Chapter 62: The Tutor
With Father's birthday approaching, Gu Lan was finally released from her confinement in the study and no longer had to copy Admonitions for Women and Lessons for Women . The next day, she came to pay respects to Madam Ji, her expression neither humble nor overbearing. Jinchao observed her from the side—it seemed those weeks of writing had tempered Gu Lan's impetuousness into quiet composure.
Father, after some consideration, also hired a master skilled in Su embroidery from Wanshou Pavilion to teach Gu Lan needlework, giving her something to occupy her time.
Meanwhile, the tutor Father had engaged for Jinchao, Cheng Wangxi, had begun skipping her qin lessons frequently.
He resided in the guest quarters of the outer courtyard, where Father ensured he was well-fed and comfortable. A few days prior, Wangxi had visited Shian County for leisure and taken a liking to an antique painting. After mentioning it to the servant Father had assigned to attend him, the painting appeared on his desk the very next day.
Father privately summoned Jinchao to inquire about her progress with the qin, adding, "...After all, he is here to teach you—we mustn’t treat him poorly. Master Wangxi is an heir of the Yushan School, so it’s only natural he carries himself with pride. You should try to understand." Clearly, he had heard rumors of their strained relationship.
Jinchao merely smiled in response.
Wangxi’s frequent absences, however, had a reason—he had many friends. This time, an old scholar from Hangzhou had come to the Gu residence to visit him. Rumor had it this man’s ancestors had once passed the imperial examinations, but his family had since fallen into decline. After attaining the rank of tong jinshi , he had refused to idle away his days in the Hanlin Academy, instead wandering the land without purpose. The Gu household became his latest refuge, and Wangxi generously invited him to stay. The two often drank, played the qin, or traveled to Shian and Daxing, spending dozens of taels of silver in a single day.
Once, the old scholar casually asked Wangxi how his teaching was going. Wangxi frowned and replied, "This Eldest Miss has a rather poor reputation in Shian. I truly have little desire to teach her. If not for Magistrate Gu’s courtesy and the fact that she was once tutored by Master Zixu, I would never have come!"
The old scholar pressed, "But if she was taught by Zixu, surely she can’t be that bad?"
Wangxi scoffed. "Even if Zixu instructed her, her comprehension is abysmal. I’ve had to teach her *Pu’an Zhou multiple times, and she still can’t grasp it. Seems the rumors of her dullness are quite credible..."*
Their conversation took place under the corridor’s eaves, but unbeknownst to them, a servant overheard everything. Naturally, the words reached Jinchao’s ears by the next day.
She found it both infuriating and laughable. "...As if he’s the one suffering!"
Caifu, standing nearby, was equally indignant. "Why not report this to the master? Have both of them thrown out of the estate! They’re freeloading while slandering you!"
Jinchao smiled. "No need to rush."
That afternoon, when Wangxi arrived for the lesson, she waited for him outside the flower hall. Startled, Wangxi froze—he had repeatedly emphasized to Gu Jinzhao the importance of maintaining propriety between men and women! Normally, he would only enter after she had taken her seat inside, the curtains drawn. He would leave before she emerged, and thus he had never once seen the Eldest Miss’s face. Not that he wanted to—such a sharp-tongued, ill-tempered woman surely had a visage to match her disposition!Who would have thought the Eldest Miss would be quietly waiting for him outside the flower hall today. She was only fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a satin gown with water-green lotus petal patterns, a moon-white pleated skirt, and a stone-blue belt adorned with two jade pendants. Her appearance was exceptionally radiant and delicate, with peerless beauty, like a blooming spring crabapple—truly breathtaking.
Jinchao glanced at this Master Wangxi and said with a smile, "Since you took so long to arrive, I came outside to welcome you. Please, take a seat in the flower hall."
Only then did Cheng Wangxi snap out of his daze. He coughed lightly and said, "In the future, Eldest Miss, it would be best not to wait outside."
