Chapter 6 reveals a deep and calculating nature.
"This act is contrary to human ethics, disloyal and unfilial, and can be described as a great transgression against the world. The court was in an uproar, opinions were boiling, and memorials flooded into the Qianqing Palace to try to find out the emperor's intentions. Among them were many royalists and reformers. But the new emperor treated everyone equally and kept them all in the palace without reporting them."
"Amid the grim situation, rumors began to circulate in Yanjing, one of which pointed directly to the female Grand Tutor who assisted the new emperor in ascending the throne."
"It is claimed that the mastermind behind all the new emperor's actions since his ascension to the throne is the Celestial Master Yue Yining. The new emperor has long been brainwashed by her with mystical arts and has become her puppet, which is why he has done things that violate ethics. The Yue family's ambition is obvious, and they intend to take advantage of the instability of the country to seize the imperial power!"
"At the height of public outcry, the fourth prince, Wei Jing, under the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials,' led his troops into the capital, forcing the new emperor to issue an edict of abdication. He also imprisoned the Grand Preceptor, Yue Yining, as the ringleader of the crime."
Xie Yunying was shocked: "Then the female lead is...!"
System: "Yue Yining was subjected to torture and interrogation for over a month, enduring severe beatings and being locked in a secret room for extended periods, kept alive with only the bare minimum of food. The torture ranged from the lightest finger-crushing to the heaviest whipping... I won't go into the details with the host. In short, the female lead was practically unrecognizable after being tortured, her body covered in blood and bruised beyond recognition. Yet even in such a state, she refused to confess. Until the new emperor ascended the throne and ordered her to be given a cup of poisoned wine."
"The story ends abruptly here. The female protagonist ultimately becomes infamous and dies in prison."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunying was taken aback.
Besides the common emotions of being "shocked by the ending of the story" and "feeling sorry for the heroine's plight," another thought arose in her mind—she was curious about Yue Yining's character and this person who was at the center of the world.
Aside from her desire to profit from the speculative activities, she also felt inexplicably moved as she listened to the system's brief summary.
She asked her question, and at the same time, she felt a beam of moonlight illuminating the dark night.
"...System, what kind of person is the female lead?"
The system did not answer. The blue electronic chip condensed into a book in mid-air, with a thick and elegant cover and slightly yellowed and wrinkled pages. The book slowly landed in Xie Yunying's open hands. "Instead of asking me about everything, it's better for the host to learn about her slowly from the book."
"Anyway, there's still plenty of time. According to the original plot, the struggle for the throne between the two dragons will only begin after this drought in the north. The female lead, Yue Yining, is probably still lying low somewhere."
The system said a lot, but Xie Yunying just stared at the book in her hand and said, "Why don't you just give me an electronic version?"
Why bother with paper books? She hasn't read a book in ages! Besides, this is completely unnecessary!
Xie Yunying: "Shouldn't it be like that, where I can close my eyes and recall the contents of a book, and with a thought, I can flip through the pages in my mind?"
System: "......." What the heck?
"Host, we can't do that technically right now..."
“If the systems in other books can do it, why can’t you?” Xie Yunying clicked her tongue. “Your technology is no good.”
system:"......."
Just as the system was feeling frustrated, the maid Bitao's voice called again from outside the door. This time, her voice was trembling with panic: "Miss! Someone from Madam's side has arrived. They say that dinner is already being served in the front hall, and after dinner, Madam will come to Qiufang Courtyard to speak with you. You really need to get up now..."
Xie Yunying knew she couldn't avoid it, so she quickly stuffed the book under her pillow.
She sighed: "...I'm already up, please come in."
The wooden door swung open, revealing a blood-red sunset outside, with clouds and rosy hues creating a dazzling spectacle.
Before Xie Yunying's eyes could see, the maids had already surged over the threshold.
Before she was surrounded by people, she glanced outside one last time and saw a cherry tree in full bloom, its blossoms as white as snow.
......
