Chapter 4: Meeting King Zhao for the First Time

The abbot did not expect that such a young girl could speak so eloquently. In her hands, she held the Bodhi Mirror inscribed with the Diamond Sutra. If there were any evil spirits present, they would have already vanished.

“I did not expect that the young lady is also practicing Zen. Please forgive me for my disrespect,” the abbot said, impressed by her intelligence and wit. He then asked, “Young lady, your words are insightful, but I wonder if you have opened your heavenly eyes and can perceive fate differently from other beings?”

Gu Yunru used this opportunity to show off her knowledge and recited a Buddhist verse from a previous life: “A thousand rivers, a thousand moons; Ten thousand miles, a clear sky.” This poem from the Jia Tai Pu Deng Lu, a collection of Zen Buddhist teachings, means that with a calm and clear mind, the moon will naturally reflect in the river, and the sky will be clear for miles. It emphasizes the importance of a peaceful and focused state of mind in Zen practice.

Indeed, the abbot was thoroughly impressed by her and somewhat taken aback and embarrassed. “Despite your young age, your mind is broad and your insight keen. You are not possessed by evil spirits, but rather blessed by the gods,” he said with a sigh. He then took off a string of Buddhist beads from his hand and handed them to Gu Yunru. “I hope that the young lady will come back often to discuss Buddhist teachings with me.”

On the other side, Madam Gu couldn’t accept this miraculous turn of events. She looked at Gu Yunru in disbelief as she took the beads and put them on her wrist. “Abbot, are you sure she’s not possessed by evil spirits?” Madam Gu asked, unable to comprehend how her dull and foolish daughter could be favored by the Buddha and even enlightened by a god.

“Madam, please be careful with your words. This young lady has a strong Buddhist nature and a clear mind. How could she be possessed by evil spirits? Her heavenly eye was opened by the Bodhisattva as a sign of her great fortune,” the abbot replied.

Madam Gu realized that if the news of Gu Yunru’s miraculous experience were to spread, it would surely cause a sensation. The Empress Dowager, who enjoyed vegetarianism and Buddhist practices, would be particularly interested in this. If she learned of Gu Yunru’s enlightenment, she might even summon her to the palace.

No, this cannot happen. Gu Yunru must marry King Zhao as soon as possible to secure the safety of Jun Yao.

“Yunru, you can go out and stroll around. I need to discuss something with the abbot,” Madam Gu said, regaining her composure and dismissing Gu Yunru.

Gu Yunru dodged another cold arrow and happily agreed. She then left the temple.

Madame Gu watched her walk away before performing a courtesy and hypocritically saying, “That’s the way it is. Many thanks to the abbot. I hope the abbot will keep today’s events a secret.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she took out a stack of silver bills and handed them to a young monk next to her, saying, “This is the money for the temple’s incense oil. If the abbot agrees, I will go and pray to the Buddha first.”

The abbot nodded, feeling that this was related to the reputation of a young lady and didn’t say anything else, then began to strike the wooden fish again.

As for Gu Yunru, after coming out of the main hall, there were no maidservants or women around her, so she followed the sound of water and planned to see the scenery of the Da Bei Temple, but she didn’t expect to hear a chaotic and panicked noise.

“Quick, stop him, stop him!”

“Don’t, master, I’ve been with you for more than ten years, don’t kill me…”

“Master! Master! Don’t, don’t-“

The sound of screams accompanied by the sound of fighting grew louder and closer, and Gu Yunru, who came from modern times, had a strong sense of social responsibility. She felt that it was like the master was abusing the servants when she heard the screams, so she hastened her steps and followed the sound.

She turned a corner and saw a young man dressed in luxurious clothes kneeling on the ground by the waterfall on the back mountain. He was going insane, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was wielding a long whip wildly, as if he were trying to kill himself. There were several officials and soldiers surrounding him, wanting to capture him, but they were hesitant to approach him.

Gu Yunru was a skilled doctor and could see that the man was suffering from madness and was out of his senses at the moment. These servants were stopping him to prevent him from hurting anyone else. If this were modern times, she could have just used a tranquilizer needle, but medical conditions were limited in ancient times, and more drastic measures were necessary.

She was currently in a pavilion in the air that had been built on the back mountain of the temple. She had a bird’s-eye view of the scene below because she was higher up. Gu Yunru looked around, picked up a small stone, took aim at the back of the madman’s neck, and threw it with great force.

She had a precise gaze and appropriate force, and the man was hit in the back of the neck, causing him to immediately collapse to the ground.

Hmm, she was really a sweet little hero who was willing to help in times of need. Just like that, she had done a good deed and brushed off the dirt from her hands, waved her sleeves, and disappeared, hiding her merits and fame.

However, before she could even shake off the dirt on her hands, a deafening cry came from below: ”Assassin! Assassin attempting to murder the prince! Catch the assassin!”

Gu Yunru: ”…”
She wasn’t an assassin! She was just doing a good deed!

Before she could explain herself, a sword was placed on her neck with a clang.

”Good man, I’m not an assassin – I -” She didn’t finish her sentence before she felt a wave of dizziness, and the man behind her had already jumped down the waterfall with her in tow, throwing her onto the ground.

”It was her who threw the stone to murder the prince! Chief guard, how should we punish her?” the man said coldly.

The man addressed as the chief guard glared at her and said directly, ”Throw her to the back mountain to feed the wolves.”

Gu Yunru: ‘.’

”No, no, you’ve misunderstood, misunderstood. I’m not an assassin, I just saw him go crazy and wanted to help you!” Gu Yunru protested.

However, they didn’t even consider her explanation and just dragged her away, intending to feed her to the wolves.

“Wait! Wait! I am the fiancee of Prince Zhao and the daughter of the Gu family! Please give me some protection!” Gu Yunruo panicked and had to reveal her identity, hoping that her rumored fiance and the Gu family could protect her.

“The fiancee of the prince? The daughter of the Gu family?” The head of the guards finally reacted, gestured to stop his subordinates, looked at Gu Yunruo, and then shook his head. “I have met the daughter of the Gu family before, and you are not her. Throw her out!”

“Stop! I really am from the Gu family! I know medical skills, I can wake him up!” Gu Yunruo shouted frantically. She regretted not minding her own business earlier. Oh, she was in trouble!

“Let her go and save him!” The head of the guards gave her a cold glance, but his hand was already on his sword, obviously threatening her. If Gu Yunruo failed to revive the man, he would draw his sword and kill her at any moment!

With her life at stake, Gu Yunruo dared not delay any longer. She walked up to the man she had knocked out, checked his pulse, and listened to his breathing. After confirming that there were no other issues, she pulled out a sharp hairpin from her head and accurately pierced several of his acupoints to revive him.