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

Page 70

When he returned to the courtyard, Xiangling and Qingwen had already returned. They had just missed Baochai. When they saw Gu Yu come in, Qingwen was overjoyed and called Xiangling over to come up and serve him.

"Xiangling was just saying that Master would definitely be back soon, and look, he's back now!"

Gu Yu let them serve her until she washed her face and hands. Then, the maids who had returned to their posts brought her food. After they left, she smiled and gestured for the two women to come closer.

Did you have fun today?

The two sat down close together, one on each side. Qingwen served him food while keeping her mouth busy, and Gu Yu quickly got her talking.

"Miss Bao led us all the way today, not only to the Jade Emperor Temple, where there was a group of young girls doing their lessons together, which was quite interesting. Second Madam Lian even rewarded each of them with half a bolt of cloth!"

"Later, we went to see a play. I don't remember the name of the play, but I saw a dark-faced actor fighting and killing. I think Miss Yun and Miss Tan Chun liked it quite a bit."

After listening to her chatter on and on for a while, Gu Yu couldn't help but pinch her delicate little nose and laugh:

"Silly girl, I'm asking if you're having fun, why do you care if other people like it or not?"

Qingwen's heart skipped a beat, and she finally understood Gu Yu's meaning. She was so moved that she clung to Gu Yu's side, her eyes and heart filled with only him.

"Sir... I'm so happy... My life has been worth it..."

Hearing her incoherent and infatuated words, Gu Yu patted her head with pity, then turned her attention to another beautiful maid.

"Xiangling, what about you? Although you are my maid, you all know that the sisters are gentle and kind, and you will never have any objections to this. When you go out to play together, just be yourself and have fun."

"If there's anything you want to eat or do, just let Sister Feng arrange it. Do you think she'll give you a hard time? I won't skimp on her expenses anyway, so don't worry."

As Gu Yu spoke, his voice became somewhat serious. After all, Qingwen and Xiangling were just maids from a maternal family. It was already good enough that Fengjie would smile at them out of respect for him. It would be difficult for them to receive the same treatment as Baochai and Tanchun.

Xiangling blushed and snuggled up to Gu Yu, silently shaking her head and saying:

“Miss Bao and Second Madam Lian have taken good care of us. They haven’t stopped all the way. When they were choosing plays, they asked Qingwen and me. But we’re not very familiar with those plays, so we only listened to two. Please don’t misunderstand, sir.”

Xiangling was not lying about this. After all, given Fengjie's personality, she wouldn't usually do anything to offend people. With her shrewd and sophisticated nature, she naturally left no room for criticism.

Moreover, she owed Gu Yu a huge favor not long ago, and she was worried about how to repay it. Now that she knew how much Gu Yu cherished these two personal maids, she had no choice but to go out of her way to take care of them.

Speaking of today's garden visit, Qingwen suddenly remembered something and looked up again, saying:

"Speaking of which, we saw a young lady at the Longcui Nunnery today. Second Madam Lian said she was temporarily invited by a highly accomplished hermit who still practices Buddhism. She's very beautiful, just like... just like..."

After talking for a while, Qingwen still couldn't find a suitable adjective, so she simply used an analogy:

"I think she's as beautiful as the young ladies in the manor..."

Gu Yu's heart skipped a beat. Could this be Miaoyu? Miaoyu had been living in the Grand View Garden since its completion, but Gu Yu had been so busy winning over the three sisters and Daiyu and Baochai that she had neglected her. It seemed she should go and visit her when she had time.

"If you ask me, just say you're as beautiful as me, and I'll understand. Why be so modest?"

"Grandpa is making fun of me again~"

"Haha, okay, okay, stop fooling around, eat it while it's hot, or it'll get cold..."

……

The next morning, even before Gu Yu had gotten up, she heard someone knocking on the courtyard gate. When she welcomed the person in, she found it was Daiyu and her maid.

Seeing the morning dew still clinging to her hair, Gu Yu felt a pang of sympathy and quickly took a cotton towel to wipe it off for her. She also asked Qingwen and Xiangling to help Zijuan and the others.

"The dew hasn't even dried yet, aren't you afraid of hurting your health? Why did you come so early?"

Daiyu blushed slightly as he approached her with tenderness and care, but she did not give a reason.

