“Auntie Zhishuang.” Chu Yue’an pressed both hands at his waist and gave a woman’s bow.
“This must be Miss Chu Yue’an of the General’s Residence?” Zhishuang was a long-serving attendant at the Empress Dowager’s side and was best at reading faces. Today Chu Yue’an had deliberately worn a plain, simple blue-green robe, with his black hair pinned up by only a pine-and-sandalwood hairpin, the rest of his dark tresses falling over his shoulders like a waterfall. He had dressed like this, first, because the Empress Dowager was still ill and it would not be fitting to be too elaborate, and second…
Chu Yue’an lowered his eyelids and let Zhishuang look him over.
The more Zhishuang looked at him, the more satisfied she was in her heart, but what she said was:
“The Empress Dowager heard that Miss has been weak since childhood. Now Her Majesty has caught a cold and has not yet recovered, and fears passing the illness to Miss, so she sent this servant to invite Miss to rest in the side hall, and to come keep the Empress Dowager company and chat another day.”
The corners of Chu Yue’an’s lips lifted slightly. It seemed his guess was right. His Majesty’s path was a dead end, but the Empress Dowager was a shrewd one. This was truly someone bringing a pillow just as one grew sleepy, and an opportunity delivered was not to be wasted.
He immediately replied in a soft voice:
“Many thanks to the Empress Dowager for her consideration. This subject’s daughter wishes Her Majesty ten thousand blessings and peace here, and a quick recovery. For the rest, I will respectfully follow Auntie’s arrangements.”
Chu Muhe, with a complicated look, watched him follow the palace maid into the side hall, shook his head helplessly in his heart, and since in any case he couldn’t get a hand in, went into the main hall.
What Lu Jingci saw when he entered the hall was this scene:
A young woman in a blue-green ruqun propped her chin on her hand, half of her dark hair falling over her shoulder like a waterfall, a wisp of sunlight from the window slanting warm across her cheek, setting off a face like jade. Perhaps because she had slept badly the night before, a faint layer of blue-black lay under her eyes, her brows were slightly knit, her lashes like feathers, at times trembling lightly like butterfly wings, as if she might wake at any moment.
A flash of amazement crossed Lu Jingci’s eyes, and he unconsciously held his breath, softened his steps, and walked quietly to the table, but without noticing he blocked half the sunlight. The fingertips of the plain hand the woman had laid on the table moved, and she suddenly opened her eyes.
This woman was of course Chu Yue’an.
Last night, after returning to the residence with Second Brother, he had gone straight to the study. First he had called Chunque to find the booklet collected from the Hundred Flavors Tower and looked through it for the Crown Prince’s preferences, then called Lin Che to ask about the news he had gathered, and when he came to himself it was nearly the third watch. Unable to resist Chunque’s urging to rest, he had put out the candle and slept, completely forgetting some important matter. But he was after all at an age when the body was still growing, and with insufficient rest and an early rise to enter the palace, he had only meant to close his eyes casually to rest, but had unexpectedly fallen asleep.
Chu Yue’an had of course met the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince Lu Jingci was on very good private terms with his Second Brother and had often come to the residence as a guest last year. But he could not really act as if he had met him, since he was the Chu family’s young lady “newly arrived in the capital,” and yet he could not pretend not to have recognized him either, as that trick was long out of date.
So Chu Yue’an first blinked in feigned confusion as if not yet fully awake, but the moment he met Lu Jingci’s gaze he recovered clarity, his eyes stirred, and he seemed to quietly take in the clothes and bearing of the person before him. He was about to rise when Lu Jingci took a few steps forward and suddenly reached out and lifted his chin:
“You see this Prince and do not salute?”
Chu Yue’an tilted his face slightly up and met Lu Jingci’s gaze. There was neither surprise nor fear in his eyes, only complete calm. After a long moment he lowered his lashes and said softly:
“This subject’s daughter did not know Your Highness would come here. I have failed in etiquette in the presence of the throne, and hope Your Highness will forgive me.”
