The Rebirth Of An Ill-Fated Consort

Chapter 123 - The Grand Preceptor’s Help

Chapter 123 : The Grand Preceptor’s Help

The palace’s Jing Yi Hall had been built at the end of the southern garden, in a secluded location where the environment was quiet and the air was fresh. It was a little paradise in the palace; when the previous Emperor had been alive, he had once thought of constructing a courtyard here, but had dropped the idea for fear of ruining the palace’s fengshui. Now, this little piece of paradise was once again in use, but it had been renovated to become a Buddhist temple. From this, it was clear that the master of the Buddhist temple had a high standing in the palace.

Yang gugu brought Jiang Ruan to Jing Yi Hall and exchanged a few words with the little novice monk at the Buddhist temple while Jiang Ruan entered. The main hall of the Buddhist temple held a golden Buddha statue; this was the first time in the history of the palace that there had been a Buddhist temple within the premises. An elderly monk wearing a red robe was sitting quietly, with a string of sarira[1] in his hands and his eyes shut in silent meditation. Green smoke rose in spirals in the hall, and there was something otherworldly about it all.

Sarira: Buddhist Human Pearls – Atlas Obscura

[1] ??? (she li zi) – ‘Sarira’ generally refers to Buddhist relics, particularly, the pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects supposedly found among the cremated remains of Buddhist masters.

The little novice walked up to the elderly monk and said a few words to him. The monk opened his eyes and gave a slight start the second he recognised the person standing before him. A trace of panic crossed his otherwise benign and pleasant expression.

The little novice listened to what his master had to say, then walked over to Jiang Ruan and said, “Benefactor[2], Master invites you to the inner room to hear the scriptures.”

[2] ?? (shi zhu) – benefactor (term used by a monk to address a layperson).

Jiang Ruan put her palms together and uttered a blessing for the little novice. Upon seeing this, Yang gugu smiled faintly at her. Thereafter, Jiang Ruan followed the little novice.

The inner room had a small Aoki[3] wood table, upon which was a qian tong[4], and several books of scriptures.

[3] ?? (qing mu) – Aoki (aucuba japonica), a plant belonging to the genus Aophyllum in the genus Sericinaciceae. Found in Japan, North Korea and Zhejiang, China.

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[4] ?? (qian tong) – a long cylindrical bamboo tube holding (usually) 100 flat sticks, painted red at one end and inscribed with a single numeral. They are used for fortune-telling, with each of the 100 numbers corresponding to a written oracle outcome. Read more about this practice, usually performed in Buddhist or Taoist temples, here.

The elderly monk walked into the room and sat beside the table, while Jiang Ruan sat in front of it. From outside came the sound of the novice monks chanting sutras, and while the renovation of the hall had retained the quaintly antique appeal of the structure, the atmosphere was quite spiritual.

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and said, “The years have really flown by since the last time we saw each other. Congratulations to the Great Master on achieving what you desired.”

Hui Jue’s breath hitched as he raised his head to look at the person before him. A young lady in flaming red clothes, even more magnificent in some way that he could not describe, than she had been three years prior. But there was a coldness in her eyes, and under her gentle smile, there seemed to be a hint of mockery.

He brought his palms together, bent his head and humbly intoned, “Amitabha.”

“Is the Great Master worshipping Buddha, or me?” Jiang Ruan casually reached out a hand to grasp the qian tong on the table and give it a light shake. The bamboo sticks inside the container clattered together, emitting a distressing sound. Each clack was like a heavy knock to Hui Jue’s heart.

The Grand Preceptor, who for the past three years had appeared like a saint with no desires and no emotions, once again found his forehead beaded with sweat. He looked at Jiang Ruan and said, very slowly, “Benefactor is the one chosen by the Buddha and this monk obeys the will of the Buddha.”

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. “Great Master is surely an eminent monk.”

Hui Jue remained silent. Three years ago, a messenger had handed him a letter which he said was from Jiang Ruan. The letter detailed with great clarity all the events, both major and minor, which would take place. Being a cautious person, Hui Jue had initially not believed any of this. Then, to his amazement, with each day that passed, he found that the events detailed in the letter were actually occurring. Thereafter, Hui Jue believed all the events which had been recorded in the letter.

Although he was hiding among the people, the renown of this eminent monk eventually reached the palace, and he was invited to enter by the Emperor. Relying on that thin piece of paper together with his glib tongue, throughout this three year period, everyone in the Great Jin became aware of a saint called Hui Jue, whose prophecies never failed. Thus, step by step, Hui Jue finally achieved the position of Grand Preceptor.

