A crowd had gathered at the entrance of the house of a minister in the east of the city. The minister and his wife, dressed in brocade clothes, were stuffing a bundle in their hands into the hands of a kind-looking old monk, "Master is willing to exorcise evil from our house, we are very grateful. Although it is a worldly possession, Master can use it to help Bodhisattva build a golden body."
The monk's hair and beard were all white, but he had a sage-like appearance. He put his palms together and said, "Amitabha."
A circle of onlookers surrounded them, all pointing at the monk and clicking their tongues in wonder. This was Master Hui Jue, who had recently become famous in the capital. It was said that he knew the past and the future. He had just settled in the capital a few days ago, and often helped rich families pray for blessings and exorcise evil.
After Master Hui Jue took the bundle, he said goodbye to the crowd and walked alone. He turned around the bustling street and entered a dark and narrow alley. There was a small house with two entrances in the alley. He walked to the door and knocked. A boy came to open the door and welcomed him in.
After Hui Jue entered the courtyard, the boy said, "Master, there is a guest."
"Guest?" He was shocked. He did not know anyone in the capital. Although he did not understand, he still walked in with a calm face.
In the hall stood a young girl in emerald green clothes. She looked to be about eleven or twelve years old and looked like a servant girl. The servant girl in emerald green clothes smiled when she saw him. Hui Jue was stunned. He only heard a gentle voice coming from behind the servant girl, "Master."
Hui Jue followed the voice and saw the silhouette of a young girl in the dark. The servant girl in emerald green clothes walked to the side. As the light shone over, the figure in the dark was revealed.
It was a young girl. Her age should be about the same as the servant girl in emerald green clothes. She was dressed in a red and white embroidered dress with a high collar and slanted front. Even though she was in the dark, it still could not conceal her beautiful appearance. She looked at Hui Jue with a smile, as if she was looking at an old friend she had known for many years. Her slightly raised charming eyes were clear and moist, but inexplicably made people feel that they could not be seen clearly.
"Miss is …?" Hui Jue muttered. The girl in front of him was really unfamiliar. He did not have any memory of her in his mind.
"Although Master does not know me, I have long heard of Master's great name. Today, I came to ask Master, what is my date of birth?" she asked.
"Miss is still young, why did you come alone to ask for divination?" Hui Jue asked.
"Life is full of ups and downs, and the road ahead is unknown." Jiang Ruan only said these words.
Hui Jue was taken aback, he thought for a while and said, "If that's the case, please write down Miss's date of birth."
Jiang Ruan picked up the brush and wrote.
When she picked up the pen to write, Hui Jue was also quietly observing her. Seeing that this young lady's bearing was out of the ordinary, she must be the young lady of a noble family. Her actions were hard to fathom and there was a bit of hostility between her brows. She immediately changed her mind and looked at the expression of the maid beside her. In a short moment, she had already made up her mind.
Jiang Ruan pushed the slip of paper with her eight characters of birth written on it towards Hui Jue, "Great master, please take a look."
Hui Jue spread out the paper and reached out to remove the prayer beads around his neck. He lowered his head and did not speak. After half an incense stick of time, his brows gradually furrowed.
Seeing this, Lu Zhu looked at Jiang Ruan's expression and asked with a smile, "Great Master, what do you mean?"
Hui Jue gazed at Jiang Ruan, wanting to speak but hesitating for a while. Then, he shook his head and sighed heavily.
"Grandmaster, please speak your mind." In contrast to his distressed expression, Jiang Ruan was extremely relaxed. Her face was calm, as if she was divining someone else's fortune.
Hui Jue said, "Miss's divination is inauspicious. I'm afraid that it's the name of a heavenly cursed lone star."
"Heavenly cursed lone star?" Jiang Ruan chewed on these words. Hui Jue lowered his brows and retracted his gaze, truly like a Bodhisattva who bemoaned the state of the universe and pitied the fate of mankind. He heard Jiang Ruan say, "Great master is brilliant, I indeed have the fate of a heavenly cursed lone star. My mother died because of me, and because of me, my brother's whereabouts are unknown. Now, strange things are happening in the fu one after another. "
Her voice was gloomy, as if she was truly grieving to the extreme. Hui Jue said, "Even so, Miss need not worry. This old monk has a way to rewrite Miss's fate. Since Miss is so considerate, this old monk will make a trip to Miss's fu the next day to discuss it with the relatives in the fu. "
"Why is Great Master helping me?" Jiang Ruan asked.
