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

Page 72

Looking up at the sun, which was already approaching noon, Gu Yu exclaimed in surprise and quickly ordered the servants who had come up to start turning the waterwheel.

"Hurry up! As long as the master is here, you must not stop, otherwise the fish will be dried up in no time under this scorching sun. If that happens, the master will lose good karma, and all my efforts will have been in vain."

Looking at the waterwheel spinning rapidly in front of him and the small fish in the trough inside, the old monk's face trembled violently. He pointed with a trembling finger for a long time but couldn't say a word.

Gu Yu curled her lips and said loudly again:

"Master, can you feel your merits surging within you? Are you about to ascend to immortality? Oh, right! Look at my head, Master just said that greed leads to half the results with twice the effort. I wonder if Master has any greed in his heart?"

Before the old monk could speak, Gu Yu chuckled to himself again:

"It's alright to have greed. I, Gu, have plenty of money and am happy to help others. I can get thousands of these semi-automatic animal release machines to earn merit for you, Master. They must be quite fast."

At this point, Gu Yu smiled and looked again at the defeated foreign monks beside the White Horse Temple:

"Are you all interested? You can easily attain Buddhahood simply by meditating. If done properly, no living beings will perish, and everyone will be happy."

"Heavenly Demon! You are the Heavenly Demon Star! The Heavenly Demon Star!!"

Seeing the bewildered look in the eyes of someone in the crowd, the gray-robed old monk finally broke down, his expression turning ferocious as he pointed at Gu Yu and shouted wildly.

Gu Yu's expression turned cold. Although Lin Daiyu and Baochai felt comfortable calling out "Heavenly Demon Star," what did this old monk mean by joining in?

Finally, Gu Yu put away the playful smile on her face, straightened up, and looked coldly at the agitated old monk, without feeling a trace of sympathy.

"You foreign barbarians, thinking you can chant a few verses of scripture, dare to come to my Central Plains to swindle and deceive. Little do you know that everyone is just laughing at you! You dare to debate Zen with such a person? Humph!"

With a disdainful flick of his sleeves, Gu Yu was pondering which pose would make him look more dashing as he walked off the stage when he turned around and saw the monks of Baima Temple staring intently at him with solemn expressions, which startled him.

I don't think I mocked them, right? What's going on?

……

"Zijuan, come in, I have something to ask you..."

After closing the door, Zijuan looked at Daiyu with a puzzled expression. She wondered what question the young lady had asked her while she was reading in her room. She herself could only barely recognize a few words. Asking her was like a blind man lighting a lamp, a complete waste of time.

Daiyu frowned slightly, barely suppressing the vague unease in her heart. She bit her lip, her face still flushed, and asked softly:

"Have you ever heard of... anything about 'killing husband'?"

Zijuan was taken aback. Looking at Daiyu's shy face, she finally realized what she meant by asking the question. She felt both shy and amused, thinking that this girl was going crazy for Young Master Yu!

But then she remembered Daiyu's condition, and Zijuan's smile faltered. She tried to gloss over it, but Daiyu had been watching her every move closely and was quick to react.

Of all the people she had ever met, apart from Zijuan, even Xiangling and Qingwen had at least one or two sparse hairs, but she was completely bald, without even a fuzzy tuft.

Now that such a saying is true, Daiyu felt her unease intensify, and she couldn't help but stand up and pace back and forth.

Zijuan, unaware of her inner thoughts, only saw that she was so restless because of a single statement, and quickly smiled to comfort her:

"Why are you in such a hurry, young lady? Young Master Yu is learned and talented, have you ever seen him care about him? I think he cherishes you very much, and even wants to... hehe~ It's clear that this is all just a bluff."

Daiyu pursed her lips, but didn't hear much of what she was saying. The thought that three out of the four people were associated with that unlucky saying made her uneasy. She couldn't help but look out the window, wishing she could see the smiling Gu Yu back safely as soon as possible, even if he took liberties with her!

