Monk Yuanzhen pressed his palms together, let out a helpless sigh, and looked toward the young woman in the hall who was currently slapping the desk and arguing with the fortune-telling monk. He lowered his voice.
“This female benefactor's surname is Jiang, given name Lai. She is the youngest daughter of the Jiang family.
The Jiang family is one of the Eight Great Families of Grand Shuo, holding considerable influence across this grassland.
Not long ago, the Jiang family just became betrothed to Prince Xiao's son.
Today, Benefactor Jiang came to the temple to draw a fortune slip regarding her marriage.
Other women come here hoping for a fortune slip of supreme good luck.
She, on the other hand, insists on drawing the worst possible fortune slip.
Presumably, it is because she failed to draw an ill-omened slip that she began making a scene.”
Chen Zui nodded slightly.
He knew a fair bit about the origins of these prominent families and noble houses in Grand Shuo.
Hundreds of years ago, the realm was divided among three powers.
Grand Chu, Grand Zhao, and Grand Yu stood side by side.
Grand Chu possessed the greatest national power and sharpest edge, yet was ultimately destroyed by the combined forces of Grand Zhao and Grand Yu.
After Grand Chu was overthrown, hundreds of thousands of refugees were driven into Grand Yu's territory under Grand Zhao's scheming.
The royal court of Grand Yu originally thought they could absorb these refugees for their own use, but underestimated the refugees' deep attachment to their fallen homeland.
Decades later, rebellions broke out across Grand Yu, which were ultimately suppressed by the Xiao family, who then established the present-day Grand Shuo Dynasty.
To prevent the remnants of Grand Chu from rising again, Grand Shuo vigorously promoted Buddhism, using a shared faith to bridge the ethnic divide.
However, the exiled Grand Chu aristocrats and noble families of that era were, after all, well-read and experienced. Relying on their deep heritage and shrewd tactics, they rose in power during the great war between the two dynasties over thirty years ago.
Because of this, they secured a firm foothold in modern Grand Shuo, attaining pivotal positions.
Today, the Eight Great Families stand as equal rivals to the Golden Tent Royal Court.
Although these families nominally submit to the Royal Court, in truth each holds its own territory and raises its own private army.
Even the Royal Court must accord them a measure of respect.
Compared to external threats like Grand Zhao, Grand Shuo's internal troubles were far more deadly.
And the Jiang family before him was precisely one branch of those Grand Chu refugees.
Without even thinking, one could tell that the marriage between that kid Xiao Chengyan and Jiang Lai was by no means a simple matter of romance.
The Xiao family was the royal line of Grand Shuo, while the Jiang family was one of the Eight Great Families; the political implications behind an alliance between these two were self-evident.
But Chen Zui had always lacked interest in such court politics and schemes.
He was more curious about another matter.
“Master, that Xiao Chengyan is a royal Prince after all, holding a noble status. Why is this Miss Jiang so unwilling?”
Hearing this, Yuanzhen's face grew slightly awkward. He chanted a Buddhist epithet before speaking.
“Amitābha.
To be honest with Benefactor Chen, one cannot blame Benefactor Jiang for her reluctance.
It is simply that Prince Xiao's reputation... is truly far from glorious.
Word has it that he is incorrigibly debauched and utterly devoid of ambition, spending his days indulging in wine and women. His reputation is abysmal.
Forcing Benefactor Jiang to marry such a man is indeed making things difficult for her.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Zui frowned slightly, but after a moment's thought, he understood the key behind it.
Traveling through Grand Shuo over the past year, he had heard bits and pieces of news.
The Emperor of Grand Shuo had no sons, and the Xiao family's bloodline was thin. Barring any accidents, Xiao Chengyan—as Prince Xiao's only son—was very likely the future heir to the throne.
If a prince destined to inherit the throne displayed cleverness, competence, and grand ambitions, how would the Eight Great Families view him?
