Chapter 39: Young People's Heart
These two people don't believe in ghosts and gods, but Shangluo, the youngest in the backyard, can't help but be afraid.
Listening to the noise coming from Gutengzhai, looking at the swaying osmanthus tree shadows outside the Muxiang Hall, thinking about the bloody handprint and the ghost appearing in broad daylight, he was trembling with fear.
With the "Analects of Confucius" on his head and reciting "The Master does not speak of strange things", he thought for a long time and ran to Zhaoyingxuan where Yan Penglai lived.
A thin layer of ice formed on the small pond in winter, and sparse cattails were scattered along the bank where the remaining snow was still visible, making the corridor along the waterside look even colder.
Shangluo's heart was pounding as he ran up the wooden corridor, shouting, "Brother Penglai, are you there?"
The figure reflected in the window slowly stood up, opened the door and walked out.
The sunlight reflected on the snow, making him look hazy and clear. His already clear face was covered with a layer of hazy glow, making him even more captivating.
Shangluo couldn't help but slow down his pace, afraid of disturbing this man who seemed to be in a world of his own. He stammered, "Brother Penglai, I...I want to ask you for something."
Yan Penglai let him in, poured him a cup of hot tea, thought for a moment, added two spoonfuls of honey, handed it to him, and asked, "What do you want?"
"That's right, Brother Penglai, aren't you the Minister of Fortune Telling? Do you have any amulets to protect you? Or any treasures to drive away ghosts? I..." Shangluo held the tea and looked towards Gu Tengzhai with lingering fear, "I'm a little scared..."
Yan Penglai smiled and said, "Every wrong has its perpetrator, as long as you haven't done anything wrong, there won't be any ghosts looking for you."
Shangluo almost burst into tears when he heard his words: "I...but I gave Brother Jingning that medicine. I, I feel sorry for him..."
Yan Penglai turned the teacup in his hand and said slowly, "Don't be afraid. This is just the most insignificant part of the two tragic incidents in the palace."
"Really? Brother Jingning... won't he blame me?"
"He's already died once, so he must know that life and death are determined by fate, and there's no point blaming anyone." Yan Penglai said calmly, "Besides, no one would do anything that would be futile. Harming you won't bring any benefit, and it won't change the situation at all. Why would the wronged ghost bother to find someone to attack you?"
Shangluo heaved a sigh of relief after hearing what he said, but he still held out his hand tremblingly: "No matter what, Brother Penglai, give me something to protect myself!"
"If you're really scared, wouldn't it be better for you to go home?"
Shangluo thought about how Shi Jingning used to smile and make delicious food for him and his sister-in-law, and then thought about how his grandfather beat him to death. He said with a stiff upper lip, "By comparison, I... I still think that Brother Jingning is better than my grandfather."
Speechless, Yan Penglai could only stand up and dig out a copy of the Nanhua Sutra from his drawer. He said, "This is a copy personally copied by Taihe Zhenren of Xuandu Temple. It is quite powerful, and Zhuangzi's literary talent is also impressive. I'll give it to you."
Shangluo took the book and thanked him, but deep down he didn't believe Zhuangzi could help him exorcise the ghost. After hesitating for a while, he still didn't dare to leave.
Yan Penglai said, "Go ahead. The world is vain and overthinking is useless."
Shangluo moved to the door, but couldn't help himself and asked in a low voice, "Brother Penglai, do you think Brother Jingning will go...will he seek revenge on Yang Huaijiang?"
Yan Penglai replied vaguely: "Maybe."
"Then, if he can't get revenge, will the county lady...help him get justice?"
Hearing the word "County Lady," Yan Penglai's gaze, which had been hazy and empty, turned to him. He pondered and asked, "How do you know that the murderer is Yang Huaijiang?"
"It had to be him! He's so mean, he made the county lady angry and upset as soon as he showed up! And why didn't the wronged spirit of Brother Jingning go to someone else, but him?" Shangluo angrily punched the door threshold and said, "We've lived in the backyard for almost three months, and everything has been fine. But something happened as soon as Yang Huaijiang showed up. Who else could it be but him?"
