handsome young man with wealth comparable to a nation’s treasury and extraordinary beauty. He is also a charming and elegant romantic, perfect to the point of being astonishing. The young girls often spend their idle time daydreaming about Young Master Liao’s elegance, drawing his facial features in the sand with a stick, and even arguing fiercely over whether his eyes are enchanting peach blossoms or seductive phoenix eyes.

After talking so much about Young Master Liao, they probably felt he was too mysterious. Perhaps he is some kind of imperial relative or noble, for why else would no one know which family he comes from, or even his real name? Such a person can only be a dream in one’s heart and not seriously relied upon. Hence, the daily topics began to shift to more practical matters, and the high-ranking families of Taojun became the latest hot topics among the girls. They discussed which family’s patriarch held more official positions, whose business spanned across the five lakes and four seas, whose matriarch was gentle, and whose matriarch couldn’t tolerate even the slightest flaw. They talked about the temperaments of the young masters and ladies in these families, what kind of personal servants they preferred, and which regions’ people they favored. They could talk about these things for three days and nights without needing a sip of water.

Later, Zhen Wenjun learned that all these obscure gossip pieces were extracted from the servants who delivered goods. Sometimes she watched from the side and marveled at how these little clever minds seemed to have grasped the way of survival better than she did. No matter which courtyard they ended up in, they would be fuel-efficient lamps.

In this way, almost half a month passed, and Zhen Wenjun ate and drank well every day, gaining half a circle in size. One morning, when a bullock cart entered the courtyard, she stood at a distance and saw the girls and the servants in the courtyard all going over to help.

He was there today as well; finally, he had come.

An old woman with a face full of brown spots and dressed plainly was moving flour from the cart. She wiped her sweat, rolled her fist behind her waist to relieve her back pain, and was about to continue moving when someone patted her shoulder. The old woman turned back and saw Zhen Wenjun standing behind her, looking around. Just as she was about to speak, Zhen Wenjun pulled her behind a pillar in the corridor.

“Who is Young Master Liao?” Zhen Wenjun asked abruptly, “Could Young Master Liao be Wei Zizhuo?”

The old woman’s bewildered expression quickly turned calm and sharp, an incongruous cold smile appearing on her wrinkled face. Her sharp gaze confirmed Zhen Wenjun’s suspicion.

“How did you discover me?” the old woman asked.

It seemed that Ah Jiao had great confidence in her disguise skills, probably being unmasked for the first time.

“My disguise skills are no worse than Jiang Daochang’s. This time, the ordinary and bland appearance is that of any common person. Even if someone tried to remember, they might not quickly recall. I even changed my physique, making it impossible to recognize. The most crucial point is that ‘unmasking’ requires the most basic motivation. The old woman’s identity is unremarkable and without suspicion. Why did you suspect me?”

Zhen Wenjun always repressed her desire to unmask everyone and should be even more reserved in unfamiliar places, not to mention that Wei Zizhuo could be nearby and might be encountered soon. But since Ah Jiao asked, she had no reason to hide:

“The plan to approach Wei Zizhuo has already begun. You specifically did not inform me of the plan details to make my approach more natural. Jiang Daochang’s eight-word warning to me was more about ‘adapt as needed’ rather than ‘accepting fate.’ After letting me go through several brokers and cross several counties to get here, any suspicion Wei Zizhuo might have would find traces to follow, showing it was not deliberately arranged but a coincidence. As for how you manipulated the brokers to lead me to Taojun City, I don’t know, but it’s not very important. The important thing is that no matter how natural it seems, to ensure the mission’s success, you would need someone to monitor me along the way. Jiang Daochang sent me out, and you didn’t appear when we reached Broker Wang, why didn’t you come? I guessed you had to rush to the next important task location to prepare for the subsequent monitoring. Of course, monitoring is just one part; the most important is setting the stage and helping me approach Wei Zizhuo. Even if I can’t directly enter his sight, getting close is good. So, after settling in Taojun City for these days, you should appear. Since you need to monitor and assist, you must be conveniently around me. You are part of the Qingliu faction, and your true appearance is probably not easily exposed. Disguising is the simplest method. Even the most extraordinary disguise can’t impersonate a child, and changing gender is more difficult and noticeable. So I carefully observed the people around me and quickly identified you.”

