Chapter 8 The first confrontation with Tai Shan

The sky was getting dark, with a stretch of red clouds. The tired birds returned to their nests, while Zhen Jing supported He Danggui in returning to Shui Shang Temple. Because they walked on the mountain for a long time, He Danggui’s foot injury was more serious than that in the morning, and she could only move forward relying on the support of Zhen Jing.

Zhen Jing sighed, “Xiaoyi, you are not only capable but also kind. It’s a good fortune for him to meet you there. If he could recuperate from this injury, you would be his savior…”

“Remember not to talk about this when we go back to the temple!” He Danggui seriously reminded her again. She was afraid that those masters of imperial guards who had excellent hearings could hear their words and know what they did. It was extremely easy for those people to kill Zhen Jing and her.

Zhen Jing’s eyes narrowed. She shook her head and replied, “I know! I know! You’ve said it eight times. Why do you call me a chatty girl? You are just the same. We are both chatty girls…”

They struggled up the top of the mountain. When they just went to the gate of the temple, Tai Shan rushed out like a wind.

Tai Shan didn’t look at He Danggui who looked pale and staggered. She just glared at Zhen Jing fiercely, as if she would be still furious even if she ate Zhen Jing. She scolded, “Well, you a shameless stupid. I thought you were sensible. I never expected that I was cheated! How stupid and greedy you are! After only a half day, you should pick a new backer and learn how to cheat your masters!”

Zhen Jing was confused. She didn’t know what she had done wrong and why Master Tai Shan scolded her. Although it was improper to go out with He Danggui privately, all people in the temple, ranging from masters and younger masters to sisters, obviously deceived themselves and held a morbid attitude toward the revival of He Danggui. They thought that as long as they ignored her, not providing food, water and herbal medicines, after a few days, He Danggui would return to the dead just as when she was sent to the temple. She should obediently lie back to her coffin, and wait the mourning and chanting prepared by the temple.

“Since you were determined to be indifferent to He Danggui, why not be always indifferent? She could survive even if you ignored her. Besides, He Danggui is also a guest of the temple, and we have no right to restrict her. I just went out with the guest to relax, why did you scold me furiously?” Thinking of this, instead of kneeling down to admit her mistake as usual, Zhen Jing raised her chin obstinately, glancing at Master Tai Shan.

Tai Shan never expected that even the most docile bunny could show that complex expression, containing stubbornness, resistance, resentment, contempt, etc.

“Humph! you are so rude!” Tai Shan pointed at Zhen Jing tremblingly. She raged, “I thought I had a faithful dog, but today I found out it was a cruel wolf cub! I’m fortunate in finding this early, and it was not too late to punish you!” Then Tai Shan was going to hit Zhen Jing’s head with the hossu.

Zhen Jing panicked to squat down and protect her head with hands. She knew that Master Tai Shan would hit her badly. If she had been hit on the head by that copper handle, her head would be instantly broken. She had seen several sisters who had been hurt badly by Master Tai Shan with only a hit because they offended her.

“Stop!” He Danggui calmly took a step forward and stopped the action of Tai Shan. The handle of this hossu was made of brass and weighed 4.68 jin (a unit of weight in China). He Danggui knew clearly the consequence of being hit on the head with the hossu since she had experienced many times in her previous life.

Looking at the emaciated girl who was only ten years old, Tai Shan sneered, “Humph! I’m wondering who is talking? It’s you, Miss ‘He’ of Luo’s Family! I’m teaching my dog in my temple. Does it have anything to do with you?”

He Danggui pulled up Zhen Jing calmly, and said slowly, “Master just talked on the key point. As the saying goes, shut the dogs up to beat them. Master was angry to dizzy now, so you prepared to hit Zhen Jing at the entrance where many people walk by. I’m just a drop in the bucket and do not dare to stop you. The only thing I can do is hiding away and keeping this secret for you. But not all the people are like me. Those bad guys might hide aside and peep at you. If they gossip about what you do and exaggerate the fact purposely, your reputation would be ruined. You know, not only you are the masters of the temple today.”

