Be Modest,My Master of Imperial Guards

Chapter 52 Being Mocked

When Gu Yunxi arrived in Leng's mansion, the snowflakes blotted out the sky and covered the ground, falling onto the branches of the wintersweet trees in the courtyard.

Qinger had said that the wintersweet trees in the mansion bloomed very early this year.

A few days ago, Gu Yunxi collected a lot of flower branches from the trees. Seeing the red flowers blooming lively on the thin branches, emitting faint fragrance, she took some petals and dipped them in water to make the bright-colored flower pulp.

Gu Yunxi came back and stayed in the kitchen. She used fresh red wintersweet flower juice and mixed it with the glutinous rice flour and pine oil honey. She used rock candies, yellow chestnuts, and wintersweet petals as the sugar filling. She then made wintersweet flower cakes, which had five petals in shape, and put them on the steamer.

Some broad beans were soaked in the water yesterday. She took some and drained the water. She fried them in hot oil, put them in a dish, and sprinkled salt on them.

She used green vegetable juice, cuttlefish juice, and egg yolk liquid to color the doughs. Then she chopped shrimp and catfish and made them into fillings for the three-color dumplings. She then steamed them.

After they finished packing, Gu Yunxi and Qinger set off and drove straight to Youzhu Garden.

Along the way, there was heavy snow. The cold wind blew. Horses were difficult to walk.

Nanny Gu was shocked when she saw Gu Yunxi, who was dressed as a man. She then thought of something. She turned flattered from shock and greeted her with a smile,

"Oh! I was thinking about who was coming! I almost dared not recognize you. Miss, what are you doing here?"

"It's the first day of the New Year. I come back to visit you and all my sisters. Nanny Gu, Happy New Year."

Gu Yunxi felt uncomfortable as Nanny Gu's was staring at her strangely. She was going to salute, but when she thought of the men's clothes she was wearing, she felt awkward.

Nanny Gu noticed Gu Yunxi's embarrassment and stepped forward. She held her and smiled,

"Miss, you don't have to salute. We have been together for so many years. There's no need to be so polite. Let's go inside. The fire inside is vigorous and warm! Yunjin is also here, so we can get together and talk."

Nanny Gu was the cleverest.

She saw Gu Yunxi was wearing a young man's brocade robe. The fur coat complemented her fair little face, making it bright and shiny. She looked very different from when she left the Garden six months ago. It was obvious that she was doing well at the Eastern Depot.

She blamed herself for not foreseeing this. Who would have thought that the most unwelcomed sickly child would be favored by the Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot!

Now that she was back, Nanny Gu even wanted to take her to the Buddha hall immediately and worship her. She was afraid that if she hadn't been serving her well, the Master Leng Qingtang would have been furious!

Gu Yunxi's was still at a loss. Before she could refuse, she was dragged into the house by Nanny Gu.

"Yunjin, Yunjin! Look who's here!"

.

In the Imperial Palace, Qinming Hall, hundreds of officials gathered.

It had been reported that it snowed earlier in southern Dayi this year. Several counties of Jiangan Province had suffered from snow disasters. Several small foreign countries had joined forces and rebelled.

Emperor Jinxiao urgently called on all the officials to discuss countermeasures, plan to allocate disaster relief funds, and dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion.

After the ritual, Leng Qingtang met Ming Lan, the Commander-in-chief of the Western Depot.

He was dressed in the moon-white official robe and a red fur coat with dark clouds patterns. He looked like a ghost standing in the snow, looking strikingly lurid.

They stood in the falling snow. When they looked at each other, it was as if lightning had been striking.

Ming Lan curled up his lips and smiled enchantingly.

"Master Leng, you look great. It seems that you are having quite a life!"

Leng Qingtang's expression was calm. Although he had been holding a grudge for a long time, there were too many people in the Palace, so he could not reveal himself at will.

He slowly pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose. He smirked and looked graceful,

"Where are you coming from, Master Ming? It has been some time after that thing, why do you still smell awful?"

"You."

