Chapter 35 - ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 35
In that moment, Li Zhizhi was completely stunned, to the point where she forgot to react and just stared dumbfounded at the Princess Yongning. After a while, she finally said, “But my birthday is not on that day…”
“Why not?” Princess Yongning sighed softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair that the mountain wind had tousled behind Li Zhizhi’s ear. She looked at her with great affection and scolded gently, “You’re such a silly child. How can you compromise on something like this?”
Li Zhizhi tightly closed her mouth, fearing that she might accidentally make a strange sound from her throat. Nevertheless, there was still a slight choking sensation, and she tried to swallow the awkward noise back down. But in a moment of carelessness, she suddenly hiccupped.
This was truly very impolite, and Li Zhizhi’s face turned bright red. She felt that she had never been so embarrassed in both her lifetimes combined. She could only cover her mouth with great force, but she still couldn’t stop it. In the end, she was so ashamed and angry that she buried her face in her elbow.
The girl’s slender and fragile back seemed to be carrying a heavy burden, trembling slightly, revealing the unrest in the owner’s heart. The Princess felt both sympathy and pity as she gently touched her back. Thinking back to Lady Li’s behavior earlier, her gaze turned cold and sharp.
That Miss Li had been seen by the Princess at a spring banquet, appearing plain, timid, and dull. How could she be compared to Zhizhi? It was astonishing that someone would forsake a precious gem to favor such an ordinary girl.
The Princess felt utterly perplexed and, upon recalling Lady Li’s conduct and speech, found it entirely justified. Such foolish people in the world were always so ignorant and laughable!
After paying their respects to the Buddha, the Princess took Li Zhizhi and Xiao Rulei to explore the temple fair, had lunch at the capital’s most famous restaurant in the afternoon, and enjoyed a whole day of fun before sending Li Zhizhi back to her residence in a carriage.
Xiao Rulei had already fallen asleep in the Princess’s lap, her mouth slightly open, sleeping soundly. She was on the verge of snoring. Li Zhizhi smiled, covered her with a thin blanket, and bid farewell to the Princess.
The Princess said with a smile, “Go ahead, if you ever feel wronged in the future, don’t hesitate to tell me, and don’t let anyone bully you.”
Li Zhizhi blushed a bit, then nodded, quickly pulling up the carriage curtain for her. After Li Zhizhi got off the carriage and took a few steps, she couldn’t help but turn around. The setting sun’s warm light fell on her, making her hair and dress shine like gold. Her eyes were filled with deep affection, like a little creature that hesitated to leave.
The Princess smiled at her and then bit her lip shyly before turning and walking away.
“I really hate to see her leave,” the Princess sighed and said, “I suppose as one gets older, one becomes more tender-hearted.”
Qianluo dropped the carriage curtain and said with a smile, “Your Highness, you’re just joking again. How can you be considered old? Besides, you’ve always had a soft heart, haven’t you?”
The Princess lowered her head to tuck Xiao Rulei under the blanket and said with a smile, “That’s different; I’m only soft-hearted towards well-behaved children.”
After Li Zhizhi returned to her residence, Lady Li quickly came to her, appearing eager, as if she were a hungry hyena smelling meat. She enthusiastically asked, “Did Her Highness the Princess say anything else later?”
Li Zhizhi simply looked at her with a cold eye, feeling extremely disgusted on the inside. She forced a smile and replied, “Well, the Princess did mention that Lady Li should send out invitations in advance and make sure to invite all her relatives and friends to witness the ceremony.”
Upon hearing this, Lady Li was very pleased and kept saying, “Of course, I will prepare everything properly.”
After she left, her joy was so evident that she looked like a toad that had fallen into the water and couldn’t wait to start celebrating.
Not long after, a voice suddenly came from the front yard, sounding like people were talking, and it was quite noisy. Li Zhizhi asked in confusion, “Who’s come?”
Yu Lan was someone who liked to join in on the excitement. She tiptoed to get a look and said, “Hey, it looks like a Daoist. Did they really bring them here?”
Li Zhizhi furrowed her delicate brows, and for some reason, she had a bad premonition. “A Daoist? What kind of Daoist?”
“A blind Daoist,” Yulan whispered. “Remember a while ago, the lightning struck down the pear tree in front of the ancestral hall? The master said we should find a Daoist to perform a ritual. I told you there was something fishy about this.”
