Xu Jingzhou nodded and said, “That’s fine.”
Gu Yun said, “In a few more days, once I’ve determined the other party’s bottom line, I’ll ask him to get you out of Cining Temple, change your name, and start a new life.”
Xu Jingzhou replied, “There’s no rush. I’m actually living quite comfortably as a monk. Occasionally, I can even sneak out under the pretext of running errands and have a bit of meat on the sly. You must take care of your safety and absolutely don’t take risks. Worst comes to worst…” He glanced around to make sure Zhao He and the others were keeping their distance, then finished, “we’ll just leave. There’s always a way to get out safely.”
Gu Yun agreed.
Xu Jingzhou could not stay long. If those at Cining Temple did not see him return, they might assume something had happened and report it to the authorities. He took out a jade ornament and returned it to Gu Yun, saying, “I’ll bring you the rose dew next time we meet.”
Gu Yun said, “Chao Yan didn’t ask for it back, which means he doesn’t care about it anymore. It doesn’t matter. Just sell it.”
Hearing this, Xu Jingzhou put the jade ornament away and said, “I’ll still bring you the rose dew. It can’t be sold. I’ve found out that it’s a royal item.”
Gu Yun was startled, a look of guilt appearing on her face. “I…”
“There’s no need to apologise between us,” Xu Jingzhou said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen something like a royal item here; I thought it was just something ordinary.”
Gu Yun took his reassurance to heart, but became even more cautious, silently resolving that in future she must always ascertain the true value of anything she intended to sell and not rely on her own assumptions.
Xu Jingzhou left.
Li Lan, acting on the Crown Prince’s orders, was responsible for escorting Xu Jingzhou safely back to Cining Temple. If he needed assistance, he was to help.
…
Not long after Xu Jingzhou left, Zhao Xun arrived. The first thing she said was, “The pastries that Her Majesty asked me to bring you, may I eat two?”
Gu Yun smiled and said, “Of course.”
Zhao Xun grinned broadly, showing all her teeth. The surrounding palace maids chuckled softly and quickly covered their mouths. She opened the food box and took out the pastries.
They were an exquisitely made selection, each shaped like a begonia flower, emitting a faint sweet fragrance. Biting into one, the deep-fried layers were crisp and flaky, the centre soft and moist, with just the right level of sweetness and bits of fruit embedded within. It was very delicious.
Gu Yun had already finished the pastries he had previously taken from Consort Shu and had been missing them; now Consort Shu and Zhao Xun had truly come as timely help in need.
Gu Yun and Zhao Xun shared the plate, leaning back in their chairs, both satisfied.
Zhao Xun said, “I originally intended to visit His Highness first, but I ran into two annoying people who came to see him. I didn’t want to be in the same place as them, so I came to you first. Those two are still there now. They’re really wasting His Highness’s time.”
This was the first time Zhao Xun had openly expressed such dislike towards anyone in front of him.
Gu Yun knew exactly who she meant. Princess Hanzhu and Princess Roujia.
After leaving Chao Yan’s side, he had asked the accompanying palace maids, who told him their identities. They also said that Princess Hanzhu was highly competitive, like a spring bee or ever-changing clouds. She was one of the most domineering members of the imperial clan.
As the emperor’s elder sister, she had always wanted Princess Roujia to become Crown Princess.
Princess Roujia was a child she had obtained only after great difficulty. When Roujia was still an infant, she had pestered the emperor day and night, demanding her daughter be granted the title of princess.
Within a few days, she got her wish. The emperor had become increasingly indulgent towards his sisters and their daughters.
Gu Yun had no particular opinion on this, as long as it did not involve him.
At this moment, he listened to Zhao Xun’s complaints and told a simple, easy-to-understand joke to cheer her up. She immediately laughed and said, “Tell me more!”
Gu Yun told two more. Zhao Xun still wanted more, but Gu Yun said helplessly, “I can’t think of any more for now. Do you want to read with me?”
Zhao Xun: “Huh?”
She shook her head vigorously. “I don’t like reading. Books give me headaches. Those dense words are like ants crawling into my brain, one by one. I can’t handle it. Please spare me!”
Gu Yun did not insist. He asked Zhao He to bring over the books he had not finished reading, as he intended to continue.
Books in this era were expensive, especially those unavailable outside.
Some of what he read came from the Crown Prince’s study in Chunhe Hall; most came from the Crown Prince’s private library in the Grand Hall, which housed various classical texts.
Chao Yan allowed him access, but to avoid trouble, he and Zhao He had to register borrowed books with the clerk at Zuochun Hall.
It was not inconvenient. Zuochun Hall was inside Wenhua Hall, and the Grand Hall was nearby, so registration was simple. The clerks were polite and did not make things difficult.
