Chapter 292: Taking a Concubine
A servant came to report that Seventh Madam had arrived. Chen Xuanqing lowered his eyes slightly and said softly, "Invite her in."
He placed the wolf-hair brush on the brush rest and took the hot towel handed by a maid to wipe his hands.
When Yu Wanxue entered, she saw her husband standing with his back to her behind the window frame, his posture as straight as a pine tree. Outside the window, heavy snow was falling, and a few lanterns hung along the corridor cast a hazy red glow into the room, softening the snowy night.
She walked over quietly and wrapped her arms around Chen Xuanqing’s waist, burying her face in his broad back.
Chen Xuanqing stiffened but did not push her away.
After a long while, he finally asked indifferently, "Why did you come in such heavy snow?"
Yu Wanxue replied, "I brought you some soup. My pig trotter soup is very good—others make it salty, but mine is sweet. I had hoped to wait for you to return and taste it, but seeing how heavily it was snowing, I thought you might not come back, so I came myself."
Chen Xuanqing noticed that her hands, still wrapped around his waist, were blue from the cold.
He gently pried them away and turned around, only to see Yu Wanxue’s cloak covered in snow.
"Did you not use an umbrella when you came?"
Yu Wanxue smiled. "I did, but the wind was too strong—it didn’t help much."
She was delicate and lovely, though in a different way from Gu Jinzhao’s striking beauty. She was more like an orchid in a secluded valley—elegant and refined. The cold had left her lips pale... Chen Xuanqing instinctively took her hands and led her to the stove to warm them.
Feeling the warmth of his hands, Yu Wanxue finally calmed down.
"Seventh Young Master, don’t worry about me. Drink the soup first, or it’ll get cold..." she whispered.
"Don’t speak," Chen Xuanqing suddenly said.
Yu Wanxue smiled and fell silent, carefully observing his hands—long and fair, with slender, almost feminine fingertips. They were even more beautiful than hers, yet they completely enveloped her own.
A moment later, Chen Xuanqing’s page boy lifted the curtain and entered, saying, "Seventh Young Master, the snow outside is already a foot deep—it could drown a boot. The lake has frozen over too. The servants sweeping snow tomorrow morning will have a hard time..."
"Stay and rest here," Chen Xuanqing sighed.
He had been feeling restless and had wanted to avoid Yu Wanxue for a while.
But she was innocent. She had done nothing wrong and had served him wholeheartedly... He was still a man, and naturally, he pitied her. Yet this pity clashed with the turmoil in his heart, leaving him unable to explain it.
He shouldn’t fail anyone. Everyone else was in the right—only he stood in the wrong place.
A maid brought hot water for Yu Wanxue to wash her face, and the underfloor heating system was lit. Only then did Yu Wanxue finally begin to feel warm again.
"Seventh Young Master, I have something to ask you," she said softly. "Are you angry with me? You’ve been avoiding me these past few days. If I’ve done something wrong, you must tell me. We’re husband and wife—there should be no distance between us..."
Chen Xuanqing shook his head. "Don’t overthink it. Just rest." He made to stand and leave.
Panicked, Yu Wanxue quickly grabbed him. "You’re not staying here tonight?"
"The underfloor heating is on—you’ll sleep warmer here. I’ll go to the side room," Chen Xuanqing said calmly, letting her cling to his sleeve.Yu Wanxue felt a pang in her heart upon hearing this. Could it be... that he no longer wished to share a bed with her now?
He despised her, which was why he refused to return to Shuyage to rest.
No matter how sensible Yu Wanxue was, she was still young at heart. Unable to hold back, her eyes reddened. She had already humbled herself so much—why wouldn’t he appreciate her efforts? A woman was supposed to follow the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. If her husband demanded nothing of her, what was there for her to obey?
Somewhat petulantly, she said, “Well, the first month has already passed... If you don’t like me, I’ll arrange a concubine for you. Which of my maids do you fancy? Just name her, and I’ll elevate her to Concubine!”
She had never spoken to Chen Xuanqing like this before. He had always been distant, and she had been overly deferential. Such childish words rarely escaped her lips. She hoped Chen Xuanqing would comfort her, saying something like, “How could I not like you?”
Chen Xuanqing frowned, suddenly recalling Chen Xuanrang’s words.
Instead, he replied calmly, “If you wish to arrange a concubine, just pick one from your maids. Let me know once you’ve decided.”
Yu Wanxue looked up at him, stunned by his response. How could he agree to this?
Yu Wanxue grew confused... Didn’t he dislike taking concubines? He hadn’t even bedded either of his Bed Warming Maids!
But after saying this, Chen Xuanqing simply left the study.
Yu Wanxue tried to stop him but couldn’t. Should she tell him that her earlier words had been a joke, that she had no intention of arranging a concubine for him at all?
Flustered, she sat up and called out, “Seventh Young Master...”
When he didn’t respond, she hurriedly slipped into her satin shoes and stepped out of the study, only to feel a surge of panic. Which side chamber was it? Outside, only her two dowry maids stood guard, looking at her in confusion.
Cong Shuang and Cong Yue were both beautiful and graceful, carefully selected by her mother. They had always been intended as potential concubines for Chen Xuanqing. If he were to take a concubine, it would naturally be better to choose from her own maids. The two of them were aware of this as well, which was why they often acted awkwardly when serving Chen Xuanqing.
Yu Wanxue regretted her words even more. Why had she said such a thing? Now, what if she really had to arrange a concubine for Chen Xuanqing?
