Chapter 313: Confession
"Xuanyue," she called softly.
Chen Xuanyue turned to look at her, his gaze blank and confused.
After a moment, he shrank closer to Gu Jinzhao, tugging at her sleeve and whispering, "Auntie, is the baby awake yet..."
Gu Jinzhao thought his silly grin might have been a trick of her eyes.
Just then, Changsuo began crying, and the wet nurse went to feed him. Soon after, the child was brought out. Dressed in a sleeveless Luzhou silk russet mandarin jacket and open-crotch pants, his plump limbs resembling lotus roots, he looked utterly adorable. Having just been fed, he lay in the wet nurse's arms, waving his tiny pink hands like little dough balls.
Chen Xuanyue eagerly leaned in to see his little brother, holding his hand and playing with him.
Even though Changsuo was too young to react much to his antics, Chen Xuanyue remained endlessly entertained. When the baby suddenly grasped his finger, a childish smile flickered across his lips. The child's features were gradually becoming more defined, his skin fair and delicate. There was an air of noble elegance in his delicate features—nothing at all to suggest any mental deficiency.
Yet Gu Jinzhao's suspicions only grew heavier. She had once wondered if Chen Xuanyue was feigning his condition. At the time, she had consoled herself with the thought that if he was pretending, he must have his reasons. But if he was keeping something from her—something she couldn't decipher—what if it concerned his safety or some dark secret of the Chen Family? What then? She felt he ought to tell her. A ten-year-old child shouldn't have to bear such a heavy pretense alone.
Gu Jinzhao picked up an account book from the table, flipped it open casually, dipped her brush in ink, and began writing. Smiling, she beckoned Chen Xuanyue over. "Xuanyue, your brother needs to sleep now... How about Auntie tests you on your characters?"
Chen Xuanyue hesitated before obediently sitting beside her.
But when he saw the open page of the account book, his entire body went cold.
At the bottom of the page, Gu Jinzhao had written only a few words: Auntie won’t hurt you.
Gu Jinzhao felt his small frame stiffen before she closed the book, sighing inwardly. Just as she had suspected. She had been outplayed by this child. To act so convincingly, so skillfully—how deep and meticulous must his scheming be? Such patience and strategy. None among the younger generation of the Chen Family could rival him. Looking back now, everything seemed too coincidental. Even if Chen Xuanyue had escaped from the Second Branch, why had he hidden specifically near the Bagua Pavilion by Osmanthus Hall?
Because, in the entire household, only Gu Jinzhao dared to oppose Madam Qin. And to expose Madam Qin, Gu Jinzhao would surely help him. Beyond her, no one in the Chen Family would. Even his pretense of being beaten in front of Madam Chen had been a calculated move to intimidate Madam Qin into backing off. Even his apparent dependence on Gu Jinzhao was likely just a ploy to secure himself a protector. Though Gu Jinzhao was no saint, she could never bring herself to abandon a child who clung to her.
Trapped under Madam Qin's oppression, he had no choice but to devise this escape—a desperate measure.
A chill ran through Gu Jinzhao, yet she couldn't help but admire the boy's ability to endure humiliation for the sake of survival.She gently patted Chen Xuanyue's head and said softly, "Xuanyue, Auntie doesn't know what you're thinking. But Auntie treats you well not because she wants to use you to suppress Second Sister-in-law. How I've treated you, I believe you can feel it. If you have anything on your mind, you can tell Auntie... Even if I can't make decisions for you, your Third Uncle can help you."
Chen Xuanyue lowered his eyes, his delicate little face appearing even more solemn. His expression carried an unusual maturity.
His voice, however, sounded helpless: "Auntie, the paper crane flew away... I have to go back for my tutor's lesson this afternoon. I'll come play again tomorrow."
He slid off the daybed, grabbed his toys, and ran toward the door.
The paper crane flew away? What did that mean?
Gu Jinzhao had placed the paper crane Chen Xuanyue made for Changsuo into a scented sachet and hung it by the child's small bed in the greenhouse.
Could there be something strange about that paper crane?
Gu Jinzhao thought for a moment and instructed Caifu to fetch the scented sachet from the greenhouse. She opened it herself and took out the paper crane. The crane was folded from Chengxintang paper, which was thicker than regular rice paper. She turned it over and over but couldn't find anything unusual... The paper crane flew away?
Gu Jinzhao tried to imitate Chen Xuanyue's action, pulling the crane's tail to make its head move, as if making it fly.
All the maids and elderly servants in the room found it strange to see the Third Madam engaging in such childish behavior.
Changsuo, however, was fascinated by it. Following his mother's movements, he stared intently.
With this "flight," the anomaly became apparent. Beneath the crane's wings, faint small characters could be seen. When read together, they formed the lines: "Through years of waking and sleeping, bitter and sweet. Today I reflect with gratitude on the kindness that saved and nurtured me."
Gu Jinzhao's heart trembled. She unfolded the paper crane, but the characters became disordered and lost their meaning. Only by following Chen Xuanyue's method could the true intent of the poem be seen.
...Had he been trying to tell her all along? She simply hadn't paid attention!
Gu Jinzhao couldn't help but smile. This child was truly too clever—one moment of inattention and you'd fall for his tricks. By letting her see the paper crane first, he was probably afraid she'd blame him for keeping secrets!
Changsuo lay alone on the Arhat bed, kicking his little legs. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he suddenly burst into loud wails. Gu Jinzhao picked him up and soothed him in her arms, but her mind remained on Chen Xuanyue's matter. Now that Madam Qin no longer posed any threat to him, why was he still being so cautious?
