6th year of the Yongle Era of the Ming Dynasty
Zouping is a county level city of the Binzhou Prefecture in the Shandong province. There lies Huangshan mountain, which is quite different from the Huangshan mountain range in Anhui. It is named after the clastic and silt-sized sediment present on the mountain. Lying in the southern suburbs of Zouping city, the mountain has many unique characteristics. The cliff resembles a tiger and is therefore called Tiger Head Cliff.
There are many ancient temples present in the city. The west ridge has the Bixia Yuanjun temple while the east ridge has The Jade Emperor Peak; the temple of General Liu Meng, the God of Locust Catchers, and Shidafu Temple are also present, all of which are extraordinarily beautiful.
In the temple, monks and abbots are ever present, incense from joss sticks is lingering all day long, bells are ringing, and people who pray for incense and vouchers are coming and going endlessly.
On April 8th of each year, there is a meeting of literati and inkmen on Huangshan Mountain. They gather here not only to recite poems, but also for merchants from both the North and the South to exchange materials. This is especially true for the pharmaceutical merchants from all over the world who come to buy and sell medicinal materials. Therefore the formation of the well-known Huangshan Medicine Association in the country, had become an annual event in Zouping.
Sun Jingzhi, who served as an official in Yongcheng, went out early, bringing fruit and incense candles to the Jade Emperor Temple to pay his respects to the gods. His heart was both sincere and fearful, with seven points of gratitude to the gods and three points of fear towards his own tragic fate. After entering the gate, he saw that there were good men and women worshipping step by step, and the attitude was extremely respectful and pious.
Sun Jingzhi hesitated for a moment and looked around. People were coming and going how would he explain himself if he met someone he was acquainted with.
But when he thought of his daughter, his heart grew tighter, and therefore like everyone else, he bowed sincerely, knocking his head one step at a time, until he walked into the Daxiong Hall.
He knelt sincerely, offering incense and lamp oil money. He then silently made a wish. The respect and perseverance on his face was touching. When he walked out of the hall, he saw the crowd gather around a man which made him immediately halt. Hovering behind the crowd, his expression was slightly anxious and frightened.
“Little nephew!” A light voice called; it wasn’t very loud, but extremely penetrating, forcing Sun Jingzhi to stop. He turned around and looked intently, and soon enough he stood as still as a statue.
The man was dressed in a black robes and stood in the shadow cast by the temple and stared silently at everything around him, as if he was detached from all beings of the material world. At this point, a pair of gloomy triangular eyes on his old and yellowed face were upright. They were staring straight at him, motionless, yet smiling.
“He looks like a sick but bloodthirsty tiger” said the voices around him.
Sun Jingzhi’s heart tightened. The mysterious guy turned out to be his father’s friend, the monk Yao Guangxiao. In his youth, Sun Jingzhi lived with his father in Shaolin Temple in Songshan, and often met with his father’s confidants and friends. Once he happened to meet Yuan Gong, the most prestigious master of life.
Among a group of people, Yuan Gong merely glanced at Yao Guangxiao , yet he was very surprised.
“Now that the world is peaceful, how can there be a monk with such a strange appearance? You see these triangular eyes are strange and extraordinary, with a sick face. There is a murderous look in his bones. He must be an expert in strategy, and he will definitely be able to turn things in his favor in the future. “
If any ordinary person were to hear this statement, he would definitely be a displeased but Yao Guangxiao remained tranquil, and replied to Yuan Gong: “Thank you for your kind words. “
That scene remained deeply rooted in Sun Jingzhi’s heart. Weren’t monks supposed to be untouched by power and fame? Then why was Yao Guangxiao so ecstatic after hearing Yuan Gong’s words? He recalled that his indifferent father started to alienate his relationship with this monk.
Yuan Gong’s prediciton turned out to be very correct. With a group of commoner monks, he actually turned the world upside down and established great achievements in this peaceful and prosperous age. But since he had done such good work, why was he not in the capital at this time? Why did he show up here? Sun Jingzhi was still pondering about it, however Yao Guangxiao beckoned him in a calm manner, so he could not help but follow him and walked deep into a forest.
In the quiet meditation room, the two sat cross-legged, with a game of chess in the middle. Sun Jingzhi was extremely frightened. That year, when he was young and energetic, he actually played against Yao Guangxiao, only to be interrupted by Yuan Gong, who suddenly visited, and the game remained unfinished. Now, after twenty years, he actually pulled himself to finish that game, and the bet turned out to be his own daughter.
In fear, the game was a complete mess. “Zhonger,” Yao Guangxiao stared at Sun Jingzhi, and suddenly called out his courtesy name, “Can you admit defeat?” Sun Jingzhi was restless, so he replied, “Uncle, you have always had a good relationship with my father, and you should know the nature of my father. The Sun family has lived in the hometown of Confucius and Mencius for generations. We have always been indifferent to the world. We aren’t fond of the ups and downs of the officialdom. Even this young nephew, an official of Yongcheng, took upon this position reluctantly because of the kind invitation of his classmates. Now during this time I was able to take leave and return home, and my daughter…”
At this point, Sun Jingzhi’s face turned dark, and shed a few tears. Is it worth it? What’s more, she is extremely stubborn. A few days ago, she lost her footing in the lake and fell into the water. After being rescued, she has been in a coma. Now, her life may not be preserved, so why care about other things?” Yao Guangxiao sat as still as a statue. He closed his eyes and said nothing, as if an old monk had entered concentration, but under the sleeves of his robe, he pinched his fingers, suddenly raised his eyebrows, and said, “Well, I won’t take her away now. “Sun Jingzhi just showed joy, only to hear Yao Guangxiao say again: “However, although this girl came to your house, she is destined to be in the palace”
Phew…I am only half way throught the second chapter.
I must say things will stay this way for another chapter or two but then things will get better.
We also know that our protagonist is quite the mischievous young lady and Sun Jingzhi seems to really love his daughter, but placing her as a bet…hmmm…
Next half of the chapter will be up next week. Good bye.
calmandpeacefulmyfoot 