As expected, Gu Fengjian’s passionate scolding at the restaurant spread like wildfire.
Song Chuzhao had initially thought that this wouldn’t be a big deal, that it wouldn’t stir up any trouble. After all, Third Girl Song’s tendency to go mad was nothing new. But she hadn’t expected the subsequent impact to be so overwhelming, and it only grew more intense with time.
But the main reason behind it all wasn’t because of Gu Fengjian, but because of her.
The capital was not short of talented women. Song Shiwen was one such girl, known for her talent, and there were many other beautiful women in the city, their true nature obscured by rumors and gossip. The arrival of another Third Girl Song was hardly a cause for excitement. Ordinary people, in particular, had no interest in her.
As for the “contrary to all reasons” words that Third Girl Song had uttered… how many people had secretly harbored similar thoughts in their hearts? Though only in secret, though only as a hidden secret in the depths of their minds during the quiet hours of the night. Third Girl Song dared to speak them out loud, and they might praise her courage or criticize her naivety, but it wouldn’t stop them from continuing to treat such thoughts as a mere accidental outburst of absurdity.
It was she, she who, in broad daylight, had supported Gu Fengjian’s words, even going so far as to defend him, who had turned the illusory bubbles of their dreams into reality. It had left a group of scholars deeply stimulated and a group of young girls in a state of shock.
It also led to the lingering aftereffects of the incident, giving everyone a legitimate reason to engage in passionate discussions.
Song Chuzhao was self-aware. Before Duke Gu could speak, she took the initiative to confine herself to her home, claiming to be reflecting on her actions.
But this time, Duke Gu didn’t exhibit any strange behavior, nor did he make any late-night visits to talk to her. He didn’t even mention the incident when they met, as if he was encouraging her to act recklessly.
Song Chuzhao was taken aback! by carpreads.pages.dev
She had seen many families. If a son in their clan had shown such blatant favoritism towards a woman, they would have considered it a disgrace to their ancestors.
Even now, many people still held this view.
How could the Gu family be so indulgent towards their son? They should really have her father and mother come and learn a lesson!
Song Chuzhao had been behaving obediently for the past two days, and her attitude towards the Duke and his wife had softened considerably. Seeing her locked away in her room all day, Madam Gu, with a surge of courage, invited her to her room for a chat and some help.
Song Chuzhao, unaware of any hidden agenda, readily agreed.
However, Madam Gu hadn’t actually needed her help with anything. Song Chuzhao could only sit by her side, watching her embroider and thread needles, her mind drifting into a state of boredom. Eventually, she couldn’t help but start daydreaming.
Song Chuzhao rested her chin on her hand and sighed, “Fifth Son Gu, he’s truly a good person.”
Madam Gu’s hand, holding the needle, paused. She thought she had misheard, “Ah?”
Song Chuzhao quickly corrected herself, “Oh, I meant, Third Girl Song, she’s truly a good person.”
Madam Gu chuckled, “You silly child. If you want to see her, just go see her. What are you doing sitting here all day?”
Song Chuzhao sat up straight, “I don’t want to see him.”
“You do,” Madam Gu said, “You’ve been talking about her. How could you not want to see her?
Song Chuzhao retorted, “I just mentioned it.”
“It wasn’t just a mention!” Madam Gu pointed at the maid beside her with her little finger and said, “Ask her, wasn’t he lost in thought just now?”
Song Chuzhao looked at the maid, who smiled, “Young Master, you haven’t noticed how your heart is entangled with her, have you?”
Song Chuzhao thought to herself, I probably felt more genuine affection when I was thinking about the meat back home. You guys just don’t understand Zhaozhao’s heart.
Madam Gu said, “You like her, it’s not a bad thing. What’s there to be ashamed of? Mother isn’t Fourth Son, she wouldn’t make fun of you.”
Song Chuzhao replied without hesitation, “I don’t! I just thought of it suddenly. I also mention Fourth Brother and you in front of him.”
“Nonsense! I see that you only think of Fourth Son suddenly. You were clearly thinking about Third Miss while sitting there just now.”
Madam Gu glanced at her and said, “When you find yourself constantly thinking about someone, it’s because you miss them, you can’t let them go. That’s what it means to be entangled with them. Love, mutual affection, it all starts with not being able to let go. If you keep thinking about someone, they’ll naturally become etched in your heart. You think about them on one hand, but pretend you don’t like them on the other. That’s just a trick men use to deceive others. Fifth Son, don’t learn from them.”