Hui Jue raised his head to look at Jiang Ruan. Three years ago, Jiang Ruan had told him that she wanted to give him unlimited glory and status, to make him someone with an elevated position, respected and loved by many. Thinking about it now, this had come true in an unexpected fashion. Hui Jue viewed Jiang Ruan with a certain dread, for how was it possible that an ordinary person could actually prophesize? However, Jiang Ruan was indeed such a mysterious person. Hui Jue knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch on this earth; Jiang Ruan would not have helped him for no purpose, and a day of reckoning would inevitably arrive when he would have to repay her. Now, Jiang Ruan had returned, and it was time for her to claim what was due.

Jiang Ruan smiled and said, indifferently, “Now that Great Master has reached the coveted position of Grand Preceptor, it must be that the little young master’s health has also taken a turn for the better.”

Hui Jue was surprised. His son was the light of his life. Currently, they called each other Master and Disciple, and the Emperor trusted him unreservedly. Thus, it was highly convenient for him to access the imperial doctor as well as the many precious and rare medicinal ingredients in the palace. Consequently, his son’s condition had gradually improved, and his body was not as weak as it had been before. The hand holding the prayer beads trembled as he said, “What is benefactor’s request?”

“Great Master, I don’t believe in Buddha, so there’s no need to quote the scriptures to me.” Jiang Ruan’s voice was light, but Hui Jue felt the weight of her words. With this pressure, she indicated that she wanted him to state his position clearly. Gritting his teeth, Hui Jue said, “This humble person is willing to do his utmost to serve Junzhu.”

Jiang Ruan loosened her grip on the qian tong in her hand, and it fell on the table. She reached out a hand to shake loose all the bamboo sticks from the qian tong, delicately picked out one stick and placed it in front of Hui Jue, saying, “What lot did I draw?”

Hui Jue was momentarily taken aback. Looking at her, he said, “Junzhu has cast the lots, seeking answers to . . . ?”

“This lot is not for me,” Jiang Ruan said dispassionately. “It’s for the home, as well as for the affairs of the nation.”

If the family affairs were also the nation’s affairs, then it had to be the Emperor’s family affairs, and wouldn’t that also mean that it had to do with the inner palace? Hui Jue looked up doubtfully, but only heard the soft voice continuing, “This junzhu sees a sinister aura lingering around the palace’s eastern side, and is fearful that some harm will come to the Emperor. Would Great Master kindly perform a ritual to seek out the jiaolong[5].”

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[5] ?? (jiao long) – this refers to a legendary aquatic creature (? jiao) with the ability to control water. It is not an actual dragon (? long), but can evolve into a dragon with years of training.

Jiaolong was not a real dragon, but it only needed to leap over the dragon gate in order to transform into one. The implication was that of desiring to usurp power. Hui Jue’s eyebrows twitched; was the intention to slander someone as plotting rebellion? What did this have to do with the inner palace?

“Si Meng Palace is on the eastern side,” said Jiang Ruan, “and the jiaolong is naturally a beautiful creature.”

Once Jiang Ruan’s words fell, Hui Jue was rooted to the spot. The interference of the so-called inner palace in politics was one of the worst fears under the heavens. Jiang Ruan’s words emphatically indicated that she wanted to tar that person in the inner palace with the reputation of being a disease that weakens and corrupts the hierarchy; established relationships; and the moral fibre[6] of the kingdom. Then this meant that the person courting disaster was currently residing in Si Meng Palace, and was none other than the currently most favoured consort in the palace, Imperial Consort Chen. Even the Empress had qualms about her. Although Hui Jue lived an austere life in the palace, he was not completely clueless about the current political situation. He had heard rumours that the Emperor was not fond of the current Crown Prince and intended to make a change, with the most favoured candidates being Imperial Consort Chen’s Eighth Prince, Xuan Li, and Imperial Consort De’s Fifth Prince, Xuan Hua. At the moment, the odds of Eighth Prince, Xuan Li, were in his favor.

[6] ?? (gang chang) – refers to the Three Guidelines and the Five Constants which govern the feudal hierarchical system. The three guidelines for relationships are: the Emperor over the minister, the father over the son, and the husband over the wife. The five constants or values are: benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, wisdom, and faith.

