I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 227 Peony Fairy, Traveling Far Away

Going back five dynasties, there were female emperors who ruled.

To consolidate her power and deter dissidents, this empress once commanded all flowers to bloom out of season during the winter.

During this period, there was a man named Cui Xuanwei who was skilled in the art of forcing flowers to bloom. Forced by the emperor's authority, he had no choice but to accept the imperial order.

Cui Xuanwei lived in Luodong. He was fond of Taoism, alchemy, and Poria cocos for thirty years. He was also skilled in growing and caring for flowers.

Out of fear of the Empress, Cui Xuanwei, along with the officials in charge of planting flowers in the Imperial Garden and renowned gardeners from the common people, spared no expense to urge the flowers to bloom overnight. As expected, the flowers bloomed out of season in the twelfth lunar month.

At that time, all flowers bloomed in fear of the imperial order, but the peony alone defied the imperial decree and refused to bow down and comply, no matter what the flower officials and gardeners did.

Not long after, the Empress visited the Imperial Garden and saw that the peony had no flowers. She thought that the flower was the transformed form of a traitor, so she uprooted it and banished it to Mangshan for punishment.

However, after peonies arrived at Mangshan, they flourished even more, and from then on, peonies became known as the flower of pride and integrity among scholars and literati.

Today, there is a gardener in Qianxi Prefecture surnamed Cui, named Shiyuan, who happens to be a descendant of Cui Xuanwei, the flower planter of yesteryear.

The art of flower cultivation, from slash-and-burn agriculture to water-based weeding and fertilization, encompasses all of these methods.

After reading Cui Shiyuan's biography, Xu Qing realized that his love for flowers was so profound that he had already entered a state of enlightenment.

As a child, Choi Si-won often indulged in the pleasure of admiring flowers alone. Whenever his elders asked him about it, he would always reply in a childish voice, "These are all my playmates."

By the time he reached adulthood, Choi Si-won had become a well-known flower grower.

One day, he heard that there were rare and exotic flowers in full bloom at Cizhao Temple outside the city, which were extremely beautiful. How could this flower-loving young man miss the best time?

At noon, Cui Shiyuan hurriedly packed his bags and set off for Cizhao Temple.

When he arrived at the temple, he saw that the strange flowers and plants were actually a large peony with all twelve colors.

He had seen peonies, but he had never seen the wonder of twelve colors.

The flowers were like newly cut brocade, some like dew-laden gold plates, and others like jade shrouded in mist.

Cui Shiyuan was amazed by her beauty and lingered among the flowers day and night, unwilling to leave. Even at night, he would sleep among the flowers.

However, this good fortune did not last long.

Two days later, a group of finely dressed, spirited young noblemen, laughing and joking, arrived at the temple in a noisy and boisterous manner.

The reason was that I heard there were flowers in the temple, so I came to see them.

However, their appreciation was not based on genuine feelings but rather on proper etiquette.

A group of frivolous young men and women entered the garden and all praised the beautiful flowers!
When Cui Shiyuan heard the commotion, he was initially quite pleased, thinking that these young masters and ladies were also people who loved flowers.

However, the next moment, he saw the leader reach out to pick the flower.

"stop!"

Cui Shiyuan cherished flowers so much. In his eyes, those flowers had to endure countless days of sun and rain throughout the year to have a short blooming period of just a few days. If they were to be ruthlessly picked at this time, what a terrible sin that would be.

The wealthy young men who came to visit were unruly and eccentric. It would have been better if Cui Shiyuan hadn't spoken up to stop them. But once he did, the group of people started to challenge him and insisted on picking and plucking the flowers!

"Did you plant these flowers? Why are you meddling in my business!"

"Although I didn't plant these flowers, they are still flowers from the temple. Your act of picking them without reason is already impolite!"

"A temple? Let me tell you, when this temple was first built, it was our family that funded its construction, which is why it is what it is today. Now, even if we were to uproot all the flowers, what could you do about it?"

Seeing that he couldn't dissuade him, Cui Shiyuan became bold and reckless, rushing forward to become the protector of the flower.

The group started fighting. Cui Shiyuan was weak and outnumbered, and he was no match for the group of spoiled young men. In no time, he was covered in bruises and had no way to fight back.

The leader laughed loudly, then turned to pick the peonies.

But he never expected that Cui Shiyuan, who cherished flowers as much as his own life, would stumble forward again and shield the peonies with his body, refusing to leave no matter how others pushed or kicked him.

The young master of the wealthy family felt he had lost face, and his anger became increasingly difficult to control. He immediately ordered his attendants to restrain Cui Shiyuan, and then, in front of Cui Shiyuan, he went to pick flowers from the garden to humiliate him.

As Choi Si-won watched the person before him step into the garden, he felt not only humiliation but also deep heartache.

At that time, Choi Si-won wept bitterly, while the flower thief who entered the garden laughed wildly. If nothing unexpected happened, the peony in the garden would surely be doomed.

However, at this critical moment, a woman who had gone to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings, accompanied by a group of attendants and guards, stopped the group of spoiled young men from behaving as they pleased.

