Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C043

After seeing Mei Chang off, Wushuang returned and pondered, instructing Linglong to open the storeroom and select two bolts of fine-colored fabric to send to Mei Chang and Mei E, so they could make summer garments.

In truth, Wushuang had understood Mei Chang's meaning just now, but she had no immediate solution. Sending the fabric was partly to return a favor, and partly a subtle hint, indicating that she knew and was considering the matter.

After finishing these tasks, Wushuang began to think about her mother's dowry.

She had not yet visited the places Great Aunt had told her about, nor the two fabric shops and several estates that were said to be managed by her mother's family servants. However, Great Aunt had been vague, and those servants had not come to find her.

In truth, Wushuang already had a vague feeling that something was amiss, but without seeing the people, she could not draw a conclusion for the time being.

She decided to go out of the mansion tomorrow, and told Granny Gong about this matter. Granny Gong said she would make arrangements.

The next day, Wushuang left the mansion early in the morning.

The excuse she gave to Cao shi was that she was going out to procure her dowry. Now, Wushuang and Cao shi had a tacit understanding: one would not ask about the betrothal gifts, and the other would not mention the dowry. This meant that Wushuang had to prepare her own dowry. As for whether Marquis Changyang's mansion would provide anything, it was not to be relied upon. Even if there was, Wushuang knew it would not be much.

Wushuang first went to the small residence where her mother's dowry was stored.

The residence was hidden among the houses in the east of the city. This area was inhabited by old residents of the capital, whose families were neither rich nor poor, mostly scholars. It was a quiet place amidst the bustle, neither as chaotic as the west of the city, where every visitor was known by the neighbors, nor as conspicuous as the large mansions in the city center.

Meifang stepped forward and opened the door. As the gate swung open, the entire layout of the house came into view.

It was just an ordinary small courtyard. Wushuang left the people who had accompanied her outside, only taking Meifang into the main room. The house had probably been unoccupied for a long time, as the furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust. Wushuang went straight to the west side room, a place that looked like a study.

The entrance was below the desk. After opening it, Wushuang deliberately allowed the air to circulate for a while before having Meifang descend first with a candle, followed by herself. The two entered the secret chamber hidden below.

The cost of this secret chamber was probably greater than the entire house above. The secret chamber was a single room, the same size as the main room above. Because the damp-proofing was well done, there was no unpleasant odor inside, except for a scent of stale air.

Apart from a few cabinets placed against the wall, the room was filled with large wooden chests. Wushuang had Meifang open one to look at. Inside were children's toys and some children's clothing. Although she could not remember anything before the age of five, she could guess that these were all her childhood belongings.

Meifang opened several more chests. These chests contained women's clothing, which must have been her mother's. Because they had been stored for too long, the fabrics had lost their former splendor, but through the texture and embroidery, one could see how elegant they had once been.

There were also some men's clothing and belongings, and even some bows, arrows, and swords, which must have belonged to her father.

Wushuang had not expected that Great Aunt had moved all these things out and hidden them here, probably for fear that they would be ruined.

She did not stay in the secret chamber for too long. The air circulation was still too poor, and staying longer would make her feel stuffy. Therefore, she only glanced briefly at the remaining chests.

As Wushuang had expected, the remaining chests contained her mother's and Great Aunt's gold and silver jewelry, pearls, gems, and some rare ornaments and calligraphy, as well as a chest of gold and silver ingots.

In addition to this, there was also a large amount of timber stored in the two rooms above.

Wealthy families generally had the habit of storing good timber, partly to accumulate dowries for their daughters, and partly because good timber was hard to come by. It was not something you could obtain whenever you needed it, so it was always accumulated in advance. According to Great Aunt, Su shi had started accumulating timber long ago, and so had Great Aunt. It was a pity that Su shi's health was poor, and she only had Wushuang as a daughter after many years of marriage to Mei Zhan.

Since giving birth to Wushuang, Su shi had become even more active in accumulating a dowry for her daughter. She would order her servants to search for good things everywhere, and once found, they would be transported back to the capital and given to Great Aunt. At that time, she had already gone to the border with Mei Zhan. This was why Great Aunt was able to transfer Su shi's dowry so quickly when the incident happened.

