Strange
"Daoyun, let him go," Jiang Yufan said.
“But, Buddhist nun, he has been disrespectful to you.”
“This is still someone else’s residence. You’ll give yourself away if you do this,” Jiang Yufan reminded Yun. “Nothing happened last night. It was just an act. Don’t worry.”
After Jiang Yufan said that, Daoyun reluctantly sheathed her sword and let Gu Sidu into the room. Gu Sidu looked radiant and genuinely seemed quite pleased with himself. Daoyun felt uneasy seeing this. She sat down and first took Jiang Yufan's hand, smelling her scent.
Thankfully, there was no other smell, so what the Buddhist nun said must be true.
Seeing this, Gu Sidu said, "If Miss Daoyun protects the Bodhisattva like this, what if the Bodhisattva gets married in the future? Does that mean other men won't be allowed to get close to her?"
“You can get close, but you have to follow the rules. What is Lord Gu’s status?” Dao Yun retorted sarcastically, not giving an inch. “The reputation of us Buddhist nuns is of utmost importance.”
"So, does Miss Daoyun mean that as long as it's in accordance with the rules, as long as the marriage is completed, it's acceptable?" Gu Sidu coaxed gently.
“Yes, I don’t want to see the Buddhist nun suffer alone for the rest of her life. Now that she is no longer restricted by Chenxiang Temple, she can fly freely in the sky.”
After Daoyun finished speaking, Gu Sidu should have shut up, but Daoyun saw the corners of Gu Sidu's mouth turn up in a smile. Gu Sidu wasn't sad, but why? Daoyun paused and thought for a moment, and then she suddenly understood.
If getting married is all that matters, then what if Gu Sidu's next step is to marry the Buddhist nun?
Seeing Daoyun's surprise, Jiang Yufan chuckled and said, "You two stop talking. Have breakfast early and let's head back quickly. I wonder if the snow outside has stopped."
“It’s stopped. With the snow so heavy, there’s no need to go for roll call. We can just go straight back to the manor later,” Gu Sidu said. “By the way, after today, there will be even more and more outrageous rumors about us. I don’t know what we will face, but believe me, Bodhisattva, once we get through this, the road ahead will be smooth.”
"good."
Anyway, she wouldn't have to stay overnight at other people's houses anymore, and even if things went too far, they wouldn't get as close as they did last night. Just thinking about last night made Jiang Yufan's heart still pound. Although it was winter, her heart and body were warm, as if there was a heater behind her that made her want to lean on it.
The bed was warm, while the servants sent to keep watch outside had been freezing for a long time. Jiang Yufan and the others had breakfast, said goodbye to Lord Shen, and left, thus bringing the matter to a close.
As Gu Sidu had anticipated, everyone in the court was extremely interested in his wife, making it difficult to curry favor or arrange a marriage. Gu Sidu no longer needed to be kept at various high-ranking households every day and could return home early.
Jiang Yaoguang was surprised that things had been resolved so easily. He frowned. He thought Jiang Yufan wouldn't actually marry Gu Sidu, but everyone else believed it. Why was that? He decided to test the waters and make a big scene to see if Gu Sidu could really handle the situation well.
After leaving the court, the first thing he did was send people to spread rumors in the streets and alleys, saying that Gu Sidu had not yet married his wife and had not held a wedding ceremony, which was really against etiquette.
The rumor grew bigger and bigger, and everyone in the capital was talking about it, so it naturally reached the Emperor's ears. To this end, Jiang Yaoguang deliberately embellished the story, having some of his acquaintances whisper about it before the morning court session and exchange a few words afterward.
After a while, even the emperor couldn't ignore it.
Some even wrote stories about the passionate moments in the boudoir, spreading tales of the couple's love and affection throughout the streets and alleys.
Dao Yun was furious and prepared to confront Gu Sidu. He had said that the Buddha's reputation was of utmost importance, but how could things have turned out this way? It was beyond anyone's control, and everyone could have their say. How could the Buddha ever go out in public again? What would become of her dignity?
Jiang Yufan didn't say anything about it, but her brows were furrowed, though she wasn't angry.
This is too unusual. Gu Sidu is not the kind of person who flaunts things. Even if he himself doesn't care about being slandered like this, Gu Sidu would still care about her reputation. It must not be Gu Sidu who did this.
The more Jiang Yufan thought this way, the angrier Daoyun became. She said, "Buddha, why don't you do some calculations yourself? Nothing good ever comes of us meeting Lord Gu. Shouldn't we leave Gu Sidu?"
"If I really leave the Gu family, Daoyun, will you be happy?" Jiang Yufan knew that Daoyun was angry, and she also knew that Daoyun was just being sarcastic. In this vast world, Daoyun would also lean towards Gu Sidu.
Dao Yun was simply angry that Gu Sidu hadn't managed to control the situation.
"I think there must be someone behind this, someone who doesn't want Gu Sidu to be okay and wants to make things worse."
"But what will happen if things get out of hand? Why would he do this?" Daoyun wondered. "It won't do them any good."
