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

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

Author: Naiyezi

Summary:

Once Gu Yu entered the Dream of the Red Chamber, he only wanted to be a lazy bum. But when he heard that the little girl in front of him was named Lin Daiyu and that her father was Lin Ruhai, his lazy bum instantly turned into a shark. "The Twelve Beauties? I want to marry ten of them!" (Ip Man channeling.jpg)

This book is for those who prefer married women, those who prefer mature women or older men, and those who are moralists...

P.S. Those with a negative immune response should refrain from contacting this site, lest they suffer a fatal poisoning attack...

Chapter One: Visitors from Suzhou

"Young master, we've reached the outskirts of Yangzhou City, about ten miles away. Let's eat something and pack up a bit."

A response came from the cabin, as clear as metal and jade, sweeping away the dullness in the air.

"Understood, Uncle Zhong. Please double-check the prepared gifts to make sure they are appropriate."

The old man sighed in response, a look of pity and sorrow flashing in his eyes. He then rallied his spirits and turned to go downstairs to check the luggage.

Due to the limitations of the ship's hull, even the most luxurious cabins were somewhat cramped, containing only a four-sided table, two round stools, and a bed of medium size.

Beside it stood a two-tiered lacquered wooden bookshelf, its shelves overflowing with books. There was just enough space for a person to compose a poem in seven steps; nothing else could be placed there.

Gu Yu put down the book in her hand, looked at the flowing water outside the window, and was lost in thought.

He wasn't a native of this world; in his previous life, he was a rich second-generation heir who received a lot of love from his parents since childhood.

Unfortunately, his mother passed away suddenly when he was less than ten years old, so he took the initiative to study medicine, hoping to bless his whole family with good health.

Unexpectedly, without his mother's gentle caresses and with his business becoming increasingly busy, his father returned home less and less frequently.

Two years later, he coldly watched as his father's secretary, whom he had only met occasionally, entered his home.

With a familiar gentle approach, she gradually erased the traces left by her mother at home.

He had argued with his father several times, but all he got in return was his father's helpless perfunctory attitude towards his rebellious son. From then on, he never mentioned it again.

When he entered high school, he left Beijing with a burning desire to escape the increasingly fake home and immerse himself in the vast sea of ​​books, hoping that the profound sense of history of five thousand years could fill the emptiness in his heart.

During his ten years in Yenching University, from a naive high school student to a graduate student in the Department of History, he only returned twice, once when his stepmother gave birth to his son and once when she gave birth to his daughter.

Seeing the happy family of four made me feel like an outsider, with my only connection to home being that bank card.

After entering university, his good looks and wealth attracted a large number of female admirers.

Like many otaku who immerse themselves in the world of anime and manga, he no longer believes in love in the real world. Instead, he uses the characters in books as a source of spiritual sustenance, which makes him seem increasingly obsessed.

Occasionally, when he meets with his classmates, they talk about the past and present, and when the topic of time travel comes up, they all jokingly say that he is the perfect template for the protagonist.

He is exceptionally talented, knowledgeable in both ancient and modern times, and has a handsome face. He is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, making him even more ancient than the ancients themselves. Isn't he more convincing than those ordinary people who suddenly time-travel and are reborn?

When they got excited, the friends talked at length about how they could make a name for themselves, which seemed naive and immature, a rare sight in Gu Yu's life.

Unexpectedly, while working on my graduation project, I stayed up several nights in a row because of some trivial knowledge. In a daze, I accidentally spilled my coffee on the computer, and then lost consciousness with a sharp pain...

In a daze, I felt my body floating, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold. I seemed to hear a faint angry shout in the distance. A sharp pain shot through my head, and I lost consciousness again.

When Gu Yu opened her eyes again, she stared blankly at the old servant beside her who looked at her with surprise and joy, then hugged her and burst into tears. She felt the information coming through her mind, her emotions inexplicable.

I never expected that I would actually time travel, but unfortunately it wasn't the dynasty I knew, but the unheard-of Great Qian Dynasty. After silently sorting out my thoughts, I realized that this world had slid into an unknown direction since the Three Kingdoms period.

A formidable figure emerged from the Liu family, and in the end, the Han dynasty had the last laugh, naturally averting the chaos of the Five Barbarian Invasions.

