Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Page 20

Therefore, Princess Leshu is now sixteen years old. She has been raised by the Empress since childhood and is deeply favored. No one cares about her being a little spoiled.

But now Gu Yu actually slapped her in the face in public. Isn't that out of his mind?

The maid who came to invite them also changed her expression. Although she also had a good impression of this handsome young man, Gu Yu's public rejection of her princess put her in a difficult position.

Gu Yu ignored her, glanced around at the expressions of the crowd, sighed deeply, and said loudly:

"In ancient times, there was a poet named Li Bai who refused to board the emperor's boat when summoned, claiming himself to be a wine immortal. Now, not only do you poetry gatherings lack such masterpieces, but you are also so afraid of the powerful and wealthy. Where is the integrity of a scholar?"

These words were a direct attack on the entire room, and even caused a slight commotion in several private rooms upstairs.

In a secluded private room, even the usually amiable Duke Yansheng seemed somewhat uncomfortable. After all, he had come at the emperor's behest and out of consideration for his family, but to outsiders, wasn't he just fawning over the emperor?

Thinking of this, and then glancing at her grandson standing dumbfounded next to Gu Yu, she quickly decided on a target to vent her unease.

"Little Guizi, you go back and prepare. When this good-for-nothing gets back, give him twenty lashes first, and don't stop until he explains himself!"

"Eh."

Although he didn't know what the old master wanted the young master to say, Guizi still faithfully went back to prepare. After all, if things weren't arranged clearly, it would be terrible if something went wrong.

...

Seeing that the atmosphere on the field had been ignited, Gu Yu smiled smugly. Before Kong Chengli could come up and stop this idiot from continuing his crazy behavior, he raised his voice to quell the noise in the room.

"I have a poem to share with you all!"

"A Dream of Mount Tianmu—A Message to My Classmate Qinian"

"A traveler from overseas speaks of Yingzhou..."

His first few words immediately drew everyone's attention. Phrases like "forty-eight thousand feet" and "leaning southeast" made them instinctively hold their breath, as if they could already see the scenes in Gu Yu's poem.

When they heard the words "The rainbow is my garment, the wind is my steed, and the celestial beings descend in droves," everyone seemed to witness the wondrous scene of countless celestial beings alongside Gu Yu.

The last line, "How can I bow and scrape before the powerful and wealthy, thus losing my joy?"—Gu Yu's suddenly amplified voice, like a morning bell and evening drum, made their hearts tremble and their minds surge.

"How can I bow and scrape before the powerful and wealthy... We scholars should have this pride!"

"All things in the past flow away like water... Wealth and glory are but a fleeting moment, why bow down for a mere five pecks of rice!"

"The sun rises over the sea from halfway up the cliff, and the rooster crows in the sky. As long as we persevere, we will one day see the view from the summit. Why should we be sycophants?"

"..."

A few well-off young talents, caught up in the excitement, lost their usual composure and shouted in unison.

Although the others quickly stopped their urge to echo the sentiment due to the harsh reality, they still applauded and were filled with pride.

Gu Yu downed the last sip of wine and shouted loudly:

"So what's so great about that old man Jiang! He actually dared to manipulate me. One day, I'll marry all seven of his daughters, have seven sons with them, and beat up a different one every day. I'll also—"

Before Gu Yu could continue her boastful words, Kong Chengli, realizing what had happened, was sweating profusely. He immediately covered Gu Yu's mouth and, without thinking, called Li Wensong over to help carry her away.

Seeing that Gu Yu was still making a fuss, Kong Chengli could only leave him with the words that Young Master Gu was not a good drinker and asked him to help him down to rest, while Wang Shouyi took the lead in the next poetry competition.

However, Gu Yu's words before leaving were somewhat incomprehensible to the crowd. Only a few people thought about it for a moment, but dared not continue to think about it, and quietly moved on from the matter.

Next, another great Confucian scholar posed a question.

……

To prevent Gu Yu from saying anything outrageous that might be overheard, the two men personally escorted him through the side gate, disregarding the etiquette of aristocratic families, and first took Gu Yu to his courtyard.

