Chapter 219: Xuan Yue
Qingpu brought a cup of Junshan Yinzhen Tea, which Jinchao personally took and placed beside him. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Third Master, since you now reside here permanently, would you like to add someone to attend to you? At present, I am unable to serve you properly, and I’m also unsure of your plans regarding the concubines..."
Chen Yanyun gently skimmed the tea foam with the lid and took a sip without looking up.
He said nothing, and his expression remained unchanged, yet Jinchao felt her heart tighten.
Just like in her past life, she still couldn’t discern what this man was thinking. She had initially believed that knowing Chen Yanyun wouldn’t harm her was enough. But since they were to spend their lives together, it was only natural that their hearts should align. A man as dominant as Third Master Chen was accustomed to control, to letting actions speak for themselves. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t offer excessive explanations, assuming others would understand his intentions.
Gu Jinzhao inwardly smiled bitterly. Wasn’t she the same, harboring her own thoughts without fully revealing them to him?
Perhaps she still held some reservations, afraid to bare her heart completely.
"Was this... your idea?" Third Master Chen asked indifferently, still not looking at her.
Jinchao replied, "This morning, the three concubines came to pay their respects. Mama Wang mentioned that Concubine Yu has yet to serve you."
Third Master Chen nodded. "That maidservant from Jiang Shi’s dowry—is she managing affairs in your quarters now? What about your own dowry maidservant?"
Why was he asking this? Gu Jinzhao wasn’t entirely sure. If possible, she would prefer not to rely on Mama Wang. However, Mama Wang was Jiang Shi’s dowry servant and had been personally assigned to her by Madam Chen. If she were to immediately strip Mama Wang of her authority, it would inevitably invite criticism. Moreover, Mama Wang was intimately familiar with Jiang Shi’s dowry affairs—replacing her would only cause confusion.
"I do have another dowry maidservant, but she’s currently assisting me with managing my dowry and isn’t yet fully acquainted with the household affairs."
She was referring to Mama Tong, who was now overseeing matters at the Villa. It was the season for harvesting Indian corn and peanuts, and she was swamped with work. She hadn’t yet taken charge of household affairs. Jinchao personally managed the daily provisions for each household, but when she became overwhelmed, Mama Wang would step in to assist, often visiting her quarters.
Third Master Chen nodded. "Since your dowry maidservant isn’t yet familiar with household matters, I’ll have Mother assign another one to you."
But what about the bed-warming maid?
Jinchao looked at his calm and composed expression, and an involuntary pang of bitterness rose in her heart.
Suddenly, she recalled an incident from her past life.
After Third Master Chen moved to the front courtyard, they rarely saw each other. Madam Chen had reproached her, assuming discord between them. In response, Jinchao had selected two beautiful maids from her dowry and sent them over. She hadn’t even inquired about their fate afterward...
In her past life, she had been utterly ruthless—because she simply hadn’t cared.
Chen Yanyun began eating. Not a single unnecessary sound could be heard between the bowls and chopsticks. Standing beside him, Jinchao grew increasingly tense. This stalemate was unbearable. When a maid brought in another dish, she picked up a pair of chopsticks and personally served him.
Chen Yanyun said nothing. After finishing the meal, he instructed the maids to clear the dishes and closed the door.
He stood up and looked at Gu Jinzhao, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he sighed. "Gu Jinzhao. You always manage to anger me."How had she angered him... This matter shouldn't have been her decision to begin with.
Whenever she didn't know what she'd done wrong, she wore this same innocent, silent expression.
Chen Yanyun reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him: "If I said I wanted a bed warming maid, would you have someone ready for me by tomorrow? Or perhaps by the time I return, you'd have already sent Concubine Yu to my wormwood bed?"
His tone was calm, but his gaze was sharp. Gu Jinzhao couldn't meet his eyes and said softly, "If you said so, I would do it."
"And would you be willing in your heart?"
Did her willingness... even matter?
Gu Jinzhao remained silent. After a moment, Third Master Chen released her and said indifferently, "I've been drafting memorials in the Grand Secretariat all morning. I'm tired. Let's rest." He got up and went straight to the washroom.