Song Chuzhao, half-believing, said, “Ah? Don’t scare me!”
Meanwhile, at the He Mansion, Chundong was also resting her chin on her hand, sitting opposite Gu Fengjian. A silly smile spread across her face, and she suddenly blurted out, “Our Fifth Young Master, he’s truly a good person!”
Gu Fengjian’s expression cracked. He never wanted to hear that phrase again.
Chundong didn’t notice the gloomy aura surrounding him. She changed her posture, resting her hands on the table, and continued to laugh, “Of course, our Miss is also very good. It’s just that not many men can see her good qualities. Not everyone has the discerning eye of our young master. That’s what makes our young master such a rare good person!”
Gu Fengjian couldn’t help but laugh.
It was he who had argued with the Confucian scholars in the tavern, speaking until his throat was dry. Song Chuzhao had only said a couple of sentences.
…No, to be precise, it was probably just one sentence, a simple “You’re right.”
But even so, in the end, it was Fifth Son Gu’s name that was spread more widely. Many people, on the one hand, thought Third Miss Song was spoiled and whimsical, while on the other hand, they thought Fifth Son Gu was understanding and open-minded.
What was that all about?
In the end, it was simply because Fifth Son Gu was a man. If a man was willing to be considerate of a woman, then he was a good man. But for a woman to be considerate of a man was just a duty she must fulfill.
Chundong shifted her position, moving closer to him, and said with a smile, “Miss, do you know how many noble young ladies in the capital are smitten with the young master? Since the young master’s earth-shattering words, some have almost gone mad. They are extremely resolute, willing to become even concubines, as long as they can marry the young master.”
The mindset of those women was easy to understand. Those who were eager were mostly young ladies whose status in their families is neither high nor low, but who have some beauty. Rather than marrying those men who love to chase after women and treat them as playthings, they would rather become concubines to Fifth Son Gu. At least Fifth Son Gu wouldn’t make things difficult for them, and he was handsome, wasn’t he?
If they could gain a little bit of gentle affection, build a good relationship with the Gu Mansion, and have the Duke support their family, then it was all worth it.
Gu Fengjian said calmly, “Is that so?”
Your “young master” is quite gentle, but unfortunately, he doesn’t like women. And all the men have been scared away by him, so there’s probably no chance.
Chundong said, “Miss, aren’t you worried? The women in the capital are not as reserved as you think. Maybe they’ve already started scheming without your knowledge.”
Gu Fengjian sighed, put down the things in his hands, and looked at her with a sideways glance, “Are you bored?”
“I have so much I want to talk to you about!” Chundong moved her chair closer, her expression serious.
“My Miss, you don’t know, my mother said that even the best man, if he doesn’t have a woman by his side to watch over him, might be tempted to stray. Of course, our young master is not an ordinary man, his mind is resolute, but he can’t resist those people with their scheming ways constantly circling around him. What if they keep saying bad things about you, trying to sway our young master? What then?”
There’s no need to worry. She’s not a man at all.
Chundong continued, “You always stay at home, and our young master is also a bit of a quiet person. If neither of you takes the initiative, when will you ever see each other? Chundong heard that longing is very painful. Don’t you feel sad?”
Gu Fengjian: “We just saw each other a few days ago.”
“Not enough! It’s been so long, and you only got to see each other once at the literary banquet.” Chundong said, “The other day, Fourth Young Master even sent you back! What was Fourth Young Master doing there?”
Gu Fengjian couldn’t say that Song Chuzhao could climb walls, and she was quite skilled at it.
Gu Fengjian said, “Then you go deal with them.”
“I can’t control the two young masters, can I?” Chundong said eagerly, “But I’ve already made an agreement with Madam. Doesn’t Master He dislike the young master coming to see you? Well, you can always go out and play. If you two accidentally end up in the same place, Master He won’t be able to stop you, after all, it’s fate, right?”
Gu Fengjian: “Madam Gu?!”
“Yes.” Chundong asked innocently, “So, Miss, where do you want to go play these days?”
Gu Fengjian: “…” Why are you so concerned about this?
Song Chuzhao’s situation wasn’t much different.
Madam Gu kept urging her to find Gu Fengjian for a private chat. She said that since she was a man, she should be more proactive, and that she should take advantage of his current affection for her and communicate and get closer to him. If she waited too long, she wouldn’t have this opportunity.
She also told her not to get too close to other women, lest she be blinded by beauty.
