Today again there was no sleeping in.
Chu Yue’an sat at the dressing table yawning, letting Chunque fuss behind him. Today’s choice was a slate-blue feather-satin pleated skirt with a pale blue gauze jacket over it, and his hair was done in a nimble double-loop bun, which softened the cold air of his face somewhat. Chunque picked up a jade-green swaying hairpin and was about to put it in, but Chu Yue’an raised a hand to stop her:
“I remember Second Brother gave me a pair of water-blue begonia hairpins set with lapis lazuli at my hairpin banquet. Let’s wear those today.”
“Yes.” Chunque did as told and found the pair of begonia hairpins in the dressing case and pinned them in for him.
When he stepped into the main hall, Chu Muhe evidently recognized the ornaments on his head, and specially came up and circled him, his eyes bright:
“The ones I gave?”
Chu Yue’an said with a smile, “Of course.”
The brothers happily finished breakfast. The Mid-Autumn holiday was three days, so Chu Muhe did not have to attend court. Chu Yue’an asked him to take him to the Marquis of Pingnan’s residence to find Lu Youning, and then to take the two of them to Luoqi Pavilion on Zhuque Street, to keep the appointment he had made a few days ago. Chu Muhe naturally agreed readily.
The Lu family and the Chu family were old family friends. After Lu’s father died, Lady Tu had stayed in the General’s Residence for a time, and back then Youning often came to play with him.
When Chu Yue’an was small, his temper was not as steady as now, and moreover, knowing he was a male body, he had always treated her with cold words, whereas Second Brother, who had not yet been called away by the capital then, was quite patient with her.
But Lu Youning ignored Chu Muhe and instead specially liked to come find him, and even said things like “If Sister Yue’an were a boy, I would surely have to marry Yue’an,” which had startled him then into thinking his male identity had been discovered.
He just hadn’t thought that after so many years Lu Youning would still remember him, this very cold “sister” of hers. The day before yesterday, on seeing him back in the capital, she had even eagerly run over. Unfortunately Chu Yue’an had no time then, so he had arranged to take her out to play another day, and today he was out to keep the appointment.
Counting it up, she should be about fourteen now? One more year until her hairpin ceremony.
When they arrived at the Marquis of Pingnan’s residence, the little one had still not woken up. Chu Yue’an’s playfulness rose, and he ran to the inner courtyard himself and pounded hard on the little one’s bedroom door:
“Xiaoyouzi (Little Pomelo)! If you don’t get up, the sun will be on your bottom!”
Before long, Lu Youning rubbed her sleepy eyes and opened the door: “Who is it, so early in the morning, will you let people… Sister Yue’an!” Lu Youning’s eyes lit up.
Chu Yue’an waved his hand, an indulgent smile on his face that he did not realize he wore, though his eyes seemed to say: “What, it’s me, aren’t you happy?”
Seeing it was him, Lu Youning lost her sleepiness and her morning temper, then remembered she was still in her night clothes and hadn’t washed, not knowing how embarrassing it was before Sister Yue’an, but still covering her small face, she asked timidly: “Sister! Did you come to take me out to play!”
“Yes, yes,” Chu Yue’an nodded.
Lu Youning had been looking up at him, but seeing him smile her face flushed red with a “thump,” and she shut the door with a “bang” and shouted loudly:
“Sister Yue’an, wait for me, I’ll change my clothes right now—”
Chu Yue’an laughed: “Fine, fine, no hurry.”
When the two arrived at Luoqi Pavilion, it was just opening. The boy sweeping outside the door recognized the young lady of the Marquis of Pingnan’s residence first. Although he did not know Chu Yue’an, this new face, he knew in his heart that someone who could walk with a person of the Marquis of Pingnan’s household could not be a petty villain, and hurriedly went in to announce them.
When the doorboy invited the two to enter again, a tall young man walked out of the inner room. He wore a crow-blue plain-faced straight-collared robe and held a black jade fan inlaid with gold thread. As he walked, the silver threads hidden in his robe flowed with light as they turned, entirely the air of an upright gentleman, elegant and composed.
Chu Yue’an guessed that he had probably run into the shop owner coming by to inspect, and was about to pay his respects, and slightly raised his head, but met a pair of eyes as deep as ink.
…Why is it Gu Shaoshi?
Thoughts flashed through Chu Yue’an’s mind, and before he could speak, Gu Shaoshi spoke first:
“So it is Miss Yue’an of the General’s Residence and Miss Lu of the Marquis of Pingnan’s residence. Just now the servants were negligent, and I apologize to the young ladies here.” He paused slightly, made an apologetic bow, and only then rose to meet Chu Yue’an’s eyes: “To express my regret, whatever in the shop catches your eye today, Luoqi Pavilion will take no payment for any of it, and I will personally deliver it to the two ladies’ residences.”
