FHJ - 4

Chapter 4: Wang Garden

The Yan Guogong estate was immense. After the old Duke passed away, Gu Juhán inherited the title, and the family thrived with many uncles, brothers, and cousins living under the same roof. Despite the large household, the courtyard where Gu Juhán and Shen Xiling resided remained exceptionally spacious. As the Gu family hailed from a military background, even though they were a wealthy household, their attention to garden design and refinement was somewhat lacking. Moreover, Wei’s rugged customs contrasted sharply with the refined elegance of the elite families in Jiangzuo.

Five years ago, when Shen Xiling first entered the household, Gu Juhán’s courtyard was rather simple. To keep her entertained, he entrusted her with the task of designing the garden. Shen Xiling then allocated a large plot of land to create a garden called Wang Yuan. She arranged pavilions, ponds, plants, and fish according to the aesthetics of Jiangzuo. Over five years, she continuously added and improved, and now the garden had become quite impressive, earning renown in Shangjing.

Her favorite spot in the garden was a small pond surrounded by a pavilion. Lotus flowers grew in the water, and bamboo encircled the area, creating an elegant, serene retreat.

Though the lotus flowers had yet to bloom this season, leaving the pond feeling somewhat desolate, the fish swimming within brought vitality to the scene. Shen Xiling and Gu Juhán made their way to the pavilion. Taking a small clay jar of fish food from a maid, they leaned against the railing to feed the fish.

Feeding fish was meant to be a leisurely activity; tossing the food into the water would draw the fish in clusters, turning the pond into a vibrant splash of red—a delightful sight. However, the fish in Wang Yuan’s pond were spoiled from being overfed daily by the servants, so when their masters came to feed them now, they showed little interest.

After feeding them for a while, Shen Xiling noticed the fish weren’t responding enthusiastically. Her own spirits began to wane. Gu Juhán glanced at her and laughed. “Childish temper—you’re actually upset with the fish?”

Shen Xiling pursed her lips, handed the fish food back to a maid, and sat down silently by the railing.

Gu Juhán shook his head with a smile, dismissed the fish food jar, and sent the attendants away before sitting beside Shen Xiling. “Still upset? Fine, I’ll have them stop feeding the fish tomorrow, and you can come back and try again. How’s that?”

This remark made Shen Xiling chuckle. “I’m not that petty, and you know full well it’s not about that.”

Gu Juhán smiled too, thinking to himself, This is the first time you’ve smiled in these past two weeks.

Shen Xiling shifted her body, half-leaning on the railing as she gazed at the faint ripples in the pond. Softly, she said, “Wenruo, do you think... could it be that he deliberately didn’t want to see me?”

“How could that be?” Gu Juhán replied quickly. “He caught a cold—you mustn’t overthink it.”

Shen Xiling managed a strained smile.

Gu Juhán couldn’t bear to see her like this—melancholy, as if on the verge of tears. Though she was beautiful no matter what expression she wore, and even more so when she looked sorrowful, he preferred her lively and cheerful.

He said, “There will be other chances. Don’t lose heart.”

Shen Xiling lay listlessly against the railing. “He’s an envoy, and I’m the wife of an official. How could it be easy? Don’t comfort me.”

“When have I ever lied to you?” Gu Juhán reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Have you forgotten that the upcoming Bathing of the Buddha Festival is just around the corner?”

Shen Xiling’s eyes brightened slightly.

In Jiangzuo and Liang, Buddhism flourished, and in recent years, Northern Wei had also been influenced by it. Every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the Bathing of the Buddha Festival was celebrated grandly. During this time, temples held chanting ceremonies, bathing the statue of the infant Prince Siddhartha with fragrant water. Devout men and women often made offerings on this day. All the renowned Zen monasteries in Shangjing held bathing rituals and vegetarian feasts. The Jade Buddha Temple, funded by the royal family, was one such place where the Emperor himself would attend annually.

If the Emperor went, surely the Princess of Liang would follow; and if the princess attended, then Qi Yin…

Shen Xiling’s eyes brightened even more.

“Finally cheered up?” Gu Juhán teased her.

Shen Xiling’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, lips pressed together. After a moment, she sat up straight and began counting the days on her fingers. This calculation revealed exactly twenty-one days.

Her face fell again.

Gu Juhán chuckled and consoled her. “The wait may be long, but having something to look forward to is better than nothing, isn’t it?”

Shen Xiling nodded and then heard him say, “If you find the days unbearable, why not find something to occupy yourself? I heard that Lady Zhong, the wife of the Deputy Chief Censor, is hosting a tea gathering in a few days. Why not go and take your mind off things?”

