Chapter 31: Counsel
Without delay, Jinchao bid farewell to her grandmother the next day, preparing to return home with Luo Su.
Her grandmother, aware of her intentions, did not press her to stay. Jinchao had Luo Su disguise herself as an ordinary maid and board her carriage. Gu Jinrong, preoccupied with the books and inkstones gifted by his uncles, didn’t notice and went straight to the carriage ahead.
Upon arriving at the Gu residence, Jinchao took Luo Su to see her mother.
Madam Ji scrutinized Luo Su for a long time before nodding with closed eyes and dismissing her. "She seems decent. Have you arranged her lodgings?"
Jinchao smiled. "Don’t worry, Mother. I’ve placed her in Tranquil Residence next to Chrysanthemum Willow Pavilion for now. I plan to speak with Father tomorrow."
Madam Ji pondered for a moment. "Have you sent gifts to her family?"
Jinchao replied, "I’ve already sent a thousand taels of silver. Once Father formally takes her in, we’ll send dozens of dowry gifts. Though she’ll only be a concubine, she is the niece of Yun Yiniang, who served you faithfully for over a decade. Her niece’s marriage should still be celebrated with dignity."
Madam Ji sighed. "Yun Xiang was indeed loyal to me back then." She then instructed Mama Xu to teach Luo Su proper etiquette, as women from modest backgrounds often lacked the refined manners of noble ladies.
Seeing her mother fall silent, Jinchao had Moyu bring over the medicine and fed it to her mother herself. After just a few days away, she noticed her mother had grown even thinner, her chin so sharp it could pierce paper. She knew her mother must have been lonely and distressed at home—who else would keep her company besides the two concubines? After the medicine, Jinchao took her mother’s hand and carefully trimmed her nails, smoothing out any rough edges.
Madam Ji watched Jinchao’s bowed head as she meticulously tended to her nails, her heart softening.
Her Jinchao had grown so thoughtful now, handling everything with such consideration that she no longer needed guidance.
She lifted her gaze to the window. It was a clear, azure day, the soft sunlight spilling over the snow. "...Your father’s affections always seem genuine—he loves with all his heart. Back then, it was me, then Yun Xiang, then Concubine Song. But such love fades with time... The one who died young, however, left the deepest mark on his heart. She surely never expected that..."
Jinchao’s hand paused. Why was her mother telling her this?
"Yun Xiang was the one your father loved most. He obtained her when his desire was strongest, and she died when his love was deepest. His feelings for her will never change..." Madam Ji murmured. She turned and saw Jinchao watching her. Squeezing her hand, she added, "Jinchao, be wary of Concubine Song. She may overlook other matters, but she will surely interfere in this."
"She cannot tolerate sharing his favor..."
Meanwhile, Gu Lan was in the pavilion with Song Miaohua, learning needlework. Holding her mother’s hand, she recounted the events at their ancestral home.
Song Miaohua chuckled after listening. "Who would have thought our Eldest Miss has learned to scheme... She’s certainly grown sharper than before."
Gu Lan frowned and whispered, "Aren’t you worried, Mother? I can’t figure out Gu Jinchao anymore... What is she plotting? Has someone capable appeared by her side—that Qingpu or Mama Tong?"Song Miaohua took the small embroidery hoop, on which a pair of yellow carps was embroidered, their heads and tails connected in a charmingly adorable manner.
She continued to embroider lotus buds beside the carps, speaking lightly, "Why bother with her? People don’t stay foolish forever... Now that the mistress has been ill for so long without recovery, if she were to pass away unexpectedly, I would most likely be elevated to her position. By then, even if Gu Jinzhao had the ability to move heaven and earth, she wouldn’t be able to stir up any waves."
Song Miaohua remained calm, her fingers gently tracing the pair of carps as she smiled and said, "When you were little, I made you a Dudou with carp patterns—you loved them and wouldn’t accept any other design. Carps symbolize good fortune; making more embroidery samples might come in handy someday..."
Gu Lan seemed thoughtful and after a while replied, "I understand, Mother. The current situation is for the best. I just need to wait."
Song Miaohua turned to say something more but noticed her head maid, Qiaowei, hurrying over from the corridor.
"...Concubine, news from the attendants. The Eldest Miss has returned from Tongzhou with two unfamiliar maids—one around fifteen or sixteen, the other about twelve or thirteen."
Gu Lan sneered, "Probably gifts from her grandmother since she lost Liu Xiang. Just more maids bestowed upon her!"
But Song Miaohua frowned. "If her grandmother wanted to give her maids, would she send a twelve or thirteen-year-old? And why the need for Wormwood in everything?" She then asked Qiaowei, "Did they ride in the same carriage as her?"
Qiaowei thought for a moment. "The old woman didn’t mention it, but she said the older maid, around fifteen or sixteen, is exceptionally beautiful."
Song Miaohua’s expression changed abruptly, and she stood up suddenly.
Gu Lan looked at her mother. "What’s wrong? Is there something unusual about this maid?"
Song Miaohua closed her eyes, deep in thought, before instructing Qiaowei, "Prepare some pastries. We’ll go welcome the Eldest Miss back."
