Inside the side chamber, Gu Yue lay on the bed, sobbing sorrowfully.
Gu Shan entered and first asked the maid attending to Gu Yue, “Why is san jiejie crying all of a sudden?”
The maid, Putao, replied, “San guniang was fine at first after arriving here, but then she suddenly started crying. Nubi tried to comfort her for a long time, but nothing worked.”
Gu Zhen commented, “Could it be because she’s drunk? I’ve heard that some people become rowdy when they drink, while others grow silent. Maybe san meimei just needs to cry it out when she gets drunk.”
Gu Shan frowned and sat down by the bed.
“San jiejie, please stop crying, okay?”
Instead of helping, her words only made Gu Yue cry even harder.
Gu Shan hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on Gu Yue’s back and gently patting her. “San jieije, if something is bothering you, just tell me. I’ll help you.”
Gu Yue, still lying on the bed, mumbled, “Help me? How can you help me? Can you turn back time? Can you make the girls from the hou fu pay attention to me instead of Gu Jiu?”
Gu Shan frowned—so this was all because of jealousy.
Gu Zhen smiled knowingly. She had expected Gu Yue to be upset, and indeed, she was.
Gu Shan tried to console her. “San jiejie, this is the hou fu. If you have anything to say, let’s talk about it when we get home, okay?”
“Leave me alone! Just let me cry properly.”
Gu Shan grew worried. “San jiejie, if someone from the hou fu sees you like this, who knows what kind of rumours will spread? Please, stop crying. I’ll have a maid bring warm water so you can freshen up.”
“You’re so annoying, si meimei! You won’t even let me cry! Why do you always have to meddle in my business?”
Gu Yue snapped, losing her temper at Gu Shan.
Gu Shan took a deep breath, suppressing her irritation before saying, “Mother told me to watch over you. She’s worried about you.”
Gu Yue’s sobbing suddenly stopped.
She lifted her tear-streaked face and looked at Gu Shan with misty eyes. “Mother really sent you?”
Gu Shan nodded. “Mother is currently speaking with lao furen and can’t leave. When she heard you were crying, she told me to come and check on you.”
Gu Yue bit her lip, her expression complicated.
A handkerchief appeared in front of her.
Gu Shan said, “San jiejie, wipe your tears. Putao, go fetch a basin of warm water.”
Putao, obeyed and left to get warm water.
Gu Yue snatched the handkerchief and roughly wiped away her tears.
She had carefully dressed up today, but now her makeup was ruined.
Frustrated, she asked, “Si meimei, do I look awful right now?”
Gu Shan shook her head. “No. Once you wash your face, I’ll have someone redo your makeup.”
Gu Yue gritted her teeth. “I just knew it—I must look terrible.”
She sat up in bed and finally noticed Gu Zhen’s presence.
“Why is da jiejie here too?”
Gu Zhen replied, “I was worried about you, so I came to check on you.”
Gu Yue snorted. “How considerate of you, da jiejie.”
Though the words sounded like gratitude, the way Gu Yue said them was sharp and sarcastic, as if she was hard to please.
Gu Zhen smiled awkwardly. “As long as you’re fine, that’s what matters.”
Soon, Putao returned with warm water.
Gu Yue washed up and had her makeup redone.
She then said to Gu Shan, “Si meimei, I’m fine now. Let someone inform Mother so she doesn’t keep worrying about me.”
Seeing that Gu Yue had calmed down, Gu Shan felt relieved and left to inform their mother.
Gu Zhen stayed with Gu Yue.
Looking at Gu Zhen through the mirror, Gu Yue asked, “Da jiejie, have you taken care of what I asked you to do?”
Gu Zhen nodded. “Don’t worry, san meimei. It’s all been arranged. Soon, everyone in the hou fu will hear that Gu Jiu is a sickly girl.”
Gu Yue immediately smiled, her expression full of satisfaction.
“Once the entire capital knows er jiejie is sickly, I want to see how she’ll manage to get married.”
