Chapter 40 He converted to Buddhism and Taoism. His eyes snapped open, and a single tear fell silently from his eyelids…
Her eyes snapped open, a single tear silently sliding down her left cheek, leaving no trace. The person beside her looked anxious. "How are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable?"
Shen Minghuai suddenly stood up and pulled Wang Yan into his arms, as if he wanted to crush her. Chen Yu coughed twice, then quietly left with his wife. He buried his head in Wang Yan's shoulder for a long time, not even noticing when Chen Yu and his wife had left.
Wang Yan placed her hands on his back and said, "That bowl of mushroom soup was specially prepared by the Chen family to defend against the miasma in the forest, which is why you were poisoned."
Shen Minghuai was clearly still reeling from the nightmare, and called out in a hoarse voice, "Aying."
Wang Yan held him tightly, saying, "I'm here."
After drinking a few sips of cold tea, Shen Minghuai gradually calmed down. Wang Yan sat beside him, not leaving his side for a moment, even following him to pour tea. Wang Yan's hands were sweating before Shen Minghuai reluctantly let go, and slowly recounted what had happened that night.
Unable to sleep, he paced in the courtyard, when he inadvertently discovered Chen Yu's son chasing a stray cat out through a dog hole. The forest was shrouded in thick fog, and Chen Zan quickly disappeared from sight. Soon after, he faintly heard a child crying in the distance. Following the sound, he saw red eyes suddenly appear in the fog, gradually approaching. The wolf seemed to have bloodshot eyes and reeked of blood. He immediately picked up Chen Zan and ran, but after a brief chase, the wolf's scent suddenly vanished.
The candlelight flickered, reflecting in Wang Yan's eyes.
"Fortunately, you two are unharmed now, and the child is innocent after all. Chen Yu is not an unreasonable person either; he just brought you a pill, and the miasma on your body has just dissipated."
"The fog on this mountain is really strange. The wolf was obviously affected by the fog, and was more ferocious than usual... but the herbs by the house are growing quite well." Shen Minghuai's gaze was fixed on the distance, as if he was deep in thought.
"Since Chen Yu resides here regularly, he must have a way to break the curse. We just need to find out about Master Puyuan."
Wang Yan recalled the conversation he had overheard under the eaves and asked, "Has the Chen family had any grudges against you?"
Shen Minghuai's gaze fell on Wang Yan again. "That's an old grudge, and I'm not very clear about it either. Back then, the Xiongnu invaded, and the border was in turmoil. Chen Yu's grandfather made great contributions and was enfeoffed as the Duke of Shangyu. In recent years, Chen Yu's father passed away, and the title should be inherited by him."
Wang Yan didn't understand the intrigues and power struggles of officialdom, but anyone with discerning eyes knew that the emperor's repeated demotions were simply out of fear that the merits of his ancestors would overshadow his own. The achievements earned through generations of hard work and sacrifice were glossed over by the jealousy of those destined for power; anyone would feel disheartened in such a situation.
Despite this, Wang Yan still harbored doubts. Given his dukedom, his stipend must be substantial; why would he still forcibly seize farmland to increase his wealth…?
"Chen Yu lives in seclusion here, yet he doesn't seem to have completely withdrawn from the world... Could it be because he disagrees with the current government's ideology?"
“Perhaps that’s not the whole reason.” Shen Minghuai paused before speaking, “The chronic illness is hard to cure. What used to be a mild ailment seems to have become a deep-seated problem. Staying here should be for recuperation.”
The vast herb fields around here are enough to prove it. Wang Yan nodded in agreement, "But how do you know all this? Did Mr. Dong tell you?"
Shen Minghuai casually wrote down two lines of Chen Yu's poem to explain the changes in them.
Wang Yan was startled again. The line he had casually recited earlier had already surprised her, but she hadn't expected his preparation to be so thorough. Although she had only skimmed through a few of Chen Yu's poems, she hadn't found anything strange about them. They were just ordinary works depicting mountains and rivers, one day admiring the hills and valleys, the next day watching the swans, and sighing a few lines of melancholy when the emotions were deep. How could she have imagined that they contained such information?
