Within The Sound of Swallows - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Eyeing the Pot While Still Eating from the Bowl

Gu Chaodong was still standing outside the window, far more embarrassed than Gu Chaobei. Upon hearing those words, everyone didn’t immediately question Fourth Young Master Gu; instead, all eyes turned to the eldest young master, Gu Chaodong.

He had just married the Fifth Miss, and it was their wedding night. What was he doing outside Shen Guiyan’s window?

Madam Shen’s expression darkened with displeasure. “Eldest Young Master Gu, come inside and explain yourself.”

Gu Chaodong forced a smile and climbed through the window, patting the dust off his clothes. “I was just… passing by and thought I’d take a look.”

“What was there to look at?” Gu Chaobei grinned and placed a hand on Gu Chaodong’s shoulder. “Could it be that Eldest Brother doesn’t find his new bride pretty enough, so he came here to see Yan’er instead?”

There was no way to talk his way out of this now. Caught red-handed, Gu Chaodong stiffened and gave his younger brother a hateful glare. “Then what are you doing here, Fourth Brother?”

Only then did Shen Guiyan finally snap out of her dazed, spectator-like state and continue crying, covering her face.

Gu Chaobei raised his eyebrow. He let go of his brother and casually sat down on Shen Guiyan’s bed. “Didn’t you all see it for yourselves? The bloodstains on the bed, Yan’er’s disheveled clothes—what else could I possibly be here for? I just didn’t want Eldest Brother to go through his wedding night all alone. Therefore, I decided to have an early wedding night as well and keep him company. Who would’ve thought he’d come here instead, and I mistook him for a thief?”

His face remained perfectly calm as he spoke, but the faces of everyone else in the room were already going through a colorful change of expressions—from red, green, white, black, purple, and everything in between.

Fortunately, she was still pretending to cry with her face buried deep enough in the quilt. Otherwise, the fiery red flush on her cheeks would surely have given her away. Shen Guiyan silently cursed Gu Chaobei’s shamelessness. But at the moment, this was the only route she could think of—pretending to have been violated could at least give her some control over the narrative. If word got out that she had secretly met with someone in the middle of the night, her reputation would truly be ruined.

On the contrary, Gu Chaobei was surprisingly cooperative. Sitting there like a rogue, he looked the part of a scoundrel without needing further explanation.

Lord Shen took a deep breath and pointed his trembling finger at Gu Chaobei and said, “Fourth Young Master Gu, this behavior of yours is simply… simply too…”

Clutching his chest as though he couldn’t breathe, Madam Shen hurried forward to support him. “My lord, don’t get too upset. Mind your health!”

The concubines nearby also hurried over to help, but Lord Shen seemed unable to catch his breath from too much anger and promptly fainted.

“Someone, come! Help the master back to his room!” Madam Shen cried in panic.

Now things had really gotten out of hand. The two brothers had managed to infuriate Lord Shen to the point of unconsciousness in the middle of the night. This was far beyond something that could be settled with just a few words.

As dawn approached,  Prime Minister Gu arrived at the Shen residence early in the morning, carrying the family disciplinary rod with him.

Shen Guiya, eyes red from crying, followed closely behind him.

Gu Chaodong and Gu Chaobei were already kneeling in the main hall of the Shen residence. Realizing how serious the situation was, both of them adopted respectful attitudes, obediently knelt through half the night, and waited for the Prime Minister’s arrival.

“You unfilial sons!” Prime Minister Gu stormed in and immediately swung the four-foot-long punishment rod down on Gu Chaobei as soon as he entered.

Gu Chaobei winced from the pain but remained kneeling, silent and unmoving.

Still fuming, Prime Minister Gu landed a blow on Gu Chaodong as well, then handed the rod to the steward. “Beat these two unfilial sons to death for me!”

Shen Guiyan had just finished her breakfast and was sitting at the side. Witnessing the scene before her, she was startled. She quickly stood up and said, “Prime Minister, please calm your anger.”

Prime Minister Gu looked at her with his eyes full of regret. “Third Miss Shen, I’ve wronged you. I’ve failed in raising my sons properly.”

Shen Guiyan shook her head. In truth, Gu Chaobei hadn’t done anything to her—in fact, he had even been stabbed by her.

“Please don’t punish Chaodong anymore,” Shen Guiya suddenly spoke up from behind. Seeing Gu Chaodong take two hits, she rushed forward and threw herself in front of him, sobbing, “Chaodong was forced to marry me. It’s only natural that he still has feelings for Third Sister. He’s done nothing wrong. Please, Father-in-law, have mercy!”

Gu Chaodong trembled, then turned to look back at her. “Ya’er…”

Shen Guiya, trying to appear generous and understanding, stood protectively in front of him and said to the Prime Minister, “I knew Chaodong was coming here. I even asked him to send my regards to Third Sister. He wouldn’t do anything inappropriate, so please, Father-in-law, don’t punish him anymore.”

Prime Minister Gu was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Fifth Miss Shen to be such a devoted and affectionate woman. Although he had many complaints in his heart before, he found her much more agreeable now.”

