Chapter 16 Imprisoning Ghost (Catching Bugs) His body resembled a weathered skeleton…
After a flurry of activity, it was already late at night. Zhou Yaren and Lu Bing had barely rested since yesterday and were exhausted and hungry. Fortunately, Lu Bing had the foresight to send a message home in advance, instructing his master to prepare a feast to entertain their distinguished guest.
Lu Bingjia lived in a slightly remote area, in a courtyard surrounded by three houses. In the southwest corner, he set aside a vegetable garden with a trellis for his grandmother, who was not very active, to grow eggplants, beans, melons, and fruits.
Withered vines entwined the trellis, with a shriveled melon hanging from one of them, and a lamp left on for Lu Bingwan's return home late at night.
Lu Bingxing led Zhou Yaren home excitedly, only to find two plates of green vegetables and tofu and a small dish of pickled radishes on the table. His face immediately fell, and he was about to pick a fight: "Dad! Dad! Didn't I tell you to prepare a feast?! How am I supposed to entertain our distinguished guests with such a meager meal!"
Zhou Yaren couldn't stop her in time.
Father Lu sat motionless in his room practicing calligraphy, his right hand steadily holding the pen, not even lifting his eyelids. He looked down on Lu Bing now, let alone the bunch of scoundrels that brat had befriended. They were lucky if they weren't lowly; how could they possibly be any noble?
Father Lu pretended to be deaf and dumb in his room, but he woke up Old Madam Lu, who was used to going to bed early. She put on her clothes, got out of bed, and opened the door: "What's going on?"
"Grandmother." Lu Bing turned around, wanting to complain about his father, but then pulled Zhou Yaren in front of the old lady Lu and said like a treasure, "Look who's here?"
Old Madam Lu looked up, staring at the tall, distinguished man before her. She blinked her dim, old eyes and couldn't help but exclaim, "Isn't this—Ya Ren?!"
Zhou Yaren bowed slightly and greeted her with proper courtesy: "Grandmother, are you well?"
Grandmother immediately beamed with joy and affectionately took his hand, saying, "Good, good, good! My old bones are still strong. I just never thought I'd get to see you again before I'm buried. Oh my, you're still so thin, just like before I passed away, you haven't gained an inch of weight..."
Lu Bing immediately seized the opportunity, first flattering her and then praising his father: "Grandmother, he came all the way from Chang'an to visit you. He traveled for two days, enduring wind and rain along the way, and has been working on a case with me since last night, barely having had a hot meal. How could he not be thin? But when he arrived at our house, he didn't even get a pot of warm wine, let alone a bite of meat—I even asked Father to prepare a feast to entertain our distinguished guest, but look at this! How can we be so neglectful? Are we not worthy of such hospitality?!"
Zhou Yaren glanced at Lu Bing and said, "Stop causing trouble. Just eat whatever you have."
Upon hearing who the visitor was, Lu's father couldn't contain himself and stood up. He quickly straightened his clothes, pushed open the door, and rushed forward to greet him, bowing with his hands clasped: "Lord Zhou, I truly didn't know it was you who graced my humble abode. I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly."
Zhou Yaren also replied politely, "Uncle, I have come here without informing you beforehand, which is already quite impolite..."
Father Lu waved his hands repeatedly: "Don't mention it, it's all because of that brat Lu Bing, he didn't explain it to me clearly..."
Lu Bing interjected, "Is it my fault?"
Father Lu turned his head and his expression changed, his eyes wide with anger as he scolded, "If I don't blame you, who else can I blame? You sent someone to deliver a message without even specifying who it was. If I had known it was a refined gentleman who came all the way from Chang'an..."
"Alright, Dad, stop going on and on. We're all still hungry."
"Yes, yes, please sit down. I'll go to the kitchen to warm up some wine and add a couple more dishes."
Before Zhou Yaren could politely decline, Father Lu hurried out, and Old Madam Lu reminded him, "Go to the chicken coop and catch the fattest one to roast."
As he rolled up his sleeves, Father Lu replied, "I know."
Seeing that they had gone to such lengths, Zhou Yaren quickly said, "There's no need to trouble you, Uncle. My visit is already a disturbance..."
