Gu Jin Chao drank a bowl of black rice porridge. Soon, Cai Fu walked in and whispered in her ear: “Madam… there was a problem with the pastries brought by Third Madam Yao. Third Master has already questioned them and has had them escorted out of the Chen household tonight…”
Gu Jin Chao fell into deep thought after hearing this.
Gu Lian wanted to harm her?
Gu Jin Chao first thought this was impossible. Gu Lian didn’t hate her that much, nor would she do something so foolish.
Gu Lian said these pastries were brought back from the Yao family in the capital. Could it be that someone wanted to harm her, but Gu Jin Chao accidentally ate them instead? Then who would want to harm Gu Lian? She had only been married into the Yao family for a short time, and Yao Wen Xiu only had Gu Lan as a concubine. Could it be Gu Lan?
Gu Jin Chao asked Cai Fu: “Did you hear what the Third Master asked them inside?”
Cai Fu shook her head and said: “This servant stood far away, and only the Third Master’s people were in the side room. The third Master will be coming over shortly. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Gu Jin Chao was afraid that Third Master Chen wouldn’t tell her.
After questioning Gu Lian and Madam Zhou, Third Master Chen would certainly not be satisfied and would send people to investigate the Yao household to get to the bottom of this.
Gu Jin Chao closed her eyes, suddenly feeling quite tired. The afternoon’s turmoil had drained her energy. She had just closed her eyes to rest for a moment when Old Madam Chen walked in, with Madam Qin, Madam Wang, and Madam Ge following behind her.
Cai Fu immediately wanted to wake Gu Jin Chao, but Old Madam Chen raised her hand to stop her. She sighed and said: “This child… it’s not easy for her to face something like this. Let her rest, and I’ll come to see her again tomorrow. All of you take good care of her, and don’t let her move around too much these days.”
All the maids curtsied and acknowledged the order.
Madam Qin said with some concern: “I see that Third Sister-in-law is in no condition to manage Xuan Qing’s wedding affairs.”
The Chen family had already exchanged birth charts with the Yu family, and Old Madam Chen had been drafting the guest list these past few days. In another two days, they would set up the tents and start preparing the kitchen for the wedding. They would also send the dowry box to urge the preparation of the bride’s trousseau.
Old Madam Chen considered this and agreed. Gu Jin Chao was now pregnant and had experienced such an incident; it wasn’t good for her to manage Chen Xuan Qing’s wedding affairs. As a dignified Elder of the Cabinet, there were many things Third Master Chen couldn’t personally attend to. Leading her daughters-in-law out of the eastern side room, she said to Madam Qin: “You take charge of Xuan Qing’s wedding affairs for now, and the Fourth Daughter-in-law will assist you. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, come and ask me…”
Madam Qin smiled and nodded.
Old Madam Chen saw Third Master Chen coming out of the side room, and soon Madam Zhou and Gu Lian followed. She let those who had accompanied her go back first, while she went to find Third Master Chen to ask what had happened.
Gu Jin Chao’s condition was due to a problem with items from a relative of the same clan, so Third Master Chen naturally wouldn’t tell Old Madam Chen the truth. He only said that the two had a slight disagreement, and Jin Chao became upset, which caused her stomach pain. After reassuring her, he said: “…It’s getting dark. You should go back and rest first. Don’t tire yourself out.”
Old Madam Chen was also getting on in years and indeed felt somewhat exhausted. After instructing Third Master Chen a few more times, she returned with her maids.
Third Master Chen looked at the heavily guarded sentries outside.
When Gu Jin Chao had the incident, he couldn’t immediately determine the cause. If an outsider had infiltrated, then Mu Xi Hall needed to be well-guarded. Now it was unnecessary, so Third Master Chen had them withdraw to He Yan Tower, leaving only a small team of men to guard the front courtyard.
Returning to the eastern side room, he saw that Jin Chao had fallen asleep on the welcoming pillow, and his expression finally relaxed.
Gently carrying her back to the inner chamber and placing her on the raised bed, Third Master Chen had the maids prepare a basin of hot water, and he wiped her face.
