Have You Written Your Will Today?
Chapter 62 He Really Has a Deep Strategy!

Chapter 62: Chapter 62 He Really Has a Deep Strategy!

Mingting Pavilion is the most famous tea house in Shengjing.

In an elegant private room on the second floor, Ji Ge was leisurely sipping tea, sitting across from him was the Heir of Prince Gong, Ji Huo.

The two of them shared a similar distaste, the only difference being that Ji Ge feared Emperor He and dared not indulge too much before getting married. On the other hand, Ji Huo’s backyard was filled with so many girls that it dazzled the eyes.

Ji Huo: "You’re such a bore, going off to Fengzhou without even calling me! And I’ve always treated you like a good brother."

"Call you? You’d be afraid that Cui Yun would turn right around and complain to Prince Gong, and then you couldn’t escape a punishment."

Ji Huo felt guilty.

The injuries he received from Prince Gong’s whipping had not yet fully healed.

"My father would repeat every few days how blessed our ancestors would be if I had half of Cui Yun’s qualities. I don’t understand, what’s so good about Cui Yun? I was once foolish enough to try to befriend him, and last year, I went to the trouble of sending him a pair of thin horses from Yangzhou."

They were exceptionally lively; the elder sister was charming, and the younger sister was attractive. To accept them would mean enjoying the fortune of having both.

"Afterward, I was unreasonably grounded by my father for a month and had to copy Buddhist scriptures over and over. My hand was nearly broken!"

Ji Huo grew angrier as he spoke.

"After finally getting out, I learned that all the suffering I went through was Cui Yun’s doing. And the pair of sisters was also sent back to Prince Gong Mansion."

Ji Ge couldn’t contain his amusement: "So, are they really that beautiful? If you were my brother, you’d introduce me."

Ji Huo with a dark face: "What is there to see? My old man isn’t exactly a decent person; he’d punish me one moment and then take in those two himself, treating them with extreme affection. To this day, my mother refuses to speak to me."

"And the year before last, I found him too rigid and distant from women, and even monks held him in reverence, so I simply hosted an event to take him to the brothel."

"He could’ve just told me straight up if he didn’t want to go! But he didn’t say a word."

So Ji Huo assumed Cui Yun was happy to go.

"But what did he do! Somehow he dug up a ledger and handed it over to Uncle Emperor, and the whole brothel was uprooted."

"This boy, he’s been using me!"

"Such deep scheming he has!"

Ji Ge felt both pity for Ji Huo and grateful that Cui Yun had never been so ruthless with his plots against him.

Speaking of which, Ji Huo expressed resentment: "I just find it strange, Uncle Emperor is intolerant of any wrongdoing, how come he didn’t punish you when you left Shengjing this time?"

Ji Ge’s smile faded a bit: "He doesn’t have the time to care about me."

Ji Huo thought of something, and smiled ambiguously: "At the palace banquet yesterday, not to mention Uncle Emperor, even the several concubines in the palace didn’t make things difficult for you. Instead, they showed quite a bit of hostility towards Ji Teng."

"Poor fellow, he has been a hostage for years without any credit but with plenty of hard work, and yet he’s so unwelcome."

Indeed, not just the concubines, but the Empress Mother herself took the opportunity to trample on him.

And it’s not surprising, Consort Shao, Ji Teng’s mother, was renowned throughout the land; while Princess Consort Jing may be the most favored in the present days, she still pales in comparison to Consort Shao.

Not even the Empress could compete.

Back then, who in the Imperial Harem didn’t despise Consort Shao with a passion.

"Eh!"

Ji Ge looked out the window.

"Isn’t that Cui Yun!"

Ji Huo had nothing but displeasure at the mention of Cui Yun.

Ji Ge: "Wait, what is he doing at the timber shop? Could this be related to the recent case?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Huo couldn’t hold back the resentment he had been harboring for years and looked down.

Sure enough, the man on the street exuded a refreshing air, and with a noble bearing, he strode towards the timber shop.

This was the largest timber shop in Shengjing, offering a wide variety of excellent woods, all solid and of good quality. Although pricey, it was worth every penny.