Hui Jue lowered his head and put his palms together, "Amitabha, a monk is compassionate."
"Great Master is truly kind. Some monks like Great Master are not like this. I've heard of a story about a monk in Yuzhou. On normal days, he used the banner of an eminent monk to swindle and swindle people and amass quite a lot of wealth. "
When he heard the two words "Yuzhou", Hui Jue's hands trembled slightly. He heard Jiang Ruan's gentle voice coming from the opposite side, "This monk was an orphan. When he was young, he was adopted by a wandering monk. This wandering monk was the originator who taught him the art of swindling. The wandering monk used him as a tool to make money, frequently beating and scolding him. After he learned some of the wandering monk's tricks and gradually grew up, he personally strangled the wandering monk to death and lied to everyone that his master had passed away. He inherited the wandering monk's mantle and continued to be a master of swindling and swindling people. " Speaking up to this point, she paused and said, "Speaking of which, that monk in Yuzhou also had the same Buddhist name as Great Master. I don't know if you've heard of this story, Hui Jue?"
Hui Jue sat on the spot like a wooden sculpture. A thin layer of cold sweat appeared on his back. He had never told anyone about these secrets. Moreover, this was something that had happened decades ago. At that time, this little girl was probably not even born yet. How did she know all these things so clearly? He raised his head and saw that the young girl opposite him had a playful smile on her lips. Where was the slightest trace of sadness?
Hui Jue heard his own dry voice, "This old monk … has never heard of it."
"There are many things in this world that Great Master may not have heard of all of them. However, I have some interesting things here that I can tell Great Master. For example, that little child just now, it made me think of the story. When that monk was swindling a family, he had an affair with the family's young miss. The young miss became pregnant, but until her death, she refused to reveal who the father of the child was until she died from a difficult labor. Her family members wanted to abandon the naturally weak infant. This monk, who pretended to be benevolent, proposed to take him as a disciple. The young miss's family members were naturally happy to see this happen, but they did not know that the infant was the monk's son. "
Hearing this, Hui Jue's face no longer had the slightest trace of calmness and detachment. He was already drenched in cold sweat, and his expression was tense.
"After the infant was handed over to the monk, because he was born with a lack of health, he needed to use expensive medicinal herbs to keep his life. The monk had no choice but to double his wealth. However, Yuzhou was only a small city, so he came to the most prosperous capital. There were many wealthy families in the capital. Once he had a reputation and earned a lot of money, he could treat his son's illness. "Jiang Ruan smiled slightly," Great Master, what do you think of this story? "
"Who are you?" Hui Jue asked after a long silence. He really could not see through this young girl in front of him at all. He thought that she must have been instructed by an expert to meet him. Otherwise, for a stranger who he had never met to openly reveal these secrets that he had buried in the bottom of his heart and could never see the light of day, it was really daunting!
For the first time in his life, Hui Jue, who had played with someone else in the palm of his hand, had a feeling that he was unable to control himself.
Jiang Ruan looked at him quietly, "I am just a lone star. Hui Jue, you now have two choices. First, kill me and no one will ever know your secret. Second, listen to me and I will keep this secret for you. "
Her expression was calm, and there was not a trace of unease about the uncertainty of the future. It was as if she had already determined what Hui Jue's answer was. Hui Jue looked at her, and suddenly, a ruthless intent rose in his heart. He asked, "How do you know about these things?"
"Hui Jue, do you want to save your son?" Jiang Ruan did not answer his question.
Son? Hui Jue's body stiffened, and the thought that had just arisen disappeared in an instant. He thought of his son who was lying on the sickbed. The doctor had said that his son was born with a lack of health. If he could not be nurtured with expensive medicine, his body would be very weak. He had been a fake monk for so many years, and he had not expected that he would have a son in his later years. He wanted to save his son.
"You … what method do you have?" Hui Jue asked.