Following the nanny who led the way, they arrived at Gu Yu's courtyard. The two looked at each other with surprise, speechless.

The Gu family owns several properties in the capital, with the main residence being particularly exquisite and possessing a rich heritage. It remained undamaged even during the great war.

After Gu Yu arrived in the capital, he indulged in all sorts of pleasures. Not to mention the furniture made of century-old or thousand-year-old sandalwood and pear wood, even a single inkstone in his study could only be bought with ten times its weight in gold.

These were just things the Gu family already owned. Gu Yu then installed a heating system, similar to the heated walls in the palace, so that no matter how cold it was outside, the inside remained warm all year round. However, the effect was even better than the palace's system, as it didn't feel excessively hot.

Even the inner room was first laid with chicken wing wood planks, then covered with precious Shu brocade, and on top of that was a layer of yellow sable fur of the same color.

They invited several famous embroiderers from the capital to sew it flawlessly, so that the first time they saw it, they only dared to stand outside and look at it.

Even so, Gu Yu said to the two of them with a regretful look that there were too few sable furs of the same color left, and they couldn't make it all at once, so they could only use the second-best quality furs as a substitute.

It's surprising that Gu Yu, despite living in such a luxurious home, rarely returned home and instead stayed at the Jia family's residence, which is quite intriguing.

However, now that we know a little about Gu Yu's thoughts, everything makes sense. We can only envy Gu Yu for being so precocious and clever, taking advantage of her young age to get close to the girls.

But today, seeing Gu Yu's rather shabby courtyard for his status, the two of them really didn't know how beautiful the daughters of the Jia family were, that Gu Yu would give up a golden house to live in a 'cowshed'.

However, they didn't have a chance to see him. After handing him over to a nanny who opened the door, the two of them went to the front yard to pay their respects to the master of the Jia family. Otherwise, barging into the side gate like this would be a breach of etiquette for a young master from a prominent family.

Fortunately, Gu Yu's courtyard was not far from the side gate, otherwise I would have had to give up before I could even get him to the gate.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Secret Competition

Halfway there, Gu Yu was so overcome by the effects of the alcohol that she began to feel drowsy and fall asleep.

Upon smelling the familiar fragrance, Gu Yu immediately relaxed her last bit of clarity, letting Xiangling and Qingwen do as they pleased.

Upon hearing that Gu Yu was drunk and unconscious, Daiyu, who had been upset by Baoyu at school but didn't want to tell her elders, came to Tan Chun's room to complain to the sisters who were playing there. Daiyu stayed there to comfort him.

Upon hearing news of Gu Yu, Daiyu wanted to go back to visit him. The sisters present also had a good impression of Gu Yu, having been treated to meals by him several times before, so they all came over in a group.

Baoyu was already unhappy, and before his sisters could finish comforting him, and before he could say more than a few words to Lin Daiyu, they all ran away, making him even more upset.

He didn't go with them, and went back to his room to find Xiren and the others to relieve his boredom.

When Daiyu led her family of sisters back to the courtyard, she found that Baochai had already come to Gu Yu's side and was watching her.

Daiyu felt a sudden tightness in her chest, and a sense of inexplicable vigilance arose within her.

She glanced at Baochai indifferently, but said, "It's kind of you, Sister Bao, to come and visit despite the cold weather. I thank you on behalf of Brother Yu."

Baochai showed no reaction to these words, which seemed to assert her dominance, her pretty face bearing a polite smile:

"I was just bored and wanted to chat with my sister, but I heard that Brother Yu had passed out, so I came to check on him. I didn't expect my sister to fly back so quickly after hearing the news."

The three young women had already surrounded Gu Yu while they were talking. Although Yingchun was the oldest, she was naturally reserved and just stood there blushing and looking around.

Tan Chun focused some of her attention on Bao Chai and Dai Yu, while Xi Chun had already placed her hand on Gu Yu's forehead.

Gu Yu felt that among the three springs, Xi Chun's delicate appearance best suited his aesthetic sense. Furthermore, thinking of the darkness he had witnessed in the nunnery in his previous life, he also felt sorry for Xi Chun's tragic end.

