The evidence of Gu Deyuan’s embezzlement was conclusive, and yesterday he was officially detained by the Court of Judicial Review for interrogation.

When Gu Lian learned of this news, she became extremely distressed and was absent-minded while serving Lady Yao breakfast. Lady Yao liked to eat steamed buns, but she picked up a pastry for her instead. Lady Yao put down her bowl and chopsticks, her face immediately darkening: “Gu Lian, where is your mind wandering?”

Gu Lian finally came to her senses, seeing that across from her, the eldest sister-in-law was elegantly sipping porridge, and the second sister-in-law was peeling eggs for the little girl sitting in her lap. Neither of them even glanced at her. Gu Lian’s face turned crimson as she moved the pastry to a small plate at the side: “Daughter-in-law just didn’t sleep well last night.”

Lady Yao looked at her and said coldly, “The pastry crumbs have fallen into the porridge. Can’t you bring me a new bowl? Don’t you even know how to serve people properly?”

Gu Lian bit her lip. Before her father’s troubles, Lady Yao would never have been so discourteous to her.

She could only bring Lady Yao a fresh bowl of porridge and focus on serving her through breakfast, not daring to let her mind drift back to her father’s situation.

After breakfast, she still had to attend to Lady Yao’s needlework and nail-dyeing, and even when Lady Yao played cards with several other ladies, she had to stand by to help arrange the tiles. It wasn’t until evening that Gu Lian finally sat down to have dinner with Lady Yao.

Noticing that her father-in-law hadn’t come, Gu Lian was curious, as he usually came to see Lady Yao at this time. She asked, “Mother, is Father too busy with court affairs today? Why hasn’t he come for dinner?”

Lady Yao replied slowly, “Official Chen’s son is getting married, so naturally he went to attend the banquet.” Yao Ping’s relationship with Third Master Chen was ordinary, and Lady Yao had no connection with the Chen family, so she didn’t go along. Looking at Gu Lian, she asked with a smile, “Isn’t Third Madam Chen your sister? How come you didn’t know about this?”

She had almost caused Gu Jinchao to miscarry… how could she dare to ask about such matters?

Of course, she couldn’t say this aloud. Gu Lian could only smile and say, “I’ve been preoccupied with my father’s situation lately, so I momentarily forgot.”

Lady Yao said nothing. Soon after, the second sister-in-law came in carrying her child, who jumped into Lady Yao’s arms wanting to be held.

Lady Yao’s face brightened with joy as she played with her granddaughter, who was just learning to speak. After a while, she asked Gu Lian, “That Concubine Lan… you said she tampered with your pastries. How do you plan to deal with her?”

Gu Lian replied, “Daughter-in-law doesn’t know… but for doing such a thing, I certainly can’t let her off lightly!”

Lady Yao gave the child a rattle to play with, which made a dong-dong sound when shaken.

“You need to be more composed. You’re a wife now, not a pampered young lady anymore. There’s no place for childish tantrums. You shouldn’t cause trouble for your husband. Do you understand?”

Lady Yao must have known about her quarrel with Yao Wenxiu… Gu Lian held back her words and simply nodded.

When she returned to her quarters, Gu Lian angrily smashed a porcelain teacup, breathing heavily with a gloomy expression. The old nurse quietly picked up the broken pieces and called a maid to come clean up with a broom. At least now when angry, she knew not to speak carelessly—that was progress.

The old nurse stood beside Gu Lian and said softly, “Concubine Lan asks to see you… she’s been pleading for two days. Will you see her?”

“What does she want to say?” Gu Lian countered. “Whatever she says will just be excuses. I don’t want to hear her speak!”

The old nurse smiled slightly, “Concubine Lan claims it’s related to Gu Jinchao and insists on telling only you. She says it will be useful to you… she wants a chance to live. Listening won’t cost you anything, and perhaps it might truly be useful.”

Gu Lian recalled the day when she had Lan confined.

At first, Lan had begged and wept, and Yao Wenxiu had come to speak on her behalf, defending her. Gu Lian stubbornly insisted it was Lan’s doing and reported it to Lady Yao. Yao Wenxiu was so angry that he moved to live alone in the outer courtyard. Seeing no hope of exoneration, Lan’s demeanor changed completely. She cursed Gu Lian with venomous words, sneering, “Gu Lian! You only dare to blame me! Sooner or later, you’ll be killed too… with your stupidity, you deserve to be manipulated!”

Furious, she had the maids hold down Lan’s hands and slapped her several times.

Lan was stunned by the blows and began to sob.

Seeing her cry surprised Gu Lian somewhat—she had thought someone like Lan wouldn’t yield.

Soon after, she had Lan locked up, ordering that she be given water and food daily. But when it came time to kill Lan, she found herself hesitant. That was a living, breathing person! The old nurse disapproved of her indecisiveness, telling her to think about it for a few more days, but that Lan would have to die eventually.

Gu Lian was already irritable, and thinking about Lan’s situation made her feel even more uncomfortable.

Her mother had said that if Yao Wenxiu wouldn’t forgive her, she would select someone obedient and beautiful from among her servants to divert his attention.

Men, after all, always prefer the new over the old. Once this maid gained favor, how could Yao Wenxiu still remember Lan?

Gu Lian’s gaze swept over the maids serving her. Of the five maids she had brought from her dowry, Lanzi and Yezi were the most attractive. Lanzi had grown up with her, while Yezi had a more fiery temperament… both maids had snow-white skin and graceful figures.

Gu Lian closed her eyes and said wearily, “Nurse, I want to sleep. If we must see her… let’s wait until tomorrow!”

