The next morning, Luo Su went to pay her respects to Ji Shi, and Jinchao arrived early to accompany her mother.
As a newly taken concubine, Luo Su wore a lake-blue Hangzhou silk beizi with a Xiangfei-colored yuehua skirt. A pair of delicate pearls adorned her ears, and a silver hairpin with a lotus pattern rested in her hair—simple yet elegant.
The three concubines had already gathered at Ji Shi’s quarters. When Luo Su performed her greeting and lifted her face, their expressions instantly changed.
Jinchao took a slow sip of tea, the corners of her lips curved in a faint smile. No one had expected that she would bring back someone who bore such a striking resemblance to Concubine Yun.
Song Yiniang was the first to recover, laughing lightly. “Our new sister is as lovely as a flower. Just looking at her makes me feel fond of her already.”
Ji Shi gestured for Luo Su to come closer, taking her hand in a gentle grip as she softly asked, “Last night… was everything as it should be?”
A faint blush crept across Luo Su’s fair face. Standing beside them, Xu Mama answered with a smile, “The wedding cloth was stained red.”
Song Yiniang bit her lip. No matter how well she had trained herself to remain composed, knowing that the man she loved had consummated his union with another young woman was still difficult to bear.
Ji Shi then instructed Xu Mama, “No need for tonics. Our Concubine Luo may very well bring a new heir to this household.”
She also had Moyu bring out a prepared gift—an exquisite pair of golden hairpins, inlaid with yellow tourmaline, shaped into twin dragons symbolizing longevity and prosperity. Ji Shi had always been generous, and she had no shortage of such treasures. Luo Su expressed her gratitude and accepted the gift.
The concubines then presented their own gifts—Song Yiniang gave a silver-gilded full-crown hairpin, Concubine Du offered a gold hairpin in the shape of a Buddha’s hand carved from agate, while Concubine Guo merely presented a pair of jade gourd earrings.
Jinchao glanced at Concubine Guo. Her expression remained composed, neither humble nor overstepping, as if unaware that her gift was the simplest among them.
Xu Mama brought out brocade stools for the concubines to sit.
Song Yiniang, still smiling, turned to Luo Su and said, “I thought you looked familiar. You bear a striking resemblance to a former Concubine Yun. It feels especially warm and familiar.”
Luo Su’s voice was soft and gentle. “My mother was Concubine Yun’s elder sister. I ought to address her as ‘Aunt.’”
Song Yiniang then glanced at Jinchao, who had been silent until now. “No wonder our Eldest Miss was so confident that the Master would agree to taking another concubine.”
Oh? So now they were turning the conversation toward her?
Jinchao calmly set down her teacup and replied unhurriedly, “Song Yiniang, you are mistaken. It was Father who approved of her. I merely assisted in the selection.”
Ji Shi’s tone was mild but firm. “Song Yiniang, you must be careful with your words. Do not spread rumors that could tarnish Jinchao’s reputation.”
Song Yiniang’s lips twitched slightly. As if Gu Jinchao’s reputation could get any worse because of me… But outwardly, she only smiled apologetically and said, “It was my mistake. I spoke out of turn.”
Concubine Du, her eyes crinkling with laughter, added in a lighthearted tone, “With a new sister here, Song Yiniang must be feeling joyful…”
Jinchao cast her a fleeting glance.
As the days grew warmer, Jinchao had the servants tidy up Qingtong Courtyard. She ordered the removal of some of the more extravagant decorations, replacing the lavish white jade and emerald-inlaid Hundred Birds Brocade Screen with a simple marble screen painted with ink-wash landscapes. The golden embellishments in the room were reduced, giving the space a fresher and more tranquil feel. She also placed delicate blue-and-white porcelain vases around the room, filling them with flowers freshly picked from the greenhouse.
She then decided to have a grape arbor installed in the courtyard. Calling in the gardeners from the outer residence, she personally selected a grapevine and had it planted, anticipating the cool shade it would provide come springtime.
Yuzhu, who adored grapevines, chatted excitedly with Jinchao. “When I was little, the neighbor’s daughter, Siya, had a grapevine at her house. Every summer, the clusters of deep purple grapes would hang like strings of glass beads. If she was in a good mood, she would share some with us. They sold the grapes at the market, and with the money, they bought osmanthus sugar… We children were always greedy for sweets. One time, I sneaked into their yard to steal grapes and got bitten on the backside by their dog!”
She recounted the tale with such delight, completely unembarrassed, eager to share her childhood mischief.
Baiyun, standing nearby, was speechless with exasperation—this girl simply had no sense of propriety!
But Jinchao found Yuzhu’s personality refreshing and laughed. “Once our grapes are ripe, you can pick as many as you like.”
Overjoyed, Yuzhu cheered and began checking the vines daily, carefully measuring how much they had grown and reporting back to Jinchao.
Yet, she soon grew impatient. “I look at it every day, but it seems like it hasn’t grown at all! Miss, how long do you think it will take before it covers the whole trellis?”
Just then, Qingpu lifted the curtain and entered. “Miss, Concubine Luo has come.”
Yuzhu quickly stuck out her tongue and scurried away with Yutong, leaving Jinchao to straighten herself before nodding. “Let her in.”