Only when he felt the force loosen slightly did Chu Yue’an take the chance to break free of the restraint, lift his skirt and stand up, step back half a step, and, composed in face, say:
“This subject’s daughter pays respects to the Crown Prince. May Your Highness have ten thousand blessings and peace.”
Respectful and upright, neither servile nor arrogant: this described people like Chu Yue’an.
Lu Jingci had been made Crown Prince by his imperial father since childhood and was a noble of imperial blood, worthy of the name. He had lived long in Yongdu and seen beauties of every sort, but all of them, because of his status, were extremely respectful to him, even beyond flattery. Even the secondary princess consort, the only one he had married into his residence, was no exception. It was rare to see a woman like Chu Yue’an who regarded herself as his equal.
Thus, he had originally been displeased at the Empress Dowager stuffing someone on him again, but having now seen her, he could not help but sigh with admiration, and was even somewhat won over.
Thinking this, Lu Jingci waved his hand: “No harm. Miss, you may rise.”
Chu Yue’an straightened up, looked at him level, and said nothing.
Lu Jingci’s appreciation grew even stronger. After thinking for a moment, he asked:
“May I ask which family Miss belongs to? This Prince feels as though we have known each other for a long time on first meeting. Seeing that Miss looks very tired, why not let this Prince decide and send Miss home to rest?”
Chu Yue’an thought, it would be a ghost if you didn’t know, but on his face he only said calmly: “This subject’s daughter is of the Chu family, and my father is the Jingyuan General of Wuzhou.”
Lu Jingci showed a knowing smile: “So it is Miss Yue’an. I heard that something unexpected happened at the banquet last night, and Miss was frightened.”
What was originally a happy union could be called an “unexpected development.” This was the Crown Prince’s might.
Hearing him say it this way, Chu Yue’an felt more sure of himself, and following his lead, lifted the corners of his lips in a faint smile:
“At a fine Mid-Autumn banquet, with fine wine to intoxicate, it was only a few joking words, and yet it has troubled Your Highness.”
The two looked at each other, as if reaching some silent agreement.
Chu Yue’an’s attire today had a distinct charm, delicate yet not weak, plain yet not pale. A smile now suddenly made him much more vivid, and even the osmanthus outside the window swayed in the breeze to send him fragrance. Lu Jingci watched in a daze, more entangled than by the fine wine mentioned.
Chu Yue’an evidently noticed his gaze too, and his pair of phoenix eyes blinked at him twice, straight at Lu Jingci, setting his heart wandering, and he still could not help leaning two parts closer to him.
When he heard about this last night, he had wondered what kind of fairy it was who could make even Prime Minister Gu fall for her. Having now seen her, he could not help but sigh that such a beauty truly made it hard to look away.
It seemed this time he could not help complete the match. Lu Jingci made up his mind. Returning to himself, he raised his right fist to cover his lips and coughed twice, and lifted a hand in invitation:
“Miss, please.”
This meant he intended to see him out of the palace in person. Chu Yue’an nodded slightly: “Many thanks, Your Highness.”
Lu Jingci had no intention of letting the person leave easily, and, as it happened, Chu Yue’an had no intention of just leaving either, so it could be said that both harbored ulterior motives.
The two walked side by side along the path in the Imperial Garden. Lu Jingci deliberately slowed his steps, and Chu Yue’an followed his pace. The weather was clear, flowers bloomed in clusters on both sides, and a man and a woman, both of fine appearance, made quite a pleasing sight.
Seeing that Chu Yue’an showed no fear walking with him, never overstepped in his movements, and was not excessively deferential, and though there were no words along the way showed no impatience, Lu Jingci felt refreshed. After a while, unable to contain his curiosity, he spoke up and asked:
“I heard Miss only came of age last month. Forgive this Prince’s presumption, but may I ask Miss to tell me her courtesy name? Of course, Miss may also call this Prince by his courtesy name.”
