Chapter 266: Doubts
After Chen Xuanqing left, Gu Jinzhao took out the letter from Cao Ziheng to read carefully.
Cao Ziheng's letter detailed the matter of Gu Deyuan's embezzlement, providing a clearer account compared to Third Master Chen's evasiveness.
Gu Deyuan had been implicated because the Prefectural Vice Magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture was caught and named him under interrogation. The magistrate, having served for years, was notoriously corrupt and had committed many unscrupulous acts. As a Censorate official, Gu Deyuan had shielded the magistrate, ensuring the Censorate never investigated him.
Knowing full well what he was doing, Gu Deyuan would find it difficult to escape consequences this time. Even if he avoided dismissal, demotion seemed inevitable.
When Gu Deyuan learned of the magistrate's downfall, he immediately had Madam Feng seek help from the Yao family. However, Yao Daren lacked sufficient influence in the Grand Secretariat to intervene effectively. As for the Marquis Changxing's family, Gu Deyuan didn't even consider them—the Marquis would never assist him. Cao Ziheng speculated that Gu Deyuan might have also approached Third Master Chen, though the outcome remained unclear. Gu Jinzhao knew about this—Third Master Chen had discussed it with her just yesterday.
Cao Ziheng also mentioned Wang Xuanfan's situation. Since being implicated in the illegal salt trade case, his standing had significantly declined. Recently, he had committed a breach of decorum before the Emperor and was demoted to Prefect of Yangzhou without a single official speaking in his defense.
...
After reading, Gu Jinzhao burned the letter and pondered for a long time.
If all avenues of help were exhausted, Madam Feng would inevitably turn to her. Gu Deyuan was her only son—she wouldn't let him fall.
Had Gu Deyuan not committed such unscrupulous acts, Gu Jinzhao might have considered helping, as they were still family. But given the circumstances, she didn’t want Third Master Chen to be dragged into this and tarnish his reputation. She would have to wait and see.
However, Cao Ziheng had revealed something crucial.
Wang Xuanfan's demotion to Prefect of Yangzhou wasn’t due to Third Master Chen’s influence but because of his breach of decorum before the Emperor.
The current Emperor was only thirteen, still young and inexperienced, yet he undoubtedly understood more than he let on. Was Wang Xuanfan’s demotion orchestrated by someone else, or was it the Emperor’s own doing?
Gu Jinzhao recalled her past life—despite constant political turmoil, the young Emperor had maintained stability, ensuring prosperity for the people. His transformation from a puppet ruler to a wise sovereign couldn’t have been simple.
Who, then, had orchestrated Third Master Chen’s death in her past life?
Gu Jinzhao had to add the Emperor to the list of suspects. Beyond Zhang Ju Lian, Third Master Chen had clearly been constrained by the Emperor as well.
Lost in thought, she eventually took the candle and burned the letter.
Meanwhile, Third Master Chen was at Crane Extension Tower, discussing business matters with Fourth Master Chen.
"...The brocade silk, printed silk, and figured silk are all sourced from Shaoxing in large quantities through the Ji family’s merchant fleet. The canal floods halted shipments for months, causing significant losses. Only this month have things begun to improve."
Business affairs had always been managed by Fourth Master Chen, with Chen Yanyun rarely interfering.
"Ups and downs are inevitable in business. There’s no need to report such matters to me," Third Master Chen said with a smile. "I trust your judgment."
Chen Yanyun also smiled. "I still have to keep you informed. After all, we are brothers of the same mother.""When Father was still with us, he always said fraternal unity and harmony were most important. Even though Second Brother and Sixth Brother are not our full-blooded siblings, they're still the same to us." Third Master Chen merely smiled. "You're thoughtful and considerate—you handle these matters better than Old Six. Speaking of Old Six... He's been cooped up in Bao Xiang Temple lately and must be miserable. Visit him when you have time."
