Chapter 175: Meeting a Beautiful Lady at the Buddha Mother’s Gathering

The first and fifteenth days of each month have always been market days for farmers from the surrounding areas. On these days, people would wait outside the city gates early in the morning, while young women in the city would also rise early to go to the market to buy fresh vegetables, cosmetics, and other items. If the weather was favorable, there would also be performers and acrobats at the market to entertain the children. However, on the fifteenth day of October, many people left the city and flocked to Wangjiazhuang, about ten miles east of the city, to see the famous Buddha Mother.

“The Buddha Mother is said to be the reincarnation of a bodhisattva, with a heart as kind as that of a bodhisattva. Many people in these areas have received her blessings.”
“I heard that even the abbesses of several nunnery temples in Qingzhou Prefecture hold her in high esteem.”
“The Buddha Mother is born with supernatural powers. It is said that if a child can receive her blessing by having her touch their head, they will be free from illness for life.”

The platform used for performances in Wangjiazhuang had long been cleaned thoroughly, and the large threshing ground was now packed with people. As the crowd grew larger, the chatter around them grew louder, with even more miraculous stories being told. Although the weather was extremely cold, excitement made many people sweat profusely.

There were men and women in the crowd, and at the front were several small green palanquins, likely belonging to the women. The Buddha Mother’s sermons always attracted countless listeners, including those from wealthy families, so such scenes were common and did not arouse surprise.

In front of one of the palanquins, which looked no different from the others, a young and handsome servant stood by it, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd. His face showed no signs of devotion, instead revealing a hint of mockery. After looking around for a while, he leaned close to the palanquin window and whispered, “Miss, is the Buddha Mother really that miraculous?”

At that moment, a delicate hand gently pulled back the curtain of the palanquin window slightly, and a sigh came from inside. “Since Sister Lin said that the Buddha Mother once healed her son, maybe she really does have some miraculous powers. My health has always been poor, and after all this journey, I fell ill upon arriving in Qingzhou Prefecture. Several doctors examined me and prescribed countless remedies, but none worked. Now that all other methods have failed, I can only try something desperate. Anyway, I’ll listen to the Buddha Mother’s sermon from afar first. We can decide later whether to believe her or not. If she turns out to be a fraud, we’ll leave right away.”

“But…” The young servant frowned, wanting to protest, but in the gaze from within the sedan chair, he swallowed the rest of his words. Glancing at the four guards around, he felt slightly reassured, then thought of another matter and showed a hint of joy on his face. “Miss, since we’ve arrived in Anqiu County, why not take the chance to meet the third young master? This is a rare opportunity; it won’t be so easy for you to go out again in the future.”
“Don’t say such things again!”
The person in the sedan chair was Meng Min. She casually pulled back the curtain and said calmly, “Although he calls me the fourth sister, it’s only out of respect for my sister-in-law. He probably doesn’t really mean it. It’s just that Father is determined to form an alliance with the British Duke’s family. Now that Father has left the capital, no one is mentioning this anymore, so there’s no need for you to keep nagging about it. Besides, I’ve come here because of Mother’s illness. He’s the county magistrate of Anqiu and is too busy with official duties as a newcomer. Why should I disturb him?”
Hong Xiu still wasn’t convinced and blurted out, “But, Madam said before that…”
“Mother always wants what’s best for me, but some things aren’t as simple as she thinks.” A hint of melancholy appeared on Meng Min’s beautiful face, and she sighed, “Perhaps it’s fate that prevents us from being together. Otherwise, why would Father be dismissed so suddenly before I could even give him the gift I prepared? Since the Emperor has had Concubine Wang spread such words, the meaning is clear enough.”
Although dissatisfied with her master’s words, Hong Xiu could only mutter under her breath, “If the Emperor really doesn’t want a marriage alliance between the Meng and Zhang families, with the world being so big, why put Father in Shandong? Qingzhou Prefecture and Anqiu County are only a few hundred miles apart—one could make a round trip on horseback in a day. It’s clearly intentional…”
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly saw a familiar figure over there. At first, she thought she was mistaken, rubbing her eyes and staring for a while before finally confirming she wasn’t wrong. Just as she wanted to warn Meng Min in the sedan chair, she remembered what she had just said, and her eager thoughts vanished like ice and snow, leaving her standing there awkwardly.
Though the miss usually spoke easily, if she went ahead on her own, she would surely get scolded!

Despite the huge crowd, with Peng Shisan by his side, Zhang Yue moved through it effortlessly. Seeing such a crowded scene, he couldn’t help but think of four words—“the people’s hearts can be utilized.” No wonder throughout history, rulers would harness the people’s support when establishing a nation; once the foundation was solid, they would use both appeasement and suppression to ensure the people focused only on basic needs and nothing else. It was already a terrifying thing to stir up the emotions of the people in one place, let alone those across the whole country.

