Le troisième érudit de la dynastie Song

Chapitre 15

When Ouyang Hai saw Madam Zhao come out, he immediately asked, "How is Han'er?"

Madam Zhao shook her head and said, "I don't know if he'll listen to me or not!"

Just then, Han Yufeng arrived. Ouyang Hai, seeing him, asked Han Yufeng to go in and persuade Ouyang Han. Ouyang Hai was now filled with regret; if he hadn't let Ouyang Han accompany the princess to Hangzhou, this wouldn't have happened. Now, he could only leave it to fate.

Ouyang Han pondered Zhao's words deeply. He felt they made a lot of sense. However, he couldn't let go of Du Peiru. Without Du Peiru, his life would be devoid of joy; without her, he was like a soulless shell, devoid of any interest in life.

When Han Yufeng entered and saw Ouyang Han's distraught appearance, he couldn't help but sigh and say, "Don't you want to think of a way to find Yushan and bring her back?"

"What's the use of finding her? As long as the princess is in there, Shan'er won't come back!" Ouyang Han said helplessly.

"Why don't you just cancel your marriage to the princess? You're clearly a smart person, so why do you become stupid when it comes to matters of the heart?"

"Push? How do I push?" Ouyang Han said weakly.

"Foolish! As long as the Emperor doesn't issue an imperial decree to arrange the marriage, you have a chance to back out. I've heard that the Emperor dotes on this daughter. If you want to back out of the marriage, you have to start with her."

"I'll go to the palace to see the princess right away." Ouyang Han hurriedly stood up and walked out.

Han Yufeng hurriedly called out to Ouyang Han: "Hey! Hey! Hey! What time is it now? The city gates have been closed for a long time, and in your current state, it's no wonder the guards won't let you into the palace! Eat something first, then get a good night's sleep, and get dressed up handsomely tomorrow morning to go to the palace to see the princess."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Han immediately ordered his servants, "Someone come here! Quickly set out the meal!" Then he turned to Han Yufeng and said, "Yufeng, have you eaten yet? Would you like to eat with us?"

"I've already eaten. You can eat by yourself! Also, I've already asked those guys who consider me and my dad their saviors to help you find someone! That's all! I'm going back to sleep."

"Thank you!" Ouyang Han said.

Han Yufeng was nearly stunned. Good heavens! Rotten Egg actually thanked him? Had he misheard because he was hard of hearing? He'd better check tomorrow to see if the sun rose in the west!

Seeing Han Yufeng's stunned expression, Ouyang Han found it quite amusing! So he decided to tease him again. Ouyang Han said to Han Yufeng, "Yufeng, can you sleep with me tonight?"

Han Yufeng's mouth gaped even wider. Good heavens! Good heavens! Good heavens! This rotten egg must be insane to say such things. This is simply... utterly astonishing!

However, in the end, Han Yufeng stayed and slept with him for the night. Han Yufeng suddenly felt that not arguing with the rotten egg was actually quite nice.

The next day, Ouyang Han got up early to wash and dress. After having breakfast with Han Yufeng, they went to the palace to see the princess. Han Yufeng, on the other hand, went to manage the weaving and textile business as usual.

The Real and Fake Bride (6)

As the sun was about to set, Ouyang Han slowly stomped into the shop, wearing a bitter expression.

Upon seeing this, Han Yufeng immediately comforted him, saying, "It's alright! It's alright! If this path doesn't work, we can try another. We'll think of a solution slowly."

But Ouyang Han's bitter expression turned into a smile, and he said, "It's done! The Emperor has agreed not to arrange a marriage between me and the princess!"

"Really?" Han Yufeng shouted excitedly. Suddenly, he remembered Ouyang Han's appearance just now, so he punched Ouyang Han in the chest and cursed, "You rotten egg, how dare you lie to me, and made me worry about you all day long."

"Great! To express my apology and gratitude, I'll treat you to a big meal!" Ouyang Han suggested excitedly. So they closed the shop and went to a restaurant for drinks.

