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

Page 133

After lost in thought for a while, Gu Yu arrived at the entrance of the Confucius Mansion. He shook his head, dismounted, greeted the guests, and strolled inside, heading straight for the Duke of Yansheng's courtyard.

Chapter Ninety-Eight: That Old Man is Very Wicked

As the servant led the way into the courtyard, Gu Yu immediately saw the Duke of Yansheng lounging comfortably in a recliner, with a tea stool beside him. Gu Yu felt much more relaxed.

"Looks like everything's alright..."

The last time I came here, Kong Chengli was kneeling next to me. Now that he's probably recovered from his injuries, he's back at the Hanlin Academy. Gu Yu felt a little uncomfortable standing here alone.

Gu Yu bowed to the old man, then stood silently to the side with her hands at her sides, watching him slowly finish his tea. Only after putting down his teacup did she turn her head and roll her eyes, saying:

"You won't say a word even if I hit you three times! You have no energy whatsoever. Do you think you can't speak unless I open my mouth?"

"..."

Gu Yu cupped her hands in a helpless gesture and went over to pour him tea. She couldn't help but think to herself, "This old man is getting younger and younger. His youthfulness lies in his mouth. He never stops talking!"

"Have you had enough rest over the past month? Have you fallen behind in your studies?"

"Young man, you must not forget; you must review your studies every day!"

When the conversation turned to the most important subject of his studies, Gu Yu immediately straightened up and answered earnestly. The Duke of Yansheng then asked a few questions in return, and seeing that he answered fluently, he nodded approvingly and let the matter drop.

"You've really gotten yourself into trouble, kid."

"what?"

Gu Yu's face stiffened. Although she had some expectations when she came, she thought everything was fine by now. Why did she suddenly bring this up again?

"Your two fathers-in-law are waiting for you to help them out, aren't you in trouble?"

Duke Yansheng snorted twice, finding Gu Yu's expression quite amusing. After a wicked smile, he said:

"You must know that His Majesty went on an inspection tour some time ago, passing through Ningxia and leading the army of the three towns to attack beyond the Great Wall. He also ordered several princes to go to Jiangnan for inspections, and the Eighth Prince went to Suzhou."

"The Eighth Prince?...Is he the one from Mingzhi? Is he the one who caused trouble in Suzhou and implicated Uncle Lin?"

"Yes and no—the Eighth Prince did cause trouble, but he exposed a problem in the local area. Right now, Ru Hai is overwhelmed with the salt tax and hasn't finished his temporary assignment in Suzhou. Seeing that no one is taking care of him, the prince actually came to your Uncle Lin. He's really overwhelmed right now."

Stealing a glance at Gu Yu's worried expression, the Duke of Yansheng took a sip of tea with a satisfied smile, then sighed deeply:

“I just received a letter a few days ago. Ru Hai was complaining to me that because he was busy with official duties, that old codger Sun Gongfeng kept nagging in his ear. Although he felt too weak to pick up his chopsticks, the imperial order was still the most important thing in the end—”

"It's a pity these things can't be entrusted to outsiders. If only a close friend or relative were willing to lend a hand..."

Gu Yu sighed inwardly, raised her head, and said seriously:

"I understand, but I am not very knowledgeable and do not know what I can do to help?"

The Duke of Yansheng's expression also became slightly more serious. He gestured for him to come closer, then lowered his voice and said:

"It's an audit. Otherwise, why do you think the Eighth Prince would have gone to your Uncle Lin to make a scene? It's because he knew there were clues but couldn't find anything. He didn't have any evidence. Even if he's a prince or a grandson of the emperor, he can't act with impunity."

Gu Yu's heart skipped a beat, but this answer was both unexpected and reasonable. The only people who could leave the Eighth Prince helpless were probably those in officialdom, and local corruption was an age-old issue.

As for why they didn't just take a few accountants from his house, it all comes down to the matter of prestige. The fact that they thought of him is probably related to the double-entry bookkeeping method he used; after all, he hadn't deliberately kept this from Lin Ruhai.

This matter involves the entire city of Suzhou, and probably most of the officialdom is involved. Such a complicated and trivial matter would probably take me and my accountants two or three months to sort out.

