Chapter 78 [78] Shuiyueguan. [Second update]...
【78】/First release
February 25th was the date Yun Ran had set for the Spring Banquet.
But due to the sudden change in the Imperial Examination Hall that day, the wind direction in the whole Chang'an suddenly changed.
In particular, many rumormongers and troublemakers were beheaded in succession at Caishikou, while the civil servants who had advised the emperor on the selection of concubines were still left outside the Taiji Hall, exposed to the wind and sun. Three or four of them were carried away one after another. The court and the people were shrouded in a layer of gloom, which was depressing and cold.
At this time, who would dare to hold a grand banquet, with music and laughter?
Moreover, after this incident, the position of Prince Jing's Mansion became delicate.
Not to mention that Yun Ran was determined to keep a low profile and quickly canceled the banquet due to illness and stayed indoors. Even if she really insisted on holding a banquet, I'm afraid few families would dare to get involved at this point.
It's a beautiful spring day with bright sunshine.
Yun Ran held Fu Dou'er in his arms and strolled lazily through the carefully decorated back garden of the palace.
Beside the green brick path, there was a neatly woven bamboo fence. Not far away, the pear and apricot blossoms were in full bloom, with white and light pink flowers crowded together. Butterflies were flying and birds were singing, and the place was full of vitality.
Willows by the pond drooped their green silken branches, rustling across the water in the breeze, stirring up the shimmering water. A few white geese, necks stretched out, slowly paddled across the water, leaving ripples. In the pond, a dozen newly purchased koi, a crisscross of gold and red, each one plump and plump from being well-fed, swam leisurely.
“What a pity…”
Yun Ran sat down on a big rock by the pond, looking at the beautiful garden filled with springtime, red flowers and green willows. It would be a lie to say that he didn't feel regretful.
After all, she started planning this banquet last year, and has been preparing for it since the beginning of spring, which has really put a lot of effort into it.
Unexpectedly, the palace was decorated beautifully, the chef of Yujing Tower was invited, and even the two stone lions at the door were washed clean. However, when the banquet was about to start, it was ruined by a madman who appeared out of nowhere at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall.
When Yun Ran thought about the recent developments inside and outside the government, his heart felt like it was swinging on a swing, going up and down.
The longing for Sima Jing became stronger and stronger.
If she had known that she would have to face all these troubles if she stayed in Chang'an, she would have gone to Jiangnan with him even if she had to act like a scoundrel by relying on him.
At least out of sight, out of mind.
Now, it is inconvenient for her to go out while staying at home, and it is also inconvenient for others to come in. It is really boring.
After strolling around the garden with the little yellow dog for a few laps, Yun Ran returned to Zhanlu Hall with little interest.
I wanted to recite some scriptures to calm my mind, but the more I recited, the more confused I became.
She thought she might as well read the storybook to change her mind, but after reading for a long time, she was still only on the first page.
Finally, she simply put down the storybook, ground ink, picked up the pen, and started writing a letter to Sima Jing.
This letter, sent in late February, did not reach Sima Jing until the end of March.
At that time, Sima Jing had just finished collecting salt taxes in Yangzhou Prefecture and was about to go to Lin'an Prefecture. He squeezed out a day from his busy schedule and made a special trip to the Shuiyue Temple outside Yangzhou City.
This small Taoist temple has been on her lips every day since she married the princess.
"Your Highness, that's the one in front."
In addition to Chang Chun, Geng Dong and six guards who were traveling in plain clothes, the entourage also included the eldest son of Yangzhou Governor Dai Long.
Upon learning that Prince Jing was coming to Shuiyue Temple, the eldest son of the Dai family volunteered and eagerly accompanied him. "Ever since the imperial court commended him, my father has attached great importance to it. He sent people to repair the road that very day and set up pavilions on the roadside for people to rest and burn incense, making it easier for the people to go up the mountain. Your Highness, look at this road. It used to be bumpy and narrow, and when it rained, it was even more muddy. We never walked on it at all. It's nothing like now—"
While introducing his father's "political achievements", Dai Jia Dalang stepped hard on the new stone-paved road: "Look, how solid it is! It saves effort to walk on it!"
Sima Jing glanced down at the stone road beneath his feet, then looked around at the towering green mountains and lush green trees. He seemed to imagine a scene in his mind of his princess carrying a bamboo basket and walking through the rugged mountains and forests.
She once said, "I was young, and my teachers and sisters were afraid I would get lost, so most of the time they wouldn't let me go down the mountain. But at the beginning and middle of every month, I could go down the mountain with them to buy things. Sometimes we went to the village, sometimes to the town, but I loved the city the most!"
