With people to talk to, the journey was not dull, and time passed quickly. Soon the group arrived at Lingshan Temple.
Qiu Shi used to come to Lingshan Temple to offer incense. In the past, she always went to worship the Bodhisattva first, then went back to the courtyard for lunch and rested before returning. But this time, Qiu Shi didn't rush to pay her respects to the Bodhisattva but took Yuxi to see the Great Teacher Pu Yuan, whom they had made an appointment with.
Seeing that the more they walked, the more remote the place became, and Yuxi felt that something was wrong. She asked in a low voice, "Eldest Aunt, where are we going?" She couldn't help it. She had been calling Qiu Shi her Eldest Aunt for almost forty years in her two lives that she couldn't help herself.
When Qiu Shi saw that Yuxi had made a slip of the tongue, she did not get angry but said with a smile instead, "I'm taking you to see Great Teacher Pu Yuan. If Great Teacher Pu Yuan justifies your name, no one will say you have a bad fate in the future." Once Great Teacher Pu Yuan had justified Yuxi's name, it would not be difficult for Yuxi to get married.
Great Teacher Pu Yuan’s place was very remote, and there was no one around, so it seemed extraordinarily secluded. Such a place was an excellent place to escape the summer heat. But when you live in an area like this in winter, it could be freezing.
Qiu Shi took Yuxi into the house, looked at Great Teacher Pu Yuan, put her hands together, and said very piously, "I have seen Great Teacher Pu Yuan."
Yuxi followed her example, then she looked up at Great Teacher Pu Yuan and saw that she was just like those carved Bodhisattvas, with a charitable and gentle face. When one saw her, one could not help but want to be close to her.
Great Teacher Pu Yuan was sitting on a praying mat and initially looked very calm. But after reading Yuxi's face, there was a slight change in her expression. Of course, these could not be seen by outsiders. Only the young nun who served her noticed it.
Great Teacher Pu Yuan looked at Qiu Shi and asked, "Have you brought her Ba Zi?"
Qiu Shi nodded her head and said, "I brought it here." After saying this, she pulled out Yuxi's Ba Zi from her sleeve and handed them to Great Teacher Pu Yuan with both hands.
Great Teacher Pu Yuan took Yuxi's Ba Zi and told the two people, "Wait outside for a moment." She was not used to having people around when she was calculating their Ba Zi.
The waiting time was the most torturous. Not only was Qiu Shi anxious, but even Yuxi could not stay calm. She didn't believe Monk Liao Tong's words, but she was worried that Great Teacher Pu Yuan would see something unimaginable like the fact that she had been reborn.
When Qiu Shi looked at Yuxi's pale face, she thought that Yuxi was worried that Great Teacher Pu Yuan would say the same thing as Monk Liao Tong. So she held Yuxi's hand and said, "Don't worry, it will be fine." Yuxi was such a good child. She definitely did not have a bad fate like that bald donkey Liao Tong had said.
After about an hour, the two heard Great Teacher Pu Yuan say, "Come in!" Her voice, to Qiu Shi and Yuxi, was like heavenly music.
When they entered the room, Great Teacher Pu Yuan looked at Yuxi and said, "This poor nun's method is too shallow to read Miss' fate." This girl's Ba Zi was ordinary, nothing strange, but Yuxi's face seemed to be hidden by a cloud of mist, making it impossible for her to see.
Qiu Shi couldn't understand it, so she asked very bluntly, "Great Teacher, what does this mean?" If it was good, say it good. If it was bad, tell them it was bad. How come one couldn't see it through!
Great Teacher Pu Yuan looked at Yuxi and said, "Miss Han has a quite peculiar destiny. This poor nun is unable to see it through because of her shallow method."
Qiu Shi was anxious. "Great Teacher, someone said before that my daughter's fate was bad. If my daughter has such a reputation, it will ruin her life. Please have mercy and help my daughter to have a good look!"
Great Teacher Pu Yuan shook her head and said, "Since she cannot read this Miss' destiny, this poor nun cannot make any presumptions." She couldn't read Yuxi's fortune. Thus she couldn't give any comment on it.
Qiu Shi came full of expectations but returned with disappointment.
Yuxi looked at Qiu Shi and said with a smile, "Mother, Great Teacher Pu Yuan did not say that I have a bad fate, but only that I have a quite peculiar one. This can also be considered good news!" After saying that, in order to enlighten Qiu Shi, she smilingly continued, "It's not possible that I may have a fortune of great wealth and prosperity. It was just that even the Great Teacher couldn’t see through it!"
Qiu Shi felt that what Yuxi said made sense. "Yes, it's possible that the old bald donkey was talking nonsense because he couldn't read your fortune! If people ask, we'll tell them directly that Great Teacher Pu Yuan didn't say that you have a bad fate." Great Teacher Pu Yuan was not as famous as Great Master Huineng, but she had a much higher reputation than Monk Liao Tong. Her influence among the female family members was also a little deeper. [+]
Yuxi said, "Mother, it's not good to tell other people about this. We just need to know about it ourselves." The fewer people knew about this, the better.
Although Qiu Shi didn't know how to go round the curves and skirt the corners, she knew what to be careful about. "Don't worry. I won't tell other people about this." These other people did not include the Old Lady.
The young nun beside Great Teacher Pu Yuan asked, "Great Teacher, is this Patron Han's destiny really that peculiar that even you, Shifu, cannot see through it?"