Gu Zhen added, “San meimei, don’t worry. No matter how capable er meimei is, she can’t compare to you.”
Gu Yue scoffed. “What makes you think Gu Jiu is more capable than me? The only reason everyone in the hou fu is paying attention to her is that she’s the daughter of the main wife. Is being the di daughter really such a big deal? Once people find out she’s weak and sickly, let’s see if they still hold her in such high regard.”
It was clear now.
Gu Yue was jealous that Gu Jiu received more attention in the hou fu.
So she schemed to spread rumours about Gu Jiu’s health, hoping to ruin her reputation and prevent her from securing a good marriage.
Gu Zhen, eager to please Gu Yue—and by extension, their mother Xie shi—willingly carried out the plan.
Gu Zhen reassured her, “Er meimei is naturally not as capable as you. She’s only being noticed because she’s the main wife’s daughter.”
Gu Yue nodded repeatedly. “Da jiejie is right. But even if she’s being favoured now, I will drag her down from that pedestal.”
Among all the sisters, she had to be the centre of attention.
She would never allow Gu Jiu to steal the spotlight that rightfully belonged to her. Nor would she allow Gu Jiu to marry better than her.
Just thinking about how lao furen of the hou fu treated Gu Jiu with such fondness while being indifferent to her made Gu Yue burn with jealousy.
Gu Jiu, who had always been inferior to her, had no right to stand above her, let alone receive more attention than she did.
She cursed in her heart—everyone in the capital must be blind!
The northwest was better.
Back in the northwest, she was always the one everyone admired.
Gu Shan entered from outside and casually asked, “What were you talking about?”
Gu Zhen quickly denied, “Nothing much. I was just comforting san meimei.”
Gu Shan said, “San jiejie, you really should try to think more openly. This is the hou fu, not our own home. If your words and actions are inappropriate, it could lead to gossip.”
Gu Yue murmured in complaint, “The hou fu doesn’t value us, so why should I be so cautious?”
“You can’t think that way. Regardless of whether we are valued or not, we should always be mindful of our words and actions. San jiejie, don’t forget the saying—disaster comes from the mouth. If you act inappropriately, how do you think the hou fu will view you?”
Gu Shan spoke earnestly.
But Gu Yue didn’t listen. “Alright, alright. You always have a bunch of grand principles to lecture me with—my ears are getting calluses. Aren’t you tired of this?”
Gu Shan felt embarrassed and a little wronged.
She said, “I was only thinking for your sake, yet you don’t appreciate it.”
Gu Yue secretly found her annoying, but the next moment, she put on a warm expression and took Gu Shan’s hand. “Si meimei, don’t be mad at me. You know how I am—I don’t always mean what I say. Don’t take it to heart.”
Gu Shan pulled her hand away. “I understand. San jiejie, do you want to continue resting here, or do you want to come with me to the Flower Pavillion? Everyone is there, having fun.”
Gu Yue thought for a moment. “I’ll go with you to the Flower Pavillion. I’ve sobered up, and I shouldn’t stay in the side room for too long. This is a rare opportunity—I should get closer to the hou fu’s young ladies.”
Gu Shan nodded.
Once Gu Yue had freshened up and changed into a pink dress, the three of them headed to the Flower Pavillion together.
Inside the hall, everyone was enjoying pastries, sipping tea, and chatting.
Laughter rang out from a distance.
Gu Yue led the way into the Flower Pavillion and asked, “Sisters, what are you laughing about? I could hear it from afar.”
“Yue meimei, you’re here. Are you feeling better?”
Gu Mei stepped forward to greet her.
Gu Yue smiled and nodded. “Thank you for your concern, Mei jiejie. I’m much better now. Seeing you all so happy makes me happy too.”
“Come, sit down, Yue meimei. Zhen meimei, Shan meimei, you too. We were just talking about Er meimei’s blunder from last month.”
The “er meimei” Gu Mei referred to was Gu Qi, the di daughter of the hou fu’s second branch.
