Futile Devices Scans

Tao Mo stared blankly at him.

It was still that same face, one he could never tire of looking at, a face he could not resist stealing glances at even in his dreams. Yet why was it that at this moment, looking at it made him feel cold all over? “Shouldn’t… lovers eventually become husband and wife?” His voice was faint, scarcely louder than a mosquito’s buzz. Tao Mo did not know whether he was speaking to himself or to Gu She.

“Whether lovers become husband and wife is the lovers’ affair,” Gu She said. Only after speaking did he realize that he had said more today than usual. Standing there, he stared at Tao Mo, his beautiful brows knitting slightly together. Why bother explaining at all? He and Tao Mo were fundamentally different people, not even sharing one-tenth of a resemblance. Tao Mo was illiterate and utterly incapable of reading people’s expressions. Under ordinary circumstances, Gu She would have considered him hopelessly foolish. Why waste words on him?

Tao Mo did not know what he was thinking. Seeing Gu She frown, his own heart twisted in response. Assuming that Gu She was upset because he had lost the case, he said softly, “Is winning a lawsuit really that important?”

Gu She came back to himself. Seeing Tao Mo’s dazed expression, his face immediately cooled. “I have never lost.” Although it was not he who had lost this time but Sun Nuo, although this outcome had been one possibility he had anticipated, and although he himself had never possessed an overwhelming need to win, the taste of defeat was undeniably something he was experiencing for the first time. It was not as unbearable as he had imagined. At the moment he learned of it, however, he had felt a brief sense of disbelief and disorientation.

Tao Mo said, “Actually, losing once in a while in exchange for bringing about a beautiful marriage is quite worthwhile.”

The corner of Gu She’s mouth curled upward slightly, revealing a trace of mockery. “A beautiful marriage?”

Thinking that he had been persuaded, Tao Mo hurriedly nodded. “Young Master Liang and Second Miss Qiu are both talented and attractive. They are sure to become a perfect match and a marriage made in heaven.”

“A talented man and a beautiful woman make a marriage made in heaven?” Gu She said. “Then where do all the lovelorn men and heartbroken women in the world come from?”

Tao Mo replied, “But from what I’ve seen, the two of them care deeply for each other. They suit one another very well.”

“Because they suit one another, does that mean they may use Tong Zhangwei as a bridge to cross the river?”

Tao Mo froze.

Gu She continued, “What wrong has Old Master Tong committed?”

Tao Mo could not answer. Although it was true that Second Miss Qiu had been wronged by being matched with someone as old as Old Master Tong, the marriage itself had been one she agreed to. Old Master Tong had personally come to propose marriage and had even been prepared to risk the crime of abandoning a wife and remarrying in order to conduct the marriage properly with all the formal rites. It could be said that he had acted with the utmost sincerity. Now Liang Wenwu and Qiu Wan’e had achieved their happy ending, while Old Master Tong had been left to bear a reputation stained by accusations for no reason.

“In this world there is neither absolute right nor absolute wrong,” Gu She said. “There is only each person defending what they believe is right and condemning what they believe is wrong.”

For a moment Tao Mo felt as though he understood something, yet at the same time understood even less than before. The anger he had carried inside him, however, suddenly had nowhere to go.

Seeing that he remained silent, Gu She turned and headed toward the door.

Instinctively, Tao Mo stepped in front of him. “Where are you going?”

Gu She looked at him with an exceedingly strange expression.

Only then did Tao Mo remember that this was the county yamen and that Gu She was the guest. “I—I mean, would you like to stay for a cup of tea before you leave?”

Gu She said, “That kind of coarse tea?”

“No. I specifically had Hao Guozi buy some good tea. Would you like to try it?” Tao Mo looked at him cautiously.

Gu She did not believe that any tea Tao Mo bought would meet his standards, yet for some inexplicable reason he changed direction and actually returned to his seat.

Tao Mo immediately went looking for Hao Guozi.

Hao Guozi had been waiting outside all along. Seeing Tao Mo run out, breathing hard, he stepped forward and asked, “Should I prepare tea or a stick?”

“Tea?” Tao Mo paused in confusion. “What would we need a stick for?”

The moment Hao Guozi heard it was tea, a trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes. Rolling his eyes, he said, “I was afraid Young Master might want to beat something.”

“Beat something?” Tao Mo stared blankly as Hao Guozi hurried off.

When he returned to the study, Gu She was looking through the books on the shelves.

Blushing slightly, Tao Mo said, “Adviser Jin occasionally reads a few passages to me when he has time.”

Gu She asked, “What have you heard?”

“The Book of Songs.”

Gu She looked at him.

Opening his mouth, Tao Mo recited, “‘Guan guan cry the ospreys…’”

A trace of astonishment flashed through Gu She’s eyes.

“‘On the islet in the river. A graceful and virtuous maiden is a fine match for a gentleman.’” Tao Mo said shyly. “Adviser Jin read it to me twice. I’m not sure whether I’ve remembered it correctly.”