If he offended Imperial Consort Chen, wouldn’t it be highly possible that he would be offending the future heir apparent’s birth mother? That would surely cause him a lot of trouble. Great Master Hui Jue knit his brows together tightly and remained silent.

“In recent years, has Great Master begun to experience that you are not as capable as you would wish?” Jiang Ruan said, indifferently, “Even if one were to pry into the mysteries of heaven, it is still beyond one’s capability to know the future. Under duress, Great Master could take the initiative to retire and give way to someone more capable, could give up your position with submissive courtesy, could let some other person, more capable, from the younger generation take over. On any given day, the Buddhist sect has thousands of disciples, and Great Master may not necessarily be the only one who can carry out Buddha’s will.” In a calm and unruffled manner, Jiang Ruan looked at him as she said, “But it would be such a pity for the little young master . . . Once he leaves the palace, who knows if he will continue to be in such good health.”

Each of Jiang Ruan’s words stabbed straight into Hui Jue’s mind. Indeed, during these past three years, the Emperor had trusted Hui Jue so much that he sought his opinion on a multitude of affairs. Moreover, Jiang Ruan had given him the consequences that would occur and the best methods for resolving issues, all nicely written in that letter, as if she had personally experienced all of them. He had managed the situations in such a thorough and satisfactory manner that the Emperor was even more pleased with him, and his position as Grand Preceptor was secure.

However, three years had passed, and the situations written about in the letter did not go past this time. There was nothing written about future happenings. Although Hui Jue was himself an incredible con-artist, what did he know about the inner eye which enabled him to pry open heaven’s mysteries? Even after three years, the Emperor continued to consult him, but he had not been able to say anything. It was only because Hui Jue had been in the jianghu for so many years and was capable of unsurpassing deceit, coupled with every word that he had uttered up to this point coming true, that he had been able to deceive the Emperor with excuse after excuse. But if things continued on in this vein, it would certainly begin to arouse suspicion. And even if it didn’t, he would no longer be useful, and the Emperor would no longer value him.

If he were to leave the imperial palace, then his son would lose access to the palace’s precious medicinal ingredients, and he had no idea what their future would be like. Moreover, in his prestigious position as Grand Preceptor, he had offended some people within the palace, and may unwittingly have inconvenienced others. At present, the Emperor’s trust was his guarantee of safety. Once he lost that, then there was no saying what kind of unexpected mishap might befall him.

The threat in Jiang Ruan’s words attacked all of Hui Jue’s weak spots. Since Jiang Ruan had been able to propel him to the position of Grand Preceptor, she would naturally be able to catapult someone else into the same position. With her methods and uncanny prophecies, it would be a piece of cake.

Hui Jue slowly lowered his head and eked out, “I beg Junzhu. . . to be magnanimous.”

“I know what Great Master is worried about,” Jiang Ruan said as she suddenly leaned closer to him. In an extremely low voice, she said, “That position will definitely not belong to Eighth Prince.”

Hui Jue raised his head abruptly and stared at Jiang Ruan. Gaping at her in disbelief, he asked, “This . . . is also a prophecy?”

“Yes,” Jiang Ruan responded emotionlessly.

In actual fact, in her previous life, it had indeed been Xuan Li who had wrested all the power in the Great Jin dynasty. However, in this life, she would never let such a situation occur. Didn’t Imperial Consort Chen want to maintain her harmless posture in the palace? In front of the Emperor, she appeared to have no interest in placing her son on the throne, but now, she(JR) was not afraid to rip off her beautiful, gracious mask prematurely. What would happen when that mother-and-son pair, so used to putting on a show, gained a name for causing calamity for the kingdom?

No matter how much the Emperor doted on a woman, he would absolutely not let it affect his hold on his power. Otherwise, towards the end of her previous life, the Emperor would never have started to doubt Xuan Li, which in turn made Xuan Li take action preemptively.

Great Master Hui Jue once again looked at Jiang Ruan. His eyes were no longer as uncertain as before, as if he had come to an important decision. He asked, softly, “What is Junzhu thinking of doing?”

“Great Master’s methods are superior, and he always heeds the will of the Buddha. In three days’ time, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau[7] will hold a ritual. At that time, Buddha’s will must be revealed: within the imperial palace, a beautiful jiaolong is lurking, and you, Great Master, must ensure that there is only one true dragon in this world.”

