Chapter 101 So this is how you copy scriptures and believe in Buddhism: "What's all the noise about! Shut up." Madam Tongjia heard that her daughter-in-law and eldest granddaughter were...

"Shut up, all of you!"

When Tongjia heard that her daughter-in-law and eldest granddaughter were arguing outside her courtyard, her first thought was that she was too old and hard of hearing and had misheard.

After all, it was still dark when Yulang came to the main courtyard to kowtow to her. The eldest grandson, dressed in military uniform, looked much more heroic than he had four years ago. This was not his first time going to war, but Tongjia still held Yulang's hand tightly, stroking it back and forth, reluctant to let go.

Tongjia had a lot to say to her grandson, but when she saw him, she couldn't say anything. She could only repeatedly tell Yulang, "Be well, do your job well, and come back safely," until the time could not be delayed any longer before letting Yulang leave.

“Niohuru clan, is Yulang still your son? Your son just set off with the Emperor to fight against Galdan today, and now you are arguing and quarreling with your own daughter outside the main courtyard over such a trivial matter.”

I won't argue with you about right or wrong; I'll just ask you if you have even the slightest sense of decency. It's one thing that Lang'er isn't getting where he is today without the slightest help from his mother, but how can you, as his mother, not have even the slightest sense of respect?

You've been chanting Buddhist prayers to that Bodhisattva every day for so many years, and I don't even know where your prayers have gone.

Many Manchus believed in shamanism, and after entering the Central Plains, the trend of believing in Buddhism and Taoism became increasingly popular. War is a matter of life and death, so according to Tongjia's idea, everyone had to be careful during Yulang's campaign. The whole mansion should not be too flamboyant or celebratory, nor should it be filled with crying and wailing, which would bring bad luck.

The best thing is to live a peaceful and stable life as usual, avoiding arguments and quarrels, and even using scissors and needles as much as possible.

You can use it, but be very careful to avoid any bloodshed. If you do see blood and break a taboo, afterwards find a quiet place to burn some joss paper to send away the bad luck, and absolutely do not make a fuss about it.

Tongjia had already given these instructions to Urgun and the old woman in charge of the inner courtyard, and even Shen Wanqing had been summoned to give them two more instructions.

The gist of it is that, apart from the pregnant eldest daughter-in-law who can do whatever she wants, everyone else should keep a low profile and avoid causing trouble. As for external affairs, just keep things stable; it's better to do nothing and just avoid making mistakes.

Although these were all feudal superstitions, Tongjia's original intention in doing so was definitely for Yulang's good. Shen Wanqing accepted everything Tongjia said without question, and upon returning to the East Courtyard, she instructed everyone around her not to provoke the old lady during this period.

Therefore, she was too lazy to care about the fact that Lady Niohuru, the first wife, had moved out of her courtyard to break the rules for Fangyi's sake. She didn't need to care at all. Lady Tongjia would definitely be angrier than her and would punish her even more severely.

“Mother! Your daughter-in-law has served the Buddha with utmost sincerity for many years. You cannot question her sincerity like this…”

"ah!"

Before she could finish speaking her heartfelt words, Niohuru was so startled by the teacup that Tongjia had thrown at her feet that she almost jumped up on the spot. Zhenxuan and Fangyi were not frightened by Tongjia, but they were both terrified by Niohuru's heart-wrenching scream.

“What are you shouting for? You still have the nerve to shout. I’ve said so much to you, and instead of admitting your mistakes, you’re arguing about whether you’re sincere in chanting Buddhist scriptures. It’s clear that you don’t have a single bit of maternal love for Lang Ge’er.”

Tongjia looked coldly at her eldest daughter-in-law, whose eyes had become even more wrinkled. She had thought that the cold treatment she had received from the family over the past two years would help her understand some things, but now it seemed that some people were just stupid and that no amount of outsider's actions could change them.

“Since you believe that you are sincerely worshipping Buddha, then from today until Lang Ge’er’s triumphant return, you shall stay in the Buddhist hall to worship Buddha and transcribe scriptures, and you do not need to come out anymore. Fang Yi moved out so as not to disturb your service to the Bodhisattva. I am the one who said this, and you do not need to bring anyone else into this.”

“…Mother.” Niohuru rarely went out, but there was a difference between her choosing not to go out and being confined to her quarters.

