Chapter 175 [VIP]
A ray of sunshine entered my gloomy heart.
Kong urged, "If there are any sick children, go and get them first; it can't get any worse."
Every family had a sick child, and upon hearing this, they stopped gossiping and hurried to the government office.
A long queue had already formed in front of the government office.
At the front of the line was a woman in coarse cloth holding a child. The child's cheeks were burning red, and the three or four-year-old was in so much pain that he couldn't even cry.
The woman was covered in dust and dirt, her exhaustion obscuring her once beautiful face.
She took the pills, put them in the child's mouth, and sat down silently to the side, her face already numb, as if waiting to die.
While others lined up to receive their medicine, they secretly glanced at the child in her arms.
Nobody knows whether this medicine will work or not.
They walked forward one by one, and after receiving their medicine, they left.
Each household can only receive three.
Qin Chen stood aside and watched without saying anything. The epidemic was severe, and to prevent local officials in Qingzhou from disobeying orders and missing the best opportunity to control the epidemic, Xie Yingchen directly dispatched several people from the capital.
Qin Chen was one of them.
Before arriving in this town, Qin Chen had already visited seven or eight towns.
When the people first received the pills, they were all skeptical, but once they used them, they knew that they could truly save lives.
"The fever is gone...the fever is gone!"
"My son, wake up, wake up."
A shout of joy and surprise broke the previous deathly silence. The woman who had been squatting on the street corner, holding her child, was both crying and laughing. As she cried, she staggered over, still holding her child, and knelt down in front of Qin Chen with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.
"You have shown me great kindness."
Similar scenes occurred in every place they went. As usual, Qin Chen helped the person up and said, "These pills are from the prescription of Miss Gu from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. They are specifically for treating this epidemic."
He said loudly, "We only have 10,000 pills available for now. Miss Gu said that adults can hold out for a few more days, but once children get infected, they almost certainly die. If there are children in your family who are sick, give these pills to the children first."
"Another 10,000 pills will be delivered in three days."
Someone went over to look at the child in the woman's arms. The child, who had been on the verge of death, was now looking around with his eyes wide open.
He actually woke up?
He touched the child's forehead again.
It's really not hot anymore!
He gripped the pills tightly in his hand and ran home without looking back.
There's hope!
There's hope!!
"My child has been sick for three days, could you give him/her to me first?"
"Don't push, my grandson is sick too, don't try to take it."
"Give me the medicine! Please!"
The town's deathly stillness was instantly shattered. Qin Chen ordered his men to maintain order and distributed the pills methodically.
It wasn't until the afternoon that all ten thousand-plus pills were finally distributed.
Qin Chen made sure to leave some extra medicine, instructing people to search the streets and alleys to see if any sick girls were without it. When he left, the young master had specifically told him that people in the community favored boys over girls, and he should be wary of them saving the medicine for boys while leaving the girls to fend for themselves.
This day.
Everyone in the town was sleepless all night.
This day.
Not a single child died from the epidemic.
After taking the pills, those with mild illnesses will be able to run around energetically the next day.
Even those who are seriously ill can at least swallow food.
The town, struggling in desolation due to earthquakes, death, and epidemics, finally saw the sunlight, bringing a glimmer of life.
Qingzhou gradually came back to life.
Taoist temples throughout Qingzhou suddenly saw a surge in worshippers.
They knelt devoutly beneath the statues of the Three Pure Ones, offering incense and praying:
"May Miss Gu live a long and healthy life."
"I wish Miss Gu all the best."
"I only wish that Miss Gu will be free from illness and worry."
...
Countless powerful wishes converged and transformed into a faint glow that enveloped the Taiqing Temple, lingering there for a long time.
This is the third day.
Pilgrims flocked to the city upon hearing the news. On the first day, most of them were locals from the capital region. Later, pilgrims from Yizhou and Yanzhou also made a special trip to come.
The Taiqing Temple is extremely popular, with incense smoke swirling around it.
