The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 238
by Little PandaExtra 13
Fine, You Asked for This!
“Did anyone see where Jiayu went?”
Xiao Bingying asked about Zhao Jiayu’s whereabouts as soon as she rejoined Qu Sheng and the others.
Lin Xizhao was equally anxious. Qu Sheng replied, “The crowd separated us, but she has two guards with her. She should be fine.”
Xiao Bingying scanned the dense mass of people around them. “As long as she doesn’t stick her neck out, she’ll be alright.”
Zhao Jiayu had always been one to fight injustice. When they were young, she was always the one cleaning up messes. With this many people and no way to find her, Xiao Bingying worried she might end up on the losing end of something.
“Dong, dong, dong…” Bells tolled in the distance, and the noisy crowd gradually fell quiet.
“The ascension ceremony is about to begin. Let’s push further in.” Qu Sheng looked toward the temple when she heard the bells.
Everyone nodded and followed behind Qu Sheng. The guards cleared a path as they pushed inward, but soon two rows of soldiers emerged from the temple and shoved the crowd aside to clear a road.
Qu Sheng and her group had to stop.
Jin Mingyi, pushed to one side, was thoroughly displeased. Zhu Ming’an shielded her and pulled her back. As soon as they steadied themselves, Jin Mingyi asked, “What’s going on?”
Cheng Xi glanced at her and replied, “Someone must be coming out.”
“It couldn’t be that monk who’s ascending to immortality, could it?” Jin Mingyi said quickly.
Qu Sheng lowered her eyes for a moment. When she looked up again, a golden palanquin was being carried out.
The yellow cloth draping the palanquin fluttered in the slight breeze, and Qu Sheng caught sight of a monk sitting cross-legged with eyes closed and hands pressed together.
She studied the man. The hair on his head seemed freshly shaved — the skin tone there was markedly different from his exposed neck and the backs of his hands.
The common folk stared at this enlightened monk who was about to become an immortal. According to rumor, he had taken up monastic life midway through his years and shared a profound affinity with celestial beings. That was why he had come to this place to practice asceticism. Before long, a celestial being had supposedly sent him a dream instructing him to build an Ascension Platform and ascend to immortality today, bringing blessings to all living creatures.
But to have soldiers come clear the way — the Prefect of this city had to be involved.
Garrisoned soldiers couldn’t enter the city without authorization. Using them to maintain order would have been reasonable enough, but these soldiers were clearing a path for a monk.
The Ascension Platform had been built in an open area of the city, and the people who had gathered here early weren’t merely hoping to catch a glimpse ahead of time.
After leaving the temple, the monk picked up a small vase in front of him, dipped a willow branch into the water inside, and sprinkled it toward the gathered commoners on either side.
As the palanquin proceeded toward the Ascension Platform, every person touched by the water rejoiced with gratitude. Jin Mingyi caught some of the spray on her clothes. She lifted her sleeve and sniffed, frowning. “What’s that smell?”
“Is there a smell?” Zhu Ming’an lifted Jin Mingyi’s sleeve and leaned in to sniff as well, unable to identify anything in particular.
Cheng Xi, standing close by, leaned in while Zhu Ming’an was still pondering. Her eyes shifted, and she turned to look at Xiao Bingying. “It’s a medicinal infusion steeped with hallucinogenic sage.”
The monk passed by, soldiers following close behind. The surging crowd pushed Qu Sheng and her group toward the front.
The monk sprinkled holy water all along the way. Upon reaching the Ascension Platform, he descended from the palanquin.
The bells stopped as the monk climbed the platform step by step. A number of monks were already seated on the platform, tapping wooden fish1 and chanting sutras.
“Quite the production.” Zhao Jiayu had been separated by the crowd and was standing in the most conspicuous spot, with her two guards beside her. She had been searching for Qu Sheng and the others the whole time.
“Hey, do you think this monk’s just going to fly away?” Not finding Qu Sheng and the others, Zhao Jiayu wasn’t worried or afraid. Looking up at the monk, she actually had the leisure to chat with her guards.
