History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 177 The Death of Monk Zhi

Liu Teng: "I heard from the magistrate of Luoyang that you suspect Wu Shibo was murdered in Hengzhou. But Wu Shibo lived in Chang'an, Yongzhou, which is adjacent to Sizhou. Since he moved his whole family to Luoyang, why would he go north to the distant Hengzhou?"

Sengzhi: "It should be recorded in the confession that my elder brother heard that the Poetry Academy in the old capital was thriving and wanted to send my niece Hu Wuwu to Pingcheng to study poetry for a year or two, just to broaden her horizons and then return to Luoyang. My elder brother has always been cautious and would send me a letter every month to ensure my safe journey. After arriving in Hengzhou, the letters stopped."

Liu Teng: "Although there are many schools in Pingcheng, only a few are good."

Monk Zhi lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Liu Teng: "You've lived in Pingcheng for a long time, so you must know which schools are good, and you must also know which wealthy families are devoted to Buddhism and what they desire, right?"

Monk Zhi said: "Whether in Luoyang or Pingcheng, I only focused on worshipping Buddha. I made friends with noble people only during Dharma talks. When I occasionally entered the private residences of noble people, I only discussed Buddhist scriptures and debated profound doctrines."

Liu Teng: "How many times have you been to Grand Tutor Feng Xi's inner residence?"

Sengzhi's mind raced; she knew that this sentence was the eunuch's true purpose for coming today! Feng Xi had been dead for four years; what could have happened to him? The eunuch had mentioned the inner quarters, which meant it was related to Feng Xi's family.

When she was in Pingcheng, she did want to curry favor with the family of Grand Tutor Feng Xi. Therefore, she took the initiative to make friends through esoteric practices and befriended all the nuns who had been to the inner quarters of the Feng family mansion. Later, she got her wish and followed those nuns into the Feng family mansion. However, so much time had passed that she could not remember how many times she had been there.

As a nun, she had her own sources of information. Later, when well-known nuns in Pingcheng reduced their visits to the Feng residence, she became cautious and inquired from various sources. She learned that Feng Xi's concubine, Chang, believed in witchcraft more than Buddhism.

Oh no, witchcraft!
Sengzhi knew that Lady Chang was Empress Feng's birth mother. Recalling what Yuan Chuntuo had revealed some time ago that the Empress would no longer summon noblewomen to the palace, Sengzhi roughly understood.

She replied to Liu Teng: "From the first time I entered the Feng residence to preach, more than ten years have passed. After Grand Tutor Feng passed away, I only went twice more. Because Grand Tutor's wife, Chang, did not have a sincere faith in Buddhism, I stopped going to the Feng residence."

Liu Teng asked in an even slower tone, "The Chang family's faith in Buddhism is not sincere... Why do you say that?"

"You bet right!" Monk Zhi answered truthfully: "Mr. Chang is always impatient and can't recite a single scripture fluently. In addition, I heard that she has hired a witch, so I never went to the Feng residence again."

"So, you went into the Buddhist hall where the Empress practiced the precepts during her time at home recuperating?"

"Yes." Sengzhi knew that there was no point in arguing about it; the authorities would find out as long as they investigated. It was better to admit it openly.

"Ugh."

Liu Teng's sigh terrified Sengzhi. In an instant, chaotic images of various witchcraft curses flashed through her mind. It's over, it's over!

It must be those two vile women, the Changs, who used witchcraft and were exposed. Moreover, they may very well have been plotting to murder the emperor!

Sengzhi hoped that Liu Teng could save her. Over the years, she had not only given this vile eunuch concubines and adopted children, but also many precious objects and treasures.

Liu Teng: "Sigh, since you admit it, there's no need to ask any further. But rest assured, one thing at a time, I will report Wu Shibo's disappearance to His Majesty."

Monk Zhi trembled all over, his hatred outweighing his fear!
She fell for the dog eunuch's trick!

The eunuch kept trying to trick her into revealing information. She shouldn't have said that she had been to Feng Xi's house. She should have stuck to her guns and refused to admit it, waiting for another benefactor to come and save her!

Dog Liu Teng's last sentence was a threat to make her shut up. If she believed him, he might be able to help her brother's family seek justice when the opportunity arose. If she didn't believe him, her brother's family wouldn't have even the slightest hope of revenge.

