The poem says:
In the past, the luxurious days are now empty,
Silver screens and golden houses are mere dreams within the heart.
Only remnants remain of the yellow reeds in the evening sun,
Green grass and cold smoke envelop the old palace.
The oil in the tunnel's fish lamp is nearly gone,
The phoenix mirror on the vanity remains sealed.
Who can fully discuss the rise and fall of fortunes,
Like leisurely clouds, with the wind in their sleeves?
Han Daoguo and Wang Liu'er returned to Xie's Inn, as they had no daughters,
Struggling to get by, they asked Chen San'er for help,
And brought in Mr. He to assist.
Mr. He saw that Liu Er was no longer around, with one less rival,
And started visiting Wang Liu'er's house again, discussing with Han Daoguo:
"Your daughter, Ai Jie, is still in mourning at the mansion and cannot come out.
Once I sell off the goods and collect the debts, let's head to Huzhou as a family,
Let's not suffer here anymore."
Han Daoguo said, "It's great that you're willing to help."
After selling the goods and collecting the debts, they hired a boat
And went to Huzhou together with Wang Liu'er.
Han Aijie and Ge Cuiping were mourning at the mansion,
The two sisters leaned on each other, sharing a close bond,
They spent their days playing with Chunmei.
Jin Ge is now six years old, Sun Erniang gave birth to Yu Jie ten years older than her,
The two children played together, and life was quite peaceful.
Since Chen Jingji died, the commander returned to the battlefield,
Chunmei lived a life of luxury by day,
But at night, sleeping alone, she felt empty inside, lonely and unbearable.
She saw Li An as a hero, but after he killed Zhang Sheng, he became extra cautious on patrol.
One winter day, Li An was sleeping in the guardroom when someone suddenly knocked on the back door. He asked, "Who is it?" He heard someone shout, "Open the door!" Li An hurriedly opened the door, and a person rushed in and hid in the shadows. Li An recognized her as his foster mother, Jin Kui. Li An said, "Foster mother, what brings you here so late?" Jin Kui said, "I didn't come by myself; it was Grandma who sent me." Li An asked, "What did Grandma want you to do?" Jin Kui smiled and said, "Guess what? I came to check if you were asleep and to bring you something." She took a package of clothes from her back, "Here, there are also a few women's clothes for your mother. A few days ago, you helped escort the master's luggage and saved Grandma's life; otherwise, she would have been killed by Zhang Sheng." After leaving the clothes, she took a few steps, then turned back and said, "There is one more important thing." She took out a large ingot of fifty taels and gave it to Li An, then left.
Li An felt very conflicted that night. The next morning, he took the clothes back home to his mother. His mother asked, "Where did these things come from?" Li An recounted what happened the night before. His mother burst into tears upon hearing it, "Back then, Zhang Sheng was beaten to death for doing bad things. What does it mean that he’s giving you things now? I'm over sixty now, and ever since your father passed away, I've been relying on you. What am I supposed to do if something happens to you? Don't go tomorrow!" Li An said, "I won't go, but if he sends someone to call me, how should I respond?" His mother said, "Say you have a cold." Li An said, "I can't just not go; will the master be angry?" His mother said, "Go stay with your uncle, stay in Shandong with Uncle Li Gui for a few months, and see how things go." Li An was very filial, so he listened to his mother's words, packed his bags, and went to Qingzhou to stay with his uncle Li Gui. When Chunmei noticed Li An wasn't coming, she sent servants to call him several times. His mother initially said that a family member was sick, but later, when someone came to check, she said he had gone back to his hometown to raise some money. Chunmei was very angry.
Time passed quickly, and before you know it, it was the end of the twelfth lunar month and the beginning of the first lunar month. General Zhou had been stationed in Dongchang for a long time with thirteen thousand troops. He sent his relative Zhou Zhong back home to deliver a message, asking for Chunmei, Sun Erniang, Jin Ge, Yu Jie, and the children to come over. Only Zhou Zhong stayed behind: "Go to Dongzhuang and ask your second uncle to look after the house." It turned out that General Zhou had a younger cousin named Zhou Xuan living in the village. Zhou Zhong stayed in the prefecture with Zhou Xuan, Ge Cuiping, and Han Aijie to look after the house. General Ren escorted the vehicles and troops to Dongchang. This separation, who knows when they will be able to return.