In the secluded courtyard, the summer mat is cool and refreshing; pomegranate blossoms bloom everywhere, their light shining through the curtains.
Early in the morning, Yue Yining woke up from the heat in bed. Her mind clearing, she got up fully clothed, still a little groggy, but then she spotted a figure outside the door, seemingly waiting for her, motionless. Recognizing the figure, she quickly said, "Please come in."
The person responded and pushed open the door, causing Yue Yining to freeze in shock.
"...Why is it you?"
A crescent-white hem brushed past the threshold as Ayu, carrying a basin of water, entered the house. Her long hair reached her waist and was tied up on the side with a worn-out gray wooden hairpin.
From a distance, it appears as if the ink-black waterfall is abruptly blocked by protruding jagged rocks as it washes over the snow-covered cliffs.
Ayu placed the basin on the footstool, handed her a towel, and her dark eyes curved slightly: "Miss Fu went out early this morning."
Yue Yining frowned slightly: "She went out to... ah." She remembered that the rice and flour stored at home seemed to be almost used up, so Fu Yao probably went to the early market.
Ayu: "She told me to wait outside so I could hear her if she called me. She also said that she might not need me, as she might not get up so early."
Yue Yining was wiping her face with a handkerchief when she heard this and her movements froze.
"...Cough, I don't usually get up that late, do I?" Yue Yining became increasingly guilty as she spoke, but still tried to explain in a low voice, "Although today was definitely the earliest I've ever gotten up..."
Yue Yining thought she would be laughed at, since her little maid usually treated her like that. But when she looked up, she found that Ayu wasn't laughing; she was just kneeling in front of her, quietly watching her.
Although it was quiet, she felt as if she were being entangled by a python.
He slightly raised his chin, with the east turning white behind him, the dawn breaking through the clouds, and the light seeping through the bamboo and wood crevices falling into his eyes as he looked at her.
Those ebony-colored pupils shone brightly, bathed in a clear light, only when they looked at her. When she lowered her head, she could see her reflection in them.
Yue Yining paused.
Here it comes again, that indescribable sense of unease.
She heard Ayu ask, "Miss, are you going to Jinling today?"
Last night, while we were eating in the courtyard, Fu Yao mentioned it briefly. Yue Yining took the teacup he offered and nodded, "Yes, I'll go after breakfast."
Ayu: "I want to go with Miss."
She paused in stirring the tea leaves in the bowl. Yue Yining looked up at him, and he met her gaze, saying gently, "I heard from Miss Fu that you're going to buy tea and oil and wax. At this time of year, the weather is scorching hot, and going into the city requires you to stand under the sun for half a day, which is quite tiring."
"I was thinking that if I accompanied Miss on this trip, I could get to know the shops where I could buy things, and then I could go into town on Miss's behalf."
These words were sincere and touching.
Yue Yining raised her wrist slightly and continued to stir the tea leaves in the bowl. She didn't reply, but instead said, "Yao Yao didn't tell you everything. Actually, I was planning to buy some consumables for divination."
Unlike most Taoist masters who specialize in one particular art, Yue Yining has had a particular fondness for studying various unorthodox arts since the day she came into contact with the Five Arts. The most common divination methods among the people are Zi Wei Dou Shu, Liu Ren Shen Ke, and Bazi Si Zhu, which correspond to the people's daily divination needs, namely, predicting fortune, events, and destiny.
An ordinary Taoist master only needs to know a few main divination methods to be able to roam freely. However, Yue Yining usually stays in his room to study a wider variety of divination methods, including astrology, divination by divination, the I Ching, Plum Blossom Divination, Qimen Dunjia, Taiyi Shenshu, oracle bone divination, and so on.
“I do a wide variety of divinations on a regular basis, and I have very few materials for some categories on hand. A few days ago, I lost a very important piece of material and had to go and buy it again.”
When Yue Yining mentioned "losing a very important material," A Yu's smile remained unchanged, but the light in her eyes dimmed, the warmth melted away, and a frosty hue appeared.
