Di Ming

Chapter 282 "Old Friend from the North Sea, Do You Still Remember This Poor Daoist?"

When Zhu Yingang mentioned Zhu Renchen, he suddenly thought of the word "pregnancy." Although they are not completely homophones, their pronunciations and shapes are about half the same.

“The name Ren Chen is not good enough,” Zhu Yin said immediately. “Let’s change it to another one.”

He held the nearly eleven-pound baby and paced back and forth, saying, "Your godfather hopes that when you grow up, you will be a pillar of the country and defend the Ming Dynasty. Your name will be Zhu Weiming."

Ning Qingchen laughed and said, "This name is much better than that Zhu Renchen."

Zhu Yin tapped the baby's nose, "Weiming, grow up quickly. I hope to see the future, when father and son fight side by side!"

He suddenly felt a bit absurd that he already had godchildren before he was even married.

Zhu Yin was very pleased to have gained an adopted son and immediately ordered that Galo be rewarded with two hundred taels of silver, thirty bolts of brocade, two sets of headdresses, and two additional servants.

Zhu Weiming was truly a lucky child. Although he wasn't Zhu Yin's son, he was born as Zhu Yin's adopted son, so he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

……

Three days later, on the eighth day of the ninth lunar month, Jin Yunniang went to Qin Liangyu's mansion in Dongjiang Rice Lane to present a letter of invitation on behalf of Zhu Yin, officially setting the wedding date for the twelfth.

Eight days earlier, Hao Yunlai had already acted as matchmaker at Qin Liangyu's mansion.

When the news spread, many people thought that Zhu Yin was magnanimous, broad-minded, and deeply understood the way of forgiveness.

At this point, all the formalities of the marriage—the matchmaker's words, the three letters and six rites—were complete. The entire city of Beijing knew that Mr. Zhihu and Guanyin Tong Ning Dajiao were about to be happily married.

In an instant, countless noble ladies in the capital cursed Ning Caiwei viciously, hoping she would die in childbirth. Some even secretly used witchcraft to curse her to an early demise.

On this day, Zhu Yin held a baby shower for Zhu Weiming at his residence, presenting him with a gold longevity lock. Seven or eight hundred people in the residence drank the celebratory wine together, creating a joyful atmosphere.

In the mansion, they boiled water with mugwort leaves and locust tree branches, and Zhu Yin personally bathed the baby, saying as he did so, "Wash your hair, and you'll become a king. Wash your face, and you'll become the top scholar."

After washing the baby, she personally hung a longevity lock made of gold around the baby's neck.

Afterwards, Zhu Yin ordered that each person in his household be rewarded with 500 coins and a bolt of cotton cloth.

Jin Yunniang had just disembarked from the welcoming letter and returned from Dongjiang Rice Lane when she saw a handsome, refined young man of about fourteen or fifteen years old standing hesitantly in front of the mansion gate.

"It's you again!" Jin Yunniang said irritably, stuffing the handkerchief into her bodice. "What excuse did you come up with this time? Who are you to my master?"

This kid's surname is Wu. Last time, he claimed to be an old friend of the lord, and said that the lord had received his gifts but had not received a formal letter of introduction. I didn't believe him at the time.

When asked, the lord confirmed that he did not know the young man surnamed Wu and had not received any gifts from him.

The young man surnamed Wu blushed immediately and said timidly, "Sister, Mr. Zhihu really has seen me before, and he did indeed receive a gift from me..."

"Don't try to get close to me, who's your sister?" Jin Yunniang sneered. "There's always a risk in using the term 'sister'!"

"Hmph, you pretty boy are the best at lying. I've seen plenty of those. I was fooled by two fish when I was seven. I'm the least trusting of pretty boys."

The young man surnamed Wu was speechless. "You won't let me call you 'sister,' yet you call yourself 'sister'? Are you kidding me?"
And what do I care if you were tricked out of two fish when you were seven? Why are you bringing this up?
But in order to enter the mansion, he dared not offend Jin Yunniang, the head steward, so he could only smile awkwardly and say, "Madam Jin, I really have met Mr. Zhihu. He will definitely recognize me as soon as he sees me."

Jin Yunniang pointed to the alley entrance, "See those people? They all claim to be my master's relatives and friends. Different people come to impersonate him every day, and their reasons are all similar. If I let you in casually, I, the head steward, would lose my job, and my master would never have peace and quiet."

"Hurry up and leave! Otherwise I'll have the servants kick you out."

The handsome young man surnamed Wu looked extremely disappointed. He opened his mouth and could only sigh, saying, "Please ask Madam Jin to tell Mr. Zhihu that my name is Wu You."

