Jinyi Spring

Chapter 89 Born on the 15th of July
The man said, "Xiang Cen said that since the lord left at night, and Wen Qian was confirmed dead at 9 pm tonight, Wen Qian has remained unconscious and no one has come near him."

"Just moments before he died, Ming Shanyue forced Shangguan Ruyu, who was watching the execution in the prison, to come forward and try to save him. Shangguan Ruyu tried several acupuncture needles but to no avail, and Wen Qian died at that moment. During this time, Xiang Cen stayed by his side."

Xue Jicheng breathed a sigh of relief; Wen Qian had finally shut up.

He said to the man, "Go down and keep a close watch on the Wen family."

The man clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Yes."

Step back.

Xue Jicheng snorted, "Shangguan Ruyu is a useless pretty face. He's always causing trouble, and he often instigates the Empress Dowager to make things difficult for the Consort. He can't tell the difference between inside and outside the family."

"Now he wants to be some kind of good doctor, and he goes to the imperial prison and the Ministry of Justice to torment prisoners all the time. Many officials have impeached Shangguan Ruyu, but the emperor just turns a blind eye."

Master Xue lightly tapped the table with his knuckles and slowly said, "Perhaps we underestimated Shangguan Ruyu. How could Shangguan Yunqi's son be an ordinary person? He can see the big picture from small details. Maybe he can really make a name for himself in the medical field."

He then changed the subject, "Tell Xinyang to spend more time with Shangguan Ruyu when he has nothing to do, and to keep him away from Ming Shanyue. Also, His Majesty's decision to transfer Ming Shanyue to the Northern Garrison to keep you in check is clearly due to his dissatisfaction with the Imperial Concubine and our Xue family."

"You need to be more restrained in your actions. Tomorrow, have the women of the household go to the palace to remind the Imperial Concubine to be more careful, so as not to implicate the Second Prince and displease the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."

Xue Jicheng replied in a deep voice, "Yes." He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you really not going to let Fourth Sister be the Second Prince's woman? Not to mention the principal wife, Fourth Sister is a concubine's daughter, so asking for a secondary wife would be fine too."

First, they plotted from the side, then they plotted for the main position. Even someone like the Imperial Concubine, without an Empress above her, was the highest-ranking person.

Master Xue glanced at Xue Jicheng, his face grim. "Our Xue family has had two generations of women who have become the emperor's women. To have such thoughts again is to court death."

Xue Jicheng remained silent.

When the second prince inherits the throne, he can still insert women from the Xue family into the palace.

He leaned closer to Master Xue, "Brother, we've begged for so long, but the Empress Dowager still won't issue an imperial decree to marry Yan'er and Shangguan Ruyu. If all else fails, shall we try to force them together?"

"No reckless actions allowed!" Master Xue's face darkened. "By harming Shangguan Ruyu, we've completely alienated Yanghe and Shangguan Yunqi. We must proceed cautiously..."

-

Feng Chuchen had nightmares all night.

In her dream, Ming Shanyue's mouth was full of blood, his face was contorted, and he was chasing after her with a red-hot branding iron.

In the deep darkness of the night, she ran and ran, barefoot, her white dress and long hair fluttering in the wind, panting heavily but daring not to stop. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally remembered: she was a ghost too, so why should she be afraid of him?

Thinking this, blood suddenly flowed from her mouth, and a cleaver appeared in her hand. She whirled around and swung it down at Ming Shanyue's head...

"Girl, it's past 5 a.m. (Mao Shi)."

The sound suddenly rang out.

Feng Chuchen opened her eyes, and everything in front of her was pitch black.

Banxia's voice came again, "Miss, it's time to get up."

Feng Chuchen then realized that it had all been a dream.

Ah, that's wonderful.

He was also a little annoyed. Why didn't he wait until she cut down the knife before calling her?
She was exhausted, her whole body ached and she felt weak. She closed her eyes and turned over.

"I haven't had enough sleep yet, I'll sleep a little longer."

Feng Buji knocked on the door again and asked, "Sister, aren't you practicing Tai Chi anymore?"

Feng Chuchen didn't even open her eyes. "No, you guys practice hard."

Feng Chuchen slept until noon before getting up, and when he did, he was listless, with scenes from the imperial prison and Ming Shanyue from his dreams constantly appearing in his mind.

Upon seeing the pork belly noodles on the table, I gagged a few times.

He said to Peony, "Take him away and go to the clinic to get me a bowl of millet porridge and a bowl of pickled vegetables."

She didn't finish the porridge, but she ate the whole bowl of kimchi.

Peonies look so salty. "Girl, how can you eat pickled vegetables like this?"

After dinner, Feng Chuchen went back to her bedroom to continue sleeping.

Seeing how exhausted she was, Feng Buji and the maids dared not disturb her any further.

Aunt Wang's eyes showed even greater worry.

She knew that what the girl was going through this time was probably even more terrifying and troublesome than the last time.

It's good that the girl is capable, but it's not good that she keeps encountering these kinds of troubles.

Especially since the girl's background is unknown...

The next day, Feng Chuchen slept until late morning before getting up.

