When Gu Fu returned from the Northern Border with Nanny Lin earlier, Nanny Lin expressed her desire to enter Prince Ying’s residence and personally kill the Prince Ying to avenge her grievances.
Gu Fu didn’t agree at the time, feeling that Nanny Lin had barely survived and returned to the capital, and shouldn’t risk her life for such a person. Nanny Lin also promised Gu Fu that she would not act rashly until Gu Fu agreed.
However, Gu Fu knew that in the past six months, Nanny Lin had not only managed Feique Pavilion for herself but also gathered a lot of information about Prince Ying’s residence.
If it hadn’t been for the matter of Prince Ying being confined to his residence, Nanny Lin might have endured for a while longer. But now, seeing that Prince Ying was on the verge of ruin, yet still hanging on the edge of a cliff without falling, how could Nanny Lin continue to restrain herself?
Gu Fu came to Qitian Tower, intending to ask Fu Yan for help in arranging for Nanny Lin to enter the Prince Ying’s residence using the spies of the Secret Cabinet, when she heard Fu Yan ask her——
“I heard that you once redeemed a prostitute in the Northern Territory and provided her with a place to stay?”
Gu Fu replied, “What a coincidence, I was just about to tell you about this.”
Fu Yan’s heart pounded wildly, fearing that Gu Fu would say that the prostitute was her beloved.
But instead, Gu Fu asked him, “Do you know Lin Tingshan?”
Fu Yan paused for a moment: “The former Minister of Rites, Lin Tingshan, who was executed after being implicated in Prince Yi’s rebellion?”
Of course, Fu Yan remembered this person. Before the current emperor ascended the throne, the previous emperor always intended to pass the throne to either Prince Yi or Prince Chen. Prince Chen, born of the favored Imperial Noble Consort, had a better chance, and had even caused the death of the current emperor’s biological mother. Therefore, Fu Yan and the emperor’s main enemy was him.
Although Prince Yi was favored by the current emperor, his maternal family was not prominent. With him around, he could share the emperor’s burden without directly threatening the emperor’s position as crown prince. Hence, the emperor never thought of dealing with him before Prince Chen’s downfall.
But no one expected that Prince Yi would rebel. After his rebellion was suppressed, a batch of officials involved in the case were purged, including Lin Tingshan.
Fu Yan remembered Lin Tingshan because he was a rigid character, most respectful of legitimate heirs. If it weren’t for the emperor’s weak position at the time, Lin Tingshan would definitely have been a core member of the Crown Prince’s faction.
It was strange that such a person would go to assist Prince Yi’s rebellion, but at that time, both Fu Yan and the emperor were struggling to protect themselves, so they didn’t pursue the matter.
Gu Fu said, “Yes, him. The Lin family was executed, the male members beheaded, and the womenfolk sent to serve as military prostitutes in the Northwest. However, at that time, what the Northwest army lacked more than women was money, so some particularly beautiful military prostitutes were sold to the civilian population. The military brothel in the Northwest would also tamper with the roster, marking those women as dead…”
As Gu Fu continued speaking, her voice grew softer, and she leaned closer to Fu Yan: “I’m only telling you this, so don’t mention it to His Majesty.”
The Northern Army, where Gu Fu was stationed, didn’t have a military brothel. Even if this matter reached the emperor, it had nothing to do with her, but the commander of the Northwest Army was none other than Mu Qingyao’s father.
Moreover, Gu Fu also wanted to give those women a chance at life. Military prostitutes were criminals; they had little chance of freedom and even survival, unlike civilian prostitutes who could be redeemed and, if fortunate, leave the life of prostitution.
“Lin Tingshan’s youngest daughter is named Lin Yuezhi. After being sold, she eventually ended up in the Northern Territory, where I encountered her,” Gu Fu said. “She accidentally discovered my identity, and it happened that I needed a woman to cover for me, so I bought her. When I returned from the Northern Territory, I brought her back as well. She is now in my house, serving as the nanny in my courtyard.”
After this brief explanation, Gu Fu finally revealed the reason she was telling Fu Yan all of this: “She hopes I can help her get into Prince Ying’s residence.”
Fu Yan immediately reacted: “Was the downfall of the Lin family related to Prince Ying?”
Then he shook his head: “But I remember the late emperor intended to marry Lin’s eldest daughter to Prince Ying, and because of the Lin family’s downfall, Prince Ying almost got implicated…”
Before Fu Yan could finish speaking, he stopped himself. He suddenly remembered that it was precisely because of the Lin family’s downfall that Prince Ying didn’t marry the Lin family’s eldest daughter but instead married the daughter of Prime Minister Zhao Changqi, which added an important advantage in the struggle for the throne.