Thieves from all directions gather like Tunfeng, and the flames of war turn the sky red. When the general is angry, the world is at peace, and the stench of blood is swept away by the winds of the barbarians. Public duties have long forgotten personal wishes, and I devote my life to the country without even realizing it. Suppressing the sun with golden swords, the unicorn map depicts the achievements. The autumn wind rages outside Yanmen Pass, the iron armor is spread out under the cold moon. After twenty years of hard work, the soldiers now have hair as white as snow.
The emperor clearly sees the thousands of miles ahead, and after several hardships, he receives the emperor's decree. With a golden seal hanging from his elbow, as big as a bowl, he does not disgrace his majestic seven-foot body. One day, Zhou Ren arrived in Dongchang with his family and vehicles. General Zhou was very happy to see that Chunmei, Sun Erniang, Jin Ge, Yu Jie, and the maidservants had all arrived safely, so he settled them down in the back hall of the prefecture. Zhou Ren explained that he had invited his second uncle from Dongzhuang to help Zhou Zhong look after the house. General Zhou asked, "Why bring him up?" Chunmei replied, "Because he caught Zhang Sheng, I rewarded him with two pieces of clothing for his mother to wear. While on patrol at night, he snuck into the back hall and stole fifty taels of silver that the second uncle had collected. We sent people to call him several times, but he claimed to be sick. Later, when we sent people again, he had already fled back to his hometown in Qingzhou." General Zhou said, "I see now that he is such an ungrateful person! I'll send someone to catch him soon." Chunmei did not mention Han Aijie's matter.
A few days later, Chunmei saw that the Commandant was very busy handling military and state affairs every day, with no time to eat, let alone attend to personal matters. She fell in love with the Commandant's family servant, Zhou Yi, who was nineteen years old and handsome. The two of them had a secret affair, playing chess and drinking together every day while keeping it a secret from the Commandant. One day, the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty. The Emperor of the Jin Dynasty ascended the throne, and the Jin army launched a massive invasion southward, invading the Central Plains from two directions. The Grand Marshal Zhan Meihel led a hundred thousand troops to attack the capital from the Jinxing Road in Taiyuan Prefecture, Shanxi; Deputy Commander Woli advanced toward Gaoyang Pass from Tanzhou. The border defenses crumbled, and the Minister of War Li Gang and the famous general Zhong Shidao quickly mobilized troops from six different regions—Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Guandong, and Shaanxi—to defend against the Jin army. At that time, Liu Yanqing led the Yansui army in Shaanxi, Wang Bing led the Fenjiang army in Guandong, Wang Huan led the Weibo army in Hebei, Xin Xingzong led the Zhangde army in Henan, Yang Weizhong led the Zelu army in Shanxi, and Zhou Xiu led the Qingyan army in Shandong. Commandant Zhou discovered that the Jin army was invading the border. The Ministry of War sent urgent dispatches like wildfire, and he immediately set out with his troops, fully armed, traveling day and night. When the scouts arrived at Gaoyang Pass, the Jin army had already stormed through the pass, slaughtering countless soldiers and horses. It was early May, with blinding sandstorms. Commandant Zhou led the troops in pursuit, only to be surrounded by the Jin army, shot in the throat by an arrow, and killed on the spot. The Jin army tried to take away Zhou's body with a rope, but our soldiers fought fiercely to reclaim it. The Jin army then retreated, resulting in heavy casualties for our side. Unfortunately, Commandant Zhou died in battle at the age of forty-seven. It is said: "He was a loyal general to his family and country, his blood staining the sands, indifferent to wisdom or folly." The ancients lamented and composed a poem: "The outcome of battles cannot be predicted, one must be prepared for danger in times of safety. Before achieving victory, the commander has already perished, as the setting sun casts its shadow over the river, evoking deep sorrow."
