Chapter 495: A Visit to the Mansion

In the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, April 18.

Wu Wang Fu, Yingtian Prefecture.

Zhu Huanhuan woke up before dawn.

She lay in bed, staring at the twin lotus embroidered on the bed canopy, her heart pounding like she had a rabbit trapped in her chest.

Today, Gu Xian was coming to the mansion—not to meet by chance at the school outside the city, nor to "happen" to sit down at the tea house on the street corner, but to come properly to Wu Wang Fu, as the young master of the Gu family, to pay respects to His Highness the Prince Who Pacifies the Realm.

In other words, to pay respects to her father.

She turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

The pillow was embroidered with orchids, which she had stitched herself last year; the stitches were still a bit uneven.

Guanyin Nu said her craftsmanship had improved, but she thought she was just humoring her—the maids around the Empress Dowager embroidered a hundred times better.

"Princess, it's time to get up." Xiao Zhu's voice came from the outer room.

Xiao Zhu was steady, speaking unhurriedly, and had been with her for over ten years, following her from Yingtian Prefecture to Samarkand and back from Samarkand to Yingtian Prefecture.

Zhu Huanhuan responded, turned over, and sat up. Xiao Zhu led Xiao Ying in carrying hot water to help her wash and dress.

"Which one to wear today?" Xiao Ying took out a goose-yellow jacket from the wardrobe, then a lotus-root-colored one, comparing them back and forth.

Zhu Huanhuan glanced at them and pointed to the goose-yellow one.

Not too flashy, not too plain—just right.

"Princess, why are your palms so sweaty?" Xiao Ying asked as she wiped her hands.

"It's hot..." Zhu Huanhuan pulled her hand back, her tone indifferent.

Xiao Ying pursed her lips and smiled, not calling her out on it.

April weather—what heat?

At the third quarter of the Chen Hour, Gu Xian left the house.

He wore a brand-new stone-blue straight robe, a plain-colored belt at his waist, and his hair was combed immaculately.

Before leaving, he looked at himself in the bronze mirror again and again, feeling that the person in the mirror didn't look like himself.

His father, Gu Mingyuan, stood at the door, sizing up his son with a slight frown.

"Tell me honestly, son, what exactly is the background of this friend of yours?"

Gu Xian shook his head and said, "Father, I really don't know. She only said someone in her family was an official at court, a middling official."

Gu Mingyuan sighed.

He had been in business for most of his life and had seen many people, but he still felt something was off about this, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

He had raised an honest son, good in every way, but he wanted to go propose marriage without even asking clearly, without having met the girl's parents—nothing was settled yet.

"Go on! Speak well, and don't disgrace the Gu family."

"I know, Father."

Gu Xian got into the carriage, the driver cracked his whip, and the horse's hooves went clop-clop-clop toward the south of the city.

This was a carriage from Wu Wang Fu, sent by Huan Huan's orders to pick him up.

The south of the city was mostly home to noble families, each mansion more imposing than the last, with stone lions crouching at the gates and armored guards standing watch.

Gu Xian glanced out the carriage window a few times, his heart sinking with unease.

He clenched his fists, his palms drenched in sweat, then loosened them and wiped them on his knees.

The carriage stopped in front of a large mansion.

Gu Xian got out, looked up, and his legs went weak.

Three large characters were carved on the lintel: Wu Wang Fu.

Two stone lions crouched at the gate, polished smooth and glossy, mouths wide open, looking fierce.

Two rows of Longxiang Army soldiers in iron armor stood there, long swords at their waists, their gazes cold and sharp.

Sunlight glinted off the armor, casting a cold sheen that hurt the eyes.

The plaque on the lintel was said to have been personally inscribed by Zhu Yuanzhang, the brushstrokes forceful, each character like a blade.

Wu Wang.

The Prince Who Pacifies the Realm.

His fief spanned ten thousand li, and his military authority overshadowed the realm.

From Portugal to Moscow, from America to Australia, half the world had been conquered by him.

Gu Xian stood at the gate, his mind a blank.

He remembered Zhu Huanhuan saying, "My father is an official at court, a middling official."

This wasn't middling—this was boundless.

"Young master, who are you looking for?" A soldier from the Imperial Troops walked over and looked him up and down.

"I... I am Gu Xian, invited by... by Wu Wang Fu... by the Princess, to come pay respects." He paused and said.

The soldier glanced at him, then turned and went inside to report.

After a moment, a middle-aged man in brocade robes came out, smiling, and said, "Young Master Gu, please come in. The Prince is waiting for you in the study."

Gu Xian took a deep breath and stepped through the gate.

On the screen wall inside the entrance was carved a five-clawed golden dragon, its eyes set with black gems that glowed faintly in the sunlight.

Past the screen wall was a wide bluestone path lined with ginkgo trees, straight and tall, with lush foliage.

Further in, he reached the main courtyard. In the yard stood an old locust tree with a massive canopy, casting a deep shade.

Under the tree were a stone table and stone stools, with a teapot and teacups set on the table.

A man in dark casual robes stood with his hands behind his back under the locust tree. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, a square face, a broad forehead, and a gaze as calm as still water—but what lay beneath that calm, Gu Xian dared not imagine.

What terrified him most were the two enormous hammers beside the man, covered in many dark red stains...

However, Gu Xian seemed familiar to Prince Wu; it was in that small courtyard, and back then he had only thought they were two tutors, never expecting him to be Huan Huan's father, His Highness Prince Wu.

"Your subject Gu Xian pays respects to His Highness Prince Zhenguo." Gu Xian knelt down, his voice still steady, and his knees did not tremble.

Zhu Yong looked at him, said nothing, and only after a long while spoke: "Rise!"

Gu Xian stood up, his hands hanging at his sides.

"Did Huan Huan ever mention matters of the manor to you?" Zhu Yong sat down on a stone stool.

"In reply, Your Highness, the Commandery Princess did not mention a single word. Your subject... your subject always believed the Commandery Princess was merely the daughter of an ordinary official family." Gu Xian's voice was a bit tight, but his back was straight.

"Then today, coming here, are you afraid?"

"Afraid... but since I've come, I cannot retreat." Gu Xian said honestly.

Zhu Yong glanced at him, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting.

"Sit."

Gu Xian didn't know whether to sit or stand; after hesitating, he sat on the edge of the stone stool, just like someone waiting to be spanked.

"Didn't you say you couldn't retreat? Why are you sitting as if on pins and needles?"

Gu Xian was stunned for a moment, then scooted inward.

"Drink some tea..." Zhu Yong pointed at the teacup on the table.

Gu Xian picked it up and took a sip; it was so hot it numbed his tongue, but he forced himself not to spit it out and swallowed.

Zhu Yong looked at his teacup, then at his face: "Hot?"

"A... a little."

Zhu Yong laughed.

He himself had forgotten to have someone let the tea cool before bringing it up; this man was honest, scalded like that and still didn't say a word, afraid of being rude.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Zhu Biao walked in wearing a moon-white casual robe, followed by a tall old man in a dark red casual robe, a jade belt at his waist, walking with a gust of wind.

Behind the old man followed an old woman in a plain palace dress, her hair combed immaculately, a smile on her face.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma.

Although Gu Xian had never seen them, he guessed from the scene and quickly knelt down.

"Your subject Gu Xian pays respects to His Majesty, pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress."

Zhu Yuanzhang said nothing, walked to the stone table and sat down.

Empress Ma sat down beside him, looking Gu Xian up and down.

"Rise..." Zhu Yuanzhang spoke.