After serving tea, Jinchao led Mr. Xiao to the Linyan Pavilion.
Concubine Song lay on the heated brick bed by the window, leaning against a once-elegant, now slightly worn, green brocade pillow. Her complexion was pale, and beside her, Caoying was feeding her a bowl of mung bean and rice soup to relieve the summer heat.
Jinchao addressed her gently, “Yiniang,” and continued,
“This is the physician I invited for you—Mr. Xiao from the Marquis of Changxing’s residence. He once treated the heir of the marquis himself.”
Concubine Song was stunned. How did she manage to bring someone from the Marquis of Changxing’s household?
All her complaints about abdominal pain over the past few days had been nothing but a ploy—to discipline the lazy maids in her quarters and to vex Gu Jinchao. After all, Jinchao was now managing the household affairs and would have to get involved. When Xu Mama later brought in a few physicians, she’d driven them away in a fit of dramatics. But now, this young lady had summoned a doctor who had treated the heir of a noble house?
What if this Mr. Xiao fails to find anything wrong? She couldn’t accuse him of incompetence—not when offending someone from the Marquis of Changxing’s house might bring trouble down upon the Gu family. If the young marquis took offense, Master Gu would certainly hold it against her.
In truth, all she wanted now was for Mr. Xiao to leave.
Still, she forced a smile. “You’ve gone to such trouble, young lady…”
Jinchao replied with a smile,
“No trouble at all. Why should there be such formality between us, yiniang?”
She instructed the maid to bring over a small pillow to support the wrist for pulse-taking.
Concubine Song remained indifferent. She wasn’t ill—this was all just an act.
But Mr. Xiao immediately saw through it. A faint smile flickered across his lips before he closed his eyes and began to listen carefully to her pulse.
After a while, he withdrew his hand, his expression suddenly turning serious.
“Yiniang, this is no light illness,” he said gravely.
Concubine Song’s eyes widened in shock. He actually found something? She knew her body better than anyone—there was nothing wrong with her! She quickly asked,
“Sir, what illness do I have?”
Xiao Qishan frowned.
“It’s difficult to name. It’s an unusual condition. In over ten years of practice, I’ve only encountered two similar cases… But worry not. With the prescription I’ll give you, it will be completely cured.”
He signaled the assistant to begin packing up the tools.
Concubine Song glanced at him, suspicion growing in her heart. He sounded far too confident. Was this all a setup from Gu Jinchao?
Jinchao appeared pleased.
“Since the illness has been diagnosed, there’s no need to worry. Once you take Mr. Xiao’s prescription, all will be well. The stomach pains should stop, too. For now, please rest—I’ll escort Mr. Xiao out.”
A little maid lifted the curtain. Jinchao followed after a few steps, catching up to Mr. Xiao and lowering her voice.
“Thank you, Mr. Xiao. There’s little I can do with yiniang’s antics, but I must at least ensure she carries the child to term peacefully. The medicine you prescribed—if she’s not actually ill, will it still be safe?”
Xiao Qishan smiled.
“All medicine carries some toxicity. But what I prescribed are mild tonics to support her health. If she’s not ill, it won’t cause harm.”
Jinchao nodded and asked again,
“I’ve heard that certain medicines require dietary restrictions. With what you’ve prescribed, are there any foods or herbs she should avoid? I worry she might unknowingly ingest something that could harm the child.”
What a thoughtful young lady, Xiao Qishan mused inwardly.
To care this much for the child of a concubine… she’s nothing like Ye Xian. That boy would repay any slight a hundredfold.
He added aloud,
“The formula includes ginseng and coptis. She must absolutely avoid veratrum and nitre-based herbs. Also, stay away from spicy or overly warming foods. That should suffice.”
Jinchao walked him to the ornamental flower gate and had Xu Mama prepare a box of Yangxian tribute tea as a token of thanks. Since it wasn’t gold or silver, Xiao Qishan accepted it without fuss.
