As midsummer was coming to an end, a heavy rain fell, and the weather gradually cooled.

Madam Sun was directing the maids to replace the bamboo blinds with sapphire blue damask silk curtains, but Jin Chao felt they didn’t look quite right. The gauze bed curtains in the inner chamber were still bright red, and the cushions on the luohan bed were duck-green silk, making the colors appear too vibrant. She called Madam Sun over to discuss and decided to simply change the inner chamber’s gauze curtains to ginger-yellow and the cushions to lake blue, which would make everything look much fresher.

Master Chen was writing while basking in the sun, watching as she directed the maids rushing about.

He called her over and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead: “If you’re tired, rest for a while. There’s no rush to finish everything at once.”

Jin Chao, seeing him at leisure, had the maids bring two plum vases for him to choose between: “…In winter, we can arrange plum branches in them. When warmed by the charcoal fire, the whole room will be fragrant. Which one do you think is better?” One was a Xuande red ground with a twining peony pattern plum vase, and the other was a Xuande blue-and-white ladies with banana leaf pattern plum vase.

Master Chen put down his brush, looked at them briefly, and casually pointed to the Xuande red ground with a twining peony pattern plum vase.

Gu Jin Chao looked at it with slight confusion, as this plum vase didn’t seem particularly attractive…

She had the maid place it on the curio shelf, and after looking at it from different angles, she decided it did indeed look good. It had a kind of effect that brought everything together.

At this moment, Xiu Qu came to report that Chen Xuan Xin had arrived.

With Master Chen recuperating and having nothing to do, he had recently begun checking Chen Xuan Xin’s studies. Chen Xuan Xin felt he hadn’t learned “The Biography of Wu Zixu” from the Records of the Grand Historian well enough and asked Master Chen to teach it to him again.

Chen Xuan Xin, wearing a brand-new indigo straight robe, entered and properly greeted her and Master Chen.

Master Chen handed the letter he had written to Gu Jin Chao, instructing her: “Give this to Jiang Yan when he comes.” Then he said to Chen Xuan Xin, “Come with me to the study to talk.”

Chen Xuan Xin cautiously answered in the affirmative and followed Master Chen to the study in the front courtyard.

Gu Jin Chao felt that Chen Xuan Xin was very afraid of Master Chen and also very constrained in his presence. The last time the father and son were talking in the study, she went over to deliver pastries. She saw Chen Xuan Xin sweating profusely under Master Chen’s questioning. Master Chen had looked at him quietly for a long time and said to him: “If you can’t answer, go back and read more. Don’t panic.” He then calmly asked him several more questions, but Chen Xuan Xin became even more nervous.

Master Chen once told Jin Chao: “Xuan Xin is not as composed and calm as Xuan Qing, though he is clever enough… I fear he may not be capable of great responsibilities in the future.” He sighed, “It’s because of me and his seventh brother. The people who came before shone too brightly, and unconsciously, he became like this.”

Sometimes, having a father who is too outstanding is not a good thing.

Gu Jin Chao sat down to rest, drinking the turtle dove soup with gastrodia that Qing Pu brought. Remembering the matter with Guard Lin, she asked her: “That Guard Lin isn’t bothering you anymore, is he? If you’re unhappy about anything in the future, just tell me.”

Qing Pu hesitated, then explained to Jin Chao: “This servant doesn’t consider it harassment. He just insisted on asking where I’m from and whether I have any relatives in Liangxiang… This servant simply doesn’t like this person. That’s why I didn’t inform Madam. I felt that if I mentioned it, it would seem like making a big deal out of nothing.”

Jin Chao thought about how Qing Pu’s marriage arrangements had not yet been settled.

Currently, the maids in her chambers, Qing Pu and Cai Fu had both reached the age where they should be released from the household. She should now be looking to find a good family for Qing Pu to marry into. But Qing Pu had been with her since childhood and had little experience with matters between men and women. She might be at a loss when encountering men and might even become angry out of embarrassment.

Unlike other maids who were delicate and coquettish, her temperament was steady, and she knew martial arts… making her truly difficult to marry off.

She wondered what this Guard Lin was thinking. Perhaps he just missed his mother and had no other intentions.

Jin Chao also knew that she only needed to say a word to the Third Master, and Guard Lin would have to marry Qing Pu whether he wanted to or not. But forced arrangements rarely bring happiness. She didn’t want Qing Pu to suffer such an indignity… She smiled and took Qing Pu’s hand, asking her: “What do you think of this Guard Lin?”

Qing Pu’s eyes widened, and she stammered: “What—what should I think? He seems rather foolish. This servant doesn’t know anything else about him.”

She didn’t understand what Gu Jin Chao meant by this question. When she thought about it again, she realized the implication and hurriedly explained, her face turning red: “This servant hasn’t thought of anything else. Madam, you don’t know, Guard Lin speaks to me because I resemble his mother…”

Jin Chao smiled: “Mm, I know… Put this plum vase in the storeroom and find a flower pot to bring back.”

Qing Pu didn’t know what to say, feeling awkward as she carried the plum vase to the storeroom in the front courtyard.

The front courtyard had fewer guards now. The storeroom was located in the reversed-seat building, with a dozing old woman guarding the entrance.

After putting away the item and selecting a pale green narcissus-patterned flower pot, Qing Pu carried it and had just reached the corridor when she saw a tall figure ahead, walking with a limp as if injured… it was that strange Lin Yuan Shan.

