The previous chapter concluded with Head Merchant Yin flirting with the young Prince Shen, only to be flirted with in turn by the elder Shen. His hands roamed clumsily over her, and Yin Zhuli narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. Knowing he was feigning drunkenness to take liberties, she eventually let out a clear, ringing laugh. "So, it turns out His Majesty shares this particular interest as well."
She was already standing by the edge of the pool. Leaning against his shoulder, she suddenly tumbled backward into the water. Shen Tingyao, slowed by wine, failed to react in time and was dragged into the lake along with her.
Shen Tingyao was far more worldly and appreciative of such games than the young prince; he immediately reached out to tug at her garments. Several jade lotuses floated in the pool, and she dodged him with fluid grace, her movements supple and elegant. After they had entangled for a while beneath the surface, Shen Tingyao began to struggle for breath. Yin Zhuli, who frequently frolicked with dancing girls, was well-versed in underwater performance. When it came to holding one's breath, even a man of Shen Tingyao’s decent swimming ability was no match for her.
Seeing him attempt to surface, Yin Zhuli understood the reason but chose to press close anyway, engaging him in a courtly dance. It was a dance Shen Tingyao knew well, but this was hardly the time for it.
He gripped Yin Zhuli’s hand, signaling his need to go up. Yin Zhuli merely smiled, plucking a jade twin-lotus on a single stalk. She pressed her lips to the stem as if to suckle it, posing with calculated charm while her right hand firmly clamped onto his, refusing to let go.
Watching his expression grow increasingly distressed, she felt a surge of secret satisfaction. Only when his struggles became truly violent did she continue her dance, occasionally using her hand to boost his feet and push him toward the surface. However, she allowed him only a single gasp of air before seizing his ankle and dragging him back down into the depths.
She was intent on nearly drowning him, a far cry from the playful teasing she had shared with Shen Tingjiao. Her dance steps remained intoxicating, but the Emperor no longer had any heart for appreciation. Water splashed across the surface; his face was a mask of agony as he shook his head repeatedly at Yin Zhuli. But a woman like Head Merchant Yin naturally "failed" to understand his meaning.
As her movements grew more bewitching, Shen Tingyao’s face began to turn pale, then blue, and his lips took on a purple hue. Only then did Yin Zhuli act as if she had just noticed something was wrong. With a look of feigned shock, she hoisted him to the edge of the pool.
Shen Tingyao gasped for air, scrambling onto the bank in a desperate rush. Yin Zhuli looked utterly panicked. "Your Majesty, please do not play such jokes on this humble subject, Your Majesty..."
Shen Tingyao coughed uncontrollably. After a long while, he pushed her away, his voice hoarse. "Today... We are unwell. We shall watch you dance another day..."
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and stumbled away with unsteady steps.
Yin Zhuli watched his retreating figure, looking profoundly disappointed. "Your Majesty, I have only performed a small portion of the dance..."
Hearing this, Shen Tingyao offered a vague, hurried response and fled as if for his life.
Yin Zhuli dove back into the pool, and after a moment, she surfaced with a face full of regret. "Your Majesty, this subject is truly dull-witted. I actually forgot to tell you that the hollow stems of these jade lotuses were specifically designed for underwater dancers to breathe... I deserve ten thousand deaths, ten thousand deaths indeed..."
She wove through the jade lotuses, occasionally scooping up gold beans and gold leaves from the water, sending up cheerful splashes. *Trying to take advantage of me? Stretching out those pig trotters of yours? Wanting me to satisfy you? I’ll see if I can’t drown you first...*
***
The following day, Nalu departed for Persia, his ships laden with silk, tea, porcelain, and embroidery. Dates were set for the remaining cargo; in six months' time, Fortune City would commission sea vessels to transport the goods directly to Persia. Privately, Yin Zhuli prepared generous gifts and saw him off in person, attending to every detail with utmost care.
On her return, she passed a four-sided pavilion at the Riverside Pavilion. Tanyue was learning to play the flute from Tang Yin, his technique still clumsy. Yin Zhuli listened in silence for a while, then gripped the short flute at her waist, her expression solemn. "Though I carry a flute, I never play it. Do you know why?"