The temple couldn't accommodate so many people, and those who couldn't enter the mountain gate immediately waited patiently outside. They looked up at the sunset glow with piety in their eyes, and no one complained of being tired no matter how long they waited.
"I have heard that on the day the Imperial Preceptor, the True Man Xuanxin, passed away, the sky was filled with rosy clouds and celestial music filled the air."
Master Xuanxin was the first national teacher of the Great Qi Dynasty.
When Emperor Taizu was still in his infancy, the True Man Xuanxin had already foreseen that he possessed the signs of a true dragon. The True Man Xuanxin revered him as the ruler of the world, assisting Emperor Taizu in ruling the realm and ending decades of chaos.
"Master Xuanxin has the merit of saving the world, which is why the sky was filled with rosy clouds on the day of his ascension."
The speaker was a young wandering Taoist priest.
He had only been practicing in the world for a short time when he heard of these strange phenomena and rushed over.
The young Taoist priest said with a devout expression, "There must be a person of great fortune in Taiqing Temple who will bless the people of Daqi. If I can meet him, this trip will have been worthwhile."
As they were talking, a voice suddenly rang out: "The officials are here!"
From the direction of the foot of the mountain, someone rushed up, shouting, "Make way! Make way! Don't block the way!"
"Why are the government officials here too?"
"Ouch! Make way, make way, I can barely stand."
"They're scattering lucky money."
The people gathered in front of the mountain gate moved aside and squeezed together, clearing the mountain path in the middle.
Before long, the Imperial Guards, carrying embroidered spring knives, strode in, followed closely by a black carriage, with a large red silk flower adorning the neck of the horse.
Following the carriage on foot were Chief Minister Song and the Minister of Rites, among others.
Behind the carriage, the eunuchs carried bamboo baskets filled with copper coins, scattering lucky money along the way up the mountain, their faces beaming with joy.
The carriage stopped in front of the mountain gate, and Prince Li and his wife got off the carriage.
Early in the morning, at the auspicious hour, they went to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence to present the betrothal gifts. The betrothal gifts consisted of 128 sets of ceremonial items, and the present gift was two live geese. The Minister of Rites racked his brains, and no matter how urgent it was, no matter how it was for the purpose of bringing good luck, the entire ceremony was arranged to be extremely grand, just as the Prince of Li had requested—even for a wedding to bring good luck, it had to be done with royal style.
After the betrothal ceremony, Prince Li brought the marriage certificate to Taiqing Temple.
Three days ago, Prince Li sent someone to the temple to make arrangements. Even so, he was very thorough in everything he did, keeping the man's attitude in a very humble manner. Not only did he not ask Taiqing Temple to close, but apart from the fact that he had suffered a stroke and was too old to walk the mountain road, the chief minister Song, the Duke of Wei, the Minister of Rites and other officials of the Ministry of Rites all abandoned their carriages at the foot of the mountain and walked up.
The abbot himself greeted them at the entrance of the temple.
Prince Li bowed deeply, performing all the proper courtesies: "I have come on behalf of Xie Yingchen, son of the Xie family, to propose marriage to Miss Gu."
The abbot, with a kind face, said: "Please."
Prince Li thanked them again, smiled, and went inside with his wife, while the others followed behind.
As soon as people entered the mountain gate, the outside area immediately became lively again.
"Did you hear that? It's because Prince Chen is offering a betrothal gift to Miss Gu."
"A betrothal?" Someone was taken aback. "A betrothal at a Taoist temple?"
"I heard that Miss Gu is a member of the Taoist sect and prays for the country in the temple. His Highness Prince Chen came to the temple to propose marriage in order to show his respect."
"Praying for the country?"
Upon hearing this, someone immediately thought, "Could it be that the appearance of the rosy clouds is because of Miss Gu? Daoist Master, wouldn't praying for the country be considered a great blessing?"
That's hard to say. The young Taoist priest decided to go and see for himself.
"Let's go too."
There were no young Taoist priests blocking their way at the mountain gate, and many people followed them inside.
Prince Li didn't mind people following behind him; it was a joyous occasion, so of course it should be celebrated in a lively manner.
