Chapter 41 Casting the Line and Fishing in Jiangnan

Gu Ling was nearly driven mad.

He thought that as long as he hid away, those things would never have happened.

It had always been like this since he was a child. No matter what trouble he stirred up outside, as long as he went into hiding for a while, the trouble would naturally blow over.

No matter what grievances he suffered outside, the person who caused them would soon come to offer formal apologies.

This time, he resorted to his habitual hiding.

He assumed that after some time everything would return to normal, just as it used to be.

He would still be one of the Four Young Masters of the Capital, the graceful and serene Master Mingyue.

Countless people would still surround him and shower him with flattery.

What he did not know was that whenever he hid in the past, someone else had always quietly cleaned up the mess for him.

But this time, the mess could not be smoothed over.

Letter after letter of severance arrived in his hands like falling snowflakes, cutting through his heart like cold steel blades.

He cared deeply about his reputation and loved being flattered.

Yet now, the former friends who once praised him and the people who used to flock around him had all sent harsh letters of severance.

They were terrified of being associated with him, eager only to gather around and spit upon him.

He could not bear such a drastic and sudden fall from grace.

"Why is this happening? How could you all do this? I am Master Mingyue; you should all be holding me in high esteem."

"How dare you? How dare you break ties with me? A pack of petty villains, you must have seen that Gu Dao's reputation has surpassed mine and flocked over to his side."

"I want Gu Dao to die. I am Master Mingyue, while he is nothing but a filthy piece of trash. He has no right to live."

Gu Ling tore the letters of severance to pieces, howling in rage as he kicked over the brazier.

The pageboys and maidservants nearby trembled in terror.

The Second Young Master had been in a foul mood lately and had already beaten several young maids without any reason. Whenever he was displeased, he vented his anger on the maidservants.

His blows were especially vicious this time, and two of them had already been disfigured.

Just as his voice fell, Mei Sheng walked in.

Seeing her son's distorted, angry face, her heart ached terribly. She vented all her pent-up fury onto the servants:

"Which blind, worthless wretches brought these vile letters to the young master? Get out and take twenty board beatings!"

Ever since Mei Sheng took charge of the household affairs, her authority had grown even greater than before, acting as though her every word was absolute law.

Upon hearing this, the maids and pageboys lowered their heads in sheer terror.

The young master had retrieved those things from the concierge himself; it had nothing to do with any of them.

"They are all base slaves, just waiting to watch me make a fool of myself," Gu Ling said angrily.

Terrified, the maids and pageboys flopped to their knees, paying no heed to the burning charcoal scattered on the floor, and began kowtowing in silence, not daring to utter a sound of plea.

For if they dared to beg for mercy, it would only annoy their master and bring an even heavier punishment.

"Then drag them all out and give each of them twenty slaps across the face," Mei Sheng said coldly.

The pageboy and maids breathed a sigh of relief. Twenty slaps to the mouth merely meant losing the ability to speak for a while; it was still far better than being beaten to death.

Once the maids and pageboys were dragged away, Mei Sheng turned to comfort her son.

"My son, rest assured. Mother has already made arrangements. Gu Dao's reputation will undoubtedly be utterly ruined," Mei Sheng said softly.

"Mother, do you really have a way? As long as his reputation is destroyed, I will become the eldest young master of the Gu family. I will be able to marry the princess, I will be able to..."

Gu Ling had completely lost his composure, blurting out all the secrets buried deep within his heart.

Mei Sheng indeed had a plan in mind.

"Your grandmother's grand birthday is approaching. Mother is now managing the household, and once I handle your grandmother's celebration, I will avenge you," Mei Sheng said, taking Gu Ling's hand.

This was the first major event she would host after taking control of the household. It could not go wrong under any circumstances, or she would become a laughingstock.

"Many people will attend your grandmother's birthday banquet: your father's disciples and former subordinates, the collateral branches of the clan, and even many renowned scholars."

"If you present yourself well at the banquet, you will certainly be able to make a comeback."

Mei Sheng's words made Gu Ling's eyes light up, instantly reviving his spirits.

"Grandmother's birthday is coming up, and Gu Dao will have to return for it, otherwise it would be unfilial. That will be the perfect chance to deal with him," Gu Ling plotted excitedly.

At that moment, Gu Dao had no choice but to return to Yuandu.

For he had been accused in a lawsuit, and the plaintiff was the Jiangnan Bookstore.