Last month, Gu Qi had made a social visit, but she mistook someone for another and caused a commotion.
Every time the incident was brought up, everyone had a good laugh.
Gu Qi had mild face blindness. She could recognise familiar people, but for those she had only met once or twice, she had trouble remembering.
Mistaking people led to some funny situations, and now everyone was teasing her about it.
Gu Qi laughed. “Alright, alright, stop teasing me. Xiao Jiu meimei, why don’t you tell us about the northwest? I’ve never been there. Is it an interesting place?”
Gu Yue cleared her throat and interrupted, “Qi jiejie, if you want to know about the northwest, asking er jiejie isn’t the best choice. She’s been sick for years and rarely went out. She probably doesn’t even know what the northwest looks like. But I’m different—I often accompanied Mother outside, and I know everything about the northwest.”
The air in the Flower Pavillion suddenly turned silent, so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.
Everyone exchanged glances—what was going on?
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Yue with a half-smile. “San meimei has recovered—that’s something worth celebrating. Sisters, please don’t be surprised. What she said is true. The northwest is bitterly cold, and I couldn’t adapt to the weather or food, so I was often on medication.
“Taitai cares for me and tries not to let me go out too often, lest I catch the wind and swallow sand, making me sick again. For example, last year, when the Prefect of Hezhong’s wife invited me to a banquet, I attended but ended up falling into the water and was ill for half a year.
“My body has always been weak, and I can’t endure hardship, so I often need medicinal treatments. People outside, unaware of the truth, spread rumours that I’ve been a sickly child since birth, always steeped in medicine. They even claim my lifespan is limited and that I won’t live for many more years.
“But I have still grown up safely, thanks to my father and taitai. Of course, those people aren’t entirely wrong. I do take herbal medicine regularly to maintain my health, so if they call me sickly, I won’t deny it.”
Gu Yue was shocked—how could Gu Jiu just say such things so openly?
She exchanged a glance with Gu Zhen, both seeing the same astonishment in each other’s eyes.
Was Gu Jiu truly foolish, or did she genuinely not care? Didn’t she fear the reputation of being “sickly” spreading?
Gu Yue couldn’t understand Gu Jiu or figure out what she was thinking.
Whew!
The young ladies of the hou fu all let out a breath of relief.
They had been extremely tense, worried that Gu Jiu and Gu Yue would start arguing.
Gu Qin’s eyes darted around—so it seemed Gu Zhen wasn’t making things up after all.
Still, it was disgraceful of Gu Zhen to share such private matters so freely.
Gu Mei took Gu Jiu’s hand. “Xiao Jiu meimei has suffered.”
Gu Jiu chuckled softly. “Thank you for your concern, Mei jiejie. Fortunately, my health has been improving day by day. Even after such a long journey back to the capital, I didn’t fall ill.”
Gu Mei looked relieved. “Thank heavens your health is finally improving.”
Gu Jiu then turned to Gu Yue. “My san meimei is straightforward—she speaks whatever comes to mind, regardless of the occasion. I hope you all don’t take it to heart.”
Gu Yue was furious.
But she had been the one to start this conversation, and now she could only suffer in silence.
Gu Mei secretly smirked and said to Gu Jiu, “We don’t mind. Yue meimei’s straightforwardness is quite endearing.”
Gu Jiu laughed. “Sometimes my meimei is endearing, but other times, she can be quite worrisome. On our way here, I even heard taitai repeatedly reminding her not to speak carelessly in the hou fu. But after just a few cups of wine, she threw all of taitai’s warnings out of her mind.
“Please don’t misunderstand—my san meimei has no ill intentions. She tells everyone about my poor health only because she worries. She fears others might not know about my condition and might accidentally treat me roughly, worsening my illness. So, she speaks up as a precaution.
“San meimei, I truly appreciate your concern. But you don’t need to trouble yourself anymore. My health is much better now—taitai knows this best. The steward of the medicinal storeroom has surely already reported to taitai. My maids have hardly gone there to collect medicine lately.”
