Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 368 Yuqing Temple [Thank you! Thank you again! words are owed]

In late June,

It was already the beginning of autumn.

Early July,
The sky was overcast that morning, and the ponds along the road were reflected in a dark color.

Si hour (after 9 a.m.)

An autumn rain began to fall, soaking the entire city of Bianjing.

An autumn breeze blew through the rain, and there was a hint of chill in the air.

It is hard to tell whether the autumn wind or the autumn rain is the culprit that causes the leaves to fall to the ground.

Outside Bianjing City,

Yuqing Temple,
The mountains and hills are covered with misty autumn rain, and everything looks green.

foot of the mountain,

The awnings that roadside vendors held up to provide shade had drooped due to absorbing some water, so customers who went to buy things had to not only watch their feet but also be careful of their heads.

Next to the stall,
A carriage was parked in an open space in front of a wooden building.

A Bian Jing broker, who was well-dressed and holding an oil-paper umbrella, was talking attentively to a middle-aged man who looked wealthy.

"Sir, you just came to Bianjing, so you may not know. There are many Taoist temples in and around Bianjing, but there are not many as prosperous as Yuqing Temple."

"There are two reasons. First, the Taoist priests of Yuqing Temple are very skilled in Taoism. Whether it is praying for children, wealth, or a good career and marriage, they are well-known in Bianjing for their effectiveness."

"Secondly, because it is located on a mountain outside the city, the entire Yuqing Temple covers a very large area, with all kinds of halls, courtyards, trees, and flower gardens. Whether it is for burning incense, staying overnight, or practicing meditation, it is very convenient."

"Many of the noble families in Bianjing, whether they are nobles or officials, would come to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings."

"I took your housekeeper to see this inn before. It's right at the intersection of the way up the mountain. It turned out to be the Chi family in the capital."

The broker looked at the middle-aged man and nodded without comment, with a slightly anxious look in his eyes. He suddenly had an idea and continued:

"Sir, do you know the Marquis of Yongyi who won a victory in the north last month?"

"Ok!"

"Sir, to be honest, when this fifth son of the Yongyi Marquis family was a child, he was not feeling well. He consulted many doctors in the capital, but they could not find the cause. In the end, it was the Taoist priest in Yuqing Temple who cured him!"

"Oh? Are you serious?"

"How dare I lie to you? You will know the truth once you ask around! Do you think that after the news of the victory of the Marquis of Yongyi spreads, people who know about it will come to Yuqing Temple to burn incense?"

Hearing this, the official stroked his beard, his eyes full of thought, probably considering whether to cooperate with the Taoist temple and expand the story of 'Xu Wulang seeking medical treatment at Yuqing Temple when he was young'.

The broker was used to seeing people, so he quickly said, "Sir, look, that's the carriage coming over here, that of the Duke of Qi."

The man put his hands behind his back and tilted his head, staring at the carriage of the Duke of Qi mentioned by the broker, then looked at his own carriage, shook his head slightly, and then said a few words to the broker.

The road up the mountain,
The Qi family's carriage slowly stopped.

The servant hurriedly placed the stool beside the carriage.

Mother Qi walked out of the carriage, quickly opened her oil-paper umbrella, and protected Princess Pingning as she got off the carriage.

Standing in front of the mountain road, Princess Pingning, under the oil-paper umbrella, glanced at the carriage behind. When she saw Madam Chai get off the carriage, she smiled.

At this time, the maid from the third carriage behind trotted over and whispered a few words in Mrs. Chai's ear.

wait for a second,

Madam Chai walked to Princess Pingning with an umbrella behind her. She said with a smile, "Zheng Zheng fell asleep on the way. The maid felt it was a little cold, so she told her to stay in the car for a while before going up the mountain. With the maid and madam here, let's go up first!"

In the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella,
Princess Pingning smiled and glanced far behind her, then nodded and said, "We should be more careful."

As they were talking, the two of them, followed by maids and nannies carrying bamboo baskets and other things, began to go up the mountain.

Half an hour later,

Next to the carriage, Yun Mu, holding an umbrella, glanced at the group of people under the wooden building not far away, then looked at the convoy coming not far away, and said, "Miss, it looks like the carriages of the Gu and Xu families!"

"Ok!"

Then a stretching sound was heard from the car.

After a while, the sound of horse hooves and wheels could be heard.

A convoy longer than those of Qi and Chai's families drove over.

Amidst the sighs,
The convoy stopped on the cobblestone road.

On the roadside, Gu Tingyi got off the carriage and looked at Chai Zhengzheng, who was standing under an umbrella and waving at her. She tilted her head and said:
"Mother, Zheng Zheng just got off the carriage! I'll go find her!"

Mrs. Bai nodded. At this time, Pingmei brought Qingzhi and Qingxia to Mrs. Bai and said, "Mother, aren't the princess and Madam Chai walking ahead of us? Why hasn't Miss Zhengzheng gone up yet?"