Ming Lan's expression suddenly changed. He started at Leng Qingtang with a vicious look, but he couldn't do anything more.

Yun Guaner miraculously survived, so Leng Qingtang must have known the truth of her fall. Leng Qingtang had gotten his goods. Ming Lan had to restrain himself.

Leng Qingtang laughed disdainfully. Looking away, he spoke slowly,

"I have always been idle, not as busy as you, Master Ming. Now everyone knows that most of the people in this capital have been captured by you and were thrown into the prison of the Western Depot. You're really paying a great contribution to the country and the public!"

"Don't be so proud. You know who Yun Guaner is! Sooner or later, I will find evidence that you are hiding a royal damsel and overturn you and your Eastern Depot!"

As his somber words fell, Ming Lan flicked his coat and turned around.

"Ming Lan, remember this!"

Behind him, Leng Qingtang looked serious. His voice was slow but coercive,

"Yun Guaner is mine. Though you have means, if you dare to hurt her again, I... will definitely make you regret being born into this world!"

.

Youzhu Garden.

Gu Yunxi stood in the room where she once lived, looking around with affectionate eyes.

Every inch of the bricks, stones, tables, and stools remained the same just as when she left, except that Gu Yunyao's bed was empty.

Gu Yunxi looked around. Sorrow filled her heart.

Seeing she fell silent for a long time, Nanny Gu quickly took off her fur coat, pressed her on the chair, and said to Gu Yunjin, who was sitting at the table and surprised to see this scene,

"Miss, you used to be quite clever but are mute today. We have an important guest. Come and talk with her!"

She then pointed to the girl next to Gu Yunjin and introduced her to Gu Yunxi,

"This is a girl who just entered the Garden. She is Lvning. She's fifteen, as old as you!"

Gu Yunxi kept thinking about her eldest sister Gu Yunyao, so she didn't pay attention to Nanny Gu's words.

Nanny Gu lowered her head. Her greedy gaze lingered on the fur coat in her hand.

Seeing how smooth the fur was, and the purely white color without any other colors, she knew that it was expensive.

Qinger stood by Gu Yunxi. She had long felt that obsequious manner of Nanny Gu repulsive.

As she saw that Nanny Gu staring at Yunxi's fur coat with such a greedy look, Qinger grabbed the fur coat from her hand. Staring at her fiercely, she said,

"Nanny Gu, I have told the servants in your Garden that those things in the two carriages are rewarded to every girl here. You must remember my words. Don't get confused and put them in your own small vault!"

"Yes! Definitely! I don't dare to!"

Nanny Gu was embarrassed. She smiled, and layers of folds piled up on her old face.

Qinger pushed the food box on the table to Nanny Gu,

"Here you are. My Lady knows that you like to eat wintersweet flower cakes, lotus beans, and three-color dumplings, so she specially made them for you. You can enjoy them later!"

"Oh, I appreciate that very much!"

Although she was not happy, Nanny Gu pretended to be and nodded to Gu Yunxi obsequiously,

"Ladies, you sit and chat. I will prepare some refreshments."

She then ran out quickly.

In the room, Gu Yunjin and the girl named Lvning sat across Gu Yunxi.

After months of separation, Gu Yunjin looked even more charming.

On her head was the chic flowing-clouds bun. In her hair were an amethyst crescent moon hairpin and a five-color hairpin decorated with double-butterflies-shaped gems and tassels. At the center of the bun was a large peony flower in full bloom.

She wore a purple silk embroidered skirt with slim sleeveless jackets dotted with brocade flower patterns. A circle of white fox fur was seamed on the cuffs and neckline, which made her look elegant and graceful.

Hearing Nanny Gu call Gu Yunxi "an important guest", Gu Yunjin was dissatisfied.

Since there were only girls in the room now, she smiled coldly. There was extreme disdain in her beautiful eyes,

"Lvning, you never met her before, right?"

The girl next to her shook her head blankly and then looked to Gu Yunxi's side.

When she heard that Nanny Gu call Yunxi an important guest, she thought Yunxi was really someone extraordinary. So when she met Gu Yunxi's eyes, the girl nodded at her with respect immediately.

