"What? You're sick again?"
Inside the Imperial Preceptor's residence, Jin Fengluan frowned, looking at the young Taoist priest Miaomu with displeasure.
Myoboku's face was filled with sorrow, and he sighed:
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"My master said some time ago that he felt heavy and tired, and his appetite was poor. He could only eat some porridge and vegetarian food. Even though he didn't eat much, he still said he had abdominal bloating."
"A doctor was brought in to examine my master and said that he had excessive dampness in his body, which, combined with his advanced age, caused the illness."
"I think that makes sense. Master used to live in Jinling, where the climate is mild and humid. But now that we've come to Nanze, the humidity here is much higher. Master couldn't adapt to the new environment, and the dampness in his body accumulated more and more, which is why he developed this illness."
Upon hearing this, Jin Fengluan nodded slightly.
The climate in Nanze is indeed much worse than that in Jinling, and even I feel uncomfortable staying here. This was the very reason why the capital was originally chosen to be Jinling.
But if that traitor hadn't raised an army in rebellion, how could she be stuck in Nanze now, and the Imperial Preceptor wouldn't be ill? Thinking of this, Jin Fengluan felt angry, but she still asked:
"Didn't you get a prescription?"
Myoboku nodded and continued:
"The doctor said that Master's illness was not a serious or intractable disease, and since he was already old, he could not be treated with strong medicine, as that would only backfire. Therefore, a gradual approach was used, and a gentle dietary therapy was adopted to slowly expel the dampness from his body through his daily diet."
"The doctor gave me a prescription, and I followed his instructions to cook red bean and barley porridge and other spleen-strengthening and dampness-removing foods for my master every day. The doctor was really good; as the days went by, my master's health did gradually improve, and he became more energetic."
At this point, Jin Fengluan's expression softened: "That's good. Since you're feeling better, let's do another divination."
But Myoboku suddenly wiped away tears and sobbed as he said:
"But alas, fate had other plans, Your Majesty."
“Just a few days ago, my master asked me to help him go for a walk outside. I saw that my master’s complexion was rosy and he was full of energy, as if he had completely recovered, so I agreed.”
"The master chatted and laughed with me all the way, and there were indeed no more symptoms. But on the way back, a gust of wind suddenly came.
The wind was so strange; Master's face changed instantly, his legs trembled, and he seemed to lose all his strength, unable to walk. I was so frightened that I quickly carried him back to bed.
“Since that day, Master has been out of his mind. He talks nonsense every day, and his health is deteriorating day by day. He can no longer tell fortunes, and he can only eat, drink and relieve himself in bed.”
Upon hearing this, Jin Fengluan's expression changed slightly, and she frowned, saying:
"A strong wind did indeed blow a few days ago."
“However, the Imperial Advisor mentioned this during his divination last time. How could this storm have made him...so ill?” Jin Fengluan frowned, her sharp gaze fixed on Miaomu.
Myoboku wiped away his tears with his sleeve and choked out:
“My master is getting old. I’ll treat him as myself and he’ll treat me as himself. But people can’t escape the power of heaven and earth. Birth, aging, sickness and death are the norm.”
"Even if there is no wind this time, there will be another wind. Master can predict when the wind will come, but when the wind comes, it is ultimately impossible to stop it. Alas."
As Miaomu explained, Jin Fengluan's brows furrowed even more deeply.
She looked the young Taoist priest up and down, but she was somewhat hesitant, feeling that there was something strange about what he was saying.
No, it's not strange, but rather it's remarkably similar to the Grand Preceptor's tone, with every sentence seemingly containing Zen wisdom.
"You're so ill, why didn't you tell me sooner and take me to see a doctor?" Jin Fengluan said, flicking his sleeves as he looked at Miaomu.
"Your Majesty, Master is probably still unconscious, this..." Miaomu said hurriedly.
"Huh?" Jin Fengluan's eyes widened.
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I will take you there right away." Miao Mu dared not refuse any longer, and immediately led the way with his sleeves down. Jin Fengluan followed closely behind, accompanied by eunuchs and palace maids.
As you pass through the porch, before even entering the inner room, an aged voice comes from behind the tightly closed door.
"Myo-moku, quickly help me up to receive His Majesty."
Jin Fengluan recognized the voice as that of the Grand Preceptor and glanced at Miaomu. Miaomu looked bewildered and whispered, "Master was asleep earlier."
As he spoke, he strode forward and opened the door.
When Jin Fengluan entered the room, she saw the white-haired Grand Preceptor leaning against the headboard. As Miaomu had said, his complexion was indeed unusually poor.
"Imperial Preceptor, there's no need for such formalities. I heard you were quite ill, so I came to see you." Jin Fengluan said calmly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The white-bearded old Taoist bowed with difficulty, then turned to Miaomu and said, "Miaomu, go and open the window."
The window faced the bed. Unlike ordinary houses, the window in this room was exceptionally large. The window and doors were tightly closed, even bolted. Upon hearing the white-bearded old Taoist's words, Miaomu looked worried.
"Master, it's windy tonight, so you can't open the window. The doctor told us that you can't catch a cold now."
The white-bearded old Taoist priest revealed a faint smile and waved his hand, saying:
"It's alright, I've had enough sleep, and I'm especially awake right now, so I won't catch a cold."
"Besides, how am I supposed to observe the celestial phenomena if you close the windows so tightly?"
"We can't let His Majesty make a wasted trip."
Miaomu then went to open the window, while Jin Fengluan was startled and exclaimed, "Does the Imperial Preceptor already know what I want to ask?"
The white-bearded old Taoist shook his head, looked out the window, and said:
There's a star, it's really bright.
Jin Fengluan nodded repeatedly, following the direction the white-bearded old Taoist pointed, and said, "That's right, I saw that it was exceptionally bright, which must be a divine revelation, so I specially sought out the Imperial Advisor."
The white-bearded old Taoist priest coughed lightly, then smiled and said:
“I once said that the crape myrtle was covered in dust, but the wind would come.”
"And now the wind blows and the fog will dissipate, and the crape myrtle will shine brightly."
"Just like the stars in the sky tonight! That is the Purple Star Emperor!" The white-bearded old Taoist pointed to the night sky with a smile on his face.
Jin Fengluan beamed with joy, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons as she repeatedly exclaimed, "Exactly! The Imperial Advisor was absolutely right!"
"To be honest, the rebels have landed in Nangang, very close to us, and we will be at war soon. I have come here to request the assistance of the Imperial Advisor..."
Before he could finish speaking, the white-bearded old Taoist priest smiled and waved his hand:
"Your Majesty, the Purple Star shines brightly; why bother calculating further?"
"You already have the answer to what you're asking in your heart, and Heaven has already given you clear guidance. Just do it, and you won't go wrong."
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