Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"Your Highness, my brother had a bit too much to drink last night and is likely feeling unwell, so he'll be delayed."

As Gu Yu was late, Gu Qingyue, fearing Prince Qin's displeasure, offered this explanation.

Prince Qin smiled gently. "It's quite alright."

He knew Gu Yu's alcohol tolerance and character all too well. Skipping court just from a little drinking? That wasn't Gu Yu's way. There had to be more to it, which was precisely why he had come in person.

"Your Highness, please have some tea." Gu Qingyue refilled his cup.

"Mmm, thank you." Prince Qin was refined and courteous.

Gu Qingyue, a young woman just awakening to romantic feelings, had long admired Prince Qin. Hearing his gentle, polite tone now filled her with even greater delight. For some reason, her cheeks flushed, and her heart pounded like a thousand deer leaping in her chest.

Though Prince Qin had not yet married, he was not as naive in matters of the heart as Gu Qingyue. He naturally understood the meaning behind her bashful, girlish demeanor.

"Do you know how to play polo?" Prince Qin asked casually.

"Yes, I do." Gu Qingyue knew Prince Qin loved polo and had specifically asked Princess Huyang to teach her. Though she wasn't particularly skilled, she knew the basics.

"Oh?" Prince Qin looked over in surprise. "I haven't heard your third brother mention it. Next time we play, I'll have him bring you along so I can see for myself."

Gu Qingyue shyly pressed her lips together. "Alright."

After sitting a while longer, Gu Yu arrived. Gu Qingyue, ever considerate, said, "You two discuss your matters. I'll take my leave."

Gu Yu remained silent, but Prince Qin politely acknowledged her and saw her off.

"What's wrong with you?" Prince Qin scrutinized Gu Yu.

Though he was dressed impeccably, no different from usual, his eyes lacked their customary spark. They weren't as sharp, keen, or calmly composed as before—in short, they had lost their usual vitality.

Instead of answering, Gu Yu countered, "What do you need?"

Knowing he wouldn't get an answer, Prince Qin changed the subject. "You didn't go to court today, and you didn't even inform me beforehand? Many at court already resent you, believing you're arrogant and conceited due to your achievements. Why give them an excuse over such a trivial matter?"

Gu Yu remained silent, as if utterly indifferent.

Seeing his detached, uncooperative attitude, Prince Qin asked, "Are you still keeping an eye on Envoy Xiao's return journey?"

Since the discovery of Zhang Qian as a covert envoy, the court had become even more vigilant. But clearly, Zhang Qian's death had also made Prince Zhennan more cautious. Yan Hui, the overt envoy, had shown no further unusual behavior, but they still couldn't afford to be complacent during his journey back to the capital. This matter had always been Gu Yu's responsibility, and Prince Qin had initially trusted him. But seeing him in such low spirits, he worried it might affect official duties, hence the question.

A dark, sinister glint suddenly flickered in Gu Yu's dull eyes. "Can we kill him?"

Prince Qin drew a sharp breath. "No."

Fearing he might act recklessly, he warned, "Gu Chengzhou, don't act on impulse. It was you who advised His Majesty that this war cannot be fought openly—it must be conducted discreetly. On the surface, we must always uphold peace. Why are you thinking of killing again?"

Gu Yu remained silent.

"If you won't do it, I'll find someone else to handle it," Prince Qin stated.

Gu Yu coldly retorted, "Who said I won't?"

He wanted to uncover Yan Hui's true intentions.

"Will you attend court on time tomorrow?" Prince Qin rarely saw him in such a state of apathy and cautiously reminded him.

Gu Yu replied, "I don't know."

Aside from keeping an eye on Yan Hui, he had no interest in doing anything else.

Prince Qin drew another sharp breath, unsure what to make of his response.

"Very well, I'll request a few days' leave for you. Rest at home; just ensure that one matter is handled properly."

***

When Gu Yu returned to Ninghe Courtyard, Jiang Heng was still organizing the accounts. She had summoned several head maids to give instructions.