He looked up at the sunset glow in the sky.
When he first heard about it, he thought it was some kind of charlatanry, but now that he has seen it with his own eyes, it is indeed a natural phenomenon.
"Alright, alright!"
The Duke of Wei spoke much more fluently than he had a few days ago. Fearing that white was unlucky, he specially wrapped two layers of red cloth around the white cotton cloth around his neck, making him look like the horse that accompanied him.
"Even the heavens know we've come to propose marriage to Prince Chen. This sky full of rosy clouds is a truly auspicious sign. Old Song, don't you think?"
With a smile on his face, Chief Minister Song glanced at him as he lowered his head.
The Duke of Wei is becoming increasingly shameless. Even though the Prince of Chen did not ask him to be the matchmaker, he went to the Prince of Chen's residence early this morning, before dawn, insisting on going with them to present the betrothal gifts.
First, she went with them to the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion. After the betrothal ceremony, she insisted on going to Taiqing Temple together again.
Hmph.
That's shameless! I'm ashamed of myself for it.
The Prime Minister Song smiled broadly and stared at his throat for a while.
Duke Wei raised an eyebrow and asked, "Old Song, what are you looking at?"
The chief minister said to him in a low voice, "I'm watching you. Even with your throat broken, you're still so eloquent."
After saying that, he raised his head and gave a perfect smile to the pilgrims who were watching.
"no the same."
After laughing, the Duke of Wei lowered his head and said softly, "I am different from you, Old Song. I am not as clever as you and chose the right master from the beginning. If I do not fight for it now, I will have no chance to fight for it later."
"Moreover, I think Miss Gu is indeed very fortunate," Duke Wei said with emotion. "Look at how Prince Chen was when he first returned, and look at how he is now."
At the time, everyone thought Xie Yingchen wouldn't live more than a few years and would only be able to struggle to survive under the emperor's nose, like a caged bird.
And now, in just a few months, he is only one step away from that position in the Golden Palace.
Back then, who could have imagined it?
"I was just being presumptuous."
Duke Wei wished he could go back and slap himself.
"Old Song, do you remember? The daily records of Emperor Taizu state that when the True Man Xuanxin ascended to heaven, there was a sky full of rosy clouds."
He quietly pointed to the sky: "Perhaps this really is because of Miss Gu."
As more and more worshippers gathered, Duke Wei dared not continue whispering. He nodded slightly to the worshippers, smiling dignifiedly.
"Please come this way, faithful believer."
The abbot led the way for them, taking them to a small courtyard on the back mountain.
Wuweizi personally greeted him.
He was wearing a brand-new Taoist robe, and his hair was neatly combed, with not a single strand showing.
He was quite old, with white hair and beard. With every gesture and movement, his Taoist robe fluttered, exuding an ethereal aura that inspired awe in all who beheld him.
Xie Yingchen had told them about the old Taoist's identity, and now seeing even Master Qingping serving him respectfully as a disciple, he became even more nervous and quickly returned the full bow.
Xie Danling and Gu Zhinan secretly watched from the side. When they saw them enter the main room, the two of them walked briskly back to Gu Zhizhuo's room and said excitedly, "Cousin Zhuo, there are so many people outside, the courtyard is almost full of worshippers."
"It's so lively."
"The Minister of Rites is quite adept at saying auspicious words. Isn't that right, Nan Nan?"
Gu Zhinan nodded repeatedly: "One string after another, you must have memorized it for a long time."
"And the Duke of Wei, he dressed himself up like a horse," Xie Danling gestured.
The girls chuckled and made a lively noise.
When the betrothal ceremony is held, sisters need to accompany the bride.
Because Gu Zhizhuo was staying at the Taoist temple, Gu Zhijiao and the others also moved in yesterday, and even Xie Danling slipped out of the palace.
Gu Zhizhuo sat upright in the armchair, her glossy black hair cascading over her shoulders. She looked sickly, and the constant, intense pain in her chest made her appear listless and unwell.