Gu Fu said, “Lin Yuezhi told me that the letter proving the Lin family’s collusion with Prince Yi was found in a compartment of a bridal chest sent by Prince Ying to her sister.”
Fu Yan, having never met Lin Yuezhi, didn’t take her words at face value but sent someone to investigate and verify the claims. If it was true that Prince Ying was the one responsible for the Lin family’s ruin, he would find a way to get Lin Yuezhi into Prince Ying’s residence without Gu Fu’s request.
“By the way, how did you know about my affairs in the Northern Territory?” Gu Fu asked Fu Yan.
Fu Yan didn’t blink as he shifted the blame to Li Yu: “Today, I went to Prince Ying’s residence and encountered Li Yu, the commander of the Imperial Guards. He told me.”
Gu Fu casually asked, “Why did you go to Prince Ying’s residence?”
If anyone else had asked, he would have remained silent, but since it was Gu Fu, who had once commented on his inability to express his likes and dislikes, he replied, “To scare him.”
Gu Fu responded with a puzzled sound, “Hmm?”
Fu Yan maintained his cold, otherworldly demeanor, making his statement appear exceptionally justified: “His Majesty said that since I intentionally hurt him once, and he attempted to have me assassinated but failed, and now he’s confined and has lost his freedom, we’re even. I disagreed and said I wanted to scare him to make him think it wasn’t over. His Majesty agreed.”
Because Fu Yan’s appearance was so deceptively calm, not only did Prince Ying believe him, but even Li Yu, who was present at the time, thought His Majesty would indeed pursue the matter further.
Gu Fu hadn’t expected Fu Yan to have such a side. Initially surprised, she then burst out laughing, thinking that the meticulous Imperial Preceptor had an unexpectedly adorable side.
Fu Yan saw Gu Fu laughing at him. Outwardly, he remained composed as always, but inwardly he felt a bit annoyed, worried that Gu Fu might think he was narrow-minded.
He also hadn’t clarified whether Gu Fu liked women or men.
…
Both the Empress and the Secret Cabinet were very efficient. The Empress issued a decree selecting the companions and set a time for them to be brought into the palace. Meanwhile, the Secret Cabinet investigated the old case thoroughly and sent Lin Yuezhi, disguised and with her makeup removed, into Prince Ying’s residence.
To avoid her aunt assigning another nanny to her, Gu Fu sought help from Fu Yan again, having him send a spy from the Secret Cabinet, disguised as Nanny Lin.
The day Lin Yuezhi left, Gu Fu said to her, “Your identity is kept for you, for when you return.”
Lin Yuezhi bowed deeply to Gu Fu, her expression obscured by a light veil. It wasn’t until she got on the carriage and the veil’s edge slightly lifted with the carriage’s movement that her tear-streaked face was faintly visible.
The Empress selected twenty-four companions, making twenty-five in total with the Princess, including Gu Fu and Mu Qingyao.
On the day they entered the palace, the two rose early and took a carriage to the palace gate. After getting off, they waited in a small room nearby until everyone arrived, then they were collectively taken to the place where they would have their lessons.
During this time, the girls greeted and chatted with each other, frequently asking, “Have you collected any new vermilion portraits recently?”
Or, “Have you seen today’s rankings?”
The pamphlet added the previous day’s ranking vote results to its content, so its sales increased once more. Gu Fu could check the rankings at Wanxiu Zhai, so she neither bought the pamphlets nor collected portraits. Another girl who did the same was a girl surnamed Su. However, Miss Su wasn’t part of the poetry club; she didn’t buy the pamphlet simply because her family was strict.
Soon, all twenty-four girls had arrived. Although they couldn’t bring their maids into the palace, palace maids were there to help, so they didn’t have to carry their own things.
The girls exited the small room, falling silent and not daring to speak carelessly. The Empress arranged for the lessons to be held at Qingshui Pavilion, located in the southern part of the palace city, belonging to the outer court rather than the inner palace.
Qingshui Pavilion was a tall tower built on a high terrace. Although it wasn’t far from the palace gate, they had to cross a large square and climb a slanting staircase to reach it. It was the early days of the hottest part of summer, and the girls were gasping for breath and drenched in sweat by the time they arrived.
Gu Fu seemed unaffected, but Mu Qingyao suffered. She felt not only hot but also uncomfortable at the thought of attending class in her sweaty state. She whispered to Gu Fu, “If only the classes could be outside the palace. I’d rent a small courtyard nearby, so coming and going wouldn’t be so troublesome, and I could change my dirty clothes immediately.”
Gu Fu reassured her, “We’ll be able to change clothes soon.”