Old Madam Lu gripped Zhou Yaren's hands tightly: "Why are you still talking to us about bothering us? If it weren't for you back then, would our Lu family still be alive to live this peaceful life? We left in such a hurry that we didn't even have time to properly thank you."
When the topic of those days came up, Madam Lu was quite emotional and began to reminisce with Zhou Yaren.
Lu Bing's father once served as an official in the capital. In a place like the capital where powerful and wealthy people were everywhere, Lu's father was just a low-ranking official. If he was not careful, he could offend some prince or minister and bring disaster upon himself.
Moreover, Lu Bing's father was a stubborn, inflexible man, with a temper as unyielding as a rock in a latrine. During his tenure, he frequently clashed with his colleagues, often getting into verbal battles and arguments—a real bum. Bums are disliked everywhere and have offended many people.
Did he offend people? He offended powerful and influential people!
With such a temperament, it was impossible for him to have a successful official career. It was extremely fortunate that he didn't lose his life and bring disaster upon his entire family.
Old Master Lu had many enemies in the capital. Even the smallest mistake he made would be magnified and he would be held accountable. A large group of people were waiting to find fault with Lu. Finally, one day, they heard him utter a ridiculous statement, which was caught red-handed by officials who held a grudge against him. They twisted his words again and again and wanted to punish him for the crime of disrespecting the emperor.
Actually, the crime is neither too serious nor too minor; it depends on how many people step forward to exaggerate and incite trouble, and whether the current emperor is a petty and narrow-minded person.
In the end, the old lady was grateful that he was only dismissed from his post. That very night, she went to the temple to burn incense and kowtow to thank Buddha for his protection and the Emperor for his leniency. She then hurriedly packed her bags, not daring to stay in this place of trouble any longer; even a moment longer would make her legs ache.
She was getting old and knew that her son was not cut out to be an official, because he was either courting death or on his way to courting death every day. It would be more reassuring for him to toil in the fields for a living.
Logically speaking, all parents hope that their children and grandchildren will achieve high positions and wealth, bringing glory to the family. However, Old Madam Lu is the only one who cannot enjoy such honor or "blessing." She feels that enjoying it for even a day would shorten her lifespan. She still wants to live a few more years to keep the family in check; otherwise, the Lu family, young and old, will cause chaos, and none of them will be easy to manage.
The old lady hoped more than anyone that her son would be dismissed from his post, so he could live a peaceful life and return to his hometown to farm. Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than staying in the capital, a place teeming with wolves and tigers? She had heard countless stories of families being raided, executed, imprisoned, or exiled. Like a frightened bird, she was terrified that the Lu family would be next.
In addition, her beloved grandson Lu Bing, after coming of age, spends his days hanging out with a bunch of good-for-nothing playboys, and has almost become a street urchin. He idles away his days doing nothing productive, and has also learned a lot of glib tongue. He is completely the opposite of his biological father, who always argues with people to the death. I'm afraid he will cause some big trouble in the future.
Finally, before the father and son caused a major mess, the Lu family was able to escape unscathed from the treacherous officialdom, without losing a single life. It was already a blessing from heaven and the protection of their ancestors.
After spending some time indulging in vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist prayers to thank Heaven, Madam Lu returned to her hometown and learned that the reason the Emperor pardoned Lu's father for his serious disrespect was entirely because Zhou Yaren had stood up against all odds to clear Lu's father's name before the Emperor.
Of all the civil and military officials in the court, only he pleaded for Lu's father, and only then was Lu's father released and allowed to return to his hometown.
Madam Lu had always kept this in mind and had Lu Bing express his gratitude in letters on several occasions. Now that they had met in person, she naturally wanted to express her thanks in person.
Zhou Yaren smiled gently and said, "Grandmother, you flatter me. You and Uncle are both blessed people and will surely enjoy long life. Back then, it was a false accusation. I was just a junior and had no influence, so I couldn't help much. I simply reported the truth to His Majesty, and His Majesty was wise and did not believe those false words."
Lu Bing curled his lip: "How could I not have believed it? If I really didn't believe it, would you have dismissed my father from his post? I'm telling you, don't try to pull this nonsense. My grandmother isn't stupid."