Therefore, the more Xiao Chengyan acted like a hopeless useless bum, the less those who wanted him dead would take him seriously.
This was likely the Xiao royal family's way of hiding their light under a bushel and biding their time.
Right then, from the other end of the main hall,
Jiang Lai slammed the fortune slip onto the desk, placed her hands on her hips, and declared loudly, as if she had suddenly grasped a monumental truth:
“It must be that today is unsuitable for fortune-telling!
I will draw again tomorrow, and I will definitely get a bottom-grade fortune slip!
When that time comes, I'll slap that bottom-grade slip right in front of my father's face and see what else he has to say!
Break off the engagement! He must annul this marriage!”
The more she spoke, the more brilliant she felt her idea was. Raising her chin slightly, she looked around the room, her gaze finally landing on the smiling Buddha statue with lowered eyes in the center of the hall, and pointed at it.
“It's decided! I'm staying overnight at Guang'en Temple tonight, and tomorrow morning I'll be the very first to draw a fortune slip. No one better try to race me for it!”
At her words, the fortune-telling monk nearly dropped the fortune tube in his hand. Hurriedly stepping out from behind the desk, he waved his hands repeatedly.
“Female Benefactor, this... this cannot be!
Our temple is a sacred Buddhist sanctuary and never hosts female benefactors overnight. Little monk would not dare break the rules on his own authority...”
Before he could finish, Jiang Lai whirled around, her silver bells jingling crisp and loud. Her almond eyes widened as she pointed a finger at him.
“Aha!
Doesn't your Buddhist Order always say that all living beings are equal?
Even birds and beasts can take shelter from the rain in a temple, so why can't women?
Is the distinction between man and woman not a distinction among living beings?
Explain yourself clearly today!
Is it that in your Buddhist Order's equality of all beings, you deliberately leave women out?”
The fortune-telling monk was choked red in the face by her sharp and accusatory barrage, his mouth working open and shut without a single coherent sentence coming out.
Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. As his eyes darted randomly about the hall, he happened to catch sight of Monk Yuanzhen standing outside the hall doors, feeling as if he had just been granted a grand pardon.
He rushed over in a few quick steps, pressed his palms together to bow, his voice filled with pleading.
“Martial Uncle Yuanzhen, look at this... what should we do?”
Yuanzhen pressed his palms together and remained silent for a long moment.
He felt helpless inside, but could not show it on his face. After all, this young daughter of the Jiang family was the apple of the eye of one of Grand Shuo's Eight Great Families. Even if the temple's abbot were here, he would have to accord her some respect.
He pondered for a moment before nodding helplessly and instructing the junior monk:
“Go clean two meditation rooms—one for Benefactor Jiang to rest in, and one for these two distinguished guests who have come from afar.”
Relieved as though a heavy burden had been lifted, the fortune-telling monk hastily complied and withdrew.
Hearing this, Jiang Lai finally reined in her aggressive posture from earlier, patted the dust off her hands, nodded in satisfaction, and said with a smile:
“You old monk are sensible after all.”
She glinted sideways at the fortune-telling monk who was fleeing in panic, humphing once before turning to walk out of the hall.
As she passed by Yuanzhen's side, her gaze casually swept across the two young men standing behind him.
The one on the left was wrapped in a dingy, tattered padded jacket with a rusty iron strip hanging at his waist, poking his head out to peer into the main hall, his eyes darting around slyly—a complete martial world hooligan.
The one on the right wore a faded green robe topped with a sheepskin vest, a sword hanging at his waist. Although his scabbard was somewhat cleaner than the one on the left, it was clearly cheap goods at first glance.
The two of them combined couldn't scrape together a single decent piece of clothing.
Jiang Lai's brows knit together. She pointed a finger at the two of them, turning her gaze toward Yuanzhen, her voice filled with utter disdain.
“These are the distinguished guests of your Guang'en Temple?
So filthy?
Old monk, remember to arrange their meditation room far away from mine.
The farther, the better.”
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