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

Page 37

If several young ladies were also... or even His Majesty's concubines... Dai Da's fair face turned deathly pale, and he dared not think any further.

Just as he was about to secretly observe the situation and have his men fire a sneak attack to kill the princess, Dai Daju's hand, which was in mid-air, suddenly stopped.

If he wasn't mistaken… After glancing at the two people by the pond, Dai Da's face suddenly brightened, and he quickly signaled for the group to retreat. He then ignored the ashen-faced palace maid who had followed him and ran off to report the situation to Jiang Ming.

……

"what?!"

Hearing Dai Da sneak over and whisper his report, Jiang Ming's eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a sound, his expression shifting constantly.

Seeing the three of them staring at him with puzzled expressions, Jiang Ming, afraid that his twitching lips would betray his laughter, quickly roared at Lin Ruhai:

"Lin Ruhai, you've really raised that kid into a 'gentleman,' isn't he? He always keeps his word, doesn't he? Humph!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, got up first, and followed Dai Da out.

Lin Ruhai looked puzzled, wondering what Gu Yu had done to anger Jiang Ming again. Feeling uneasy, he quickly followed her out, thinking about how to plead for her later.

Those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see clearly. Although the Duke of Yansheng was not young, he was still sharp-witted and naturally noticed Jiang Ming's little tricks. Seeing this, he exchanged a glance with Li Zhixian, who was standing to the side, and the two chuckled before joining in to watch the spectacle.

...

Jiang Mengzhi didn't know what was wrong with her, but as she talked, she voluntarily told this bad person some of her little secrets.

After so much time, she realized that Gu Yu was definitely not a womanizer, but he was still a bad person!

Stealing a sniff of the fragrance emanating from his arms, Jiang Mengzhi blushed and was forced to lean against Gu Yu's chest, but a smile returned to her face.

Gu Yu held the little princess in his arms, feeling very comfortable. He closed his eyes slightly and occasionally responded to her with a word or two. The two of them looked more like a young couple bickering.

Unexpectedly, a furious shout came from behind, almost sobering Gu Yu up.

"Yu'er! What are you doing!"

As soon as Lin Ruhai arrived with Jiang Ming, he understood everything upon seeing the situation on the field. He turned to look at Jiang Ming's barely suppressed smile, then at the oblivious Gu Yu, and felt a surge of anger rising within him, his teeth itching with hatred.

Gu Yu turned around and saw a group of people staring at her, watching the commotion. The one in the lead looked very familiar!

Upon closer inspection, wasn't this none other than Lin Hai, Daiyu's biological father?! Gu Yu shuddered and released the little princess she was still holding.

"Uncle, Your Majesty...please let me explain!"

When Jiang Mengzhi saw her father leading a group of people to 'rescue' her, she was overjoyed but also reluctant. Then, after realizing what had happened, she was filled with shame and quickly ran to hide behind Jiang Ming, not daring to look at him.

"Hmph! What a drunken slip of the tongue! I never expected that after I invited you to the palace, you would actually try to harm my daughter!"

With his mind in complete disarray, Gu Yu naturally didn't notice the expressions on everyone's faces. Now that he was mostly sober, he finally realized what a mess he had just made.

"So this really wasn't a dream... Holy crap... I'm in the Great Qian Dynasty, and I was just caught by the emperor harassing a princess. What do I do?"

Lin Hai looked at Gu Yu, so angry that he kept stammering "you you you" for a long time, but he still couldn't get it right.

Jiang Ming had already used the excuse of wanting to marry the princess to Gu Yu to urge him to come to the capital, so he was not worried that Gu Yu would suffer any hardship.

He had been rushing all the way to secure Yu'er's position as the principal wife, fearing that Jiang Ming and the Empress might actually have such thoughts after meeting Gu Yu.

Unexpectedly, after arriving in Beijing, Yu'er still looked down on Gu Yu! So now Lin Hai doesn't know what he's angry about, while Gu Yu's own father is all smiles.

Just when I was trying to find a good match for Gu Yu, what family could compare to this one? Now that this has happened, Gu Yu has no choice but to marry him, even if he doesn't want to!

Chapter 1: Little Tips Every Woman Knows

Seeing Lin Hai pointing for a long time without being able to say anything, Jiang Ming laughed heartily.

It's such a wonderful coincidence that I've gotten such a good marriage for free. Especially seeing how close Gu Yu and Zhi'er were before, I don't have to worry about her being neglected in the future.

In that short time, Jiang Ming, who had already started referring to himself as his future father-in-law, naturally couldn't stand Lin Ruhai, his former future father-in-law, making things difficult for his future son-in-law. He quickly pulled Lin Ruhai away and asked Dai Da to prepare some more wine for a drink.

Lin Ruhai actually stood there for a while and came to terms with it. If Yu'er hadn't disliked him, and if he hadn't found out Gu Yu's plans that day and knew that he had no interest in an official career, he would never have let him marry any princess.

Although this dynasty does not prohibit imperial sons-in-law from entering politics as the previous dynasty did, their official careers are still much more difficult.