"Alright then." Jin Yunniang waved her hand. "I'll mention it when I see the lord."

The young man, who called himself Wu You, said, "I live in the outer city, in Yinanfang, south of Caishi Street and west of Bailisi Street, in Tangfang Hutong..."

Jin Yunniang couldn't help but give him a deep look. Every day, there are people pretending to be relatives or old friends who come to her door to ask for favors and curry favor, but very few people actually give their address.

She has been in Beijing for three or four years, so of course she knows where Yinanfang is. It is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Beijing.

“Alright. I’ll remember.” Jin Yunniang’s tone softened a bit. “My lord has been very busy these past few days. Today is the baby’s third-day celebration, tomorrow is the Double Ninth Festival, and in a few days there’s the wedding ceremony. Please don’t bother him anymore.”

Wu You bowed slightly, then left with a dejected expression.

When Jin Yunniang entered the mansion and met Zhu Yin, she first reported what had happened at the mansion, and then mentioned Wu You at the end.

"He's here again?" Zhu Yin's heart skipped a beat. "He said his name is Wu You?"

The name Wu You sounded familiar to him; he was sure he had seen it somewhere before.

Zhu Yin quickly remembered.

On the day he returned to Beijing to present the captives, among the crowds lining the streets to welcome him, a beautiful girl of fourteen or fifteen years old tossed him a sachet.

The sachet has the words "Wu You" embroidered on it, doesn't it?

To be honest, his ancestors had kept their surnames hidden for many generations, using the surname Wu. The surname Zhu was only secretly recorded in the family genealogy; to the outside world, they were all known as the Wu family.

The practice of restoring the surname Zhu to the public began with his father. Before his father, the public was accustomed to using the surname Wu.

Therefore, the surname Wu has a very deep connection with him.

"Does this boy look like a girl?" Zhu Yin asked.

Jin Yunniang was taken aback. "He is very attractive and does look like a woman. When I first saw him, I thought he was a woman dressed as a man, but his voice doesn't sound like a woman's. Besides, women dressed as men are only seen in plays and are rarely seen in real life."

Zhu Yin thought for a moment, "On the day I returned to the capital, many women threw me sachets, but they were all unskilled and rarely managed to land them in my arms. However, there was one sachet that was extremely accurate and actually landed in my sleeve."

"The sachet is embroidered with the words 'Wu You.' The owner of the sachet is a girl of fourteen or fifteen years old. Could it be her? As for the voice, there are ways to change it. For example, opera singers can change their voices."

"If the person who came is indeed her, then it can be considered that we have met and received a gift from her. Hehe."

Zhu Yin couldn't help but laugh. "That works too?"

Jin Yunniang frowned slightly. "My lord, it must be her. It's rare for a man to be so delicate and charming. But why would she dress as a man like in the plays? If she had come directly in women's clothing, she might have met you last time."

Zhu Yin said, "She must have her reasons. She needs to cover her tracks or is hiding from someone. Have Kangxi send someone to secretly go to Tangfang Hutong in Yinanfang of the outer city to keep an eye on her, find out her background and who she associates with."

"Yes." Jin Yunniang accepted the order and left.

Zhu Yin thought for a moment, and finally found the sachet embroidered with the words "Wu You" in the corner, but found nothing wrong with it.

The herbs in the sachet were all cheap wild grasses, and their fragrance had already dried out.

The words on the sachet were beautifully embroidered.

This indicates that Wu You's family was poor, so she lived in Yinanfang, a neighborhood where poor people gathered. However, she was not only literate but also had good calligraphy skills, which clearly shows that she was not an ordinary woman from a poor family.

In recent years, many people have tried every means to meet him, most of whom are people who want to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy.

Is Wu You also this kind of person?

Not quite.

She probably really wanted to ambush him on his way to court, but unfortunately he had taken a wedding leave and hadn't been to work at the government office, so she couldn't catch him. That's why she took the initiative to come to his door twice to ask for an audience.

Zhu Yin was a former special agent, and his professional habits made him not to overlook such suspicious little things.

Just as Zhu Yin was pondering, Ning Qingchen walked over, saw the sachet on Zhu Yin's desk, and couldn't help but pick it up to take a look.

Immediately, the newly-born Physician Ning revealed a mysterious and enigmatic smile on her small face.

"Wu You, Wu You, what a nice name. It reminds me of Princess Wuyou."

"But little tiger, how did you get this sachet? Was it given to you by this woman named Wu You? You treasured this sachet like a precious gem; it must be something special, right?"