The development during the Tang and Song dynasties was also ambiguous, with many famous sayings differing from the originals, and fewer well-known masterpieces.

The old servant before him was a page boy whom his grandfather had trained and left to his father. He had been a servant of the Gu family since his grandfather's time, working diligently for decades. His grandfather bestowed upon him the surname Gu and named his grandson Zhong.

Gu Zhong followed his father when he was a teenager, and when he was in his thirties, he took over the position of head steward and devoted himself to the Gu family.

Since his grandfather passed away a few years ago, the Gu family has secluded themselves to study poetry and books, and has always kept a low profile.

Unexpectedly, overnight, Gu's father, who was bedridden, suddenly passed away. Amid the chaos in the mansion, the mistress of the house was found dead in fear, and the only legitimate son was drowned in the pond in the backyard.

It looked like a tragedy of losing all the family line, but Gu Zhong, without any hesitation, personally led people into the inner courtyard and rescued Gu Yu, who was drowning and whose life was hanging in the balance.

Actually, there's no question of avoiding suspicion. The Gu family has had only one son for four generations, and Gu's father and wife are a harmonious couple who have never been close to anyone else in their lives.

The couple had been married for six or seven years before their precious son, Gu Yu, was born, and they doted on him even more.

Unexpectedly, misfortune can strike at any moment, and the happy family of three was reduced to such a tragic state in the blink of an eye.

Gu Yu, who had "come back to life," was overwhelmed by the flood of memories. Although she was less than seven years old in this life, she didn't know why she had so much knowledge. The double memory almost made Gu Yu die from the pain again.

Gu Yu lay unconscious on the bed in a daze, and Gu Zhong personally took care of all the affairs of the mansion.

They were already suspicious of the mistress's supposed death from fright, but after careful investigation, they quickly discovered that her death was very suspicious and that she had been poisoned.

Gu Yu was also drugged by a maid from the inner quarters and thrown into the pond; it's unknown how she survived. The many hidden forces behind this are still shrouded in mystery, and no one has a clue yet.

Gu Zhong acted decisively, swiftly dismissing all the servants and maids in the mansion who were not currently employed, leaving only a few reliable servants to manage the property. He then took Gu Yu, packed their valuables, and fled overnight to Yangzhou to seek refuge with Lin Yanzheng, Gu Zu's direct nephew.

As a long-time resident of the Gu family, Gu Zhong knew that only this powerful relative had the strength and the affection to protect the young master.

After sleeping for three days and three nights in a daze, Gu Yu, having integrated the memories of her two lifetimes, asked the heavens in silence, "Am I not worthy of enjoying family affection?"

My mother passed away almost twenty years ago in my previous life, and my memories of her have long been blurred, leaving only a sense of loneliness like that of an orphan. In contrast, I was with my parents just a few days ago in this life, which makes me feel more alive.

"The past is like smoke... From now on, I am Gu Yu, Gu Yu of Suzhou!"

However, the most important thing right now is to wear down this nihilistic feeling that's driving me crazy.

As Gu Yu looked at the pages of the book, she felt as if the knowledge in her mind had found a vessel and was gradually settling down, which brought her some comfort.

"I never expected to be a little genius in this life, with the ability to remember everything I see, but now it seems even stronger."

Gu Yu guessed that it might be due to the fusion of souls from two lifetimes. However, even with mediocre talent and family background, Gu Yu was confident that she would have no worries about food and clothing thanks to the accumulation of her previous life.

However, now that he has become a small landlord in the Great Qian Dynasty with a car and a house, but whose parents have died, Gu Yu is feeling lost.

There were no more of the national and personal grudges that were discussed in casual conversations in the previous life, such as those concerning the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. There was no more of the treacherous power struggles among members of the royal family, nor even any infighting among clans.

He had no desire for power or official position. After uncovering the truth and avenging his parents, all that remained was the leisurely pursuit of nature.

Gu Yu, who was lost in thought, heard Gu Zhong urging her from outside the door and quickly got up to open the door.

Gu Zhong looked at Gu Yu in the room, who was calm and composed. He was wearing a white silk shirt with gold cloud patterns, but his hair was tied with a child hairpin, making him look like a little adult.

