Huiming said, “Even Buddha is afraid of evil people, let alone this old monk. When he first started doing evil, this old monk even tried to persuade him... Now he has this old monk locked up here, not allowing anyone to come and see him, and he is only kept alive by eating thin porridge every day. It is a kind of fate that this old monk was able to meet the Empress when he was about to die.”
Su Wan said, "Jia Tuo has committed numerous evils and betrayed his master and ancestors. I will tell His Majesty the truth and let him punish these wicked people."
Huiming smiled and said, "That's very good. Although Buddhism is vast, it is difficult to save those who are not destined to be saved. May I ask what brings you here, benefactor?"
Su Wan knelt down, clasped her hands together in prayer, and said, "Please, Master, perform divination for me."
Huiming said, "Folk legend has it that the Empress blocked the Gui River with an iceberg in Southern Chu, saving countless people. She is a person with great magical powers. How can I, an old monk, possibly perform divination for the Empress?"
Su Wan bowed again and said, "Master, I sincerely ask for your guidance."
Huiming was silent for a moment, then said, "If Your Majesty the Empress is sincere, there is a divination tube on the table, along with paper and pen."
Su Wan turned to look at the square table and saw a cup-shaped wooden tube filled with thin bamboo sticks. She got up, went to the table, picked up the tube, and asked Huiming, "Master, what should I do?"
Huiming said, "Your Majesty can write your name and age on a piece of paper and place it on the table. Silently think of what you want to ask for, and at the same time shake the divination tube. The slip of paper that falls out of the tube is the answer."
Su Wan picked up a pen, wrote her name and age on a piece of paper, put down the pen, held the divination tube with both hands and shook it, thinking to herself, "How much longer can I live?"
She shook it three times, and two slips of paper fell out, one outside the paper and one on top. She picked up the latter and looked at it, and saw a line of small writing on it.
Flowers bloom and fade, time flies like an arrow; flowing water never returns, all things are in vain.
Unable to understand it, she held the fortune slip in both hands and handed it to Master Huiming, saying, "This humble woman cannot understand it; please interpret it, Master."
When Huiming took the slip of paper, her heart pounded like a drum, as if someone was choking her, and she found it hard to breathe.
Huiming glanced down and sighed, "A very ominous sign. The matter Her Majesty the Empress seeks will be resolved by the end of November this year. However... just like flowing water that never returns, it is an irreversible outcome."
In the instant before she fainted, Su Wan heard the door behind her being kicked open, and Meng Ruliu's voice rang out.
"There's a fire outside."
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