[7] ??? (Qin Tian Jian) – the imperial office whose function was to observe celestial phenomena, calculate solar terms, formulate calendars and so on. The ancient Chinese believed that the change of celestial phenomena was related to the rise and fall of the emperors of the world

Her voice was low and strangely beguiling. Hui Jue shivered and respectfully said, “Yes.”

* * *

After leaving the small Buddhist temple, Jiang Ruan planned to return to Ci Ning Palace, but did not expect that she would have an unexpected encounter en route. Someone, wearing a green robe and a jade belt, saw her from a distance and stopped short, then immediately walked towards her with long strides.

Ever vigilant, Tian Zhu moved swiftly so she was standing in front of Jian Ruan. However, that person understood the requirements of etiquette, and stopped a few paces away from Jiang Ruan without advancing any further.

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly as she looked at him and said, “Grand Tutor Liu.”

Liu Min stared at Jiang Ruan fixedly with no idea what he wanted to do. A few days ago, when he had met Jiang Ruan he had been unable to converse properly with her due to Xiao Shao’s interruption, and afterwards he had constantly been thinking about their meeting. Surprised that his confidant was actually a woman, he had stared at that calligraphy hanging in his study for quite a few days. He had many things he wanted to ask her, so, when he saw her walking past just now, his feet had carried him to her unwittingly. He had no clue what he was going to do, and was unable to say even a single word.

Lu Zhu blinked. This Grand Tutor was truly a scholar; he was staring with the blank expression that only a scholar possessed.

After a moment, Liu Min said, “Junzhu.” Then, as if realising that uttering this mere phrase was too paltry, he suddenly came up with, “You . . . are you all right?”

The matter involving Jiang Li had already become a joke throughout the Great Jin dynasty. Even though Jiang Li was the principal character, it would still, more or less, affect her sisters in the Jiang family. Although Liu Min knew that the relationships and affairs within the Jiang fu were complicated, he did not dwell so much on this and was solely concerned that Jiang Ruan’s reputation would be dragged down as a result. After all, she was a Jiang family daughter, and would therefore probably suffer a blow to her prestige.

Jiang Ruan returned the courtesy, saying, “Many thanks for Grand Tutor’s concern. I am living very comfortably.”

Liu Min was nonplussed, and carefully took measure of Jiang Ruan. He saw, sure enough, that she was beautiful, her facial expression was gentle and full of smiles, and she was still as bright as before. Indeed, there was no trace of haggardness. His thoughts and emotions were somewhat complex – how could it be that, even after such a situation, she could look so at ease like before? Since it was evident that she was fine, he relaxed somewhat.

Liu Min also did not understand why he was entertaining such strange thoughts. He only knew that, from the time this woman had sent him the letter, he had regarded her as a close friend. Friends should help one another, so any concern he had for her was normal. However, there was something he wanted to ask about. He hesitated for a heartbeat, then came out with it. “Junzhu and Xiao Wangye . . . what is your relationship?”

Tian Zhu frowned slightly, thinking that this Grand Tutor was utterly loathsome; she would have to tell Master about him later. Jiang Ruan smiled and said, “Grand Tutor Liu is concerned about too many things.”

“You . . .” Liu Min flushed. The way Jiang Ruan had spoken left no room for error, causing him, with his strong pride, to feel rather vexed, as well as temporarily at a loss for words. Taking in Jiang Ruan’s smiling expression, he could not find it in himself to voice any criticism, so he could only shake out his sleeves with a huff and bite out, “He is not a good person.”

In a trice, even Lu Zhu was frowning. To her, Xiao Shao was the perfect guye; what rubbish was this person spouting?

Jiang Ruan understood Liu Min’s meaning. Xiao Shao refused to entertain every single government official in the dynasty, regardless of faction, and all factions were fixed in their belief that Xiao Shao was ‘The Rebel’. When the old Jininyg Wang rebelled, it was only by the boundless grace of the Emperor that Xiao Shao, as the remaining family member, was allowed to live. Who could have imagined that his power and influence would grow exponentially and yet the Emperor was not concerned about this, to the extent that he was able to become a force to be reckoned with within the capital. Liu Min was a straightforward government official and his way of thinking was highly old-fashioned. Thus, there was no doubt that he considered Xiao Shao to be a scoundrel. Jiang Ruan knew that this was the sole reason for Liu Min’s statement, nothing else, although it was indeed something that people would find unpleasant to hear. She smiled faintly, and her voice was tinged with a hint of iciness as she replied, “So what?”

