The next day, Gu Shishi arrived early in the main hall, intending to impress her family first and then outshine everyone else when they went out.
She wore an extravagant velvet flower hairpin along with several beaded hairpins as embellishnts. Her outfit consisted of a crimson hundred-layer skirt embroidered with twin lotus patterns, a deep red ribbon, and a white jade skirt weight hanging from her waist. She wore a lotus-colored tube top overlaid with a long shirt and a jacket with gold-woven edges. On her face, she had a delicate makeup style, known in the capital as "broken makeup," made famous by Gu Fu. Her smile was particularly confident and spirited.
Unfortunately, before she could even step outside, she was outshone by Gu Fu.
Gu Fu arrived fashionably late just before they were about to leave.
She wore fewer accessories on her head, only a pair of pearl hairpins and a golden hairband.
Her skirt was a combination of rouge red and lotus colors in six pleats, with lotus-colored embroidery on the rouge red fabric and rouge red embroidery on the lotus-colored fabric. The lower part of the skirt was adorned with butterfly and peony patterns. On her upper body, she wore a snow-blue tube top paired with a white, richly patterned short jacket, and over that, she wore a long shirt made of purple floral woven silk with a light gauze.
Gu Fu had intended to honestly wear the purple gauze long shirt as the outermost layer and fasten the buttons, but Nanny Lin shook her head upon seeing it. She then slightly opened the collar of Gu Fu's outermost gauze shirt toward her shoulders. This not only made her shoulders look narrower and her neck longer but also added an elegant and noble air.
"This shirt has buttons, so it should be worn like this," Nanny Lin said.
The slightly open style made Gu Fu feel restricted at the shoulders, so she remarked, "There's no need to be so ticulous."
Taking advantage of the fact that the other maids were outside, Nanny Lin quietly said to Gu Fu, "The general is going to see Young Master Wu, right? Young Master Wu is busy with his duties, so it's not easy to find him. I have a good thod that can save the general a lot of trouble."
Gu Fu raised an eyebrow. "Your thod is to dress
up nicely?"
Seeing Gu Fu's skepticism, Nanny Lin poked Gu Fu's chest and, in the most tender, coquettish voice said the most worldly words: "It's a pity that you've mingled with n for so many years and still don't know that n always think won dress up to please and attract them. So, you don't need to trouble yourself to find Young Master Wu. Just let him see you looking beautiful, and without you saying anything, he will co to you."
Gu Fu had never paid attention to such things, but seeing Nanny Lin's certainty, she thought it wouldn't hurt to dress up nicely, so she went along with it.
Gu Fu expected Nanny Lin to apply so strange makeup again, but this ti, she only drew her eyebrows, applied lip rouge, darkened the curve of her eye corners with ink, and brushed a bit of red rouge around her eyes and below them. There was no other extravagant makeup, like rouge flowers or painted blush.
This relatively simple makeup surprisingly had an unexpected effect. Before leaving, Gu Fu was surrounded by family mbers who praised her. Gu Shishi was furious. After getting on the carriage, she tried to open her jacket's collar like Gu Fu, but without the buttons to secure it, it wouldn't stay in place, so she gave up in frustration.
The Gu family's carriage left the city and arrived at the boarding place just as dawn was breaking. The shore was crowded with the carriages of various nobles and their families.
There were limited boats available, so everyone had to wait patiently. The order of boarding also followed a protocol similar to that of attending morning court: when two carriages t on the road, the one with lower rank would yield to the higher-ranked one, and the sa applied to boarding the boats.
Gu Fu waited in the carriage for a long ti before a servant ca to call her and her companions, Mu Qingyao and Gu Shishi, to disembark. Before boarding, their identities had to be verified, and according to the rules, each young lady could only bring one servant. After much deliberation between Nanny Lin and Lu Zhu, Gu Fu, due to Fu Yan's instructions, finally had Mu Qingyao resolve the issue.
Gu Fu brought Lu Zhu, Mu Qingyao brought Nanny Lin, and Gu Shishi brought her maid. The six of them boarded the boat together.
Once on board, Gu Shishi was even more upset because nearly half of the noblewon and young ladies on the boat had painted their faces with the fragnted makeup pattern she had beco known for, thanks to Gu Fu. Compared to the new and innovative designs on others' faces, her own makeup looked plain and unremarkable.
One of the girls with the best-designed fragnted makeup happened to know Mu Qingyao; her surna was Wei, and she was a mber of Mu Qingyao's poetry society. As soon as Miss Wei spotted Mu Qingyao, she approached her. Not wanting to be compared unfavorably, Gu Shishi withdrew to the farthest spot from Mu Qingyao with her maid.
