Chapter 5: Xingzhi Temple (5)
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Xiao Fu turned his head and continued to instruct, “Yuanqing, bring me the detailed biography of Xiao Huang, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, especially about his daughter, the Second Young Miss of the Xiao family. Find out her name, temperament, and who she associates with, every detail.”
Although Yuanqing didn’t understand, he still complied.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the palace had changed drastically.
The Emperor lay on the golden dragon couch, his face purple-red, writhing in pain and calling out, “Empress Mother, Empress Mother…”
“My son, my dear son, Mother is here!” Empress Dowager Xiao was almost in tears with worry. “Imperial Physician! Where is Imperial Physician Zhang?”
Hastily returning to the palace with his medicine box, Imperial Physician Zhang knelt down in a rush. “Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, this old minister is here.”
“And Xiao Fu? How is his condition?”
Imperial Physician Zhang replied while kneeling, “Lord Xiao… cannot move. I’m afraid I cannot bring him back to the palace.”
Emperor Yuwen Duo ascended the throne less than eight years ago. He was still young and could never have imagined that, at the age of only twenty-five, he would be afflicted by the Miaojiang insect poison!
The venomous attack caused unbearable itching all over his body. This was the third episode, occurring monthly like clockwork, similar to a woman’s menstrual cycle.
All the court physicians had examined him, some suspecting poison, while Imperial Physician Zhang speculated it was a type of insect venom. “It’s likely that it was ground into powder and mixed into the imperial food. After being ingested, the insects lay eggs in the stomach, causing delayed and difficult-to-anticipate attacks.”
Empress Dowager Xiao exclaimed, “What should we do?!”
Imperial Physician Zhang replied, “It’s easy to introduce the venom, but difficult to cure it. If a highly skilled expert in this field were to intervene, perhaps they could cure the illness.”
“A venomous expert… Quickly, send someone to Yunnan! We must find the Venom King!”
However, a month later, there was still no news. Empress Dowager Xiao suddenly remembered her younger brother, Xiao Fu.
Emperor Yuwen Duo cried out like a child, “Mother, where is Xiao Fu! Uncle! Mother, I want my uncle…”
Empress Dowager Xiao could only comfort him, “Marquis Dingbei was met with assassination attempt in the capital and suffered serious injuries, unable to move…”
“Come…… bring me out! I’ll go find him myself, I’ll beg him! Back then, it was I who sent him into exile within the capital. I was too harsh.”
Emperor Yuwen Duo’s eyes bulged, veins popping on his face as he trembled violently, “Let him find the Venom King… Bring him to me! Ah! Mother, I’m in so much pain…”
The Venom King’s whereabouts were elusive. However, Xiao Fu grew up in the Yunnan palace and was once abducted, only to be saved by the Venom King. Later, when Xiao Fu’s grandfather, Prince Yunnan, fell victim to a strange venom, Xiao Fu sought out the Venom King and spent forty-nine days resolving the poison to save his grandfather’s life.
Xiao Fu dared to slap the emperor for several reasons: first, because of his noble status, being the emperor’s elder; second, because he had a background in the martial world, carrying the aura of the jianghu, and had a demeanor that disregarded imperial authority.
Emperor Yuwen Duo felt ashamed of his actions but also feared Xiao Fu. With advice from his court eunuchs, he tried every means to force Xiao Fu to guard the frontier.
Empress Dowager Xiao had also reproached him for his extreme actions: “After all, Xiao Fu is your uncle, even if he’s just two years older than you.”
However, Yuwen Duo regarded Xiao Fu as a major threat: “He has the support of Duke Chang Residence and the wealthy Yunnan Prince Residence. Mother, you’re his elder sister, but he doesn’t respect me! What if one day he decides he wants to take my throne?”
Empress Dowager Xiao reassured him, “That won’t happen. He is your elder.”
“But he’s also part of the Yunnan Prince Residence!”
The Yunnan Prince, the fiefdom that the late emperor most wanted to eliminate, was also the benefactor who helped Yuwen Duo ascend the throne.
Seven years later, Yuwen Duo urgently wanted Xiao Fu. With fiery red eyes, he shouted, “Mother, I want to secretly visit him! I need to find Xiao Fu and have him bring the Venom King to me!”
His outburst lasted only a day or two, but it seemed to drain half his life force, leaving him half-dead and gasping for air.
“An emperor leaving the palace is no small matter. If this matter is discovered, it will be troublesome.” Empress Dowager Xiao shook her head inwardly. “Only you and I, along with Imperial Physician Zhang and a few trusted eunuchs and palace maids, know about this. Those eunuchs and palace maids have been dealt with, leaving only Imperial Physician Zhang alive. Don’t worry, my son. I’ll soon find an excuse to leave the palace and make sure your uncle finds the Venom King for you!”
As she turned away, however, Empress Dowager Xiao’s expression became melancholy.
