Chapter 372

Gu Su, Mount Xuanmu, Panxiang Temple.

Outside the corridor of Abbess Xiushan's meditation room, mountain birds are singing, green trees are providing shade, and flower shadows are swaying.

Under the flying eaves of the meditation courtyard, wind chimes covered in copper rust are ringing "ding-dong, ding-dong" as the summer breeze blows, just like Buddhist chants.

Miao Yu is squatting by a green mud medicine stove outside the corridor. The charcoal fire in the stove is red and bright, and the medicine pot on top is emitting white smoke.

She wears a Miaochang bun, a moon-white plain-sleeved jacket, an outer vest of water-field green satin with inlaid edges, an autumn-fragrance silk sash tied around her slender waist, and a water-ink white silk skirt below her waist. A silver-thread whisk is inserted into the silk sash behind her slender waist.

The afternoon corridor breeze blows, causing a strand of hair at her temple, along with the thousands of silver threads on the whisk at her waist, to flutter in the wind, as if they were thousands of tangled strands of sorrow.

She quietly watches the medicine pot boiling in the fire. Her body is slender and weak, her waist is so thin it seems it might break, and her beautiful, cold face cannot hide her haggardness.

When the smoke becomes thick and the medicine foam overflows the pot, Miao Yu takes a thick piece of white cloth, wraps it around the handle of the pot, lifts it gently, and pours the dark brown medicinal soup into a bowl.

She blows on the medicinal soup in the bowl against the mountain breeze for a while, takes a sip herself, and feels it is no longer too hot, before carrying it into Abbess Xiushan's meditation room.

"I have studied the innate divine numbers all my life. I don't need a famous doctor to look at my own life and fate; I know it very clearly myself. I still have an unfulfilled wish, and when I go to fulfill it, my life will be complete."

Speaking of Jing Hui, Miao Yu, who has always had a cold personality, also shows a pretty smile on her face, with joy hidden in her eyebrows and eyes, possessing a unique and moving charm.

Abbess Xiushan sighed: "Actually, there is no need to be so cumbersome. Seventy is rare since ancient times, and I will be seventy next year. I have lived long enough. Life and death are in the hands of heaven; what else is there that I cannot let go of?"

Such a cold and calculating method of the ruler's heart, even Chen Yi, the Duke of Qi who participated in it, only regarded it as Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao being ungrateful and stingy with titles, and did not think too deeply about it.

This disciple of mine has been practicing Daoism to cure diseases since she was a child, and she also has a pitiful fate. She was born with extremely high comprehension, and although her personality is cold, her heart is warm.

When she returned to her meditation room, her thoughts were still wavering, so she knelt on the meditation cushion, opened a copy of "The Buddha Speaks of the Five Aggregates Being Empty Sutra," and recited it silently.

This copy of "The Buddha Speaks of the Five Aggregates Being Empty Sutra" was copied and given to Abbess Xiushan by Jia Cong back then. Miao Yu often copied the calligraphy in the sutra, and Abbess Xiushan saw that she liked it, so she gave it to her.

Just like when Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao hinted to the Imperial Clan Court to pressure the Ningguo Prefecture to change the heir, increase the divergence between Jia Cong and the family, and establish a new sect in the Jia family to suppress the old sect, so as to be used by imperial power.

But she is in the prime of her youth after all, and the stirring of her heart is human nature. After ten years of loneliness in the meditation room, suddenly having a close junior sister like Jing Hui to accompany her made her understand the warmth and affection of the human world.

Since establishing his own mansion, he has rejected Jia Mu's requests to insert Lady You, dispatch servants, etc., and has clearly defined the boundaries between the East and West Prefectures.

And other people who are outside the situation cannot see the Emperor's deep and dangerous intentions. Later, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao actually conferred upon Jia Cong the title of hereditary Earl of Lord Weiyuan.

Half into the Buddhist heart, half entangled in the red dust, the void is not empty. A single Jing Hui can make her happy, so if she encounters other entanglements and ups and downs, how can she see through them?

Abbess Xiushan saw Miao Yu in a daze and sighed: "My unfulfilled wish is to go to the Muni Academy in the Love Shenjing during my lifetime and read the ancient palm-leaf sutras treasured in the academy."

She has been weak since childhood and could barely survive, so she entered Daoism and practiced Buddhism to cure diseases and protect her body.