He stood at the doorway without entering.

"This list contains the items we need to buy. Not much, mainly account ledgers."

Since these were matters concerning the Gu family, Jiang Heng did not assign the task to Birui or Chun Jin but instead called upon the maids who had previously handled such affairs.

This group of household staff had all been promoted by Lady Xiao Luo. Though they dared not disobey Jiang Heng out of fear of Gu Yu's authority, they were still somewhat resentful. One said, "In the past, we compiled these account ledgers ourselves. There's no need to buy new ones. If Madam needs new ones, we can just make them."

Jiang Heng patiently explained, "The account ledgers you compiled yourselves are inconvenient to review. The ones on my list are specifically designed for accounting. They include dates, indexes, page numbers, detailed content, and clear entries, making them easier to both record and check."

After saying this, she addressed the others: "The original accounts are all mixed together. Stipends, estate incomes, perpetual farmlands, official farmlands, bestowments and rewards, and other incomes haven't been listed separately, making it rather messy. Moreover, the old accounts have many corrections and must be re-examined and recopied. When recopying, be extremely careful—no corrections are allowed. If absolutely necessary, any correction must be signed and fingerprinted, with the date and reason noted below."

Upon hearing this, the group of servants grew displeased.

"Those accounts have accumulated over five or six years—how can we possibly re-copy them all? Besides, who doesn't make mistakes when writing? How can we not be allowed to correct them? When the first lady managed the accounts, there weren't so many rules."

"Exactly. Having to sign and fingerprint for corrections makes us feel like criminals."

Some even scowled at Jiang Heng and said, "Third Lady, please find someone else. I can't handle such delicate work."

Jiang Heng fell silent, and the servants grew more vocal and vehement in their complaints.

Gu Yu stepped inside without a word, sat down, and didn't even lift his eyes. The maids instantly fell dead silent, bowing their heads and bodies, instinctively stepping back.

"If you can't do it, then don't. Those who haven't done well should be punished or caned as appropriate," Gu Yu said coldly.

Though Gu Yu had always been stern, he seldom involved himself in household matters. The servants feared him but had never suffered punishment because of him. Hearing this, they all knelt and begged for mercy.

Gu Yu's expression remained indifferent, as if unmoved by their pleas. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the house servants to take them away and deal with them according to their offenses.

"Third Lady, save us! I admit my fault! I'm willing to re-copy! I'll do whatever you say!" The maid who had scowled earlier, knowing her offense was especially severe, crawl-walked to Jiang Heng, clutching her legs and begging.

Jiang Heng had no intention of replacing all of them. "These old accounts were done by them together. They know the situation better, so checking will be faster."

But Gu Yu refused, insisting on punishing the servants. He then ordered Cheng Ping to select a new group of head maids for Jiang Heng to use.

In the past, he hadn't been so inflexible. Today, perhaps due to his poor mood, he was unyielding. Jiang Heng couldn't persuade him and temporarily dropped the subject.

After the servants were dragged away and the room quieted, Jiang Heng tried again: "Selecting new servants will take time. They need to be literate, able to do accounts, and sensible—perhaps even tested. Besides, new servants will be inexperienced and won't know many things. We'll have to train them from the beginning, which will also take time and effort."

Seven days—how could they manage?

Gu Yu turned to look at her.

Jiang Heng lowered her head, not meeting his eyes. "I want to get these accounts in order as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the harder it will be to sort out. Though the old servants are difficult to manage, they are familiar with the work and can work faster."

"Sharpening the axe won't delay the work of cutting firewood; the same goes for new servants." Gu Yu still insisted on bringing in a new group of steward maids.

Jiang Heng didn't argue further. Since that was the case, she would let him have his way. After all, if the accounts couldn't be sorted out, she'd be leaving regardless.

"Are you in a hurry?" Gu Yu looked at her and suddenly asked.

Cheng Ping had previously told him that Jiang Heng seemed unwilling to take on this task and claimed to be completely ignorant of it. These accounts had been left untouched for many days, and she had shown no intention of organizing them. Why had she suddenly decided to start sorting and checking them now? And why was she in such a rush?

