Chapter 7 describes Bo Ya and Zi Qi as having handsome appearances, but ruthless personalities...
Before entering the palace, Su Jinhe held Gu Xi's hand by the bedside, looking at her youngest daughter with pity.
She still remembered that Gu Xi was very lively and active when she was a child, but she was not as naughty as boys. Moreover, she was witty and quick-witted at a young age, which always made the people around her laugh. The whole Gu family loved her very much, and her brother Gu Xiao especially doted on this little sister.
When she was seven years old, her illness was diagnosed. At that time, Su Jinhe felt like the sky had fallen and cried all day long. Gu Xi, however, comforted her instead.
When she was eight years old, a heavy snowfall brought her back from the brink of death.
Over the years, she has been learning medicine from her master, and her health has gradually improved, but she has become more and more calm.
Apart from that, she never let herself worry about anything else. She was studious from a young age, and she always devoted herself to learning anything that interested her, especially during the years she was ill, when she became even more focused and dedicated. Now, she has mastered all the four arts of calligraphy and painting that those young ladies from noble families are proficient in, and in some aspects, she is even more outstanding than them.
If not... she should have been the most stunning and talented woman in the capital.
Who would have thought that after hiding for so many years, they would eventually end up in a place like the imperial palace?
It wasn't that she couldn't see that Xiao Che had feelings for her; Xiao Che's mother had also hinted at it several times. She always pretended not to understand the deeper meaning behind it, just so that she wouldn't have too much involvement with the royal family.
If she had known this would happen, she would have agreed to go in the first place. It would have been better than this situation. At least she would have known that Xiao Che would treat Xiao Xi sincerely.
Su Jinhe gently stroked Gu Xi's face and said, "My child, this time I'm going to the palace, and your mother won't be able to stay by your side anymore. You must take good care of yourself..."
Gu Xi comforted her, "Mother, don't worry. I've inquired and found out that if the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine don't choose me after I enter the palace, I can be sent home."
"Yes, Mother is waiting for you to come back..." Mother Gu said, wiping away her tears.
"Once you're in the palace, you must be careful in everything you do, and never stand out. I know you won't, but I still have to remind you..."
Gu Xi readily agreed, and Su Jinhe repeatedly reminded her to take care of her health. Gu Xi assured her again and again, and Zhu Yin also promised to take good care of Gu Xi. Only then did she gradually feel at ease.
Finally, Su Jinhe wanted to suggest that if all else failed, they could seek help from Xiao Che's mother, who would surely assist them out of consideration for the relationship between the two families. However, she held back her words. Since Gu Xi had entered the palace as a concubine, for the sake of the two children, they should not have too much involvement in the future.
"I understand, Mother. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"It's good that you know, it's good that you know..."
As Gu Xi listened to her mother's incessant chatter, she felt inexplicably sad. Suddenly, her nose stung, and she forced back her tears, then made an excuse to leave.
When Gu Xi stepped out of the room, the warm winter sun was high in the sky, and the snow was gradually melting. The sunlight shone through her fingers onto her face, but she could not feel any warmth.
*
Three days later.
This was the first time Gu Xi had ever been so close to the palace. In the past, she had only ever glanced at it from afar and had never examined it closely. The towering palace walls were inlaid with golden glazed tiles, which shone dazzlingly in the sunlight.
Gu Xi had originally planned to follow her brother in his military campaigns after mastering medical skills, practicing medicine and saving lives. In her spare time, she would teach poetry and music to the people on the border, making her life worthwhile. She thought that she could finally fulfill her wish after her brother's return this time, but who would have thought that an imperial decree would drag her into the confines of the palace walls.
The words "sent away from the palace" were merely meant to comfort her mother; she had a vague feeling that things might not go as she wished.
The palace gates slowly opened, and the creaking sound, to Gu Xi, was as heavy as a boulder falling to the ground, each thud striking her heart.
She recalled her conversation with her father the night before she entered the palace.
"Xi'er, no matter what, you must not easily restore your appearance. If that day ever comes, you must be very wary of the nobles in the palace."
"A noble person? Father is referring to the Emperor?"