"The city is far away, and it takes a whole day to get there by donkey cart, but it's the busiest place in the city! There's also a Xu's Bun Shop on the left side of Dongguan Street. Their tofu and egg buns are so delicious! Every time I go to the city, I always ask my senior sister to buy me two to satisfy my craving."
"Actually, I think I can eat five in one go, but five is too expensive. Senior Sister will definitely not agree, and I am too embarrassed to ask. I am very happy with just two. Your Highness, if you come to Yangzhou, you must try the tofu buns from that shop. Please eat five for me!"
He did as she said, and on the first day in Yangzhou, he ordered Changchun to buy steamed buns and the secret recipe of the steamed bun shop.
In fact, the taste of the buns is just so-so.
But for the little nun who lives in poverty, it is a rare delicacy.
Just like this ancient little Taoist temple in front of him, which is still not very spacious even after being renovated, it is still the best in the world in Yun Ran's mind.
This small Taoist temple in the mountains, which was once nameless, became quite lively last year because of the birth of a daughter of a marquis.
However, after the novelty wore off, the small Taoist temple still had a lot of popularity, which was not too bad, but not very strong either.
Fortunately, when the Marquis' wife left, she renovated the Taoist temple and gave them generous gifts in return. The lives of Abbot Jingyue and her remaining disciples improved greatly and they were no longer in financial difficulty.
Of course, it cannot be called rich.
After all, he is a monk, and the place where he practices is full of women. If he holds a large amount of money, it will cause trouble.
Unexpectedly, not long after, news came that the daughter of the marquis was granted marriage and betrothed to the prince, along with the court's commendation, gilded Buddha statues and generous rewards.
Master Jingyue and his four disciples were stunned by this huge pie that came out of nowhere.
Before they could recover, the government sent people to build roads and expand Taoist temples. Many Taoist temples in Yangzhou also invited the imperially bestowed "Xuan Yue Zhenren" to visit their temples for exchanges. The city's prominent families also sent people to invite "Xuan Yue Zhenren" to perform rituals...
In just three days, they received more religious ceremonies than in the past three years.
Not to mention the common people who rushed in after hearing the news and almost broke down the threshold of the Taoist temple.
Abbess Jingyue calmed down and decided to only take on three rituals a month to prevent herself and her disciples from being exhausted, and to recruit eight new disciples to take charge of the temple's trivial matters.
After the first month of chaos and disorder, Shuiyue Temple gradually changed from its previous cold and simple state to a small and well-organized one.
The temple is bustling with incense, mostly for women seeking wealth and marriage.
First of all, I pray that I can be like Lady Yun Wu, who will turn into a phoenix in one day and live a life of wealth, glory and no worries about food and clothing.
Secondly, she prayed that she could marry a man from a high-class family like Lady Yun Wu, receive imperial decree and bring honor to the family.
The emperor was far away and the mountains were high. The people of Yangzhou only knew that the little nun had married the emperor's younger brother, but they knew little about King Jing's notoriety.
Even if they knew, there were still those who refused to believe and continued to pray. After all, the princess was still alive and well.
As a well-known Taoist priest in the Jiangnan area and a Taoist priest bestowed with honors by the emperor, Master Jingyue has rarely met guests in person these days.
But today's guest is no ordinary person.
He has a handsome appearance and an extraordinary temperament, even more noble than the immortal sitting on the shrine. One can tell at a glance that he is of great origin.
When he saw the string of lightning-struck jujube wood on the man's wrist, Taoist Master Jingyue was struck by lightning and couldn't believe it: "Sir, could it be that you are..."
She was about to kneel down, but Sima Jing stopped her: "Master, there's no need to be so polite."
When Taoist Jingyue stood up, he still glanced at the bracelet again in disbelief, and his eyes suddenly became hot to confirm that it was the one he gave to his little disciple.
Looking at the handsome young man in the black robe and jade belt, she suddenly felt like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, and looked him up and down carefully.
He is indeed as my disciple wrote in the letter, a very handsome man.
Since we parted last summer, my little disciple has sent me a thick letter every month, always reporting good news but never bad news.
Later, when he learned that she had been given a marriage and was hastily married, Taoist Jingyue was overwhelmed with emotions and could not accept it for a long time.
The child is still so young, why did she get married so early?
Did the Marquisate take her back just to let her curry favor with the royal family?
Taoist Master Jingyue was very worried that Madam Hou's kindness and generosity in the temple were all fake, and that she was actually a black-hearted person who sold her daughter for fame and fortune.
It was not until later that I received a letter from Yun Ran, in which she said that her life after marriage was very leisurely. Although the husband she married was taciturn, he was a nice person.
