Chapter 43: Calligraphy Treasures
After dining at Jinchao's place, Gu Jinxian and Ye Xian headed to the side rooms in the outer courtyard, where they would stay temporarily before accompanying Gu Dezhao to sweep the graves at Mount Xicui the next day.
Upon entering the side room, Ye Xian pushed open the study window and gazed thoughtfully at the locust tree outside, its branches lush with new leaves.
Gu Jinxian wandered around for a while before approaching him to talk.
"Uncle, why do I feel like you’re targeting Eldest Cousin?"
Without turning his head, Ye Xian replied, "I’m not targeting her."
Gu Jinxian stepped closer, adopting a lecturing tone. "Even though Eldest Cousin has a bad reputation outside, I think those are all just rumors. After meeting her a few times, I find her gentle and knowledgeable. Honestly, she’s far better than most noble ladies..."
Ye Xian snorted. "You’ve only met her twice, and you’re already so sure? Nephew, if you keep trusting people so easily, you’ll be played for a fool someday." He patted Gu Jinxian’s shoulder.
Gu Jinxian stared at Ye Xian for a long moment, lips trembling but unable to utter a word.
His mother had once told him that Marquis Changxing, having had Ye Xian late in life, doted on him excessively. The entire household dared not disobey his whims. Moreover, Ye Xian had been frail and sickly since birth, and only in recent years, as his health improved slightly, had he been allowed to move about freely. The family cherished him all the more for it. Gu Jinxian had always admired his uncle’s carefree nature and stayed close to him, while others avoided him like the plague... Now, he finally understood why.
He truly was a viper!
"You... Last time at our house, you even took her handkerchief to frame her. If things hadn’t been cleared up, her reputation would’ve been ruined. And today—her kitten was peacefully napping under the corridor. You teased it, fine, but you hurt it... Thankfully, Eldest Cousin has the patience not to get angry. Any other young lady would’ve cried and demanded compensation!" Gu Jinxian grew agitated, his words turning sharp.
Ye Xian calmly explained, "That time, I was genuinely helping her..."
"Helping my foot! What kind of help was that?" Gu Jinxian blurted out.
Ye Xian sighed and added, "Actually, I didn’t mean to hurt the kitten that badly. It was just a small punishment. You know I can’t always control my strength..."
Hearing this, Gu Jinxian’s expression softened slightly. "If it wasn’t intentional, then at least apologize to her. Her kitten was hurt because of you... Even if you don’t apologize, you should do something to make it up to her."
But Ye Xian continued, "Don’t be fooled by her. Your Eldest Cousin isn’t as mild-tempered as she appears. She’s shrewd, knows how to bide her time—she’s someone capable of great things..."
Gu Jinxian rubbed his temples in frustration. "Uncle, spare me the analysis. Just apologize to her!"
Ye Xian fell silent, staring at him before reluctantly nodding. "Fine, I understand. You can leave now."
He shooed Gu Jinxian out of the study and remained standing by the window, lost in thought.
By evening, Baiyun finally brought the kitten back.
Baopu curled up in the sewing basket, its front paw wrapped in bandages, preventing it from licking its wound. Frustrated and in discomfort, it mewed incessantly.“The wound medicine has been applied and bandaged. The stable boy said although the injury didn’t reach the bone and won’t affect its ability to walk or jump in the future, it definitely won’t be moving much these few days…” Baiyun reported.
Jinchao could only sigh. There was nothing she could do to Ye Xian, so she reached out to comfort Baopu by petting it. But the cat was now very wary of people. Feeling Jinchao’s hand approaching, it immediately retreated into the pile of cotton cloth.
Jinchao had no choice but to instruct Baiyun to take the cat away and replace its bedding with something softer to avoid irritating its wounds.
“Miss, Mama Tong requests to see you,” Qingpu announced from outside the curtain.
Mama Tong came in to discuss tomorrow’s Qingming Festival arrangements. In previous years, the women of the Gu family had never gone to Mount Xicui, simply paying respects at the ancestral hall at home to mark the occasion. But this time, her father had specifically instructed that since the main family had sent Fifth Madam and two cousins as a gesture of reconciliation, everyone would go to Mount Xicui together.
Concubine Song was already preparing wine, food, joss paper and other offerings. She sent someone to inform Jinchao that if she wasn’t too busy, she could assist with preparing the household’s sacrificial items—mostly simple tasks like arranging fruits, cooked dishes, and willow branches.
Mama Tong found it strange: “Concubine Song always seems to want to involve you in everything…”
Jinchao smiled but wasn’t surprised. She simply instructed Mama Tong to inform the various stewards to prepare the necessary items.
The next morning, Jinchao dressed similarly to the previous day. Several maids carried stools, snacks, fans and other items as they followed her to the screen wall.