“No,” Shen Xiling shook her head. “She’s close friends with Lady Pingjing. I don’t want to endure their taunts.”

Gu Juhán frowned. “Did she trouble you today?”

“Not really,” Shen Xiling smiled. “It’s always the same old talk—I’m used to it. You know me; I’m quite easygoing.”

Gu Juhán studied her for a moment and then smiled along with her.

Shen Xiling raised an eyebrow, leaned back onto the railing, and said casually, “Actually, the reason they taunt me is simple: they wanted to marry you once but failed. Now they want their relatives to marry you, and that hasn’t worked out either. They like you, so they envy me.”

Gu Juhán tousled her hair and joked, “How does this become my fault?”

Shen Xiling’s eyes curved again, but she sighed. “It’s a pity. They don’t realize we’re not truly married, and in doing so, they’ve wasted many good marriage prospects for you.”

Gu Juhán glanced at her but said nothing.

She straightened herself and looked at him. “Actually, Xue Yuan is quite nice. She’s pretty, has a good temperament, and most importantly, she genuinely cares for you. You should consider her.”

Gu Juhán fell silent for a moment before asking, “Why bring this up now?”

Shen Xiling hesitated for a while but decided to speak frankly. “Today, the Empress called me over and mentioned that we should have a child. But you know our situation. I’ve been thinking that you really should have a proper wife and perhaps hold a lovely child in your arms in a few years. As for me…”

“And what about you?” Gu Juhán asked.

Shen Xiling sighed. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s Xue Yuan or someone else. I’m just afraid I’m delaying your rightful marriage. It’s fine for me, but you can’t let your life pass by like this forever, can you?”

Gu Juhán leaned casually against the railing of the pavilion, appearing relaxed, but his words carried weight.

He said, “You understand my current predicament all too well. Even setting aside the dangers of the battlefield, the power struggles in the imperial court alone could cost me my life. Why should I involve an innocent woman in this?”

Shen Xiling looked at him, feeling utterly helpless.

In the current political climate of Wei, though Yan Guogong appeared to wield immense power and influence, beneath the surface of these turbulent waters, one misstep could lead to ruin. Emperor Wei was weak-willed and favored the Zou clan. Since Zou Qian became Chancellor eight years ago, he had built a network of allies, eliminated rivals, promoted his nephews, and abused his power. The seeds of disaster from the interference of the empress dowager’s family had already been sown in Wei.

The Gu family remained loyal to the royal house. The late Yan Guogong had clashed with the Zou clan, and this tension only deepened under Gu Juhán’s generation. In recent years, due to frequent warfare between Wei and Liang, the Gu family had gained prominence. Without this, the Zous might have already resorted to military conflict.

Now, the Emperor had three sons and four daughters. The eldest son, Gao Jing, twenty-seven years old and born of the Zou clan, stood in stark contrast to the other two princes, aged nine and three, whose maternal families held low status and posed little threat to Gao Jing’s claim to the throne. If Gao Jing ascended smoothly, the fate of the Gu family…

Shen Xiling sighed again.

Gu Juhán turned his head and glanced at her, smiling. “So, Xiling, let’s not speak of this again in the future.”

Shen Xiling hesitated, pondered for a long time, and finally nodded.

Gu Juhán looked up at the moonlight, stood up, and said to her, “It’s getting late. I still have matters to attend to. Shall we head back?”

Shen Xiling didn’t want to return to the house too early, fearing that being cooped up in a quiet room would only deepen her worries. She shook her head. “You go ahead. I’ll stay here a little longer.”

Gu Juhán agreed and reminded her, “Then don’t stay out too late. The night air is chilly—don’t catch a cold.”

She nodded in agreement and also reminded him not to work too late and neglect his rest. He added, “I’ll sleep in the study tonight. Dinner at Yi Pavilion was more than enough—I won’t need anyone to bring me a midnight snack.”

Shen Xiling agreed and watched him leave the pavilion. Before departing, he instructed the maidservants accompanying her to take good care of her.

After he left, Lianzi and Wanzhu, Shen Xiling’s senior maids who had served her for many years since her marriage into the Gu household, entered the pavilion. They draped a shawl over her shoulders and served her tea. These two girls had been personally assigned to her by Gu Juhán upon her arrival, and they shared a close bond with her.

Wanzhu served her tea and joked, “The fish in this pond live such comfortable lives. If I could be reincarnated, I’d gladly come back as one of the fish in your pond.”

Shen Xiling smiled at her, and then Lianzi chimed in with a laugh, “You really have no ambition.”