“Mud arises from chaos; the white lotus brings an era of prosperity.”

As he squeezed past a group of ragged-clad people, his ears caught these words. In an instant, he remembered having seen them before and took them to heart. He immediately followed the sound’s direction and saw a figure in brown clothes disappearing into the crowd. It was just a brief glimpse—he could make out that the person wore gray clothes, had broad shoulders and a tall stature, along with a wide leather belt around their waist.

Zhang Yue saw this, and Peng Shisan, being sharp-eyed and quick-witted, surely wouldn’t miss such a figure. He quickly asked in a low voice, “Young master? Shall I keep an eye on that person?”

“There are so many people here. Can you even find them?”

“If I didn’t have that ability, how would I have pursued the enemy chief among thousands of soldiers?”

Peng Shisan chuckled and pushed Zhang Yue forward, giving him a few instructions before disappearing back into the crowd. Watching him move effortlessly through the crowd and vanish in no time, Zhang Yue felt that bringing this man along was indeed the best decision. Glancing at his own blue cloth clothes, he thought for a moment before stepping back. After all, today he was just a bystander.

As time approached, as if someone had secretly given an order, the crowd gradually quieted down—not even a cough could be heard. Soft melodies began to drift through the air, ethereal and faint, along with the distant sounds of chants. Occasionally, a subtle fragrance could be sensed as well. Even though Zhang Yue was determined, he still got distracted for a moment. When he regained his focus, he saw the masses kneeling in prayer, with only a few people standing among them.

Although Zhang Yue didn’t want to stand out at this moment, he also wasn’t keen on following the crowd in bowing. Seeing many palanquins parked at the edge and several people who seemed to be wealthy attendants still standing, he quickly stepped back a few paces. His attire made him quite unremarkable. As the crowd on the east side dispersed like a tide, clearing a path in the middle, he saw a group of young men and women in white robes surrounding a woman as they approached. He strained his eyes to see better but could only faintly make out her elaborate attire.

“At the beginning of chaos, ten Buddhas established their teachings. In the primordial state, everything was one unified mass—silent and odorless, without a name. Later, as chaos dissipated and heaven and earth took shape, Zi opened the heavens, Chou created the earth, and Yin gave birth to humans. Thus, the first humans appeared, laying the foundation for humanity. At that time, humans and beasts were indistinguishable, and society could not be governed. Though there were people, it was as if there were none—no true society existed. It was not until Mao’s era that a Buddha descended to rule the world.”

Despite the large size of the threshing ground, the scriptures recited by the woman’s voice carried clearly through the air, audible even to Zhang Yue, who was at the back. It was clearly the “Scripture of Calamity” he had managed to obtain. It was only then that he truly realized this White Lotus Sect was no ordinary cult. Over hundreds of years, its teachings had become profound, but its military strength could not be underestimated.

“The first Buddha was born in the south, named Chi Ai Buddha, and ruled the heavens for six thousand years. The second Buddha was born in the north, named Sheng Yuzi, and ruled the heavens for forty-eight hundred years. The third Buddha was born in the east, named Jia Sanchun, and ruled the heavens for three thousand seven hundred twenty years…”

The chanting from the platform continued unabated, with countless devout men and women joining in. Zhang Yue felt as though the entire world was filled with these chanting voices, causing him to feel dizzy. He bit his tongue hard to regain clarity. Looking around, he saw that among those who had stood like him before, at least five out of ten had already knelt down. Even those who remained standing were murmuring to themselves, seemingly influenced by the scriptures.

About fifteen minutes later, despite the countless devotees chanting, the weather turned against them as light rain began to fall. The weather was already cold, and the rain started lightly but soon intensified. Yet, perhaps due to their firm beliefs and intense focus, those kneeling on the ground continued chanting without pause, as if unaware that it was raining.

The families who had come in palanquins and carriages could no longer bear the sudden downpour and quickly ordered their servants to head back home. Soon, only a solitary small palanquin covered with tarped cloth remained, along with seven or eight servants around it. Zhang Yue, drenched by the rain and unable to move, also wanted to find a place to take shelter. After looking around, he saw a dozen burly men in gray clothes with tarped coats coming this way from the west. Their attire was similar to that of the man who had recited a phrase from the White Lotus Sect earlier, which made his heart tighten with fear. He quietly stepped back a few times when suddenly he felt the rain lessening above him. Looking up, he saw an umbrella. Immediately afterward, he felt someone gently pulling at his sleeve. With a stiff neck, he slowly turned around and took a long time to recognize it as Hong Shou, dressed in men’s clothes and covered in rain. Briefly stunned, he quickly glanced at the palanquin behind her and saw a hand lifting the curtain, revealing a beautiful face.