Tai Shan was very dismissive of He Danggui at first and thought that she must plead for Zhen Jing. But after a few words, Tai Shan became gradually paler. At last, she broke out in a cold sweat unexpectedly. She had to draw back the hossu that she held high.

“Tai Chen that bitch does have a few henchwomen in the Taoist temple. Those nasty henchwomen often appeared and peeped at me. If they know that I hit Zhen Jing, Tai Chen must claim that I harm others and take this opportunity to take my financial power away. Moreover, there are still a group of important guests who are rich or noble in the Taoist temple…”

Thinking of this, Tai Shan suddenly changed her attitude and laughed, “Hey, you really misunderstand me… I was so worried about your safety that I just forgot the way of talking to you! Miss He, you should know that there are many things in this mountain which can kill you, such as cliffs, slopes, slides, vipers and beasts… You have just come back to your life. How can I be at ease if you have an accident?”

He Danggui smiled and drooped her head, “Master, I will remember your kindness in my deep heart, and I would pay you back if there’s any chance. Fortunately, I returned safely this time. If I fail to live up to your great hospitality, I would never live peacefully even if I become a ghost.”

Tai Shan listened to He Danggui with smiling and nodding. But her smile gradually became stiff. Although what He Danggui said were good words, she still felt a little uncomfortable.

But it was not the proper time for Tai Shan to think a lot, because she just saw that He Danggui and Zhen Jing carried a basket respectively, which were filled with wild vegetables and weeds. She guessed that He Danggui was too hungry and ran out to dig wild vegetables. She couldn’t help laughing at He Danggui, “She is really a tomboy raised on a farm. Noble ladies usually learn noble skills such as picking and arranging flowers and embroidery. Only she dug wild vegetables. It’s really miserable and disgraced! But I’d better coax her first, since those noble guests wanted to meet her…”

So, Tai Shan took a big step forward, held He Danggui’s right hand with her hands, and said in a tone of blame, “You are really naughty. You got better just one day. You didn’t take a rest at room but ran out to dig those weeds! Last night, I asked someone to braise a fat old hen with big black dates, cinnamon and wolfberries to make a pot of chicken soup. The soup has been simmered on the fire until now! It’s very delicious! I asked an apprentice to deliver it to you, but she came back and reported that you were not in the room. You made me so worried!” Most of people in Shui Shang Temple were half-way Taoist nuns and unable to be a vegetarian forever. So, the temple allowed those Taoist nuns to eat eggs, and there were a dozen of old hens that could lay eggs in the backyard.

He Danggui knew that Tai Shan was telling a lie. She and Zhen Jing went out at noon. They hadn’t seen even a chicken feather, not to mention the chicken soup. But she was very weak at the moment, and might fall down at any time. Obviously, it was not the proper time to fall out with Tai Shan, and she even did not know the reason why Tai Shan suddenly cozy up to her.

Drawing back her right hand gently, He Danggui smiled gratefully and said, “I often hear that the illness was caused by shutting ourselves indoors, so I went out to have a breath of fresh air. But I didn’t expect to disturb you, Master. I’m really sorry about that. While we were out, I heard from Zhen Jing that Master always had a backache. So, we picked some rhizoma atractylodes and radix angelicae pubescentis. We plan to dry them and make a cushion for you, which can alleviate the pain of anemofrigid-damp arthralgia, thus repaying you for your kindness.”

Since the autumn, Tai Shan had been distressed by the anemofrigid-damp arthralgia and backache although she had taken a lot of herbal medicines. When Tai Shan heard He Danggui’s words, she was very happy. Thinking that she had misunderstood Zhen Jing before, she comforted Zhen Jing immediately. Zhen Jing felt extremely flattered and bowed her head.

He Danggui said that she was tired and didn’t dare to waste Master Tai Shan’s time. Seeing that He Danggui was very dirty after climbing the mountain, Tai Shan thought it was shameful to bring such a dirty girl to visit those noble guests. Anyway, Zhen Zhu said that more than a dozen of Taoist nuns had served there, so it would be better to let He Danggui see the guests two days later. Thereupon, Tai Shan comforted He Danggui to take good care of herself and then left in a hurry with an excuse that she had something to do at the Front Palace.