Thinking back to the days after she woke up, Gu Yu no longer wore the bright red and green clothes she used to love, but instead used plain colors such as black, white and blue.

Gu Zhong was about to change his clothes, but Gu Yu said to him, "Our parents have passed away, how can we still dress in red and green as usual?"

Looking at Gu Yu's face, a perfect blend of her parents' best features, Gu Zhong recalled the illustrious reputation of the Gu family of Suzhou and felt a pang of heartache. Fortunately, the young master possessed extraordinary talent and would surely be able to restore the Gu family's honor in the future.

After serving Gu Yu lunch and cleaning up again, someone came to report.

"We've arrived at the dock!"

Two carriages were already parked at the dock, with the character "Lin" written on their flags. Gu Yu knew that they belonged to her only direct cousin.

After disembarking, ignoring the servants carrying supplies behind them, Gu Zhongxian led Gu Yu to pay their respects. Before they even reached them, the curtain of the first carriage was lifted, and a scholar dressed in casual clothes stepped out.

The man exuded an air of nobility and refinement, his slightly thin face bearing a trace of sorrow, which only accentuated his scholarly demeanor.

Gu Yu was unsure if the person in front of her was the real person, so she turned to look at Gu Zhong beside her.

Unexpectedly, while Gu Zhong was wiping away his tears, the person in front of him suddenly pulled him into an embrace.

The newcomer stroked Gu Yu's head and asked Gu Zhong in a trembling voice, "This must be Yu-ge'er, right? I didn't expect him to grow up so fast."

Gu Yu struggled a little, but found himself held very tightly and unable to break free. He could only accept his childish privileges and replied in a low voice, "This boy greets his uncle."

Lin Hai naturally sensed Gu Yu's discomfort and reluctantly let go of her embrace. Seeing that Gu Yu was about to kneel down and bow to him, he quickly shouted "No need for formalities" and pulled her up.

After Gu Zhong performed his salutations, he was seated in a carriage behind, while Gu Yu was led to the carriage in front.

Presumably, he was too young to understand the details, and fearing that it might stir up his sorrow, Lin Hai only asked him some trivial questions gently, and comforted him that he didn't need to stand on ceremony in Yangzhou, and could just treat this place as home.

After chatting for about half an hour, the carriage suddenly slowed down and turned a corner, shutting out the noise outside.

After about two cups of tea's time, we stopped. Only after getting out of the car did we realize that we had arrived at the second gate.

An old woman came up to greet them; she was a trusted servant of the mistress and naturally knew the relationship between the visitor and her family.

Now that she saw that the head of the family had personally escorted her to the second gate by carriage, she couldn't help but take it even more seriously.

So he volunteered to take Gu Zhong to the Qingfeng Courtyard that had been arranged for them to stay. Unexpectedly, Lin Hai personally led Gu Yu to the courtyard and pointed it out to him.

"Your father stayed in this courtyard when he came to celebrate your 100th day, and it has been sealed away ever since. I never expected you to come again today."

"This clump of bamboo was specially moved from Suzhou by your father, who said that it could be cut down later to make a bamboo chair for my daughter, as a double gift. He really doesn't want to suffer any loss."

……

Gu Yu quietly looked at the scenery in the courtyard and listened to Lin Hai's words, as if watching two dashing figures sitting there drinking and joking, and remained silent for a moment.

Lin Hai waved for Gu Yu to go to the room and see if there was anything else that wasn't going well. He then dismissed the old women behind him, grabbed Gu Zhong's hand, and led him to the side room.

He closed the door, turned around, and asked anxiously, "Zhong-ge'er, your letter from the other day wasn't very detailed. What exactly happened at the Gu residence?"

Gu Zhong's aged face could no longer hold back, and he immediately burst into tears, kneeling on the ground, sobbing as he recounted in detail the events of that night, as well as the clues he had uncovered later.

"Since the old master retired, the Gu family has always kept a low profile and lived a peaceful life, treating others kindly, repairing bridges and roads, and benefiting the local community. This has been the case for hundreds of years! Why did they suffer such a calamity?! They spent tens of thousands of taels of silver to bribe officials inside and outside the family, and they also devised a very grand scheme!"

