DBB – Chapter 27: Eavesdropping

Gu Jinchao explained to her maternal grandmother, “Grandmother, do you still remember Yunxiang, the maid who accompanied my mother as part of her dowry when she married into the Gu family?”

Madam Ji nodded at once and replied, “Of course, Yunxiang grew up alongside your mother since childhood. After your father took in Concubine Song, I was the one who urged your mother to have him take Yunxiang as well. Later, she was elevated to the status of a concubine, but she was unfortunate—she passed away before she could give birth to a child.”

Jinchao smiled faintly. “Though my father may not be as devoted as he appears, he is not one to favor just anyone at random. My mother once said that he was genuinely fond of Yunxiang back then; otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed so readily to take her in. After Yunxiang became a concubine, Concubine Song even lost favor for a time.”

Of course, these were not words her mother had told her directly. Rather, after her mother’s initial remarks, she had gone to ask Nanny Tong for further details.

Her grandmother gave her a peculiar look and asked, “Are you thinking…?”

Jinchao nodded. “Yunxiang had two elder sisters—one was Concubine Yun, Yun Jin, and the other was named Yun Yan. I heard that Yun Yan was later married off as a concubine to the son of a county magistrate. What I want is to find Yun Yan’s daughter. If she resembles Yunxiang, Father might be moved by old affections. Otherwise, at this point in time, he would not take a concubine so casually. Not only for the sake of his official career but also because Concubine Song would oppose it.”

Madam Ji fell silent for a moment before responding, “Tomorrow, I’ll summon Concubine Yun so you can ask her where Yun Yan was married off to. If her daughter is still unmarried, we can bring her back directly. As the illegitimate granddaughter of a mere county magistrate, there’s no real obstacle…”

She had been about to say that, should the other party refuse, they could simply pressure them into submission. Neither the Ji family nor the Gu family was a force that a minor county magistrate could afford to offend. Besides, for a soon-to-be-dismissed magistrate, forming such a marriage connection could only be beneficial.

Gu Jinchao appreciated her grandmother’s decisiveness. 

After discussing the matter with Madam Ji, she felt a little more at ease. Before arriving, she had worried that her grandmother might not support her, but it seemed that things hadn’t changed since her childhood—once she voiced a desire, her grandmother would never oppose her.

As night fell, Jinchao accompanied Madam Ji to the Hanging Flower Hall for dinner. After the meal, Gu Jinrong engaged in a lively conversation with Ji Yun, discussing the reading methods of Sage Zhu.

Ji Yun, despite his young age, possessed extensive knowledge and did not display arrogance over his scholarly achievements. He spoke in an unhurried, steady manner, citing classical texts with remarkable eloquence.

He remarked, “Sage Zhu is quite different from other scholars. If one were to consider his greatest achievement, I would argue that it is not his Lixue theory (also known as The School of the Universal Principle – principles of Neo-Confucianism). While his Lixue is well-structured, his actions often contradict his own principles, making it difficult to convince others. Confucianism, on the other hand, is superior. Yet compared to the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, he still falls short. If Brother Rong’er is fond of Sage Zhu’s works, it would be better to read more of Confucius and Mencius—those would be more beneficial for the imperial examination.”

Gu Jinrong found this odd and asked, “How did Sage Zhu contradict his own principles?”

Ji Yun coughed lightly, his face slightly reddening, and changed the subject.

Gu Jinchao glanced at him with mild interest. He appeared so rigid and serious, yet he clearly had knowledge of scandalous historical accounts… 

It was widely rumored that although Sage Zhu preached *‘preserving heavenly principles and extinguishing human desires’*, he had in fact taken two nuns as concubines and even engaged in an illicit relationship with his own daughter-in-law. His actions and words were utterly contradictory, and he was widely criticized for his hypocrisy.

After the meal, Madam Ji called Ji Yao to the Shexian Pavilion for a discussion. Jinchao waited for her in her grandmother’s courtyard, but after such a long journey, she ended up dozing off on the arhat bed. 

By the time she regained full awareness, the warm glow of lanterns shone through the windows, and a soft, green brocade blanket covered her.

She sat up slightly, only to realize that there was no one in the inner chamber. However, she could hear voices from outside.

“…He’s truly giving me a headache!” It was her grandmother’s voice, sounding distinctly irritated.

Jinchao lifted the corner of the curtain and peered outside. Madam Ji was standing under the covered corridor, speaking with Mama Song.

Mama Song comforted her, “You must allow the Second Young Master some time. After all, this matter came upon him too suddenly.”

Madam Ji’s tone was frigid. “Hasn’t he had enough time already? He and Chao’er grew up together. If anyone knows her best, he would certainly be among them. I had thought he had finally settled down and learned to listen over the years, but who knew he still has such a rebellious streak!”

