Don't Provoke the Black Lotus O [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 9

09: Old Six

Although Xi Lingxue was not highly regarded, the emperor, for the sake of face, bestowed a considerable dowry upon her when she married.

However, after the wedding, all the gold, jade, jewelry, antiques, paintings, and land deeds were seized by Gao Yi and locked away in her private vault. Previously, Xi Lingxue had no access to them, but yesterday Gao Yi gave her the keys, and the dowry was returned to her hands.

With sufficient funds, Xi Lingxue hired people to clean up the shop. New shelves and signs needed to be ordered, and the trampled soaps, facial masks, and other items had to be remade.

The general store was temporarily closed, and Xi Lingxue told Huang Fu to take a few days off, leaving only after everything was settled.

On the way back, Jin Yu grew angrier and angrier, “Why don’t we hire someone to beat up that Boss Wang! There are plenty of people in the martial world who do this kind of business, clean and efficient, and Boss Wang would never suspect us!”

Jin Yu’s idea was simple: since they couldn’t bring Boss Wang to justice, why not play dirty? She refused to believe that with a knife to his neck, Boss Wang would still covet those recipes!

“You,” Xi Lingxue sighed, “He might not find you, but he could find Huang Fu, right? Wang Shichang is cunning, wouldn’t he figure that out?”

“Ah, then what should we do?” Jin Yu said, “Your Highness, you can’t confront him directly, and if you send someone else to arrange a meeting, you might not even get to see Boss Wang.”

Xi Lingxue fell into deep thought, “We can’t yet conclude that it was Wang Shichang’s doing. Let me think about this some more.”

By the time they returned to the mansion, it was very late. Jiang Ci had ordered some light dishes to be prepared. Yao Qin, whose face was still swollen, had not left her courtyard since returning.

After the incident during the day, everyone in the Marquis’s residence knew that the princess was now the most favored, even sidelining Lady Qin. For the entire afternoon, the Marquis personally supervised the cleaning of the princess’s courtyard, even overseeing the replacement of the flowers in her room.

“You didn’t see it, but Lady Qin was so angry she almost died! The nosebleed was so embarrassing! I’ve never seen anyone spray bl00d so high!”

A few servants gathered together, chatting while cleaning, “The princess usually seems so quiet, who knew she could be so fierce! Just the day before yesterday, she stabbed the Marquis, and now she’s poisoned Lady Qin. Even the Crown Prince wouldn’t dare to do that!”

“We all need to be more alert, the Marquis’s residence has changed!”

“Really, we must never offend the princess!”

…

They had agreed to meet in the evening, and after bathing and changing, Xi Lingxue came to dine with Jiang Ci.

She had her own means of self-protection, so she was not afraid of this Marquis of Dingyuan.

Dinner consisted of three dishes and a soup, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, not as greasy as before, and just the right amount.

Xi Lingxue was secretly surprised, Gao Yi had always been extravagant, preferring tables full of meat. She hadn’t expected her tastes to change so much.

After the dishes were served, Jin Yu and Nanny Zhang left, leaving only the two mistresses. Before leaving, Nanny Zhang winked at Xi Lingxue, reminding her to maintain harmony and be more tolerant between wives…

Xi Lingxue pretended not to see, Nanny Zhang was still in the dark, unaware of their contractual agreement. Hearing that Gao Yi had defended her during the day, Nanny Zhang was now vigorously trying to bring them together.

Jiang Ci also dismissed the servants, then, like a thief, checked the perimeter of the room to ensure no one was eavesdropping before locking the doors and windows.

“I’ve had your courtyard cleaned up.” Jiang Ci said, “Let me know if there’s anything else you need, and I’ll have it taken care of tomorrow.”

Xi Lingxue had noticed the changes upon her return, the weeds in the courtyard had been cleared, many flowers planted, and the peeling walls inside the room had been repaired. Nanny Zhang was overjoyed to see her, eagerly telling her how considerate Gao Yi had been, even personally overseeing the arrangement of the paintings and vases in the room.

