After Xiu Qu left, Yu Zhu gave her all the remaining candy and invited her to come play whenever she had time. Then she hurried off to find Jin Chao.
Jin Chao was practicing the zither.
Bai Yun, standing at the study door, saw Yu Zhu arrive out of breath: “You wretched girl, what were you doing running off with Bao Pu earlier? I called you and you didn’t even answer…”
Yu Zhu responded quietly: “Sister Bai Yun, it’s urgent. Please inform the Miss quickly.”
As Bai Yun was about to say more, Jin Chao heard them talking from inside. She pressed her hand against the zither strings to silence them and told Yu Zhu to come in and report.
Yu Zhu recounted everything about her interaction with Xiu Qu: “…I stood outside the door with my ear against the panel and heard everything. I only heard her talk about Lady Li blaming Concubine Song, and Concubine Song taking out her anger on her. She also happens to overhear Concubine Song instructing Gu Lan to go persuade Lady Li… She was afraid of being discovered, which would surely get her beaten and expelled from the household, so she quickly fled. That’s basically what happened. The girl’s conversation with Bao Pu was disjointed and not very clear.”
After listening to Yu Zhu’s report, Jin Chao frowned in deep thought. Beside her, Qing Pu, seeing her silence, remarked: “Just as Miss predicted, this Lady Li is indeed narrow-minded. I wonder what Concubine Song and Gu Lan discussed that made the maid so frightened…”
Jin Chao laughed lightly: “It must be something unpleasant for her to be so afraid…”
What would Concubine Song have Gu Lan say to persuade Lady Li? Given Gu Lan’s personality, it was all too easy to guess. Combined with what she knew, there was an eight or nine in ten chance that Concubine Song was trying to sow discord between Lady Li and Lady Wen, so she could benefit from both sides.
If she just watched Concubine Song reap all the benefits, wouldn’t that make her seem incompetent?
Jin Chao recalled her grandmother’s words: if Gu Lan became engaged to Young Master Mu, she would no longer pose a threat.
Her mind raced with thoughts, and a plan began to form. Seeing the maids staring at each other wide-eyed, particularly Yu Zhu who was watching her without blinking, as if expecting some earth-shattering revelation, Jin Chao burst into laughter: “Why are you all standing there stunned? Qing Pu quickly rewarded Yu Zhu with a bag of silver pieces. She’s performed a great service!”
Yu Zhu grinned sheepishly: “I’m glad I could help… but Miss, I don’t want silver pieces… it’s just that I gave your silk candy to Xiu Qu. Could you give me another box?”
Jin Chao, Qing Pu, and Bai Yun all laughed. Bai Yun tapped Yu Zhu’s forehead saying: “What a little glutton!”
Jin Chao smiled and said: “Fine! Silk candy, sticky rice candy, popping candy—I’ll give you one box of each kind from my Baodi candy shop! But don’t ruin your teeth!”
Yu Zhu was both surprised and delighted—Madam’s candy shop in Baodi had the greatest variety of sweets. She immediately kowtowed to thank the Miss, repeatedly promising not to ruin her teeth. Everyone laughed again.
Gu Lan had just returned to Cui Xuan Court to find Jin Rong waiting there with Qing Xiu and Qing An.
She hurried over with a smile, placing her hand on Jin Rong’s shoulder: “…You came back personally. You could have just sent the gifts back with someone.”
Jin Rong’s face was slightly flushed from his hurried journey. He smiled at Gu Lan: “How could I miss Second Sister’s coming-of-age ceremony!”
He took a blue brocade box from Qing Xiu’s hands and presented it to Gu Lan: “…I came specially to give you your coming-of-age gift.”
Gu Lan noticed Qing An holding another agarwood-colored brocade box of the same size as the one in her hands.
Her heart sank slightly, but she smiled and said: “It’s good enough that you could come back. Your sister doesn’t expect gifts from you.”
Jin Rong replied: “Gifts are certainly necessary. Second Sister, I’ll go find Elder Sister first, then come back to talk with you.”
Gu Lan nodded with a smile, letting him go. She watched Jin Rong’s still somewhat childish retreating figure, her worries growing deeper.
Jin Rong seemed to dislike Jin Chao less than before.
…
After discussing matters with Qing Pu and the others, Jin Chao went to have lunch with her mother. After her mother’s afternoon nap, a servant came to report that Jin Rong had returned and had first gone to the Second Miss’s place. She asked if the First Miss wanted Jing Fang Study prepared for the Young Master to stay.
After considering for a moment, she said softly: “No need. He’s only staying for a day. Just arrange a side room for him. No need to make a fuss.”
She then said to Qing Pu: “Accompany me for a walk by the lake later. Tell Yu Zhu to bring the camellia plants I left outside this morning into the greenhouse.”
Qing Pu smiled slightly and agreed.
A while later, she returned to accompany Jin Chao for a walk. They slowly strolled along the lakeside pavilion until they reached the outside of Lin Yan Pavilion. A flower arrangement was being constructed at Lin Yan Pavilion. Lady Wen, accompanied by two maids, was talking to a servant about the brilliantly blooming flowers on the platform.
