Ju Liu Pavilion was planted with many willow and locust trees, though they were all bare at this time. The three-section, seven-beam residence had a rock garden made of Taihu stones piled together, with several green bamboos planted beside it. The main house directly ahead had a gilded plaque hanging on it. Father’s two young maids were carrying bright red lacquered round trays inside, while another personal maid, Bi Yue, bowed to her: “…Young Lady has come at the right time, the Master is just having his morning meal.”

Jin Chao nodded, and Bi Yue helped lift the curtain as she followed her inside.

Father was having his morning meal in the eastern secondary room. The table was laid with horse mackerel slices, honey pastries, and a plate of small dishes made up of duck gizzard slices and preserved goose meat. Concubine Song was standing beside, serving soup to Gu De Zhao. Concubine Song wore a blue-lotus-colored robe embroidered with cloud and water patterns, and a pair of emerald jade bracelets on her wrists that accentuated her frost-white skin. Her jade-like face had a pair of phoenix eyes, full of smiles. Her hair bun was adorned with two silver step-shakes, with red ornamental beads hanging down that made her appear even more charming and graceful.

She was both dignified and refined, yet alluringly attractive to just the right degree.

She was speaking with Father. When Gu Jin Chao saw this, she lowered her head, but a smile quickly rose to her lips.

Gu De Zhao was thirty-seven this year, in his prime, with a handsome and refined face. He wore an official robe embroidered with cloud and wild goose patterns, with a silver leather belt—he would soon be going to court. Seeing Jin Chao come to pay her respects, he asked her to sit down and speak: “…I’ve been busy with court affairs these past few days and haven’t had time to see your mother. Is her illness any better?”

Jin Chao replied gently: “It still hasn’t improved much, though her coughing has lessened considerably.”

Gu De Zhao nodded: “Mm, you should attend to your mother. Others serving her are never as attentive as you. But you’ve been of marriageable age for half a year now, and you shouldn’t neglect your needlework. I heard from Teacher Xue who instructs you that you haven’t been to her for many days… A young lady should still perfect her embroidery skills.”

Gu Jin Chao agreed to everything, and her father’s expression softened: “That’s best. You should also control that temperament of yours. Your mother dotes on you and blames me for interfering too much. But you are the Gu family’s eldest legitimate daughter—your speech, actions, and deportment all matter.”

Father was a scholar who placed the highest value on a woman’s virtue. Whenever he saw her, he always had extra things to say.

She used to be very impatient hearing these things. But thinking of the last time she saw her father when she returned to visit him during his serious illness, he had become so thin as to be unrecognizable. He glanced at her and became so angry he was gasping for breath, ordering the maids beside him to drive her out. The Gu family had no such daughter!

Remembering that scene pierced her heart with pain. Being able to speak so calmly now was the best possible outcome.

Gu De Zhao didn’t continue questioning, and Concubine Song smiled and said: “…Today I specially prepared fritillary bulb and yam porridge. Young Lady should try some—fritillary moistens the lungs and stops coughing. Young Lady has been ill for some time recently, so you should drink more of this.”

Hearing this, Gu Jin Chao’s heart tightened. She hadn’t told her father about her illness.

Secretly attending the flower gathering at the Marquis’s mansion and then falling ill—if her father knew about this, he would certainly be displeased with her.

Sure enough, her father asked: “Ill? Why didn’t anyone inform me? Why were you sick?”

Gu Jin Chao laughed coldly inside. In her previous life, she had thought Concubine Song was gentle and amiable, yet with just one sentence, she had stirred up trouble.

Her expression darkened: “Mother is seriously ill, and I’ve been too worried, unable to sleep day or night… I had originally planned to clear my mind at the Marquis’s flower gathering, but the snow was heavy and the day cold, and I caught a chill. I felt guilty that I couldn’t attend to Mother for several days. I didn’t want to worry Father and Mother, so I didn’t let the maids mention it. Today, as soon as I felt better, I came early to pay respects to Father and then visit Mother.”

Concubine Song looked startled—Gu Jin Chao’s words were flawless.

Father made a sound of acknowledgment, expressed concern for her with a few words, and told Bi Yue to find some nourishing herbs for her.

Gu Jin Chao looked up at Concubine Song, her eyes full of smiles. Concubine Song naturally smiled back and said: “Young Lady is very devoted to serving Madam. I truly think it’s admirable. The hour is approaching; I will accompany the Young Lady to pay respects to Madam.”

Jin Chao said: “Of course, I was also thinking of having a heart-to-heart chat with Concubine.”

She hadn’t spent those dozen or so years in the Chen family for nothing. Gu Jin Chao’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, rubbed her openwork silver bracelet, thinking to herself that she would see if Concubine Song could still stir up waves in this lifetime.

After Gu De Zhao left, Jin Chao and Concubine Song, each with their maids, walked through a small path planted with tall Chinese scholar trees. Ahead was a small lake, its surface already frozen. A winding waterside pavilion extended over it, with a tong wood pavilion atop.

Thinking of what had just happened, Concubine Song felt something was strange. Those words didn’t sound like something Gu Jin Chao would say—definitely not.

Concubine Song glanced at Jin Chao’s light red gold-embroidered lotus petal vine pattern robe. She was as radiant as always.

“Concubine has been working hard these days taking care of Mother. I must thank you,” Jin Chao said as she turned her gaze back, smiling as she spoke.

