Xie Jin'an turned around after all. He cupped Xu Rourou's face and gazed at her tenderly. "How could I blame you? You've done our Marquis's Residence a great service. You gave birth to Huai Shan, and Huai Shan saved my mother. I was too impulsive that day."
"If His Majesty sends me to provide disaster relief, you must stay at the Marquis's Residence and take good care of my mother and grandmother."
As Xie Jin'an spoke, his hand teased Xu Rourou at her waist, seemingly by accident.
Xu Rourou's eyelids fluttered. She dared not look at Xie Jin'an.
But Xie Jin'an's hand on her waist made his meaning clear!
She fetched a silk ribbon, blindfolded herself, then bound her own hands. "Very well. To make amends, I shall leave myself entirely at your mercy, An Lang!" she said softly.
Xie Jin'an wanted to carry her onto the couch, but he simply could not muster any strength in his waist.
Instead, he pushed Xu Rourou toward the couch!
Two minutes later.
He kissed Xu Rourou's forehead. The beauty in his arms praised his prowess, then closed her eyes to rest.
Xie Jin'an was immensely pleased with himself. He must have utterly exhausted Rou Rou.
He settled her comfortably, then rose and went out.
Today was the day Master Yuantong would come down from the mountain to drive away the unclean things haunting them. He had to go and welcome him!
Only after he left did Xu Rourou slowly open her eyes and let out a long sigh.
After Master Yuantong finished performing rites in the various courtyards, he saw the state Madam Li and the other two were in and learned of the strange things that had happened to them lately.
"Have you done anything wrong recently?" he asked. "You seem to have angered a deity you cannot afford to offend."
He rather regretted getting entangled in this chain of karma.
A mighty god who dared send lightning down to strike people at Golden Mountain Temple, then made them roll all the way back to the Marquis's Residence, was surely someone even Golden Mountain Temple could not afford to offend!
"Master, for the sake of my three years of sincere devotion to Buddha, please save us! We truly haven't done anything wrong! As long as you save us, you can have as much money as you want!"
Madam Li sobbed bitterly. Only a few strands of hair remained on her head. With her face now black and a white kerchief wrapped around her head, she looked utterly bizarre.
She could not understand what deity she had offended that even Golden Mountain Temple could not afford to cross.
Master Yuantong invoked the Buddha's name. "Those who have left the secular world do not speak of money!"
Xie Jin'an pulled out a stack of banknotes and pressed them into the master's hands. "Master, nothing has been going my way lately. Ever since I returned to the Marquis's Residence, I've felt as though something unseen has been targeting me..."
Master Yuantong glanced at him, then slowly lowered his gaze to what was in his hands.
He swiftly tucked the banknotes into his robes. "This old monk shall point the heir out of the maze! If the Sharira from a few days ago is on the noble infant of the Marquis's Residence, this household will surely turn calamity into good fortune and soar straight into the heavens!"
With that, he took out a talisman and gave it to them. "You must bow to it three times each day and beg this deity's forgiveness. Then you will pass safely and smoothly through this catastrophe! If anything troubles you in the future, you may bow to it then as well!"
Xie Jin'an accepted the talisman and kowtowed repeatedly in thanks!
Madam Li also felt relieved and immediately ordered someone to enshrine the talisman!
Master Yuantong turned and left the Marquis's Residence, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.
He had indeed divined some of the karmic connections just now. Apart from the lightning strike, everything else had happened because the heir and the others had offended someone.
He had drawn this talisman offhand.
And now he had sold it!
Heh!
Still, if you took someone's money, you ought to dispel their troubles.
As long as he could get Madam Li and the other two out of the Marquis's Residence, they would no longer offend that deity.
That would count as indirectly helping them avert disaster, so he had not taken those banknotes for nothing!
Having made his decision, he paid a visit to the imperial palace.
In the imperial study, the emperor listened to several ministers report on the capital's recent circumstances, the furrows between his brows deepening.
