Chapter 33 Phoenix Perches on Green Wutong Tree (Part Two) Waiting for the locust tree tips to settle, peonies adorn the temples…
Drawing eyebrows was just a casual thing for Guo Jia, since he didn't have time to practice at the incense shop anyway. There was a maidservant by his side whose eyebrows resembled Deng Jie's in some ways, making her a perfect model.
His mind was entirely focused on the Lu Hong case and his planned secret ceremony with his wife, completely unaware that his unintentional actions had quietly stirred up trouble in the backyard of the Sikong Mansion.
"Have you heard? The Chief Priest actually drew eyebrows for Qingwu!"
"Look, look! They're so careful, they're getting really close!"
"I have never seen the Grand Master so close to any woman other than his wife. Qingwu, the Grand Master must have taken a liking to you!"
The maid named Qingwu was still savoring Guo Jia's earnest expression, feeling shy and hesitant. She dared not hope for anything more and weakly retorted, "Everyone knows that the Grand Master and his wife have a good relationship..."
"And you're right, they haven't had a child for many years, any man would think about taking a wife."
“That’s right. Given the relationship between the Chief Priest and the Minister of Works, the Minister of Works would definitely agree as long as he asks.”
"That's right, even if I can't be a concubine, being a personal maid would be better than staying here as a servant for the rest of my life..."
Qingwu didn't want to take these words seriously, but their envious eyes, confident tone, and the flutter in her heart caused by Guo Jia's focused gaze, plus a little selfish expectation, made her hope that Guo Jia would stop for her more often.
In the quiet of the night, she would secretly think:
Why would a person of such high status as the Grand Master of Ceremonies personally draw eyebrows for a lowly girl like me if it weren't for a deliberate act? Was it really just a coincidence? Or...?
With this restless thought in mind, she decided to try again tomorrow.
The next day, at almost the same time, she lingered near the same corridor as the day before, hesitating and waiting to see if she would have the same encounter again.
As expected, Guo Jia reappeared on his way out of the mansion.
He noticed Qingwu and waved to her with delight, "Didn't you do your eyebrows today either? Hmm, very good... Come here..."
As he spoke, he took out his pen and practiced for a while.
"Today", "also", "didn't draw eyebrows"...
"Very good," "Come on"...
Qingwu repeatedly pondered Guo Jiatong's words in her mind, wondering if it meant he was really paying attention to her, and if this was a special treatment reserved for her.
In fact, when Guo Jia was drawing her eyebrows, she caught a glimpse of the other maids in the corridor, but he deliberately chose her over all of them.
This chance encounter, which had become familiar before, caused the maids to become even more excited, and they all offered their congratulations to her in advance.
Qingwu stopped arguing and, after being persuaded by them, even she herself felt that there was some truth to what they said.
So Qingwu dressed up carefully every day thereafter, but kept her eyebrows light and unadorned.
She watched Guo Jia appear in various places in the Sikong Mansion, silently pondering the most appropriate time to appear.
In order to keep him a little longer, she even secretly prepared a plate of snacks and still appeared on the way out of the mansion where she could "bump into" him.
After getting to know each other better, Guo Jia, perhaps enjoying himself after official business, casually took a pastry and left after finishing his painting.
His seemingly casual act was seen by Qingwu and others as irrefutable evidence of his deep affection and unwavering devotion.
Everyone was just waiting to see when he would take Qingwu away.
Guo Jia's mole finally sent back crucial information from Nanyang: the so-called "Lu Ping" does exist, but tracing back further reveals that he has no relation to Lu Hong at all; he was bribed to falsify his place of origin!
As for those so-called "gift registers and invoices" from Jingzhou merchants, they were only briefly recorded under his name, and even he himself didn't know who actually got them.
Deng Jie learned mostly about the women of the inner palace, but from her observation, these people were deliberately avoiding her, the "Lady of the Imperial Sacrifices."
Guo Jia understood and comforted her, telling her there was no need to rush and that she should proceed step by step.
He quickly organized the irrefutable evidence he had obtained and presented it to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao was overjoyed and used these arguments to argue his case before the emperor.
Although Dong Cheng and others were intimidated by the irrefutable evidence and their momentum weakened slightly, they still clung to the points that the Office of the Directorate of Education had too much power and that Lu Hong's sensitive identity was prone to controversy. They repeatedly emphasized in the court the proposal to "abolish the Office of the Directorate of Education and establish new regulations".
Cao Cao was furious and almost lost his temper, but Xun Yu intervened and managed to reach a fragile compromise: the Office of Military Affairs would not be abolished for the time being, but a more secure way of controlling it was needed to prove that its core personnel were not uncontrollable "lone wolves".
