Chapter 315: Fifth Master
Gu Jinzhao sighed and said, "Xuanyue, even if you tell me, it won’t spread elsewhere... Do you trust your aunt?"
Chen Xuanyue remained silent for a while before replying, "...Being a fool isn’t so bad. At least when I discover someone’s secrets, they look down on me and don’t take it to heart."
Gu Jinzhao watched him without speaking, waiting for Chen Xuanyue to continue on his own.
He lowered his gaze to the white porcelain teacup on the heated bed table. "In a place like the Chen Family, there are always things too dark and rotten to be exposed... When I was about five, I was picking lotus seed pods by the pond for fun when I saw Fourth Uncle standing there admiring the lotuses with his attendant..."
Slowly, he recounted this long-buried incident to Gu Jinzhao.
At five years old, he was still under Madam Chen’s care, which made Madam Qin deeply resentful of him. Her gaze toward him was always icy, and Chen Xuanyue knew he couldn’t stay by Madam Chen’s side for long. He was too young then—Madam Qin could easily dispose of him...
To survive, he had no choice but to leave Sandalwood Mountain Courtyard.
He often played by the lotus pond behind the courtyard—though it wasn’t really playing. He just liked staring at the pond, lost in thought.
That summer in Wanping County was unbearably hot. Even after sunset, the cicadas’ shrill cries persisted. The pondside was much cooler, with dragonflies flitting about. He hid in the shade of a willow tree, watching them.
Two figures slowly approached along the corridor nearby—one was Fourth Master Chen, the other his page.
At first, Chen Xuanyue didn’t pay them much attention, assuming they had come to pay respects to Madam Chen and were just cooling off afterward.
Fourth Master stood silently in the pavilion, facing the endless expanse of lotus leaves stretching to the horizon. His silhouette, bathed in the fading sunlight, looked especially lonely.
The page behind him whispered, "Fourth Master, once the banquet inside ends, Tai Furen will be looking for you. We should head back soon."
"What does she need me for?" His voice was calm. "With Third Brother and Second Brother there, she hardly needs me to speak."
The page chuckled. "You’re also Tai Furen’s beloved! Just look at the things she gives you—none but the finest..."
Fourth Master replied indifferently, "Good to me... I don’t think so. Mother cares too much about appearances, afraid people will say she favors the concubine’s children over her own. I often wonder if she has any real affection. Second Brother, born of a maid, was raised into a high-ranking official! If it were all like that, I wouldn’t overthink it. But Third Brother is her legitimate son—better than me in every way, more loved..."
Only then did Chen Xuanyue realize he shouldn’t be listening. Taking advantage of his small size and the cover of the lotus leaves, he curled up to avoid being seen. He didn’t dare leave now—under normal circumstances, he would have fled immediately!
The page hesitated, unsure how to comfort him, before finally saying, "Didn’t Third Master say he’d hand the Chen Family’s business to you?... I think he truly cares for you. Brothers born of the same mother are always closer than others."Fourth Master Chen sneered, "Status and hierarchy are nothing more than scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. I, a dignified imperial scholar, even if I spent years in the Imperial Academy without promotion, have still studied the classics and mastered the principles of philosophy... Even if he wouldn’t help me in my career, he shouldn’t have cut off my future like this! He’s truly ruthless—just when I was about to be promoted to a secretary position by Lord Zhang, he feared I might stand in his way later..."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted back to the lotus pond.
"Siqi, do you still remember this pond? You were only ten years old back then... Fifth Brother was struggling in the water, screaming in terror. As I watched him, I truly had no desire to save him. How could he imitate Third Brother by hiding in the water? He was foolish—he didn’t know how to swim at all..."
"After Fifth Brother died, Mother was utterly heartbroken. I hid outside the mourning hall and peeked in—she wept as she burned joss paper..."
He didn’t seem to expect an answer from his attendant, chuckling to himself.
"There’s a vengeful spirit beneath this pond."
...Chen Xuanyue felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.
But the master and servant seemed to have finished admiring the pond’s scenery. Instead of turning back, they began walking toward the corridor where he was hiding.
Chen Xuanyue stiffened. They were probably planning to circle back to Sandalwood Mountain Courtyard via the corridor...
If they stepped out of the pond area, they would inevitably spot him hiding here. If he ran now, he’d surely draw their attention—and he couldn’t outrun them. Death would be unavoidable! If Fourth Master Chen knew his secret had been overheard, he could easily strangle him on the spot...
After a brief hesitation, Chen Xuanyue chose the first option. Running would only make him look guilty—a sure path to death.
He didn’t have much time to think. Soon, Fourth Master Chen turned the corner. His attendant, Siqi, spotted Chen Xuanyue first and exclaimed, "Fourth Master, there’s a brat over there!"
Chen Xuanyue saw Fourth Master Chen’s expression darken instantly. Striding forward, the man grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
Chen Xuanyue put on a vacant expression, sniffling as he stared back.
A flicker of disgust crossed Fourth Master Chen’s eyes, and he nearly dropped him.
