Chapter 7

After a few days, the weather cleared up considerably. Lu Bao'er sat on the soft cushions of the veranda reading a book; though it was a bit chilly, she had a hot water bottle in her arms and basked in the sunlight, which was quite nice.

She didn't like staying in the main house, where walls surrounded her on all sides like a prison, lacking openness. She picked up a leisurely book to read; the characters were those her father had taught her. Although the saying goes that a woman's lack of talent is virtue, her father didn't subscribe to that. As he would say, if she had ink in her belly, at least if she were sold she could still understand the deed of sale.

Lu Bao'er's father had set his expectations for her terribly low; how could he constantly think she would be sold off?

While Lu Bao'er was reading at home, the old granny said the Gu family had sent an invitation, saying there would be an incense-appreciation gathering in three days and inviting Lu Bao'er to attend. Lu Bao'er asked which family the Gu family was, and the old granny replied that it was the residence of Minister Gu, the Minister of Rites. How could a second‑rank official possibly take an interest in a seventh‑rank compiler of the Hanlin Academy?

Seeing Lu Bao'er full of doubts, the old granny explained the inside story: "Those who come out of the Hanlin Academy either enter the cabinet or become local officials; they are the emperor's disciples, certainly not mere pond‑fish. But don't overthink it—Lady Gu is just casting a wide net. Take a look at the third‑ and second‑place winners who hold positions in the Hanlin Academy; none of them have been left uninvited to the incense‑appreciation gathering. It's merely a formality. When you go, just smile at people three‑tenths of the time, drink your tea, eat your snacks, and say little."

Lu Bao'er understood—this wasn't Lady Gu trying to curry favor with the wife of a petty officia; rather, she feared that whosever husband would rise to prominence, so she wanted to meet early and lay a foundation. Only if there were real promise would things warm up.

It turned out that the capital and the countryside were no different—when you saw a family about to prosper, you'd show up with egg‑filled pancakes and trample their doorstep, regardless of whether you'd succeed; you'd first curry favor and talk later. As the saying goes, "Adding flowers to brocade is easy; giving charcoal in the snow is hard," and that's exactly the principle.

Lu Bao'er had no interest in the incense-appreciation gathering, while the old granny was on high alert. Since she had been assigned to Xie Junling's side, she was now a member of the Xie household, sharing honor and disgrace alike; if Lu Bao'er lost face at the gathering, Xie Junling would certainly be mocked by his peers, which is no trivial matter.

If Lu Bao'er were not the type to sweet‑talk and maneuver, offending the other ladies in the inner courtyard could be fatal—even setting a fire would be deadly. Which lady can't whisper pillow‑talk? If someone were to trip up Xie Junling ahead of time, what should be done?

Her worried demeanor also affected Lu Bao'er. Lu Bao'er thought it was just a snack gathering; she would find a secluded seat, sip tea if there was tea, eat pastries if there were, smile at people, and stay mute if she couldn't answer—at most they'd laugh at her country bumpkin ignorance of etiquette, which is still better than giving offense.

Lu Bao'er naturally knew she couldn't compare to the legitimate daughters of wealthy noble houses; therefore she might as well comport herself openly as a country girl, which would appear frank and spare her the ridicule of trying to imitate others.

The old granny wasn't as open‑minded as Lu Bao'er; she and Lu Bao'er begged some silver, went to the Gu family's servants to ask which young ladies of the household had received invitations, and also inquired what Lady Gu would wear that day so as not to clash. Perhaps the servants, having been paid and feeling pliable, after much affectation finally squeezed out: "My old lady always likes to wear crabapple red."

All that was needed was to avoid that color, and the coming‑and‑going servants all let out a sigh of relief.

On the day before the incense-appreciation gathering, Lu Bao'er was arranging fragrances in her room; when Xie Junling entered the main hall, he nearly got driven out by the girlish scent. He held his breath and asked Lu Bao'er, "What are you doing, lady?"

Lu Bao'er produced a bottle of jasmine essence and said, "Lady Gu sent the invitation, inviting me to the Gu residence tomorrow for the incense-appreciation gathering; I thought I'd bring some fragrances, so I'm preparing them now."