How clever Chu Yue’an was. In a few sentences he heard that he was no ordinary customer. Since that was so, how could he, Chu Yue’an, let him off lightly? Thinking so, he promptly touched his upper and lower lips together and began looking for trouble:
“I appreciate the Prime Minister’s kindness, but Yue’an still has one doubt. May I ask the Prime Minister to resolve it?”
Gu Shaoshi’s fan hand stalled, and a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in his heart, but he still showed nothing and nodded slightly:
“Please speak freely, Miss.”
Chu Yue’an smiled with lips curved:
“Yue’an wants to ask… why does the Prime Minister come so early to a women’s clothing shop? Could it be that this Luoqi Pavilion belongs to the Prime Minister? If it is really so, Yue’an fears she does not dare accept the Prime Minister’s courtesy to this extent.”
“Why do you say so?” Gu Shaoshi raised a brow, folded his fan, and took a few steps forward. “Is there something not to the young lady’s liking?”
Chu Yue’an shook his head, but first patted Lu Youning beside him. This little girl had been uneasy ever since seeing Gu Shaoshi just now. He guessed that Prime Minister Gu’s official aura was too heavy and the girl was afraid in her heart, and it happened that what he was about to say was not suitable for other people to hear, so he bent down beside her ear and said gently:
“Ah Ning, I have some things to discuss with the Prime Minister. Go look inside first, all right? Take whatever you like, and your sister will buy it for you.”
Lu Youning naturally listened to him, nodded, released the sleeve of Chu Yue’an she had been gripping, and replied in a small voice:
“Okay. Sister must be quick, and not forget Ah Ning.”
“Of course.” Chu Yue’an stroked her temple. “Go.”
Only after watching Lu Youning follow the maid into the inner room did Chu Yue’an look sideways at Gu Shaoshi. His face was calm and composed, but the words from his mouth were extremely sharp:
“‘Those given salaries in ancient times did not live by their labor and did not engage in the lesser trades.’ The Prime Minister holds first rank in office, yet trades and amasses wealth at the foot of the imperial city. Is that not rather improper?”
Gu Shaoshi was stunned, not having expected Chu Yue’an to say this.
In the former dynasty of the Great Yan there had indeed been a saying that officials were not permitted to engage in commerce, but it had always been very loosely restrained, and when the present dynasty re-established its rites and laws, the clause was even deleted. Not to mention Gu Shaoshi, among all the civil and military officials of the court, how many dared to say there was no one in their household in business?
Saying this at this time…
The daze lasted only a moment. Gu Shaoshi quickly thought of a countermeasure. He suddenly gave a faint sigh, snapped open the folding fan, lowered his brows and eyes, and said in a low voice:
“I never expected that in Cousin’s heart my reputation would have such deep prejudice.”
Chu Yue’an’s eyelid twitched.
Gu Shaoshi wasn’t finished. His words were tinged with sorrow, as if he had suffered the greatest wrong. His wrist paused and his brow knit, and his voice dropped lighter by another degree:
“I merely rose early today and came to Luoqi Pavilion, and asked an acquaintance, the hall master, to act as go-between, and so kept the finest cloud brocade sent this season from Jiangnan. With such painstaking effort, it was in order to seek Cousin’s hand, and to prepare in advance the material for the wedding dress.” Speaking this far, Gu Shaoshi finally raised his head, his plaintive peach-blossom eyes turning with resentment as he lightly sidelined Chu Yue’an a glance, then lowered his head again, fanned his folding fan twice softly, and only then continued slowly: “…Unexpectedly, Cousin has at the first disagreement accused me of violating the rules. Such heartlessness truly leaves me thoroughly frustrated.”
…Chu Yue’an was speechless.
With his hand hidden in his sleeve he secretly patted away a whole arm of goosebumps, and the corner of his eye accidentally caught Gu Shaoshi, still “heartbroken” on his own, and he had ten thousand dots he wanted to say in his heart.
Wait, who are you? Isn’t the one standing in front of me the Great Yan’s number one treacherous official, Prime Minister Gu Shaoshi, who now holds great power, second to one and above ten thousand?! Now this boudoir maiden twisting a handkerchief, meek and stammering, ah no, boudoir young man, that’s not right either, Gu Shaoshi is twenty-one and not young anymore, why hasn’t he found someone to marry off to yet…wait, what am I thinking!
Chu Yue’an felt that in all his years of acting he had met a true opponent. The corners of his mouth were about to give way, and Gu Shaoshi even remembered, from time to time, to look up and lightly “glare” at him in “great grievance.” Chu Yue’an was looked at until his back teeth went sour and the corner of his eye twitched, and he even forgot the sound of an object falling inside the room that he had heard a moment ago.
Chu Yue’an coughed twice. Since Gu Shaoshi wanted to act, he would naturally keep him company to the end.
Chu Yue’an narrowed his phoenix eyes, one hand folded across his chest, the other propped on it, and, with a slight mocking smile, looked at Gu Shaoshi sidelong:
“Oh? Is it truly so? Since the Prime Minister’s feelings for me are so deep, I suppose the wedding dress has already been cut? May I ask the Prime Minister to introduce it to this young lady?”
