Chapter 277: Pushing Their Luck
After the morning court, Gu Yan remained in the Crown Prince’s palace to discuss matters, only emerging from the palace in the evening. Shi Gun stepped forward and informed him about the matter of the small courtyard at Da Xiangguo Temple being fully occupied.
“Did you see clearly?” Gu Yan confirmed.
“I saw it very clearly. They are all the accompanying servants of the Eldest Aunt and the Second Aunt,” Shi Gun replied cautiously.
Gu Yan twirled his fingers, and after a moment, he let out a soft hum and instructed, “Go buy some fresh pastries and fruits, buy a lot. Shi Gun, go back and retrieve the few books I picked out yesterday. I’m going to see Miss Li.”
“Yes,” Shi Gun responded, then asked, “If the Princess Consort asks about the Young Lord…”
Gu Yan shot him a look, and Shi Gun instinctively took a step back. “I was foolish. I’ll go now!”
Exiting Donghua Gate, Gu Yan mounted his horse and pointed to a servant, instructing, “You go ahead first and inform Miss Li and Li Wenliang.”
“Yes,” the servant replied, urging his horse forward.
Gu Yan reined in his horse, watching the servant gallop away before loosening the reins and proceeding at a leisurely pace.
Jianle City is not Pingjiang City, and this is not the past. He had to be mindful of etiquette and not make any mistakes. For instance, his visit to the Li family now was to see Li Wenliang, and to have a few words with Miss Li incidentally.
Halfway there, he encountered a carrying pole laden with lotus flowers, both baskets overflowing with blossoms in various stages of opening. The delicate freshness made Gu Yan smile. He quickly pointed at the lotus flower pole with his horse whip and ordered, “Ask him if he’s selling.”
The servant hurried to call out the question.
The farmer carrying the lotus flowers repeatedly answered, “Selling, selling, selling,” and carefully set down his pole.
“Buy them all, including the baskets. Reward him with an extra tael of silver,” Gu Yan leaned over to smell a high-standing lotus flower.
A long-serving attendant dismounted and generously gave a handful of large coins, also buying the carrying pole and taking over the load.
As the two baskets of lotus flowers were carried through the courtyard gate, Li Xiaonan and Yu Ting, one sitting and one standing, were earnestly watching Wan Jing and the attendants from the palace debating matters of etiquette.
Gu Yan stepped in and first saw Wan Jing with her hands on her hips, then looked at the two attendants standing stiffly, confronting Wan Jing. His face immediately darkened. “How dare you argue like this in front of the young lady!”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing!” Li Xiaonan jumped up. “This is a debate of knowledge. Etiquette is a great subject; the nation’s affairs are solely about sacrifices and warfare.”
“A debate of knowledge? She has knowledge?” Gu Yan pointed at Wan Jing.
“These lotus flowers are so beautiful!” Li Xiaonan changed the subject.
“What are you debating?” Gu Yan looked at the two attendants kneeling on the ground.
“You said you were coming, and they thought I should kneel to welcome you. Wan Jing said I am your teacher, and I’ve never heard of a teacher kneeling to a student. So they said this and that. See, it’s a debate of knowledge, right?” Li Xiaonan answered before the two attendants could, then waved at them, “You can go back.”
“You may leave,” Gu Yan added after Li Xiaonan, and the two attendants finally stood up, lowered their heads, and withdrew.
“No need to bother with them,” Gu Yan said, pointing at the two attendants who had disappeared behind the moon gate.
“Wan Jing is here, I don’t need to bother with them.” Li Xiaonan squatted by the lotus basket, pulled out a few lotus flowers, saw the lotus seed pods at the bottom, and with a beaming smile, took one out and held it up for Gu Yan to see. “Have you ever eaten fresh lotus seeds?”
“I don’t eat that kind of thing,” Gu Yan said, looking at the lotus seed pod with disdain. “I’m much more relieved that you know to have Wan Jing handle those attendants.”
“Didn’t you say you couldn’t come? Why are you here? Did something happen?” Li Xiaonan put the lotus seed pod back.
“You couldn’t find a place to copy sutras this morning?” Gu Yan asked in return.
“You came because of this?”
“Those people who occupied the place are all the accompanying servants of my Eldest Sister and Second Sister,” Gu Yan said, picking a lotus flower and handing it to Li Xiaonan.
“I know, Wan Jing recognized them. Is this considered an apology?” Li Xiaonan took the lotus flower and pointed with it at the lotus basket and the small food boxes and pastry boxes piled in the corridor.
“To see you, an apology…”
Gu Yan didn’t dare to say that his Eldest Sister and Second Sister should be the ones to apologize; he couldn’t command his three sisters.
“No apology is needed. After returning from Da Xiangguo Temple, I thought: why would they occupy all the places and not let me copy sutras? Is it because my move to copy sutras was so effective that it hit the nail on the head?
“But, the Princess Consort and I are not enemies, right? The Princess Consort wants to assess me, not defeat me, right? Wan Jing said the Princess Consort is a dignified and principled person. That means my action of copying sutras was not done well, and occupying the place was a reminder not to copy sutras anymore. Is that right?” Li Xiaonan asked Gu Yan.
Gu Yan listened and laughed. “Copying sutras is indeed not very appropriate. My mother is very particular, but my Eldest Sister and Second Sister, especially my Second Sister, are very cunning, much like you.”
Upon hearing “much like you,” Li Xiaonan glanced sideways at Gu Yan.
“Has it been alright lately? Are you accustomed to the local customs and food?” Gu Yan asked, bending slightly to look at Li Xiaonan.
“It’s very good. Jianle City has everything,” Li Xiaonan took a step back.