Miao Yu's heart pounded when she heard this, not knowing whether it was joy or sorrow.

In the eyes of ordinary people, the declining Rongguo Jia family seems to have been injected with new vitality and life because of Jia Cong's title.

"When Jing Hui comes back, we will stay in the courtyard for another period of time, and then we will go to the Love Shenjing together."

Miao Yu felt sour in her heart when she heard this. Why did her master say such ominous words about an unfulfilled wish?

A heart full of obsession and infatuation, stirring and surging, day and night Buddhist chanting, could no longer bring peace.

Although the Ningguo Prefecture was raided and stripped of its title last year, and the Ning and Rong Jia families were severely damaged, with Jia Cong being conferred the hereditary Earl of Lord Weiyuan by the Emperor this year for pacifying the Jurchens.

She has been practicing Buddhist Dharma since she was four years old, following Abbess Xiushan, with a clear spiritual platform, empty, quiet, and wonderful, suppressing obsession, and verifying the Three Treasures.

And I am old, how many more years can I accompany her?

The third day of the eighth month is Jia Mu's birthday. Starting from the first day of the eighth month, the Rongguo Prefecture began to set up birthday banquets.

Later, Jia Cong came, and Jing Hui became Zhi Shao. From then on, both of them were far away from her.

Even when he later brought Yingchun into the mansion, it was with the status of the eldest daughter of the Earl's mansion, and he registered her in the Imperial Clan Court, clearly defined, so that no one could pick out any faults.

Zhi Shao has been gone for two years, and now she is coming back to visit her and the master. Miao Yu is naturally very happy in her heart.

But the true foundation of the Jia family's rise, how many people in the situation can see through it?

Miao Yu said: "These things are not hard work. I received a letter from Jing Hui the day before yesterday, and she is coming south to see you, Master. You should be happy."

Abbess Xiushan saw Miao Yu mention Zhi Shao, her face showing a pretty and moving look, the usual Buddhist heart and Zen color quietly vanished, and she sighed slightly in her heart.

But she didn't expect that Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao would reform the Ningguo Prefecture and bestow it upon Jia Cong, making it hereditary and allowing him to establish his own household outside the mansion, almost completely separating Jia Cong from the Rongguo Prefecture.

The extraordinary brushwork on the sutras seems to fill the eyes and stir the soul.

"Master, the medicine is ready. Drink it while it's hot. Senior Sister Jing Xuan has already gone to Jin Ling to invite a famous doctor for you. When a good prescription is opened again, your illness will be cured."

Suppressing first and then raising, bestowing great favor, while making everyone envious, they are increasingly blinded by the superficial glory, only feeling that the Jia family has two titles and is rising again.

The fourteenth year of Emperor Jia Zhao, the first day of the eighth month.

Jing Hui was the dharma name of Zhi Shao back then. When Abbess Xiushan brought Zhi Shao back to Panxiang Temple, Miao Yu and Zhi Shao practiced together as fellow disciples, and their feelings were like sisters, very deep.

Others might not see the deep meaning in it, but as a person in the situation, Jia Cong knows the Emperor's intentions very well.

She treated Zhi Shao as the closest person besides her master. When Zhi Shao followed Jia Cong back to the Love Shenjing back then, Miao Yu was very reluctant to let her go.

Therefore, the guests coming to the mansion to celebrate the birthday were endless. The noble families, high officials, old relatives, and family friends of the Love Shenjing all arrived, and the scene was noisy and festive, with flowers and brocade, even more momentum than in previous years.

It is you who do everything yourself; it has been really hard work lately."

It is a vague statement to Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao.

And in his daily life, besides official business, Jia Cong does not interact much with the old nobles of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, and even the Prince of Beijing invited him several times, but he declined with various reasons.

He is a person who has been reincarnated, and he has had the intention of being isolated and watching from the sidelines since he was born. Naturally, he sees the entanglements of human relationships more clearly than others, and he is even less willing to cause trouble due to taking sides.

Others think that Jia Cong is young and not sophisticated in human relationships, or that he is talented and famous, and naturally cold.

Only Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao in the palace knows the reason, and that is that Jia Cong has already understood his intentions.

Early this morning, outside the second gate of the Jia mansion, dozens of banquet tables for male guests were set up, and in the large flower hall inside the second gate, more than a dozen banquet tables for female guests were also set up.

