The poetry gathering took place in a waterside pavilion within the Earl of Lin’an’s estate.
It was said that this waterside pavilion, named “Twin Lotus Pavilion,” was newly built earlier this year. Like twin lotuses, it had a single main path over the water that split into two smaller paths leading to two pavilions at the end. The distance between the pavilions was just enough for two people to walk side by side, allowing for separate seating for men and women while still being close enough for interaction.
The pavilions were situated in the center of a lake, where in summer, one could see a pond full of lotus flowers and leaves. Though in winter, such a beautiful scene was absent, and it was somewhat cold, the bamboo blinds could be lowered to block the wind and snow, creating a cozy space.
The heating stoves in the pavilions could also be used to boil tea or warm wine, adding a unique charm.
When Gu Fu arrived at Earl Lin’an’s estate, she noticed the unusual atmosphere around her as she got out of the carriage. She began to suspect that her makeup must be quite startling; otherwise, why would so many young ladies and gentlemen quiet down and stare at her?
Fortunately, Gu Fu had long developed nerves of steel. Being stared at didn’t faze her at all; even if a dozen strong men were to strut around naked in front of her, she wouldn’t bat an eye.
But she was still curious about how her face had been painted.
If she had known it would be like this, she would have taken another look in the mirror before leaving.
Gu Fu glanced at the culprit, Nanny Lin, and saw her face full of smiles and a hint of pride in her eyes.
…Pride?
Gu Fu then looked at Mu Qingyao, who was also smiling. However, her smile appeared gentle and perfect, the kind she usually used to deceive people.
Alright, so be it. Gu Fu decided to just go along with it, maintaining a calm demeanor as she followed the servant of the Earl’s estate to the Twin Lotus Pavilion.
Many people had already arrived at the women’s pavilion, most of them members of Mu Qingyao’s poetry club. Some were unrelated to the club but were close friends of Miss Tang.
They showed extraordinary enthusiasm towards Gu Fu, who had recently returned to the capital and was making her first public appearance in a formal setting. Initially, Gu Fu thought this was due to Mu Qingyao’s influence, considering her strong connections in the capital. It wouldn’t be surprising for people to show her some courtesy.
Later, Gu Fu realized that Nanny Lin might have also played a part in this.
Because those girls kept staring at her face, one of them finally couldn’t help but ask, “Second Miss Gu, does your makeup have a name?”
Gu Fu had to turn once more to Nanny Lin beside her and ask, “Does it have a name?”
Interestingly, while other girls were accompanied by pretty maids of similar age, Gu Fu was the only one with Nanny Lin, who was dressed as a married woman. However, since Nanny Lin appeared youthful, she didn’t stand out much.
Nanny Lin lowered her eyes and replied, “This makeup is called ‘Fragmented Makeup.'”
The girl who had asked earlier clapped her hands and laughed, “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”
Another girl echoed, “This makeup, fragmented yet not disorganized, is indeed aptly named ‘Fragmented Makeup.'”
One girl, inspired by the poetic atmosphere, immediately composed half a poem but couldn’t come up with the second half, causing the women in the pavilion to ponder deeply.
That half-poem was passed to the men’s pavilion next door. The men, unaware of what was happening, began to randomly add lines, with some blindly praising the effort, which greatly displeased the women.
Not knowing what “Fragmented Makeup” referred to, they still added random, nonsensical lines to the poem, which was quite frustrating!
However, the ladies maintained their decorum and refrained from voicing their objections, so no one noticed their displeasure.
Fifth Miss Tang saw the conflict between the two pavilions, while the menâs pavilion remained oblivious, and she became quite anxious. At this moment, a young girl deliberately pulled Gu Fu to a seat near the menâs pavilion.
The girls sitting on that side all stood up simultaneously and made way for Gu Fu. Thus, Gu Fu was forced to stand out prominently, allowing the menâs pavilion to see her clearly.
The young men who had been randomly adding to the poem blushed with embarrassment, and those who had been praising it fell silent. Before long, the menâs pavilion followed the womenâs pavilion in racking their brains, trying to figure out how to continue the poem in a way that would match the beauty before them.