She could have slapped herself!
She instructed Cong Shuang and Cong Yue to wake her early the next day before returning to sleep in the study, where the underfloor heating system kept the room warm and cozy.
The next morning, she woke to find Chen Xuanqing absent. Anxious, she decided to return to the inner courtyard first.
It was the sixth day of the month, and Madam Chen had invited Chang Laofuren and Madam Wu for a game of majiang.
Gu Jinzhao was somewhat skilled at playing leaf cards, but majiang was not her forte. After losing several rounds, Chang Laofuren teased her, “...You discarded the Nine of Bamboos first—how do you expect to play after that?”
Gu Jinzhao had already lost seven taels of silver, while the older ladies were all smiles, eager for her to continue as the banker.
Though Gu Jinzhao was well-off, she dared not keep losing like this. With a wry smile, she relinquished her role as banker, and Madam Qin took over.
Gu Jinzhao sat to the side, sipping tea and chatting with Madam Wu.
Madam Wu had recently acquired a snow-white Persian cat and shared amusing anecdotes about raising it. “...It’s so lazy and aloof. If you ignore it, it’ll lazily curl up in your lap to nap. But if you scold it, it won’t react—just gives you this haughty look.”Madam Ge said with a smile, "Pekingese dogs are the opposite—they're very clingy! They'll rub against you and cover you in fur. I used to have one, but Sixth Master Chen took it away... He didn't take good care of it either. In the end, the dog fell ill and died."
With both her husband and son back home, Madam Ge seemed much more spirited than before.
Madam Wu inquired about Sixth Master Chen: "It's been a while since I've seen the sixth master. I heard he's been practicing at Bao Xiang Temple?"
Madam Ge shook her head. "He doesn't believe in Buddhism. He just returned recently and went on an outing to Xiangye Mountain with the other masters..."
Meanwhile, the children were playing with colored ropes on the heated kang by the window. Zheng Ge'er tried to snatch the rope from Chen Zhao's hands, filling the room with lively noise.
Yu Wanxue arrived and addressed Gu Jinzhao as "Mother," saying, "There's something I need to discuss with you back home."
Gu Jinzhao noticed her hesitant expression and felt puzzled.
Since it was just idle chatter at Madam Chen's place, Gu Jinzhao followed Yu Wanxue back to Osmanthus Hall. Once they reached the western chamber, Yuzhu served them goji berry and red date tea. Now promoted to a senior maid, she was extra careful in her duties. After setting down the tea, she stood respectfully by Gu Jinzhao's side, hands clasped.
Yu Wanxue, however, whispered, "Mother, this is a bit difficult for me to bring up..."
Yuzhu's eyes widened. Only when Gu Jinzhao glanced at her did she quickly usher the two junior maids out of the room.
It seemed wormwood was needed after all, Gu Jinzhao thought. Smiling at Yu Wanxue, she said, "Just speak your mind directly!"
Yu Wanxue clenched her handkerchief tightly, her eyes slightly red. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I should even mention this. Seventh Young Master has been... rather distant toward me. It's been this way for a long time. At first, I thought I might have done something wrong, so I asked him to tell me. I'm not unreasonable! If we talk things out, surely we can resolve it... But then... I accidentally suggested helping him take a concubine, and he agreed."
Hearing this, Gu Jinzhao was momentarily stunned.
Chen Xuanqing... wasn't he supposed to love Yu Wanxue in their past life? How could he bear to be cold to her?
She still remembered witnessing their intimacy on that snowy night and Chen Xuanqing's concern for Yu Wanxue. When Yu Wanxue couldn't conceive, he attended to her tirelessly, even losing his temper to the point of nearly strangling Gu Jinzhao! It was only when Yu Wanxue called out that he released his grip.
That poor child in their past life—though not intentionally harmed by her—was lost because of her.
Even if Chen Xuanqing was distant, Yu Wanxue shouldn't have suggested taking a concubine for him.
Gu Jinzhao frowned. "Tell me everything, exactly as it happened."
Yu Wanxue recounted the events from start to finish, frustrated with herself. "...It was just a remark made in anger. That's not how I truly feel."
Gu Jinzhao pondered. Even if Yu Wanxue had said such a thing and Chen Xuanqing agreed, it was their private matter. Couldn't Yu Wanxue just apologize and smooth things over? Why come to her? Her own relationship with Chen Xuanqing wasn't exactly smooth either.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
Yu Wanxue replied, "I shouldn't have troubled you with this... I'll explain the concubine remark to him later. I just thought... if there's something on his mind he won't share with me, perhaps he'd tell you. Could you ask him for me?" Before Gu Jinzhao could respond, she quickly added, "If Seventh Young Master doesn't say anything, then never mind!"Gu Jinzhao smiled bitterly in her heart. Chen Xuanqing probably wouldn't be willing to speak with her either!
"I can't really talk to him either. Why don't you try asking your grandmother again..."
Yu Wanxue shook her head with a wry smile: "I've never had much conversation with Grandmother, and besides, this isn't something I can easily tell her..." Madam Chen had always believed they were a devoted couple and had given Chen Xuanqing many instructions. Telling Madam Chen about this would be like lodging a complaint against Chen Xuanqing...
Seeing Yu Wanxue looking at her, Gu Jinzhao sighed. "Then I'll help you ask tomorrow." She already felt in her heart that nothing would likely come of the inquiry.
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