Zhou Yaren smiled without saying a word, but Old Madam Lu slapped his mouth, which was full of loose tongues, and said in feigned anger, "Can't you speak properly? If you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth, so you don't end up like your father, who caused trouble with his words."
"What's there to be afraid of? The emperor is far away and the country is far away."
"If you dare to speak so recklessly again—" Old Madam Lu slapped him again, but Lu Bing dodged it skillfully, laughing shamelessly, looking like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. Every time, this would arouse Old Madam Lu's fighting spirit, and she would not be satisfied until she scratched him. After scratching him, she would pant and say to outsiders, "Look, look, this little brat is very naughty. If I don't discipline him for a day, he will climb on the roof and tear off the tiles."
Fortunately, the little rascal, though unruly, was a filial child and obeyed her. The old lady punished him with the family rules and rods, which helped to correct Lu Bing's bad behavior quite a bit.
Zhou Yaren, however, liked Lu Bing's unrestrained and genuine nature the most, as well as the Lu family's chaotic way of getting along.
After many years apart, experiencing this atmosphere again was truly a long time coming, so he drank a few more cups under the warm hospitality of the Lu family. He rested in the guest room that night, and due to the fatigue of the past few days, he was even more tired after drinking, and fell into a deep sleep as soon as he closed his eyes.
The wind howled loudly in the cold night, whipping up dust and pounding against the windowpanes, disturbing any sleep, especially for Zhou Yaren, who was particularly sharp-eared. He frowned uneasily, his ears ringing briefly as the howling wind lulled him into a frenzy. Then he heard a scream: "Injustice—"
Zhou Yaren suddenly opened his eyes, his whole body covered in a cold sweat. The thin clothes clung stickily to his skin, making him extremely uncomfortable and painful. Every joint in his body ached, and his hands and feet were cold and numb. He sensed something was wrong, and as soon as he moved, the sound of iron locks clanging rang out.
Zhou Yaren froze, her hands and feet bound by heavy shackles that had already torn her skin.
The stench inside the cell gave him a suffocating feeling, making it hard for him to breathe.
He heard someone say, "The people locked up here are all death row inmates, and they are full of bad luck. You are of noble status, how can you come to this filthy and disgusting place?"
When the prisoners saw officials arrive, they all clung to the cell doors, crying out for their innocence.
"My lord, my lord, I'm innocent! My lord, I'm innocent!"
"My lord, please spare me! I'm innocent! I didn't kill anyone, and I didn't set any fires."
"I didn't poison him, it wasn't me who poisoned him, Your Excellency, please see the truth."
...
The cries of injustice echoed through the filthy, dark prison, reaching Zhou Yaren's ears with each one more piercing than the last, finally transforming into resentful wails, angry roars, and desperate screams, piercing his eardrums like sharp knives.
He felt pain and indignation; his body, like a weathered skeleton, was nailed to the prison wall by instruments of torture. A chilling wind swept by, carrying with it a judgmental whisper: "You are a sinner!"
"You are a sinner!"
"You are a sinner!"
No!
No!
I am not!
You are guilty!
I don't.
"Your sins are unforgivable, and you deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
The four words, "I could die ten thousand times over," felt like the pressure of thunder and the weight of a thousand pounds.
Zhou Yaren suddenly woke up from a nightmare, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He gasped for breath, feeling as if he had almost suffocated to death in the nightmare.
When she came to her senses and raised her hand to wipe the sweat, she realized that she was tightly clutching the cold, hard bronze mirror in her hand. Zhou Yaren unconsciously stroked the moon palace pattern on the back of the mirror with her fingertips and murmured, "Chang'e flying to the moon."
Just then, the sound of wings flapping against the windowpane came from outside. Zhou Yaren threw off the covers, got out of bed, opened the window, and untied the messenger from the flying slave's claws. It was a specially made talisman that could transform into wind whispers. It was a reply from a young friend from the Taihang Path, containing only a few words: "In the clouds lies the Northern Yin Divine Emperor's Court, where the Taiyin Black Book imprisons ghosts and spirits—Li Liuyun."
What's the meaning?
Zhou Yaren stood by the window, looking up at the crescent moon in the night sky, and said in a deep voice, "Taiyin."
A note from the author:
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