After her great-grandson was brought over, Ji Wu held him for a while, her face beaming with happiness. “He looks just like you did as a child, especially the eyes and brows. When you were just born and I came to see you, you grabbed your grandmother’s sleeve and wouldn’t let go.”
Gu Jinchao smiled: “Does he look that much like me?” She leaned over to look. Little Chang Suo was sleeping peacefully against the bright red swaddling cloth. How was it that she couldn’t see any resemblance to herself?
Ji Wu smiled: “You were with me in Tongzhou from the time you were three months old! Your mother probably doesn’t even know you as well as I do. This child will be handsome when he grows up…” After talking for a while, the child woke up. Ji Wu expertly held and soothed him. When Little Chang Suo wouldn’t stop crying, the old lady immediately recognized he needed changing, and personally changed her great-grandson’s diaper and wrapped him up again.
The wet nurse took the child away to feed him. Ji Wu spoke with Gu Jinchao for a few more minutes, then went to see Old Madam Chen.
The two old ladies hadn’t seen each other for years, so naturally, they had much to catch up on.
In the evening, after Third Master Chen had finished entertaining the guests, he came back and heard that Ji Wu had arrived. He went to pay his respects at Old Madam Chen’s quarters.
Gu Jinchao leaned against a large pillow, listening to Mama Sun read the list of gifts Chang Suo had received at his third-day celebration. Mama Sun held a ledger with a bright red silk cover, reading each item while young maids brought them up for Gu Jinchao to see.
Zhang Julian had sent a red coral statue about two feet tall, with a bright red, jade-like luster—definitely of the highest quality. The base was made of fine purple sandalwood, intricately carved with cloud patterns. Mama Sun couldn’t help but marvel as she held it: “Official Zhang certainly has made a grand gesture…”
When the red coral was handed to Gu Jinchao, she examined it carefully for a moment, even smelling it.
She was very wary of Zhang Julian as a person.
Having grown up surrounded by jewelry, Gu Jinchao could immediately discern the coral’s quality. It was worth more than ten times its weight in gold.
She had Xiu Qu put the red coral away: “This is too valuable. Don’t display it in ordinary times.”
Xiu Qu carried the red coral to the storeroom.
After Zhang Julian’s red coral, though the other gifts were also exquisite and valuable, they seemed like common items in comparison.
Gu Jinchao was getting drowsy until Mama Sun mentioned Ye Xian’s name, which startled her.
“What did you just say? The heir of Marquis Changxing also sent a gift… What was it?”
Mama Sun glanced at the ledger again and replied: “It’s nothing particularly valuable. Just a tiger-skin parrot.”
How could Ye Xian be sending gifts?
Gu Jinchao’s drowsiness instantly vanished. She rubbed her forehead, feeling a slight headache. She truly didn’t know how to deal with Ye Xian. Last time, when he spoke to Third Master Chen about her, Third Master had become somewhat wary… She asked Mama Sun: “Where is that parrot now?”
Mama Sun didn’t know. She sent the maids to look around, but they couldn’t find it. Then Yu Zhu said: “I didn’t see any birdcage being delivered. But the guests in the outer courtyard were received by the Third Master and Fourth Master. Why not wait and ask Third Master when he returns?”
Gu Jinchao didn’t want to trouble Third Master Chen, so she let it go.
After all the items were put away, night had fallen.
Third Master Chen returned.
He saw Gu Jinchao lying on the daybed, writing by the light of a small lamp.
He approached silently and took the brush from her hand: “Be careful not to strain your eyes… What are you writing?”
In the candlelight, she wore a lilac-colored jacket with white brocade edges. Her complexion was smooth and fair, with a hint of rose. Her demeanor was calm and gentle, making her look particularly beautiful. Gu Jinchao didn’t look at him, but held up the ledger to examine it: “Records of social exchanges. I must note these down myself. When other households have celebrations in the future, we cannot return less than what we received…” She sighed, “Look at how many things Chang Suo received today. We’ll have to give out even more in the future!”
Third Master Chen laughed: “He’s still so small!”
Gu Jinchao said earnestly: “Children grow quickly. Before you know it, he’ll be talking and running around.”
Third Master Chen sat down and embraced her, reaching for the ledger she had written. She had learned the regular script, and her characters were proper and elegant. Recently she had been learning clerical script from him, and her writing showed a solemn, ancient quality. She wrote even better than many scholars.
Gu Jinchao sat in his arms, shifting her body to lean slightly sideways, and asked him: “Official Zhang sent a red coral statue over two feet tall. I think it’s very valuable. If it’s just for the child’s third-day celebration, it seems far too precious…”
Third Master Chen said: “I know, but just accept it. My teacher has been in office for many years and has accumulated considerable wealth. This is nothing to him.”
In her previous life, Gu Jinchao had heard about Zhang Julian, who was said to be an incorruptible official who never took bribes.
She was curious and asked Third Master Chen: “They say Official Zhang is honest and devoted to public service, but I see that his annual salary wouldn’t be enough for a red coral statue. Where does Official Zhang’s money come from?”
Third Master Chen just smiled, then explained: “It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t take bribes himself. The Zhang family has many people; they can’t all depend on him alone for food. As far as I know, a distant uncle of his extorts money from salt fields, earning tens of thousands of taels of silver every year. My teacher needs so many people to follow him, and he can’t possibly give benefits to others. With my teacher’s authority, making the family prosperous is easy.”
