Marrying a treacherous official

Yunji rode his horse out of Anqing Gate, and on the way to Lijia Village in Cao County, he saw a scene too painful to bear to look at—starving corpses littered the fields.

The city gates clearly separated life and death.

Within the towering walls, carriages and horses thronged, a variety of performances took place, and firecrackers crackled with festive cheer. But beyond the walls lay a thousand miles of frozen wasteland, where countless refugees starved to death along the way, their bodies left to rot in the snow without even a straw mat to wrap them.

The three rode on horseback against the wind and snow, each lost in their own sorrow, and remained silent the entire way.

Yunji reined in his horse at the foot of Maoshan Mountain, gazing at the smoke rising from the mountainside, and hesitantly asked:

Is there a temple on this mountain?

"Yes, Madam, there is a nunnery here, where Abbess Xuanzhen practices her spiritual cultivation."

"Let's go up and take a look."

The three men rode halfway when they were blocked by a long line of people.

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves behind them, the begging refugees quickly moved aside, clearing half of the mountain path.

Yunji rode his horse steadily forward.

She walked extremely slowly on the mountain path leading to Yanzhen Temple.

Pairs of pitiful, pleading eyes, staggering, hunched figures, and mournful, agonizing cries echoed repeatedly in the procession before me.

She saw the same sorrow in different refugees; such profound suffering was a nightmare she could not shake off.

The group dismounted in front of the nunnery and climbed the steps to the courtyard in front of the hall.

Two large pots were set up in the nunnery, bubbling with boiling water. Two young nuns were serving porridge to the refugees. The porridge, made of wild vegetables, was half water and half rice.

"Yanzhen Temple is closed to visitors. If you wish to offer incense and worship Buddha, please go to another temple."

Master Xuanzhen came out from the inner hall and respectfully saw the guest off.

Yunji clasped her hands together, greeted the nun, and said, "The northward journey is fraught with snow and wind, making it difficult to travel by horse. I am passing by Yanzhen Nunnery and would like to take shelter from the snow and wind in your esteemed hall. Please kindly take me in."

Master Xuanzhen saw that the woman was covered by a cloak and her fox fur scarf covered most of her face, with only her bright eyes showing. Judging from her demeanor, she knew that she was a noble lady who had come out for a stroll.

"If you don't mind, please go and stay in this inner hall for a while."

"Thank you for taking me in, Master Xie."

Yunji followed Master Xuanzhen into the inner hall. Across the long corridor, she could clearly hear the groans coming from inside. When she reached the hall entrance and saw the wailing of the disaster victims, she froze and could no longer go any further.

"The nun was kind; she not only gave these refugees shelter but also saved their lives."

"The Buddha's teachings are boundless, and they universally save all sentient beings."

Master Xuanzhen twirled the prayer beads in her hand, uttered the words "May Buddha have mercy," and then said with deep remorse:

"To know the cause of one's past life, look at what one suffers in this life. The Buddha cannot save people from the karma of three lifetimes. Whether they live or die depends entirely on their own fate."

Yunji felt as if he were lost in a fog, vaguely understanding the profound meaning of this Zen saying.

She looked at the displaced people lying on the ground, barely alive, and pondered deeply:

"How many bushels of grain does the nun need to distribute porridge every day?"

"Each person receives three he of rice per meal, with two meals provided daily, mixed with wheat flour and wild vegetables. Fifteen shi of rice is enough to feed more than four thousand people."

"How much does it cost for firewood and charcoal?"

"It takes hundreds of pounds of firewood to heat the kang (heated brick bed), cook porridge, and boil water, as well as about ten pounds of charcoal to heat every corner of the inner hall."

"What about the losses from medicinal herbs, bedding, etc."

Two taels of silver is more than enough.

From her meticulous questioning, Master Xuanzhen discerned her good intentions in wanting to help, so she answered whatever she was asked.

Yunji was invited to the meditation room to rest.

After noon, she left a jade hairpin on the pine wood table by the window and quietly left Yanzhen Nunnery.

The three rode their horses at full speed for half an hour and finally arrived at Lijia Village in Cao County.

Huo Xi closely guarded Yunji on both sides.

He didn't understand what his wife was thinking along the way, nor did he understand why she insisted on going to this desolate place, nor did he know what the meaning of her journey was.

"Madam, it's getting late, we should head back."

Yunji stared blankly at the nearly deserted village, and after hearing Huo Xi's words, she became even more silent.

Those deserted huts resembled lonely graves; no one would care, and they were buried in the heavy snow, concealing all traces of their existence.

But she cared, and she had seen everything on the way here.

"Turn back."

The three men rode back, and on the official road ten miles from the city gate, they saw thick smoke rising straight into the sky. They all reined in their horses at the same time.

Huo Xi spurred his horse forward and said, "Madam, I will go and scout out what the situation is over there."

Yunji stared intently at the flag fluttering in the wind. Although she couldn't make out what was written on it, she recognized the python pattern on the flag.

"No need, those are the Xuanjia Army."

Upon hearing that it was the Xuanjia Army, Huo Xi immediately became alert. He held his sword in his hand and rode ahead of his wife.

"I implore Young Master Gu to ride on Madam's right side and protect her safety."

"I know a major general of the Xuanjia Army; this matter is unnecessary."

"Men and women must be kept separate. It is not appropriate for Madam to appear in public. Please follow my instructions, Young Master Gu."

Gu Jinyu kicked the horse's belly helplessly, then slowly rode forward to ride alongside him, placing Yun Ji between the two.

Pei Yun is leading his soldiers to burn the corpses on the official road.

He heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from the end of the long road, and through the flying dust, he saw the man in the middle galloping toward the city gate.

A red and black lotus-patterned cloak covered his body, a hood pulled over his head, and a fox fur scarf covered most of his face. He could only catch a glimpse of those cold and captivating phoenix eyes before he could look away.

Moreover, the person accompanying him was Gu Jinyu, which undoubtedly confirmed that person's identity.

Pei Yun waved his hand, and his soldiers lined up and blocked the middle of the official road.

Huo Xi was so angry that his eyes widened to slits. He spurred his horse forward and stood in front of the lady, angrily questioning her:

"Why is General Pei blocking my way?"

"Civilize the body."

Pei Yun saw Yun Ji turn her body to the side, deliberately avoiding his gaze. The more she did this, the more he wanted to keep his eyes fixed on her.

"The number of refugees who have died of cold and starvation on the official road ranges from a dozen to several dozen. The city's garrison has been ordered to burn the corpses to prevent the spread of disease. Please wait a moment."

"This humble general will ride forward on horseback."

Huo Xi did not want to linger on the official road lest he expose his wife's whereabouts, "I request that General Pei withdraw his soldiers and make way immediately!"

Pei Yun insisted on not giving in, saying, "Deputy General Huo is on the march and naturally doesn't care about this foul stench and filth, but—"

He paused, and the three riders tightened their grip on the reins. Then he said slowly and deliberately:

"Young Master Gu is a refined and gentle scholar; how could he possibly trudge forward through the smoke and mist?"