“This humble one wouldn’t know.” The guard lowered his head, declining to answer.
Zhao Jiayu clicked her tongue. She knew there was no point talking to them.
Standing at the front, with the midday sun blazing overhead, she raised a hand to shield her eyes. Even so, she couldn’t see the monk very clearly.
Long after the bells had stopped, the monk paid respects to Buddha and burned incense on the platform. Soon, the chanting monks lifted something up.
The ascending monk held something in his hand and reached into the vessel the other monk was holding.
After a brief moment, he withdrew his hand and nodded to the monk holding the vessel. That monk turned to face the crowd below.
While Zhao Jiayu was still puzzling over what was happening, watering cans shaped like lotus seedpods sprayed water from all sides of the Ascension Platform.
Zhao Jiayu had barely been touched by the water on her face. Before she could wipe it away with her sleeve, the crowd behind her shoved her and she nearly fell.
“Holy water! Holy water that cures all ailments!”
“Let me have some too!”
“Move aside! Move aside! Let me get some too!”
The people who surged forward rushed toward the lotus-shaped watering cans like madmen. Zhao Jiayu wiped her face and stared at them, scarcely believing people could lose their minds like this.
Soon the watering cans on both sides of the platform all began spraying “holy water.” Everyone in the front rows was fortunate enough to receive the blessing. Those who missed out were deeply disappointed.
Lin Xizhao had been kept in Qu Sheng’s arms the whole time. Aside from their own people, virtually no one could get close to her.
“Is that Jiayu?” Lin Xizhao craned her neck toward the front, catching what looked like Zhao Jiayu’s back.
Xiao Bingying looked in that direction upon hearing this. She saw Zhao Jiayu tilting her head one way, leaning her body another, talking to the guards beside her — and quickly confirmed it was her.
“It’s Jiayu.” Once certain, Xiao Bingying wanted to push forward, but the people ahead were too dense. They could barely move an inch.
“Good that we can see her. Let’s watch for a bit,” Cheng Xi said soothingly.
Xiao Bingying looked down at Cheng Xi and reluctantly held back. There were too many people here. Without using Lightness Skill2, there was no getting through. But if she flew across conspicuously, she would definitely be noticed.
They hadn’t come here today to publicly expose a fraud.
After the holy water baptism, the monks on the platform returned to their positions and resumed tapping their wooden fish and chanting sutras.
The noon sun was blinding; the afternoon sun was even more so. Zhao Jiayu stood there waiting for she didn’t know how long, until she saw the sun at the horizon cast a halo over the Ascension Platform. In that moment, she saw beams of golden light fall upon the one who was to ascend.
The monk draped in the monk’s robe had light radiating from his head as well. Before long, someone in the crowd shouted, “Look! Dharma Master Lu Fa is about to ascend to immortality!”
Those further back couldn’t see clearly. When they heard the people in front calling out, they too caught sight of beams of light cascading onto the Ascension Platform.
At the same time, the monks above began chanting even louder.
The common folk below watched with wide eyes. Soon, some saw Dharma Master Lu Fa shed his mortal form, transforming into a radiant golden body that scattered beams of light. But before they could get a better look, the golden figure vanished.
The monks on the platform rose to their feet. Facing the spot where the monk had been — now empty except for the monk’s robe — they lifted the robe toward the distant sun and cried out, “Farewell, Immortal Lu Fa.” Then they knelt on the ground.
The crowd below couldn’t hear very clearly, but seeing only the robe remain where Lu Fa had been, they understood what the monks were shouting.
“He’s ascended! He’s ascended! Dharma Master Lu Fa has ascended to immortality!”
The people told one another, then spontaneously dropped to their knees, calling out, “Farewell, Immortal Lu Fa!”
Qu Sheng and her group crouched among the crowd. She looked up toward the front. The halo still lingered above the Ascension Platform. The light was indeed too harsh for staring at the platform for long — after a few glances, Qu Sheng felt dizzy.
“Shouldn’t a monk become a Buddha? How did he become an immortal?” Jin Mingyi couldn’t make sense of it, but she did know that monks became Buddhas, not immortals.