Mama Song sighed softly before hesitating for a moment. Then, she spoke in a low voice, “Great Madam, having observed for so many years, I must admit—I don’t fully understand either. The young mistress has been cherished and adored in our Ji household. You have doted on her endlessly… But if you’ve ever heard what outsiders say about her, you might understand why the Second Young Master refuses.”

Jinchao’s heart tightened at those words.

If even Mama Song knew of the rumors surrounding her, then surely, her grandmother must be aware of them as well. But why would this involve her Second Cousin? What did this have to do with him?

There was a long pause before she heard her grandmother speak again.

“Of course, I know…” Madam Ji’s voice softened. “Back when Han’er¹ (Ji Han) was growing up by my side, I had no time to properly care for her. As a result, she was raised by the former Great Madam, growing up meek and soft-spoken, never daring to resist anything. When she married Gu Deshao, he took concubine after concubine—did she ever fight back? Back then, just because of a single statement from Daoist Qingxu, Chao’er was taken from her mother’s side and brought to live with me. Before she could even return, her father had already fathered a second and third daughter…”

Jinchao’s fingers clenched tightly around the blanket.

Her grandmother continued, “When Chao’er was five years old, I took her back home for a visit. At that time, Han’er had just given birth to Rong-ge’er, and Gu Deshao also had that well-mannered and sensible Gu Lan by his side. No one even thought to hold her. When I returned from a walk, I found Chao’er hiding alone in a dark room, too afraid to come out… At that moment, I resolved that I would never allow her to be bullied by others. So after we returned, I doubled my efforts in spoiling her, unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest grievance.”

Mama Song’s voice was filled with emotion. “I know you cherish her dearly. I’ve watched Chao’er grow up—I know she is, at heart, a pure and sincere child… But what about her future?”

Jinchao lowered her gaze, her heart weighing heavily with emotions she couldn’t quite name.

Madam Ji let out a sigh. “That is why I made up my mind long ago—when Chao’er comes of age, Yao’er will marry her and bring her into the family. Under my watchful eye, let’s see who dares to mistreat her.”

Mama Song hesitated before saying, “But have you considered… what if the Second Young Master does not wish to?”

Madam Ji gave a cold laugh. “He never wanted to involve himself in Ji family matters before, yet hasn’t he handled them well now? I raised him myself—I know his temperament. As long as I force him to agree, he won’t go back on his word. Once he commits, he will do his utmost to fulfill his duty. It is precisely because of this that I dare entrust Chao’er to him.”

She sighed again. “It’s a pity… I only wanted to protect Chao’er, yet no one in the Gu family is willing to do so. The moment she brought up those matters today, I knew—how could she have understood such schemes before? Someone must have forced her into it…”

Gu Jinchao let the curtain fall quietly and walked toward the brazier, her face barely concealing her shock.

Her hands trembled as she grasped the carved screen for support, the other covering her mouth. Tears were already streaming down her face.

She had always thought that her grandmother simply indulged her out of affection. She never imagined that her grandmother had planned her future so thoroughly—intending to protect her for a lifetime.

Her mind spun rapidly. So this was why so many things in her past life had never made sense!

A month before her mother passed away, Ji Yao had approached her father to propose marriage.

At the time, she had been utterly baffled. Her Second Cousin had never treated her with any particular warmth—his attitude toward her was no different from how he treated others. So it had been at her grandmother’s behest that he came forward. In other words, he had eventually relented to her grandmother’s wishes.

…Of course. With Grandmother’s methods, how could Ji Yao have resisted?

No wonder. Even their Third Cousin, who was younger, had already married a principal wife and had a child over a year old. Yet Ji Yao, the eldest legitimate son, had neither a wife nor even a concubine. It was all because he had been waiting for her.

All the doubts she had once harbored about her grandmother vanished in an instant.

In her past life, she had been infatuated with Chen Xuanqing, foolishly hoping for just a glance from him. Just one look from him had been enough to make her heart soar. So when Ji Yao had proposed, and her father had asked for her opinion, she had mercilessly refused.

Later, Ji Yao had married the third young lady of the Yongyang Bo family. The couple had been deeply affectionate, their marriage harmonious and joyful.

Looking back now, she was almost grateful she had refused—at least Ji Yao hadn’t been forced into a difficult situation.

Jinchao laughed bitterly at herself. In her past life, she had been renowned for her beauty, famous throughout Yanjing. And yet, not a single person had ever truly loved her. How utterly pathetic.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Jinchao quickly lay back down on the arhat bed.

Her grandmother entered the room, tucking the blankets snugly around her. Noticing the traces of tears on her face, she gently wiped them away before speaking softly to Mama Song. “Why does she look as if she’s been crying?”

“Perhaps she was reminded of something sorrowful…”

Mama Song’s voice was quiet as well.

Madam Ji’s heart ached. “Han’er is gravely ill… Chao’er must protect herself. If that Concubine Yun’s niece is still unmarried, then everything will be easily arranged…”

1. “Han’er” is a term of endearment for Ji Shi, whose given name is Ji Han. ↩︎