Gu Yu sighed earlier because he might have to leave the capital. Now, considering he would be gone for several months, he felt very reluctant. However, this was to help Lin Ruhai, and he couldn't refuse out of courtesy or reason. So, he could only nod and say:

"Understood. I'll take some men on a trip to Jiangnan in the next few days."

None of the accountants left in their hometown of Suzhou could be touched, otherwise it would alert the enemy. Luckily, he didn't hold any official position, so he went quietly and got things done without anyone noticing.

Seeing Gu Yu's relaxed expression, and assuming the matter was settled, the Duke of Yansheng coughed twice with amusement, and said sarcastically:

"You've resolved the issue with your first father-in-law, but what about your other father-in-law?"

"?"

Isn't this helping both of them solve their problem together?

Seemingly sensing Gu Yu's confusion, the Duke of Yansheng slowly picked up his teacup, took another sip, and smacked his lips, saying:

"This case ultimately concerns Suzhou. If it's resolved, it's resolved; if not, it's just Lin Ruhai's bad luck—who told the Eighth Prince to approach him? But His Majesty can simply send someone else to resolve it. What does it have to do with him?"

Isn't it helping you by catching the rat in your kingdom?

Gu Yu opened her mouth, but then felt that the old man's words seemed to make some sense. As the saying goes, there are always officials in the world who slip through the net, and for Jiang Ming, this really is not a major event that shakes the foundation of the country.

But if it falls into Lin Ruhai's hands, failing to handle it properly is considered incompetence and a sign of being a weak and incapable person. Aside from losing their position or being demoted, a severe reprimand is inevitable. Even if the relationship between the emperor and his subject is good and they're just putting on a show, they'll still be reprimanded by imperial decree, losing face completely.

"What brings Your Majesty here this time?"

"hehe."

The Duke of Yansheng's kind face suddenly broke into a smile that sent a chill down Gu Yu's spine, making him involuntarily swallow.

"Wang An, the father of Wang Xing, the General of Jizhou, was once a disciple of Wenzheng Gong. He was also promoted by Wenzheng Gong and entered the military ranks. Now his son has been promoted to General, but—"

The Duke Yansheng paused, organized his thoughts, and then slowly said:

"Back then, Wenzheng Gong was not on His Majesty's side, and so was the General of Jizhou... Although His Majesty is both a man of great talent and military prowess, in recent years—in short, although His Majesty's sending someone directly to take office this time can suppress the situation, if Wang Xing becomes dissatisfied, His Majesty's manpower will find it difficult to move an inch."

Gu Yu had already realized what was going on when he mentioned the history between the two families. He couldn't shake the thought of "Damn it!" It was like he was being used as a brick, to be moved wherever needed.

That's a military town! After all these years, what if they don't recognize me anymore and turn around and chop me up? He might lose his career, but I'd lose my life!

Although we are not in an era where people's hearts have become corrupted, and everyone still plays the role of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher, there is always the fear of something going wrong. I still have a lot of years to enjoy, so why should I go to Jizhou and live in fear?

But this was the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty's instruction; how could I possibly escape it?

Gu Yu pondered for a long time with a sour face. The Duke of Yansheng, having thoroughly enjoyed the amusement, finally couldn't hold back his laughter and pointed at him, laughing until tears almost streamed down his face.

"Hahaha! You're truly teachable, you little rascal! You really do think you can be as loyal and devoted to the country as your uncle? Or are you really planning to go to Jizhou without any official rank? If His Majesty knew, even if he was moved, he would still scold you for being an ignorant brat, hahahaha—"

"..."

Can I beat up this old geezer?

Gu Yu couldn't help but ponder this enormous problem.

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Find out who's in charge of this garden!

Even after leaving the Confucius Mansion, Gu Yu still had a furrowed brow and was lost in thought.

"If you didn't intend for me to go to Jizhou, why bring it up now?"

To call this a test is far too blatant; collusion between civil and military officials is a taboo subject. Besides, he has never harbored any intention to rebel. In a peaceful and prosperous country, why would he seek out trouble?

"Let's just take it one step at a time..."