Not wanting to do anything or read, she lazily sat by the window, gazing at the sparse flowers and plants in the yard.

Only the potted Oncidium orchid given to me by Shangguan Ruyu under the corridor was in full bloom.

The flowers are small, with a dozen or twenty small flowers strung together, swaying lightly, with a unique and elegant style.

A breeze wafted by, carrying a delicate fragrance...

However, the scenes she had been trying to suppress resurfaced uncontrollably in her mind: first the dying Lord Xiao and Wen Qian, then Ming Shanyue and the jailers torturing the prisoners.

Lord Xiao has come back to life in her hands. Go out and take Wen Qian away. Wen Qian has only lived for half a minute in her hands; who knows what kind of bloodshed he will unleash next.

Feng Chuchen felt like a rootless duckweed, unwilling to get involved in the inexplicable struggle, yet she was helplessly swept up in the storm.

And then there's Ming Shanyue, so menacing he's like a demon; whoever marries him is doomed. I hope he never meets his destined one and remains a bachelor for life…

Feng Chuchen shook her head, trying to banish these distracting thoughts and focus solely on appreciating the beautiful flowers before her.

But soon, those cruel scenes and strange thoughts resurfaced like ghosts, lingering and impossible to shake off.

She knew there were no therapists here, and if she wanted to get out of the shadows as soon as possible, she had to adjust herself.

She sat on the bed and meditated, silently reciting the Heart Sutra over and over again...

When Feng Buji came home from school, he saw that his sister was still in low spirits, so he snuggled into her arms and said, "Is my sister sick? If you can't cure yourself, go see Doctor Fang."

Seeing his worried look, Feng Chuchen forced a smile and said, "I'm not sick, I'm just tired from the acupuncture. I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

"Sister, take a rest. Let Aunt Wu cook you some good ginseng to nourish your body." Feng Chuchen was reluctant to use that ginseng. "Regular ginseng is fine. Save that one for a life-saving situation."

That evening, Feng Chuchen had just finished washing up and gotten into bed when there was a knock at the door.

Aunt Wang's voice, "Girl, I have something to tell you."

Feng Chuchen put on her coat and opened the door in the dark.

In the moonlight, Aunt Wang's face was pale and unusually serious.

She carried a small package in her hand. After entering the house, she turned around and closed the door, then closed the window, lit the oil lamp, and pulled Feng Chuchen to sit down at the table.

The girl was often forced to do things that ordinary people shouldn't do. After thinking about it for a long time, she felt that she should tell the girl about it in advance.

Feng Chuchen asked, puzzled, "What is it?"

Aunt Wang didn't answer, but instead tucked a lock of Feng Chuchen's long hair behind her ear.

"In the blink of an eye, the girl is fifteen years old. Time really flies."

She smiled, but her eyes were full of tenderness.

Feng Chuchen stared blankly at Aunt Wang, not understanding what she meant.

"Auntie."

Aunt Wang added, "When my elder sister was alive, she never dreamed that her daughter would be able to cure so many diseases at such a young age, and even perform ulcer surgery. If my elder sister could see this from heaven, she would be very happy."

Feng Chuchen felt a little guilty. "Most of the skills were taught by my aunt, and a few I learned by myself from books and notes."

Aunt Wang shook her head. "I've lived in this family for over ten years, and there are many things that can't be hidden from me. The eldest sister is very capable, but the young lady's abilities and talents are even greater and higher, surpassing even the eldest sister's."

"And there's something else I didn't expect: our daughter has grown up so quickly, she's become so mature and composed, not like a teenager at all, and she's leading this family to better and better times. It's just that she's growing up too fast, so fast that it makes me anxious."

She tightened her grip on Feng Chuchen's hand even more.

Feng Chuchen's hands were sore from being squeezed so tightly. "Auntie."

Aunt Wang didn't let go, and lowered her voice even further, "There's something I'm afraid you won't be able to handle, so I wanted to tell you after you turned twenty, to let you know how dangerous the world is and that you have to be careful at all times. But I think it's time to tell you now."

We'll talk about it after I turn twenty!
Feng Chuchen was even more puzzled. "What is it?"

Aunt Wang opened the small package on the table and took out a piece of grayish-blue silk. The silk was very old and had dirty bloodstains on it.

He then said, "Go and get that gold-inlaid jade necklace."

Although Feng Chuchen was confused, she still got up and went to the bedroom to take out the necklace.

Aunt Wang held the jade beads in one hand and the silk ribbon in the other, examining them intently for a good while. Finally, she looked up at Feng Chuchen with a complicated expression.

Her voice was as soft as the wind brushing past your ear, "Girl, you weren't born on the sixth day of the eighth month; your birthday is the fifteenth of the seventh month. And you weren't found by my elder sister and me behind the village; you were buried alive in the reeds in the middle of the night, and we dug you out there."

Feng Chuchen's almond-shaped eyes widened. She wasn't surprised that this body had been buried alive, but rather that the original owner of the body was born on the fifteenth of July.

