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

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Bai Yingjie frowned slightly. He had a vague feeling that the person surnamed Zhao was targeting him, but since the four families were already secretly at odds, it wasn't strange. So he changed the subject.

"Lin Gou's son is dead, yet he shows no remorse. It's likely that we'll start making a move on his wife."

"Well, Lin Jia was, after all, the late Rongguo's most favored daughter, and the four princes and eight dukes have always been closely allied. If we were to harm her, things would get complicated in the capital..."

Bai Yingjie pondered for a moment, then a cold smile appeared on his face:

"The people sent by Jia and Wang are still buying those medicines, aren't they? As the ancients said, 'If you stab someone and kill them, you say it wasn't your own doing.' Just change the medicine, and who can say anything against it? Let the Lin, Jia, and Wang families fight like dogs!"

"Wonderful!"

The three exchanged a smile, discussed some business matters, and then left once the business downstairs had opened for business.

……

Chapter Six: Beginning Studies

When Gu Yu woke up naturally, she found the courtyard quiet. She put on a light robe and got out of bed to look out the window. The maid outside heard the noise and quickly came in to serve her.

Seeing Gu Yu standing in the room in only a thin dress, he was startled and quickly came over and hugged her.

She said anxiously, "Young Master Yu, how can you stand like this? It's chilly early in the morning; catching a cold is no joke!"

Gu Yu's still somewhat dazed mind was suddenly jolted awake by the facial cleanser.

With a slightly flushed face, Gu Yu enjoyed the maid's meticulous care and was dressed before remembering her original purpose for getting up. She quickly asked, "What time is it now?"

"Young Master Yu, it's only just past dawn. Uncle Zhong was summoned by Madam early this morning. She said that there's no one to sweep the courtyard right now, so she needs to arrange a few more maids and old women to come over. Also, you'll need pageboys and personal maids in the future, so we need to prepare those as well."

After entering Qingfeng Courtyard, apart from Gu Zhong and a gatekeeper boy who was not even ten years old, the other servants naturally went to the second gate, making the courtyard much quieter. It was time to bring in some more people.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Yu said:

"I'm going to pay my respects to Master Lin now. When Uncle Zhong comes back later, just say it was me who said that, apart from leaving a few people to sweep the courtyard, there's no need for Auntie to worry about anything else. There's no need for any nannies or pageboys. Do you think you can't grind ink?" After saying that, he deliberately looked at her.

The maid had added the last sentence with a bit of ulterior motive. After hearing it, she was secretly pleased, but then blushed as she was stared at by Gu Yu's delicate eyes. She quickly promised to pass on the message.

After saying this, she didn't ask anyone to lead the way and went to the main hall by herself. When she went out, she saw that the Chunhua Courtyard next door was closed. She wondered if Daiyu had gotten up yet.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Gu Yu went inside to pay his respects, only to find Jia Min alone. After bowing, he learned that he had just missed Gu Zhong, and that Lin Hai had already gone to the front residence to handle official business.

After a pause, Jia Min smiled and asked Gu Yu, "I wonder what books Yu-ge'er is reading these days?"

Of course, the numerous books memorized in my previous life cannot be counted, otherwise they would scare people to death.

Recalling the classics she had memorized in this life, Gu Yu wondered if all so-called little geniuses were like this. Daiyu had only learned a few characters before she could read the Four Books fluently, so perhaps she herself wasn't too exaggerated.

Moreover, Lin Hai was a top scholar in the imperial examinations, and Jia Min's sudden question about his studies made him think more deeply. If he wanted to study under Lin Hai, he would naturally have to prove himself.

"I have only skimmed through the Four Books and Five Classics and dabbled in the words of sages like Laozi and Zhuangzi. As for history books, I have only just started to the time when the previous dynasty was founded. I have read quite a lot of other miscellaneous books."

"..." Jia Min couldn't drink the tea she was holding. Since giving birth to Daiyu, she had never seen a child more intelligent than Daiyu.

No matter how long and distinguished Gu Yu's family tradition is, a young child can't learn much from books.

