Chapter 24
Before Qiu Liang could decide what to say, Song Jianshuang got up and walked outside, giving a few instructions to her personal little maidservant.
“Chengzi grew up with me and is as close to me as a sister. She can be trusted in everything.”
In this household, aside from her mother, Little Chengzi was the person Song Jianshuang trusted most.
It was not that she did not trust her father or elder brother, but their positions were different.
Her father, Director Song, was in politics. What he considered most was his official career. At necessary moments, even family had to be placed behind it.
Her elder brother, Song Wanglei, was a merchant who valued profit, not to mention that he had a wife whose heart was higher than the heavens.
Right now, the matter she was plotting even had to be kept from her mother, so there were even fewer people she could trust.
Qiu Liang did not understand. Wasn’t it just setting up a stall to tell fortunes? Why was this woman making it seem so mysterious?
Why did it feel like they were about to go be thieves?
“There’s something I don’t know whether I should ask.” They were going to divine fortunes and read faces for people, right? Not rob houses, right?
“If you don’t know whether you should ask, then don’t ask.” In her happiness, Song Jianshuang gained the leisure to tease her.
Qiu Liang: “…” She should have just asked directly. She should not have been polite with this woman.
Seeing Qiu Liang’s gloomy expression, Song Jianshuang said in a good mood, “Ask.”
“I have no questions anymore.” Qiu Liang snorted inwardly. If Song Jianshuang wanted her to ask, then she would not ask.
Let’s see who got suffocated first.
Song Jianshuang smiled. “Eat something and rest. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go look at our shop.”
Qiu Liang was somewhat confused, but she did not ask further.
She returned to the side room next door. From now on, this would be where she lived. She wondered how long she would have to stay in the Song residence.
The room was clean and tidy, and there was even a small bookshelf on the desk.
Qiu Liang casually pulled out a book. It was about numerology and calculations. She did not know whether Song Jianshuang had thoughtfully placed these books here because she knew Qiu Liang could read faces, or whether the Song family had risen through divination and books of this sort could be found everywhere.
She could recognize traditional characters, and reading did not feel dull either. Before she knew it, she had read half the book. Only when she felt sleepy did she go to bed.
Before falling asleep, a thought flashed through Qiu Liang’s mind.
What did “our shop” mean?
The next day, she found out exactly what “our shop” looked like.
On Zhuque Street, the most prosperous street in the capital, the Qin family’s wine pavilion stood on the left, and Loushanglou stood on the right. Between the main shops of these two imperial merchants, there had originally been a cosmetics shop. Now, it had been replaced with a new storefront sign.
Four large words were written on the signboard: Divine Calculations.
On the couplets to the left and right were written: Three hundred taels of silver for one divination. No accuracy, no payment.
Qiu Liang was stunned. Three hundred taels of silver for one divination? Why didn’t this woman just go rob someone?
No, this was their shop. This woman wanted to drag her along to rob people together!
“Isn’t this price a little too expensive?” Qiu Liang clicked her tongue. Was silver in the capital this easy to earn?
“Every inch of this street is worth gold. I spent all my savings on this shop. This price is just right.” Song Jianshuang’s target was not ordinary people to begin with. Otherwise, if anyone could get a reading for a few wen, wouldn’t they be worked to death?
Her target was high officials and nobles. Only then could she accomplish her goal more quickly.
As for making money, mm, that was incidental.
Qiu Liang was speechless. Fine. In any case, she was just there to make up the numbers. When Song Jianshuang’s reading was inaccurate, she would step in and take a look, at least so they would not smash their own signboard.
The two sat in the shop for half a day. The signboard was not smashed, because no one came in at all.
Qiu Liang could no longer sit still. “Eldest Miss Song, shouldn’t we first think of a way to get our first customer? At the very least, we need to spread our name.”
What kind of business was done like this? This was even more absurd than waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit to kill itself.
Song Jianshuang had never done business before. She was only confident that with Qiu Liang’s face-reading ability, they would sooner or later astonish everyone.
However, what Qiu Liang said made sense. At the very least, they had to get their first customer.
“How do we get our first customer? Do you have any ideas?”
Qiu Liang felt stifled. She had thought she was just here to make up the numbers, but unexpectedly, the one before her was the true hands-off shopkeeper.
After thinking about it, she suggested, “Why don’t we set a rule? Three divinations a day. The first one is free.”
Even in the capital, people’s silver did not fall from the sky. Did this woman think they were still in Cangjia County? Ten wen for one divination would indeed make some people try it out of curiosity.
But ten wen and three hundred taels of silver… could those be the same thing?
“Good idea. Chengzi, write that up and post it outside immediately. Do as Miss Qiu said.”
