☆、A Tragic Death: The Miserable Life of the Young Mistress
“Have you heard? The young master of the Gu family got into another fight at the Yihong Courtyard.”
“What was it about this time?”
“What else could it be? It’s about jealousy over a courtesan, of course.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, if I were Master Gu, having raised such a scoundrel, I would have been angry to death hundreds of times over.”
“Who says it isn’t so? In any other family, he would have been beaten to death long ago, but Master Gu dotes on him like he’s his own eyes. That’s why the young master has become such a wastrel. It’s all because Master Gu has indulged him.”
“Indulging a child is like killing him; doting on him is like harming him. One day, Master Gu will regret it!”
Of course, Master Gu later regretted it deeply, his intestines turning blue with remorse. Due to his excessive indulgence and love for his only son, the son became selfish, lawless, causing trouble, engaging in murder and arson, gambling, and squandering the family fortune, leading to their ruin. If it had been just him, it would have been karma, but he felt most sorry for his daughter, who was gentle, obedient, and as comforting as a cotton-padded jacket. Because of her brother’s fight over a courtesan at a brothel, which resulted in a death, he pushed his daughter into a nightmare to protect his son.
His daughter was married off to a man who was as cruel as a demon, tortured and tormented day and night, and eventually, unable to bear it, she drowned herself in a well. When her body was found, it was bloated and pale, covered in scars, with no intact skin left. At such a blossoming age, she should have had a bright future, but because of her father’s favoritism towards his son, she was sacrificed, her life withered away in misery. How tragic!
“If I could, I hope my Yue’er could marry the man she loves and live happily ever after, and I hope Sheng’er could grow into a capable and responsible man.”
After uttering these tearful words, Master Gu’s soul transformed into a wisp of white smoke, drifting into the system’s wish bottle.
“Task: Protect your daughter Gu Mingyue, educate your son Gu Mingsheng to be an upstanding individual, and be a good father.”
“Please complete the task as soon as possible.”
“Someone come here.” The first thing Gu Jinghan did after accepting the task was to summon his servants.
“Master, what are your orders?” The servant Chang Kang asked respectfully.
Gu Jinghan, with a stern face, said, “Take some men and bring Gu Mingsheng back, bound.”
“Ah?” Chang Kang thought he misheard, stunned for a moment. Master actually asked him to bind the young master and bring him back? Had the word ‘bind’ been used wrongly? Perhaps the master was still groggy from his nap, and his tongue had twisted the words?
Gu Jinghan shot him a cold glance.
Chang Kang shivered, realizing that the master had not misspoken, and quickly responded, “Yes, Master, I’ll do it right away.”
After instructing Chang Kang, Gu Jinghan ordered another servant, Chang Shou, “Go prepare a stick for me.”
“What does Master need the stick for?” Chang Shou asked, puzzled.
Gu Jinghan, impatient, said, “Just go and get it, what’s with all the questions?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll go right away.” Chang Shou, always fearful of his irritable master, dared not ask more.
Gu Jinghan added, “A stick as thick as three fingers will do. I don’t want to beat the scoundrel to death.”
Beat the scoundrel to death? Who was the scoundrel? Chang Shou looked at his master, questioning with his eyes, but Gu Jinghan offered no further explanation and turned back to his study. Chang Shou, full of doubts, went to prepare the stick.
At the Yihong Courtyard, Gu Mingsheng, drunk and red-faced, was arguing loudly with another man.
“Do you know who I am? How dare you compete with me for a woman? Do you still want to stay in Yun City?”
“Gu Mingsheng, don’t think just because your family has some money, you’re all that. My cousin is the magistrate. Do you dare to oppose an official’s family? If you’re smart, you’ll let Hongniang be with me, or you’ll regret it.”
Gu Mingsheng, hands on hips, fearless, spat, “Bah, you who rise on the coattails of others, I’m not afraid of you! I called for Hongniang first, so she’s mine today, even if your cousin, the magistrate, came himself, I wouldn’t back down!”
Normally, he wouldn’t dare to challenge the magistrate’s relative, but with several jars of wine in him, his courage was up, and with his friends cheering him on and a favorite courtesan by his side, he cared little for the magistrate or even the emperor.
Zhou Cai, upon hearing the insult, was so furious he almost choked. He was not a close relative of the magistrate, just a distant cousin, and such comments about his relationship with the magistrate were what he hated most.
Hearing Gu Mingsheng’s words, he retorted angrily, “You’re the dog, your whole family are dogs!”
Gu Mingsheng, known as Yun City’s number one wastrel, was usually avoided by all, with people only daring to curse him behind his back. Being insulted to his face was new, and his anger surged to his head, ready to throw a punch at Zhou Cai.
Just then, Chang Kang, with his men, pushed through the crowd, called out to the young master, and with a wave of his hand, ordered, “Tie him up.”
Gu Mingsheng, about to throw a punch: “…”
Zhou Cai and the onlookers, watching Gu Mingsheng being carried away like a bound zongzi: “…”
After everyone had left, Zhou Cai finally realized he hadn’t accomplished what his cousin had asked.
“Chang Kang, you bastard, put me down! How dare you bind me in public? I’ll have your skin!”
Gu Mingsheng, carried through the streets, shouted insults. Chang Kang, his neck shrinking, braced himself, “Young Master, it was Master’s order to bind you. Please don’t blame me.”
“Bullshit, my father loves me so much, he’d never have you bind me! You must be using his name. Put me down, or I’ll beat you black and blue!”
Such threats only ensured that Chang Kang wouldn’t release him. He urged the others, “Hurry up, let’s go.”
He wasn’t foolish enough to let the young master go at such a moment, knowing his own life would be in danger. Gu Mingsheng, seeing even his usually obedient servants defy him, cursed with every foul word he knew, causing passersby to cover their children’s ears, fearing they’d pick up the profanity.
Thankfully, Gu’s mansion was not far from Yihong Courtyard, and Chang Kang soon brought the young master back, sparing the public from further disturbance.
“Chang Kang, cough, cough, I’ll strangle you… cough, cough…” Gu Mingsheng, having cursed all the way, his throat now on fire, could barely string together a coherent sentence. Chang Kang was trembling with fear from the scolding, his steps unsteady, and he nearly fell forward when he reached the study door. Fortunately, Chang Shou supported him with a stick as thick as three fingers against his chest, allowing him to regain his balance. “Master, the young master has been brought back,” Chang Kang tried to calm his voice.
Gu Jinghan walked out with his hands behind his back. Seeing his son, who was originally a good-for-nothing, now bound like a zongzi and being carried by two servants, he gave a cold laugh and said, “Put him down.”
“Yes, Master.” The two servants set Gu Mingsheng on the ground. Gu Mingsheng, dizzy and disoriented, took a moment to recognize his father. He immediately cried out in grievance, “Father, Chang Kang tied me up, and he said it was on your orders. Please have him dragged out and given fifty lashes to vent my anger.” His father doted on him so much; surely, he would tear Chang Kang apart for him!
“I told him to tie you up,” Gu Jinghan said.