"There's no benefit to it. Maybe they just want to watch the show, who knows?" Jiang Yufan felt that the matter came and went so quickly, which was really suspicious. If only two or three people talked about it, they would just say a few words as a joke over tea and then it would be over. It wouldn't have lasted this long at all.
"Watching the excitement? What excitement?"
"If I'm not mistaken, then they want to see me and Gu Sidu get married."
Marriage? That's really strange. Who would be so annoying as to interfere in other people's lives? Didn't everyone in the Shen family believe it?
"The Shen family believes it because of my nonsense. Only those who have experienced it firsthand can truly understand such things. If others insist on this view, then it is what I mean by strange."
Sure enough, it looked even more terrifying. Dao Yun immediately said to Jiang Yu Fan, "Buddha, I'll go and investigate who spread these rumors and trace their origins."
“That would be perfect,” Jiang Yufan nodded. “Also, Gu Sidu must be overwhelmed these days. If you find anything, show it to me first, and I’ll think about whether to tell Gu Sidu after I’ve seen it.”
That way, everything will be foolproof. The imperial court is indeed treacherous and unpredictable. Even if one wants peace and quiet, there are always those with selfish motives who want to drag others into trouble. It's hard to say how one can smoothly navigate this situation. It's still too early to tell.
Jiang Yufan wondered what kind of reason she would use to resist if things got out of control.
Her identity might be of some help.
Although there were constant upheavals in the court, these ministers were also the most devoted to the unspeakable power of the gods, which would become her support in the future. She always needed to have a backup plan for herself and for Gu Sidu, in case of future troubles.
Sure enough, a few days later, the source of the news and Gu Sidu arrived at Jiang Yufan's house. Jiang Yufan first listened to the results of Daoyun's investigation, then looked at Gu Sidu and asked him why he had come today.
Gu Sidu said, "Madam, oh no, Bodhisattva."
Before he could recover from pretending to be husband and wife, Gu Sidu immediately changed his tune: "Today the Emperor kept me here, saying he had heard rumors about me and asked why you and I didn't hold a wedding ceremony."
The Emperor's intervention is not a good thing. The Emperor doesn't care about these family matters, but if those he favors are constantly subjected to such gossip, it will certainly be unpleasant. If they are to continue to be favored by the Emperor, then these rumors must disappear.
"How did you explain it?" Jiang Yufan thought of this. Sure enough, those with ulterior motives wanted to attract the emperor's attention.
“I told the Emperor that I did not marry because I did not want to be ostentatious, but I did not expect it to become an opportunity for others to curry favor with me. The Emperor then asked me why I was announcing that I had a wife. I said it was because I did not want to abuse my power and be forced into partisan strife.”
"Upon hearing this, the Emperor was overjoyed and said that he had not misjudged me and would reward me."
"I guess the Emperor wants us to get married?" Jiang Yufan asked.
“It’s not just about getting married,” Gu Sidu shook his head, “The Emperor also wants to bestow a marriage upon us and send officiants to witness our wedding.”
"Not only that, the Emperor also said that I have a clear conscience and justice, and wanted to promote me to the Ministry of Rites as a vice minister." The Hanlin Academy was originally there to assist the Ministry of Rites in overseeing the imperial examinations. Now that Gu Sidu has gone directly to the Ministry of Rites, he can be in full charge of the imperial examinations. This is where Gu Sidu should have been.
However, at this critical juncture, the promotion came at a terrible time, and he could not refuse the emperor's bestowed marriage. He had to start all over again, but this time the charade had to be made real. If he did not do it well, he would be guilty of deceiving the emperor.
The implication is that Jiang Yufan and Gu Sidu must get married, and everyone must know about it; they cannot divorce.
This is a big joke, you can't take it seriously. If it really happens, they'll be husband and wife for life.
“This is unfair,” Daoyun stepped forward first. “This may be a good thing for Lord Gu, but for us Buddhist nuns, it’s a trap.”
Regardless of Jiang Yufan's wishes, this binding her to her fate for life.
Daoyun said, "Lord Gu, find someone to impersonate your wife. I can find you a matchmaker; go and choose one right now."
“The Emperor specifically named a Bodhisattva, and everyone must witness it. If someone else is chosen, wouldn’t that be a crime of deceiving the Emperor?” Gu Sidu shook his head shyly, unwilling to listen to this method.
“Besides, while Heaven may be fair, there is no fairness in the eyes of the Emperor,” Gu Sidu added. “I imagine that others will also find my promotion unfair.”
"But you should have taken this position long ago, but you were demoted before. The Emperor valued your talent and probably wanted to give you this position a long time ago, but he chose this time."
Jiang Yufan could understand the emperor's willingness to go with the flow, but others might not. When others enjoy wealth and honor, who wouldn't be envious and wonder why such benefits wouldn't fall into their own laps?
When you're in the limelight, it's easier for others to find fault with you.
Clearly, someone wants to see Gu Sidu make a mistake.
Jiang Yufan still held the note in her hand. She thought she had already begun to understand what was going on. She said to Gu Sidu, "Then, Lord Gu, what do you think we should do now?"
“I think…” Gu Sidu pondered.
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