Chapter 41 Plum News
25th year of Qianlong
In Yangzhou during the first month of the lunar calendar, red lanterns still hang high on the eaves of the streets and alleys, and the sweet aroma of sugar painting stalls mingles with the lingering smoke of firecrackers, creating a festive atmosphere everywhere.
Inside the study of the Shen family mansion, the charcoal fire was burning brightly. Shen Rulan sat upright behind a large sandalwood desk, wearing a dark blue Jiang silk robe with a dark pattern, and a black Ning silk jacket over it. She was intently checking the salt administration accounts from various places.
The salt transport in Jiangnan had to begin in early spring. The cargo ships were ready to depart, and the salt permits had to be verified in the first month of the lunar calendar and sent to the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office for stamping. No mistakes could be tolerated.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the window. The curtain was flung open, and Shen Fu rushed in, his face deathly pale, forgetting even to bow: "Young Master! Urgent news from the capital! Lin Xiao sent it by express courier!"
Shen Rulan's fingers tightened suddenly as she gripped the ledger, wrinkling the edges of the pages.
She quickly took the brown envelope; Lin Xiao's personal seal was clearly visible on the wax seal. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she opened it—such an urgent method of communication would never be used unless it was something extremely important.
The letter contained only a few lines, and the handwriting was so illegible that it was almost impossible to read:
"Miss Su fell ill three days ago. The imperial physician diagnosed her with a cold pathogen invading her body, causing a persistent high fever. Fortunately, the Noble Consort took pity on her and granted permission for her to move to a separate courtyard outside the palace to recuperate. She has already been taken to the Shen family's separate courtyard in the capital for care. Her condition is not dangerous for the time being, but the young lady is listless and often thinks of the young master when she is in a coma."
With a clatter, the white jade paperweight in Shen Rulan's hand fell onto the table, and the fine Huizhou ink splashed out, spreading a glaring black stain on the open account book.
She abruptly stood up, the legs of the rosewood chair scraping harshly against the blue brick floor: "Prepare the horses! We're heading to the capital immediately!"
"Young Master, you mustn't!" Shen Fu knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling. "Now, so many eyes in the court are watching the Shen family's salt business. As the leading salt merchant in Jiangnan, if you rashly leave Yangzhou for the capital at this time, and if the officials accuse you of 'absconding from your post,' or if someone with ulterior motives notices your unusual whereabouts, it will not only jeopardize the important salt transport business, but may also implicate Miss Su!"
Shen Rulan's chest heaved violently. She slammed her fist on the table, making the teacups clatter: "She called my name while she was sick. How could I sit idly by from a thousand miles away?"
"Young Master, please calm down." Rong Mama rushed over upon hearing the commotion, still clutching freshly dried plums in her hand. "This old servant has a plan. Miss Su's ability to leave the palace to recuperate is a favor from the Imperial Concubine, showing that Her Majesty intends to protect her. If you go to the capital now, it will only make the Shen family appear impatient and disobey Her Majesty's arrangements. It would be better if this old servant took the medicine to the capital first. I have served Miss Su's daily life and know her temperament, and I also know some methods for treating cold-related illnesses. You can stay in Yangzhou to stabilize the situation, ensuring the smooth transport of salt and allowing you to remotely allocate manpower to deal with any changes in the capital. This is the best solution."
Shen Rulan closed her eyes briefly. A cold wind seeped in through the window cracks, clearing her muddled mind somewhat. She knew that Shen Fu and the old woman were right—she was the backbone of the Shen family. If she were to fall into disarray, the foundation of the Shen family would be shaken, and Mo Qing would lose his strongest support in the capital.
"Go to the pharmacy and fetch the best medicinal herbs." She spoke slowly, her voice still hoarse. "The ginseng must be over thirty years old, the bird's nest must be the first harvest from the Malay Peninsula, and also prepare some ginger and brown sugar to dispel cold. Pack two carts and take them with Granny. Also, send a message to Lin Xiao, telling her to make sure to invite Physician Chen to make a house call. Physician Chen specializes in medical treatment and has treated many ladies from noble families. With him there, Mo Qing's illness can be put at ease."
That night, Rong Momo took the medicine and two capable maids and rode the fastest post horse northward.
Shen Rulan stood in front of the mansion gate, watching the carriage disappear into the night until the sound of hooves could no longer be heard, before turning back to her study.
The candlelight burned all night, and the salt administration ledgers on the table lay open, yet not a single page was turned. She took out the painting "Ink Orchid" that Su Moqing had given her before leaving Yang. In the painting, the ink orchids stood tall even in the wind and rain, just like her now, she had to be strong.
In the villa in the capital, Su Moqing's situation was far from optimistic.
She lay in bed, her cheeks burning red and her lips chapped and peeling.
