Chapter 5 First Meeting with the Princess's Mother and Wife
Jiang Yuzhi wasn't entirely unmoved; she just hadn't thought that much about it. After her impulsive outburst subsided, she forced herself to remain calm as she saw Bai Yan off. Then, she patted her unusually flushed face, let out a long sigh, and decided to first attend to the matter of making funeral clothes, and later invite the Black and White Impermanence to go shopping together.
Including today, there are still two days left before Madam Zhang from next door comes to collect her funeral clothes, and tomorrow the princess will also be visiting. It seems like everything is piling up at once.
The sewing of the funeral clothes is progressing relatively quickly. The Bai family's materials are also of good quality. One advantage of being a ghost is that even if you work non-stop, there is no risk of sudden death.
Jiang Yuzhi worked through the night to finish the clothes so she could focus on dealing with the Princess's inspection.
evening.
Without the constraints of a curfew, the nightlife on the streets is exceptionally vibrant.
The three ghosts didn't have time to experience the brothels, so they went their separate ways to buy some tea and snacks, as well as some wine for any eventuality.
The Black and White Impermanence got excited and picked out a lot of women's clothes, packed them up, and thought they would go back and dress up their sister properly.
The group of ghosts returned laden with spoils.
Jiang Yuzhi left the two ghosts who were packing their things and went upstairs alone to work late into the night.
Xie Bi'an found a brazier in the storeroom and burned the newly bought dress for Jiang Yuzhi.
You can wear it even without burning it, but you can't take it back to the underworld.
Fan Wujiu instructed several paper maids to arrange the brand-new decorations, making the house look more like it was inhabited.
Originally, there were no blankets or mattresses in the bedroom. Jiang Yuzhi often fell asleep on the recliner outside while basking in the moonlight. Occasionally, when she returned to the room, she was too lazy to make the bed and just put on a thin sheet, not minding that it was uncomfortable.
With a basketful of bedding including canopies, screens, bedspreads, and quilts, the room truly felt cozy.
The storeroom was also tidied up and used as servants' quarters. The paper people didn't need it, but outsiders needed to see it.
It was read as servants' quarters, but it was actually a storage room.
The first ray of sunlight shone through the small window on the second floor onto the nearly finished garments on the table.
Jiang Yuzhi carefully finished the silver thread, and the two sets of dark red three-piece funeral garments were completed.
She laid the clothes out flat, inspected them, and then hung them on the wooden figure for display.
Thinking of Shen Zhenzhu's mournful cries, Jiang Yuzhi stared at the burial clothes for a moment, then carefully used her ghostly power to outline two cloud patterns on the cuffs of the two sets of burial clothes.
It's not very useful, but it lets the ghost messengers who see the mark know that these two souls are under her protection and need to be kept alive, not sent to be reincarnated immediately.
Logically speaking, if two people have enough merit, and there are more deaths than births in the human realm, they wouldn't be reincarnated so quickly. Those who can immediately enter the cycle of reincarnation are those who have no merit, whose sins are not so numerous as to warrant going to hell, or those who have just been released from hell after serving their sentences and are all sent to the animal realm.
Jiang Yuzhi decided to make a mark, just to be on the safe side. Who knows, those two ladies might be able to meet their husbands again after they pass away.
If the Black and White Impermanence (the deities of the underworld) take a liking to them, they can serve as temporary ghost messengers to alleviate the pressure of manpower shortage in the underworld.
After finishing all this, Jiang Yuzhi went downstairs and was greeted by a completely renovated courtyard. She was stunned for a moment.
Xie Bi'an, who had just finished his business in the underworld, happened to pass by. "Little Zhi, are you done? Look what I did for you, not bad, right? The paper figures put the clothes I burned for you into the wardrobe. Pick one you like."
Before she could answer, Xie Bi'an turned and went back to his study, carrying his mourning staff.
The study has become the stronghold of the Black and White Impermanence, and the two ghosts travel between the two worlds through the study.
The bedroom had naturally changed drastically. I vaguely remembered that she also had a boudoir that had been carefully decorated like this before she died. Her parents spent a lot of money on her. Her mother liked to put her in front of the dressing mirror to wash and dress her up, and put on the new clothes made by the family.
But why can't I remember where my parents went? If they were reincarnated, I should have some recollection of them, so why don't I have any related memories?
Jiang Yuzhi held a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and stood quietly in front of the cabinet, lost in thought.
"Miss, the eldest young master and the second young master are waiting for you outside to discuss matters. They asked me to come and ask how much longer you need." Zhi Er's voice rang out from the doorway, and Jiang Yuzhi was startled awake.
