Chapter 466 Flesh and Blood Made of Water
On a midsummer night, Jia Baoyu tossed and turned in his room at the Honglu Temple.
Having just received a delegation from Siam during the day to discuss trade between the two countries, he was exhausted but unable to fall asleep.
In a hazy state, he had an extremely long dream.
He first opened a book with the words "Dream of the Red Chamber" written on it. After opening it, all the plots in the book jumped out of the book and played out one by one.
He himself was involved.
In his dream, he was a wealthy idler in the Rongguo Mansion, but he lived in a small courtyard within a very luxurious mansion called "Yihong Courtyard," where he spent his days playing and frolicking with his sisters.
Lin Daiyu is a delicate cousin who is prone to crying. The two of them talk nonsense and bicker and sulk over trivial matters.
The dream was bizarre and fantastical: Sister Yuanchun died in the palace in despair, Sister Yingchun was sold to the Sun family by her father and suffered endless torment, Sister Tanchun was married off to a distant land, and Sister Xichun eventually became a nun... But what pained him the most was that Sister Lin died with her tears exhausted, and her soul returned to the Heaven of Separation and Sorrow; he himself saw through the world and became a monk.
"No!" Baoyu woke up with a start, his body covered in cold sweat.
The moonlight outside the window was as clear as water, and the government office was completely silent.
He held his forehead, the vivid memories of his dream etched in his mind, so real they were almost unsettling.
"Was that really me?" Baoyu murmured to himself, "That纨绔子弟 (spoiled brat) who spends his days lounging in the inner chambers and never makes any progress?"
He got up, lit a candle, and sat down at his desk.
The Jia Baoyu in his dream is worlds apart from his current situation.
He is now the youngest Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, responsible for receiving envoys from various countries and promoting trade.
Lin Daiyu, on the other hand, was a princess and in charge of the national women's official schools.
"Could it be..." Baoyu suddenly had a thought, "That book was written by me? Was it me in my past life who wrote such a tragic story because I loved Lin Daiyu but could not have her?"
The thought sent chills down his spine.
If that's really the case, how fortunate he is to have found his way back from the wrong path in this lifetime!
Recalling the time he took the imperial examination with Daiyu, a smile appeared on Baoyu's lips.
Although he did not reach the top of the list as Daiyu, he still ranked second, which greatly surprised the entire Jia family.
To everyone's surprise, he volunteered to take up a position at the Court of State Ceremonial, saying he wanted to "see the outside world."
Over the years, he has made significant achievements in diplomatic affairs thanks to his linguistic talent and sincerity.
What is most commendable is that he always kept in mind the words he had spoken when he was young—"Daughters are made of water and flesh"—and spared no effort in various women's sports.
The next morning, Baoyu went to the Women's Academy to find Daiyu.
Seeing her guiding students in studying overseas classics, her radiant appearance was completely different from the tearful Lin Daiyu in my dreams.
"Why is Brother Bao here?" Daiyu asked with concern when she noticed his unusual expression.
Baoyu recounted his dream from the previous night, and at the end sighed, "If that really was our past life, I must thank Heaven for giving us a second chance."
After listening, Daiyu pondered for a long time, then suddenly smiled and said, "I think that wasn't a past life, but another possibility. If it weren't for the careful guidance of the old woman, if it weren't for the imperial court opening up the women's examinations, if it weren't for you, Brother Bao, realizing your mistake... we might really have walked down the path in our dreams."
These words enlightened Baoyu.
Yes, at life's crossroads, every choice leads to a different outcome.
"Speaking of which, we must thank Brother Bao for speaking well of our academy to the Siamese delegation yesterday," Daiyu changed the subject. "I heard they are willing to send female students to the academy for exchange?"
Baoyu nodded: "Exactly. I also recommended the academy's medical department to them, hoping they could send a female physician to study here."
This is the Jia Baoyu of today—no longer the playboy who only hangs out with girls, but a true pragmatist who can work for the well-being of women.
