Golden Thread Imprisoned Phoenix
The autumn rain pattered against the glazed tiles of "Yunshangji", and the copper bells under the eaves tinkled.
Su Wan sat before the embroidery frame, her fingertips deftly twirling the "Heavenly River thread" woven from snow mountain cotton and ice silkworm silk, the needle hovering precariously on the taut, moon-white satin, untouched for a long time. The account book lay open on her lap, the latest page recording the "naming-inquiring gift" sent by Master Zhou through the official matchmaker—
They were a pair of earrings made of pure gold and inlaid with jade, gleaming with a cold light in the velvet box.
"Miss Su, Master Zhou is the most trusted person in front of the county magistrate!"
The spittle of the official media still seemed to linger in my ears: "So what if you remarry? The phoenix crown of a future seventh-rank imperial consort awaits you! It's better than being randomly paired with a crippled soldier by the government when you're over nineteen..."
The official media's final, persistent gossip clung to them like maggots: "...If she doesn't marry by nineteen, she'll be paired with a lame beggar by her husband..."
"Swoosh!" The needle pierced the satin, and blood seeped through.
"Snap!" The needle pierced the satin, and a drop of blood seeped out, like a withered plum blossom falling in the snow.
"Sister Su Wan?"
Da Niu came in carrying newly arrived Suzhou embroidery samples, and was startled by the unprecedented sternness in Su Wan's eyes.
Su Wan tore off the blood-stained plain silk, her voice eerily calm.
“Use the base material of ‘Tian Sun Jin’, the divine cotton ‘Tian He’s thread’, and ‘Yao Ri’s silk’ made by twisting peacock tail feathers into gold foil.”
The young woman gasped, "That...that's the most prized tribute material! Young Master Shen said..."
"Take it!" Su Wan said decisively.
The embroidery room door remained tightly shut for three days. The lamp oil was added again and again.
Da Niu stood guard in the outer room, and could hear the sharp sound of golden scissors cutting through brocade, the muffled sound of golden needles piercing thick satin, and the occasional suppressed, beast-like low moans.
On the morning of the fourth day, Su Wan pushed open the door and came out. Her eyes were sunken and her lips were bloodless, but she was holding a neatly folded robe in her arms.
“Send it to ‘Jinxin Courtyard’ in the prefectural city for tailor Zhao.”
Her voice was hoarse: "Tell him that if there is even one flaw in this garment, I, Su Wan, will cut off my own hands."
Three days later, at the "Jinxin Courtyard" fitting room.
The private room was packed with top tailors, silk merchants, and even special envoys from the Jiangnan textile industry who had come after hearing the news.
With trembling hands, Zhao the tailor unfolded the robe—
The moon-white brocade, with its celestial brocade base, transforms into the clear blue sky after rain as light and shadow shift!
The garment is entirely unembroidered, yet subtly patterned with "celestial river thread" to depict clouds and waves. On the shoulders, two phoenixes, woven from golden peacock feathers twisted with "sunlight silk," raise their heads, each feather shimmering with flowing golden light, as if they are about to burst forth from the garment and soar into the heavens! Even more remarkably, the entire garment is seamless, appearing as if it were made entirely by nature!
"Seamless...?!" Tailor Zhao knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face.
The teacup in the hands of the special envoy of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau clattered to the ground.
"This...this is the 'Rainbow Feather Robe' technique! Lost for a hundred years! Lady Su...truly a divine needle!"
The news spread like wildfire.
That afternoon, the threshold of "Yunshangji" was worn down by the crowd.
When Shen Yan returned surrounded by people, she ran into the steward of the Wang family, the richest family in the prefecture, who came to the county town to offer one thousand taels of silver to buy the "Luanxiang Robe".
"One thousand taels?!"
Shen Yan, now mostly sober, shoved his attendants aside and lunged at the heavily guarded glass dome.