She replied softly: “Serving Sister is my duty. A Young Lady thanking me like this is treating me as an outsider. Lan is so close to you; you needn’t be so formal with me.”

Gu Lan was different from Gu Xi and Gu Yi. Her birth mother, Concubine Song, came from a good family, and she was raised beside Concubine Song from a young age.

Gu Jin Chao said: “You are the concubine of both me and Second Sister. How could I be formal with you!”

She still maintained her smile, seemingly unaware of anything amiss. Hearing this, Concubine Song felt somewhat uncomfortable. Even though Lan was her daughter, in front of others, she still had to call her “Concubine.” Her status would always be that of someone else’s concubine. Gu Jin Chao’s words had unnecessarily created a separation between her and Lan’s status.

As they talked, they arrived at Mother’s Xie Xiao Garden. Several concubines had already arrived.

Mother was lying on the arhat bed, her face tired. Mo Yu brought her a small stool and Concubine Song a peony stool to sit on. Concubine Song asked Mo Yu in detail about Mother’s daily routine and diet.

Mother’s voice was very soft: “…You are indeed thoughtful.”

Concubine Song said: “I’m accustomed to serving Madam. I didn’t manage to come yesterday afternoon, and I feel quite guilty. I prepared a codonopsis and black chicken soup for you; the kitchen staff will bring it over shortly…”

Concubine Du smiled and said: “Concubine Song is always so considerate.”

Gu Jin Chao glanced at Concubine Du. Father had three concubines. Concubine Du and Concubine Guo were both originally his maids. After Mother married into the family, they were elevated to concubines to counterbalance Song Miao Hua. However, she saw that neither of them could suppress Concubine Song.

Later, Mother gave her dowry maid Yun Xiang to Father as a personal maid, and she was soon elevated to a concubine. Jin Chao didn’t have a strong impression of Yun Xiang; it seemed she had died in childbirth when Jin Chao was eight years old, but during her lifetime, she was quite cherished by her Father.

After sitting for a short while, Gu Lan, Gu Xi, and Gu Yi came to pay respects to Madam Ji.

Gu Jin Chao heard the girls talking but lowered her head, slowly turning the bracelet on her wrist.

“…I met Third Sister and Fourth Sister on the way, so we came together. Is Mother feeling any better?” The young woman’s voice was gentle, and only then did Gu Jin Chao raise her head to look.

Gu Lan’s black hair was coiled into a small bun, adorned only with light green ornamental beaded flowers. She wore a lotus-root-colored satin jacket with persimmon calyx patterns and a water-blue-colored brocade skirt with twig patterns. Her small face was as white as jade, with a pointed chin and a pair of curved, beautiful eyes that seemed about to break into a smile at any moment.

She would come of age in another half year.

Gu Yi was twelve years old this year, and her temperament was quite different from her birth mother, Concubine Du—she wasn’t very talkative. Gu Xi tugged at Gu Yi’s sleeve, timidly looking at Gu Jin Chao. When she saw Gu Jin Chao looking at her, she revealed a small smile.

Gu Jin Chao was surprised for a moment. Hadn’t she been terrified of her just yesterday? How did she dare to smile at her today?

Coming back to her senses, she smiled back.

Gu Lan sat down next to Gu Jin Chao and asked with a smile: “…I saw Eldest Sister exchanging glances with Fourth Sister just now. What intimate matters do you have that you’re hiding from me? I won’t allow it!”

Gu Xi said in a small voice: “Eldest Sister had Liu Xiang send me a box of pine nut sticky rice candies yesterday…”

Only then did Gu Jin Chao understand that it was because of that box of candy.

But seeing how tightly she gripped Gu Yi’s sleeve, she was probably still somewhat afraid.

Concubine Guo seemed not to notice her daughter tugging at Gu Yi’s sleeve and raising her teacup to drink.

Gu Lan held her hand and looked at her somewhat wistfully: “Now Eldest Sister is partial to Fourth Sister. Second Sister and I also want pine nut sticky rice candies!”

This made all the concubines laugh, and Mother also showed a faint smile.

Gu Xi, however, looked at Gu Jin Chao, thinking she had said something wrong, and her face turned bright red with embarrassment. She didn’t know that she was the only one who had received candy.

Gu Jin Chao said: “I only had that one box. Remembering that Fourth Sister loves sweets, I sent it to her. I recall that Second Sister and Third Sister prefer exquisite pastries—I’ll have the small kitchen make some to send to you both.”

“Speaking of pastries, I just made some filled dumplings. If sisters and concubines are willing, I’ll have some packaged and sent to everyone’s quarters afterward,” Gu Lan said with a smile.

Ji sat quietly listening to them talk. She was always concerned about Jin Chao—Jin Chao’s temperament was too proud and reckless, far inferior to Gu Lan’s. She felt guilty now, thinking that if she hadn’t sent Jin Chao to her grandmother’s house back then, how could she have developed such a character? In recent days, she seemed more rule-abiding. She hoped that her illness might make Jin Chao more sensible.

“I’m tired now. Everyone, please return…” Ji finally said.

The concubines and sisters left the room first, with Concubine Song staying behind to talk with Mother. Gu Jin Chao rose and walked to her mother’s side, saying gently: “Mother, I’ll first go sit with Second Sister at Cui Xuan Court, and return to keep you company this evening.”

Ji squeezed her hand.