Chapter 175 Chapter 175 is the only genuine version...
A ray of sunshine poured into my gloomy heart.
Mrs. Kong urged, "There's a sick child. Go get him first. It won't get any worse."
Every family had a sick child, so they stopped talking and hurried to the yamen.
There was already a long queue in front of the yamen.
At the front of the line was a woman in coarse cloth holding a child. Her child's cheeks were burning red. The child, who was only three or four years old, was in so much pain that he couldn't even cry.
The woman was covered in dust and fatigue obscured her originally beautiful face.
She took the pill, stuffed it into the child's mouth, and sat aside without saying a word. Her face was already numb, as if she was waiting to die.
While others were queuing up to get medicine, they secretly looked at the child in her arms.
No one knows whether this medicine will work or not.
They walked forward one by one, received their medicine and left.
Each household can only receive three.
Qin Chen stood aside, watching without saying anything. The epidemic was severe, and to prevent the Qingzhou local officials from lip-service and missing the best opportunity to control the epidemic, Xie Yingchen sent several people directly from the capital.
Qin Chen is one of them.
Before arriving at this town, Qin Chen had already been to seven or eight other towns.
The people were all skeptical when they first got the pills, but once they used them, they knew that they could really save lives.
"The fever's gone...the fever's gone!"
"Son, wake up, wake up."
Shouts of surprise and joy broke the dead silence. The woman squatting on the street corner, holding her child, cried and laughed. As she cried, she stumbled over, holding the child, and knelt before Qin Chen, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Your Excellency is very kind."
Similar scenes occurred wherever he went. Qin Chen helped the man up as usual and said, "These pills are from Miss Gu's prescription at the Zhenbei Palace. They are specifically used to treat this epidemic."
He said loudly, "We only have 10,000 pills for now. Miss Gu said that adults can survive for a few more days, but once a child is infected, they are almost certain to die. If you have children who are sick, please give the pills from this shipment to them first."
"Another 10,000 pills will be delivered in three days."
Someone came over to look at the child in the woman's arms. The child, who was dying just now, was now looking around with his eyes open.
He actually woke up?
He touched the child's forehead again.
It’s really not hot anymore!
He clenched the pills in his hand and ran home without looking back.
There is help!
There is help!!
"My baby has been sick for three days. Can you give it to me first?"
"Don't push. My grandson is also sick. Don't try to grab him."
"Give me medicine! Please!"
The dead silence in the town was suddenly broken. Qin Chen asked people to maintain order and distribute pills in an orderly manner.
It was not until the afternoon that all the more than 10,000 pills were distributed.
Qin Chen had even left some extra medicine for someone to check the streets and alleys to see if there were any sick girls without medicine. When he left, the young master had specifically told him that since folks valued sons over daughters, he should be wary of those who might save medicine for boys and leave girls to fend for themselves.
This day.
Everyone in the town couldn't sleep all night.
This day.
Not a single child died from the epidemic.
After taking the pills, those with mild illnesses will be able to run around full of energy the next day.
Even those who are seriously ill can at least swallow food.
The town, which had been struggling in silence due to earthquakes, death and epidemics, finally saw the sun, bringing a ray of vitality.
Qingzhou gradually came back to life.
Taoist temples all over Qingzhou suddenly became very popular.
They knelt devoutly before the Three Pure Ones, burning incense and praying:
"I only wish Miss Gu a long and healthy life."
"I just hope everything goes well for Miss Gu."
"I only hope that Miss Gu will be healthy and worry-free."
…
Countless strong wishes continuously gathered together and turned into a faint glow, covering the sky above Taiqing Temple and lingering for a long time.
This is already the third day.
An endless stream of pilgrims came upon hearing the news. On the first day, most of them were people from the capital area. Later, pilgrims from Yizhou and Yanzhou also came specially.
The Taiqing Temple is very popular with smoke curling around.
