Chapter 272 The Kindness of the Disaster Star
Wuzhen is Mingdeng's adopted child.
During years of disaster and famine, many poor families would send their children to temples.
The Bright Light Society will take in these children and raise them to adulthood.
Among these people, some would simply recite Buddhist scriptures for a few years, and then return to secular life and go down the mountain when they grow up.
Some people were chosen and secretly sent to the back mountain to become accumulated strength.
The year Wuzhen was sent to the mountain, a plague was rampant in the suburbs of Beijing.
Many villages infected with the plague were quarantined by the government. Medicine was useless and they could only wait to die.
A kind-hearted young soldier carried the child up the mountain and said to Ming Deng:
"Master, this child's parents are gone, and he's an orphan from a nearby village. The village is currently under lockdown, and while the child isn't sick, he'll surely die if he stays in the village."
The child was very young, could hardly stand on his two legs, and was still babbling.
His cheeks were rosy and round, like a ripe peach with a rosy glow. His eyes, as clear as lake water, looked at the bright lamp without any impurities or dust.
Mingdeng took the child in and named him Wuzhen.
Before Wuzhen came to the mountain, there were many little monks on the mountain. Wukong, Wujing, and Wufan were all adopted disciples.
After the plague was brought under control that year, the suburbs of Beijing enjoyed peace for several years, and fewer people sent their children away.
Even if they were sent away, many would be sent to Chang'an City to work as apprentices or servants, which could also supplement the family income.
Therefore, since Wuzhen went up the mountain, there have been no children of his age.
The little monks grew up day by day, and disciples such as Wukong, Wujing and Wufan were about to become adults.
And Wuzhen grew from a baby into a little monk.
Wuzhen has been able to eat and grow flesh since he was a child, like a ball that grows bigger and bigger, looking like a miniature version of a bright lamp.
Wuzhen was raised by Mingdeng. He always followed Mingdeng and called out, "Master, Master."
Wherever the bright light goes, Wuzhen will follow it.
Mingdeng also liked this child. When he saw this child, he felt that there was still joy in the world.
The pilgrims who often come to the mountain to burn incense all say that the young Master Wuzhen is kind and innocent, and his round face makes him look blessed.
But Mingdeng knew that this child's words could cause trouble.
When Wuzhen was a child, he went down the mountain with Mingdeng and saw a passing merchant who was frowning and telling his friend that the weather was abnormal and that there might be less rain in the south this year, so he would not be able to sell umbrellas and would suffer losses.
As the businessman spoke, he began to cry, saying that he was in debt and had a wife and children at home who needed to feed.
Wu Zhen was so sad that his eyes turned red. He said to his master:
"It would be great if it rained more. If it rained more, donors would be able to sell umbrellas."
That summer, torrential rains in southern China caused floods to burst their banks, destroying hundreds of villages, submerging fertile fields, and displacing tens of thousands of people.
Another year, an octogenarian with a fortune took a sedan chair to the mountain to pray to Buddha, saying that his descendants had become enemies because of a fight over the family property, and he asked Buddha to bless their family with peace.
Wu Zhen felt very sorry for the old man, so he said:
"Master, that donor is quite old. I hope he won't worry about his unfilial descendants anymore."
Later, a dispute among the old man's descendants accidentally caused a fire in his home. All the unfilial descendants died in the fire, leaving only one great-grandson alive.
Mingdeng did not initially associate these things with Wuzhen, but later, similar scenes were repeated again and again.
Mingdeng thought of how Princess Pei Xuan of Prince Gong died because she was accused of being pregnant with a disaster.
He realized that Wuzhen, who was born two years later, was the real disaster.
Wuzhen said that if there is less rain, there will be drought.
Wuzhen said that if the weather is too hot and needs to be cooled down, there will be a storm.
Wuzhen hoped that Una's wish would come true. Later, Mipo, in a rage, attacked Dayu and killed the traitor A Luying. War broke out in the southwest...
He is kind and simple, never kills any living creature, and when he sees a crushed insect he would chant "Amitabha" several times.
He always hopes that everyone is well, but he never knows that one of his words may turn into a disaster at some point.
Just like today, he just wanted the weather to be cooler so that the pilgrims coming down the mountain wouldn't have to endure the scorching sun. But his words brought on a thunderstorm, nearly breaking the legs of the pilgrims coming down the mountain.
His good intentions will become bitter fruits in the world.
"Amitabha."
Mingdeng tucked the quilt corner for Wuzhen and sighed softly.
He liked the child, but he also took advantage of the child.
He wants to protect Wuzhen, cause chaos in the world, and make the imperial power unstable.
Only in this way can they take advantage of the opportunity.
The moonlight coming in through the window fell on Wu Zhen's peaceful sleeping face. He didn't know what he was dreaming about, but a smile appeared on his face.
Her smile was gentler than the moonlight, and she opened her mouth slightly, as if she was about to mutter in her sleep:
"It's so hot—"
A hand came up in time to cover the next words.