Gu Jinzhao could tell Third Master Chen was displeased about this. She silently reflected on what she might have said wrong. After thinking it over, she couldn't find any fault—if there was any mistake, it was that she had appeared too accommodating.
Would her attitude really make Third Master Chen unhappy?
Shouldn't most men prefer their wives to be magnanimous and turn a blind eye to their dalliances?
After a while, Gu Jinzhao called Caifu in to help her wash up. She removed her hair ornaments, tied her hair into a small bun, and changed into a plain green silk jacket. She washed her face with jasmine-infused water, applied scented cream, and then lay down on the wormwood bed.
Third Master Chen was certainly no ordinary man. If he were one to chase after women, wouldn't there already be countless beauties surrounding him? With his current status and position, he could have any concubine he desired. Perhaps she really had been wrong. Gu Jinzhao closed her eyes, feeling sleep gradually overtake her...
Third Master Chen emerged from the washroom, lifted the light quilt, and lay down beside her. Gu Jinzhao immediately became alert. She kept her eyes closed and listened for a long time until she heard his steady breathing. Only then did she turn her head to look at him. The affairs of court must have exhausted him—he must truly be asleep.
Now that he was asleep, Gu Jinzhao grew bolder. Propping herself up on her elbow, she studied him for a while—his thick, arched eyebrows, straight nose, and handsome, refined features. She lay back down, her mind heavy with thoughts.
The next day, when she went to pay respects to Madam Chen, the old lady called a servant over to present to her.
"Third Master specifically mentioned before leaving this morning that I should assign another servant to assist you. This is Granny Sun. She used to work in the embroidery bureau. Her son is the steward at the villa in Baoding, and she has served the Chen Family for over ten years," Madam Chen explained.
Granny Sun wore a dark blue cotton jacket and a simple silver hairpin, her appearance very plain. She curtsied with a smile and said, "This servant, Sun Shi, greets the Third Madam."
Jinchao thanked Madam Chen. "It's rare for you to find someone so quickly." Unsure whether Third Master Chen had explained the situation clearly, she added, "The servant I brought from my dowry is busy with affairs at the villa, and Mama Wang alone can't manage everything in the household. I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
Madam Chen smiled. "It was merely an oversight on my part. Your second sister-in-law also has three stewardesses. Sometimes, during the seasonal account settlements, she can't manage and has to borrow servants from me."After a while, the second branch came to pay their respects. Madam Shen carried her four-year-old eldest grandson, Xian Ge'er, while Madam Zhuang held the hand of her three-year-old Zheng Ge'er. Both children called out sweetly to Chen Xi and Chen Zhao, addressing them as "Fourth Aunt" and "Fifth Aunt." Madam Shen and Madam Zhuang placed the two children on the Arhat bed, peeling sugar-roasted chestnuts from the heated bed table to feed them.
Sun Shi watched the children of her sisters-in-law and couldn't help but touch her own belly, smiling as she said, "I wonder if I can give Grandmother another great-grandson..."
Madam Chen observed the children playing with a kindly smile. "I actually hope you'll give us a great-granddaughter, to add a little cousin for Xian Ge'er and Zheng Ge'er."
Xian Ge'er, being more sensible, widened his eyes at this and declared, "Xian Ge'er wants a sister!"
Madam Qin chuckled. "Then Mother might just get her wish. Yixiang's belly is round." She didn’t particularly care whether Sun Shi bore a son or daughter—after all, she already had two grandsons, securing her position in the Chen Family firmly. In fact, she thought it might be better if Sun Shi had a daughter, lest she become too arrogant.
Sun Shi naturally wasn’t pleased by this, and even the taste of the pigeon soup with milk she was holding seemed to sour. Instead, she turned to Gu Jinzhao with a forced smile. "Perhaps Third Aunt will give Grandmother a granddaughter this year..." Realizing her words might have been inappropriate, she tensed and quickly added, "Or a grandson would be good too."
Everyone could see how highly Third Master Chen regarded Gu Jinzhao. Her position in the Chen Family was exceptional—these daughters-in-law not only had to mind Madam Qin’s moods but also needed to curry favor with Gu Jinzhao. How could she have said such a thing? Sun Shi felt her palms grow damp with sweat.
