Chapter 13: Aunt
Mother did not agree with Jinchao's suggestion to arrange another concubine for Gu Dezhao.
As she tended to her four seasons begonias, Jinchao pondered quietly.
It was understandable that Mother was unwilling—no one wanted their husband to take in a houseful of concubines, especially when the couple had once been so deeply in love. Moreover, from Mother’s perspective, there was no need for another concubine. The current concubines in the household were relatively obedient, and bringing in a new one who might prove unruly would only invite headaches.
Though Madam Ji thought this way, Gu Jinzhao could not.
She couldn’t allow Song Yiniang to bear a child. With a child as leverage, Song Yiniang’s path forward would become much smoother. And with Jinrong already favoring Gu Lan, Jinzhao would lose any advantage she had. She needed to make Mother realize the gravity of the situation—but she couldn’t say it outright.
Liu Xiang handed her the scissors. After trimming the plants, she helped Jinzhao wash her hands with freshly made rosewater from the greenhouse.
Jinzhao then instructed Qingpu to deliver a few pots of orchids to her father and Jinrong. Orchids were rare in winter, but her greenhouse had plenty. Scholars often cherished orchids, so she assumed her father and younger brother would appreciate them.
Today was the twenty-second, and the household was already bustling. The managers and stewards overseeing Mother’s dowry had come early to pay their New Year respects—they wouldn’t have time to visit on the first day of the year. They had also brought many gifts. Mother had asked Ge Yi, the manager from Changzhou, to craft a silver-threaded hairpiece for her, urging him to finish it before the Lantern Festival if possible. Jinzhao found this both amusing and exasperating. The Earl of Yongyang’s family would host a lantern festival during the festival, and Mother was clearly hoping she’d find a suitable husband there.
Mother also introduced her to Song Chuan, the manager from Baodi, and Luo Yongping. Song Chuan was lean with a goatee, while Luo Yongping, dressed in a brocade robe patterned with auspicious motifs, was plump and jovial. Mother added, “Yongping is from Xinfang Prefecture—a fellow townsman of your grandmother’s.”
At the mention of Xinfang Prefecture, Jinzhao glanced at him again. She remembered this man.
When she had first begun managing her dowry, most of the original managers had already been replaced by Song Yiniang—except for Luo Yongping, who had remained. He was exceptionally smooth-tongued and persuasive. Back when Mother was still in charge, she had disliked such slick talkers but kept him because he was efficient, though she never placed much trust in him.
Yet when Jinzhao’s silk shop had run into trouble, it was his silver tongue that had saved it from ruin. Later, under his management, the shop flourished, even sourcing exquisite Shu and Xiang embroidery from Sichuan and Hunan via the Ji family’s merchant ships. Unfortunately, after she was stripped of her authority—even her dowry confiscated—these shops eventually fell into the hands of her second sister-in-law.
Once the managers had withdrawn, Jinzhao asked Mama Xu to bring over the gift Luo Yongping had prepared.
“...A pair of jadeite bracelets, of excellent quality,” Mama Xu reported to Madam Ji after inspecting them against the light.
Madam Ji frowned. “Does Chaojie think this man is reliable? I find Song Chuan more dependable. He was once a scholar, after all, and is quite amiable.” She didn’t care much for Luo Yongping, but since he had been assigned by her mother and was a fellow townsman, she couldn’t easily dismiss him.
Knowing Mother’s lack of business acumen, Jinzhao smiled. “Business and scholarship are entirely different, Mother. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”Gu Jinchao received the man in the eastern side chamber. He was a shopkeeper from her mother's dowry, essentially a family servant, so there was no need to worry about propriety between men and women.
Luo Yongping hadn't expected the Eldest Miss to summon him. Overwhelmed by the honor, he kowtowed and showered her with flattering words. Jinchao bade him rise and inquired about his silk fabric shop in Baodi, then explained the matter regarding Liu Xiang's elder brother. Luo Yongping readily agreed—naturally, he would handle any task assigned by the Eldest Miss with utmost care.
The days passed swiftly. On the twenty-third, they made offerings to the Kitchen God; on the twenty-fourth, they wrote couplets for the New Year. Before the ancestral tablets, they arranged cooked meats, fruits, and wine, preparing for the New Year's Day worship. These duties now fell to Concubine Song, with Jinchao assisting.
Concubine Song had assumed that due to her young age and inexperience, Jinchao would be overwhelmed. So she assigned her to oversee the kitchen affairs. However, Jinchao, who had once managed the vast rear courtyard of the Chen Family, handled these minor tasks with ease. In contrast, Concubine Song was run off her feet, and the duty of attending to Father was passed to Concubine Guo.
Jinchao then summoned Mama Tong. With the New Year approaching, she wanted to prepare new winter clothes and jewelry for all the maids in Paulownia Courtyard, along with distributing some silver.
At that moment, Baiyun entered to announce, "Miss, the aunt from Zhenzhou Prefecture has arrived. She's speaking with Madam now. Mama Xu sent Pinmei to inform you."
Aunt? Jinchao frowned, momentarily unable to recall any acquaintances the Gu family had in Zhenzhou.
Qingpu softly reminded her, "...She's the Master's elder sister, married into the Xu family in Zhenzhou."
With Qingpu's prompt, Jinchao remembered. Her father was the sixth in his generation, with only one elder sister, who had married into the Xu family in Zhenzhou.
What was she doing here at the Gu residence? Right at the busiest time of the year, when Jinchao was managing household affairs and already swamped with work.