Qing Pu recalled what Gu Jin Chao had said and, after a moment’s hesitation, called out to him: “Guard Lin…”

Lin Yuan Shan was startled. Turning around to see it was Miss Qing Pu, he laughed awkwardly: “Miss, where are you going… Oh, no, I’m here to deliver a message to Chen Head, not to see you. Don’t misunderstand.”

Qing Pu frowned slightly: “Why do I see you walking unsteadily… Is your leg injured?”

Lin Yuan Shan waved his hand dismissively: “No, no, I just got a beating with the rod. It’ll be fine in a few days! Nothing serious.”

Qing Pu thought for a moment before understanding—Madam must have spoken to Guard Chen, and Lin Yuan Shan had been punished because of her…

Qing Pu didn’t know what to say but felt somewhat guilty.

Lin Yuan Shan scratched his head: “It was my fault for not following the rules. I deserved the punishment… I’m rough, I don’t fear a beating.” He smiled again, not daring to linger in Muxi Hall, and after a brief word to Qing Pu, he left.

Qing Pu stood there for quite a while before returning with the flower pot.

Jin Chao gave the letter Master Chen had written to Jiang Yan.

“The guards in the front courtyard have been fewer these days,” Jin Chao asked Jiang Yan. “Is the Provincial Governor’s case nearly solved?”

The case of smuggling official salt in Yuqing had caused quite a stir. Even the inner household had heard rumors that more than ten officials in Southern Zhili were implicated. The authorities had also arrested several salt gang members, and the price of official salt had been reduced from thirty wen per jar to twenty-five wen.

Jiang Yan was startled, then answered: “Lord Liu has been apprehended, and almost all his accomplices have been caught. Rest assured, the Third Master will be fine now.”

After he withdrew, Gu Jin Chao picked up her embroidery frame. Thinking briefly about Jiang Yan’s words, she felt something was amiss…

Over the past few days, she had been too concerned about Master Chen’s wound to consider some suspicious aspects. For instance, given her warning, Master Chen should not have been easily injured, yet he was not only wounded but severely so.

After Master Chen was injured, the case was investigated even more quickly. According to what Lady Qin said yesterday, Elder Wang Xuan Fan was deeply implicated, which even affected his granddaughter’s marriage. Wang Elder’s granddaughter was originally engaged to the direct grandson of Zeng, a two-dynasty veteran and former Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Pavilion. The other family had declined, citing incompatible horoscopes.

Moreover, Master Chen recovered very quickly, able to get out of bed after just a few days.

After Master Chen was injured, Zhang Ju Lian came to see him. Master Chen was Zhang’s student, so there was no need for him to come personally; he could have simply sent someone with gifts. Yet he conversed with Master Chen for a long time before leaving—what were they discussing?

Jin Chao vaguely recalled that the night before Master Chen was injured, he had mentioned needing an opportunity.

She couldn’t understand how Master Chen had calculated against Wang Xuan Fan in her previous life, but now she had a faint idea.

Unless… the injury wasn’t caused by Wang Xuan Fan at all but was engineered by Master Chen himself. With a second-rank official in charge of the investigation being assassinated, would Lord Zhang let the mastermind go? Would Wang Xuan Fan escape so easily?

With this reasoning, all questions could be explained.

Gu Jin Chao felt both angry and amused, and very uncomfortable. He had kept this from her. At that time, she thought he was truly injured and cried with heartache—she had never felt so distressed before.

Was he deceiving her? He had told her to trust him, but how could she trust him now?

Master Chen finished teaching Chen Xuan Xin “The Biography of Wu Zixu” and slowly made his way back along the corridor. His wound wasn’t completely healed, so he couldn’t move around too much. Upon returning, he lay down on the luohan bed, feeling pain in his chest again. He pulled at Gu Jin Chao’s hand: “Jin Chao, help me check my wound…”

Gu Jin Chao didn’t feel like dealing with him and withdrew her hand as she stood up.

Master Chen’s face turned pale: “I fear the wound has broken open… Get me some medicine.” Earlier, when reaching for a book on the upper shelf of the curio cabinet, his movement was too large and might have pulled at the wound. The arrow was no ordinary one, and the wound was difficult to heal.

Looking up, he noticed Jin Chao’s expression was off and quietly asked her: “What’s wrong? You look unhappy. Are you tired?”

Gu Jin Chao shook her head without speaking.

Master Chen frowned deeply, enduring the pain of his wound as he pulled her to sit beside him: “Tell me what’s wrong… Jin Chao, you’re with child now, you can’t be willful.” This brooding would be bad for her health; she would probably have no appetite for dinner later.

Jin Chao said in a low voice: “Master Chen, tell me honestly. What happened with the assassination attempt?”

Has she discovered something…

Master Chen remained silent, but Jin Chao kept looking at him until he finally sighed: “Jin Chao, this matter is complex. It’s not convenient for me to tell you.”

Gu Jin Chao stood up: “Then this concubine will call Shu Yan for you.”

Master Chen reached for her hand, but she pulled away and walked out without looking back, instructing the maid to deliver a message. Master Chen lay back on the luohan bed, momentarily silent. When Jin Chao returned, she sat on the other side of the bed, far away from him, embroidering the baby’s bib. She seemed unconcerned about whether his chest hurt or not, her expression distant.

Both were silent for a long time. Master Chen closed his eyes; he could hardly bear Jin Chao’s indifference.

She was pregnant, and he needed to accommodate her. Besides, she was still young—he was so much older than her and should naturally be patient with her. Master Chen said with some resignation: “Jin Chao, come here. I’ll tell you.”