Lingyin Pavilion is the most famous music hall on Mingshan Street, known for having many former palace musicians. Consequently, the women here excel in music theory far more than those from other places. Each year during the Lantern Festival parade, the music float that takes the top prize always comes from their establishment.
Lingyin Pavilion welcomes guests during the day, too. Although it’s not as lively as in the evening, it’s still a good place to enjoy tea, listen to music, and engage in some cultured entertainment.
In a private room, the sound of the konghou (a traditional Chinese harp) was ethereal and light. Gu Fu, dressed in men’s attire, sat in the prominent seat. Not understanding the current melody being played, she couldn’t be as entranced as the others. Instead, she became slightly lost in thought, recalling the white-haired Imperial Prefector in Qitian Tower.
—The sound of the konghou matched him perfectly.
When the melody ended, Gu Zhu, equally unable to lose himself in the music, nervously asked, “Second… Second Brother, isn’t it inappropriate to invite Zi Quan here?”
Because Gu Fu was dressed in men’s clothing and had brought him to Ming Shan Street, a notorious red-light district, Gu Zhu dared not reveal his second sister’s true gender and could only address her as “Second Brother.”
“If you don’t say and I don’t say, who will know?” Gu Fu took a sip of tea and noticed the woman holding the konghou looking at her. Smiling, she took out a bag of money from her sleeve and placed it on the table. “The young lady is beautiful and kind-hearted. I believe she wouldn’t tell others anything.”
The musician glanced at the money bag and flashed a charming smile. “Rest assured, young master. I am merely here to play a tune. Whatever you look like, whom you met, and what you said, I will forget it all as soon as I leave this door.”
Gu Zhu, unaccustomed to visiting such places, swallowed nervously and appeared extremely uneasy.
That day, after Gu Zhu delivered the letter from Wen Xi, its content shocked him so much that he fell off his chair. Gu Fu then pulled him up, comforted him, and asked him to arrange a meeting with Wen Xi.
Lingyin Pavilion was the place Gu Fu had chosen to meet Wen Xi. Her reasoning was that it was quiet during the day, and the private rooms had excellent soundproofing to avoid any interference from the music.
About half a cup of tea’s time later, Wen Xi finally arrived. Despite his attempt to appear calm, the young boy couldn’t hide his curiosity and discomfort, evident in his body language, as it was his first time visiting Ming Shan Street.
When Wen Xi, accompanied by his servant, entered, Gu Fu dismissed the woman playing the konghou. Throughout, Wen Xi kept studying Gu Fu, feeling she looked familiar but unable to recall where he had seen her before.
Gu Fu, quite straightforwardly, allowed Wen Xi to scrutinize her and then said, “Young Master Wen, could you please ask your servant to step outside for a moment?”
Wen Xi frowned, appearing reluctant, but recalling what Gu Zhu had told him when he arranged the meeting, he hesitated for a moment and then instructed his servant to wait outside.
Gu Zhu had mentioned that not only did Wen Xi not want to marry Second Miss Gu, but Gu Fu also did not want to marry him. Since their objectives aligned, they might as well meet and discuss how to dissuade their elders from forcing the engagement.
Once the door was closed, Wen Xi asked Gu Fu, “Who are you?”
Before Gu Fu could answer, a memory flashed in Wen Xi’s mind, and he finally remembered who Gu Fu was. His eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed, “You are Gu…”
Before he could finish, Gu Fu covered his mouth.
Gu Fu smiled and said, “You can call me ‘Second Brother’ just like A’ Zhu does.”
Wen Xi was stunned. It took him a moment after Gu Fu removed her hand to realize that a girl had just covered his mouth with her hand.
To be honest, Gu Fu’s palm wasn’t soft; it was even a bit rough, but Wen Xi couldn’t help blushing. His speech became stammered, “How… how dare you…”
How dare you come to Mingshan Street!
