Chapter 42: Xiangyue Hears the Song and Frightens the Military Camp; Great Virtue of Xuyun Blesses Anyang
At the end of the lunar calendar, Luo Guoyun summoned all his soldiers back to his base camp, more than 60 miles from Anyang City. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were stationed there, preparing to reorganize.
When Xiao Xiangyue was sixteen, he'd been to the military camp and loved the life there. He'd only stayed two nights, and it still hadn't been enough. This time, with plenty of time, he didn't sleep in. As soon as Luo Guyun got up, he jumped out, energetic, and joined the soldiers for a run across the playground, facing the rising sun. Luo Guyun held meetings with the generals day and night, and he stayed up late with them. No matter how late the meetings ended, Xiao Xiangyue would always be waiting for him in the barracks with the lights on.
After morning exercises, everyone ate breakfast in the cafeteria. Breakfast in the military camp was simple: a large pot of porridge and steamed buns with pickles. Luo Guoyun and Xiao Xiangyue sat in a corner, watching him eat with such relish, feeling both relieved and sad. She whispered, "I feel so bad for letting Yue'er accompany you through all these days, all the hardship and suffering..." Xiao Xiangyue glared at him and said, "Brother Yun works so hard day and night, and Yue'er can't help much. How can I feel at ease if I can't even be with you?"
Yi Shui and Adjutant Lin were sitting at another table, teasing, "You two are showing off your affection again! Can you give us singles a chance to survive?" Xiao Xiangyue was bewildered, while Luo Guyun laughed heartily, "Big Brother has been feeling a little upset lately, Yue'er, ignore him!"
A few days passed like this. That evening, Luo Guyun was still discussing matters with the soldiers. Xiao Xiangyue composed a piece of music for a while, then felt a little tired. So, he and his close follower, Secretary Fang, went for a walk in the grove next to the barracks.
Several young soldiers were sitting in the woods chatting. Xiao Xiangyue was almost a national idol with many fans. Although they lived in the barracks, the soldiers rarely had the opportunity to meet him privately. Seeing him at this moment, some of the brave ones came forward with notebooks to ask for his autograph. The others also gathered around. One of them was the army's bugler, and he said excitedly: "The military song that the teacher wrote for us is really magical! Once we were surrounded by the Japanese army, and the enemy was numerous and we were few. In the crisis, I played the military song with the bugle, and the soldiers sang loudly, and each of them bravely moved forward, rushing towards the enemy with bayonets. The Japanese invaders were frightened by our momentum and fled in panic..."
The army may change but the camp remains the same. More than ten years have passed and soldiers have been replaced one after another. However, the scene of Xiao Xiangyue beating drums and teaching military songs in the parade ground has been passed down from generation to generation and described as miraculous.
A soldier said, "It's a pity that I was born too late. I didn't get to see you beat the drum with my own eyes. It's really a pity..."
Seeing these young soldiers so fond of her music, Xiao Xiangyue was delighted. She had considered agreeing to play the drums for them another day, but then she remembered hearing from Brother Yun this morning that the troops had been reorganized and were planning to return to Anyang City the next day. She said, "This piece, 'Wu Yi,' if played on the pipa, would be just as powerful as the drums, with a thunderous force..." She said to Secretary Fang, who was accompanying her, "Please ask Secretary Fang to go to the barracks and fetch Yue'er's pipa. I'll play a piece for everyone on the pipa."
Luo Guoyun was busy with military duties and instructed those around him not to leave Xiao Xiangyue's side. Secretary Fang hesitated for a moment, then, thinking that the trip to and from the barracks would only take a few minutes, and seeing that Xiao Xiangyue was happily chatting with the soldiers, he agreed to leave.
Everyone gathered around him excitedly, chattering aloud. One soldier said, "My favorite is Mr.'s 'On the Qingyi River.' Every time I hear it, I think of my distant home and parents, and tears well up..." The bugler said, "A wanderer longs for home the most. I love this song too. When I sing it when I'm homesick, my parents' faces and smiles seem to be right before my eyes..." As he spoke, he pulled a harmonica from his pocket and began to play. The soldiers joined in softly, the poignant and sorrowful melody expressing the endless longing of those displaced by war for their homeland and loved ones.
Xiao Xiangyue felt as if struck by lightning, covering her ears with her hands and stumbling back a few steps. Just as the meeting was ending, she faintly heard the sound of music, and, somewhat worried, she came looking for him, Luo Guyun. Without stopping, she grabbed the man and broke into a run, covering several hundred meters in one breath.