Jia Mu, accompanied by Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng, showed her face at the female guest banquet.

She said a few nice words to the noble imperial relatives, princesses, and titled ladies at the banquet, and then withdrew from the banquet.

This is also a common thing. After all, Jia Mu's seniority is there, and she is old, so it is difficult for her to sit for a long time. It is impossible for her to accompany guests through a whole banquet. These things are the responsibility of Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng.

But some sharp-eyed women still saw that Jia Mu's mood today seemed a bit bad. As for the real reason, they naturally could not know.

According to the rules of previous years, on the first day of the eighth month, imperial relatives, imperial sons-in-law, the Four Kings, Eight Dukes, various cabinet and prefecture commanders, and titled relatives were invited;

On the second day of the eighth month, officials and titled ladies, close friends and female relatives of the Love Shenjing, old relatives of the Wang, Shi, and Xue families, and relatives and guests of the twelve branches of Jin Ling were invited;

It was not until the third day of the eighth month that the family birthday banquet was held for the Dowager by the people in the Rongguo Prefecture.

But this year, this family birthday banquet was moved forward from the third day of the eighth month to the first day of the eighth month.

After the lunch banquet today, Jia Cong will set out for the south under imperial decree, missing Jia Mu's birthday on the third day of the eighth month.

The reason is that all the planning for the trip to the south has been prepared and in place, and the trip to the south should not be delayed any longer. Moreover, he still has to stay for two days when passing through Gu Su.

The day before yesterday, Guo Lin sent key personnel to connect with Jia Cong and explain the affairs of the Jin Ling branch of the Zhongche Office, and Jia Cong replied to the palace that he would set out for the south on the second day of the eighth month.

Since heaven, earth, sovereign, parents, and teachers, imperial affairs come before family affairs. Jia Mu was unhappy when she heard this, but she couldn't say anything.

Jia Zheng decided to move the family banquet on the third day to today, not only to let Jia Cong celebrate Jia Mu's birthday in advance but also to see him off before his trip.

Jia Cong also fulfilled the family etiquette and brought Zhi Shao and Ying Lian to toast and pay respects to Jia Mu.

After the lunch banquet, sisters like Daiyu, Yingchun, Seeing Tan Chun, and Baochai accompanied him all the way to the west corner gate of the Earl's mansion.

The luggage and horses for Jia Cong and Zhi Shao to go south had been prepared early in the morning and were waiting there.

Yuanyang also went to see him off, still bringing clothes and letters, asking Jia Cong to take them back to the old mansion in Xinglong Fang, Jin Ling, and hand them over to his father, Jin Cai.

Jia Cong saw that Daiyu's face was a bit gloomy and smiled: "This trip to the south, I will definitely go to see your father on your behalf, sister. I originally wanted to invite the famous doctor Zhang Shipeng from the Love Shenjing to go south with me.

He is the most brilliant doctor I know. If he treats your father's illness, it will definitely be safe. It just so happens that he went out on a long trip. I will definitely think of other ways, sister, just set your heart at ease."

A few days ago, he heard Daiyu say that Lin Ruhai had been in poor health this year, so he kept it in mind.

In the original trajectory, Lin Ruhai's death had a great impact on Lin Daiyu's fate. In this era, without the protection of parents, a woman's fate is like catkins in the wind.

Moreover, Zhi Shao's master, Abbess Xiushan, is also old and has been suffering from long-term illness.

Since he knew these things, he naturally had to find a way to resolve them.

Yesterday, Jia Cong specifically went to Huaxi Village with Jiang Liu to visit Zhang Shipeng. Zhang's medicine boy said that Zhang Shipeng had gone south to visit friends and would not return to the Love Shenjing until two months later.

Seeing Tan Chun was sharp-minded and paid attention to everything, asking: "Third Brother, the miracle doctor who cured Grandmother's illness last time is named Zhang Shiyou, and his name is very similar to this Zhang Shipeng."

Jia Cong smiled: "Third Sister still has a good memory. Zhang Shipeng is Zhang Shiyou's elder brother, and Zhang Shiyou's medical skills were all taught by his elder brother."

That time, many officials in the court were hinted by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao to send sacrificial offerings with great fanfare to welcome the spirit tablet of Jia Cong's biological mother, Du Jinniang, into the ancestral hall.