"It's been several days, why is there still no news? What are those guys who want to repay a debt of gratitude doing? How come there's still no clue after so long?" Ouyang Han complained to Han Yufeng with a worried expression.

"Hey! Stop complaining here. If you're so capable, go find her yourself! Don't bother me! Who knows what your wife does? Why is she hiding so secretively? I bet she's not even in this city anymore. Think carefully about which relatives she can rely on. What can a woman do if she doesn't rely on relatives?" Han Yufeng reminded Ouyang Han.

"Relatives? What relatives does she have? Since her mother died, her maternal grandparents' family hasn't kept in touch. Other relatives haven't either!" Suddenly, Ouyang Han remembered someone. "That's right! She still has one person she can rely on, that's Shen Lang, who's already disappeared!"

"You rotten egg, you're dead! Yu Shan is meeting with her ex-lover, you have no chance!" Han Yufeng said.

"No way! No way!" Ouyang Han said, his face pale. "Shan'er only loves me. She won't like Shen Lang!" "Even if she doesn't like Shen Lang, she'll still marry him! Think about it, Shan'er is a woman all alone, and Shen Lang loves Yu Shan so much that he even ran away from home because he couldn't accept the fact that Yu Shan was getting married. If Shan'er goes to him for help, he can coax her with sweet words. You know women can't resist being coaxed. Once you coax them, they'll be completely obedient. I think Yu Shan will most likely marry him," Han Yufeng analyzed.

Chapter Nine

"What should we do? What should we do? Shan'er can't marry him! Absolutely not!" Ouyang Han was both anxious and afraid.

"Don't worry! I think Shan'er hasn't married him yet, so we need to find her as soon as possible!" Han Yufeng said, stroking his chin.

"Alright! I'll go find it now!" Ouyang Han said, using his lightness skill to fly out the door.

Seeing this, Han Yufeng quickly grabbed him and said, "Come back here! Do you know where he is?"

“I…I…” Ouyang Han stammered.

"I didn't want to ask that Long Junyi from the Dragon Tiger Gang for help! But now I have no choice but to ask him!"

The Real and Fake Bride (7)

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Han immediately slapped Han Yufeng across the face and cursed, "You brat, why didn't you ask him for help in the beginning?"

Han Yufeng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shouted at Ouyang Han, "Go ahead and hit me! Hit me! Don't expect me to help you anymore!"

When Ouyang Han heard Han Yufeng say he wouldn't help him, he thought, "This is terrible!" So Ouyang Han lowered his pride and said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Little Han Han, don't be like that! Come on! Let me rub it for you!" As he spoke, he reached out to rub Han Yufeng's face.

Upon seeing this, Han Yufeng was so frightened that goosebumps covered his skin. He slapped away Ouyang Han's clutches and said, "Don't touch me!"

Ouyang Han, unwilling to give up, clung to Han Yufeng and said, "Little Han, don't be angry! I'll hit you back at most, as many times as you want. But you absolutely can't not help me!"

Han Yufeng quickly jumped away, rubbing his arms as he said, "Okay! Okay! I've helped you!"

"Wow! Little Han Han is the best!" Ouyang Han said, lunging forward to hug Han Yufeng. Luckily, Han Yufeng's light-footed skills allowed him to dodge. Han Yufeng dared not linger any longer and immediately used his light-footed skills to escape the terrifying Ouyang Han. He had no choice but to help that rotten egg now. Otherwise, Ouyang Han would definitely make this handsome, dashing, elegant, and refined Han Yufeng sick with his sycophancy. It didn't matter if Han Yufeng died, but if he caused the people of the city to drown in women's tears, then his sin would be far greater. Don't you all think Han Yufeng is kind and noble? Don't look at me with such admiration! This is what Han Yufeng should do!

After Han Yufeng left, Ouyang Han thought of Du Peiru and Shen Lang together, which made his good mood from teasing Han Yufeng vanish completely, replaced by pain and sorrow.

After leaving the "Yunni Cloth Shop", Du Peiru and Jin'er went to buy two sets of men's clothing to change into.

"Miss, where are we going now? Why don't we go back to the Li residence?" Jin'er suggested.

“Why go back to the Li family mansion? If we go back, that old scoundrel will definitely take our money and kick us out; or he'll demand another dowry and force me to marry again. I'm not that stupid! Go back? Hmph! Hmph! Don't even think about it! We have money now, why should we go back and suffer that old scoundrel's temper?” Suddenly, Du Peiru remembered the most important point—she wasn't the real Li Yushan. Having played Li Yushan for so long, she gradually came to believe she was Li Yushan. Du Peiru recalled her tone just now, as if she were Li Yushan herself. So Du Peiru added, “Besides, I'm just an imposter! That Li family has nothing to do with me, why would I go there?” Du Peiru paused and then said, “Jin'er, if you want to go back to the Li family mansion, you can…”

Before Du Peiru could finish speaking, Jin'er interrupted, "No! No! No! Miss, I won't go back to the Li residence. Second Miss gave me to you, Eldest Miss, so from now on, Jin'er belongs to you, Eldest Miss, and I will never leave you!"

"What 'eldest young lady' and 'second young lady'? You've confused me!" Du Peiru looked at Jin'er in confusion.

The Real and Fake Bride (8)

“Miss Peiru, after you and Miss Yushan became sworn sisters, you two are both Jin'er's mistresses. But you don't like Jin'er calling you and Miss Yushan ‘new mistress’ and ‘old mistress’, so Jin'er has taken the liberty of calling you ‘eldest mistress’ and ‘second mistress’!” Jin'er explained.

After a while, Jin'er asked again, "Miss, where are we going now?"

"Leave the city! Go to Baiyi Nunnery!" Du Peiru said.

"Ah!" Jin'er screamed, her face turning pale with fright. "Miss... Miss!" Jin'er swallowed hard and continued, "What if we encounter bandits again?"

Du Peiru stopped, thought for a while, and then found a secluded place to hide the silver notes on the two of them.

"Alright! If we encounter robbers again, we'll just give them some of the money! We have plenty of cash anyway," Du Peiru said.

Du Peiru went to Baiyi Nunnery this time intending to become a nun. Of course, it wasn't about seeing through the illusions of the world. She simply didn't want Ouyang Han to find her. After two or three years, once Ouyang Han had forgotten her, she could return to secular life. Therefore, she needed to save her money; otherwise, what would she eat after leaving the nunnery? As for Jin'er, that girl was too stubborn; she couldn't be driven away, so it was better to keep her around to prevent her from revealing her whereabouts.

"Abbess, I wish to become a nun!" Du Peiru finally managed to get Jin'er away before going to find Abbess Kong Ning of Baiyi Nunnery. She came to seek out Abbess Kong Ning because Abbess Kong Ning was the most senior nun in the nunnery. Imagine if she became the disciple of a lower-ranking nun—wouldn't she have to be subservient to every single nun in the nunnery?

"Amitabha, have you seen through the illusions of the world, benefactor?" Abbess Kongning asked with her eyes closed.

"I've seen through it all," Du Peiru replied without hesitation.

"What is the mortal world?" asked Abbess Kongning.

“The mortal world! The mortal world…” Du Peiru pondered for a long time. Suddenly, she remembered the “Song of Understanding” from *Dream of the Red Chamber*. So she replied: “A humble abode and an empty hall, once filled with officials’ tablets; withered grass and dry willows, once a stage for song and dance. Spider webs fill the carved beams, green gauze is now pasted on the window lattices. What of the rich rouge and fragrant powder, how have the temples turned to frost? Yesterday, white bones were sent to the yellow earth mound, tonight, mandarin ducks lie under the red lantern. Chests full of gold, chests full of silver, in the blink of an eye, a beggar, reviled by all. Just lamenting the short lives of others, who knew that one’s own return would be a death sentence! Even with proper upbringing, who can guarantee that one will not become a bandit in the future? Choosing a rich and powerful spouse, who would expect to end up in a brothel! Disliking the small official hat, one ends up carrying shackles; yesterday pitying the tattered coat in the cold, today disliking the long purple robe: in the chaotic world, one sings and another takes the stage, mistaking a foreign land for one’s hometown. How absurd, in the end, all are just wedding clothes for others!”