Luo Guyun was dragged forward, trying to stop several times, calling out urgently, "Yue'er! Yue'er!" Xiao Xiangyue turned a deaf ear to him and continued running desperately. Unable to stop, Luo Guyun used a grappling move, tripping him and rolling with him, both of them falling to the grass beside the road. Xiao Xiangyue was still struggling desperately, terrified, "Brother Yun... Yue'er is scared! Save Yue'er!" She spat a mouthful of blood onto his chest.
Luo Guyun picked him up and ran across the playground at the speed of a 100-meter sprint. He rushed to the barracks and yelled, "Prepare the car! Return to the city!"
It took two or three hours to get from the military camp to the city. Xiao Xiangyue couldn't stop the blood boiling, and spat out two mouthfuls of black blood. Luo Guyun hugged him, his voice distorted with fear, and he kept calling out, "Yue'er! Yue'er! How are you..." He deeply regretted his carelessness again! He didn't let Sun Mu come to the military camp with him.
He'd been traveling around a lot these past few days, constantly worried. Wherever he went, he'd have Sun Mu accompany him, and everything had gone smoothly. After returning to base camp, he felt more relaxed, confident that nothing would happen again. He had to attend to matters related to the construction of several new hospitals in the city, so Sun Mu stayed in Anyang City to hand over the relevant matters to Qin Xiao.
After spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood, Xiao Xiangyue regained consciousness. Although her breath was weak, her voice was clear: "Yue'er is fine, Brother Yun, don't worry... It was Yue'er who asked Secretary Fang to leave, so don't punish him and the soldiers... Let everyone rest after returning to the mansion..."
Luo Guyun just gave an order. All the guards, adjutants, and secretaries dared not delay for a moment and quickly assembled. Two military vehicles led the way, followed by more than a dozen vehicles at the back, and drove towards the city at lightning speed. Luo Guyun knew that he must be feeling uneasy because of the large number of troops mobilized in the middle of the night. He was also very careful, afraid that he would vent his anger on others. But seeing that he was thinking clearly and thinking carefully, he had obviously regained his consciousness. His heart finally relaxed a little, and he hugged him tightly and said, "Yue'er, don't talk anymore. Talking is stressful. Close your eyes for a while. Don't be afraid... Brother will take you home soon..."
It was already early morning when the car arrived at the Luo residence. Sun Mu had already received the news and was waiting at the door with Qin Xiao, Dean Lin, and others. Without waiting for the car to stop, he jumped in, grabbed her hand to feel her pulse, and asked anxiously, "How is Yue'er feeling?"
"Yue'er is fine, but my head... is exploding with pain..." Luo Guyun had been massaging his head the entire way, but it was of no use. Sun Mu took out a silver needle and quickly inserted it into his neck just below his earlobe. Xiao Xiangyue's head tilted and he immediately lost consciousness. Luo Guyun was shocked: "Brother... this..." Sun Mu said: "Take Yue'er back to the room and we'll talk first."
Qionghua heard that the young master had been in trouble again, and she and her servants were waiting at the gate. They saw Luo Guyun, his uniform covered in blood, rushing into the house with the unconscious young master in his arms. She was so frightened that she wiped away her tears and kept muttering, "Heaven, earth, the land bodhisattva, all the gods, are you blind? Why do you always make my young master suffer..."
Seeing Luo Guyun put the person down on the bed and carefully cover him with the quilt, and seeing Xiao Xiangyue looking peaceful, Sun Mu breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly explained, "Secretary Fang from the military camp has just called and informed us of Yue'er's condition. Dr. Kobe is right. Repeated stimulation of the brain nerves can cause even the strongest people to experience symptoms of madness. When Yue'er was running recklessly, his mind was already in a state of chaos. Fortunately, Brother Yun was by his side and woke him up in time. He vomited black blood again to prevent the phlegm from clouding his mind. But there is no way to relieve this headache. Yue'er has been running wildly and vomiting blood, which has seriously damaged his vitality. If he continues to suffer, his mind and spirit will be exhausted, and his life span will be shortened. It would be better to let him sleep to at least protect his heart meridian..."
Seeing his frown and worry, she explained in detail: "Although this will damage the nerves, it is also a last resort. We should choose the lesser of two evils! But the sleeping time cannot be too long. There are still three or four hours before dawn. I will remove the needle at dawn. When Yue'er wakes up, she will feel a little less headache. With the help of medicine and gradual conditioning, she may recover..."