After exclaiming a 'merciful Buddha', Great Teacher Pu Yuan said, "Don't tell anyone about this." There was only one explanation for the discrepancy between the Ba Zi with that girl's face: there had been a change in that girl's destiny. Great Teacher Pu Yuan had no desire to look deeper into what had changed.
When Qiu Shi returned to the State Residence, the Old Lady was very surprised to hear Qiu Shi's words. "What did you say? Great Teacher Pu Yuan can't see through Yuxi's destiny? How can she not see through Yuxi's destiny?"
Qiu Shi said, "She didn't say exactly, but it's true. Mother, it must be because that old bald donkey, Liao Tong, is not well versed in his art and cannot read Yuxi's fate, so he is talking nonsense." Ever since she found out the rumour about Yuxi's bad fortune had spread, Qiu Shi had been calling Liao Tong an old bald donkey.
The Old Lady had many questions, but no one could give her answers, nor could she find anyone to give her answers. "Only you and I know this matter. Don't tell anyone else. Not even Jianming or Jianye." She was afraid that Qiu Shi would not know the importance of the matter and warned her, "If the news of Yuxi's bad fortune spreads, people will just avoid her, and it will be difficult for her to get married in the future. But if word gets out that Yuxi has a strange fate, not only will it bring trouble to the State Residence, but Yuxi will also have no peaceful days." The Old Lady had a long view of things. In ancient times, people with strange fortunes would either turn out very rich or very wicked. She did not know whether Yuxi would be good or bad in the future, but for now, Yuxi was just a child with some flaws.
Qiu Shi was busy nodding her head. "Don't worry, Mother. I won't tell anyone else." With the Old Lady's caution, Qiu Shi did not tell anyone else about this matter. Since Qiu Shi and the Old Lady wouldn't talk about it, plus Yuxi wouldn't say anything, the issue became hidden.
In the late seventh lunar month, when Yuxi received the news that Wu Shi was seriously ill, her heart sank, but she didn't look concerned about it as she said, "She was fine when I left the house. How come she suddenly became seriously ill?"
Kufu said, "The Third Lady got sick at the beginning of the month. At first, she only thought it was cold, but she didn't pay much attention to it. But it became even more serious, and she couldn't get up now. My father just told me that if she can't get better, I am afraid that her life will be in danger."
Yuxi thought that day Wu Shi would be sent to their family temple, but she never thought Han Jingyan would want Wu Shi's life. But considering that Han Jingyan even tried to kill her, it was not uncommon for him to kill Wu Shi. Yuxi's heart was heavy. What kind of father had she been born to? What else would he not dare to kill?
Seeing that Yuxi had fallen into deep thought, Kufu asked in a low voice, "Miss, Miss, what are you thinking about?" Kufu thought that Yuxi would be happy to hear this news. After all, Yuxi and Wu Shi had always been at odds. But now, it seemed that this was not the case.
Yuxi came back to her senses and said, "It's nothing. If anything happens at the residence, have your brother and the others immediately send the news over." The news from Han Ji's side was mainly about what was happening in the capital. The information that came from Kufu's side were all things that occurred within the Duke of the State's residence. Whether it was news from outside or inside the residence, there was nothing wrong with her knowing more.
Kufu nodded and then asked, "Miss, if something happens to the Third Lady, would you want to go back to mourn?" Kufu was actually a little worried about her prospects. After all, there was not a worthy family in the countryside for her to marry into. [+]
Yuxi could not see through Kufu's mind and said, "I will not go back. When that time comes, it will be the same to observe mourning in the villa." Wu Shi was not her nominal mother now, so she did not need to observe three years of mourning. But there was a problem: if Wu Shi died during this time, she wouldn't be able to return to the State Residence in mid-autumn.
Yuxi didn't feel much about not being able to go back to the State Residence. It was good to stay in the countryside, where she could live freely and easily. When she returned to the State Residence, she felt like a bird in a cage, not free to do anything.
Kufu looked at Yuxi with an unpleasant expression on her face and dared not say anything else.
Wu Shi's condition got worse over time, and by the beginning of the eighth lunar month, she began to fall into a coma. As time went on, the longer the coma lasted, and the less time she spent awake.
That day Wu Shi passed out again. After Physician Bai finished checking her pulse, his expression did not look good. He walked out and told Han Jingyan, "Third Lord, the Third Lady doesn't have much time left, so it's time to prepare for her funeral arrangements."
Han Jingyan nodded sadly and said, "Okay." Whether his heart was genuinely grieving or not, only he knew for sure. Han Jingyan's two previous wives had died, and if Wu Shi also died, he would not be able to escape the reputation of being a jinx to his wife.
Physician Bai walked in the front, with his young apprentice followed from behind. After leaving the State Residence, his young apprentice asked in wonder, "Shifu, the Third Lady just has a small wind chill. Even if she is seriously ill, she won't lose her life, right?"
Physician Bai said coldly, "Even though she has a small wind chill, one still has to pay attention to it. Otherwise, it can also take a person's life." He had been practising medicine for so many years. How could he not see that Wu Shi's illness was strange? At the beginning of her illness, she would have been cured within three days if she had followed his prescription. But now she was dying, clearly because she hadn't used the medicine he had prescribed. Physician Bai knew that there was a lot of secrecy in prominent families, so he did not want to get involved. Whether the Han family had given medicine to the Third Lady according to the prescription or not, that was not his business.
The young apprentice's heart gave a jolt, and his head shrank. He still had to learn more from his master!
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi