Chapter 3 The True Golden House for a Beauty

Chapter 3: A Gilded Cage for a Beloved Beauty

"Alright, I'll be gentler."

Gu Yan eased his grip. As the Crown Prince’s Tutor, he was typically stern and imposing, inspiring both reverence and fear. Yet now, his gaze softened as he looked down at her, an air of marital harmony about them. The estate’s rumors of the Marquis and his wife’s deep devotion were not unfounded.

"It hurts."

"How about now?"

"Still too hard."

Yan Xuerui’s thick eyelashes fluttered slightly as she complained with feigned petulance, "Your grip is too strong, my Lord. You're not as nimble as the maids."

Normally, Bi He, well-versed in her mistress’s unspoken cues, would have considerately stepped forward to assist. But now, she stood trembling behind the beaded curtain, holding her breath, too afraid to move.

Gu Yan naturally understood her meaning. He chuckled softly, his large hand resting on her slender waist, gliding over her body before giving her rear a firm yet gentle pat.

"Little heartbreaker. Rejecting me, are you?"

Yan Xuerui shivered instantly, turning her face away as a flush spread across her pale cheeks.

It wasn’t shyness—it was humiliation.

She was no longer a young girl; she was even old enough to help select a bride for Ming Lan. She had lost count of how many times she and Gu Yan had been intimate, every inch of her body meticulously explored. At night, when the lamps were extinguished, even trembling with fear, she suppressed her dread and submitted, allowing him to do as he pleased.

But during the day, she was properly dressed and dignified, attended by over a dozen maids inside and outside the room. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she yearned to preserve some self-respect, not to be casually teased and toyed with.

It made her feel as though her protective garments had been stripped away, exposed before all. Even though no one dared look down on her—in fact, no one even dared to glance up—she still felt profoundly ashamed.

Bi He called it "doting," but Yan Xuerui didn’t see it that way. Before becoming Gu Yan’s concubine, she had been betrothed. They had completed all six traditional rites, awaiting only the wedding. Even then, her refined and scholarly fiancé would grow flustered in her presence, blushing to the roots of his hair, too shy to meet her eyes directly.

Young and naive, she had once laughed about it to her mother, saying a grown man was shyer than she was. Her mother had scolded her fondly, saying she didn’t appreciate her good fortune—that such shyness showed he respected her, that he wouldn’t treat her lightly. Those who were casual were vulgar and worthless.

She had always been Gu Yan’s plaything.

The smile on Yan Xuerui’s lips grew strained, barely clinging on. Gu Yan, however, remained expressionless, though he continued to hold her wrist. Even after massaging away the bruise and warming her hand, he didn’t release her, instead cradling it in his palm, gently caressing it.

It wasn’t until a servant from the kitchen came to ask if the Madam was awake and whether they should serve the meal that the moment ended.

Yan Xuerui secretly felt relieved. Earlier, because she had asked for a maid instead of him, Gu Yan had clearly been displeased. In recent years, he had grown more deliberate in his actions, concealing his emotions, making him even harder to please.

He liked her obedient and submissive, every aspect of her under his control. If she resisted—whatever she resisted—he would insist on doing it until she grew accustomed.

This was his way of breaking her in, much like training a hawk. When she was younger, she had the spirit to oppose him, but now Yan Xuerui was weary. Aside from her postpartum recovery, Gu Yuan was about to return to the estate. Last month, she received a letter from Ming Lan saying that during a military drill, he had been careless and nearly struck by a stray arrow, and his Second Uncle had been injured saving him. Ming Lan felt deeply guilty.

Combined with their complicated history, Yan Xuerui had no idea how to face this Second Uncle. She didn’t want to provoke Gu Yan at this moment. Moreover, with such a significant event unfolding in the estate, even if she didn’t take leave from the academy, Ming Wei would have to return. Ming Wei, the eldest daughter of the Marquis’s household, was raised to be bright and free-spirited. She always believed her parents were deeply in love. Compared to the rivalrous daughters in other households who fought like jealous sparrows, she considered herself the luckiest girl in the capital.

Yan Xuerui weighed her options internally and finally gave in. When the meal was served, she glanced around, signaling Bi He to lead everyone out. Once only she and Gu Yan remained in the room, she stood up, swaying her slender waist, and sat on Gu Yan’s lap.

...

The midday meal lasted until the sun began to set in the west. Bi He, waiting outside, assumed the Marquis and Madam were intimate again. She had hot water prepared and instructed everyone not to stare later, as the Madam was easily embarrassed.

But when they went in to clear the table, it was truly just to collect bowls, dishes, and cups. The Marquis was fully dressed, not a single crease on his clothes. The Madam’s attire was also relatively neat, except... the jade hairpin lay shattered on the floor in several pieces. Her dark, glossy hair cascaded down her back like clouds, a few strands clinging to her flushed cheeks. A fine layer of sweat coated her skin, her eyes weakly closed, and beneath her lashes—dark as crow feathers—tears seemed to glisten.

How could the Marquis treat the Madam so harshly?

The room lacked the usual strong scent. Bi He realized the hot water had been prepared in vain, but... the Madam looked like a spring crabapple blossom battered by a night storm, too weak to even lift a finger.

Bi He kept her head down, only daring to complain silently in her heart. Gu Yan carried Yan Xuerui to the bed, tucked her hand beneath the brocade quilt, and looked up.

"Your name is..."

"This... this servant is Bi He. What are your orders, my Lord?"

Having served Yan Xuerui for three years, this was the first time Bi He had heard her name spoken by Gu Yan. Instantly, her hair stood on end, and her words faltered.

Aside from the Madam, no woman in the inner quarters wasn’t afraid of Gu Yan. Everyone knew the main residence received the highest monthly allowance, and Madam Yan was the gentlest, kindest mistress in the estate. But what others didn’t know was that while mistakes elsewhere resulted in beatings or docked wages, in the main residence, it meant execution.

Just last night, the expressionless guard by the Marquis’s side had taken away a maid. By morning, she had "accidentally fallen into a well." The Marquis had said the Madam was delicate and timid; such sordid matters shouldn’t sully her ears.

As for what mistake that maid had made, Bi He didn’t know and didn’t dare ask. Among themselves, the younger servant girls referred to Gu Yan as the "Jade-Faced Yama." Serving before him, they trembled with fear, terrified of losing their heads.

Fortunately, when he came to the main residence, he was almost always by Yan Xuerui’s side. Around her, he was an unusually lenient master. Even if someone accidentally spilled hot water on him, a few soft words from Yan Xuerui would make him magnanimously let it go.

Now, with Yan Xuerui unconscious, Bi He clutched her clothes, her heart filled with anxiety.

"If the young master is hungry, find the wet nurse. Don’t always trouble her."

Ah?

Under Bi He’s bewildered gaze, Gu Yan continued calmly, "She rises at the hour of the ox. Light the candles brightly. She’s afraid of the dark."

"Close the windows and doors tightly."

"The flower pavilion has newly planted several Wei Purple and Yao Yellow peonies."

"Tell Miss Mingwei to sleep in her own courtyard."

"..."

Bi He quickly memorized each instruction, gradually understanding through her initial confusion. The Marquis, busy with official duties, needed to leave the estate for a few days and wanted them to take good care of the Madam. The flower pavilion had new peonies to amuse her, and Miss Mingwei was returning early from the academy to keep her company.

Bi He breathed a sigh of relief and responded to each order. After giving his instructions, Gu Yan looked at Yan Xuerui again, his expression seeming somewhat reluctant. But he didn’t linger, striding directly out of the room.

Bi He kept her head down, seeing only the hem of his robe and his black boots. As he was about to step over the threshold, he paused. Bi He’s recently settled heart leapt into her throat once more.

"Sweep the floor clean."

Gu Yan let out a gentle sigh. She was far too fragile. He worried the shattered fragments of the jade hairpin might graze her skin—then she would likely gaze up at him again, those tearful, wounded eyes brimming with silent reproach.

He loved her flower-like smile, but she always seemed to be crying. In recent years, she cried less, but her smiles were forced.

Gu Yan knew his methods of claiming her hadn’t been entirely honorable. But it didn’t matter—he had ultimately gotten what he wanted, hadn’t he?

A gilded cage for a beloved beauty. Aside from him, who else in this world could have cherished her so completely?

Gu Yan left with his hands clasped behind his back, the breeze ruffling his robes. The handsome, stern Tutor walked with steady steps, his expression composed, as if everything were under his control.

***

Perhaps official matters truly were pressing. Gu Yan didn’t return to the estate for two consecutive days. Yan Xuerui’s complexion visibly improved, and the main residence regained its usual laughter and cheerful chatter.

Ming Wei was delayed a day on the road and wouldn’t return until evening. Seeing her daughter only once a month, Yan Xuerui was in high spirits. As she trimmed the newly arrived pot of Wei Purple peony, she hummed a soft Wu dialect tune.

The melody was gentle and flowing, like willow tendrils brushed by a spring breeze or a babbling brook, carrying the warmth and lingering charm of the Jiangnan region.

Gradually, the tune shifted. Into the originally soft, beautiful voice, a clear, bright voice joined in harmony. Yan Xuerui lightly pursed her lips, her gaze searching around.

"My lady, it was I."

Yao Er stepped out from the corner and made a small bow. "This is a Yangzhou melody. I know it too."

"Oh?"

Yan Xuerui set down her scissors and asked with interest, "Are you from Yangzhou?"

"Yes, I am originally from Tianchang, Yangzhou."

She then recounted her hardships—losing both parents, fleeing to the capital as a refugee, and being sold into service by her aunt. Yan Xuerui listened quietly. Her gentle nature made the maids feel comfortable speaking freely in her presence, and Yao Er couldn’t help but engage in conversation with her.

Still, she spoke sparingly. No matter how gentle she was, she remained the mistress. Gu Yan had once said something quite accurate: after years of being pampered and cherished by him, aside from enduring Gu Yan himself, her mother-in-law doted on her with tender care, and those serving her were always reverent and cautious. Naturally, she had developed a certain air of pride.

In front of a maid, her responding was a courtesy. If she remained silent, who would dare criticize her?

Yao Er spoke knowledgeably of Yangzhou, and Yan Xuerui did not interrupt her. After a while, Yao Er, her mouth dry from talking, licked her lips and said, as if casually:

"They say 'in the third month of spring, one should go to Yangzhou.' The spring scenery is so beautiful now—it makes me miss my parents."

"My lady,"

Yao Er looked at her with a gaze of sympathetic understanding and said, "if I might be so bold, having been in the capital for so many years, do you not miss your parents in Yangzhou... and your old friends and relatives?"

Yan Xuerui seemed touched and sighed softly. "Yes, it's said that 'in the third month of spring, one should go to Yangzhou'—what a lovely saying."

Yao Er looked at her expectantly. Yan Xuerui smiled and asked the other maids to leave. When only the two of them remained in the flower room, Yao Er lowered her head, looking uneasy.

"My lady, have I... done something wrong? The matron said we were only filling in temporarily and haven’t been taught the proper manners. I hope you’ll be lenient."

"No, you’ve done very well, very properly."

Yan Xuerui looked at the young girl before her, her voice still soft. "It’s just that a refugee girl on her own shouldn’t be so proper, nor should she speak with such refined phrasing."