Luo Su entered with only one maid, Qingyi, in tow. After half a month of rest, her complexion had improved noticeably—her beauty, though still understated, was beginning to emerge.
Qingpu set down a brocade stool, and Luo Su took a seat. Jinchao noticed that her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been crying. She composed herself and asked, “What troubles you, Concubine Luo? Are you homesick?”
Luo Su shook her head. “I understand that I have not married into the Gu family, so I cannot speak of missing home.”
Jinchao smiled. “If you wish to visit, it’s not impossible. I could arrange for you to return for a short visit.”
Luo Su let out a bitter smile. “It’s not that… It’s just that something has happened multiple times now, and though I initially wanted to seek out Ji Shi, I considered that her health is fragile and decided to come to you instead.”
Jinchao nodded. “Go on.”
“The two maids assigned to me—Haitang and Qiukui—were given to me by the household. As you and Xu Mama instructed, I do not let them serve me in matters of food or clothing; they only stand guard outside. However…”
Jinchao gestured for her to continue.
“They stand outside my door, and several times, when the Master returned from court and came to visit me, they told him I was still asleep. But I was not—I was inside embroidering. I heard them, yet the Master left without entering. Lately, I heard that he has been spending most of his nights with Song Yiniang. Xu Mama scolded them when she found out, but… what can I do about it?”
As she spoke, tears welled up again.
Jinchao watched her cry but only sighed inwardly. She is still too young.
Jinchao looked at Luo Su and asked, “Do you know who you are?”
Luo Su was stunned for a moment. “Eldest Miss… I… of course, I am Luo Su…”
Jinchao continued, “You are indeed Luo Su, but you are also a concubine of the Gu family. If those two little maids are insolent, you punish them. Why make yourself cry over it, giving them the upper hand?”
Luo Su hesitated. “Back in the Luo family, I was a concubine-born daughter—I didn’t even have a personal maid. My eldest sister had a maid, and she always treated her kindly. I thought that if I treated my maids with kindness, they would naturally be kind in return… I do not know how to discipline servants. Please, Eldest Miss, teach me—how should I punish them?” Her voice was cautious, as if treading carefully.
Jinchao chuckled and shook her head. “Do you really need me to tell you that?” She then instructed Qingpu, “Fetch her a cloak.”
“Come with me,” Jinchao said after putting on her outer robe.
She led Qingpu, Caifu, Baiyun, and Luo Su—along with Luo Su’s maid, Qingyi—toward the Chuihua Gate.
Luo Su was surprised. “This… Why are we heading to the outer courtyard?”
Jinchao answered casually, “To find someone to serve you, of course.”
Stepping through Chuihua Gate, she walked straight to the stables. The stable master, hearing that the Eldest Miss had come, hurried out to greet her. “Eldest Miss, what brings you here?”
It was rare for the women of the household to cross Chuihua Gate into the outer courtyards.
Jinchao replied, “I’m here to see Mama Liu and Mama Chen.”
These two old women were the ones who had helped her catch Liuxiang before—bold, sharp-witted, and fiercely loyal to her. Anything that happened in the outer courtyard always reached Jinchao’s ears quickly through them.
Hearing that Jinchao had personally come to see them, the stable master dared not delay and hurried to summon them. The two women were both surprised and delighted. The Eldest Miss had actually come looking for them personally! The stable master had never treated them so deferentially before.
Jinchao led them back to Jingan Courtyard and explained the situation on the way.
“From now on, you will serve Concubine Luo at Jingan Courtyard. If anyone refuses to obey her, you may punish them as you see fit. Concubine Luo has a gentle temperament—if anyone dares to bully her or cause trouble, report it to me immediately. Do you both agree?”
Mama Liu responded respectfully, “We understand, Eldest Miss. You have been good to us, and we will surely do our best to serve both you and Concubine Luo!”
Qingpu, walking alongside, stifled a laugh. The maids in the household wouldn’t dare cross these two. The stable women were known to be the fiercest—stronger than most of the guards. Now that they were assigned to Concubine Luo, let’s see which maid would dare act out again.
Luo Su looked at the two women, both sturdy and broad-shouldered. She called their names softly, and seeing their respectful smiles, she felt a little more at ease.
Mama Liu and Mama Chen, on the other hand, were overjoyed. The difference between a stable servant and an inner-courtyard servant was night and day. In the stables, they earned only two silver coins a month, whereas the lowest-ranking inner-courtyard maids received at least five silver coins, along with new clothes in winter and summer, plus festival bonuses from their mistresses.
This was their chance to serve a proper mistress—if they performed well, they wouldn’t be sent back to the stables.
As Jinchao approached Jingan Courtyard, she caught sight of Haitang and Qiukui, Luo Su’s two assigned maids, lounging in the covered corridor, cracking melon seeds as they chatted idly.
“I wonder how long our mistress will stay in favor…?”
“Didn’t Song Yiniang say it wouldn’t be for long? Soon, we’ll be promoted to second-rank maids.”
“I don’t see what’s so special about her. She’s only favored because she’s young. She’s not much better than us. Some people are just born lucky… Rising to become a concubine in one leap. Look at Shuiying and Biyue in the Master’s chambers—they’ve served him for years and are still just bed-warming maids, not even proper concubines.”
As they idly gossiped, they suddenly heard a cold voice.
“Oh? So the two of you want to become concubines?”