"...There are some things that are difficult for me to teach you how to choose, so I still have to go into the city myself." Yue Yining hesitated for a moment, saw the man lower his eyes slightly, and finally sighed in her heart, "...If you want to come with me, then come with me."
Ayu smiled and said, "Then I will help Miss change her clothes."
As dawn breaks, the sun's heat is already intense. The courtyard is surrounded by bamboo and trees, with tall locust trees and willows forming dense, overlapping ridges, making the daytime scenery much more pleasant and inviting a refreshing breeze.
The window framed a patch of summer scenery. Ayu stood in front of the wardrobe, her profile beautiful and handsome, the line from her brow bone to the tip of her nose resembling a snow-capped mountain range.
Yue Yining snapped out of her daze. The scene before her eyes overlapped with the one where Fu Yao had chosen clothes for her before she last entered the city. The biggest difference was their heights. Ayu was tall and slender, standing in the room like a jade mountain.
Yue Yining originally wanted to say that she could wear it herself, but looking into the eyes that were staring at her, she inexplicably agreed.
If she remembered correctly, men from outside the household were not even allowed to eat at the same table as young women, let alone serve as their personal attendants.
She had practiced at the Heavenly Temple, where the separation of men and women was not as strictly observed as in the secular world, and she maintained this even after leaving the temple. So why did he act so naturally towards her? Had he forgotten the manners he had been taught over the past decade or so, having lost his memory...?
As Yue Yining pondered, Ayu's voice came from the other end, as gentle as a spring breeze: "What color does Miss plan to wear today? Green or white?"
Ayu asked this because Yue Yining didn't have many clothes, and even fewer colors—only two or three. Yue Yining: "Blue, I guess."
Ayu retrieved the leftmost blue cloud-sleeved robe. Yue Yining sensed her approaching, and as she lifted her eyes, the person before her knelt down. Caught off guard, she was met with a gentle and handsome face. He was smiling, a smile that rivaled the brilliance of the sun.
Ayu said gently, "The last time Miss went to Jinling, she was also wearing blue."
Yue Yining was captivated by his appearance and was momentarily dazed before regaining her senses: "...I don't have many clothes to begin with."
Ayu: "Why don't you wear bright colors?"
Yue Yining said casually, "A Taoist priest, if he dresses too flamboyantly, will be less convincing." Of course, the most important point is that the two of them, master and servant, had spent far more time traveling than settling down. If they dressed too ostentatiously while traveling, they would be more likely to attract unexpected disasters.
"But I think you would look beautiful if you wore bright colors."
Yue Yining composed herself. She wasn't the kind of girl who would blush when praised, but such a direct compliment left her momentarily speechless. Fortunately, Ayu didn't seem to expect a response from her and continued, "Where did you and Miss Fu stay before coming to Jiulian Town?"
Yue Yining relaxed slightly: "Before Jiulian Town, we came from the Jiangnan region, which is..."
As she spoke, Ayu placed his outer robe on the low table, next to which was a wooden cabinet. He pulled open the bottom bamboo drawer and took out a pair of cotton socks.
Yue Yining noticed his movements and immediately understood.
"Wait! I can do this myself." She quickly stopped him, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "...Go to the kitchen and bring the breakfast over."
Yue Yining was tongue-tied; she couldn't think of a more tactful way to put it. Such obvious rejection and refusal would probably hurt the man's feelings.
The figure in front of him slowly lowered his hand, stood up, and said in a gentle voice, "Okay."
Yue Yining watched him leave the room, and as soon as the door closed, she quickly jumped out of bed, her pale arms grabbing her outer robe.
Before leaving, Fu Yao had not yet returned. Yue Yining left a note on the table and set off with A Yu.
The scorching sun beat down on the parched earth. Yue Yining accompanied Ayu to the gates of Jinling City. Looking around, she noticed that the queue was longer than ever before. On one side, nobles rode in carriages, their golden curtains and beaded veils billowing in the breeze; on the other, commoners wore straw sandals, their heads drenched in sweat under the blazing sun.