“Why did he go to Xingzhi Temple….”
Xingzhi Temple, Hall of Purifying the Heart.
Lin Zikui tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night.
The next morning, when it was just barely light outside, Mo Liu woke up first and brought Lin Zikui a basin of water as usual. The water was from a mountain spring, icy cold to the touch, which helped to wake Lin Zikui up a bit, causing him to cough a few times.
Mo Liu draped a gray rabbit fur cloak over him. “Young Master, it’s cold in the mountains. Be careful not to catch a cold. We brought few clothes. Shouldn’t we go down the mountain to buy a couple more?”
Lin Zikui shook his head. “Let’s wait a while longer.”
“Oh.” Mo Liu, still groggy, remembered yesterday’s events. “By the way, Young Master, I went to the East Guest Hall yesterday to investigate. You said I was discovered by Young Miss Xiao’s people and they knocked me out, so I came back. Did you clarify things with Young Miss Xiao?”
Lin Zikui sighed. “She doesn’t seem willing to call off the engagement.”
“What are you sighing for? Isn’t that a good thing? Is Young Miss Xiao as beautiful as a celestial being?”
Lin Zikui hesitated for a moment. “A celestial being descended to earth… She’s just… not quite like ordinary women.”
“What’s different about her? I didn’t even see her yesterday.”
“She… she’s taller than me,” Lin Zikui gestured, “stronger than me, more handsome, and upright.”
Mo Liu’s expression became even more puzzled. A celestial being?
“You’re talking about a man, right?”
“No, she’s a woman, but she quite likes wearing men’s clothing. Mo Liu, if you meet her, don’t offend her! She’s taller and larger than most men, her voice isn’t soft, and it’s not what she desires.”
Mo Liu scratched his head and responded.
Lin Zikui fell silent, burying his head to tie the black blindfold. It was his habit to avoid light during the day when going out, to reduce strain on his eyes.
After breakfast at the temple, Lin Zikui went to the Wenchang Hall of the Xingzhi Temple. He took off his cloak and knelt on the cushion to perform a complete ritual of prayer, burning incense to pray for success in his studies. Then, he devoutly shook a Guanyin divination stick in the Guanyin Hall.
“Opening up the heavens to create a good match, auspicious day and time, everything is complete. If you get this stick, it’s not trivial; you’ll walk a loyal and upright path and be proclaimed by the emperor.” Mo Liu read the divination text to him joyfully. “Young Master, this first divination stick must be a top-notch one!”
The diviner, a man in his sixties, took the stick and his face showed a strange expression. “Whose stick is this?”
“It’s my Young Master’s!”
Lin Zikui politely replied, “Taoist, it was drawn by me.”
The diviner scrutinized him. “Are you asking about success in your studies, or about marriage?”
“Both… I’m asking about success in studies and marriage.”
The diviner sighed, “This is a rare Heaven King’s divination stick. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone draw it. If you’re asking about success in your studies, it means you’ll be the top scholar in the imperial examinations, standing above everyone else.”
Mo Liu was ecstatic, grabbing his hand excitedly. “Young Master!”
Lin Zikui also looked surprised and asked, “What if it’s about marriage?”
The diviner held the stick and said, “Your marriage luck has arrived. You will attract the attention of someone high-ranking and influential, who will actively seek a relationship with you.”
Lin Zikui took a step back, thinking of Second Young Miss Xiao.
Could this be his fate?
“Then… Will I marry her?”
“From the divination, the result should be good. Young Master, you don’t need to worry,” the diviner said. “Is there anything else you want to ask?”
Lin Zikui initially wanted to ask “What if I don’t want to”, but for some reason, he didn’t dare to ask. He just thanked the diviner and bowed. “Thank you, Taoist.”
“You’re welcome,” the diviner said kindly. “Are you staying at the West Guest Hall?”
“That’s right.”
“In recent years, due to some rumors, few scholars have come to study at the Xingzhi Temple. Since you’ve come, it must be fate.”
Lin Zikui was puzzled. “Some rumors?”
The diviner saw that he seemed unaware and said, “Just some rumors, nothing more.”
He didn’t elaborate further, and as more incense-worshipers arrived to have their divinations read, Lin Zikui had to leave. There were many incense-worshipers at Xingzhi Temple, and especially on the first and fifteenth days of each month, it was bustling. The buildings of the entire Daoist temple were arranged along the mountainside in a central axis, and there were two narrow gates to pass through before reaching the rear hall.
After paying respects to each deity, Lin Zikui suddenly heard crying and whining nearby.
“Mother, I want to study at Xingzhi Temple, please agree with me!”
“No! Don’t you know…” The mother glanced around and lowered her voice, “Don’t you know that strange things happen in the guest hall? How many scholars have died there!”
Both Lin Zikui and Mo Liu were startled.
“This is a Daoist temple, where would any strange things come from!”
