Every day, Prince Wu would stroll through the streets, searching for beauties and purchasing fresh seafood. Today, he was dressed in luxurious attire—a slightly worn white jade crown on his head, a faded purple-gold robe draped over his shoulders, and auspicious cloud-patterned boots on his feet. He carried a white jade fan in his hand, leisurely wandering through the marketplace.
The people of Wu County all knew him.
Prince Wu never took from the common folk. His guards carried money pouches, and whatever caught the prince’s eye, they would promptly pay for.
With Prince Wu patrolling the streets daily, the merchants dared not shortchange customers or inflate prices. Ordinary citizens could always buy high-quality goods at fair prices.
"Your Highness, this backwater Wu County truly has no beauties. You should give up," a guard advised tactfully, arms laden with seafood.
"Hush, quiet!" Prince Wu suddenly halted, his gaze locking onto a slender figure in the distance.
Graceful as a willow!
Her figure swayed with elegance!
Even dressed in coarse linen, her refined aura was unmistakable.
Having seen countless beauties in the imperial capital, Prince Wu knew at a glance—this must be a woman of extraordinary charm!
Other fisherwomen grabbed clams with rough hands, but this one held them delicately between her thumb and forefinger, fingertips slightly upturned, exuding grace.
Overcome with excitement, Prince Wu snapped his fan shut and approached her. "Fair maiden, where are you from? What is your name? Are you betrothed—"
His words died in his throat.
Prince Wu gaped at Shen Wei.
Her again!
His face instantly darkened, and he waved his fan impatiently. "How deeply must you admire me to keep crossing my path? I’ve told you many times—your plain looks do not appeal to me."
Shen Wei stared at him, baffled.
She had been helping her younger brother sell seafood when this prince suddenly appeared, spouting nonsense.
What nonsense indeed.
Prince Wu’s eyes flicked to the unsold clams beside her. "I’ll take all of these. Take the money and leave at once!"
This, Shen Wei understood. She promptly handed the remaining bucket of clams to the guard. After counting the copper coins to ensure the amount was correct, she took Yuan Fu’s hand and walked away without another word.
Swift and decisive.
Before Prince Wu could react, Shen Wei was already far away, empty bucket in hand. The prince stared after her, lingering on her retreating figure. "Her silhouette is quite lovely... Pity her face is so rough."
After a fruitful day at the market, Prince Wu returned to his manor, only to be met with an imperial edict from the Eastern Capital.
The chattering eunuch delivered the decree, and Prince Wu knelt to listen. The message was clear: this year, the Eastern State was to send tribute to Qing State, and the task of escorting the goods fell to Prince Wu.
The edict also requested that Prince Wu, as the Eastern emperor’s representative, propose a "20% reduction in tribute" to Emperor Qing, citing poor harvests.
Once the eunuch left, leaving behind several carts of tribute, Prince Wu clutched the decree and cursed at the sky. "That foolish father of mine—he’s trying to get me killed!"
In previous years, delivering tribute to Qing State had been a coveted assignment. Qing State didn’t take without giving—they rewarded handsomely. Princes and ministers of the Eastern State had fought for the privilege.
But this year, with poor harvests and an empty treasury, the tribute was of inferior quality. Asking Emperor Qing for a reduction was practically suicide.
Who was Emperor Qing, Li Chengtai? The very man who had once proposed "building a dam upstream to control Eastern waters"!
Perhaps the new emperor had long harbored intentions to wipe out the Eastern State.
If Emperor Qing used "insufficient tribute" as an excuse to execute the escorting prince—the Eastern State wouldn’t dare protest.
A weak state had no right to breathe before a strong one.
Prince Wu was frantic. "I haven’t even found a wife yet, and that cowardly old man is sending me to my death!"
"Quiet, Your Highness," the guard urged nervously. "The eunuch hasn’t gone far. If he hears you insulting the emperor, the consequences will be dire."
"Then shut the gates!" Prince Wu snapped. "If the gates are closed, the eunuch won’t hear a thing!"
The guard sighed and obeyed.
Once the doors were secured, Prince Wu continued his tirade against his father. The imperial command was absolute—his fate was sealed.
Defying the edict meant death. Going to Qing State also meant death.
Hands clasped behind his back, Prince Wu paced the room before finally making a decision. "Prepare ink. I’ll write to my sister for help. If all else fails, I’ll defect to Qing State and never return. I’ll become a traitor, pledge allegiance to Emperor Qing, and lead troops to conquer the Eastern State."
"Frankly, the Eastern State is rotten to the core. It might as well be absorbed into Qing territory."
Grumbling, Prince Wu worked swiftly. A plea for help was soon dispatched.
Next, he inspected the tribute carts—mostly dried seafood, pearls, and gemstones. The Eastern emperor, aware of the danger, had sent no palace attendants or guides, leaving Prince Wu to escort the goods with only his own men.
It was as if "selling out his son" was written on his forehead.
Gnashing his teeth, Prince Wu’s hatred for his father deepened. He scratched his head and summoned the guard again. "Post a notice in the county. Say I’m recruiting someone familiar with Qing State’s roads and customs for the tribute escort—generous pay offered."
The guard hurried off to comply.
Alone in the quiet manor, Prince Wu slumped into a chair, rubbing his temples in frustration.
...
...
In Yuan Family Fishing Village, Shen Wei and her brother Yuan Fu had sold all their seafood, earning a string of copper coins. Yuan Fu hopped about joyfully. "Sister, if we save for two or three more years, we can buy a small house in the county."
Yuan Fu wanted to leave the village.
The fishing village was small, and gossip never ceased. When their parents were alive, Yuan Fu had believed the villagers were good, honest folk. But after their parents perished in a storm, those same villagers had turned vicious.
The men leered at Shen Wei’s beauty.
The women whispered behind her back, calling her low-class.
Yuan Fu no longer liked this village.
"I fear we won’t last long enough to move," Shen Wei murmured, stopping in her tracks. A crowd had gathered outside their small hut.
A sun-weathered old woman spotted Shen Wei and beamed. "Xi’er, A’Fu, you’re back at last! Come, Xi’er—Auntie has found you a fine match!"
She gestured to a middle-aged man in his forties, who stood with his elderly parents and two toddling children.