It was said that there were also many fine fabrics, but because fabrics could not be stored for long, they had all been sold by the fabric shop that was part of Su shi's dowry. The money exchanged had all been converted into silver notes, which had already been given to Wushuang.

Wushuang entrusted the matter of making furniture with the timber to Granny Gong. As for the things in the secret chamber, they were not easy to handle. This place was safe when it was unknown, but now that it had been discovered, it could no longer be kept here. Granny Gong suggested having someone make an inventory first, and then decide what to do after the inventory was complete.

Originally, Wushuang had also planned to visit the fabric shop today, but it seemed she would have to postpone it.

Linglong took Xiaohong and two palace maids to make the inventory, which took two whole days to complete. Because Wushuang had not yet decided where to put these things, she could only leave two guards there to watch over them for the time being.

Once this matter was settled, Wushuang planned to go to the fabric shop. This matter could not be delayed any longer.

***

The fabric shop was called 'Hongsheng Cloth Shop'. It was not like those small fabric shops that mainly sold ready-made clothes. It was more involved in wholesale business, purchasing large quantities of fabric from the Jiangnan area and then transporting them to the capital to be sold to the local retail fabric merchants.

According to what Wushuang had learned from Great Aunt, her maternal grandmother, Su Wang shi*, was a businesswoman. After her husband died, she took over the business of the Su family's fabric shop. Because the Su family's fabric shop was an old brand, and Su Wang shi was honest in her business dealings, not engaging in fraud or deception, the business became very large.

TN: so her grandmother was from the Wang family and married into the Su family

In the past, when her father had a chance encounter with her mother, her maternal grandmother's health was already failing. She had intended to find a son-in-law to live with them, but none of the chosen men were suitable. It was at this time that her father appeared. By coincidence, he had offered the Su family assistance several times. Her grandmother, seeing that her father was of noble character and not one to abandon righteousness for profit, and coupled with her mother's affection for him, entrusted her daughter's future to her father.

Her mother was not of a temperament suited for business, and her maternal grandmother likely understood this. Furthermore, her maternal grandmother had established the family as a widow. Now that the widow had passed away and her daughter was to be married, the Su family's assets naturally could not be taken in their entirety. The Su clan had other members, and in the end, Su shi only took a portion of the family's wealth, all under the guise of dowry. The rest was divided among the other members of the Su clan.

This 'Hongsheng Cloth Shop' was one of those assets. However, the business was moved to the capital. The Su clan members also knew that they could not be too ruthless. Moreover, Mei Zhan's background as a marquis's son gave them pause, so they did not interfere with the Hongsheng Cloth Shop's business.

For many years, the business of the Hongsheng Cloth Shop had been managed by a man named Su Cheng. This Su Cheng was a family servant personally chosen by Su Wang shi for the Su family. In the early years, when Su shi and Mei Zhan were still around, Su Cheng had been quite honest. However, when the Marquis's mansion experienced a great upheaval, the great aunt, in order to transfer her daughter-in-law's dowry, had Su Cheng assist her in some matters, which may have allowed him to discover something.

Previously, Su Cheng would report the accounts to the great aunt every year, but later he gradually stopped coming. Each year, he would only send some silver, claiming it was the profits from the past year, but he never showed his face again.

The great aunt knew that the profits from those two cloth shops and several estates would never amount to just that amount of silver each year. However, at that time, she could barely protect herself, and she also had Wushuang to worry about, so she could only turn a blind eye.

Before her death, she spoke vaguely to Wushuang, only saying that if she had the spare energy, she could take a look, but if she did not, then it was fine. She was considering her granddaughter's difficult situation and could not bear to burden her with too many matters. This was also the reason why Wushuang had always put this matter aside and not dealt with it.

Now that she had the spare energy, she naturally had to take a look.

***

It was morning when she arrived, and the cloth shop's business was very slow.

Besides a shopkeeper and a few shop assistants, no one else was seen.

When Wushuang entered, she was accompanied by two maids. Judging by her bearing and demeanor, it was clear that she was a young lady from a wealthy family. The shopkeeper did not dare to be negligent and personally went forward to greet her.

"Is Su Cheng here?"

The old shopkeeper revealed a look of confusion in his eyes and said, "May I ask, Miss, are you acquainted with the owner? Our owner is not here at the moment. May I ask what business you have with him?"