Gu Yan examined her carefully and, seeing that Li Xiaonan’s expression and complexion were good, he felt relieved and asked with a smile, “What are your plans for the next step?”
“I haven’t decided yet. It’s not that I don’t know what to do, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate. As an outsider, I know nothing about this place. I can barely cope with the basic principles and studies, but the depth of human relationships and worldly affairs is beyond me,” Li Xiaonan said in one breath, sighing deeply.
It felt so good to be able to say with a clear conscience that she was an outsider.
“The way you sighed…” Gu Yan clicked his tongue.
Her sigh sounded very satisfied, and there was an irrepressible smile on her lips.
“Good! I’ll make the arrangements!” Gu Yan also laughed.
“That’s not what I meant,” Li Xiaonan quickly explained.
“Even if I make the arrangements, you have to be able to handle them. You just said you are new here and come from a poor background; just coping would be extremely difficult. Moreover.”
Gu Yan paused, looked around, lowered his voice, and continued, “Dong Xi is related to court affairs, so you absolutely cannot face that.”
“Okay,” Li Xiaonan nodded.
Gu Yan looked at Li Xiaonan with a hint of surprise. Li Xiaonan smiled and spread her hands. “I truly don’t know the depth of it.”
“Those attendants,” Gu Yan gestured towards the backyard, “don’t pay them any mind, nor do you need to make them leave immediately. We’ll discuss it later. When you go out, sisters A Wu must accompany and serve you.”
Li Xiaonan nodded.
“These few books are memorials from the two ancestors of the Prince’s Estate and a copy of Emperor Taizong’s replies. Read them carefully, and I’ll have Shi Gun come to collect them. I’m leaving,” Gu Yan said, pointing at the bundle in Shi Gun’s arms.
Shi Gun quickly handed the small bundle containing the books to Wan Jing.
“Thank you! I’ll see you out.”
Li Xiaonan escorted Gu Yan to the Second Gate. Li Wenliang stepped forward a few paces and continued to see him off.
Gu Yan walked to the screen wall and saw A Wu standing there. He beckoned to A Wu.
A Wu hurried over.
“What weapon are you skilled with?” Gu Yan asked.
“Spear! But I haven’t used it much. When I was a bodyguard before, I always used a saber. Sabers are the most convenient and cheap. I’m also good with a bow and arrow, hitting the target from a hundred paces!” A Wu didn’t know why Gu Yan was asking this. Was he going to send her to the army? What about A Nan?
“Tomorrow, I’ll have someone take you to pick out a suitable spear and a suitable saber. Can Wang Yuting use weapons?” Gu Yan asked.
“Yes, she has little strength. She likes curved swords this long,” A Wu gestured.
“Mm, have her go with you. You two will guard Miss Li, and your weapons should be well-suited,” Gu Yan said before going out and mounting his horse.
Li Wenliang escorted him to the alley entrance. A Wu stood at the foot of the steps, watching Gu Yan and his group, unsure whether to sigh or breathe a sigh of relief.
So she wasn’t being sent to the battlefield. That’s good; she didn’t have to agonize over it.
…
Gu Yan’s visit to Li Xiaonan, along with the carrying pole of lotus flowers, was known to Princess Consort Wei before Gu Yan returned to the Prince’s Estate.
Seeing Gu Yan enter and offer a composed, long bow before sitting down on his own, the anger in Princess Consort Wei’s heart subsided.
Her son was born of her, raised by her, and his temper was indulged by her. Who else could she be angry with?
“I heard you went to the Li family with flowers and gifts. Did you pacify them?” Princess Consort Wei got straight to the point.
“A Nan said that for the incident this morning, it must be that our estate’s suggestion for her to copy sutras was inappropriate. A Nan said she is new to Jianle City and knows nothing. This matter is my fault; I overlooked her ignorance. Mother’s reminder has made me realize this.”
Gu Yan had a smile on his face.
“I’ve been thinking all the way. Mother wants to see if A Nan can support our Prince’s Estate like Mother does. Supporting the estate doesn’t require knocking on the doors of every family in the Capital City. In a few days, it will be the Bathing Buddha Festival, and the palace will be holding a ceremony at Da Xiangguo Temple for blessings. I plan to have the Wei family’s Fourth Sister take A Nan there so Mother can observe A Nan’s speech, demeanor, and how she interacts with people.”
“What if I don’t like her?” The anger in Princess Consort Wei’s heart leaped, wanting to surge upwards.
“When I was young, if there were any improprieties in my words or actions, Mother always clearly stated: where it was improper, and why it was improper. If Mother dislikes her, it must be because A Nan has some improprieties. If Mother is like she was with me when I was young, clearly stating where it’s improper and why, then…” Gu Yan paused before continuing, “If she can be taught and corrected, please, Mother, tolerate her for a bit. If she cannot be taught, then A Nan will follow Mother’s arrangements.”
Princess Consort Wei looked at Gu Yan, and Gu Yan met her gaze, his smile unwavering.
“Alright,” Princess Consort Wei agreed.
“I’m a bit hungry. What delicious food is there today?” Gu Yan turned to ask the maid on duty.
“I haven’t prepared any food for you here. Go back to your own courtyard and eat,” Princess Consort Wei said unceremoniously.
“Tomorrow, I’ll have dinner with Mother,” Gu Yan stood up.
Watching Gu Yan leave, Princess Consort Wei took a deep breath.
In the past, she worried that her son was too simple and lacked patience and forbearance. It was as if overnight, her son had grown up. But before she could feel relieved, there was the matter of the broken engagement, and now he was going to marry a wife who wasn’t even from a respectable family!
Alas! She was even more worried that the day this wife entered the household would be the beginning of her difficult days!