Seeing her ask so seriously, Tanyue hurriedly stood up. "Why?"
Tang Yin glanced at her but continued sipping his tea. His posture was exquisite—supporting the cup with only two fingers, his pinky slightly raised, tasting the brew with refined restraint. Yin Zhuli eyed him cautiously, then leaned toward Tanyue and whispered in his ear, "Because playing the flute always reminds me of playing the *xiao*."
Tanyue looked bewildered. "Then why doesn't the Head Merchant play the *xiao*?"
Tang Yin spat his tea back into the cup and barked in a low, furious voice, "Yin Zhuli!"
Yin Zhuli didn't need to be told twice; she spun around and bolted toward the main building. Tanyue remained utterly confused, turning to ask Head Steward Hao, "Why doesn't the Head Merchant play the *xiao*?"
Head Steward Hao stood with his hands behind his back, his expression grave. "That is a question you should probably ask Hongye. She is more of a professional in that area."
The rest of the day passed without incident. As Madam Yin’s birthday approached, Head Steward Hao was busy preparing for the banquet. Yin Zhuli was forced to "attend to matters personally." She spent half the day reviewing accounts, and by the time she finished checking the wages for the various shops and trading houses, the lamps were being lit. Yin Zhuli went to pay her respects to Madam Yin. To the outside world, they had always maintained the roles of mother and daughter. Over the years, Yin Zhuli had been a model of filial piety, ensuring her mother’s comfort in all seasons and attending to her morning and night with great ceremony.
Madam Yin, however, remained stern and cold, speaking of nothing but the past affairs of Yin Biwu. On a brighter note, the cloak Yin Zhuli had received from General Qu had been gifted to Madam Yin, who hung it in her private Buddhist hall, where she spent her days chanting and striking her wooden fish as if cursing a villain.
Leaving the Pavilion of Listening Waves, Yin Zhuli naturally went to find Tang Yin. Unfortunately, Tanyue was there as well. Even more unfortunately, he had actually gone to ask Hongye...
And after that, he refused to learn the flute ever again.
For this, Yin Zhuli was forced to hold a horse-stance by the Riverside Pavilion for an extra hour as penance.
***
On the twenty-ninth day of the second lunar month, Qu Tianji’s second son, Qu Huishang, was ambushed while escorting a shipment of government silver through Wannian County. Two hundred thousand taels of silver vanished without a trace. Though Shen Tingyao was furious, he refrained from blaming Qu Huishang out of respect for Qu Tianji. Instead, he ordered the garrison at Wannian County to suppress the bandits immediately, giving them a ten-day limit to recover the silver.
As there were no wars at the borders, Qu Tianji was still in the capital. Although the Emperor had not placed blame, a man of his pride could not stand idly by. He requested to lead the suppression himself and issued a military pledge in court: he would recover the lost silver within five days. Knowing his temperament, Shen Tingyao allowed him to go.
As Qu Tianji led his household guards out of the city, he encountered Yin Zhuli in the outskirts. A light rain fell that day. She wore a vermilion robe cinched with a silk belt, her jade-like short flute hanging from it. Leading her horse with her right hand and holding a white oil-paper umbrella with her left, she stood tall and still by the ancient city wall. Against the backdrop of the drizzling rain, the scene possessed a certain poetic beauty. "Great General Qu."
Qu Tianji pulled his reins, and the guards behind him halted instantly—a testament to their disciplined training.
"What business does Head Merchant Yin have?" he asked loudly, without dismounting.
Yin Zhuli replied with a smile in her voice, "Naturally, I have something to ask. Why doesn't the General dismount for a chat?"
Qu Tianji knit his brows slightly. After a long silence, he flipped off his horse and walked to her. "Speak."
Yin Zhuli did not mind his bluntness. "I heard that the Second Young Master Qu lost two hundred thousand taels of government silver, and that the General has pledged to recover the stolen goods within a set time. I wonder, does the General have confidence in his success today?"