"The owner?" Wushuang murmured, feeling somewhat displeased. She then changed her tone, "If I remember correctly, this Hongsheng Cloth Shop should bear the surname Su. It was surnamed Su in Suzhou in the early years. To distinguish it from the other members of the Su clan, it was renamed Hongsheng Cloth Shop. Later, when it moved to the capital, it was still surnamed Su. How is it that Su Cheng, a shopkeeper who was originally a family servant, has now become the owner?"

The old shopkeeper's face changed color on the spot. In a fluster, he said, "Old one does not know the things you speak of, Miss. Old one is only assisting the owner. The owner of this Hongsheng Cloth Shop is indeed surnamed Su. Our owner is indeed named Su Cheng, but he has no connection to any Su family in Suzhou. Miss, are you here to buy cloth? If you are not here to buy cloth, please leave quickly, lest you disturb our business."

As he spoke, he called over a few shop assistants, intending to chase Wushuang and her party away.

Wushuang had only brought Meifang and Linglong with her on this trip, and there were two guards watching the carriage outside the door. The shop assistants, holding feather dusters and the rulers used for measuring cloth in the shop, came forward to chase them away. Meifang had Linglong protect Wushuang, and she snatched a feather duster.

"How dare you! Do you know who my young lady is?!" It was Linglong who spoke.

At this time, the guards outside the door also heard the commotion inside and rushed in.

Seeing this situation, the old shopkeeper hurriedly stopped the shop assistants and softened his tone towards Wushuang, saying, "Miss, this is a place of business. You came here without buying cloth, and instead asked all sorts of questions. It is not unreasonable for old one to think that you are here to cause trouble. Since it is a misunderstanding, you should leave quickly."

Wushuang glanced at him, knowing that this matter would definitely not be resolved in a day. Su Cheng was not here, and she could not get any clear answers from this old shopkeeper. Continuing to make a scene would only attract onlookers and serve no other purpose.

She thought for a moment and said, "Is Su Cheng really not here? Where did he go?"

The old shopkeeper hesitated for a moment and said, "Our owner went to Suzhou some days ago and has not yet returned."

"When will he return? Is it possible he will return in half a month?"

The old shopkeeper did not speak. After a while, he said, "This Miss, why are you asking this?"

Wushuang smiled and said, "Alright, I won't ask any more questions. When Su Cheng returns, tell him to come find me. I will only give him half a month. After that, I will not wait."

Seeing that Wushuang was about to leave, the old shopkeeper hurriedly said, "Miss, since you have not said who you are, even if old one tells the owner when he returns, I will not know where to find you."

At this time, Wushuang was already near the door. Hearing this, she did not turn around, but simply said, "Relay today's events to him, and he will naturally know who I am. Remember to tell him that I will only give him half a month. After that, I will not wait."

***

Prince Wei had just come out of the Prince Wei's mansion.

After getting into the carriage and traveling for a while, Fusheng suddenly said, "Your Highness, is that not Third Miss's carriage?"

The carriage Mei Wushuang now rode in was unique to Prince Wei's mansion. Entirely black, it was drawn by two horses. Both the carriage box and body were specially crafted, not only ensuring a smooth ride but also possessing other ingenious features. That day, Prince Wei, considering her occasional need to travel, had a carriage brought along when Granny Gong went.

Prince Wei followed his gaze. The carriage was stopped before a cloth shop, and some people stood outside, seemingly watching something. After a moment's thought, he ordered the carriage to halt.

At this moment, Mei Wushuang also emerged from the cloth shop. Linglong said, "Miss, you should have declared your identity just now. These people would naturally not dare to disobey."

Mei Wushuang replied, "He is not present. Declaring my identity would only cause those people to panic, and it would serve no purpose. Moreover, I have my own plans. This matter is not urgent. We shall wait and see how he reacts when he returns."

Seeing this, Linglong fell silent and helped Mei Wushuang into the carriage. Just as Mei Wushuang was about to enter the carriage box, she suddenly noticed a familiar carriage parked across the road.

Seeing her look over, the carriage curtain was drawn open.

Mei Wushuang then saw Prince Wei, dressed in a silver-grey brocade robe embroidered with gold, his hair bound by a gold and jade dragon-holding-pearl crown, looking exceptionally elegant and handsome. He waved to her through the carriage window.