Jiang Heng pursed her lips, about to deny it immediately, but after a moment's thought, she said measuredly, "Why would I be in a hurry? I just don’t want to delay any longer. After being left for so many days, it’s still my responsibility in the end."

Gu Yu said nothing, simply staring fixedly at her.

Jiang Heng felt a bit guilty, afraid that Gu Yu’s sharp eyes would detect something. She kept her gaze lowered, pretending to be looking at the accounts.

"Sister-in-law, do you know how to manage accounts?" Gu Qingyue rushed in again. "I thought you didn’t know how. Can you teach me?"

Gu Qingyue had often heard her eldest sister-in-law complain about how messy and suspicious the accounts of the Peony Garden were, so she had always assumed Jiang Heng had no skill in managing accounts. But after hearing the complaints from the maids and older servant women, she instead felt that Jiang Heng must know about these matters. Thinking that she would need to learn these skills if she were to become Prince Qin’s consort in the future, she decided to ask Jiang Heng to teach her.

Jiang Heng hesitated and didn’t answer. Learning to manage accounts wasn’t something that could be done in a day, and she wouldn’t be staying here much longer. Teaching her only halfway would be worse than not teaching her at all.

"Actually, Prince Qin's residence has its own stewards. Even after you marry, whether you learn this or not isn’t really important."

Gu Qingyue sensed her reluctance and pleaded in a sweet, coaxing voice, "Dear sister-in-law, please teach me. The stewards are the stewards, but I am me. I don’t want Prince Qin to think I’m just an ignoramus who knows nothing."

Jiang Heng felt troubled and hesitated to respond.

Gu Qingyue kept shaking her arm, wheedling and begging.

"Your sister-in-law is going horseback riding with me today. We’ll talk another time." Gu Yu spoke up, intentionally dismissing his younger sister.

"Horseback riding?" Gu Qingyue looked at her brother in surprise, wondering if he had gotten over it so fast.

Her eyes shifted, and she let go of Jiang Heng. "Alright then, you two go ahead."

She then leaned in and whispered in Jiang Heng’s ear, "Don’t forget what I told you. He’s very susceptible to others' advances at a time like this. Hold on tight to this chance."

Jiang Heng smiled but didn’t reply, though she didn’t refuse Gu Yu either.

She still didn’t know how to ride a horse. If she were to meet with her brother later, she would have to rent a carriage. With many people around and gossip likely, it would be inconvenient. If she could learn to ride in the next few days, it would surely be much more convenient and allow her to act alone without drawing attention.

...

Gu Yu took Jiang Heng to the Crossroads Market.

"Isn’t this for horseback riding? Why are we here?"

According to the law, riding horses within the city was prohibited. For leisure riding, one had to go to dedicated equestrian grounds in the suburbs or secluded trails away from the urban wards. The Crossroads Market was known for gathering fine goods from everywhere, not only top-quality silk, satin, and brocade from the country but also rare goods brought by foreign merchants from afar. Among them were live animals, including rarities like dancing white elephants from Gandhara and tame lions from Arabia, as well as more common ones like horses of various breeds.

Gu Yu took her to a horse stable.

Before even looking at the horses, Jiang Heng spotted a familiar face. Xia Miaoji was laughing coquettishly with her arm linked through a man’s, occasionally pointing at the horses in the enclosure as if selecting one.

Jiang Heng recognized the man. He was the husband of Fan Jirong, her only close female friend in the capital, and also a former subordinate of Gu Yu. She had heard he had distinguished himself in the recent southern campaign, been promoted, and transferred to the Ministry of War.

"Duke Wei, Madam Jiang, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to meet you here." Xia Miaoji seemed to be doing well for herself. She wore a gold armlet inlaid with rubies and emeralds on her wrist, and her hair was adorned with gold and precious pearls. In short, she looked more lavish and ostentatious than the wives of most noble families, and far more impressive than when she was in Duke Wei’s residence.