“The Zhang family was originally a declining clan in Jingzhou Prefecture, without the foundation of great aristocratic families. So as my teacher rose step by step, to consolidate his power, he placed many of his relatives in the imperial court. He also has many disciples. His influence now is firmly entrenched. Even the Emperor has to be wary of him.”
That’s why in her previous life, the Zhang family prospered to the extreme. After Zhang Julian’s death, the Emperor personally bestowed the posthumous title of “Wen Zhong” (Loyal to Culture). The officials he had promoted and heavily used rose steadily in the court, and his family had four generations of imperial titles. It wasn’t until the thirteenth year of the Wanli era—the year before Gu Jinchao’s death—that the Zhang family was gradually eliminated. But after Zhang Julian’s death, the Zhang family was like a tumor he had left behind, difficult to cure for a long time…
Gu Jinchao was silent for a moment.
She recalled the matter of Yongchang Trading Company. If there was a powerful force behind the Yongchang Trading Company, the Zhang family was very likely. Rather than asking her grandmother, who wouldn’t know much, she might as well ask Third Master Chen!
Gu Jinchao said to Third Master Chen: “Earlier when speaking with Grandmother, I heard there’s a formidable Yongchang Trading Company. Others can’t even investigate it. Could this Yongchang Trading Company belong to some high official in the court?”
Third Master Chen rubbed her hair: “Why are you asking about this?”
Gu Jinchao dodged his large hand; she hadn’t washed her hair for a long time. She said casually: “…It just sounded familiar. I was curious!”
Third Master Chen smiled and said: “Of course, it sounds familiar—it’s the Chen family’s trading company.”
Gu Jinchao was startled… She had thought it belonged to the Zhang family, but this trading company belonged to the Chen family!
“Fourth Brother started it a few years ago, and it’s developed quite well,” Third Master Chen said after thinking. “When it comes to his business, Second Brother and I don’t interfere much. I’ve heard you have quite a few shops. If you need his trading company’s help, just say the word.”
Gu Jinchao shook her head with a smile: “I was just asking casually. If I sought your help, how could it still be considered my private property!”
She stopped talking about Yongchang Trading Company and showed Third Master Chen the other fine gifts from the third-day celebration.
Neither of them mentioned Ye Xian.
Gu Jinchao had the maids help her to the washroom, where she wiped her body with hot water. When she returned, Third Master Chen was already lying in bed reading. He was waiting for her.
Knowing that Third Master Chen had to rise early for court the next day, Gu Jinchao didn’t delay and quickly lay down beside him.
Seeing her lie down and pull the covers over herself, closing her eyes, Third Master Chen put his book on the high table by the bed. He had the maid extinguish the lanterns and lower the bed curtains, then reached over to hold her as they slept.
Gu Jinchao didn’t know if Third Master Chen was asleep, but she wasn’t sleepy yet.
She recalled why Yongchang Trading Company had sounded familiar. In her previous life, after her grandmother’s death, the largest trading company in North Zhili was not the Ji family’s but Yongchang’s…
Third Master Chen was gone by then, and the Chen family had already divided its assets. Was Fourth Master Chen so capable that he could make Yongchang Trading Company so large? Gu Jinchao thought again of the grievances between Chen Xuanqing and Fourth Master Chen and felt something was wrong.
Even if there had been unpleasantness in dividing the family, it shouldn’t have led to such bitter enmity… unless Fourth Master Chen had done something to wrong the third branch of the family. And this could be related to Third Master Chen’s life and death. In other words, at the crucial moment of suppressing bandits in Sichuan, he very likely betrayed Third Master Chen, cooperating with those who wanted Third Master Chen dead. No matter how capable Third Master Chen was, he couldn’t withstand attacks from both front and rear.
Gu Jinchao opened her eyes, suddenly feeling very heavy-hearted.
She didn’t know how to tell Third Master Chen about her suspicion. Fourth Master Chen was his full brother, born of the same mother! What if her judgment was wrong and she needlessly caused discord between the brothers? And if Third Master Chen learned that his brother had betrayed him, how would he feel?
She looked at Third Master Chen’s profile—his straight nose, gentle lips—and touched his face, feeling an inexplicable pain in her heart.
These were just suspicions; she had no evidence after all. Perhaps it was better not to tell him for now.
Just as she closed her eyes, the baby’s cries came from the nursery, along with the wet nurse’s voice trying to soothe him. It took a long time for them to quiet down.
Gu Jinchao felt even less like sleeping. Hearing the child still crying, she became anxious, wishing she could go hold him herself.
But that would inevitably disturb Third Master Chen…
“Have the wet nurse bring the child here,” Third Master Chen suddenly said.
Gu Jinchao was surprised; he hadn’t been asleep after all. Did he know about all her movements? “Don’t you… have early court tomorrow?”
Third Master Chen had already sat up, saying calmly: “It’s fine. You won’t be able to rest easy with the child crying.”
He called a maid to instruct her, and the wet nurse quickly brought Little Chang Suo.
Third Master Chen held him and got out of bed to soothe him, walking back and forth. After a while, Little Chang Suo gradually stopped crying and lay quietly in his father’s arms, eyes open. Third Master Chen placed the child next to Gu Jinchao’s pillow and covered him with the quilt. “Let the wet nurse stay in the gauze enclosure. He still needs to feed three times at night.”
Gu Jinchao took the child into her arms, patting his back until he fell asleep, then placed him beside the pillow.
When she looked back, she found that Third Master Chen was already asleep. He hadn’t slept well these past few days; there were dark circles under his eyes.
The child didn’t cry much for the rest of the night.