Luo Guyun was extremely impressed: "Thank you, big brother, for your thorough consideration." But he also felt annoyed: "Life in the military camp is hard. I didn't want Yue'er to follow me. After all, I felt that I could only feel at ease if she was under my watchful eye. I didn't expect that something would still happen! It's all my fault. I was on guard against everything. Thinking that I was back in my own territory, I was careless..." He stroked Xiao Xiangyue's peaceful sleeping face and said in a hoarse voice: "It will be over soon... Yue'er, just hold on a little longer. I promise that from now on, I will never let you get hurt..."
No one slept all night. At dawn, Sun Mu removed the needles, and Xiao Xiangyue slowly awoke. Though still weak, she could barely sit up. Qin Xiao brought a decoction of thousand-year-old wild ginseng, ganoderma lucidum, and agrimony. Luo Guyun fed him half a bowl, and he finally regained some energy.
At daybreak, the sound of chanting sutras could be heard from the courtyard. Luo Guoyun was about to ask what was going on when Qionghua, standing at the doorway, shouted, "Master, our young master has returned to Anyang three times, and each time something bad has happened! Qionghua, fearing that something unclean might have offended the young master, sent someone to Famen Temple overnight to invite an old monk, whose name is...Xuyun, to perform a ritual in the mansion to pray for the young master, dispel disasters, and exorcise evil spirits. I heard that this old monk can pray for snow during the dog days of summer, and it's quite effective!"
Luo Guoyun was both surprised and amused... Abbot Xuyun was over a hundred years old, a renowned and accomplished monk with followers throughout China and abroad. He rarely ventured out of seclusion, so it was surprising that a servant had invited him to his residence so early in the morning. He was truly amused. Abbot Xuyun was a leading figure in the Zen Buddhism, highly respected, and even the chairman treated him with respect, addressing him as "Master Xuyun." Qionghua, however, kept calling him "Old Monk" so loudly that even those outside the courtyard could hear him. Those who didn't know would have thought the Luo family had broken their rules...
Thinking carefully, what Qionghua said seemed to be true... When Yue'er returned to the old house for the first time at the age of sixteen, she fainted and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. At the age of twenty, she was seriously injured and almost died. Now, something happened again in their own base camp... Luo Guyun didn't believe in religion, let alone ghosts and gods. He thought, "Who cares if there's any evil spirit at work? I only believe that man can conquer nature. I vow to keep Yue'er safe and sound! It doesn't matter whether the ritual is performed or not. There won't be a next time anyway..."
Xiao Xiangyue's complexion brightened slightly after drinking half a bowl of the powerfully invigorating medicinal decoction. Luo Guyun, reflecting on his exhausting journey home last night and the cold sweats he'd broken, saw him feeling better, so he carried him to the tub and gave him a medicinal bath. After a refreshing wash and a change of soft, comfortable home clothes, he let him recline against the headboard while he sat on the edge, chatting idly.
Xiao Xiangyue looked at Luo Guyun, who hadn't slept all night, with bloodshot eyes, and felt very distressed. She hugged him to her chest, gently stroked his cheek, and whispered, "I always make Brother Yun worry and frighten him. Yue'er feels really bad..." Luo Guyun enjoyed this comfort and simply leaned on her chest and acted coquettishly, "Isn't it true? Every time Yue'er has something, half of my life is gone. So, for brother, Yue'er must be well..."
The two were in love. Sun Mu came to the door carrying a bowl of medicinal food, coughed, and smiled with his hands covering his mouth: "Look! Commander-in-Chief Luo's way of coaxing people... It's like a monk digging a hole in the wall, the temple (clever) is so clever! No wonder Yue'er was coaxed into falling in love with you..."
Luo Guyun pointed to the heavens and swore, "Every word I said to Yue'er came from the bottom of my heart! Big Brother, you used the word 'coax' inappropriately! Could it be that... Big Brother Sun is also like Big Brother Yi, envious and jealous of Yue'er and me?"
Xiao Xiangyue burst out laughing. "Brother Yun, why are you so talkative today? You're even blaming the two elder brothers!" Luo Guyun said aggrievedly, "When Yue'er dragged me away last night, I was scared to death! ...By the way, what's the reason for Yue'er being like that?"