As the foremost printing house in the realm, the Jiangnan Bookstore possessed vast wealth and formidable influence, even maintaining a branch in Yuandu.

Even as an external force, it could still rival Hanwentang, the largest printing house in Great Qian, right here in Yuandu.

In fact, many of their woodblock-printed books far outnumbered those of Hanwentang and were of superior quality.

Upon receiving the yamen's summons, Gu Dao began to ponder.

For the magistrate of Ping'an County to dare accept this lawsuit meant there must be a traitor within Great Qian pulling strings to assist the Jiangnan Bookstore.

Before the trial commenced, Gu Dao first went to Yuan Cong's residence.

"Grand-teacher, the Jiangnan Bookstore has filed a lawsuit against me, and Ping'an County actually dared to accept the petition. This is a direct slap to your old face. There is a traitor within Great Qian."

Gu Dao attempted to fan the flames with the old man.

Knowing the old man's fiercely protective nature toward his protégés, he should have flown into a rage and gone to settle accounts with Ping'an County.

Yet, unexpectedly, Yuan Cong did not side with him, but instead severely reprimanded him.

"The Jiangnan Bookstore wishes to print books for Master Jingjie; why are you stepping in to disrupt it? In this matter, I support justice over relations. Hand the manuscript over to them immediately."

When Gu Dao heard this, he wondered what kind of nonsense this was.

"Grand-teacher, I can print books too. Why must it be the Jiangnan Bookstore?"

"Besides, I obtained this manuscript first. Whether you side with justice or relation, you should be helping me."

To his surprise, Yuan Cong's white eyebrows trembled with anger.

Had he not been mindful of his injured lower back, he would surely have given Gu Dao a kick.

"What mad talk are you spouting? What are you going to use to print books? Your mouth?

The Jiangnan Bookstore has promised a fine woodblock edition. They possess the most skilled artisans in the land, yet it will still take them a year or two and cost tens of thousands of gold.

Leaving aside the fact that you are as poor as a church mouse, even if you had the money, where would you find the artisans? Do you want Master Jingjie to lose this opportunity?"

Gu Dao was on the verge of saying that he had already finished printing it. But a flash of insight made him stop himself just in time.

At that moment, he realized that a technology transcending the era had created an information gap.

Even his grand-teacher refused to believe he could print books; others would believe it even less.

That made things rather interesting.

As they spoke, Yuan Cong was already growing impatient.

"Stop making a fuss here. Xiangyun is ill, and I am in a bad mood. Do not stand in the way of Master Jingjie's book being printed, or I will beat you."

An old man with a young wife; it was only natural for Yuan Cong to dote on his concubine.

Just as they were talking, Xiangyun walked out, her complexion indeed looking rather poor.

"Look at you, if you are feeling unwell, you should be lying down in your room. What are you doing coming out into the wind?"

Yuan Cong's old face creased together with anxious affection.

"It is not that delicate; I was just feeling soreness and fatigue, perhaps a slight cold. Walking around a bit will help," Xiangyun said with a smile.

Mid-sentence, her expression suddenly changed. She doubled over and retched.

A maid nearby quickly stepped forward with a basin to catch it. Yuan Cong hurriedly stroked her back, lines of deep worry etching themselves into his forehead.

After she finished vomiting, Xiangyun looked somewhat pale.

"It is nothing, nothing at all. Just bring me a couple of pickled sour plums to settle my stomach, and I will be fine," she said.

Gu Dao stroked his chin, feeling rather puzzled. Weren't these classic symptoms of pregnancy?

"Grand-teacher, have you called a physician? What did they say?" Gu Dao asked.

"There is no need for a physician, it is nothing serious. It is merely winter lethargy," Xiangyun said, shaking her head.

"Grand-teacher's wife, have you never given birth before?" Gu Dao asked.

Xiangyun's expression shifted. Was he implying that she had not been a maiden when she entered the household?

Hearing this, Yuan Cong flew into a rage, picked up a teacup from the table, and prepared to hurl it at Gu Dao.

"You little rascal, how can you speak to an elder like that? Utterly devoid of manners! Fetch my rattan cane!"

Realizing the misunderstanding had grown far too large and that he certainly wasn't being malicious, Gu Dao hastily spoke up:

"Grand-teacher, don't hit me. Grand-teacher's wife is likely with child."

Yuan Cong's hand holding the teacup froze mid-air. His limbs instantly stiffened, and tea spilled all over his face, though he paid it no mind.