Inside the enclosure, the "Luanxiang Robe" shimmered with a dreamlike luster under the spotlights.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he slammed his hand on the table: "Three thousand taels! Not a penny less! This is the prized possession of my 'Yunshangji' shop! Su Wan! Well done!"
He looked at Su Wan, who was pale in the corner, with his eyes burning with excitement at the gold coin symbols.
Su Wan, however, only felt that the golden light was dazzling.
She lowered her eyes, her fingertips digging tightly into her palms.
Three days later, the hurricane "Luanxiangyi" brought an uninvited guest.
A two-horse-drawn blue carriage blocked the entrance to the "Yunshangji" shop.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man stepped out, wearing a sixth-rank official robe with egret-patterned embroidered badges. He had a refined appearance but his eyes held a sinister glint.
It was Su Mingyuan, the Assistant Prefect of Suzhou, who was in charge of textile manufacturing in Jiangnan.
Behind him followed a woman adorned with jewels and exuding an arrogant air.
As soon as the two entered the shop, they immediately ordered their servants to block the front and back doors to ensure that no one could enter, leave, or eavesdrop.
"You unfilial daughter! Get out here now!" Su Mingyuan shouted sharply.
Su Wanru was struck by lightning, and the "Sunburst Silk" she was arranging fell to the ground with a thud.
Shen Yan emerged from the inner room, frowning as he stepped forward: "This sir..."
Su Mingyuan, the Assistant Magistrate of Suzhou and Hangzhou, was a man of imposing official authority.
Madam Su poked Su Wan's face with her red-knitted finger: "You lowly wretch! How dare you be used by merchants to dictate the reputation of the Su family! You stole our ancestral 'Heavenly Grandson Brocade' and 'Rainbow Needle'! Seize her!" A strong servant pounced on her!
"presumptuous!"
He stood there, his dark green brocade robe revealing his muscular, gaunt figure.
"Su Wan is the chief embroiderer hired by my 'Yunshangji'! All the contracts and certificates are complete! She is neither a slave nor a maid!"
"Embroidered palm?"
Madam Su sneered and spat, "A withered flower crawling out of a bandit's den! Why didn't you cut your own throat back then! A disgrace to the Su family! If it weren't for Master Zhou..."
"Slap—!" A sharp slap rang out! Madam Su covered her face and retreated in shock.
Su Wan stood tall as a pine tree, her eyes as cold as daggers!
"The Rainbow Needle, a legacy from my mother! It has nothing to do with the Su family! It was a bandit attack—"
She pulled at her collar, revealing a gruesome scar on her collarbone. "This blade was bestowed upon me by the bandit leader in his drunken stupor! Father! You wait outside the door! Can you hear your daughter's cries?!"
The room was deathly silent.
Su Mingyuan's face was ashen: "You wretched creature! Tie him up!"
"Who dares!"
Shen Yan drew the jeweled dagger from his waist with a backhand motion, its cold light pointing straight ahead.
"Lord Su! In Qingzhou, anyone who wants to harm my beloved Chen Yan will have to ask him first!"
The thugs and henchmen around him rolled up their sleeves, exuding a murderous aura.
Su Mingyuan stared at the dagger in his hand, his pupils suddenly shrinking.
The standoff continued until a figure in azure robes, alerted by the news, silently entered.
Ling Zhan's white jade hairpin was warm and smooth, holding yellowed documents and thick account books.
“Su Wan, registered in good standing.” Sheng Ping unfolded the scroll. “The village magistrate of Kaoshan Village has verified the ‘registration document’ at the county government office.”
She flipped through the ledger's red-stamped page: "Employment contract: Monthly salary of five taels, bonus for festivals. Neither slave nor maid, free person."
His gaze swept over Su Mingyuan: "According to the Great Yin Law, the principal offender who forcibly abducts a hired worker shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane."
Su Mingyuan stared at the document bearing the seal of Linshan County, Qingzhou, his face turning ashen.