He Danggui and Zhen Jing looked at each other silently, and then supported each other to the East Wing-room.

“Master’s backache…” After they returned to the room, Zhen Jing finally couldn’t help asking He Danggui who was lying on the bed, “How do you know that?”

He Danggui yawned and smiled, “Are you increasingly appreciating me?”

Zhen Jing suddenly remembered that she was almost smashed by her Master just now. However, He Danggui just said a few words gently, not only easing the anger of Master Tai Shan immediately, but also making her apologize to them…

Thinking about it carefully, Zhen Jing realized that Master Tai Shan had never been soft to anyone. It was a miracle that hearing an apology from the Master! In Shui Shang Temple, no one could escape from her punishment as long as she wanted to punish them. Even Sister Zhen Zhu who was the most capable couldn’t stop the Master!

Thinking of this, Zhen Jing stared at He Danggui with admiration, and said, “You have the medical skills and are always calm, and you can retreat the enemy by words. Oh, you just like the ‘female scholar’ in the drama! No, you should be the heroine Ji Wushuang who is most excellent. West wind blows the sky for me, and I would take clouds as the sails to travel around…” Zhen Jing talked for a long time, but He Danggui never replied. So, she walked towards He Danggui and pushed her, “Hey! Don’t you think you are like Ji Wushuang?”

After pushing, Zhen Jing found that He Danggui had a red complexion and lay on the bed immobile. Then Zhen Jing touched her face, which was very hot. She was panic, “Xiaoyi must catch a cold due to the wind!”

“She just woke up yesterday and should stay in bed today. It was all my fault. I not only didn’t dissuade her, but also climbed mountain with her excitedly. However, she unexpectedly saved a life today, which was a great merit. As the saying goes, ‘the good things happen to good people’, calamities can be turned into blessings!”

Zhen Jing wandered around the room anxiously. She frowned and continued thinking, “If I ask Younger Master Tai Chen for medicines now, she must refuse me with excuses. And then everybody would know that He Danggui has a fever. They hope that He Danggui now is only the temporary revival, and they are staring at the 150 liang silver used for the Taoist rite. So, they must be very happy if He Danggui dies of illness. At that time, if those evildoers hurt her, I couldn’t protect her.”

“Well, I could go back to the mourning hall and find some pastries and crunchy candies. When I was sick in the past, as long as I ate delicious leek paste cakes and fried spicy gluten, I would immediately get well!” Thinking of this, Zhen Jing ran away like a wind.

He Danggui felt that she was passing a long paved path, both sides of which were high red walls. She thought the path seemed to be endless.

After several steps, a woman wearing a bright red dress with pearls and jade on the head came toward He Danggui. The woman suddenly sprang at her and said, “Dear litter sister, you are gaining grace now. Please help me! Just because I can’t give birth to a son for my family, my husband looked down on me. He went to Concubine Liu’s room every night… There is a position of Transmission Officer of Fourth-Grade. If you can help him get the position, he will look up to me again. Dear little sister, please give me a hand…”

He Danggui looked at the woman. It was her cousin Luo Baiqiong. So, she pulled the woman and said, “Let’s go together and go out of here first.” But when they walked only a few steps, He Danggui felt a sudden pain in her belly. There was a short sword in her belly, which was held… by her cousin!

“You…” When He Danggui was about to say something, she felt a heavy hit on her back, which hurt her viscera badly.

He Danggui turned her head hardly and saw Zhu Quan and Zhou Jinglan standing a little behind her. They were waving a meteor hammer and laughing, “Let’s have a game! Who hits the limbs of He Danggui would get three points; hit the chest or back, five points; and hit her head or face, eight points!”

Luo Baiqiong beside He Danggui pulled out the short sword and screamed sharply, “You are the shameless enchantress! Tell me! What seductive tricks did you use, making Liang Yizhou always miss you and ask about you all day? You should go to the hell! Go to the hell!” Then she stabbed He Danggui again, and cursed, “Go to the hell! Go to the hell! How dare you seduce your brother-in-law, you enchantress! I want to set you down, and let you never be reborn forever!”