Gu Yu sighed, shook her head helplessly, mounted her horse, and began to worry about how to face her sisters when she got back. Although she was going to work for her father-in-law, it was hard to say what her little sister Lin would think.

What's more, there are the three springs who are currently in a passionate relationship, Sister Baochai, and even Miaoyu who is still bedridden... Unbeknownst to him, this lonely man has already accumulated so many ties, and is no longer the imperial student who can travel the world at will.

Upon returning to Pear Blossom Spring Rain, Gu Yu heard laughter from inside even before entering. Her eyes lit up, and she lifted the curtain to go in. She saw all her sisters there, with Wang Xifeng also present. She couldn't help but smile and say:

"What day is it today? A gust of wind brought you all here. Could it be that the old lady can't stand your noise?"

Because Sister Feng was present, Daiyu and Xichun didn't dare to be too obvious, only offering a casual greeting. Sister Feng raised her voice and laughed:

"I don't know if the old lady is annoyed by them, but she's definitely annoyed by me. As soon as I said I had something important to discuss with you, the old lady kicked me out first. I had to make myself stand outside and watch the old lady show them some affection before she would let me go. It really made me so angry that my heart ached!"

Gu Yu raised an eyebrow. What was going on today? Everyone was looking for him to talk to.

Without saying a word, he sat down and poured a cup of tea for Daiyu next to him before pouring one for himself.

Daiyu keenly sensed the gaze directed at her by Fengjie, and was so embarrassed that she almost tore her handkerchief in her handkerchief. Her mind raced, and she suddenly smiled, spitting at Gu Yu as she said:

"Sister Feng came to Brother Yu to pour out her troubles, hoping you could comfort her, but you just kicked her when she was down and deliberately made her angry. Brother Yu is really no good person!"

My heart was pounding, and if I hadn't tried my best to keep my breathing natural, my face would probably have turned bright red.

That scoundrel! He's been a wild man in the village all his life, how come he's still so indecent even after coming back!

Feng Jie didn't think much of it when she heard this. After all, Gu Yu and her sisters were close, so it wasn't a big deal. She just rolled her eyes and deliberately chimed in:

"You little brat! You think the old lady wasn't angry enough with me? Now you've slapped me again."

Baochai, noticing Daiyu's expression and fearing she might give herself away, quickly changed the subject:

"Feng said she came to see me, but I wonder what it is?"

Sister Feng glanced around calmly, then said with a smile:

"It's nothing serious, but I was afraid Brother Yu might misunderstand, so I came to discuss it with you. Brother Yu, would you like to come with me?"

Seeing her chatting and laughing so easily, and not seeming to be up to anything bad, the women relaxed. Gu Yu followed her to the side, feeling a little puzzled herself. Seeing that she could no longer hear anything from that side, she asked curiously:

"I wonder what business Sister Feng has with me?"

Sister Feng put away her smile and became serious. She never regarded Gu Yu as the innocent and carefree Bao Yu of the same age, otherwise she would not have come to find him.

"Brother Yu is also a steward, so he should know that once this garden is built, it needs people to serve it, not to mention that the young masters and ladies of the Jia family live inside."

"Not to mention the maids and servants they each brought, there were people to patrol and keep watch at night, plant and prune flowers and plants, transport grain and cook, and people were needed everywhere."

Gu Yu nodded, having roughly figured out Wang Xifeng's purpose, and asked directly:

"Who is it that has come to Sister Feng's door? They actually have such a big face. Could it be that they have received instructions from the Old Madam?"

"Sigh, how dare I, a mere wife, expect others to treat me with such respect?"

Sister Feng waved her hand with a wry smile, secretly surprised. She hadn't expected that Yu-ge'er, at such a young age, would be so familiar with the ins and outs of the matter, understanding the situation halfway through the conversation.

But that's good too; dealing with smart people is worry-free, and you don't have to worry about being misunderstood.

"How could the old lady know about such things? It's just that someone was eyeing it with envy and went to the madam to say some nonsense, desperately trying to get involved."