Clerk Zhou stepped in: "It's a misunderstanding! Lord Su is missing his daughter..."
His greedy eyes were glued to the "Luanxiang Robe," and he had long lost his former clarity.
No need to trouble yourself.
Ling Zhan cut off the contract and placed another one in Su Wan's trembling palm: "'Yunshangji' holds 20% of the shares, and I will be your lifelong embroidery manager. Sign this contract and you will become the owner. You are free to marry or leave as you please."
Su Wan gripped the contract tightly, her gaze sweeping over Ling Zhan before darkening, while Shen Yan stood protectively to her side.
His biological father, however, was furious and stern-faced.
She suddenly chuckled softly, tears streaming down her face: "What a...good employer!"
Extending his blood-stained finger, he pressed cinnabar onto the seal and re-engraved the contract.
Su Mingyuan flicked his sleeves, snorted, boarded his carriage, and drove away, his official boots crushing the gleaming glass.
Zhou, the clerk, then retreated sheepishly.
The following day, at the Tianzi Pavilion of "Xiefanglou".
The salt merchant slammed three thousand-tael silver notes down in front of Shen Yan: "Master Shen! The contract is settled!"
The silver notes are dazzling!
He rubbed the embossed patterns on the ticket with his fingertips, tilted his head back and gulped down the wine in his cup, his loud laughter shaking the roof beams.
"That's awesome!! Scarface Liu! Tonight, 'Sihailou' is booked by Master Chen! We're drinking until we drop!"
That night, Shen Yan, his crimson brocade robe open and his gold belt inlaid with pearls loose, drank wildly from a wine jar. Scarface Liu, with a fawning smile, offered a toast: "Master Shen, your spirit soars to the heavens!" "Three thousand taels of silver for a set of clothes! The first of its kind in Qingzhou Prefecture!"
Shen Yan slammed a silver note on the table as he sat on a footstool: "See that? Real silver! Tomorrow! I'll buy 'Tingtao Garden' in the West City! A three-courtyard mansion! With a garden! Tiger, Bean Sprout, Big Girl, Big Girl, Little Stone... and... everyone else will move in! A lively and bustling family! What a dump! Get out of here!"
Xuan Chenzi squeezed at the end of the table, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the silver notes.
"Amitabha! Young Master Shen... no, Elder Shen! How about building a pill-refining room for this old Taoist priest in your new house? This humble Taoist priest will protect your home..."
"Build! Build them all!" Shen Yan waved his hand, sending gold beads flying. "Old Taoist, you live in the east wing! You'll be calculating my fortune every day! Hahaha!"
Three days later, the "Shan Hai Su" was stored in the rear warehouse.
Su Wan placed a heavy brocade box on the wooden table where Ling Zhan was sorting cotton seeds.
"Sister Ling, the profit share from the embroidery shop is three thousand taels of silver notes, six hundred taels. I... want to buy the shop and courtyard of Chen's General Store next door."
Ling Zhan didn't look up: "Enough?"
"That's enough. The general store is old and dilapidated; it's valued at three hundred and fifty taels. The remaining money... can be used for repairs..."
Su Wan ran her fingertips over the silver in the box. "Enough to buy three fine embroidery frames and hire two apprentices."
"Very good."
Ling Zhan pushed over a ceramic jar of newly roasted medicinal tea, saying, "A side gate has been opened in the courtyard wall, leading to the new courtyard."
Su Wan held the jar, her fingertips warm: "...Yes."
Xuan Chenzi peered through the warehouse door, staring at the silver box and swallowing hard.
"Madam Su...your new courtyard, with its west wing facing the sun, is most suitable for setting up a quiet room for meditation...this humble Taoist priest can ward off evil spirits for you free of charge!"
Su Wan smiled gently: "If the Daoist is willing to guide the embroiderers in matching colors and fragrances, the side room is ready to be cleaned and prepared at any time."