She secretly thought that her husband's plan to trouble the new tutors Jia Hua and Jia Yucun to give Gu Yu private lessons was an overreaction, fearing that Yu'er would not be able to keep up. Little did she know that it was actually a prescient idea.

As the two were talking, someone came to report that they had found Gu Yu and sent him here to visit Jia Hua at the front residence, as Lin Hai had asked him to assess Gu Yu's studies.

After Jia Min told him to come over for lunch, Gu Yu bid farewell to Jia Min and went to the front house with one of Jia Min's maids.

After turning left and right, we arrived at the side courtyard of the front house. Just as we reached the gate, we heard a deep baritone voice reciting "The Great Learning," which was as refreshing as a spring breeze.

If Gu Yu hadn't known Jia Yucun's true intentions, she might have also developed feelings for him.

Inside the wide-open doorway, a handsome scholar with striking features, broad face, and square ears sat upright in the hall, holding a scroll in his hand.

A screen stood to the side, behind which sat a small figure, naturally Daiyu. The screen between them was more for blocking the wind than for discreetness.

However, the story of the monk's chaotic judgment and the gourd case came later. At this time, Jia Yucun was just a scholar who had failed in his official career.

Thinking of this, Gu Yu put aside her contempt and went in to bow respectfully to Jia Yucun.

Looking at Lin Hai's distant nephew in front of him, Jia Yucun nodded to himself. Although he didn't know if he was a spoiled brat, his jade-like demeanor made him hard to dislike.

After inquiring about Gu Yu's studies, Jia Yucun still didn't believe it, but he didn't say much. He just asked him a few questions about the previous sentence and asked him to come up with the next sentence.

Seeing that Gu Yu answered fluently, he asked him to write an essay on the topic of "If the people are well-off, who is lacking?"

He waved for him to go behind the screen, then continued reading the Four Books to Daiyu and explaining the allusions.

Gu Yu listened quietly for a while and couldn't help but admire him. Regardless of Jia Yucun's character, at least this Jinshi degree holder had real skills. His lectures were fascinating, and he understood everything at a glance. Gu Yu wondered what kind of talent the Lin Hai Tan Hua Lang (a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations) would possess.

When Daiyu saw him come in, she just blinked to acknowledge him and then focused on listening to the lesson.

Gu Yu and the maids beside him prepared paper, ink, brush and inkstone, and he also calmed down to do the problem. Little did he know that Daiyu would occasionally turn her head to look at him and then hurriedly turn back.

Unlike the strict eight-legged essay of the Ming and Qing dynasties in the previous era, the current essay writing system is still in its infancy. It does not have strict rules on the form, nor is it bound by the Four Books. Other classics can be used as questions.

However, since students from poor families rarely had the time or energy to study other books, they still focused on the Four Books.

After Jia Yucun finished speaking for two sections, Gu Yu completed his essay and handed it to Jia Yucun. Jia Yucun frowned at the handwriting on the paper before continuing to read.

"If the people are wealthy, then the ruler will be wealthy... Good!"

Jia Yucun's eyes lit up. The opening remarks really got to the point, showing his brilliance.

Another female disciple he taught, Daiyu, was also exceptionally intelligent and possessed a unique charm. She mastered his methods of solving problems perfectly, and sometimes her ingenuity in solving problems even exceeded his expectations.

I never expected that the new student would be like this. Are all the children of the Lin family like this?

When he finished reading the article and came to the last paragraph, "With the establishment of the law... why should we increase taxes to seek wealth?", his face showed admiration.

Although the narrative in the middle is somewhat immature, the introduction and summary are incredibly ingenious. There's a 70-80% chance that someone in this essay will become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations.

Little did he know that this was because Gu Yu had deliberately modified the middle part of the article; otherwise, if the entire original text were released, people would really think he was a monster.

"Although your skills are still immature and weak, the framework you've built is truly inspired. I'm afraid I can't teach you anything more. After class, you should go and find Master Lin to seek out someone more skilled."

"However, your handwriting... you must practice it properly in the future. How can anyone appreciate writing like this?"

Gu Yu reluctantly agreed. In his previous life, he had only practiced calligraphy for two years as if it were a game, and he hadn't held a brush for many years in this life either.

