The figure had already disappeared into the distance, but the Imperial Censor still leaned against the doorway, gazing wistfully after Song Chuzhao’s retreating form.
He sighed, about to turn his head, when Duke Gu, whom he had just left, passed by him.
“Wait!” The Imperial Censor followed the other’s footsteps, smiling, “Duke Gu, are you interested in learning about the affairs of the Imperial Censorate?”
Duke Gu didn’t turn his head, his voice cold and aloof, “No.”
The Imperial Censor said, “Didn’t you just say you had something to discuss with me?”
Duke Gu paused deliberately, solemnly declaring, “My son doesn’t want to eat with you.” Then he continued walking briskly.
The Imperial Censor said in dissatisfaction, “Why do you speak so bluntly?”
Duke Gu said, “Don’t you see how indifferent my son is to me? How could he possibly eat with you?” He chuckled.
The Imperial Censor clicked his tongue. by carpreads.pages.dev
“I haven’t even mentioned you yet, Duke Gu. You’ve never said that your Fifth Son is a master of solving cases. Such a person, you send him to the Ministry of Revenue, to mingle with those old Confucian scholars who are frustrated and unfulfilled. Isn’t that burying his talent? If I were him, I’d be unhappy too. If he’s sensitive, he’ll inevitably overthink things.”
The Imperial Censor stroked his beard, smiling, “Our Imperial Censorate is quite different. There are many young men in the Censorate, all intelligent and extraordinary. They will surely get along well with your Fifth Son. Moreover, there are many opportunities within the Censorate, allowing your Fifth Son to fully display his talents.”
Duke Gu sneered, “Didn’t you say that your Fifth Son is fickle?”
“Young people, they should have some spirit. To force them to follow the rules is to impose on them.” The Imperial Censor paused for a moment, then said, “No, I didn’t say that. At most, I just thought about it in my heart. Duke Gu, are you accusing me wrongly, or is this actually what you think in your heart?”
Duke Gu stopped again, turned around, and looked at him intently. Just when the Imperial Censor thought the other was going to argue with him, he turned around again and left at a faster pace.
The Imperial Censor: “…” It was as if he could guess what the other was thinking, and yet he couldn’t. He was more unpredictable than the emperor’s heart.
The sky was clear and bright today. Gu Fengjian sat by the pond in the backyard, feeding the fish and basking in the sun.
Master He was different from Duke Gu. Seeing him always staying in his room reading, he would always worry about why he didn’t go out for a walk. He felt that after returning to the capital, he must be cooped up at home, suffering a great injustice.
After all, in the letters that He Wan had sent them, she had mentioned, “Although Zhaozhao is intelligent, she doesn’t like reading. She especially dislikes the Four Books and Five Classics. She only has some knowledge of military strategy and strange tales.”
Master He thought, how could someone who doesn’t like reading suddenly start reading? It’s because she has nowhere else to go. Why does she have nowhere else to go? It’s because those people in the capital like to spread unfounded rumors, making people feel uncomfortable.
Although such rumors had subsided recently, Zhaozhao must be very disappointed in others.
Especially the incident of Fifth Son Gu climbing over the wall in the middle of the night, which gave Master He a great shock. He kept thinking about what Madam had said, “Zhaozhao has no friends.”
Zhaozhao’s friends were all at the border, otherwise how could she have given that Gu family boy an opportunity!
To subtly resolve this matter, the clever Master He had a sudden inspiration. He decided to invite a few girls of the same age to his home to keep his granddaughter company, so that she could get used to life in the capital as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, after Master He proposed this, he was repeatedly rejected by Gu Fengjian, which made him feel stifled.
He may have just mentioned it casually, but it truly shocked Gu Fengjian.
Gu Fengjian realized that Master He was also an unusual person. Before going to bed, he went to see Master He twice to confirm that the other hadn’t taken the initiative to invite anyone before he dared to go to bed.
That night, Gu Fengjian had a nightmare. He dreamed that he was surrounded by a group of women. Those women, whose faces he couldn’t see clearly, held his hand and called him “sister Zhaozhao.” He couldn’t stand it, so he turned and ran away, and they chased after him. No matter where he ran, Master He would appear in front of him with new girls, telling them to get along well.