Cao Cao's move was not out of fear of Dong Cheng's faction, but because he and Guo Jia were still unclear about Dong Cheng and his group's intentions. Both of them believed that they should lure out their ultimate goal before dealing with them together, so they tolerated Xun Yu's suggestion.
The power struggles and intrigues at court did not diminish Guo Jia's eagerness to surprise Deng Jie.
On this day, he successfully retrieved the wedding dress he had secretly ordered, and bought a pair of red candles and a gourd to take home.
While Deng Jie was still away from home, Huai Niang prepared a table of food and wine in the backyard. When no one was around by the stove, she secretly chopped up a gourd and excitedly took it back to her room to tie it with a red string.
Whenever Ayu and Huai Niang saw Guo Jia acting so suspiciously, they would naturally avoid him, afraid of disturbing the two of them.
Guo Jia then presented Deng Jie with the dark crimson robe he had meticulously prepared.
The gorgeous fabric shimmered slightly in the soft candlelight, with meticulously designed double-edged borders on the collar and cuffs. The subtly embroidered cloud patterns appeared and disappeared against the deep background, creating an effect that was both dignified and elegant, yet lively.
"What...what does this mean?" Deng Jie's eyes widened. In the past, although he had made clothes and given gifts to her, they were all ordinary styles, never this grand.
Guo Jia's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he took her hand and began to undress her.
"I always felt that the previous wedding procession was too simple, and it was Brother Yuanming who took care of it... I'm sorry to have wronged you."
As he spoke, he draped a dark crimson robe over Deng Jie's shoulders, saying, "Now that Jia has the ability to make up for Shuo Yi's regrets, why not relive the wedding ceremony once more?"
Deng Jie shyly pushed him away, "Then why bother spending so much money..." She glanced at her haggard face in her glasses, and touched her cheeks, "Besides, I don't deserve this dress in my current state..."
As if he had anticipated her words, Guo Jia proudly raised his head and said, "Then watch how your husband will dress you up so that you are worthy of him!"
He settled Deng Jie down at the dressing table, and then, with a clattering sound, he identified the items he needed from Deng Jie's perfume cabinet and laid them out on the table.
"When did you learn that?" Deng Jie couldn't help but ask as she watched him intently fiddling with her face powder and rouge.
Guo Jia chuckled, "I learned it without even realizing it."
Seeing his wife's slightly tired expression, he felt a stirring in his heart. He gently lifted her chin, moistened his fingertips, and carefully rubbed the lead powder onto her face.
After applying the powder, Guo Jia took out the inkstone and, holding a fine brush, gently and evenly drew delicate eyebrows for her.
Deng Jie could feel the coolness of the eyebrow pencil, as well as the warmth of his fingertips lightly brushing against his forehead.
He was so close, his breath brushing against her eyelids almost imperceptibly, carrying his familiar, cool scent.
She could even see his drooping, clearly defined eyelashes and the focused light in his eyes, shining only for her.
Even though Deng Jie was used to his usual unrestrained and unruly manner, his calm and focused demeanor at this moment stirred her heart again. After so many years of marriage, she actually felt the flutter of newlywed bliss.
Guo Jia painted very slowly and with utmost care.
He sketched out the arched eyebrows that he thought best suited Deng Jie's temperament, striving to accentuate her lively and elegant eyes.
He gently stroked his brow with his fingertips, wiping away a barely noticeable streaks of brow, and after examining it carefully for a moment, he relaxed his brow with satisfaction.
"How is it?" Guo Jia held up the bronze mirror for her, looking on with a hint of pride, waiting for her praise.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Deng Jie noticed that the delicate face powder had masked her previous weariness, and her carefully drawn eyebrows looked soft and relaxed.
"Fengxiao really has this skill!" She couldn't help but raise her hand and gently tap her eyebrows.
"Of course!" Guo Jia continued to apply rouge to her eyelids and cheeks with a smug look, and finally, he added a touch of crimson to her lips.
This gesture also smoothed out Guo Jia's own heart.
He paused, touched his lips slightly, then cupped Deng Jie's cheeks, his gaze fixed intently on her eyes.
The two of them were drawn closer to each other by the warm atmosphere.
After a long while, Guo Jia released his wife and laughed, sighing that her rouge was all smudged.
He took a lacquered wooden box from his sleeve and handed it to Deng Jie, saying, "Open it and take a look."
A pair of jade discs lay quietly in the box, their luster understated. Though not priceless, they were clearly carefully selected fine pieces.
"Brother Yuanming arranged the betrothal ceremony back then, which was quite embarrassing..." Guo Jia took out a jade disc and tied it with a red string, "Let's just consider it a small supplement to the formality."
As he spoke, he tied the jade disc to Deng Jie's waist.
