Chapter 71 "Since it's so hard, why bother..."
The traveler grabbed her back: "You fool, still so unruly!"
Bao'e said, "Brother, you ordered me to strip him of his clothes, how come you turn around and scold me? You don't treat me like a human being at all."
The traveler was so angry he wanted to beat her a few times.
He thought to himself: If the Grand Preceptor is truly Gao Cuilan, harboring such a devoted heart, he would never easily allow Bao'e to marry this prince of Tianzhu.
“Wumiao, let’s give him a try,” he said.
"How do you test it?"
"Go find the royal advisor and tell him that you've heard the people of the city praise the prince's handsome appearance and want to see him in person. If he really is handsome, it would be fine to arrange a marriage with him for a thousand or ten thousand years."
The simpleton hurriedly asked, "Is he really handsome?"
"That's just nonsense, you fool, stop yelling!" the Monkey King said again. "Let me watch from the side. If that young master Gao has really been deceived by the demon, I'll beat the demon into submission with one blow. If it's really an unfamiliar national advisor, then we'll think of another way."
Bao'e indeed went to find the Imperial Advisor.
Seeing that no one was around, she said, "My lord, may I see the prince?"
The imperial advisor was reading a book when he heard this and looked up at her.
He asked, "Is Miss Zhu worried that this matter might be false?"
She said, "No, it's because I heard from the people in the city that the prince is handsome, so I wanted to see him for myself and find out if it's true."
The imperial advisor put down his book and asked her, "What if it's true?"
The fool truthfully replied, "He deserves a true marriage."
The Imperial Preceptor remained calm and composed, and said gently, "I heard your master say during the day that you are people on a pilgrimage to the West, how can you be worthy of a true marriage?"
“Brother, to tell you the truth, only my master is going on the pilgrimage. I am just a guard. Even if he doesn’t go, my fellow disciples and I will protect him.”
"You certainly have a good plan," the imperial advisor chuckled. "So what if it's fake?"
Bao'e exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be an ugly one?!"
The Imperial Advisor simply smiled and remained silent.
Bao'e said, "If he is ugly, although he is not good at marriage, he can still get money for travel expenses."
“That’s right,” the Grand Preceptor said to her. “Since it’s a genuine marriage match or just a way to make money, either way there are benefits. Why bother to see what he looks like?”
This exceptional patience truly reminded Bao'e of Young Master Gao, and she couldn't help but feel a little sad. She had been away from home for more than ten years and had only seen him once along the way. She wondered what he looked like now.
She sighed deeply.
The Imperial Preceptor paused for a moment, his expression inscrutable. He asked, "Does this constant sighing and lamenting mean you want to see what he looks like?"
“No, no,” Bao’e said. “I was just thinking of an old friend who is very similar to you, the Imperial Preceptor. Their temperaments are also exactly the same, both of them are so kind and patient.”
"Who is he? An old acquaintance, or someone with whom we have some connection?"
"No, no, we do have a rather deep friendship."
"What do you mean?"
“But that’s hard to say,” Bao’e said. “My brother is a shy person and doesn’t like to talk about private matters with outsiders. Even though he’s not here now, I can’t just say whatever I want.”
The imperial advisor was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "You may leave."
Bao'e said, "We haven't seen the prince yet."
The Imperial Advisor seemed about to speak, but just as he opened his mouth, he suddenly paused.
He raised his hand and touched his head, his brows furrowed, as if he had a headache.
But after a short while, he lowered his hand, poured her some tea, and said with a smile, "No rush, no rush. You drink your tea first, and I'll send someone to inquire. His Majesty often visits the prince, so it would be rash of him to be here as well."
"Okay, okay!" Bao'e was tired from walking, so she took the tea and drank it all.
The imperial advisor didn't even look at her and went straight out the door.
After drinking the tea, Bao'e soon felt sleepy, so she nestled in the chair, hid her head and neck, and began to doze off.
In her hazy dream, she vaguely saw Mao Er.
Mao Er lay horizontally on the tiger-skin bed, propping his head up with one hand, and called out to her, "Bao'e."
Bao'e: "Brother, how come you, a dead soul, are still wandering around?"
Mao Er gave a slight, cold laugh: "Are you hoping I'll die?"
"No, no!"