"I only know that you have Zhuang Shu, Tang Rong, oh... and that Cen Xiubing. But who is this Wu You? Heh."

She was only six years old, a cute little thing, and her voice still sounded childish, but the things she said had a accusatory tone.

Zhu Yin looked at Ning Qingchen with amusement, "Immortal Doctor Ning, you weren't this gossipy before! It's just a sachet, how did you start making such a guilty deduction?"

Ning Qingchen sat down beside him. "Normally nothing's wrong, but now... my sister's not here, so of course I have to keep an eye on you for her. My sister said that although Little Tiger is reliable, he's still a tempting target, with too many other little devils eyeing him, so we mustn't be careless..."

"How boring." Zhu Yin was speechless. "This sachet was indeed a gift from someone else. This person even came to see me twice, but Yunniang turned them away both times..."

After hearing Zhu Yin's words, Ning Qingchen couldn't help but sneer:

"So you think she's definitely up to something? Little Tiger, haven't you ever considered that she might be just being mysterious to arouse your curiosity, sympathy, and attention? Heh, a woman will use a lot of tricks to get closer to a man."

"You can send someone to investigate her; she might already be waiting for you to investigate. As long as you keep an eye on her, isn't her plan already half successful?"

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Immortal Physician Ning, stop worrying. I've thought about everything you've considered, and even things you haven't thought of. You should worry about the medical school's admissions."

"I've already ordered Huya to handle the publicity for your claim of being the reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha. Once word gets around, recruiting students will be a piece of cake. You might even have a shrine built for him in less than a year."

"A shrine to the living? Really?" Ning Qingchen nodded her little head. "Alright, then I won't ask about Wu You. Little Tiger, remember, the prettier a woman is, the more likely she is to lie. Of course, my sister and I are exceptions."

Zhu Yin: "..."

Ning Qingchen was very proud. She leaned her little head in and bumped it with Zhu Yin's. "Little Tiger, tomorrow is the Double Ninth Festival. Do you still remember what you promised me?"

Zhu Yin clenched his fist. "I haven't forgotten for a moment! It was just to take you up to a high place for a panoramic view, wasn't it?"

Ning Qingchen smiled, revealing a gap in her mouth where she had a baby tooth, "Tomorrow we can finally see the red leaves of the Western Hills, yay!"

……

The next day was the Double Ninth Festival.

Early in the morning, Yunniang distributed dogwood sachets embroidered with the Five Poisons pattern to Zhu Yin, Ning Qingchen, and the others, saying:

"Cornelian wards off evil spirits, and when climbing to a high place, one must wear it on the left side of the lapel, lest one offend the mountain god." As soon as the morning sun rose and the autumn frost had not yet melted, the Zhu family's oxcart left the mansion, its bells jingling as it headed west.

The road to Xishan was rugged and bumpy; the horse-drawn carriage was too jolting, while the oxcart was much more gentle and stable.

In the luxurious carriage driven by the two young men of the Zhu family, sat Zhu Yin, Ning Qingchen, and Xiao Hei.

Falcon and Flying Tiger were standing on the roof of the vehicle.

There were more than a dozen riders in front and behind, with guards such as Lancha and Hongying. They were all dressed in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, and carrying bows and swords at their waists.

Besides the dogwood branches, the carriage also contained chrysanthemum wine wrapped in yellow paper and freshly steamed Double Ninth cakes in a bamboo basket, the rising steam condensing into white frost in the morning mist.

Ning Qingchen wore a brand-new high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a red jacket over it, and a dogwood pouch embroidered with the Five Poisons pattern hung from her waist. The chains on her body jingled melodiously with the tug-of-war of the oxcart.

She held a piece of Chongyang cake in her hand, took a bite, and laughed a few times.

Zhu Yin wore a flowing Taoist robe, a Taoist crown on his head, and straw sandals on his feet. He looked at the frost in the shadows of the street, but his expression remained completely devoid of frostiness.

Today, the autumn light is shimmering and the weather is bright and clear. In addition, it is the Double Ninth Festival, and many nobles in the capital are going out of the city to celebrate the festival.

Some went to Nanhai Lake, some to Xishan Mountain, some to the Grand Canal in the east of the city, and some to Yuquan Mountain in the north of the city.

But most people still went to Xishan. When Zhu Yin and his party left Fuchengmen, they saw a large number of carriages and horses, and many people with ceremonial canopies, all going to Xishan to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival.

These wealthy families from the capital who went to the Western Hills mostly traveled in sedan chairs, which were sedan chairs carried by porters.

