Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Chapter 555 The Imperial Concubine's Visit Home (Part 8)

At the foot of Daguan Tower, Gu Qingyi, dressed in a brocade dress and carrying a guqin, gracefully walked by, stunning countless people.

The only man present, Jia Baoyu, was already dumbfounded, his eyes wide open and his jaw agape for a long time.

He had actually met Gu Qingyi before and had always thought she was an exceptionally beautiful woman. In his eyes, Gu was a great beauty comparable to his nephew's wife, Qin Keqing, yet she possessed a completely different temperament from Qin.

This beauty, dressed in a graceful and elegant manner tonight, carrying a guqin, walks gracefully towards us under the moonlight and the gaze of everyone, just like the most heartless fairy I have ever seen in my dreams.

Gu Qingyi walked to the center of the courtyard, but did not perform the full kneeling ceremony. Instead, she simply bowed slightly to Yuan Chun in the corridor.

Yuan Chun had no intention of blaming her. She herself was skilled in and loved the zither, so she naturally wouldn't think the other person was being disrespectful. Therefore, she glanced at her and asked with a smile, "I saw you came carrying a zither. Could it be that your zither skills are as superb as your flute playing?"

"Before Your Majesty, I dare not utter the words 'exquisite.' Although I have only been in the household for a short time, I know that Your Majesty's skill in playing the zither is profound and cannot be compared to that of ordinary people."

"Entrusted by the Marquis of Zhenyuan, I have come tonight to perform for Your Majesty. Therefore, I humbly offer this piece, and humbly request Your Majesty's critique."

Gu Qingyi's voice was clear and melodious, as beautiful as her flute playing. What was rare was that, when facing her, his words were neither obsequious nor humble, but rather extremely elegant.

No matter how you look at it, she was an impeccably beautiful woman. Yuan Chun couldn't help but feel a greater appreciation for her, so she nodded and said, "In that case, please play a tune for me."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyi bowed again and said "Yes." Then she turned and walked to the low platform that had been set up in the court. She placed the guqin "Crescent Moon" on the table, sat down cross-legged behind it, and after pausing for a while, slowly raised her hand to pluck the strings.

Gu Qingyi's superb skills in playing the qin and xiao were widely recognized by countless famous scholars and literati in Jiangnan. Even with the added advantage of her being a stunning beauty, it was still enough to prove the excellence of her qin playing.

Yuan Chun had clearly sensed this from the moment Gu Qingyi played the first note.

Yuan Chun, who had initially suspected that the other party was merely pandering to her tastes, immediately held her breath and listened intently to the sound of the wind in the pines.

Before she could finish, Yuan Chun couldn't help but feel even more impressed. This woman was not only exceptionally beautiful, but her skills in playing the zither and the flute were also unparalleled. It was truly astonishing.

She believed that her musical skills were also quite good, and even the Empress Dowager praised her highly, saying that most of the musicians in the palace were not as good as her.

But at this moment, it seems that this woman is even more skilled than her.

She was also very grateful to her family and Jia Lian and others for preparing such a program. Not only was it very thoughtful, but it also made her realize that there is always a higher level to learn in the art of playing the zither, and she was far from reaching the pinnacle.

After the piece was finished, Yuan Chun summoned Gu Qingyi again, praised her, and then personally bestowed a jade tablet upon her, saying, "I have loved playing the zither since before I entered the palace, but after many years in the palace, I have been disturbed by worldly affairs and have neglected my studies."

Since you possess such skill, in your spare time you might as well come to the palace to accompany me more often. We can study the zither together and become friends as kindred spirits. Please do not refuse.

Yuan Chun's order sparked a variety of thoughts among the people present.

To Grandmother Jia and others, Gu Qingyi was an insignificant person; it was already a stroke of good fortune for her to be able to perform for Yuan Chun.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Chun valued her so much that she even summoned her to the palace to accompany her.

But she didn't care much, after all, she was just a woman who came from a geisha background.

Only Sister Feng frowned, thinking to herself that the four beauties were of unknown background, but they seemed to be behaving themselves for now. She hadn't expected Gu Qingyi to gain Yuan Chun's favor; she wondered if Gu Qingyi would become arrogant and cause trouble in the future!

If that's the case, it will require some effort.

Gu Qingyi had not expected that the high and mighty Imperial Concubine would suddenly show her such kindness. Even though she was as noble as she was, she couldn't help but feel a little happy.

Although she disliked fighting with others, she never truly took Shen Pan'er, who repeatedly provoked her, to heart.

Because she knew that Shen Pan'er wasn't born so seductive; it was merely a means to secure Jia Lian's favor. But she didn't know how long this tactic could last, or when Jia Lian would grow tired of it and stop using it.