A trace of fear flashed across Xiao Xiangyue's eyes, and her body trembled. She couldn't help but hold his hand tightly. After a moment's hesitation, she finally said, "When Yue'er ran, some images appeared in my mind... It was as if... someone died in front of me... There was a lot of blood... There were human organs and corpses soaked in potions everywhere... It was as if I was in a gloomy and dark cave..."
Sun Mu took a deep breath and realized Luo Guyun's good intentions.
Last night, after Xiao Xiangyue had run away and said, "Save Yue'er," Luo Guyun had guessed he'd been thinking of something. He also knew his nature well; he'd always keep things to himself. If he didn't get him to talk about it, it would just become another knot in his heart. He'd been planning all morning, trying to subtly bring up the topic.
Luo Guyun laughed and said, "Scenes like this only appear in movies... Yue'er must be dreaming, right?" Sun Mu also echoed, "When people are nervous or extremely weak, they will have hallucinations. The situation Yue'er described is probably an illusion in her mind..." Xiao Xiangyue thought about it, feeling a little embarrassed, and smiled, "Well, Yue'er is still too timid! I was confused at the time, and then I heard Brother Yun calling me and holding me and falling on the grass, I knew it must be a dream!"
Qionghua came to the bedroom door and said loudly, "Young Master, the old monk said he wants to see the person who came to pray for blessings and touch his head to bless him and ward off disasters. I'm afraid you can't see outsiders, so why don't you turn it down?"
Luo Guyun thought to himself that since Master Xuyun had already arrived at his residence, it would be inappropriate not to meet him, so he said, "Go and tell Master Xuyun that the person who came to pray for me is unwell and may not be able to come. Ask him to wait while I go to meet him." Xiao Xiangyue also knew Master Xuyun and said quickly, "I have specially troubled you to come to my residence to pray for me. It would be impolite if you don't even greet me. Yue'er is feeling much better now. Let's go and meet him together, Brother Yun."
Luo Guyun took off his comfortable home clothes and changed into formal attire for meeting guests. Xiao Xiangyue also wanted to change clothes, but Luo Guyun quickly took out a thick cloak and covered him with it, stopping him and saying, "We are in our own courtyard and will not be leaving the house. Yue'er is still sick, so there is no need to be so formal." This cloak was made on the tenth anniversary of their marriage. They specially asked a textile factory in Shanghai to weave several pieces of fine brocade using new technology, and invited a famous embroiderer from Suzhou to embroider a pattern of clouds and moons on the brocade. She made several sets of clothes for each person. The remaining fabric was used to make a cloak, which was exquisite and elegant, low-key yet gorgeous. Later in September, Xiao Xiangyue disappeared, and the cloak had never been used since it was made.
An incense table was set up in the courtyard, and a veil was hung. A dozen monks, draped in crimson robes, lined up, holding instruments and chanting. A gaunt old monk sat upright on a cushion in front of the table, his eyes closed as he recited sutras.
Luo Guyun, holding Xiao Xiangyue's hand, stepped forward quickly, bowed, and said, "I didn't know that Master would visit my humble home. I apologize for not welcoming you."
Master Xuyun's hair was all white, and his appearance was haggard. When he closed his eyes in meditation, he looked like a dead tree, lifeless. But when he opened his eyes, they were bright and radiant, and he didn't look like a centenarian at all. His gaze fell on Xiao Xiangyue, and he stared at him intently, as if in a trance.
Xiao Xiangyue was used to the spotlight, and she held herself in high esteem, her demeanor composed and composed. Luo Guoyun followed Master Xuyun's gaze, unable to look away for a moment... Yue'er's beauty lay not only in her skin but also in her bones. Despite her illness, her stunningly beautiful features remained undimmed, and paired with this dark embroidered brocade cape, she appeared even more graceful and elegant... He thought to himself, "Don't Buddhists say that even the most delicate face is but a skeleton covered in flesh?" It seems the appreciation of beauty, from ancient times to the present, has remained the same for all people...
"Thank you for coming here all night, Master. Please come in and have a cup of hot tea." Luo Guyun raised his voice.
Master Xuyun seemed to have finally come to his senses after a moment of trance. He stood up and bowed, clasping his hands together. "Amitabha! Thank you, General Luo... I apologize for my rudeness! I just observed Mr. Xiao's face and saw that he is blessed with great fortune and is naturally blessed by the gods. How could I dare to bless him and eliminate his misfortunes? It would be presumptuous..."