Yang Zhihong also noticed Gu Yu and greeted him with a cupped-hand salute, still addressing him as "Great General."

Gu Yu gave a faint "Hmm," showing no interest in making small talk.

Jiang Heng glanced at Xia Miaoji again, then turned to Yang Zhihong and deliberately asked, "Why isn’t A-Rong here?"

"She’s busy at home," Yang Zhihong replied, completely unaware of the dissatisfaction in Jiang Heng’s tone.

"Is that so? Is she tutoring Eldest Daughter and Second Daughter again?" Jiang Heng looked at Xia Miaoji’s gaudy attire and felt even more indignant on behalf of her friend.

Had Xia Miaoji, after leaving Duke Wei’s residence just days ago, already made her way into Yang Zhihong’s household? She was dressed so extravagantly, yet Jiang Heng had never seen Fan Jirong wear gold or silver.

Only then did Yang Zhihong detect the accusatory tone in Jiang Heng’s words. Out of respect for Gu Yu, he didn’t dare show disrespect to Jiang Heng and simply smiled without answering.

"Are you here to buy a horse, Lord Yang?" Jiang Heng continued to press him.

Yang Zhihong hemmed and hawed before saying yes.

"Is it for A-Rong?" Jiang Heng knew that Fan Jirong, like herself, didn’t know how to ride.

Yang Zhihong remained silent, but Xia Miaoji answered for him, "Yes, my lord is buying a horse for his wife. He brought me along to help select one for her."

"Really?" Jiang Heng looked at Xia Miaoji. "I didn’t know you had a talent for appraising horses."

"But," she turned back to Yang Zhihong, "A-Rong should pick out what she likes herself. You should have brought A-Rong here."

Yang Zhihong, hearing Jiang Heng’s increasingly sharp words and knowing she was close friends with his wife, feared staying longer would only invite more scolding. He quickly made an excuse to leave and hurried out of the stable.

Jiang Heng stared after Yang Zhihong until he disappeared from view.

"If I had known, I wouldn’t have let that Xia Miaoji go. I should have had her sold away."

Jiang Heng truly hadn’t expected that a moment of soft-heartedness on her part would land her close friend in trouble. Fan Jirong was an upright and conscientious person—how could she compete with Xia Miaoji’s skills at handling men?

Xia Miaoji had only been in the Yang household for a few days, yet she had already coaxed the man into buying her gold and silver and taking her shopping for horses. Would A-Rong still have a peaceful life from now on?

Jiang Heng deeply regretted her decision at that time.

Gu Yu, however, had no idea Jiang Heng was thinking so much. He walked around the stable several times, finally stopping in front of an enclosure.

Inside the enclosure were all pregnant mares, some in the process of foaling, with a few foreign servants assisting nearby.

"That brown one is a pure Turkic horse. It has a square head, eyes shaped like hanging bells—it’s a fine horse. Do you like it?"

As he said this, his expression remained as calm as still water, without a trace of emotion. His tone was equally monotone and detached. If he hadn’t ended with "Do you like it?", Jiang Heng would have thought he was talking to himself rather than to her.

Jiang Heng knew nothing about horses, so she didn't have a strong opinion. But looking at the horse Gu Yu mentioned, it was a foal that had just been born, shakily trying to stand, incredibly cute. She nodded and said, "It’s quite nice."

"Then it’s decided." Gu Yu said nonchalantly, took out a silver ingot, and signaled to the horse trader, saying he wanted to buy the foal.

"Just like that?" Jiang Heng hadn’t registered it yet. She remembered they had just been chatting casually, with no intention of buying a horse.

"Foals are easy to train. If you care for it properly and keep it company, it will not only obey you but also be very loyal to you."

Gu Yu’s face was dark, his voice cold, but these words were all spoken for Jiang Heng.

Jiang Heng stared at him in a daze, her eyelashes fluttered faintly.

So, when he said he would teach her to ride, did he mean to start by teaching her to raise a foal?