“Better to replace the canna with cockscomb. Though not as gorgeous as canna, it would complement the purity of the June snow flower…”
She was instructing the servant on how to arrange the flowers.
Jin Chao remarked: “I agree, the canna’s color is a bit too vibrant…”
The servant arranging the flowers saw Jin Chao approach and bowed respectfully: “Both the Madam and First Miss have excellent taste. This servant only knows that red is auspicious, but knows nothing of these finer points. Many thanks to the Madam and First Miss!”
Lady Wen’s expression stiffened, and she said perfunctorily to Jin Chao: “First Miss has come here!”
Jin Chao smiled gently: “Lady Wen is being too formal with me. I also prefer cockscomb…”
Jin Chao had no idea what nonsense Concubine Song had fed Lady Wen to make her show such inexplicable hostility. To make Lady Wen sympathize with Gu Lan, Concubine Song surely painted Gu Lan as pure and kind while portraying her as utterly wicked…
Lady Wen wasn’t one to remain rigid; hearing someone appear humble, she couldn’t help but soften: “I also think the canna is too showy.”
Lady Wen recalled what Concubine Song had said about how the First Miss bullied Lan’er. She had been furious then, her anger rising, and had promised to stand up for Lan’er. But seeing Jin Chao’s impeccable manners and hearing her speak so steadily and quietly, she felt somewhat confused.
Jin Chao chatted with Lady Wen about flowers, “I see you seem to be quite fond of flowers…”
Lady Wen nodded: “With idle time, others prefer needlework or playing the zither or pipa. I prefer flowers and plants. However, I don’t like to grow them, just to admire them. I’m too lazy to tend to them.”
Jin Chao smiled and said: “Then you might like to visit my place. I grow many flowers and plants—mostly camellias, but also orchids and peonies. Though the varieties aren’t exceptionally rare, they’re blooming beautifully now…”
Concubine Song had told her to help choose hairpins for Gu Lan in the evening.
Lady Wen felt somewhat conflicted, worried there wouldn’t be enough time. But with the First Miss inviting her so warmly, it seemed inappropriate to refuse. Besides, since her maternal family was the Ji family of Tongzhou, maintaining a good relationship couldn’t hurt…
“Then I shall have the pleasure today,” Lady Wen smiled in agreement.
Jin Chao and Lady Wen headed towards Qing Tong Court. At the entrance, a servant was sweeping the stone steps. The bodhi tree planted last year had just shed its leaves, and the tender green buds of new leaves had fallen all over the ground. She saw Jin Rong standing under the bodhi tree, quietly gazing at the stone path.
Seeing Jin Chao return, Jin Rong walked toward her, though his steps were hesitant as if he feared she might still be angry with him.
So he had indeed returned. Jin Chao sighed inwardly before smiling and asking: “What brings you to my place?”
Seeing that his elder sister was willing to acknowledge him, Jin Rong relaxed somewhat: “I’ve come to bring you something.”
Jin Chao ignored his words and first introduced Lady Wen to him: “…She is Concubine Song’s second sister, here for Lan’er’s coming-of-age ceremony.” She then introduced Jin Rong to Lady Wen. It wasn’t unusual for a young man to visit the inner courtyard if he was the Gu family’s Young Master, so Lady Wen wasn’t surprised.
Jin Chao invited Lady Wen into the western side room, and a young maid promptly brought tea. Jin Rong followed them in, but seeing Jin Chao conversing with Lady Wen and ignoring him, he pressed his lips together and sat down quietly.
Jin Chao felt she had made him wait long enough and finally asked: “What gift did you want to give me?”
Jin Rong had Qing An bring over an agarwood-colored brocade box and handed it to Jin Chao.
Jin Chao opened the box to find a fist-sized jade puzzle ball. The openwork carved jade sphere had exquisite, lifelike patterns, with a smaller ball inside, and an even smaller jade bead within that one.
Jin Rong explained: “I went with the Marquis Zhen Wei’s heir to the jade stone alley and bought a piece of fine jade. I had a puzzle ball and a qilin paperweight carved from it, as gifts for you and Second Sister. Tomorrow is Second Sister’s coming-of-age ceremony, and I remembered that I couldn’t return for your coming-of-age ceremony last year…”
Jin Chao took a deep breath. So this was a belated coming-of-age gift for her?
She remembered that when she had her coming-of-age ceremony, Jin Rong not only didn’t return but didn’t even send a gift. Now he had regained some conscience and wanted to give Gu Lan a coming-of-age gift, while also making up for the one he owed her. Jin Chao had Cai Fu put the gift away, feeling neither grateful nor disappointed.
She certainly didn’t believe that Jin Rong had truly seen through Gu Lan, but his concern for Gu Lan’s coming-of-age ceremony still made her somewhat uncomfortable.
Jin Chao smiled and said to Lady Wen: “I’ve given Gu Lan a pair of gold filigree headdress ornaments. She likes these—she even asked Father for some last time. Also, gold grasshopper ornaments and bracelets were all carefully selected. I just hope she likes them.”
Lady Wen smiled: “Lan’er is gentle-natured. She won’t dislike them.”