Gu Yunjin said to Lu Ning in a strange voice. Her sneering eyes looked at Gu Yunxi from time to time,

"She is the one who is familiar to everyone in this yard as the useless waste. The one who can't see any blood. Now she's with a eunuch in the Palace, so she finally looks decent!"

"What? With a eunuch?"

Lvning screamed when she heard the news. To her, this was a very puzzling matter.

Then she looked at Gu Yunxi from head to toe, with no respect at all. Instead, her face was full of consternation.

Gu Yunxi panicked because of Lvning's strange gaze. Her face was slightly hot, and her fists were clenched. Then she questioned in a low voice,

"Gu Yunjin, what are you saying?!"

"Oh, what am I saying? I'm saying how clever you are. Others are thinking about how to enter the Palace and how to draw his Majesty's attention. You are different. Knowing that you don't have the ability to enter the Palace, you just started to think about that man who has been castrated!"

"Gu Yunjin! Nonsense!"

Gu Yunxi's face was flushed. She slapped the table and stood up, with mortification and embarrassment.

Gu Yunjin's arrogance was even stronger. She jumped up as well and waved the purple handkerchief in her hand.

"Nonsense? You think everyone in the Garden is blind! At that time, you were sent into the Eastern Depot by the seal keeper of the Imperial Ceremony Office in that grandiose carriage. It's said that eunuchs' means of torturing women are much filthier than normal men! Yuck, it's disgusting to only think about it!"

"Shut up."

Gu Yunxi screamed with tears coming up in her eyes.

She was angry at Gu Yunjin's vicious words, but also a little bit guilty.

She did hold hands with the Master and kissed him. Yesterday, she was drunk and slept in his bed.

But she believed that those were all because they really liked each other, and their sentiments expressed from the bottom of their hearts. It was not as unbearable as what Gu Yunjin said.

Seeing the situation going worse, Qinger stepped forward in front of Gu Yunxi and scolded Gu Yunjin,

"Are you the damsel educated and trained by the Garden? Look at how you talk and behave! Do you have the right to gossip my Master? What if I told him what you said? Don't you think it's a disaster for you? Be careful!"

Gu Yunjin sneered. She was mean and cold,

"Humph! Dare not admit it? How about seeking trouble with all the people in the Garden! I can only talk about it. I'm not like some people who don't talk but think about it in their heads!"

Her words were sharp and vicious, like a blade with sharp edges cutting Gu Yunxi, putting her in extreme distress.

Gu Yunxi shuddered and was irritated so terribly that she almost felt breathless.

"You are jealous of my Lady."

Qinger was endowed with the ability to gab, so she was much like a furious chicken with her eyes narrowed.

"What? I'm jealous? Beautiful as I am, why would I give up being the Imperial Concubine to enjoy a wealthy and high life but be with a eunuch? Alas, I won't even think about it my whole life. Shameful!"

Gu Yunjin said with a sharp voice while patting her face with one hand.

Her voice was too sharp. It drew in many girls and nannies. Everyone raised their ears and stood around the window to listen. Some even picked up the door curtain and entered the house to watch the scene.

Qinger tried to defense more but was grabbed by Gu Yunxi,

"Let's go."

She found it hard to stay here and bear the shame for one more second.

"Yes, hurry back to warm the bed for that eunuch! Take away the shitty stuff. I don't want my place to be stained!"

Behind them, Gu Yunjin was even more arrogant. She raised her hand and knocked over the food box on the table.

The three-layer lacquer box fell onto the ground with the wintersweet flower cakes, lotus beans, and three-color dumplings scattering out. The food with various colors spread across the ground.

"Oh, look! You indeed come from the kitchen. Never forget your original work even when having a good life! Knowing that eunuch was bad in bed, so you worked hard to conquer his stomach. Gu Yunxi, you really get your own bag of knack! "

Gu Yunjin shook her head and scolded. She suddenly treaded a wintersweet flower cake on the ground into a mash.