Qiaowei, sensing the urgency, quickly assented and withdrew. Noticing her daughter’s questioning gaze, Song Miaohua said, "Your brother has also just returned from Tongzhou. Go talk to him. Leave this matter to me for now."
Gu Lan curled her lip. "Don’t worry about him. He despises Gu Jinzhao to the bone now, wishing he never had such a sister!"
Song Miaohua gazed coldly at the lake. "That may not necessarily be true. Your elder sister seems intent on turning the world upside down now."
Soon after, Song Miaohua and Qiaowei headed to Paulownia Courtyard.
Gu Jinzhao had just returned from her mother’s quarters when Baiyun, waiting for her along the way, informed her that Concubine Song had arrived.
Caifu was surprised. "Concubine Song caught wind of this so quickly?"
Jinchao smiled. "Did you think her managing the inner household for over half a year was just for show?" There were countless maids and servants in the household who had been bribed or won over by her. For now, Jinchao couldn’t spare the effort to deal with it—Concubine Song was at the height of her influence.
But Jinchao wasn’t anxious. Now that the person had arrived, there was nothing Concubine Song could do to reverse it.
When Song Miaohua saw Gu Jinzhao enter, she stood up with a smile. "...I brought some pastries. The Eldest Miss must be exhausted from the journey."
She then ordered the maids to open the food box, revealing plates of delicate flower-shaped pastries, pine cakes, and jackfruit treats.Jinchao instructed Yutong to serve Concubine Song some tea. After sitting down, Concubine Song was in no hurry, sipping her tea leisurely as she spoke to Jinchao: "...The Eldest Miss has returned at just the right time. Master will soon resume his court duties, and the household has been busy lately. I haven’t even had time to attend to Madam daily. It would be best if you could help serve Madam... However, Master’s mentor, Lord Lin, is expected to be promoted at the start of the new year. Master has been preoccupied recently, cautious in his words and actions, fearing any missteps in his career. This year, the household didn’t even contribute funds to the Shi'an Lantern Festival."
Every year, the Shi'an Lantern Festival during the Yuanxiao celebrations was funded by several wealthy families in Shi'an. The Gu Family usually contributed three thousand taels.
Concubine Song was here to advise her, worried that she might misread the situation and act recklessly, upsetting her father’s mood.
But Gu Jinchao knew that her father’s mentor, Lin Xianzong, would not be promoted. By June of this year, the current Emperor Muzong would pass away. After his death, the court would descend into chaos. Subsequently, Grand Secretary Zhang Julian, along with Feng Cheng, the Directorate of Ceremonial’s Writing Brush Eunuch, would seize control of the government. The Minister of Revenue would be Second Master Chen, who had close ties to Zhang Julian, while Lin Xianzong would be transferred to serve as Governor of Zhejiang.
Though her father was not under Zhang Julian’s faction, he also didn’t belong to the military or noble families. Amid the court’s turmoil, he barely managed to protect himself. However, by the time Jinchao married into the Chen Family, he still hadn’t been promoted.
Jinchao smiled faintly and said slowly, "What a pity. The Shi'an Lantern Festival is always the liveliest."
Concubine Song’s expression darkened slightly.
She had thought that with Gu Jinchao’s intelligence, she would understand the underlying message. Was she truly oblivious, or was she feigning ignorance? Or was she still unwilling to give up until she had presented the woman to Master for his approval?
Concubine Song knew full well that even if Gu Jinchao really brought back a stunning beauty to serve as Gu Dezhao’s concubine, Gu Dezhao would hardly agree. She was trying to stop her now only for the sake of the master, to prevent this reckless Eldest Miss from causing trouble everywhere!
She wondered if this was Madam Ji’s idea—the woman seemed to grow more foolish the sicker she became.
Since Gu Jinchao wouldn’t listen, she didn’t want to press further. At worst, she’d just have to clean up the mess for her—hadn’t she done so many times before? Concubine Song forced a smile and said, "Indeed. It’s been over half a year since the Eldest Miss came of age. Marriage matters should be considered now, so you must take extra care of yourself. I still have some business at the Affairs Office, so I’ll take my leave first."
Jinchao picked up her teacup and said softly, "Yuzhu, see our guest out."
A young maid behind the curtain quickly responded. Concubine Song’s face stiffened—she was being dismissed by a third-rank maid.
"No need, Eldest Miss. I know the way." Concubine Song gritted her teeth into a smile and left with Qiaowei.
Yuzhu lifted the curtain and bounced in. Baiyun, seeing this, scolded her quietly, "No sense of decorum..."
Yuzhu stuck out her tongue. With her round, dumpling-like face and large, round eyes, she looked utterly adorable.
"Miss..." Yuzhu sat by the stove, poking at the Silver Filament Charcoal, and whispered to Jinchao, "I feel like Concubine Song’s smile is kind of creepy... She doesn’t seem like a good person..." Her expression was earnest.
Baiyun was annoyed—this little maid was usually under her care, yet she spoke so carelessly in front of their mistress!
But Gu Jinchao only smiled and asked, "Why doesn’t she seem like a good person?"Yuzhu tilted her head and said, "Only the outermost layer of her face is smiling! All the other layers are fuming!"
Gu Jinzhao couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, and even Baiyun and Qingpu found it hard to suppress their amusement. This girl really had a way with words.
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