Few people ride in horse-drawn carriages or oxcarts anymore, and even fewer ride horses.

It's like, you can't walk unless you're carried.

Zhu Yin even saw several familiar military officers riding in sedan chairs to Xishan.

Fortunately, Zhu Yin was low-key, and no one knew that the famous Mr. Zhihu actually did not ride in a sedan chair, but instead rode in an oxcart up the mountain.

In the past, the emperor and empress would have climbed Wansui Mountain (Jingshan) to celebrate the festival. However, Zhu Yin knew that the fat emperor was not allowed to climb the mountain to enjoy the view.

Standing on the stone bridge outside Fuchengmen, one can see that in the vast autumn colors of the early morning, the undulating mountains on the western horizon resemble an old camel that has lost its green mane.

The group traveled west along the ancient bluestone road. When they passed Balizhuang, the road was already crowded with carriages and horses.

The painted curtains of an official's carriage were half-rolled up, revealing chrysanthemums adorning the temples of the women. Peddlers and laborers carried loads of dogwood branches and called out their wares.

Peddlers and peddlers lined both sides of the official road in an endless stream.

Zhu Jia's blue ox trod forward, its hooves clattering on the ground covered with fallen leaves still covered in autumn frost.

All that could be heard was a vendor carrying a load of rice wine by the roadside saying:
"The monks at Tanzhe Temple said the other day that the autumn leaves on West Mountain turned red half a month earlier than usual this year, and the frost came quickly..."

An old woman selling chrysanthemums and osmanthus flowers said:

"So, this winter is even colder than last year? I heard there are an unusually large number of crows in the village this year."

Another man carrying Chongyang cakes said:

"Who knows? The moon will be red on the fifteenth of the first lunar month this year. A red moon on the fifteenth of the first lunar month means a treacherous villain will surely emerge in the court. I've heard that Heaven is giving a warning that a great calamity is coming."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin couldn't help but smile.

As the sun rose over Mount Lushi, the group finally reached the foot of the western mountain.

Looking up, one can see Xianglu Peak shrouded in brilliant clouds, with the eaves of Biyun Temple halfway up the mountain piercing through a maple forest.

"Thump—thump—"

The deep, resonant sound of the morning bell startled a flock of crows, which fluttered up and flew across the mountain stream covered with yellow smoke tree leaves.

A few crow feathers drifted down, immediately sparking a scramble among several tourists.

"These are my feathers!"

"Ball! It's clearly my feather!"

Upon reaching the pavilion halfway up the mountain, several retired elderly men dressed in Taoist robes were sitting around a stone table, sipping tea. The teapot was filled with chrysanthemum petals, mixed with goji berries and dried tangerine peel, the aroma of tea infused with the fragrance of herbs.

They were as leisurely as immortals.

Before the morning mist had dissipated, the mountain path and stone steps were already covered with fiery red maple leaves, which also blanketed the small Liao Dynasty temple with its collapsed eaves.

Several old persimmon trees on the mountainside, their lantern-like fruits hanging among the withered branches, are even more dazzling than the red leaves.

The scenery here is excellent, and many people are taking a break in the vicinity.

A few bystanders were arguing nearby. One of them said, "If we're talking about the best autumn leaves in the Western Hills, then the Japanese maple in Cherry Valley must be it!"

The other person quickly shook his head: "No! In my opinion, the century-old smoke tree behind the Reclining Buddha Temple is the real gem!"

Suddenly, a maidservant from some unknown household pointed at the stone steps and exclaimed in surprise:

"Madam, look! These red leaves growing in the cracks of the rocks look like rouge mixed into a piece of jade. It's a pity that they can't be painted with brushes."

The noblewoman in the sedan chair seemed far less refined than her maid, and spoke impatiently from within:
"Stop your chatter, you little brat! Enough with this nonsense! Go and get some copper coins and buy a few pieces of Chongyang cake! I'm starving!"

Suddenly, a servant of some nobleman said:

"I heard that Mr. Zhihu has also come to Xishan today to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. I wonder which sedan chair Mr. Zhihu is in. I really want to see him in person."

Immediately, someone shouted, "Mr. Zhihu is an extremely important person, how could you possibly see him so easily? If you disturb such an important person, you'll regret it!"

Someone else said, "I heard from Granny Ma that a little immortal has appeared in Mr. Zhihu's household. Good heavens, she's quite something! She's said to be a little fairy doctor who cultivated Taoism in the North Sea more than four hundred years ago..."

"Really? That's really strange!"

