Qin Heng lowered his head and used the corner of his eye to peek at Gu Baoshu, his little heart hanging in suspense.

Gu Baoshu, as always, did not comfort him: "...So, will your father agree to this?"

The look in her eyes as she glanced back at him was full of the meaning: you know I’d like to help but I really can’t.

Qin Heng looked utterly dejected, his head drooping even lower.

Gu Baoshu was still reminding him to remember his original intention: "Besides, weren’t you going to stay here and keep an eye on Xu Tang so he doesn’t cause trouble?"

Qin Heng bared his teeth: "Ahem, what a heavy burden indeed. The more I think about it, the more of an eyesore Xu Tang seems!"

Gu Baoshu lightly patted the crown of his head: "Come on, I’ll hurry and send you back. If your mother finds out... I’m afraid you’ll be kneeling in the ancestral hall again."

Qin Heng’s heroic spirit vanished at once.

After one stick of incense, the two of them rode their horses to the back wall of Qin Mansion. Gu Baoshu turned and said to Qin Heng behind her: "Get down. We’ve reached your home."

Qin Heng loosened his grip and muttered, "What did you ride so fast for? I’m jolted to the point of almost throwing up. There’s no fast riding allowed within the capital, don’t you know that?"

Gu Baoshu asked loudly, "What?"

Afraid of disturbing the people inside the wall, Qin Heng hastily said, "Nothing, my lady, keep your voice down a bit, is that proper?"

Gu Baoshu held back a laugh and urged him to dismount.

Qin Heng clung to the spot, refusing to move: "Stand up and see if there’s anyone on the other side of the wall."

Gu Baoshu, helpless, stood up on the horse and peered inside. Seeing that there were only two or three old servants chatting at the other end of the pavilion, she drew a breath, bent at the waist, grabbed Qin Heng by the arm, and heaved him over the wall.

Qin Heng only felt his vision blur, a gust of wind whistling past his ears, and then he was already lying in a clump of autumn grass inside the wall.

Right after that came the sound of hooves from outside the wall, along with Gu Baoshu’s loud shout: "I’m heading back, see you tomorrow."

Qin Heng pounded the ground in fury.

"Gu Baoshu, oh Gu Baoshu, how can you treat me like this?!"

She hadn’t even said a proper goodbye before tossing him in.

If word got out, wouldn’t that be utterly humiliating.

Still, he’d been thrown in without so much as a scratch.

The rascal’s control was indeed precise.

Qin Heng rose slowly, skirting around the corner of the wall, slipping toward his own courtyard. When he passed the dog hole, his eyes suddenly widened, and then he pounded the wall in outrage.

"Gu Baoshu, you’ve gone too far. You clearly could have lifted me out, so why did you insist on making me crawl through the dog hole? Am I, a dignified man, supposed to have no pride?"

...

When Marquis Gu rushed back from the Great Camp outside the city, the main room of Wutong Garden had already extinguished its candles. He covered the distance along the veranda in a few long strides, and from afar he saw Mo Zhu standing outside on night watch.

"Has Madam turned in already?"

Mo Zhu was startled, and hurriedly rose to her feet to pay her respects before saying, "Madam said early in the day that she was tired; she looks like she has something on her mind."

Marquis Gu let out a sigh.

With the heap of matters inside and outside the residence, it truly was taxing her mind and spirit.

"Who came by today? Or did something happen in the household?"

Mo Zhu frowned: "In the residence it was just the matter of the lanterns. Shen Changle came and spoke about the lantern fair. Oh, right, Xiao Dong came by with two boxes, one was medicine and one was incense."

Marquis Gu didn’t quite understand either, so he said, "No need to lift the curtain, just stay outside and attend."

Mo Zhu hurriedly blocked him: "My Lord, Madam said she is going to the family temple to offer sacrifices the day after tomorrow and must observe abstinence... She has already put all of My Lord’s clothes and bedding in order. Shall I call someone to tidy up the study?"

Marquis Gu paused mid-step, then immediately flicked his sleeve: "No need. I’ll just sleep in the main room. Moving back and forth is troublesome."

When all he could do was look and not eat every day, what was the point of separate rooms.

It was simply making a fuss over nothing.

