Since Master Chen was staying in the outer courtyard, it wasn’t appropriate for Jin Chao to visit frequently. After two days, when his condition improved somewhat, he moved back to Muxi Hall to recuperate. Because imperial physicians were still coming and going, it wasn’t convenient for him to stay in the inner chamber, so he resided in a cleared-out room in the west wing.
Imperial Physician Wang came daily to change his dressings. The medicinal decoctions were prepared in special pots brought specifically by the physician, never handled by the maidservants of Muxi Hall. Jin Chao only needed to attend to Master Chen’s meals. After lying in bed for several days, Master Chen was able to get up and move around. Imperial Physician Wang no longer needed to visit, and the task of changing dressings was transferred to Gu Jin Chao.
During this period, Master Chen didn’t need to go to the Cabinet, and with this leisure time, he resembled a scholar-recluse. He wore a gray-blue straight robe, reclining on the large kang bed near the window, reading. The window was half-open, and a cluster of slender bamboo planted outside swayed in the gentle breeze.
Jin Chao entered carrying a large red lacquer tray, followed by a maid carrying a copper basin filled with water.
“I’ve come to change your dressing,” Jin Chao said as she approached him. The maid set down her items and withdrew in proper order.
Master Chen put down his book and raised his hands to undo the ties of his straight robe and inner garment. His arrow wound was located two inches below the collarbone. Thanks to Imperial Physician Wang’s treatment, the wound had begun to scab over. As Gu Jin Chao removed the cotton bandage and saw the ghastly wound on his chest, she couldn’t help feeling a sting in her nose.
Master Chen saw her half-crouching silently, staring at his wound without speaking. He sighed with a smile: “I’ve told you it’s nothing… don’t look anymore.” Seeing her distress over his injury also made Master Chen feel somewhat guilty.
How could it be nothing? Even when she pricked her finger while sewing, it hurt, let alone such a large wound.
Gu Jin Chao turned away, took a deep breath, then applied the wound medicine and wrapped him with cotton bandages.
“You’ve been reading all day. Why not rest for a while?” Gu Jin Chao suggested. “Shall I help you to the bed to lie down?”
Master Chen shook his head. “I rarely have such leisure time. Let me keep you company a while longer.”
Since he didn’t want to rest, Jin Chao didn’t insist. She had her maid bring over her sewing basket and sat with Master Chen, working on her needlework.
Master Chen noticed she was embroidering a pattern of babies playing with lotus flowers. The infant’s hands and feet were delightfully plump. Leaning against the kang table, he watched her for a long time before asking with interest: “Who is this for?” Her embroidery was meticulous, with the lotus leaf veins clearly defined, and she seemed to have embroidered some characters alongside.
Jin Chao paused, then said softly: “It’s a bib for the baby…”
The pattern of babies playing with lotus was traditionally used for children’s items, as was the design of cranes and deer greeting spring, though the former was more lively.
So it was for their child…
Master Chen reached out his hand: “Let me see it.”
Jin Chao shook her head: “Wait until it’s finished. There’s not much left to do.”
Master Chen chuckled softly and, taking advantage of his long reach, easily took it from her. Caught off guard, the baby’s bib fell into Master Chen’s hands… Gu Jin Chao’s face reddened slightly. “You’re not supposed to look…” She had embroidered something else on it too.
She leaned forward, reaching out to take it back. Master Chen restrained her hand and held it away to examine it, saying with a smile: “No wonder you wouldn’t let me see… you’ve embroidered ‘The Spring of Deer Bridge.'” “The Spring of Deer Bridge” was one of his poems.
In Master Chen’s study hung a painting of elk walking along a pine path, next to which this poem was inscribed. However, Jin Chao had learned this poem from a poetry collection. When she first studied poetic meter, she had greatly admired Master Chen’s poetry…
Gu Jin Chao, both annoyed and not, refused to engage with him: “Then keep it. You can finish the rest yourself…”
Now that she was pregnant, Master Chen dared not tease her. When Jin Chao used to be angry before, she would force herself to maintain a respectful appearance, but now her anger was different—occasionally she even dared to ignore him. Her temperament had become more pronounced.
Master Chen returned the baby’s bib to her, then pulled her into his arms to console her: “I was just joking with you. Don’t be angry, hmm? If you like my poems, I could write a few for you, stamp them with my ‘Bamboo Mountain Hermit’ seal, and hang them in your study.”
Gu Jin Chao tried to break free from his arms but accidentally used too much force, her elbow striking his wound. She heard Master Chen grunt in pain and looked back at him.
Master Chen’s face had turned pale, but he managed a smile for her: “…It’s nothing.”
Jin Chao felt her heart soften again. After a moment’s thought, she said to him: “I was only ten when I read your poems. I borrowed the collection from Third Cousin’s study. It included both your poems and Lord Yuan’s. I read them then and memorized them.” Lord Yuan referred to Yuan Zhong Ru, the Provincial Administrative Commissioner of Shanxi. His scholarly achievements were always considered on par with Master Chen’s, which was why he had also placed high in the palace examination that year. The poetic works of both men were widely circulated.
Master Chen sighed: “They’re not particularly good poems. My father was still alive then, and I accompanied him to Qingcheng Mountain to seek the Dao. The mountain path was difficult, and we couldn’t find the way up. Instead, I happened to see the beautiful scenery at Deer Bridge and wrote this poem. I was young and ignorant then, naturally thinking of myself above the heavens. As one grows older, one feels many things need not be expressed…”
Was that not just as Jia Xuan said, “Now that I know all the flavors of sorrow, I want to speak but stop myself, and merely say, ‘The autumn chill is pleasant’?”
Gu Jin Chao silently reflected that it was indeed so—as people age and understand more, they no longer wish to dwell on many things.