Madam Chen smiled gently at Gu Jinzhao. "Whether you bear a grandson or granddaughter, I’ll love them all the same."
Gu Jinzhao naturally didn’t mind such words, but thinking of the distance between her and Third Master Chen last night, she merely smiled faintly.
Soon, the fourth and sixth branches arrived.
Madam Ge looked exhausted, though her expression seemed somewhat lighter. When Madam Chen asked about Sixth Master Chen’s punishment of kneeling in the ancestral hall, she sighed. "...I don’t expect him to achieve greatness, but at least he should be as steady as his fourth brother."
Madam Ge replied, "This humble wife went to see him last night. He knelt for a while but eventually fell asleep. The floor was terribly cold, so he woke up soon after and dozed off leaning against a pillar... though he didn’t dare get up."
Gu Jinzhao observed Madam Ge, thinking how deeply devoted she was to Sixth Master Chen. She must have kept vigil in the ancestral hall for a long time. Smiling, she said to Madam Ge, "Sixth Master will be staying at Bao Xiang Temple from now on. If Sixth Sister-in-law feels lonely, you’re welcome to visit me."
Madam Ge managed a small smile. "I just worry about disturbing Third Sister-in-law’s peace." But inwardly, she felt relieved—with Third Master Chen’s people keeping an eye on Sixth Master, perhaps he wouldn’t get into trouble anymore. She truly envied the other sisters-in-law, who at least had some say in the Chen Family.
Madam Chen nodded approvingly. "You’re too reserved—you should socialize more." Turning to Madam Qin, she added, "You must take more responsibility for the sixth branch’s affairs. Your sixth sister-in-law isn’t firm enough. If any maids act out in the future, don’t hesitate to discipline them."
Madam Qin agreed with a smile.
Gu Jinzhao was surprised—she hadn’t known that the sixth branch’s affairs were managed by Madam Qin. No wonder Madam Ge was so timid.
As the room buzzed with lively chatter, Gu Jinzhao lowered her head to sip her tea. When she looked up, however, she caught sight of a boy peeking hesitantly through the doorway.
Someone seemed to push him from behind, and he stumbled forward into the room.Gu Jinzhao noticed that Madam Chen, Madam Qin, and Wang Shi, who were seated, had all furrowed their brows. The child, who had just scrambled up from the ground, looked somewhat lost. He was dressed in a slightly worn short jacket and had a greenish runny nose. A nanny appeared behind him, quickly pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his nose before leading him to Madam Chen to pay respects. She smiled and said, "Ninth Young Master ran too fast—this servant couldn't keep up... Greetings to the Madam."
Madam Chen frowned. "In such hot weather, how did he catch a cold?"
The plump nanny, with her upward-slanting eyebrows, chuckled and explained, "Ninth Young Master kicked off his blankets while sleeping last night... It was this servant's oversight."
Madam Qin stood up and said, "Then I'll have a physician summoned as soon as I return."
Only then did Madam Chen nod. The child looked around blankly—seated on the Arhat bed were the well-dressed grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the Chen Family, eating sugar-roasted chestnuts. He tugged at the nanny's sleeve and whispered, "Chestnuts..."
Madam Qin immediately said, "Hanzhen, quickly scoop some chestnuts for Ninth Young Master." Her personal maid, Hanzhen, curtsied, grabbed a handful of chestnuts, and handed them to the nanny. The nanny smiled again and promptly led the child away.
Gu Jinzhao was momentarily stunned before quietly asking Wang Shi, "That child... is he Ninth Young Master Chen Xuanyue?"
The future Left Commander-in-Chief and Gansu Military Governor, Chen Xuanyue, who would later quell the Mongol rebellion and achieve illustrious military exploits? (......)
P.S.: Heard some classmates are taking the postgraduate entrance exam tomorrow, so I wrote this early. Also, thanks to the dear "Wenzi Nuli" for the three He Shi Bi jades—my first alliance leader! Mwah ! I owe everyone eight more chapters—I’m keeping count!
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