The corners of Gu Shaoshi’s mouth stiffened.
What cloud-brocade wedding dress? It was all flattery he had made up on the spot. He had only come to Luoqi Pavilion this morning for a surprise inspection of the account books, and had not expected to run into Chu Yue’an just then. He had meant to take the chance to draw closer, so he deliberately made up the pretext of a wedding dress. He knew Chu Yue’an would probably return a sneer as on the night of the Mid-Autumn banquet, and had not expected her to really want to see it. But where could he find her a wedding dress now?
In his panic, Gu Shaoshi had a flash of inspiration and decided to respond to all changes by staying the same. Gu Shaoshi’s eyes suddenly lit up as if delighted beyond measure:
“Does this mean the young lady has agreed to marry me?”
Chu Yue’an: ??? Where did this narcissist come from?
He immediately gave a cold snort and was about to retort, but a sharp female voice rang out before him:
“Brother Chuanxing will never marry you!”
Chu Yue’an and Gu Shaoshi both froze. Gu Shaoshi, standing across from Chu Yue’an, saw the newcomers first, and his expression changed slightly. Chu Yue’an had just turned his head and did not see the change in his look.
Two people were coming in at the door. One was the Crown Prince he had seen only yesterday morning, and beside him was a petite young girl with a resentful face, whose clothes and ornaments were costly, embroidered with gold patterns, and who jingled with jade pendants and rings as she walked, arrogance on her brow and eyes, looking as if she had been pampered since childhood.
Chu Yue’an recognized who she was almost immediately: the only direct-line female of the Great Yan imperial house, Lu Jingci’s full sister, Fourth Princess Lu Shuangchan.
“Greetings to the Crown Prince and the Fourth Princess.” Chu Yue’an bowed with head lowered.
“I won’t accept your salute!” Lu Shuangchan evidently disliked him extremely. She put her hands on her hips, but in the next second ran past Chu Yue’an in a few steps and grabbed Gu Shaoshi with both hands: “Brother Chuanxing, don’t be so distant with me! I came today to pick out a dress for my birthday celebration. Will you help me choose?”
“My younger sister does not know manners. Baizhou, please do not take offense.” Fortunately Lu Jingci would not make him uncomfortable, and stepped forward in time to help him up, but Chu Yue’an avoided it without a trace, a smile on his face:
“The Fourth Princess has not yet reached the hairpin age and does not understand the ways of people. If I really took offense, wouldn’t that be this subject’s daughter’s fault? Your Highness need not worry.”
Lu Shuangchan had been clinging to Gu Shaoshi nattering away, and hearing Chu Yue’an’s words, her small face suddenly scrunched up and she turned and shouted: “What do you mean?!”
Lu Youning had heard the commotion in the inner room long before, and just then leaned out and heard this sentence. Seeing someone speak rudely to her Sister Yue’an, she was immediately displeased, her pretty brows rose, she raised a hand and pointed, and shouted back at her:
“My sister said you don’t understand, so you don’t understand. Do you think you’re right just because you shout so loudly?”
Chu Yue’an was somewhat taken aback, not having expected the usually gentle and frail-looking Lu Youning to burst out with such force, and felt gratified. But Lu Shuangchan on the other side evidently had never been opposed since childhood. Now she opened her mouth and suddenly went “waaah,” and her pair of lotus-root arms grabbed Gu Shaoshi’s waist beside her, and she buried her head in his chest and cried loudly.
Gu Shaoshi’s whole body was stiff and his expression awkward, and together with Chu Yue’an he cast his gaze to the only person on the scene who could manage things, the Crown Prince.
Lu Jingci was evidently also somewhat at a loss in the scene. He rubbed the tip of his nose, met Gu Shaoshi’s gaze, and suddenly said:
“Then I trouble the Prime Minister to look after my younger sister for this Prince.”
Gu Shaoshi: ???
Gu Shaoshi’s brows were about to knit.
Right after, Lu Jingci changed his attitude and, tender and affectionate, extended a hand to Chu Yue’an, apology in his eyes:
“My younger sister does not understand things and has offended Baizhou many times this time. May I invite you to gather at the Hundred Flavors Tower, so this Prince can make some amends?”
Chu Yue’an held back a laugh inwardly, suppressed the urge to glance at Gu Shaoshi, extended his hand, and gladly accepted:
“Of course. I trust Your Highness won’t mind if I bring Youning? Today I had promised this subject’s daughter to bring her out to play.”
Palms touching, Lu Jingci was fully satisfied, and for once spared a thread of his gaze to look at Lu Youning beside Chu Yue’an, showing a gentle smile:
“Naturally. Two young ladies, this way, please.”
Gu Shaoshi stood in place, wanting to cry but with no tears, watching the three walk away, then lowered his head to look at Lu Shuangchan clinging in his arms and refusing to leave, and at last sighed as if resigned to fate.