The hexagram Shi He (噬嗑) is considered the most auspicious.
Chapter 21 The Hexagram of Biting Through (噬嗑) - Auspicious Hexagram - Listen to the Wind Eight Hundred Times
Everyone held their breath and looked at Rong Yan. She was calm and composed, only slightly raising her eyes, as if she had exuded a sense of calm and composure. She softly replied, "Okay."
Unexpectedly, Rong Yan's reply only made Rong Shu anxious.
She frowned slightly, her unease immediately showing on her face, and her tone became somewhat anxious, "Please forgive my rudeness, everyone. My sister is impetuous by nature, and her divination is just a joke. It's hardly something to be taken seriously. Today, Princess Yongqing is here in person, so it's best not to offend the princess's eyes with such tricks."
Princess Yongqing turned her head to look at her, and gently raised the corners of her lips, saying, "You are? I remember you seem to be the young mistress's older sister, then this is where you are wrong. Your younger sister is so capable. How can you suppress her like this? I heard that the case of Lady Hou Fulou's murder was solved by her divination. On this matter, you don't need to say anything more. I also want to see the eldest lady's divination skills."
Princess Yongqing had already said this much, and no one could persuade her otherwise. Besides, the ladies present also wanted to see Rong Yan's abilities.
Rong Yan sighed softly, turned around and gave Hua Li an instruction. Hua Li then hurriedly ran out and came back in with a bamboo pole.
"Young mistress, where should we insert it?"
Rong Yan took the bamboo pole. "I'll do it."
A white strip of cloth was tied to the bamboo pole. It was clear that the cloth was made of rough material, as if it had been tied on casually without any care.
"What is she doing? She hasn't burned incense, bathed, or performed any rituals?"
Rong Yan simply walked to one end of the pool and casually stuck the bamboo pole in, showing absolutely no air of mystery whatsoever; in fact, one could say he was overly casual...
Everyone: ? ? ?
Rong Shu frowned as she looked at her. Could it be that she had already thought of an excuse?
Impossible. The incident happened in the blink of an eye; how could she have thought of a way to protect herself so quickly?
The maids in the courtyard all looked at Rong Yan with adoration, and Princess Yongqing glanced at them casually and became slightly suspicious.
Rong Yan looked up and squinted at the sky. After closing his eyes and remaining still for a while, he adjusted the position of the bamboo pole and then stood on the pavilion, watching the flag on the flagpole flutter.
"What are you doing?"
"Listen to the wind".
"What?"
Rong Yan patiently explained, "If you listen to the wind eight hundred times, everything will be resolved."
Everyone: !!!
Can the wind hear? If it could, how long would it take to hear it eight hundred times?!
Fortunately, Rong Yan did not keep them waiting for long. She tossed down a few copper coins, looked at them, and then repeated the operation six times.
The latter part resembled divination using a tortoise shell, which everyone understood.
When Rong Yan returned, he looked tired, as if he had exhausted a lot of energy.
Everyone waited for her to speak, but she deliberately remained silent for a moment, then sighed, which frightened the cook so much that he hurriedly lowered his head and cried out, "Please, young mistress, you must save me!"
His voice was hoarse, filled with immense despair.
It's obvious that he will be used as a pawn.
If it is confirmed that it was his knife skills that injured Princess Yongqing, he will never be able to resume his job as a cook in Bianliang.
"If that's the case, then I'll interpret it based on the imagery. Chef Gan's current situation is like the Ming Yi hexagram, where light is hidden by darkness. This doesn't mean he should suppress his brilliance, but rather that he's been wronged and is being influenced by the Feng Ze hexagram, which means that there are villains hindering him and setting traps. However, Chef Gan, you still have the Kun hexagram, which is the only truly auspicious one. You just need the right opportunity to break out of this predicament."
The crowd immediately began to whisper among themselves.
"Isn't she clearly implying that Princess Yongqing set a trap to frame Chef Gan?"
"She's just putting up a fight. Is she talking nonsense or trying to 'go to war' with Princess Yongqing? Although she married the eldest son, her family is still weak and she's not favored."
Rong Shu's expression was complicated. If it were any other time, she would be overjoyed if Rong Yan made a fool of himself.
But now that Lady Wang intends to bring Princess Yongqing into the mansion, she is not happy about it.
If it really comes to fruition, then wouldn't the princess be the one to call the shots in the inner quarters?
Her long-planned move to take over the family business was now hopeless.
Therefore, at this moment, the enemy of my enemy is my ally. No matter how much she dislikes Rong Yan, she wouldn't be foolish enough to help Princess Yongqing.
Rong Shu: "Please excuse my fooling behavior, everyone. Please don't take it seriously."
"Please excuse my audacity. How could a princess do such a thing? Isn't this blatantly calling me... a villain?"