"Whether he came because of the disturbance, or because there was going to be disturbance, that's why he came, it's hard to say." Yan Penglai's voice was low and ethereal, like the whispers of a dream in the middle of the night. "Until the county lady is sure of her feelings, the situation hasn't reached the point of bloodshed. Unfortunately, the false harmony will eventually collapse, but we can't predict how and when it will come."
In this case, it seems that cousin Jin once said...
Shangluo held the Nanhua Sutra and went out anxiously.
Just at the door of Zhaoyingxuan, he saw the county lady walking towards him.
The sunlight and snow reflected on her slender figure like smoke and clouds, as if covering her with a layer of faint glow, just like the county lord who pulled him away from the chaotic army's swords on Leyouyuan that day, shining so brightly in the sunlight that he could hardly look directly at her.
Somehow, Yan Penglai's words, as soft as a dream, suddenly rang in his ears again -
Until the county lady is sure of her feelings, there will be no bloodshed.
The scorching wind from Leyouyuan roared in this cold winter, suddenly piercing the young man's chest.
Just now, he didn't understand the deep meaning of it, but in just that instant, he heard the rapid beating of his heart in his chest, and suddenly he understood it.
He hugged the "Nanhua Sutra" tightly in his arms, not daring to meet the county lord, and turned around and fled on the weeds.
Even though he knew he was behaving strangely, he couldn't care less.
"Is that Shangluo? What happened to him?"
Qiandeng stepped into Zhaoyingxuan and asked in surprise as he looked at the direction Shangluo fled.
Yan Penglai shook his head and said, "Who knows what a young man's heart is thinking?"
He was born into a quiet family and still wore a spotless plain robe, which made his face as crystal clear as the snow in the pond. His whole body was filled with a detached and indifferent air that was difficult to blend into this turbid world.
As the Chief Secretary of the Taibu Office, he had only come into contact with gods and ghosts in the past. Naturally, he had the most experience with the bloody handprint and ghost fire that caused a lot of uproar at Gu Tengzhai.
Qiandeng sat opposite him in the corridor. There was snow and cold wind in front of them, but fortunately the teapot was boiling. She held the warm tea in her hand, which could also drive away the cold.
"I wonder if Mr. Yan knows what happened in Gutengzhai?"
Yan Penglai gently stroked the thin snow on the railing, his expression slightly indifferent: "The saying that wronged spirits seek revenge has its own reasons."
"Then, in Mr. Yan's opinion, where do the bloody handprints and ghostly figures come from?"
"Evil ghosts were often evil people in their lifetime. Mr. Shi is kind and gentle, and never looks vicious. If you say he will turn into a ghost after his death and come to take my life, I don't believe it."
"Yes, I also don't believe that Shi Jingning has transformed into a ghost and is here to take my life, but..." Qiandeng twirled the teacup in his hand and pondered, "My aunt, Madam Dingxiang, was alarmed by the strange happenings at Gutengzhai and believes there might be an evil spirit in the mansion, so she asked me to find a monk or Taoist priest to perform a ritual to liberate him. Does Young Master Yan have any suggestions?"
"That's not necessary. The Changhua Palace is guarded by the heroic spirits of the Prince and the Crown Prince. How could any ghost dare to cause trouble in broad daylight?"
Since he, the Minister of the Imperial Ascension Office, said this, Qian Deng felt relieved and knew that he should be able to gain something from him.
After all, after the fire in the kitchen, the conflict between Yang Huaijiang and Shi Jingning had already surfaced, and even Mr. Yan, who had always been indifferent to worldly affairs, pointed out the doubts.
So, she asked again: "So, someone is stirring up trouble in the backyard of my palace?"
Yan Penglai's eyes, which were clearer than those of others, stared at her and nodded slightly: "Gods and ghosts are nonsense, but the devil is born in the human heart."
It was difficult to fathom Young Master Xiudao's true intentions, so Qiandeng simply stated, "You're saying that rather than a wronged spirit seeking revenge, it's more like Yang Huaijiang harboring evil intentions and experiencing hysteria?"
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