However, Gu Fu acted just like a real man, patting Wen Xi on the back and then placing an arm around his shoulder in a brotherly manner, leading him to a seat. She said, “There’s no need to worry about that, young master. Today, I asked you to come here to discuss your marriage.”
Wen Xi couldn’t think about his marriage at all. His mind was occupied with the fact that the second daughter of the Gu family—his parents’ proposed match—had arranged a meeting at Lingyin Pavilion on Mingshan Street! Not only that, but she had covered his mouth, patted his back, and put her hand on his shoulder! How improper!
The young man felt dizzy and confused. He had thought that it was the reticent Gu Zhu who had arranged for Gu family’s eldest brother or someone else to meet him. Never did he expect that the one who invited him was the second daughter of the Gu family herself.
Gu Zhu could completely understand Wen Xi’s feelings, but all he could do was pour tea for him.
Tea poured into the cup, and Gu Fu, supporting her head with her hand, got straight to the point, “Young master, your parents should already know that you don’t want to marry, right?”
Wen Xi, only half recovered from his shock, nodded at her words, spilling his thoughts like water, “I told them from the beginning that I didn’t want to marry so early, but they insisted on finding someone for me, saying that having another person in the house to take care of things would put their minds at ease.”
As Gu Fu had initially guessed, Wen Xi’s personal wishes couldn’t influence this marriage matter.
“Can’t you talk to your parents again?” Gu Zhu asked.
Initially, Gu Zhu had a good impression of the two because both Wen Xi and Gu Fu had stood up for him at the academy. Gu Zhu knew they were good people, and while he wasn’t sure about their compatibility, he believed they wouldn’t hurt each other.
But now, seeing that one didn’t want to marry and the other didn’t want to get married, forcing them together seemed unwise. So, Gu Zhu changed his mind and hoped to stop this arrangement.
Hearing Gu Zhu’s words, Wen Xi remembered the recent days when no matter how many times he said it, no one paid attention to his wishes regarding this matter. Anger flared in his heart, and his tone became harsh, “I already told them! But they just won’t listen! What can I do!”
Gu Zhu was startled by Wen Xi’s reaction and instinctively leaned back, trying to avoid him.
At this moment, Gu Fu reached out and pressed Gu Zhu’s shoulder, saying, “A’ Zhu, since the young master’s words hold no weight at home, don’t make things harder for him.”
As soon as Gu Zhu heard this, he knew it was bad. Sure enough, Wen Xi exploded even more violently than before, jumping up from his seat, “Who said that! My mother always listens to me!”
Wen Xi was furious. As the youngest in the family, he had always been doted on. Apart from his annoying older brothers, everyone treated him like a treasure. How could his words not hold weight in his residence?
This time was different from the past. Even though he made a huge fuss, his mother still wouldn’t listen to him, and he was very confused.
Compared to Wen Xi’s agitation, Gu Fu was much calmer. She pulled Wen Xi to sit down and handed him the cup of tea that Gu Zhu had poured.
Wen Xi had just been very emotional and was quite thirsty, so he drank the tea without much hesitation.
Gu Fu waited until he finished drinking, then asked, “Young master, have you ever thought about why the marquis refuses to listen to you this time?”
Wen Xi had thought about it a lot, but he couldn’t figure out the reason.
Seeing Wen Xi calm down, with a hint of grievance and dejection on his face, Gu Fu poured him another cup of tea. “According to A’ Zhu, young master is deeply absorbed in poetry and literature, and rarely gets involved in family matters?”
Wen Xi responded sullenly, “What matters at home would require my attention?”
Gu Fu put down the teapot. “Do you know what your brothers are all doing?”
Wen Xi knew: “My eldest brother is in the Inner Cabinet, my second brother is an official speaker, and my third brother, who isn’t very bright, didn’t pass the exams and went to Qingzhou the year before last.”
Gu Fu then asked, “Do you know how your eldest brother’s prospects are in the Inner Cabinet, who your second brother impeached before the annual festival, and what your third brother is doing in Qingzhou, and who went with him?”