Even if you are truly outstanding, if you have a colleague who is just as capable, your superior will not promote you, which is called avoiding suspicion.

And how many imperial sons-in-law were truly capable, their talents unable to be concealed? Of all the imperial sons-in-law in the past hundred years of this dynasty, the highest-ranking one was only the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Besides, he knew about Mengzhi's experiences. He and Jiang Ming had been friends for over a decade, so he naturally felt sorry for her.

Because of Mengzhi's health condition, even the servants who attended to her were very wary of her, let alone those from prestigious families. Empress Zhou had even prepared herself mentally for her to remain unmarried for the rest of her life.

Now that Gu Yu likes her, it can be considered a mutual affection. However, looking at Jiang Ming's beaming profile in front of him, Lin Ruhai thought of the precious jade that his Yu'er had "taken a fancy to," and felt even more depressed and puzzled.

"Why is that?..."

...

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the group left, leaving only Jiang Mengzhi and Gu Yu behind, who were breathing a sigh of relief.

The two stared at each other for a while, then Jiang Mengzhi suddenly turned and ran away, her face flushed, like a startled rabbit.

"..."

Gu Yu felt a wave of disorientation wash over him. He felt as if he were dreaming, but it wasn't entirely a dream. He pinched his arm, took a deep breath, and finally came to terms with reality.

"...Why did they leave without giving me an explanation? What should I do now?"

Feeling completely lost, Gu Yu wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes before deciding to go home first.

Jiang Ming's attitude was unclear. He didn't want to go to someone else's mother's place and make a scene again, otherwise he might cause trouble even if there was nothing wrong with him.

……

Because the matter was resolved relatively quickly, no one reported it to Empress Zhou.

After the banquet in the palace finally ended and everyone dispersed, Empress Zhou returned to the palace, tidied her appearance, and then went to discuss something with Jiang Ming with a strange expression.

When she arrived at Jiang Ming's place, she found that the group was still drinking, and Jiang Ming seemed quite happy, which puzzled her.

"I see you, Your Majesty."

Before Empress Zhou could even bow, Jiang Ming repeatedly called her to her feet, his face full of delight.

"Fifth Sister, I have some incredibly good news to tell you today!"

But then, keeping everyone in suspense, Empress Zhou gracefully covered her mouth and smiled, saying:

"Oh? It just so happens that I also have some good news to tell His Majesty and Lord Lin. But I wonder what good news His Majesty has?"

"Hmm? Lord Lin? What good news?"

Several people were curious. Could it be that some matriarch was going to introduce Lin Ruhai to a second wife? But what did that have to do with His Majesty?

Li Zhixian suddenly thought of something, his raised wine cup paused slightly, and his expression became somewhat strange. Just then, he saw the Duke of Yansheng also looking over, and both of them felt a jolt of excitement, exclaiming that this was a truly satisfying piece of gossip.

"I never expected to witness such a spectacular sight today; this trip was truly worthwhile!"

The other three main characters hadn't noticed yet that Empress Zhou smiled smugly, a hint of accomplishment on her face.

Although Daiyu was exceptionally intelligent, she lacked experience, and her thoughts were easily detected by her.

When she heard that Gu Yu had returned early, her relieved expression confirmed her suspicions, so she came to congratulate Lin Ruhai.

"Lord Lin still doesn't understand a young woman's mind. I heard the other day that he was still looking for a husband for Gu Yu, and even said that Yu'er's taste was bad."

"It's just that my youngest daughter is shy and embarrassed to reveal this matter, which has led Lord Lin to make such a big fuss, hurting my precious daughter's feelings in the end."

"I bet Lord Lin will be in for a headache figuring out how to appease Yu'er when he gets back, hahahahaha—uh..."

Empress Zhou's laughter gradually stopped because she noticed that not only Lin Ruhai's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, but even her husband's complexion looked terrible.

Li Zhixian and the Duke of Yansheng remained silent as background figures, but they were secretly enjoying themselves immensely. They subtly toasted each other, watching the grand spectacle with delight.

"Uh, Your Majesty? Lord Lin? Isn't this a good thing? Why are you all...?"

Jiang Ming's lips twitched violently as he watched speechlessly as his shrewd wife, who had been so clever for over a decade, was now frantically rubbing salt into Lin Ruhai's wounds, seemingly afraid that Lin Ruhai might not be able to withstand the shock. He could only cough twice to explain the situation.

"Today, that brat Gu Yu somehow went to Zhi'er's side, and then the two of them... I and Lord Lin have already seen it."

Empress Zhou opened her mouth slightly, forgetting to cover it with her hand, both happy and surprised. But seeing Lin Ruhai's dark face, she realized she had to suppress her joy, causing her delicate eyebrows to furrow together, making her look somewhat comical.

"..."

"..."

The arena fell silent for a moment. Lin Ruhai took a deep breath and solemnly bowed to Jiang Ming, saying:

"Your Majesty, I have served diligently for over ten years, and this is my only daughter..."