This woman was none other than the newly arrived mistress of the Gu family in Huainan.

The Gu family of Huainan was a prestigious clan, and its powerful sons only knew how to bully the weak. But when they saw the matriarch of the Gu family in person, they didn't dare to utter a single word.

After a stern reprimand, the young masters and ladies who had gone out to fool around and do nothing proper were driven away. Afterwards, the matriarch of the Gu family ordered someone to treat Cui Shiyuan's injuries.

Upon hearing of this, the abbot and supervisor of Cizhao Temple came to visit.

The abbot, moved by Cui Shiyuan's selfless act of protecting the flowers, believed that the child had the virtue of cherishing life and thus decided to guide him to become a monk.

Choi Si-won was only focused on flowers, so why would he go to chant sutras or practice Zen?

“Master, I have no intention of becoming a monk, but if you would be so kind as to remember my love for flowers and let me be a gardener to take care of these peonies, I would be very grateful.”

The abbot readily agreed.

Thus, Cui Shiyuan would go to the temple every other day to take care of the peonies, rain or shine.

About two years later, the temple was to be expanded, which required the peony garden to be demolished and a new pagoda to be built. The abbot thought of those peonies and postponed the demolition date, waiting until Cui Shiyuan came before making a decision.

The following day, Choi Si-won arrived as scheduled.

When he heard about the abbot's plan, he couldn't help but frown and say, "Monks have always been kind to life. The pagoda is ultimately just a lifeless structure made of bricks and stones. Why would the abbot destroy this vibrant garden to build a pagoda?"

"Amitabha." The abbot, fiddling with his prayer beads, said, "Saving people and helping them requires Buddhist temples and monasteries. The completion of the pagoda will convert even more believers. As for the fate of these peonies..."

Seeing that the other party still had doubts, the abbot smiled and said, "Don't you think this is a good karmic connection in Buddhism? If it weren't for the Buddha's compassion that guided you to this place to form a karmic connection, how could this old monk bear to destroy these sentient flowers and plants to build the pagoda?"

"What do you mean by that, Abbot?"

"A healer's heart is benevolent and compassionate; just as there are skilled doctors who heal people, there should also be skilled hands who can heal flowers. If you, benefactor, are willing to take in these peonies, it will not only fulfill our temple's wish to expand, but also ensure that these flowers are not harmed."

Huh? Upon hearing this, Choi Si-won swallowed back the words he had prepared to debate with the Zen master for three days and three nights.

That doesn't seem like a bad idea.

And so, Cui Shiyuan carefully tended to all the peonies and moved them all back to his family home.

Decades later, one day, Choi Si-won had a dream in which several women claiming to be from the Flower Kingdom came to visit him.

In the dream, all the women recognized Choi Si-won as their elder brother.

One of the women, with a cool demeanor and a touch of arrogance in her eyes, told Choi Si-won that his lifespan was coming to an end and he needed to make plans as soon as possible. She added that if he had any unfulfilled wishes, she and her sisters would do their best to help him.

At that time, Cui Shiyuan had just taken on the job of arranging the floral decorations along the streets for Miss Gu's wedding, so he said, "I have no other wish than this: years ago, during the peony calamity at Cizhao Temple, I got into a dispute with someone while trying to protect a patch of peonies. Fortunately, I was saved from disaster thanks to the help of Madam Gu."

"Today, as the Grand Madam's granddaughter is getting married, I wish to use my family's secret method to make all flowers bloom, to celebrate the lady's marriage, and to repay the kindness of the past." Upon hearing this, the leading woman was clearly taken aback.

"This matter is not difficult. Brother, you can first collect the flower pots and plants from each household and entrust them to a trustworthy person. Just remember to put them back in their proper places according to the diagram after the auspicious time, and do not mix up the potted plants of the host family."

As the dream was about to end, the guests from the Flower Kingdom began to say goodbye. Cui Shiyuan felt something and wanted to persuade them to stay, but he found that these women were like flowers that had withered out of season. No matter how he called out to them, they could not stay for even a moment longer.

The aloof and proud woman leading the group was the last to leave. Cui Shiyuan was half-asleep, and in his haste, he only managed to utter one question—

"May I ask your name, young lady?"

"My name is Wei, and I live under the west wall of the Liyuan Garden."

Before Cui Shiyuan could ask any more questions, he heard a rooster crowing outside the window. He sat up abruptly, but there was no sign of the woman in front of him!

"Is it a dream, a ghost, or a person?"

Choi Si-won was filled with doubt and uncertainty, his mind completely elsewhere.

He shuffled through his shoes, pushed open the door, and glanced at the sky. It was already dawn.

Unable to sleep, Cui Shiyuan simply followed the bamboo path and wandered along the fence. When he reached the west corner, where a garden was enclosed by a fence, he suddenly stopped.

In the garden, a purple peony had quietly bloomed.

The road, paved with crimson silk, was lined with clusters of flowers.

There are daphne and peony flowers adorned with dew, as well as narcissus and orchid with their icy and jade-like beauty, but the most eye-catching among them has to be the peony, a flower of national beauty and heavenly fragrance.