……

Listening to the excited discussion below, even though the emperor was usually composed and never showed his emotions, Jiang Ming couldn't help but smile. He looked at the handsome figure below with satisfaction. This was indeed his good son-in-law!

When Jiang Ming saw the Tibetan monks looking at Gu Yu with apprehension, and even the monks of Baima Temple looking at him with strange expressions, his heart sank, knowing that the consequences were coming.

If Gu Yu loses, someone will likely reveal his background and disrupt his plans. If Gu Yu wins, it will also disrupt Bei Hu's plans, and they might have a backup plan.

I never expected this kid to be so troublesome, to the point that even the White Horse Temple, which he helped, couldn't help but want to subdue this demon. It's really both funny and exasperating.

Gu Yu returned to his seat, unaware of what had happened at the head of the table. He simply kept bowing to return the greetings to those around him, as everyone present was somewhat knowledgeable and understood the significance of today's win or loss.

Gu Yu's decisive move in turning the tide gave them a great sense of pride, and coupled with his handsome and extraordinary appearance, they were all happy to befriend him.

Gu Yu was so overwhelmed by the crowd that he couldn't refuse outright. Just as he was complaining bitterly, he suddenly saw a group of eunuchs walking towards him, beckoning him to come and ask them questions. His eyes lit up, and he quickly escaped his predicament, following the eunuchs to see Jiang Ming for the first time with such enthusiasm.

……

"What? I'm not having it! Why are you hitting me?!"

Looking at the orderly line of palace guards beside him, Gu Yu's lips twitched, and he inexplicably thought of Yue Fei.

He severely punished the foreign monk on behalf of the Great Qian Dynasty, but not only did he receive no reward, he is now inexplicably being punished. How unjust! The truth is clear!

The eunuch Xu, who was supervising the execution, was someone they knew, so he quickly smiled and said:

“Young Master Gu, we would never dare to forge an imperial edict, that would be a capital offense! His Majesty only gave three words, we know nothing else.”

"Which three words?"

Gu Yu tried to make one last struggle, but was quickly crushed by the cruel reality.

"Think for yourself."

A faint cough came from afar. Eunuch Xu dared not delay any longer and immediately ordered the execution to begin.

The guards below had been given countless instructions, and after just twenty strokes, the blows were deafening and crackling. The two executioners were also covered in sweat, and Gu Yu's buttocks were covered in blood, making him look extremely miserable.

After receiving confirmation from the guards, Eunuch Xu glanced at Gu Yu's backside before announcing that the job was done and he would call it a day. He then quickly sent someone to bring the servants over to lead Gu Yu back home.

"hiss--"

Gu Yu was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely. Even though he had practiced martial arts since childhood and was physically strong, he had never been held down and beaten with a board before. Moreover, in order to reassure certain people, although the beating wasn't severe, it still drew blood, and he would need to stay in bed for at least half a month to recover.

"What terrible things have I done to deserve this..."

Gu Yu was on the verge of tears. He probably realized by now that his words had even frightened the White Horse Temple, and the emperor had to appease him by saying that he also couldn't stand such nonsense.

I did my best, but I got beaten up for no reason. Where can I complain? I'm never doing it again!

Just as she was feeling indignant, a young eunuch came over and whispered a few words. Gu Yu was startled and couldn't help but look up at the eunuch. Her anger subsided considerably, and she sighed, resigning herself to her bad luck.

……

"Your Majesty went too far... Thank goodness Zhi'er didn't see it. Otherwise, I don't know how much she would have complained about you!"

Inside the imperial carriage, after hearing Dai Da's report, Empress Zhou couldn't help but glare at Jiang Ming again. Yu'er's buttocks were all bruised and battered; this guy really had the heart to do that!

Jiang Ming's face darkened. He wondered who had encouraged him to teach this brat a lesson after Gu Yu hadn't come to see their daughter.

Since I also needed to express my stance to Baima Temple, I decided to take advantage of the situation to give him a small punishment and keep him locked up at home to prevent the Northern Hu from taking any further action against him.

