Introduction

    The young woman with sun-kissed, reddish-brown skin looked towards the port ahead with a heart pounding with excitement. Her long, jet-black hair, hastily tied at the back, fluttered in the wind blowing across the bow of the ship. Her petite face revealed a happy smile tinged with a hint of longing.

    She would reach home soon.

    It was not long before the large junk docked. 'Dong Sisi' carefully helped her uncle count the goods they had brought back, her small hands busy jotting notes in a thick ledger while her mouth constantly reminded the workers, "Be careful!" By the time they finished unloading everything, it was late afternoon.

    'Dong Youpeng', her uncle, approached her with a fan in hand, looking cheerful. His muscular build and sun-browned skin contrasted starkly with the scholar's white attire he wore, but his taste in fashion was something she could not criticize and could only let be.

    "The last box, miss," 'Xiaoping', Sisi's close maid, reported, her single-lidded eyes glancing sharply at the porters with a look that seemed to say,

    'If you damage the goods even a little, I'll come after you.’

    The worker shuddered and quickly averted his eyes.

    Sisi had met Xiaoping during her travels. At that time, Xiaoping had been harassed by a wealthy man. Her fiery nature led to a confrontation that almost landed her in jail. Fortunately, Sisi intervened and mediated, after which Xiaoping decided to follow Sisi everywhere. Having grown up in a temple, Xiaoping knew a bit of martial arts and could protect Sisi in times of danger.

    "Is everything done?" Dong Youpeng asked his niece.

    "Yes, it's done."

    "Then let's go home."

    Despite being thirty-seven this year, Dong Youpeng had yet to marry, partly because his business required frequent travel to different cities, allowing him only three visits home per year, each less than a week. He loved trading and traveling to new places, a lifestyle most Dazhong women disliked, preferring husbands who stayed home.

    Only Dong Sisi, his niece, was different. She had snuck onto his ship at twelve years old. When he discovered her, the ship had already sailed far from port. She begged to accompany him on his trading ventures. Turning back to drop her off would delay the delivery of goods, so he reluctantly kept her.

    He then wrote to his elder brother and sister-in-law, who responded by asking him to spank their daughter several times for them and then vented their frustrations about Sisi in a ten-page letter, mostly penned by his elder brother, lamenting about Sisi. This child was intelligent and independent, never worried her parents by breaking rules. Who could have known she was so daring? At twelve, she left a letter for her family and sneaked onto the junk alone, hiding for five days before being found.

    In the blink of an eye, eight years had passed. The little Sisi who used to trail after him was now managing the ship and trading in his stead, relieving him of responsibilities so he could travel freely. After a few years of learning, she became a better trader than he ever was, turning from a source of worry for her parents to a source of pride.

    Though far away, Sisi always advised her father through letters. Despite being only twenty, her experiences traveling for trade made her wise and perceptive. Problems her family faced in the capital were often solved with just one letter from her.

    This was a matter of intelligence and destiny. Despite similar experiences, Dong Youpeng still got deceived often, making him wonder if Sisi was too smart or if he was too foolish.

    It took about half shichen[1] for Dong Youpeng, Sisi, and Xiaoping to return to the Dong family manor.

    The rotund figure of 'Dong Jinmu' was the first to appear from the door of the reception hall. His round, kind face broke into a wide smile upon seeing his daughter. He enveloped her small frame in a bear hug, her head rubbing against his well-oiled and neatly trimmed beard. Following him was the slender form of 'Yuan Xuemei' or Lady Dong, who walked with a regal grace akin to a palace lady. Her uniquely beautiful face bore a slight smile as she stroked Sisi's head.

    "I'm back, Father, Mother," Sisi said, performing a graceful curtsy to her parents according to custom.

    Apart from her dark attire and tanned skin, everything about Sisi resembled a well-bred young lady from a prominent family, which brought tears to Lady Dong's eyes. This time, her daughter seemed even more tanned.

    She must be forced to take a milk bath!

    "It's good to have you back!" Dong Jinmu said happily.

    "I've returned as well, elder brother," Dong Youpeng tried to assert himself to his elder brother, only to be glared at and told,

    "Now that you're back, go to your own house! What are you doing at mine?"

    Dong Youpeng's face fell. The house his brother referred to was the main Dong family manor, while the elder brother's house was a separate residence he moved to after being promoted to a third-rank official, taking the position of head of the trading department directly under the Minister of Finance.

    Dong Jinmu continued, "Mother complains to me every day about you not getting married until my ears are sore.You said you'd be back last month. Why were you so late? Do you know how much we missed Sisi? If it weren't for you, I would've seen my daughter last month!"

    Dong Youpeng wanted to retort, it was not his fault! It was his niece who got enamored with the pottery of the desert people and insisted on learning from them, delaying their departure by a week. However, he knew that no matter how much he explained, his elder brother, who doted on his daughter, would still find a way to blame him.

    "Elder sister! You're back," a clear voice of a young woman called out from behind Dong Jinmu and Lady Dong. The light pink garment fluttered gracefully around the lithe form of a young lady. Her delicate white skin glowed in harmony with her attire, and her face, as beautiful as her mother's, was adorned with a wide smile, making a delightful sight.