Miss Wei, adorned with a makeup pattern she had carefully designed, greeted Mu Qingyao and then turned to Gu Fu. "Second Sister Gu," she smiled, taking Gu Fu's arm, and didn't leave her side, her smile sweet and shy.
Gradually, more young ladies who had good relations with Mu Qingyao arrived. Though they weren't as clingy as Miss Wei, they still focused their attention on Gu Fu. Mu Qingyao, sensing the oddity of the situation, maintained her composed smile but quietly reminded Gu Fu after disembarking, "If any of them offer you a handkerchief or a sachet without any reason, you must not accept it."
Gu Fu, now slling of various perfus, replied, "...I'll rember."
Before going to the northern frontier, Gu Fu had visited Lingshui Garden once during the Shangsi Festival. It was then that she first saw the emperor, rembering his appearance so well that she recognized him at a glance when he was being pursued at Zuowang Mountain.
Years later, after multiple renovations, many paths in the Lingshui Garden had changed. Gu Fu, while rembering the route and looking around, inadvertently spotted Wu Huaijin in the distance, dressed in the dark green uniform of the imperial guards and wearing a long-scaled sword.
Wu Huaijin, knowing that Gu Fu would be visiting Lingshui Garden, had taken advantage of his position to wait here for her. He had thought that the scene at the lake pavilion that day was the most beautiful sight in the world, but upon seeing Gu Fu again today, she displayed an even more captivating side, which left him srized.
What brought Wu Huaijin back to his senses was seeing Gu Fu turn her gaze away silently.
Wu Huaijin felt both anxious and sowhat pleased. Second Miss Gu had been looking around but now seed to be looking only at him. Did this an she had been looking for him?
The more Wu Huaijin thought about it, the more convinced he was that his guess was correct and that Second Miss Gu must have so feelings for him, otherwise, why would she dress so exquisitely for this event at Lingshui Garden?
However, she must still be angry with him—thinking of this, Wu Huaijin made sure to allocate so ti and instructed his subordinates to find a chance to help him take Gu Fu to the small stone pond garden on the south side of Lingshui Garden, where the environnt was tranquil and less crowded, perfect for a private eting.
Wu Huaijin's subordinates, knowing that the woman in question was their deputy commander’s fiancée, all smiled mischievously and promised to carry out his orders.
“What are you all doing?” Li Yu, who had long recovered and returned to his post, asked loudly upon seeing them acting secretly.
Wu Huaijin was startled and replied, “Nothing, just a little personal matter. I need to get busy, don’t overwork yourself after your illness.”
Li Yu, irritated, said, “I’m not made of paper!”
…
At noon, the banquet began. After three rounds of drinks, the emperor and empress, unable to handle the alcohol, retired early to rest.
The remaining guests were arranged in resting quarters, but since this event only happened once a year, everyone was still full of energy. The adults continued to drink and chat, strengthening relationships, while the younger ones road around the vast Lingshui Garden, enjoying the scenery.
Lingshui Garden was divided into several areas, including a polo field, a cuju field, a theater, and several picturesque small gardens. Among them, the gardens with swings were especially popular with the young ladies.
Initially, Gu Fu, along with Mu Qingyao, was pulled by familiar young ladies to swing on the swings.
Later, when she felt thirsty, Gu Fu took Lu Zhu to find water, and the imperial guards on duty pointed them to a location. However, following the direction given by the guard, they found no water, only another guard.
Gu Fu imdiately sensed sothing was wrong but didn't reveal it. She pretended to be puzzled and had Lu Zhu ask the guard if there was any water nearby. The guard then pointed them in a different direction.
Gu Fu continued asking along the way. The further she went, the fewer people there were around. Eventually, they passed through a cave entrance and arrived at a small garden filled with fine bamboo.
The garden had only one path, which led to a small pond with deep water at the end. The pond was surrounded by a circle of stones, providing a place to sit and rest, adding to the rustic charm.
"Second Miss Gu," ca Wu Huaijin’s voice from behind.
At that mont, Gu Fu thought to herself—Nanny Lin was right!
Feeling relieved, Gu Fu’s mood improved. She turned to look behind her and saw Wu Huaijin standing on the path she had just entered, gazing at her with deep affection.
“What is the aning of this, Mr. Wu?” Gu Fu asked. “Are you using your position to bring
here? Aren’t you worried about it damaging my reputation if word gets out?”