This villa was acquired by the Shen family in their early years. It is located in Rongxian Hutong on the west side of the imperial city. Although it is not as spacious as the Shen Mansion, it is quiet and elegant, making it a good place to recuperate.
Su Moqing was fast asleep, her brows furrowed the whole time.
She occasionally uttered soft murmurs, mostly the name "Rulan," and sometimes she would mention "father." Xiaochun [a maid in the villa in the capital], who was by her bedside, wiped her forehead with warm water every half hour.
"Water..." Su Moqing called out weakly.
Xiaochun quickly brought over some warm ginseng soup and carefully fed it to her.
Just then, a soft knock came from outside the door. Lin Xiao stood outside and whispered, "Miss Xiaochun, Physician Chen has arrived."
This Physician Chen was already in his seventies, with white hair and beard, but he was still very vigorous. He carefully took Su Moqing's pulse and examined her tongue coating before slowly saying, "Miss Su, this is due to the invasion of cold pathogens, coupled with your restless mind, causing the pathogenic qi to stagnate in your lungs. Let me prescribe a formula to first relieve the exterior and dispel the cold, and then slowly regulate your body."
He picked up his pen and wrote: Ephedra, Cinnamon Twig, Apricot Kernel, Licorice Root, Gypsum, Ginger, Jujube. After writing, he added: "This Ephedra Decoction is the most suitable for the symptoms, but the medicine is quite strong. After taking it, you will definitely sweat profusely. Someone needs to be by your side at all times to take care of you and change your clothes in time to prevent you from catching a cold again."
Xiaochun nodded repeatedly: "This servant has remembered."
Just then, Rong Momo arrived, looking travel-worn. The moment she entered, she saw Su Moqing's frail appearance and burst into tears, her heart aching: "How could you have fallen so ill after only a short time away from Yangzhou?"
She immediately instructed the maid to start a fire and brew the medicine, while she sat by the bed and gently tucked Su Moqing in: "Don't be afraid, Miss, this old servant is here."
Perhaps hearing a familiar voice, Su Moqing slowly opened her eyes, her gaze still somewhat unfocused. After recognizing Rong Mama, she smiled weakly: "Mama... why are you here? Is Rulan... alright?"
"Young Master is doing well, but he is worried about Miss's health, so he sent this old servant to deliver medicine overnight." Rong Mama brought over the freshly brewed medicine, scooped up a spoonful with a silver spoon, blew on it to cool it down before putting it to her lips, "Miss, drink the medicine quickly, only by drinking the medicine can you get better and return to Yangzhou as soon as possible."
Su Moqing obediently drank the medicine. The bitter taste made her frown, but she still insisted on finishing the whole bowl. Suddenly remembering something, she asked softly, "Granny, how are the old plum trees in the Shen family courtyard blooming? At this time last year, Rulan and I were brewing tea under the plum trees."
Granny Rong took out a brocade pouch embroidered with black orchids from her bag and handed it to her: "Miss, look, this is what the young master asked me to bring. The old plum trees in the manor are blooming exceptionally well this year, and the young master specially picked some petals to dry so that you can smell the fragrance of plum blossoms from your hometown."
Su Moqing took the brocade pouch, held it to her nose and inhaled its delicate fragrance. The sweet scent of plum blossoms mixed with the aroma of sunshine lifted her spirits. She clutched the pouch tightly in her hand, as if holding onto a longing from a thousand miles away.
In Yangzhou, Shen Rulan's life was not easy either.
She forced herself to handle the salt affairs, but she was always distracted. One day, the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner sent someone to urge her to sign the salt permits, and she almost signed the wrong name on the official document.
"Young Master has been restless these past few days. Is it because of Miss Su?" Shen Fu asked cautiously.
Shen Rulan sighed and placed her pen on the pen holder: "I always feel this matter is strange. Mo Qing has always been in good health, how could he suddenly fall so seriously ill? And it just so happens to be so shortly after Granny Jin's downfall..."
She got up and paced around the study, then suddenly stopped: "Go and investigate if there's anything unusual in the capital lately, especially regarding people connected to the Cao family."
Shen Fu accepted the order and left.
Shen Rulan walked to the desk again, picked up her pen and wrote a secret letter to Lin Xiao, instructing her to find out who Su Moqing had seen or what he had received before he fell ill.
After sending the letter, she went alone to the plum grove in the mansion.
The old plum trees were indeed in full bloom, the red plums like fire and the white plums like snow, exceptionally beautiful under the warm winter sun. She remembered this time last year, when Su Moqing was painting a picture of her under the plum tree, her face smiling as she held the scroll in the painting.
"Mo Qing, you must take good care of yourself." She murmured to herself, breaking off a sprig of red plum blossom and carefully tucking it into her sleeve.
In the villa in the capital, under the meticulous care of Granny Rong, Su Moqing's condition finally began to improve.
