On the day of the Beginning of Winter, a sudden heavy snow descended upon the capital.
Zhu Qingyu had just finished her medical consultation with Old Madam Gu at the Duke of Dingguo's estate. As she stepped out, she found herself trapped at the doorway by the heavy snowfall.
While standing under the eaves waiting for a nanny to fetch an umbrella, a tall, handsome man with short hair, clad in a black fox-fur cloak, walked into the courtyard. He instantly caught Zhu Qingyu's attention.
This was Zhu Qingyu's third year since transmigrating to ancient times, and the first time in all these years that she had seen a man with short hair.
Normally, Zhu Qingyu would avoid such aristocratic young lords like the plague. However, his hair, which was so starkly out of place in these surroundings, caught her off guard and gave her a sudden illusion.
Could it be possible that he was like her, a fellow transmigrator?
Should she try a secret code to confirm it?
Or perhaps her life in ancient times over the past three years was nothing but a fleeting dream?
Had she accidentally wandered onto a movie set?
Zhu Qingyu was so utterly shocked, her mind racing with wild thoughts, that she stared blankly at Gu Zhao from the moment he entered the courtyard gates. She did not tear her gaze away even as he walked through the wind and snow and drew near.
Just then, a nanny lifted the door curtain and came out to greet him with a smile,
Lord Heir.
The title Lord Heir jolted Zhu Qingyu awake from her reverie. She hastily averted her eyes and lowered her head in a respectful curtsy.
Since he was the heir to the Duke's estate, her wild speculations were naturally just foolish fantasies.
While Zhu Qingyu had been staring at Gu Zhao, Gu Zhao had been observing her as well.
Compared to Zhu Qingyu's blatant stare born of shock, Gu Zhao's scrutiny was quiet and unreadable.
Ever since the new emperor ascended the throne a few months ago, Gu Zhao had been ordered by imperial decree to return to secular life and serve in the royal court. In order to sever any lingering thoughts Gu Zhao might have of returning to the monastery, his grandmother had been tirelessly trying to arrange a suitable bedmate for him.
With the new emperor's ascension, state affairs were overwhelmingly complex. As the emperor's cousin, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Revenue, and the youngest Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Gu Zhao practically lived in the palace's duty rooms. He could only return to the Duke's estate on his days off, which came around once every ten days or half a month, always arriving in haste and leaving just as quickly.
Old Madam Gu knew he was busy, so she would simply arrange for the chosen girl to wait under the eaves. She hoped that when the Lord Heir came to pay his respects amidst his busy schedule, he might spare the girl a glance, and it would be even better if she caught his eye.
Though defeated time and again, she kept trying.
Thus, this was not the first time Gu Zhao had encountered a beautiful young woman waiting under the eaves at his grandmother's courtyard.
However, it was his first time seeing a woman as bold as the one today.
Gu Zhao closed his umbrella, shifted his gaze away, and asked Nanny Li,
I am here to pay my respects to Grandmother. Has she risen?
Nanny Li replied with a smile,
She has been up since early morning. The old madam speaks of you every day, Lord Heir, eagerly awaiting your return.
Sure enough, shortly after Gu Zhao entered the room, Old Madam Gu steered the conversation toward the topic of a bedmate. She said,
I didn't expect you back so early today, but it is perfect timing, as I have something to discuss with you. You work so tirelessly every day, yet you do not even have someone in your chambers to care for your daily needs. I truly cannot put my mind at ease.
Having been rejected too many times before, Old Madam Gu had learned from experience. Striking preemptively to deny Gu Zhao any chance of refusal, she continued,
Do not be so quick to refuse. In the past, Grandmother did not choose well, but this time is different. She is not a mere maidservant, but a well-educated and refined girl from a scholarly family. Her family met with misfortune, and had our estate not bought her freedom, she would have been doomed to a filthy brothel. By taking her in, we are accumulating good karma, are we not? Furthermore, the girl's looks and figure are absolutely outstanding...
When Old Madam Gu mentioned her outstanding looks and figure, Gu Zhao's mind drifted back to the fleeting glimpse he had caught under the eaves.