Giving him a meaningful look, Gu She asked, “Do you know what that poem means?”

Tao Mo replied, “Adviser Jin said he hasn’t finished reading it to me yet. Once I’ve memorized the whole thing, he’ll explain the meaning.” He was not sure whether it was merely his imagination, but after hearing the poem, Gu She’s expression seemed to become somewhat strange. Hastily, he added, “Actually, I’ve heard someone else recite poetry before as well.”

“Oh?”

“His name was Peng Xiang. I remember he once composed a poem about rain: ‘One drop, two drops, three and four drops; five, six, seven, ten drops; a thousand drops, ten thousand drops, countless drops; falling into flower-stained earth, never to return.’” Tao Mo recited slowly, filled with complicated emotions. In truth, he had originally bought that poem from Peng Xiang in order to please Young Master Yiyu. Yiyu loved poetry, while Tao Mo himself knew nothing of literature, so he could only curry favor with the people around Yiyu by appealing to their interests. He still remembered the smile on Young Master Yiyu’s face after hearing that poem…

Unfortunately, good times never lasted long.

Gu She let out a derisive laugh. “He certainly memorized that poem well.”

“He memorized it?” Tao Mo stared blankly. “Wasn’t that poem his own composition?”

Gu She replied, “Switching beams and replacing pillars.”

Tao Mo fell silent.

Assuming he had been dealt a blow, Gu She did not continue speaking.

After a while, Tao Mo asked quietly, “By switching beams and replacing pillars, do you mean he used someone else’s poem to deceive me?”

Gu She closed his eyes briefly and replied with a question of his own. “Where’s the tea?”

Tao Mo turned toward the door. Just then Hao Guozi appeared carrying a tray of tea. Tao Mo shot him a meaningful look.

Against his will, Hao Guozi placed the tea before Gu She. “Young Master Gu, please have some tea.”

Gu She frowned the moment he saw the color of the tea.

Tao Mo felt uneasy. “Is the tea not good?”

Without even taking a sip, Gu She said, “The tea is good. The person is not.”

Hao Guozi exploded. “Why are you insulting my young master?!”

Tao Mo: “…”

Too lazy even to explain himself, Gu She strode out the door in a few quick steps.

Tao Mo wanted to chase after him, but could not think of a reason to do so. By the time he hesitated long enough to decide, Gu She had already left the courtyard.

Seeing the look of reluctance on his face, Hao Guozi became furious. “Young Master! Gu She isn’t a good person! You—you’d better stop liking him!”

Tao Mo protested softly, “He isn’t a bad person.”

“If he weren’t a bad person, he wouldn’t have sent Gu Xiaojia to help Old Master Qiu!” Hao Guozi said. “Young Master, be careful of him. He might be trying to use you.”

Tao Mo replied, “What is there about me worth using?”

“You’re the county magistrate—the highest official in the county. All the cases are decided by you. Who knows whether he’s trying to use you to win his lawsuits?” The more Hao Guozi spoke, the more suspicious Gu She seemed. “And what nonsense about the tea being good but the person not. In my opinion, among all the people in the world, he’s the worst one.”

Seeing Hao Guozi growing more agitated with every word, Tao Mo soothed him. “He wouldn’t use me.”

Hao Guozi asked suspiciously, “How do you know?” Could it be that Gu She had somehow bewitched his young master? Otherwise, why would Young Master defend him at every turn?

Tao Mo replied, “I just feel that… he would consider it beneath him.”

Hao Guozi: “…” He really had been enchanted!

Gu She remained silent throughout the entire carriage ride back to the residence.

Since Gu She did not speak, Gu Xiaojia dared not speak either. Today he had turned Tao Mo away at the gate. Although Gu She had not said anything about it, the fact that he had immediately gone after Tao Mo at the county yamen had already made his position clear. When had Gu She ever taken such initiative? It seemed that from now on he would have to look at that foolish Magistrate Tao differently. Still, Gu Xiaojia had followed Gu She for many years and had seen countless high officials, aristocrats, and famous scholars. Never once had he seen his young master show special favor to anyone. Yet somehow Tao Mo, by some absurd stroke of luck, had managed to make Gu She visit him again and again.

After returning home, Gu She got out of the carriage and headed for his room.

Following behind him, Gu Xiaojia saw him preparing to close the door and finally could not hold back any longer. “Young Master, are we still packing the luggage?”

Gu She’s hand paused slightly on the door.

Thinking he had forgotten, Gu Xiaojia reminded him, “Didn’t you say before the New Year that you planned to sail overseas once the holiday was over? The ship has already been purchased. We can’t just leave it sitting at the docks forever. And those sailors you’ve hired are still drawing wages every day.”

“Keep paying them,” Gu She said before closing the door.

…

Keep paying them?

A sharp pain struck Gu Xiaojia’s heart. One never knew the cost of rice until one managed a household. Now that he was in charge, he knew how difficult it was. Those sailors were certainly not the sort who could be satisfied with merely three meals a day.

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