The peony, which once refused to bloom even when the empress forced all flowers to defy the season, is now blooming in profusion. This is a testament to the saying: "Even the mighty cannot break a person's spirit, and true sincerity brings forth a radiant fragrance."

Outside the embroidered tower.

As the luxurious carriage passed by, it crushed the brocade-like landscape.

In the distance, a noble young man in a golden saddle and red robe rode up on a fine horse.

Xu Qing looked at Shang Shaoyang's flamboyant manner and felt a strange sense of familiarity.

This outfit looks familiar.

The streets were packed with people, and it was really not easy for ordinary people to squeeze to the front to watch the ceremony! It was only because Xu Qing was strong and unreasonable that he was able to push his way through the crowd to the very front.

It was the first time Xuan Yu had been in close contact with so many strangers, and she felt somewhat uneasy, so she kept tugging at Xu Qing's sleeve, not daring to stray even a step away.

When Shang Shaoyang jumped off his tall horse and walked towards the embroidered tower dressed as a groom, many young women and wives felt a pang of jealousy.

Why can't wealthy, handsome, and powerful young men like these come and marry them?
Hearing everyone praising the groom's attire and demeanor, Xuan Yu subconsciously looked over.

When Xuan Yu saw the robes and hat that Shang Shaoyang was wearing, she didn't think they were particularly beautiful.

In its eyes, Shang Shaoyang was no match for Xu Xianjia, who was dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes. They were like roadside foxtail grass and peonies, completely incomparable.

At the foot of the embroidered tower, Shang Shaoyang sneezed loudly.

No one outside knew that Young Master Shang actually suffered from hay fever, meaning he was allergic to pollen.

Miss Gu has loved growing flowers since she was a child, so Shang Shaoyang has never told anyone that he has this problem.

Because of the saying "love me, love my dog," even hay fever seems insignificant in the face of this joyous occasion.

"Ah sneeze——"

As Shang Shaoyang was wiping his nose, he inadvertently saw a familiar figure standing in front of a row of peonies next to the embroidered tower.

"Brother Xu!"

Upstairs, just as the bride was about to interact with the groom during the wedding procession, the groom himself scurried off to the side and started chatting with a young man.

Miss Gu looked down at the unreliable Shang Shaoyang through the beaded curtain and couldn't help but spit.

When they saw the young man and the little girl he was holding, they all turned away in disgust, while Shang Shaoyang stubbornly stuck to her side. Miss Gu chuckled again.

At the foot of the embroidered tower, Xu Qing said irritably:
"You can go about your wedding, why are you coming to find me? Have you forgotten what I used to do?"

Shang Shaoyang said excitedly, "Those are things that only common people care about. On the contrary, Brother Xu has come all this way to attend the ceremony. If I didn't come to see him because of these things, I would be despicable!"

"Bai Fang! Quickly, bring me an invitation!"

"No, take two portions!"

Shang Shaoyang glanced sideways at the girl with a cool and quiet demeanor beside Xu Qing, and blinked, saying, "This is..."

"My younger sister."

"Really? I thought she was Brother Xu's childhood sweetheart, haha!"

"."

This spoiled brat can't say anything decent.

If it weren't for the fact that today was the other person's big day, Xu Qing would definitely have said a few sarcastic things to him.

"This is a Qi-regulating and orifice-clearing pill that can relieve hay fever. Here you go!"

Xu Qing took out a pill from his sleeve, tossed it out casually without even looking at it.

"Brother Xu understands me best!"

Shang Shaoyang is quite bold; if Xu Qing dares to feed him, he actually dares to eat!
After taking the Qingqiao Pill, Shang Shaoyang immediately felt refreshed and his previous discomfort in his nose had completely disappeared.

Xu Qing chuckled softly as she watched Shang Shaoyang return to his post as groom.

Although he said he was going to attend the banquet at the merchant's house, he had not really made up his mind. His original plan was just to take Xuan Yu to see what it was like for a wealthy family to have a wedding.

In the past, when Xuan Yu traveled far away, she did not leave behind any good memories. Now that she finally has another opportunity to travel, Xu Qing must take her along to see the scenery along the way.

Whether or not to attend Shang Shaoyang's wedding banquet is actually not important.

But now that I've received a wedding invitation, it seems like a good idea to go and have a meal there.

The marriage of the eldest son of a merchant family and the most precious daughter of the Gu family is not only a grand event in Qianzhou, but also a cause for celebration. Even the current emperor sitting high in the palace, as well as various noble families, nobles and imperial relatives, have sent congratulatory invitations and gifts.

When Xu Qing arrived at the Shang family mansion, he encountered either nobles or prominent figures in the martial arts world.

He even spotted Xie Yunyan, the young master of the Tai'an Escort Agency.

Besides that, what Xu Qing found most interesting were the brothers who accompanied Miss Gu.

The Gu family has a single-lineage system for generations, but this generation has five sons but only one daughter, who is Miss Gu who married Shang Shaoyang.

Looking at those tough men from military backgrounds, Xu Qing knew just how exciting this young master Shang's life would be from now on.

(End of this chapter)