Now I have to correct the font one by one. When I first started writing today, it naturally looked like chicken claws had crawled across it.

Daiyu had initially looked at Gu Yu with some admiration, as if he were being praised by her usually stern teacher. But now, upon seeing the returned paper containing what could barely be called writing, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself, inexplicably finding Gu Yu to have become more approachable.

Daiyu glanced furrowed in surprise at Gu Yu, who was looking distressed. After thinking for a moment, she beckoned to the maid beside her to go back to the courtyard and fetch something.

With nothing else to do, Gu Yu sat down and listened to Jia Yucun talk about Mencius. Regardless of anything else, listening to him was a pleasure.

Not long after, the maid returned, patted Gu Yu on the shoulder, and handed him a large calligraphy book. It was in the official script of the current dynasty, which was the official script of the previous life.

A copy of the elegant, flowing handwriting was also tucked among them. Gu Yu quickly realized what was happening and turned to look at Daiyu, but Daiyu was listening intently and didn't even glance at her.

"So arrogant!" Gu Yu muttered to herself, and immediately began practicing calligraphy. Comparing her handwriting to Lin Daiyu's, she quickly became engrossed in it, even ignoring Jia Yucun's voice.

……

Chapter Seven: Becoming Lin Hai's Apprentice

Jia Yucun taught Lin Daiyu for two hours every day, and then took a break for half an hour after each hour.

Daiyu took this opportunity to have her maid massage her legs to improve circulation.

Although there were soft cushions, it was still quite difficult for the frail Lin Daiyu to endure.

But now that Gu Yu was sitting right next to her, she felt embarrassed to stretch out her feet for the maid to massage, so she could only silently endure it.

Because the time spent learning calligraphy from Jia Yucun was short, and the maids hadn't developed a habit of doing so, no one brought it up, and the morning just passed by like that.

Although he was about the same age as Daiyu, Gu Yu's health was far superior to Daiyu's. Moreover, he had been learning from his grandfather since he was less than two years old and was already used to it.

After two hours today, I only felt a little sore, but after stretching a bit after getting up, I felt much better.

Gu Yu turned to Daiyu and asked, "I didn't get to greet my uncle this morning, and my aunt told me to go have lunch. Would you like to come with me, Daiyu?"

Daiyu didn't reply. Instead, she raised her head, her face pleading for help, and her beautiful eyes were almost filled with tears.

Gu Yu was taken aback and quickly stepped forward to ask what was wrong. But Daiyu remained silent, her eyes filled with grievance and resentment towards him.

Gu Yu paused, genuinely unable to figure out how he had offended Lin Daiyu.

Didn't she just give him a calligraphy copybook? Did she overhear him saying something like "she's being arrogant"? He instantly understood Baoyu's feelings in the book.

However, even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. Gu Yu, with his rich theoretical knowledge, naturally wouldn't just apologize or play the emotional card like Jia Baoyu, or even throw a tantrum.

After thinking it over patiently, he turned and instructed the maidservant waiting beside him to fetch hot water and a towel. He then stepped forward, took Daiyu's arm, and gently stretched it upwards and to the left.

Daiyu panicked at first and instinctively shrank back, but the intense soreness in her legs immediately made her afraid to move and obediently let Gu Yu do as she pleased.

After a short while, Daiyu felt the soreness and swelling lessen. Just then, a maid brought over a hot towel, and Gu Yu had them help lift Daiyu up and lay her down on the soft cushion.

She then instructed, "Remember to apply a hot towel to your cousin's joints and gently pull her limbs, but don't make any sudden movements. I'll go wait for you in the outer room now, cousin, okay?"

Daiyu lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement. Gu Yu smiled, turned around, and walked around the screen towards the door.

Although the two maids hadn't been with Daiyu for very long, they understood her personality quite well, so they didn't hold back and chuckled to each other:

"Although the young master is not very old, he acts with great method and is so meticulous. Miss, you have finally found an older brother who will dote on you."

"You talkative girl! When have I ever wanted this?" Daiyu retorted softly, her face flushed, but the force with which Gu Yu had gripped her arm seemed to still linger, making her words less confident.