But she wasn't stupid; she knew that once she entered a high-ranking family, without any support, she would eventually be prey to others.

Jia Lian's affection for them, coupled with his own shrewdness and competence, naturally made them a source of reliance. However, simply relying on Jia Lian would only attract more envious glances from them, and the consequences were uncertain.

Yuan Chun was undoubtedly the most authoritative figure in the entire Jia family, second only to Jia Lian.

Putting everything else aside, this one sentence alone is enough to affect her status in the Jia family, making all those who are jealous of her and want to bully her think twice before acting.

Thinking of this, Gu Qingyi had no choice but to kneel down and solemnly kowtow in thanks.

After Gu Qingyi withdrew, it was time for Yuan Chun to admire the moon.

Although being able to reunite with her grandmother, mother, and all her sisters and relatives to enjoy the moon together was a long-cherished wish of Yuan Chun, she cherished it very much.

However, seeing the moon setting in the west, one knows that time is running out.

Moreover, as her gaze fell upon the scenery in the eastern part of the garden, she had not yet had the chance to visit it herself. So, after finishing her second cup of tea, she suggested that they go there.

There was no reason for Grandmother Jia and the others not to comply.

……

To the east of the Grand View Garden lies a small mountain range, where all the temples and monasteries, including the Longcui Nunnery, were built.

As Yuan Chun walked and observed, she entered a Buddhist temple called "Jade Emperor Temple". Seeing the solemn and majestic Buddha statue, she went into the hall to burn incense and worship the Buddha.

While he was praying, he suddenly felt the light in front of him flicker. When he opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful woman standing quietly beside him.

Yuan Chun was puzzled. She thought that when she left the palace, the ceremony was so grand and the number of palace servants was so large. How could an ordinary person have the opportunity to get close to her? Unexpectedly, an unfamiliar woman suddenly appeared in front of her.

"The Marquis of Zhenyuan invites the Imperial Concubine to the inner palace for a chat," the woman said, bowing with her hands clasped.

Yuan Chun was even more surprised, her gorgeously dressed head almost adorned with two conspicuous question marks.

Fortunately, her beautiful eyes turned and she noticed that her personal maid, Baoqin, was also beside her, so she looked at her.

Baoqin quickly said, "Your Highness, it really is the Marquis who wants to see you. He says he has important matters to discuss. The Marquis is in the back hall right now; Your Highness will find out soon enough."

Yuan Chun then put aside her doubts, nodded, and said indifferently, "Lead the way."

Baoqin was a maidservant given to her by Grandmother Jia when she was young. She had accompanied her into the palace for many years and had always been loyal. She was the person she trusted most.

This is the Jia family home again. Although she doesn't know why Jia Lian would arrange such a mysterious meeting with her, there's nothing to worry about.

As the strong-looking woman turned into the Buddha statue, the alleyway became quiet and deserted.

After walking a few steps, she entered a temple and saw a tall figure standing in the main hall. He had his hands behind his back and his head slightly tilted back, as if he was examining a Buddhist scroll on the wall. He just stood there quietly, without making any special move, but Yuan Chun vaguely felt that the other person was so handsome and majestic.

"My lord, the Empress has arrived."

As the woman leading the way announced the arrival, the man turned around. Who else could it be but Jia Lian?

He cupped his hands apologetically and said, "I apologize for inviting you here, elder sister. Please don't take offense."

Yuan Chun's last shred of wariness vanished the moment she confirmed Jia Lian's presence. She now appeared unusually calm and composed, even somewhat intrigued.

She wasn't too surprised that Jia Lian dared to disregard their social status and sneak into the Buddhist hall to see her. This wasn't beyond her understanding of Jia Lian; it would be strange if her cousin, who was capable of such things, wasn't bold.

What intrigued her was that Jia Lian must have something he wanted to say to her that he couldn't tell anyone else. This made her curious, since Jia Lian had always seemed shrouded in mystery to her.

Could it be that he's going to tell me some little secret?

If it's a secret, is it about his family, or is it his own?

Yuan Chun then adjusted the hairpin on her head and chuckled, "Brother Lian, there's no need to be so polite. I know you must have something important to say. There's no one else here, so please speak frankly, Brother Lian."

Yuan Chun's reaction surprised Jia Lian a little, but he didn't pay it any mind. He simply took out something he had prepared in advance from his sleeve, looked at Yuan Chun's face, and said seriously, "We are all family, close relatives. I won't say any more polite words to you, sister."

This is some money I've prepared for my elder sister, for her use in the palace to manage the servants and attendants. Please accept it.

Yuan Chun had imagined countless reasons why Jia Lian might want to do this, but she never expected that he would pull out a stack of silver notes and hand them to her!

She's a concubine, after all; her attire alone must be worth a fortune. Does she seem to be short of money?