Mao Er pulled her over and embraced her.
Bao'e had known for a long time that Mao Er was a rabbit spirit, with a strong desire for pleasure, and wished she could enjoy pleasure with him every day of the year.
She had also suspected that this was the reason he fell ill and died. In the moments before his death, he was still joking with her, his red eyes, stimulated, glistening with a clear, watery hue.
The same is true now.
Bao'e was dizzy, her excitement intense, and she was panting heavily; the spirit's eyes were full of affection, her desire for spring was strong, and she was sweating profusely.
After kissing her for a while, Mao Er asked, "Is it really true?"
Bao'e said, "That's right. Brother, you don't know, but ever since you left, I've often thought about you."
Mao Er's expression was inscrutable, making it impossible to tell whether he believed it or not.
When the Imperial Preceptor returned, Bao'e was still asleep.
He walked straight up to her and stared at her without saying a word.
After a while, he looked up and saw a bronze mirror on the table.
His face was vaguely reflected in the mirror; he was slightly thin, and there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes.
He was momentarily dazed when he suddenly saw that the face had changed, becoming blurry yet alluring.
Someone whispered in his ear, "Don't rush, don't rush. Once this matter is settled, Bao'e won't leave; she'll stay for a long time."
The Imperial Preceptor frowned and looked down at Bao'e.
He stroked her face, then lowered his head to touch her forehead.
Suddenly, Bao'e woke up with a start, opened her eyes, and met the eyes of the Imperial Preceptor.
"Brother," she exclaimed in surprise, "even if you're asleep, please don't use my head as a bell to knock on it."
The imperial advisor remained expressionless, stood up, and said, "Seeing that you are fast asleep, it is not appropriate to wake you."
Bao'e was still a little stunned.
In a daze, she mistook the imperial advisor for Mao Er.
She still remembered the dream clearly. Mao Er was quite playful. When she was about to wake up from the dream, he even took out a whisk made of soft rabbit fur and asked her, "Bao'e, are you happy?"
Bao'e squinted and nodded: "Brother, such a furry thing has a different kind of feeling, it's quite refreshing."
Mao Er said, "Bao'e, Bao'e, when you see the prince of the Kingdom of Tianzhu, don't look at his face. Just give him a breath of fresh air, and you'll be able to be this carefree every day from now on, understand?"
Bao'e just kept panting and groaning, but didn't respond.
Then Mao put in a bit more effort and asked her again.
She replied repeatedly, "I know, I know!"
She was lost in thought, as if she could still feel the whisk.
The imperial advisor, thinking she still wanted to sleep, suddenly said, "If you feel tired, you may take a nap on the couch."
Bao'e regained her composure and said, "No need, no need! I can endure the hardships of these years, whether I sleep in the grass or on a stone."
"If it's so hard, why bother going on the pilgrimage?" The Imperial Preceptor glanced at her clothes. "These old clothes have been patched and mended for who knows how many years."
Bao'e said, "While Sanzang is on his journey to the West, I am the one who suffers the most."
"Even without hardship, there is still boundless glory." The Imperial Advisor asked her, "Do you want to suffer hardship or enjoy glory?"
Bao'e did not respond to him, but said, "Brother, to tell you the truth, a few years ago when we passed Chenjiazhuang on the Tongtian River, the people there said they wanted to build a temple for me. If I am trapped here because of gold and silver, I will not be able to bear seeing the temple."
The imperial advisor remained silent.
After a long pause, he said, "You should leave now. The king is looking after the prince and cannot see him today."
Bao'e really was leaving.
Before leaving, she remembered the traveler's words and suddenly asked him, "How is the old man?"
The Imperial Advisor turned his back to her and said only, "I don't know who you're talking about. Let's go."
The fool nodded, then turned and left.
She went out and bumped into the traveler. She said to him, "Brother, the Imperial Preceptor doesn't recognize my father-in-law. He must not be that young master Gao."
The traveler laughed at her: "You fool, even if he said his name was also Gao Cuilan, you probably wouldn't recognize him. No need to say anything, no need to say anything! On the day of the wedding, you'll know what he's up to."
Bao'e said, "Today has been a happy and carefree day! After enjoying this whole day, it's time to go to sleep."
The traveler chuckled, "Let's go, let's go!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