"What nonsense about tonics, we're family now..." Deng Jie's gaze softened as he strung a jade disc around Guo Jia's waist.
"Even family members should show manners." Guo Jia smiled and held her hand. "This is Jia's sentiment and a promise, which cannot be changed."
A warm feeling welled up in Deng Jie's heart. She intertwined her fingers with his and nodded gently: "Okay."
“Come here,” Guo Jia said, taking her hand and turning his gaze toward the backyard. “There’s one last step.”
Deng Jie glanced at the wine and dishes on the table, as well as the two gourd ladles, and couldn't help but chuckle, "Why are we drinking nuptial wine again?"
This is the third time, including this one! Who drinks the nuptial wine endlessly during a wedding ceremony?!
Guo Jia picked up the pair of gourd ladles, filled them with sake, handed half to Deng Jie, and kept the other half for himself. "Why not? With you, I can never drink enough."
To spend a lifetime in blissful newlywed bliss, growing old together—that would be the fulfillment Jia desired in her life.
After drinking the nuptial wine, Guo Jia filled the lacquered cup again and coaxed Deng Jie to drink more.
"I'll only drink this one cup. I won't listen to your lies today." Seeing his ill intentions, Deng Jie swallowed quickly and gave him a heads-up.
Guo Jia laughed heartily, "Of course, I don't want you to get drunk either. A little bit of hazy drunkenness is the most beautiful." As he spoke, he first downed two cups of wine for himself.
"What..." Deng Jie blushed, and before he could finish speaking, Guo Jia stopped him.
The wine choked her throat, causing Deng Jie to cough involuntarily. But then she saw Guo Jia raise a triumphant smile and affectionately embrace her flushed face.
The exquisite wine under the eaves was dazzling. When Deng Jie tried to escape while Guo Jia was catching his breath, he hadn't even taken two steps before Guo Jia lifted him up onto the locust tree.
Guo Jia bent down and casually picked a beautifully blooming peony, tucking it behind her ear. "The flower is so lovely, it perfectly complements your beauty..."
As she spoke, she removed Deng Jie's silk stockings, revealing her snow-white insteps, which shone brightly in the moonlight.
"This, this is the courtyard...!" Deng Jie looked at the bright moon and sky and couldn't help but shrink back. Thinking that the sound of his silver bells had been overheard, he immediately wanted to run away.
Guo Jia ignored her, knowing that she was slightly drunk and weak but still sober, so he deliberately tickled her, making her want to laugh but not daring to, her face turning red.
Once the locust tree branches had settled, peony petals scattered on the ground behind her temples.
Deng Jie, holding onto his clothes, jumped down from the tree trunk and dragged his heavy steps back to his room.
"Today was ridiculous enough..." she gasped weakly, wiping away her sweat.
"What absurdity? There was no daytime incident, nor was it any lewd behavior. Could it be that you, Madam, have also been influenced by Chen Changwen's 'unseemly behavior'?"
Guo Jia reluctantly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, saying, "That won't do. Jia must teach Madam what 'natural law' means."
Deng Jie gasped and covered his mouth as he was laid down on the bluestone slab beside the hot spring. The cold stone made Deng Jie's back stiffen. "Slow down, slow down, it's hurting me..."
Guo Jia took off his outer robe and used it as a cushion for her, asking, "Is this better?"
He ignored the shy tears in Deng Jie's eyes and let her hit him.
As the hot spring steamed and began to heat up, Guo Jia scooped up water with his hands to wash the mud off her feet. "You complained about being dirty before, but you still ran around barefoot. Now let me help you wash them."
"I... I can do it myself..." Deng Jie propped herself up, shyly pushed Guo Jia away, avoiding his gaze, dipped her feet into the pool water and splashed around a few times, then bent down to pick up his outer robe and wrapped it around herself before stepping onto the corridor outside the bedroom.
Guo Jia casually tossed some water to wash his hands, but his eyes remained focused on his wife's movements.
Seeing that she wanted to go back alone, she immediately stood up and grabbed her: "How can it end like this? It's too early..."
With a gentle tug, he pulled the weak-kneed Deng Jie back into his arms, and lifted her up. "Since you just washed, you can't get it dirty again. Let Jia do it for you." His lips were full of barely suppressed smiles.
Deng Jie sobbed and complained to him that he wouldn't stop, but she couldn't escape his clutches.
The red candles burned out, the moonlight streamed into the bed, and the room fell silent, leaving only a quiet and tender atmosphere between them. The two embraced, neck to neck, and drifted into a deep sleep.
This private wedding ceremony temporarily shielded Guo Jia from the intrigues of the court, bringing satisfaction and fulfillment to the two of them.
A note from the author:
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