Chapter 20 He was a little reluctant to leave the people here. ...
That night, when everyone had gone to bed, Zhou Xian suddenly said that he had a pain in his chest.
A strange pain, the pain he couldn't stop when he thought of Fu Ningxiang, or even Zhou Cong. His heart felt dull and empty, and every breath he took felt like a needle prick. The pain drained all his strength, and he couldn't stop crying.
He pushed the man beside the pillow, breathing weakly, and murmured, "It hurts..."
Zhang Jinwei couldn't sleep either. He got up quickly, lit the lamp, held up his wife's face, frowned, and said, "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere? I'll tell them to go find a doctor."
As soon as his hand touched Zhou Shan's face, he felt a wet and cool sensation. Under the dim light, Zhou Shan's face was frighteningly pale, with traces of tears on it. She covered her heart with her hands and trembled in his arms.
"If I had known that you would suffer like this after meeting that unlucky thing, I should have locked you in the house and not allowed you to go. Wait until he dies and everything will be fine." Zhang Jinwei hugged the man and spoke in a light tone.
Zhou Shan still clutched his chest, his eyes slightly widening as he looked at Zhang Jinwei. Seeing the pain, the man offered to rub his chest. His hand barely touched the back of Zhou Shan's hand, but it dodged. Realizing his abruptness, he rubbed his back to soothe his breath. He finished everything, then raised his voice and called for someone to come in and serve him.
Qianshan was on guard today. She crept into the bedroom and saw the princess in the man's arms, her face pale. She cried out, "Ouch!" and hurried to call Yuxi and the others, and then asked Wang Xiang to fetch Doctor Li. Cuiyi and the others also woke up, turned on the stove, and started boiling soup.
Zhou Xian knew he had once again caused unrest among the people, and he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. In the past, when he fell ill in the palace, only Yuxi and the others cared about him. He didn't dare to ask for other doctors, fearing that something might go wrong, so he had to put it off. As time went by, Yuxi and the others had learned some medical skills...
He raised his head slightly and took a sip of the ginseng soup handed to him by Zhang Jinwei. Aunt Cui had specially added honey to the soup, and the sweetness overwhelmed the medicinal taste of the ginseng soup. So he obediently drank until the bottom of the bowl. The man touched the back of his head.
"Are you feeling better?" Zhang Jinwei said, "It's a long way to go, and the doctor probably won't arrive until daybreak. Just wait a little longer, close your eyes, don't think about those bad things, and try to get some sleep, okay?"
Zhou Shan drank some ginseng soup, which replenished his energy and helped him feel more relaxed. He nestled against the man's chest, obediently closing his eyes and letting his tears soak his clothes. He could hear the sound of his heartbeat, beating against his ears through the fabric and flesh and bones.
He felt a little reluctant to leave the people here.
…
Zhou Xian found himself walking in the wilderness in a daze. He opened his eyes and saw that the sky and the earth were pitch black. In the distance, there was only a muddy river, a dim white paper lantern, and a wobbly paper bridge.
He was startled and saw an old woman standing in front of the bridge. She was holding a bamboo basket and her face was sallow. When the old woman saw Zhou Shan, she smiled ominously.
The old woman asked, "My son, you are still alive, why are you here at the junction of Yin and Yang?"
Zhou Xian didn't know either. He smiled bitterly and said, "I'm not feeling well. I was seriously ill last night. I'm afraid I got in by mistake."
The old woman smiled and said, "It's okay. Just stay here. Remember not to step onto this bridge of death. If you do, you will go to hell."
Zhou Xian obeyed and stood beside the old woman, gazing across the river. He saw endless mounds of earth, like steamed buns, one after another, dovetailing on the loess slope, silently tilting towards the sky. He tilted his head in confusion at the sight.
"As the saying goes: Even if you have a thousand-year iron gate, you'll eventually find a dirt bun!" The old man laughed. "My child, don't underestimate those dirt buns. Do you know who's buried beneath them? The Qin Emperor, Han Wudi, the Tang Emperor, the Song Emperor, the great heroes, the beautiful women... after they die, they're nothing more than dirt buns!"
Zhou Xian understood. He looked behind the mound and saw a magnificent palace, which he knew was the residence of the King of Fengdu. He looked again and saw a bright mirror hanging in the West Heaven. Puzzled, he bowed to the old woman and asked, "Excuse me, what is the name of the mirror in the West Heaven? Is it left by the Buddha?"
The old woman glanced at Xitian, her filthy eyes slowly shifting to Zhou Xian. She grinned, "You have a connection with Buddha. That mirror is called 'Nothingness'. Everything in the world is born from cause and effect, impermanent and without self. Looking into it, you can see the ultimate truth of the world! If you can see through it, you can become my colleague and resolve the grievances and hatreds between these people and ghosts. Unfortunately, you have unfinished ties with marriage, family ties, and worldly ties. I'm afraid you'll have to live a hundred years with someone, and be husband and wife for generations to come!"
Zhou Xian was silent for a moment, then he snorted, "I don't want that! I'd rather become a monk!"
He and the old woman stood in the cold wind for an unknown amount of time when they suddenly heard the sounds of suona and gongs and drums. A funeral procession arrived. White paper money fluttered in the air, and Zhou Xian waited for a moment before he could see the bright yellow canopy and the five-clawed python pattern. The mourners were filled with sorrow, their cries incessant.
