Chapter 44
The scar was on Cui Yunshu's left cheek.[14]
Like a pale pink scar, soaked in moonlight.
She sat before the mirror, her reflection blurry. She couldn't see her face clearly, only feel the scar's presence. Like a thin, cold, never-disappearing needle, it clung to her skin.
It doesn't hurt anymore.
But it will remind her.
Remind her of that afternoon at Dali Temple, of the feeling of her skin being slowly burned, corroded, and festering. Remind her of the onlookers' gloating, resentful gazes. Remind her of Wei Shuyu, the Second Prince's consort, sitting in the carriage, believing she had victory firmly in her grasp.
Remind her how fragile beauty, wealth, and even wisdom are in this damned world.
With just a word or a thought from the person sitting at the highest point, they can crush everything you have, including your face and your life.
It was very quiet in Qing Shu Courtyard.
The "Jade Complexion Cream" scandal that shocked the entire capital has passed.
The Cui family became the biggest winners. The Second Prince's wife was banished to the Cold Palace, and the Second Prince was stripped of his power and forced to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. The Crown Prince's faction seized the opportunity to control the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, two major financial institutions, and their power was immense.[14]
The name "Flowers in the Mirror" thus became a legend.
A legend of "innocence" and "miracle," born from the brink of death and personally certified by the royal family. In the palace, her sister, Cui Yunxi, even made "Jade Complexion Cream" a symbol of her status as the Crown Princess. Now, owning a box of "Jade Complexion Cream" is a greater testament to your status than possessing a hairpin bestowed by the late emperor.
Money poured into the Cui family's accounting office like a tidal wave.
His reputation also reached an unprecedented peak.
But Cui Yunshu knew that wasn't enough.
That's far from enough.
"Shu'er".
Her mother, Madam Song's voice, pulled her back from those cold, almost overwhelming thoughts.
Madam Song entered, carrying a bowl of bird's nest soup. The earlier panic and worry were gone from her face; instead, a complex expression, a mixture of pride, heartache, and a hint of awe, had settled within her. Looking at her daughter's profile in the mirror, at the faint scar, she felt a sharp pang in her heart.
It seems that her daughter completely changed from that day on.
She placed the bowl of bird's nest on the table and said softly, "The imperial physician said that although the scar is shallow, it will take some time for it to completely disappear. You mustn't..."
"mother."
Cui Yunshu turned her head and interrupted her.
Her face was expressionless. Her dark eyes were like two bottomless ancient wells, so calm it was unsettling.
“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just a scar, it won’t kill me.”
She picked up a brand-new booklet from the table and handed it to Mrs. Song.
"The reputation of 'Flowers in the Mirror' has reached its peak. Next, it's time to turn this ethereal reputation into something more tangible."
Song took the booklet.
On the cover are three elegant and luxurious seal characters outlined in gold ink.
Jinxiu Pavilion.
She opened the booklet.
Inside, there was no longer cake and cream.
It was silk, brocade, tapestry, Suzhou embroidery, hundreds of different colors, materials, and techniques—the finest fabrics of the Qin Dynasty.
It's pearls from the East China Sea, pearls from the South China Sea, cat's-eye stones, emeralds, and all sorts of dazzling jewelry designs that can drive women crazy.
“Luxury goods,” Cui Yunshu uttered calmly. “What we’re going to do isn’t compete with those silk shops for business. What we’re going to do is define the highest level of aesthetics in this era. We want those wealthy ladies and socialites to believe that only things that come out of ‘Jinxiu Pavilion’ are truly respectable and truly noble.”
"Are we selling a piece of clothing? No. We're selling a floral pattern personally designed by the Crown Princess. Are we selling a jewel? No. We're selling a one-of-a-kind, unparalleled honor that can never be replicated."
As Song looked at the business plan, at the unfamiliar terms like "brand story," "limited edition," and "haute couture," her hands trembled slightly.
She looked at her daughter, at the scar on her face that had not yet faded.
She suddenly understood.
This is not doing business.
This is in... building a city.
With money, silk, jewelry, and all the vanity and desires of women, she built a higher, stronger, and more resilient wall for the Cui family and for herself.
“Alright.” Madam Song closed the booklet, her eyes filled with an unprecedented determination. “We’ll do it your way. Leave the manpower and the shop to me. You just need to draw out all your… whimsical ideas.”
The mother and daughter exchanged a glance.
Everything is understood without words.
...
Cui Yunshu felt she needed to go and feel the sea breeze.
The air in the capital was too stuffy. It was filled with the stench of power struggles and the cloying sweetness of cosmetics, making it hard for her to breathe.
She needs the sea.
We need that salty, rusty, free wind.
She needed to see her "Noah's Ark," her "divine warship," her true hope that could take her away from all this...
When she and Tang Pu stood once again in front of that secret shipyard on the shore of the East China Sea, even she herself was stunned by the sight before her.
