Chapter 144 Mural "Having found the reason for the reversal, I will return..."
Chapter 144
Every move Feng Youming makes has its purpose. From the moment she transmigrated to this dynasty, she has paved every possible path for Feng Tan. If the reforms succeed next year, and the court wants women to have a place in society, and the imperial examinations are opened, but no woman succeeds, wouldn't their ten transmigrations and restarts become a huge joke?
Therefore, Feng Youming not only set up female soldiers in the Imperial Dragon Camp to launch the coup, but also adopted a large number of girls and taught them the knowledge required for the imperial examinations from a young age.
The imperial examinations of the Daegu Dynasty were based on Confucian classics, with clear levels of examinations and strict time arrangements, forming a highly institutionalized selection system.
The imperial examination system was divided into four levels: the preliminary examination, the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination. The preliminary examination was a qualifying round, while the latter three levels were the formal imperial examinations. The content of the examinations became more in-depth with each level, and revolved around the Four Books and Five Classics and the eight-legged essay.
The imperial examination system prioritized talent and selected officials based on their literary skills, paving a broad road for children from ordinary families to rise from humble beginnings to the imperial court. Previously, only men were allowed to take the exams to enter officialdom; after the reform, many women also joined the ranks of those taking the exams.
The provincial examination was administered by the Ministry of Rites and aimed to select candidates to participate in the palace examination. Its content strictly followed Confucian classics, with the Four Books and Five Classics as the core, and adopted the eight-legged essay as the standard answer format.
After they were seated, Lin Wanzhou invited the tea server over again and said, "The imperial examination has three sessions, each crucial and each question challenging. The first session will test three questions on the Four Books, each over two hundred characters; and four questions on the Classics, each over three hundred characters. The questions will mostly draw from passages in the Four Books, sometimes combining excerpts, sometimes combining excerpts with excerpts, sometimes cutting off sections entirely—the variations are endless..."
The woman in blue across from Lin Wanzhou interrupted, "Scholars must write according to the topic, taking Zhu Xi's collected commentaries as their guide, expounding the meaning of the sages, striving for concise language and clear understanding of the principles. If one can draw on a wide range of sources, integrate them, and write with beautiful language and a powerful style, one will surely win the favor of the examiners... Right, Sister Lin?"
The woman in green was named Cheng Ruihui. Her face had a perfect balance of strength and gentleness, with bright, star-like eyes, a high and straight nose, and a clear, strong jawline. She possessed a sharp, sword-like aura and an androgynous, heroic beauty.
Under her intense gaze, and seeing the ambiguous smile on her lips, Lin Wanzhou's fair face flushed slightly. She made a move to stand up and said, "Yes... everyone has done their homework, so I..."
Cheng Ruihui grabbed Lin Wanzhou's hand, looked up at her, and said, "Why are you leaving? Does Lord Feng really send you to supervise us? Sister Lin, he sent you out to deal with people because he sees you always stuck in self-reproach."
Unlike the girls of the Imperial Dragon Camp, who grew up in a place that was criticized by the world but whose backgrounds were clean, Lin Wanzhou grew up in the Red Sleeve Pavilion and was known as the number one courtesan in the capital. The reform could not change the prejudice against her in the capital, and she was pointed at and gossiped about whenever she went out.
Therefore, for the past three years, unless Feng Tan assigned Lin Wanzhou any task, she never left the Vice Minister's residence.
Their clasped fingers were warm. Lin Wanzhou looked into Cheng Ruihui's resolute eyes, slowly sat back down on the futon, and said softly, "I've troubled Atan."
Cheng Ruihui's voice was icy, reminiscent of all cool, cold objects. "Lin Daiyu, forget your gender, forget your unpleasant past, compete, create, and public opinion will be overshadowed by your new achievements."
A subtle tremor ran through Lin Wanzhou's eyes. She took a sip of tea to calm her rising anger and slowly said, "I...can I?"
"Why can't you do it?" Cheng Ruihui picked up the teacup with her slightly calloused fingers, took a sip of tea, and said, "You've seen it yourself. Policies made by men can be changed. Similarly, prejudices in people's hearts can be changed. As long as you are strong enough, don't run away, face it head-on, and then kick away all those who are criticizing you, just like kicking away a man's limp penis."
"Cheng Ruihui, you're corrupting the young girl again!"
How do you know that all men's penises are limp?
"That's right, it's so soft and flabby, one kick and it'll clutch its groin!"
"......."
The atmosphere among the women of the Imperial Dragon Camp became lively. Cheng Ruihui's icy expression remained unchanged as she looked at Lin Wanzhou with unwavering eyes and said, "Don't pay attention to what these inferior creatures say about you. They are the ones who force good women into prostitution, and they are also the ones who persuade prostitutes to reform. Unleash your aggression and think carefully about what you want."