Governor Zhang Shuye saw that Commander Zhou had died in battle, so he quickly sounded the retreat signal and counted the casualties. The troops returned to Dongchang with Commander Zhou's body. Chunmei's family was overcome with grief, wailing loudly, laying Commander Zhou to rest, and handing over the military tokens. Later, Chunmei's family sent the coffin back to Qinghe County, but that's a story for another time.
After Chunmei left, Gecui Ping and Han Aijie lived a devoted life at home. In late spring and early summer, the weather was clear, the scenery was beautiful, and the days were long. The sisters slowly walked in the courtyard and arrived at the flower pavilion in the west academy. Seeing the flowers in full bloom and hearing the birds sing, they couldn't help but feel sad. Gecui Ping was sad but calm, while Han Aijie kept missing Chen Jingji, lost in thoughts of him, tears streaming down her face. Just as the sisters were feeling sad, Zhou Xuan came to comfort them: "Sisters, don't be too sad, you need to be strong. I recently had some bad dreams, dreaming that the bow on the flagpole broke; I don't know if it's good or bad?" Han Aijie said, "I'm afraid something happened on our master's side." Just as they hesitated, their family member Zhou Ren rushed in wearing mourning clothes, saying, "Something big happened! Our master died in battle at the border on the seventh day of May! The funeral procession for our master and the second mistress has already arrived!" Zhou Xuan hurriedly tidied up the living room, arranged the coffin, prepared the offerings, and the entire family wept as they held a seven-day memorial service with monks and priests chanting scriptures for salvation. Jin Ge and Yu Jie also wore mourning clothes to offer condolences, and guests kept coming to pay their respects. They set a date for the burial, and Commander Zhou was laid to rest in the family plot.
Zhou Xuan took his six-year-old son, Jin Ge, to the court to request a funeral and to inherit the family estate. The court approved the request, and the Ministry of War responded: the deceased commander Zhou Xiu, who sacrificed himself for the country, was loyal and brave, so officials were sent to offer sacrifices, posthumously conferring the title of commander upon him. His son would be cared for according to tradition and could inherit the family estate.
While Chunmei was resting at home, she became even more indulgent in her desires, often keeping Zhou Yi in the boudoir all day, indulging in her pleasures. She pursued pleasure day and night, indulging excessively, and eventually contracted tuberculosis. She took medicine every day, reduced her food intake, became weak in spirit, and her body became emaciated, yet she was still immersed in sensual pleasures. One day, on her birthday, during the scorching heat of June, she slept in very late in the morning. Unexpectedly, after having intercourse with Zhou Yi in bed, she suddenly felt a cold sensation in her nose and mouth, with fluids spilling everywhere. She gasped in despair and died on Zhou Yi, at the young age of twenty-nine. Zhou Yi was terrified upon seeing Chunmei dead and secretly stole some gold and silver valuables from the chest before fleeing. The maids and the wet nurse dared not hide the truth and informed Zhou Xuan of the incident. Zhou Xuan locked up the family member Zhou Zhong and sent people to pursue Zhou Yi. Fortunately, Zhou Yi had just arrived at his mistress's house to seek shelter and was caught. After learning the truth, Zhou Xuan, worried that this would come to light and jeopardize Jin Ge's future inheritance of an official title, dragged him to the front hall and, without a second thought, beat him to death with forty strokes. Jin Ge and Sun Erniang witnessed the entire scene. Afterwards, Zhou Xuan buried Chunmei in the family tomb, alongside Commander Zhou. The two maids, Haitang, and Yuegui were dismissed to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Only Ge Cuiping and Han Aijie, despite repeated pleas to leave, steadfastly refused.
