Chapter 167: Premature Birth
After Gu Lian's hair-pinning ceremony, the New Year was just around the corner.
The household had begun preparations early, setting out sacrificial offerings of livestock, fruits, and cooked dishes for ancestral worship. The wedding date for Gu Lian and Yao Wenxiu had also been finalized—the groom would fetch the bride in March at the start of spring. Because of this joyous occasion, this year's New Year celebrations in the household were particularly grand. Each branch of the family was given fabric for new winter clothes for the servants, along with an additional twenty taels of silver for extra clothing expenses.
Qingpu wore a red sleeveless jacket embroidered with double-happiness gourds but seemed somewhat uncomfortable, tugging at the hem several times. Baiyun couldn't help but laugh at her. "Sister Qingpu, this new outfit looks so lovely on you! Why are you so uneasy?"
Qingpu mumbled, "The young mistress is still in mourning. Isn’t it inappropriate for me to wear something so bright…?"
Jinchao set down the paper cutouts she was working on and smiled. "Baiyun is right. When you wear new clothes, wear them with pride. After all, the New Year is a festive occasion. If we all dressed too plainly, others might gossip."
Yuzhu nodded in agreement, grinning. "Young Mistress, last year for New Year’s, you gave us a compartmented box full of sweets… I still remember—there were three pieces of filigree candy, six rose-flavored candies, amber candies, and powdered sugar hawthorn cakes…"
Baiyun shot her a glare, and Yuzhu stuck out her tongue, not daring to continue.
Jinchao handed her the finished paper cutouts and teased, "Want another compartmented box? I’ll give you one when you’ve memorized all the names of the camellias in the side rooms, just like Cao Ying."
Yuzhu’s little face fell. She couldn’t even tell the camellias in the young mistress’s side rooms apart…
Clenching her small fists, she declared, "Young Mistress, I’ll definitely memorize them!"
True to her word, the next day she began earnestly studying the names of the camellias with unusual diligence. By the time she had nearly memorized them all, it was already the 27th of the month, and Cao Ziheng visited Gu Jinzhao in his capacity as an elderly Confucian tutor. He handed over the year-end account books to Jinchao. During the Shanxi relief efforts, he had been tasked by Jinchao to investigate the relationship between Third Master Chen and the Gu family, and this visit was also meant to report his findings.
Jinchao took the opportunity to ask him about Lord Wen. Cao Ziheng spoke highly of the man.
"...He was truly a man of exceptional literary talent. Back when Lord Chen served as a lecturer in the Imperial Academy, he and Lord Wen were quite close..." Cao Ziheng said, then hesitated.
Noticing his reluctance, Jinchao urged, "Speak freely, Master Cao. There’s no need to hold back."
After a pause, Cao Ziheng replied, "This old man simply finds it strange. The Eldest Miss mentioned that Lord Wen had written to Lord Chen two years ago, asking him to look after your father. But… Lord Wen passed away from illness four years ago in his hometown in Chengde, Hebei. Many scholars from the capital even traveled to Hebei to pay their respects at the time. I remember it clearly."
Jinchao was stunned for a moment.
Cao Ziheng then moved on to discussing the profits from the Suzhou-Hangzhou silk shop in Daxing, along with letters from the villa stewards. Some matters required decisions he couldn’t make alone. Once he finished, he took his leave, and Jinchao had Mama Xu escort him out through the festooned gate.
Sitting in the flower hall, she gazed at the blooming wintersweet in the courtyard, her thoughts in turmoil.
If it wasn’t Lord Wen’s request, then why had Third Master Chen helped the Gu family? Even if it was to suppress a political rival, why would he fabricate such an excuse? And one so easily disproven—had she looked into it, she would have known his words were untrue.Gu Jinzhao felt there was a very clear answer hidden behind all this, yet she couldn't quite grasp it.
Why had Third Master Chen married her in her previous life... Why had he asked if she still remembered...
What was she supposed to remember?
A vague conjecture formed in her heart, but Gu Jinzhao found it utterly absurd. She took a sip of tea and was about to head to the western courtyard to see Gu Jinrong when Qingpu hurried into the flower hall.
Fifth Madam had gone into premature labor.
"...She got up early to check on the sacrificial offerings prepared for the New Year... The stone path from the western courtyard to the front yard had iced over. Fifth Madam slipped and immediately felt pain in her abdomen. The maids quickly carried her back, and Tai Furen sent for a midwife as soon as she heard the news. But before the midwife could arrive, the baby was born—a little girl..."
Qingpu explained as they walked.
Jinchao instructed Qingpu to bring the baby items she had prepared and hurried to Fifth Madam's quarters in the western courtyard. Outside, a crowd of maids and servants were waiting. Fan Shi, the dowry matron Fifth Madam had brought from the Changxing Marquis's household, was directing the maids—boiling water, fetching supplies—everything was in chaos.
The western side room was already packed with people: Madam Feng, Second Madam, several young ladies of the Gu family, and their attending maids and servants. Madam Feng cradled the swaddled baby in her arms, smiling as she spoke to Second Madam: "Though she wasn't born full-term, she's not weak at all. Look at her rosy, soft little face—it melts my heart."
Gu Jinzhao paid her respects, and Second Madam beckoned her over to see the baby. The tiny newborn, wrapped tightly in swaddling clothes, revealed only a fist-sized face—too small to discern whose features she had inherited. Yet Madam Feng gazed at her as if she were a golden treasure: "...This child has delicate features. She'll surely grow up to be as beautiful as her mother."
The baby stirred slightly in her sleep, her tiny mouth moving.