It's one thing for Lady Tongjia to not usually get involved in affairs as the old lady of the household, but it's perfectly justifiable for her to set her sights on disciplining Lady Niohuru.

Niohuru knew better than anyone that Tongjia was serious about this, so she was genuinely panicked.

"If you still consider me the old lady of this mansion, then shut your mouth right now and go back to your courtyard and stay there quietly."

“You have violated taboos by jumping around in my yard and speaking rudely. From today onwards, you shall copy two volumes of scriptures in front of the Buddha. I will send someone to collect them the next morning.”

"If you can't finish copying two scrolls, add two more the next day. If you can't finish copying them the next day, add two more the day after. You can keep copying them every day. When Langge comes back, I will naturally tell him about this and let him see how much you, as his mother, worry and suffer for him."

The Niohuru clan had many rules regarding Buddhist worship. They would wash up before worshipping Buddha, would not worship Buddha on rainy days, and would not worship Bodhisattvas on unlucky days.

The only days she never missed were the birthdays of the Bodhisattvas. On these days, she would hitch up a horse-drawn carriage and go out of the city to the temples she frequented to offer incense and add oil to their offerings.

Furthermore, she always worshipped Buddha alone in the Buddhist hall, and no one knew exactly how she recited the Buddhist scriptures.

Despite Shen Wanqing being in charge of the household for so long, Niohuru had never asked Gongzhong for cinnabar and ink more than a few times. On the contrary, Fangyi, who had lived with her for many years, would copy several volumes of scriptures every month to offer before the Buddha.

After the offerings were made, some were kept by the family, while others were given to family members and families close to Shen Wanqing. Daijia, Zhaojia, and Wanyan all received some, and even the Shi family and Shi Qionghua received some, all of which were sent by Shen Wanqing before the birthdays of Madam Shi and Shi Qionghua.

The young girl only has a small allowance each month, so she doesn't have the money to buy nice gifts. But she remembers these people and has such a kind heart. No matter why, everyone should appreciate this kindness.

Two volumes of scriptures weren't difficult for Fangyi, so she didn't find Tongjia's treatment of her mother harsh at all. It was only two volumes; she was already confined to her quarters and couldn't go anywhere anyway, so it would be easy for her to finish them.

This was a bolt from the blue for Niohuru, but she dared not refute it at this moment. She knew that if she said another word, it would be far more serious than just being confined to her quarters to copy scriptures.

Originally, Niohuru had come to file a complaint, but she ended up being confined to her quarters to copy scriptures. When she came out of the main courtyard, her face was ashen and gloomy, which was quite frightening.

The old women guarding the main courtyard all stood inside the gate with their heads down, not daring to look up at Niohuru's face. Niohuru stood outside the main courtyard gate and couldn't help but look back. After standing there for a while and seeing that Fangyi didn't come out, she reluctantly returned to her own courtyard.

Fangyi originally wanted to leave, but was stopped by Tongjia. Before the two women started arguing, what she said to Zhenxuan, though reasonable, she hadn't really taken to heart.

It wasn't until she saw Niohuru and Fangyi that the old lady Tongjia remembered that when she handed over the mess in her family to Shen Wanqing, she had promised her that she wouldn't let Niohuru cause trouble.

Today, Niohuru and Fangyi caused such a commotion on the day Yulang went to war, but she didn't show up. It's not that she doesn't care or doesn't want to care. This is this granddaughter-in-law giving herself the last bit of face.

You'd better keep your word. If you do, then Madam Tongjia will still be the most senior and well-treated lady in the household. If you don't keep your word and have to wait for Shen Wanqing to handle this matter herself, then the old lady will truly become a useless auspicious omen.

"I'll send two nannies with you to go back and pack your things later. Your sister-in-law is showing signs of pregnancy, and she'll have to take care of you when you move in. It'll be more comfortable for her to live alone without you."

I know you want to be away from your mother. It's probably better for you to be away from her, since she's not very bright. From now on, you'll live in the back house, in the same courtyard as this old woman. Then your mother won't have anything to say.”

The old lady was willing to take her granddaughter in and raise her, and no one would object to that. Fangyi didn't really want to move to the main courtyard, but her little secret had already been exposed by Tongjia, and she blushed with embarrassment, not knowing what to do.