Chen Yanwen nodded in agreement. "It's been a while since I last saw him." Then he asked Third Master Chen, "I heard something happened to Third Sister-in-law's second uncle?"
"Yes, he's already been detained." Third Master Chen leaned back in the Grand Preceptor's Chair, sipping a cup of hot tea.
"Aren't you planning to intervene? I heard his situation might not end well this time."
"We'll see when the time comes. I'm recuperating now—it's not appropriate for me to meddle in these matters." Third Master Chen gave an ambiguous reply.
Chen Yanwen then said, "Speaking of recuperation, I got you a basket of reeves shad. I've already sent someone to deliver it to you."
At that moment, Chen Yi came in to report.
Chen Yanwen took his leave from Crane Extension Tower, gathered some items, and went to visit Sixth Master Chen.
"...Both undersecretaries of the Ministry of Works have been investigated. Ji Qiuping has served as an official for twenty years, adhering to the doctrine of the mean. Now nearing sixty, he's highly respected in the Ministry of Works. Fan Hui, on the other hand, passed the imperial examination in the 40th year of the Jiajing reign, two sessions after yours, ranking fourth in the second tier. He's only thirty-six now..."
After Wang Xuanfan stepped down from the Grand Secretariat, the new Minister of Works would likely be a Grand Secretariat member.
This appointment was particularly crucial.
Chen Yi said, "Mr. Jiang believes Ji Qiuping has a higher chance of promotion."
"Nor can we rule out others entering the Grand Secretariat... Keep a close eye on Lord Zhang's movements," Third Master Chen instructed before pausing.
Seeing Third Master Chen lost in thought, Chen Yi asked, "What's wrong? Do you sense something amiss?"
"I was just thinking... whether Wang Xuanfan's lapse in court decorum is good or bad..." A faint smile curled Third Master Chen's lips. "At first, it seemed unfavorable, but upon reflection, there might be some benefits..." Neither of the two undersecretaries of the Ministry of Works belonged to Zhang's faction, which would help balance power within the Grand Secretariat.
Third Master Chen vaguely sensed that Zhang Ju Lian was wary of him—a wariness even Zhang himself might not fully realize. With external forces now in play, Zhang's vigilance would relax somewhat, diverting considerable attention to the new Grand Secretariat member.
Chen Yi hesitated before saying, "By the way, you instructed me to station guards discreetly at Osmanthus Hall and report any incidents... I'm not sure if I should mention this."
After his own assassination attempt, Third Master Chen had arranged for guards at Osmanthus Hall, stationed in the side rooms of the front hall without Gu Jinzhao's knowledge. He worried she might feel uncomfortable if she found out, but his concern was for Jinchao's safety. He had originally planned to withdraw the guards in a few days.
He nodded. "Go ahead, what is it?"
"Seventh Young Master visited Fourth Miss today... He lingered in Madam's quarters, and there seemed to be some disagreement. But the guards were too far away to be certain of what was said. It appeared Seventh Young Master spoke disrespectfully to Madam." After hearing the guards' report, Chen Yi had been unsure whether to inform Third Master Chen. But he figured if there was any private discord between Madam and Seventh Young Master, Third Master Chen should know.
To his surprise, Third Master Chen frowned slightly upon hearing this. He remained deep in thought for a long while.
Finally, he asked Chen Yi, "Who else was in the room at the time?"Chen Yi said, "It seems only the madam's personal maid was present. The fourth young lady had the nanny take her out. Third Master, did something happen between the seventh young master and the madam that caused displeasure... I saw the seventh young master walking out very quickly, looking quite angry."
Third Master Chen said indifferently, "No matter how angry he is, there is absolutely no reason for him to vent his temper on his stepmother."
Chen Xuanqing had appeared uncomfortable around Gu Jinzhao several times. He had initially thought it was due to the awkwardness of her status. But judging from the incident with Zhou Yixuan, Chen Xuanqing's reaction seemed... far from mere discomfort. As someone who believed in "the friendship between gentlemen should be as light as water," how could he disrespect his stepmother? And given Jinzhao's temperament, she wouldn't do anything outrageous to provoke his anger. Unless... he and Gu Jinzhao had known each other before.