Qu Tianji’s eyes were like ice blades. He studied her for a long moment before asking, "What if I do? And what if I don't?"
Yin Zhuli met his piercing gaze with a smile. "If you do, then I naturally congratulate the Great General on his swift success. If you don't... Great General, two hundred thousand taels of silver is neither a small nor a large amount. As for the official government stamps, there are many skilled silversmiths among the common folk; it would be quite convenient."
Qu Tianji’s eyes darkened. After a pause, he said, "Head Merchant Yin is most thoughtful. If I encounter difficulties on this trip, I shall come to ask for this favor. However, merchants always act for profit. You must have a purpose for coming here today?"
Yin Zhuli’s smile widened. She habitually reached out to stroke the nose of her fine steed. "On the eighth day of the fifth month, I shall wed the Ninth Prince. Will you come to share a cup of wedding wine?"
Qu Tianji was stunned. His right hand tightened around the hilt of his sword as he looked at Yin Zhuli. In the silence, a tacit understanding passed between them. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "No. Since you are to become the Consort of the Prince of Fortune and Prosperity, you should be mindful of your words and actions. Living a stable life is enough. Whether I go or not makes no difference."
With that, he turned and walked away, remounting his horse and galloping off.
Yin Zhuli stood in the rain for a while. The horse beside her licked her fingers, and she pulled a paper packet from her waist, taking out a piece of sugar to feed it. The horse curled the sugar into its mouth and affectionately nudged her with its head. Yin Zhuli watched the Qu family’s riders disappear from sight. Only then did she pat the fawning horse. "Old Three, he is very cautious."
This horse was a rare and excellent steed. When Yin Zhuli first acquired it, she was very fond of it. Thinking that she was the only "son" of the Yin family and thus the eldest, the horse should naturally be called "Old Two." But then she imagined leading it out and saying to a groom, "Take my Old Two in to be fed some fodder and look after him well..." The thought felt very strange. Thus, she changed its name to Old Three.
Old Three didn't care about names; it continued to nudge her for more sugar. She gave it another piece and patted its head. "Alright, let's go back."
The horse seemed to understand this. It pawed the ground with its hoof, waiting for her to mount.
***
As Qu Tianji rode forward, Qu Liushang pulled up beside him to hold an umbrella. "Father, did Yin Zhuli want something from you?"
Qu Tianji gave a cold, curt response and said no more. Qu Liushang did not dare disturb him further. However, Qu Tianji’s personal attendant, Qu Fu, muttered, "That girl is from the Yin family? She does bear a resemblance to the Head Merchant Yin of those years..."
Before the word "resemblance" could fully leave his mouth, Qu Tianji silenced him with a glare. His voice was freezing. "From now on, no one in the Qu family is allowed to mention that person. Not a single word!"
Qu Liushang was baffled by his father's sudden fury. Behind them, the guards responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
沈二爷 | Second Master Shen | An informal/incognito alias for Emperor Shen Tingyao.
沈九爷 | Ninth Master Shen | An informal alias for Shen Tingjiao (the 9th Prince).
那鲁 | Nalu | A Persian merchant.
檀越 | Tanyue | A subordinate or associate of Yin Zhuli.
唐隐 | Tang Yin | A close associate/strategist of Yin Zhuli.
吹箫 | Playing the xiao | A vertical flute; also a common Chinese euphemism for oral sex.
红叶 | Hongye | Likely a courtesan or a subordinate in Yin Zhuli's entertainment establishments.
殷氏 | Madam Yin | Yin Zhuli's mother (or the woman she calls mother).
听涛阁 | Pavilion of Listening Waves | A building within Yin Zhuli's residence.
曲怀觞 | Qu Huishang | The second son of General Qu Tianji.
万年县 | Wannian County | A location near the capital.
老三 | Old Three | The name of Yin Zhuli's horse.
老二 | Old Two | Slang for penis; the reason Yin Zhuli skipped this name for her horse.
曲福 | Qu Fu | A personal attendant/retainer of Qu Tianji.
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