The dream was hazy and terrifying. Fortunately, Chundong woke him up in time. When he woke up, his forehead was covered in sweat.
Since switching bodies with Song Chuzhao, this was the first time Gu Fengjian had a nightmare. After that, he only dared to read secretly. He didn’t dare to stay in his room either.
He deeply understood the kind of helplessness that was the opposite of Song Chuzhao’s.
He sat there listlessly, and Chundong came running in from outside.
“Miss!” Chundong ran with her hair flying, stopping abruptly behind her, bending down and smiling mysteriously, “Miss, do you know what our young master has been doing these past two days?”
Gu Fengjian casually tossed fish food into the pond, thinking to himself that she must be crying. After all, his father was using a soft knife to force her to study.
Chundong was already excitedly saying, “Young Master, you truly are as brilliant as a god in solving cases! Now the entire capital is talking about how Fifth Young Master is incredibly insightful and perceptive. You are also farsighted and meticulous in every detail!”
Gu Fengjian lifted his half-closed eyelids: “Brilliant as a god?”
Chundong said, “Yes! I heard several different rumors on the street, I don’t know which one is true, but it’s definitely true that Fifth Young Master saved Young Master Ji. It was a very dangerous situation at the time…”
Gu Fengjian interrupted her: “Which Young Master Ji?”
Chundong: “It seems to be Young Master Ji Yutang, the one Fourth Young Master often mentions.”
Gu Fengjian hesitated: “How could she* be involved with Ji Yutang?”
TN: hopefully I noted this already, but reminder that he/she/it all have the same ta sound in Chinese.
“They met by chance! If they hadn’t met by chance, Young Master Ji would have been arrested as a thief. Thankfully, our Young Master was there, and with just a glance, he saw through the truth. In less than a stick of incense, he exposed the witness as a liar and cleared Young Master Ji’s name. Everyone was still stunned.”
Chundong clenched her fist and spoke with passion: “At the time, everyone was furious, and Young Master Ji was surrounded. Thankfully, our Young Master remained calm and, despite the danger, stepped forward to save him. It is said that Young Master Ji had recently had a falling out with our Young Master and had secretly spoken ill of Fifth Young Master, but our Young Master is magnanimous and didn’t hold it against him. He truly embodies the spirit of a gentleman, which makes…”
Gu Fengjian couldn’t help but interrupt again: “I’d rather hear what happened in that less than a stick of incense,” instead of a bunch of nonsensical praise.
But Chundong said, “I didn’t hear the details. I only know that even the Imperial Censor was very impressed with our Young Master.”
Gu Fengjian: “The Imperial Censor’s office is busy with affairs, how could he be concerned with such trivial matters?”
Chundong said, “This case was judged by the Imperial Censor.”
Gu Fengjian became even more confused: “The Imperial Censor also handles cases?” Isn’t the Censorate responsible for oversight?
“That’s what they said anyway. The Imperial Censor happened to be passing by and stayed to listen. And then everything happened as I told you.” Chundong’s enthusiasm had been interrupted several times, so she could only say helplessly, “Miss, why are you interested in things that are different from what we are interested in? Don’t you think Fifth Young Master is unassuming, like a reclusive scholar? Young Master is already popular, and now countless unmarried girls in the capital are envious of you!”
Gu Fengjian blinked, his mind a little confused.
“Oh!” Chundong exclaimed again, “Miss, why is your face so pale? Are you frightened?”
Gu Fengjian stood up, her brow furrowed, feeling a warm current flowing downwards.
He opened his mouth, but only his pupils trembled violently.
Chundong hurriedly supported him, nervously saying, “Miss?”
If he truly was a reclusive capable scholar, he would really like to destroy the world right now.
Duke Gu also returned home early today.
Because the events of the past two days had spread, many people had been coming to him to inquire about Fifth Son Gu. In reality, they weren’t truly interested in Fifth Son Gu, but rather in gauging his attitude.
He found it annoying and didn’t want to explain himself to everyone, so he simply retreated home.
Duke Gu was still sitting there, one foot still holding the shoe he had just taken off. Madam Gu walked back and forth twice before finally going over and pushing him.
“What are you thinking about? You’re about to lose your soul.”
Duke Gu moved stiffly and said, “I was thinking, what does Fifth Son Gu truly want?”