Mu Qingyao didn’t understand until they arrived at Qingshui Pavilion and received new clothes. She realized that they all had to wear identical dresses for class from now on, and their makeup and jewelry couldn’t be too extravagant.
Although Mu Qingyao was glad to change clothes, she still quietly asked Gu Fu, “Why do we have to do this?”
It was, of course, to avoid comparisons.
Just look at the girls who came today. Because they were entering the palace, they dressed in increasingly flamboyant styles, with one even wearing a hairpin adorned with a thumb-sized pearl from the East Sea. This wouldn’t do.
After changing clothes, the girls entered the classroom and saw that even Princess Ruiyang was no exception, wearing the same new dress as them.
They greeted Princess Ruiyang, who, not pleased about being forced to attend class, waved them off and told them to find their seats.
The course schedule and timings were posted on the wall beside the lecture hall. Seeing that there were still fifteen minutes left, the girls gathered to chat again.
When the topic of vermilion portraits came up, Princess Ruiyang’s mood improved. She had already collected all the portraits and announced that she would only collect new portraits in the next round and wouldn’t collect vermilion portraits anymore.
Tang Wu commented, “Aren’t all the portraits in the second round new?”
“Foolish,” someone explained for Princess Ruiyang. “Her Highness means she will only collect portraits of those men who didn’t have portraits in the first round. For example, the young master of the Wen family and the young general of the Lin family. Even if they produce new vermilion portraits, she won’t collect them because she already has them.”
This was easy to understand since she didn’t need duplicates.
“I see,” Tang Wu found it problematic because the vote rankings had a huge gap. The top ten of the first twenty-five were unlikely to fall out of the top twenty-five, so Wanxiu Zhai could already show their new portraits, including that of the county lord’s son.
In the first round, the county lord’s son, like the other men, stood in the portrait without any particular pose. The second round was different. The portrait showed the young man sitting under a large tree, dozing off with a cat in his arms, making viewers want to gently remove the fallen leaves from his shoulder.
Then there was the young general of the Lin family, also in the top ten. His new portrait showed him drawing a bow and arrow with a fierce aura, the arrow tip pointing straight out of the painting, making it impossible to suppress one’s racing heartbeat and trembling while standing before it.
Such paintings would be hard for anyone to refuse.
Speaking of new portraits, someone asked, “I wonder if there will be a portrait of the Imperial Preceptor in the second round?”
The Imperial Preceptor didn’t have a portrait in the first round. Normally, this would be a disadvantage since people wouldn’t know his appearance and would be less likely to buy paper votes for him, but the Imperial Preceptor was an exception.
Even without a portrait, the Imperial Preceptor remained at the top of the daily vote rankings. As Dayong’s revered Immortal Master, people voted for him, believing it would ensure their household’s peace, even if they couldn’t see his portrait.
There were even rumors that voting for the Imperial Preceptor would bring extraordinary luck in all endeavors, leading even those uninterested in the selection to buy paper slips and vote for him, seeking his blessing.
Gu Fu, overhearing people discussing Fu Yan, perked up to listen—
“I’ve heard many people have voted for the Imperial Preceptor, not just seeking blessings but also wanting to know what he looks like, hoping to place his portrait at home for worship.”
“I’ve noticed his ranking has never dropped. He should have a portrait in the second round, right?”
“Rumor has it that the Imperial Preceptor is a semi-immortal with white hair. Could he actually look like an old man?”
…
The girls were debating when suddenly one of them fell silent, staring wide-eyed out the window, dreamily murmuring, “He looks about the same age as my brother.”
The girls first looked at her in confusion, then followed her gaze outside to see a young man walking down the corridor.
The young man wore wide-sleeved white robes, embroidered with subtle dark patterns and adorned with scattered silver ornaments. His long, snow-white hair was casually tied with a black silk ribbon, exposing his slender, graceful neck.
From the side, his features easily surpassed any of the young men in the first round of vermilion portraits. The only drawback was his cold, piercing gaze that emanated a chilling, otherworldly detachment as if he were a lofty deity, indifferent and emotionless.
The esteemed Imperial Preceptor, holding a book, stepped into the room. In an instant, the previously lively classroom fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Translator’s notes:
The previous emperor had three sons mentioned here: Crown Prince (Current Emperor), Prince Chen, and Prince Yin. The previous Emperor wanted to give the throne to Prince Chen or Prince Yin. Prince Chen’s maternal family was politically prominent, plus his mom killed the current emperor’s mom, so he was the main enemy of the current emperor when fighting for the throne. He ignored Prince Yin at the time, intending to deal with him later, but Prince Yin suddenly rebelled.
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