While Xichun was still young and hadn't fully developed that aloof personality, Gu Yu focused her attention on Xichun during these gatherings, trying her best to make her feel the warmth of others so that she wouldn't feel cold inside.

Although he was an otaku in his previous life and only interested in two-dimensional loli, when Gu Yu saw Xi Chun's pretty little face, he thought he was playing a raising game, so he was very interested and enjoyed it.

In the past two years, when they went out to collect folk stories, they sometimes went deep into the grassroots and witnessed many tragedies. They were so angry that the professor leading the team wrote a letter back to Beijing and brought down two or three county magistrates who were preying on the people.

He also instructed his family to set up a porridge shop outside the west gate, which would be used without fail to provide relief to the poor during times of disaster and winter.

The servants in the workshops were selected from poor people as much as possible, except for the servants born into wealthy families who were used for important positions.

I remember when I had only been out of Beijing for six months, I encountered a powerful man who was forcibly selling a young girl into prostitution on the street. He even physically assaulted her grandfather, causing him to fall to the ground with serious injuries.

Later I learned that this guy had a particular fondness for raping young girls, and he had already bought more than thirty of them. Usually, within two months, he would report them to the authorities for sudden death and that would be the end of it.

This incident brought Gu Yu a huge shock for the first time. However, seeing that her classmates only condemned the behavior as immoral and against morality, and then nothing more, she found it hard to understand.

Later, Li Wensong comforted him, saying that this was a common occurrence, and it was common for wealthy families to buy several young girls. Moreover, since they had signed a contract of servitude, there was no way to control it. It was only a bit excessive that someone had died.

Gu Yu was in a period of forbearance at the time, and from today's perspective, this is perfectly normal. She could only isolate herself for a while and then try to accept it.

He is neither a saint nor an emperor. Does he think that by going out and shouting a few words, he can make the world accept the idea that one can only have sex at eighteen?

Not to mention that with the productivity and average lifespan at that time, it was impossible for women to have sex after the age of eighteen. Even men could get married and start a career at the age of twelve. Moreover, how many troubles did they have in junior high and high school in later generations?

Gu Yu could only draw a line for himself and try his best to influence the people around him; as for the rest, he had no ability to manage them.

However, besides this matter, that powerful man had a lot of other dirty tricks up his sleeve. Gu Yu secretly exerted his strength and presented all the evidence to the local government.

Fortunately, the local magistrate was upright and honest. With evidence, he didn't hesitate to send people to arrest and interrogate him. In the end, he was sentenced to be executed in the autumn, which was very gratifying.

Xichun pressed her cheek against Gu Yu's, staring at his handsome face in a daze. Meanwhile, Daiyu and the other two, who were still 'confronting' behind him, stopped talking when they saw that Gu Yu was almost surrounded by people.

Xiangling walked in carrying a hot, freshly scalded pillowcase and placed both hands on it.

"Let me do it."

"let me."

The scene became somewhat awkward. Xiangling blinked in confusion. Wasn't she the master's maid? Why were Miss Lin and Miss Xue joining in the fun?

Daiyu was the first to lose her temper and stopped, followed by Baochai, who calmly walked over and sat down.

However, after a short while, the two seemed to have forgotten what had just happened, and were chatting and laughing happily, making up as if nothing had happened.

After the group sat and chatted for a while, they heard that Grandmother Jia had sent someone to call Daiyu, and then they left.

Ying'er glanced at Baochai, who was standing silently with her head down, with a strange expression. She knew that as soon as the two young masters left, Baochai would go over to take care of them. She never expected that Baochai would lie to Miss Lin.

Later, she even thought about serving Young Master Yu, something she had never done so intimately with Second Master Bao!

However, when she thought of the rumors circulating about the perfect match, she, who knew the inside story, couldn't help but feel sorry for her young mistress...

Gu Yu was fast asleep in bed, unaware that the second half of the Qinian Literary Gathering was tedious and tasteless. Although there were many outstanding poems and lyrics, and the overall quality far surpassed that of previous years, Gu Yu's poems made the later ones seem rather unremarkable.