Wang Xifeng frowned, her words tinged with anger. After all, everyone knew that Grandmother Jia had instructed her to take good care of the grand garden in the first place. Now that it was repaired and everything was arranged, someone wanted to reap the benefits? Dream on!

"I heard that it was Zhou Rui's wife who first instigated the second mistress, saying that the garden was so unshakable, firstly because she was afraid that it would become lax over time and that the mistress would be neglected; secondly, she was afraid that it would become idle and cause trouble, and that the rules would be broken, sowing the seeds of future disasters; and thirdly, she was afraid that the servants in other households would feel uncomfortable when they saw that the garden was quiet."

"Why not replace them with a group of experienced seniors? They can shut up the gossip, and they're used to managing people, so they won't slack off. Plus, they can have some free time, which will reflect the Jia family's reputation for being kind and generous. It's a win-win situation."

As Sister Feng spoke, she grew increasingly angry. After finishing the second half of her speech in a sarcastic tone, she couldn't help but spit angrily and cursed:

"Bullshit! Why didn't they think of these experienced people when they were assigning staff to the garden? They're so capable after some adjustments. Now that things are finally running smoothly, they want to come back?"

Thinking of all the hard work she had done over the past few days, Sister Feng was furious. She complained about being tired while working and about having too many people to eat with? Before, looking at that old man's fake smile, she wanted to slap him!

Gu Yu nodded thoughtfully, unaffected by Wang Xifeng's emotions. Ultimately, this matter boils down to money; the Jia family has allocated a considerable amount of funds to the Grand View Garden, and it seems some are already quite envious.

Back then, Sister Feng was in charge of this matter, so naturally she selected all the maids and servants. How much and how to pay their monthly wages in the garden was also her decision, and there were many intricacies involved.

Now it seems some people have their eyes on this lucrative opportunity and are inciting a major overhaul of the garden. While it appears Zhou Rui's family is leading the charge, it's likely that Wang Shanbao's family, Lai Dajia's family, and other elders are secretly pushing things along.

Wang Xifeng snorted angrily, then secretly glanced at Gu Yu beside her. Seeing that his expression was still calm, she stiffened, then gave a bitter smile and said:

"I had originally planned to bring in people in batches for rotation once they were properly trained. But those scoundrels have been spreading rumors to Madam. If Madam agrees, I have no problem with it, but they know nothing about this garden and might come and offend Brother Yu..."

No wonder they came to find me!

A strange glint flashed in Gu Yu's eyes. He secretly admired Feng Jie's cunning. She had even thought of coming over to pull him in as a helper. She had calculated that I would give her advice.

Chapter 100 might sound a bit twisted, but...

Gu Yu frowned slightly, then opened her mouth hesitantly before quickly closing it again as if she had realized what was happening.

"Sister Feng's words are not slapping me in the face. As a guest, how can I be expected to be rude or not? It's a favor that Sister Feng is afraid of being disturbed, and it's the duty of those old women and maids to patrol the garden. What's wrong with that?"

Feng Jie clearly saw Gu Yu's expression and quickly tugged at his sleeve, saying:

"Brother Yu! Everyone says you're a reincarnation of the God of Literature, with a thousand schemes in your heart. You have to help me—don't worry, the old lady said she only considers you family. What's wrong with you offering a suggestion?"

Seeing that Gu Yu was still somewhat hesitant, Feng Jie was not angry but pleased, and quickly pleaded again:

"Good brother, you told me this, and only heaven, earth, you, and I know. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Don't overthink it."

"Sigh, Sister Feng has always been so kind to me, how can I bear to see her suffer?"

Seeing that Sister Feng had humbled herself so much, Gu Yu finally sighed and agreed to her request.

"As the saying goes, kill the chicken to scare the monkey. If you say that only Zhou Rui's wife has such thoughts, I'm afraid Sister Feng wouldn't believe it, would she?"

Sister Feng smiled bitterly:

"Of course I understand that principle, but she is, after all, someone close to the Madam, and the other old women are also people close to the Old Madam, the First Madam, and others. How could I dare to point out their mistakes?"

For some unknown reason, a flash of anger appeared in Sister Feng's eyes, as if some old woman were standing in front of her, and she rarely showed any emotion.