Chapter 288: The Second Master
The maidservant moved aside the heated bed table by the window of the large heated bed in the East Side Room and warmed the bed.
Gu Jinzhao washed up and applied scented ointment in the inner chamber.
Third Master Chen returned unusually late today, likely due to the heavy workload at the Grand Secretariat. Now that Jinchao was pregnant, she grew drowsy early. She had been reading on the arhat bed while hugging a hand warmer, waiting for Third Master Chen to return. She yawned several times, her eyes watering from exhaustion.
Caifu advised her, "Why don’t you rest first? The bed is already warmed up. If Third Master returns and sees you waiting for him so long, he might scold you..." As she spoke, she quietly began collecting the book Jinchao had been reading.
Too drowsy to notice, Jinchao nodded. Caifu immediately called in two junior maids to help her prepare for bed.
Just as Jinchao entered the East Side Room and removed her outermost satin jacket, Third Master Chen returned.
Seeing only Caifu in the West Side Room, he asked, "Has my wife already gone to bed?"
Caifu replied, "Madam waited for you for a while but has just retired."
Third Master Chen’s expression softened slightly. He waved her away and tiptoed toward the inner chamber, careful not to wake Jinchao. Even his movements in the washroom were deliberately quiet. After freshening up, he approached the bed to check on her—only to find it empty.
Where had she gone?
He summoned Caifu and learned that Jinchao had gone to sleep in the East Side Room. His face darkened as he strode toward it.
Hadn’t he told her just yesterday that they were not to sleep apart? What was she thinking?
Jinchao had just settled under the covers when Third Master Chen entered.
He looked angry, his face expressionless. The two maids in the East Side Room hurriedly greeted him, but he motioned for them to leave.
"Third Master... what’s the matter—"
He strode over and grasped her wrist without hesitation. "Gu Jinzhao."
Jinchao froze. His cold, stern expression was intimidating, making her uneasy.
"Where did you go today?" he demanded.
She frowned. His grip was too tight, sending waves of pain through her wrist. She twisted slightly. "I spoke with Mother for a while and saw Qingpu off... Third Master, what’s wrong?"
But he didn’t relent, staring her down. "Why did you move to the East Side Room alone?"
Was he this upset just because she had left the inner chamber? Jinchao doubted it. Even if he were angry, he would at most reprimand her—certainly not like this! She rarely saw Third Master Chen in such a state. "I mentioned it to you last night... I didn’t want to disturb your rest, so I thought I’d sleep in the East Side Room! Third Master, you’re hurting me—let go!"
He loosened his grip slightly and took a deep breath. She had indeed mentioned it yesterday, but his mind had been preoccupied—not just with court affairs but also with her past involvement with Chen Xuanqing. For a moment, he had assumed...
He sat on the edge of the bed and saw the red marks on her wrist.
"I never agreed. You moved here on your own—how bold." He massaged her wrist gently.
Though his words were stern, Jinchao could tell his earlier inexplicable anger had faded. She relaxed. "I thought sleeping separately would help us both rest better... You’ve been returning so late. I didn’t want to disturb you."Third Master Chen said calmly, "There are already many matters to attend to, and adding you to the mix doesn’t make much difference. Don’t come over again, or I’ll carry you back every day."
He scooped her up along with the bedding, and Gu Jinzhao was wrapped up like a silkworm cocoon, only her eyes peeking out as she looked at him.
Third Master Chen carried her back to the inner chamber and soon joined her in bed. They embraced and fell asleep together.
After a while, Gu Jinzhao spoke up, "Third Master, did something happen today? You seem upset. You can tell me..."
Third Master Chen closed his eyes. She thought he was taking his anger out on her because of something else.
She didn’t blame him—instead, she wanted him to confide in her.
But how could he say it?
That he suspected his eldest son had feelings for her? Or even that he suspected they still had lingering ties?
Ever since learning about her past with Chen Xuanqing, he had been paying attention, and the more he noticed, the more something felt off. Suspicion, restraint—he feared the day he might finally lose control.
