Chapter 4: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One
Chapter 4:
The dandy’s bravado faltered under Liu Mian Tang's piercing gaze, causing him to feel a bit uncomfortable. His lackeys, who were used to supporting their master's antics, chimed in with a grin, “May I ask what the young lady is called? Our master is the nephew of the town’s defender. If you become acquainted with him, you will find many benefits in the future!
Liu Mian Tang did not respond, and it seemed that Li Mama was also frightened, keeping her head down and remaining silent behind her. The ruffians were persistent, showing no sign of letting her go unless she agreed to get into the sedan chair.
Liu Mian Tang, however, remained calm. Her striking appearance had always drawn attention, and she was accustomed to dealing with such scoundrels.
In her younger days, Liu Mian Tang had occasionally snuck out with her maid to play. When faced with aggressive suitors, she would usually drag them into a dark alley, stretch their limbs, and give them a good beating until they were hardly recognizable.
But now, after her illness, she had lost much of her strength, and her usual methods were no longer feasible.
Still, allowing herself to be harassed by these ruffians went against her principles. She gathered her skirt with a hand, bit her lip, and silently turned into a nearby alley.
Seeing her enter the alley, the dandy's heart leaped with delight. He knew it was a dead end, and if the lady wanted to leave, it would depend on whether he allowed it or not.
With that thought, he signaled his lackeys, who immediately understood. They sent a sedan chair bearer to block the alley entrance while the two lackeys followed their master into the alley.
The dandy, thrilled by the prospect of taking advantage of the situation, eagerly moved to embrace the lady. However, Liu Mian Tang suddenly turned around, her hand flashing with silver. A sharp object quickly found its way to the ruffian’s neck.
As everyone saw, the object was a silver hairpin from her hair.
Liu Mian Tang had summoned all her remaining strength for the strike. Fortunately, the dandy was so infatuated and unprepared that her attack found its mark.
The two lackeys immediately tried to rush in, but Liu Mian Tang’s cold voice stopped them. “I’ve already pierced a vital spot on his neck. If you dare take another step forward, I’ll immediately end his life. Then, you’ll have to explain how you failed your duty!”
Indeed! The once confident ruffian, now just a victim of a small silver hairpin, was crumpled on the ground, his face contorted and drooling, with white eyes rolling back in his head.
As Liu Mian Tang pressed the hairpin down further, the ruffian’s nostrils began to bleed, and his whole body started to convulse.
The two lackeys, being mere servants, realized that if anything happened to their master, they would be held responsible. Seeing their master’s condition, they were instantly terrified and dared not move.
One of the ruffians, trying to muster some courage, shouted, “You... you bold harpy! If you touch a hair on our young master, you’ll pay for it dearly!”
Liu Mian Tang was not intimidated by such threats. During her journey to Lingquan Town, she had overheard travelers by the riverbank discussing the area. They mentioned that Lingquan Town was under the jurisdiction of Zhenzhou, and the new Prince Regent of Zhenzhou was the young and capable Prince Huaiyang.
Prince Huaiyang, having recently quelled the uprising in Yangshan and now focusing on rooting out corruption among local officials, was well-respected by the people. Given that Lingquan Town’s local garrison allowed their young master to harass respectable women on the street, Liu Mian Tang thought that reporting this misconduct to Prince Huaiyang’s court would be a serious matter.
Seeing their master in such a precarious position, the two lackeys quickly abandoned their bravado. They pleaded with Liu Mian Tang to spare their master and let him go.
At this moment, the usually silent Li Mama spoke up, “Madam, your husband still needs to do business. Please, do not escalate this to a fatal confrontation.”
Liu Mian Tang’s gaze shifted slightly as she looked toward the corner of the alley, a subtle smile on her lips. She said to the two lackeys, “Releasing your young master is simple, as long as you prove yourselves to be of good character…”
Meanwhile, her husband, Cui Jiu, was not buried in business paperwork. Instead, he was leisurely sitting on the balcony of the Cang Hai Mountain Pavilion, enjoying fine wine and the view of the flowing river with friends.
At this moment, the river flowed vigorously, with merchant ships coming and going in the distance, creating a bustling and harmonious scene.
His companion, Zhao Quan, the Marquis of Southern Town, remarked, “Just two years ago, this place was plagued by water bandits, causing merchants to fear for their lives. Now, it’s a scene of peace and prosperity, and all credit goes to Your Excellency!”
Cui Jiu, who was more precisely known as Cui Xingzhou, the newly appointed Prince Regent of Huaiyang, remained nonchalant as he sipped his wine, lost in thought. Zhao Quan, aware of the discontent brewing due to the recent military deployment that had drawn criticism from court officials, tried to offer some consolation.
“Prince, there’s no need to be troubled by the criticism from the officials. The Emperor should understand that, given the current situation with the bandits in Zhenzhou, if you hadn’t deployed troops, those rebels would have already reached the capital. If you were punished for this, it would be an injustice and difficult to accept.”
However, Cui Jiu didn’t respond and continued to absently caress his wine cup, deep in thought.
