Chapter 47: The Visit
"...I've brought Li Fu to serve as your ceremony officiant. Have you chosen your hairpin ceremony assistant and witness yet?" Madam Li asked Gu Lan.
Gu Lan first looked at Li Fu and complimented her: "This is my first time meeting Second Miss Li—she's truly lovely!"
Li Fu pursed her lips in a smile but said nothing.
"Father has chosen Eldest Miss as my witness," Gu Lan added, glancing at Gu Jinzhao, who was sipping tea, her tone perfectly calm.
"Chose Eldest Miss Gu?" Madam Li was visibly surprised.
Jinchao nearly choked on her tea. She thought to herself, They’re discussing their own matters—can’t they even let me drink my tea in peace?
She looked up and saw that both Madam Wen and Madam Li had lost their smiles. Clearly, they believed her character made her unworthy of being Gu Lan’s witness.
This was Father’s decision—I didn’t even want to do it!
Jinchao set down her teacup and said coolly, "If Lan Er isn’t willing, I can speak to Father and have someone else take my place."
Gu Lan’s expression turned aggrieved. "Eldest Sister, please don’t misunderstand—I never said I didn’t want you as my witness. You mustn’t think that way..." Her voice trembled weakly, as if afraid Jinchao might devour her on the spot.
Before Concubine Song could speak, Madam Wen’s face darkened. She patted Gu Lan’s hand reassuringly and said to Jinchao, "Eldest Miss, please forgive her. Our Lan Er meant no harm—she’s just not good with words. There was no ill intent."
Jinchao smiled at Madam Wen. "Why would I hold a grudge against Lan Er?" She then affectionately draped an arm over Gu Lan’s shoulder. "I was only joking. Lan Er and I have always been the closest. Isn’t that right?" She winked at Gu Lan.
Gu Lan stiffened, finding Jinchao’s hand on her shoulder unbearably uncomfortable. But with others present, she couldn’t react openly and could only force a nod.
Jinchao withdrew her hand, lifted the teacup lid, blew gently on the tea, and took a graceful sip.
The sudden shift in Jinchao’s demeanor left Gu Lan and Madam Wen momentarily speechless.
Just then, Baiyun approached from the corridor. After paying her respects to the ladies and the concubine, she turned to Jinchao. "Eldest Miss! Tai Furen of the Ji family has arrived!"
Jinchao set down her cup, pleasantly surprised. "Grandmother came herself? How did she find the time?"
Baiyun replied, "Tai Furen came specifically to deliver gifts for Second Miss’s ceremony. She mentioned she’d also like to see you and Madam. She’s in Madam’s courtyard now!"
"Tai Furen? The matriarch of the Ji family from Tongzhou?" Madam Li interjected in astonishment.
Baiyun nodded. "Indeed. Our Eldest Miss’s maternal family is the Ji family of Tongzhou."
The expressions of the two madams shifted noticeably.
They had never paid much attention to the Gu family’s affairs. Though they knew there was still a Madam Gu, in their eyes, she might as well have been dead, with Concubine Song merely waiting to be elevated to the position of wife.
But who would have thought... Madam Gu was from the Ji family of Tongzhou! No wonder Concubine Song had never mentioned it to them!
If Madam Gu was from the Ji family, Concubine Song’s chances of being legitimized were significantly slimmer...
Jinchao said to Gu Lan, "Since Grandmother has come personally to bring you gifts, you must go and greet her!" She then turned to the two madams with a smile. "...If you’d like, you’re welcome to join me as well."
Naturally, they were more than willing.Even if Gu Jinzhao hadn't mentioned it, Madam Wen and Madam Li would have found ways to visit.
Being acquainted with Tai Furen of the Ji family would make future business dealings much more convenient. The Ji family was among the wealthiest in Yanjing, with countless shops, farmlands, and properties, not to mention their extensive trade routes spanning north and south. Just their annual freight earnings alone amounted to tens of thousands of taels of silver!
Song Yiniang's expression darkened, but she couldn't openly prevent the two madams from visiting Tai Furen. She merely sent her own maid, Qiaowei, to accompany them, claiming it was for their convenience in case they needed assistance on the way.
When they arrived outside Xiexiao Courtyard, Mama Xu was waiting under the corridor with her hands respectfully folded. She informed Jinzhao that her mother was having a private conversation with her grandmother inside, while Moyu and Momei waited outside. She then instructed Moyu to escort the two madams to the western side chamber to wait.
It had been a long time since her grandmother had seen her mother, so naturally, they had much to discuss.
As the group headed to the western side chamber, they noticed over a dozen maids and elderly servants standing along the winding corridor, along with three stern-looking stewards. All of them stood silently facing the door, not a single whisper among them.
Madam Wen couldn't help but ask Moyu quietly, "Miss, does your madam really have so many maids and servants attending to her?"
Moyu smiled. "Madam, you misunderstand. These are the attendants Tai Furen brought with her."
Madam Wen couldn't conceal her envy. "...Judging by their attire and demeanor, they're clearly no ordinary servants."
She was inwardly astonished—Tai Furen's attendants even included stewards! Moreover, they had followed her into the inner quarters without the slightest hesitation, which meant they must be indentured household servants. It was said that Tai Furen's authority in the Ji family was absolute, and this certainly seemed to be the case.
Madam Li glanced at Madam Wen.