"It’s just some court matters," Third Master Chen said softly. "I’m sorry, I lost my temper for a moment. It’s nothing... Go back to sleep."
For him to be this angry, what could it be? Gu Jinzhao knew very well that Third Master Chen was not the type to take his frustrations out on others, especially not on her. This matter must be related to her, and it certainly wasn’t about court affairs...
Silence lingered between them. Though Jinzhao lay in Third Master Chen’s arms, she could still sense the weight of his thoughts. Because of what had just happened, an inexplicable distance had formed between them. After a long while, Gu Jinzhao finally heard Third Master Chen say, "The outer courtyard is crowded with all sorts of people. Try to go there less in the future."
Gu Jinzhao murmured an acknowledgment. He leaned down and kissed her.
She rarely visited the outer courtyard to begin with—why would Third Master Chen say this?
Gu Jinzhao turned over many possibilities in her mind but eventually drifted off to sleep.
On the second day of the eleventh month, the first snow fell.
When Gu Jinzhao woke the next morning, the world outside was blanketed in white. Fluffy snow clung to the grass and tree branches. The maids and elderly servants were delighted, collecting the snow in earthenware jars to use for brewing tea later.
When Chen Xuanyue came to pay his respects, his six-paneled melon cap and cloak were covered in snow.
A maid helped him remove his cloak, and Mama Song finally caught up, panting with a smile. "Ninth Young Master runs too fast—this old servant couldn’t keep up!" She set the umbrella outside the door.
After half a month of recovery, Chen Xuanyue could now speak a little. Pointing at the letter in Jinzhao’s hand, he slurred, "Aunt, what?"
His words were halting, but Gu Jinzhao understood his meaning.
"This is a family letter," she said, tucking the letter into her sleeve and instructing a maid to bring him a warm bowl of cassia twig soup.
The letter had come from the Gu family in Daxing. It had been sent half a month ago but only just reached her now.
Her father had written it, briefly mentioning household trivialities before finally informing her: Gu Lan was dead. She had died in the Yao family’s residence—after attempting to poison the main wife, she was discovered and, fearing punishment, hanged herself in guilt.
When Gu Jinzhao first read it, she couldn’t believe it. Gu Lan—just like that, she was gone?
The same Gu Lan who had fought her relentlessly in both past and present lives was now dead. She had survived Concubine Song’s descent into madness. She had survived her affair with Yao Wenxiu and nearly being strangled by Madam Feng. Yet now, after failing to harm Gu Lian, she had taken her own life in fear of punishment?
This didn’t sound like the Gu Lan she knew. The Gu Lan she knew was stubborn to the core—she would never have killed herself.Hearing that she had died just like that, Gu Jinzhao felt an indescribable emotion in her heart. If Concubine Song, who was far away in Shi'an, learned of her daughter's death, she wondered how she would feel. Jinzhao sighed as she gazed at the snowy scene outside the window.
It wasn't that she pitied Gu Lan—it was just the complicated feeling of hearing about an enemy's death.
Gu Lan had schemed for half her life, thinking she could enjoy luxury once she married into the Yao family. Little did she know it would be a den of tigers and dragons. Had she obediently married the son of Zhao Juren back then, she wouldn't have met such a tragic end. Even if the Zhao family wasn't wealthy or prominent, at least she wouldn't have lacked food or clothing, nor would she have suffered under a domineering mistress.
Chen Xi arrived, bundled up like a snowball, her round little face utterly adorable. She had grown very fond of her Ninth Brother lately. Every time she visited, she brought him something—sometimes warm chestnuts, other times dried longan. She thought her Ninth Brother might seem aloof, but he was actually adorably silly. She handed him a nine-linked ring and asked with a smile, "Ninth Brother, do you know how to play with this?"
Chen Xuanyue tangled the rings into a complete mess, unable to figure them out. Growing frustrated, he gritted his teeth and tried to tear them apart with brute force.