"whee…"

……

Seeing the two little figures walking in side by side, though young, they were exquisitely carved like jade and had a lively spirit, Jia Min was truly delighted.

However, Lin Hai, who was sitting next to her, didn't smile as genuinely as Jia Min.

Although he knew that the two of them had only met a few times and that the two were so young, he still had a vague sense of crisis, as if his precious cabbage had been stolen. The tea he had just brewed didn't smell as good as before.

"Ahem... Yu'er, Brother Yucun just told me that you don't need to go starting tomorrow."

After a pause, Lin Hai continued, "From now on, come to my study for an hour every evening after dinner."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yu was overjoyed and immediately went to Lin Hai's side, kneeling down and kowtowing respectfully.

Jia Min handed over a cup of tea at the right moment. Gu Yu accepted it and respectfully presented it to Lin Hai. The ceremony was considered complete only after Lin Hai took a sip.

Seeing Gu Yu's delighted expression, Lin Hai suddenly frowned and reprimanded her:

"Although your studies are good, your handwriting is terrible! As the saying goes, handwriting reflects one's character. Your handwriting leaves a bad impression at first glance, which will cause you great trouble in the future!"

"From now on, you must set aside two hours each day to practice calligraphy with a calm mind. Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

"...Besides, although you are young, you are still learning the six arts of a gentleman: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. You are not yet ready for archery and charioteering, but you need to strengthen your body first. As for music, your aunt is quite knowledgeable in this area. Come to the main courtyard to find your aunt every afternoon."

Gu Yu agreed to everything. Daiyu, who was standing next to her, was initially disappointed to hear that Gu Yu no longer needed to go to Jia Yucun's place, but to her surprise, Gu Yu could not only go to her father's study after dinner, but also learn music in her mother's courtyard in the afternoon. She couldn't help but smile.

It turns out that she not only studied literature with Jia Yucun every morning, but also usually spent her afternoons in her mother's courtyard either playing the zither or learning flower arranging and other traditional girl's activities. In the evenings, she often studied poetry with her father.

Jia Min was still unaware of what had just happened at Jia Yucun's place, but having observed from the sidelines, she naturally noticed Daiyu's expression and couldn't help but smile:

"In that case, there's no need to keep changing it. Yu'er needs to practice calligraphy for two hours every morning anyway, so she can just go to Mr. Jia's place to practice. It'll be good for Mr. Jia to supervise her, and it will save you, sir, a lot of trouble."

"Besides, Yu'er inevitably feels lonely studying alone. Now that her brothers have come here, it's natural that she'll feel closer to them."

Lin Hai had already thought of this, but upon hearing Jia Min's obvious words, he still glared at Jia Min.

Jia Min wasn't afraid of him; she just looked at Gu Yu and Daiyu with a smile.

In the end, Lin Hai was defeated, waving his hand somewhat dejectedly, "Whatever you say."

Gu Yu subconsciously glanced at the little girl next to her, only to find that she was already blushing and hiding in Jia Min's arms, acting coquettishly.

The four chatted for a while, and after lunch, they went back to their rooms to rest. An hour later, Gu Yu took a maid to the main courtyard to learn music.

After having dinner at the end of the day, I followed Lin Hai to the inner study to listen to him explain the classics.

As expected of a top scholar, he easily explained the ins and outs of Gu Yu's doubts.

He handled all the difficult and unusual questions left over from the imperial examinations with ease, giving Gu Yu a sudden enlightenment, and he was so engrossed in them that he didn't even realize how late it was.

In the middle of the day, he would sometimes pose a question for Gu Yu to try to solve, and then he would gently explain the parts that Daiyu had copied down that she didn't understand. Both of them listened with great interest.

Although Gu Yu specialized in studying ancient history in her previous life, she was still separated by time and always felt somewhat out of place.

I am still quite young in this life, so I have many shortcomings. But after listening to Lin Hai's explanation, I feel a sense of peace and satisfaction.

After the servants came in and changed the candles twice, Lin Hai finally fell silent. He then gave Gu Yu a problem to solve the next day before letting the two of them go home.