"Well done! Excellent!" Master Kongning praised happily.

Just as Abbess Kongning was about to say that she would take Du Peiru as her disciple, Du Peiru suddenly felt nauseous and gagged several times.

Seeing this, Abbess Kongning quickly took Du Peiru's pulse. A look of doubt appeared on her face. She then felt Du Peiru's entire body and said, "Although you have seen through the illusions of the world, your worldly ties are not yet severed. I will accept you as my lay disciple! Your Dharma name from now on will be Jingyuan!"

The Real and Fake Bride (9)

"Thank you, Master!" Du Peiru said happily.

Master Kongning continued, “Your love is deeply rooted, and your karmic ties are difficult to sever, your emotional debts are hard to repay. You will face further tribulations in the future, and I can only help you overcome one; the rest you must overcome yourself. Remember, where there is a will, there is a way.” After saying this, Master Kongning closed her eyes, struck the wooden fish, and began chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Du Peiru found it boring after Abbess Kongning finished speaking a lot of incomprehensible words and then ignored her. So she left the meditation room.

After Du Peiru left, Abbess Kongning opened her eyes, stopped striking the wooden fish, and said to herself, "Whether this cross-time romance is a blessing or a curse depends on your fate, Jingyuan! Amitabha! Well said! Well said!" After Abbess Kongning finished speaking, she closed her eyes again, struck the wooden fish, and began chanting Buddhist scriptures.

Furthermore, after Shen Lang and Li Yushan left the capital, they went down to Jiangnan and settled down in a certain place. They also frequently corresponded with the Shen family, so the two elders of the Shen family were naturally aware of the whole story.

When Shen Lang's parents heard that Ouyang Han was going to be chosen as the emperor's son-in-law and that the imposter Li Yushan would be divorced, they immediately sent a message by carrier pigeon to Shen Lang and Li Yushan.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang and Li Yushan, wanting to repay Du Peiru's kindness, decided to rush back to the capital to find her and then bring her to Jiangnan to settle down.

Unexpectedly, on their way back to the capital, they were pursued by four men in black. The men were ruthless, each move aimed at killing Li Yushan. Because Shen Lang was protecting Li Yushan, he was constantly restrained. Before long, Shen Lang had been slashed several times. Shen Lang used the "Entanglement" sword technique to bind the men in black, then said to Li Yushan, "Shan'er, run!"

Li Yushan glanced at Shen Lang and then ran off. She knew that staying there would only be a hindrance, and would only harm Shen Lang in the process.

Seeing Li Yushan run away, the four men in black immediately exchanged a glance. Then, one of them used his lightness skill to chase after Li Yushan.

Shen Lang tried to stop him, but was blocked by the other three. So Shen Lang had no choice but to calm down and kill the three men before chasing after the man in black.

After escaping, Li Yushan ran into the woods. She hid in the darkness, escaping the man in black. Suddenly, she saw a man in white riding a white horse galloping towards her from afar on the main road at the edge of the woods. Without thinking, Li Yushan ran out from her hiding place to call for help. Unexpectedly, she was discovered by the man in black who was searching in the woods. Using his lightness skill, the man in black caught up and stabbed Li Yushan. Li Yushan felt everything go black and collapsed, still crying out, "Help!"

When she woke up, the first thing she saw was a man with a full beard and bloodshot eyes. The man asked happily, "Yushan, you're finally awake! You must be hungry, right?" As he spoke, he hurriedly went to the table, brought over a bowl of porridge, and gently fed her.

Li Yushan was puzzled. She seemed to have no memory of this man! But why did he know her name? And judging from his appearance, he seemed to know her very well.

Volume 10

The Real and the Fake Bride (10)

"My child?" Li Yushan asked anxiously.

"The child is alright!" Ouyang Han comforted him.

Concerned about Shen Lang's safety, Li Yushan asked, "Where is Shen Lang? How is he?"

Ouyang Han was stunned, almost dropping his bowl. He asked, trembling, "Did you marry him?"