Chen Xi quickly took it back, afraid he might break it, and patiently taught him how to disentangle the rings.
Jinzhao smiled and beckoned them over for some pastries. Although she had only asked Chen Xuanyue to come pay his respects every other day—mainly to check if the servants were treating him well—he ended up visiting her place daily, lingering for hours each time. At least Chen Xi now had a playmate.
Chen Xuanyue stuffed his face with chestnut cake, crumbs everywhere. Chen Xi giggled, "Ninth Brother, you look like a little tabby cat!"
Chen Xuanyue stared at her blankly. Seeing her laugh, he thought she might try to take his food, so he hurriedly shoved the remaining cake into his mouth.
Chen Xi laughed so hard she rolled on the wormwood.
Mama Song quickly wiped Chen Xuanyue's mouth, and Jinzhao asked her, "How is Ninth Young Master doing at Crane Extension Tower?"
Mama Song replied cheerfully, "Ninth Young Master never complains about studying or throws tantrums. The teachers at Crane Extension Tower say he's doing very well. Seventh Young Master also often comes to teach him characters—he can already recognize sixty now!"
Though Mama Song sounded delighted, Jinzhao felt a bit embarrassed. Chen Xuanqing had been teaching him for nearly half a month, and he'd only learned sixty characters… She wondered if he found it tedious! After all, he was the Third Scholar. So Jinzhao asked Mama Song, "How does Seventh Young Master handle teaching him?"
Mama Song nodded. "Seventh Young Master is very patient. If Ninth Young Master doesn't grasp something right away, he repeats it several times. He even told me that the beginning is always the hardest, but once he gets past that, he’ll learn much faster."
Watching Chen Xi and Chen Xuanyue play, Jinzhao couldn't help but think how much livelier the household would be once the little one in her belly arrived.
Just then, Madam Chen's maid came to announce that Second Master Chen had returned and requested her presence for a gathering.
With the New Year approaching, members of the Chen Family were gradually returning home. The second branch was the most bustling—a few days prior, Chen Xuanran had returned from his post, bringing joy not only to his wife, Madam Shen, but also enlivening the entire household for two days. Then came the return of Chen Xuanfeng, Chen Xuanrang, and Chen Xuanyu from the Imperial Academy.
Madam Ge was overjoyed. With Sixth Master Chen away at Bao Xiang Temple, the sixth branch had been lonely with just her. Though Sixth Master Chen was a free spirit, he had only one child, Chen Xuanyu. Now that Xuanyu was back, she busied herself preparing all sorts of delicacies for him daily. Chen Xuanyu didn’t mind his mother's enthusiasm, showering her with affectionate concern. These past few days, Madam Ge had been smiling nonstop.Upon hearing of Second Master Chen's return, Jinchao changed into a satin jacket and first took Chen Xi to Sandalwood Mountain Courtyard. As for Chen Xuanyue, Gu Jinzhao hesitated for a moment before instructing Mama Song to bring him over half an hour later. It wouldn't be appropriate for her to go with Chen Xuanyue, as it might draw Madam Qin's displeasure.
After Jinchao left with Chen Xi, only two maids remained guarding the door of the western chamber, while Mama Song chatted outside with Granny Sun.
Chen Xuanyue glanced at the nine-linked rings on the heated bed table and picked them up. After a quick examination, he began solving them with remarkable speed and dexterity, unraveling all the rings in less than fifteen minutes. Chen Xi would surely have been astonished had he seen it.
He muttered something under his breath and swiftly reassembled the rings back to their original tangled state, each loop perfectly interlocked and placed exactly as before.
By the time Mama Song entered, Chen Xuanyue was still fiddling with his tangram puzzle, shifting the wooden pieces back and forth without forming any recognizable shape.
Mama Song poured him a cup of warm water and sighed, thinking of Second Master Chen's return to the estate.
PS: Today I took the little rascal to the supermarket—utterly exhausting. Lost sight of him in half a minute. A bit tired today, will make it up with extra updates tomorrow. Love you all!
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