In subsequent letters, King Jing was mentioned more frequently, and the tone of his writing became increasingly intimate and familiar.
Taoist Jingyue finally felt relieved.
But she never thought that one day she would be able to see with her own eyes her little disciple's husband, His Royal Highness Prince Jing.
Moreover, this prince was wearing his disciple's lightning-struck wooden bracelet on his wrist.
"My wife and I put this on before we went out."
Sima Jing noticed that Taoist Jingyue kept dropping the bracelet on her wrist and calmly explained, "She said this is her Taoist magic weapon, which can turn misfortune into good fortune and ward off evil."
Taoist Priest Jingyue: “…”
The child has grown up and knows how to care for others.
"It seems that your wife must love you very much, so she gave this to you."
Love and respect him?
Sima Jing thought of the countless times the little girl had said "I like Your Highness", some of which she blurted out when she was in a good mood, and some of which she said when she was forced to beg for mercy and please under the plunder between the bed curtains.
He had no doubt that she liked him.
She is a very philanthropic person.
I like it when it’s a sunny day.
I also like it when it rains.
I like the wild flowers on the roadside.
I like the puppies I see on the street.
She likes the cook Wei who makes mutton pies in the backyard of the palace.
She also liked the Western dancers who solicited customers at the gate of the West Market.
She even said of the young eunuch who was in charge of taking care of Fudouer: "He is smart and attentive, and quite likable."
It seemed like there was nothing in this world that she didn't like.
So when she said she liked him, Sima Jing felt nothing in his heart.
Anyway, it is the same category as sunny days, rainy days, wild flowers, puppies, cooks, dancers, and little eunuchs, so he won't be complacent about it.
But now, the thin and upright Taoist priest in blue robe in front of him used the word "love and respect", or "very much".
Sima Jing stroked the lightning-struck jujube wood bracelet on his wrist, and a subtle tenderness flashed across his dark eyes: "Yes, my wife and I have a very good relationship."
Upon hearing this, Host Jingyue felt both relieved and complicated.
I still can't accept that my little disciple is getting married, and marrying such a tall and strong man——
This tall and strong man seemed to be able to carry his skinny, skinny and flat yellow-haired little disciple away with just one arm.
"I wonder if the host is free to show the juniors around."
Because she was the master who raised Yun Ran, Sima Jing always treated her with respect: "When we were in Chang'an, my wife often mentioned the old days in Yangzhou to me. She missed the Taoist temple very much, and also missed the abbot and the other Taoist priests very much."
The prince's son-in-law took the initiative to ask to visit the Taoist temple, and Abbot Jingyue readily agreed.
"This way, sir."
She led Sima Jing and his group out of the quiet room and started walking from the main gate.
Since they were talking about Yun Ran, Dai Dalang, Chang Chun and others followed from a distance and could only hear the scattered conversations but could not make out the specific content.
Seeing the two of them chatting non-stop, with the usually aloof Prince Jing occasionally curling his lips and chuckling softly, Dai Jia Dalang couldn't help but wonder: "So His Highness can actually laugh!"
Chang Chun, who was standing by, heard this and glanced at him: "Mr. Dai, what you said is true. As long as people have seven emotions and six desires, our prince will naturally laugh."
Dai Dalang hurriedly said, "Don't misunderstand, eunuch. I mean, Your Highness has been in Yangzhou on business for more than half a month, and I don't remember ever seeing Your Highness smile."
Even if they invited the most famous courtesan in Yangzhou to perform, not only would it not make the king laugh, but the King's face turned black, and all the officials present turned pale with fright.
From then on, officials from various government offices in Yangzhou Prefecture no longer dared to present beauties to King Jing.
He didn't smile at the charming courtesan, but he was very friendly to the skinny old Taoist priest...
Dai Dalang couldn't help but wonder how stunningly beautiful that little Taoist nun who had transformed into a phoenix was that she could make a prince stay chaste for many days without any contact with other women.
He wanted to get close to Chang Chun and find out a few things, but this eunuch from Chang'an was quite arrogant. He put his hands in his sleeves and said with downcast eyes, "Our queen is a godlike figure. How can you and I talk about her behind her back?"
Dai Dalang was choked for a moment and looked embarrassed.
Geng Dong was still good-tempered. He gave Dai Dalang a thumbs-up and said, "This is our princess!"
"She is a fairy who has come down to earth, the reincarnation of Guanyin. She is beautiful and kind-hearted. She is simply the best woman in the world!"
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The author has something to say: Sima Jiu: You withdraw, and I will speak.
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The next chapter should be able to write about meeting [cat head] Good night, my dears~
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