Anger appeared on Liu Min’s pale face as he said, “He will implicate you!” In Liu Min’s eyes, although Jiang Ruan was a mystery, she also had a penetrating insight. At the time when they were exchanging letters, he could see that Jiang Ruan was nothing at all like those short-sighted old ministers. How could such a just and upright person consort with a scoundrel!

“What business is this of yours?” After she had said this, Jiang Ruan’s smiling demeanour vanished completely as she eyed Liu Min dispassionately. Although she had hardly said anything, her anger was palpable.

Liu Min was staggered.

‘So what’ and ‘what business is this of yours’ bluntly indicated Jiang Ruan’s attitude; she was resolute in standing with Xiao Shao. Liu Min immediately felt twitchy and irritable, and his eyes were full of disappointment as he looked at Jiang Ruan.

Jiang Ruan returned his gaze and said, “Grand Tutor, you are responsible for the Crown Prince’s assignments; when do you have time to concern yourself with trifling matters? I have my opinions on my affairs, and there’s no need to trouble Grand Tutor daren to be concerned about me. If Grand Tutor has the mind to, you can concern yourself with other things. The palace is full of disgusting, filthy affairs, and since Grand Tutor is unable to turn a blind eye to what is objectionable[8], you have a lot of hard work ahead of you.

[8] ??????? (yan li rong bu de sha zi) – lit. can’t bear having grit in one’s eye.

The mockery faintly discernible in these words finally galvanised Liu Min into movement. Feeling that his kindness had been a wasted effort, and before he had time to figure out where his disappointment and irritability had sprung from, he uttered, “Obstinately going the wrong way,” and stormed off.

Jiang Ruan stood quietly where she was, watching Liu Min’s retreating back. Lu Zhu glanced at Jiang Ruan with a degree of discomfort before saying, “Miss . . . isn’t it a bad idea to treat Grand Tutor Liu in this way?”

Lu Zhu knew that Jiang Ruan had helped Liu Min to become the zhuangyuan in the imperial examination. Although she had no idea how Jiang Ruan had managed this, she and several other of Jiang Ruan’s personal maidservants all understood that Jiang Ruan had done this solely to elevate Liu Min’s position, so that he would become a helping hand someday in the future. However, she did not know how the proud and arrogant Liu Min would react to Jiang Ruan’s words just now. If the relationship should stall, would they lose their helping hand, and might this person become a major obstacle instead?

“It doesn’t matter. Grand Tutor Liu is a good man,” Jiang Ruan said lightly. A good person always tended to be soft-hearted. If something really did happen, because of their friendship at that time, Liu Min would not look on without lifting a finger. But . . . she looked down. What was that just now? She ought not pay heed to such pointless disputes due to misunderstandings caused by wagging tongues. However, when Xiao Shao was mentioned, she could not stop herself from getting angry. She knit her brows together, feeling slightly uneasy. Of late, that person had been appearing more often in her everyday life, to the point where it seemed as if she could see his shadow wherever she turned. Such a dominant personality forcing his way into the heavy darkness of her life, as if a trace of intangible, unpredictable light had made its way into purgatory, giving rise to fanciful thoughts which one ought not harbour.

With her great hatred as yet unavenged, one more cause for worry was equivalent to one more weakness. Moreover, the current her really did not have the heart to think about other matters. Xiao Shao was not someone without ambition, who was content with the status quo. At present, his brilliance was reined in, but the day would come when the opportunity would present itself and he would soar to great heights, such that everyone and everything on earth would pale in comparison. She was rotten to the core, so how could she dare to engage in delusional fantasies?

None of them noticed a tall figure attired in magnificently brocaded clothes behind a bright red pillar nearby. As a result of having overheard the conversation, a glimmer of interest had surfaced in his eyes.

Xiao Shao, Liu Min. This Hong’an Junzhu was even more complicated than he had initially thought. There was no need to talk about her relationship with Xiao Shao; he had felt there was something a little off about the two of them much earlier on. But how had the situation with Liu Min come about? Was it possible that this aloof and arrogant new appointee to the court was involved with Hong’an Junzhu in some way?

Xuan Li smiled faintly; things had really become interesting. Jiang Ruan was his prey, so how could he let someone else carry her off? However, the time to act had not yet come, so there was still time to ferret out inside information. As for the method . . . a cold gleam flashed across Xuan Li’s eyes. This time was not like before. Now he had thousands of ways to put her in his pocket.