A thought crossed Jinchao's mind—she must have visited Mother first... likely having heard something outside and come to check on Mother's condition. Mother had been ill for over half a year, neither improving nor worsening, just lingering weakly. The Gu family ought to have come to see her, but why send an already married aunt...?
"Will you go now? Shall I help you change?" Liu Xiang asked.
Jinchao shook her head. "Father will send someone to summon me shortly. No need to change—this outfit is fine." She was wearing a tea-white pleated skirt embroidered with bird-of-paradise flowers and a water-blue twining branch-patterned satin jacket. Though somewhat plain, it was generally dignified. Still, meeting her aunt called for slightly more formality. Jinchao removed the hollow silver bracelet she usually wore and replaced it with a pair of translucent jade bangles, adding three gold-filigreed gemstone hairpins as well.
Sure enough, before long, Biyue, one of Father's maids, came to summon her.
The aunt was in the reception room of Chrysanthemum Willow Pavilion. Since Mother was unwell, Concubine Song and Concubine Du had been called to keep her company, along with Gu Lan and the other two younger sisters.
As Gu Jinchao stepped inside, her father beckoned her over. "Jinchao, come greet your aunt!"
Jinchao looked up and saw a woman dressed in a bright red silk brocade coat embroidered with qilin patterns, her hair adorned with silver filigree ornaments and gold longevity hairpins, smiling warmly at her. "Our Chaojie has grown so much! You've become even more beautiful!"
Father seemed equally pleased. "You last saw her when she was eleven—of course she's grown."Jinchao bowed properly to greet her elders, and her father invited her to sit with her younger sisters. Gu Lan took her hand and whispered, "Eldest Sister, I must apologize for the matter with Qingpu..." She was dressed in a deep red satin jacket, more vibrant than usual.
Jinchao smiled faintly, betraying nothing. "What matter are you referring to, Second Sister? I don’t recall anything."
Gu Lan was momentarily speechless. If she explained further, wouldn’t that reveal her close ties with Gu Jinrong and imply she knew about Jinrong’s confrontation with Jinchao?
"It seems I’ve forgotten," Gu Lan replied with a smile. "Qingpu still has some jewelry at my place. I’ll return it to her tomorrow."
Jinchao straightened slightly, a faint smile flickering at her lips. Clever and resourceful as Gu Lan was, she was still too young to hide her emotions.
Aunt Gu spoke to their father, "My nieces grow more beautiful by the day. Chaojie is radiant, Lan Er is elegant, and Xi Jie’er and Yi Jie’er are like delicate jade carvings. The men you choose for them in the future will surely be outstanding and learned."
Gu Lan chimed in, "They say nephews resemble their uncles. We must take after you, Aunt."
Everyone laughed, and Aunt Gu praised her, "This child is sharp and sweet—her words warm the heart."
Gu Jinzhao, however, noticed Concubine Song’s smile stiffen. While others were pleased, the birth mother must have felt uneasy hearing her daughter say such things.
Just then, Gu Jinrong arrived to pay his respects to Aunt Gu. Clearly her favorite, she praised him repeatedly and even gave him the protective charm she always wore. "This was obtained from the Great Nation Temple—it’s very potent."
Jinchao couldn’t help but smile. Gu Lan’s habit of fishing for rewards was about to surface. Sure enough, Gu Lan immediately tugged at Aunt Gu’s sleeve. "Auntie, you’re playing favorites! Rong-ge got a gift, so we sisters deserve one too—consider it New Year’s money."
Her playful whining wasn’t annoying but endearing.
Why drag the rest into it? Jinchao had no interest in New Year’s money, especially now that they were of marriageable age. "The younger sisters can have theirs. I’ll pass," she said.
Aunt Gu looked troubled. She hadn’t prepared gifts in advance, and it wouldn’t do to give away personal items.
Concubine Song, realizing the awkwardness, stepped in. "Perhaps the master could provide the gifts. The estate recently received some exquisite gold and silver jewelry."
Grateful, Aunt Gu glanced at her. Their father waved it off. "Those were meant for you girls anyway. Take whatever you like."
Gu Lan beamed. "The two sets of gold filigree hair ornaments from Changzhou are exceptional—the rubies are flawless. One has an infant and lotus pattern with hollowed-out jade inlays, while the other features lotus and auspicious clouds, crafted from twelve taels of gold, paired with gold grass-insect hairpins..."
Jinchao’s heart stirred. These were the pieces Manager Ge from Changzhou had sent—her mother’s arrangements, using her own treasured rubies. Every detail had been personally overseen by her mother. Why was Gu Lan bringing this up? Did she want them? Though Jinchao didn’t care for finery, these were special.
Her father remarked, "Manager Ge from Changzhou... Those were Xiangjun’s gifts for Jinchao."Xiangjun was Mother's courtesy name.
Concubine Song smiled and said, "Look at our Lan Er, you haven't even had your coming-of-age ceremony yet, so those aren’t for you to wear. Naturally, the eldest sister’s things belong to the eldest sister. If you want something, Mother still has some sapphires—how about I have a filigree butterfly-and-flower hairpin made for you?"
Gu Lan also feigned embarrassment. "I didn’t realize that belonged to Eldest Sister. Of course, now that I think about it, the ruby was so dazzling and the craftsmanship so exquisite—it must have been made by Mother for Eldest Sister..."
Gu Jinzhao clenched her hand tightly.
At such a young age, Gu Lan’s words were already so venomous. She was clearly implying that Mother was biased. If she didn’t give it to her, it would only make herself seem petty.
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