But Li Zhizhi knew that it wasn’t the case. The old pear tree being struck by lightning had finally convinced Li Cen to believe the words of that blind Daoist from the past. That’s why he had gone through all the trouble to find the person.
After a brief thought, Li Zhizhi said, “I’ll go take a look.”
She walked towards the front yard and, turning around the corridor, saw a group of people approaching. At the front were Li Cen and Madam Li, accompanied by a Daoist in a blue Daoist robe with closed eyes, clearly pretending to be blind.
Yu Lan craned her neck to watch the commotion and asked curiously, “What’s he going to do? Set up an altar in the mansion?”
Li Zhizhi smiled and said, “Who knows?”
She approached them, greeted Li Cen and Madam Li, and said, “Master, madam.”
The blind Daoist suddenly felt that the voice was somewhat familiar. He tilted his head slightly towards Li Zhizhi and Li Cen quickly introduced, “Daoist, this is the person you mentioned before, Zhenluan.”
The blind Taoist, upon hearing this, wondered if there was anything he didn’t understand. It was this young girl who had personally approached him to discuss a business deal. He thought that when business comes knocking on your door, you shouldn’t let it go to waste, so he followed the girl’s instructions and deceptively swindled Li Cen’s jade pendant, which he then sold for ten silver coins. He was afraid that the girl might come to her senses and report him to the authorities, so he refrained from setting up his fortune-telling stall for several days.
Little did he know that what he initially thought was a fabrication had now turned out to be true. It seemed that misfortune had indeed befallen the household. The blind Taoist pondered to himself whether this was just a coincidence.
Li Cen valued this Taoist greatly and personally led him to the flower hall to take a seat. He had someone serve tea and politely inquired, “May I ask the honored Taoist for your name and which temple you practiced in?”
The blind Taoist, with a faint smile, replied, “Before, I practiced asceticism on Mount Zhongnan. Later, I came down from the mountain and traveled for the past five years. Now, I reside in the Liuyun Temple in the suburbs of the capital, and my Taoist name is Qingyunzi.”
He spoke slowly and calmly, exuding an air of a true master. This made Li Cen even more impressed, and he dismissed her attendants and servants, asking with great respect, “Last time, you made a prophecy for me, stating that misfortune would befall the mansion within a month. I didn’t expect your prediction to be so accurate. A few days ago, there was heavy rain, and an old tree in the ancestral hall’s courtyard fell, crushing the hall. I am truly anxious and worried. That’s why I’ve specifically invited you, honored Taoist. I’d like to ask if there is any way to avert this disaster?”
Qingyunzi casually stroked his beard and deliberately asked, “When I first came to seek help from the kind-hearted, I provided a method to resolve the crisis. But now, the disaster has returned, and the kind-hearted person hasn’t followed my advice. Why is that?”
Li Cen immediately looked guilty and said, “I must admit, even though the fake Phoenix is indeed fake, she has been our adopted daughter for over a decade. I couldn’t bring myself to send her away, so I’ve been hoping for a lucky escape.”
Lady Li quickly added, “Master, people’s hearts are made of flesh. This child was raised by the lady herself. If we send her away, it would be like tearing our hearts and breaking our bones. Is there any way to find a compromise?”
There were certainly compromises available, and if Qingyunzi were willing, he could easily suggest several. However, he suddenly remembered the young man who had come to the teahouse earlier that day. He had a handsome appearance and an air of nobility, seemingly from an affluent family. But beneath his demeanor, there was an imperceptible sense of danger.
As a result, despite wearing Buddhist prayer beads, he didn’t seem genuinely devoted to Buddhism. It was as if he used the prayer beads to conceal something.
Qingyunzi was just a wandering Daoist, and he knew he couldn’t afford to provoke such a person. If this person wanted him to help the parents toughen up, then he would have to comply.
In that moment, he had countless thoughts running through his mind, but his tone remained calm as he inquired about the Li family’s situation. To make it seem more convincing, he even personally visited the ancestral shrine to inspect the old pear tree that had been struck by lightning, feeling the smooth, cleanly sliced surface, which left him quite astonished.
At that moment, a soft, gentle voice came from beside him, “Master Qingyunzi, have you noticed anything?”
Qingyunzi was a bit unsure how to respond. How could such a large old pear tree be struck by lightning like this? It appeared that the parents of this household had committed some truly wicked deeds, even catching the attention of the heavens.
Li Cen had no idea what was on the Daoist’s mind and asked, “Daoist, is there a way to resolve this?”