Song Chuzhao was helpless, but she couldn’t say anything.
Two days later, Lieshui’s letter arrived at the Gu Mansion. It was said to be for Fifth Son Gu.
The outside of the letter did not bear the recipient’s name, only a single character: “open.”
Song Chuzhao didn’t know if this “open” was meant for her or for Fifth Son Gu. She confirmed with the young boy, “Did the person who sent you say who can read this letter?”
The boy looked confused and said, “You can read it! She said to give it to you!”
Song Chuzhao thought that Gu Fengjian’s senior sister knew about their situation and wouldn’t make a mistake. Her doubts were dispelled.
“Alright,” she said, taking out a few small coins and handing them to the boy. “Thank you for delivering the letter.”
The boy, with a round face and a mischievous grin, clutched the copper coins in his hand and ran off happily.
Song Chuzhao took the letter back to her room and opened it to examine it.
The paper was somewhat old and covered with various messy scribbles. Judging from the ink stains, the writer’s state and time of writing varied. There were both regular and reversed characters, and even the ink used was different. Some characters were clearly different colors, layered on top of each other. It seemed like the writer had simply grabbed whatever used scrap paper was available.
Song Chuzhao rotated the letter paper in different directions, studying it for a long time before finally deciphering what the writer wanted to tell her.
Lieshui’s wording was unclear and very brief. Many things that should have been explained in a sentence were pieced together with just a few words, making the content fragmented.
Lieshui wrote that she was almost in the capital, but her travel documents had accidentally been burned, so she was stuck outside the city and couldn’t get in. She had heard that her junior brother was having a good time recently, and she was very happy about it. If there was nothing urgent, she suggested he continue to have fun. If he was truly in a hurry, he could go to Mount Shaoling outside the city to find her.
She also cautioned him that if he did come, he should come alone and not bring the young lady with him. She was currently broke and couldn’t afford to be seen by anyone. However, there were still plenty of wealthy people in the capital, and with a little time, she could replenish her purse. Her junior brother didn’t need to worry.
She also asked Gu Fengjian if he wanted her to send him some yellow talismans to give away. She could inflate the price, and they could make money together.
That was roughly the gist of it.
Song Chuzhao was amazed that she had actually deciphered it.
However, after reading it, Song Chuzhao was certain that this letter should have been sent to Gu Fengjian.
She folded the paper back and sealed it, calling someone to deliver it to the He Mansion.
Madam Gu happened to be passing by, carrying a basket of fruit, with a look of contented pride on her face, as if thinking, “My son knows how to write love letters.”
Song Chuzhao: “…” yes, I’ve been discovered by you.
As the sky turned a dusky yellow, a flurry of hurried footsteps entered the Song Mansion through the side gate, heading straight for Song Shiwen’s courtyard.
The person was the old servant who had been by Old Madam Song’s side for many years. It was unclear when she had left the mansion today.
She knocked heavily on the door, and after receiving a response from inside, she slipped in and quickly closed the door behind her.
The old servant pulled Song Shiwen to sit at the table, her face beaming with joy. “The master has arrived! She’s currently staying at Mount Shaoling, entertaining guests. There were so many people going to see her, I had to pull some strings to finally meet her today.”
Song Shiwen asked, “Did you explain everything clearly? What did she say?”
The old servant replied, “The master said your explanation was too vague. To determine the truth, she needs to see it for herself.”
“Ah? What should I do? How can I get her to come outside the city?” Song Shiwen worriedly said, “Just thinking about her current state… I’m afraid.”
The servant, with white hair at her temples, said, “Miss, don’t be afraid. I’ve already asked. If the other party is truly possessed by something unclean, you can throw a handful of glutinous rice at her.”
Song Shiwen: “This folk method actually works?”
“Yes. It may not be of much use, but if the other party acts strangely, we can tell. If they don’t react at all, then they are a powerful figure with deep knowledge. The master said that if this is true, then we cannot delay. Please make a decision as soon as possible, lest you harm yourself in the future.” The old servant carefully took out a yellow talisman from her sleeve and handed it over, saying, “I used the silver the young miss gave me to buy a talisman from the master. As long as it is placed on the other party, it can suppress the ghost. Keep it with you, young miss, for protection.”
Song Shiwen hurriedly took it and squeezed it tightly in her palm.
Holding something in her hand made her feel much more at ease, as if this bright yellow talisman could truly give her strength.
However, Song Shiwen was still uneasy.
What excuse could she use to get Song Chuzhao to come out?