Seeing that she was lost in thought for a long time, Shen Minghuai waved his hand in front of her eyes, "What are you thinking about? It's very late, go back to sleep."
Wang Yan was unusually soft-hearted today. "This medicine may not have completely eliminated the miasma from your body. If you get trapped in nightmares again, having someone to take care of you—eh—"
Shen Minghuai held her tightly in his arms, his eyes filled with a hazy emotion, and called her name in a low voice.
"Aying, thank you."
On the surface, she was comforting him, but in reality, he stayed by her side all night. Upon waking, they began to discuss countermeasures, trying to figure out how to get Chen Yu to admit it, since his hostility towards Shen Minghuai was quite significant.
"You and him wrote a poem?"
Shen Minghuai immediately rejected the idea, "I'm afraid he'll think I'm wasting his hard work. 'The beauty of spring in the nine heavens is intoxicating,' why don't you compose a poem in response?"
"...That was just a random guess, it doesn't count." She had only used his name that day to hide her shortcomings, and bringing it up now made her seem a bit coy and affected.
Shen Minghuai noticed her unease, put his hand on her shoulder, and looked directly at her.
"One who possesses both literary and martial talents is rare indeed. One who has talent to offer should not flaunt it or hide it excessively. How can the world not tolerate a frank and honest person?"
Seemingly feeling that this statement was inappropriate, Shen Minghuai added, "Martial arts are not something to be hidden, but perhaps we can be bolder in other areas."
As the saying goes, "one effort, one breath," Wang Yan was in high spirits and was about to pick up his brush and compose a poem when the voice of a maidservant rang out from outside the door.
"Young Master Shen, Madam Wang, the head of the family and his wife invite you both to have breakfast together."
"Coming right away."
The awl was immediately put back in its place. Wang Yan opened the door in a few steps and followed the maid to the main hall.
Faced with Chen Yu's casually concealed coldness, Madam Chen was always the first to show kindness.
"Is Young Master Shen feeling any better?"
Shen Minghuai put on his usual harmless smile, "Thank you for the medicine, Young Master Chen and Madam. I'm fine now."
Madam Chen was still smiling. It seemed that she was always smiling, no matter when she was seen.
"Thanks to you, young master, for saving my son last night. The medicine is nothing to worry about." Madam Chen pushed a wooden box in front of Shen Minghuai. "It's just a small gift. Please accept it, young master."
"Madam, you're too kind." Shen Minghuai pushed the gift back before even opening it. "This gift is really too much. However, I do have a favor to ask."
Although Chen Yu was no longer as hostile as she had been yesterday, she was still utterly devoid of goodwill. Regardless of success or failure, Shen Minghuai still had to ask.
"A friend asked me to inquire about the reason why Mr. Chen converted to Buddhism and Taoism, and I was also very curious."
Chen Yu replied, "When did I come to believe in Taoism?"
Shen Minghuai asked calmly, "Are there any Taoist temples on this mountain?"
Chen Yu snorted coldly, "My wife and I live here, not because of that Taoist temple."
"Then I dare to guess that Young Master Chen chose this place because the forest mist can nourish a large area of medicinal herb fields." The exchange between Shen Minghuai and Chen Yu was not just about words; it was as if the forest mist was spreading, casting a faint gray veil over the hall.
Shen Minghuai kept a close eye on Chen Yu, noticing a sudden change in his expression, and then continued, "This is certainly not the first time your son has wandered into the mountains. The mountains are fraught with danger, yet you insisted on staying here. It must be of great help to your old ailment."
Just as Chen Yu was about to speak, Shen Minghuai threw out another question.
"Young master, you believe in Taoism, perhaps to cure your illness."
This time, Chen Yu readily admitted it, saying, "How could Buddha, with his magnanimous heart, possibly make things difficult for someone as sickly as me?"
Wang Yan had seen many people who used Taoism to prolong their lives, but those people were obsessed with refining and consuming elixirs in order to achieve immortality, and in the end they all went mad, neither human nor ghost, let alone "immortals".
Shen Minghuai, however, unexpectedly followed his words and said, "Wu Zetian converted from Buddhism to Taoism, so your actions are perfectly reasonable."