Mrs. Bai smiled and shook her head. She looked at the two girls who were talking and said, "You'll know in a moment."

As she spoke, Mrs. Bai looked back and waved to Mrs. Sun who was with Mrs. Xie and Hualan.

When Sun and her two daughters-in-law came nearby, Gu Tingyi and Chai Zhengzheng also came over.

Seeing the inquiring looks from the ladies, Gu Tingyi and Chai Zhengzheng bowed and explained a few words, "Zhengzheng fell asleep" and "the maid was afraid of catching a cold."

Chai Zhengzheng lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly.

Hua Lan, who was beside Madam Sun, smiled and said, "As the saying goes, spring brings sleepiness and autumn brings fatigue. I also dozed off for a while on the way!"

Mrs. Bai and Pingmei beside her looked at each other, with approval in their eyes that "you, your sister-in-law, are good at talking."

Pingmei smiled and nodded, "This is not the place to talk, mother, let's start climbing the mountain!"

The mother was speaking to Madam Sun.

Then, everyone started to move forward.

At the front were the two ladies, Sun and Bai, in the middle were Pingmei and Hualan, surrounding the eldest sister-in-law, Mrs. Xie, and at the back were Gu Tingyi and Chai Zhengzheng, arm in arm.

There were maids holding umbrellas around, and a group of people walked towards the mountain.

From time to time, officials' wives and noble ladies would come down the mountain. When they met someone they knew, they would either nod or stop to talk for a few words.

The mother and sister-in-law in front of me greeted me.
Gu Tingyi and Chai Zhengzheng followed behind, squatting and bowing.

Halfway through the journey, after greeting the group of people coming from the opposite direction, Chai Zhengzheng whispered in Gu Tingyi's ear: "Who are these people?"

"From the family of Minister Li, the grandmother and aunt of Li's Fifth Lady."

Glancing at the ladies who were talking, Gu Tingyi whispered, "Zheng Zheng, did you stay up late last night?"

Chai Zhengzheng touched his face and said, "Can you tell that?"

Gu Tingyi: "Why did you stay up late?"

Chai Zhengzheng: "Well, I still haven't finished copying a small volume of scriptures for my cousin to pray for him, so I slept a little late last night."

Gu Tingyi nodded.

Seeing the ladies in front saying goodbye to each other, the two of them bowed to everyone in the Li family.

When we were almost at Yuqing Temple,
A girl's clear voice came from the front.
Zheng Zheng and Gu Tingyi, whose view was blocked by the ladies, quickly turned their heads to look.

"Miss Feiyan, Miss Tingyi and Miss Zhengzheng are in the back, please talk."

"Yes, madam."

Pingmei, who was walking behind her mother, looked at Rong Feiyan who was walking towards the back with a scrutinizing look in her eyes.

Three girls under the umbrella.

Gu Tingyi looked at Rong Feiyan's face and said, "Sister Feiyan, you look much better than when I saw you last month."

Rong Feiyan raised her hand, put it against her cheek and smiled, "Really? Maybe it's because the weather is cooler and the summer is not so bitter, so I ate more."

Chai Zhengzheng looked at Rong Feiyan and nodded, "Yes. Sister Feiyan, why are you here at Yuqing Temple?"

"At the turn of summer and autumn, I came to Yuqing Temple yesterday to pray for Concubine Rong, the master and others. Are you two sisters here to worship Emperor Wenchang?" Chai Zhengzheng and Gu Tingyi nodded in unison.

"My cousin Qi Heng will take the college entrance examination next month."

"So do my brother and two cousins."

After talking a few more words about planning to meet in the fall, the three said goodbye and dispersed.

After walking a dozen steps,

Rong Feiyan, who was standing under the umbrella, looked back at the people going up the mountain, and said with some complaints and disappointment in her tone: "My brother is too unreliable!"

Ningxiang and Xibu on the side nodded repeatedly. They heard it clearly in Huixueyuan the day before yesterday. Rongxian swore that the Xu family was going to come to Yuqing Temple yesterday.

结果
Turning back, Rong Feiyan thought about things and continued walking down the mountain.

"lecher!"

Xibu, who was standing by, cursed in a low voice, then put down his umbrella and used it to block Rong Feiyan.

Rong Feiyan finally came to her senses and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xi Bu said beside him, "Miss, the people on the other side seem to be the descendants of Duke Hanguo and Duke Lingguo, and they are looking straight at us!"

I heard laughter coming from behind the umbrella.

Rong Feiyan took a deep breath and raised her chin: "Put the umbrella away and go!"

"Yes, girl!"

As Xibu raised his umbrella again, Rong Feiyan continued walking forward without moving his head.

"Hiss! Rong Feiyan was a beauty when she was little. Now that she has grown up, she looks even prettier than before!"

"Hey, Sanlang is right!"

"If I could marry her, I would be willing to give up my family's title!"

"Hey, Brother Ma, I don't think the same as you do! I am willing to inherit my family's title and marry Miss Feiyan!"