“Got it.” Little Chengzi had just posted the notice when a richly dressed young woman with a noble bearing walked inside.
The effect was immediate. Free things really were the most attractive.
“Miss Song, the first divination here is free?” The young woman’s gaze landed only on Song Jianshuang. Her eyes flickered faintly, carrying a trace of probing.
“That’s right. Does Miss know me?”
The young woman curved her lips. “Miss Song’s talent crowns the capital. Who wouldn’t know you?” She had once seen this number-one beauty of the capital from afar. Her appearance was indeed exceptional, making her unforgettable after one glance.
Song Jianshuang understood. The young woman’s clothing and bearing did not seem to belong to an ordinary household. She was likely the daughter of some official’s residence and had seen Song Jianshuang at a banquet before.
However, she had no impression of the young woman before her and did not know her identity. In any case, it was best to be cautious.
“Miss, please sit.” Song Jianshuang took out the copper coins and book. After the young woman finished casting the hexagram, she asked, “What does Miss wish to ask?”
The young woman’s expression did not change. Seeming casual, she said, “I wish to ask whether my father can live to a hundred years old.”
Before Song Jianshuang could speak, Qiu Liang, who was seated beside her, held down the hand she was using to flip through the book. “Let me handle this one.”
This was their very first divination after opening. For safety’s sake, she should take a look first.
Song Jianshuang furrowed her brows almost imperceptibly. She truly must have been bewitched by this fool to let her touch her hand again. Even when taking advantage of someone, one should know the occasion.
Without showing anything on her face, she withdrew her hand and smiled apologetically. “Please don’t mind her. I only know how to interpret hexagrams. This friend of mine is skilled in face-reading. Her face-reading ability is above mine.”
She had not intended to directly interpret the divination words anyway. After all, this was their first reading. Qiu Liang’s face-reading was more accurate.
After speaking, Song Jianshuang looked toward Qiu Liang, signaling for her to read the young woman’s face.
Qiu Liang struggled to control her expression, but a storm was already raging in her heart. What had she just seen? A palace with carved beams and painted walls, eunuchs and palace maids, and a bright yellow dragon robe!
Was there a second man under heaven who dared wear a dragon robe?
At the same time, she also understood the identity of this young woman with extraordinary bearing. Whose father wore a dragon robe as emperor?
The answer went without saying.
A princess.
This young woman was the current dynasty’s Third Princess, title: Wen’an.
Princess Wen’an had been frail and sickly since childhood and rarely showed herself in public. Only recently had she left the palace and established her own residence.
The first thing she ordered after leaving the palace was for people to keep a close watch on the Song residence. On the day of the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony, she had also been present.
Director Song had clearly been momentarily careless. More likely, he had been framed. Her imperial father had only imprisoned him without issuing a punishment, most likely because he intended to see which faction was scheming against the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
Princess Wen’an was paying close attention to this matter. Director Song might not be cunning, but he understood the ways of the world very well. He absolutely would not sit still and await death.
After all, her imperial father revered divination, and Director Song’s position was very delicate.
Since Director Song was imprisoned, the only person who had visited him was the eldest daughter of the Song residence, Song Jianshuang. After Song Jianshuang went to the prison once, she began claiming illness, and only showed herself today. Unexpectedly, she had opened a business, and it was even for divination.
Princess Wen’an instinctively felt there was something behind all this.
She was not the only one watching the Song residence, but she was the first to come seek a divination.
In all matters, one had to seize the first opportunity. If one hesitated and worried too much, it would be difficult to accomplish great things.
Hearing this, Princess Wen’an looked toward Qiu Liang. She had never heard of anyone in the Song family knowing face-reading…
Her face-reading skill was above Song Jianshuang’s. But then again, she had also never heard that Song Jianshuang could perform divination. Since they dared to set a price of three hundred taels for one divination, presumably it came from family learning and they had some real ability.
Then what about this woman who could read faces? Could she truly see anything?
Of course Qiu Liang could see something. It was precisely because she had seen something that she did not dare speak rashly.
Because among those few images just now, the final scene was far too horrifying.
She saw the emperor vomit blood and collapse with a crash. She saw this young woman, who was suspected to be a princess, standing beside the emperor, only to be pierced through the throat by someone’s sword.
Even with Qiu Liang’s limited knowledge, she knew what this meant.
The ruler of the realm would change.
Either the dynasty would fall, or there would be a palace coup.
Just now, the young woman had asked: Could my father live to a hundred?
Judging by how the emperor looked when he died, he was at most forty or fifty. What living to a hundred was there to speak of…
Seeing Qiu Liang remain silent, Princess Wen’an raised her long brows slightly. “Is there something wrong with my face?”
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