“Go ahead. Now that you’ve moved here, you don’t need to stay by my side every day like your aunt did back then. Just learn how to manage a household from your sister-in-law, just don’t spend all your time at her place, understand?”

"Yes, I will follow the old lady's arrangements."

With one person confined to their home and the other moving in with the old lady, all eyes in the mansion that had been on the East Courtyard suddenly shifted away.

The smarter ones thought that the eldest grandmother was quite capable, as she had gotten the old lady to do everything for her without doing or saying anything. The less clever ones also thought that the eldest grandmother was capable, as she happened to be pregnant at this crucial moment, and even the old lady had her way in everything.

The capable Grandma Shen was sitting crookedly on her daybed, eating beef jerky. She tore off a piece of the fragrant beef and chewed it for a long time. She had developed an appetite for it in the past month or two, and even though she wasn't as craving it now, she still habitually wanted to eat something.

What she said to Pusa Bao wasn't just meant to scare children; controlling one's weight is a lifelong endeavor.

Gaining weight is easy, but losing it is hard. I'm already five or six months pregnant, and soon I'll be in the stage where both the fetus and I will be gaining weight rapidly. If I don't control it now, things will be even worse later!

Since we didn't dare eat the delicious food, we could only have Fang Liang bring in a huge basket of beef jerky. It had all kinds of flavors, including spiced, spicy, and original. We just used it to chew on.

"Two volumes a day? Did they say which volumes to copy?"

"I didn't say. I suppose it's up to Madam to decide."

"The Heart Sutra has 260 characters in one scroll, and the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra has nearly 20,000 characters. They are both in one scroll, so how can they be the same?"

As she spoke, Shen Wanqing tore off another piece of beef jerky, chewed it, and came up with a plan: "Go to the study and pick out a few volumes of scriptures with several thousand words each. Tonight, take them to Aunt Zhen's place discreetly. Don't say anything, just deliver them."

Zhenxuan is too shrewd and mercenary, but precisely because of this, her shrewdness is blatantly displayed, which makes her not annoying.

Shen Wanqing quite enjoyed dealing with her. The two of them were very straightforward; she would give him what he needed and he would give her what he needed. There was no need to talk about feelings or anything like that. It was simple, decisive, and without any burden.

This year, with the army setting out on the expedition, besides procuring food and supplies, there are countless other things to acquire. Shen Wanqing alone brought in more than three times the amount of medicinal herbs from Liaodong compared to last year. Shen Wenbo and Zhenxuan have made a fortune, so she is naturally even more focused on her own affairs now. She knows what to do.

Sure enough, the scriptures that Shen Wanqing sent to Zhenxuan the next day were delivered to Niohuru's Buddhist hall in the name of Tongjia.

And just as Shen Wanqing had guessed, the day before, Lady Niohuru, the first wife who believed in Buddhism, had indeed only copied the Heart Sutra twice.

This incident has become a laughing stock. Everyone in the manor who heard about it said that the First Madam was really something else. Even if she were to be lazy and pretend to be something she'd never do, she wouldn't do it this way.

It seems she's been worshipping Buddha for so many years, yet she doesn't even have a few handwritten sutras to show off. She's just using the Heart Sutra to fool people.

By making an example of Niohuru, the first wife, the prestige of the household was diminished, and the already obedient people in the mansion became even more docile.

The capital city was less bustling and lively due to the emperor's personal expedition. Fang Liang and the shopkeeper each took care of their own affairs, and Shen Wanqing took the opportunity to enjoy a good life for more than half a month.

It wasn't until the battle report from the front lines said that the western army had been ambushed along the way that Shen Wanqing's good days were shattered.

"Look at you, with such a big belly, why did you have to come to the palace yourself? If there was something wrong, wouldn't I have sent someone to tell you? Why did you have to rush to the palace to find out?"

"I'm not afraid of Your Majesty laughing at me, but I just can't sit still at home. Rather than waiting at home in a daze, I'd rather come to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty doesn't know either, I can pester you to ask the Crown Prince for information."

In the twenty-ninth year, the imperial court achieved a great victory over Galdan, but failing to capture Galdan himself allowed him to catch his breath and regroup his remaining forces, which then entrenched themselves in the northern desert.