One day, the Jin army broke through the capital, Dongjing Bianliang, and the retired emperor and the Jingkang Emperor were captured and taken to the north. The Central Plains were leaderless and in chaos, with continuous warfare and ordinary people fleeing. The common people suffered greatly, with homes shattered and families torn apart. The Jin army had reached Shandong, and the ordinary people scattered in despair, crying out as they were separated from their families. Ge Cuiping was taken away by her family, all fleeing for their lives. Only Han Aijie remained, utterly alone and with nowhere to turn. She packed a few simple belongings, wearing her tattered clothes, left Qinghe County, and headed to Linqing to find her parents. When she reached the Xie family’s shop in Linqing, the shop was shuttered, and the owner had already fled. To her surprise, she ran into Chen San'er, who informed her, "Your parents went with Master He to Huzhou in Jiangnan last year."
Han Aijie carried her yueqin all the way, singing a little tune, looking for her parents. She alternated between hunger and fullness along the way, sleeping at night and traveling during the day, rushed around like a lost dog, frantic like a fish out of water. Her shoes were small, exposed to the elements along the way. After walking for several days, she arrived in Xuzhou. It was getting late, so she decided to stay in a small village. An old lady in her seventies was cooking rice over the fire. Han Aijie walked up to her, bowed, and said, "I come from Qinghe County. Due to the war, I am going to Jiangnan to seek relatives. It is already late, and I would like to stay at your house for one night. I will leave tomorrow, and the accommodation fee will not be less for you." The old lady saw that this woman was not your typical poor person, graceful and striking, so she said, "Since you want to stay, please take a seat on the kang and wait for me to cook. A few river workers will come to eat soon." The old lady was cooking on the earthen kang, quickly prepared a big pot of brown rice and slicing up two big plates of lettuce, sprinkling salt on top. Several unkempt men in ragged clothes, their feet covered in mud, came in and put down their tools, and they asked, "Hey, old lady, is the food ready?" The old lady said, "Help yourselves."
Everyone started eating their own meals. At this moment, a man around forty-four or forty-five years old, with a reddish-purple face and yellowing hair, walked up to the elderly woman and asked, "What’s your surname, ma’am?" The elderly woman replied, "This lady is from Qinghe County, heading to Jiangnan to find her parents. It's getting late, so she's staying here for the night." The man then asked, "Aren’t you my niece, Han Aijie?" Han Aijie said, "You do look like my uncle Han Er." The two hugged each other and cried. Then the man asked, "Where are your parents? How did you end up here from Beijing?" Han Aijie told him everything that had happened, without leaving anything out. "I married a man from the Prefectural Office, and after my husband passed away, I have been a widow ever since. My parents followed He Guanren to Huzhou. I wanted to find them, but the road was too chaotic, and no one could take me. I had to beg to survive, unexpectedly meeting my uncle here." Han Er said, "Since your parents went to Beijing, I haven't had much income, sold the house, and worked as a boatman here, just to have food to eat every day. In that case, I’ll go with you to Huzhou to look for your parents." Han Aijie said, "It would be great if my uncle could come with me!" Han Er also served himself a bowl of rice and ate with Han Aijie. Han Aijie took a bite and realized it was coarse rice, and she struggled to swallow it, so she stopped after eating only half. That night, everyone settled down to rest.
The next morning, the scholars all left. Han Er paid the rent to his mother-in-law, took his sister Han Aijie with him, and set off on the road to Jiangnan. Han Aijie was delicate to begin with, and her shoes were too small. She only carried some jewelry and a comb, which served as her means for the journey. They arrived in Huai'an, boarded a boat, and sailed towards Huzhou in Jiangnan. It was not a journey that could be completed in one or two days. They finally found He Guanren's home in Huzhou and were reunited with his parents. To their surprise, they learned that He Guanren had passed away, and there was no wife or children in the family, only Wang Luer, with a six-year-old daughter and a few acres of farmland. Not long after, Han Aijie's father, Han Daoguo, also passed away. Wang Luer and Han Er were already acquainted, so they became husband and wife, farming together and living a simple life. There were some wealthy young men in Huzhou who saw Han Aijie's beauty and came to propose marriage. Han Er repeatedly advised her to marry, but Han Aijie cut off her hair and blinded herself, became a nun, and vowed never to marry again. Later, she died at the age of thirty-one.
