Volume One, Chapter 16: Selling the Golden Coffin

“It was clearly you who hit my Princess Consort first; she only fell because she was dodging you.” Qingzhu spoke without ceremony, answering first.

“Is your master mute? Does she need a lowly maid like you to speak for her?” Princess Huayang replied with feigned grievance, lifting her eyes, brimming with tears.

“Brother Xiao, they’ve teamed up to bully me; you must stand up for me,” she pleaded.

On the wedding nights of the previous eight princess consorts, she had disrupted the celebrations, yet Brother Xiao hadn’t even so much as touched them. Now, this Su Zhizhi actually pushed her to the ground—let’s see how Brother Xiao handles her.

Princess Huayang curled her lips in triumph, casting a sidelong glance at Su Zhizhi.

“Do you have anything to explain?” The Duke Jin turned around, his dark eyes as clear and bright as if soaked in ice and snow.

Su Zhizhi met those eyes steadily. “Yes, I did break the bowl full of white fungus porridge myself, so I ended up eating nothing but emptiness. As for pushing Your Highness to the ground, that was also done with my internal energy—I don’t know how I suddenly learned the ability to strike from afar today.”

Hearing this, Madam Wang and Qingzhu couldn’t help but bite their lips to hide their smiles.

This was not an admission of guilt but a plaintive complaint.

“Is that so? My Huayang Princess is not someone you can bully!” The Duke Jin stepped forward, raising his hand.

It looked like he was about to slap her.

This prince was no different from her blind brothers—all a bunch of blockheads.

Su Zhizhi braced herself for the worst; just as she prepared to dodge—

The strong hand swept past her face.

The duke wasn’t trying to slap her at all.

Instead, he helped Princess Huayang up and said coolly, “My dear sister, next time if you want to frame someone, find a better excuse.”

Princess Huayang felt as if she had swallowed a fly—utterly miserable.

The same trick had worked on the previous eight princess consorts, but with Su Zhizhi, it backfired.

“Brother Xiao, what kind of spell did that woman put you under?” Princess Huayang’s tears flowed uncontrollably.

This was the most humiliating day in her twenty years of life.

Brother Xiao actually believed that madwoman.

Princess Huayang left in a huff, accompanied by her maid, Kingfisher.

That Wei Guxiao was not blind after all—he had some sense.

The Duke’s face grew stern.

“You may all withdraw.”

“How did Your Grace sleep last night?”

“Much better than in a military tent,” Su Zhizhi replied, recalling the loud snores from the previous night and instantly feeling childish for asking.

“Su Zhizhi, I have a request,” Duke Jin said sincerely, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

“Go ahead,” she said, glancing at the bronze mirror decorated with floral patterns.

Thankfully, her scar was still there.

Last night, she hadn’t had the chance to reinforce her scar’s presence.

“My lord... I ask to borrow ten thousand taels of gold.”

His voice was weak, lacking any warrior’s majesty.

Su Zhizhi smiled faintly.

This Duke Jin borrowing gold must be to repay the debt of gratitude to the Pavilion Master.

But wasn’t she the Pavilion Master of Yongming Pavilion?

Borrow my gold to repay me? The thought was amusing.

“No problem,” she answered promptly.

“Ten thousand taels of gold—does the princess consort agree without batting an eye?”

Even Duke Jin, unfamiliar with the daily needs of life, knew that such an amount could support an army.

Su Zhizhi was no fool; this gold was merely shifting from one hand to the other, ultimately returning to her. No loss at all.

“However, my lord must agree to two conditions.”

Duke Jin’s expression darkened.

Such a swift agreement from her must conceal ulterior motives.

“Speak,” he said.

Su Zhizhi took off the white jade hairpin left by the virtuous consort and said calmly, “First, I want the golden coffin the Crown Prince gave you. I intend to melt it down into a pile of hairpins.”

Duke Jin was shocked—who would want a coffin as a gift?

“Second, I ask you to assist me in acquiring the Lily Cloth Shop.”

Acquire a cloth shop?

“What do you mean?”

Su Zhizhi replaced the hairpin and smoothed her hair.

“I, Su Zhizhi, will become the shopkeeper of the Lily Cloth Shop. I’m willing to pay whatever silver is required to the current shopkeeper, but the new shopkeeper must be me.”

Duke Jin furrowed his brows.

Pay silver to change a shopkeeper was no big deal to a duke.

“I agree to your terms.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Su Zhizhi smiled sweetly.

“I will have someone prepare ten thousand taels of gold for you immediately.”

“Prepare? Isn’t the gold already in the prince’s residence?” Duke Jin marveled.

“The gold I brought to the residence cannot be lent to you; that’s for the household’s expenses. Rest assured, within a year, I will make the residence’s gold multiply.”

Duke Jin’s eyes widened. He shook his head—he truly had married a goddess of wealth.

But where did this ostracized fake heiress get so much gold?

Even the Duke’s household wouldn’t have that much at once.

Determined to uncover her background, Duke Jin resolved to investigate this woman thoroughly.

He would never allow his princess consort to be a swindler.

“May I ask, as your creditor, what is the gold for...?”

Su Zhizhi feigned ignorance.

“To repay a life debt.”

Leaving only those four words, Duke Jin ordered his men and left Zhaoming Hall.

Su Zhizhi followed and called out to Madam Wang, who was instructing servants to tidy the chambers.

“Madam Wang, summon several strong servants to move the golden coffin the Crown Prince gave, placing it outside the main gate of the residence. Also, bring a large drum and a wooden hammer.”

Madam Wang was first shocked but quickly obeyed the princess consort’s instructions, calling robust servants to carry the coffin.

In the past, she would have asked questions.

But after witnessing the duke’s miraculous revival and the clever capture of the culprit, Madam Wang trusted the princess consort implicitly.

The Duke Jin’s residence was in the bustling Jingyang Street.

A coffin was now displayed openly at the gate.

Su Zhizhi had servants beat the drum and loudly called out.

“Come see, come see! The golden coffin that brings the dead back to life is for sale!”

Selling a coffin?

A golden coffin, no less.

Curious onlookers gathered in droves.

Seeing the crowd grow, Su Zhizhi called for silence.

Standing on a stool, she was filled with excitement.

“Everyone, quiet down. Let me tell you the story behind this golden coffin.”

She feigned mystery, more captivating than the storytellers at Deshan Pavilion.

“It is said that the Duke of this Jin residence is a brave and undefeated warrior, who crushed the southern border armies until they were toothless. The prosperity of Shujing City we see today was bought with the blood of Duke Jin and his soldiers. But fate was cruel, a talent envied by heaven.”

Su Zhizhi wiped away a tear and continued.

“Unknown to all, a guard in the residence was bribed by the enemy to poison the duke. Just last night, in the dark and stormy night, the duke’s body lay inside this golden coffin. Suddenly, the candle was extinguished by the wind, strange spirits arose in the mourning hall, and in the panic of the crowd, Duke Jin stood up and caught the murderer. Our war god, the duke, was alive again. Isn’t that miraculous? Isn’t it amazing?”