Although Shen Wanqing did not know the details of the three campaigns against Galdan, she felt that this time it should not be a difficult task, based on the court's preparations over the past two years and the three armies and princes led by Kangxi.

Who knew that the battle report sent back to the capital said that just as the central army reached the Kerulen River, the western army was ambushed while crossing the Helan Mountains.

The specifics are still unclear. After all, the situation on the front lines is constantly changing. By the time the news reaches the capital, even if the ambush was real, it will have already ended. Whether we are worried or not is a matter of hindsight.

But reasoning with people at times like this always seems a bit weak. At home, Shen Wanqing could use some simple words to appease Tongjia and the others, but when it came to herself, she couldn't sit still no matter what she said. She made up an excuse and submitted her petition to the palace to inquire about information from Shi Qionghua.

“You should really have an artist paint your likeness, so that Yulang can see it when he comes back.”

"Your Majesty, please don't laugh at me. I'm really worried. Swords have no eyes. In this world, we can talk about and find solutions to both good and bad things, but life and death are truly ruthless and unpredictable. They say that there are no young or old on the road to the Yellow Springs. How can I not worry?"

"I'm not making fun of you, it's just that our Grandma Shen gets flustered when she has something on her mind."

"The real battle reports are different from those that have reached outside the palace. Someone is sabotaging things from below to make the people of the capital uneasy."

The western army was the main force. While Kangxi led the central army to block Galdan at the Kerulen River to attract his attention, he had already led his elite troops to cross the Helan Mountains, cross the Wengjin River, and circle around to Zhaomodo to set up an ambush.

The battle reports that came back said that Galdan's troops were intimidated by the central army and, upon learning that the court had also sent a western army to encircle them from the rear, they lost their composure and tried to flee westward into the Mongolian steppe.

It was the ambush set up by the western army in Zhaomo that intercepted Galdan. First, the cavalry broke through Galdan's flank, and then the firearms battalion was sent to attack the rear of Galdan's army. The rear of the army was full of Galdan's supplies and livestock. The food, women and children were scattered, and the morale of the army naturally collapsed as well.

So the battle reports sent back to the capital clearly stated that the western army had ambushed Galdan and won a great victory, but somehow they were reported as the western army being ambushed by Galdan en route.

"After Galdan was defeated once, he only had a small number of men left. Where would he find the strength to ambush the western army? Even if he could, how many men could he possibly send? How could they possibly have the ability to raid tens of thousands of troops with only eight hundred men?"

Shen Wanqing didn't really know much about warfare, but Shi Qionghua was a girl from a military family, and she knew more about this than she did. Hearing her say that, Shen Wanqing's mood calmed down.

"So this was also at Lord Mingzhu's behest?"

"Who else could it be but him? He was under constant scrutiny from Lord Suo over the grain procurement, and after finally getting the job done, Lord Suo is now in charge of the grain supplies for the central army. With such a good opportunity being taken away, how could he not feel bad?"

Rumors spread most easily among the common people, and stability is of utmost importance in the capital right now. If these rumors aren't suppressed, even if no trouble arises, the emperor will still hold those responsible accountable upon his return.

The Crown Prince overseeing the country—whose fault it is is self-evident. Even after understanding the connection, Shen Wanqing couldn't help but curse inwardly; this was utterly outrageous.

"Alright, alright, don't be angry. I was going to send someone to look for you anyway, even if you hadn't come today."

"What business does Your Majesty have with me?"

"Firstly, I want to ask you for something, and secondly, I want to tell you that there was a separate message for the Crown Prince in the battle report that came back. It said that Lord Yu, as the commander of the firearms battalion, took the lead in charging into battle and made meritorious contributions. Now you can rest assured, right?"

"His military achievements are all thanks to the Crown Prince's high regard for him; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become the commander of the firearms battalion so easily."

"Alright, stop with the sweet talk. You can probably guess what I want from you, right?"

Shi Qionghua watched as Shen Wanqing's expression brightened, and while she felt happy for her, she also felt a pang of envy. Last year, she was worried about Shen Wanqing's lack of children after three years of marriage, and now that Shen Wanqing was about to give birth, Shi Qionghua felt that she herself still didn't have a single child.

"Your Majesty, don't worry, I'm not that stupid. I'll bring the statue of Guanyin who grants children to Your Majesty tomorrow."