At this moment, a thin, dark-faced woman was brought forward by the guards and knelt beside the pavilion. She greeted with respect, “Your Highness, I have something to report.”
This woman was Li Mama, who should have been at the North Street preparing meals. After the incident in the alley, Liu Mian Tang had returned early, feeling unwell and falling asleep due to her prolonged illness.
Seeing that she was not likely to wake up, Li Mama had left for the carriage to report to her master.
Cui Jiu—more precisely, Cui Xingzhou, who had recently succeeded his father as the Prince of Huaiyang—listened and, maintaining his composure, asked, “Did you notice anything unusual while accompanying her through the market today?”
After hearing the question from the prince, Li Mama respectfully responded, “There were indeed some issues; I came to report them to Your Highness.”
She then recounted the encounter with the ruffians in detail.
Cui Jiu’s expression remained impassive as he listened calmly to her account of the alley incident. Zhao Quan, who was sympathetic to the young woman’s plight, was initially concerned. However, when he heard about Liu Mian Tang’s use of the hairpin to subdue the ruffians, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, “Did she let the ruffians go afterward?”
Li Mama, recalling the scene, felt a wave of nausea but managed to say, “She did let them go…”
“What did she do to them?” Cui Xingzhou, the Prince of Huaiyang, suddenly inquired.
Li Mama’s face turned odd and a deep shade of purple as she struggled to suppress her revulsion. “She made the two attendants eat… the dog waste in the alley…”
The thought of the two attendants running out of the alley, desperately looking for water to rinse their mouths, left Li Mama feeling repulsed and spoiled her appetite for the year.
Such an unexpected answer left everyone at a loss for words.
Zhao Quan, who had been eating, immediately lost his appetite and put down his chopsticks.
After hearing the report, Cui Xingzhou waved his hand dismissively, signaling for her to leave.
But Li Mama had one more thing to report and quickly added, “She keeps asking me about the location of the shop, and it seems she wants to visit it herself… This woman is too dangerous. In my view, Your Highness should reveal the truth and not let her wander around anymore, especially not get too close.”
Prince Huaiyang looked at Li Mama, his expression unchanged. In a calm tone, he said, “Li Mama, just focus on the tasks I’ve assigned to you.”
Although his voice was soft, Li Mama's face stiffened with fear as she knelt, well aware that the Prince had always been one to not tolerate interference from others, especially from those beneath him.
At that moment, Cui Xingzhou instructed a nearby guard, “Go to the town and purchase a shop, then buy some porcelain to set up. Inform Li Mama of the address later.”
The Prince’s subordinate, having received the order, descended the mountain and headed to the town. Li Mama also returned to North Street in the town.
Zhao Quan, the Marquis, sighed with a wry smile. “Xingzhou, she has completely lost her memory and no longer remembers the rebel Lu Wen. Using her as bait, given her current fragile state, seems beneath your noble character.”
Cui Xingzhou, without even glancing at his friend Zhao Quan, picked up his wine cup and coldly replied, “It was you, Zhao, who led her to believe that I was her husband. Don’t you remember?”
Zhao Quan, who hadn’t anticipated that a casual jest would lead to the current situation, could only helplessly explain, “My lord, it was you who urgently sent me to treat her. When I asked her who she was, you refused to say. Seeing her beauty, I thought she must be someone you had met. When she could speak, you were not around. She heard me jokingly call you Cui Jiu, and when she asked who Cui Jiu was to her, I merely responded that he was her lover. You did not deny it.”
Cui Xingzhou checked the time, put down his wine cup, and prepared to leave for the boat. The recent campaign against the bandits was intense, and he needed to return to the command post to oversee the situation. His visit to Lingquan Town, apart from selecting porcelain for the Old Princess Consort, also served the purpose of keeping a close watch on his amnesiac wife, Liu Mian Tang.
When he unintentionally captured the critically injured woman, in order to cover up the situation, Cui Xingzhou used Zhao Quan, a visiting friend who happened to be skilled in medicine, as an emergency measure.
To his surprise, when the woman woke up, she mistook him for her intended husband, the merchant Cui Jiu, due to a pouch he was carrying and Zhao Quan’s misleading remarks.
As for what followed, it was a matter of letting the misunderstanding continue. He never claimed to be her husband; it was simply that the woman, having injured her head, mistakenly identified him.
After all, a woman harboring hostility, though physically weak, could easily become troublesome. It was simpler to let her believe she was married to a member of the Cui family and relocate to Lingquan Town.
It was said that the rebel leader Lu Wen was very fond of this woman. If she appeared in Lingquan Town, not far from the rebel’s lair, it could potentially draw him out. Unexpectedly, the woman had hidden skills; the ability to use such tactics from a distance would require years of training.
Thinking of how the woman named Mian Tang appeared docile and obedient in his presence, it was hard to imagine she was a thorny flower.
The coldness on Cui Xingzhou’s face deepened. Zhao Quan, observing Cui Xingzhou’s seemingly cold smile, silently felt a pang of sympathy for the unfortunate, amnesiac woman.
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