Han Er and Wang Luer became husband and wife, inheriting He Guanren's family business and land.
After the Jin army captured Dongchang Prefecture, they quickly approached Qinghe County. Officials fled, the city gates were closed, the people scattered, fathers and sons separated, and there were refugees everywhere. Thick smoke filled the air, yellow sand obscured the sky, bandits and thieves killed each other, various forces fought endlessly, flags were everywhere, cries shook the heavens and the earth, the Jin army swarmed like ants and bees, with weapons and dead bodies strewn everywhere, households closed their doors and windows, most houses stood empty, and there was no trace of the past.
Indeed, how many palace maids weep into their red sleeves while princes stroll in their white robes.
Wu Yueniang saw the Jin soldiers were coming, and every household closed their doors and fled. She also gathered some gold, silver, and jewels to carry with her. Since her uncle Wu Dajiu had already passed away, she took Wu Sanjiu, Dai An, Xiao Yu, and the fifteen-year-old Xiaoge, locked up their home, and prepared to head to Jinan to seek refuge with Yun Lishou. They were fleeing the chaos of war and hoping to arrange a marriage for Xiaoge. Along the way, there were crowds of panicked people fleeing in all directions, each person filled with terror. Poor Wu Yueniang, wearing plain clothes, along with Wu Sanjiu, Dai An, Xiao Yu, and Xiaoge, mingled with the crowd and made their way through the city gates and into the outskirts, continuing their escape.
Walking to a crossroads, they met a monk dressed in a purple-brown robe, holding a nine-ringed staff in his hand, wearing straw sandals, and carrying a cloth bag on his shoulder filled with scriptures. He hurried forward to greet Mrs. Wu and shouted loudly, "Mrs. Wu, where are you going? You still owe me a disciple!" Startled, she asked, "Master, what kind of disciple do you want me to be?" The monk replied, "Madam, don't pretend you don't remember. Do you remember ten years ago, on the eastern peak of Mount Tai, when Yin Tianxi chased you to my snow cave for shelter? I am the old monk you stayed with in that snow cave, with the Dharma name of Pu Jing. You promised to be my disciple; why haven't you fulfilled it?" Wu San's uncle said, "Master, you are a monk, how can you ask this of her? Now there is chaos everywhere, everyone is fleeing for their lives, she still has children and will have to continue the family line; how can she become a nun?" The monk said, "You really won't let me take her away?" Wu San's uncle replied, "Master, stop talking; it will delay our escape. The Jin army may be coming after us soon; we can't afford to delay for a moment." The monk said, "Since you won't give me a disciple, and it's already late, you won't be able to get away. The Jin army isn't likely to come here, so you might as well stay at the temple for the night and head out tomorrow." Mrs. Wu asked, "Master, which temple is it?" The monk pointed to the side of the road and said, "That one." The monk led them to Yongfu Temple. Mrs. Wu recognized it from her previous visit.
When they arrived at the temple, most of the monks had already left, leaving only a few monks meditating in the back. A glass lamp was lit in front of the Buddha, and incense was still burning in the censer. It was already late in the evening. That night, Wu Yueniang, Uncle Wu, Dai An, Xiaoyu, and Xiaoge stayed in the room of the abbot of the temple. The little monk arranged some food for them to eat. Master Pu Jing was meditating and chanting in the Zen hall. Wu Yueniang, Xiaoge, and Xiaoyu slept on the bed, while Uncle Wu and Dai An slept together. Everyone was tired and quickly fell asleep, except Xiaoyu, who got up to peek through the door crack to watch Master Pu Jing chanting. Around midnight, a chill wind swept through, the moonlight was hazy, and all was silent. The light in front of the Buddha was dim and unclear. Master Pu Jing saw the chaos and suffering of the world, countless people dying and injured, with compassion in his heart. He then chanted scriptures to guide the departed souls and resolve grievances. After chanting the forgiveness sutra dozens of times, a chill wind swept through. Dozens of people with burnt faces, dirty and disheveled, some missing limbs, some with open wounds in their chests, some headless and limping, some wearing shackles, all gathered to listen to the master's chanting, standing on either side. The master said, "You beings, caught in an endless cycle of vengeance, when will you ever be free? Listen carefully to my words and go with the flow. A verse says:
I urge you not to hold grudges, for deep grudges are hard to resolve. A grudge formed in a day takes a thousand days to unravel.
