bookbashuk Page 38
Page 38
Daiyu blushed slightly, feeling a little shy when she mentioned the words "betrothal," but then she remembered her father's questionable actions and couldn't help but pout her lips in complaint, somewhat dissatisfied.
"Why did Father make such a show of force with the Empress today? As the saying goes, the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow. Father has been away from the capital for a long time, and it's not a good thing to make such a fuss as soon as you return. Cousin Yu is an outsider, and Father's arrangement for him to go along will surely cause gossip."
Seeing Daiyu chattering away for so long without revealing her own thoughts, Lin Ruhai grew anxious.
He wasn't joking; after spending more than half a month in Beijing, it was time for him to return to Suzhou.
If he can't resolve this matter completely before he goes back, he won't have anything to say to Jia Min when he sees her again!
"What did I say back then? You old codger, you weren't happy about it then, what's the use of regretting it now? You'll have to pay for my daughter's happiness!"
Thinking of this, Lin Ruhai took a deep breath, stared intently into Daiyu's eyes, and asked in a low voice:
"Yu'er, tell your father the truth, do you really like that boy Yu'er?"
Daiyu's eyelashes trembled, and a hint of panic flashed across her face.
"What nonsense is Father talking about! I..."
Seeing Lin Ruhai's serious expression, Daiyu opened her mouth, blushed, and lowered her head.
Although she didn't say a word, Lin Ruhai already knew the answer and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
"Alas! Yu'er, you really... have caused your father so much suffering. Why didn't you tell me the truth a while ago? Now..."
Lin Ruhai sighed again. Daiyu had a bad feeling and, no longer wanting to play the ostrich, quickly looked up and stared at Lin Ruhai with questioning eyes.
Lin Ruhai hesitated, but in the end he couldn't bear to tell Daiyu that because of her momentary whim, her father hadn't discerned it, and as a result, that boy was going to be captured by the Empress to become her husband.
"Since that's the case... let's think of another way..."
Seeing Lin Ruhai frowning, Daiyu assumed that some lady had taken a liking to Gu Yu and that they had already made a verbal agreement. Although she was worried, she also felt a sense of relief.
After all, her father will definitely be able to handle it for her!
While they were still trying to get information out of their daughter, Empress Zhou in the palace had already stripped her down to her underwear. The couple discussed it for most of the night, but the result that came back the next day left Empress Zhou conflicted, torn between love and hate.
"What a brilliant idea Lin Ruhai has come up with! It's remarkable that he could come up with such a method..."
But in the end, he had gotten a great deal, and Lin Ruhai was also Jiang Ming's right-hand man, so he couldn't push him too far and could only compromise.
After this confrontation, the biggest beneficiary turned out to be the Jia family, which was quite unexpected.
When they heard the imperial edict from the palace, implying that Jia Yuanchun was virtuous and kind and that His Majesty intended to make her a concubine, the entire Jia family was overjoyed, even though no imperial decree had been delivered.
However, when Jia Zheng returned from court, he brought back the emperor's decree, expressing his gratitude for the joy of family life and requesting the retired emperor to allow the concubines and their relatives in the palace to spend time with their families on the 26th and 27th of each month.
Any household with a multi-story villa may also stay outside the palace. With the two decrees combined, and hearing that Consort Wu and others in the palace had already begun inquiring about places to start construction, Grandmother Jia and the others immediately had an idea.
After all, the imperial decree to confer the title of Imperial Concubine Yuan-chun had not yet been officially issued. To avoid any unforeseen complications and anxieties, it was best to take action now for peace of mind.
Otherwise, when all the imperial concubines like Consort Wu and Consort Wang have their own villas for visiting their families, you, the newly appointed Consort Jia, will be left to suffer in the palace. Not to mention Yuan Chun's distress, even the men of the Jia family will feel ashamed!
……
Jia Yuanchun left the Empress's palace in a daze. She never expected that she, who had entered the palace in her teens and remained unknown for ten years, would have the prospect of being promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine.
But in this vast palace, she had no one to confide in, and could only look forward to the opportunity to leave the palace and reunite with her family.
However, recalling the meaning implied in the Empress's words, Yuan Chun's beautiful eyes sparkled, and she fell into deep thought.
