Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 94

Du Xia was unable to sleep all night, tossing and turning as his mind was consumed by thoughts of Gu Yu Qi. He endured until the next day, but could no longer bear the torment and ran to the secret chamber.

“Master, have you ever come across such a concealed weapon like this?” Du Xia handed over the picture he had drawn to Master Chang, the instructor at the secret guard training camp, then stood respectfully by his side.

Master Chang took the drawing and furrowed his brow after looking at it. He inquired with a stern tone, “Have you encountered someone using this type of concealed weapon?”

“Disciple has not,” Du Xia shook his head, “But disciple noticed this type of concealed weapon on His Highness’ desk, so disciple was curious…”

“How insolent!” Master Chang’s eyebrows shot up sharply as he scolded sternly, “Have you forgotten the fundamental principles of being a secret guard?”

Du Xia knew that by seeking assistance from Master Chang, he would definitely be scolded. Master Chang had been his training instructor all along and. Du Xia only turned to him when there really were no other options. He was aware that the prince would not allow him to delve into such matters, so he would not hide anything from Master Chang.

“Disciple understands, but disciple begs guidance from Master. Disciple will willingly accept any punishment from the torture chamber,” Du Xia saluting solemnly and continued respectfully, “Disciple understands that it is inappropriate to inquire into the my Lord’s affairs at will. But, Master, this matter is of utmost importance to disciple. Disciple implores Master to tell disciple just this once. Disciple is prepared to accept any consequences.”

Master Chang gazed deeply at the disciple he had personally trained. He had been the instructor for secret guards for numerous years, and had trained countless secret guards, but Du Xia stood out as the most exceptional and also most diligent one. Master Chang regarded Du Xia differently from the others and had already considered him as his direct disciple. So no matter the subject, Master Chang invested extra effort into Du Xia, who had never failed to meet his expectations. He possessed a resilience that set him apart.

Master Chang sighed deeply, “Forget it, I’ll tell you this time, but remember, there will not be a second time.”

Du Xia’s heart rejoiced and he quickly knelt down and kowtowed deeply to Master Chang, “Disciple understands. Disciple will never break the rules again and embarrass Master.”

“This kind of concealed weapon is rarely seen in the martial world, and it is not from our Qi dynasty. It comes from a secretive martial organisation in the Liang Empire called the Reincarnation Pavilion. There are rumours about it in the martial world, ‘Once you enter reincarnation, you will be reincarnated. When the reincarnation sword comes out, no soul remains’. This kind of weapon does not get thrown, but is propelled by a spherical device called the Reincarnation Bomb. If you are too close, there is no way out,” Master Chang explained. “Why would such a thing be on His Highness’ desk? It’s likely that someone has encountered members of the Reincarnation Pavilion. They take money, kill for others, and are ruthless. It’s said that they’ve never failed. Alright, I’ve told you about the origin of this concealed weapon. Don’t inquire further. This time, I forgive you, but if there’s a next time, I will personally send you to the torture chamber for punishment.”

“Yes, Master,” Du Xia bowed again before retreating. His steps were no longer as light as when he arrived, and felt as if they were burdened by a heavy load of lead.

His heart and mind were in turmoil. The Reincarnation Pavilion. Since even Master Chang said they were ruthless, did that mean Gu Yu Qi encountered members of the Reincarnation Pavilion? What did Wang Yan mean, sending back this concealed weapon? Was she already in danger?

Du Xia’s mind was so chaotic that he even found breathing to be difficult. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. Yes, he would go and check if Wang Yan had sent any secret messages today.

If Gu Yu Qi had truly died by the hands of the Reincarnation Pavilion, Wang Yan would not send any more secret messages today. If she had not died, a secret report would be delivered soon.

Thinking of this, Du Xia hurriedly ran to the secret message room in the secret chamber.

He calculated the time. Wang Yan’s secret reports almost always arrived at this hour.

“Du Xia? What are you doing here?” Du Xia arrived at the door and saw Li Meng walking out with a sealed secret letter.

“Has there been a letter from Wang Yan today?” Du Xia suppressed his own breath and asked, pretending to be casual.

“Yes. It just arrived,” Li Meng shook the secret letter in his hand and smiled, saying to Du Xia, “I’m about to deliver it to His Highness right now.”

“Then go quickly,” Du Xia nodded, “His Highness must be anxious.”

“Huh? Something’s not right, today isn’t your shift,” Li Meng nodded first and took a few steps forward, then suddenly remembered. He turned around and looked at Du Xia suspiciously, asking, “Why would His Highness send you to ask?”

