Tao Mo turned to look for Adviser Jin and discovered that he had not come outside.
Instead, it was Gu She who asked, “What crime have they committed?”
Cui Jiong froze, apparently not expecting him to suddenly interfere and ask about the matter. By now, the name Gu She, Gu Xianzhi had spread throughout Tanyang County, and as the local Clerk, Cui Jiong naturally could not have failed to hear it. He quickly recovered from his surprise and said, “Well… they are the plaintiffs in the case. The case has not yet been resolved, yet they suddenly attempted to flee. There must be something suspicious about that.”
Gu She said, “I asked what crime they have committed.”
Cui Jiong had no answer.
People who fled were usually defendants. Plaintiffs running away was something Cui Jiong had never encountered before. Although he knew the Wu couple had tried to flee because they had guilty consciences, he could not produce any solid evidence of wrongdoing.
Tao Mo looked at Gu She in puzzlement. He too found the Wu couple’s attempted escape extremely suspicious, but he did not understand why Gu She was instead making things difficult for Cui Jiong.
“Since they have committed no crime, why have you not released them?” Gu She asked.
Cui Jiong could not help looking toward Tao Mo.
Tao Mo hesitated. “But the case hasn’t been resolved yet. If they leave now, won’t it become an unsolved case?”
“Since the plaintiffs no longer wish to pursue the complaint, why not grant them their wish?”
Tao Mo stared for a moment. Something about that did not seem right, but he could not immediately identify what it was.
Master One-Hammer suddenly laughed. “Just what sort of people are this Wu couple?”
“People from Wu Family Village,” Gu She replied.
Master One-Hammer had spent so many years navigating officialdom that naturally he would not be fobbed off by such a superficial answer. “Could it be that someone else is directing them from behind the scenes?”
Tao Mo started in surprise and remembered Shi Qianshan’s words.
Shi Qianshan had said that the person behind the Wu couple might very well be the Ninth Prince. Could Gu She mean that Tao Mo should avoid provoking the Ninth Prince? Once Tao Mo understood that possibility, he also realized why Gu She’s earlier reasoning had felt wrong. If the Wu couple had truly plotted to frame Shi Qianshan, then Shi Qianshan was the victim while the Wu couple were the perpetrators. In other words, Shi Qianshan had effectively become the complainant, while the Wu couple had become the accused. A complainant could choose to let the matter go, but the accused could not simply be released.
“No. We can’t let them go,” Tao Mo blurted.
Cui Jiong knew nothing of the circumstances behind the case. Seeing Tao Mo side with him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu She looked at Tao Mo without expression.
Tao Mo lowered his voice. “I know what you mean. But as the magistrate responsible for the people here, no matter who the accused is or who the complainant is, I should handle the case impartially.”
Gu She asked, “Are you planning to handle the case right now?”
Only then did Tao Mo remember that today was their wedding day. He immediately looked at Cui Jiong in difficulty.
Cui Jiong at least had enough tact to understand what was happening. “The Wu couple have already been caught. Your Excellency may deal with the matter after the Cinnabar Banquet concludes.”
Tao Mo said, “Then I’ll trouble Clerk Cui to keep a close watch on them.”
“Yes.”
After replying, Cui Jiong lowered his hands and stood respectfully to one side.
Gu She turned his gaze toward Master One-Hammer and Lin Zhengyong, both of whom were still lingering and refusing to leave.
Lin Zhengyong smiled. “Young Master Gu’s paintings truly are peerless under Heaven. I would like to admire them a while longer.”
Master One-Hammer said, “Brother Lin speaks my thoughts exactly. Still, noon is almost upon us, and I find my stomach rather empty. Why don’t we each return home for lunch and come back afterward?” Although he spoke of returning home, his feet did not move in the slightest. Clearly, he was waiting for Gu She to invite him to stay for the meal.
Lin Zhengyong was not particularly close to Gu She and was too embarrassed to make the suggestion himself. Once Master One-Hammer opened the subject, he immediately fell silent.
Gu She said, “After such a serious incident in the residence, it would be inconvenient for me to keep either of you. The Cinnabar Banquet will be held again another day.”
Master One-Hammer had not expected to be refused even after making his hint so obvious. His smile immediately became somewhat strained. “Since that is so, then… then as your teacher, I should not continue disturbing you.”
How could Madam One-Hammer fail to understand what the two men were really saying? She immediately complained, “I never imagined the Gu residence would lack even enough food to keep the two of us for one meal.”
Master One-Hammer lightly tugged at his wife’s sleeve.
Madam One-Hammer glared at him and pulled her sleeve free of his fingers.
Lin Zhengyong had originally remained behind in hopes of fishing in troubled waters. But now the waters were thoroughly muddy and there was still no fish to catch, so he sensibly took his leave. After all, he had neither kinship nor a master-disciple relationship with Gu She. If master and disciple truly started quarreling, he might very well become the first innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
After Lin Zhengyong left, Master One-Hammer suddenly remarked, “Today certainly is an auspicious day.”
Old Tao, who had been directing the servants as they bound the assassins and took them to the rear courtyard, had just returned. At those words, he immediately looked sharply at Master One-Hammer.
Master One-Hammer smiled like a fox. “I wonder whether you were satisfied with the congratulatory gift I sent today?”
Perhaps because nothing had happened in front for quite some time and matters in the rear were nearly settled, Yue Ling, Adviser Jin, and the others had all begun coming over.