"Then... when will this little horse be ready to ride?" Jiang Heng looked at the little creature that could barely stand, nuzzling against its mother’s belly to nurse, and sighed softly.

"Earliest would be when it's three years old, but it's best to wait until it's five," Gu Yu said lightly.

Three to five years? Jiang Heng gave up. "How about we pick a horse that can be ridden right away? I see many strong adult horses over there?"

"Have you taken a liking to any?" Gu Yu asked.

Jiang Heng shook her head. Since she needed his help, she said softly, "I don’t know much about horses, so I’d like you to help me choose one—a gentle-tempered one that won’t misbehave easily."

Gu Yu glanced back at the nursing foal. "This one is the best."

Jiang Heng smiled helplessly. It was a fine horse, but it didn’t solve her immediate problem—she’d have to wait three to five years before she could ride it...

"Well... it was just born and is still nursing. I’m worried it might be hard to raise, and I can’t bear to separate it from its mother..."

"We’ll buy the mother horse too," Gu Yu said to the horse trader, adding another silver ingot.

He paid so fast Jiang Heng couldn’t intervene.

"I... I just wanted a horse I could ride now..." Jiang Heng grew anxious.

He was always like this—saying he’d buy her a horse but ignoring what she wanted, making decisions based solely on his own preferences.

Gu Yu didn’t reply but instead went to the adult horse section and picked out another horse to buy.

After leaving the horse market, the two wandered around for a long time, buying a saddle, bridle, and other tack. Soon, they had one horse fully outfitted.

Passing by a shop, Gu Yu suddenly stopped.

He tilted his chin up slightly, indicating for the lady to look in the direction he gestured, and asked coldly, his tone detached, "See anything you like?"

It was a shop selling polo mallets, with rows of mallets made from various materials neatly displayed.

Jiang Heng had originally wanted to learn to play polo, but now... it was too late.

"Not for now. I’ll learn to ride first," Jiang Heng said gently, smiling as she declined.

But Gu Yu acted as if he hadn’t heard her. He entered the shop alone and emerged with a long, narrow bamboo tube slung over his shoulder, containing several polo mallets.

Jiang Heng pressed her lips together. "So many?"

Gu Yu’s expression remained grim. "Try them all to see which one works best."

Jiang Heng said nothing, thinking to herself that perhaps men also liked to shop endlessly when they were upset.

Later, Jiang Heng became even more convinced of this idea.

They spent almost the entire day wandering around the busy market district. They bought three horses—two large and one small—plus five sets of saddles, bridles, and other gear. They also bought a wide-brimmed hat for shade, polo mallets, and even passed by a jewelry shop, where he bought her several sets of hairpins. He likely couldn’t tell good quality from bad, so he simply asked the shopkeeper for the most expensive sets and paid without batting an eye.

Yet, despite all these purchases, his mood hadn’t lifted by evening.

Since she couldn’t ride, they shared a horse. Though seated together, he didn’t wrap his arm around her waist as he had during the polo match.

He simply held the reins to guide the horse, his other hand hanging idly at his side, not touching her at all.

When they returned home, he didn’t stay in the Ninghe Courtyard but went alone to rest in the study.

Jiang Heng simply couldn’t figure Gu Yu out.

However, she had no time to dwell on it. With Gu Yu away, she could take the opportunity to write the divorce letter.

...

Five days later, the day before Yan Hui was scheduled to leave the capital, Jiang Heng received a message.

Fan Jirong delivered it in person. The letter contained only a time and a place, with no signature, but a few cat hairs on the paper confirmed it was from Yan Hui.

The Fan family also hailed from Canghe, though their status was less prominent than the Jiang family’s. Fan Jirong had grown up in the old family residence as a child, playing with Jiang Heng and the Yan brothers. In the capital, Yan Hui trusted only her.

After reading it, Jiang Heng burned the letter. She was about to explain a few things to Fan Jirong when the latter said, "Don’t tell me. I don’t know who sent the letter, and I don’t care what it’s about."