When she was little, her father always had to go to the government office early in the morning. Now that Gu Yu is going to the imperial court, he naturally won't be late. She was so worried that she didn't sleep well all night, just to come and see him as soon as possible.

Looking at Gu Yu's slightly formal school uniform today, which accentuated his youthful spirit, Daiyu's beautiful eyes sparkled. She pursed her lips and finally took something out of her bosom and handed it to Gu Yu.

Gu Yu took it and looked at it for a long time before finally recognizing it as the purse that Meng Zhi had given her a while ago. Now it had been completely transformed and had almost completely become Daiyu's 'shape'.

If it weren't for the few stitches in the middle that made it clear that it was indeed a modified version of the original, Gu Yu would have suspected that Daiyu had made a new one.

"What's wrong with my sister...?"

Daiyu turned her head away, too embarrassed to look at Gu Yu's overjoyed smile, and whispered:

"Are you relieved about the money I promised you a while ago?"

"There's another one inside... Oh dear! Don't look now!"

Seeing that Gu Yu had weighed it for a moment and discovered that there was something hidden inside, he reached out to open it and see what it was. Daiyu couldn't help but stop him, her face flushed, and she wouldn't let him open it in front of her.

If this wicked man knew that the amulet inside was a peace charm that his mother had given him since birth, and that he had told him it was dangerous, and that he had only given it to him to pray for good fortune and ward off disaster, he might have taken liberties with him again!

However, her unintentional admission made Gu Yu instantly realize that there was something special inside, probably similar to the gold-threaded wooden plaque he had given her, and a warm feeling immediately flowed through his heart.

Unable to resist embracing Daiyu, Gu Yu lifted his hem and, right in front of her, tightly tied the purse to the side of his jade pendant, then smiled and said:

"Don't worry, little sister, I've tied it so tightly. It'll never come loose."

Daiyu blushed and dared not look up at him, quickly changing the subject.

"You'd better watch out, if you really get a beating, I won't have any medicine to treat you..."

Gu Yu chuckled. What a joke! He was just saying it; who would actually punish him?

"If you want to wait, sister, go sit in the study. The third row of books on my bookshelf is full of miscellaneous books that were delivered a few days ago. You can browse through them to relieve your boredom."

Daiyu took over the work from Qingwen and the others, and couldn't help but go up and straighten his clothes again. Although she didn't say anything, her beautiful eyes conveyed a thousand emotions.

"I'm waiting for you…"

Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Beginning of the Discussion on Buddhism

After seeing Gu Yu out, Daiyu finally couldn't resist the chill and shivered, coughing twice. Seeing this, Zijuan quickly asked Xiangling and the others to prepare hot water, and also told Xueyan to go back and get a change of clothes.

"Last night, Miss, you were saying that Young Master Yu was using a self-inflicted injury trick again. Why did you still come so early today? If you catch a disease, that would be terrible."

Daiyu changed into the few coats she had left behind in the pear blossom spring rain, and sat in Gu Yu's study in a daze. After hearing this, she remained silent for a while, and finally sighed softly:

"That's true, but what if... what if?"

Her fingers brushed across the books on the table, Daiyu's eyes darting around, as if she were thinking of something again:

“I often feel lonely and helpless. I left home at a young age, but when I think about it, I still have my father and grandmother to rely on. But my brother Yu has nothing left but us. If I don’t think about him or care about him, who else will care about me?”

Zijuan opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word. Although Gu Yu always smiled when facing them, upon closer examination, how tragic it was that she had no parents or relatives to raise her, and no siblings to support her!

For a moment, the room fell silent. It wasn't until Qingwen came over to ask Daiyu to get rid of the dampness that the mistress and servant composed themselves and followed her out.

……

In the past few days, those who needed to receive the news have naturally been notified. In order to prepare for the battle against those foreign monks, Jiang Ming ordered that the meeting place be set up outside the Meridian Gate. That large open space would not only make it convenient for him and his ministers to observe, but also allow more insightful people to have room to make their mark.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Gu Yong leading several servants waiting outside in a carriage. Gu Yu glanced at the water cart prepared behind him and nodded in satisfaction. Without delay, he headed straight for the Vermilion Bird Gate.

To facilitate passage, the Vermilion Bird Nine Gates consisted of two gates for the emperor's exclusive use, two gates for members of the imperial family, four gates for ministers, four gates for powerful families, and two gates on the outermost edge for eunuchs, imperial guards, and other servants.

