Chapter 33: Testing the Waters
Before Song Miaohua's Waterside Pavilion lay a hot spring. In winter, wisps of steam would rise from the lake near the spring's mouth, hence the name "Waterside Pavilion."
The pavilion was surrounded by winding corridors, with numerous stone vases planted with water lilies. Even in the depths of winter, delicate pale purple blossoms still bloomed.
Gu Lan walked through the corridors with her two maids and saw her mother standing by the lake. Wisps of steam drifted upward as she gazed silently at the water, not even turning her head when a maid approached to report something.
Gu Lan glanced at the faint crescent moon hanging in the sky, a sense of unease creeping into her heart. She quickened her pace and went to Song Miaohua's side, pulling her hand to urge her back a little. Though the steam was warm, once their clothes grew damp, the wind would make them feel bitterly cold.
"Mother..." Gu Lan sat on a stool brought by a maid and said, "Aren't you worried? I heard from the maids that Gu Jinzhao is arranging for Father to take a concubine—and he’s already agreed!" Suddenly, she realized, "That woman she brought back the other day... she must be the concubine!"
Song Miaohua sighed. "I know."
She had learned of it the moment Gu Dezhao left Tranquil Residence. Soon after, the Affairs Office, the attendants' quarters, and the stables all sent people to inform her—Gu Jinzhao had already ordered the servants to prepare betrothal gifts, maids, and a courtyard.
At first, she had been shocked. She had been waiting to see Gu Jinzhao make a fool of herself, but who would have thought... Gu Dezhao would actually agree to take a concubine!
After the initial shock came unease. She had paced the corridors several times without calming down, as frantic as Gu Lan. After all, wasn’t Gu Dezhao’s favor her greatest reliance? Though she was the legitimate daughter of the Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, her family had four legitimate daughters in total. If she lost favor in the Gu household, she wouldn’t fare well in the Song family either!
She had thought that after over a year of exclusive favor, she might conceive a child, but her belly remained still. No amount of medicine had helped. Back when she had given birth to Lan Er, it had been a difficult labor, and poor recovery had left her with lingering ailments, making it hard to conceive again.
She had recently found a promising remedy and had been taking it for three months. She had thought there might still be a chance...
Why had the master agreed to take a concubine?
After pacing a few more times, Song Miaohua nearly rushed to Tranquil Residence to see for herself—just what kind of peerless beauty could have enticed Gu Dezhao to disregard all consequences and take her in? But Tranquil Residence was now guarded by sentinels, and no one could enter. These guards had been brought by Madam Ji from the Ji family and were utterly loyal to her.
Her agitation grew, but eventually, she calmed down. The calmer she was, the better it would be for her. There was no use saying anything now—she could only wait for the master to bring this concubine into the household. Standing before the corridor, Song Miaohua gazed at the water lilies, her mind already made up.
Madam Ji had fought her for over a decade and never won. Did she really think that with the addition of some unknown concubine, she could triumph now?
Gu Lan also knew there was nothing she could do about this matter. Getting worked up wouldn’t help, so she stopped pressing her mother and instead warmed her icy hands. She suddenly remembered that whenever things were truly dire, her mother’s hands would turn cold—but the colder they were, the calmer she became.
"I’ll go see your father... You needn’t worry about this. Just take good care of your younger brother," Concubine Song instructed her.Gu Lan still seemed worried. "Are you going now?"
Song Miaohua's tone was icy. "What's the hurry? Let's sleep first. It won't be too late to go tomorrow morning."
The next day, Song Miaohua noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes in the mirror and instructed Qiaowei, "No rouge or powder. Just style my hair neatly and secure it with a pair of blue jade hairpins."
When she went to serve Gu Dezhao his breakfast, she deliberately brought up the matter of taking a new concubine.
"I heard from Mother Zhao that you're considering bringing in another sister..." She smiled faintly as she served him dishes. "Why didn’t you mention it to me first? There are many things the Eldest Miss has handled that I wasn’t aware of until the stewards came to report..."
Gu Dezhao lowered his head to sip his porridge and replied indifferently, "It's just another concubine. Let Chaojie handle it. She’ll need to manage household affairs after she marries anyway. I didn’t tell you because you’ve been working day and night for the family, and I didn’t want to burden you further."
"That’s fine too. It’s been eight years since the household last welcomed a child. I, as your concubine, must bear some blame..."
Gu Dezhao looked up and saw Song Miaohua’s still-youthful face. Time had been kind to her beauty, but the faint shadows under her eyes were unmistakable—was she grieving over his affairs, or had she exhausted herself managing the household?
He couldn’t help but take her hand and comfort her. "You’ve grown so weary these days. Don’t worry, Pinxiu. I remember all the years you’ve toiled for me. Even if another concubine comes, how could she compare to you..."
Song Miaohua continued, "You must think of your heirs—I’m happy for you. But considering your esteemed teacher, Lord Lin, is about to be promoted, shouldn’t the matter of taking a concubine wait a little longer...?"
Gu Dezhao shook his head. "Court affairs are unpredictable. His Majesty has been unwell lately and hasn’t attended morning court for days. State affairs are being overseen by Grand Secretary Zhang and Lord Chen, the Director of the Office of the Directorate of Instruction. Taking a concubine won’t cause any issues—just keep it simple and low-key."
Song Miaohua’s heart tightened. Gu Dezhao clearly wouldn’t relent.
