Chapter 77: The Six Roots are Impure
Chapter 77: Chapter 77: The Six Roots are Impure
"Really?" Liang Cheng still couldn’t believe it.
Liang Wan nodded with a smile. "Naturally, it’s true."
Liang Cheng rubbed his hands together, his eyes and brows crinkling in delight. "Good, good, good! This time, I must instruct him well. He absolutely cannot cause any more trouble!"
"Right, there’s one more thing." Liang Wan’s smile vanished, her expression turning quite serious. She glanced at the maidservants, signaling for them to withdraw before continuing. "There was an assassination attempt on me on the mountain. Both of the attendants I brought with me are dead."
"What?!" Liang Cheng and the Madam of the He Family were extremely shocked.
Liang Wan nodded. "This matter has not been announced to the public yet. Uncle and Mother, please just pretend you know nothing about it!"
Liang Cheng swallowed hard, finding it somewhat difficult to digest. "Do you know who did it?"
"That’s hard to say. The Buddha portrait took so long to embroider; perhaps someone was jealous of me and intentionally tried to sabotage it. But since the Buddha portrait was for the Empress, it’s also possible that—" Liang Wan merely sighed. The unspoken words carried profound implications, and Liang Cheng understood.
"You had a close call, but as long as you are safe, that is what matters." Liang Cheng stood up and smoothed his sleeves, restoring his usual demeanor as the Family Head. "Get some good rest since you’re back. I’ll go make some arrangements for Ashang."
Liang Wan stood up as well, watching him leave. Liang Cheng left, but the Madam of the He Family still showed no intention of leaving.
Liang Wan sat back down and picked up her teacup, not even wanting to lift her eyelids. The tea in her hands had already grown a bit cold. "Qiuxi, add some hot tea." Only after speaking did she look at the Madam of the He Family. "Mother, do you have any other instructions?"
The Madam of the He Family looked up at her, her brows slightly furrowed. "Awan, Mother has thought a lot these past few days. In the past, I pushed you a bit too hard. Ever since your Father passed away, Mother hasn’t had the ability to find you a good marriage prospect. I thought that the Sikong Mansion could at least be considered—"
Liang Wan set down her teacup. "Mother, don’t bring up such ancient history. Just get to the important part."
Suddenly interrupted, the Madam of the He Family froze. After a moment’s pause, she said, "You just mentioned it yourself—our dynasty highly reveres Buddhism. If I hadn’t been so worried about you, Mother would have long severed all worldly ties and entered the Buddhist Sect.
"However, the fact that you were able to go to the Purple Cloud Temple this time means you have an affinity with Buddhism. Mother has also thought it through. Marriage isn’t necessarily the only way out. Throughout the history of our Daqi, there has been no shortage of Empresses who have embraced vegetarianism, chanted sutras, built the Stone Cave Temple, and become nuns. Since you are deeply valued by the Empress, why don’t you shave your head and become a nun on her behalf? This would also guarantee you a lifetime of peace and safety."
Liang Wan froze, staring dead at the Madam of the He Family. She truly didn’t understand how she could say such a thing, to persuade her own biological daughter to become a nun! Liang Wan snapped back to reality and lowered her head, laughing continuously. "Mother, have you chanted sutras until you’ve gone stupid?"
"You!" The Madam of the He Family shot to her feet.
Liang Wan tilted her head up, her eyes stinging. "Sometimes I truly wonder if I am even your biological daughter, Mother."
The Madam of the He Family took a deep breath. "Why do you think I’ve kept you under such strict discipline, and why do I eat vegetarian meals and chant sutras all day? It’s all for your own good!"
Liang Wan shook her head gently, chuckling softly. "Give up, Mother. In this life, I am destined to have no affinity with Buddhism!"
The Madam of the He Family felt a jolt of alarm as she looked at the bizarre and enchanting gleam in Liang Wan’s eyes. She thought of that destiny poem.
Liang Wan stood up with a smile, her voice icy cold. "Qiuxi, escort the First Madam back so she can continue chanting her sutras."
When Qiuxi returned, Liang Wan was burying her head in a large pile of books.
"What is My Lady looking for?"
"A folk remedy to remove scars." Liang Wan flipped through the books one after another, not even having the time to lift her head.
Was she trying to treat her scars so she could marry? Qiuxi’s face lit up with joy. "I will help you."
Liang Wan grabbed a book from the pile as if she had found a priceless treasure. She hurriedly flipped through it, not stopping to carefully examine the text until she found the exact page she was looking for.
