Chapter 04
After lunch, Zhou Li reminded Zhou Qiao to bathe and change her clothes before going to the ancestral hall to pay her respects to their parents and ancestors. After going through the entire tedious series of rituals, Zhou Qiao was so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open. The moment she returned to her room, she threw herself onto the bed and fell asleep.
When she woke again, it was already evening. Well-fed and well-rested, Zhou Qiao was brimming with energy and couldn’t wait to enter the palace to meet His Majesty and receive her rewards.
Chapter 2: The Palace Banquet
At the beginning of the You Hour, the Zhou family’s carriage rolled through Changshi Street.
Zhou Qiao lifted the carriage curtain and leaned outside excitedly, taking in the lively streets.
Seeing that half her body was practically hanging out of the carriage, Zhou Li teased, “Sigh, it seems your elder sister isn’t very likable after all. I’ve been counting the days, waiting for my little sister to return, only to end up looking at the back of your head.”
Hearing that, Zhou Qiao immediately pulled herself back inside. She quickly sat beside Zhou Li and linked arms with her.
“It’s just that I haven’t been back for so long! Big Sister, all the places we used to visit when we were littleâI can hardly recognize any of them anymore!”
Zhou Li gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“When we were little? You make it sound as though you’re already old. You’re still young yourself.”
“How am I young? I’ll be coming of age very soon!”
Zhou Li laughed.
“Then who was it that threw a tantrum before leaving the manor because she refused to wear women’s clothes? The nannies practically talked themselves hoarse trying to persuade you.”
As always, Zhou Qiao was dressed as a young man for tonight’s visit to the palace. Her black hair was tied high into a ponytail, and she wore a dark brocade robe fastened with a belt. A white jade token hung from her waist, making her slender figure and long legs appear even more striking.
The only problem was that her face was far too delicate. Her dark eyes and rosy lips radiated the lively beauty of a young girl just coming of age. No matter how convincingly she dressed as a young man, she couldn’t hide her youthful charm.
She looked down at her plain outfit and found nothing wrong with it.
“You’re one to talk! I rolled around on the ground while the nannies chased me around the manor three whole times, and you were still drawing your eyebrows and fixing your hair. I wonder if you’re hoping to meet some handsome young gentleman today. You certainly kept me waiting!”
“Oh! What nonsense are you talking about?”
A faint blush spread across Zhou Li’s face.
“It’s a grand banquet attended by the entire imperial court. Naturally, one must be properly dressed.”
Zhou Qiao blinked.
“Really? If you already have someone you like, Big Sister, you mustn’t hide it from me.”
With one sentence after another about “young gentlemen” and “someone you like,” Zhou Qiao spoke without the slightest restraint. Zhou Li was both embarrassed and amused, yet no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t figure out how to teach her younger sister to be more gentle and ladylike.
Their eldest brother held a high position in court, and Zhou Qiao was also close to the Gu family. With so many watchful eyes in the capital, although Zhou Li was happy to see her younger sister all grown up, she couldn’t help worrying even more.
Hujiang had been far from the Emperor’s reach, but now that they had returned to Shangjing, serving near the Emperor was like living beside a tiger.
As the sisters chatted and laughed, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Before it had even halted completely, they heard Gu Shengyuan scolding his son outside.
“You’re still arguing with your mother? Is it really so difficult for you to dress like a decent human being?”
“How am I not dressed like a decent human being? You won’t find anyone else in all of Shangjing who can match me. I, Gu Tingwei, would still be a dragon among men even if I were dressed in rags!”
Zhou Qiao clicked her tongue.
“How shameless.”
She flung open the carriage curtain and lightly jumped down before the coachman even had time to place the stepping stool.
The moment she saw Gu Tingwei, she burst into hearty laughter.
She was used to seeing Young Master Gu dressed in black battle armor. Now he had suddenly changed into an elegant blue brocade robe, complete with a black jade tassel hanging awkwardly from his waist.
To anyone unfamiliar with his personality, he truly looked like a refined young gentleman.
But in Zhou Qiao’s eyes, he looked like a burly butcher pretending to be a schoolteacherâcompletely out of place.
“What are you laughing at?!”
Gu Tingwei hadn’t even noticed that his parents had already walked away, nor did he think there was anything improper about his tall figure standing directly in front of the ladies’ carriage.
Before Zhou Qiao could open her mouth to mock him, a gentle voice came from inside the carriage.
“Qiao’er.”