Wen Xi mumbled, “How would I know that?”
Gu Fu continued, “Do you know the name of your favorite tea?”
Wen Xi opened his mouth. Although knowing or not knowing these things didn’t seem to matter much, he still blushed from not being able to answer and retorted, “Why should I know that? The maids in the house always prepare the tea for me.”
Gu Fu asked, “What if the tea runs out?”
Wen Xi naturally replied, “Go get more.”
Gu Fu pressed further, “Where do you go to get it?”
Wen Xi was once again stumped by the question, and finally lost his temper: “This has nothing to do with what we need to discuss!”
“How is it not related?” Gu Fu propped his chin on one hand, looking at him lazily: “You don’t understand anything except studying and writing articles. You need others to take care of everything for you, from food and clothing to housing and transportation. Naturally, your parents are worried about you and want to find you a wife who can take care of you. She needs to be older than you, more sensible, and able to pay attention to things you don’t notice, like calling the servants to get tea leaves from the storeroom or going to the market to buy them when you run out.”
“They indulge you daily because they care for you, and choosing a bride for you is also for your own good. From beginning to end, they have never changed. You think they always listen to you, but in their eyes, they are the ones pampering you. So when they decide on something you don’t like, you can’t object because in their eyes, you don’t know anything, don’t understand anything, and need to rely on them to make decisions for you.”
Gu Fu’s words completely overturned Wen Xi’s understanding, but following Gu Fu’s line of thought, all the questions that had confused him now had answers.
Wen Xi stood frozen in place, and Gu Zhu felt a bit sorry for him.
But Gu Fu showed no intention of pitying him. Instead, he patted Wen Xi’s head as if patting a plump pigeon, saying: “I’ve said all I can. If you think maintaining your current situation is fine, you can take a step back, agree to this arrangement, and be a carefree young master of the Marquis’s household. After all, you still have three older brothers to share the burden. But if you really don’t want to be manipulated by others, you’ll have to learn to do things you’re not used to and don’t like doing. Let your family know that you understand everything and can take care of yourself, so your marriage should be your own decision.”
“Everything has its pros and cons. It’s up to you how you choose.”
…
After leaving Lingyin Pavilion, Gu Fu took Gu Zhu to the wine shop selling Huang Sha Tang. She wanted to take the opportunity to buy a few jars and have Gu Zhu smuggle them back home for him.
The shopkeeper was indeed from the northern border, and as he spoke in the official language, he would occasionally slip into the northern border dialect. Gu Fu found it interesting and chatted with him a bit longer.
During their conversation about the wine shop’s business, the shopkeeper happily told Gu Fu: “The nobles in the capital weren’t used to such strong liquor at first, but recently, there’s been a sudden increase in customers coming to buy wine. We’re managing to get by.”
Gu Fu: “Is that so? Well, as your business gets better and better, I hope I’ll still be able to buy from you in the future.”
The shopkeeper was delighted to hear this: “Don’t worry, young master. I like you. If such a day comes, I’ll make sure to set aside a jar specially for you. I won’t sell it to anyone but you.”
While Gu Fu was happily buying wine to drink on one side, on the other side, at the top floor of the Qitian Tower, an empty white jade wine bottle rolled off the table. The Imperial Preceptor was supporting his forehead with one hand, his brows furrowed, looking somewhat uncomfortable—
He wasn’t sleepy. Could it be that his ability to sleep soundly that night wasn’t because of the wine?
Translator’s notes:
Wen Xi’s eldest brother is an official in the Inner Cabinet (not the same as the Secret Cabinet the ML is part of), which was typically composed of high-ranking officials advising the ruler.
Wen Xi’s second brother is an an “official speaker” (言官, yánguān). The yánguān were officials responsible for presenting cases or arguments to the emperor or the court. They acted as advocates or spokespersons on behalf of the government, discussing legal matters, policies, and presenting proposals.
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