"It's a pity that the reputation of the Seven Famous ...

Lin Hai sat frozen in his chair, as if struck by lightning, his lips trembling uncontrollably, his face completely pale.

Recalling the century-long friendship between the Gu and Lin families, and the childhood memories of being taught by his maternal uncle and living and eating with his cousin like brothers, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

"It's my fault...it's all my fault!"

Gu Zhong looked up in surprise. Ever since he became Gu's father's page, he had been inseparable from Lin Hai and Gu's father, serving them on both sides. He also knew that the Gu and Lin families had a close and intertwined history spanning centuries.

Even if he guessed some of the truth, he wouldn't feel any resentment about being implicated. He just asked fiercely, "Young Master Lin, do you have any leads? This old servant will risk his life to avenge Young Master Gu!"

Hearing this familiar address, Lin Hai felt even more grief-stricken, a fierce killing intent flashing in his eyes, but he still shook his head and said:

"I will definitely handle this matter. Zhong-ge'er's heart is only focused on Yu-ge'er. When he grows up and becomes successful, he will restore the family's glory!"

The two sat quietly for a while, composed themselves, and then went out to observe Gu Yu's behavior from a secluded spot in the main room.

Little did they know that Gu Yu's attention span was far beyond that of a child, and she pretended not to know anything, continuing to decorate the room on her own.

Seeing that Gu Yu, though young, was organized and methodical, much like his father in public, Lin Hai nodded in satisfaction.

Suddenly remembering how he used to jokingly call Gu's father a fake gentleman, Lin Hai's heart stirred. He deliberately made a little noise to come into the room, but his eyes were fixed on Gu Yu's expression.

Although I'm over thirty years old in both lifetimes combined, unfortunately, in my previous life I was a complete late-stage chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) and late-stage otaku, so I didn't have much social experience. In this life, I'm even more naive, but I do have a mindset that's somewhat in line with my age.

As expected, Gu Yu's face remained expressionless, as if she had expected it. However, when she turned around, her expression changed to one of surprise. Lin Hai knew that he had been discovered long ago and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yu-ge'er, are you all packed? You must be tired from the journey. Take a nap first, and we'll let you meet your aunt and cousin at the banquet tonight..."

Lin Hai paused as he spoke, a sudden pang of pain gripping his heart. He too had a child late in life, but just as he was raising him to be three years old, the child suddenly fell into the water a few days ago, leaving his wife to weep every day.

I was just wondering if it was a coincidence that I fell into the water, but I never expected that such a tragedy would happen to the Gu family, who are all part of the same family. With the two things combined, how could I not know that something was wrong!

But now the Gu and Lin families are only relying on him, and he has no one to confide in, which makes him even more worried.

"...Brother Jingyuan!"

……

After Lin Hai left, Gu Yu felt as if half of her bones had been removed, and she scrambled onto the bed.

On the ship, he was either in a deep sleep or his head was throbbing. The experience of time travel had also taken a toll on his mental energy, so he didn't have a single night of peace and was already extremely sleepy.

He didn't care about anything else at the moment, only letting Gu Zhong take care of the courtyard, and slept until dusk, when he was woken up by someone coming to invite him.

Chapter Two: Daiyu's Cousin?

Following the nanny who led the way to the main courtyard, Gu Yu turned her head to look at a small courtyard next to her residence.

Because the gate was open, one could see that there were quite a few flowers and plants in the yard, yet it did not appear cluttered, clearly indicating that a lot of effort had been put into it, and one could not help but nod in approval.

The old woman standing beside her had been secretly observing Gu Yu all the way, and couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was, even more so than her own young lady.

Seeing that he seemed interested in the courtyard in front of him, he quickly began to introduce it.

"This is Chunhua Courtyard, the courtyard where my young lady lives. It was vacant before, but after the madam gave birth to the young master, she was afraid of disturbing the young lady, so she opened Chunhua Courtyard for the young lady to live in alone."

Gu Yu was taken aback. Lin Hai had mentioned his aunt and cousin, but not his cousin. She couldn't help but ask, "Young Master? That's my cousin. How old is he now? Is he still living with his aunt?"