Luo Guoyun had long heard that Master Xuyun was an enlightened being, able to see the past and the future. Hearing the underlying reason behind his words, he intrigued and asked, "Master, what do you mean by that?" Xuyun replied, "Amitabha! Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed..." Luo Guoyun smiled brightly and said, "It's freezing outside. Please come inside and sit down for a chat."
Several people sat down in the main hall. Luo Guoyun ordered a cup of Da Hong Pao tea to be served. Master Xuyun, a native of Fujian, took a sip and exclaimed, "Excellent tea! This kind of top-quality tea only produces two or three taels a year, right?" Luo Guoyun smiled and said, "If this tea is still acceptable to you, Master, I'll have some left in the mansion and send it to Famen Temple later."
Xuyun's unfathomable eyes scrutinized the two men and said, "Amitabha! No reward without merit. Both of you are blessed by the gods. I, with my limited skills, would be embarrassed to show off my skills in front of you."
Luo Guoyun thought to himself, this old monk, every word he said was full of hidden meanings, he was quite good at keeping people in suspense... Just as he was about to speak again, Xiao Xiangyue stood up and saluted: "I have long heard that the master is compassionate and has the country at heart. In the past, the Dharma assemblies were all for the benefit of the people of the world, eliminating disasters and difficulties... Today, you have worked so hard for me, and I am truly unworthy. Please accept Xiangyue's greeting." Xuyun hurriedly returned the greeting: "Amitabha! I am so humble! Donor Xiao has a spiritual mind and wisdom, and is a natural talent. Although I am of limited virtue and can do nothing for you, I will recite sutras every day from now on, praying to the Buddha to bless you with peace, success, and a long and happy life."
Luo Guoyun remembered that year at Hanshan Temple, Abbot Nengjing had said the same thing, saying that extreme wisdom would lead to harm. He was a little frightened. He hurriedly asked, "Master, do you mean to bless Yue'er to live a hundred years like you?"
Xuyun said, "Amitabha! That's not true... Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven. The lifespan of people in this world is predetermined and cannot be changed..." Luo Guyun said, "Then according to Master, what is Yue'er's lifespan?"
"Amitabha! Although the secret of heaven cannot be revealed. My surname is Xiao, and I have a connection with donor Xiao..." He took Luo Guyun's hand and wrote a string of numbers on his palm.
Luo Guyun was most worried about Xiao Xiangyue's health, fearing he wouldn't be able to live out his life with her. He calculated that Yue'er was already twenty-nine years old. While she wouldn't live to be a hundred, if she could live to the lifespan the master had promised, she still had fifty more years to live, which was truly satisfying. He was overjoyed: "Master, your kindness is beyond measure. I will donate one hundred thousand dollars to Famen Temple in Yue'er's name as a token of my gratitude."
"I do not want any reward. I came to your house to ask for a favor from you..." Xuyun said, trembling and about to kneel down. Luo Guoyun hurriedly supported him: "Master, please stand up quickly! Your kneeling will shorten my lifespan..."
Master Xuyun took his hand and wrote the word "go" on it. Luo Guoyun was startled again. His plan to leave would never be revealed. It seemed that Master Xuyun was truly a man of great skill. Ordinary people could not hide from him. He laughed and said, "Master, please tell me what you want. As long as I can do it, I will definitely grant it."
Xuyun clasped his hands together and said solemnly, "Amitabha! Thanks to the general's protection, although China has been plagued by frequent wars and countless lives lost in the past few years, our city of Anyang has been spared from the flames of war and the ravages of the Japanese invaders, and the people of this area have been kept safe. I cannot express my gratitude for this great favor... Now that war is about to break out again, I am worried about the many ancient monuments in Anyang. These precious buildings and historical relics are all treasures left by our ancestors. The Buddha's relics are even buried under the pagoda of Famen Temple. If the war ever reaches Anyang, no matter where the general is, I hope that since Xuyun has come to your house to plead with you, you will prioritize peace and not let even a single shell fall on Anyang. If the hard work of our ancestors is destroyed in war, we will become sinners for all eternity!"
Luo Guoyun was certain that Master Xuyun had come so quickly at night for a reason. It turned out he feared Anyang would be ravaged by war after his departure. He was moved by the thought that, at over a hundred years old, he still cared so deeply about his country and his people. He said solemnly, "Master, rest assured. I have no intention of getting involved in factional disputes. No matter where I am in the future, I will not allow a single brick or tile of Anyang to be destroyed by artillery fire, nor will I abandon the people of Anyang."
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