The high fever gradually subsided, and although she was still weak, she was able to sit up and talk.
That afternoon, she leaned against the soft couch by the window, watching the sparrows hopping on the branches outside, and suddenly said to Xiaochun, "Go and get my art supplies."
Xiaochun exclaimed in delight, "Is the girl all better? She can even paint now?"
Su Moqing smiled faintly: "After lying in bed for so many days, my bones are stiff. I want to paint a picture and send it back to Yangzhou."
Xiaochun quickly fetched a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and then draped a thick cloak over her shoulders.
Su Moqing pondered for a moment, then began to sketch on the Xuan paper.
She painted the old plum tree of the Shen family mansion again—its vigorous branches dotted with red plum blossoms, and beneath it stood a figure in a dark brocade robe. Though the face was obscured, the upright posture was clearly that of Shen Rulan. After finishing the painting, she inscribed a line of small characters in the corner:
"I received news of plum blossoms while I was ill, and I longed for the spring in my hometown."
Watching from the side, Rong Momo couldn't help but wipe away her tears: "Young Master will be heartbroken if he sees this painting, Miss."
Just then, Lin Xiao returned from outside, her face grave. She invited Rong Mama to a side hall and whispered, "Mama, I've found out something. Before Miss Su fell ill, she did receive a letter, saying it was sent from Guazhou by an old friend of her father. The messenger was a stranger, and even the courier couldn't say who it was."
Rong Momo frowned and asked, "Have you found out what the letter said?"
Lin Xiao shook his head: "The letter has already been burned by Miss Su, but according to the maid who served her, Miss Su became very depressed after reading the letter and developed a fever that night."
“There’s definitely something fishy about this,” Rong Mama said thoughtfully. “Continue your investigation and find out who’s behind this. I’ll write a letter now and report this to the young master.”
At the Shen residence in Yangzhou, Shen Rulan received two letters at the same time.
One letter contained a handwritten drawing by Su Moqing. Looking at the lonely figure in the painting, her heart ached as if pierced by needles. The other was a secret letter from Rong Momo, confirming her suspicions—Moqing's illness was indeed not accidental!
She immediately summoned Shen Fu: "Send more people to the capital to assist Lin Xiao in investigating the origin of that letter. Also, find out if the Cao family has made any moves recently."
Three days later, Shen Fu brought back news: "It has been found out that although Cao Jin has been exiled, his cousin Cao Kang has been frequently visiting the residence of the Minister of the Imperial Household Department recently. Moreover, someone saw that Cao's former steward went to Guazhou a few days ago."
Shen Rulan's eyes turned cold: "It really was them! They used Mo Qing's father's past to disturb her peace of mind, and then took advantage of the early spring chill to make her fall ill. What a vicious method!"
After a moment's thought, she immediately wrote two letters. One was for Rong Momo, instructing her to take good care of Su Moqing, especially her diet and daily life; the other was a thank-you note to the Imperial Concubine, thanking her for allowing Su Moqing to leave the palace to recuperate, and specifically mentioning that Physician Chen's treatment was effective, reassuring the Imperial Concubine.
"You want to force me to submit using this method?" Shen Rulan looked at the darkening sky outside the window, a cold smile appearing on her lips. "Then let's see who has the last laugh."
She took out a piece of stationery and wrote a reply to Su Moqing. After deliberating for a long time, she wrote only eight characters:
"The fragrance of plum blossoms has arrived; I await your return."
After sending the letter, she summoned Shen Fu: "Pass on my message: from this day forward, all businesses owned by the Shen family shall cease all dealings with the Cao family. Also, have the accountant prepare 100,000 taels of silver, which I intend to donate to the imperial court for the construction of water conservancy projects."
Shen Fu was shocked: "Young Master, this..."
Shen Rulan said calmly, "If the Cao family wants to play, I'll play a big game with them. Let's see whether the Emperor values a family of salt merchants who have offended the country more, or the Shen family who can share the burden of the court."
Outside the window, Yangzhou was still bustling with activity during the first month of the lunar year. But inside the study of the Shen family mansion, a war without gunpowder had quietly begun.
In the villa in the capital, Su Moqing's health improved day by day.
That day, she was sunbathing in the courtyard when she suddenly received a reply from Shen Rulan. Looking at those eight familiar words, she couldn't help but smile.
"Grandma, I want to eat your almond tea." She said softly, her eyes shining with warmth.
Rong Momo was overjoyed: "Good, good, this old servant will go and make it right away. The young lady is willing to eat, this is a very good sign!"
Su Moqing gazed southward, gently tightening her grip on the brocade pouch in her hand. The delicate fragrance of plum blossoms seemed to carry the scent of spring in Yangzhou, and also brought with it the longing and waiting of that person far away.
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