Wu Huaijin was taken aback by her question and imdiately defended himself, “I won’t let anyone else know. Moreover, we are already betrothed. Even if people find out…”
Gu Fu interrupted him, “If people find out, it will be impossible to call off the engagent.”
Wu Huaijin was taken aback and then walked towards Gu Fu, standing in front of her. “Do you want to break off the engagent?”
Gu Fu reminded him, “I’ve said I didn’t want to be betrothed to you, and you have soone you wish to marry. I’m not that person.”
Wu Huaijin, hearing this, inexplicably let out a sigh of relief. “If that’s the case, you can rest assured. I’ve talked with Lian Niang. She knows she has been married before and won’t contest the position of the principal wife with you. As for your reluctance to be betrothed to ... I rember you said it was because of your own reasons. I didn’t understand what these ‘reasons’ were at first, but later my mother told —”
Wu Huaijin looked at Gu Fu with a look of compassion. “A high monk once predicted that you had a bad fate. You stayed in a temple for five years to change your fate. If this is your ‘reason,’ I hope you understand that I care for you and won’t disdain you because of those baseless predictions.”
Facing Wu Huaijin’s affectionate gaze, Gu Fu retorted, “Do you still think it’s quite a happy situation?”
Wu Huaijin didn’t understand what she ant. “What?”
Gu Fu didn’t want to waste any more words. She did sothing she had wanted to do since she first saw Wu Huaijin.
She took a step towards Wu Huaijin. The sudden closeness made Wu Huaijin raise his hand, thinking that Gu Fu was moved by his words and wanted to embrace him. He even slled the fragrance on her.
However, the next second, the dull thud of a heavy punch and intense pain made Wu Huaijin double over like a boiled shrimp.
Gu Fu grabbed the hand Wu Huaijin extended, and with a crack, she twisted his wrist out of joint.
Although Wu Huaijin was stunned, he was a deputy commander of the imperial guards and quickly recovered, stepping back. But Gu Fu followed closely and threw a punch at Wu Huaijin’s face.
This ti, Wu Huaijin finally showed so martial skills, dodging Gu Fu’s punch and then sidestepping to strike back with a palm.
Gu Fu reacted faster than Wu Huaijin. As soon as her punch missed, she imdiately turned around, not letting the montum of the missed punch waste her ti. She used her elbow to deflect Wu Huaijin's palm strike and then kicked him in the side, sending him stumbling back to the edge of the small pond.
The stones around the pond helped Wu Huaijin stabilize himself, preventing him from falling in. However, before Wu Huaijin could catch his breath, Gu Fu had already rushed to him and flashed a big, wide smile.
This smile was completely different from the serene and beautiful one Wu Huaijin had seen before. It was instead wild and arrogant, with a fierce, intimidating light in her eyes.
With a splash, the water in the small pond surged six feet high as Gu Fu slapped Wu Huaijin’s face and pushed him into the water.
Gu Fu stopped just beside the pond, next to the astonished Lu Zhu
who had been left dumbfounded by Gu Fu’s actions.
The splashed water had soaked the hem of Gu Fu’s skirt. Seeing it dirty, she didn’t care and squatted by the pond, watching with interest as Wu Huaijin struggled to rise from the water.
“Miss...” Lu Zhu was about to remind Gu Fu to be careful of getting pulled into the water by Wu Huaijin, but before she could finish, Gu Fu rolled up her sleeves, reached out, and pressed Wu Huaijin’s head back into the water.
Wu Huaijin started a new round of struggling.
Gu Fu didn’t intend to kill the deputy commander, so she let him surface for air every now and then, and then pushed him back down before he could fully recover. During this, Gu Fu took the opportunity to ask Green Bamboo, “What were you going to say just now?”
Lu Zhu: “…”
It’s nothing. Please continue with what you’re doing; I’ll be fine.
Translator's notes:
Cuju -
an ancient Chinese ball ga that resembles modern-day football/soccer. It is a competitive ga that involves both teams trying to kick a ball through an opening into a central hoop without the use of hands whilst ensuring the ball does not touch the ground. Descriptions of the ga date back to the Han dynasty, with a Chinese military work from the 3rd–2nd century BC describing it as an exercise. It was also played in other Asian countries like Korea, Japan and Vietnam.
Here's a resource for learning more about traditional Chinese hanfu, to get an idea of what Gu Fu and the other female characters are wearing. Click on the different dynasties in the nu above to learn more about that style.
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