Chen Yu glanced at Shen Minghuai several times, as if making a decision. Then, without beating around the bush, he said directly, "You have come to Longxing Temple. If you help me fulfill this wish, I will tell you everything I know."
Wang Yan hadn't expected to have the opportunity to ask about Master Puyuan, but he was surprised when he brought it up. He quickly said, "Please speak, young master."
"Investigate the case of the breach in Huazhou four years ago."
"I've heard about the breach in Huazhou four years ago, which flooded dozens of counties. But why did Chen Yu ask you to investigate this case?" Wang Yan leaned against the carriage. "He clearly doesn't want to lend a hand."
"He was demoted because the prefect petitioned the emperor, and then he resigned due to his father's death. This case was presided over by Prince Wei back then, and I also assisted him. Could there be some other hidden story behind it..." Shen Minghuai's thoughts had already drifted away as the carriage headed straight for the prefectural government.
"Please wait outside for a moment, gentlemen."
The carriage was intercepted and led here when it was an alley away from the prefectural capital. Inside, only Shen Minghuai was seen.
"Are you Magistrate Zhao?" Shen Minghuai stood in front of the screen, not taking another step inside.
"Young Master Shen, please come in and have a seat." Zhao Can, dressed in official robes, sat down at the table, seemingly unsurprised that Shen Minghuai had revealed his identity.
Shen Minghuai remained standing in the same spot. "Is the Prefect's action an attempt to stop me, or to help me?"
Zhao Can picked up his teacup and walked straight to the window, gazing at the river outside. He then began to tell a story. Four years ago, the Yellow River breached its banks in Huazhou. One man mobilized the resources of ten counties in the prefecture to fight the disaster, but he was exiled to Lingnan for embezzling funds intended for riverbank repairs. Another man was demoted to Wenzhou for the same reason, but due to his outstanding political achievements, he was soon promoted to the position of prefect of Hangzhou. Yet another man, simply for reporting the disaster in a timely manner, became the sole hero among them.
Do you think there's anything wrong with this world?
“If what you say is true, then what’s wrong with it?” Shen Minghuai took a few steps closer and looked out the window with him. “But is that really the case?”
Shen Minghuai followed the servant into another private room. The sunset glow leaped in through the open wooden window, bathing the room in golden light. The boatmen's chants, carrying the dampness of the river, gradually faded away with the twilight.
"It's been a long time since I've had a proper view of the sunset." Wang Yan closed the window, and the noise instantly subsided, replaced by tranquility. "I wonder how the food here compares to that at Sanyuanlou."
Shen Minghuai glanced at the dishes on the table, all of which suited their tastes. He smiled and served her a bowl of Three-Crispy Soup, saying, "If you're hungry, start eating."
Halfway through the meal, Hua Xin and Ying Ming returned from outside and confirmed Zhao Can's identity to Shen Minghuai. He was indeed the Hangzhou Tongpan (assistant magistrate), and the prefect was, as he had said, transferred here from Wenzhou two years ago.
"How do you say Raoyunlou?" Shen Minghuai was always the first to put down his chopsticks.
Hua Xin informed Zhao Can of everything he had learned about the purchase of Rao Yun Lou. Zhao Can was a smooth talker and usually did nothing wrong, but he was somewhat timid. When his son first entered school, the prefect's son forced him to kowtow several times, but Zhao Can himself did not react at all.
Wang Yan despised such people the most. "If he had shown even a fraction of the arrogance he displayed when inviting you to the prefect, he wouldn't have been so pathetic."
Ying Ming frowned and said, "So you're just a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. You think you can bully my young master like this just because he has no official position or power?"
Wang Yan suddenly became interested and smiled, "Since Chen Yu only wants the truth, then we will give him the truth."
Shen Minghuai looked into her curved eyes and sighed softly, "Aying will have to play the villain again."
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Author's Note: I've prayed before Buddha for thousands of years for the possibility of us meeting again. I'm willing to exchange several lifetimes for just one more chance to see each other. I hope this will move Heaven. [Good luck][Crying]
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