If you want to resolve a grudge, it's like pouring hot water on snow. I see those who hold grudges, all suffering from their own grudges.
Today, I confess and repent; each of you should come to understand your true nature. Reflect on your true heart, and your grievances will naturally be resolved.
After the monk finished chanting, he said, "By the merit of these scriptures, your sins can be absolved. Go and be reborn, and do not hold grudges again!"
Those ghosts all expressed their gratitude to him and then left. Xiao Yu glanced secretly, not recognizing a single one. After a while, a tall man walked in, standing a towering seven feet tall and quite burly, wearing full armor with an arrow lodged in his chest. He introduced himself as "Commander Zhou Xiu, who died fighting the enemy, now, by the mage's grace, destined to be reborn in Tokyo as the second son of Shen Jing, named Shen Shoushan." Before he could finish, another figure entered, dressed in neat and tidy attire, claiming to be Ximen Qing, a prosperous merchant from Qinghe County. "I drowned, and now, by the mage's grace, I am destined to be reborn in Tokyo as Shen Tong's second son, Shen Yue." Xiao Yu recognized him as her father and was too frightened to utter a word.
Then another person came in, carrying his own head, covered in blood, saying he was Chen Jingji, "I was murdered by my enemy, Zhang Sheng, thanks to the monk’s scriptures; I want to go to the capital to be born as the son of the Wang family." Then another woman came in, also carrying her own head, bloodied on her chest; she said, "I am Li Guilan, the wife of Huazi Xu and a concubine of Ximen Qing. I was killed by my enemy, Wu Song, thanks to the monk’s merits; I want to be reborn as a daughter in the Li family in the capital." Next came a short man, with a dark purple face, who identified himself as Wu Zhi, "I was instigated by Wang Po to poison and kill Pan Jinlian, thanks to the monk’s merits; I want to be born as a son in the Fan family in the countryside of Xuzhou." Then came a woman with a wax-yellow face, covered in blood; she said, "My name is Li Guilan, I am the wife of Huazi Xu, the concubine of Ximen Qing, and I died of hemorrhage. Thanks to the monk’s merits, I want to be reborn as a daughter in the Yuan family in the capital." Next was a man, who claimed to be Huazi Xu, "I was angered to death by my wife, thanks to the monk’s merits; I want to be born as a son in the Zheng Qianhu family in the capital." Then came a woman, with a rope around her neck, saying she was Song Shi, the wife of Ximen Qing’s servant, Laiwang, "I tragically hanged myself, thanks to the monk’s merits; I want to be born as a daughter in the Zhu family outside the capital." Next was a woman with a wax-yellow face, saying she was Pang Chunmei, the wife of Zhou Tongzhi, "I died of tuberculosis, thanks to the monk’s merits; I want to be born as a daughter in the Kong family outside the capital." Then came a man who was bare-chested, disheveled, and covered in scars, saying he was Zhang Sheng, who was beaten to death, "Thanks to the monk’s merits, I want to be born as a son in the Gao family of the poor in Daxingwei outside the capital." Then came a woman with a rope around her neck, saying she was Sun Xue'e, the concubine of Ximen Qing, who tragically hanged herself, "Thanks to the monk’s merits, I want to be born as a daughter in the Yao family of the poor outside the capital." Then came a young girl, with a rope around her neck, who introduced herself as "Ximen Qing’s daughter, Chen Jingji’s wife, and Ximen’s eldest sister; unfortunately, I also hanged myself, thanks to the monk’s merits; I want to go outside the capital to be the daughter of the servant Zhong Gui." Then came a young boy, who identified himself as Zhou Yi, "I was beaten to death as well, thanks to the monk’s merits; I want to be born as a son in the Gao family outside the capital, named Gao Liuzhu." After saying these things, they all disappeared. Xiaoyu trembled in fear. It turned out that the monk was merely conversing with these ghosts.
