“Auntie…” Tianxiang recounted everything that had happened in the past two or three days, embellishing the story and saying a lot of bad things about Aunt Qin and Ji Wushang. “I think the eldest young lady is just pretending. She’s definitely not sick!”
"You see things quite clearly." Aunt Bai rolled her eyes at her. "So, is it really because of a cursed star in my womb? What's the master's attitude?"
"I heard that today the master intends to go to Baima Temple to invite Abbot Huiyuan to come and take a look before making a decision," Tianxiang said.
Aunt Bai nodded, "Alright, if he can't come, you should quickly have a few sorcerers invite him for me..." She whispered several words in Tianxiang's ear.
Tianxiang immediately nodded and went down.
Aunt Bai knew that the sorcerer she had asked Steward Xue to invite a few days ago had infuriated Ji Dingbei. Now, she was determined to invite someone with real talent who could be of use to her advantage!
After Ji Dingbei dismissed Aunt Qin, he returned to his own courtyard, changed into a fine dress, and was just about to go out when he heard a servant announce at the front gate.
"What is it?" Ji Dingbei came out of the inner room and asked with a stern look.
"Reporting to Master, Abbot Huiyuan has arrived!" The servant's face was full of joy, and Ji Dingbei was even more surprised and delighted. He stepped forward, grabbed the servant by the collar, and lifted him up as if to say, "What did you say? Abbot Huiyuan has arrived?"
The servant was terrified. Ji Dingbei was already tall and burly, and now that he had been lifted up, he was completely frightened. "Yes, yes."
Looking at the servant he had just lifted, Ji Dingbei felt embarrassed and immediately stepped out, saying, "Please come in quickly!"
When they arrived at the main hall, Ji Dingbei could no longer sit still. He sent someone to invite Abbot Huiyuan to the main hall, and at the same time, he went to call for help to see if Madam Yuan could come. After all, Madam Yuan was a devout Buddhist, and it was rare for Abbot Huiyuan to come to her home. He decided to go and talk to his elderly mother.
The message was also sent to all the courtyards, inviting anyone who could come to absorb some of Abbot Huiyuan's Buddhist aura.
Soon, the matriarch of the Yuan family, supported by Granny Guo, slowly entered the main hall. Even Aunt Bai came. Ji Wushang, of course, was supported by Zhu'er.
Looking at the crowd, Ji Dingbei couldn't help but feel anxious. Why hadn't Abbot Huiyuan arrived yet? He had tried every possible way to visit Abbot Huiyuan at Baima Temple, and he didn't even know how to invite him. Unexpectedly, they had come to his doorstep! If word got out that the highly respected Abbot Huiyuan had personally come to his door, what a prestigious thing that would be! This was something that no other family in the capital had ever done!
"Amitabha, well done, well done!" Ji Dingbei was just thinking of going to the door to greet him personally when he heard the sound of a wooden fish.
Ji Dingbei was overjoyed and stepped forward to greet him, "Amitabha, Abbot." However, when he saw that it looked like the abbot of the Buddhist temple, he was stunned. Abbot Huiyuan said, "Benefactor."
"Please, please, Abbot." This person might be somewhat similar; as long as he can resolve this cursed lone star's matter, who cares about face?
Hearing the voice, everyone looked outside and saw that Abbot Huiyuan was about sixty years old, with white eyebrows and beard, kind eyes and a gentle demeanor. He looked kind and approachable as he walked in, as if an immortal had come to visit, which made people feel respect from the bottom of their hearts.
“This old monk was traveling around the imperial city when I passed through this place. I noticed a strange aura emanating from it, so I rashly came in to disturb it,” said Abbot Huiyuan.
As Ji Dingbei invited him, he said, "I couldn't ask for more, I couldn't ask for more. Indeed, some things have happened at your residence, and I hope the abbot can give us his predictions."
As the old lady saw Abbot Huiyuan enter, she stood up shakily, leaned on her dragon-headed cane, and stepped forward, saying, "Greetings, Abbot Master."
"Please sit down, Madam." Abbot Huiyuan nodded to Madam Yuan, then turned to Ji Dingbei and said, "It's fate that you've entered the mansion. Let me do a fortune telling for you."
"That's excellent." Ji Dingbei was delighted. "Something has indeed happened at your residence... The day before yesterday, my aunt was pregnant, but suddenly she experienced severe abdominal pain, and the doctor couldn't find out the cause. I humbly request the abbot's guidance to see if there is any way to relieve the pain."
"To be honest, I have heard about it and seen some of it myself." Abbot Huiyuan stood up and walked to Aunt Bai. Aunt Bai looked at him, afraid that he would say something that would be detrimental to her, but she dared not speak and could only glare at him.
"The malevolent energy is too strong, alas!" Abbot Huiyuan shook his head, and then tried to leave.
Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei immediately stepped forward to stop him, "Abbot, please give me a way to save this! I, Ji Dingbei, will definitely rebuild the golden body of the Buddha at Baima Temple!"
"To be honest, as soon as I entered the room, I examined everyone's fate. Heavenly secrets cannot be broken or spoken of. As for the cursed star in Aunt Bai's womb, it's best to deal with it as soon as possible... lest it bring disaster to your household." Abbot Huiyuan shook his head at this moment.
As Ji Dingbei listened, his gaze turned cold. If this was a scourge, wouldn't he have to give Aunt Bai an abortion pill right now? Or have someone induce labor to kill that bastard?
"Master, Master, I beg you, please spare me for the sake of our marriage!" Upon hearing this, Aunt Bai immediately knelt down and crawled over to take Ji Dingbei's hand. "Master, there must be a way..." After saying this, she immediately knelt down before Abbot Huiyuan. "Abbot, I beg you to have mercy and tell me a solution. I only have this one son, and he can't just die like this!" As she spoke, she wailed loudly.
The matriarch was also thinking about her grandson, but she was also afraid that it would harm the entire General's Mansion and Ji Dingbei's future. Moreover, Ji Dingbei already had two sons. If this son couldn't be born, then he shouldn't be born!
Abbot Huiyuan looked at Ji Dingbei, then at Aunt Bai, while Ji Dingbei knelt down, pleading, "Abbot, please give me a way to save my son."
Ji Wushang looked away. When his mother was ill, did his father ever kneel like this? He was just a son born to a concubine. Did he deserve such attention?
"My apologies, please rise, both of you!" Abbot Huiyuan said, helping the two up. He sighed and continued, "This Concubine Bai's fate is bleak; she shouldn't have a child. However, conceiving is no easy feat, and it happened during a dark and ominous time. To be honest, I came here because I noticed a faint aura of malevolent energy above your residence, which puzzled me. Now, having entered this main hall and examined the fates of everyone here, I know that this concubine's child is the reincarnation of a cursed star, destined to bring misfortune to her ancestors, family, parents, siblings, and relatives. From now on, your household will likely suffer a series of calamities, ranging from losing your official position and wealth to the destruction of your family and the extinction of your lineage!"
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. The matriarch of the house turned deathly pale. "What should we do?" Although she had remained secluded in the quiet garden and hadn't ventured out, she had learned of the events unfolding in the mansion from the maids. It seemed that the cursed spirit in Concubine Bai's womb must have caused her severe abdominal pain, the eldest young lady's fainting, and Ji Meiyuan and Ji Yinxue were likely also connected to this cursed energy!
Ji Dingbei was also stunned. If he really lost his official position and his wealth, that would be one thing, but if he really lost his family and his descendants, wouldn't that mean that the Ji family's five-hundred-year-old lineage would be cut off because of this wicked child? How could he face the ancestors of the Ji family in the afterlife?
"Then, please give me some pointers, Abbot Huiyuan!" Ji Dingbei sighed.
"The matriarch of the family originally practiced seclusion in the Yuanyue Nunnery, where her spiritual cultivation was quite high. Now, please continue to chant scriptures in the Buddhist hall, no less than a hundred times a day. If the concubine gives birth to this child, please immediately send someone to Wudang Mountain to be raised by the Wudang Taoists. This will allow the child to cultivate and accumulate good deeds, benefiting both yourself and your family. As for the benefactors present here, you must also accumulate good deeds and perform virtuous acts. In this way, Buddha will surely bless your family with blessings, prosperity, longevity, and great peace and wealth," Abbot Huiyuan said with a profound sigh.
Ji Dingbei nodded, "Yes, yes."
The matriarch nodded in agreement.
Aunt Bai listened, her face showing displeasure. How could she possibly send her son to a place like Wudang Mountain right after he was born? She wanted him to grow up under her tutelage, to become a future great general! To be her pillar of support! Forget it, if she said no now, she'd probably have to take an abortion pill! She'd better give birth to the child first; there would be plenty of opportunities later!
"Thank you for your guidance, Abbot!" Aunt Bai's face was cold, her eyes were clear and filled with resentment, but she still kowtowed to Abbot Huiyuan. Those who did not know the situation thought that Aunt Bai was grateful, but those who saw it could only feel contempt.
Abbot Huiyuan saw this and gently shook his head, "It's getting late, this old monk will take his leave first."
Ji Dingbei hurriedly saw them off, and Ji Wushang also stepped forward to accompany Ji Dingbei to the door.
"Please wait, both of you." Abbot Huiyuan nodded and then walked down the street. In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared at the end of the street. Ji Dingbei rubbed his eyes, and seeing that the man had disappeared, he believed him even more.
"Wu Shang, go back." Ji Dingbei said. "Yes, Father." Ji Wu Shang watched Abbot Huiyuan leave before returning to the courtyard with him.