The temple could not accommodate so many people. Those who could not enter the mountain gate waited quietly outside. They looked up at the rosy glow with eyes full of piety, and no one complained of being tired no matter how long they waited.
"I heard that on the day when the Imperial Master Xuanxin passed away, the sky was also filled with rosy clouds and heavenly music."
Xuanxin Zhenren was the first imperial teacher of the Great Qi Dynasty.
When Emperor Taizu was still a lowly figure, Xuanxin Zhenren had already discerned his potential as a true dragon. Xuanxin Zhenren enthroned him as the common ruler of the world, assisting Emperor Taizu in his reign and bringing an end to decades of chaos.
"Master Xuanxin has the merit of saving the world, and only on the day of his ascension will the sky be filled with rosy clouds."
The speaker was a young wandering Taoist priest.
He had just started practicing in the secular world when he heard about this strange phenomenon and hurried over.
The young Taoist said with a pious face, "There must be a person of great fortune in Taiqing Temple, who will bless me and enlighten the people. If I can meet him, this trip will be worth it."
As he was speaking, a voice suddenly rang out: "The government is here!"
Towards the foot of the mountain, someone hurried up, shouting, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Don't block the road!"
"Why are the officials here too?"
"Ouch. Make way, make way, I can't stand anymore."
"Giving out wedding money."
The people surrounding the mountain gate retreated to both sides, squeezed together, and made way for the mountain road in the middle.
Soon, the Jinyiwei armed with embroidered spring swords came quickly, followed closely by a black lacquered carriage with a huge red silk flower on the neck of the horse.
Following the carriage on foot came Prime Minister Song, the Minister of Rites and others.
At the back of the carriage, the eunuchs were carrying bamboo baskets filled with copper coins. They were scattering the coins all the way up the mountain, and their faces were all beaming with joy.
The carriage stopped in front of the mountain gate, and Prince Li and the Princess got out of the carriage.
Early in the morning, at an auspicious time, they went to the Zhenbei Palace to propose marriage. There were 128 betrothal gifts, and the gift was two live geese. The Minister of Rites racked his brains, and even though it was urgent and even if it was just a wedding to bring good luck, the entire ceremony was arranged in a very grand manner, just as Prince Li requested - the wedding to bring good luck had to be in a royal style.
After the engagement, Prince Li came to Taiqing Temple with the marriage certificate.
Three days ago, Prince Li sent people to the temple to greet them. Even so, he was very considerate and kept his proposal very low-key. Not only did he not ask Taiqing Temple to close, but except for the fact that he had suffered a stroke and was too old to walk on the mountain road, Prime Minister Song, Duke Weiguo, the Minister of Rites and other officials from the Ministry of Rites were all at the foot of the mountain, so they abandoned their carriages and walked up.
The abbot of the temple personally greeted them at the gate.
Prince Li bowed deeply and politely, "I have come here to propose marriage to Miss Gu on behalf of Xie Yingchen, son of the Xie family."
The master's face was kind and gentle: "Please."
Prince Li thanked her again, smiled, and walked in with the princess, with the others following behind.
As soon as people entered the mountain gate, the outside suddenly became lively again.
"Did you hear that? I'm here to propose marriage to Miss Gu on behalf of Prince Chen."
"To propose a betrothal?" Someone was surprised. "To propose a betrothal at a Taoist temple?"
"I heard that Miss Gu is from the Taoist sect and is praying for the country in the temple. His Royal Highness Prince Chen came to the temple to ask for her hand in marriage as a sign of seriousness."
"Pray for the country?"
As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately thought, "Could it be that the appearance of the rosy glow was due to Miss Gu? Taoist Priest, does praying for the country count as a great blessing?"
It's hard to say. The young Taoist decided to follow and take a look.
"We're going too."
There was no young Taoist priest blocking the way in front of the mountain gate, and many people followed them in.
Prince Li didn't mind having someone following him. It was a happy occasion, so of course it had to be lively and exciting.
He looked up at the rosy glow in the sky.
