A Pawn's Passage

Qi Xuansu left Ziwei Hall and arranged to meet with Madam Qi to tour a property in Taishang Place.

Regardless of Qi Xuansu and Madam Qi’s status, the sheer scale of the transaction alone demanded attention. Tianji Hall took it seriously enough to send a Deputy Hall Master to accompany the duo.

Since the residence had once belonged to a Virtuous Great Sage, it naturally attracted an elevated circle. Thus, neighbors here were anything but ordinary.

The estate dated back to the Holy Xuan Era. It was originally the residence of Sage Yuying, a princess of the former Wei Dynasty. She had pledged allegiance to the Holy Xuan early on, so she became one of the first 36 Omniscient Sages.

That princess devoted her life to the Dao, never marrying and leaving no heirs. After her passing, several owners succeeded her, each one of distinguished lineages.

Though this estate had been vacant for six years, there were no signs of ruin. It was well-preserved due to daily upkeep. At most, it felt quiet, lacking human presence.

Qi Xuansu and Madam Qi first visited the rear garden. It was late spring, and the grounds were lush with greenery. The layout of the pavilions and terraces was exquisite. Most precious of all, there was running water, a rare luxury in their time.

Qi Xuansu was quite satisfied.

His old home in Haichan Place was far from Xuan City. Whenever he returned to Jade Capital, he could feel the distance and effort needed to travel from Haichan Place to Xuan City. Flying and teleportation were forbidden in Jade Capital, running was allowed, but it was undignified. That was why he always had to walk, which became a real chore.

Taishang Place was right at the gates to Xuan City, practically as convenient as living in Xuan City itself.

Madam Qi clasped her hands behind her back, calmly surveying the place and commenting occasionally. “This waterside pavilion bears the style of the former Wei Dynasty. It must be a legacy of Princess Xuanzhen.”

Deputy Hall Master Lu from Tianji Hall, who accompanied them, did not know Madam Qi’s true identity, but he recognized Qi Xuansu, the rising star in the Daoist Order. Seeing Madam Qi casually conversing with the Tianji Hall Master further convinced the Deputy that she was no ordinary figure. A realization began to dawn.

It was absurd to think that Deputy Hall Master Qi and this woman were lovers or Daoist companions. After all, their age gap made that impossible. They were simply not of the same generation.

They looked more like mother and son, the kind with a decidedly dominant mother. For someone so young to rise so high, it was hard to believe Qi Xuansu had no background. Rumors whispered he was the illegitimate child of an exalted figure. If that were true, would that make this woman the influential man’s mistress?

Clearly, this influential figure would not be from the Taiping Sect, nor likely from the Zhengyi Sect either. Since the Zhengyi Sect was headed by the Zhang family, if Deputy Hall Master Qi truly carried Zhang blood, there would be no reason for him to marry the noble daughter of the Zhang family. So most likely, his ties were with the Quanzhen Sect.

Since it became harder to sire offspring the higher one’s cultivation progressed, children were usually conceived while both partners were still young. Judging from Deputy Hall Master Qi’s age, sixth-generation disciples could be excluded. But among the seventh-generation disciples, only a handful, such as Sage Donghua, fit the criteria. However, Sage Donghua had never married. Even if he truly had a son, he could have just declared it openly. What would be the purpose of raising his son in secrecy?

If Sage Donghua knew Deputy Hall Master Lu’s speculation, he would likely laugh wryly, for he did not wish to have such “fortune” to have Madam Qi as a mistress. That was a burden he could not afford to bear.

Regardless, Deputy Hall Master Lu was tactful enough to know that he could not cross this “distinguished lady.” Each time Madam Qi spoke, he readily agreed and praised her insight. This pleased Madam Qi, even though she knew it was flattery. After all, who truly disliked flattery?

As the trio left the garden and toured other areas, Madam Qi turned to Qi Xuansu and said, “Go ahead and see if anything feels unsuitable. As long as the overall structure suits you, the decor can be adjusted. Don’t you think so, Deputy Hall Master Lu?”

Deputy Hall Master Lu hastily replied, “Exactly.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “I’ll ask Qing Xiao to see if she has any thoughts.”

Madam Qi snorted softly and said nothing.

The sharp Deputy Hall Master Lu instantly sensed that Deputy Hall Master Qi’s mother disliked her future daughter-in-law. This further proved her lofty background, daring to even look down on the Zhang family’s noble daughter.

In the past, under the sway of the Confucians, filial piety suppressed mother-in-law disputes. Whatever the elder said, the daughter-in-law obeyed, because to resist was to be unfilial. But after the Confucian School was toppled, the Daoist Order upheld equality.

A domineering mother facing a strong-willed wife spelled trouble, and Deputy Hall Master Qi risked being trapped between them.

However, Qi Xuansu was not so pessimistic about his marital future. He had taken time to strategize. If he could not mediate, then he would strive to ensure that both sides needed his support. But whether he truly had the skill for this was a question for later.

This residence had four courtyards. Its layout resembled four rectangles stacked on each other, or five if the garden was included.

The number of courtyards denoted the depth of the estate, while the number of wings marked vertical divisions.