"If you do as I say, I guarantee that you will not have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life. Your son will be nurtured by the best doctor, and you will not have to worry about not being able to afford the expensive medicinal herbs. You will not have to run around and live in fear all day long." Her charming eyes were astonishingly bright, and her tone contained a little bewitchment, "You will enjoy the respect of tens of thousands of people, countless riches and honor, and a long period of stability. You will become the most efficacious monk, and you will become the State Preceptor."
Hui Jue was almost bewitched by the scene she described, but he had not lived a life of deception for so many years in vain. He was especially sensitive in this aspect. Very quickly, he regained his composure and said, "Miss, you are making fun of this old monk. I don't know why Miss has sought this old monk out, but this old monk is only an ordinary monk. I am not worthy of the title of a high monk, and I fear that there are many things that I am powerless to do."
Jiang Ruan looked at him calmly and smiled, "Know the past, understand the future? So many things just now are in the past. It seems that I still need to prove one thing to you. "
Hui Jue did not speak.
"Tonight, the prefectural magistrate's fu in the city will be haunted. Tomorrow morning, I will definitely invite you to perform the ritual." Jiang Ruan said.
Hui Jue only felt that this was inconceivable, "Miss?"
"It doesn't matter if you believe my words or not. If you want to save your son, then do as I say." Jiang Ruan said, "Ten days from now, there will be Old Madame's birthday banquet at Minister Jiang's fu. I want you to perform the ritual and pray for Old Madame's good fortune on that day. Inadvertently, you discovered that there was a demon causing mischief in the fu. As it turns out, the Second Miss of the Jiang fu is the bane of her existence." She smiled faintly, "Great Master's technique is so brilliant that I don't need to teach you how to do it."
"How can you be so sure that I will come on that day?" Hui Jue could not help but ask.
Jiang Ruan stood up, "Didn't I tell you long ago that know the past, understand the future?" With her back to the light, her expression was gentle, her countenance like a painting, and her bright red clothes made one's heart shiver. It was as if under that beautiful skin was the heart of a demon, and she really was like a witch from hell who led tourists to degenerate.
Jiang Ruan walked to the door with the servant girl. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she turned around and said, "I forgot to say, my name is Jiang Ruan, the eldest di daughter of the Jiang family in the capital."
After walking out of the dark alley, Lu Zhu looked at Jiang Ruan's expression and cautiously said, "Miss, are you sure that the monk will really come in ten days?"
"Naturally, he will come." Hui Jue regarded his precious son as his life. Every time spring arrived, his son's illness would worsen due to the weather. In her previous life, Xuan Li had used Hui Jue's weakness to bribe him a few years later, thinking that Hui Jue would treat his son's illness. Hui Jue was indeed a talented person, and under Xuan Li's arrangements, he became the State Preceptor and provided Xuan Li with a lot of convenience.
In this life, she had followed the same pattern, and long before Xuan Li had made his move, she had taken Hui Jue in for her own use. Now that it was the Spring Festival, Hui Jue looked at his son's illness and thought of her words. It was hard not to be tempted.
There were many people in the world who had a weakness, and once one grasped it, one could knead it at will. Now that she thought about it, it was fortunate that in her previous life, Xuan Li had told her these secrets without reservation in order to make her a competent chess piece in the palace. Otherwise, without this information, it would have been very difficult to subdue a person like Hui Jue.
Lu Zhu said, "It is fortunate that Fifth Yiniang mentioned this matter to Miss. The mother and daughter of Yan Hua Yuan were unexpectedly able to think of such a sinister method. They are really too vicious!"
On the night they returned to the fu, Hong Ying hurriedly made a trip to Ruan Ju and said that Jiang Quan wanted to invite a Taoist priest to perform a ritual at Old Furen's birthday banquet to rid the fu of the bad luck that had accumulated over the past few days. Although she did not explicitly say it, she mentioned that the Taoist priest who would perform the ritual was the same wandering Taoist priest who had passed by the Jiang fu five years ago to perform a divination for Jiang Ruan.
In the end, Hong Ying said, "Old Furen's birthday banquet is an important matter. In any case, it cannot be sloppy. Eldest Miss, please prepare well."
Jiang Ruan thanked her with a smile and conveniently returned the favor. She unintentionally mentioned that recently, there had been a rift between the Xia fu and the Jiang fu. Jiang Quan was not completely without ill feelings towards Xia Yan, and needed Hong Ying's consolation.