Go tell them I'll be there shortly.
After Zhi'er left, Jiang Yuzhi quickly changed into a pale yellow pleated skirt and put on a moon-white straight-sleeved shirt, making herself neatly dressed. She then simply styled her hair into two buns and walked out unhurriedly.
She usually just casually braids her hair into a side braid, but when she dresses up, she inevitably gets teased.
“When our sister gets serious, she’s quite capable. Why would a young girl like her dress so plainly?” Xie Bi’an always spoke his mind, and surprisingly, Fan Wujiu nodded in agreement this time.
"Let's get down to business, brothers."
Jiang Yuzhi is not easily flattered; her family has been praising her since she was a child, and she still hasn't gotten used to it.
When I was little, I would smile shyly, but as I got older, I started to change the subject clumsily with a cold face, trying to hide the fact that I was burning inside.
The elders, of course, knew about her harmless little quirks and found them all the more endearing.
"There is a vacancy in the position of judge of the underworld, so I cannot stay here for the next few days. There is also some unrest in the eighteenth level of hell. Ox-Head and Horse-Face are about to be overwhelmed. After I have met with the Bai family, I will leave. Xie Bi'an will stay and take care of you."
Fan Wujiu was unusually talkative when it came to matters concerning his sister's safety.
"Big brother, I can manage on my own."
"No! The Emperor suspects that the problems in Hell are mostly related to you. If I'm not here to keep an eye on things, what if something goes wrong? What if those evil spirits take advantage of the chaos and come here..." Xie Bi'an hadn't finished speaking when he seemed to realize that he had let something slip.
"What does this have to do with me?"
"Anyway, I'll stay here with you." Xie Bi'an interrupted Jiang Yuzhi's attempt to delve deeper, and kept changing the subject.
"Alright, you all have your reasons." Jiang Yuzhi didn't ask any more questions. The ghosts had been together for so long, and whenever the topic came up with something about her past life, they would always change the subject.
The clear sound of bells rang out again, and before we knew it, it was afternoon.
"Brother, you should add a ghost cover to this requiem bell. My ghost power isn't enough. Every time Mingze comes, I have to add one. Otherwise, they might get suspicious if they see a bell that keeps ringing."
Fan Wujiu reached out and touched the Soul-Soothing Bell at his waist. Blackness, invisible to the naked eye, wrapped around the bell, making it look like an exquisite little pendant to an ordinary person.
The three ghosts arrived at the shop entrance one after the other to greet them.
Princess Anping's carriage was understated and simple, just a wooden carriage pulled by a single horse, without any superfluous carvings or ceremonial regalia.
The coachman stood by the horse, and the first person to disembark was a woman dressed in cotton clothes, no different from ordinary people, but her appearance seemed familiar.
The woman herself lifted her skirt without any affectation, stepped off the carriage using the stool, and then reached out to help the people who got off behind her.
I thought it would be a princess, but it turned out to be Bai Yan.
So, is the woman Princess Anping?
The three ghosts were still at a loss when the woman stepped forward with a smile. "You must be Miss Jiang. And the two men beside you are your brothers? We haven't thanked Miss Jiang and her family yet. Please come in and talk."
After saying this, the princess affectionately took Jiang Yuzhi's hand and talked about her expectations for today's meeting, bringing her many gifts and telling her not to become distant because of her status.
Jiang Yuzhi suddenly remembered some information she had found about the eldest princess.
Xiao Yao was the only one who made great contributions to the Emperor's conquest of the previous dynasty and his seizure of the throne. She was also the Emperor's older sister.
The Xiao family marched south from the northwest, taking over the prefectures and counties along the way with little effort. Xiao Yao's contribution was indispensable. Her husband's family, the Bai family, provided clothing and supplies for the army, while Xiao Yao herself raised a large amount of grain.
What Jiang Yuzhi didn't know was that the so-called "travel gear" also included the soldiers' armor and weapons. On the surface, the Bai family was in the cloth business, but in secret, they were also responsible for weapon forging.
Before the uprising, Xiao Yao had already researched planting methods and turned the barren land in the northwest into a granary. The locals admired her greatly, and later she opened a grain shop. Almost half of the country's grain was in her hands.
During a year of famine and internal strife within the imperial court, which had no time to attend to remote prefectures and counties, her brother's jurisdiction was essentially semi-independent.
Until the last emperor of the previous dynasty ascended the throne, the opposition fled to the northwest, and the new emperor disregarded the people's livelihood and indiscriminately killed people without distinguishing friend from foe. With the support of the people in the northwest, she and her brother directly led the border army to rebel, marched south, fought their way into the palace, kicked the new emperor who had been on the throne for less than half a year, and officially ended the chaotic period.