Wearing a bamboo hat with a veil, Yue Yining's face was hidden behind the white veil and not very clear, but there was a radiant body standing next to her that was not covered up, attracting everyone's attention wherever she went.
Yue Yining, who had been scrutinized countless times, regretted it: Why didn't she put a veil on this person before she left?
"Miss." Despite the sweltering heat, the person's voice was like a gentle breeze, bringing a sense of cool tranquility. "The guards said they need to check the tokens of everyone entering the city."
Yue Yining snapped back to reality: "Just follow me, and I'll show you."
Those entering the city before them all presented long, rectangular tokens made of pine wood, but Yue Yining produced a bronze token. The guard glanced at it briefly before gesturing for the two to pass together.
The coolness of the tunnel temporarily shielded her from the heat. Ayu lowered her eyes and, before Yue Yining put it away, caught a glimpse of the large character engraved in the center: "Heaven".
Just as she passed through the city gate, Yue Yining stopped in her tracks.
She turned her head, lifted a corner of the gauze curtain with one hand, and looked at Ayu with her obsidian-like eyes: "Let's split up. You go to the department store in the east of the city to buy the things we need for the house, and I'll go buy the materials for divination."
“I can accompany you, Miss…” Ayu’s words were interrupted by Yue Yining’s wave of her hand: “The things I need to buy are in the west of the city, which is too far. It will take a lot of time for the two of us to buy them and then drive back to the east of the city. It would be more efficient to go in two directions.”
"That's settled then. You go to the east side of the city, and I'll come find you at the bookstore after I've finished shopping."
Yue Yining deliberately avoided making eye contact with him. After speaking, she lowered the gauze curtain without waiting for his response, and the white mist instantly enveloped the person standing in the bright sunlight.
Yue Yining spoke fluently and freely, but in reality, she was anxiously waiting for his reaction.
Ayu didn't say anything, but replied gently as always, "Okay, I'll go right away."
The two parted ways. Yue Yining saw him walk away at the street corner, then immediately turned back and walked forward along the original main road.
The government office in Jinling was built in the center of the city, with six vermilion and gold doors and a high hipped roof. The gate tower was tall, with upturned eaves and a hanging plaque, and stone lions stood guard on both sides, glaring at passersby.
Yue Yining came to the door and saw that the planed willow wood planks had been polished smooth and nailed to the outer wall, on which government notices and announcements were posted.
Yue Yining scanned them one by one, examining them very carefully.
No.
How could there not be?
Yue Yining was completely baffled.
A large crowd had gathered in front of the notice. Yue Yining looked around and grabbed a passing guard. "Are all the missing person notices in the city here?"
Heibei waved his hand: "Look, that's all you see."
On the bustling street, Yue Yining's gaze swept past the crowds and landed on the densely packed notices, causing her to frown.
Yue Yining is a person who only appears to be kind and gentle.
Although she brought Ayu home and agreed to let him stay, she didn't completely trust him. Her agreement stemmed partly from the fact that the mystery of the divination from that day hadn't been solved, and partly from her desire to figure out Ayu's true intentions.
Was his strong desire to stay simply to repay a debt of gratitude, or did he have ulterior motives?
She acted as if she were going along with the flow, but secretly she kept an eye on Ayu, paying attention to his actions in the house. His behavior over the past two weeks made Yue Yining increasingly aware that this man was not simple.
His approach to the straightforward but disliked maid was to feign weakness. He never confronted Fu Yao directly, but instead gently appeased her, occasionally revealing his own mistakes in her presence. These mistakes were carefully chosen; he avoided doing anything extremely foolish or causing major trouble, opting instead for clumsy actions that most people would consider unwise. Coupled with his prompt admissions, humble demeanor, and courteous attitude, he avoided being annoying and instead lowered people's guard.
Such a simple approach was surprisingly successful, managing to make Fu Yao, who had previously made things difficult for him, start to like him.
Her naive little maid was foolish, but she wasn't.
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