“The Marquis sent over many bolts of silk and satin, saying they were for making clothes for Your Highness.”

“And these precious tonics, for nourishing your body.”

“I must say, the Marquis has really taken to heart this time, she’s never been so meticulous with Lady Qin. If Your Highness could seize the opportunity to have a child, your position in the Marquis’s residence would be secure!”

…

Recalling Nanny Zhang’s reminders gave Xi Lingxue a headache, “There’s nothing lacking, you’ve arranged everything very meticulously, thank you.”

“No need to be polite, you’re my wife.” Jiang Ci said, “I haven’t assigned you any servants, you can choose some trustworthy people to bring into the residence, how about that?”

Xi Lingxue was slightly surprised, “Are you serious?”

To be honest, she was afraid that Gao Yi would fill the courtyard with people of unknown backgrounds. Although she could deal with them, it would still be troublesome.

Could it be that Gao Yi had guessed her thoughts and was allowing her to choose her own people?

“Really, I mean what I say.” Jiang Ci said, “After today’s incident, I realize we need more people. Relying solely on little king kong isn’t enough, when danger comes, two fists can’t fight off four hands. If I choose people for you, you probably wouldn’t trust them, so it’s better to let you choose.”

Xi Lingxue quietly stared at her. Although the face was the same, with no outward changes, she felt as if this person had been completely transformed.

Jiang Ci: “You’re making me shy by looking at me like that.”

Xi Lingxue: “…”

She almost couldn’t resist rolling her eyes.

“Haha, just kidding, let’s eat.”

Jiang Ci suppressed her racing heart and casually picked up some food for Xi Lingxue.

Actually, she had been genuinely moved just now. In the quiet of the night, at such a close distance, with just the two of them… Xi Lingxue’s beautiful eyes seemed to speak, easily stirring one’s heart.

But at this stage, her little feelings could only end in a joke.

Jiang Ci silently ate, turning her sorrow into appetite, starting with a bowl of soup, then some vegetables, hmm… delicious!

Xi Lingxue subtly observed her, waiting until she had finished eating before picking up her own bowl and chopsticks.

Having been drugged just yesterday, Xi Lingxue was now extremely cautious. Before entering this room, she had specifically checked for any unusual smells.

But it seemed she had worried for nothing, just like in the morning, Gao Yi had not tampered with anything.

Xi Lingxue remained silent, pondering something, and Jiang Ci thought she was still upset about the day’s events.

“Yao Qin is under house arrest and can’t leave her courtyard. If you’re still angry, I can punish her severely, make her clean your floors.”

…Clean floors? Yao Qin?

Xi Lingxue imagined the scene, if that really happened, Yao Qin would probably be so angry she’d have a nosebleed without any poison…

Xi Lingxue said, “That matter is already over, I won’t trouble her again.”

Jiang Ci asked, “Then why aren’t you happy? You look so preoccupied.”

Xi Lingxue paused, not intending to tell Gao Yi about Huang Fu’s situation, she simply said, “No talking during meals.”

Jiang Ci picked up a peanut, “Well, you’re talking now, breaking the rule.”

Xi Lingxue: “…”

She put down her bowl and chopsticks, carefully examining Gao Yi. If possible, she really wanted to crack open this person’s head right now to see if something strange had gotten inside.

Previously, conversations with Gao Yi were mostly meaningless arguments. Now, she could clearly feel that Gao Yi wanted to control the rhythm, each dialogue like a game of chess, and she was being countered.

Seeing the black lotus speechless, Jiang Ci laughed, “Alright, if you don’t want to talk, I won’t ask. But I do have some happy news to share with you.”

Xi Lingxue asked, “What is it?”

Jiang Ci chuckled mysteriously and proudly, “I know a few ways to make money. Once these things are made, they’re guaranteed to sell like hotcakes! Let’s set a small goal first, how about making a hundred million?”

Xi Lingxue remained silent, secretly thinking about finding a doctor as soon as possible.