Hong Ying was an intelligent person. When Jiang Ruan thought about this, she smiled slightly. Xia Yan had actually thought of using this trick again. Five years ago, or rather in her previous life, because she was stupid, she had been like a clay figurine, allowing Xia Yan to manipulate her. Now, if Xia Yan wanted to repeat what had happened that year, it would not be so simple.
Lu Zhu looked ahead and said, "Miss Lin's fu's carriage has arrived."
Jiang Ruan turned her head and saw that, sure enough, a carriage had stopped at the rouge shop in front of the alley. Lin Zi Xiang jumped down from the carriage, and when she saw Jiang Ruan, she said with a straight face, "Why are you so dawdling? You made me wait for a while."
Jiang Ruan smiled and said, "On the way here, I was delayed for some time. Let's go in and take a look first."
Old Jiang Madame's birthday banquet was imminent, and Jiang Ruan was not in the mood to personally make a gift for her. She informed Xia Yan that Miss Lin of the Lin family, Lin Zi Xiang, would be going with her sisters. Naturally, Xia Yan could not refuse Lin Zi Xiang's invitation on Jiang Ruan's behalf. When she thought of how Jiang Su Su was unable to leave the house due to the scar on her face, her heart was filled with resentment, but she had no choice but to agree.
Just as they stepped into the rouge shop, they heard a clear and melodious voice, "Hey, Zi Xiang, Ruan meimei, I have been waiting for you for a long time." Dong Yinger warmly greeted them, but Zhao Jin, who was standing at the side, was somewhat helpless, "The smell of cosmetics is making me want to vomit. Let's go out."
Dong Yinger held onto Zhao Jin's hand, "Haven't we just arrived? I say, Jin 'er, now that you are almost of marriageable age, why do you not know how to tidy yourself up? You are still acting like a tomboy. Be careful that your future husband will dislike you."
Zhao Jin was born into a family of military officials, so naturally, she looked down on these delicate young ladies who applied makeup and powder. Moreover, Dong Yinger was very clingy. Jiang Ruan smiled and said, "I have strolled around a lot of cosmetics shops. I know that there is a newly opened jewelry shop in the city. Inside, there are many rare treasures. Besides gold and silver jewelry, there are also many precious swords and weapons. It is a dazzling lineup. Why doesn't Zhao Jiejie go take a look?"
When Zhao Jin heard this, she hurriedly said, "Indeed, Ruan meimei, you must not deceive me."
Jiang Ruan smiled and said, "How would I dare to deceive Jiejie?"
Dong Yinger had always loved to see novelties. When she heard these words, she said, "Since that's the case, Ruan meimei, let's quickly go to that jewelry shop to take a look. Recently, I have been lacking a pair of exquisite bracelets."
Lin Zi Xiang also felt that it was a good idea, so they boarded the carriage and headed towards the city.
When the carriage stopped, Dong Yinger was the first to jump off. Jiang Ruan and the others followed. Sure enough, they saw a pagoda-shaped rock building with the three large words "Yi Bao Ge" written on it.
When they entered the building, a rather delicate and pretty servant girl led them in and explained, "The first floor is for jewelry and ornaments, while the second floor is for precious weapons. I don't know what Misses would like to see."
"Ornaments!"
"Weapons!"
Dong Yinger and Zhao Jin cried out at the same time. Dong Yinger glared at Zhao Jin, "Are you trying to oppose me?"
"You know that I usually don't look at those things. Why don't we split up and come back after looking?" Zhao Jin suggested.
Lin Zi Xiang said, "Let's do that. I will also stay here to look at ornaments. In any case, I don't understand weapons. What about you, Ruan meimei? "
"Ruan meimei must be staying with us to look at ornaments," Dong Yinger interrupted. However, Jiang Ruan smiled and shook her head, "I want to look at weapons."
"Look at weapons?" Not only Dong Yinger and Lin Zi Xiang, but Zhao Jin was also stunned. Looking at her in disbelief, she said, "You don't even practice martial arts, why would you look at weapons?"
Jiang Ruan smiled apologetically, "After my eldest brother joined the army, there was no news of him. I don't know when he will return. However, I think that if he returns, he will definitely be a resolute, unyielding, and iron-blooded man. If there is a good weapon to go with it, it will certainly be very appropriate." She then added, "However, I will only be looking."