    Sisi opened her arms to receive 'Dong Siai,' her younger sister, who jumped into her embrace with full affection. Following her were two tall figures, 'Dong Luen' and 'Dong Lulin,' her twin younger brothers, the third and fourth siblings.

    "It's been months since we last saw each other, but why haven't you grown taller?"

    Sisi looked at Lulin's handsome face with a smile that did not reach his eyes. She knew he was blunt, but did he really need to be so insensitive? She was well aware of her short stature. Growing up at sea from a young age, she had not had access to nutritious food or milk. How could she have grown taller?

    "How long will you be staying this time, elder sister?" Luen asked to change the subject. The elder twin often played the role of mediator in the family when conflicts arose.

    "This time, I'll stay a bit longer. There's a prophecy about a major storm next month. Though I'm not one to believe such things, it's better to be cautious."

    Sisi looked up at her siblings who nodded in agreement. Standing in the midst of them made her feel even shorter, but she did not mind too much. She had always been the most ordinary-looking child in the family. Her mother was the town's renowned beauty, and Siai, Luen, and Lulin all inherited their looks from her.

    Siai, three years younger than Sisi, was exceptionally beautiful, with fair, pinkish skin and long, curling eyelashes that made her eyes look large and sweet. She was of a marriageable age but had a deep aversion to men. Aside from her family, no man could hope to converse with her.

    Luen and Lulin, both handsome and sharp-featured, clearly took after their mother as well. Their father was not unattractive, but he could not be called handsome. Sisi's looks, a blend of both parents, were merely cute rather than beautiful like her siblings.

    Although the twins looked almost identical, their personalities were vastly different. Luen was gentle, academically inclined, and exuded the air of a revered scholar. Lulin, on the other hand, was tough and fierce. Though not as studious as Luen, he was more quick-witted but had a troublesome streak, often picking fights. If these two were dressed alike and stood side by side, it would be hard to tell them apart. But once they opened their mouths, you could distinguish them from the first word they spoke.

    After catching up sufficiently, they moved back into the reception hall, while Dong Youpeng was sent away by Dong Jinmu without any sympathy.

    Sisi took out gifts from the southern seas for her parents. For her father, she brought rare minerals found only in the southern coastal regions, which delighted Dong Jinmu, a mineral collector. For her mother, she brought beauty products made from sea pearl powder, which greatly pleased Lady Dong, who loved anything related to beauty.

    For her three siblings, Luen received a set of brushes and a marble inkstone, Lulin got a curved knife with a red gem-encrusted hilt from the desert people, and Siai received a beautiful and uniquely patterned pink silk. All were precious and rare items. The three siblings thanked Sisi profusely, as she always brought valuable gifts whenever she returned.

    That night, the Dong family celebrated Sisi’s return with a whole roasted pig and three jars of wine aged over ten years. Sisi shared stories of her travels, filling the night with laughter.

    At dawn, Siai woke up with a slight headache, while her sister, who brought her a bowl of hangover soup, looked perfectly fine.

    So this is what they call a strong drinker.[2]

    "Thank you, sister," Siai said before taking the bowl and drinking.

    Sisi watched her sister sitting across the table with a fond gaze. After Siai finished the soup, Sisi spoke.

    "I saw an invitation from the palace for the daughters of the Dong family to participate in the selection of beauties."

    Siai's eyes widened as she looked at her sister, then she lowered her head without responding. She had hidden it so well, how did her sister find it?

    "When were you and Father and Mother planning to tell me?" Sisi asked, staring intently at her sister until she finally answered.

    "Until you agreed to go."

    "So you never intended to tell me."

    Siai nodded silently.

    "Have Father and Mother accepted the invitation?"

    "Yes."

    "Whose name?"

    Siai hesitated for a moment before softly replying, "Mine."

    This time, Sisi was the one who fell silent. She turned away with a troubled expression before looking back at Siai and asking,

    "Are you willing?"

    Siai remained silent again until Sisi had to repeat the question.

    "I'm asking if you are willing."

    "I'm... not really willing," she replied softly, her face showing a hint of guilt.

    "I will talk to Father and Mother myself," Sisi said, getting up to leave the room, but Siai grabbed her arm.

    "Big sister! What are you going to do?"

    "I'll tell them to change your name to mine."

    "Are you crazy!"

    "An invitation is like a royal decree, you cannot refuse it. But I will not let you enter that palace! Xiaoai, the imperial palace is too dangerous for you. With your beauty, you will surely catch the emperor's eye. I cannot allow that to happen!"

    "Big sister..." Siai murmured. She did not want to go, but she also did not want her big sister to suffer on her behalf.

    "Xiaoai, listen to me. If I go, there’s still a chance I might be eliminated. I'm older and look plain. If I pretend to be foolish, I will definitely be rejected."

    "But you are the eldest daughter of a third-rank official... will they really let you be eliminated?"

    "Trust me... have I ever let you down?"

    Siai shook her head vigorously, looking into her sister's eyes filled with confidence.

[1] 1 shichen equal to 2 hours

[2] Strong drinker are people who can drinks a lots of alcohol and hardly get drunk