Chapter 57: Gift Giving (1) (Pink 10+)
The team of guards Madam Ji brought to the Gu household were all from Tongzhou.
In Tongzhou, there was a martial arts school run by the Xue family. The master of the school, Old Master Xue, had traveled extensively in his youth and was highly skilled in martial arts. Later, he returned to Tongzhou and established the Xue Martial Arts School, specializing in teaching self-defense and combat skills to underprivileged youths. Most of the Ji family's guards were selected from this school, including Qingpu, who had trained under Old Master Xue's third son.
The Ji family treated these guards exceptionally well, providing them with seven taels of silver per month, along with grain and cloth for their families—more than the monthly allowance of a typical second-tier maid. This treatment remained unchanged even after they came to the Gu household. For those without spouses, Madam Ji would even arrange marriages for them. This team of guards, aged between thirty and forty, was utterly loyal to Madam Ji.
Mama Xu brought along the leader of the guards, a towering man with hands as large as palm-leaf fans and an air of calm composure. This man was Xue Sixteen, a collateral descendant of the Xue family and a concubine-born son. He had a wife and two children back in Tongzhou.
Xue Sixteen clasped his hands in salute to Jinchao but did not speak or offer greetings.
Jinchao knew these men were not overly concerned with formalities and didn’t mind. She instructed Baiyun to serve him tea and invited him to sit on a stone stool to talk.
"You are Old Master Xue’s nephew. I have a maid by my side who trained under his third son, so by that measure, she should address you as martial uncle," Jinchao said with a smile, beckoning Qingpu to come forward and greet Xue Sixteen.
However, Xue Sixteen remained standing and declined to sit. He nodded at Qingpu and then said to Jinchao, "Eldest Miss, there’s no need for courtesy. Please state your orders directly, and this humble servant will do his utmost to fulfill them."
These guards were Madam Ji’s people, so they would naturally follow her daughter’s instructions, but that didn’t necessarily mean they genuinely respected her. It had taken Madam Ji over a decade to earn their loyalty. Gu Jinzhao recalled an incident from her past life when she went to play at the Earl of Yongyang’s residence. Her father had ordered Xue Sixteen and a few other guards to accompany her. She had insisted on rowing a boat on the lake with the earl’s third daughter, ignoring all warnings from the guards and maids. As a result, she fell into the water, and it was Xue Sixteen who jumped in to save her. Yet, upon their return, all the guards were punished by her father for failing in their duty to protect her.
Though the guards never complained, they surely harbored resentment.
Jinchao wanted to save Xiuqu partly because of Yuzhu—the girl was clever and loyal, and she didn’t want her friend to suffer as a result. After all, Xiuqu was facing this ordeal because of them. Jinchao couldn’t bear it, especially since Xiuqu was also a devoted servant.
For Concubine Song, killing Xiuqu would have been a simple matter—who would question the fate of a lowly maid? But she hadn’t anticipated Yuzhu discovering the plot. The problem was, Jinchao didn’t know where Xiuqu was now or whether she was already dead. The Gu family’s rear courtyard had several unused compounds—was the girl hidden in one of these abandoned courtyards, or was she in Concubine Song’s own quarters? She needed the guards to investigate.
After careful consideration, Jinchao said to Xue Sixteen, "I’ve called you here today to ask for your help in finding someone—a twelve-year-old maid. She once did me a kindness but was punished by Concubine Song for a mistake and has since disappeared. I’d like you to search the Gu family’s side courtyards during your patrols. Be thorough—check every side courtyard and leave no room unsearched. See if you can find her."
Xue Sixteen pondered for a moment before asking, "Could it be that this maid couldn’t endure the punishment and went into hiding?"Jinchao said, "The situation is urgent, let's not dwell on this. If you can find her, you'll understand... If you locate her in the side courtyard, bring her here immediately."
Xue Sixteen frowned slightly. The Eldest Miss hadn't made much progress after all—she was actually asking him to search for a maid. But he said nothing and simply nodded in agreement before bowing and withdrawing. Caifu watched as he followed Mama Xu out, then whispered to Jinchao, "I don't think the guard Xue is particularly obedient to you."
Jinchao explained, "Martial artists have straightforward minds. Once you earn their respect, they'll follow orders. Right now, I can only command them through Mother's authority—otherwise, how could the Gu family afford to hire the nephew of Elder Xue?"
She didn't mention Xue Sixteen again after that.
Soon, Mama Tong returned and informed Jinchao, "...Liu Daifu is waiting for you in the flower hall."
Jinchao nodded and headed toward the flower hall, adding, "There are three jars of Autumn Dew White Wine left in the residence. Bring them all for Liu Daifu."