When he first heard about it, he thought it was just some kind of charade, but now that he saw it with his own eyes, he realized it was truly a natural phenomenon.
"Very good, very good!"
The Duke of Wei spoke much more fluently than in the past few days. He was afraid that the color white was unlucky, so he wrapped two layers of red cloth around the white cotton cloth around his neck and tied it up like the horse he was traveling with.
"Even Heaven knows we're here to propose marriage to Prince Chen. The sky is filled with rosy clouds, a truly auspicious sign. Old Song, don't you agree?"
Prime Minister Song had a smile on his face, and when he lowered his head, he rolled his eyes at him.
The Duke of Weiguo is becoming more and more willing to sacrifice his reputation. Prince Chen clearly did not ask him to be a matchmaker, but early this morning, before daybreak, he took the initiative to go to Prince Chen's mansion and insisted on going with them to propose marriage.
First, she followed them to the Zhenbei Palace, and after the engagement, she insisted on coming to Taiqing Temple together.
Humph.
This person is so shameless that I am ashamed of myself.
Prime Minister Song smiled with joy and stared at his throat for a while.
Duke Wei raised his eyebrows and asked, "Old Song, what are you looking at?"
Prime Minister Song whispered to him, "I'm watching you. Even with your throat broken, you're still so eloquent."
After saying this, he raised his head again and gave a perfect smile to the pilgrims watching around him.
"no the same."
Duke Weiguo finished laughing first, then lowered his head and whispered, "I'm different from you, Old Song. I'm not as smart as you. I chose the right master from the beginning. If I don't fight for it now, I won't be able to fight for it in the future."
"Besides, I think Miss Gu is indeed very lucky." Duke Wei sighed, "What was Prince Chen like when he first returned? And what is he like now?"
At that time, everyone thought that Xie Yingchen would not live for more than a few years, and could only survive under the emperor's nose like a caged bird.
And now, in just a few months, he was only one step away from that position in the Golden Throne Hall.
Back then, who could have imagined this?
"I'm just a smart guy."
Duke Weiguo wished he could go back and slap himself.
"Old Song, do you remember? It's recorded in the Emperor Taizu's diary that a sky full of rosy clouds appeared when Master Xuanxin passed away?"
He quietly pointed to the sky and said, "Maybe this is really because of Miss Gu."
As more and more pilgrims gathered around, the Duke of Weiguo did not dare to whisper anymore. He nodded slightly to the pilgrims and smiled dignifiedly.
"Please come this way, believer."
The abbot led the way for them and brought them to the small courtyard in the back mountain.
Wuweizi came to greet him personally.
He was wearing a brand new Taoist robe and his hair was combed neatly, with not a single strand of hair sticking out.
He was old, with white hair and beard. When he moved his hands and feet, his Taoist robe fluttered, and he exuded an ethereal air, which made people feel awe.
Xie Yingchen had told them about his identity as a Taoist master. Now, seeing that Lian Qingping Zhenren was serving respectfully by his side as a disciple, he felt even more nervous and quickly returned the greeting.
Xie Danling and Gu Zhinan watched quietly from the side. When they saw them enter the main hall, they walked briskly back to Gu Zhizhuo's room and said with a cheerful smile, "Cousin Zhuo, there are so many people outside. The small courtyard is almost full. They are all pilgrims."
“It’s so lively.”
"The Minister of Rites is really good at saying auspicious words. Right, Nannan?"
Gu Zhinan nodded repeatedly: "One string after another, it must have taken him a long time to recite."
"And the Duke of Weiguo, he dressed himself up like a horse." Xie Danling gestured.
The girls chuckled and laughed happily.
When proposing, a sister needs to be present.
Because Gu Zhizhuo lived in the Taoist temple, Gu Zhijiao and the others also moved in yesterday, and even Xie Danling slipped out of the palace.
Gu Zhizhuo sat upright in an armchair, her shiny black hair draped over her shoulders. She looked sick, and the constant severe pain in her chest made her look listless and sickly.