Lin Wanzhou was taken aback. What did she want? She wasn't like the ambitious women in the Imperial Dragon Camp who wanted to climb the ranks of officialdom; she wasn't like Yu Ruxi who was a master of martial arts and had the ability to lead troops into battle; and she wasn't like Feng Tan who was decisive and wise, and who remained true to her original aspirations despite countless hardships.
She had no ambitions since childhood and spent too much time wallowing in self-pity. Despite being at the forefront of reform, her thoughts were no different from those of girls trapped in their boudoirs.
What does she want?
Cheng Ruihui's expression was gentle. "Mr. Feng once said, 'As far as prostitutes are concerned, men do indeed patronize their bodies, and they are the only people in this world who can humiliate the nature of men.' If they do not feel ashamed, why do you not dare to walk openly on the streets of the capital? You are a descendant of Mr. Feng, and you should strive to enjoy glory."
Lin Wanzhou glanced sideways at the bustling traffic in the alley below and spoke in a soft voice, "Lin Wanzhou has nothing to be ashamed of. She can walk openly on the street."
After saying that, Lin Wanzhou's gaze returned to Cheng Ruihui, and she raised her voice, full of determination, "I should walk on the street openly and honestly."
Cheng Ruihui smiled, but the smile was faint, and her cold demeanor remained unchanged. "Lord Feng is a very busy person. He sent you to entertain us and then sent me to comfort you. Where is she?"
Lin Wanzhou said, "The imperial examination that Lord Feng has been planning for three years... is both this year. The first imperial examination after the reform is tantamount to a political purge of the Great Huang Dynasty. Women must have a foothold in the court, but how many women are needed to secure a place in the court? How many imperial examinations will it take for each generation to achieve this... There are too many questions like these. Lord Feng needs to constantly deduce these things, and there's also..."
"What is it?"
The sunlight gradually softened, spreading out like a thin veil of pale gold. The silhouette of the distant Buddhist temple appeared solemn and majestic in the twilight, slowly being swallowed up by the darkening night.
“It’s getting dark,” Lin Wanzhou avoided answering, and stood up to say goodbye to Cheng Ruihui. “Consort Su just arrived at Yongle Temple today. As the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he is in charge of the ceremony for the change of seals and is quite busy. I’ll go see if there’s anything I can help with.”
......
As the last rays of dawn were swallowed by the thick darkness of night, Yongle Temple gradually disappeared into darkness.
Descending slowly down the stone steps in the silent, dark passage, the stone slabs underfoot creaked and groaned. Oil lamps burned on both sides of the narrow, long passage, casting dappled shadows on the walls with their faint light.
Feng Tan covered the knife wound on her left arm, blood dripping down. She had no choice but to stop for a moment, take out the wound medicine specially made by Menghe Nabul from her bosom and sprinkle it on. Then she tore off a piece of cloth from the corner of her robe and tightly bandaged the wound. The wound was so deep that bone could be seen. After all this, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and her lips became even paler.
Those who want her dead are either Consort Su or people sent by Prince Jing. Tonight, they sent assassins to follow her and try to end her completely. The fact that they used such a brutal method to kill her shows that her power in the court is growing stronger and has seriously threatened them. They can no longer sit still.
Emperor Chongming dispatched the most elite Imperial Guards of the Great Huang Dynasty to secretly protect Feng Tan. However, Wei Shengxian was always unruly and capricious, and Feng Tan had never gotten along with him. Tonight, Feng Tan used a trick to provoke Wei Shengxian, and he was left behind.
Meng Henabul and Zhu Qi were transferred by her, and if she went alone tonight, she could create an excellent opportunity for the assassins. They couldn't possibly not make a move, and if they did, Feng Tan would have a solid alibi tonight.
In a battle, only by making the enemy lower their guard can you strike a fatal blow when she is at her most triumphant.
Feng Tan has always been the most patient hunter.
Passing through the narrow, dark passage, the first mechanism came into view. Feng Tan, the mechanic of Yongle Temple, had studied the temple's structural diagrams. She pressed her finger on a protrusion on the wall, and the stone door opened with a rumble before her eyes.
The tall, dark hall was filled with the atmosphere of time, and the light inside was dim, with only a few eternal lamps emitting a faint yellow glow.
The murals on the four walls are grand in scale. On the central wall is a huge "Paradise" painting, in which the Buddha sits on a lotus throne, surrounded by bodhisattvas and disciples dressed in colorful robes and holding ritual implements. Auspicious clouds swirl in the sky, celestial music floats, and countless celestial maidens dance gracefully.
Feng Tan then looked at the walls on the left and right, on which were depictions of the Buddhist concepts of "six realms of reincarnation" and "karma".