Gu Chengzhong shook his head.
"Is that the Empress Dowager? Or the Imperial Concubine? Or the Consort Shu?" Gu Xi asked several people in a row, but her father remained silent.
"Father cannot tell you too much. Just remember what Father said." It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her, but knowing too much about certain things could be more dangerous. Even though she was usually calm and composed, she was still an unmarried girl. How could she possibly handle the power struggles in the court and the harem?
They only have one daughter, and their only wish is that he can live out his life peacefully.
Now, unexpectedly, he has entered the palace; it's truly a cruel twist of fate.
"My ladies, you must be tired from your journey. This is Chuxiu Garden. I am your instructor, Granny Kong." Granny Kong's words brought Gu Xi back to reality. "From today onwards, you ladies will learn palace etiquette and rules from me here."
The speaker was called Granny Kong. She looked to be in her early fifties. Her hair was neatly combed, her head was slightly raised, and her eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if she could see right through people.
Granny Kong glanced at the crowd and then said, "A month from now, the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine will summon all of you. What happens after that will depend on your fate."
"Yes, Granny Kong," the young ladies-in-waiting replied in unison.
Gu Xi was assigned to a corner room in the west wing. Because the room was too small, no other young ladies-in-waiting shared it with her. Gu Xi was very satisfied with this arrangement, otherwise her secret might have been easily exposed.
On the other side, Zhuyin and the other maids were arranged to live in a room in the east courtyard, which was quite far from Gu Xi's room. Zhuyin was sad about this for a long time.
"Sister, what do you think the Emperor looks like?" During a break, Chen Wan'er, a young lady sitting next to Gu Xi, asked.
Chen Wan'er was the daughter of Chen Dexing, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. She was very straightforward and frank, and in just one day, she became familiar with everyone.
"Gu Xi doesn't know." She shook her head.
Gu Xi knew little about this emperor, and her father never spoke of him much in front of her. Over the years, she had traveled between the capital and Medicine King Valley, hearing all sorts of rumors. Some said he was handsome but ruthless, and some even said he... had murdered his father and brother. Although rumors shouldn't be taken at face value, she knew that anyone who could ultimately ascend the throne amidst the princes' struggles was no ordinary person.
Although Gu Xi was curious about how these rumors spread outside the capital, she dared not inquire further. It was impossible for the emperor to have spread them himself; it must have been spread by someone else with ulterior motives. In that case, what she found out could not be the truth.
"Aren't you curious?" Chen Wan'er continued to ask.
Gu Xi simply smiled and did not reply.
It wasn't that she wasn't curious, but if she casually discussed the Emperor's affairs in the palace, she feared she would get into trouble for what she said. She had promised her mother that she would be careful with her words.
Besides, now that she has entered the palace, she will eventually find out what kind of person the emperor is. What she learns from others may not be true.
Seeing that Gu Xi seemed unwilling to continue the topic, Chen Wan'er didn't ask any further questions.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Every morning, Gu Xi followed her nanny to learn palace etiquette, and in the afternoon, she learned music, calligraphy, painting, embroidery, chess, and other skills. These were actually skills that most daughters of officials in the capital had learned at home since childhood. According to Nanny Kong, these were all things she would use to please the Emperor in the future.
From the moment Gu Xi stepped into the palace, she had already decided that she must keep a low profile no matter what. If she could leave the palace, that would be ideal. If not, she absolutely could not become the target of public criticism and cause herself unnecessary trouble.
Therefore, Gu Xi always showed mediocre talent during the teaching process, just like her reputation outside.
"How did she get selected with her looks and qualifications?"
"It must have been a bribe to the artist. I heard that as long as you pay, even an ugly duckling can be painted into a celestial being..."
"Really?"
"Isn't this perfect? She definitely won't get elected like this..."
At first, Gu Xi could always hear various voices talking about her behind her back, but she didn't care at all. On the contrary, she felt that what they said made sense, and that someone like her would definitely not be selected.
Later, the other young women felt she posed no threat and stopped paying much attention to her. The old woman, who had initially shaken her head and sighed, gradually began to ignore her existence altogether.
