Chapter 6 Concealment
Gu Jinzhao stepped out of her room to find Gu Lan standing beneath the plum blossom tree in the courtyard, her maid Ziling helping her pluck red plum blossoms from the branches.
Noticing Jinzhao’s approach, Gu Lan came forward. “...Mother’s courtyard has the finest red plum blossoms. I thought to pick some for my prunus vase. Elder Sister, you’ve been ill for so long, and I’ve been occupied with embroidery lessons, unable to visit you. The least I can do is invite you over for some pastries to make amends.”
Jinzhao replied indifferently, “It’s no trouble. Your thoughtfulness is noted.”
Gu Lan pressed her lips together briefly before quickly smiling again.
Cui Xuan Yuan was quite a distance from Paulownia Courtyard, situated near Tong Ruo Lou, where the two concubines resided. Passing by a lake and ascending a stone path lined with green bamboo and various flowering plants, they arrived at the three-section, five-beam courtyard. It had east and west wing rooms, a rear annex, and corners adorned with four seasons begonia and a trellis of honeysuckle.
Once seated, Ziling brought out powder fruits—four of them arranged on a white porcelain dish painted with faint red peonies, their fillings of rose dew and bamboo pith visible. Alongside these were yellow cakes, white sugar pear crisps, and other pastries.
Gu Lan personally set out silver chopsticks and a blue-and-white bowl for Jinzhao, then dismissed Ziling with a wave. “Elder Sister and I have private matters to discuss. You may leave and close the door.”
After the two young maids had exited, Gu Lan’s smile faded. “...You seem burdened, not as cheerful as before. If something troubles you, Elder Sister, you can confide in me...”
Jinzhao arched a brow slightly. She had once considered Gu Lan a dear sister, sharing everything with her—so much so that Gu Lan knew every detail about her and Chen Xuanqing. Looking back, in her past life, Gu Lan had likely understood her better than she understood herself.
Jinzhao was aware Gu Lan would grow suspicious. Their former closeness was something she could no longer feign, nor could she replicate her fifteen-year-old self’s demeanor. Pretending was out of the question.
Better to conceal it all.
Having resolved this, she sighed softly and lowered her voice. “Chen Xuanqing... he’s already betrothed to another! I only learned of it days ago at the Duke’s flower banquet. I was furious. And now, with Mother’s lingering illness, I’ve been so distraught I can hardly sleep—agonizing over Xuanqing while worrying for Mother...”
From the corner of her eye, she noted Gu Lan’s composed expression.
Gu Lan sighed in turn, clasping her hand. “Elder Sister’s devotion to Seventh Young Master Chen runs deep. To think he’s already engaged... What will you do now?”
Her lack of surprise suggested prior knowledge of the betrothal. Jinzhao glanced at Liu Xiang beside her.
Gu Lan smiled again. “An engagement is just words until the bride crosses the threshold. There’s only one Seventh Young Master Chen, and since he’s the one Elder Sister loves, don’t let others’ gossip sway you!”
Jinzhao returned the smile. “No need for your reminder, Second Sister. Of course.” If Gu Lan wished for her to continue pursuing Chen Xuanqing, she would play the part—enough to lull Gu Lan into complacency.Encouraging her to like someone who could never possibly like her—Gu Lan truly had ulterior motives. Back then, hadn’t she herself been just as self-righteous, believing Chen Xuanqing could only like her? Thinking back on it now, it was both pitiful and laughable!
Gu Lan’s smile faltered for a moment before she quickly picked up a piece of white sugar pear crisp for Jinchao, saying affectionately, “Elder Sister, try this.”
The white sugar pear crisp was sweet with the refreshing fragrance of pear, melting in the mouth—perfect to her taste.