Jiang Ci could tell from her look that Xi Lingxue didn’t believe her, so she used her sales pitch, speaking rapidly, “Listen, the materials for this thing are very simple, just oil, shells, and plant ash. It’s cheap to make, everyone can use it, and we can sell it in large quantities at a low profit! It can also be made into different shapes and colors, both beautiful and practical! Once it hits the market, it will surely sweep the capital!”

Jiang Ci seemed to already see mountains of gold and silver.

Xi Lingxue: “Are you talking about soap? It’s already being sold on the market.”

Jiang Ci: “???”

Oh no, Jiang Ci was shocked, this thing already exists?!

But soap has indeed been around since ancient times, although it wasn’t mentioned in the book, it might really exist.

“No problem, I know another one.” Jiang Ci paused for a moment, then confidently smiled again, “This thing, when applied to the face, can remove acne and wrinkles, beautify and nourish the skin. Once made, it will definitely be pursued by many Kunjun! We’re targeting high-end customers, like the families of the nobility, this is definitely a huge profit!”

“Facial masks?” Xi Lingxue said, “They already have that.”

“!!!”

This time Jiang Ci was stunned, soap was one thing, but now even facial masks exist?

How could such modern vocabulary appear here?!

Jiang Ci began to doubt her life, she urgently asked, “What about glass? That can’t possibly—”

“Yes, but only small items, made into ornaments.” Xi Lingxue narrowed her eyes, her gaze probing, “…Where did you learn about these things?”

Jiang Ci was defenseless, I learned them from scrolling through videos after transmigrating into a book!

The problem now is, how could these things appear simultaneously in a fictional ancient world?! This isn’t a modern setting!

Jiang Ci couldn’t help but suspect that another modern person had transmigrated here, and this old six had arrived earlier, taking all the paths she wanted to take! How despicable, leaving her with no way out!

Out of all the transmigration skills, why pick these three?! She doesn’t know anything else, what else can she rely on to make a fortune?

Jiang Ci was eager to dig out this old six, so she seriously said, “You tell me first, who is selling these things?”

Xi Lingxue was not to be outdone, “You tell me how you know about them first, then I’ll tell you.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you, I read about them in a book.”

“Where’s the book?”

“Can’t find it. Now it’s your turn to tell me.”

“…”

After a moment of staring at each other, Xi Lingxue said expressionlessly, “Is there any difference from not saying anything?”

Jiang Ci: “Yes, you know about the book.”

Xi Lingxue took a deep breath, considering whether to use poison on Gao Yi to force her to tell the truth. This mouth has become too sharp!

Jiang Ci said, “Actually, if you just tell me which shop and who the owner is, I can tell you everything I know? How about that?”

Xi Lingxue thought, the owner is right in front of you, what are you going to do?

Of course, she would never reveal such a thing. If Gao Yi knew she was in business, it would be like giving her a handle.

Xi Lingxue remained silent.

“Okay, even if you don’t tell me, I can find out.” Jiang Ci said, “Such rare things shouldn’t be hard to find. I can take people to the East and West markets to look around, and I guess… the owner must be a very peculiar person!”

Xi Lingxue: “…”

You’re the peculiar one!

Jiang Ci remembered how the black lotus dealt with Yao Qin, she deliberately stepped back, keeping her distance to prevent any chance of being poisoned.

Although Jiang Ci didn’t inherit the original body’s memories, the body had muscle memory, and she had mastered Gao Yi’s martial arts skills. If Xi Lingxue wanted to get rough, she certainly couldn’t beat a Qianjun like her.

Facing Gao Yi’s guarded expression, Xi Lingxue rubbed her temples, her mood extremely complex at the moment.

Why does it seem like she’s the bad guy, about to persecute Gao Yi…

However, as Gao Yi said, these three things are too peculiar, and it would be easy to find out with a little inquiry, especially since the shop made such a big scene today.

Thinking that this person had helped her after all, after some consideration, Xi Lingxue decided to take a softer approach.

“…I can take you to see the owner.” she said gravely, “But you must keep your promise and tell me everything you know, no more tricks.”