Xiao Yu was about to go back to the bed to tell Wu Yueniang, but found that Yueniang was sleeping soundly. Wu Yueniang, accompanied by Wu's second uncle and other family members, carrying a hundred Hu beads and a jade necklace, went to Jinan Prefecture to seek refuge with her in-laws, Yun Lishou. They arrived at Jinan Prefecture and found Yun Canjiang's military camp, and reported their arrival. Yun Canjiang was very happy to hear that Yueniang had come to seek refuge with him. After exchanging pleasantries, they learned that Yun Canjiang's wife had recently passed away, so he invited his neighbor, Wang Po, to keep Yueniang company. A lavish banquet was prepared in the back hall to host Yueniang, while Wu's second uncle and Daian were entertained elsewhere. When discussing seeking refuge with relatives, Yueniang presented the Hu beads and jade necklace to Yun Lishou as a gesture of goodwill. Yun Lishou accepted them, but did not bring up the topic of refuge. At night, Yun Lishou asked Wang Po to accompany Yueniang to rest. Wang Po, following Yun Lishou's lead, cautiously probed Yueniang's intentions and said, "Though Yun Lishou is a military officer, he is also a scholar. He has been paying attention to you since your husband passed away. He has been living alone since his wife's death. Now he guards this mountain city. Though his rank may be modest, he wields significant power over the army and the people, holding the authority of life and death. If you don't mind and are open to marrying him, you could enjoy a better life from then on, and your son can also find a good family. When peace returns to the world, you can always come back home." Yueniang was taken aback and left speechless for a moment after hearing this. Wang Po told Yun Lishou everything that had been said.
The next evening, Yun Li hosted a banquet in the back hall to entertain Lady Yue. Lady Yue only knew that he had come to arrange the marriage for Xiaoge, so she quickly sat down at the table. Yun Li said, "Sis, you don’t know, although I’m in the mountain city, I manage a lot of people and resources, have plenty of money, clothes, and jewelry, but I lack a mistress. I’ve always thought of you, like someone dying of thirst longs for water, or a hot person yearns for coolness. I didn’t expect you to come today; this is a match made in heaven. We are a perfect pair, and we can be happy together for a lifetime. What’s wrong with that?" Lady Yue, furious, retorted, "Yun Li, you are truly a monster in human form! My husband has treated you well, and you dare to say such vulgar words!" Yun Li walked up with a smile, embraced Lady Yue, and pleaded, "Madam, why did you come to me? Since ancient times, it’s easy to do business when customers come to your door. I don’t know what it is, but the moment I saw you, I was spellbound. Anyway, let’s get married." With that, he took some wine and drank with Lady Yue. Lady Yue said, "I need to see my brother first and speak with him." Yun Li smiled and said, "I’ve already killed your brother and Da'an." He immediately ordered his men, "Bring that thing here for Madam to see." Soon after, in the light, they brought in the bloody heads of Wu Erjie and Da'an. Lady Yue went pale with fear and collapsed to the ground, crying. Yun Li stepped forward and lifted her up, saying, "Madam, don’t be sad. Your brother is dead; you should be my wife. I’m a general; I won’t treat you badly." Lady Yue thought, "This scoundrel killed my brother and family; if I don’t comply, I might not survive." So she endured the pain and said, "You have to agree to my terms before I’ll marry you." Yun Li said, "I agree to any conditions." Lady Yue said, "Let my son marry your daughter first, then I will marry you." Yun Li said, "No problem." He immediately called for Miss Yun, and Xiaoge got married, shared a cup of union, officially becoming husband and wife. Then Yun Li forced Lady Yue to share his bed. Lady Yue resisted firmly, and Yun Li became furious and shouted, "You lying witch! You tricked me into marrying your son, and you dare say I can’t kill him?" He grabbed the sword from the bedside and stabbed it down, blood splattering several feet away.