The young woman had been dressed in plain, simple garments, devoid of a single piece of jewelry. She did not even have her ears pierced. Her hair was held up by nothing more than a plain wooden hairpin, and there was scarcely a trace of cosmetics on her face. Yet, relying solely on her natural, unadorned beauty, she effortlessly evoked the phrase peerless beauty. She was indeed worthy of the old madam's praise.
The previous times Gu Zhao had refused, he had actually made it exceedingly clear to the elders of his family. He was not rigidly clinging to Buddhist precepts, nor did he harbor any intentions of returning to the monastery.
After all, taking the tonsure three years ago under the late emperor's decree had merely been a maneuver to resolve a crisis for the current emperor; he had treated the entire ordeal as a form of spiritual cultivation.
At present, he simply had too many court affairs on his plate to concern himself with matters of the heart. He currently lacked the time and energy to start from scratch and build a relationship with a complete stranger. He had intended to revisit the matter later, when he had more leisure time.
However, it was evident that the elders of his family did not entirely believe him. They were desperate to firmly tether their ascetic Lord Heir to the secular world using high rank, immense wealth, luxurious living, and beautiful wives and concubines.
The hundred-day national mourning period forbade banquets and entertainment, and noble families were prohibited from marrying for an entire year. While they could not secure him a legal wife right now, they could certainly arrange a bedmate.
Even the Empress Dowager had summoned him just yesterday, intending to bestow upon him two women from the palace.
Today, his father, the Duke of Dingguo, had also personally admonished him:
It is merely a trivial matter, yet you insist on making yourself suffer. What exactly are you trying to achieve? How did you let this escalate to the point where the Empress Dowager herself had to intervene? You must understand that while the Empress Dowager is your aunt, she is, above all, the Empress Dowager! Or do you want the royal family to think you are holding your past sacrifices over their heads, forcing the emperor to owe you a debt of gratitude, and turning a good deed into a bad one? Zhao'er, is this your understanding of how to navigate the royal court?
Gu Zhao had reflected deeply upon this. His father's admonishment was entirely correct. When it came to the political nuances of court life, he was indeed not as perceptive as his father.
The crucial point was not whether he was actually imposing hardship upon himself, but whether the emperor perceived him to be doing so. And hardship breeds resentment, just as resentment breeds hatred, they are forever intertwined.
It was indeed a trivial matter; he had been looking at it the wrong way.
Therefore, when his grandmother brought up the matter of arranging a bedmate once again, Gu Zhao did not refuse as he had before. Instead, he asked,
Since she is a girl from a scholarly family, would she be willing to accept a position that is not that of a legal wife?
Sensing his relenting tone, Old Madam Gu was overjoyed and hastily replied,
Of course she is willing! Why wouldn't she be? I will summon her in so you can take a look. How about that? Even if this one does not suit your fancy, your grandmother will keep searching until we find someone who does.
Recalling the young woman's bold and expectant gaze from earlier, Gu Zhao figured she was indeed willing. Since it was a trivial matter, it was best to settle it quickly. Thus, he said,
There is no need to keep searching; she will do. I still have matters to attend to at the palace, so I will no longer disturb your rest, Grandmother.
Having finally gotten her grandson to yield, Old Madam Gu struck while the iron was hot and hurriedly asked,
Then, on your next day off, the tenth day of the tenth month, shall I arrange for her to serve you tea and make the matter official?
Gu Zhao nodded, bowed in farewell, and stepped out the door. The young woman who had been waiting under the eaves was nowhere to be seen.
In the snow, a trail of footprints meandered away from the eaves, winding all the way out through the courtyard gates.
The heavy snow continued to fall thick and fast. Judging by the footprints, she must have left only moments ago.
On such a freezing, snowy day, now that the matter was settled and her future secured, she no longer had to stand out in the biting wind and cold. That had to be a good thing for her, right?
Gu Zhao retrieved his umbrella and stepped along the winding footprints, emerging from the snowstorm and disappearing back into it.
Upon leaving the old madam's Fu'an Hall, amidst the crunching of the snow beneath his feet, Gu Zhao suddenly realized that in his haste, he had forgotten to even ask for her name.
He considered turning back to ask, taking two steps in reverse before bringing his footsteps to a halt once more.
Forget it. We'll see each other in a few days anyway, so it won't make a difference if I just ask next time.