They had barely waited half an hour in the western side chamber when Jinzhao's mother and grandmother finished their conversation. Mama Xu personally came to invite them over.
Jinzhao first introduced Song Yiniang's two elder sisters to her grandmother. Ji Wu Shi wasn't particularly warm, merely nodding with a faint smile in greeting.
Madam Wen flattered Ji Wu Shi with a smile. "...I've long heard of your esteemed reputation, and only now do I have the honor of meeting you!"
Madam Li curled her lips into a faint sneer but remained silent.
Madam Ji lay on the heated kang, covered with a brocade quilt embroidered with wild geese. Her health was frail, and even though it was already early summer, she still couldn't stay warm, needing a hand-warmer at night. Unable to rise easily, she simply greeted the two madams with a smile.
Gu Lan stood behind, watching her two aunts with an expressionless face—until Ji Wu Shi spoke.
"Lan Er, it's only been a year since we last met, yet you act as though you don't recognize me..."
Ji Wu Shi smiled at her, but her gaze was sharp.
This was a reprimand for failing to greet them properly, a breach of etiquette.
Jinzhao tugged at her sleeve, urging her to step forward and pay her respects to their grandmother. Gu Lan was extremely reluctant—Ji Wu Shi was Gu Jinzhao's grandmother, what did it have to do with her? She couldn't be bothered to address her!
Her voice was almost gritted through clenched teeth. "...Grandmother, I hope you are well."
"Lan Er grows more beautiful by the day. She'll soon be of age for her hair-pinning ceremony—has a match been arranged for her yet?" Ji Wu Shi asked Madam Ji with a smile.
Madam Ji chuckled. "Not yet. If you know of any suitable candidates, perhaps you could find one for our Lan Er?"Gu Lan said gently, "Mother, don’t worry. Father will naturally decide on the marriage. How could we trouble Grandmother? Besides, Eldest Sister’s marriage hasn’t been settled yet. I keep thinking that she should marry first—it would be disrespectful otherwise. If Grandmother is concerned about my marriage, perhaps she could help Eldest Sister find a suitable match first. Her situation is more urgent than mine..."
Ji Wu Shi’s face darkened. Was Gu Lan mocking Jinchao for not having a good marriage prospect, implying she couldn’t get married?
Jinchao didn’t want Ji Wu Shi to argue with Gu Lan. A few sharp words didn’t matter, but she didn’t want to ruin her grandmother’s visit. Smiling, she took Ji Wu Shi’s hand and said, "Don’t worry. If I never marry, I’ll just go live with you!"
Ji Wu Shi chuckled. "What nonsense. Every girl must marry someday..."
After speaking, Ji Wu Shi turned and gave Gu Lan a cold stare.
Gu Lan felt a chill under her gaze. Ji Wu Shi was naturally stern, and her imposing presence far surpassed that of any inner courtyard matron.
After a moment, Ji Wu Shi looked away and smiled again. "As your grandmother, of course I worry about your marriage. I wouldn’t want some fool or simpleton to take you away." She beckoned to Mama Song. "Go and have Steward Zhu bring up the gifts I prepared for Lan Er."
Gu Lan’s heart skipped a beat... What did Ji Wu Shi mean? Did she know about the Mu family’s marriage proposal? How did she find out?
She glanced at Madam Ji—she must have known. Had the two of them been discussing her during their long conversation earlier?
As Gu Lan was lost in thought, four maids carried in two large loads of gifts.
The first load held a foot-tall jade Buddha carved from fine emerald-green jade. The second was laden with gilded hairpins and silver jewelry inlaid with gemstones. The gifts were worth at least a thousand taels, leaving Madam Wen and Madam Li wide-eyed. They had never seen such lavish gifts for a hair-pinning ceremony!
The jade Buddha alone was extraordinary—its flawless jade could have made top-grade bracelets, let alone a statue. And the jewelry, each piece exquisitely crafted, gleamed dazzlingly in their brocade boxes.
Madam Wen smiled at Gu Lan. "Your grandmother treats you so well. Look at all these gifts for your hair-pinning ceremony!"
Ji Wu Shi said, "It’s not much. I just thought you dress too plainly, so I wanted to give you more adornments. Since you often chant sutras and worship Buddha, may the Buddha bless you. It’s best to do more good deeds."
But Gu Lan felt deeply uncomfortable. These weren’t gifts—they were being thrown at her! And what did those words mean? Was she being paid off like a beggar, or mocked for her malice?
Ji Wu Shi observed their reactions, thinking Gu Lan was too narrow-minded. If it were her, she would have accepted the gifts graciously with a smile. She turned to Jinchao and said, "I’ve seen your mother, and now that I’ve given your sister her gifts, I should return home. There’s much to attend to. If you miss this old woman, you must come visit me."
Jinchao looked at her grandmother affectionately and teased, "Then I’d have to go to Tongzhou every day!"
Ji Wu Shi and her mother both laughed.Madam Li and Madam Wen naturally took their leave. As they walked along the bluestone path with Gu Lan, Madam Wen continued chattering: "Your grandmother truly dotes on you, sending so many gifts. You must remember to be filial to her in the future!"
Gu Lan was already seething with anger, and Madam Wen's words only made her feel more agitated. She couldn't help but cast a cold glance at Madam Wen. Though her aunt was warm-hearted, she was also rather thoughtless...
Fortunately, Madam Wen kept talking to herself and didn't notice Gu Lan's expression at all.
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