It seemed she would have to wait until tomorrow to ask him.
...
As summer arrived, reports of floods and droughts from various regions poured into the capital like snowflakes. During the regular court session, the Minister of Works Fan Hui reported severe flooding in Fengyang, where the Huai River had overflowed, affecting both the Huai and Ji regions. Fengyang housed many imperial mausoleums, and the Huaiyang region was a crucial hub for grain transport. Such disasters required immediate attention. Third Master Chen spent the entire day in discussions at the Grand Secretariat. While flood control and dredging fell under the Ministry of Works' responsibilities, disaster relief and aid to victims inevitably involved the Ministry of Revenue. After returning from the Grand Secretariat, he consulted with two vice ministers of revenue and arranged for an initial allocation of three hundred thousand taels of silver and fifty thousand shi of grain to be sent to Fengyang.
By the time he returned home, it was already very late.
Third Master Chen stepped down from the carriage, and Chen Yi took the cloak he removed.
After consecutive reports of disasters and concerns about potential epidemics amidst the calamities, with countless displaced people along the Huai River, Third Master Chen's face showed signs of weariness.He returned too late, and Jinchao had already fallen asleep in the wormwood bed. Chen Yanyun glanced at her before heading to the greenhouse to check on the child. Zou Shi, who was keeping watch, quickly stood up and curtsied upon seeing Third Master Chen arrive. Chen Yanyun waved his hand, signaling her to sit back down. The child was covered with a thin quilt, tiny fists curled beside its head, sleeping soundly. He asked in a low voice, "How was the young master today?"
Zou Shi replied, "The young master drank well and slept soundly. Madam played with him for a while in the afternoon, and he grew so sleepy he’s been asleep ever since..." She suddenly raised her head, glanced at him, then immediately lowered it again. She thought to herself that Third Master truly had an imposing and refined demeanor, dignified and composed, yet with an extraordinary presence that made it hard for others to meet his gaze.
Third Master Chen gave a faint hum and returned to the inner chamber.
However, Gu Jinzhao had already been quietly awakened by Caifu and was sitting on the bed waiting for him.
"You should be sleeping—why are you awake?" Third Master Chen walked to her side and frowned when he saw her awake. "Who told you to get up?"
"You hadn’t returned by the hour of Hai, so I went to bed first. It’s so late—you should have rested in the duty room at the Grand Secretariat. Why come back at all..." Gu Jinzhao straightened up and helped him untie the rhino leather belt and ribboned seal of his court robes, then the ties of his right-lapel robe.
Her hands were suddenly pressed down by Third Master Chen. He leaned close, looking into her eyes, his tone low and helpless as he said, "Jinzhao, do you remember? We’re not to share a bed for three months..."
Gu Jinzhao’s face flushed—where had his thoughts gone?! She was only helping him undress. "This concubine was merely serving you by changing your clothes, thinking you must be tired. Isn’t this how I’ve always served you before...?"
"I know you didn’t mean it that way." Chen Yanyun smiled faintly, hesitating as if wanting to say more.
It had already been half a year of abstinence. Even if there were occasional moments, he had never truly taken her. If she teased him any further, it would be hard to say.
He straightened up and undid the ties himself, removing his court robes. Gu Jinzhao withdrew her hands and stopped helping. In the candlelight, she noticed how tall and sturdy he was, his arms firm and well-defined... She turned her face away and asked, "You returned so late—was there some important matter?"
"Fengyang has been flooded. There are many imperial tombs there, and the disaster has also affected grain transport. The situation can’t be delayed, but Sizhou lies at the confluence of the Yellow River and the Huai River—the floodwaters are fierce and extremely difficult to control..." Third Master Chen explained, then paused, thinking she wouldn’t be interested in such matters. Instead, he asked, "How did you find managing household affairs today? Did anyone give you trouble?"
He lay down beside Gu Jinzhao, his body warm. She had always liked warmth and cautiously wrapped her arms around his waist, shaking her head with a smile. "The people Second Sister-in-law trained—how could they trouble me? There wasn’t much else to do. It’ll take a few more days to get used to it..."
Already drowsy, she rested her head against his shoulder and yawned. He gently pulled her into his arms. "If you’re sleepy, sleep quickly. I have to rise early tomorrow."
Gu Jinzhao lifted her head and saw Third Master Chen’s chin. Softly, she said, "Next time, if it’s too late, you don’t have to come back."
When she received no reply, she repeated it. After a long while, she felt him press a kiss to her forehead and murmur an acknowledgment. By the time he fell still, Gu Jinzhao remembered she hadn’t yet told him about Fourth Master Chen.
She didn’t want Fourth Master to help her through the Ever Prosperous Trading Company.
...
The next day, when she went to pay respects to Madam Chen, the old madam asked about the household management.Gu Jinzhao smiled and replied, "...The two stewards are quite capable, and it's clear that Second Sister-in-law has put in a lot of effort."
Madam Qin sat beside Madam Chen, massaging her wrist. Upon hearing this, she smiled modestly and said, "Although I promoted them, it's also because they aren't foolish themselves. If they were foolish, no matter how much ** you used, it wouldn't help... If they do anything wrong, Third Sister-in-law, just let me know!"
Madam Chen said gently, "Your Second Sister-in-law has managed things for so many years—she has plenty of experience. Feel free to ask her anything."
A maid brought up the morning meal: a plate of stir-fried pea shoots, crisp pickled vegetables, Yellow Cake, and a bowl of plain congee. Madam Chen's breakfast was always very light. Gu Jinzhao attended to Madam Chen during the meal before returning to Osmanthus Hall to wait for Chen Xuanyue.
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