Nowadays, some talented young people have no official titles and can only enter through the two outermost gates. Watching the carriages next to them head straight for the distant four, they can't help but feel envious and start discussing among themselves.

"Whose carriage is this? It's quite a grand affair."

"Hiss~ Isn't that Eunuch Xu from the Directorate of Ceremonial? Why does he look so obsequious..."

"Hmph! Once I pass the imperial examinations and serve the emperor, I will be welcomed by the Son of Heaven. Why should I seek the legacy of my ancestors?"

"..."

Sitting in the carriage, Gu Yu naturally didn't hear these discussions. As soon as she got out of the carriage, before she could even find the two people she had arranged to meet, she was stunned by the grand venue in front of her.

At a glance, the entire venue had nearly a thousand seats. In the middle was a platform about ten feet in diameter, where a dozen monks were already sitting cross-legged in meditation. Was it really necessary to make such a big fuss for a Buddhist debate?

Upon seeing Gu Yu's arrival, Li Wensong and the other man, who had been waiting nearby, quickly came over to greet him and pulled him to sit down on the right. Looking at the luxurious seat at the head of the table, Gu Yu hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't help but point and ask:

"Do you know why we're being so solemn today? Even... they've all come down."

Even though the two of them were already used to Gu Yu's clumsy and careless manner, they couldn't help but twitch their lips upon hearing this, and glanced at him with some disbelief.

“In recent years, these foreign monks have become increasingly close to the northern barbarians. In addition, the Han Chinese from the previous dynasty who fled the Central Plains have been acting as matchmakers, leading to more and more frequent conflicts with our Great Qian border.”

"Those remnants of the previous dynasty have always claimed to be the legitimate successors of the royal family. Now they are clearly trying to provoke us by taking advantage of this incident involving monks and the Buddhist and Taoist sects of our dynasty. If we cannot fight back fiercely, I'm afraid their wolfish ambitions will become uncontrollable."

As for why Jiang Ming didn't send troops to defend earlier, the hidden reasons were naturally not something they could discuss. The two tacitly kept silent, but it only made Gu Yu feel as if she had arrived at a lush green grassland, full of grass.

That bastard Zuo Qianhu wouldn't utter a sound even if you slapped him three times, causing me to misjudge the emperor's importance of this debate. Am I really going to get a beating?

Unable to resist looking back at the waterwheel she had prepared, Gu Yu's heart was pounding with anxiety.

He originally only intended to go through the motions, but now it seems that if he is too perfunctory, Jiang Ming, in his anger, might make an example of him. For his own sake, it seems he needs to think carefully about his words.

Seeing the worry on Gu Yu's face, Kong Chengli couldn't help but laugh:

"We're just here to watch the show and cheer them on. Those eminent monks and virtuous masters will handle the debate. What's the use of you worrying here?"

Gu Yu's face was contorted with grief, and he almost burst into tears. If he had a choice, he wouldn't even bother watching the spectacle. Seeing the two people next to him chatting and laughing so easily, Gu Yu felt even more heartbroken. The world was truly cruel, with only him suffering!

As the sun gradually rose, the group of people gradually arrived. Suddenly, a series of footsteps came from the Meridian Gate. A group of eunuchs ran out and went straight to guard the area around the head of the meeting place. In the distance, a canopy could be seen passing by.

Gu Yu was thinking of a solution when she simply knelt down and stood up. She didn't even notice what the eunuch who delivered the message said, let alone the fact that after she sat down, a lingering gaze from above remained fixed on her.

Because of Jiang Mengzhi's eye ailment, she usually stayed deep in the palace and refused to go anywhere. When she heard that she could see Gu Yu today, she mustered up the courage to come and take a look. Unexpectedly, that guy didn't even raise his head.

Although the Empress was gentle and dignified, she felt heartbroken seeing her precious daughter, the most noble young lady in the Great Qian Dynasty, only able to hide behind a screen and secretly watch others.

Seeing that Gu Yu hadn't noticed, she wished she could immediately send someone to arrest him so he could spend some time with her daughter.

Jiang Ming smiled wryly and persuaded the Empress to give up the idea. They had clearly arranged for Gu Yu to enter the court before announcing the marriage, and they couldn't let it be exposed now.

Looking down at Gu Yu, who was unaware that he had escaped a calamity, Jiang Ming narrowed his eyes and then ordered the monks from Baima Temple to enter.