Jiang Yuzhi's family was sentenced to be executed one month after the new emperor ascended the throne, and they did not live to see the establishment of the new dynasty.
The new emperor was led away by a guard to escape. When they were discovered, he was found dead in a forest not far from the official road outside the capital. He had been poisoned. The guard was stabbed in the abdomen with a sword and died from excessive blood loss. The two of them slumped against a tree in a pool of dried blood.
When the government found out, they sent people to bury it on the spot without erecting a monument.
No wonder the woman looked familiar; the mother and son shared a striking resemblance, with soft features, almond-shaped eyes brimming with gentle smiles, and thin lips, revealing her youthful beauty and ethereal charm.
It is unimaginable that such a woman could command armies on the battlefield, win battles from afar, make up for losses in logistics, and ensure the overall stability at the front lines.
He is currently holding her hand and offering words of comfort.
Jiang Yuzhi's gaze shifted from their clasped hands to Xiao Yao's gently smiling face, a hint of admiration and longing spreading in her eyes. She only saw Xiao Yao's lips, which were naturally rosy even without rouge, opening and closing, and didn't hear what the other person was saying at all, let alone the quiet conversation between the two ghosts and one person behind them.
"Young Master Bai's mother doesn't look like a pampered princess," Xie Bi'an remarked casually.
“My mother doesn’t like to wear those complicated clothes. She came from humble beginnings and spent half her life dealing with grain and business. She just likes things simple.” Bai Yan’s gaze fell on the two figures in front of him, and for some reason, he felt a sense of crisis.
My wife is dressed differently today than usual, and she looks even more attractive.
The newly built eaves in the courtyard were thanks to the little devils of the Black and White Impermanence who built it overnight.
Since there was no hall for entertaining guests, a round table and a few square stools were placed under the eaves.
Jiang Yuzhi, who had initially thought her brothers had made excellent arrangements, suddenly felt somewhat neglected. "Your Highness, how about we go to Fanlou? My home is really a bit small..."
"That's perfect, so cozy! I love it like this." Xiao Yao immediately noticed the embarrassment of this young woman who was so pleasing to her eye.
He simply led her to sit down, then gestured to the coachman who was following them to put the things they had brought on the table, and they could leave. He told them to come and pick them up at 5 PM.
“Mingze has been mentioning you a lot these past few days, and I’ve been very curious about what kind of young lady he can’t stop thinking about. Now that I see, it’s true…”
"Mother!" Bai Yan was quite annoyed that his mother had exposed his secret thoughts, and he secretly glanced at Jiang Yuzhi out of the corner of his eye.
Although I know my wife is interested in me, what if I suddenly tell her and she gets angry?
“What are you interrupting for, young master? Please excuse my son’s shyness. The prescription has been reviewed by the imperial physicians and it’s a good one. After taking one dose, he is already much better than before.”
"Your Highness is too kind. Young Master Bai and my sister are just friends. It was only a small favor for me as an older brother."
Xiao Yao waved her hand, "How could it be a small favor? Do you think I don't know about his illness? It's a miracle he's still alive. Thank you for your help."
"I like this young lady. Would you like to stay at the princess's residence sometime?"
Jiang Yuzhi, who was staring at Xiao Yao who seemed lost in thought, finally snapped out of her reverie. "Won't this be bothering Your Highness?" she asked, her voice surprisingly coy and bashful.
The two men next to him had never seen Jiang Yuzhi like this before, let alone Bai Yan.
"I still have work to do at the shop. I'll send His Highness a visiting card when I have a spare moment," Jiang Yuzhi added before Xiao Yao could speak.
"All is well, all is well. I'll have someone prepare the accommodations in the shop across the street. Mingze can stay there. If there's anything, just go to him. If he can't handle it, I'll take care of it. As long as it's within the territory of Xia Dynasty, I still have a say."
Xiao Yao gave her careful instructions. This young lady was quite strange. Looking at her, she felt a sense of closeness. Could it be that she had a daughter who had been lost away?
"Aren't you going to take me for a walk around the house? Just the two of us, no need for them."
"Alright! I'll introduce you to Your Highness."
"Calling me Your Highness is too formal. How about you call me Auntie...?"
Xiao Yao stopped her son from accepting the offer of godmotherhood in time. If her son liked her and they became godparents, they couldn't be related by marriage.
The mother and daughter walked away, leaving the three young men forgotten on the eaves.
A note from the author:
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Jiang Yuzhi: What an amazing lady! I admire her! I love her!
Bai Yan: How could my mother have run away with my wife!
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