Upon returning, he immediately sought out Ye Xian and shared his impressions of the Gu family’s eldest daughter.
“…She seems like a good young woman. Virtuous and beautiful. But her temperament is too gentle—honestly, a bit dull.”
Ye Xian, half-crouched in a tree, was testing his small crossbow. The arrowhead pointed directly at Xiao Qishan. He grinned, revealing a row of neat white teeth.
“You must’ve mistaken her for someone else. In all of Yanjing, no one has less virtue than she does. Gentle? That’s a joke! And weren’t you sent to examine a patient? Why are you evaluating her now?”
Seeing the arrow aimed at him, Xiao Qishan’s heart skipped a beat. He raised his eyebrows.
“So now you dare point a crossbow at your own master?”
With a few swift moves, he rolled up his sleeves and climbed the tree to give Ye Xian a proper scolding.
Madam Gao, surrounded by attendants, approached from a distance. Seeing her son perched in a tree like a wild monkey, she was filled with disapproval. Was this any way for a marquis’s heir to behave? Even if he didn’t care for status, he should at least be mindful of his health.
She had a maid call him down and scolded him herself.
No matter how unruly Ye Xian might be, before his mother, he was always obedient. After receiving a scolding, he was confined to his study to practice calligraphy.
Madam Gao then invited Mr. Xiao into the main hall, where the old Marquis of Changxing wished to speak with him.
Late that night.
Gu Jinchao was still working on the jade bead pillow she had been sewing.
Lately, Gu Deshao had been staying in Juyliu Pavilion, or visiting Concubine Guo. As a result, Luo Su often came to Jinchao’s quarters. One evening, Nanny Tong spoke to her privately:
“…Madam Luo is feeling uneasy.”
Jinchao understood well. She had brought Luo Su into the residence to divide Concubine Song’s favor. Now that Concubine Song was no longer a threat and Gu Deshao hadn’t visited Luo Su in some time, it was only natural for her to feel insecure—and cling tightly to Jinchao.
Baopu, the chubby cat, was curled up beside Jinchao. Thanks to Yuzhu and Xiuqu’s regular grooming, his coat was thick and sleek. He had grown even lazier, always snuggling up to people in search of warmth and sleep.
Luo Su, holding a cup of cooled herbal tea, smiled as she watched the cat.
“Your ladyship’s cat is truly well raised—so tame and affectionate.”
Jinchao smiled lightly.
“I haven’t done much for him. Just the other day, he snuck into the kitchen and stole a yellow croaker. He takes excellent care of himself.”
Luo Su froze for a moment.
The butter lamp flickered and dimmed. Gu Jinchao removed the gilt lotus hairpin from her bun and gently adjusted the wick. The flame leapt and brightened again. Just then, Xu Mama entered with a wrapped bundle in her hands.
“Young mistress, the items you requested have all been prepared,” she said.
She unwrapped the paper for Jinchao to inspect. Luo Su caught a glimpse—inside were chunks of something resembling dried roots or tubers. Jinchao glanced through them with her fingers and nodded. “This will do.”
Xu Mama repacked the items. Jinchao looked at Luo Su, whose beauty remained vivid, like a blooming flower. But where once she had seemed delicate and fresh, there was now a subtle charm and sensuality to her appearance.
In a calm voice, Jinchao said,
“Tomorrow, go to the Housekeeping Office and exchange your bolster. I heard Father instructed the steward to have several new ones made. One of them is an herbal pillow—it’s said to improve sleep. Go and ask for that one. You’ll sleep better with it.”
Luo Su was surprised, but quickly responded with obedience and grace, offering a deep curtsy before taking her leave.
Once she had gone, Xu Mama reopened the paper bundle. From her sleeve, she pulled out a slender porcelain bottle of deep blue and poured its powder contents into the package.