"Since Gu Yu is so attached to her sisters, I can go along with it and also curry favor with the Empress... The Jia family can prosper even more... I wonder how Grandmother's health is? Bao Yu has grown up quite a bit..."
After standing quietly for a while, Yuan Chun composed herself and continued to perform her duties as usual, leaving no room for anyone to find fault.
After all, the imperial decree to confer her the title of imperial concubine has not yet been issued. She is still just a female official and must not be spoiled prematurely. This is a lesson learned from countless bloodshed in the palace!
Chapter Three: Not knowing is the same as not having happened.
Lin Ruhai finally managed to get out of the palace and immediately rushed to the Jia family mansion.
The Ning and Rong families were discussing the construction of a villa for the emperor's family visit when they saw Lin Ruhai arrive and quickly asked him for advice.
Lin Ruhai was taken aback. To put it bluntly, a villa for visiting relatives is just a large villa that can be renovated, right? What is there to discuss?
After listening to the explanations from both families, Lin Ruhai frowned, looked up at Grandmother Jia, and found that she also looked in agreement. Finally, he couldn't help but advise:
“If we build a large garden for the imperial concubine to stay in, she will only be able to see him a few times a year, which is really too wasteful.”
Jia Zhen, Jia She, and the others looked unconvinced. Their Jia family had two Dukes; were they really inferior to Consort Wu?
Seeing that no one was moved, Lin Ruhai sighed inwardly. When his deceased wife was alive, she often lamented that her brothers could not maintain the family business. They were indeed all mediocre and shallow people!
But since his surname is Lin, not Jia, he can't really control them; he can only do his duty.
“…I’ve got it! Do you still remember when the Rong and Ning mansions were established, the Ning mansion specially chose a good location and diverted a section of running water into the garden, which is how Huifang Garden came to be.”
As Lin Ruhai spoke, he casually dipped his finger in tea and sketched a rough map of the location, indicating the plan.
“If we build it in Huifang Garden, not only will the location be convenient, but many things can be modified and used. It will also be no problem to extend it two or three miles to the north.”
“I see that many rocks, trees, pavilions and towers in the mansion are empty. We can move them all into the garden, which will speed up the process. In this way, the cost will not be too high. If anything is missing, we can just add some more.”
Seeing Lin Ruhai talking eloquently while Jia She and the others could only nod, Grandmother Jia felt both proud and regretful, and her resolve to let Baoyu get closer to Daiyu only strengthened.
After all, Jia Min had been dead for several years. If Lin Ruhai remarried, he would naturally not be so close to the Jia family, nor would he be so dedicated to helping them.
Unfortunately, the Jia family has no suitable woman to be his second wife, so they have no choice but to set their sights on Daiyu.
She also doted on this daughter of her youngest daughter, and with the marriage between them, she would never mistreat Yu'er!
Although he had only visited a few times in the past two weeks, Lin Ruhai had already noticed the extravagance and waste in the mansion. He secretly calculated that the Jia family was no longer as well-off as it had been when the late Rongguo was alive.
Although many of the arrangements are readily available, it would probably take several hundred thousand taels of silver to build a large garden according to the ideas of Grandmother Jia and the others!
After thinking for a moment, Lin Ruhai stood up and bowed to Grandmother Jia, saying:
"These past years, I have been busy with official business, and I have relied entirely on the old lady to take care of Yu'er. Now that the Jia family is celebrating a happy occasion, I should do my part."
"My brother-in-law took me to the study to write a letter. It can be used to withdraw 200,000 taels of silver from the Lin family in the capital. Ru Hai will be leaving the capital soon, so please forgive me for not being able to deliver it in person."
"Oh dear! How can this be? Does the Jia family not need money? What kind of talk is Ru Hai saying?"
Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng immediately became anxious and quickly declined. Although Jia Zhen and Jia She were somewhat tempted, they didn't say anything.
After all, they were naturally happy to receive such an unexpected surprise, but even if they didn't, they wouldn't lack money. Little did they know that Wang Xifeng, who was accompanying Madam Wang inside, was breathing heavily as she listened.
