Stepping out of the courtyard, when she saw that no one was around, Pei Yun let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had thought that today would be a disaster, but to her surprise, she had escaped unharmed.
She looked at Gu Jiu.
Gu guniang hadn’t fully matured, but it was clear that she would be a beautiful woman. From the way she walked, her body seemed weak, but she wasn’t frail enough to be called a sickly person.
Could it be that she had suffered at home?
Otherwise, if she had loving parents, how could she have earned such a reputation as a sickly person?
‘Sickly person’—just those two simple words were full of malice for a young girl.
When it came time for matchmaking, if people heard she was a sickly person, who would want to take a second look?
They were already far from the courtyard.
Gu Jiu turned around and looked at Pei Yun. “Pei guniang, where is your maid? Would you like me to send someone to find her?”
During the walk, Gu Jiu had been mostly silent, leading Pei Yun along a secluded path. The route she chose was relatively remote, and they hadn’t encountered many people, which made Pei Yun feel more at ease.
She didn’t want anyone to know she had appeared at the general’s fu. Also, she couldn’t be sure that there wasn’t someone at the banquet today who recognised her.
If one or two people recognised her and saw her at the general’s fu, and if they spread the word, it could bring trouble to her father. She might even be reprimanded by the Emperor.
Hearing Gu Jiu’s question, Pei Yun glanced at her. “Gu guniang, thank you for today. My maid is not far ahead. I’ll go to her myself.”
Gu Jiu smiled faintly. “Then I’ll leave you here. Pei guniang, take care.”
Pei Yun nodded slightly and looked at Jiang Yan. “Gu guniang, I have a few words that I’m not sure whether I should say.”
Gu Jiu smiled and took a few steps away, distancing herself from her maids.
Pei Yun followed her, keeping a good distance from the maids so that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard.
Gu Jiu turned around and said, “Pei guniang, if you have something to say, feel free.”
Pei Yun hesitated, then spoke. “Please forgive me for being so direct, but that maid of yours, her appearance is truly striking. It might not be appropriate to keep her by your side. If I’ve said something wrong, please forgive me. I just couldn’t bear to see you deceived, as I’ve seen many such situations before. That’s why I couldn’t help but remind you.”
Gu Jiu laughed. Pei Yun was quite straightforward.
She said, “Thank you, Pei guniang, for your kind reminder. As for Jiang Yan, I know she’s striking and not content with mediocrity. She has ambition, and I’m aware of it.”
Pei Yun was surprised. “If you know this, why does Gu guniang still keep her by your side?”
Gu Jiu smiled and simply said, “I know she wants to rise, and I’m willing to give her a chance. I want to see how high she can climb.”
Pei Yun looked thoughtful.
Gu Jiu looked a bit embarrassed. “Do you think my idea is a little whimsical?”
Pei Yun shook her head. “No, I admire Gu guniang. You’re willing to give her a chance, which is truly remarkable.”
Most people wouldn’t do what Gu Jiu had done, giving an ambitious maid the chance to rise. The general perspective was that a maid unwilling to be mediocre was considered restless and represented her betrayal; she would definitely be sold.
After a pause, Pei Yun lowered her voice and said, “In the middle of next month, Lu hou will send a group of beauties to the capital to present them to honour the Emperor. If Gu guniang wants to send your maid, you can go to this place and speak to the manager. Just mention that I recommended her.”
Gu Jiu was surprised, not expecting that Pei Yun not only understood her intentions but also created an opportunity for her.
“Pei guniang, you…”
Pei Yun smiled. “Gu guniang has been so considerate toward me, taking a secluded path so no one would notice me. I’m very grateful. I think you must have guessed my true identity. I’m not a relative of Lu hou. I’m his daughter.”
Gu Jiu blinked. She wasn’t sure whether to be shocked or to admit that she had already guessed Pei Yun’s identity.
Seeing Gu Jiu’s puzzled look, Pei Yun laughed, full of kindness. “Gu guniang, you’re so beautiful.”
Gu Jiu, for once, felt a bit embarrassed. “Pei guniang, you’re also beautiful.”
“Can I call you meimei?” Pei Yun asked with a smile.
Gu Jiu’s eyes curved into a smile as she called out, “Pei jiejie.”
“Gu meimei,” Pei Yun replied, laughing openly. “Gu meimei, as for your maid, you should either send her away soon or send her to the capital, letting her compete for a life of wealth.”