Meanwhile, Gu Fu, like an abandoned child, sat alone at her seat, serving as a reference for both sides. The servants of the Earl of Linâanâs residence even replaced the dishes, cups, and chopsticks on her table and served fresh tea and snacks.
Gu Fu was at a loss for words. She wanted to get up and return to the crowd, but the young girl ran over again, acting coquettishly and begging her to stay a little longer.
Gu Fu pinched the little girl’s cheek, feeling its softness and smoothness, and agreed to stay. Here, Gu Fu couldn’t help but be thankful once again for her thick skin; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to handle this situation.
Eventually, someone completed the second half of the poem, eliciting applause and cheers from both pavilions and raising the spirits of the poetry gathering. Everyone present knew that after today, the name of the Gu family’s second daughter and her âfragmented makeup” would spread along with today’s poem from the Earl of Lin’an’s residence, becoming another much-talked-about story.
Gu Fu felt no particular excitement, only wanting to ask if there was a mirror. She returned to Mu Qingyao’s side and actually asked her this question. In response, the well-prepared Mu Qingyao took out a palm-sized bronze mirror from her sleeve.
Through the mirror, Gu Fu saw her current appearanceâher face was still the same, but her eyebrows had been drawn extremely thin and curved, her eye corners outlined with stone dye to form an upward arch, and her lips were not fully painted. Instead, a thin layer of powder covered them first, followed by bright lipstick applied in a small, delicate shape.
However, these were just details. Colorful mica was applied to Gu Fu’s cheeks, brow center, forehead corners, eye corners, and lip corners, creating an extremely vibrant and intricate look.
Did people in the capital really prefer such makeup?
Gu Fu was puzzled because, in her impression, the capital’s popular makeup was usually elegant and simple. How had this heavy and elaborate style suddenly become popular?
It was only much later that Gu Fu learned that although the northern border was not yet completely peaceful, the rest of the country was thriving. Trade between the eastern regions and smaller neighboring countries brought a continuous flow of merchants into the capital, making it increasingly prosperous. The noble families began to pursue luxury and indulgence, with an air of decadence beginning to emerge.
The previously elegant makeup styles could no longer satisfy the women of the capital, and they started to pursue more glamorous looks. However, the aesthetic preferences that had been popular since the previous dynasty could not be changed overnight. So, even when pushing boundaries, the women would merely revive and reimagine the makeup trends of earlier times, like the “xiehong” (diagonal red slants on the sides of the eyes) and “mianye” (face ornaments).
It wasn’t until recently, when Princess Ruiyang attended a banquet with pearls adorning the places traditionally painted with floral patterns, diagonal red, and face ornaments, that a new trend was born. Her unique pearl makeup style took the capital by storm, and the women of the inner chambers eagerly followed suit.
Now that such a unique and beautiful new makeup style had emerged, it was only natural for them to like it.
…
In the men’s pavilion, Xie Zichen watched Gu Fu, who had returned to the group and was admiring herself in a mirror. Any strange feelings he had quickly dissipated.
Indeed, appearance is merely a superficial thing and does not represent a person’s character. He had been too fixated on it.
But Xie Zichen did not deny that he was indeed captivated by Gu Fu. Since he had not come here to see her, he had no expectations of her.
Unexpectedly, Gu Fu’s “fragmented makeup” was intricate but not chaotic, instead appearing extraordinarily luxurious and vibrant. Coupled with her calm demeanor despite being the center of attention, she exuded an indescribable grace and nobility.
It was as if she was born to be in the spotlight and had long since become accustomed to being the focal point of any gathering.
This strong self-confidence clashed with her identity as a young lady from an esteemed family, creating a novel sense of contrast.
Other girls, if stared at like this, would probably have been very uncomfortable, but she was unfazed, sipping tea and eating snacks. She even sampled some wine that was being warmed on the stove, moving with ease and comfort.
Xie Zichen also noticed that when Gu Fu drank the wine, many men in the pavilion followed suit and took a sip of their own wine.
However, Gu Fu only took one sip before stopping, which Xie Zichen thought was understandable. After all, that wine was the strongest brew from Zui Xian Lou, known as “Immortal’s Sigh,” and was indeed hard for a young lady to drink.