"Yes, given her status, how could she speak of Princess Yongqing like that?"
“Princess Yongqing, please don’t be angry. Madam has never been good at divination, and she made a mistake for a moment.”
Rong Yan smiled and shook his head, showing no fear. "No, although the divination indicates the presence of a villain, I am not referring to Princess Yongqing. The art of wind tells me that after a short while, the art of thunder and water will break the deadlock."
What? !
Isn't this referring to Princess Yongqing?
Princess Yongqing, unsure of her true intentions, raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Do you think the truth will be revealed after a quarter of an hour?"
"Exactly."
The crowd erupted in uproar.
Even if it really wasn't Princess Yongqing's doing, the "villain" who framed the cook must be right here. Why would he walk right into the trap and reveal it himself?
Is it true that the truth will come to light in a moment, as she said?
How could you make up such a lie?
Since the villain was present and knew of the prophet's prediction, he was prepared and there was no way he would reveal his true colors.
Chef Gan couldn't understand the divination symbols Rong Yan was talking about at all; he only knew that she said he could turn bad luck into good, which immediately rekindled his hope.
As everyone held their breath and waited, a quarter of an hour quickly passed.
Rong Shu glanced at the composed Rong Yan. Everyone was already too preoccupied with the unexpected turn of events to enjoy the banquet and was waiting for the appointed time. She spoke first, "Sister, why don't we let Chef Gan leave sooner? That way, he can finally marry the palace maid. Wouldn't that be a better ending for him?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the cook in the room immediately kowtowed to Princess Yongqing.
"Please, Princess Yongqing, have mercy! Please, Princess Yongqing, have mercy! I don't care about a good man's happiness, I just want my innocence and reputation!!"
"If you don't want her, I will never let her enter the palace again. How about letting her commit suicide on the spot?" Princess Yongqing glanced at the entire room with a smile, and finally her gaze fell lightly on Rong Yan.
The palace maid's face turned deathly pale. After letting out a scream, she suddenly knelt up and, as if grasping at a last straw, crawled with all her might toward Rong Shu, grabbing her skirt and pleading, "Please, Madam, save me!"
"You must be confused. It was Princess Yongqing who punished you by making you marry a cook. Even if you beg me, I cannot overstep my authority to punish you, so how can I say I'm helping you?"
The palace maid acted as if she hadn't heard, "The cook is innocent, so I don't need to marry him, right? He didn't do it, he didn't do it! I clearly saw the maid behind Madam Rong stab him with a knife hidden in her sleeve!"
Everyone: !!!
"Madam Rong? Is she really the young mistress?!"
Princess Yongqing sneered, but then saw the little palace maid hurriedly raise her finger and point at Rong Shu.
Everyone was shocked, including Rong Shu herself.
Rong Shu: "You're making false accusations! It wasn't me!"
Rong Shu panicked and hurriedly looked up at Princess Yongqing, "Princess Yongqing, I didn't do such a despicable thing. Don't listen to her nonsense, it really wasn't me!"
"Rong Yan! You must have used some trick to have the palace maid spread such nonsense to frame me! You are truly a venomous woman!! With such a venomous woman as you, the eldest young master will surely not live long!!! All my efforts to think of you have been in vain..."
"Insolence!" Princess Yongqing rebuked her, her sharp eyes fixed on Rong Shu, the venom in her gaze sending chills down Rong Shu's spine.
"Slap yourself." Princess Yongqing said, then looked away and took out a handkerchief to gently wipe her lips.
"Slap slap slap!" The sounds were loud. Rong Shu's hands were held in the hands by the palace maids. The two palace maids slapped her hands with all their might, as if they were already used to this kind of punishment.
As the young ladies watched as Rong Shu's face was bruised and turned purple, a cold sweat broke out on their backs.
What's even more alarming is that what just happened actually occurred exactly 15 minutes later.
Princess Yongqing, on the other hand, remained calm and slowly said, "Very well, it seems that the young mistress's divination skills are indeed remarkable. Let's spare this cook. However, you should not return to the palace. You will be expelled from the palace and will not be granted the status of a free citizen. You may go wherever you please."
The kneeling palace maid trembled, her lips shaking, but she dared not give up. Tears welled in her eyes as she cried out in anguish, "Thank you... thank you, Princess Yongqing, sob sob."
The suppressed sobs were so heart-wrenching that everyone present felt sorry for her.
Princess Yongqing smiled and looked at Rong Yan, "Young Madam is indeed quite capable. I'm tired of this banquet. I'd like to go see the Eldest Young Master first. I've known him since we were young, and I believe Young Madam won't mind these dogmas."
Rong Yan still wore a faint, polite smile. "Of course not. The princess and my husband are like brothers. I am happy for my husband."