"The hair-washing device, what you imagined is indeed beautiful!"

"Tsk! How come this blind maid put the umbrella flat!"

Listening to the words of the people around him, Han Chengyun withdrew his gaze from the Rong family's umbrella and echoed a few words, thinking: "Rong family? How can the Rong family be as good as the Chai family and the Gu family? Really!"

"It's a pity for those women in the nunnery, but being able to take a look at Miss Feiyan is still a gain!"

"Oh, the umbrella has been moved away. I just like Miss Feiyan's domineering look!"

"Brother Qi, how about we catch up on horseback and have a few words with Miss Feiyan?"

"I say, Lu Sanlang, aren't you afraid of that scoundrel Rong Xian? If he knows you're going to do this, do you think he'll beat you up?"

"I'm afraid of him? What a joke!" Lv Sanlang revealed the scar on his neck and said, "This crossbow arrow flew past my neck. Are you afraid of me?"

As they talked, they walked towards the mountain with servants carrying food boxes.

Entering Yuqing Temple,
The Taoist priest led several people to the other courtyard of Yuqing Temple.

In the yard, the servant placed the fine wine and food in the food boxes and then left.

"This Qin Dalang is well-informed! He knows that the Gu family will come to Yuqing Temple today!"

"Tomorrow morning, I will show up at the gate of the Taoist temple, and that will be considered as completing what my family asked me to do!"

"Fortunately, Qin Dalang's message arrived in time, otherwise I would have wasted one of the pills made by the Taoist priest!"

Listening to Lu Sanlang's words, everyone in the room started talking dirty.

After two glasses of wine, the door was opened a crack, and the Korean official's servant nodded to Han Chengyun at the door.

Then, Han Chengyun stood up and said, "I'll go change clothes first!"

Lu Sanlang laughed and said, "Wulang, you've only drunk so much, go change your clothes! You better use less of those pills!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

Han Chengyun waved his hand and walked out of the house.

After leaving the yard and heading to the toilet, Han Chengyun looked around under his umbrella. Seeing that no one was following him, he asked, "Any news?"

The servant held up an umbrella and whispered, "Yes, sir! The three families have reserved the Wenchang Temple for tomorrow morning! We will wait near the Wenchang Temple tomorrow!"

Han Chengyun exhaled and said, "Three families together, it's really troublesome!"

"Sir, your family also wants you to show up more often at the Chai and Gu families. You are handsome, maybe some girl will be attracted to you!"

Han Chengyun shook his sleeves and said with some complacency: "That fellow Lv Sanlang from the Duke's family also planned this!"

"Brother Lu, how can I compare with you!"

"Haha! You're the only one who can talk!"

"I'm just telling the truth!"

After changing clothes, Han Chengyun returned to the yard and continued drinking with a few playboys.

Rainy days plus autumn,

Although it was only afternoon, it was already getting dark.

In the other courtyard, several sons of noble families were used to drinking and drank a lot, but they were still sober.

Watching Han Chengyun stand up for the fourth time to change clothes and disappear at the door, the people in the room looked at each other jokingly and then burst into laughter.

outside the house,

Han Chengyun stared at the Han family servant with an unpleasant expression and said, "You'd better be in trouble!"

The Han family servant had an excited look on his face. He pulled Han Chengyun aside and said, "Sir, a little Taoist boy came over just now and said he was asked to pass on a message."

"Say!"

"The little Taoist boy said that the housekeeper of the Chai family asked the people in the Taoist temple to keep the hall where the spirit tablets are enshrined later today without anyone else."

Han Chengyun, who had drunk a lot of alcohol, said slowly, "You mean, maybe someone will go to that hall?"

"Yes! I can't tell who it is!"

Han Chengyun's eyes moved and he said, "I know!"

In the courtyard opposite to where Han Chengyun and the others were,
In a clean and tidy room,

On the bed, which had already been furnished with my own things.

Madam Chai held Chai Zhengzheng's hand and said, "Zhengzheng, the maid downstairs just told me that there will be no one else in the hall where the spirit tablet is enshrined later."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

Seeing the sadness in her daughter's eyes, Madam Chai said, "Why don't you sleep with Tingyi tonight? You'll feel better if you have a little sister to chat with you!"

Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

"Okay, then I'll send someone to tell her to ask Tingyi to bring Miss Qingzhi from her sister-in-law's side over."

After saying that, Mrs. Chai patted Chai Zhengzheng's hand and stood up.

later,
Chai Zhengzheng was about to leave the yard with a maid carrying three baskets of paper money.

Looking at Gu Tingyi who was walking into the yard, he was surprised and said, "Sister Tingyi, why are you here so early!"

Gu Tingyi looked annoyed and said, "Mother and sister-in-law are always talking about marriage and I don't want to listen!"

Then he looked at the maid of the Chai family who was struggling to carry the paper money, and said to Qing Zhi behind him: "Qing Zhi, you and the two sisters-in-law of the Zhu family, give a hand!"

"Yes, girl!"

(End of this chapter)