A three-foot-long sharp knife rests against the neck, soaking the ground with fresh blood. Lady Yuexiang had a nightmare, dreaming that Xiaoge'er had died; terrified and sweating cold, she exclaimed, "How strange!" Xiaoyu replied that she hadn’t slept, having seen monks conversing with ghosts through the crack in the door all night. She mentioned that her father, fifth sister, sixth sister, Chen Jiefu, Zhou Shoubei, Sun Xue'e, Laiwang's wife, and eldest sister all came and then left. Lady Yuexiang explained that those people were buried behind the temple. When it was quiet at night, the spirits of the wronged dead would naturally appear!
As dawn broke, Lady Yuexiang freshened up and made her way to the Zen hall to pay her respects to Buddha. Master Pujing suddenly called out, "Madam Wu, have you attained enlightenment?" Lady Yuexiang knelt down and said she had already awakened in her dream. The master replied that since she had attained enlightenment, there was no need for attachment anymore. It's not a bad thing for her son to become a monk, so that the whole family won't die. This child was destined to meet her, all thanks to her accumulation of virtue and good deeds. Otherwise, they would have been separated long ago. Initially, her husband Ximen Qing committed numerous wrongdoings. This child was reincarnated into her family, originally destined to squander Ximen Qing's wealth and face execution before death. Now, she has guided him to become a monk. "A son becomes a monk, nine generations ascend to heaven," her husband's sins can also be offset, and she can be reborn.
The master took Lady Yuexiang into the room, only to see Xiaoge'er still sleeping. The master tapped Xiaoge'er with his Zen staff, and Xiaoge'er transformed into Ximen Qing, shackled in wooden stocks! The master tapped again, and Xiaoge'er turned back. Lady Yuexiang wept as she realized that Xiaoge'er was the reincarnation of Ximen Qing.
Xiao Ge woke up, and Yue Niang asked him why he had chosen to become a monk. He was ordained before the Buddha. Yue Niang hugged her son and cried bitterly. After raising her son with great difficulty, he was now fifteen and had decided to become a monk. Uncle Wu Er, Xiaoyu, and Daian were also heartbroken. Master Pu Jing bestowed upon Xiao Ge the Dharma name "Mingwu," and then prepared to leave, telling Yue Niang not to wait any longer, as the Jin army would soon retreat and peace would return to the world, allowing them to go home. Yue Niang sobbed and asked the master when she would see her son again. The master replied, "Don't cry; another master is approaching!" After he spoke, he transformed into a gust of wind and vanished. The poem reads: "The dust of the three descents is unknown to the world, flying over the Daedong Peak suddenly." Master Pu Jing left, and Yue Niang and the others stayed at Yongfu Temple for ten days. As expected, Zhang Bangchang proclaimed himself emperor in the Eastern Capital, Huizong and Qinzong were captured, and Kang Wang ascended the throne in Jiankang, becoming Emperor Gaozong. Zongze was appointed as a great general and recaptured Shandong and Hebei. The world was split into two dynasties, but peace ultimately prevailed. Upon returning home, Yue Niang discovered that her family assets were intact. She renamed Daian to Ximen Qing and took over the family business, becoming known as "Young Master Ximen," dutifully supporting Yue Niang until she passed away at the age of seventy. This was all a result of her lifelong good deeds. The poem goes: "Reflecting on the lost writings, who knows the cycles of heaven’s justice? Ximen's arrogance is hard to pass on, Jing Ji's madness is doomed to be destroyed. Lou Yue is kind and has a long life, Ping Mei's debauchery returns early to the spring. How strange that Jinlian faced such evil retribution, leaving a foul legacy for a thousand years as a cautionary tale."