Qiuxi leaned in closer. "My Lady changed her mind because she was afraid of being forced to become a nun by the First Madam, right?"
Liang Wan looked surprised for a moment before bursting into irrepressible laughter.
Summer Solstice.
By the Furong Pool, beside the Waterside Pavilion’s covered bridge, and along the blossoming flowers and weeping willows, this was exactly where the Duke Wei Mansion was hosting a grand banquet to welcome the Emperor.
"I once heard people say that the former National Pillar General held a highly revered status. Just looking at this mansion today, it’s absolutely beyond the reach of ordinary people, let alone how it must have looked during its peak!" Holding a Jade Plate, Qiuxi followed behind Liang Wan, marveling continuously along the way.
Liang Wan smiled. Indeed, inside the pavilions and terraces, there was lively singing, constant dancing, and soaring melodies of reed pipes, creating a bustling and enchanting atmosphere.
"Look at your shabby, country-bumpkin appearance!" Liang Zhang curled his lips and clicked his tongue softly.
Qiuxi’s face reddened, and she lowered her head.
Liang Wan cast a sidelong glance at him. "How could a mere maidservant be as knowledgeable and worldly as you, Brother? I only hope that when you gaze upon His Majesty’s face later, you can remain just as calm, composed, and unfazed!"
Liang Zhang choked on his words, glaring at her secretly. If he didn’t need a favor from her, why would he suffer this frustrating grievance?
In the end, novelty outweighed timidity. A moment later, Qiuxi leaned close again. "In the past, I thought that Wang Sikong was a supremely powerful person. But seeing this today, I finally understand what it means to say there is always someone better, and a heaven beyond heaven."
Liang Wan looked at her with a smile. She really couldn’t blame Qiuxi for being so surprised; the guests arriving today were all the noble and prestigious scholarly families of Daqi.
Liang Zhang let out a long scoff and turned his head away.
"Little Lady!"
Suddenly, a folding fan stretched out in front of Liang Wan, blocking her path. Immediately after, a face leaned in, eyes and brows filled with a smile. However, upon clearly seeing the person standing beside her, that smile instantly froze on his face.
Zhou Yun covered his face with his fan and blinked repeatedly at her, lowering his voice to ask, "Why did you bring him along?"
His tone could only be described as thoroughly disgusted!
Liang Wan’s eyes curved into a smile, while Liang Zhang and Qiuxi quickly bowed in greeting. Closing his fan, Zhou Yun put on a serious expression and slightly raised his hand, telling them there was no need for such formalities.
Liang Wan was just about to step aside to speak with him, but unexpectedly, a few people walked over from the opposite direction, chatting and laughing. The young men wore brocade robes and jade belts, while the young women were dressed in thin cloud-silk blouses. They appeared both vibrant and noble, their handsome and pretty features even more beautiful than glazed jade. One glance was enough to tell they came from extraordinary backgrounds.
"Yun Lang!" A bright and pretty Lady in a goose-yellow skirt skipped briskly over to Zhou Yun, smiling brightly as she linked her arm through his.
"So disrespectful!" Zhou Yun patted the top of her head with extreme intimacy.
As they joked, the others in the group also approached.
"As soon as she saw me, she kept asking if you were coming!" a heroic-looking youth said, a smile in his eyes.
"Danqing, you are already so grown up. You cannot act like a child anymore. It’s far too rude!" a gentle and graceful Lady scolded affectionately, pulling her away from Zhou Yun.
Zhou Yun smiled, not minding it in the least. "She will never grow up!"
The Lady named Danqing immediately dropped her smile. "I’ll be coming of age soon!"
Zhou Yun chuckled and nodded helplessly. "Right, right, right. You’ll be ready for an arranged marriage soon!"
The Lady glared with her large eyes, initially intending to argue back. However, perhaps recalling something, she blinked her bright, watery eyes and pushed the gentle Lady beside her to the front. She laughed, "Don’t you make fun of me! Third Sister is the one who will be arranged for marriage soon!"
The gentle Lady immediately grew so shy she couldn’t lift her head. She tapped the girl’s nose affectionately. "You really have no filter!"
Danqing pulled her hand down, shaking her head as she laughed continuously. "I’m not wrong, though. Just ask around! Who here doesn’t know that His Majesty is going to bestow a marriage upon you today?"
As she was laughing, her gaze suddenly fixed on a spot, and her hand pointed over. "Who are you? How come I’ve never seen you before!"
Liang Wan lifted her eyes, only to see the group staring straight at her.