Chapter 4 An Elopement

Youzhu Garden.

On the first and the fifth day every month, Nanny Gu would allow those girls in the Garden to take a holiday. She would ask them to stop learning and walk out of the sub-residence to relax themselves in the markets or temple fairs. But she stipulated that they must be back before the evening. Otherwise, she would punish them. Certainly, Gu Yunyao, Gu Yunxi and Gu Yunjin were no exception.

It was the 15th day of a month. On the pretext of going out to buy some cosmetics, Gu Yunyao disappeared!

At first, no one took it seriously. However, when it turned dark and the lights were lit up, people still couldn't find Gu Yunyao everywhere in the Garden.

Nanny Gu was afraid, so she sent some people to search for her. Later on, one manager reported that the gardener Zhao An had also been out of sight for the whole day.

Nanny Gu patted her thigh, suddenly realizing,

"Damn it! Is it possible that this bi*ch has run off with her lover? !"

Nanny Gu couldn't control her surging anger.

She had been in Youzhu Garden for over ten years, originally as the director of Music Office in the Palace. After Leng Qingtang became the Master of the Eastern Depot, he took control of Law and Etiquette Department and directly took over the Garden. He left Nanny Gu here to be specifically responsible for cultivating those young girls and teaching them the rules and etiquettes of the Palace. When they grew up, those with outstanding beauty would be noticed by eunuchs in charge of this. They would send them to serve the emperor.

Of course, some disobedient girls didn't want to enter the Palace. If they couldn't be taught to do so, they would be sold to families of officials as their maids. Some were even worse as they would be sent to the brothel. Then Nanny Gu would distribute some of the money she got to those in charge of this in the Palace. It was a win-win situation.

Nanny Gu always finished her task smoothly, yet this time became an exception. She thought Gu Yunyao was a gentle and yielding girl with few words. However, she had harbored such a plan of elopement in heart, perhaps for a long time! After being taken back, she definitely couldn't enter the Palace. If she was no longer a virgin, she had to be sold to the brothel.

Thinking of how beautiful she was, Nanny Gu felt pitiful for her.

Gu Yunyao, however, was brought to Nanny Gu by Leng Qingtang, the Master of the Eastern Depot in person. Thus, she had a rather special identity compared to other girls. Nanny Gu turned anxious about this.

After all, she ran away under her nose. But how to deal with her after she was taken back was still a tough problem. That was because she knew clearly the nasty-nice Master Leng Qingtang was not easy to tackle.

----I’m a dividing line, a diving line.----

In the inner residence, Gu Yunxi sat on the side of her bed in the bedroom, with her eyes puffy and red. She had remained still like this ever since she got the news of Gu Yunyao's elopement.

Her mind was filled with the disheveled appearance of Gu Yunyao that night. She still couldn't believe such a misbehaved person was her beloved sister.

Gu Yunxi felt hard to describe her feelings. As if she had been discarded by the one she trusted and relied on most, her heart was laden with loneliness and fear.

“Creak.”

The door was opened. A slender figure came in.

"Is that sister Yunyao?" Gu Yunxi thought.

Gu Yunxi stood up in a pleasant surprise. Yet as she was about to speak, she turned disappointed again.

It was Gu Yunjin who came in.

Seeing Gu Yunxi return to her bed inertly, she approached her with arms akimbo. A look of elation filled her beautiful face, yet it was unspeakably irksome.

"How much do you know about Gu Yunyao and Zhao An?" Gu Yunjin asked in a harsh voice.

Gu Yunxi didn't dare to look up, feeling very uneasy in heart.

"Why...do you ask me? I...I don't know anything."

She deliberately lied to her, but it made her feel guilty. She saw what they had done some time ago. Now she was afraid whether someone else lurking in the shadows had also seen the whole thing.

"You don't know? Aren't you the closest to her? Didn't she tell you something?" Gu Yunjin didn't believe it.

After Gu Yunxi clenched her teeth and kept silent for a while, she suddenly raised her eyes, staring at Gu Yunjin,

"How unreasonable your words are! We live in the same place. Why do you say one is close to another or not? Now Yunyao is in a bad situation. You wanna exclude yourself from this matter?"

Gu Yunjin was stunned. She had never seen Gu Yunxi get angry. Now watching her uttering so much with tears, Gu Yunjin was truly startled, but soon she turned much more furious.

"Slap!"

Gu Yunjin slapped her, letting out a crunch. Covering the burning cheek, Gu Yunxi looked at her with grief and rage.

Gu Yunjin stared at her, sneering,

"Who do you think you are talking to? After Gu Yunyao is found, I will tell Nanny Gu. She will definitely throw you bi*ch to the brothel sooner or later!"

