Chapter 4: The Top Scholar is Actually a Woman
Upon returning to their room after receiving the imperial edict, Yu Guan couldn’t help but exclaim, “Sir, what are we going to do? How can you get married? While the medicine hides your identity, it can’t turn you into…”
Yu Qi covered Yu Guan’s mouth, hissing, “Shh!” He then opened the door and looked around, ensuring no one was present before closing it again and walking to Yu Guan. “You should control your mouth. How dare you say such things so carelessly?”
Yu Guan also shrank his neck nervously, then retorted unconvinced, “So what do we do now? Is the sir really going to marry that Princess Nine?”
Yu Qi looked disapprovingly at Mo Shuihan, who was sitting in a chair lost in thought. “Sir, Brother Ling and Brother Wang will arrive in the capital soon. As soon as they arrive, the sir should immediately leave with them. We won’t take this official position!”
Mo Shuihan snapped back to attention and rebuked them, “Nonsense! We’ve finally reached this point; how can we give up halfway?”
Yu Guan also stepped forward, “But now they want to make the sir a consort. If they find out the truth, you’ll be executed!”
Mo Shuihan walked to the window, his gaze falling upon a pair of father and daughter playing happily below. A hint of envy flickered in his eyes. “What’s so great about death? Compared to the more than fourteen hundred lives lost, what is my life worth? I’ve thought about it: If I become a consort, taking revenge should be easier. I’ve come this far; I won’t give up!”
Yu Qi stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “In the eyes of your subordinates, sir, you are the most important. Compared to revenge, the sir’s life is far more precious.”
Mo Shuihan turned around incredulously. “Don’t you want to avenge your parents?”
Yu Qi shook his head, his attitude firm. “It is our duty to die for our master. I’ve never thought of revenge. The sir’s wish is my wish, but on the condition that the sir must not risk his or her life. Otherwise, even if it means disobeying orders, I will not let the sir do so.”
Yu Guan nodded in agreement, crying, “Sir, do you remember what Father said that night? He told you to live well and let us protect you. Have you forgotten?”
Mo Shuihan’s mind flashed back to the night of the fire: blood everywhere. His father desperately protected him, ordering the steward and nanny to take them away, pursued by countless soldiers. His father locked the iron gate tightly, his body pierced to pieces by the pursuers. He could even see his father’s arm flying through the air…
This was a nightmare Mo Shuihan would never forget, as well as his mother, who died by suicide after suffering unbearable humiliation; the nanny, who sacrificed herself to protect them and was also killed…
So many people, so much hatred, had saved his life. Bearing the weight of so much bloodshed, how could he escape? Even in death, he must drag Xiao Yu Shou down with him!
Unable to persuade Mo Shuihan, Yu Guan and Yu Qi had an idea, remembering Master Huilai. They quietly released a carrier pigeon.
After dismissing Yu Qi and Yu Guan, Mo Shuihan asked the innkeeper for hot water. After confirming the windows and doors were secured, he slowly began to undress. With the final undergarment falling away, he began to unwrap the chest binding. Beneath it was a clearly female body!
However, the female characteristics were underdeveloped and not very obvious. With the chest binding, it was even less noticeable. Mo Shuihan looked at his body with disgust and quickly looked away, hastily cleaned himself, and put on his clothes. He did not look again.
That was the reason Mo Shuihan didn’t want to marry. He was a woman; how could he marry a princess?
The next morning, as Mo Shuihan went downstairs, he saw Master Huilai sitting in the lobby. The innkeeper was nervously attending to him, while several young masters from prominent families waited respectfully. Master Huilai sat with his eyes closed, meditating, ignoring everyone else.
Mo Shuihan glared at Yu Guan and Yu Qi behind him. He could guess why Master Huilai had come. Sensing Mo Shuihan’s presence, Master Huilai opened his eyes and looked at him through the crowd. His voice was like a bell, “This young master has a remarkable countenance. Come forward; I will examine your fortune.”
All eyes turned to Mo Shuihan, filled with envy and jealousy. Master Huilai was highly respected and renowned for his accurate fortune-telling and kind heart. He was deeply revered by the common people and the nobility. It was difficult for ordinary people to see him once, yet now Mo Shuihan had gained his favor, causing unavoidable envy.
Mo Shuihan bravely stepped forward, responding respectfully, “Thank you, Master, for your consideration, but matters of fortune are significant and not suitable for a public setting. I beg you to come upstairs for a private discussion.”
Under the envious gazes of the crowd, several of them went to the second floor. Since the second floor was a private room, others could not enter freely, and Yu Guan was guarding the door, so once the door was closed, Yu Qi recounted everything.