The old nurse smiled slightly without pressing further and called for a maid to bring water.

She slept fitfully and was woken by someone shaking her. Opening her eyes, she saw Lanzi’s anxious face. “Madam, something has happened to Concubine Lan…”

Gu Lian hadn’t fully awakened: “What… what could have happened to her?”

“She hanged herself,” Lanzi said softly. “Nurse Zhang has already gone over.”

Gu Lian was now fully alert. A maid brought clothes for her to wear as she stared in disbelief: “Didn’t she say yesterday that she had something to tell me? How could she have hanged herself today? When did this happen?”

Lanzi wasn’t clear on the details; the messenger had been a young maid who hadn’t explained the situation fully.

Gu Lian dressed quickly and hurried to the back chamber of the side courtyard.

Lanterns hung outside the back chamber, and the two old women guarding Lan were kneeling outside the door, trembling with fear.

The predawn wind was cold. Yezi draped a cloak over Gu Lian’s shoulders. Gu Lian kept her hands tucked inside the cloak and peered through the doorway… the body had already been taken down by the old woman; she could only see a shadow lying on the ground. She was startled!

It wasn’t that she felt sympathy for Lan, but anyone would be shocked when someone who had been alive and well a few days ago suddenly became a corpse.

She asked the old woman shakily, “What happened?”

The old woman in the blue cotton jacket said, “This servant discovered it… the body was already completely stiff, so she likely died during the night. This servant found it strange that the meal brought in last night hadn’t been touched. When I went inside, I saw that the concubine had already hanged herself.”

Nurse Zhang came out from inside and nodded to Gu Lian before telling the servants, “The concubine killed herself for fear of the madam’s punishment—you all saw that!” The maids and old women quickly agreed. Nurse Zhang immediately ordered the two old women to carry Lan’s body away.

Gu Lian had heard that people who died by hanging looked horrifying, so she stood in the corridor waiting for the old woman to carry the body out. When she turned back, she accidentally glimpsed Lan’s purplish face and quickly pulled Nurse Zhang aside to speak with her: “How… how could she possibly commit suicide?”

Nurse Zhang also found it strange—didn’t Lan have something to say? She shook her head: “Madam, let’s not worry about that. She should be dead. Now you won’t have to trouble yourself with eliminating her.”

“But… with her dying like this… won’t others suspect I was behind it?”

Nurse Zhang held Gu Lian’s hand and sighed: “You were going to take action against her anyway.”

Gu Lian seemed distracted as if thinking about something else, her hands and feet ice-cold.

Nurse Zhang reached out to support her: “It’s almost time to pay respects to the elder Lady Yao. You can tell her about this matter then…”

…

Gu Jinchao didn’t sleep well that night and woke up at the chen hour (7-9 am). She turned her head to see Third Master Chen lying facing away from her, not knowing if he was awake yet.

She turned over gently and heard his voice: “Awake?”

His voice was clear; he must have been awake for some time.

Gu Jinchao made a sound of agreement, and he turned to embrace her but didn’t speak.

Gu Jinchao asked him, “Will you be returning to the office the day after tomorrow?” His wounds had completely healed half a month ago, but he had delayed mentioning returning to the Cabinet. Living with Third Master Chen was quite comfortable; he always arranged everything in advance, saving her from worry. Thinking about him resuming his early departures and late returns, Gu Jinchao felt somewhat unaccustomed.

Third Master Chen didn’t answer but instead asked, “Were you comfortable managing the main kitchen yesterday? Did anyone give you trouble?”

“I used to learn from my mother at home, and later from my grandmother. I have no problems managing these matters,” Gu Jinchao said softly.

It wasn’t yet dawn. She curled up in Third Master Chen’s arms, and they conversed almost in whispers.

Gu Jinchao took his hand. His hands were handsome—a scholar’s hands. They had distinct knuckles and long fingers, though the palms were somewhat rough.

“What are you doing?” he asked, allowing her to manipulate his hand.

Gu Jinchao said, “I’m reading your palm.” His earthline was shorter than hers, extending only to the center of his palm. This was the palm reading for someone who would die young… in his previous life, he had died in Sichuan before reaching forty.

“Your earth line is very short. People with this palm reading are often kind-hearted…” and prone to premature death.

Gu Jinchao hesitated, feeling it was inauspicious to mention early death.

Chen Yanyun asked her, “Do you think I am kind-hearted?”

Gu Jinchao certainly didn’t think so, but on the surface, he was indeed a very gentle person. She nodded: “You seem quite decent.”

Chen Yanyun smiled without commenting, resting his chin on the top of her head. “What else do you see?”

Gu Jinchao said, “The court is treacherous, and human hearts are unpredictable. Your earth line indicates danger; you must be careful.” She gripped his hand tightly.

She didn’t want the person beside her to die. Gu Jinchao had thought herself sufficiently hard-hearted, but she cared deeply for Third Master Chen.

Gu Jinchao turned and embraced him, saying softly, “Why don’t you… give up the struggle?” As soon as she said it, she felt it was inappropriate. Third Master Chen was ambitious and determined, a man of strong will. Having reached this point, it wasn’t a matter of wanting to withdraw—others wouldn’t simply let him go. This was truly womanly advice.

Third Master Chen looked down at her, then heard her say, “I was just talking nonsense, please don’t mind me.”

He sighed, “I understand everything. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Who doesn’t achieve success over the bones of thousands?

Perhaps the assassination attempt had frightened her. Third Master Chen held her quietly.