"No! This is my only daughter in all these years. Now that she has lost her chastity, His Majesty's kindness in allowing her to marry Gu Yu is already a great favor. How can we discuss this further?"

Before Lin Ruhai could finish speaking, Empress Zhou erupted, her eyebrows sharply raised, revealing her sharp edge, completely unlike her previous harmonious demeanor.

"...Your Majesty, things haven't really gotten that serious yet. Your humble servant is willing to take the blame for Yu'er. However, the Princess's marriage still needs careful consideration. Don't act impulsively."

"Hmph! I don't care. It was you, Lord Lin, who was making a fuss about finding him a wife. What, do you look down on my daughter? Don't you want to marry Zhi'er? Fine, then I'll teach him a lesson for his disrespect!"

Empress Zhou sneered and flipped the table. "Such a perfect marriage is mine! Anyone who lets it go is a fool! Either you obediently marry him, or I'll just chop you up and nobody can have a chance!"

Lin Ruhai almost couldn't catch his breath; at that moment, he missed his beloved wife terribly.

There are too many things that father and daughter cannot say openly. If Min'er were still alive, why would she let Yu'er's marriage cause so many complications?

Seeing Lin Ruhai staring silently at Jiang Ming, Empress Zhou, who knew her husband to be kind and benevolent by nature, felt anxious, fearing that he might really soften his heart, and quickly spoke up:

"Besides, that's only my side of the story. I think Yu'er is very clever, so I might be wrong. Lord Lin, you should go back and confirm it before you think it over."

She had made up her mind that when she got back, she would make Zhi'er explain everything clearly, word for word, and then she would persuade her good husband, saying that there was no reason in the world to sacrifice one's own daughter for the sake of another's daughter!

Because of Zhi'er's future marriage, she often felt secretly sad at night. If it weren't for her own mistakes back then, how could the servants be unwilling to get close to Zhi'er, given her appearance and personality? Let alone find a good match for her.

Now that a golden pie has fallen from the sky, she won't spit it out no matter what you say. Even if the Jade Emperor came, it wouldn't make a difference. That's what her Zhou Wumei said!

Chapter Two: A Huge Free Deal

No matter how much trouble Lin Ruhai had in the palace, Daiyu was still somewhat resentful after returning home.

"Father said it was to celebrate my birthday, but I never expected..."

The thought of all those beautifully dressed young ladies at the banquet, each seemingly capable of stealing her beloved Yu-gege, filled Daiyu with irritation.

Although most of them couldn't compare to the three sisters (Yingchun and Tanchun), their social status was completely different. Yingchun and Tanchun were, after all, just daughters of concubines, while nine and a half out of ten at the banquet were legitimate daughters of their respective families—the kind who could become Gu Yu's legal wives!

Zijuan and the others didn't go with her, so they naturally didn't know what had happened in the palace. Seeing that Daiyu was in a bad mood, they quickly brought her some freshly brewed tea to help her calm down.

After finally managing to compose herself, Daiyu turned her head and saw a pen holder on the table that Lin Ruhai had specially brought from Suzhou to give to her.

"Zijuan! Quickly put that pen holder away and put the original one back."

"Ah? Miss, isn't this the master..."

Seeing Daiyu's petulant expression, Zijuan wisely shut her mouth and, following her wishes, put the item into the cabinet. The replacement, however, happened to be one that Gu Yu had sent before.

"..."

Looking at the slightly ornate pen holder on the table, Daiyu remembered that Gu Yu had brought it to her when he returned to the courtyard before leaving the capital. She couldn't help but purse her lips, her face showing a mixture of worry and joy.

"Miss, is something on your mind? Why don't you tell us, so we can cheer you up?"

With a glance from Zijuan, she and Xueyan stepped forward to comfort her. Seeing the two young ladies speaking so gently, Daiyu finally couldn't hold back her worries and frustrations from the whole day and was about to open her mouth to confide in them.

Before she could even open her mouth, a noise came from outside.

"Master Lin has arrived? Greetings, Master."

"Hmm, is Yu'er asleep?"

"Reporting to Master, Miss is still awake."

Xueyan quickly went out to delay Daiyu and let her compose herself.

Lin Ruhai also put away the gloomy expression he had when he left the palace and walked into Daiyu's room with a faint smile.

Seeing that his beloved daughter wouldn't even look up at him, Lin Ruhai smiled wryly, waved for Xueyan and the others to leave, and decided to have a good talk with his precious daughter.

"Yu'er...why are you so unhappy in the palace today?"

Daiyu secretly rolled her eyes, not wanting to pay attention to this good father who was siding with outsiders, and just snorted softly.

"Alas! After today, I will soon return to Suzhou. Yu'er is growing up day by day and will soon be betrothed. I don't know when we will see each other again."

Daiyu's expression tightened, both reluctant to see Lin Ruhai leave and anxious about the betrothal he mentioned.

"What are you saying, Father! What do you mean by betrothal? I will never marry out of the family. I will be filial to you for the rest of my life."