Customers could select the wood themselves; large pieces could be made into sailboats or used for house beams, smaller ones could be carved into ornaments to play with at any time.

The shop had masters who could draw up designs and carving craftsmen, truly comprehensive.

Shen Hua was followed by a little tail. She looked quite pleased as she picked and chose among the top-quality red sandalwood, nanmu...

The quality was beyond her expectations.

The shopkeeper held out a thick album for Shen Hua to browse and inspect.

"Our store prides itself on honest business. Although our prices are high, the value is guaranteed. Take a look, these are the blueprints from previous commissions. If Miss Shen is sincere about buying, I will call the master craftsmen. Just state your requirements, and they can fulfill them."

The blueprints were exquisitely detailed and flawless.

"May I ask what Miss Shen needs the wood for?"

Shen Hua turned excitedly to the shopkeeper.

"To make a coffin."

The shopkeeper’s smile froze.

Shen Hua: "The coffin I want must be one of a kind! There’s no need to carve any birds or beasts on the coffin—such sights have become quite uninteresting. My request is simple, just carve the night scene of Shengjing Street."

The night in Shengjing was truly beautiful.

Thousands of homes bright with lights, streets adorned with colorful lanterns.

Every time Shen Hua saw it, she couldn’t help but sigh with admiration.

"No need to make it too difficult, but don’t be perfunctory either—the figures on the street should all have clearly defined hair."

The shopkeeper had difficulty breathing.

In all his years, the shopkeeper had never encountered such exacting demands.

"We can’t do it, Miss Shen, please go back."

"Our shop does everything, but we absolutely do not deal with the deceased."

"It’s not exactly for the deceased."

Shen Hua raised her hand, pointing her index finger at herself.

"I am buying it for myself. There’s no rush, take five years if necessary, let the master craftsman ponder over it slowly. The more intricate the carving, the more exquisite it will be. The price is negotiable. This fifty thousand taels is just the deposit."

The shopkeeper felt as if someone had gripped his throat. "Miss Shen, what sort of joke is this?"

Cui Yun entered the store at that very moment.

Cui Rong breathed a sigh of relief, happier than anyone else.

"Uncle!"

Shen Hua was immersed in the pain of rejection. She didn’t even glance at Cui Yun.

"Are you sure it’s not possible?"

"If you agree, not only will I give you a generous reward, but I will also use the store’s name to build a bridge. That would be a great act of merit."

The shopkeeper was very firm: "Please spare us, Miss Shen. If we make a coffin, who will look after our business thereafter?"

Cui Yun had already spotted the servant attending to Cui Xuan by the store’s entrance, and immediately guessed that this was Cui Xuan’s idea.

If it were Mama, the only girl standing here would be Lady Yan from the Yan Family. As for why it was Shen Hua, there must have been some mistake along the way.

He witnessed Shen Hua choosing a coffin for herself and did not immediately scold Cui Rong.

He even inexplicably felt an urge to watch the drama unfold.

He stepped forward, doing something he would have only done more than a decade ago.

"If Miss Shen wishes to buy, Cui Yun happens to know of a store I can recommend."

Shen Hua looked up at Cui Yun sharply.

Quickly, under the shopkeeper’s eye, which seemed to wish her the plague, she left the timber shop and followed Cui Yun for about 15 minutes, entering a coffin store.

Cui Yun: "This place conducts business with the Imperial Family and officials of the fourth rank and above. If Miss Shen desires, I can assist."

Shen Hua felt as though she had found the support for the latter half of her life.

She was picky. Naturally, she would want the best coffin for her death. It couldn’t just be treated carelessly. Only by choosing it herself could it be to her utmost satisfaction.

Shen Hua’s eyes sparkled with dazzling stars.

She picked a coffin made of the finest Emperor Wood that had been completed long ago. Its surface was warm, smooth, and as lustrous as jade. It also emitted a faint, tranquil scent of nanmu.

She stepped forward quickly, her face flushed as she made a small request to Cui Yun.

"Can I go inside and lie down to try it out?"