When the rest of the people heard her words, they were somewhat moved. Zhao Jin said, "I am also somewhat interested in weapons. If we go together, I might be able to give you some ideas."
Jiang Ruan naturally smiled and agreed. The two of them went to the second floor. Indeed, as the rumors said, they were all top-notch weapons. Some emitted a faint green light, while others had been around for many years. As soon as they entered, they felt that they were overflowing with color. Zhao Jin already cried out in surprise, "There are actually so many, and it looks like there are even spiritual treasures!"
Jiang Ruan looked at her. Zhao Jin touched a treasured sword that was hanging on the wall. Just as she placed her hand on it, she felt a jolt. She hurriedly retreated a few steps and excitedly said, "It really is a treasure!"
Jiang Ruan was not as excited as Zhao Jin. She looked around and felt that one of the Fire Cloud Hard Moon Shields would be extremely suitable for Jiang Xin Zhi. If Jiang Xin Zhi had such an armor on the battlefield, he would be much safer. However, when she looked at the silver marked at the bottom, she suddenly felt a headache. Not to mention that all of her silver had been used to buy the old grain in the capital, even if she had some left, it would still be far from enough.
She continued to walk forward, and her gaze was attracted by something in the basket. She reached out and picked it up. It was an exquisite and small bracelet, which emitted a beautiful blue light. Jiang Ruan put it on her hand, and the bracelet made her fair hand appear even more slender. Zhao Jin walked over and asked curiously, "Why is there also jewelry on this floor?"
The servant girl from the Jewelry Building who was following them explained, "This is a blood moon bracelet, it is used to …" Before she could finish speaking, she saw Jiang Ruan skillfully press down on the protruding pattern in the middle of the bracelet and aim it at her.
"Miss?" The servant girl was stunned for a moment, and her face was somewhat stiff.
"I will not press it down." Jiang Ruan removed the bracelet from her hand, "How many needles are there inside?"
"Nine." The servant girl explained stiffly, "But all of them are highly toxic."
When Zhao Jin saw Jiang Ruan's actions, she was somewhat dazed, but after hearing the servant girl's explanation, she understood, "So there is such a mechanism!" After saying this, she looked at Jiang Ruan, "Ruan meimei, you normally do not come into contact with these things, and I do not even know the use of this thing. How did you know?" Jiang Ruan's proficient appearance just now did not seem like it was the first time she had seen it.
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, "Mother had previously searched for this kind of bracelet in the unique book."
Zhao Jin nodded, "So that's how it is, but in the end, this thing can only be regarded as a concealed weapon. I still prefer that precious sword."
Jiang Ruan stretched out her fingers to stroke the smooth surface of the bracelet, and her gaze suddenly deepened. In her previous life, Jiang Quan had once found a similar bracelet for Jiang Su Su. At that time, Jiang Su Su wore it day and night. Jiang Ruan was very envious, but in the end, she did not have the courage to tell Jiang Quan that she also wanted one. She could only pretend that the silver bracelet on her wrist also had such a function, and occasionally touch it, deceiving herself that it also had such a mechanism.
Now that she thought about it, it seemed like an unreal dream. The appearance of the blood moon bracelet in her hand was even more beautiful than Jiang Su Su's, and it could hold more needles. The servant girl also explained that after the needles were shot out, they would be pulled back by the fine silk thread of the heavenly silkworm. Moreover, it was highly toxic, so it was extremely suitable for her to keep by her side. However, Jiang Ruan shook her head and put the bracelet back.
"Does Miss feel that it is not good?" That servant girl had originally seen Jiang Ruan's expression and knew that she liked this bracelet very much, but now, her actions made her flabbergasted.
"I do not have that much money." Jiang Ruan smiled. She could only reluctantly part with it.
"Me too." Zhao Jin reluctantly looked at the precious sword hanging on the wall, "I hope that I can persuade my father."
The two of them looked at each other and smiled. After looking at the things in the building for a while, they went downstairs to look for Lin Zi Xiang.
After they left, the servant girl who had been following them to explain walked to the celadon lion head on the wall at the back of the room and pressed it. A small door opened, revealing an elegant room at the side. Being so close, it was not difficult to hear the conversation in the hall clearly.