“Don’t speak carelessly, miss. The immortal who shed his mortal form wasn’t originally a monk. He used the temple to cleanse himself of worldly impurities and ascended to immortality through the Dao.” A man nearby, having overheard Jin Mingyi’s muttering, quietly offered an explanation.
Jin Mingyi nodded. “Oh,” she said. “My knowledge is lacking. Please forgive me.”
This man had been eyeing the beautiful women on this side for some time. Getting to converse with one of them made him feel quite fortunate. He was about to say more with a smile when Zhu Ming’an gave a light cough, deliberately letting a flash of irritation show on her face.
The Quzhao Dynasty permitted women to marry women. Under the influence of the Female Emperor and the Empress over these past years, the government had registered quite a few households of women who had formed families together. Though it still drew criticism, the bolder ones no longer cared.
Seeing the person beside the beauty turn hostile, the man immediately realized they might be a wife-and-wife couple and quickly ducked his head and shut his mouth.
Jin Mingyi watched Zhu Ming’an scare off the man who’d been talking to her. She rolled her eyes at Zhu Ming’an but obediently stopped chatting with strangers.
Qu Sheng, however, spoke up and asked the same man, “When will they start selling the immortal medicine?”
The man glanced around. Seeing Qu Sheng staring at him, he quickly smiled and replied in a low voice, “No rush. The medicine is limited in supply but there’s a fair amount. The real prize is that all-curing monk’s robe.”
“All-curing monk’s robe?” Qu Sheng’s brow creased. She turned to look at the people on the Ascension Platform.
By now, the monks above had unfolded the monk’s robe and held it up to face the southwestern sun. The dazzling golden halos struck it, making the robe shimmer with a strange, rippling luminescence.
But the platform was too bright. After a few glances, Qu Sheng lowered her head, her vision filled with the robe’s glaring afterimages.
“That robe is the last object the immortal left behind. Naturally it can cure all ailments — but the one who receives it must have faith in Buddha with no divided heart, and they must have donated sufficient incense money to the temple beforehand. Otherwise, they won’t qualify to bid.”
“The robe is going to be auctioned?” Qu Sheng’s brow furrowed. She stared at the man, looking genuinely shocked.
“That’s right. Ordinary folks like us can’t afford it. I’m just waiting for the immortal medicine. You all look like…” The man took in their fine attire. Leaving the sentence unfinished, he added, “Why don’t you try getting up front later.”
Qu Sheng lowered her gaze, her expression growing heavier. After a moment, she looked toward Zhao Jiayu, who was far ahead of them.
The common folk remained prostrate in worship. After about two ke3, the monks on the platform folded the robe neatly and rang a bell.
After the clear chime, the monks lit incense sticks and offered them before the robe. Soon, a vast voice echoed through the sky.
“I am Lu Fa. Today, guided by celestial beings, I have taken my place among the immortals. I am grateful to all of you for sending me on my way. I now bestow precious medicine to relieve the suffering of the world. The monk’s robe was the object lent to me by Buddha to walk the Western Heaven path and ascend to immortality. I now leave it to the one with destiny, to be kept in trust by Guanhe Treasure Temple until a great and fated person appears.”
Lu Fa’s resonant voice echoed through the open air for a long time. The people looked up but saw no figure. Once the voice faded, the monks of Guanhe Treasure Temple carried the robe and descended the platform.
Halfway down the Ascension Platform, at a protruding ledge, the chanting monks stopped.
One of them addressed the crowd below: “The monk’s robe is the garment in which Immortal Lu Fa ascended to immortality. It contains immortal power, which can ensure safety and cure disease. It was entrusted to our Guanhe Treasure Temple. We had intended to keep it in safekeeping, but seeing so many of you here today, there must surely be one among you who is Lu Fa’s destined one.”
“20,000 taels!”
“50,000 taels!”
Before the robe was even announced for auction, people in the crowd were already shouting out sums. The monk raised his hand and murmured, “Amitabha5. Our Guanhe Treasure Temple does not accept silver. Patrons, please calm yourselves.”