Chu Yue’an raised his eyes to look at him, seeming not at all surprised:
“May I ask what Your Highness’s courtesy name is?”
Lu Jingci leaned a little closer and said in a low voice:
“Miss may call me ‘Wuxi.'”
Chu Yue’an pondered briefly: “…’Bleak is the wind at the year’s end, dim are the days of snow. Bending an ear, there is no faint sound; to the eye, all is white and already pure.'” He raised his eyes to meet Lu Jingci’s gaze and smiled slightly: “This name suits Your Highness very well.”
Amazement showed in Lu Jingci’s eyes.
His aim achieved, Chu Yue’an at once withdrew his gaze again, lowered his eyes slightly, and said:
“Your Highness may call me ‘Baizhou.’ As for ‘Wuxi’… Your Highness is after all of noble status, and even if this subject’s daughter wished to be close, I fear what others would say, and beg to be excused from obeying.” Having said this, he made a slight bow, and was immediately stopped by Lu Jingci’s outstretched hand: “Miss need not.”
Lu Jingci quietly drew a breath. The two were standing very close now, and he could clearly smell a faint fragrance coming from the woman, like gardenias at year’s end. The scent was very light, seemingly untraceable when one sniffed closely, yet it lingered around his nose all the time, disturbing his mind.
“…It was this Prince’s lack of consideration, and I offended Miss.” Lu Jingci’s throat bobbed, and he steadied himself and made himself look away, but still did not give up:
“But if we only call each other so in private, what does Baizhou think?”
Chu Yue’an lowered his head, took half a step back, and said respectfully: “Your Highness.”
That was the answer.
Lu Jingci felt defeated, and it also stirred up his competitive spirit all the more. He immediately reached out and helped him up through his sleeve. There was no regret on his face, and he went on as usual:
“No matter. Baizhou, the palace gate is just ahead. This Prince will see you back.”
This interlude passed quickly, and naturally no one disturbed them on the road. They soon reached the palace gate. Chu Muhe had been waiting there since early, and seeing Chu Yue’an and Lu Jingci come out together, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he said nothing and only stepped forward to salute:
“Your Highness.”
Lu Jingci was on deep terms with him and waved his hand. “Chongshu, I will see Baizhou only this far. I see she looks tired, so hurry and take her home to rest.”
Before Chu Muhe could reply, a lukewarm question came from behind him:
“Baizhou?”
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Chu Muhe did not need to turn around to know who had spoken, much less Lu and Chu, who were facing him directly.
Chu Yue’an was the first to react. He directly ignored Gu Shaoshi, standing behind Chu Muhe with an unreadable expression at this moment, and gave Lu Jingci a slight nod:
“In that case, this subject’s daughter takes her leave. Please take care, Your Highness.”
Having said this, he passed by Gu Shaoshi without a sideways glance, and was about to step over the palace gate when his wrist was suddenly caught by a hand:
“Cousin.”
At the word “cousin,” not only did Chu Yue’an’s whole body stiffen, but Chu Muhe also turned sharply to look at him, and Lu Jingci raised an eyebrow.
In a sense, what Gu Shaoshi said was not wrong.
The late mistress of the Jingyuan General’s Residence, that is, Chu Yixiao and Chu Muhe’s birth mother Gu Qingtang, came from a side branch of the Gu family, and Gu Shaoshi could barely call her aunt. In this way, although Chu Yue’an was not born of Gu Qingtang, for Gu Shaoshi to call him “cousin” was in fact workable by the rites.
But what was special was that in those years Chu Weiting and Gu Qingtang had met and fallen in love with no connection to clan interests, and Gu Qingtang had been poorly treated in the Gu clan. By the time the Gu family realized that Gu Qingtang had transformed into the mistress of the General’s Residence, it was too late to try to make amends. For this reason the General’s Residence had never intended to have a family friendship with the Gu clan, and moreover Gu Qingtang had died early of illness, and by this generation old grudges were no longer mentioned.