She had summoned Liu Daifu to examine whether Madam Ji's diet contained anything inappropriate. Mama Xu had already assured her that poisoning was impossible—she had turned Xiexiao Courtyard upside down in inspection, finding no issues with incense burners, bowls, or chopsticks. Even the bedding Madam Ji used had been completely replaced.
Jinchao then asked Mama Xu to compile a list of Madam Ji's commonly consumed dishes and ingredients, so anything unsuitable for her condition could be promptly removed.
Liu Daifu scrutinized the list carefully, verifying it repeatedly before saying, "Madam suffers from a weak constitution—her spleen and stomach are deficient and cold, her blood and qi are weak. She should consume mild, nourishing ingredients and avoid cold-natured foods. Everything listed here is gentle and nourishing; there's nothing unsuitable."
This puzzled Jinchao. With everything ruled out, was Mr. Xiao's claim even true?
She pressed further, "Then is there anything unusual about my mother's fluctuating condition?"
Liu Daifu hesitated. "It's hard to say... If she's burdened by excessive melancholy, that could worsen her illness..."
Finding no irregularities and not wanting to trouble Liu Daifu further, Jinchao thanked him and had Mama Tong escort him out with the Autumn Dew White Wine. She mentally reviewed everything her mother ate and used daily, but nothing seemed amiss... Though Mr. Xiao had never personally diagnosed Madam Ji's condition, his judgment might have been biased.
Jinchao decided to visit Song Yiniang that evening to inquire about Xiuqu's whereabouts.
In the afternoon, her embroidery teacher arrived to instruct her in Suzhou embroidery. Jinchao showed her teacher the framed "Antiques Painting" she had completed. While Shu embroidery excelled in vivid depictions of birds and beasts with dense, neat stitches, Suzhou embroidery was more impressionistic and less realistic.
The four-panel screen featured delicately embroidered treasures—a precious ding, vases, and tall stands—in soft, elegant hues. The teacher praised it profusely. Jinchao had originally mastered only Shu embroidery, but now her Suzhou embroidery was equally exquisite. Since needlework skills were interconnected, her dedication had naturally bridged the gap.
After dining with her mother that evening, Jinchao had servants carry the four-panel screen to the Waterside Pavilion.
Her father hadn't summoned Song Yiniang for a month, nor had he visited her. He was either with Concubine Luo or sleeping alone in the Chrysanthemum Willow Pavilion. Aside from managing household affairs, Song Yiniang now spent most of her time in the Waterside Pavilion.Concubine Song had someone serve Jinchao apricot tea: "...The apricots just ripened in early summer are still a bit green. I had them picked to make this tea and added several sugar cubes, knowing Eldest Miss has a sweet tooth."
Jinchao glanced at the pale yellow tea, took a sip, then casually set the cup down on a small side table.
"I came to see you, Concubine, and also to bring you something." Jinchao had servants carry in a four-panel screen. "I started embroidering this during Lan Er's hair pinning ceremony and finished over a month later. Thinking I've never given you anything before, I decided to present this as a token of my regard."
Concubine Song's smile stiffened slightly. Why would Gu Jinzhao suddenly mention Gu Lan's hair pinning ceremony... It wasn't until the servants brought in the screen that Concubine Song stood to examine it: "The embroidery is truly exquisite! Eldest Miss's needlework has far surpassed Lan Er's now! I've always found floral patterns too gaudy, preferring the simplicity of antique designs." She motioned to two maids nearby, "Take this to the side room for storage. Be careful not to damage it."
Jinchao smiled faintly: "Does Concubine dislike my embroidery so much that you'd relegate it to the side room? I noticed your western chamber lacks a screen—this would serve nicely there." The side room was for storing miscellaneous items; Concubine Song clearly didn't value her gift.
She understood perfectly—Concubine Song was inherently cautious, to the point of paranoia. Receiving an unsolicited four-panel screen with unclear intentions, she would naturally avoid using it. The more Jinchao insisted, the more Concubine Song would resist.
Concubine Song's smile grew strained as she explained: "Eldest Miss may not know, but this room becomes terribly stuffy in summer—we must keep the doors open for ventilation. Placing a screen in the western chamber would block the breeze, making it even hotter."
Jinchao found this amusing—the Waterside Pavilion was built over the lake and couldn't be cooler. But she didn't press further, nodding reluctantly: "If that's the case, I won't insist. However, this screen frame is made of untreated sandalwood and mustn't get damp. You can't store it in the side room. The western wing chambers seem quite dry to me."
Apart from the main rooms and east wing chambers which were occupied in Waterside Pavilion, if Xiuqu were here, she'd most likely be in the western wing. That area had many locust trees whose dense shade kept maids and servants away.
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