Seek truth from facts
The late emperor Gao Zhi, General Ren Dingshan, the imperial physician Gui, and the imperial preceptor currently in the capital.
They almost constituted the main body of the entire An Dynasty and were indispensable. Gui Yao remembered that this was recorded in the book she picked up from the table when she first came here.
Rumor has it that the late Emperor Gao Zhi was the reincarnation of a real dragon.
Gao Zhi was the most favored legitimate son of Emperor Taizong, and was naturally made the crown prince. Emperor Taizong even abdicated the throne to Gao Zhi while he was still alive, and traveled around with his only wife until the end of his life.
The late emperor reigned for twenty-seven years, and his reign was called Yongchang.
The three adults who assisted him at that time were revered by the world as White Tiger, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise.
Baihu is General Ren Dingshan.
Xuanwu is the imperial physician of Gui.
The Vermillion Bird symbolizes the most mysterious imperial teacher in the capital. The three mythical beasts jointly assisted the late emperor in creating the most peaceful and prosperous Yongchang era since the founding of the An Dynasty.
But now when I talk about it, it just seems like the past.
Gui Yao had heard her uncle casually say that the current emperor was the least favored son of the late emperor. Naturally, after he ascended the throne, he did not like others to mention the late emperor.
The wind from the bell tower made it hard to open her eyes. She put her hand out to block the wind, her clothes fluttering in the wind. After a pause, she raised her head slightly and asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"
"Just say what you want to say. If you don't want to listen, you can leave at any time." Jiuchong's voice was light.
…Gui Yao would not leave.
The system just announced that the completion rate for the "Turtle's Longevity" mission had increased by 20%. Putting that aside, she was genuinely curious. So, she leaned back on the railing with her elbows, her eyes bright as stars, her intention clearly to listen attentively.
Seeing this, there seemed to be a hint of smile in Jiuchong's eyes.
"I'll give you this chance."
He put down the bell pestle in his hand and walked closer to the person in front of him. After a while, they leaned against the railing together. Tian Ji raised his eyes, as if his heart was as pure as at this moment. His voice was normal: "Ask me three questions, and I will tell you everything I know."
Guiyao thought a lot.
The situation at this moment is quite familiar, as if it was an adventure that was accidentally triggered wherever I went when I was playing MMO games in my previous life, and the NPCs in it were also set up in a deceptive way.
If it were, she could only manipulate the character to ask fixed questions and receive pre-programmed answers.
At this moment, she is not subject to any restrictions, but the more so, the more cautious she must be.
Gui Yao loosened her tightly bitten lips.
"The first question is how did Ren Zhong die?"
Jiuchong was not surprised to hear this. Instead of letting his right hand hang in the air, he stroked the carvings on the Buddhist bell not far away. He lowered his eyes under his long eyelashes and uttered two words.
"Suicide."
"At the most reckless age, he learned of his fate. If he didn't marry the foolish six-year-old, he would die from a recurring plague. A single move would trigger a chain reaction. Ten years earlier, when the symptoms of the previous plague had already appeared in Xianyu City, he committed suicide by jumping into the lake and eventually drowning."
His voice was filled with sorrow and a hint of regret. Gui Yao just listened, but that was all she could do.
"Is fate really unchangeable?"
She thought of Huang Shiyu's round eyes, and then of the village chief lying on the bed. Finally, she lowered her eyes, and what emerged in her mind was the kiss by the candlelight on the night of her wedding with Ren Beixi.
Jiuchong suddenly approached, his fingertips resting half an inch in front of her lips: "Shh, think it through... and think about what to ask the second question."
Gui Yao tilted her head back, frowned, and pushed him away. Her nostrils were filled with the fragrance of his incense, just like when she was in Chaochun Tower.
Jiuchong was a dangerous person, and she must not forget him during her exploration. She had almost fainted from his suffocation, but fortunately, the man in front of her quickly chuckled and released the shackles.
"Have you thought about it?"
"My second question is, who are you?"
Guiyao's almond-shaped eyes were calm and composed.
Jiuchong suddenly laughed again. Guiyao looked at him quietly. There were so many suspicious points about him that she thought he would say something flattering, but he just lowered his eyelashes and thought for a moment before looking up.
He told her a story.
It snowed heavily that year, and Master Jingwei was ordered to leave the temple and go down the mountain to help transport winter food. He found an orphan in front of the inn. The orphan's hair was tangled, and he had no idea when it was last taken care of. The snow as big as beans fell on his hair, hiding all traces.
Orphans are born with white hair, and perhaps that is why they are abandoned by their relatives.
Jingwei squatted down and stroked the orphan's white hair. Her fingertips were freezing cold. She asked him if he wanted to go back with her to Yunchuan Temple, where it was not as cold as here.