With a stiff neck, he cast a suspicious glance at Xiangyun.

Xiangyun's face flushed red, looking equally bewildered.

"Has no one in this household ever seen a pregnant woman? Lethargy, a fondness for vomiting, and craving sour things—aren't those the exact symptoms of pregnancy?" Gu Dao asked with genuine puzzlement.

The several maids stared at one another in wide-eyed shock, and Xiangyun was completely dumbfounded.

Jinse and Wei Qingmei, who had come over to watch the commotion, were equally stunned upon hearing these words.

Gu Dao looked left and right, thinking to himself that it made sense.

Everyone in this courtyard was either too old or too young, and for Yuan Cong, the only one who might have seen a pregnant woman, it was probably decades ago.

"Grand-teacher, you should know best about this matter. With all that stewed chicken with pots being consumed lately, could you have..." Gu Dao asked tentatively.

Xiangyun let out a startled gasp, covered her face, and bolted into the inner courtyard.

Yuan Cong's hand trembled slightly, his voice tinged with a hint of triumphant disbelief.

"Could old age still find me so vigorous?"

Gu Dao thought to yourself, stop spouting nonsense; the moment you hear this, you know it was your own unrespectful old self who caused this.

They always said one shouldn't overdo the tonics, and now look—they'd gone and created a new life.

He quickly dispatched a servant to summon a physician.

Once the physician entered the inner courtyard, Yuan Cong did not dare follow, pacing back and forth anxiously in the yard.

A moment later, Jinse lifted the hem of her skirt and came skipping out like a little deer, her pretty face flushed with excitement.

"Congratulations, Maternal Grandfather! You might be about to give me a little maternal uncle."

Yuan Cong slapped his thigh in delight.

"Ah, heaven looks upon us, and our ancestors bless us. Could I truly be blessed with a child in my twilight years?"

Gu Dao curled his lip, disliking Yuan Cong's overly excited display, and muttered under his breath:

"It might just as well be a little aunt."

"Bah! Get out of my sight. Seeing you irritates me," Yuan Cong pointed toward the gate, feigning anger.

Gu Dao obediently walked out and headed for the Ping'an County magistrate's court, where the lawsuit with the Jiangnan Bookstore was scheduled to be tried today.

The physician who had diagnosed the pulse departed happily with his reward money, casually spreading the news as he went.

Upon arriving at the Ping'an County hall, the trial did not begin immediately.

In this era, there was also a pre-trial mediation procedure.

Dong Kuo's father, Dong Pingye, sat in the center as the county vice-magistrate, presiding over today's mediation.

Gu Dao and a chubby middle-aged man sat opposite each other.

This chubby middle-aged man was the person who had been by Mei Zisu's side and held the decision-making power at the Jiangnan Bookstore.

The chubby man rubbed the ruby ring on his thumb and spoke leisurely:

"My request is very simple. Please have Young Master Gu hand over Master Jingjie's manuscript and compensate the Jiangnan Bookstore ten thousand taels for their losses."

Dong Pingye frowned; this was clearly an exorbitant demand.

However, he remained silent and turned his gaze toward Gu Dao.

Gu Dao's expression remained calm as he directly countered with a demand of whale-sized proportions.

"For disrupting my printing of Master Jingjie's books, I ask the Jiangnan Bookstore to compensate me one hundred thousand taels of silver."

Dong Pingye could no longer hold his tongue.

"You two are both men of status, so spare the nonsense. Let's talk about something practical."

The chubby man gave an oily smile.

"What I stated is entirely practical. In order to print books for Master Jingjie, the Jiangnan Bookstore has already cleared its artisans and materials to stand by. Every day of delay translates to a day of losses."

"If we wait another two days, I'm afraid the price won't be this low anymore."

Gu Dao cast a disdainful look at the fat man, thinking to himself that playing unreasoning games was something anyone could do.

"I have already begun printing on my end. If you continue to delay me, the price on my side won't remain the same either."

Hearing this, the fat man sneered.

"You are printing books? Does Young Master Gu not find that absurd? Do you even have the capability?"

"Do you think printing books is like composing poetry—dreaming it up after drinking too much wine? It is the accumulated painstaking effort of generations. If the Jiangnan Bookstore dares to claim second place in the world, no one else dares claim first."

Gu Dao smiled faintly. The big fish had taken the bait.