"Big sister, if you are tired of sitting, just lean on it for a while." Gu Zhijiao was careful and considerate, and took a pillow for her to lean on.
Xie Danling took a sip of water and said, "Let's go and take a look."
Ah Man also wanted to go, so Xie Danling took her hand and ran out together. Ah Man giggled happily.
From time to time they came back and said, "The Minister of Rites has finally finished his auspicious words."
"Master has accepted the marriage certificate."
"Princess Li is coming this way."
Ah Man: "Here I come."
Xie Danling did not go out this time. After a while, Princess Li came in surrounded by maids.
Gu Zhizhuo leaned forward in the armchair.
Princess Li looked at her carefully, her eyes filled with worry.
As expected, he doesn't look very good, he must be seriously ill. No wonder Chen'er is so anxious, oh, how can he not be anxious!
Miss Gu lived in the temple and had not returned home even on a day like today. She and the prince had speculated that it was probably her old immortal master who was extending her life.
After they exchanged greetings, Princess Li stepped forward and said with a kind smile, "Miss Gu, I'll tie your hair for you."
In the Great Qi Dynasty, on the day of engagement, the man's elders were required to personally comb, tie, and pin the woman's hair.
The nanny held a tray in her hand, and Prince Li took an ivory jade comb from the tray and gently combed her smooth hair three times, all the way to the end.
She put down the jade comb and tied Gu Zhizhuo's hair with her own hands.
Gu Zhizhuo had not yet reached the age of marriage, so her hairstyle was relatively simple. She picked up a jade hairpin from another tray.
The more solemn it is, the more it represents the man's joy in getting this daughter-in-law.
"Get this beautiful woman, and we will be together forever."
"It's a blessing for the Xie family."
Xie Danling helped Gu Zhizhuo stand up and knelt down to salute Princess Li.
"Hey, please sit down. There's no need for so much formality."
Xie Danling helped her sit back down.
The next step is to sign the marriage certificate.
Prince Li came with Wuwei Zi, and Wuwei Zi personally handed the marriage certificate to Gu Zhizhuo.
Xie Yingchen has already written his name on the marriage certificate.
The other column is still empty.
As the saying goes, "First marriage follows the father, second marriage follows one's own." When a woman marries for the first time, the marriage certificate is signed by her elders. However, Xie Yingchen's parents were both deceased, and he signed the marriage certificate himself. The Dowager also felt that Gu Zhizhuo should sign it himself.
Wuweizi held a whisk and gently stroked Gu Zhizhuo's head three times.
"A marriage certificate, presented to the heavens and heard from the underworld..."
Xie Danling dipped the tip of the pen in cinnabar and handed it to Gu Zhizhuo.
"...the fate is connected, and the misfortunes and blessings are shared."
"The ancestors of the heavens bear witness, the three realms are connected, and the report is made to the nine heavens." (Note)
Gu Zhizhuo smiled at her and signed his name on the marriage certificate.
Gu Zhizhuo.
The two names stand side by side.
Just like in their past and present lives, they have always been together, inseparable in life and death.
Wuweizi stroked his long beard with a smile on his face.
"The ceremony is over."
The eunuch who sang the ceremony shouted joyfully in a loud and clear voice.
Not only the small courtyard, but even the pilgrims watching the ceremony outside the courtyard could hear it.
"Huh?"
The young Taoist priest suddenly let out a soft cry, his mouth slightly opened, his eyes wide open, staring at the sky without blinking.
The rosy glow covering Shangqing Temple suddenly became brighter, as colorful as a rainbow after rain, and like drizzle, falling into the small courtyard in front of them.
Huh?
Gu Zhizhuo's eyelashes suddenly trembled.
A strange power surged into her body, like the gentlest breeze, caressing her internal organs and repairing her broken body and soul.
Her chest pain was gone.
There seemed to be countless voices ringing in my ears, almost imperceptible:
"I only wish Miss Gu a long and healthy life, free from illness and disaster..."
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