She had often eaten this as a child at her maternal grandmother’s home and loved it dearly. Other places never seemed to get the flavor right, and it had been over a decade since she last tasted it. Wait! Jinchao’s heart stirred. Although Gu Lan learned embroidery and music, she never studied the power over household affairs. Naturally, this white sugar pear crisp must have been made by a maid…
Gu Jinchao suddenly thought of Qingpu. When Qingpu was at her grandmother’s home, she often made white sugar pear crisp for her as a child, and the taste was exactly the same.
Qingpu was a maid Jinchao had brought back from the Ji family.
As for why Jinchao had been fostered at the Ji family, it had to do with her father.
Gu Dezhao was deeply devoted to Taoist teachings, and priests from Yanqing Taoist Temple often visited their home. Among them was Qingxu Taoist Priest, whose divination skills were profound. Gu Dezhao regarded him as an honored guest, and the two were close friends.
When Gu Jinchao was born, her father, then twenty-two, finally had his first daughter and naturally doted on her like a treasure. He also asked Qingxu Taoist Priest to divine her fortune. The priest declared her to have a fire fate and drew the “Zhen” hexagram. Since her father had a wood fate, if Jinchao were raised by his side before the age of eight, the conflicting elements, compounded by the hindrance of the “Zhen” hexagram, would negatively affect his official career.
Her father took this to heart and, after discussing it with Jinchao’s mother, sent her to her maternal grandmother’s home to be fostered until she was nine.
Thus, Jinchao spent all her time before the age of nine at the Ji family.
When she turned nine and was about to return to the Gu family, her grandmother, worried for her, personally selected a maid with a gentle, intelligent, and steady temperament—Qingpu—to accompany her back.
Jinchao had initially treated Qingpu well, but Qingpu wasn’t as adept at flattery as Liu Xiang and was naturally quiet and reserved. Over time, Jinchao found her personality dull and grew to dislike her. Moreover, regarding Chen Xuanqing, while others feared her and only told her what she wanted to hear, Qingpu repeatedly tried to dissuade her. Jinchao eventually grew so displeased with her that she banished her to the outer courtyard’s kitchen, never wanting to see her again.
Thinking of Qingpu, Jinchao sighed softly.
She looked up at Gu Lan and said with a smile, “I wonder whose handiwork this white sugar pear crisp is. It must be troublesome for you to have it made and sent to me three times a day. Why not just give me the maid instead? That way, I won’t have to crave it daily.”
The maid who made the white sugar pear crisp was Qingpu!
Gu Lan’s heart skipped a beat. Didn’t Gu Jinchao dislike Qingpu? Why would she suddenly want her back? She had taken Qingpu with ulterior motives—how could she possibly return her now? She was afraid this maid might seize an opportunity to regain Jinchao’s favor.
Gu Jinchao slowly closed the teacup lid and said, “Could it be that Second Sister is particularly fond of this maid? Since she’s assigned to the small kitchen, she can’t be attending to you personally, right?” She patted Gu Lan’s hand with a smile. “If you’re reluctant to let her go, I’ll have Liu Xiang bring you that pair of black jade bracelets later. Didn’t you always like them?”Gu Lan's expression darkened, but she only hesitated and said, "...It's just that this person originally served Eldest Miss. Her name is Qingpu. I brought her back because I thought her pastry-making skills were excellent. If Eldest Miss takes her back and it angers her again, what should we do?"
Jinchao thought to herself that it was indeed Qingpu, so she directly asked Gu Lan for the person.
"If I take her back, I won't keep her by my side. Do you know where she is now?"
As the legitimate eldest daughter, she had every right to ask directly, and Gu Lan had no grounds to refuse. Since she had this status, she might as well make good use of it.
Gu Lan usually saw herself as the legitimate daughter of the Gu family and always put on airs as one in front of outsiders. For Gu Jinzhao to directly ask her for a maid was like a slap to her face, and she couldn't recover from the humiliation for a while.
Gu Jinzhao naturally understood Gu Lan well—she was fiercely competitive and never willing to fall behind in anything.