In a flash, she finally understood why she, the original owner of the body, and her aunt all had a connection with the Yin Divine Needle. It turned out that it was because they were all born on the fifteenth of July!
She was born at midnight on the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month in her previous life, as was the original owner of the body. If nothing unexpected happens, the eldest aunt should also have been born at this extremely yin hour.

Those destined to be together must be born on this day and at this hour.

When ghosts appear, it's called "yin" (陰)...

Seeing Feng Chuchen's shocked expression, Aunt Wang assumed she couldn't accept the fact that she had been buried alive by her family.

He pulled her into his arms and said tenderly, "Don't be sad, girl. You've survived a great calamity and are destined for good fortune. You've been through a disaster to have this good life. If you were still in your old home, you might have been killed by someone."

"Auntie."

Aunt Wang released her grip on Feng Chuchen, her gaze drifting into the distance, as if she were back on that eerie night.

She murmured softly, her voice carrying a distant echo.

"That was the 15th day of the seventh month in the fifth year of Jianzhang, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), when the sky was at its darkest and heaviest. My eldest sister and I went to the Green Reed Marsh to bury the newborn baby. Strangely enough, it was still late summer when the old red plum tree bloomed."

"We heard crying coming from Hongmei's place. At first, we thought it was a wild cat howling, but when we went over, we found that the crying was coming from underground..."

Aunt Wang's voice trembled, "Right under that red plum tree, a small new mound of earth has been added. The sand on top is very thin, and you can still see the wooden box buried underneath."

"We brushed aside the sand and opened the wooden box, and there was a tiny baby inside! Good heavens, the little one's face was blue and purple from being squeezed, and he probably weighed less than four pounds. He was obviously a premature baby."

"In such cold weather, buried in the ground, eyes closed, little mouth trembling as she cried, she was still alive. We quickly put the dead baby we brought into the wooden box and buried her, then took the baby home."

"We washed the baby clean. Although she was pitifully thin, she was extremely beautiful, like a little fairy in a painting."

As she recalled that scene, the solemnity on Aunt Wang's face gradually faded, replaced by a gentle smile, and her eyes were filled with affection and relief.

She paused, then continued, "The eldest sister carefully examined the baby from head to toe and found a tiny needle mark on your Baihui acupoint on the top of your head. She said that it was this needle that saved you, allowing you to hold your breath and appear dead, without actually harming your life."

“We were shocked and scared at the time, and we didn’t dare to tell anyone that we had found you. We secretly raised you at home. It wasn’t until the sixth day of the eighth lunar month that we spread the word that we had found an infant behind the village and registered it under the names of Brother Feng and his wife.”

"Judging from the silk that wrapped you, your original family must have been moderately wealthy. But judging from this bead, your original family must have been very wealthy. At that time, the city gates had just opened; enough to bury you in the reed marshes..."
"It can't be a family in the capital. Your family should be in the suburbs of the capital. A few years ago, my older sister and I secretly inquired about wealthy families in the suburbs of the capital, as well as the villas of rich families in the suburbs, but we couldn't find out which family had a child born or lost a child on the fifteenth of July."

"We figured the most likely explanation was that your family members were from out of town and left after you gave birth. Another possibility was that your family members kept the true date of your birth a secret. In those years, we were extremely careful, afraid that someone who might harm the girl would come knocking on our door."

"It wasn't until you turned ten that no one disturbed that little grave, and only then did your older sister feel completely at ease. The people who harmed you truly believed you were dead and safe."

"Your eldest sister started teaching you Yin Shen acupuncture and took you in and out of the delivery room. She thought you'd only ever be asked to give acupuncture to infants or treat illnesses. Little did she know that this young girl would be so accomplished."
"Not only did I open a clinic and make connections with influential people, but I also had the ability to revive the dying in the Flying Eagle Guard's prison... I was thinking I should tell you this secret in advance. If there are any people or things that could be detrimental to you, you'll be prepared..."

After speaking, Aunt Wang looked away and turned to Feng Chuchen.

Feng Chuchen felt both heartbroken and surprised.

The original owner's family wasn't unable to afford to raise her, yet they buried her in the reed marshes in the middle of the night. There must be some evil person in the family who couldn't even tolerate a small infant.

The fact that someone secretly administered acupuncture to save her further suggests that the original owner's identity might hold some great secret.

She asked, "My aunt said I have a needle mark on my Baihui acupoint on the top of my head?"

Aunt Wang said, "Yes, I saw the needle mark too. My elder sister said that the Li people in the southern border region have a secret technique. When the clan elders are choosing a successor to the holy maiden, they will insert a needle into the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head of a newborn girl, make her hold her breath, and then put her into a specially made poisonous herb."

"If the baby girl wakes up safely within two hours, she will be the chosen one and the next Holy Maiden. However, the depth of the incision is extremely difficult to control; a shallow incision will have no effect, while a deep one will kill her. Your elder sister stayed home to take care of you for several days without changing her clothes, and it was only then that you came back to life."

"I don't know who gave you the acupuncture and buried you in the reeds. Perhaps he was also gambling on your luck, because only if Doctor Feng found you could you survive."

Thinking back on the hardships of those days, Aunt Wang still had lingering fear in her eyes.