Princess Yongqing's expression froze slightly for a moment. She gently stood up. "By the way, where is that Taoist temple?"
Her voice was steady, and her smiling face, with its eyes crinkling, was incredibly endearing.
Rong Yan calmly stood up and replied, "Tianbao Mountain, Hebai Temple."
"Hmm, I understand."
Everyone rose to greet her, and Rong Yan personally escorted her out of the pavilion.
As she turned around, Princess Yongqing chuckled softly at Rong Yan and said, "You are very clever."
After saying this, she followed the palace servants to Qu Shen Yuan.
Rong Shu was punished here and was eventually knocked unconscious. As soon as Princess Yongqing left, the maids hurriedly carried her back to the inner quarters.
Whether she was innocent or framed is irrelevant.
Rong Yan's divination only said that the situation could be resolved, but did not specify that the one being resolved was the "real culprit".
Who is the villain is not important to the public.
The important thing is Princess Yongqing's purpose.
Everyone knew that this banquet was merely a stepping stone for Princess Yongqing.
Rong Yan, however, had his injury broken through Rong Shu's hands.
What frightens everyone is that she really did foresee it, and she predicted it accurately. At that moment, even Rong Shu did not expect that she would say those words, so how could she have predicted that it would provoke the palace maid and lead to the situation she is in now!
The way everyone looked at Rong Yan changed; they became somewhat suspicious of her yet dared not underestimate her.
"Young Madam, we shall take our leave now, and meet again another day."
As Chef Gan looked at the palace maid who was lying on the ground crying, he glanced at Rong Yan, his heart filled with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, and he felt a little dizzy.
"Young Madam, thank you so much for saving my life!"
Chef Gan's eyes were filled with hope, brimming with anticipation for the rest of his life.
If Rong Yan doesn't save him, he will never have the chance to be a chef again in this life.
Rong Yan sighed, "Don't be in such a hurry to thank me. The Marquis's mansion can't keep you here either."
Chef Gan: !!!
He almost choked on his breath. After experiencing such extreme joy and sorrow, he seemed like a lifeless doll, muttering as if he had lost his soul, "Does the young mistress not believe me either?"
"No, if you remain in the Marquis's residence, the Marquis's wife would surely find out about this and would not allow you to stay. Your divination still has unresolved aspects; isn't the purpose of divination to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune?"
Chef Gan: "But where else can I go if I leave the Marquis's mansion..."
Rong Yan quietly sized him up before speaking to ask him to stay.
"If you don't mind, you can go to Hebai Temple to work as a cook in the vegetarian hall. Madam Du will also help out. As for wages, I will give you the same amount as you have in the Marquis's mansion. However, vegetarian dishes are not as good as meat dishes, so you will need to study them carefully."
Rong Yan's words were like a ray of dawn, instantly bringing him immense joy, as if the clouds had parted and the moon was shining through.
"Thank you so much, young mistress! Thank you so much, young mistress!!"
With tears in his eyes, Chef Gan immediately kowtowed heavily behind the screen. Upon hearing this, Rong Yan quickly stopped him, saying, "We only have a mutually beneficial relationship, there's no need for this. Go down and prepare quickly."
Having survived a life-or-death ordeal, Chef Gan was reborn from the ashes. Now, he would be willing to humble himself and do anything, even if it meant cooking cow dung, let alone vegetarian dishes.
Chef Gan's culinary skills are not only evident to Rong Yan, but everyone present has also tasted them; his techniques are superb and skillful, and the food is extremely delicious.
Leaving him in the temple would mean that Princess Yongqing, having lived in the palace for so long, wouldn't necessarily pay much attention to things outside the palace.
"Young Madam, you were so domineering just now. We were all worried that Princess Yongqing might make things difficult for you," Huali said with a grin.
At this moment, Wang Mama quietly slipped into the courtyard and whispered in Rong Yan's ear, "Young Madam, Princess Yongqing has entered Qu Shen Courtyard alone."
Although Rong Yan did not instruct Wang Mama to do so, Wang Mama was very perceptive and would take the initiative to report to her any slightest movement in the mansion.
"Okay, I understand."
She turned and glanced at the peach blossoms in full bloom, their delicate and beautiful appearance mirroring Princess Yongqing's expression when she left.
Why bother for a man?
Xie Chengzhi's eyes suddenly flashed through her mind, and her heart softened slightly.
She murmured, "It seems that Princess Yongqing was also held back by her beauty."
With the renovation of Hebai Temple imminent and many things to do, how could she have the mind to think about other people's affairs?
Madam Wang seemed unable to hold back any longer and took another step forward, saying in a barely audible voice, "But the eldest young master still hasn't opened the door. Bai Qiong must have received orders from the eldest young master to guard the door and not budge an inch."
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