When the old lady saw the two of them return, she said, "You two can leave now!" After saying that, she glared at Aunt Bai and was helped back to Jingyuan by Granny Guo.
Ji Dingbei returned to his study, but before long, a maid came to call him, "Master, the old lady wants you to go to Jingyuan."
Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei realized that Madam Yuan hadn't summoned him to Jingyuan in a long time. Alas, it must be because of this cursed lone star. He got up and immediately went to Jingyuan. Upon entering the room, he saw Madam Yuan chanting scriptures on the couch, so he knelt down and said, "Mother."
The matriarch recited scriptures for a while before opening her eyes, putting down the prayer beads, and saying, "Get up, sit down and talk."
"Yes." Ji Dingbei stood up and looked at Madam Yuan. "I wonder why Mother summoned me here?"
The matriarch glanced at him. This child, has he learned to pretend?
"I called you here today mainly to see what you're thinking. Are you planning to keep Aunt Bai's child?" the old lady said directly.
After thinking it over, Ji Dingbei said, "Yes, please grant Mother's permission to let Aomei give birth! This is, after all, the bloodline of our General Ji's family. Moreover, Aomei's father is the Minister of Personnel, and he already knows that his daughter is pregnant."
The implication was that if she were to take the medicine to abort the child, it would definitely cause trouble if Bai Lixiong, the Minister of Personnel, found out.
The matriarch nodded, "However, if anything happens to the manor, you must weigh the consequences! A child is nothing compared to the five-hundred-year-old foundation of the Ji family!" The matriarch's tone was somewhat firm, forcing Ji Dingbei to nod, "Yes, I will remember."
"Go down!" said the matriarch. "We must hurry up with the marriage of Second Sister and Fourth Sister."
"Yes," Ji Dingbei replied, and then slowly withdrew.
Ji Meiyuan and Ji Yinxue hadn't woken up yet, and worrying about them was useless! Ji Dingbei only felt a headache.
After returning to the East Garden, Aunt Bai was furious. She smashed the newly arranged furniture and was so angry she wanted to rush out and strangle Abbot Huiyuan. How could he possibly speak so harshly about her child! And this child was her last bargaining chip!
At this moment, Granny Yun saw that Aunt Bai had finished her tantrum and was sitting on the edge of the bed, so she came up to her and said, "Aunt Bai, you must take care of your health. You are not in good health, so you must maintain a good attitude."
"Get out!" Aunt Bai retorted. "What do you mean by 'maintain a good attitude'? Do you need to tell me what's going on in my life?"
"This old servant deserves to die, please forgive me, Auntie!" With that, Granny Yun knelt down and kowtowed.
"Hmph, I don't even know where this abbot came from, telling all sorts of stories to the people in the manor! If they're really that accurate, why didn't they bring me bad luck and death!" Aunt Bai said angrily, her heart filled with resentment.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, another wave of abdominal pain struck. "Ouch! It hurts so much!"
"Quickly, help Aunt Bai to bed, and fetch a doctor!" Granny Yun hurriedly ordered the kneeling maid. Tianxiang immediately stepped forward to help make Aunt Bai feel better.
Ji Wushang sat elegantly on the chaise lounge, looking at the snacks that Zhu'er brought, and listening to what Xian'er had seen and heard from outside, smiling to himself.
"Miss, I heard that after Aunt Bai returned home, she suffered from severe abdominal pain again. If it weren't for the doctor's timely treatment, Aunt Bai might have passed away," Xian'er whispered.
"Hmm." Ji Wushang nodded. Now that the matter of the cursed lone star is settled, she's in for a lot of trouble! Ji Meiyuan and Ji Yinxue will be getting married on November 15th. If she can turn that happy occasion into a funeral on that day, that would be the most exhilarating thing ever!
Ji Wushang took a sip of tea. "Have Second Sister and Fourth Sister woken up?"
"Miss, I just heard that the Second Miss has just woken up and is still very weak."
"Alright, then instruct the kitchen to prepare some tonics and send them to the plum garden. Let Second Sister enjoy them!" Ji Wushang elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth with a silk handkerchief. "As for Fourth Miss, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she should wake up tomorrow. Just keep an eye on her. I estimate she won't wander around when she wakes up, so let her rest well and send her some snacks."
"Yes." Pearl nodded and stepped back.
Ji Wushang took out the dragon and phoenix embroidery from below, then looked at it, touched the embroidery, weighed it in his hand, and murmured, "This is already the third day. In a few days, it will be the seventh day after your death. Embroiderer, oh embroidery, if you have a spirit in heaven, please let me fulfill your wish! What you have suffered, Wushang will take back for you! And take back what you owe me!"
Ji Wushang lowered his head and then began to thread the needle and embroider.