All of this suited her perfectly, but it also brought her a problem: she could not play her favorite pieces of music as she pleased. Since entering the palace, she had not played a piece of music to her heart's content for a long time.
It is no secret in the capital that the current emperor is fond of music, so all the young ladies who have entered the palace are skilled in playing the zither, and they love to meet and play the zither in their spare time.
At times like these, Gu Xi longed to join in, not for any other reason than to find a kindred spirit within these palace walls. But now, she could only be a complete listener.
*
Feeling troubled at night, Gu Xi went for a walk near Chuxiu Garden alone after dinner.
To the north of Chuxiu Garden, there is a large lotus pond. It is early spring now, and the withered lotus leaves from winter have quietly sprouted new buds, which look particularly crystal clear under the moonlight.
Beside the lotus pond stands a pavilion, with several benches quietly leaning against the carved wooden railings around it. The benches are covered in dust, indicating that no one has been here for a long time.
Gu Xi thought so too. At this time of year, no one should come here, so she found a place to sit down in the pavilion without worry.
She sat on the steps of the pavilion, her head resting against the beam, immersed in the night view of the lotus pond before her, enjoying this rare tranquility.
In the following days, after everyone went back to their rooms to sleep, Gu Xi would quietly come to Bihe Garden alone.
After observing for a few days, she noticed that even the palace maids who usually swept and cleaned never came to this place. So tonight, she mustered her courage and secretly brought her zither to the pavilion in Bihe Garden. Just to be on the safe side, she covered her face with a veil so that if she were accidentally seen, she wouldn't be recognized.
That night, she played with great enthusiasm and enjoyment. A gentle breeze blew, stirring up the dust on the ground and dispelling the gloom in Gu Xi's heart.
A few days later, Gu Xi saw that no one in the palace was talking about playing music at night, and she was finally able to relax completely.
Today, she found a musical score in the library of Chuxiu Garden. The score recorded pieces left by famous musicians, which she often played. However, she had never seen the last piece before.
This piece was written on the last page of the score, without a name, and the handwriting was different from the other pieces, as if it was copied on later.
As Gu Xi thought about the piece, her hands unconsciously began to play. Although it was a piece she had never played before, for some reason it felt very familiar.
Just as the music was reaching its climax, a flute suddenly sounded, and it turned out to be the same piece she was playing!
Gu Xi was so startled that she stopped playing the strings, and the other person also stopped playing.
She came across this piece by chance; she had never heard anyone play it before. Could the person playing the flute be the composer? Or had they also happened to have seen this piece before, just like her?
Gu Xi was worried about being discovered and was about to leave when she suddenly heard the person playing the flute again.
The man played the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute) exceptionally well. Through the vast darkness of the night, Gu Xi seemed to see the xiao player bathed in silver light, standing under the moonlight, leisurely playing his flute.
She couldn't help but recall the poem: "On the night of the bright moon over the Twenty-Four Bridges, where is the jade maiden teaching the flute?"
After the piece ended, Gu Xiyin waited quietly in the shadows for a long time, but no one came. So she mustered her courage and continued to play. As soon as the music started, the person played a duet with her in perfect harmony.
The clear and melodious sound of the zither and the long and drawn-out sound of the xiao (vertical flute) blend together like two wisps of smoke swirling in the twilight, making even the treetops dance with them, immersing the listener in the music.
The two played several more pieces together, all of which Gu Xi greatly enjoyed.
In the following days, Gu Xi would bring her zither to Bihe Garden every night, and the man seemed to be waiting for her in the distance every day. Whenever she played the zither, he would respond with his xiao (a type of vertical flute).
People admire the friendship between Bo Ya and Zi Qi, who found kindred spirits in each other. Now, she seems to have met such a kindred spirit as well. After a few days, she feels as if this stranger is a long-time friend.
She even thought, wouldn't it be wonderful if she could have the chance to meet him someday?
Thus, life in the palace seemed to begin to hold promise.
A note from the author:
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They've entered the palace! They've entered the palace! It's a pity the male lead's reputation is better off gone. [laughing and crying with facepalm]
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