Over the past few years, she has managed the entire household. Who knows the Jia family's situation better than her? Although the outward appearance has not yet collapsed, the inner workings are gradually becoming increasingly strained.
These grown men spend money lavishly, yet they have no income.
Not to mention that Jia Zheng kept a group of scholars and entertained his colleagues every few days, just Jia She, who lived in the East Courtyard, would spend two hundred taels on an ancient painting today and five hundred taels on a concubine tomorrow. Even a mountain of gold couldn't withstand such extravagance!
Now the harvest on the estate is getting worse year by year. Wang Xifeng suspects that someone is sabotaging the harvest, but she doesn't have the ability to investigate. She can only try her best to find a solution within the mansion.
Although it's not quite at the point of being unable to make ends meet, it's close. In another seven or eight years, we'll be living off our savings.
So when she heard that a garden was to be built, Wang Xifeng wanted to object.
There's no need to wait a few years to build this garden; given their spending habits, they can consider selling it as family property this year for the Lunar New Year!
But she had no say in this matter and could only worry anxiously. Fortunately, the young master Lin solved most of the problem in a few words, which relieved Sister Feng.
When she heard that Lin Ruhai would also provide 200,000 taels of silver, Fengjie's eyes lit up, and she began to calculate how to make more profit from this money after it passed through her hands.
When she heard that Jia Zheng had actually refused, Wang Xifeng almost choked on her breath. Fortunately, she was standing behind Madam Wang, so no one saw her seemingly dramatic change of expression.
Lin Ruhai's resolute insistence on handing over the 200,000 taels of silver actually had a hidden meaning, but unfortunately even Grandmother Jia failed to grasp it, leaving Lin Ruhai to shake his head helplessly.
After finishing the letter, Lin Ruhai had to take his leave, unable to see his beloved Yu'er again, as if someone was chasing after him.
Lin Ruhai only felt relieved after the boat was untied and left the shore. He had been on tenterhooks while staying at the Jia Mansion, fearing that Empress Zhou would send someone over.
After all, his method was somewhat disrespectful to the imperial family. Moreover, even if Empress Zhou disregarded his ideas and insisted on forcing Gu Yu to marry the princess and become her consort, there was nothing he could do. Therefore, he could only make a hasty escape.
Presumably, once I've escaped, Empress Zhou, having lost her target, will either compromise or give up, and my Yu'er should be safe...
However, Lin Ruhai, in his moment of triumph, seemed to have forgotten that he had been the riddle-maker for many days, and some people were still completely unaware of it.
Gu Yu hid in the courtyard for several days before realizing that she was perfectly fine and that there shouldn't be any problems, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.
He and Daiyu were among the last to know that Lin Ruhai had left the capital. By the time they received this news, which had been passed around many times, Lin Ruhai was probably already hundreds of miles away.
Daiyu still had so much to say to her father, such as the question she most wanted to ask: "Father, has the marriage you mentioned been arranged?"
The imperial examinations began on the 9th and wouldn't end until the 18th. With only two or three days left before seeing her two friends, Gu Yu felt at ease hiding in the courtyard, slacking off.
Whether it was because he found that he could flirt with the princess without any consequences, or because he was drinking more and more, Gu Yu became bolder and bolder.
He was a little embarrassed to face Qingwen at dusk last time, but now he felt like he was being scratched by a cat and could no longer bear it.
The Jia family's clan school has also started classes. Baoyu felt somewhat stifled because no one paid attention to him here, and instead everyone was subtly circling around Gu Yu. Moreover, he was actually going to have to study here, which made him even more unhappy.
Just then, Qin Zhong also came to school. He, Qin Zhongxiang, Lianyu, and Ai exchanged glances and had a great time, so they took the initiative to run home to school.
Jia Huan didn't want to come here to "suffer," and since Bao Yu wasn't coming, the pressure from Aunt Zhao was much less, so he started to follow suit and go to the family school to pass the time.
After studying for a while, Jia Lan didn't come as often as she had before the New Year. After all, at this age, the process of building a foundation is pretty much the same, and there's no need to bother Gu Yu every day.
So Gu Yu has been enjoying himself so much these past few days that he's completely lost track of time, truly experiencing what it's like to be the center of attention.