He couldn’t bear to punish his eldest son too harshly either. Chaodong had always been obedient, sensible, and well-praised by others. Who would have thought he would commit such a blunder?

“Sigh.” With his daughter-in-law offering him a way out, he decided to take it. “Since Dong’er didn’t do anything inappropriate, he’ll be punished back home. And you, Bei’er? What do you have to say about your outrageous behavior? Dare to explain this to your father?”

Lord Shen was still unconscious, and only a few concubines and Shen Guiyan remained in the hall. None of them dared to interrupt.

Gu Chaobei, having taken five or six blows on his back, winced and grimaced in pain, but still spoke through gritted teeth: “If I dared to do it, why wouldn’t I dare say it? Father, I want to marry the third young lady of the Shen family.”

“Nonsense!” Prime Minister Gu’s fury flared up again. “Even if you want to marry her, you still need my approval first. You haven’t gone through a single proper betrothal step—not one matchmaker, not one formal betrothal gift. You have already ruined her reputation before anything was even official. If word gets out, where will our Gu family’s face¹ go?”

“Is saving face that important?” Gu Chaobei chuckled softly. “Father, you care too much about appearances.”

“You!” Prime Minister Gu was so enraged that he stood up and snatched the punishment rod from the steward and began striking Gu Chaobei himself. “You unfilial son!”

“Smack!” The broad, hard bamboo rod landed on Gu Chaobei’s back, making a sound chilling enough to scare anyone listening. Shen Guiyan stood nearby. As she watched Gu Chaobei kneel with his back straight, silently taking the hits, she couldn’t help but step forward and say, “Lord Prime Minister, about Fourth Young Master Gu… there’s no need to use such severe punishment.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. As the victim, this wasn’t something she should be saying. Why should she feel sorry for this scoundrel?

Prime Minister Gu stopped for a moment. With cold sweat forming on his forehead, Gu Chaobei looked up and gave her a faint smile. “See? The Third Miss actually likes me quite a bit, doesn’t she?”

Gu Chaodong was momentarily stunned and looked in her direction. Shen Guiyan’s mouth twitched slightly. She decided to take a step back and said, “Please proceed with the punishment. It was presumptuous of me to speak out of turn.”

The interruption made it difficult for Prime Minister Gu to continue the punishment. Gu Chaobei was still draped in Gu Chaodong’s cloak. Fortunately, it was black, so the bl00d seeping through was not immediately visible. The clothes underneath, however, were no doubt already soaked in red.

“How is Lord Shen?” Prime Minister Gu set aside the punishment rod and asked.

Shen Guiyan bowed respectfully and replied, “My father is still bedridden.”

Prime Minister Gu sighed and looked at her. “I had always hoped you would become my daughter-in-law. But I had never imagined so many complications would arise in this engagement. Now that things have come to this point… let me ask you directly, are you willing to marry my son, Gu Chaobei?”

Shen Guiyan lowered her gaze. It was a question she had already considered the day before. What choice did she really have? It was better to marry a true scoundrel than to marry a hypocrite.

However, her words must be chosen carefully. She should not appear to be agreeing to it too easily. Instead, she respectfully lowered her head and said, “I have failed to live up to the Prime Minister’s kindness. With my reputation now tarnished, whether I marry or not is no longer my decision to make. If my father makes his decision, I shall follow his arrangements.”

Prime Minister Gu breathed a sigh of relief and said in a softer voice, “You have always been a sensible child. Had you refused and made drastic decisions to take your own life, my friendship with your father would have ended here.”

Shen Guiyan lowered her head and remained silent. Death was not an option for her. After all, so many wicked people were living just fine; why should she choose to die? If she were to die, she might as well drag them all down with her. At the very least, she would have some company on the way down.

As for Gu Chaobei, she turned her head to glance at him. That man still wore a mocking, fearless smile, though his pain caused his features to twist slightly. Perhaps it was due to the rising sun outside, but in this light, he appeared somewhat more attractive.

She needed someone to help her out of her current predicament, and he happened to arrive at the right moment. Perhaps it was fate. Since fate had brought them together, why not give it a try? Even the hypocrite inside her heart also needed someone to help her let go.

Prime Minister Gu had gone to the main courtyard to check on Lord Shen, and the several young ladies and concubines in the main hall also followed suit. The two young masters of the Gu family, however, received no further instruction, hence, they could only continue kneeling.

“Do you really intend to marry him?” Gu Chaodong looked up at Shen Guiyan, his eyes filled with anxiety. “Yan’er, how could you possibly marry him?”

Shen Guiyan remained seated at the side. She lowered her head as she laughed softly. “Young Master Gu can marry someone else, so why can’t I? Besides, Fourth Young Master and I have already shared physical intimacy. Whether I wish to or not, marriage is now inevitable, is it not?”

Gu Chaobei let out a muffled groan, and as pain shot through his back, he propped himself up with his hand on the ground. His face turned ashen from the sting, but seeing his older brother in a similar miserable state, he couldn’t help but feel a bit better. “Eldest Brother, are you eyeing the pot while still eating from your own bowl?² Your wife is just right beside you. “

***

✒️ TL Note:

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