Madam Gu said, “Fifth Son Gu is a person of simple tastes, he doesn’t want anything special.”
Duke Gu fell silent again. After a moment, it was as if he had woken up again, shaking his head and saying, “You don’t know how impressive he was on the street.”
Madam Gu: “Impressive?”
“Yes, he was impressive. He’s completely different when he’s with you and me,” Duke Gu said. “He’s taciturn in front of me, and he’s well-behaved in front of you. He always avoids topics he doesn’t want to discuss. But that day on the street, I saw him handle things calmly and strategically. Although he didn’t show off his abilities, he was definitely not as cold and aloof as he is at home.”
Madam Gu said, “Our Fifth Son is actually very good! Don’t compare me to you. Fifth Son and I can still talk.”
“It’s not the same. I mean, he’s more magnanimous than I thought,” Duke Gu said. “Look, even the usually unruly Ji Yutang and Fan Chongqing are deferential to him. Perhaps I don’t understand him as well as those two boys.”
Madam Gu was surprised and said, “Ah?”
Duke Gu moved his official boots to the side and changed into a pair of comfortable cloth shoes. Madam Gu was about to call him out for dinner when a servant outside announced, “Chundong has returned.”
Madam Gu immediately said happily, “I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve seen this girl. No wonder I feel so lonely. Quickly, call her in.”
Chundong stepped into the room and smiled as she greeted the two.
“Come closer and tell me,” Madam Gu pointed to the spot in front of her and asked, “How is Third Girl Song doing these days?”
Chundong replied, “Miss is doing well. Master He grants her every request, and the mansion is peaceful, without any messy people.”
Duke Gu said from the side, “The He family only has one young master, so of course he would treat her well.”
Duke Gu remembered and said, “Right, someone asked me about Fifth Son’s marriage today. They asked me what kind of girl Fifth Son likes.”
At this moment, Song Chuzhao also came over after hearing the news.
Since Gu Fengjian moved to the He mansion, she no longer had the excuse of delivering books. After being scared by her last attempt to climb the wall, she hadn’t seen Fifth Son Gu for several days.
Madam Gu caught a glimpse of her figure from afar and quickly said, “Look, don’t do anything reckless. Our Fifth Son and Third Girl are deeply in love. Don’t mention other women in front of him. If he misunderstands you again, I won’t speak up for you.”
“I don’t have that intention,” Duke Gu said. “I haven’t met Third Girl Song yet. Fifth Son should have only met her once or twice, but he seems to be very fond of her. This is the first time I’ve seen Fifth Son care about someone so much. What does Third Girl Song look like? What is her character like? Do you know?”
Song Chuzhao stepped in and bowed to the two.
Madam Gu slapped her forehead and said, “Did I forget to tell you? It’s all your fault for being too busy!”
Duke Gu was confused and asked, “What did you forget to tell me?”
Madam Gu went forward and pulled Song Chuzhao towards her, saying, “Third Girl and our Fifth Son have known each other for a long time. When Fifth Son was studying outside, he almost got into trouble. It was said that Third Master Song saved him. But where did the Song family get a Third Master? It was actually Third Girl! If Third Girl hadn’t sent a message in time, in that place where you couldn’t even see a ghost, Fifth Son might have been in trouble!”
Duke Gu was surprised, and Song Chuzhao was even more surprised. Both of them were stunned and didn’t react for a while. Only Chundong exclaimed in surprise.
“You still want to hide it from me? You really are,” Madam Gu pretended to be angry and patted Song Chuzhao’s shoulder. “Mother should be thanking her, how could I be like those short-sighted people and look down on her? You don’t know that my sister He Wan was a heroine back then. She was my best friend, and I loved her for her boldness and decisiveness.”
Duke Gu quickly accepted this, nodded knowingly and said, “I see. That explains why Fifth Son cares so much about Third Girl Song. In that case, our Gu family owes her a debt of gratitude.”
Madam Gu said, “Yes! That’s what I was thinking!”
Song Chuzhao was still in shock.
Fifth Son Gu! He had pretended to be so pitiful, but he had actually been deceiving her?!
Author’s Note:
Chundong removed “Third Girl Song” from the Fifth Son’s Praise Group; Chundong created a new “Third Girl Song” Praise Group.