Suddenly, Master Yuantong arrived and said,
"Amitabha. This old monk has an important matter to report."
"A few days ago, coal spirits rolled all the way from Golden Mountain Temple to Jing'an Marquis Manor. There was clearly no wind at all, yet they kept rolling the entire way. After the refugees went to worship them, the rain actually stopped!"
"Now that Anyuan County has been struck by flooding, perhaps Your Majesty could seek out those three Coal Mine Spirits and send them to Anyuan County for the people to worship!"
The Great Xia Dynasty had always believed in ghosts and gods, so such supernatural beings were treated with great reverence.
As long as they benefited the Imperial Court and the people, everyone revered them from the bottom of their hearts.
Minister Liu, who knew what had happened, struggled to keep the corners of his mouth down.
"Indeed," he said. "I heard those Coal Mine Spirits rolled into Jing'an Marquis Manor. Your Majesty, why not send someone there to look for them? Even if they cannot be found, Jing'an Marquis Manor itself is an auspicious sign!"
The emperor nodded. "I have just received a memorial from the heir of Jing'an Marquis Manor, volunteering to provide disaster relief and redeem his faults through meritorious service. I also think sending him would be feasible!"
Minister Liu pressed his lips tightly together, thinking of sorrowful things.
The emperor continued, "Since that is settled, do any of you have someone to recommend for the relief mission?"
The ministers looked at one another, then finally turned toward Minister Liu.
"Lately, the Liu Minister's Residence has been distributing congee outside the city and has earned quite a good reputation. Why not..." said Lord Qian, Minister of Revenue.
"Indeed! Minister Liu has shown great righteousness and compassion in this!" said Lord Deng, Minister of War.
"If Minister Liu goes, we would all wholeheartedly approve!" Lord Wu, Minister of Justice, agreed.
Minister Liu was drenched in sweat.
"This is something my daughter and my humble wife have undertaken together. They could not bear to see the refugees displaced and their bellies gnawing with hunger.
"This old subject is advanced in years and would not steal merit from the young. Your Majesty places such trust in me, but my eldest son, Liu Ye, is preparing for his wedding and likely cannot go. My third son serves as an assistant to the deputy commissioner at the Court of Judicial Review, and these past few days he has also been running about to arrange congee distributions for the refugees!"
"What difficulty is there in that!"
The emperor interrupted him and continued, "I shall require all the court officials to send people to set up congee sheds and distribute congee together. Your third son, Liu Shi, shall receive the imperial decree and go provide disaster relief!"
Minister Liu thanked him for his grace.
The emperor added, "Your wife and daughter have shown such great compassion, preparing before the rain fell and sparing the Imperial Court a great deal of trouble. Your wife shall be granted the title of Third-Rank Imperial Lady. As for your married daughter, I shall bestow a separate reward upon her!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Minister Liu kowtowed, accepted the rewards with delight, and left.
The other ministers' eyes reddened with envy.
Why should his wife hold an imperial title, and his daughter as well!
Had they known, they would have gone to distribute congee too.
Once the imperial decree was issued.
All the great clans and noble families in the capital erupted with excitement!
Especially Jing'an Marquis Manor.
Madam Li had recuperated for several days, but her face was still black, making her look ridiculous even when she was angry.
She stormed into Liu Wan's courtyard and saw the fine imperial gifts-gold, silver, jewels, brocades, and cloth-being carried into Liu Wan's storeroom, piece by piece.
Her eyes reddened with jealousy.
Everyone in the Marquis's Residence gathered outside Liu Wan's courtyard. Having just heard the rewards announced in the imperial decree in the front courtyard, they regretted it so bitterly their guts turned green.
"Liu Wan, if you resent me for taking back your authority over the household, then hate me all you like! Why hand the credit over to outsiders for no reason? Don't you know that the Marquis's Residence is the family you married into!"
Before you continue