But Gu Jinzhao was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Gu family, not Gu Lan.
Jinchao, however, acted as if she hadn't been throwing her weight around at all and said with a smile, "Indeed, coming to Second Sister's place always lifts my spirits. Have Qingpu sent to my place later." Then she turned to Liu Xiang and said, "Go see if Qingpu needs any help. Baiyun and I can return on our own."
After returning to Paulownia Courtyard, Gu Jinzhao called Caifu in and told her about the new maid: "...I've taken back Qingpu, who used to serve here. Take Yutong and Yuzhu to tidy up a room in the servants' quarters. Open my storeroom and fetch a pair of silver spoons engraved with begonias and a few prunus vases. Decorate her room properly—you decide where everything should go."
Caifu acknowledged the order and left with the two junior maids to prepare the room. Her mind, however, was racing. Just days ago, Eldest Miss had sent Baiyun to inquire about Qingpu, and now she had already taken her back. She wondered what her mistress was planning. And now she was being asked to arrange the room... Where had Liu Xiang gone? The mistress had been treating her well lately—was she planning to promote her?
Caifu felt a little nervous. It hadn't been easy for her to rise to the rank of second-tier maid, but the mistress had never paid her much attention before. Maids like her, once they reached a certain age, could be casually married off to servants or guards, or even given to some steward as a concubine. But first-tier maids who served closely by their mistress's side were different. If the mistress was willing, they could be matched with good families or continue serving loyally, sharing in their mistress's fortunes.
Her palms grew slightly sweaty as she thought about how she must handle this task flawlessly.
Gu Jinzhao then summoned Mama Tong. Mama Tong was the stewardess of Paulownia Courtyard, selected by Jinchao's mother years ago from among the villa staff. She was efficient and had a way with disciplining the younger maids, earning everyone's respect. Originally, the stewardess held a higher rank than the senior maids, but the previous Jinchao had trusted Liu Xiang more, so many of Mama Tong's duties—such as managing the maids and arranging daily affairs—had been taken over by Liu Xiang.
Mama Tong no longer even lived in Paulownia Courtyard; she stayed at Qinglian Residence, helping to manage the newly recruited eight- or nine-year-old maids in the inner courtyard. When Baiyun told her the mistress wanted to see her, she couldn't help but ask along the way, "What important matter does the mistress have?" or "How has the mistress been lately? And Madam?"Baiyun, who had once been a stewardess herself, treated her with respect and patiently replied, "Everything is fine. I'm not sure what the young lady has in mind."
Mama Tong could tell Baiyun didn’t seem keen on continuing the conversation, so she didn’t press further. When they arrived at Paulownia Courtyard, Jinchao was already waiting in the East Side Room.
Jinchao glanced up at her first. Mama Tong appeared to be in her forties, her complexion darker than the other women in the inner courtyard. She wore a pair of small red gold clove earrings but no other ornaments.
After Mama Tong paid her respects, Jinchao spoke, "...I called you here today to ask if the registry ledger for this courtyard is in your possession?"
This single sentence made both Baiyun and Mama Tong’s hearts skip a beat.
The registry ledgers for the courtyard recorded all the items under the young lady’s accounts—those given by the estate, brought by the Ji family, or gifted by others. The ledgers had always been kept by the stewardess, but Liu Xiang had never taken them. The records for the courtyard’s belongings hadn’t been updated in a long time.
If this matter were to be scrutinized, the responsibility would undoubtedly fall on Mama Tong. Though she no longer held the actual authority of a stewardess, she still held the title. While it wasn’t truly her fault—Liu Xiang had found the ledgers troublesome and never retrieved them—shifting the blame onto Liu Xiang would likely only provoke the young lady’s favoritism and result in Mama Tong being reprimanded instead.
Mama Tong had no choice but to kneel and say, "Please punish me, young lady. It was my negligence. The registry ledger is indeed in my possession, but it hasn’t been updated for a long time."
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