The old woman said coldly, "Why all this ostentation? No matter if you're a prince or a wealthy businessman, you're not allowed to carry a single hair across the bridge! Things in the mortal world are very dirty! Black and White Impermanence, bring the person out quickly!"
The Black and White Impermanence carried a man out of the crowd. He hung his head, dressed in the garb of the Daning Prince, and remained silent, tears streaming down his face. As they reached the bridge, the Black and White Impermanence stripped him of all his clothes and shaved his head, leaving him completely naked. They carried the man, took a bowl of soup from the old woman, and forced him to drink it.
"Wait a minute!" Zhou Xian said in a trembling voice.
The Black and White Impermanence and the old woman all turned to look at him. Their pupils were invisible, and their scarlet tongues drooped. Zhou Xian was terrified, but he said, "I want to... talk to him."
Bai Wuchang laughed, quite frightened. "Princess, tell me quickly, we still have to take him to the Emperor of Fengdu to settle the account!"
Zhou Xian called softly, "Zhou Cong? Zhou Cong!"
The man raised his head and stared at Zhou Shan blankly.
Zhou Xian closed his eyes and said, "You have committed many sins. You must be punished in the underworld before you can be reborn. Go and suffer well. Don't worry about your child. I won't do anything to her."
The man smiled and nodded.
"Alas, this creature has caused the deaths of many farmers in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas. I'm afraid it won't be able to be reborn as a good person. Well, I'll have you reincarnated as a donkey and spend your whole life pulling a millstone for the poor people. Only then will you feel relieved!" Black Wuchang interrupted, "Princess, fate is pressing. Let's take him away!"
After that, they gave Zhou Cong some Mengpo soup. Then, the two underworld officials, one on the left and one on the right, took the people and stepped onto the wobbly Naihe Bridge and floated away.
Zhou Xian's heart ached again. He heard thunderous mournful music, white paper and white flowers scattered all over the sky, the sound of many people crying, and even the faint sigh of Emperor Yongchang.
He knew that Zhou Cong must be dead.
…
"You're finally awake."
Zhou Xian opened his eyes and saw a Taoist priest sitting beside his couch, smiling beautifully. He whispered, "Sixth Brother..."
"Do you still remember who I am? It seems your brain isn't hurting." Zhou Heng smiled gently and helped his younger brother to his feet. "The imperial physician said that you were overwhelmed by joy and sorrow, and your heart qi is temporarily blocked. Take some medicine and rest for a few days. You will be fine."
Zhou Heng happened to pass by Zhuangyuan's residence in the morning and wanted to come and visit, but he saw Shanmei lying sick in bed, so he stayed to help take care of her.
Zhou Xian stood up from the bed. The pain in his heart was gone. He looked around and asked blankly, "Where's Zhang Jinwei?"
"That's what they call a grown-up sister. Instead of asking about Sixth Brother, you're thinking about someone else first," Zhou Heng said. "He stayed with you all night and was planning to take a day off, but Zhou Cong died, and the Hanlin Academy had to draft a eulogy and compile the history of Ning, so he had no choice but to go to the yamen."
Zhou Xian was startled, suddenly remembering his dream. He was about to describe it in detail to his Taoist brother, but he couldn't remember the details. He only remembered that the old woman said he wanted to be married to someone for eternity, which made him furious. He thought for a moment and asked, "How is Princess Yu?"
"She?" Zhou Heng lowered his eyes. "She's heartbroken, but the pregnancy is stable. I think both mother and child will be safe."
"That's good." Zhou Xian nodded. He had regained a lot of energy. He leaned on Zhou Heng's shoulder and said with a smile, "Sixth brother, how about you? I heard that the emperor asked you to assist in the Dali Temple and sent the Jinyiwei to accompany you. Have you seen any enemies?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned this. As soon as he did, Zhou Heng's face turned cold. He picked up the medicine and sneered, "Drink it quickly! What a villain! Five years have passed, and not only has he not improved, he's even become more insane. Why are you mentioning him?"
Zhou Shan quickly stuck out her tongue, took the medicine, frowned, and looked at Zhou Heng pitifully, acting like a spoiled child who didn't want to drink it. Zhou Heng wouldn't let him get away with it, and after a few threats and inducements, Zhou Shan, tears welling up in her eyes, pinched her nose and drank it all in one gulp.
When Zhang Jinwei returns home in the evening, it will be his turn to coax people to take medicine.
Zhou Xian became more and more shrewd. He could go out at any time now, and the people in the mansion all depended on him. No matter how the man coaxed him, he would refuse to eat a single bite.
He pushed the medicine away and was about to lift the quilt and bury his head in sleep when suddenly a hand pinched his chin. Zhang Jinwei pulled him into his arms, smiled warmly, and said with ill intentions: "I have a plan. Princess, if you listen to it, you will definitely take the medicine obediently. Do you want to listen?"
Zhou Shancai didn't want to listen, so he turned around and was about to slip away.
Zhang Jinwei hugged his cat and said slowly, "How about this? If the princess doesn't want to eat, I'll eat. I'll take a bite and then feed the princess a bite. How about that?"
He spoke calmly, as if mouth-to-mouth feeding of medicine was a natural and unquestionable thing. Beneath the appearance of a gentleman, he was actually a mess.
Lecher! Hooligan! Pervert!
Zhou Xian was terrified and swallowed all the medicine immediately. Then he wrapped himself in the quilt, leaving only his back to someone.
This isn't good, he thought. This isn't good at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