“Even so, how did you find my flaw? My face should have no mistakes.”

“Yes, your face is perfectly disguised without any flaws, and even your physique is disguised perfectly.”

“So?!”

“So I didn’t recognize you from your face or physique.”

“Could it be behavior?”

“Though you and I spent more than a year together, you still acted very well. You and Jiang Daochang are both disguise experts, and even your behavior had no anomalies. However, there is one place you might not have thought of.”

“Where?”

“Ears.”

When pointed out, Ah Jiao instinctively touched her ears.

“A person’s ears do not change after birth, each with a unique shape. Though you paid attention to make the ears look aged, you didn’t thoroughly change their outline. I recognized you by your ears.”

Zhen Wenjun spoke quickly, clearly, and fluently, with almost all her guesses matching the facts. What surprised Ah Jiao more was Zhen Wenjun’s growing observation skills. Ear shapes are generally similar, and her ears were not particularly distinctive, yet Zhen Wenjun could discern everything without prior preparation.

Ah Jiao secretly looked at the young face, realizing this person was a double-edged sword. If used well, she might truly pierce the heart of the Wei family, but if turned against them, it could be a great disaster for the Qingliu faction.

“You haven’t told me yet, is Young Master Liao Wei Zizhuo?” Zhen Wenjun saw the girls by the bullock cart looking for her and urged Ah Jiao to quickly clarify.

“Based on the current clues, it is very likely.” Since she was unmasked, Ah Jiao did not hide anything further. “Although Wei Zizhuo’s whereabouts are often unknown, the Wei family is entrenched in Pingcang, closely connected with the Zhangsun family, the largest clan in Dongchun. The two families frequently interact. Taojun City is at the intersection of two counties, with well-dressed people, bustling markets, and prosperous commerce. It is not unusual for Wei Zizhuo to appear here. My friends have informants here to gather Wei Zizhuo’s whereabouts. Two months ago, a feather fan was found in Lesi Courtyard.”

“Is the feather fan Wei Zizhuo’s item?”

“This fan has no markings to prove it belongs to Wei Zizhuo, but its wooden handle is made of dragon flame wood. This wood has a unique fragrance that can only be nurtured in the soil of Wanglong Mountain in Pingcangxian.”

Zhen Wenjun remembered her mother mentioning Wanglong Mountain, named for its proximity to the capital, the highest peak in Pingcang. The mountain is full of rare treasures and exotic animals, the favorite hunting ground of emperors throughout the history of Da Yu.

“Since this fan is made of precious wood from Pingcangxian, the probability that its owner is from Pingcang is slightly higher. According to the personal maid of Lady Zhenfu from Lesi Courtyard, this item was precisely left behind by Young Master Liao,” Ah Jiao continued. “We have been tracking this Young Master Liao for a long time…”

Zhen Wenjun was startled: “You have already found Young Master Liao? You’re even able to track him?”

“Yes, it seems that you and I think alike. This Young Master Liao may not be the flawless Wei Zizhuo, but the matter of the feather fan must have some significance. Even if he isn’t Wei Zizhuo, he should have some connection with Wei Zizhuo.”

Zhen Wenjun asked, “How old is this Young Master Liao, and is he using an alias?”

“These details are unknown; we are still trying to verify them. Wei Zizhuo is someone shrouded in impenetrable mystery, but Young Master Liao is already before our eyes, with apparent weaknesses. Whether or not Young Master Liao is Wei Zizhuo himself, we need a spy to infiltrate his side and investigate thoroughly.”

At this point, Zhen Wenjun understood.

“So, your target all along has been the lecherous Young Master Liao? You want me to…” Thinking of the seductive arts Ah Jiao had forced her to learn, she didn’t know whether to praise her foresight for being useful so quickly. “Lesi Courtyard is not far from here, has Jiang Daochang already poisoned the maid by Young Master Liao’s side, making him short of staff and come here to select a satisfactory maid?”

“If it were arranged that simply and deliberately, it would be too obvious. There’s no need to tell you now; you’ll know soon enough.” Ah Jiao coughed, resuming her old demeanor as she hobbled back to the bullock cart.

Sure enough, two days later, the servants brought hot water and new clothes, instructing them to wash up and gather in the courtyard after changing.