She smiled and dropped the subject, then asked curiously, "But why is Lord Chen, the Director of the Office of the Directorate of Instruction, involved in court affairs? Isn’t he supposed to assist the Crown Prince?"
Gu Dezhao chuckled. "The Crown Prince is only eleven this year, about the same age as Jinrong, and timid besides—how could he handle such matters? Though it’s said the Crown Prince oversees them, the real authority lies with Lord Chen. He’s truly capable, handling everything methodically. Lord Zhang values him highly. I suspect that once a vacancy opens among the Grand Secretaries, he’s very likely to become the Junior Grand Secretary."
As an inner chamber woman, Song Miaohua knew nothing of these matters, and Gu Dezhao felt safe discussing them with her, knowing she wouldn’t spread them.
...Meanwhile, in Tranquil Residence, Jinchao was surrounded by stewards from the outer courtyard and matrons from the inner courtyard. She inspected the worn and damaged areas, instructing them to take notes.
The dilapidated little pond in Tranquil Residence had been filled in and replaced with holly, plum trees, and carnations. Along the stone path, flame celosia and poppies from the greenhouse were planted, creating a lush and vibrant scene. Jinchao had the eaves and brackets repainted in blue-green and the windows and pillars recoated in black lacquer. Inside, she replaced the folding screen with a more exquisite Japanese gold-painted one.
She also had large Longquan vases and Xiangyao open-mouthed vases placed in the hall and instructed servants to cut red plum branches to arrange in them."On the twenty-fifth, after cutting red window paper and pasting double happiness characters in the Tranquil Residence, Jinchao personally told Mama Tong, 'Although it's not a formal wedding ceremony, it should still look festive and lively.'
Mama Tong smiled and said, 'The young miss still cares for Miss Luo. You've put so much effort into decorating the Tranquil Residence so beautifully.'
Jinchao merely smiled. She had always considered herself rather selfish—when it came to taking a concubine, she had never considered Luo Su's feelings or opinions. After all, this matter wasn't something Luo Su could choose, nor was it even something she herself could decide.
But Luo Su was just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, and this would be her only wedding. Even if it couldn't be a grand affair, following the proper betrothal and wedding customs, she at least deserved a bridal chamber.
Madam Ji was worried that Jinchao wouldn't handle these preparations well and asked her daily how things were progressing and whether Miss Luo was doing alright. Jinchao would comfort her with a smile, saying it was just taking in a concubine—after all, she had single-handedly managed the grand wedding of the Chen Family's tenth young master back then, and that had gone smoothly without a hitch.
On the twenty-fifth, a red sedan chair carried Luo Su from Qinglian Lane into the estate. A few banquet tables were set up, inviting the concubines, young ladies, stewards, and influential mamas of the household to celebrate. Even Madam Ji had someone carry her out to take a look, with Jinchao accompanying her the entire time.
Spring was approaching, and the weather had warmed slightly. The faint sunlight fell on Madam Ji's sickly face, making her appear exceptionally serene.
Gu Dezhao, dressed in a russet-red robe, strode over to her when he saw her emerge. '...You're so ill, why did you come out?'
Madam Ji smiled faintly. 'This concubine just wanted to see. It's rare for our household to have such a joyous occasion.'
Gu Dezhao frowned, as if he wanted to say something. Afraid he might blurt out something unpleasant, Jinchao quickly interjected, 'Mother has been alone for too long and simply enjoys the liveliness.' Then she lowered her head and asked Madam Ji, 'Shall we go back now?'
Madam Ji stopped looking at Gu Dezhao and nodded.
The plum blossoms in Slanting Cloud Garden had long since withered, but the locust trees were beginning to sprout new buds. The weather was warm today, and the icicles on the eaves had melted. Madam Ji had someone fetch a small embroidery frame and personally guided her daughter's needlework. Seeing the lifelike bird-of-paradise Jinchao had embroidered, she looked pleased. 'It would be even better if you could use silver thread to create darker shades...'
Jinchao smiled wryly. Her current embroidery skills surpassed even those of master embroiderers. Madam Ji's needlework was only considered good among gentlewomen and couldn't teach her anything new. But to make her mother happy, Jinchao deliberately embroidered clumsily, allowing her mother to offer more guidance.
Madam Ji suddenly said, 'Your father loves bird-of-paradise the most, saying it is noble and elegant. In the past, the shoes and socks I embroidered for him often had this pattern.' A faint smile touched her lips. 'Concubine Yun also liked it, but her own embroidery wasn't pretty. When her child was about to be born, she begged me to embroider several baby items for her—swaddling clothes, a small pillow, little clothes...'
It was rare for Jinchao to hear her mother speak of the past. She asked, 'Was Concubine Yun kind to you?'
Madam Ji nodded. 'Concubine Yun had a gentle nature. She loved children. When you were just born, she couldn't put you down, and when you cried at night, she was always the first to get up and soothe you. I, on the other hand, would laze in bed, unwilling to rise...'"Madam Ji sighed with regret, "Thinking back now, if it weren't for that maid, how could she have died..."
Yun Yiniang's death?
This was the first time Jinchao had heard her mother mention it. She looked up at her mother, but Madam Ji didn't elaborate further about Yun Yiniang and instead continued instructing her on embroidery techniques.
When Yun Yiniang had passed away, Jinchao had been staying at her maternal grandmother's home and knew little about the incident. She had only heard from Mama Xu that Yun Yiniang died from difficult childbirth.
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