Mingdeng held Wuzhen's mouth with one hand and lifted the quilt a little with the other.
He smiled helplessly.
Stop talking, my silly disciple. This rain cannot continue.
…………
After a rain in early summer, the weather was briefly cool for a while, and then soon became hot again.
The pomegranate flowers in Chang'an bloomed one after another, blooming bright red among the leaves in the streets and alleys.
Su Zhizhi went back to the martial arts school to continue her studies.
When Zhou Jijiu, Dr. Xiong and Coach Lin saw Su Zhizhi coming to school, they smiled more.
Dr. Xiong held up a scroll of handouts and said, "Zhizhi, are you back from the palace? Come on, let's make up for it."
Su Zhizhi: ...As expected, you have to make up for the classes you missed.
All the classmates knew that Su Zhizhi and Yuan Caiwei had made a big splash in the spring hunt, so Zhou Jijiu hung the big tiger skin in the school.
Students can see it every day when they pass by.
They also heard that Su Zhizhi had caught the eye of a noble lady and that she had not come to school before because she had lived in the palace for some time.
Zhou Jijiu was a little worried at first because Su Zhizhi was young and would become proud just because she entered the palace and was appreciated by the nobles.
If a person who practices martial arts has a crooked mind when he is young, it will lay the seeds of disaster.
After observing for a few days, Zhou Jijiu was relieved to find that Su Zhizhi was still the same as before. For her, entering the palace was just like staying in an inn for a few days.
The students, regardless of age, were all filled with uncontrollable curiosity. Many of them had been to the palace for banquets, but none had ever lived there. So, they all asked:
"What's it like to live in the palace?"
"Do you want to practice swordplay every day for the Emperor and the Empresses to see?"
"When we eat in the palace, do we eat the same dishes as at the palace banquet every day?"
Su Zhizhi: "I don't feel anything about living in the palace, except that the house smells good."
"I can't bring weapons into the palace, and the Emperor and Concubine Hui haven't asked me to practice swordplay."
"I've never been to a palace banquet, so I don't know what dishes are served there, but the food there is quite delicious, and it changes every day."
Yuan Caiwei asked, "Zhizhi, do you still want to live in the palace in the future? Princess Ning'an likes you so much, what if she asks the emperor to summon you to accompany her next time?"
Su Zhizhi didn't say she wanted to, nor did she say she didn't want to, she just said:
"The palace is huge, but it doesn't have as many weapons as our martial arts academy, nor as many dedicated training areas. Also, loud noises and fighting are forbidden in the palace. Unlike the martial arts academy, you can practice every day."
Zhou Jijiu heard this not far away and nodded uncontrollably, finally no longer worried.
Now, during morning exercises every day, Su Zhizhi, Yuan Caiwei and Qi Fang all stand at the front.
Because they practiced the most seriously, Coach Lin asked them to be role models.
After Su Zhizhi returned to the martial arts academy, more people began to take it seriously.
Those students whose family background is below the fifth rank have been working particularly hard recently and are no longer just wasting their time.
Because they saw that a merchant's daughter like Su Zhizhi could be favored by the emperor, then if they worked hard and learned enough, they would also be able to stand out one day.
Su Zhizhi wasn't from a wealthy family, nor did she have high-ranking officials. She was just rich, with a father who was an imperial merchant. If a little girl could do it, why couldn't they do it?
The dandies of the past no longer caused trouble in the academy, neither bullied their classmates nor disrupted the order of the martial arts hall. At most, they just slept soundly and lived their lives in peace.
This includes Murong Ming and He Wenhan.
Murong Ming and He Wenhan were disciplined at home so much that they never dared to gamble again.
When Murong Ming heard others say the word "gamble", he felt like vomiting and He Wenhan felt pain in his buttocks.
They were sent back to the martial arts school by the government and kept there obediently.
They knew they couldn't defeat Su Zhizhi, nor could they provoke Su Zhizhi. After all, even the emperor praised her.
Moreover, if they cause trouble again, they will probably be locked up in the mansion in darkness.
Murong Ming and He Wenhan didn't want to go back to the mansion anymore. It was even more depressing there than at the martial arts academy. They were just half-assed and half-study at the academy, just muddling through.
Although Zhou Jijiu was not satisfied with this, he had to admit that it was much better than before.
The atmosphere in the martial arts school is changing little by little.
Zhou Jijiu set a goal to give the martial arts academy a new look within three years.
The young students in the martial arts school cannot think that far ahead, and even things three months later seem far away.
Most of them only think about what to do on their next day off.
When Su Zhizhi was taking extra lessons with Dr. Xiong at the martial arts academy, an idea suddenly occurred to her and she remembered that she had not yet drawn the layout of the palace.
This day off, she goes home to draw!
On the way home from school at the martial arts school, Su Zhizhi sat in the carriage drinking juice, recalling the scenes and directions in the palace in her mind.
At the same time, two letters from the northwest finally arrived in the capital after a long journey.
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