Du Xia’s heart suddenly tightened. “His Highness was always looking forward to Wang Yan’s letters every day, so I’m just casually asking on His Highness’ behalf. By the way, when you’re taking a break later, why don’t you come to my place for a while? I’ve got some food and drinks. Let’s have a drink together?

Du Xia’s evasion did not raise Li Meng’s suspicions further. He smiled and nodded, “I’ll come over when my shift changes.” After saying that, he waved with the letter in his hand and walked towards the study in the prince’s palace.

As soon as he left, Du Xia heaved a long sigh of relief not just for himself but more for Gu Yu Qi. Letters were still arriving, which meant she was still alive! No matter what, it was fine as long as she was alive. Du Xia relaxed and only then did he feel that the fabric of his clothing on his back was soaked with cold sweat.

Yet, why did she provoke the Reincarnation Pavilion? If the Reincarnation Pavilion was as powerful as Master Chang had said, then if the first attempt was unsuccessful, there would be a second assassination… Then she… The relief he felt was suddenly replaced by anxiety again.

He regretted that he was only a secret guard right now and he could not go north immediately to find her, could not protect her by her side…

Why did the prince not entrust her matters to him? Then he could openly go and see her instead of worrying about her every day in the capital.

Du Xia no longer wanted anything else. He just hoped to see Wang Yan’s letters every day. As long as there was a letter, it meant she was still alive.

Days passed and Du Xia finally received a new mission in the summer, which involved secretly sneaking into Jiangxia City. He was finally able to leave the capital.

Summer in Kuizhou was noticeably better than in the capital. Although it was hot during the day, the mornings and evenings were quite cool.

Gu Yu Qi had already settled in Kuizhou for about a month. During this month, the mansion had been tidied up quite impressively. All doors and windows were freshly painted, the furniture inside had been replaced with new ones, and they had hired a professional gardener to clear the garden of weeds, then plant new trees and flowers, which presented an entirely new atmosphere.

Gu Yu Qi even hired someone to choose an auspicious day to conduct a housewarming ceremony, so they could be considered to have officially moved in. She asked Dai Mei to make a variety of pastries and distribute them to the neighbours. In no time, the entire Kuizhou knew that a wealthy family had moved in. The mansion’s entrance bore a prominent signboard which read ‘The Liang Residence’ which was quite imposing.

During this month, Gu Yu Qi not only worked cleaning up the house, but she also sent people to inquire about the preferences of all the officials and their families in Kuizhou.

She assigned this task to Run Ying and Dai Mei. Dai Mei, with her gentle and refined demeanour, and Run Ying, whose round face would blossom with two deep dimples when she smiled, left a favourable impression wherever they went.

Dai Mei was skilled in cooking and the best place to gather information was the vegetable market. Kuizhou had only one large vegetable market, and every time Dai Mei went to buy vegetables, she was generous and never haggled. Gradually, she became familiar with the vegetable sellers. Many of these sellers supplied vegetables to the officials’ families in Kuizhou, and they often overheard some inside gossip. Dai Mei was beautiful and well-spoken, so whenever she talked about something, the vegetable sellers hid nothing from her. Some even voluntarily shared inside information with Dai Mei in order to please her.

Dai Mei listened attentively and over time, she gained insights into the temperaments and preferences of many officials’ wives in Kuizhou. She would report everything to Gu Yu Qi upon her return.

Run Ying was adept at business and had a silver tongue. She would occasionally visit shops to buy small trinkets, makeup rouge and powder, and sometimes, she would go to the fabric store to pick up some floral fabrics. After a few visits, she became well-acquainted with the owners of these shops. Knowing that she was a maid from the newly moved in wealthy family, the owners were willing to chat with Run Ying to gain more business. Over time, she gathered valuable information about the preferences of the women in the officials’ families in Kuizhou.

Run Ying and Dai Mei compiled the information and reported it to Gu Yu Qi. Although Gu Yu Qi had not left her residence for a month, she gained a general understanding of the officials in Kuizhou.

While Liang Huai Yu did not know why her daughter was inquiring about these matters, she would spoil and dote on her daughter. Whatever Gu Yu Qi did seemed reasonable and right in her eyes. After all, they would be living here from now on, so it was necessary to have some interactions with the local officials’ families. Having more knowledge about these matters was good.

However, Liang Huai Yu was unaware of Gu Yu Qi’s grand plan which was to transform Kuizhou City.

Kuizhou was located at the junction of three kingdoms and should have been a highly developed trade town. However, due to poor management, commercial activities here were very weak. The local garrison was more concerned about maintaining stability and avoiding unrest more than anything, so they were not very supportive of trade development.

The basic conditions here were so poor that economic development faced obstacles at every turn.

