Chapter 03
The person riding beside him was not only smaller in stature than Gu Tingwei, but also several years younger. At the moment, the youth was dressed in white robes, carrying a jade-handled paper fan. With delicate, refined features, the figure looked every bit like a gentle scholar from an aristocratic family.
The moment Gu Tingwei spoke sarcastically, Zhou Qiao smiled with practiced elegance and casually fanned herself twice.
“Whoever chooses to answer is the one I’m talking about.”
The cold breeze from the fan blew straight into Gu Tingwei’s face. He had long found that fan irritating. A soldier should carry a sword or a spear, not a folding fan. It was utterly out of place.
“Are you done fanning yourself yet? It’s freezing. Who are you pretending to be with that fan? Some refined scholar?”
Zhou Qiao gave the fan another shake.
Eight bold characters were written across it:
Peerless Gentleman, Unmatched in the World.
The words had been written with an imperial gold-tipped brush, yet the handwriting itself was so crooked and ugly that it was almost painful to look at.
As soon as the fan appeared, laughter rippled through the crowd.
One of the two youths was rude and ill-mannered, while the other put on an exaggerated air of elegance. Yet each mocked the other while being just as ridiculous. In the end, both were simply embarrassing Gu Shengyuan.
“Enough!”
Gu Shengyuan glanced at the soldiers and townspeople around him who were struggling to hold back their laughter and warned in a low voice,
“Both of you, shut your mouths and behave. Cause any more trouble, and when we return to the barracks, you’ll both be getting the military rod!”
The two glared at one another, neither willing to back down. But Gu Shengyuan never bluffed when it came to beatings, so they reluctantly fell silent.
As the army gradually moved farther away, lively discussions once again broke out among the crowd.
“Are those two General Gu’s sons? The eldest young master truly looks heroic, every bit as impressive as the General was in his youth. But the younger one seems rather young and quite scholarly. He doesn’t look like someone who could fight in battle.”
“Ha! You’ve got that completely wrong. Everyone knows the Gu family has only one heirāthat fruit-eating fellow, Young Master Gu Tingwei! He was born destined to become a general and a marquis.”
“Then who is the younger one?”
“Oh, that one’s quite remarkable too. But that’s no young master.”
“Then who is…”
“That is Zhou Qiao, the youngest legitimate daughter of the late Protector General Zhou Hua’anāthe Third Miss of the Zhou family!”
“What? Such a delicate young lady actually went to the military camp?”
“Not only did she go, she followed General Gu to Hujiang, the harshest and most dangerous frontier, and stayed there for seven years! Everyone praises the Zhou family for truly living up to the traditions of a military household.”
“But… she’s still a girl, and so young. She must have suffered greatly.”
Their voices were swallowed by the thunder of horses’ hooves as the army entered the city.
By now it was already past noon, and the sun was high in the sky, making the day much warmer than it had been that morning.
The crowd gradually dispersed, carrying with them feelings of reassurance and respect. Some gathered around tables to enjoy their long-delayed lunch, while others cheerfully returned to their household chores.
At the bustling intersection of West Market Street, before the gates of the Protector General’s Manor, stood a young woman in the prime of her youth.
She wore an emerald silk dress. Her skin was fair, and her bright, lively eyes looked anxiously yet eagerly toward the street.
Only when she spotted a graceful figure riding toward her did she finally let out a sigh of relief. A gentle smile bloomed across her face.
“Nanny, quickly inform the kitchen. My little sister has returned.”
“Big Sister!”
Zhou Qiao tucked the folding fan into her belt, leapt lightly from her horse, and ran toward Zhou Li. Throwing her arms around her sister, she said coquettishly,
“Big Sister, I’m starving!”
The moment Zhou Qiao mentioned being hungry, Zhou Li’s heart ached.
“Hujiang is barren and dry. You must not have eaten well. You were so round and healthy when you left, but now you’ve become so thin.”
Seeing Zhou Li’s eyes redden, Zhou Qiao hurriedly comforted her.
“You have no idea how delicious the roasted beef and lamb in Hujiang are! I’m only hungry today. We’ve been marching nonstop all the way back. Gu Tingwei and I are both starving.”
Her lively, mischievous expression made Zhou Li laugh.
Taking Zhou Qiao by the hand, she led her into the manor.
“Qiao’er, don’t you need to accompany General Gu to meet His Majesty first?”
The aroma of food had already caught Zhou Qiao’s attention, and she was trying to guess what dishes had been prepared.
Hearing the question, she immediately waved her hand.
“His Majesty already stated in the imperial decree that all officers and soldiers returning to the capital may first go home and reunite with their families. We can pay our respects to His Majesty at tonight’s welcoming banquet.”
Zhou Li naturally knew about the banquet.
Looking at Zhou Qiao, dressed in men’s clothing and speaking with carefree, unrestrained manners that lacked even the slightest trace of a noble young lady’s delicacy, she couldn’t help worrying.
It had been acceptable in the past, but Zhou Qiao would soon come of age. With neither of their parents around to oversee things, Zhou Li, as the elder sister, could only shoulder the responsibility herself.
The closer they came, the richer the fragrance became.
The moment Zhou Qiao reached the table, her eyes lit up.
“Clear Bamboo Duck Soup, Northern Commandery Roast Squab, San Tang Honey-Glazed Rabbit, Lan Ji Braised Spare Ribs… They’re all my favorites!”
She quickly washed her hands, sat down at the table, accepted the bowl of soup Zhou Li handed her, and drank it in one gulp with complete satisfaction.
“Careful, it’s hot!”
Before Zhou Li could finish speaking, Zhou Qiao burst into a fit of coughing. She gulped down several mouthfuls of cold tea before finally recovering.
“No one’s going to steal your food,” Zhou Li said, gently patting her back to help her catch her breath. “If Big Brother saw you like this, he’d scold you again.”
The moment Big Brother was mentioned, Zhou Qiao immediately straightened her back.
“Big Sister, when is Big Brother coming home?”
The Third Miss of the Zhou family feared neither battlefields nor gambling houses. She was equally at ease in taverns and teahouses, and even dared to perform martial arts before the Emperor.
The only person she truly feared was her eldest brother, Zhou Mubai, the Commander of the Imperial Guard Office.
Zhou Li sat down and filled another bowl of soup for Zhou Qiao. She carefully blew on it until it cooled, picked out all the tiny duck bones, and only then placed it before her.
“The salt tax investigation in Jiangzhou is rather complicated and will require more time. At the longest, perhaps half a year. At the shortest, one or two months.”
As Zhou Qiao stuffed herself with food, a thought suddenly crossed her mind, and her eyes sparkled.
“His Majesty entrusted such an important matter as the salt tax to Big Brother. If he handles it well, won’t he be promoted again?”
She put down her chopsticks and began counting on her fingers.
“Let’s see… how much annual salary would that be…”
“You certainly know what matters,” Zhou Li said with a smile. “His Majesty does indeed seem to have that intention. If everything goes smoothly, once Big Brother returns, he’ll be promoted to Censor of the Inspectorate and oversee the affairs of the imperial court.”
Zhou Qiao didn’t really understand what affairs of state that position actually managed.
All she knew was that it was a very high-ranking office.
And high-ranking officials were busy.
Busy officials had no time to keep an eye on her.
Satisfied with that conclusion, she nodded happily and proceeded to finish every last bite of the carefully prepared feast.
