be late
Before leaving Chenxiang Temple, the abbot told Jiang Yufan that she could disregard the precepts. Originally, Jiang Yufan wasn't really a nun; she was just acting and pretending. After acting for a long time, Jiang Yufan herself became somewhat confused. But now that she was out of Chenxiang Temple, she could drink alcohol, and she wanted to drink some to drown her sorrows.
Drinking alcohol helps you fall asleep faster and forget about worldly troubles.
The wine was brought by Gu Sidu, and the two of them drank under the moon, which was quite a refined and elegant affair. However, having not drunk alcohol for a long time, Jiang Yufan stopped and went to sleep when she was slightly tipsy. That night, she slept soundly without any nightmares. The next day, she woke up early and instructed Daoyun to prepare tea and incense. She found a pavilion in her courtyard that she liked. This pavilion was hidden by a bamboo grove, giving it a secluded feel. It was also built next to a stream, so it wasn't too hot even in summer. It was the perfect place to chant sutras. Jiang Yufan set up this place as her chanting spot and asked Daoyun to prepare it first.
Not believing in Buddhism is one thing, chanting scriptures is another. Jiang Yufan persisted in chanting scriptures every day simply because it brought her peace of mind. She had suffered too much in the mortal world, and only when chanting scriptures could she clear her mind and find tranquility. So she chanted every day without exception.
Last night's drinking didn't bring Jiang Yufan any trouble. A good drink can wash away a thousand sorrows; once it was over, it was over, and Jiang Yufan couldn't remember much about the nightmare from last night. But last night's drinking had a powerful effect on others.
Just as Jiang Yufan finished chanting the sutra and dedicating the merit, a commotion suddenly broke out in the courtyard outside the small bamboo grove. There were a series of noises, and it seemed like a busy scene with chickens running and dogs barking. It was the hour of Mao (5-7 AM). Jiang Yufan picked up the teacup that Daoyun had brought and had just taken the first sip. Before she could even ask Daoyun what had happened, she could vaguely see a figure in official robes rushing out.
That's Gu Sidu.
“It’s time for roll call. I suppose Lord Gu got up late and missed the roll call. That’s why he’s in such a panic because he’s going to be late,” Dao Yun said to Jiang Yu Fan after figuring it out.
“It seems someone really got drunk last night,” Jiang Yufan said, shaking her head as she savored the aroma of her tea. “That person is strange; with such a low alcohol tolerance, why did they try to drown their sorrows in alcohol? Now, instead of getting rid of their sorrows, they’ve only added a lot of troubles to their life.”
Being late for roll call makes things even harder in the already turbulent officialdom.
"Is there anything we can do to help him?" Daoyun asked. "He invited us here, so it wouldn't be right if we didn't help him at all."
“What can we do to help him? He wasted his time by drinking, that’s his problem.” Jiang Yufan felt relaxed and comfortable after drinking tea, her heart and stomach feeling warm and at ease. She stood up and asked someone to tidy up the things here.
She said to Daoyun, "We just need to take care of ourselves. If Gu Sidu needs our help, he will definitely come to us."
At that time, will you still have to worry about not having enough time to work?
Jiang Yufan's guess was correct. After returning from court, Gu Sidu sighed repeatedly. He changed out of his court robes and came to Jiang Yufan's place. As soon as he saw Jiang Yufan, Gu Sidu shouted loudly, "Please, Bodhisattva, save me!"
Hearing the words "Bodhisattva" still made Jiang Yufan uncomfortable. She frowned slightly and beckoned Gu Sidu into the house. It was not appropriate to talk outside, but it was fine inside. As soon as Gu Sidu entered, Jiang Yufan said to him, "I've told you so many times, call me Buddha's Daughter, or Jiang Yufan. I am not a Bodhisattva."
"I am a fake bodhisattva."
"I don't care, Buddha, please save me, I might really be useless."
Jiang Yufan stared blankly for a moment, then gave up. She looked up at Gu Sidu and said, "Being drunk and late for roll call is such a small matter that it probably doesn't warrant execution."
Even though he said he wasn't a Bodhisattva, Gu Sidu hadn't said anything yet, but Jiang Yufan already knew everything. Gu Sidu believed even more that Jiang Yufan could guide him. He sat down abruptly and said to Jiang Yufan, "Bodhisattva, you are so wise! My lateness today is no ordinary matter. The person in charge is very angry and told me not to come tomorrow. I should stay home and revise those ancient books. He won't listen to my explanation. What should I do?"
“Just tell him that you drank a bit too much alcohol, and he did too?” Jiang Yufan asked.
"I had to have a chance to speak first. I stood there without saying a word, and the person in charge turned me away. I didn't even have a chance to open my mouth. I think it must be because I broke a taboo today that I'm so unlucky." Gu Sidu spread his hands, pitifully patted them, and sighed.
"Then why did you come to see me?" Jiang Yufan continued to ask.
"I've come to you to have my fortune told. I want to see if there are any taboos I should have tomorrow, and I also want to know how to resolve this matter."
Gu Sidu already had a plan in mind. His colleagues told him that this was the boss's old trick. The reason the boss was targeting Gu Sidu was because Gu Sidu had not given the boss any gifts. If he had given gifts, and given them properly, the matter would have been resolved peacefully.