Xie Zichen continued watching Gu Fu, almost forgetting that he had come to see Tang Mumu.
But before he could find Tang Mumu in the women’s pavilion, a servant came to him, saying that the young master of the Earl of Lin’an’s mansion wished to speak with him privately.
Xie Zichen had no particular relationship with the young master of the Earl’s mansion, so he suspected that Tang Mumu wanted to see him in private. Thus, he rose from his seat and followed the servant out of the pavilion and into the Earl’s mansion garden.
The servants tending the flowers in the garden had already been dismissed. Xie Zichen also sent away his own servant, choosing to wait alone in silence.
In just a moment, footsteps came from behind the tree. Xie Zichen looked over expectantly, but to his disappointment, it wasn’t the person he had hoped for. Instead, it was Gu Fu, the second daughter of the Gu family, with whom he was soon to be betrothed.
Xie Zichen lowered his gaze, hiding his disappointment behind a calm demeanor. However, given that she was to be his future wife, he couldn’t afford to neglect her.
He spoke up, “Our marriage is not yet settled. Meeting in private like this might damage your reputation.”
Gu Fu, who had come to a stop in front of him, smiled and said, “I can’t help it. There are things I need to clarify with you before our engagement is finalized.”
It was the first time Xie Zichen heard Gu Fu’s voice. He found it clear and melodious, somewhat at odds with her made-up appearance, which reminded him of Tang Mumu.
Tang Mumu, with her charming makeup and coquettish demeanor, had once tried the pearl makeup in front of him, appearing dignified and elegant, perfectly matching the style. Perhaps liking someone means constantly comparing others to them and realizing no one else can measure up.
With a sense of resignation, Xie Zichen felt a bit more pity for Gu Fu, who could never compare to Tang Mumu. “Go ahead,” he said.
Gu Fu got straight to the point: “You have someone you love.”
Xie Zichen was stunned and looked up at her.
Gu Fu continued, “I don’t want my future husband to be unable to be faithful to me…”
So please, give up on the idea of getting engaged to me.
However, Xie Zichen didn’t wait for Gu Fu to finish. He assumed she was asking him to give up on Tang Mumu, which provoked a strong sense of resistance within him. He interrupted her, “If you marry me, you will be my wife. I would never do anything to wrong you. As for the fidelity you want…”
He stated firmly, “I can only say that who I love is not something I can control. But don’t worry, I won’t marry you and still keep in touch with her. She is like the moon in the sky, out of reach. If I marry and still seek her out, it would be an insult to her.”
As he spoke, a hint of pain flickered in Xie Zichen’s eyes. He and Tang Mumu were ultimately star-crossed lovers.
Immersed in his sorrow, Xie Zichen failed to notice Gu Fu’s expression.
Suddenly, with a loud thud, Xie Zichen was grabbed by the neck and slammed against a nearby tree trunk with such force that the sturdy trunk shook.
Pain shot through Xie Zichen’s back. He had no idea what had just happened, only feeling the tight grip around his neck, the pressure so intense that he could feel his pulse throbbing against the hold, and he feared his neck might be snapped.
The pain in his neck forced him to tilt his head back. He could only move his eyes to see Gu Fu, who was holding him with one hand and pinning him against the tree.
He looked helplessly at Gu Fu’s stunning face, staring into her cold eyes.
In his ears was Gu Fu’s slightly lowered, murderous voiceâ
“Feeling wronged, are you?”
Translator’s notes:
Xiehong (Chinese: ć红 ) is an ancient Chinese makeup style, which is vertical red marks drawn on either side of a womanâs eye corner. After the Tang dynasty, the shapes of Xiehong became more diverse. They are linear, patterned, curly, and crescent-shaped.
Mianye is a sub-category of Huadian, traditional Chinese ornamental forehead makeup that was also applied to other parts of the face. They were typically about 1 cm from each sides of the lips and were red in colour. During the prosperous period of the Tang dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the mianye was even placed up higher to the two sides of the nose.
Pearl makeup is a style of Huadian that became popular in the Song dynasty.
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