If she wanted to implement her plans, the strong support of the Kuizhou City Garrison Commander was necessary. Being a woman, she could not approach the Garrison Commander directly. They would just ignore her. So, she decided to take the madam’s approach.

Who would not want to live a better life? However, in this remote and impoverished town, these were the conditions to a better life.

Coincidentally, Gu Yu Qi learned that the Garrison Commander’s wife was from Jiangnan, having lived in the water towns before marrying the Garrison Commander. Then she came here with her husband and stayed here for several years.

Although the newly appointed Garrison Commander was quite young, being less than 30 years old, he had distinguished himself as the top martial arts champion in previous years. He was already considerably promising.

Gu Yu Qi also learned another piece of information. The Garrison Commander’s wife had not successfully given birth to a child. Despite being pregnant twice before, both pregnancies ended in mysterious miscarriages. This time, with a new pregnancy, she intended to go to Ganquan Temple outside the city to pray for blessings and peace.

What a great opportunity!

After obtaining this information, Gu Yu Qi told her mother, Liang Huai Yu, who readily agreed with the plan for them to “accidentally” encounter the Garrison Commander’s wife.

Gu Yu Qi had Dai Mei prepare some Jiangnan-style snacks. Early in the morning, she had them packed into a food box. Along with Liang Huai Yu and a few maids, she set out from the Liang residence to Ganquan Temple to burn incense and pray to the Buddha.

As the name suggested, Ganquan Temple had a spring inside the temple grounds. In this generally arid northern region where water was scarce, this spring was particularly precious and acclaimed as the best spring in the north. The springwater was true to its namesake and had a subtle sweetness, making it ideal for brewing tea. As a result, Ganquan Temple was a favoured destination for some of Kuizhou’s cultured individuals.

In the current summer season, the temple was nestled in a dense forest. It was a picturesque scene with its red walls and green tiles.

The weather was fine and there were quite a few people on the way to Ganquan Temple. Although their attire was not as luxurious as those in the capital, they were all dressed neatly.

Gu Yu Qi had ordered exquisite carriages to be made. They was entirely black with all metal parts gilded and silver-plated. The magnificent and extraordinary carriages were drawn by six sleek black horses each, all personally selected by Zhao Wu from the market. The harnesses were made of black leather and the bridles were also the same, matching the carriages. Everything gleamed in the sunlight. On the road, this kind of carriage conveyed the message, “I am wealthy and powerful”.

Zhao Wu led the way with two guards, followed by two such carriages. They attracted attention wherever they went, leaving onlookers astonished and envious.

Sitting inside the carriage, Gu Yu Qi looked outside through the semi-transparent gauze curtains. She was very satisfied with the sensational effect this grand entrance garnered. Such a carriage would be eye-catching even in the capital, let alone in a place like Kuizhou.

She did this on purpose to advertise for herself.

If she wanted to get to know these officials’ wives, it was imperative to have something impressive. In this remote place where the local authorities held significant power, the Garrison Commander was akin to a local emperor. If Gu Yu Qi was determined to befriend the madams, she would need to hold some power.

Unfortunately, her and Liang Huai Yu’s noble titles were no longer applicable. Otherwise, with a title like the Ding Yuan Marquis, how could these people not bow their heads? Since their official status could not be used, then they would use an unofficial identity, and that was being wealthy! The very, very wealthy kind! Even if the officials were disgruntled, they could not ignore their financial influence and would have to be courteous to her and her mother.

Gu Yu Qi’s advertisement was incredibly successful. People frequently inquired about the owners of the grand carriages, and those who knew proudly claimed it belonged to the new wealthy family who had moved into the southern part of the city, that it was the Liang family’s carriage, carrying Madam Liang and Miss Liang.

Both Liang Huai Yu and Gu Yu Qi had dressed meticulously for the occasion. They even wore dresses made of Huzhou silk, which they had rarely donned even in the capital, just to elevate their appearance.

Liang Huai Yu wore a light blue straight-collared robe made of Huzhou silk, which was light and elegant, with a draping effect. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with delicate patterns using yellow and green silk threads. Two silk ribbons of the same colour hung from her waist, each adorned with intricate knots and carrying a pearl. The pearls were smooth and radiant, reflecting a subtle glow as she walked. The outfit was gorgeous yet understated, devoid of any ostentatious nouveau riche aura. Coupled with Liang Huai Yu’s looks and temperament, she was truly eye-catching as soon as she alighted from the carriage. Her hair, as fine as clouds, was arranged into two buns at the back of her head. Adorning the arrangement was a delicate pearl phoenix hairpin, complementing the pearls at her waist. She looked like a celestial being from a painting.