And now that Gu Shaoshi suddenly claimed kinship, not only could he not get close to the General’s Residence, he would instead get himself a stink.
Sure enough, before Chu Yue’an could answer, Chu Muhe suddenly moved and knocked Gu Shaoshi’s hand holding him away with the scabbard at his waist, his words carrying an undisguised sharpness:
“Prime Minister Gu, men and women are different. Please mind your propriety.”
Chu Muhe’s advantage as a military officer showed itself fully now. As Commander of the Palace Guard, he could carry his sword even when entering and leaving the palace city. Although younger than Gu Shaoshi, his martial strength was there, and the blow of his hand rising and the scabbard falling just now had been solid. Chu Yue’an watched with his own eyes as Gu Shaoshi’s brow twisted for an instant, clearly in pain, and then smoothed over in a flash, and was surprised in his heart.
Gu Shaoshi was clearly at a disadvantage, and his expression became much more respectful:
“This subject and my cousin have not seen each other for a long time, and now wish to chat about family matters. Does Brother Chongshu not permit it?”
It was funny to say, since if Gu Shaoshi insisted on calling him cousin, he didn’t call Chu Muhe cousin either. How could he favor one over the other?
Chu Yue’an clicked his tongue in his heart. He had now witnessed Gu Shaoshi’s ability to turn black into white and create something from nothing with his mouth, his face as thick as a city wall, his acting excellent in enduring humiliation to carry heavy burdens. If the situation had allowed, he would even have liked to learn from Gu Shaoshi. No wonder he could be Prime Minister.
“Our Chu family has no cousin like you,” Chu Muhe said coldly, jabbing him directly, as expected.
These words left no courtesy at all. Gu Shaoshi’s smile was a bit forced, and he was about to say more when Lu Jingci stepped forward at the right moment, hands pressing on each of their shoulders, his face full of smiles:
“All right, all right, can you give this Prince some face? Don’t you see Baizhou has stood in the wind with you for so long that her face has gone pale? Chongshu, why not quickly take Baizhou back to the residence?”
Chu Muhe reluctantly drew back, no longer looking at Gu Shaoshi, clasped both hands and bowed to receive the order: “Your Highness is quite right.”
After the brother and sister left, Lu Jingci was in no hurry to return to his Eastern Palace and blocked the doorway, looking as if he were waiting for Gu Shaoshi to speak to him. Gu Shaoshi knew he had been outmaneuvered in advance by Chu Yue’an. He was unhappy, but could not show it before Lu Jingci, so he could only lower his eyes and bow in salute: “Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Lu Jingci had just finished watching a good show and was in high spirits, and so even looked at Gu Shaoshi with two parts less of his usual fire. But there was after all the bond of half-teacher between them, and he could not indulge in a petty man’s pleasure. He only smiled and patted his shoulder again, quite caringly:
“It’s a rest day today. What business brings the Prime Minister into the palace?”
Gu Shaoshi thought that he could hardly say he had received news that Chu Yue’an was coming into the palace and, worried she would meet the Crown Prince, had hurried over to look for her. As matters stood, he had not expected Chu Yue’an to break the situation so quickly. In the end he had been a move short, his skill inferior to hers, and could only think of a way to make up for it.
Gu Shaoshi lifted the corners of his mouth, restored the usual three parts of a smile on his face, and replied casually:
“His Majesty summoned me and ordered me to go to the Imperial Study for a talk.”
“Oh—” Lu Jingci drew out the tone. “Then why doesn’t the Prime Minister hurry? Wouldn’t Father Emperor be kept waiting? Or should this Prince see you on your way—”
“Your Highness is of noble status. How could I trouble you? I will go now. Please do as you wish, Your Highness.” Gu Shaoshi suddenly cut off his words. For Gu Shaoshi this was in fact very rude, but he supposed Lu Jingci would not truly blame him. Sure enough, hearing this, the smile on Lu Jingci’s face grew, and he waved his hand: “Go, Prime Minister.”
Gu Shaoshi was very depressed.