The orphan took the tortoise out of the rags and said, "I can no longer walk. I'm afraid I won't survive this cold winter. Please, Master, take this tortoise back to the temple so it can watch over next spring for me."
The winters in Xianyu City are often cold, and there are too many refugees and beggars like this coming from other places.
The General's Mansion and the Li family would at least issue a notice, asking these people to work in exchange for food so that they would not starve to death.
Yunchuan Temple provides free porridge.
So the orphan relied on the naan and warm clothes left by Jingwei and walked barefoot to the distant mountain forest. He climbed up the long steps with the support of a wooden stick picked up by the roadside and fainted in the snow.
When you wake up.
All he saw was Jingwei begging the abbot at the time to keep him.
"So I stayed. I used to be the bell ringer at Yunchuan Temple. You've already heard about that." Jiuzhong supported himself with his hands, looking at Guiyao's beautiful eyes in shock. After a long moment, he looked away. "Have you thought of the third question?"
When he spoke, Gui Yao's gaze fell on his bright face again, from his jawline to his long eyelashes, and finally they looked into each other's eyes. There was two points of clarity in her eyes, and the remaining eight points were full of confusion. The timelines sorted out in her mind climbed up densely in her heart.
No, but why is it wrong?
Guiyao felt that the sound of the wind around her had become gentler.
Suddenly, a bell rang from somewhere. She looked at the bell tower and suddenly closed her eyes.
She didn't hear any voice. The place was empty and silent. Perhaps there were no animals. If there were, they couldn't give her the information she wanted.
Admittedly, she had many questions she wanted to ask Jiuchong. She even wondered if she would get an unexpected answer if she asked her, "Who is Guiyao?" Her heart was filled with only an instinctive exploration of the unknown.
Jiuchong produced a feather fan from somewhere, and the mountains in the distance emerged from the fog, and the sky gradually darkened.
Gui Yao suddenly remembered something: "Oh no! The abbot asked me to go to Baohua Hall, but I forgot to go. Will she be anxious waiting for me?"
Jiuzhong blinked, the meaning was self-evident.
"Oh, I don't ask that question." Gui Yao also blinked, "My last question is, Jiuchong, why did you tell me about the past? Am I involved with those people, or do you have any connection with them?"
"Are you sure?"
Jiuchong took the fan and tried to lift Guiyao's chin, but Guiyao jumped two steps and ran away.
She held onto the stone railing behind her, barely standing, then lowered her eyes. "I can actually make some guesses. I was retarded in childhood, then frail and sickly, relying on medication to hang on for dear life. How could I possibly know the affairs of those important figures? Mr. Jiuzhong, thank you very much."
Guiyao felt as if raindrops were tapping gently on her heart.
What is there to be afraid of? Although she came from another time, there is no mistake in the life experience of the young lady of the Gui family. It is as if she was chosen specially for her. She has the same appearance and the medical knowledge that is convenient for her to learn.
The most important thing is to complete the task.
She figured it out, and there was pity in her eyes.
Jiuzhong's expression was inexplicable.
He only said half a sentence: "We are good friends."
No story to hear this time.
As soon as Jiuzhong finished speaking, he flipped over the half-person-high railing, took two or three steps down, turned around and disappeared in the intricate terrain of the temple. Before Guiyao had time to say goodbye, her hand that was leaning on the railing suddenly loosened, and she ran towards the stairs panting.
She was a little anxious, and the pebbles on the dilapidated ground scratched her embroidered shoes and hurt her. Just as she was about to run, a scabbard suddenly blocked her way at the corner in front of her.
I can’t stop, can’t stop, can’t stop——
"Ouch." A sound followed by the sound of someone falling.
Ren Beixi was on his way to look for Gui Yao. Before he turned the corner, he heard hurried footsteps. Only then did he realize who he had accidentally stopped.
When the man walked into the corner, he saw Gui Yao lying in a mess against the wall. Their eyes met, and she felt a little aggrieved.
"Ren Beixi!" Gui Yao shouted while biting her lip.
She was helped to stand up and used her hands to pinch the muscles of his arms. Her voice was unnatural and a little bit sickening.
"Have you seen Jiuchong?"
"Just flew away."
"Ah? He can do Qinggong?"
"I can do that, too."
Is this the point?! Gui Yao dusted herself off and hurried to Baohua Hall. Although she knew Jiuchong and Abbot Jingwei were acquaintances, given Jiuchong's personality, she felt he was simply out to block her without further negotiation.
"Didn't I tell you to have a good rest? Why did you run out by yourself?"
Gui Yao grabbed the man's arm and shook it.
Ren Beixi pinched his forehead and said, "I was woken up by the snoring of the two dogs, so I got up to see you."
"Oh." Gui Yao thought for a moment, "Then let the three of them go out to rest at night, and then the two of us can have a good sleep."