You're kicking me to the curb right after we've finished fighting you; that's really unreasonable!

"...Alas! The Empress is right. Let's not tell Zhi'er about this for now. After he has recovered from his injuries, we can just send that boy in to see Zhi'er."

Jiang Ming opened his mouth, forced a smile, and swallowed his tears alone. After all, she was his wife; he had no choice but to pamper her.

Chapter 83 Startled awake from her deathbed

The only thing that comforted Gu Yu was that Jiang Ming had at least saved him some face by not publicly punishing him in front of so many people; only a few people saw it.

But when he carried the bag out through the side door and saw two figures staring at him with strange expressions, Gu Yu couldn't help but curse inwardly. Luckily, these two hadn't picked up his tongue, otherwise they would have said something like:

"Oh—isn't this Yu Meiren? How come she's gotten so bloated after just a quarter of an hour?"

Seeing Gu Yu lying on the sedan chair, Li Wensong and the other man exchanged a glance and wisely refrained from provoking him further.

"Let's go, let's go. When we get back, we'll have the maid apply this wound medicine to the wound once a day. In ten days, you'll be able to get out of bed."

Kong Chengli shook his head, waving the imperial medicine he had just received from the eunuch. He handed it to the servant Gu Yu had brought and then escorted Gu Yu to the carriage to return home.

Despite his intelligence, he and Li Wensong racked their brains for a long time but still couldn't figure out what this was all about. Even if it was just to appease Baima Temple, they shouldn't have taken direct action.

"How did you even come up with this question? I've been thinking about it for ages, and it seems to make sense, but something just doesn't feel right..."

Riding his horse alongside the carriage, Li Wensong couldn't help but lift the curtain and ask the question. He was so eager to know how to answer it that he couldn't figure it out.

Gu Yu rolled her eyes and said:

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Just because I'm only responsible for asking questions doesn't mean I have the solutions. Hiss—"

A jolt aggravated Gu Yu's injuries, causing him to gasp and become speechless. Li Wensong had no choice but to shut up and let him rest.

When they arrived at the fork in the road, the two were in a dilemma. To the left was the Grand View Garden of the Jia family mansion, while to the right was Gu Yu's ancestral home. Their current location was closer to Gu Yu's home.

Hearing Gu Yu gasping for breath inside, Kong Chengli wanted him to go back quickly, but he hesitated.

“Yu Meiren has always been close to the sisters of the Jia family. Now that she is injured, she probably wants to stay inside and not come out. Why don’t we send her to the Jia family?”

Li Wensong scoffed, his face full of disdain.

"If you ask me, Chengli, you're still too green."

"???"

Glancing towards the carriage, Li Wensong quietly approached and whispered:

"You know, Yu Meiren is a grown man. Now that he's been punished, if his sisters see it and make fun of him, how will he get through these days?"

“If we send him back, it won’t be the same. The young ladies in the Jia family estate will only worry about Yu Meiren after hearing that he was injured. Once he recovers and goes back, then…”

Seeing Li Wensong's wicked grin, Kong Chengli's eyes widened slightly. How come he never noticed before that this kid had so many tricks up his sleeve?

However, Li Wensong's words made a lot of sense. Given Gu Yu's personality, she probably didn't want her sisters to worry. With that in mind, the two ordered everyone to head towards the Gu family's residence.

Gu Yu lay inside for a while before he came to his senses. He felt as if his clothes were stuck to his buttocks and had formed scabs, making him afraid to move at all.

The hawking sounds outside seemed a little different from usual. After hearing a slightly familiar hawking sound, Gu Yu finally realized that it was a well-established fabric shop near her home. She had even spoken to the owner's wife a few times!

"Wait! Wait! Where did you bring me?!"

Hearing Gu Yu's shouts from inside, Li Wensong lifted the side curtain and glanced at him. Seeing that he was lying there peacefully, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Of course I'll take you home. You're covered in blood, how can you bear to let your cousin see you like that? You don't want her heart to break!"