As the crowd dispersed, Gu Yu's fame spread like wildfire overnight.

Especially since everyone present was somewhat talented, the fact that so many outstanding individuals were praising one person at the same time was truly astonishing.

The next day, even Jia Zheng learned of this. He was surprised that his young relative had already become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations and was so learned. When he came to pay his respects to Grandmother Jia, he mentioned this and praised him highly.

Just as she finished speaking, Baoyu came in. Seeing his lazy appearance and remembering that Gu Yu was younger than him, she couldn't help but feel angry and scolded Baoyu severely.

If it weren't for Grandmother Jia protecting him, he might have been given twenty lashes on the spot.

Grandmother Jia felt sorry for Baoyu and was also relieved, knowing the importance of the Gu family.

Gu Yu had been studying for the past few years and hadn't spent much time with the Jia family. Now that she had finally managed to stay for a few more days, people outside had gotten wind of the situation and were feeling a sense of urgency.

Originally, the plan was to let Gu Yu and the Jia sisters develop a relationship since they were childhood sweethearts, but seeing that time was running out, they summoned Feng Jie and gave her specific instructions:

"Yu-ge'er is only twelve years old now, even younger than Bao-yu. He's been with the Jia family since he was little, so there's really no need to avoid him. Just treat him as close as Bao-yu. When you have nothing to do, you can take Ying-chun and the others to visit him more often..."

Wang Xifeng already knew about Gu Yu's matter. Originally, she was quite dismissive of his poetry and literary fame, but it was clear that Grandmother Jia spoke with great seriousness, comparing him to Bao Yu, whom she usually doted on the most, as if there was a hidden meaning in her words.

After a moment's thought, she realized there was something else she didn't know, so she became more cautious and readily agreed, planning to have Jia Lian inquire further later.

……

Chapter Thirty-Four: Mother Wang's Departure

When Gu Yu woke up, she opened her eyes and looked out the window, only to find that it was still dark outside.

There was a fragrant body leaning against his shoulder on the bed; one whiff of the scent told him it was his beloved Xiangling.

Shaking her slightly aching head, Gu Yu got up and stretched, a series of cracking sounds startling Qingwen, who was lying on the bed beside her, awake.

After quickly putting on an overcoat, Qingwen carried in the hangover soup that was being heated on the stove in the outer room.

"Master, drink it quickly, or you'll get a headache."

Qingwen lowered her voice, fumbled to light the candle by the bedside, and handed over the hangover soup. Her usually clear and melodious voice sounded somewhat soft and delicate at this moment.

Seeing that Qingwen was wearing only a thin shirt and looked rather frail in the candlelight, Gu Yu felt a pang of sympathy. He put the bowl aside, picked her up, carried her to bed, kicked off her shoes, and tucked her into the covers.

Qingwen blushed and let Gu Yu hold her small hands. After a while, she realized what was happening, pulled her hands out, picked up the hangover soup, and turned her head to find that Gu Yu had already opened her mouth to feed her.

"Shame on you!"

Qingwen gave a soft hum, but a smile remained on her face as she gently blew on the spoonful of warm water to serve Gu Yu.

After finishing the soup and putting down the bowl, Gu Yu pulled her into his arms and kissed her intimately, unknowingly making a noise that woke Xiang Ling up again.

Seeing Xiangling open her eyes, Qingwen quickly pried off Gu Yu's mischievous hand, blushed, rolled her eyes at him, and turned away.

Xiangling rubbed her eyes sleepily, and was very happy to see that Gu Yu was awake. She then asked curiously:

"I think I heard Sister Qingwen's voice in my dream just now. Huh? Isn't Sister Qingwen sleeping with someone at the hospital? Why is she here?"

Gu Yu was afraid that Qingwen would be embarrassed, so he could only coax Xiangling by saying:

"She just brought over some hangover soup. I saw she was dressed lightly, so I gave it to her to warm her up. I suppose she disturbed you when she came up here."

The three of them played around for a while longer, and seeing that it was getting light, they got up to wash and get ready.

However, just after finishing breakfast, Granny Wang walked in, looking hesitant.