Xuan Chenzi rubbed his hands together with delight: "Perfect! Perfect! The purple aura rising from the east in Lady Su's courtyard at my humble abode is indeed..."
Su Wan then asked, "If a girl is nineteen and still unmarried, the government will arrange a marriage for her. I wonder if you have any ideas on how to deal with this?"
Xuan Chenzi stroked his beard lightly, "Widows are not included in this category."
Su Wan looked at Ling Zhan anxiously.
Ling Zhan pondered for a moment and then asked, "Are you willing?"
"I do."
"In Kaoshan Village, there lived a butcher surnamed Hu. The village head said he had met Miss Su a few times before, but he died while hunting in the mountains—"
Su Wan was taken aback. Sister Ling actually knew about this?!
She quickly composed herself, stood up, and bowed: "Every year on the anniversary of the death, I will offer incense, food, and prayers."
The old Taoist priest said, "To eliminate future troubles, we need to make some noise."
The next morning, the water on the bluestone road had not yet dried when the vermilion gate of the county magistrate's office was pounded with a deafening roar.
Su Wan, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, knelt before the steps, with only a white velvet flower in her hair, and tightly clutched the yellowed marriage certificate and her deceased husband's memorial tablet in her arms.
A crowd of onlookers had gathered three layers deep, pointing and whispering like a surging tide.
"This humble woman, surnamed Su, requests an audience with Your Excellency!"
She kowtowed heavily, leaving dark red bloodstains on the blue bricks. "My late husband has been dead for less than three years, and Master Zhou is forcing me to remarry—I refuse!"
In the alleyway beside the yamen, Master Zhou's hand, clutching the jade snuff bottle, trembled.
He was in his early fifties, with a pair of shrewd eyes set in his honest, round face.
He was now grabbing the constable beside him and growling, "Didn't I tell you to kidnap him and take him to another residence tonight? How did this commotion end up at the yamen!"
The constable said with a bitter face, "This Madam Su actually hid scissors in the memorial tablet and even stabbed two brothers. She was also afraid... of alarming Madam Ling."
"waste!"
Master Zhou kicked over the basket, startling the wild cat so much that it scrambled onto the wall.
He squinted at the slender figure kneeling not far away, then suddenly laughed, "She really won't listen to reason. Go, tell Granny Wang about 'that matter.'"
The gavel slammed shut, and Magistrate Chen Qinian sat upright behind his desk.
He was forty-five, with a neatly trimmed short beard, and the hem of his official robe was still covered with bits of newly harvested rice.
He was just now trying out the drought-resistant grain seeds that Ling Zhan had given him in the backyard.
"Mrs. Su, since you claim to be chaste, why isn't the marriage certificate stamped with an official seal?"
Magistrate Chen flipped through the case files, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of half a brocade robe peeking out from behind the screen—
Shen Yan had already appeared in the shadows beside the hall, unaware of when.
Su Wan stood ramrod straight, holding the memorial tablet high above her head: "My late husband died in battle last year while suppressing bandits! We didn't have time to report it to the authorities, but everyone in the village knows. You can ask the village head." She suddenly ripped open her collar, revealing a gruesome arrow scar on her collarbone. "This wound was from the grain transport team. At the time, Master Zhou even said—"
"Your Majesty, please be clear!"
Suddenly, Master Zhou appeared from the side, holding a stack of petitions covered with red fingerprints.
"The Su family and Zhang, the head of the grain transport team, had a long-standing affair; this is the joint testimony of twenty-three porters!"
An uproar erupted outside the hall.
Suddenly, a woman with heavy makeup squeezed out from the crowd.
She shrieked, "I saw with my own eyes that Lady Su untied Captain Zhang's belt in the storeroom!"
As he spoke, he tossed out a faded blue cloth belt—the standard belt worn by the grain convoy.
Su Wan's face turned deathly pale.