"Absolutely true! I've heard about it too. It's said to be the original form of the Medicine Buddha..."

"No! It's not the Medicine Buddha Bodhisattva in her original form, but her reincarnated child. Because she said, 'Forgetting all past lives is called Pure Dust.'"

"Ah, it's truly remarkable! Mr. Zhihu is the reincarnation of the God of Literature, his sister-in-law is the reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha, and his soon-to-be bride, Caiwei, is said to be the reincarnation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Three immortals in one family, this..."

"What's so strange about that? It's perfectly normal for gods to be together! You don't know, do you? I've heard that Mr. Zhihu's black dog is extraordinary too. Someone once saw that dog, it was truly amazing. Other dogs are like mice in front of a cat when they see it."

"You mean Mr. Zhihu's dog is no ordinary dog ​​either?"

"Nonsense! What do you think? That dog is definitely not an ordinary dog; it might be Erlang Shen's dog."

"Nonsense! How could Erlang Shen's dog follow the God of Literature?"

"Who knows? Perhaps it was lent to Wenquxingjun by Erlang Shen?"

"You can lend this out?!"

"not sure."

Inside the oxcart, Ning Qingchen couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing these words.

Zhu Yin also felt a little embarrassed.

Just as the two were feeling smug, they suddenly heard a voice that sounded like that of a powerful figure, shouting:
"You fools and mediocre people, what nonsense are you spouting! What kind of family of immortals is this? It's utter rubbish! Even if Zhu Yin's family were all immortals descended to earth, so what? They are still subjects of the royal family, subjects of the emperor! They still have to honestly fulfill their duties as subjects! They are also made of flesh and blood!"

The voice sounded very familiar, and Zhu Yin immediately recognized it as Zheng Guowang's voice.

Everyone suddenly fell silent.

Another member of the Zheng family, a hanger-on, said, "I heard there's a shrine dedicated to Zhu Zhihu somewhere in the Western Hills. It's outrageous! I never imagined there would be such fools outside Beijing! They're unworthy to be under the Emperor's nose!"

Another sycophant chuckled, "What do you mean the Zhu family's dogs are extraordinary? That's laughable! They're exaggerating to the heavens! If they also exaggerate their roosters, then they'll have a 'chicken and dog ascend to heaven' myth! Haha, you say his dog is extraordinary? Does that mean the dog meat is more delicious after it's been beaten to death and eaten?"

Zheng Guowang rebuked him, "Alright, you two, stop talking. Zhu Zhihu isn't someone you can fabricate stories about. Don't even think about that dog! Humph."

Inside the oxcart, Zhu Yin's smile faded. Ning Qingchen also let out a cold snort.

Even the little black dog coiled at his feet seemed to understand, immediately perking up its ears with an unfriendly look.

The group continued onward, and by the time they reached the summit of Guijianchou, it was nearly noon. Many people alighted from their sedan chairs, poured chrysanthemum wine, spread out cushions, and took out prayer mats, preparing to enjoy a few cups while appreciating the mountain scenery.

Zhu Yin also got off the oxcart, and with Ning Qingchen in tow, they sat discreetly with their backs to the main road under an ancient tree, preparing to drink and eat cakes.

Suddenly, a Taoist priest with a cane appeared under an old pine tree on the cliff, tying a branch of dogwood to a prayer flag. When the flag was billowed by the mountain wind, it was reflected in the red leaves and pine needles, like a living "Autumn Mountain Traveler" painting.

Upon seeing Zhu Yin, the Taoist priest smiled smugly and made a hand seal:

"With Mr. Zhihu's arrival, the Western Hills will surely gain three more points of autumn beauty."

"Oh?" Zhu Yin smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Daoist Master greets me?"

"This humble Taoist has never met Master Zhihu." The Taoist smiled, revealing a copy of the "Nanhua Jing" (a classic text on Buddhism) from his sleeve.

“This humble Taoist priest has been here every year on this day, for this Western Hill is but a single Bodhi leaf. But Mr. Zhihu is a Bodhi tree. One Bodhi tree is better than a mountain full of red leaves. Hearing that a distinguished guest is coming, I wait quietly here in this pine tree.”

Zhu Yin smiled slightly upon hearing this, but did not point it out.

The Taoist priest suddenly looked at Ning Qingchen and bowed respectfully, "This humble Taoist priest, Zhenming, greets fellow Taoist."

Then, with a profound and enigmatic smile, he said, "My old friend from the North Sea, do you still remember this humble Taoist?"

P.S.: What's the deal with this Taoist priest?

(End of this chapter)