Hearing this, Xie Junling laughed despite himself: "So‑called incense-appreciation gathering is just a name; those ladies usually don't bring any fragrances, so you needn't worry too much."

"If they don't bring fragrances, why call it an incense-appreciation gathering?"

"It's just a pretext to get you all together. There's gossip in the official circles, and the inner courtyard must stir up some waves."

Xie Junling's offhand remark made Lu Bao'er a little nervous; she licked her lower lip and asked anxiously, "If I can't handle these matters well, will I cause trouble for my husband?"

Xie Junling glanced back at her; the young maiden had both hands braced on the table, craning her neck to look at him. Her dark, thick hair fell, obscuring that section of her jade‑smooth, fat‑white neck; the contrast of black and white was striking, making one's eyes heat.

He inexplicably felt a twinge of pity and said softly, "It won't happen. If I still had to rely on you to earn a meal, that would be utterly useless. These are merely ladies' banquets; if you find them enjoyable, go a few times, and if you feel slighted, just claim illness and stay home—no need to waste thought on maneuvering."

The old granny had said that other husbands would have their wives constantly probe their superiors' intentions, but how could someone like Xie Junling, who for her happiness cuts off even such a good channel? Could it be…… that Xie Junling is doting on her?

Lu Bao'er's heart pounded like a drum; carrying a maiden's bashfulness, she asked in a coquettish voice, "My lord, is it because you dote on me that you let me avoid these troublesome social engagements?"

Xie Junling gave her a sideways glance and replied coolly, "Don't overthink it; I'm merely afraid that if you talk too much outside you'll make mistakes and drag me into trouble. It's better to stay home and keep the household safe."

"Oh." Lu Bao'er shouldn't have expected too much from such a sharp‑tongued husband; his golden mouth could not spit out ivory.

That night, Xie Junling sought out the steward of the manor for a talk in the study. The steward was quite curious—normally Xie Junling didn't concern himself with internal household affairs, so why had he suddenly come to see him?

He felt nervous and uneasy, having been soothed by his old wife for half a day, who said that Master Xie certainly wasn't acting without reason; there must be something he wanted to order you to do.

As soon as the steward entered the study, Xie Junling slammed the lid of his tea cup down onto the cup, producing a loud crack of white porcelain that made the steward jump.

He was drenched in sweat; from Xie Junling's unremarkable face he could discern no emotion, only sensing that Xie Junling was a wolf in sheep's clothing, innately decisive in slaughter, leaving no grudges behind. What had he done to upset the master? The steward racked his brains but could not figure it out.

Knowing the steward's loyalty, Xie Junling didn't want to make things difficult for him, so he spoke slowly and deliberately: "The lady has only just returned to the manor a few days ago; how did the Gu family already get wind of it and send an invitation?"

The steward hadn't expected Xie Junling to ask about this; after a moment's thought he said, "Perhaps the gatekeeper saw the old wife bringing someone in and guessed it was the lady coming to the residence, which leaked the news."

"It's just a lowly servant, yet he dares to gossip about the master's affairs. Today he dares to say the lady has returned; tomorrow, wouldn't the letters in my study also have to be made known?" Xie Junling's tone wasn't harsh, but the content frightened the steward into a cold sweat.

One must know that no official is without some secret dealings; if later, when taking sides in court, it were easily known, that would invite deadly disaster. Master Xie, this is suspicion that there are other spies in the household! The steward broke out in cold sweat; after thinking it over carefully, he also knew this budding could not be allowed.

He gritted his teeth and said, "It's my fault for not being thorough enough; please rest assured, Master, I will certainly handle this matter properly."

"Hmm." Xie Junling lifted his tea cup again to drink; his lowered eyelids revealed clear phoenix eyes. The Gu family keeps insisting they must get rid of Lu Bao'er; after great effort he had protected her and brought her back, yet they've already set their sights on her again. Such an old fox—if not dealt with well, someday they'll surely dare to grasp his vital point.

Do they really think he's a fool, easy to toy with? He'll see whether the Gu family has the ability to snatch a person from his grasp.