When Jia Zheng mentioned the news spreading from Prince Jing’s estate, Concubine Zhou was almost instantly certain that this matter had been arranged by Gu Zhaoyan. Although she was asking for clarification at that moment, the look she gave Gu Zhaoyan was filled with a knowing smile.
Gu Zhaoyan smiled and said, “I knew I couldn’t hide it from you, Mother.” He then relayed Prince Jing’s intentions to Concubine Zhou: “By then, you will completely sever ties with Second Master Jia and go to a temple to practice asceticism for a few days. After that, Prince Jing will come to take you out, rewarding you under the pretext that you were praying and cultivating blessings for the little heir. When that time comes, our mother and son can finally be reunited.”
Concubine Zhou kept her smiling gaze fixed on him, completely unfazed even when Gu Zhaoyan referred to her own father as Second Master Jia. She did not feel that Gu Zhaoyan was being unfilial toward his father; after all, Jia Zheng had never raised him. When a father is not benevolent, how can a son be filial?
Once he finished speaking, Concubine Zhou smiled and said, “Alright, as long as it doesn’t cause any trouble for you, Mother will listen to you in everything. There’s only one condition: if it becomes too difficult or constraining, you must not force it.”
Gu Zhaoyan nodded and said, “Mother, just wait for your son to take you away to a life of freedom.” Glancing over at the bolts of fabric and the sewing basket on the table, his brows suddenly furrowed. “Mother, the candlelight is dim at night; you must not stay up late doing this needlework. Your son has plenty of clothes to wear.”
“I know, Mother was just thinking of making a few more items for you so you’d have a change of clothes.” Seeing Gu Zhaoyan’s eyes filled with disapproval and heartache, Concubine Zhou felt deeply warmed inside and finally relented. “Fine, fine, fine, Mother will listen to you and do it during the daytime instead.”
Hearing this, Gu Zhaoyan hurriedly gathered up the garment he had just started working on, along with the sewing basket, scooped them all up into his arms, and placed them to the side. “Later, I must have a serious talk with Luoyue and tell her to keep a closer eye on you, lest you secretly work on these things the moment I look away.”
Listening to Gu Zhaoyan’s nagging, affectionate words, the smile on Concubine Zhou’s face grew even warmer and deeper. Her son had grown up; hearing these words brought her nothing but pure joy, and she felt not a shred of annoyance. “Mother knows, Mother will listen to you,” she echoed line by line, finding no irritation in it whatsoever.
“Mother, what are you planning to do with Luoyue? Do you intend to take her with you?” Gu Zhaoyan asked softly, glancing at Luoyue, who was sitting quietly near the doorway listening for any outside movements.
Concubine Zhou looked at Luoyue, who was paying close attention to the sounds outside, and let out a quiet sigh. “Luoyue has been with me ever since I entered the estate. She is not a hereditary household servant; she was bought, and she has no family left. Come to think of it, she is about the same age as me. Years ago, I once mentioned finding a match for her, but she was unwilling. Even though she didn’t say it, I understood: she didn’t want to be randomly married off to some low-ranking servant, only to find herself and her future children trapped forever within those shackles. So she chose to remain unmarried and became a senior maid.”
She looked earnestly at Gu Zhaoyan and continued, “If she is willing, I naturally want to take her with me. Otherwise, leaving her behind in this estate alone would likely spell trouble for her in the future. You needn’t worry about Luoyue’s situation; once I agree to this matter, surely he won’t refuse to let a single maidservant go.”
Gu Zhaoyan nodded without objection. Luoyue had lived with his mother for so many years; though they were mistress and servant, their bond was no different from that of sisters. With Luoyue coming along, his mother would at least have someone to talk to in the future.
This time as well, Gu Zhaoyan stayed until the sky was just beginning to brighten before leaving. However, his steps upon departure were much lighter; soon enough, he and his mother would finally be reunited.
After removing the silver needles from Jinyu’s body, Gu Zhaoyan smiled and said, “This is the final round of acupuncture. For the next half month, the little heir only needs to take some medicinal decoctions to recuperate.” He gently stroked the soft hair of Jinyu, who was no longer slipping into drowsy unconsciousness after the treatment, and then let Prince Jing lift the boy up from the wooden bathing tub to dress him.
Jinyu caught hold of Gu Zhaoyan’s sleeve, blinking his clear, bright dark eyes. “I’m all better now. Does Immortal Brother have to leave already?”
