After sending off Cheng Wanli, Gu Yunxi went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for the Master.
A figure flashed outside, preceding a graceful woman wearing perfume and a flowing gown.
Slender as a willow, Gu Yunxi was standing before the large wooden chopping board and cutting vegetables. Her fair and long fingers grasped a giant kitchen knife as if it was not a clumsy and heavy chunk of iron.
In the blink of an eye, a handful of sour beans were sliced up and neatly lay into a green row on the chopping board.
As soon as she looked up, Yunxi found Yanwan standing next to her. Tilting her head, the woman was watching her cutting vegetables with interest.
Gu Yunxi was taken by surprise, so she stopped immediately.
"Lady Yanwan, why are you here?"
"The imperial doctor in the Palace came over to change the dressing of the Master's wound. It's inappropriate for me to stay. The servant told me you are
Shortly after Gu Yunyao ordered, her maid Song Qin came in, holding a roll of sakura pink brocade with both arms."Your Ladyship, here's the feather brocade."Gu Yunyao nodded and gestured Zhao An. Zhao An took the brocade roll and held it in his arms. Then he turned his heads to ask Gu Yunyao,"May I use your gold hairpin, Your Ladyship?"Gu Yunyao was confused, but she didn't ask him why. She raised her wrist, pulled out the gold hairpin carved with a moon, and gave it to Zhao An.Zhao An looked at the hairpin and pressed his lips. He stabbed the hairpin's sharp top into the brocade and stirred two holes on the smooth brocade.Song Qin cried out with sorry and pity,"Oh! What are you doing, Lord Zhao? You destroyed such fine brocade!""Song Qin!"Gu Yunyao snapped. She put her index finger on her lips to quiet her down.Song Qin was aggrieved, but she d
Less than two hours later, Song Qin returned to the Shelves Library.Feng, the eunuch, and Lord Liu, the manager-on-duty of the Shelves Library followed Song Qin like two limp lettuces. Lord Liu was holding a new roll of feather brocade.Zhao An leisurely sat on the chair, shaking his legs."So, did you make it?"Song Qin walked in like a cork. Her pretty face looked complacent. Zhao An knew that she made it but still put on an act.Song Qin raised her brows and gave him a bright smile,"In the Imperial Ceremonial Service, I roundly abused them and ordered them to take another roll of feather brocade to have a careful look. This roll is intact, but it's not pink. It's champagne. Do you think it's alright, Lord?""Well..."Zhao An slowly got up from the chair and took the brocade from Lord Liu. He looked over and over and finally nodded, saluting to Lord Liu reluctantly,
Gu Yunxi entered Leng Qingtang's room and found him lying on the side, weaving a red string.The bright red string freely danced between his slender fingers.His jade-white fingers stood out against the red string and, together with his peerless face, formed a beautiful scene that encouraged people's imagination and accelerated their heartbeats.Candlelight filtered through the valance onto him and bathed him in dreamlike and tempting golden light.He heard the knock at the door. His eyelashes lifted as he looked up, and something shining flashed in his dark eyes.The girl in white was standing in his front with her hair filleted high. She looked natural and unrestrained in men's clothes."You are here."Leng Qingtang curled his lips to give her a gentle smile in which she saw thousands of stars."Have a seat."He lowered his head a bit and tried to move inward to mak
After dinner, Gu Yunxi put away the dishes, and Leng Qingtang lay on the folded quilts, playing Weiqi with himself. He had the black pieces by the left hand, and the white pieces right hand, immersing in the game.Chiliarch Cheng Wanli came to pay his respects, and Gu Yunxi left the room tactfully.Before she went out of the door, Leng Qigntang gave her an affectionate smile and reminded her,"You must come back when we are finished!"There were him and Chiliarch Cheng in the room.As the Master had ordered, Cheng Wanli pulled a chair to sit beside the bed. He asked about Leng Qingtang's health and then took over the black pieces and began to play the Weiqi with Leng Qingtang.He said as he played, "The situation in the Palace is the same as before. The young Prince is born weak. Her Grace in Chuxiu Palace fetches imperial doctors almost every day. Recently, I heard that the Imperial Ceremony Office got in
The east and west sections of the Kunning Palace were set aside exclusively for Empress Qian's maids to rest in rotation.The Empress and the Imperial Noble Concubine ranked the highest in the imperial harem. Thus, their servants were different from the inferior concubines' maids, who had to seek residences outside the Palace after their shifts.Sulian rushed to the west side room with the reporting maid. Before she entered the door, she could hear a faint weep floating from inside.Sulian pushed the door open and went in.The room was not big and its furnishings were plain. Nonetheless, it was neat and tidy. On the east side, two narrow beds were set side by side. Yanwan was lying on the inner bed, sobbing quietly with her face against the wall.Two other maids were sitting on the bed edge, muttering as if to comfort Yanwan. Seeing Sulian arrive with a servant, they hurriedly got up and curtsied."Leave u
Wanhua Tower.Gu Yunxi was startled by Fu Danqing's words. Embarrassed, she lowered her eyes with a hint of concern and confusion and looked at the table, where a full bag of gold ingots was placed. Then she raised her head and fixed her gaze on the graceful woman on the other side."Ten Pounds Fu" must charge ten pounds of gold for each painting.Now Yunxi offered one hundred pounds for only three paintings. Fu was not losing money from this deal!"Lady Fu, forgive me for being too abrupt. Do you find the reward... not enough?"Gu Yunxi raised her eyebrows and spoke out straight for she didn't have much time to prevaricate with this peculiar courtesan.Fu Danqing turned her charming eyes to impatient Gu Yunxi as a faint yet bright smile flickered across her gracefully curved lips."Lord Yun, you misunderstood. As the saying goes: if you drink with a bosom friend, a thousand cups are too few;
The dawn had broken. It was morning again.After breakfast, Gu Yunxi and Qinger left Master's Mansion and hung around on the street.Getting up early, Gu Yunxi tried to make Jiaozhu Pear Curd again. She added a little salt and alkali powder to the well water, trying to imitate the saltiness of Liyu. Unfortunately, in the end, the curd steamed out of the oven was like a pulp, unable to be solidified.Thus, her try turned out to be a failure again.Distracted, Gu Yunxi asked Qinger to change to men's clothes and accompany her to take a stroll on the street.Walking across one street after another, every time she passed a restaurant or a teahouse, Gu Yunxi would ask the shopkeeper whether Liyu was sold here.Anyone who heard this shook his head. Some even regarded Gu Yunxi and her maid as abnormal, casting strange eyes on them.Liyu (pear blossom rain), its literal meaning referred to the spring
A limpid and distant voice stretched from behind and halted Gu Yunxi's rushed steps.“Jiaozhu Pear Curd” and its main ingredient, "Liyu", were all that had occupied her thoughts day and night. Even though she was upset by Yu Xuanji's fortune-telling, she still turned back at his mention of "Liyu" automatically.The dainty face that clouded over instantly lighted up in happy surprise, pleasing the eyes of anyone that should look at her now.Despite a hundred meters between them, Gu Yunxi gazed at Yu Xuanji with suspicion in her eyes. She stammered,"Your Eminence, what did you just say?"Yu Xuanji's arched his slim brows, staring back at her with much interest. On his indifferent fair face, a faint smile appeared."Aren't you looking for Liyu? I told you that I have it in the Pengxian Temple.""Really?" She found it hard to believe.Yu Xuanji made no further reply. His unconcerned