Gu Yue was left speechless.
So this was why Gu Jiu had so readily admitted to being sickly—she had been waiting for this moment!
The young ladies of the hou fu were all stifling their laughter.
Gu Yue’s plan had completely backfired. She had tried to humiliate Gu Jiu but had lifted the rock and smashed her own foot1.
Gu Jiu meimei was truly formidable. With just a few words, she had utterly crushed Gu Yue—it was truly satisfying.
Gu Zhen hid behind the others, feeling guilty and embarrassed.
Gu Shan sighed inwardly—san jiejie just never learned her lesson.
Did she really think she could humiliate er jiejie so easily? Did she believe that merely calling her “sickly” would be enough to defeat her? What a joke.
Back in the northwest, er jiejie had never been afraid. Now that she was back in the capital, with the support of da bomu and lao furen of the hou fu, she had even less reason to be afraid.
Gu Lin pursed her lips in amusement, secretly enjoying the spectacle.
Seeing Gu Yue get embarrassed—what a delight.
So humiliating, utterly humiliating.
Gu Yue fumed. On the surface, Gu Jiu was defending her, but in reality, every word she spoke was calling her a fool, and yet she had no way to refute it.
She glared at Gu Jiu and lowered her voice in anger. “You’re going too far.”
“Mhm, you’re right.” Gu Jiu nodded slightly, looking completely composed.
Gu Yue nearly spat blood.
Gu Jiu actually admitted it—admitted that she was going too far. But instead of feeling satisfied, Gu Yue only felt her rage boiling over.
Gu Shan had no choice but to step in, gently tugging at Gu Yue’s sleeve. “San jiejie, you’re still recovering. Have some tea.”
Gu Yue was jolted back to her senses.
She looked around at the others in the room, feeling deeply humiliated but knowing she couldn’t back down.
So, she composed herself and put on a pitiful expression. “I didn’t know er jiejie’s health had already improved. It’s my fault for not keeping up with her condition—I truly deserve to be punished.”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and smiled—Gu Yue’s acting was quite good.
She had always known that Xie shi’s carefully raised daughter couldn’t be a simple fool.
In the end, it was just that Gu Yue had become too accustomed to a smooth-sailing life and had forgotten to think before speaking or acting. Or perhaps she was simply too lazy to think at all.
Gu Jiu said to Gu Yue, “I don’t blame you, san meimei. You’re always busy with so many things—food, drinks, clothes, accessories—there’s so much to manage. It’s understandable that you wouldn’t have noticed my condition.”
Gu Shan was displeased.
Gu Jiu’s words clearly implied that Gu Yue was a shallow person who only cared about trivial matters and never paid attention to anything important.
Gu Shan hadn’t forgotten Xie shi’s instructions—she had to help Gu Yue.
So, Gu Shan spoke up. “Thank you, er jiejie, for being so understanding. San jiejie is indeed learning how to manage the household now. Every day, she’s occupied with countless matters—not just food, drinks, clothes, and accessories. These daily responsibilities take up so much of her time that she’s often exhausted. I feel sorry just watching her.”
Gu Jiu gave Gu Shan a half-smile.
She had to give Gu Shan credit. In terms of quick thinking and adaptability, Gu Shan was leagues ahead of Gu Yue—by at least twenty streets.
But unfortunately, Gu Shan had overlooked one thing—there was an honest person in the room.
Gu Lin suddenly spoke up. “But we just returned to the capital. Taitai hasn’t started managing the household yet, so how could san jiejie be managing it? And in the northwest, I never saw her managing anything either. Was she doing it at night?”
Pfft!
Someone couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.
Gu Shan turned red with embarrassment.
But Gu Yue was even more mortified. She turned all her anger on Gu Shan. “Who told you to speak nonsense and drag me into a joke?”
Gu Shan felt wronged—she had only been trying to help Gu Yue. How could she have known that Gu Lin would be so brutally honest?
- Wanting to hurt others but hurting oneself. ↩︎
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