"Master," the servant girl respectfully said, "Jiang family's young miss has taken a fancy to this blood moon bracelet." As she spoke, she presented the tray.
The man sitting in the elegant room grunted and said without turning his head, "Put it away."
"Yes." The servant girl quietly retreated.
The man walked to the window. The pattering light rain made everything in the capital hazy, but it could not obstruct one's vision. After a while, Jiang Ruan and the others got on the carriage downstairs. The carriage rolled on the wheels and slowly drove away.
On this day, Jiang Ruan and Dong Yinger went out to choose a birthday gift, but in the end, Jiang Ruan did not buy anything. Dong Yinger asked curiously, "You are going back empty-handed?"
"I do not have money." Jiang Ruan smiled warmly.
She did not think that the life of a noble family's young miss would be so difficult. Dong Yinger and the other two felt some sympathy for her and wanted to help her with some money. However, they were afraid that it would hurt Jiang Ruan's self-esteem, so they could only comfort her with a few words. However, looking at Jiang Ruan's appearance, they recalled that her mother had passed away when she was a child, and that her father had been neglected. Their pity for her deepened.
Jiang Ruan did not care about the gazes of the other three people, and calmly returned to the fu with Lu Zhu. On the way back, Lu Zhu asked, "Miss, are you really not going to buy anything?"
"Where can I find money?" Jiang Ruan still said the same thing, "Now that I am penniless, buying some cheap goods will only make people laugh their heads off."
"Miss, you should not have bought so much old grain. At least keep half." Lu Zhu curled her lips and lifted the curtain of the carriage to look outside. She said, "Speaking of which, it is strange that the rain has not stopped. It has been continuously raining for more than ten days." She thought about it and said, "This servant is thinking that if the rain does not stop, then the old grain that Miss bought can be sold and you can definitely make a lot of money. But if that happens, there will be many more refugees in the capital. "Lu Zhu frowned," This is really difficult. "
Jiang Ruan laughed in her heart. She did not intend to sell the old grain, so Lu Zhu's wish to make money would probably fail. However, Jiang Ruan did not intend to tell Lu Zhu about this for the time being. She said, "It is not that I do not have a gift for Lao Furen's birthday banquet. Hui Jue is the best gift."
Dewdrop rolled her eyes and giggled, "Miss is right. This gift is bigger than anything else. This servant can't wait for that day to come."
When the two of them returned to the fu, the servants in the fu saw that Jiang Ruan's hands were empty. Some of them went to Yan Hua Yuan to report the matter. Jiang Su Su was talking to Xia Yan when she heard the matter and said, "She is just a pauper. Presumably, she has no money to buy things."
Xia Yan tapped her forehead, "No matter what, you have to write the one hundred longevity characters. This time, you have won your grandmother's favor, and your father will feel better."
"I know." Jiang Su Su was a little impatient, "I just don't know what Jiang Ruan will give. If she doesn't prepare anything, then there will be a good show to watch."
Xia Yan smiled, "No matter what gift she prepared, no matter how much effort she put into it, she will not be able to win Lao Furen's favor."
"Why?" Jiang Su Su asked.
"Who would like a lone star who is cursed by the heavens?" A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Xia Yan's eyes. Moreover, Old Jiang Madame had always believed in ghosts and gods, and every year she spent a large amount of incense money. This kind of person was extremely taboo when it came to matters of ghosts and gods. Especially since the Jiang fu had met with one mishap after another, even if Jiang Quan was not Old Jiang Madame's biological son, after so many years as a mother and son, she still had some sincerity. As the Old Madame of the Jiang fu, it was even more impossible for her to watch the Jiang fu fall into danger and remain indifferent. This time, Jiang Ruan would most likely not be able to escape this calamity.
Jiang Su Su looked at Xia Yan's expression and could somewhat guess what was going on. She asked tentatively, "Mother already has a plan?"
Xia Yan lovingly embraced her and stroked her head, "You only need to know that everything mother does is for you and Chao 'er. Don't let mother down."
Jiang Su Su nestled in Xia Yan's embrace, her beautiful eyes wide open, and the hatred in them made one shudder. She said, "I know, mother. On the day of grandmother's birthday banquet, I really can't wait for it to come."
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