Zhen Wenjun knew that most high-ranking families liked to buy young, clever girls, who were obedient and easy to train, suitable for either housemaids or bedchamber maids in the future. At her age, she was more likely to attract buyers from the pleasure quarters, and this realization suddenly made her face stiffen.

Seeing Zhen Wenjun standing still, the servants who came to call them pushed her, waking her up. She followed their direction to the front courtyard. Sure enough, she saw several well-dressed families there to choose people, with the broker asking about their requirements and helping select suitable servants.

The remaining girls here were all good-looking, hoping to fetch a good price. By the time Zhen Wenjun was placed in line, there was only one buyer left. The buyer was a man nearing thirty, with shiny black skin and two deep, knife-like creases between his brows, sweating profusely from his nose. It was clear this person had spent years traveling outside, with an impatient and irritable temperament. He walked a circle in front of the girls, finally stopping and looking at Zhen Wenjun, saying:

“You, sing a song.”

Zhen Wenjun shook her head: “I can’t.”

“Can’t?” The man seemed surprised by this response, frowning and looking at the remaining girls: “What about you? Can’t you sing? Not even a hometown tune?!”

The girls, frightened by his fierce appearance, huddled together behind Zhen Wenjun. The broker hurriedly came forward with a smile, explaining that this little girl was shy but usually clever.

The man looked at Zhen Wenjun’s face again, then grabbed her waist and buttocks. Zhen Wenjun was furious but had to endure.

He said to the woman beside him: “This older one looks good and sturdy, but she seems dumb and uncomprehending. Her bones are already hard, making her difficult to train. The younger ones look alright, but their color is a bit lacking. What do you think?”

The woman smiled: “What does it matter? Is there anyone I, Third Lady Du, can’t train? Take them all back. Chunmei and Shiyiniang have already been redeemed, and half of our troupe is empty. The younger ones are passable and reasonably priced. I’ll train them all; you don’t have to worry.”

Zhen Wenjun and the remaining girls were bought by the man and Third Lady Du and taken back.

Only when they followed them to the suburban residence did they realize it was a traveling opera troupe.

The man was the troupe leader, everyone called him Uncle Li, and the woman was his lover, responsible for teaching skills. Some girls were disheartened, thinking joining an opera troupe had no prospects compared to high-ranking families, where they would eat hard-earned bread, far less comfortable and prestigious than being bought as maids.

Until several girls from the troupe came out of the inner room, dressed in silk and adorned with gold and silver jewelry, dazzling their eyes, the expressions of the young girls immediately changed, with undisguised longing written on their faces.

Zhen Wenjun watched coldly.

She knew that the silk clothes and jewelry were not cheap. Previously, the Xie family hired an entire opera troupe for just twenty taels of silver, and that was the best troupe in Suichuan. How much could these wandering opera performers earn? The jewelry and silk they wore were valuable, indicating some unsavory ways of making money.

Third Lady Du saw the new girls looking at the other girls with envy and leisurely patted her thigh, asking if they also wanted to wear silk and gold one day. The girls all nodded in unison.

“As long as you obey and work hard, in the future, our troupe earns ten, and you will have one,” seeing Zhen Wenjun still unmoved, she specifically told her, “Being older has its advantages, you are steady. I can see you are from a wealthy family. But you should know the rules here. My silver is never spent in vain. Since you’ve entered my door, you won’t be mistreated—wearing gold and silver is not a problem. But if you dare to be lazy or treacherous, I have many ways to teach you a lesson.”

The girls were all scared speechless by her fierce demeanor, knowing she was giving them a warning to ensure they obeyed in the future, making them easier to control.

So, joining the opera troupe was part of the plan? Was this what Ah Jiao meant by “you will know soon enough”? If joining the troupe was a necessary step, how could they ensure she would be chosen? Or was Third Lady Du also a pawn of the Qingliu faction?

Thinking of this, Zhen Wenjun glanced at the heavily made-up middle-aged Third Lady Du, feeling now suspicious of everyone. Xie Taihang and Lord Yunmeng made her shiver, and Jiang Daochang’s performance was so convincing that she suspected everyone around her was wearing a disguise. If this layer of disguise were to be stripped off, they might all be holding sharp knives, ready to poke out her eyes and slit her nose.

And she was the meat on the chopping block, to be carved by either the Qingliu faction or Wei Zizhuo.