Jinchao replied, "You are my teacher, so it’s only right that I welcome you personally. If you keep saying such things, wouldn’t it seem like you don’t value our master-disciple bond?"
Her words left Cheng Wangxi speechless. Pressing his lips together, he grew displeased.
Jinchao invited him to sit and then instructed Caifu to lower the bamboo blinds. "Master, why not listen to me play a piece? It’s a qin composition created by Master Zixu. I’ve only grasped a fraction of his profound artistry."
Cheng Wangxi had originally planned to play perfunctorily and leave—his old friend was waiting for him to share a drink. But since Jinchao had spoken so, he had no choice but to say, "Go ahead and play."
Jinchao steadied her mind and played a piece originally taught to her by Master Zixu. The melody was ancient and ethereal, yet graceful and lingering in its meaning. Even though Cheng Wangxi hadn’t intended to listen, he couldn’t help but be quietly astonished. Master Zixu’s qin skills were indeed extraordinary—this composition was truly excellent. And for Gu Jinchao to capture its essence… she wasn’t entirely dull-witted!
After finishing the piece, Jinchao had Caifu raise the blinds and calmly said, "Master, now that you’ve heard it once, could you play back what I just performed?"
Cheng Wangxi frowned. "What do you mean by this? With the blinds in the middle, I couldn’t even see how you moved your fingers or plucked the strings. How could I possibly play it back?" He was deeply dissatisfied, feeling that Gu Jinchao was using Master Zixu to humiliate him.
Jinchao gave a soft "Oh." "Since you know that lowering the blinds makes it impossible to see how the piece is played, why have you been teaching me this way all along? When I couldn’t learn, you called me slow-witted. So I ask you, Master—since you’re not slow-witted, can you play it back after hearing it once through the blinds?"
It took Cheng Wangxi a moment to process her words. Then, anger flared. "I am your teacher! How dare you speak to me with such disrespect!"
Jinchao smiled faintly. "You’d only be my teacher if you actually taught me something. But you’ve taught me nothing in the Gu household—how can you call yourself my teacher? Even if you were only here to play the qin for me, given how long you’ve eaten and lived at the Gu family’s expense, we should be even by now!"
Cheng Wangxi’s face flushed red and then paled. Furious, he pointed at Jinchao. "You—you’re truly—your Gu family—this is utterly outrageous…"
Scholars were like this—utterly incapable of cursing. Forget cursing—even arguing left them tongue-tied!
Caifu and Qingpu watched from the side, their lips curling in amusement. Jinchao, however, picked up her teacup and instructed Caifu, "Master is so upset—quickly escort him outside for some fresh air!"
Caifu promptly assented, but Cheng Wangxi stood up with a cold snort. "No need! The Eldest Miss is far too gifted—I am clearly unqualified to teach her! I take my leave!" With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and stormed out.Jinchao instructed Caifu, "Go and inform my father, explain the situation clearly, and tell him not to interfere." Caifu quickly obeyed and left.
Cheng Wangxi returned to his room and immediately began packing his belongings. The elderly scholar who had been lodging with him hurried over and asked, "What are you doing? Isn't everything fine here?"
Cheng Wangxi was so angry he could barely speak. "This is utterly humiliating! I can't stay here any longer!" He told the old scholar to pack his things as well, reasoning that since he was leaving, there was no reason for the man who had been lodging with him to remain in the Gu household. The old scholar reluctantly gathered his belongings and then asked, "Where will you go?"
Cheng Wangxi froze for a moment. His anger had been so overwhelming that he hadn't actually considered this question. He had assumed that once news of his departure spread, Physician Gu would reprimand his daughter and come to stop him. Who would have thought that even the servant assigned to attend to him would vanish without a trace!
This Physician Gu. He appeared courteous on the surface, but in reality, he was just as unreasonable as his daughter! The more Cheng Wangxi thought about it, the angrier he became. After packing his things, he dragged the old scholar out of the Gu residence. Along the way, servants, stewards, and even the cleaning women acted as if they didn't see him, offering no greetings—quite unlike their usual behavior toward him.