Siqi whispered, "Isn’t this the Ninth Young Master raised by Tai Furen? I’ve heard he’s not quite right in the head. Fourth Master, what should we do? The boy’s been hiding here for a while—he must have heard everything we said..."
Fourth Master Chen’s grip tightened, and Chen Xuanyue immediately struggled to breathe. Gasping, he burst into tears, "Dragonfly! My dragonfly... you squashed it..." Fourth Master Chen frowned—what nonsense was this child spouting? Glancing down, he realized he had indeed stepped on a dragonfly, now crushed beyond recognition. The snot-nosed brat in his grasp clung to his hand, wailing, "Nanny... caught it after so long... dragonfly’s dead... you have to pay..."
Looking up at the swarm of dragonflies flitting about, Fourth Master Chen finally understood why the child had been hiding there.
Since the boy was a simpleton and didn’t seem to have understood their conversation, Fourth Master Chen loosened his grip slightly and asked quietly, "Do you know what we were just talking about?"
Chen Xuanyue continued sobbing, "Dragonfly’s dead... you squashed it..."Siqi breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, he's a fool... You don't need to trouble yourself." If they really killed him, it would likely cause significant trouble. After all, he was still a young master raised under Tai Furen's care. If he went missing, there would naturally be a search, and when investigations began, it would become troublesome.
Fourth Master Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly smiled: "It's not that troublesome—just throw him into the lotus pond. If he drowns, it's his own doing. What does it have to do with me?"
Chen Xuanyue felt a chill in his heart. He hadn't expected Fourth Master Chen to be so ruthless and suspicious! It seemed he wouldn’t be able to bluff his way out today...
...
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinzhao was also shocked by Fourth Master Chen's cruelty. She had only thought him to have a sinister demeanor, but never imagined he could be so vicious as to harm a defenseless child! This made his behavior even more suspicious—if he could watch Fifth Master Chen drown and kill a child who couldn’t resist him, what would he do to Third Master Chen?
Gu Jinzhao suddenly recalled what Ye Xian had once told her. He had said that Third Master Chen wasn’t a good man, that for the sake of his own future, he could ruthlessly cut off his brothers' paths... Could he have been referring to Fourth Master Chen?
But why would Third Master Chen do such a thing? Gu Jinzhao didn’t believe that, though he was capable of scheming, he would use such methods against his own brothers...
The closer she got to the truth, the more confused she became.
If Fourth Master Chen had harmed Third Master Chen, how could he have succeeded?
Snapping out of her thoughts, she asked Chen Xuanyue, "...Then how did you escape in the end?"
Chen Xuanyue smiled faintly. "I didn’t escape... Grandmother sent someone to call Fourth Uncle back. That was why he let me go. His page even caught another dragonfly for me. I held onto it and stopped talking... Otherwise, given Fourth Uncle’s temperament, he would never have let me go."
For such a young child, it was remarkable how he had adapted on the spot.
Gu Jinzhao thought for a moment and said to him, "Xuanyue, do you know when you won’t have to pretend anymore?"
Chen Xuanyue looked at her.
Gu Jinzhao told him, "...When you become strong enough that you no longer have to fear these people."
...
After sending Chen Xuanyue away, Concubine Xue came in to take her leave. Gu Jinzhao was already quite tired and dismissed everyone, leaning against a pillow to rest for a while. When she woke, she heard the child crying, and outside the window, the sun had already begun to set.
Gu Jinzhao picked up Changsuo to soothe him, thinking that she really ought to tell Third Master Chen about Fourth Master Chen’s actions.
But how to broach the subject—that was the question...
By the time Third Master Chen returned, she was still weighing her words.
Changsuo, perhaps hearing his father’s return, began wailing again. Third Master Chen took the child from her arms to comfort him, pacing slowly. Gu Jinzhao stared absently at his tall figure as Changsuo clutched his father’s official robe sleeve, his sobs gradually quieting.
His embrace was steady and warm, and the child soon fell into a peaceful sleep.
Chen Yanyun walked over to her and, seeing her unusually distracted expression, lowered his voice to tease, "...You’ve been staring at me the whole time I was soothing the child. Am I really that good-looking?"
Gu Jinzhao’s face flushed, knowing he was teasing her. She turned away. "You’re not good-looking at all!"
Third Master Chen handed the child to Zou Shi, instructing her to take him to the greenhouse to sleep. He poured himself a cup of tea and drank it. "If you keep staring at me, you must be thinking about something. Just tell me—don’t strain that little head of yours... Did you run into some difficulty managing the household?"Gu Jinzhao shook her head and asked, "Did you tell Fourth Master to look after my shop?"
Third Master Chen smiled. "Is that what's been on your mind? I only mentioned it to him once. Don't overthink it—just accept any favors he offers. The Chen Family's businesses were originally under my management, but after I joined the Office of the Directorate of Instruction, I no longer had time to oversee them, so I handed them over to him."
It was clear Third Master Chen trusted Fourth Master Chen deeply, making her words even harder to voice. But if she couldn't say them, she could at least ask... Gu Jinzhao tugged at his sleeve. "I recall Fourth Master was a Jinshi in the Renshen year. Why didn't he continue his official career and instead chose to help manage the family's businesses?"
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