Six blue-curtained carriages waited by the screen wall, with grooms holding the reins. It was still early, the thin sunlight casting shadows on the relief carvings of the screen wall, but people were already gathered there. Looking closer, Jinchao saw Gu Lan, Ye Xian, Gu Jinxian, and their entourage of maids and page boys.
Gu Jinxian spotted her first and called out cheerfully, “Eldest cousin is here!” pulling her over to chat.
Gu Lan was telling Ye Xian: “I heard you went to Ciguang Temple to see the monkeys yesterday…”
Ye Xian replied indifferently, “Jinxian wanted to go… We didn’t climb the mountain.”
Gu Lan wore an eggplant-colored satin robe with tassel patterns and a light green eight-panel Xiang skirt, looking radiant. Undeterred by Ye Xian’s aloofness, she continued smiling: “I often visit Ciguang Temple too, though I’m not fond of the monkeys. They say the temple monks keep them to entertain pilgrims—fat things that just sit motionless in cages unless you feed them…”
Ye Xian barely listened, offering only a noncommittal “Hmm.” Then his gaze shifted to Gu Jinchao as he said, “You’re late.”
Gu Lan also noticed Jinchao’s approach. After greeting her properly, she smiled and said no more, boarding her carriage.
Jinchao watched her younger sister until the carriage’s fine cloth curtain closed. Was she still trying to pursue Marquis Changxing’s heir by currying favor? Jinchao thought that for someone like Ye Xian, ignoring him might be the best way to gain his favor.
Ye Xian remarked, “Your sister is quite the conversationalist.”
Jinchao smiled. “She just feels a special connection with you, Uncle.”
Ye Xian gave a short laugh and fell silent.
Gu Jinxian was frantically signaling him with his eyes—he couldn’t have forgotten about yesterday’s agreement to apologize after one night’s sleep!Ye Xian seemed deliberately slow to respond, playing the mute for a long while before turning his gaze to the carved qilin treading on clouds on the shadow wall. Jinchao didn’t want to stand around idly; her father and the others would likely emerge soon, so she might as well wait in the carriage. Just as she turned to leave, Ye Xian unexpectedly caught her sleeve again.
From his sleeve slid out a long scroll, which he placed in her hand.
Gu Jinzhao looked at him in confusion. “What is this?”
Ye Xian answered simply, “A piece of calligraphy and painting.” After a pause, he added, “My own work, as an apology.”
Gu Jinzhao was torn between laughter and exasperation. Who in the world gave their own paintings as an apology? He wasn’t some renowned calligrapher or celebrated scholar of Jiangnan—what value could his painting possibly hold? He might as well have given her a Persian cat instead!
Gu Jinxian chuckled as well.
Ye Xian gave them a strange look before drawling, “Gold and silver are too vulgar, jade too pretentious, and anything else unworthy of our esteemed niece’s status. After much deliberation, I concluded my calligraphy and painting would be most fitting.”
Gu Jinxian sidled up to Jinchao. “Cousin, open it quickly. I’m curious to see what he’s painted.”
Jinchao had no intention of unrolling the scroll in front of Ye Xian—if the painting turned out to be hideous, his wounded pride would only make him resent her further. But with Gu Jinxian insisting, she unfurled the scroll to reveal two fluffy, playful cats frolicking beneath melon vines, chasing butterflies.
The cats, their heads tilted to watch the butterflies, were rendered vividly. Beside them were the characters for “Cat’s Delight,” written not in the standard clerical script favored by scholars but in a meticulous and solemn large seal script. The bold strokes carried an unexpectedly rustic charm.
Ye Xian remarked, “I’m giving you two cats to keep your other one company.”
Jinchao didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. She rolled up the scroll and casually handed it to Qingpu beside her, then bowed slightly. “Thank you for your generous gift, Uncle. Now that we have your esteemed artwork, Baopu will have feline companionship and surely won’t hold a grudge against you.”
With that, she ignored him and climbed into the carriage.
Gu Jinxian leaned in, staring at Ye Xian, who shot him a sidelong glance. “What else do you want?”
Scratching his head, Gu Jinxian asked, “Didn’t you skip learning painting from Grand Academician Gao? How can you paint so well…?” Grand Academician Gao, the head of the Hanlin Academy, was Ye Xian’s grandfather—a rare long-lived man now in his seventies. Not only had Ye Xian neglected painting, but even the family tutor, a favored disciple of Grand Academician Gao and currently the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Shi Yuan, had struggled to keep him engaged in lessons. His attendance was sporadic at best.
“Capturing forms is hardly difficult!” Ye Xian dismissed him and boarded his own carriage.
After a moment’s thought, Gu Jinxian called out, “Forget the painting—was that even an apology?”
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