"Big sister, if you're tired of sitting, lean back for a while." Gu Zhijiao was thoughtful and considerate, and handed her a pillow to lean on.
Xie Danling took a sip of water: "Let's go take another look."
Aman wanted to go too, so Xie Danling took her hand and they ran outside together. Aman giggled happily.
They would come back from time to time and say, "The Minister of Rites has finally finished saying his auspicious words."
"Master has accepted the marriage certificate."
"Princess Li is coming this way."
Aman: "I'm here."
Xie Danling stopped going out this time, and after a while, Princess Li walked in surrounded by nannies and servants.
Gu Zhizhuo leaned forward slightly in the armchair.
Princess Li looked her over carefully, her eyes showing worry.
He certainly didn't look well; he was quite ill. No wonder Chen'er was so worried—how could he not be!
Miss Gu lives in the temple and hasn't returned to her residence even on a day like today. Both she and the prince have speculated that her old immortal master is probably trying to prolong her life.
After exchanging greetings, Princess Li stepped forward and said with a kind smile, "Miss Gu, let me style your hair."
During the Daqi Dynasty, on the day of the betrothal, the groom's elders were required to personally comb, tie, and adorn the bride's hair.
The old woman held a tray, and Princess Li took an ivory-white jade comb from the tray and gently combed her smooth hair three times, all the way to the ends.
She put down the jade comb and personally styled Gu Zhizhuo's hair.
Gu Zhizhuo was not yet of marriageable age, so her hairstyle was relatively simple. She then picked up a jade hairpin from another tray.
The more solemn the gesture, the more it signifies the man's joy at having won this wife.
"To have such a wonderful wife is a blessing that will last forever."
"It is a blessing for the Xie family."
Xie Danling helped Gu Zhizhuo to his feet and curtsied to Princess Li.
"Hey, please sit down. There's no need for so much formality."
Xie Danling helped her sit back down.
Next, it's time to sign the marriage certificate.
Prince Li accompanied Wuweizi, who personally handed the marriage certificate to Gu Zhizhuo.
Xie Yingchen had already written his name on the marriage certificate.
The other column is still empty.
As the saying goes, a woman's first marriage is decided by her father, but a second marriage is decided by herself. When a woman marries for the first time, her marriage certificate is signed by her elders. However, Xie Yingchen's parents were both deceased, so he signed the marriage certificate himself. Therefore, the Grand Madam felt that Gu Zhizhuo should sign it himself.
Wuweizi held a whisk and gently stroked Gu Zhizhuo's head three times.
"A marriage certificate serves as a petition to the Heavenly Court and a signal to the Underworld..."
Xie Danling dipped the tip of the brush in vermilion and handed it to Gu Zhizhuo.
"...Our fates are intertwined, and we share both good and bad fortune."
"With the witness of all the celestial masters, this message is communicated throughout the Three Realms and reported to the Nine Heavens." (Note)
Gu Zhizhu smiled at her, picked up a pen, and signed his name on the marriage certificate.
Gu Zhizhuo.
The two names are displayed side by side.
Just like in past and present lives, they have always been together, inseparable in life and death.
Wuweizi stroked his long beard with a smile on his face.
The ceremony is complete.
The eunuchs who were announcing the ceremony shouted joyfully in loud voices.
Not only the people in the small courtyard, but also the pilgrims watching the ceremony outside the courtyard all heard it.
"Huh?"
The young Taoist priest suddenly let out a soft cry, his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly at the sky.
The glow of the sunset that enveloped Shangqing Temple suddenly became even brighter, as colorful as a rainbow after the rain, and as gentle as a drizzle, sprinkling onto the small courtyard in front of us.
Huh?
Gu Zhizhuo's long eyelashes suddenly trembled slightly.
A strange power surged into her body, like the gentlest breeze, caressing her internal organs and repairing her battered body and soul.
Her chest pain was gone.
It seemed as if countless voices were ringing in my ears, faint yet distinct:
"May Miss Gu live a long and healthy life, free from illness and disaster..."
A note from the author:
Note: Some of the lines are taken from Taoist marriage contracts.
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