But his strange, teasing tone almost made Gu Yu jump up. What a joke!

He has a mistress he can't keep hidden at home. If he really goes back to his home to recuperate, and Daiyu and the others come under the guise of visiting him, what if they bump into him?

At least for now, he has no way to explain Qin Keqing's background to them. He can only slowly reveal it when they are about to get married and leave the Jia family. If he tells them about it so early, the risk of exposure is too great.

"Stop! Stop! Take me back to the garden quickly, I can't go home."

Kong Chengli looked at Li Wensong and asked, "Are you reliable or not? Why isn't Yu Meiren worried at all?"

Under his gaze, Li Wensong felt a little embarrassed. Just as he was about to ask Gu Yu what the reason was, the servants below, having heard their young master speak, had already turned the carriage around and sped off towards the Grand View Garden.

……

"Huh? What's Sister Lin doing here? Where's Brother Yu?"

Stepping into the room, Xichun saw Daiyu sitting at her desk, chin in hand, staring blankly out the window, but Gu Yu was nowhere to be seen. She felt both aggrieved and puzzled.

I already gave her face yesterday, saying I'd come over in the afternoon, but I didn't expect Sister Lin to pretend! Now that both of them are here, how can I be intimate with Brother Yu later?

Distracted by Xichun, Daiyu was taken aback. Seeing that it wasn't the person in question, her smile faded slightly, but she still got up and invited Xichun to sit down.

“Sister Xichun is here… Brother Yu has gone out on business. Judging by the time, he should be back soon. I just have a few things to ask him. I’ll leave once he gets back.”

Daiyu looked away, not daring to look at her, secretly twisting the ends of her hair in her hand, feeling somewhat embarrassed for having lied.

Hearing that Gu Yu wasn't there, Xi Chun looked a little disappointed, but then she perked up when she heard that he would be back soon. Ever since she returned yesterday, she had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her thoughts had been constantly on Gu Yu; even just watching her brother read and write would be enough for her!

The two chatted for a few minutes when suddenly another set of footsteps came. Daiyu thought it was Qingwen and the others who were hiding in the side room to cool off, but unexpectedly it was Baochai's voice.

"Is Brother Yu there?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the three people inside and outside the room stared at each other, none of them expecting that there would be so many people in the midday sun.

Daiyu pursed her lips and gave Baochai, who was always praised for her dignified demeanor, a strange look in her eyes as if she wanted to see right through her.

"Sister Bao is always afraid of the heat, why did you come over now? It's just a pity that Brother Yu has to go out. Will it cause any trouble?"

Baochai was only a little uncomfortable at first, but she had already regained her composure and sat down with practiced ease. She then instructed Ying'er to go and play with Xiangling and the others before answering Daiyu's question.

"There's nothing important here. It's just that my brother is celebrating his birthday and wanted to host a feast with some exotic fruits. He asked me to come and invite Brother Yu on my way. May I ask...?"

Daiyu repeated herself, but before she could finish speaking, a commotion came from outside the courtyard gate. She saw several maids carrying a couch towards the bedroom, with a figure lying on the couch in the middle that was not clearly visible.

Daiyu's heart tightened, and she immediately stood up from the chair. She felt dizzy and swayed before she regained her balance. Baochai helped her up in time, and after she recovered, the group quickly went out to check on the situation.

Chapter Eighty-Four: The New Five-Part Division—Pshaw, the Three-Part Division!

As Gu Yu was led into the room while lying on the couch, Daiyu and the others were ushered away before they could even ask what was going on. A doctor came immediately, and they could only suppress their anxiety and avoid the situation.

After a while, just as the old woman saw the doctor off, Daiyu rushed impatiently into Gu Yu's room, where she was met by a maid carrying a basin.

Upon seeing the blood-stained clothes in the basin, Daiyu gasped softly, her eyes instantly reddening, and she rushed to the bedside with teary eyes.