This belt was indeed a keepsake from her deceased husband, given to her by Ling Zhan; it was mysteriously stolen three days ago...
Magistrate Chen lightly tapped the table with his knuckles.
He recognized the belt; last year, when Ling Zhan led his team to suppress bandits, everyone in the grain convoy wore the same style.
My gaze shifted to the petition; those crooked fingerprints were clearly forced onto the petition by the illiterate burly man.
"Master Zhou," he suddenly chuckled, "your remarriage should only be based on mutual consent!"
The flesh on Master Zhou's face twitched, and a look of panic flashed in his eyes.
The sound of teacups clinking softly came from behind the screen—this silk merchant, who had recently been enjoying great success, had actually come to court in person for an embroiderer who also served as an accountant?!
Suddenly, a child's clear voice reciting a poem rang out from the back office: "...Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a great matter..."
Little Stone carried "Admonitions for Women" as he turned through the corridor, followed by Ling Zhan carrying a medicine basket.
Her coarse cloth dress was stained with mud, but when she saw the scene inside the hall, she suddenly narrowed her eyes—like a cheetah spotting a trap.
"quiet!"
Magistrate Chen suddenly slammed his hand on the table, pointed at Clerk Zhou, and sneered, "Twenty-three witnesses? Very well! Guards, summon the entire grain convoy to the court! I want to see which of these people dare to swear oaths and falsely accuse the family of a martyr!"
Master Zhou staggered backward and bumped into the ceremonial guard, causing the bronze halberd to fall to the ground with a clang.
He never expected the county magistrate to make such a fuss over a widow—
Even after the third watch gong sounded, the lights were still on in the county government study.
Magistrate Chen was stroking the loom pattern that Ling Zhan had just presented when he suddenly heard a cuckoo calling outside the window—three long calls followed by two short ones.
"Come in," he said without looking up.
The window slid open silently, and Ling Zhan brought in a few withered leaves as he climbed in.
"Is Su Wan settled in?"
"Xuan Chenzi accepted her as a disciple under a pseudonym." Ling Zhan placed an account book on the table. "Concrete evidence of Master Zhou's embezzlement."
Magistrate Chen opened the account book and suddenly burst out laughing: "He even dares to embezzle money for cotton-padded clothes at the orphanage?"
He tapped a page heavily with his finger, "Perfect timing, the Prefect hates nothing more than the bullying of the widow and orphan."
The oil lamp exploded with a spark.
Ling Zhan's shadow was cast on the wall like a drawn sword.
"Once the autumn grain is stored, the new looms can produce a thousand bolts of cloth, initially for special military supply."
She pushed forward a land deed, "Shen Yan buys thirty acres of wasteland in the western suburbs to build a workshop."
"wonderful!"
Magistrate Chen clapped his hands, "We can use the money that Clerk Zhou embezzled to build a disaster relief workshop, and the Prefect will surely..." His words trailed off.
He was shocked to realize that he had been following the woman's train of thought, even though she was just a craftswoman!
An orphan girl of unknown origin, wandering the streets and getting into fights!
It was he who arranged the marriage for these two as a way to "eliminate a menace on the streets"—
Ling Zhan seemed to see through his thoughts.
Suddenly, he took out a cloth bag from the medicine basket. When he unfolded it, he found rice seeds with plump grains, each grain bearing strange golden threads.
"With another spiritual seed, the yield per acre will double."
Her voice remained calm, "If Your Excellency can promote this throughout the county, you will be evaluated in next year's performance review..."
Magistrate Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.
He recalled the message from the prefectural governor in a private letter last month, which mentioned that "promotion without regard to precedent requires great merit."
His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, then he suddenly stood up and took out a document from a hidden compartment: "Three days from now, a group of refugees will pass through Linshan County, Qingzhou."
Ling Zhan took the document, and his eyebrows twitched slightly when he saw "twenty-seven skilled weavers".
Their eyes met, and the candlelight flickered in each other's eyes.
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