Proud Feather

Chapter 14 Unraveling the Sign
Zhang Suniang was young after all, and with her preconceived notions, she looked at the monk with a certain aggressiveness: "Master, I wonder if what I said is true?"

The monk named Jinghui still smiled and replied, "What you said is absolutely right, lady donor. I admire you."

"Since you admit it, do you still want to interpret the fortune here?"

Jinghui held the beads in one hand and put the other hand behind her back. She did not feel guilty about being exposed. Instead, she had a proud attitude and said, "Yes."

Zhang Suniang frowned: "You..."

Jinghui's eyes were calm as he continued, "May I ask, lady donor, if I'm not here to interpret the divination, will you all not interpret it?"

Zhang Suniang was silent. There were so many fortune tellers outside the temple. If they couldn't find an answer here, they could go somewhere else. Anyway, it was impossible for the fortune to not be interpreted.

"Whether others solve it or not, my solution is also a solution. If my solution can help you, the donors, solve some of your problems, then why not?"

Zhang Suniang opened her mouth and closed it again, with a look of slight confusion on her face.

Tian Huier immediately said, "Yes, Master, what you said makes sense. We all come here to worship the Bodhisattva, isn't it because we have problems in our hearts that we want to solve?"

The woman was confused by the conversation, but she understood what Tian Huier said and immediately said, "Yes, yes, Master can solve our problems. No matter what the reason is, it is the principle of Bodhisattva."

People tend to follow the crowd, and Jinghui has a good appearance, speaks calmly and has the demeanor of a master, so the believers were soon convinced.

The old woman continued, "My dear lady, I understand that you have good intentions, but we trust Master Jinghui, so please don't bother."

Someone in the crowd couldn't wait any longer: "Master, it's my turn, please tell me the fortune!"

Someone nearby was anxious: "It's obviously me! Why did you take the opportunity to cut in line?"

After a while of noise, the team returned to calm and there were more people.

Seeing Zhang Suniang being left aside, Tian Huier felt relieved and said with a smile, "Sister Zhang, although you know a lot, not everyone needs it. Please make way so we can ask for a fortune."

Tian Huier smiled even more happily, and diligently took out the fortune stick box and handed it to Chu Ling.

By the time Chu Ling finished shaking the lot, the palace maids had almost lined up. Zhang Suniang couldn't help but call out, "Ms. Chu, do you really want to listen to this monk's eloquent speech?"

Although she was stumped by the question, she instinctively felt that something was wrong and still wanted to stop it.

Chu Ling suddenly realized how little she knew about Zhang Suniang. She remembered that in her previous life, Zhang Suniang had tried to stop her, but she had assumed she was just imitating her father's old ways, and had shut her down with just a few words. It turned out that this girl wasn't just trying to prove herself, but was genuinely doing it for her own good.

What happened to Zhang Suniang later? Oh, right, when my second brother succeeded to the throne, he claimed that Zhang Ji, the Chief Censor, had insulted the late emperor and had him dismissed from his post. Zhang Suniang was thrown into the Jiaofang Bureau as a female relative, and it seems she committed suicide.

Chu Ling felt sad. It turned out that these girls in front of him died or dispersed after a few years, and only Tian Huier became successful.

This world is really like this: you get a gold belt for killing people and setting fires, but you leave no corpses when building bridges and roads.

"Chu..."

"Oh, are you annoying?" Feng Lingwei said impatiently. "Isn't it just asking for a fortune? Even if the monk talks nonsense, it's just to make my cousin happy. What are you afraid of?"

This was true. The other young ladies of the Zhang family couldn't help but tug at their sister's sleeves and whispered, "Sister, forget it."

Zhang Suniang was silent for a moment and stepped back: "Then... I won't bother you anymore. Have fun, Miss Chu."

Tian Huier breathed a sigh of relief, and Feng Lingwei smiled proudly.

Chu Ling called her. Zhang Suniang stopped unexpectedly.

Chu Ling said casually, "I have nowhere to go these days, so I can only read storybooks to entertain myself. I heard that you have the most complete collection of books. Can I borrow a few to read?"

The Zhang family had been a scholarly family for generations, with several great scholars among their ancestors, and their collection of books was indeed renowned. However, vernacular novels were merely commonplace reading materials, not suitable for formal occasions. Borrowing them from the Zhang family was somewhat insulting.

The young ladies of the Zhang family were all angry, but they didn't dare to lose their temper.

Zhang Suniang smiled and replied, "How difficult is that? I'll go back and pick up a few good ones and send them to the Duke's Mansion."

Chu Ling nodded in thanks and went to Jinghui to interpret the fortune.

The young ladies of the Zhang family left the Guanyin Hall. One of them, feeling indignant, asked, "Sister, why did you agree? We have a collection of thousands of books, but we're not a bookseller! Princess, what you said is..."

"Don't be rude to the princess," Zhang Suniang scolded her, then explained, "Although the princess has a bit of a temper... she's always been open and honest, and I didn't mean to belittle her. The fact that she's willing to lend me the book means she's not angry with me because of this, so my words today aren't in vain."

She turned her head to look at the Guanyin Hall. Chu Ling was sitting in front of the monk, with Feng Lingwei and Tian Huier standing on her left and right, talking and supporting her.

Zhang Suniang recalled last night, when her father was still reading the files late at night. When she brought him some midnight snacks, he said, "The Crown Prince has passed away, and there is only one beneficiary. The case is clear and straightforward. However, it cannot be explained..."

Chu Ling drew three lots.

When the first lot was revealed, Monk Jinghui raised an eyebrow and saluted her: "The first lot, the best and most auspicious, Miss, you are born to be rich and noble. Congratulations."

Chu Ling frowned and said provocatively, "Master, aren't you talking nonsense? Just look at our clothes and you'll know we're from an official family, so we're naturally wealthy."

Monk Jinghui simply smiled and said, "This is what the fortune says. I will tell you the truth."

Then he turned to the second lot: "A fish swimming in a clear pond has been caught in a net and surrounded on all sides... Bad lot, your fortune is declining, disaster has struck you, and you are in a difficult situation. Right now, you must be experiencing something that is causing you great sadness and grief, and you cannot escape it."

Chu Ling didn't say anything, but Feng Lingwei exclaimed, "That's pretty accurate."

Tian Huier also said: "Master, you have quite a keen eye. You can see that."

Monk Jinghui smiled but said nothing.

When he got to the last stick, he didn't reveal it, but said, "The first stick tells you where you came from. The second stick tells you about your current situation. The third stick tells you what's going on."

This is quite interesting. Chu Ling asked with great interest: "Master, can you answer any question I ask? Just like what someone asked just now."

Jinghui shook his head: "I am not a Bodhisattva, so how can I know everything?"

"Then why ask you?" Chu Ling's expression changed instantly. "Are you going to use the same words you used to fool those fools to fool me?"

She glared, and the power brought by the imperial authority was suppressed. Even Feng Lingwei didn't dare to speak, and Tian Huier was even more cautious.

The monk remained undaunted. He continued to smile with a compassionate, Buddha-like smile, even looking at her with a hint of pity. "Young lady, you were born blessed by the heavens and earth. You possess innate wisdom within you, and the answer lies naturally within. Therefore, I am merely revealing the wisdom; the true answer lies with you, young lady."

He was really eloquent, and she deserved what she had suffered in her previous life.

Chu Ling put away her anger and looked at him calmly: "Okay, then let me ask you, I want to find an enemy, do you know where he is?"

　The fortune stick is from Guanyin, not written by me.

　　(End of this chapter)