But he had never known these two were acquainted.
What did Third Master mean by this?
Chen Yi didn't quite understand, but he clearly noticed that after mentioning this, Third Master Chen's expression changed immediately... He couldn't help but regret it. Such private household matters were better left unspoken. Who knew what Third Master was thinking?
"Third Master, this might not be a big deal. Perhaps it was because of the fourth young lady..." Chen Yi hurriedly added, feeling sweat bead on his forehead.
The more he thought about it, the more something felt off. Neither the seventh young master nor the madam seemed like people with bad tempers. How could they have argued for no reason? Fortunately, there had been a maid in the room, or else people might have speculated... But this maid was the madam's personal attendant, so her words and actions would naturally favor the madam.
"Should I investigate this..." Chen Yi tentatively asked.
Several thoughts flashed through Chen Yanyun's mind. No matter what, Gu Jinzhao was clearly keeping something from him.
He disliked her hiding things from him and disliked matters concerning her slipping beyond his control. It made him restless.
But he should also respect her. He should believe these were all misunderstandings, that he was overthinking. What could possibly happen between a stepmother and a stepson?
He closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them again and said calmly, "...No need. Let’s pretend this never happened."
When he returned to Osmanthus Hall that evening, Gu Jinzhao was not in the room.
He went to the washroom to change his clothes, then picked up a book to read. The sky outside had darkened, but Gu Jinzhao still hadn't returned.
Third Master Chen set the book aside and noticed her sewing basket placed on the heated bed table, inside which lay an unfinished child's shoe. He picked up the tiny shoe and examined it, thinking how lifelike the embroidered tiger's head looked on such a small thing.
A maid brought a cup of Junshan Yinzhen Tea. Third Master Chen took a sip but found it lacked its usual fragrance. Setting it aside, he asked the maid, "Where is the madam?"
The maid replied, "This servant is not one of her personal attendants, so I’m not sure. Sister Qingpu went to the outer courtyard's needlework room earlier to fetch something."
Third Master Chen dismissed her and waited another half-hour before hearing Jinzhao's voice chatting with a maid, growing closer.
The maid lifted the curtain, and Jinzhao entered. Seeing Third Master Chen sitting on the arhat bed, she smiled and asked, "You’re back already? Why aren’t you reading today?"Gu Jinzhao noticed Third Master Chen was looking at her with a strange expression. He didn't respond, but his face remained calm. As she moved to sit on the daybed, before she could say anything more, Third Master Chen suddenly grabbed her wrist: "...Where were you just now?"
Gu Jinzhao felt his grip was too strong, the pressure making her wrist ache. She struggled slightly: "I went to Mother's place. She asked me to help pick out some embroidery patterns... Third Master, you're hurting me."
So she had been with her mother.
Third Master Chen released her, only then noticing he had indeed left red marks on her wrist. "Didn't realize my strength... Your skin is so delicate." It had turned red from just a light squeeze. He gently blew on it and massaged the spot.
"Were you waiting long? Are you angry with me?" Gu Jinzhao asked with a smile. "Mother said we must choose carefully for the baby's swaddling clothes. Before, when you were busy with Grand Secretariat affairs, didn't you make me wait too? How does it feel to be the one waiting?"
Third Master Chen gazed at her for a long moment before pulling her into his arms, murmuring softly, "How could I ever be angry with you?"
Gu Jinzhao let him hold her, though her thoughts still lingered on Cao Ziheng's letter. After a while, she suddenly heard Third Master Chen ask, "Jinzhao, did you and Xi Jie'er have fun today? Anything interesting happen?"
Gu Jinzhao snapped out of her thoughts: "I don't know... What do you mean by interesting?"
He stroked her hair and smiled. "Nothing, just asking casually."
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