In the days that followed, Baoyu became even more actively involved in women's affairs.
He took advantage of his position at the Honglu Temple to introduce overseas books and knowledge to the academy; when receiving foreign envoys, he never forgot to promote the academy's achievements; and he even personally taught the academy's students diplomatic etiquette.
What is most commendable is that when the court was discussing whether to allow women to participate in politics, Baoyu was one of the few ministers who firmly supported it.
"Why can't women participate in politics?" he argued vehemently in court. "The achievements of the Women's Academy are evident to all. Princess Lin manages the national women's schools with remarkable efficiency; Lord Yuan manages the academy's assets with substantial profits. Aren't these sufficient proof of women's capabilities?"
One conservative minister countered: "Women are ultimately meant to be wives and mothers..."
Baoyu immediately interrupted, "So my wife is also teaching at the academy now. What's wrong with us, husband and wife, each serving the court?"
This remark elicited a burst of snickers.
It turns out that Baoyu's wife was none other than Mi Ling's niece, whom he had met at the academy years ago.
The two shared similar interests and focused on their careers after marriage, becoming a well-known "model couple" in Beijing.
After the court session, the Tenth Prince patted Baoyu on the shoulder and laughed, "You good-for-nothing Baoyu! Now you've become a vanguard of the women's movement!"
Baoyu said seriously, "Your Highness is joking. I just feel that if women have the opportunity to display their talents, they are by no means inferior to men. This is not only helping them, but also helping ourselves—the more talented people the court has, the stronger the country will become."
If someone else had said these words, they might have sounded hypocritical.
But when it came from Baoyu's mouth, it sounded exceptionally sincere.
On this day, Baoyu accompanied foreign envoys to visit the academy and happened to see the instructors teaching students riding and archery.
The women galloped on their horses, their arrows never missing their mark, drawing praise from the envoy.
"Lord Jia," an envoy asked curiously, "do all women in your country practice martial arts?"
Baoyu proudly said, "In our dynasty, women are free to choose the skills they want to learn. Some love martial arts like General Liu, some love literature like Princess Lin, and others love medicine or commerce. The important thing is that they all have the right to choose."
The envoy exclaimed, "Such open-mindedness is truly admirable."
That evening, Baoyu told Daiyu about the conversation, and Daiyu smiled and said, "Brother Bao is speaking more and more like a diplomat these days."
Baoyu replied, "I was just telling the truth. In fact, I should thank Lin Daiyu."
"Thank me for what?"
“If it weren’t for you running the academy in Suzhou back then, which showed me the infinite possibilities of women, I might still be wandering in that dream.” Baoyu said sincerely, “You made me understand that respecting women is not just lip service, but about giving them a stage to perform.”
Upon hearing this, Daiyu's eyes welled up with tears of emotion.
She recalled the Baoyu in her dream who could only say "girls are made of water" but was powerless to change anything. Looking at the capable and pragmatic Lord Jia in front of her, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
“Brother Bao,” she said softly, “you have changed, yet you haven’t. What has changed is your actions, but what remains unchanged is your heart.”
Yes, Jia Baoyu is still the same Jia Baoyu who genuinely respects women; only now, he has the ability and courage to realize his ideals.
“Sometimes I wonder,” Baoyu suddenly said, “if the me in my dreams could see us now, I wonder what I would think.”
Daiyu smiled and said, "He will be very pleased. Because whether it is Baoyu in the dream or Baoyu now, deep down he hopes that women can live better lives."
As dusk deepened, the lights in the academy gradually came on.
In this light, one man's figure stood out—he wasn't standing behind the women, but walking alongside them.
This, perhaps, is the best ending.
It's not about one person saving the other, but about mutual support and growth.
Jia Baoyu's true value in life lies not in wallowing in sorrow and melancholy in the Grand View Garden, but in fighting for the rights and dignity that all "people made of water" deserve in a wider world.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