The young ladies, who had never seen such a small infant before, gathered around in wonder, itching to touch her.
Gu Jinzhao sat on a stool. Women typically didn't give birth in the inner chambers, as men needed to enter those rooms and feared the inauspiciousness of blood. Several matrons were laying out bedding. Shortly after, Fifth Madam was carried from the eastern side room into the inner chamber by the matrons. Madam Feng immediately brought the baby to show her. A faint smile appeared on Ye Shi's pale face.
Gu Wuye had gone horseback riding with friends that morning. Upon receiving the news from a servant, he rushed home and had just arrived. Yet he stood hesitantly outside the door, too afraid to enter. When Madam Feng brought the baby to show him, he shrank back nervously, waving his hands in fright—yet couldn't resist peeking over to look.
Everyone burst into laughter.
One joyous event followed another in the household, filling the entire estate with celebration.
Upon hearing of Fifth Madam's premature labor, the Changxing Marchioness Gao Shi and the heir apparent arrived the next day with their entourage. They first visited Fifth Madam and held their newborn granddaughter before meeting with Madam Feng in the banquet and rest area.
Madam Feng smiled and inquired about the Changxing Marquis's well-being. Gao Shi didn't answer directly but instead said slowly, "Why did Shujie go into premature labor? Mother-in-law, you must explain clearly. Shujie says it was her own carelessness—what do you say to that?"
Madam Feng's smile stiffened slightly before she replied, "This old woman is also at fault. My fifth daughter-in-law was too far along in her pregnancy to be moving about. The icy path caused her to slip... Whatever Mother-in-law says is right!"Gao Shi sneered, "What do you mean by 'everything'? All I know is what I heard from Shujie. As her mother-in-law, how could you claim she doesn’t listen to you?" Gao Shi had always disliked Madam Feng. Back when Ye Shu wanted to marry into the Gu family, she had been strongly opposed. Now that her daughter had gone into premature labor in the Gu household, she was even more furious.
Usually, everyone treated Madam Feng with respect, so these words from Gao Shi stung deeply. Even if she were carrying a golden egg, she still had to move around, didn’t she? She had always treated Ye Shu well enough—was Gao Shi implying that the premature birth was her fault?
And the one speaking to her was none other than the wife of the Marquis of Changxing...
Madam Feng suppressed her anger and forced a smile, saying nothing.
Gao Shi then said, "Since both mother and child are fine, I won’t press further. But you should still be careful, Mother-in-law..." She beckoned two fair, plump young women standing behind her to step forward. Both had smooth, rosy complexions and full bosoms. "...I specially sought the Empress’s permission to select two wet nurses from Naizi Manor. You may choose whichever one you think is suitable."
As if the Gu family couldn’t even afford to hire a wet nurse!
Suppressing her discomfort, Madam Feng replied, "Whichever the Marchioness deems suitable will do."
Gao Shi didn’t hesitate and casually pointed to the wet nurse wearing a blue jacket with pale pink floral embroidery to stay.
After speaking with Madam Feng, Gao Shi went to the western courtyard to see her daughter. Meanwhile, Madam Feng, in a fit of rage, smashed a blue-and-white porcelain teacup on the table, her face dark with fury. "Who does she think she is? Flaunting her status and lording it over me!" Because of Gao Shi, she had never dared to discipline Ye Shi as strictly as she did Zhou Shi. But Gao Shi’s attitude still rankled deeply.
Fuling whispered, "Tai Furen, why bother getting angry with the Marchioness? No matter what she says, Fifth Madam is still your daughter-in-law. There are plenty of ways to handle her if you wish..."
Madam Feng exhaled heavily and said gloomily, "That may be so..." But as long as the Marquis of Changxing’s family remained influential, Ye Shi would always be the legitimate daughter of the marquis’s household—not just her daughter-in-law.
Fuling comforted her further, "...Setting that aside, you’ve gained a granddaughter!"
Madam Feng’s expression softened slightly, but she sighed. "Still just a girl..." She had hoped for a grandson, after all. The Gu family’s lineage was not flourishing, and the late patriarch had emphasized before his death that continuing the family line was the most crucial matter. Fifth Madam’s belly had been pointed—she had been so sure it would be a boy...
What a pity.
In the western courtyard, Fifth Madam had just shown the baby to Ye Xian and said, "Your niece’s eyebrows resemble yours... She’ll grow up plain for sure."
Ye Xian scoffed, "She’s barely born—you can’t even see her eyebrows. And how could resembling me make her plain?"
Fifth Madam laughed. "Fine, fine, look at you!" She handed the baby to the nursemaid beside her and asked Ye Xian, "Weren’t you busy not long ago? I asked you to come in the twelfth month to tutor your nephew, but you never showed up."
Ye Xian said, "Nothing worth mentioning... I just want to take a walk. I’ll come back to see you later."
What could he possibly be busy with? He had been preoccupied with finding a suitable husband for Gu Jinzhao, but none of the candidates satisfied him—each one was worse than Ji Yao! And how could Gu Jinzhao possibly fancy any of them?But as for what kind of man would truly suit Gu Jinzhao, even he himself had no idea.
Ye Xian stepped out of the western courtyard and happened to see Gu Jinzhao approaching from the opposite direction. She had retrieved a pair of golden anklets from her private collection, intending to gift them to her newborn younger cousin. The moment she spotted Ye Xian emerging, she couldn't retreat fast enough.
Noticing her take a step back toward the Taihu rock, Ye Xian couldn't help but laugh: "Your courage is the size of a pea... Why are you avoiding me!"
Did she really think that Taihu rock could hide her?
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