Just as he reached the main gate, another steward suddenly appeared. Cheng Wangxi recognized him as Li Guanshi, who often accompanied Gu Dezhao. He breathed a sigh of relief. Leaving the Gu family like this had left him somewhat reluctant, but fortunately, someone had come to persuade him to stay. To his surprise, Li Guanshi smiled and said, "Master Wangxi, the master has instructed us not to stop you if you wish to leave. But please don’t take anything belonging to the Gu family with you!"
Cheng Wangxi's mind went blank. Wasn’t this man here to stop him?
He glared coldly at Li Guanshi and said, "Tell me, what exactly have I taken from your household?"
Li Guanshi continued smiling. "Three days ago, you requested that ancient painting, which the master purchased for four hundred taels of silver. There’s also the inkstone from Caishiju, and the three-legged incense burner from the Duanwen Pavilion from the previous dynasty..."
The more Li Guanshi listed, the darker Cheng Wangxi's expression became. These were all items he had carefully selected! Fine, if they wouldn’t let him take them, so be it. He would make them regret this sooner or later! Cheng Wangxi flung down a chest. "I have no interest in these trinkets!"
With the old scholar in tow, he strode out of the Gu residence, carrying his qin on his back. The sunlight outside made him pause and reconsider. He had little money on him—his only few dozen taels of silver had been left in the chest he’d just thrown at Li Guanshi, and he had no intention of going back to retrieve them!
The old scholar could only suggest, "I have a tutoring position at the Tao family in Xianghe. Why don’t you come with me?"
Cheng Wangxi frowned. "That Tao family is nothing special—just one provincial graduate, yet they strut around like peacocks, making fools of themselves. I have no desire to..." But then, realizing his own predicament and seeing the old scholar’s helpless expression, he swallowed the rest of his words.
Caifu recounted the scene of Cheng Wangxi being unceremoniously shown the door by Li Guanshi, and all the maids burst into laughter. Jinchao sighed with amusement. This Master Cheng Wangxi was truly entertaining, acting as if the whole world owed him something. Just then, Yuzhu stepped over the threshold and whispered to Jinchao, "Eldest Miss, Xiuqu wishes to see you. She’s waiting outside now."Xiuqu's injuries had nearly healed, and she had been frequenting Paulownia Courtyard lately, though this was her first time coming to see Jinchao.
Jinchao received her in the inner chamber.
After such a serious illness, Xiuqu had become even thinner than before, her complexion sallow. She wore a pale green upper garment that made her look frail and delicate.
Xiuqu bowed to Jinchao and said, "This servant begs Eldest Miss to assign me some duties. I'm willing to work in Paulownia Courtyard, even if it's just sweeping or laundry work. Covered in scars as I am now, I wouldn't be able to marry if sent out of the manor. I beg the young mistress to take me in."
She prostrated herself in a deep bow. Jinchao quickly helped her up, "Your health isn't fully recovered yet, there's no need for such formalities..." Then asked her, "Since this happened partly because of me, don't you resent me at all?"
Xiuqu shook her head with a smile: "Though I'm still young, I can distinguish right from wrong. It was Concubine Song who harmed me - you had no ill intentions. Moreover, you saved my life, a debt I can never repay..." Her voice grew quieter, "I've been parentless since childhood, with no one to care whether I live or die. Had I died then, no one would have grieved for me... I only beg Eldest Miss to give me sustenance. I wish to serve you always."
Jinchao sighed. With Xiuqu's body covered in permanent scars, marriage after leaving the manor would be impossible.
She patted Xiuqu's hand with a smile, "Then come serve by my side. We've just taken in two new maids. With Caifu having to divide her attention managing them, I'm actually short-handed right now."
PS:
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Another update coming this afternoon~
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