After lunch, everyone said goodbye and went back to rest. Yingchun, as usual, stayed behind to digest her food and played a couple of games of chess with Gu Yu.
After seeing the women off, Gu Yu quickly closed the door, turned around with a mischievous grin, and walked into the room.
Chapter Four: The Silly Goose Was Actually Me
Yingchun sat in the same old spot, her face flushed, looking incredibly alluring.
The day before yesterday was her coming-of-age ceremony, but the entire Jia family was preoccupied with repairing the garden, and they temporarily forgot about this blockhead. After discussing it, the sisters decided to come to Gu Yu's place to celebrate.
The three Jia sisters always dressed the same. Yingchun hesitated for a long time that day, but changed into a better-colored outfit, which caught Gu Yu's eye.
Unexpectedly, Gu Yu, unable to contain himself, had just embraced Yingchun, intending to steal a moment of intimacy, when Siqi came up and ruined the atmosphere.
Although the two were quite far apart when the door opened, Siqi could guess what was going on just by looking at Yingchun's expression. She privately asked Gu Yu to treat her young lady well.
Without the worry of the light bulb, Gu Yu was even more at ease, and could leave Yingchun behind every time with a clear conscience. After all, her personal maid was still there, so what could possibly happen?
After Gu Yu returned to his study, Si Qi went out to chat and laugh with Xiang Ling and the others, leaving the pitiful and helpless Ying Chun to be wantonly harassed by Gu Yu.
Now that the chilly days of early spring are over, the thin clothes can no longer completely block out another person's body heat.
Picking Yingchun up and placing her on his lap, Gu Yu felt as if he were holding a soft, warm ball of cotton.
Although Yingchun's figure was only comparable to Baochai's, her weight was surprisingly light. Gu Yu lowered his head and kissed her passionately, even lifting her up by her hips without any effort.
Yingchun instinctively crossed her legs and put her arms around Gu Yu's waist. Gu Yu deliberately lifted her up a little, which frightened Yingchun so much that she quickly begged for mercy in a low voice.
"Brother Yu...put me down quickly!"
Little did she know that her grip had aroused Gu Yu's reaction. He took a deep breath and couldn't help but hug her and rub against her on the kang, just like he had done to Qingwen before.
...
Hearing faint moans coming from inside, Xiangling and Qingwen, who were accompanying Siqi, blushed and spoke in a much softer voice.
Siqi coughed lightly, her expression somewhat unnatural as she raised her voice slightly to drown out the background noise.
After all, one of the people involved is her daughter, so when it comes to being ashamed, it's actually their side that's more ashamed.
When Gu Yu couldn't resist the urge to peel off Yingchun's remaining undergarments to get a glimpse of her true appearance, she hesitated after seeing the mixture of longing and fear on Yingchun's face.
Yingchun's willingness to be taken advantage of by him did not mean that she could be treated arbitrarily. After all, she was a young lady of the Jia family, unlike Xiangling and Qingwen, who were basically destined to follow him for life.
If he were to lose his chastity before marriage and people noticed something amiss, even if Grandmother Jia had intended to send several granddaughters to him to take care of the family, she would have to consider the rumors and strictly enforce family rules.
However, the die was cast and the arrow was already on the bowstring. After thinking for a moment, Gu Yu whispered something in Yingchun's ear.
Yingchun struggled to open her dazed eyes, her face flushed, feeling both shy and touched, yet she hesitated to make a move.
Gu Yu couldn't resist thrusting again, causing her to let out a soft moan. Finally, not daring to delay any longer, he reached out his trembling hand...
……
When her sisters came over to play again in the afternoon, Yingchun finally opened her tired eyes, looking somewhat listless.
"Second sister, didn't you get enough rest? How long have you been playing chess?"
Tan Chun looked at Ying Chun with concern, but Ying Chun subconsciously covered her chest and stammered a vague answer.
She had been shaking her head so hard it was almost broken, but there was still no result. That scoundrel actually tore off her undergarments and then... Even though she wiped herself several times afterward, Yingchun still vaguely felt a strange smell in front of her.
However, when Yingchun saw Gu Yu's real thing up close for the first time, she felt more novelty than fear.