Gu Jingheng couldn't help but sneeze.
With a snap.
He quickly turned around, only to find a book had fallen out of his clothes.
He sheathed the dagger he had just drawn and walked over to pick up the book.
Jade Screen.
The name gives no clue as to what kind of story it is.
The faint floral fragrance bothered Gu Jingheng, and since he couldn't sleep anyway, he moved the lamp to the bedside and started reading the book.
This book was a short story, and Gu Jingheng read it very quickly.
The story is about a scholar who becomes engaged to a girl from the village. The girl's family are landlords, owning hundreds of acres of fertile land, while the scholar's family is poor.
Before going to take the imperial examination, the scholar and Qingmei consummated their marriage. They whispered sweet nothings to each other and bid each other a reluctant farewell. The scholar swore that he would pass the examination with flying colors and then return to marry Qingmei.
However, just like in many stories, after the scholar went to take the exam, he was noticed by the princess by chance, and the princess begged the emperor to make the scholar her husband.
At first, the scholar hesitated. After all, he and Qingmei had grown up together and their feelings for each other were quite deep. But in the end, deep feelings could not withstand power or money.
When her childhood sweetheart found out about this, she rushed to the capital overnight, only to hear just as the scholar and the princess were engaged.
The young woman was heartbroken and couldn't get over her grief for a while, but she unexpectedly met a top courtesan who was traveling. The two sat by the lake and chatted for an entire afternoon.
In the end, Qingmei suppressed her grief and found the scholar, telling him that she was willing to become his concubine, only asking to be with him. Ultimately, the woman was able to stay at the scholar's home in the capital, taking care of him with utmost tenderness. All who knew her praised her virtue and gentleness, and whenever this was said, the woman would simply smile silently. It seemed that as long as she was by the scholar's side, she would be happy no matter what.
However, on the day of the princess's wedding to the scholar, the woman drugged the scholar's wine, found a famous gangster in the capital to seduce him, and tricked the princess, who was dressed in her wedding gown, into going to the backyard, where she witnessed the erotic scene.
Inside the room, the scholar, driven by lust, uttered many vulgar and shameless words, even saying that he only married the princess for status and money, that he didn't love her at all, and that the princess didn't understand him.
The leader got the scholar drunk and successfully extracted information from him, thus completing his mission.
The princess was initially heartbroken, but gradually calmed down. She gave the leader a sum of money and later sent someone to redeem her from the brothel, allowing her to leave and live a carefree life.
That very night, the princess ordered the house to be set on fire, and the scholar was burned to death.
After the incident, the princess immediately explained the whole story to the emperor. The emperor was heartbroken that his daughter had suffered such humiliation and wished he could grind the scholar's bones to dust!
To the outside world, they simply said that the prince consort was drunk and knocked over the candles, and the princess was lucky enough to be rescued from the fire by the scholar's childhood sweetheart.
A year or two later, the past gradually faded away. The emperor made Qingmei his adopted daughter and found more suitable and honest husbands for both the princess and his adopted daughter. Both princesses lived happy lives.
The jade screen mentioned in the book's title is an important prop in the story. It was a gift that the woman secretly took from her home and gave to the scholar after they had consummated their marriage. This jade screen is a tabletop ornament that can be opened and closed. It is an exquisitely designed and finely crafted item of immense value.
As a result, after deciding to marry the princess, the scholar presented the jade screen to her to win her favor.
Later, the scholar was burned to death, and the princess returned the jade screen to Qingmei.
After reading the storybook, Gu Jingheng was somewhat surprised.
Although I haven't read many storybooks, I have heard quite a few love stories in operas, but stories like this one are rare.
The women in the book do not scheme against each other or deceive one another; instead, they understand and help each other.
The three women—Qingmei, the leader, and the princess—from vastly different social backgrounds, were able to help each other without discrimination or grudges, ultimately punishing the villains and bringing relief to themselves and others.
This story is truly refreshing.
However... there are quite a few frivolous passages in this book.
"Hand in hand, arm in arm, we entered the boudoir, shyly and smiling as we blew out the lamp. A golden needle pierced the peach blossom, and she dared not speak loudly, her brows furrowing in secret."
There are as many as seven or eight such descriptions throughout the entire text.
Gu Jingheng suddenly recalled that before he bumped into the woman today, he had vaguely heard her say something like "Hehehe, this is so exciting".
Looking back now, it was probably that woman who saw these contents.
He couldn't help but chuckle. He had initially thought that the woman's hasty retreat after saying "It's too embarrassing" was because he had unintentionally... done *that* to her. But upon further reflection, he realized it was probably because someone had discovered she was looking at those things, and she felt ashamed.
"This lady has really interesting taste in books."
Gu Jingheng blew out the lamp, placed the book beside his pillow, and lay down again.
In a daze, the familiar floral scent once again wafted into my nose.
Gu Jingheng didn't sleep well that night.
He had a dream, a very long dream, but also a somewhat absurd one.
In his dream, he was that scholar who was saying goodbye to a woman he liked before he was about to embark on a long journey.
Before they could exchange more than a few words of farewell, he and his sweetheart embraced, followed by a burst of floral fragrance that made Gu Jingheng feel incredibly hot.
The audio and visuals became embarrassing. Then the scene changed, and he was fighting on the battlefield. Suddenly, an enemy rushed towards him. As usual, he raised his sword to fight back, but after he slashed down hard, he realized that the person was not an enemy. With a fragrance of flowers, it was a woman, his beloved!
Just as he was about to pick up his injured sweetheart, someone slapped him and called him a pervert for touching his butt.
He tried to explain that it was a misunderstanding, but his sweetheart rushed out from the crowd, crying and cursing him for being a heartless man, saying that she had been waiting for him at home for many years, and he was actually touching someone else's butt here.
In his dream, he was speechless and wanted to chase after his beloved who was crying and running away, but suddenly his footing gave way and his body plummeted into the air.
Gu Jingheng, who was on the bed, suddenly woke up!
After staring at the top of the tent for a long time with his eyes wide open, Gu Jingheng finally realized that he had been dreaming.
"What a ridiculous dream."
Gu Jingheng mentally complained, then tried to get up, but as he turned his head, he was greeted by another familiar floral scent.
So it was you!
Gu Jingheng picked up the book, brought it close to his nose, and smelled it. Sure enough, the book smelled of flowers.
"So it was you who kept me up all night."
Gu Jingheng was somewhat annoyed and ashamed. Holding the book, he searched several places in the room but couldn't find a place to hide it.
Finally, he opened the trunk and placed the book at the very bottom.
"Master, dinner is ready."
At this moment, Lian Yingtong called him from outside the door to have dinner.
There was no response from inside the house, so Lian Yingtong looked at her two companions behind her.
At this time normally, the general should have been up long ago. What's wrong with him today?
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