Exhausted, Ji Wushang had no choice but to lie down and rest in bed.
The next morning, Ji Wushang was finally woken up by Zhu'er and Xian'er. After washing up, Ji Wushang had breakfast.
"Come with me to the East Garden later to see Aunt Bai. Also, prepare some snacks for me these next few days. I'm going to Jing Garden to see Grandmother," Ji Wushang said as he gave instructions.
“Miss, didn’t the old lady say she didn’t want to be disturbed?” Zhu’er stepped forward and asked.
"I've copied quite a few Buddhist scriptures. If I don't show them to my grandmother, who will?" Ji Wushang smiled. "I only see my grandmother once every two weeks. I miss her dearly. How could I not go see her?"
"Yes." Pearl knew that she must have a plan in mind, so she didn't ask any more questions.
Ji Wushang smiled and said, "Go and prepare it for me."
"Yes." Pearl went down.
Ji Wushang quickly finished his meal, took out the Buddhist scriptures he had copied in the past, sorted them out one by one, and put them in his bosom. Then he checked the snacks that Zhu'er had brought and put them in the brocade box. After that, he changed his clothes and went to Jingyuan.
It was already late autumn, and the wind was getting stronger. Ji Wushang stood outside Jingyuan Garden, carrying a brocade box in one hand, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, and with Zhu'er helping her support the other, she looked like a sickly beauty, but her appearance was very stubborn.
The maidservant guarding the garden saw Ji Wushang arrive and immediately went to inform the Old Madam Yuan. The Old Madam Yuan, who was chanting sutras while striking a wooden fish on her couch, listened to the maidservant's report, put down the wooden fish, and thought to herself, "This eldest maid clearly knows I said not to disturb my meditation, but today she still brought gifts; she's quite thoughtful. Moreover, I heard she was injured by the evil aura of the Lone Star; alas, she doesn't seem to be feeling well now."
"Granny Guo, bring the young lady to see you." The old lady told the maid to put away the wooden fish, and then sat back on the couch.
"Yes." Granny Guo nodded and immediately went out to call for someone. It was rare for the eldest young lady to be so filial. Even though she was not feeling well, she still politely asked someone to inform them. If all the young ladies in the mansion could be as sensible as the eldest young lady, that would be wonderful!
"Young Miss, come in quickly." Granny Guo hurried forward and helped Ji Wushang up. Ji Wushang smiled at Granny Guo and said, "Granny, I'm fine. These are pastries specially made for Grandmother, they're still warm!"
"Yes, hurry, let's go inside, it's windy here." Granny Guo helped Ji Wushang and went into the house with Zhu'er.
Once inside, it was indeed warm. Ji Wushang rubbed her hands together, while Granny Guo had already taken the pastries inside. When she came out, she said, "Miss, the Old Madam invites you to come in and sit down."
"Yes." Ji Wushang smiled sweetly before going inside, with Zhu'er following naturally.
Once inside, it was indeed warmer. Ji Wushang took off his cloak, and Zhu'er put it aside before bowing to the matriarch sitting on the couch, saying, "Greetings, Grandmother."
"Wu Shang, come sit here." The matriarch nodded. "No need for formalities."
"Yes." Ji Wushang nodded, while Granny Guo, standing to the side, had already opened the brocade box and placed the pastries inside one by one on the small table next to her so that Madam Yuan could take them to eat.
A plate of red date snow powder cake, a plate of emerald red spiritual snacks, and a dish of pine flower osmanthus cake and pineapple red and green cakes were served, still steaming hot and fragrant. The sight of them made the old lady's mouth water. She smiled and said, "From now on, you don't need to bring pastries. Just have the servants make them."
“Grandmother doesn’t know, I was afraid those maids would be clumsy and make you unhappy with your meal.” Ji Wushang then took out a sandalwood box from her bosom, opened it, and inside were neatly copied Buddhist scriptures in small regular script. She handed it over, smiling sweetly, “Grandmother, these are the Buddhist scriptures that Wushang copied these past few days. Wushang hopes to offer them before the Buddha, so that she can also contribute her own strength to bless the manor with peace and prosperity.”
"Ah, if the people in other courtyards were as sensible as Wushang, I wouldn't have to worry about this old woman." Madam Yuan gestured to Granny Guo with her eyes, and Granny Guo stepped forward to take the sandalwood box. "Yes, the eldest young lady is sensible, well-behaved, and intelligent. She is truly delightful." After Granny Guo took the sandalwood box, she opened it in front of Madam Yuan. Madam Yuan only glanced at it and knew that the handwriting was neat and earnest.
The matriarch nodded, and only then did Granny Guo close the box and put it away.
"Grandmother, why don't you eat some of this snack while it's hot?" Ji Wushang said with a smile, then picked up a piece with his chopsticks and placed it on the small plate in front of the matriarch.