Gu Yun thought that if anyone did make things difficult for him, Zhao He would probably rush off to report it to Chao Yan before he even had the chance to be angry.
Chao Yan had also arranged a tutor for him. It was a Hanlin scholar in his forties from the Grand Hall. He tended to believe women were not very intelligent and was unwilling to explain texts in depth.
Thus, after listening for a while, Gu Yun stopped attending his lessons and told Chao Yan he preferred self-study.
In truth, there was another reason: he was afraid the tutor might discover his ulterior motives for reading.
“There are golden houses in books.”
Gu Yun had been searching for that golden house, so that it might become another powerful card in his hand to increase his leverage over his own fate.
To be honest, he did not want to leave the Eastern Palace.
The conditions here were too good; he was extremely satisfied with this idle, comfortable life. It was the most at ease he had felt since arriving in this world.
If not for the saying that serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger, he would have stayed here indefinitely. In fact, his view that being by Chao Yan’s side was like being near a tiger was already beginning to waver.
If Chao Yan had been able to restrain himself and keep his word then, he should be able to do so in other matters as well.
People go to higher places; water flows downhill.
So why should he leave the Eastern Palace? Now that Chao Yan no longer felt like a threat, the Eastern Palace had become his ideal residence. There was good food, good living conditions, someone to handle problems for him. What more could he possibly want?
His probing of Chao Yan was not only to test his limits, but also to see whether he would still keep his promises when angered.
That was his current thinking. Life was long; his views might change later. He might want to travel, change his name, or sit the imperial examinations. But that was all in the future. He lived in the present: he wanted what he wanted now, and would pursue it now, at most leaving himself a fallback option.
Gu Yun opened a book.
Because he did not dare openly search for the “golden house”, he initially borrowed books at random in small batches, later mixing in the ones he actually wanted.
The book in his hands now had been casually borrowed; the one he truly wanted was two books beneath it.
Seeing this, Zhao Xun sent someone to check whether Princess Hanzhu and the others had left. When she was told they had gone, she immediately went to visit the Crown Prince.
Gu Yun stood to see her off. At that moment, the sky suddenly changed. Strong winds rose and heavy rain poured down like a collapsing mountain.
All the books on the table were blown away, one landing in the flowerbed beside the pavilion. Without hesitation, Gu Yun rushed out to retrieve the very book he had been looking for.
It was a travelogue: the author had travelled across several provinces of the Great Xuan, recording terrain, waterways, and mineral resources in diary form.
Gu Yun picked it up. It was more than half soaked, splattered with mud. The two pages that had landed face-down were the worst affected; the writing was almost unreadable.
He froze.
The weather had changed too quickly. Zhao He and the others, caught without umbrellas, were flustered. Some went to retrieve books, others hurried to fetch Gu Yun and urge him back under the pavilion.
He did not move, clutching the travelogue, staring blankly at Zhao He.
Wiping rain from his face, Zhao He looked at it and said, “This is a copy, not the original. Miss Gu, there’s no need to worry.”
Only then did Gu Yun relax, and without further urging returned to the pavilion. Fortunately, several palace maids had been sent to rest earlier, or the small pavilion would not have been able to accommodate everyone.
Standing by the table, he took a handkerchief and slowly wiped away the water and mud, but the book could not be restored to its original condition. Thankfully, the other books were only slightly damp at the edges.
He sighed inwardly and declined the palace maids’ offer to wipe the rain from him. Turning the travelogue page by page, he quickly realised he had found the “golden house”.
His pupils trembled as he read on in the dim light.
“What are you reading? Even now you still want to read? Aren’t you cold?” Zhao Xun, still stuck in the pavilion due to the rain, came over in concern.
Gu Yun calmly closed the book. “Not suitable for children.”
Zhao Xun: “?”
“I’m old enough to marry. I’m not a child!”
Gu Yun stood and measured their height. “You’re a head shorter.”
“I can still grow!”
Gu Yun was in a good mood and smiled faintly.
Zhao Xun looked at him, then looked again, twisting her handkerchief, her cheeks flushed. “You’re really good-looking. If I could find someone as good-looking as you, I’d wake up laughing.”
Gu Yun smiled. “You can, Miss Zhao.”
The rain came quickly, and went just as quickly.
After seeing Zhao Xun off, Gu Yun returned to the side hall of Chunhe Palace. His hair was soaked, his shoes and socks muddy and wet; only the outer layers of his clothing were damp.
Zhang Zhangshe and the others were alarmed, fearing he had caught a chill, and urged him to take a hot bath immediately.
While bathing, Gu Yun removed the white gauze and turned his back to the bronze mirror to examine the wound.
It had fully healed into a straight line, no sign of inflammation or swelling, resembling a slightly thick red thread across his back.