Hearing Master One-Hammer’s question, Yue Ling quickly said, “The pair of white-jade ruyi scepters Master sent are exquisitely carved and exceptionally rare.”
Elio’s Notes: A ruyi is a curved ceremonial object whose name literally carries the auspicious sense of “as you wish.” Jade ruyi were prized gifts associated with good fortune and the fulfillment of one’s wishes, making the pair especially appropriate as a wedding gift.
Gu She cupped his hands. “Thank you, Master.”
Master One-Hammer said, “Think nothing of it. As a teacher, naturally I ought to offer congratulations on a day like this.”
To anyone else, his words would naturally seem to refer to the Cinnabar Banquet. But apart from Cui Jiong and Madam One-Hammer, everyone present knew the truth behind the banquet and therefore understood exactly what he meant.
Old Tao and Adviser Jin could not help giving him a second look.
Tanyang County truly was full of hidden talents.
Gu She smiled faintly. “Thank you, Master.”
Seeing that Gu She remained neither warm nor cold, Master One-Hammer understood that Gu She did not particularly want him knowing about the marriage. Sensibly, he cupped his hands. “Today’s assassins were no ordinary men. You would do well to be more careful.” With that, he took Madam One-Hammer and said his farewells.
“Thank you for your concern, Master.” Gu She sent Gu Xiaojia to see them out.
After Master One-Hammer, Lin Zhengyong, and the others left, Tao Mo also sent Cui Jiong away. Everyone remaining was someone who knew the truth and had come to attend the wedding banquet.
Old Tao said to Gu She, “Leave the assassins to me.”
Tao Mo said, “I’ll go with you.”
“One glance is enough to tell that these assassins are desperate men from the jianghu. I’m afraid I may have to use certain methods before they will tell the truth. Young Master should stay out of this and leave it to me. Today is the great day of your marriage to Young Master Gu. You should be enjoying yourselves.”
Tao Mo hesitated. “But…”
Yue Ling said with a teasing smile, “Haven’t you heard that a single moment of a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold? Lord Tao, you mustn’t throw away a fortune.”
Elio’s Notes: “A single moment of a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold” is a famous poetic line by Su Shi. Although the original poem praises the precious beauty of a spring evening, the line is often invoked jokingly in wedding contexts to suggest that the newlyweds should not waste their wedding night.
Tao Mo’s face turned red, and he could scarcely bring himself to look at Gu She.
Adviser Jin coughed dryly. “Master needn’t worry. Leave this matter to Old Tao and me.”
Hao Guozi voiced his agreement.
Since everyone said the same thing, Tao Mo could only agree.
Because Tao Mo and Gu She were both men, Yue Ling had prepared only the wedding hangings, wedding quilt, nuptial wine, and Double Happiness characters. He had not placed a single red date, peanut, longan, or lotus seed in the bridal chamber.
Elio’s Notes: Red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds are traditional wedding foods whose names and sounds evoke the blessing 早生贵子, “may you soon have a precious son.” Yue Ling deliberately leaves them out here because both newlyweds are men.
The moment Tao Mo entered the bridal chamber, his breathing grew heavier. His head hung almost against his chest, and his cheeks were nearly the same color as the red wedding quilt.
Gu She calmly poured the wine and handed him one cup.
Tao Mo accepted it.
Seeing Tao Mo holding the cup with his wrist trembling slightly and still refusing to raise his head, Gu She reached out and lifted his chin with a finger.
Tao Mo looked up at him, nervously biting his lower lip while his throat moved again and again as he swallowed.
“The cross-cupped wedding wine,” Gu She said, extending his arm.
Tao Mo followed his lead.
Gu She linked their arms and raised the wine cup to his lips.
Feeling the heat coming from Gu She’s arm, Tao Mo became even more nervous. The wine trembled continuously inside his cup, and it took considerable effort before he finally managed to bring it to his lips.
Gu She drained his cup in one swallow.
Tao Mo drank his as well.
The wine was strong. The moment it entered Tao Mo’s stomach, he felt a rush of heat surge straight from his belly to his head, easing his nervousness somewhat.
Gu She said, “From today onward, we will walk hand in hand until we grow old.”
Tao Mo nodded.
“Neither of us will take a wife or have children.”
Tao Mo looked at him with a trace of concern.
“We will have only each other for the rest of our lives.”
His expression was so calm, so why were the words he spoke so sweet? Tao Mo gazed at him as his eyes stung. Tears gathered in them, but he desperately held them back.
Gu She suddenly raised a hand and brushed his fingers toward Tao Mo’s eyes.
Tao Mo instinctively closed them.
The tears immediately spilled over.
“You shouldn’t cry today.” Gu She gently wiped the tears away with his fingers.
“I’m… crying because I’m happy…”
Gu She’s fingers slowly lingered at the edge of his collar. “You should save some of your strength.”
Tao Mo shuddered, as though he already knew what was about to happen.
Gu She’s fingers gently began undoing his clothes. Looking at Tao Mo, whose eyes were tightly shut and who did not dare open them, he asked, “Do you know what I’m going to do?”
Tao Mo’s eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings. Only after a long while did he nod.
The wedding robe fell to the floor, and Gu She slowly moved closer.
Tao Mo involuntarily retreated until the backs of his legs struck the edge of the bed and he dropped down onto it. Opening his eyes and looking up, he saw Gu She slowly lean over him…
Before the wine cups, the dragon-and-phoenix candles faced one another.
On the window, two shadows formed a pair. Within the red bed curtains, the quilt rose and fell like waves.
The whole room was steeped in amorous spring.
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