“What ambition does a maid like me need?” Wanzhu pouted. “People without ambition are happier—those with ambition just end up worrying all the time.”

Shen Xiling took a sip of tea, tightening the shawl Lianzi had draped over her shoulders. Lianzi noticed that her mistress was feeling down today and gave Wanzhu a look to stop her chatter. These two maids had attended Shen Xiling daily for years and knew she hadn’t been eating or drinking properly for the past fortnight. Since returning from the polo field that morning, she had been even more despondent, and despite General Gu’s efforts to cheer her up all day, nothing seemed to work.

After hesitating for a moment, Lianzi cautiously asked, “Is your unhappiness today because Lord Qi of Liang didn’t attend the polo match?”

Shen Xiling neither confirmed nor denied it. Wanzhu laughed and said, “Who would’ve thought our Lady couldn’t escape the common trend, wanting to see Lord Qi just like the other ladies.”

At this, Shen Xiling smiled faintly and raised an eyebrow, saying, “That lord hails from the first family of Jiangzuo and is a renowned minister of these chaotic times. It’s also said that he’s extremely handsome. Tell me, Zhu’er, wouldn’t you want to take a look at him?”

When she arched her brow, her beautiful face took on a flirtatious air, and the red mole between her brows added to her charm. Wanzhu blushed and stammered, “Of course I’d like to see someone like that—but no matter how great he is, could he surpass our general? Our general also comes from a prestigious family, is a renowned minister of these turbulent times, is exceedingly handsome, and treats you so well. Isn’t he far better than any man from Liang?”

As she spoke, Lianzi tugged at her sleeve, but Wanzhu’s sharp tongue continued pouring out words like beans spilling from a bag. After hearing her, Shen Xiling wore an indescribable expression and said, “Yes, much better.”

Lianzi observed her mistress’s demeanor and couldn’t quite discern her thoughts, so she gently began massaging her shoulders. Sensing the mood, Wanzhu knelt down to massage her legs and said, “Actually, it wouldn’t be difficult for you to catch a glimpse of that envoy. Since he’s in our Shangjing, he’ll surely go out eventually. We can gather information—the servants in the mansion are always well-informed. Once we know where he’s going, we can sneak a look from afar. Wouldn’t that be satisfying enough?”

Upon hearing this, Lianzi shot her a glare and scolded, “Keep inciting trouble! If the general finds out, they’ll tear your mouth apart.”

Wanzhu gasped, suddenly realizing her earlier words amounted to encouraging her mistress to secretly meet another man. Even though the general treated her mistress kindly, how could he tolerate such a thing? Moreover, that envoy was from Liang and had caused the general considerable trouble on the battlefield!

Wanzhu quickly apologized, but then heard Shen Xiling ask, “Can his whereabouts really be found out?”

Wanzhu froze, then stuttered, “I-I think so.”

“Mm,” Shen Xiling hummed, glancing at Zhu’er but saying nothing further.

Wanzhu was confused by her mistress’s meaning and looked up at Lianzi, who pursed her lips and gave her a meaningful glance.

After a long silence, Lianzi asked, “Did the general mention where he’ll stay tonight?”

Shen Xiling watched a fish tail flicker past in the small pond, creating ripples on the surface, and casually replied, “He’s busy. He’ll stay in the study tonight.”

Lianzi acknowledged this, and Wanzhu added, “Why don’t you persuade the general not to sleep in the study? He’s been sleeping there for over half a month now…”

Shen Xiling didn’t respond, and Wanzhu, pouting, dared not say more. Then Lianzi asked with a smile, “Shall I still have the kitchen prepare some soup for the general and send it over tonight?”

Shen Xiling replied, “He said he ate enough today and doesn’t need a late-night snack.”

Lianzi covered her mouth and giggled, saying, “Whether the general eats or not is one thing; whether we send something is another. Shouldn’t we still send it over?”

Shen Xiling thought about how unnecessary these formalities were between her and Gu Juhán, but since the maids were unaware of their situation and were only trying to help, she didn’t object and simply nodded.

As Wanzhu massaged Shen Xiling’s legs, she smiled brightly and said, “Your cooking skills are excellent, and everything you make suits the general’s taste. If you personally prepared a dish of soup, it would surely make him very happy.”

Shen Xiling’s eyes curved into a smile as she playfully flicked Wanzhu’s nose. “Do you think the general is as greedy as you are?”

Wanzhu wrinkled her nose and grinned. “The general may not be greedy for food, but he’s certainly greedy for you, my lady.”

With that, the maids burst into laughter.

Shen Xiling shook her head and smiled, choosing not to comment further.