Jinchao took the packet from her and, stitch by stitch, began to sew the mixture into the pillow she’d been working on. She said softly to Xu Mama,
“Find a proper pillowcase and have it sent to the Housekeeping Office shortly. Then send someone to inform Gu Lan. Oh—and did Concubine Song get the half lotus she requested? Is she still drinking the white fungus soup she makes?”
Xu Mama smiled. “You may rest assured—she drinks it daily.”
Jinchao’s lips curved slightly.
“Bitter medicine rarely goes down willingly. Better to mix it into her soup. She trusts Banlian—she’ll have no suspicions.”
Xu Mama agreed and added,
“Caoying sneaks in through the side gate each time to add the medicine. Banlian doesn’t know. But… what should we do with Caoying in the future?”
Jinchao replied,
“Better to keep her under close watch. She’s clever. Bringing her to Qingtong Courtyard as a second-tier maid would suit her.”
—
At dawn, Gu Lan went to the Household Administration Hall and asked the newly appointed Steward Xu to show her the new bolsters that had just arrived.
“…I’m missing one in my room. I heard the household received a medicinal pillow that promotes restful sleep. Where is it?”
Steward Xu had a servant bring the pillows out. A faint herbal fragrance lingered from one of them, and Gu Lan immediately knew it was the one. The pillow cover was made of deep sapphire-blue silk, embroidered with golden cloud motifs—gorgeous in both appearance and detail.
But as she held the pillow, she hesitated.
Originally, she had wanted to replace her mother’s old bolster with a better one. And lately, she herself had been sleeping poorly—this might help. But these days, she trusted nothing at face value. After all, the Housekeeping Office was now under Gu Jinchao’s control. What if there was something wrong with this pillow…?
From outside came the voice of a young servant:
“…Madam Luo! What a rare visit!”
Luo Su?
What was she doing here?
Luo Su’s voice drifted in calmly,
“I heard new bolsters were delivered. I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately and came to ask for the medicinal one.”
A servant led her inside. Upon seeing Gu Lan already present, Luo Su paused, clearly surprised, and offered a respectful bow.
Gu Lan cast her a glance, then picked up the medicinal pillow and asked lazily,
“You want this one too?”
Luo Su hesitated a moment, then answered softly,
“Second young mistress, it was eldest young mistress who mentioned there was a new medicinal pillow. She said, since I’ve been sleeping poorly, I should come fetch it…”
That should be enough, she thought. Gu Lan wouldn’t dare refuse a direct order from Jinchao.
But Gu Lan felt an inexplicable irritation. Even this? Gu Jinchao is trying to take even this?
She looked coldly at Luo Su but spoke with gentle sweetness:
“Yiniang… you’re merely a half-servant. What would you need something like this for?”
Luo Su bit her lip. This was the young mistress’s instruction—if she couldn’t even manage this, what use did she have at all?
She pressed on,
“Second young mistress, I swear, it was the eldest young mistress’s order. I beg you to allow me this…”
The more desperate she became, the less Gu Lan was willing to yield.
With a smile, Gu Lan said,
“Then go back and ask dear elder sister to teach you the proper ranks between legitimate and concubine-born. Barging in here and making demands—how disgraceful.”
She recalled how Luo Su had once brought sorrow to her mother, and her expression darkened.
She gave a glance to her maid, who immediately took the pillow and walked off with it.
Steward Xu stood silently to the side, not daring to speak—this was far beyond his authority.
Luo Su remained there for a long moment, then quietly turned and went to report to Jinchao at Qingtong Courtyard.
After hearing everything, Jinchao laughed for quite a while.
Indeed, something worth fighting over will never arouse suspicion once it’s been snatched away.
If Gu Lan had taken the pillow by force, she’d trust it even more.
Seeing the hint of confusion in Luo Su’s eyes, Jinchao offered her a gentle reassurance:
“No matter. If you didn’t get this one, I’ll make another for you later.”
She signaled a maid to bring over a tray of freshly peeled fu oranges.
“Have some,” she said warmly. “It’ll help calm your nerves.”