This is no longer a village.
This is a huge, bustling, and vibrant construction site.
Thousands of craftsmen, shirtless and chanting, worked tirelessly like a swarm of ants on a colossal creation that resembled the skeleton of an ancient beast.
The sounds of hammering, sawing, and shouting mingled together, creating a rugged and majestic symphony.
The air was filled with the mixed smells of pine, tung oil, and sea salt.
That ship...
Cui Yunshu raised her head.
That "treasure ship," which existed only on her blueprints and was pieced together from her memories of her past life, now stands tall between heaven and earth in an unimaginable way.
huge.
Enormity beyond description.
Its keel, like the spine of a dragon extending from the depths of the sea, is firmly rooted in the massive slipway.
Its hull, already taking shape, resembles a moving mountain, casting a shadow large enough to envelop the entire dock.
What struck her most were the massive bulkheads, some of which had already been installed. They divided the ship's interior into individual, honeycomb-like cabins.
Watertight compartment.
In this era, it is absolutely a miracle.
Tang Pu was dumbfounded.
He stood there, mouth agape, like an inland child seeing the sea for the first time.
He is a soldier.
He understood better than anyone what this behemoth before him meant.
Every line of its body exudes power. The high-rising prow isn't for aesthetics; it's for cutting through the most turbulent waves. The wide deck can easily accommodate thousands of soldiers… no, sailors. And those dark, square holes reinforced with sheet metal on both sides…
Tang Pu's heart began to pound uncontrollably and wildly.
That's not for ventilation.
That's... the cannon door!
Heavy ballistae can be installed at any time, and even... artillery turrets!
This is not a merchant ship.
This is definitely not a merchant ship used for transporting goods!
This is a...
This is an invincible warship capable of dominating the seas and destroying everything!
Just then.
A crazy, gray-haired figure slid nimbly off the huge ship like a monkey.
It's Master Lu.
He was covered in sawdust and grease, but his eyes gleamed with a mad, fanatical light.
When he saw Cui Yunshu, it was like seeing a relative. He rushed over, grabbed her arm, and was so excited that he couldn't speak coherently.
"Girl! You're here! Come and see! Come and see my masterpiece!"
Without saying a word, he grabbed Cui Yunshu and climbed onto the giant ship.
Tang Pu followed behind, his mind still a buzzing blank.
Master Lu pointed to every detail on the ship, like a child showing off his toys to his parents, spitting as he spoke.
"Look at this watertight compartment! I reinforced it with a double-layered mortise and tenon structure! Even if we hit a reef and breach two compartments, the water absolutely won't reach the third compartment!"
"And this balancing rudder! I added a winch linkage! One person can easily operate it! It's three times less strenuous than the one on your blueprints!"
"And...and..."
He led them to the highest deck of the ship, like a prized possession, and pointing to the solid, three-tiered teak deck beneath their feet, he announced in a proud, almost chanting tone:
"I gave it a name!"
"It shouldn't be called some bullshit 'treasure ship'! It is a divine artifact bestowed by heaven! It is a marvel of human ingenuity!"
"Its name is..."
"'Divine Machine Ship'!!"
Divine Machine Ship.
Tang Pu stood on the deck, his robes fluttering in the sea breeze.
He looked at the petite, calm girl beside him, who was quietly discussing the angle of a certain component with Master Lu.
The faint scar on her face, blown by the sea breeze, did not make her appear fragile; instead, it added an indescribable, broken yet resilient, breathtaking beauty to her.
He looked at her.
Then look at the colossal vessel beneath your feet, a behemoth capable of revolutionizing an entire era, known as the "Divine Machine Ship."
A thought, like a devastating thunderbolt, exploded in his mind.
He finally, completely, understood.
What kind of joint-stock company?
What Cloud Pavilion?
What kind of supplies for the North?
Those are all just smoke and mirrors!
That was all a grand scheme she orchestrated to deceive others, to lull the emperor into a false sense of security, and to buy time for the birth of the real "weapon of mass destruction" before her... a truly earth-shattering plan!
She never wanted to make money.
She never intended to assist the crown prince.
What she wants...
What she wants is the world!
She wants to use this "divine warship" to create a brand new era that belongs to her!
And myself...
Tang Pu looked at Cui Yunshu's profile. For the first time, a kind of almost humble, fanatical, and unparalleled worship welled up in those eyes that were always full of fervor and impulsiveness.
He thought he was an ally, a comrade-in-arms.
No.
He was wrong.
He was merely a pawn in her grand, far-reaching game, chosen by her and fortunate enough to fight for her...
And to become her pawn...
What glory!
His "great cause" pales in comparison to hers, like a firefly before the moon.
Tang Pu's breath became scalding hot.
He gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist tightly.
The mastermind.
From this day forward, my life, Tang Pu's life, belongs to you.
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