“Immortal Lu Fa has spoken — the robe is to be given to a great and fated person. A fated person is one who has donated incense money to our temple. But too many of you have witnessed Lu Fa’s ascension today, so we shall use a method to determine to whom the robe belongs.”
“Let’s make it an auction! As long as the silver goes entirely to helping the common people, we can accept that.”
“Right. Silver is but worldly possessions. To receive the robe and help others at the same time — to accumulate merit for one’s descendants — we are willing to bid.”
“An auction it is. We agree.”
The crowd chimed in from all sides. The monks on the ledge bowed their heads in discussion, nodding now and then. After a moment, one said, “Then it shall be as the patrons wish. When this incense stick burns out, that will be the deadline for determining the robe’s owner.” The monks lit a single incense stick in a censer.
“Let’s skip the steps and save some time. I bid 50,000 taels!” The man who had shouted 50,000 earlier repeated his bid.
The crowd murmured. The man looked back and, seeing no one counter, laughed. “Since no one’s offering more, the robe is mine. Haha.”
“I bid 200,000 taels!”
Before the man could bask in his triumph for more than a moment, someone had multiplied the price several times over.
“210,000 taels!”
“220,000 taels!”
“250,000 taels!”
“300,000 taels!”
The bidding grew fiercer. Qu Sheng and the others exchanged glances. Just as they found it all absurdly outrageous, a familiar voice rose from the crowd.
“500,000 taels!”
Zhao Jiayu shouted toward the platform, her voice ringing clear and loud.
Xiao Bingying and the others were all stunned. Seeing that Zhao Jiayu didn’t turn around, her eyes fixed on the monk’s robe, they grew anxious.
“600,000 taels!” Someone called out an even higher price.
Zhao Jiayu refused to yield. With the air of someone determined to win the robe at any cost, she shouted, “1,000,000 taels!”
“1,200,000 taels!”
“1,400,000 taels!” Zhao Jiayu followed immediately, not giving an inch.
“2,000,000 taels!” The other bidder locked horns with her.
Zhao Jiayu turned to glare at the man, gnashing her teeth. “2,500,000 taels!”
Every time Zhao Jiayu raised her bid, Qu Sheng’s frown deepened. Beside her, Jin Mingyi — who had the entire Zhu family fortune behind her — had never been this extravagant. Listening to Zhao Jiayu’s bids, she almost wanted to shout a few herself. But she had no use for the robe.
“3,000,000 taels!” The man outbid Zhao Jiayu again.
Zhao Jiayu looked back and saw the incense stick was nearly burned through. She shouted outright, “4,000,000 taels!”
“5,000,000 taels!” The man seemed equally determined to win. A single monk’s robe had been driven to an astronomical price — and it showed signs of climbing still higher.
“Fine, you asked for this!” Zhao Jiayu glared furiously at the man. He lifted his chin and glared right back, provoking her. Furious, Zhao Jiayu whipped her head around, steadied her breathing, and watched the last ember of the incense stick about to fall. Then she bellowed, “I don’t want it anymore!”
“The incense has burned out! 5,000,000 taels! 5,000,000 taels!” The crowd gasped at the astronomical price, every eye converging on the man who had just shouted 5,000,000 taels.
And that man was frozen stiff where he stood.
The author has something to say:
Zhao Jiayu: “Do you know how many good things you could eat with 5,000,000 taels? Only a fool would buy a piece of ragged cloth!”
Everyone: “…”
Footnotes
- A hollow wooden percussion instrument carved in the shape of a fish, used by Buddhist monks to keep rhythm while chanting sutras.
- A martial arts technique that allows practitioners to leap great heights and move with extraordinary agility and lightness.
- A traditional Chinese unit of time; one ke equals approximately 15 minutes, so two ke is roughly 30 minutes.
- A traditional Chinese unit of currency and weight for silver, approximately 37 grams of silver per tael.
- A Buddhist invocation of the name of Amitabha Buddha, used by monks as an expression of compassion, blessing, or gentle admonishment.
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