“Thank you for the reminder, jiejie. I will consider it carefully.”
Pei Yun waved her hand. “Goodbye, meimei!”
“Goodbye!”
Pei Yun walked quickly, disappearing around a corner.
Gu Jiu turned back and said to the maids, “Forget about today’s events. You’ve never seen Pei guniang. Do you understand?”
“Understood.”
Qing Zhu, Xiao Cui, and Jiang Yan were no fools. Although they hadn’t seen Pei guniang being drugged, they had guessed a bit. This matter likely involved Xie shi and they all knew the potential consequences. They naturally wouldn’t speak carelessly.
Qing Mei came to Gu Jiu’s side. “Guniang, will there be trouble at taitai‘s side?”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Keep an eye on Ping mama beside taitai.”
“Yes, guniang.”
Ping mama was usually inconspicuous in the house, but this time, she was sent by Xie shi. It seemed that Ping mama was someone very important to Xie shi.
Gu Jiu didn’t continue walking around.
She led her maids back to the banquet.
The guniang from different families were gathered in small groups of twos and threes, all carefully dressed and chatting happily among the flowers in the garden, creating a peaceful and joyful scene.
There were fruits, snacks, and tea on the table.
Gu Jiu sat down and casually tried a piece of pastry.
Hmm, the red bean cake was very good. It was sweet but not greasy, with a crispy outer layer and a soft, chewy inside.
Gu Jiu picked up a grape, peeled it, and popped it into her mouth.
Ah, it was so delicious.
The sweet grape made Gu Jiu’s face light up with satisfaction.
“Guniang, tea.”
Qing Mei brought over a cup of tea.
Gu Jiu took a sip, moistening her lips.
The banquet hosted by the Governor’s wife was well-organised, with excellent food and drink.
Gu Jiu picked up another grape, planning to savour it slowly.
Suddenly, “Ah…”
The scream was so loud it almost ruptured her eardrums.
Qing Mei, who was holding the teacup, was startled by the scream. Her hand trembled, almost spilling the tea.
Everyone turned toward the direction of the scream.
No wonder the scream sounded familiar.
Gu Jiu was curious why Gu Zhen screamed so loudly, especially in such a setting.
“Ah… Ah… There’s a bug on me…”
Gu Zhen jumped up from her seat, her movements so exaggerated that the tea cup and pot both fell to the ground, spilling tea everywhere, most of it splashing onto her skirt.
“Guniang, the bug has been caught, look.”
A maid dressed in the clothes of their fu’s servants held up a plump green caterpillar in front of Gu Zhen.
“Ah… Take it away, quickly take it away…”
Gu Zhen was so frightened she couldn’t care about her image and just wanted to escape the terror of the caterpillar.
“Guniang, be careful, watch your step.”
As soon as the maid spoke,
Bang!
Gu Zhen slipped and fell flat on her back.
Plop!
Many people covered their mouths and laughed quietly.
Gu Zhen was confused at first, but then she realised what had happened.
Her eyes swept over everyone’s faces.
It felt as if everyone was laughing at her, gossiping about her. She felt like a clown, made to amuse others.
“Wow…”
Gu Zhen couldn’t take the humiliation and started crying, covering her mouth.
The maid who had caught the caterpillar quietly stepped back into the crowd, bowing her head and standing behind wu guniang Gu Lin.
Gu Lin looked at Gu Zhen, trying hard to suppress her laughter, but her eyes revealed clear schadenfreude.
Gu Jiu, witnessing the scene, couldn’t help but think,
She never expected that it was actually a maid from wu meimei’s side who had helped da jiejie catch the caterpillar.
Where did Gu Zhen’s maid go?
Had no one noticed the caterpillar crawling on her in the beginning?
“Guniang? Guniang, what’s wrong?”
Finally, Gu Zhen’s maid appeared, her skirt wet, looking as though she had just cleaned something.
Gu Jiu quietly asked Qing Mei, “The maid behind wu guniang, the one with the unfamiliar face. Do you recognise her?”
“Ah?” Qing Mei suddenly remembered, “Replying to guniang, nubi just remembered. Her name is Cui Liu, a close maid of Bai yiniang. Nubi isn’t sure how she ended up serving wu guniang.”
So she was a close maid of Bai yiniang. Gu Jiu finally understood.
Now everything made sense.
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