Although the group of foreign monks shouted loudly and invited Jiang Ming to invite the best talents in the world to discuss Buddhism, how could he possibly attract such talents in just a few days?

All things considered, they were merely facing off against the people of the capital. Moreover, were the talents of the Great Qian Dynasty not studying the Four Books and Five Classics diligently, but instead spending their time delving into Buddhist scriptures? In the end, it would inevitably be the monks of the White Horse Temple who would confront them.

Given the crushing defeat of the past few days, the outcome of today's battle is quite obvious. Jiang Ming watched expressionlessly as Dai Da went to preside over the Buddhist assembly, but his hands clenched involuntarily. If it weren't for now…

One day, I will raise my sword to Liaodong and my horse to trample the northern frontier, crushing these remnants and barbarians to dust!

When Dai Da announced the start of the Buddhist assembly, the entire venue fell silent, and the dozen or so Tibetan monks who had been sitting in meditation finally stirred.

Looking at his old acquaintances, who were standing guard at the White Horse Temple across the way, an old monk sitting in the middle raised his eyes and finally spoke:

“Amitabha Buddha, fellow practitioners, since we couldn’t solve the problem from a few days ago, let’s debate it using the Ten Sutras today, shall we?”

"you!!"

The head monk of the Disciplinary Hall of Baima Temple, sitting on the left, finally broke down. These thieving monks are truly unscrupulous. A few days ago, they actually asked them about the highest secrets of Buddhism. How could they possibly answer that? Now they're hypocritically claiming to debate the Ten Sutras. This is truly intolerable!

"Huijing!"

The abbot of Baima Temple in the middle shouted, looking at the group of foreign monks with a serious expression. They were not only proficient in Buddhist teachings, but also knew how to manipulate people's hearts. Huijing, with his fiery temper, was easily seduced into breaking the precept against anger. It was really impossible to guard against them.

Huijing finally realized what was happening, and her face turned pale. But she couldn't do anything to deceive herself in front of so many people. She could only sway her body, her lips trembling, and keep chanting "Amitabha" as she staggered off the stage.

Upon seeing this, a murmur of discussion arose below:

"How come Master Huijing lost before it even started?"

"What exactly happened? It was the same last time. They asked a question, and several monks from Baima Temple were eliminated. They were all wiped out in just a few rounds. How could they possibly win?"

"It's alright. The abbot of Baima Temple wasn't there last time, but now that the abbot is here, we certainly won't suffer a crushing defeat like last time!"

"..."

Hearing the whispers and discussions around them, Gu Yu and the other two exchanged glances, all feeling a sense of unease. If even their own people didn't believe they could win, then this Buddhist gathering might as well not have been held at all!

Now that confidence has been completely lost, once this matter spreads, it will not only affect the reputation of Baima Temple, but will also likely have some impact on the morale of the people and the military in recent years.

Chapter 80: Is Defeat Already Decided?

Before the battle even began, one of the monks from Baima Temple had already perished, making the atmosphere somewhat tense. Before they could catch their breath, the gray-robed old monk leading the group on the opposite side let out a Buddhist chant and finally took the lead in starting the fight.

"Thus have I heard. At that time, the World-Honored One arose peacefully from samadhi and addressed Shariputra: The wisdom of the Buddhas is profound and immeasurable; the gates of their wisdom are difficult to understand and enter, and cannot be known by any Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha. Why is this so?..."

"..."

Gu Yu really didn't expect that these monks, who looked unremarkable, would become like different people when they preached Buddhist scriptures. Their solemn and compassionate expressions were like those of the Buddha himself, and the audience below was unconsciously drawn into their sermons.

Although these laymen were intelligent, they could only roughly grasp some of the wonders of it, and were completely unaware of the dangers involved.

The monks at Baima Temple were already on high alert. The debate was about the interpretation of Buddhist scriptures. Even the same scripture could be interpreted differently, let alone when the two sides were from different schools of thought.

"...Shariputra! These Buddhas only teach and transform Bodhisattvas, wishing to show sentient beings the Buddha's knowledge and vision, wishing to enlighten sentient beings with the Buddha's knowledge and vision, and wishing to lead sentient beings into the Buddha's knowledge and vision..."

Finally, one of the monks could no longer bear it, covered his ears and left. If he continued to listen to these heretical teachings, his Buddhist heart would probably be shattered!