The Daoist feigned a profound demeanor, stroked his beard, and slowly said, “There is a way, but it’s quite challenging. I’m afraid virtuous individuals may not be able to accomplish it.”
Li Cen quickly replied, “Please, Daoist, tell us. If there is a way to resolve this, we will do our best.”
The Daoist, skilled in deception and weaving tales for years, spoke without hesitation, “The return of the true phoenix to the capital is a matter of destiny. However, fearing that virtuous individuals might not understand, I was specially instructed to inform you. Unfortunately, you have not followed through, openly defying destiny, which is a grave mistake.”
With this accusation, Li Cen became flustered, full of fear, and asked, “May I ask, how can we make amends?”
The Daoist pondered for a moment before saying, “Both of you must sincerely repent, handwrite the confession text ninety-nine times, and recite scriptures in the morning and evening. Abstain from indulging in meat and alcohol for forty-nine days without interruption. Only then can you show a sincere repentance to the heavens.”
Lady Li exclaimed in shock, “Ninety-nine times?!”
The Daoist nodded and sighed, saying, “For ordinary people like you, it may indeed be somewhat difficult. Perhaps it would be better to seek another solution.”
Li Cen was afraid the Daoist might change his mind, so he hastily grabbed his arm and said, “No, Daoist, please wait. We can do it; we will definitely try.”
The Daoist responded, “It’s commendable that virtuous individuals are determined to do so. But as for Madam…”
Li Cen immediately gave his wife a stern look, and she forced a smile, saying, “I can do it; I can do it.”
The Daoist made a sound of approval and said, “That’s good. Let’s discuss the method for resolving this now.”
Lady Lai was shocked and exclaimed, “We haven’t resolved it yet?”
The Daoist shook his head and explained, “What I mentioned earlier was only to make amends for the virtuous individuals’ previous actions against destiny, to request that heaven doesn’t diminish your merits in this life. It’s not the method to resolve the true phoenix and false phoenix issue.”
Li Cen sincerely asked, “Master, please tell me, what should we do?”
Qingyunzi replied, “Naturally, it’s best to reinstate Zhenluan.”
“No, Master!” Lady Li quickly explained as everyone looked on. “Nowadays, everyone in the capital knows that Li Zhizhi is the adopted daughter. If we make her the legitimate daughter again, won’t it invite unnecessary gossip and troubles? Master, is there any other way?”
Qingyunzi pondered for a moment, stroking his beard thoughtfully, and said, “When you have a real phoenix and a false phoenix, and you want them both to coexist, there is a way, though it’s not without challenges. Have you heard of the ‘Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix’?”
Li Cen nodded, “Of course, the phoenix is the ruler of all birds.”
“Indeed,” Qingyunzi continued slowly. “In the world, all birds bow down to the phoenix. Therefore, if you wish for the false phoenix to coexist with the real one, you must make it serve and venerate the phoenix sincerely, as a servant. This way, you can resolve the calamity.”
Lady Li was shocked, “Are you suggesting my daughter should become her servant?”
Qingyunzi nodded, “In this world, everything is about cause and effect. Since she borrowed the destiny of Zhenluan, she must return it in kind. The more she borrowed, the more she must return. This is the only way to protect her virtue.”
Lady Li was reluctant to agree, but before she could speak further, Li Cen interrupted, “Master’s words make sense. If she has gained an advantage, she must pay a price. Nothing comes for free in this world.”
In Li Cen’s view, this wasn’t a big deal compared to copying the repentance text ninety-nine times. Besides, he wouldn’t have to become a servant himself. With no other options, Madam Li reluctantly agreed.
Li Cen intended to host Qingyunzi in their mansion as an honored guest and even ordered a separate vegetarian meal to be prepared in the kitchen. However, Qingyunzi, being a hermit, declined the offer, emphasizing the importance of asceticism on the path to enlightenment. Li Cen was even more respectful of him and offered a generous reward. This time, Qingyunzi didn’t refuse the reward and accepted it before taking his leave.
Just a couple of miles away from the Li mansion, when there were no witnesses around, Qingyunzi hurriedly opened his eyes, felt the warm silver coins in his pocket, and decided not to return to the monastery. He went to the inn, rented a carriage, and left the city that very night. He made up his mind that he wouldn’t return to the capital for at least three to five years. There were rich pickings to be had here, but there were also dangerous predators.