This made Jia Mu feel ashamed and fall ill, and it was Jia Lian who invited Zhang Shiyou to treat her. A few doses of medicine actually cured her, otherwise, Jia Mu would have died of anger that time.

Therefore, many people in the Jia mansion still have fresh memories of Zhang Shiyou, who turned the tide, and his miraculous medical skills.

However, Jia Cong had heard Zhang Shiyou say that his medical skills were all taught by his elder brother, and he had only learned five or six percent of his elder brother's skills.

Later, Jia Cong witnessed Zhang Shipeng treating Feng's severed finger, and the strangeness of his medical skills was indeed extraordinary.

Daiyu knew that Jia Cong knew such a famous doctor and a look of joy appeared on her face, but hearing that the person was not in the Love Shenjing, her expression became anxious again.

Jia Cong comforted her: "Sister, don't worry too much. According to what your father wrote in his letter, although he is in poor health, it has not yet become a stubborn disease, so it should be fine for now.

After I go south, I will hire a local famous doctor to diagnose your father and ask him to write down a detailed medical case. Even if he cannot cure your father, with this detailed medical case.

I can find a way to send it back to the Love Shenjing within three days. By then, I will let Dr. Zhang diagnose it according to the case. Although he cannot see, hear, ask, and feel the pulse in person, with Dr. Zhang's medical skills, he will definitely be able to see the clues of the disease."

Daiyu heard that he considered it carefully, her bright eyes were moist, and her gaze was full of gratitude and attachment. She bowed slightly to him and said: "Thank you for your trouble, Third Brother. My sister thanks you. I just hope Third Brother goes early and returns early."

The reason Jia Cong said this is because Ai Li's two female disciples went to Jiang Nan. According to Jia Cong's arrangement, they set up Feiyu letter stations in Jin Ling and Yang Zhou.

As long as he can get Lin Ruhai's detailed medical case, it will be received in Jin Ling or the Love Shenjing within three days through Feiyu letter transmission, and nothing will be delayed.

During this period, he has been exchanging information with the Xinchun Firm in Jin Ling, and the efficiency and speed of Feiyu letter transmission have been significantly highlighted. Before a faster communication method appears, it is destined to play a major role.

A few days ago, he even brought Ai Li to the mansion to get to know Yingchun. If the mansion needs to transmit information, let Yingchun hand the letter to Ai Li to send out.

In case of any urgent matter in the mansion, he would know within three days even if he were as far away as Jin Ling.

When he brought Ai Li into the mansion, he happened to be bumped into by Shi Xiangyun.

Xiangyun, the big mouth, soon said what Jia Cong had said, that Ai Li was his guard, and joked with the sisters, making Jia Cong feel quite embarrassed.

Clearly, he was telling the truth, but the sisters didn't believe it much. Daiyu pursed her lips at him with disdain, and the other sisters' eyes were full of ambiguous mockery.

Fortunately, Ai Li is pretty, heroic, and generous, without any shyness of ordinary boudoir girls, and is very popular.

Sisters like Daiyu, Yingchun, and Seeing Tan Chun have been trapped in deep mansions for years. Except for the noble daughters who come to visit, they have rarely seen women from the outside.

Like Ai Li, a woman with such heroic and extraordinary appearance, they have never seen before. That pair of big, deep blue eyes can make people fascinated, and they all like this unique girl.

Daiyu was also very curious about the saber she never left her side, and even touched it curiously.

Probably because the boudoir daughters who don't step out of the second gate usually see scissors the most, and don't even see kitchen knives, rare things like Qiaxika sabers are unheard of.

In the past two years, sisters like Daiyu, Yingchun, and Seeing Tan Chun have begun to get used to Jia Cong going out for official business frequently, and even Baochai has experienced his long trip to Liaodong.

Therefore, although such a farewell is reluctant, it is not sad, because as long as they are separated for more than two months, Jia Cong can return to the Love Shenjing.

After a new rain yesterday, the blue sky was like a wash, and the distant mountains were full of green.

Jia Cong helped Zhi Shao into the carriage and said goodbye to the sisters inside the corner gate. A carriage drove towards the Liuyang River West City Ferry.

There, four clerks from the Firearms Office and fifteen firearms soldiers from the Five Armies Camp were already waiting at the pier, accompanying him south to Jin Ling.

(End of chapter)