His colleague spoke of this in a very secretive manner, looking around before specifically asking Gu Sidu, "Did you notice? Isn't someone missing from this room today?"
Gu Sidu looked around and, sure enough, one of his fellow Jinshi graduates was missing. His colleague pointed at him and said, "This is the person who gave the official a huge gift, and he didn't even show up. Look at yourself, aren't you at a disadvantage?"
Is there really such a big difference? Gu Sidu couldn't believe it at all. He looked at the empty seat, then at his colleague, and said, "Did you give a gift or not?"
His colleague stammered, his face also turning red. Finally, he lowered his voice and whispered, "They must have given some, but not much. One hundred taels of silver, plus some rare treasures."
One hundred taels!
Gu Sidu's eyes widened. He had invited a deity like Jiang Yufan, and Chenxiang Temple only asked him for one hundred taels of silver. What was this Hanlin Academy clerk anyway? One hundred taels was a huge sum in the eyes of officials like them. In ordinary families, one tael of silver could last a year. Could this clerk possibly spend one hundred taels?
If his colleague still had to come to show up after spending a hundred taels of silver, Gu Sidu dared not even think about what would happen to those who were lying at home and didn't come. His colleague's words echoed in his ears: giving gifts could avert disaster. In the future, they would all be in the Hanlin Academy anyway, seeing each other all the time. Giving up that much money for a lifetime of prosperity and leisure was still a worthwhile deal.
But then Gu Sidu thought of the cold and distant face the person in charge had given him.
Gu Sidu shivered; he was not about to bow his head.
But on his way home, he was filled with worry again, wondering whether to bow his head or not.
Gu Sidu decided to ask Jiang Yufan, to consult the Bodhisattva. He wanted to calculate whether his deal was worthwhile, whether the money he had thrown out would yield any return. He looked at Jiang Yufan with great anticipation, placing all his hopes on her.
Despite the hopes placed upon her, Jiang Yufan did not show any sign of enlightenment after hearing Gu Sidu's words. She took out a tortoise shell from her bag and said to Gu Sidu, "I can't help you, why don't you try throwing the tortoise shell around?"
"Do all you Bodhisattvas tell fortunes like this?" Gu Sidu didn't understand these things. He thought Jiang Yufan was amazing. She could answer countless questions with just a casual toss. She was indeed different from ordinary people like them.
Jiang Yufan noticed the blind longing in Gu Sidu's eyes. She sighed and said to Gu Sidu, "We don't do fortune telling like this. Only I do it. I'm a fake bodhisattva. I don't know how to tell fortunes, that's why I do it this way."
Gu Sidu remained silent for a long time, then looked at the tortoise shell in front of him and prepared to throw it into the air.
Gu Sidu couldn't understand the tortoise shell that had fallen down, and neither could Jiang Yufan, so they couldn't answer Gu Sidu's questions. Jiang Yufan finally tried another method: she took out the Holy Grail, turned it upside down, and handed the dice to Gu Sidu.
"What you need to do is tell the gods your name and all your questions and doubts. Then throw out what you are holding. If one comes up and the other comes down, it means the gods have granted your wish. If both come down, it means they have rejected it."
This is relatively easy, and Jiang Yufan doesn't need to do anything.
Gu Sidu thought it was feasible. He followed Jiang Yufan to the deity, silently recited his thoughts, and then threw out what he was holding. He clasped his hands together, nervously watching the outcome that was to come.
Finally, the dice landed, one head and one tail.
After looking at the result and pondering for a while, Gu Sidu sighed, as if he had made up his mind.
"What do you want?" Jiang Yufan asked, "A gift or not?"
"It's a gift. Perhaps what my colleagues said to me is true. Sending some money over will make the person in charge less arrogant, and it will make my future days easier."
However, this way of being an official was not the right path that Gu Sidu envisioned. Jiang Yufan thought that Gu Sidu would at least choose not to give gifts, but Gu Sidu chose to give gifts, which surprised Jiang Yufan. Watching Gu Sidu leave after getting his answer, she stood by the door for a long, long time.
"Is the Buddhist nun not satisfied with this answer?" Dao Yun was puzzled. Jiang Yu Fan was worried that she would expose herself, but now that she had overcome the first hurdle, why was she not happy?
“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied, it’s that I feel Gu Sidu shouldn’t be the one to choose the gift.”
Gu Sidu is going to deliver the gift tomorrow, so Jiang Yufan put away the dice and the Holy Grail and took out the tortoise shell again.
"Buddha Maiden, what are you doing?" Dao Yun was stunned. Could it be that Jiang Yu Fan wanted to tell fortunes on a night like this?
"It's nothing, I was just checking if the tortoise shell needs cleaning. You go to sleep first." Jiang Yufan smiled at Daoyun. She held the tortoise shell, and what she really wanted to do was have her fortune told again. She didn't know if she was accurate, but she wanted to try.
You have to try before you can give up.
That night, the answer that Gui Ke gave to Jiang Yufan was the opposite of the answer given to Gu Sidu.
"As expected, I'm still a fake bodhisattva, even this prediction is inaccurate." Jiang Yufan smiled helplessly. She raised her head, looked at the gentle bodhisattva in her room, and finally put away the tortoise shells, hiding the answer in her heart.
The answer from a true Bodhisattva is always better than the answer from this false Bodhisattva; we should listen to the answer from a true Bodhisattva.
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