He Danggui spat out blood and fell on the ground heavily. Before closing her eyes, she saw Zhou Jinglan’s meteor hammer flying to her face. Zhou Jinglan cheered, “Ha-ha, I get eight points! You lose your pretty face now, and nobody would be willing to see you!”

He Danggui felt her whole body was painful, and her vision was cloaked, but she still felt that someone was pressing on her body… No, it was not one person, but a group of people.

She could hear the voices of those people faintly:

“...Good girl, Elder Uncle is your biological uncle! Although Luo Chuan’gu and Luo Chuanpu are your mother’s brothers, they are not siblings of your mother and me. There is an estrangement between us! The position of the Magistrate of Central Secretariat cannot be given to others…”

“…Don’t listen to him! Yiyi, do you really fell that Second Uncle have ever treated you badly? Your mother and you had been expelled back to Luo’s Family two times. Had your Second Aunt ever thrown you away? You should be a person of conscience…”

“…Qingyi, Third Uncle is talented and has aspirations, but I have no way to serve our country. I feel so depressed! Fortunately, I have you, a good niece who married the Lord Ning and won the recognition from the minister of the Ministry of Construction. Just a casual recommendation from you is more useful than the efforts of us made in the whole life. Please help me, for your mother’s sake…”

“…Hey, don’t sleep! Don’t sleep! Yi, I, your Elder Aunt, has an important matter to discuss with you. General Chang’s second son, the grandson of the dead national pillar Chang Yuchun, is adept with both the pen and sword. He is successful and handsome. Your niece adored him at the first sight and can’t sleep and eat well. She is much thinner than before. I felt restless because of this. I’m annoying you to recommend your niece to the second Childe. If your niece marries him, she will be the wife of the General in the future. That will also benefit you…”

“…Yi, I knew that you feel resentful towards Luo’s Family because we hadn’t treated you well, but you have still grown up to 14 years old in peace, haven’t you? He Jingxian, this damn man was exactly the culprit! How heartless he was! That bastard should take a whore back home as a wife, and haven’t find your mother and you ever! He Fu, that ungrateful man was much worse. Your mother’s dowry, including the possessions, farmland and houses, was occupied by him… I know you are a poor girl. I’m also distressed for you, so I can’t request you to do much things. But all relatives of Luo’s Family are your very close relatives. You should keep in mind that ‘honor one and you honor them all’. If Luo’s Family is powerful, you will get more support in Lord Ning’s Mansion, will you? How do you know that you won’t depend on Luo’s Family?”

“…Just listen to the advice of your Third Aunt! Yi, your mother still lives in Luo’s Family. You are a filial child. So, before you do anything, you should think about your mother… She has suffered a lot for all her life. Whom else can she depend on except you? To support our Luo’s Family is to show your filial piety to your mother…”

“…Yi, your mother held the two-year-old you, and went back to Luo’s Family tearfully with hair disheveled that year. We have broken up with He’s Family completely from then on. Don’t complain about my unpleasant words. You are the daughter of He’s Family, and we have no obligation to raise the daughter for He Jingxian. We could have thrown you out of the house, but we didn’t. Although your grandmother sent you to the farm, she also sent 50 liang silver to you each year and bought you a nanny and maid. She never forgot to leave a good piece of cloth for you on every Spring Festival or other festivals, which was said to be a part of the dowry for you when you grow up. We, the daughters-in-law were jealous of you… Without the support of Luo’s Family for more than ten years, you would have starved to death on the street! All of us are your benefactors!”

“Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi! Wake up, Xiaoyi! Wake up!”

He Danggui heard that all people talked with her who was moribund, and they pressed one after the other on her chest. She was about to die. At this moment, a clear voice suddenly came in and covered those noises instantly, pulling her out of the nightmare.

He Danggui opened her eyes difficultly and saw Zhen Jing’s round face. She smiled and said, “Oh, it was a dream.”