As expected, Liu Teng gave up his position, and the two eunuchs who were actually in charge of the interrogation stepped forward. The one on the left was surnamed Su and named Xingshou, and the one on the right was surnamed Ju and named Mainu.

Su Xingshou was one of the few eunuchs who knew about the Empress's misconduct. His strange, high-pitched voice instantly filled the earthen cell with a deathly aura: "The nun Sengzhi, impersonating a ghost or deity, bewitched noble ladies, colluded with folk witches, secretly communicated within and outside the palace, harmed the Holy Body, and murdered a relative of the emperor... Awooo, awooo—"

The wailing and howling from the prison cell sounded increasingly unlike those coming from the nun. Without hesitation, Jia Zhen, the magistrate of Luoyang, rushed over to investigate and was horrified. Had he arrived any later, this female prisoner named Sengzhi would have killed the three eunuchs. "Guards! Quickly, guards!"

When the jailer in charge of this floor ran over, Jia Zhen's hair was also grabbed by Sengzhi, and his eyes were pulled twice as big as usual.

"What are you still standing there for!"

Oh... No one ever told him that the nun not only chanted scriptures, but also practiced martial arts.

Two fists are no match for a group attack. Monk Zhi was strangled to death, and the three eunuchs Liu Teng, Su Xingshou, and Ju Mainu returned to the palace in a sorry state to report back.

Luoyang City has four city gates on the west side. About four miles outside the Xiyang Gate lies Luoyang's most bustling market. Everyone who has been here praises it, saying that there is nothing in the world that this market cannot sell.

Lu Baozhen strolled through the trading area on the east side of the city. She didn't care much for clothes or makeup, but rather for collecting horse tack. There were many vendors selling whips in the trading area, with a dazzling array of whips made of gold, silver, bronze, bamboo, wood, and leather.

"Lu Baozhen, the Miss Lu?"

Lu Baozhen was taken aback, looking at the young woman who greeted her, then exclaimed with delight, "Wei Zhen! You've come to Luoyang too!"

Wei Zhen nodded happily three times: "I've only been here a few days, and I didn't expect to run into you like this."

“It’s quiet over there. Let’s go talk over there.” Lu Baozhen wasn’t very familiar with Wei Zhen when they were in Pingcheng, but when they met in Luoyang, they felt a sense of closeness at the same time.

They walked hand in hand to the nearby Fishing Pond Pavilion to reminisce. Lu Baozhen glanced at the servants behind Wei Zhen and whispered, "When I first came to Luoyang, I also brought so many people with me. You'll understand once you've lived here longer. This place is different from Pingcheng. The bigger the market, the less likely anyone is to cause trouble."

Wei Zhen felt awkward. Her aunt had indeed sent these servants to protect her, keeping an eye on her to prevent her from acting rashly and running away from Luoyang. "Baozhen, have you continued your studies since you came to Luoyang?"

“No, well, not exactly no.” Lu Baozhen pouted and explained, “There are quite a few people in my family who have read the Book of Poetry, so I can learn poetry anytime I want, but…” She whispered in her ear, “Although I’m not very good at it, I just know that they didn’t teach it well.”

"Haha." Wei Zhen laughed, this was the first genuine laugh she had had since leaving Pingcheng. "Baozhen, can I ask you out sometime?"

Lu Baozhen was very loyal and patted his chest, saying, "Clap clap, I'll be there whenever you call!"

Wei Zhen quickly grabbed her new friend's hand: "Um... doesn't it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt, there's no injury, why would it hurt?"

Wei Zhen pursed her lips and tentatively poked the other person twice: "Ah! How come it's so..." flat and firm.

Just then, a figure rushed out from a tree-lined bank of the fishing pond and jumped directly into the cold water. Fortunately, there were many kind-hearted people who jumped into the deep water and pulled the person out.

Then, the woman's terrified cries could be heard from the shore; she was clearly a family member of the person who had attempted suicide.

Amidst the chaos, Lu Baozhen and Wei Zhen left to continue their shopping trip.

Lu Baozhen noticed the worry in Wei Zhen's eyes and advised, "Actually, Luoyang is quite nice. It's bustling and lively, and every small market is more lively than the most bustling place in Pingcheng. As long as you're willing to go out, you can see many interesting things every day. After all, a person can't live in one place all their life, otherwise they'd be worse off than a bird."

Wei Zhen tilted her head, pondered for a moment, and said, "Heh, that makes sense."

(End of this chapter)