After a while, she asked him: “…Does your wound still hurt?”
Master Chen asked in return: “If I say it hurts, what will you do?”
Gu Jin Chao thought for a moment and said: “I could blow on it for you…”
Master Chen laughed at her suggestion, stroking her hair as he said: “In that case, your husband no longer feels any pain.”
As they were talking, Cai Fu came from outside to report that the Fourth Miss had come to see Master Chen. Jin Chao sat up properly as Chen Xi entered, carrying a box of hawthorn cakes, with Nanny An following behind her.
Chen Xi obediently greeted Jin Chao and the Third Master, then placed the trough cake on the kang table: “These are hawthorn cakes that Nanny An brought from her hometown. Xi’er has brought a box for Father. I heard Father hasn’t had much appetite lately. The hawthorn cakes are sweet and sour—they taste good.”
These were children’s snacks.
Nanny An smiled and said: “The Fourth Miss insisted on bringing them over. This servant thought it was the Fourth Miss’s sincere intention.”
Hearing Nanny An’s words, Chen Xi became a bit uneasy and asked quietly: “Doesn’t Father like hawthorn cakes?”
Master Chen beckoned Chen Xi over and told her: “Father likes them. You’ve brought them at just the right time.”
Chen Xi brightened up and sat beside Gu Jin Chao to watch her needlework. She even took some colored thread and asked Jin Chao to make a knotted ornament for her to play with.
Master Chen watched the two of them playing together, thinking that once Jin Chao’s child was born, there would likely be even more commotion. He smiled helplessly and picked up his book to continue reading. Shortly after, Jiang Yan came in to request a word with him.
“Just as the Third Master predicted, Lord Zhang indeed flew into a rage yesterday and ordered the immediate arrest of Liu Han Zhang. By now they should have reached Changping Prefecture, and tonight he should be delivered to the Ministry of Justice,” Jiang Yan said in a low voice.
Master Chen pondered for a moment, then told him: “Say a word to the Minister of Justice. This case is the achievement of Official Lu Chong Lou. Have him assist in Liu Han Zhang’s questioning… The questioning itself doesn’t matter, but Lu Chong Lou must be involved. Let him know who can benefit him.” His influence within the Ministry of Justice was limited.
Jiang Yan considered for a moment, understood Master Chen’s meaning, and went off with a cupped-hand salute to carry out the instructions.
Qing Pu brought in a plate of sliced watermelon and several dishes of sweets. Jin Chao took some watermelon for Chen Xi to eat. Noticing that Qing Pu looked downcast and quiet, she asked: “What’s wrong? Has someone bullied you? You look as if you’re sulking at someone.”
Qing Pu shook her head and said: “This servant is fine, just hasn’t been sleeping well lately.”
Gu Jin Chao didn’t believe her. Qing Pu had been with her for so long that she could guess approximately what was on her mind. This demeanor suggested she had something troubling her. Yet Qing Pu was the type to keep everything bottled up inside.
After Qing Pu withdrew, Jin Chao called for Yu Zhu to come in and asked if she knew what was bothering Qing Pu lately.
Yu Zhu quietly told her: “Sister Qing Pu has indeed been troubled recently, but this servant doesn’t know exactly what’s going on… I heard it’s a guard who’s been bothering her, a tall one. He was standing guard outside the main hall just now, but they should have rotated shifts by now.”
Gu Jin Chao recalled what Madam Sun had mentioned about a guard who said Qing Pu resembled his mother.
What was going on between those two? Men and women should remain separate. This mustn’t be handled poorly, lest rumors spread.
So she said to the Third Master: “You have a guard surnamed Lin who is currently assigned to Muxi Hall. May I ask him a few questions?”
A guard surnamed Lin? There were too many guards at Heyan Tower for Master Chen to recall. He nodded in agreement: “Go ahead and ask. Has he done something wrong? If he has made a mistake, you can simply have Chen Yi punish him.”
Gu Jin Chao wasn’t entirely certain. “I’ll speak with him first before deciding.”
Master Chen called for Chen Yi to enter and gave him instructions. Chen Yi went to fetch Guard Lin. Gu Jin Chao waited in the east side room to meet this Guard Lin. When Chen Yi brought him in, she discovered that Guard Lin was indeed a large man, half a head taller than Chen Yi. She rarely saw someone so tall; he even had to duck under the bamboo curtain when entering the east chamber. He looked honest and loyal, not even daring to raise his head.
Gu Jin Chao asked him: “Your surname is Lin. What is your given name?”
Guard Lin quickly answered: “This humble one is called Lin Yuan Shan, from Lin Family Village in Liangxiang. This humble one knows why the Madam has summoned me…”
Gu Jin Chao smiled: “You know? Then please explain.”
Lin Yuan Shan showed an embarrassed smile: “Chen Head asked me about it when he came, and told me to explain everything honestly. The last time I saw Miss Qing Pu… I thought she looked like my mother, so I accidentally startled her. These past few days, since being assigned to Muxi Hall, this humble one occasionally sees Miss Qing Pu and can’t help speaking a few more words to her, but Miss Qing Pu doesn’t like it. I don’t know what I’ve done to upset her. If you’ll let this humble one explain further, I truly had no ill intentions… it’s just that my mother passed away several years ago.”
Gu Jin Chao interrupted him: “That’s enough. Qing Pu is my maid and a young woman. Don’t behave this way again in the future.” She added a word of advice: “Even if you’re thinking of your mother, you must respect a young woman’s reputation. Do you understand?”
Lin Yuan Shan showed a somewhat dejected expression: “Oh… then I just won’t see her anymore.”
Chen Yi saluted with cupped hands: “Madam, please forgive us. This subordinate has been too lax in management. I will discipline him properly when we return.” With that, he led Lin Yuan Shan away.