She secretly glanced at Ren Beixi and coaxed him.
In front of Baohua Hall, the shade of the trees was quite far away. Ren Beixi put his hands on her head to block the sunlight for her. She jumped over in three or two steps, but did not see the figure of Abbot Jingwei.
There were only a few pilgrims and a young monk.
Gui Yao couldn't help but think of Jiuchong's childhood appearance, but her thoughts suddenly stopped: the protagonist in Jiuchong's story was born with white hair, but Jiuchong clearly had black hair.
Is he friends with them?
But as far as she knew, Ren Zhong, Pin Yue, and even Ren Bei Xi were supposed to be Jiu Zhong's peers, close friends regardless of age difference? But according to her ancestor, Imperial Physician Gui, he was nearly eighty years old when he passed away. If Jiu Zhong's friendship skills were based on Ren Zhong's age, then his ability to make friends would be too strong.
There is also General Ren, who led troops to pacify the north in the seventh year of Yongchang. How could he have the time to be "good friends"?
Guiyao looked up and saw the silent statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the center of the temple.
Inhale, exhale.
She lowered her eyes, protecting Ren Beixi behind her, and said in a calm voice, "Little donor, do you know where the abbot is?"
The young monk, who had been observing her for a long time, stood up from the edge of the pond and put something into Guiyao's hand: "It is often said that by observing the growth and decline of flowers and plants, their changes from morning to night, one can better understand one's nature."
"And you see all kinds of living people!"
The little monks' voices were still like those of children, difficult to pronounce despite their young age.
Gui Yao was a little stunned. When she came to her senses, the little monk had already bowed with both hands and left slowly. She lowered her eyes to look at the thing in her hand. It was a Bodhi seed without any signs of polishing.
The bell of Yunchuan Temple rang again.
Suddenly, an old man's voice came to her mind. Soon, she remembered who it was. She walked to the edge of the pool, half squatted down, and put her fingers into the water and shook them gently, causing ripples on the water.
The turtle came from nowhere, and said in a vicissitudes of life: "I haven't had time to thank you yet, little girl."
Guiyao asked it why it appeared in front of Xiaohe Village. It said it couldn't remember clearly, and it seemed that someone who came to the temple took it out and released it. Guiyao asked it again that it had been in the temple for many years. It said it almost froze to death before, and after waking up, it was in this corner of the pond.
The fingertips shaking the water suddenly stopped.
"Then do you still remember...
How many years have you been coming to this temple?"
The turtle emerged from the water and lay down on a big rock beside it. The rock was as big as its shell. The edge looked very smooth and had lost its original color, perhaps because it had been worn away for many years.
"Me?" Mr. Turtle stretched and coughed a few times, as if to show off, "I've lived for nothing!"
Gui Yao: “Oh.”
"to be honest."
"Well, old man, I'm only in my thirties today. The 300-year-old divine turtle in Yunchuan Temple is only there because I'm big. Don't believe in rumors or spread them."
The water in the pool stopped again.
Gui Yao whispered a thank you, then took Ren Beixi's hand and stood up, patted his leg, and turned around to find that he had been looking at her so seriously for a long time.
"Aren't you in a hurry to find the abbot?" Ren Beixi said in a light voice, and took out a light blue embroidered handkerchief from somewhere and held her hand to wipe away the water stains.
Guiyao shrank her fingertips.
"Why is my handkerchief with you?" She realized she had been too serious about teasing the turtle, so she hurriedly changed the subject and said, "Let's go find her."
At first he just wiped his hands carefully, but when he walked out, Gui Yao found that Ren Beixi was playing with her knuckles. His rough hands pinched and then rubbed, which made her feel itchy.
Ren Beixi lowered his eyes silently.
"The host just came and said it was inconvenient for him to go."
Gui Yao raised her eyes. The road she was on was clearly heading towards the abbot's residence when they first met. Her voice was a little confused as she shook Ren Beixi's hand and asked, "Where are we going then?"
Where are you going?
Ren Beixi suddenly regretted bringing Guiyao to Yunchuan Temple. Just because of someone else's half-word advice, he got one step closer to her secret.
It's not that he had forgotten Guiyao's previous frailty, nor was it that he was unwilling to find out the purpose of her running around these days. He knew that Guiyao was the best woman in the world, and he also knew that in Guiyao's eyes, he was just a husband who was bound by his in-laws and whom she was unwilling to call her husband.
He wanted to get into Guiyao's heart.
The man was about to speak when he lowered his eyes and saw Guiyao with her hands on her hips, stamping her feet as if something was serious, looking very cute.
"Did we take the wrong road? Let's not talk about that for now. I want to know. You couldn't tell me directly about Jiuchong before. Then, can I express my opinion and you nod and shake your head?"
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