Mo Zhu didn’t dare block him again. Marquis Gu groped his way into the room in the dark, lifted the bed curtain, and saw that there was only Qin Yuan’s set of bedding on the bed. He had no choice but to retreat to the outer room, move in his own bedding, and quietly spread it out. After a hasty wash, he gathered Qin Yuan into his arms and fell asleep.

He’d originally had a bellyful of things to say, but could only let them go.

The next day, when Qin Yuan got up, she learned that Marquis Gu had come back in the night and then hurried back to the Great Camp at dawn.

Hong Ye exclaimed in admiration: "My Lord truly has the vigor of a dragon and the spirit of a horse, going back and forth like this every day. I don’t know how much effort it must take. If it were someone else, they certainly wouldn’t bother so much."

Qin Yuan didn’t know what to say, and only replied, "For the sacrifices the day after tomorrow, I wonder if My Lord will have the time."

Hong Ye said, "My Lord is in charge of the Great Camp; isn’t it ultimately up to him to decide?"

Qin Yuan said no more, and led the maids to the main quarters to pay respects to Old Madam Gu. Gu Baoshu happened to be there as well.

The aunt and sister-in-law chatted idly for a while. Fuguo’er and Brother Kang came in and clung to Gu Baoshu to play and mess around for a bit, and then Sister Lan followed.

Just as things were lively, a maid outside reported through the curtain: "Young Master Cheng and Sister Yu are outside, saying they’ve come to pay respects to Old Madam."

Qin Yuan frowned. Since they were staying in the guest courtyard, coming here to pay respects was only proper.

It was just that now, Old Madam would likely have no patience to deal with them.

Sure enough, Nanny Rong said, "Old Madam doesn’t wish to see guests these few days. Send them back."

The maid went out and only returned after quite a while, saying, "It took a lot of effort to persuade them to leave. Hong Mian says the two young masters don’t know where they’re supposed to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Nanny Rong said, "Naturally, they’ll spend it over there."

Descendants of Yelv Langzhu spending Mid-Autumn together with the Gu Family—how could that be allowed.

If no one knew, it would be one thing; but if word got out, Old Madam would probably bash the twins’ brains out.

The maid went out again to deliver the message to Hong Mian.

Nanny Rong said, "Hong Mian is quite the one for currying favor; she’s actually gone back to the twins again."

Qin Yuan laughed and said, "That’s what it means when they say every person has their use. Someone like Hong Mian is wasted in Wutong Garden; it’s good for her to go somewhere else and work."

Nanny Rong smiled: "Since Madam has already weighed it in her heart, this old servant won’t say more."

As they spoke, Old Madam Gu came out, leaning on Qiujie’s hand, and with a smile she asked, "Yuan’er, what delicacy have you come here for this time?"

Qin Yuan rose to greet her, supporting Old Madam’s other hand, and said, "Naturally I’ve come for the vegetarian dishes. The vegetarian fare Xiuxiang makes is nothing like what the little kitchen in Wutong Garden can manage."

Old Madam Gu said, "Good, good. Eat here with me today first, and tomorrow we’ll go eat at the family temple. Those monks have nothing to do all day but chant scriptures, and they’ve turned vegetarian dishes into an art."

Everyone enjoyed a lively meal together.

Old Madam Gu was in excellent spirits and ate half a bowl more than usual.

After the table was cleared, Qin Yuan talked with Old Madam Gu about festival matters. When they spoke of the schedule for the next few days, Gu Baoshu asked, "On Mid-Autumn Day, I’ve got a ball game to play. Can I not go to the palace?"

Old Madam Gu was taken aback: "How come you’re still playing ball that day? Didn’t you say you were only going to see that Xu Tang?"

Gu Baoshu was a bit smug: "It’s because I played too well. They insisted on keeping me, I just couldn’t refuse. That day they’re competing for the top three. Of course I have to play. I’m not bragging like Wang Po selling her own melons, but without me, the whole event can’t even get started properly."

Old Madam Gu pondered a moment, then said, "Then just go and play ball. In front of the Empress Dowager, one more of you doesn’t make a difference, and one less of you doesn’t either. Your own happiness is what matters most."

Qin Yuan was taken aback. She’d long known Old Madam Gu harbored much resentment toward the Empress Dowager, but she hadn’t expected her to be so blunt.