Jiang Heng nodded gently. It was better that she didn’t know, to avoid involving her.

"Alright, I have matters to attend to at home. I’ll take my leave."

Jiang Heng wanted to talk more with Fan Jirong, but seeing her about to leave, she quickly grabbed her by the wrist. As soon as she caught hold, she heard Fan Jirong gasp in pain and instinctively pull her hand back.

"What’s wrong?" Jiang Heng rolled up Fan Jirong’s sleeve and saw a bruise on her wrist, as if left by a bracelet.

"What happened?" Jiang Heng knew Fan Jirong well—she wasn’t one for expensive jewelry, and she wouldn’t endure discomfort or bruising herself for a bracelet.

"Ah, it’s nothing. The bracelet is just too small and uncomfortable—it’s too tight," Fan Jirong said, her eyes reddening.

"Arong, what really happened? Did that Lord Yang mistreat you?"

This touched a nerve. Fan Jirong’s eyes welled up, and two tears fell. "That Yang is no gentleman. I merely asked where that little wretch got the bracelet on her wrist, and he accused me of jealousy. He deliberately bought me a jade bracelet that doesn’t fit, forced it onto my wrist, and said it was more precious than that little wretch’s gold one—taunting me about my thick wrists and whether I could even wear it..."

"How outrageous! His wealth and status are new. Think of all the hardships you endured with him before, taking care of his parents and raising his daughter. How could he show no gratitude and treat you like this? Arong, you shouldn’t stay with him..."

Jiang Heng grew angrier as she spoke and was about to urge Fan Jirong to consider divorce when Fan Jirong said, "No! Now that he’s wealthy, he wants to force me to leave voluntarily? Not a chance!"

"If he provokes me again one day, I’ll slip some rat poison into his wine and finish him off! Let’s see how long that little wretch can act high and mighty without her man to back her up!"

Fan Jirong spoke through gritted teeth, as if truly resolved to poison her husband.

Jiang Heng hurriedly advised her, "Arong, don’t act impulsively. If you end up implicated, it’s not worth it. Think of Yuanniang and Ernian—they’re still young. How would they survive without you?"

Fan Jirong cried a while longer, wiped her tears, and nodded in agreement with Jiang Heng’s words before leaving the Duke Wei residence.

But Jiang Heng remained uneasy for a long time.

Fan Jirong had a bold streak, and if pushed too far, she might indeed resort to poisoning.

Jiang Heng was leaving the capital the next day and wouldn’t be around to advise or help her...

She glanced in the direction of Gu Yu’s study.

He had hardly left the house these past few days, not even attending court. Sometimes he would sit with her in the Ninghe Courtyard during the day, but at night, he always rested in the study.

She couldn’t decipher what he was thinking, but she had a sense that these past few days, he seemed slightly more approachable.

Though his expression remained stern and his eyes cold, his temper seemed milder.

If she asked Gu Yu to intervene and impeach Yang Zhihong for favoring his concubine over his wife, would he help?

Yang Zhihong had only recently been transferred to the Ministry of War and wasn’t yet firmly established. If he were impeached, he’d likely lay low for a while and not dare to mistreat Arong so harshly.

With this thought in mind, Jiang Heng knocked on the door of Gu Yu’s study.

After hearing her request, Gu Yu gazed at her for a long moment before saying calmly, "I have a better idea."

"Of course I'd like to hear it," Jiang Heng said. "What is it?"

"Wait until I lead the southern campaign—I'll make him my vice-general and send him to his death."

He spoke with such nonchalance, as if he weren't plotting murder but suggesting just an ordinary idea.

Jiang Heng gasped.

His temper had seemed milder these past few days, yet now she sensed a sinister, chilling cruelty beneath it?

Jiang Heng shook her head slightly. How could she possibly agree to such a plan?

"Leaving some people alive will only cause endless trouble later."

His gaze never left Jiang Heng—calm and steady, yet it made her shiver involuntarily.

"Tomorrow, Envoy Xiao leaves the capital. Will you see him off?" he asked abruptly.