The common people in Kuizhou had never seen such an ethereal figure. When Liang Huai Yu stepped out of the carriage, the surrounding air seemed to freeze. Whether it was the vendors or the pilgrims in front of the temple, everyone’s gaze was completely captivated by Liang Huai Yu.

Seeing so many people looking at her, Liang Huai Yu felt a slight warmth on her face. With a gentle nod and a captivating gaze, she created another enchanting scene, leaving those around her in a momentary trance.

Everyone could not help but look forward to who would get off the second carriage.

A charming maid approached, opening the carriage curtain and assisted a young girl out of the carriage.

Her hair was styled in double loops and flowed down to her waist. She wore a white gauze dress as light as clouds and all the buttons on the collar of her white dress were made of pearls. Her slender waist, barely wider than a handspan, was adorned with a silver belt from which hung a white jade pendant. This jade pendant was very particular and was called “jade ling long”. The intricately carved white jade was polished very thin with patterns hollowed and carved through it. When the wind passed through, it emitted a crisp sound, hence the name. A white jade hairpin was inserted at an angle in her hair, making her look like a celestial being. Her eyebrows were especially bright and she had rose-like lips and sparkling eyes which gave her an irresistible allure.

If the first beauty was like a gentle spring breeze, this white-clad beauty was like a pot of mellow wine, making people want to drink endlessly and be intoxicated.

Gu Yu Qi and Liang Huai Yu’s appearance won everyone’s admiration and adoration. They bore a sense of heroism and refreshing aura that ordinary women did not possess. It was a truly unforgettable sight.

It was not until the two women entered the temple together that the onlookers snapped out of their reverie. If not for the two exceptionally luxurious carriages left behind, it would have all seemed like a dream.

The Garrison Commander’s surname was Fang, and his wife’s maiden name was Fan. She had already finished paying respects to the Buddha inside the temple, and Gu Yu Qi’s timing was just right. As they arrived, she happened to be coming out of the Buddha hall.

When the two parties faced each other, even Madam Fang could not help but admire the grace and beauty of Liang Huai Yu and her daughter, so she halted and watched them for a moment.

Liang Huai Yu and Gu Yu Qi knew that this was the Garrison Commander’s wife. Judging from her appearance, she was in her early twenties and had delicate features, was petite in stature, and carried the unique charm of a woman from Jiangnan. Liang Huai Yu instantly had a favourable impression towards Fan-shi and, as they walked past, she smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

Gu Yu Qi was still thinking about what to say, when Fan-shi said, “I’ve heard of the renowned new Liang residence. Now that I’ve met the Madam of Liang residence, it truly evokes envy.”

Liang Huai Yu immediately engaged in polite conversation, exchanging pleasantries with Fan-shi. Fan-shi then instructed her maids to serve tea, and so Gu Yu Qi asked Dai Mei bring out the food box.

“How could we have tea without some snacks?” Liang Huai Yu smiled and said, “What a coincidence, today I’ve asked our maids to make some pastries from my hometown. Please, madam, have a taste. I hope you won’t mind the coarseness in quality from our maids.”

Currently pregnant, Fan-shi was cautious about consuming outside food. However, upon Liang Huai Yu’s insistence, she did not refuse and thought to take a look.

As the food box was presented, Fan-shi’s eyes narrowed. The box was exceptionally exquisite. Was this not clearly a lacquerware box from Jiangnan? Such items were rare in the northern regions, so it must have been brought up from Jiangnan.

Originally not expecting anything special inside, Fan-shi suddenly felt a bit nervous.

When the lid was lifted, Dai Mei took out eight types of Jiangnan pastries. Fan-shi took a look and her eyes reddened slightly.

It had been too long since she left home after marriage, and had never been back to Jiangnan since. Now, seeing something so familiar in this remote area, how could she not be excited?

“This…” She trembled, “Could it be that Madam Liang is also from Jiangnan?”

“Indeed,” Liang Huai Yu nodded with a feigned surprise, “Madam Fang, how did you know?”

Gu Yu Qi, sitting beside them with her head lowered, could not help but want to applaud her mother’s acting skills. The acting was top-notch, akin to that of an award-winning actress.

“May I ask if Madam Liang is from the Liang family in Jiangnan?” Madam Fang asked with a hint of excitement.

Yes or no? Liang Huai Yu secretly nudged Gu Yu Qi, seeking her daughter’s help. If she said yes, what if Madam Fang had some grudge against the Liang family in Jiangnan, then what?! On the other hand, saying no… That might not be the best either.

Liang Huai Yu was in a dilemma. Gu Yu Qi had not told her about this beforehand.