Spitting to Gu Yunxi's feet, Gu Yunjin turned out of the room.

Gu Yunxi kneaded her burning face, crying hysterically on her bed.

Nanny Gu didn't like her. The other girls in the Garden kept themselves away from her. The maids bullied her. Now even Gu Yunjin, who was one year younger than her, dared to slap her.

Others told her there was samsara for everyone's life. After death, their souls would reincarnate and start a new life. What you experienced this life, no matter good or bad, poor or rich, was the karma of the last life. She couldn't understand what heinous things she had done in her last life that made her suffer such a painful and unfair fate in this life.

Previously, Gu Yunyao always protected her. So even when she was bullied by others, she wouldn't feel too sad. But now, Yunyao left all of a sudden. In the Garden, no one else would treat her sincerely. Worse still, she didn't know how to deal with those who bullied her. Nor did she know how to get by alone in this side garden.

----Dividing Line----

A few days later.

After having lunch, Gu Yunxi sat in her room, reading a book. Yet having been thinking about Gu Yunyao, she couldn't truly calm down.

Gu Yunjin was fiddling with the unworn jewelry in the dressing case and meanwhile, having a panoramic view of Gu Yunxi's fidgeting look.

"Stop thinking about that bi*ch! Let me tell you. The eastern troops have taken action secretly. With their searching ability, they two will soon be caught!"

Gu Yunjin was contented. She picked up a red-gem ring and put it on her middle finger of the right hand, looking around. The dove-egg-sized ring on the slender finger glistened with a fiery red light, making her hand look whiter. Elation thus filled her heart.

She then turned to Gu Yunxi, who was shabbily dressed, with much acrimony and disdain on her face.

"Ah, Yunxi, we will be the only two left in this big room afterward, so we must set up the rules today. You know, next year I will be 15 years old and enter the Palace. With my talent and the power of the Master of the Eastern Depot, if not the empress, at least I can be the Imperial Concubine or even higher! Now as we're together, you know what to do, don't you?"

Gu Yunxi ignored her and just read her book.

Gu Yunjin was so furious that she narrowed her eyes and said,

"Every family has its own rules. It's necessary to distinguish superiors from inferiors. You haven't been well since you were a child, so no one has ever bothered you, but you must view the situation. From now on, it's your job to carry a foot wash, offer a hot cup of tea, make bed, fold clothes and so on. But one thing to remember, don't touch the jewelry I place on this dresser. If I lose something, don't blame me for my cruelty. If you serve me well, when I enter the Palace, maybe I will take you with me as my maid."

Gu Yunxi listened to Gu Yunjin finish her words. Angry as she was, she couldn't vent it out.

Suddenly, there was an extraordinary tumult in the outer residence, with shrill shouts, cries and wails. That kind of grief and pain were as though someone's skin had been torn from his flesh. It sounded extremely horrible, even during the daytime.

"Oh, Gu Yunyao and her lover must be caught!"

Gu Yunjin put down her jewelry and opened the window to listen carefully.

Gu Yunxi also laid down her book and stood beside Gu Yunjin, looking out of the window.

The outer garden was too far for them to see anything. Suddenly, a figure passed the side door. Xiao Xiaoshen walked towards them in a panic, with an unpleasant look on his face.

Gu Yunxi felt very nervous in heart.

Everyone knew that Xiao Xiaoshen belonged to the Eastern Depot. When he came, it meant what Gu Yunjin said came true. The guards in the Eastern Depot did take Gu Yunyao back.

"Why do you come here? Is Yunyao..."

As soon as Xiao Xiaoshen entered the room, Gu Yunxi came to ask him.

"Needless to ask, they two must be caught!"

Behind her, Gu Yunjin laughed with gloat.

Xiao Xiaoshen rolled his eyes at her. Without paying attention to her, he directly said to Gu Yunxi,

"Forget it. They were caught in Huaiyang Dam the night before yesterday! By this time, they have been brought to the outer residence. The Master has arrived, and he is interrogating her with Nanny Gu."

"Take me there!"

The moment when Gu Yunxi hurried out, she was stopped by Xiao Xiaoshen.

"Oh, forget it! I took advantage of the disorder and came here secretly without telling Master. Zhao An was beaten black and blue. Can you stand that?"

"What? He was beaten? Then what about Yunyao...Don't stop me, Xiaoshen!"

"No, I mean we'd better come up with a plan. When Nanny Gu cools down..."

Gu Yunxi was preoccupied with Gu Yunyao. Without listening to Xiao Xiaoshen, she ran directly to the outer residence.

"Yunxi! Sister Yunxi!"

Gu Yunjin hid in the house, gnashing her teeth and scolding,

"What a suck! You reckless idiot!"