After handing the handkerchief to a small maid standing nearby, he bent down to remove her shoes and socks.
Feeling the coolness on her feet, Gu Jin Chao woke up. Seeing Third Master Chen helping her remove her shoes and socks, she was startled: “Third Master… please don’t…” It was bad enough that she hadn’t served him, how could she let Third Master Chen help her remove her shoes and socks?
“Lie still, don’t move,” Third Master Chen said softly, and at the same time, Gu Jin Chao felt that she truly couldn’t move.
His large hand firmly held her ankle, keeping it completely still.
This man silently washed her feet, not saying a word. The maids naturally wouldn’t make a sound at this time and left with the hot water.
Gu Jin Chao looked at the ceiling, wondering what Third Master Chen might be thinking.
He usually valued her so much that even if she accidentally hurt her finger, he would be extremely distressed. Just now, she had almost lost their child…
Gu Jin Chao still remembered how he had comforted her during that chaotic moment, his voice gentle and full of reassurance, which had helped her relax completely.
Third Master Chen released her and tucked her in. As he leaned down, Gu Jin Chao reached out and embraced him. Third Master Chen was silent for a moment but didn’t refuse. He sighed, turned over onto the bed, and allowed her to hold his neck.
Gu Jin Chao buried herself in his embrace, also not speaking.
She rarely approached him so actively; even when she did, it was mostly because she wanted something or was not fully conscious.
It was a while before Third Master Chen extended his arms to hold her in return, allowing her to embrace him more tightly.
“Third Master, did Sister Lian say who did it?” Gu Jin Chao asked without raising her head.
She heard Third Master Chen’s voice from above: “It’s not clear yet. We’ll know after the investigation.”
Gu Jin Chao asked him again: “How will you investigate? This might have been an accident. I don’t think Gu Lian would do such a thing.”
“Don’t worry, I have my ways,” he said.
Gu Jin Chao pulled back slightly from his embrace, looked up at Third Master Chen, and said: “Did Gu Lian mention Gu Lan?”
“Yes,” Third Master Chen said. “It might be inner palace strife that’s affected you, or there might be more complex reasons. It’s hard to say. Don’t think too much about it now, go to sleep soon.”
Gu Jin Chao knew that Third Master Chen wouldn’t tell her everything. She closed her eyes again, intending to move back to her bedding.
But Third Master Chen held her and said: “It’s alright, just sleep like this tonight.”
He didn’t ask her anything.
Gu Jin Chao slept very comfortably in his warm embrace. Early in the morning, while still drowsy, she felt him gently kissing the side of her face, his breathing gradually becoming heavier. But soon he got up, and the sound of washing came from the bathroom.
It was already early autumn, and there was no need to bathe again in the morning… Gu Jin Chao thought. Opening her eyes to look outside the latticed window, she saw that it was still dark, with the distant sound of roosters crowing—it must be around five in the morning. But Third Master Chen always rose early.
Gu Jin Chao closed her eyes and fell back into a deep sleep. By the time she woke up, it was already daylight.
She ate her breakfast, took her medicine, and Chen Xi came to see her.
Gu Jin Chao also knew that she shouldn’t move around much now, so she sent Matron Sun to inform Old Madam Chen that she couldn’t pay her respects for the next couple of days.
Each household sent nourishing foods, which Cai Fu counted and placed in the eastern wing room.
Madam Wang, being closest to her, came to see her again the next day and spoke to her about Chen Xuan Qing’s marriage: “…Second Sister-in-law is overseeing it now, so you can rest assured. The second Sister-in-law has managed the household for so many years; organizing a wedding certainly won’t be a problem. If you’re bored, I’ll often come to keep you company.”
Chen Xuan Qing’s marriage… Just a few days ago, Old Madam Chen had called her over to discuss and generally decide on the guest list, and to prepare the invitations first.
It must be because she was unwell that Old Madam Chen had handed the task over to Madam Qin.