After considering for a moment, Master Huilai said to Mo Shuihan, “When Wang Zhao and Ling Shi arrive, you should leave immediately. I will handle the rest.”
Mo Shuihan frowned, “I won’t leave. I’ve finally achieved something; I can’t leave.”
Master Huilai scolded, “Don’t you want to die? I promised your father to protect you and will never let you take risks!”
Mo Shuihan stood up straight, his tone resolute, “Now you are my subordinates, not my father’s. Since I’ve said I won’t leave, you just have to obey. If you’re afraid, I won’t stop you from leaving!”
Yu Qi looked at Mo Shuihan with a hurt expression, “Sir, our loyalty to you is heaven-witness. How could we leave you?”
Mo Shuihan waved his sleeve and sat on the nearby stool, “Then stop talking. My mind is made up. No one can change it.”
Master Huilai and Yu Qi persuaded Mo Shuihan for a long time. But Mo Shuihan was stubborn, and they knew his character – once he made up his mind, he was immovable. In the end, Master Huilai could only leave a porcelain bottle, “This is a sleeping drug I made. It won’t cause any discomfort, and no one will be able to detect it afterward. The sir can use it without worry. If the situation deteriorates, the sir must leave immediately. I will be waiting for you at Guanshan Temple!”
Mo Shuihan touched the sleeping drug and nodded, “Thank you, Uncle Yun.”
Master Huilai replied, “Sir, you’re too kind.” Then he bowed respectfully and left, resuming his detached demeanor outside the room.
A few days after the edict, another decree arrived from the palace. It stated that the princess’s marriage required the construction of a princess’s residence. Palace servants gave Mo Shuihan several blueprints of confiscated properties or former royal residences for him to choose one for renovation.
Originally, Mo Shuihan wouldn’t have been consulted; the princess’s preference would have sufficed. But Princess Nine, for some reason, showed an unprecedented consideration for another person and specifically asked the palace servants to bring blueprints to ask for Mo Shuihan’s preferences.
Seeing Princess Nine’s regard for Mo Shuihan, the servants became more attentive. “Top Scholar, please see if there’s anything you like. If not, there are many more. Ideally, a new residence should be built, but the wedding date is too close, and there isn’t enough time. We can only inconvenience you and Princess Nine somewhat!”
Mo Shuihan looked at the blueprints and said, “These are already very good. Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch.”
The servant repeatedly said he didn’t dare to take credit and asked Mo Shuihan about his preferences for the layout. Mo Shuihan simply replied that it should be according to the princess’s wishes; he had no opinion.
Song Xiangxue, hearing the servant’s report, knew that Mo Shuihan still didn’t take the marriage seriously, and felt somewhat disappointed.
Her personal maids, Han Mei and Chun Lan, were displeased. “Why is he like this? Doesn’t he know his status is all thanks to our princess? He’s so ungrateful, it’s outrageous!”
Princess Nine sighed in annoyance, “All right, stop talking.”
At that moment, the Empress summoned her. Princess Nine sighed helplessly: She knew the palace gossips were fast.
Indeed, the Empress urged her to reconsider. Princess Nine insisted, “I want to marry him. The less he wants it, the more I want it.”
The Empress couldn’t understand. “Aren’t you making things difficult for yourself?”
Princess Nine snorted. “What’s the point of those noble young masters? Conquering a man who wasn’t interested in you in the first place; that’s where the sense of achievement lies!”
The Empress shook her head, unable to comprehend. Seeing her decision was firm, she took a large red document from a nearby box. “This is your dowry. Take a look. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll change it.”
Princess Nine happily took it and looked: from large estates and shops to jewelry, beads, clothes, furniture, antiques, paintings, gold, silver, and copper coins, to small items like medicinal herbs, daily necessities, even needles, and food, everything was there, with at least a hundred of each item.
Princess Nine was dazzled. She rubbed her eyes. “This is too much!”
The Empress smiled and patted her hand, “Your father loves you. Your dowry is almost half more than other princesses. When you get married, you’ll definitely make others envious.”
Princess Nine repeatedly waved her hands. “No, no, just the same as my other sisters. We’re all sisters. Why should mine be more?”
The Empress tapped her head, “Silly child, people always complain about having too little, never too much. Though you’re not my biological child, I raised you. You’re just like my own. You’re getting married now, and it’s to someone unknown, unlike other princesses who have noble families to support them. I’m heartbroken. I still feel it’s too little. If it weren’t for attracting too much attention, I’d prepare even more.”
Princess Nine comforted her for a while, still feeling that the dowry was too much. The Empress, having no choice, reduced it by half, thinking that she could change the rest into silver ingots later, which others couldn’t see and would be practical, a win-win situation.