This estate had three wings. The east and west wings had a depth of three courtyards, with the remaining section reserved as the garden, while the central wing had four courtyards and a lake. Thus, the garden was split into two halves, and the entire mansion maintained the perfect symmetry of a square.

The central wing was reserved for the master of the household. Typically, the first two courtyards served as the main hall and reception rooms. Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu would one day occupy the third courtyard, while elders like Madam Qi would reside in the fourth courtyard. The east and west wings were typically used to house guests and retainers or serve as quarters for children and disciples.

This estate was so large that even a quick tour through the courtyards took more than an hour.

Madam Qi then recalled something and remarked, “If you have no objections, we’ll settle on this property. Don’t forget to notify the Zhang family.”

Qi Xuansu blinked in surprise. “Notify them of what?”

He held back the rest of his sentence in front of Deputy Hall Master Lu. This residence was splendid, but it could hardly overshadow the Dazhen Mansion of the Zhang family. So he did not find it necessary to flaunt it to them.

Madam Qi read his thoughts at once. Exasperated and amused, Madam Qi explained, “A great household like the Zhang family may gift a residence to their daughter upon marriage, but that will be her private property. Unless you two plan to live apart, it usually lies unused or repurposed. You will have to provide the main residence. But their dowry will usually include new furniture fitted specially to the house’s dimensions. If you don’t notify them in advance to send craftsmen for measurements, do you expect them to conjure furniture on your wedding day? Or do you think the Heavenly Preceptor will create a set for you with a wave of his hand?”

Qi Xuansu scratched his head sheepishly. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I truly wouldn’t have known.”

This was not unique to only great clans. The common folk also commissioned new furniture for marriage. However, the craftsmanship and materials differed between social classes.

No one had ever taught Qi Xuansu such customs, so he was genuinely ignorant. He thought the existing furnishings would suffice and did not notice that it was not ideal to start a new marriage with old furniture.

This was one reason Madam Qi insisted on a new residence. If Qi Xuansu had relied on his old house, it might have appeared humble and virtuous to echo the Primordial Daoist Ancestor’s principle of frugality, but the Zhang family would be mortified. That tiny home could barely hold a few pieces of furniture. Would the mighty Zhang family marry off their daughter with only two tables and four chairs? If they truly did that, the Li family would laugh at them for ages to come. After all, the Li family had even gifted their goddaughter Li Qingnu the entire Sycamore Villa.

Madam Qi continued, “Poluo is rich in rosewood, so get the Zhang family to craft the furniture from that.”

Qi Xuansu was dumbfounded. Clearly, Madam Qi meant to get even with the Zhang family after footing the bill for the property.

The good news was that the Daoist Order promoted simplicity, cutting away many old formalities. Only old clans like the Zhangs clung to extravagance. Their weddings were filled with pomp and excess, especially with betrothal gifts and dowries. If Zhang Yuelu had hailed from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace just like Qi Xuansu, they could have wed with nothing at all. They could simply pull in passersby from the street as witnesses, much like the banquet where they had first met.

Madam Qi would handle the betrothal gifts. Compared to the exorbitant price of the property, such expenses were trivial. Moreover, as the Mogul of the Seven Treasure Pavilion, she could easily acquire all necessary items at cost price or below.

Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. It truly was not easy to marry the daughter of a great clan. If he could not even uphold appearances and let the Zhang family handle everything, he would look no different from a matrilocal son-in-law living under his wife’s shadow.

At last, Madam Qi said, “If you have no objections, let’s head to Tianji Hall and settle the paperwork.”

Qi Xuansu nodded heavily, feeling the weight of it all—1.45 million Taiping coins was quite literally a mountain of silver!

Deputy Hall Master Lu was startled. He had assumed this “distinguished lady,” who did not really seem all that distinguished, would need to consult the man behind her. However, she had decisively made the call herself, which was proof of the immense wealth she must command.

The trio returned to the Tianji Hall, where Deputy Hall Master Lu personally fetched the documents. Madam Qi drew a wooden box from her magical receptacle and lifted the lid, revealing crisp cash notes with a denomination of 10,000 Taiping coins each.

Qi Xuansu had never seen so much money in his life. The allowance given by Sage Qingwei had only been verbal authority and not tangible cash notes. This wooden box held far more than a million Taiping coins.

Madam Qi counted out 145 cash notes and stacked them up.

After receiving the payment, the Deputy Tianji Hall Master issued a deed that only bore Qi Xuansu’s name, without Madam Qi’s or Zhang Yuelu’s.

Since Zhang Yuelu had her own dowry residence, her deed likewise would not bear Qi Xuansu’s name. The Daoist Order promoted equality and never skewed the law to shield one side. Thus, even if they lived together, their properties remained separate. No one would grow rich overnight by marriage. Should one die, their estate would be passed according to their will. If not, it would be to one’s children, parents, spouse, master, disciple, or clan, in that order. If none existed, all assets would be reverted to the Daoist Order.

Madam Qi’s name was not on the deed despite providing the funds because it was her generous gift to her son.

Qi Xuansu gazed at the document in his hand, emotions surging in waves.