“That bewitching red-clothed fox spirit has cultivated for thousands of years, specifically targeting scholars like you. There’s no room for negotiation in this matter, come back with me!”
“Mother!”
Seeing the two about to leave, Mo Liu hurriedly stepped forward. “Please wait, both of you.”
“What is it?” the mother asked.
Mo Liu said, “Nothing, just now… what did you say, about the fox spirit? I’ve never heard of it.”
The mother glanced at Mo Liu, the attendant, and then looked at Lin Zikui standing behind him. Obviously, he was a scholar. She explained in a low voice, “It is said that there’s a small fox shrine in the back mountain of the Xingzhi Temple, but it’s not inhabited by a fox immortal, but by a fox spirit. A few years ago, there was a scholar who passed by and paid his respects every time, but he was entangled by the fox spirit. In the end, the scholar hung himself in the guest hall while wearing red clothes. It is said that when he died, all the vitality in his body was sucked dry!”
Perhaps due to the fact that this was a Taoist temple, the mother didn’t say much more, only adding, “Although such incidents have happened in the guest hall, the divination and praying here are very effective.” Then she hurriedly took her son and left.
Mo Liu looked worried, “Young Master, it turns out there are monsters in the guest hall. No wonder the Taoist looked strange when we came yesterday.”
Lin Zikui remained calm, “The diviner just now said that no scholars have stayed here in recent years. It turns out that’s the reason. But I think it’s all nonsense. Scholars face great pressure to pass the imperial examination, so suicide is not uncommon. Rumors change over time and turn into stories about a red-clothed fox spirit haunting and claiming souls.”
“Young Master made a good point.”
The master and attendant walked past the Sanqing Hall and headed towards the guest hall in the backyard, with the faint scent of plum blossoms wafting around them.
Supporting him, Mo Liu urged, “Young Master, there are steps. Take it slow.”
Lin Zikui slowly climbed the steps, but suddenly, Mo Liu’s footsteps halted.
Not far from the glazed tile wall stood a hundred-year-old osmanthus tree, its branches adorned with countless red silk ribbons for prayers, swaying gently in the breeze. Under the tree stood a red-clothed “woman,” her attire as red as fire, exuding a bold and unrestrained aura. Even from a distance, one could clearly see her radiant and enchanting face.
Seeing the woman dressed in female attire, her black hair flowing loosely, her beauty too striking and mesmerizing, Mo Liu was initially surprised, then grew nervous. “Young Master!”
Lin Zikui, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong? What did you see?”
“It’s, it’s…” Mo Liu swallowed hard, “a red-clothed fox spirit, luring souls…”
Without hesitation, he tried to pull Lin Zikui away, “Let’s go to the Guanyin Hall and hide!”
“You must have seen wrong,” Lin Zikui knew Mo Liu was as timid as a mouse and couldn’t bear strange stories. Besides, he didn’t believe in monsters at all. He removed the blindfold with a single pull, “It’s just a girl in a red dress. There’s no need to be afraid. I’m here.”
After removing the blindfold, Lin Zikui took a closer look and indeed saw a figure in red, but couldn’t make out the face. All he could see was fair skin, seemingly enchanting.
Looking at the figure, it seemed more like a man.
Frowning, Lin Zikui asked, “Is that the fox spirit you mentioned?”
“Y-yes… Young Master, let’s go!”
Lin Zikui remained unmoved, “I’ll take you closer to have a look. How could there be a fox spirit in the Taoist temple? The Taoist said it’s all rumors. As a scholar, why would you believe in such supernatural nonsense?”
Without further ado, he dragged Mo Liu along.
“Young Master, I don’t want to go. Please don’t pull me…” Mo Liu resisted with a distressed expression.
Approaching closer, Lin Zikui saw the woman in red under the tree, raising her hand to beckon, “Lin Lang! Lin Lang!”
Note: Lang here is equivalent to “darling” or similar terms.
Lin Zikui stopped in his tracks.
The voice was clear and had a metallic texture, unlike that of an ordinary woman. Just by listening to the tone, one could imagine the tall figure and the smiling face with rosy lips and jade-like complexion – Lin Zikui recognized it instantly.
It was the Second Young Miss.
“She’s calling for Lin Lang?” Mo Liu panicked, “It’s over, Young Master, the fox spirit has set her eyes on you!”
Reacting quickly, Lin Zikui turned around, “Mo Liu, let’s go to the Guanyin Hall.”
Mo Liu breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly pulled the young master along.
Lin Zikui’s steps were hurried, and he hastily covered his eyes with the blindfold. Before he could reach the door, a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. The grip wasn’t strong, but it rendered Lin Zikui motionless. For a moment, he wondered if the Second Young Miss had truly transformed into a fox spirit.
A deep voice came close, and the breath brushed past his ear as it asked, “Lin Lang, why are you walking so fast?”
Author’s Note:
Lin Lang: The dining- the dining hall’s about to close!
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