The profound truths of Buddhism describe the six realms of reincarnation. These six realms are the realm of gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings. In Buddhism, these six realms are like a winding path, interconnected with cause and effect, drawing the souls of all beings into them in a continuous cycle.
Thinking of the endless cycle, Feng Tan immediately thought of Xiao Yinshi, who had been reincarnated nine times.
Her expression darkened for a moment, and she stepped towards the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
On the murals, one can clearly see the heavenly realm of illusory palaces and the fall into the mortal world after the blessings are exhausted; the human realm of mortal life, where joy and sorrow are intertwined; the Asura realm of anger, strife, and war; the animal realm of ignorance and the survival of the fittest; the hungry ghost realm of hunger and thirst and deep resentment; and the hell realm of raging fire and freezing ice, with endless torture.
In the lower right corner of the mural is a line of Sanskrit text: “Alas! The cycle of six realms of reincarnation is like a dreamlike illusion, in which sentient beings are trapped and unable to extricate themselves. Only by hearing the Dharma and practicing good deeds can one break the shackles of reincarnation, escape the sea of suffering, attain enlightenment, enter the state of Nirvana, and enjoy eternal bliss.”
After Feng Tan finished reading the six realms of reincarnation, her finger touched the mural and suddenly a surge of spiritual energy appeared on it, with wisps of green smoke rising. In the blink of an eye, the scene around her changed, and she was drawn into the realm of hungry ghosts.
In this world, the hungry ghosts come in all shapes and sizes, and their appearances are terrifying. Most of them are as thin as withered wood, with their ribs protruding, while their bellies are surprisingly large, like inflated balloons, forming a stark and eerie contrast with their bony limbs.
Feng Tan fell into the water, making such a commotion that the surrounding hungry ghosts stopped in their tracks and all looked in her direction. The delicious flesh and blood of a living person was a tempting feast, and they dragged their mangled bodies and surged towards Feng Tan like madmen.
Buddhism believes that sentient beings are able to enter the realm of hungry ghosts because of the evil karma they have created in the past. Those who possess all five poisons—greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt—will inevitably fall into the realm of hungry ghosts.
They are hungry ghosts, and even more so, evil spirits.
Feng Tan was stunned for a moment, then quickly dodged and fled in the misty ghost realm. Skeletal hands kept emerging from under her feet, trying to grab her ankles. A large number of hungry ghosts chased after her. She ran very fast. A huge, fallen Bodhisattva statue appeared in the shadows ahead. As soon as she stepped into this area, the hungry ghosts chasing her slowly stopped.
Behind Feng Tan was a Bodhisattva statue, and in front of him was a hungry ghost within arm's reach. The saliva dripping from its mouth fell to the ground. It glanced at Feng Tan with reluctance, as if the Bodhisattva, though fallen, still showed reverence. After a few breaths, it stepped back and turned to leave.
Feng Tan watched warily as the hungry ghost that was about to touch her and swallow her gradually moved away before she sat down on the ground with her back to the compassionate Bodhisattva.
Before they could catch their breath, a deafening roar shook the heavens and earth beside them. Next to the fallen Bodhisattva statue, a Vajra was rising from the ground.
The Bodhisattva lowers his brows, the Vajra glares fiercely.
But this isn't the case here.
The Bodhisattva fell to the ground, and the Vajra rose up in response. After the violent tremor, in the yellow earth and the white mist, the sound of steady and powerful footsteps could be faintly heard.
A tall and imposing figure slowly emerged from the thin mist, holding a long sword that gleamed with a cold light, and stopped step by step in front of Feng Tan.
The Ghost King's face was sharply defined, as if carved by a knife and axe. Feng Tan raised his eyes and met his sharp, dark eyes. Then his pupils trembled violently. His face was exactly the same as Xiao Yinshi's.
The evil spirits did not flee in panic because they had entered the Bodhisattva's territory, but because of the silent intimidation of the Ghost King.
The sword pointed at Feng Tan's face. He bent down to meet her gaze, his voice low and deep, "I've said it before, there will never be a day when we part ways."
With the blade pointing downwards, it slowly pressed against Feng Tan's throat. Xiao Yinshi's extremely deep-set eyes in the dark space were somewhat frightening, and the oppressive feeling made it hard to breathe. "Find the reason for the upheaval, and I will return to your side."
Her heart pounded erratically, and Feng Tan froze on the spot, unable to move. The blade pressed against her neck was applied with little force. She silently reached out and grasped the sword. As blood gushed from her palm, she reversed the sword tip and thrust it into the chest of the person opposite her.
The Ghost King vanished like black smoke, breaking free of the illusion. Feng Tan opened his eyes again, meeting the same pair of pitch-black eyes. "Benefactor, are you alright?"
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