Gu Jin Chao smiled: “I’m naturally happy that you can come to keep me company. I heard from the Third Master that Xuan An and Xuan Ping won’t be returning to the separate courtyard and will study with the family tutor from now on. That’s good too, Xuan Xin will have companions.”
For Madam Wang to suddenly bring up Chen Xuan Qing’s marriage, she must have had something on her mind.
As the manager of the Third Branch, Gu Jin Chao should be the one overseeing Chen Xuan Qing’s wedding. It wasn’t such a tiring task; even if she was unwell, she could still manage it. Otherwise, with the Third Branch’s young master getting married but Madam Qin handling the arrangements, what would others think?
Hearing Gu Jin Chao mention Chen Xuan An, Madam Wang forced a smile: “Going back and forth to the separate courtyard takes four days. Fourth Master thinks the journey is too far. Being at home, they can also receive guidance from the Seventh Young Master. Isn’t that better than being in the separate courtyard?”
Gu Jin Chao knew that Madam Wang and Fourth Master Chen didn’t get along, especially regarding their children’s education. The two children of the Fourth Branch weren’t very promising, and Fourth Master Chen had always been displeased with Madam Wang because of this. Until the Chen family separated, Gu Jin Chao never saw Madam Wang again and didn’t know what ultimately became of her.
As the two were talking, Chen Xuan Qing arrived.
Chen Xuan Qing had returned very late the previous night. When the situation had further escalated, he had taken Chen Xi back to the rear courtyard, letting Matron An put Chen Xi to bed first. He then sat in the pavilion of the rear courtyard for a long time, only leaving after hearing that things had quieted down in the front.
After returning, he drank a pot of wine.
It wasn’t that Chen Xuan Qing had never drunk wine before. Back then, it was Chen Xuan Ran who had taken him and secretly let him drink ten-year-old Huadiao wine.
To everyone’s surprise, he had a natural talent for drinking; even half a jar of Huadiao didn’t make him drunk. Chen Xuan Ran clicked his tongue in amazement, seeing his flushed face and fearing Third Uncle would discover them, quickly took him to the lotus pond to cool off in the breeze. It wasn’t until midnight, when he seemed somewhat normal, that Chen Xuan Ran sent him back to rest. This was one of the few unruly things he had done as a child.
But after that, Chen Xuan Qing never drank wine again; he just didn’t find it particularly tasty. He couldn’t understand why books described wine as nectar; he thought it burned from the mouth to the throat and didn’t find it fragrant at all. When Chen Xuan Ran secretly took him to a wine house again, he just ordered a pot of tea and sat alone for half the day.
Even after drinking, he still didn’t feel much. After closing his eyes, various chaotic thoughts became even more jumbled in his mind. Chen Xuan Qing tossed and turned, not sleeping the entire night. The next morning when he woke up, his first thought was to come and see Gu Jin Chao.
He wanted to know how she was doing. Since there had been no major disturbance the previous night, the child must have been saved.
Yet he waited until nearly noon before coming, encountering Gu Jin Chao and Madam Wang in conversation.
Madam Wang looked at him and smiled: “So it’s our Seventh Young Master who has come.” Chen Xuan Qing might be the most promising person in the Chen family’s future, and all branches were very polite to him.
Chen Xuan Qing said flatly: “I just came to see Mother,” and then asked Gu Jin Chao, “Are you feeling better?”
Gu Jin Chao nodded, seeing that although he was neatly dressed, his demeanor was dejected, and stubble had appeared on his chin. She asked: “Didn’t you rest well last night? It’s getting cold at night now, remember to add another quilt.”
Chen Xuan Qing smiled faintly, still keeping his head lowered: “It’s fine.” Even in winter, he used only a thin quilt, let alone this slight chill.
Outside, a small maid announced that Third Master Chen had returned.
Chen Xuan Qing stood up first: “Then I’ll go back first. Please rest well.” The maid lifted the curtain for him, and he left the western side room.
Gu Jin Chao now completely couldn’t understand Chen Xuan Qing. Since he no longer avoided her, perhaps he was no longer holding past matters against her.