Gu Zhaoyan did not deceive him, answering truthfully, “The tasks this poor monk needed to accomplish are nearly finished, so I naturally cannot overstay my welcome. There is no banquet in this world that never ends; human life itself is a journey of farewells and parting practice.”
Jinyu tilted his head, looking at him with a bewildered, innocent expression. Prince Jing couldn’t help but shake his head with a chuckle. “How old is Jinyu? How could he possibly understand such things?” He lowered his head to comfort the boy, saying, “If Jinyu misses him, once you are fully recovered, Father will often take you to visit your Immortal Brother, how about that?”
Jinyu’s look of disappointment instantly transformed into delight. “Really? Father, you mustn’t lie to me.” He looked over at Gu Zhaoyan for verification, asking, “Immortal Brother, can I go with Father to visit you in the future?”
Gu Zhaoyan smiled and said, “Of course you may.” He nodded slightly to Prince Jing, turned around, and left to return to his own courtyard.
Bailang was resting lazily within the shadows beneath the eaves. Hearing footsteps, the white beast merely lifted its eyelids for a glance before closing them again. “The news has been spreading for days now. I suppose your mother’s side is deliberately leaving them hanging.”
“Right now, Jia Zheng is the one begging for my mother’s help. If we agreed too easily, it would seem as though my mother owed it to him,” Gu Zhaoyan poured himself a cup of tea, letting out a soft scoff. “In this world, things that are obtained too easily are never truly cherished by people; perhaps it’s just some base, stubborn quirk of human nature.” That was why certain emotions and bonds, forged through trials and tribulations, only grew increasingly precious.
Hearing this, Bailang looked thoughtful. Is that really how it was? Following humans around certainly made it easy to pick things up; another day well-spent learning a new lesson.
Just as Gu Zhaoyan had predicted, Concubine Zhou did not agree immediately, stating only that she needed time to consider it. This drove Jia Zheng into an absolute frenzy of anxiety, terrified that someone else might find a matching birth date and beat him to it while Concubine Zhou was still weighing her options. Even though he knew it was unlikely, he couldn’t help but worry.
When he finally heard that Concubine Zhou had agreed, on the sole condition that Luoyue be allowed to accompany her, Jia Zheng didn’t hesitate for a single second and readily consented, even handing over Luoyue’s deed of servitude to Concubine Zhou as a form of appeasement. Soon enough, Jia Zheng passed this news along to Jia Yuanchun.
Prince Jing was conversing with Gu Zhaoyan when he heard that Jia Yuanchun was requesting an audience, prompting him to raise an eyebrow with a smirk. “He certainly knows how to pick his pawns, thinking that sending his own daughter will ensure no one pays attention?”
Gu Zhaoyan chuckled lightly, “It’s merely an act of ringing a bell with one’s ears covered, trying to deceive oneself.” Otherwise, how could a daughter who had long since left the household possibly come to learn the exact birth date of her father’s concubine? Even if someone raised questions later, they could easily brush it off as an overzealous family member acting on their own accord.
“Let her in,” Prince Jing commanded, without asking Gu Zhaoyan to step aside. Gu Zhaoyan had no intention of avoiding her either. The two of them continued leisurely playing their game of go, the board looking deadlocked in an even match.
After Jia Yuanchun entered, she was momentarily startled upon seeing Gu Zhaoyan present, but she quickly collected herself and bowed to Prince Jing, “This humble maid greets Your Highness.”
Prince Jing raised a hand to signal her to rise. “Do you have a matter of business seeking audience with this Prince at this hour?”
Jia Yuanchun steadied her mind and slowly delivered the speech she had long prepared: “Replying to Your Highness, this maid previously learned that the little heir required someone whose birth date perfectly aligned to go before the Buddhas and practice asceticism in prayer on his behalf. Remembering Your Highness’s immense grace, this maid wished to share Your Highness’s burdens. Therefore, she sent word back to her family, asking her elders to assist in the search. After days of searching, they have indeed found someone whose birth date matches the little heir’s.”
“Oh? Truly? Who is this person? Speak quickly!” Prince Jing asked with a show of eager delight, “If this is true, this Prince will certainly reward you handsomely!” Yet beneath that radiant facade of joy, the depths of his eyes were entirely flooded with mockery.