The Jiang family and the Lu family are neighbors. They both live in Gusu City, one in the south and the other in the north, separated by "Guanqian Street".
Along Guanqian Street to the west, there is a Taoist temple not far away called "Xuanmiao Temple". It is the same Taoist temple where Lu Cheng stole the alchemy furnace.
Xuanmiao Temple has a long history. It was founded in 276 AD. It was originally called "Zhenqing Taoist Temple" and was later renamed "Kaiyuan Palace" and "Tianqing Temple". In 1295 AD, the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty ordered that it be changed to Xuanmiao Temple.
Jiang Heng, from Qianhu, was over fifty years old. He had one wife and two concubines, and gave birth to three sons and four daughters. These children were all born to concubines.
His first wife, named "Lin Niang", has been married for thirty years and has never given birth to a child.
According to common sense, not having children is one of the "seven outs".
However, Lin Niang's two brothers are not simple. One is a political advisor in Zhongshu Province, and the other is a doctor in Nanjing's household department. Not only were they of high rank, but they were both civil servants. In the Ming Dynasty, civil servants had a higher status than military attachés. For this reason, Jiang Heng not only did not dare to divorce his wife, but instead had to show great affection.
On Mrs. Lin’s fiftieth birthday, she drank two glasses of wine and slept with her husband for one night. Unexpectedly, she became pregnant!
Pregnancy at the age of fifty is considered a high-risk pregnancy even if it is left to future generations. It is even more worrying in the Ming Dynasty.
However, Mrs. Lin was very happy and would rather risk her life to give birth to the child.
She was pregnant for ten months and gave birth once, and on a rainy night in late autumn, she gave birth to a porcelain-white girl named "Qiu Yu".
Although she is a daughter and not as valuable as her son, Lin Niang's love for her remains undiminished and she is regarded as her darling.
Qiu Yu is very beautiful, with dark eyes and a white and tender face. Everyone likes her when they see her, but she doesn't cry or scream, she behaves too quietly!
Lin Niang was suspicious: "Is it possible that my daughter is mute?"
After half a year, Qiu Yu still didn't open her mouth and couldn't even say "yeah", so Lin Niang had to ask a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
The old Chinese doctors of these days are good at treating emergencies such as diarrhea in children, but they are helpless in treating the deaf and mute. At most, prick it with a silver needle a few times.
Another half year passed, Qiu Yu turned one year old, and still didn't speak.
Lin Niang could only accept her fate: "My miserable daughter! It's all my mother's fault. She gave birth to you too late, lacked energy and blood, and was unable to provide for you, so you were born with defects..."
Qiu Yu grew up day by day, and turned eight years old in the blink of an eye.
Lin Niang was nearly sixty years old, so she had to plan ahead and arrange a marriage for her daughter.
Most girls from ordinary families propose marriage at the age of thirteen or fourteen and get married at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Although Qiu Yu is a beautiful woman, she has flaws after all, so Lin Niang needs to start early and ask someone to find a suitable family.
Not long after, she received news that Lu Xiu, the eldest grandson of the prefect Lu Jing, was very handsome but had insufficient hearing and was born deaf!
Lin Niang found an excuse and took her daughter Qiu Yu to visit Lu Xiu.
Nine-year-old Lu Xiu was practicing swordplay in the garden. His steps were light and his sword was flying up and down.
Lin Niang fell in love with her at just one glance, and said to the young lady Wang Wan, "The Lu family is a scholarly family. Why do you let your children practice martial arts and swordsmanship?"
Wang Wan sighed and said: "Xiu'er is not hearing enough and cannot take the imperial examination. She practices martial arts and swordsmanship just to strengthen her body."
Lin Niang said: "I miss my Lin family. I was originally a scholar, but I didn't like studying, so I married a military general. I like this child Lu Xiu and want to marry the Lu family. This is my only daughter, named Qiu Yu. Although She is not good at words, but she is smart and beautiful. She is only 8 years old and has read a lot of books."
Wang Wan lowered her head and glanced at Jiang Qiuyu, and found that the little girl with pink makeup was looking at Lu Xiu with a smile on her face, so she thought in her heart: "Maybe they are really a good match."
She said: "I know the purpose of Madam's visit. I will give you a reply after I tell you."
At this time, Lu Xiu stopped her sword stance, put the sword into its scabbard, walked over and bowed: "I've met Madam." Then she bowed slightly to Qiu Yu.
Jiang Qiuyu returned the favor with a smile.
The more Lin Niang looked at it, the more she liked it. She wanted to ask the other party a few words, but was afraid that the other party would be embarrassed because she couldn't hear.
After Lu Xiu finished saluting, he retreated.
Wang Wan asked Jiang Qiuyu: "Can the girl know how to write?"
Jiang Qiuyu nodded.
So Wang Wan ordered people to fetch the four treasures of the study and put them on the stone table in the yard.
Jiang Qiuyu took up the pen and wrote a poem: "The creek girl does not like the thrush, but likes to listen to the thrush. A cry from the bank, and the dawn mountain is not green anymore."
Wang Wan was very satisfied with it and asked again: "Where did this poem come from?"
Jiang Qiuyu shook his head as if confused, and wrote on the paper: "I forgot."
Lin Niang talked to Wang Wan for a while, and soon took her daughter back.
In the evening, Wang Wan told her husband Lu Zhen about the matter.
Lu Zhen passed the imperial examination at a young age. She originally thought that she was like a roc and would spread her wings to fly high in the court. However, after studying poetry and books for ten years, she failed to win the imperial examination and she was about to turn thirty. He wants to take the exam a few more times. If he fails the exam at the age of fifty, he will have no choice but to give up his fantasy and become a rich man.
After listening to his wife's words, he pondered and said: "Ms. Lin's two brothers are officials in the court and are now in high positions. Getting married will be beneficial to the Lu family."
Soon after, the two families had a marriage contract.
Another 8 years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Lu Xiu was seventeen years old, handsome, with a jade tree facing the wind.
Jiang Qiuyu is sixteen years old, with a pretty face and a quiet girl.
The two families began to prepare the six rituals.
At this time, Lu Xiu's grandfather Lu Jing was 65 years old, serving as the censor of the right capital of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and had already left Suzhou.
The retirement age for officials in ancient China was 70 years old from the Zhou Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, it was changed to 60 years old. "Book of Rites, Qu Lishang" says: "A doctor becomes an official at seventy." "To become an official" means to retire.
Lu Xiu's father, Lu Zhen, was 36 years old and still stayed in Suzhou, continuing to study poetry and books and prepare for the next imperial examination.
Logically speaking, as the Immortal Emperor, Lu Cheng could calculate the imperial examination questions and help Lu Zhen out of the sea of suffering with just a few calculations, but he did not do that because this was the Ming Dynasty and the aura in the air was extremely weak. If his clone Lu Xiu wants to improve his skills, he must rely on a little spiritual energy emanating from the Hongmeng Pearl.
The Hongmeng Pearl cannot be opened at will, but it will emit a little spiritual energy. The range of the spiritual energy is very small, no more than one kilometer. If Lu Zhen passes the Jinshi examination, he will leave Suzhou with his wife and children. In that case, even if Lu Xiu takes the Hongmeng Pearl away, he can continue to practice, but Jiang Qiuyu cannot follow him.
Some people may ask, why do Lu Xiu and Jiang Qiuyu pretend to be deaf and dumb?
Because by doing so, you can get rid of the interference of mundane affairs.
If she had not pretended to be deaf and dumb, Lu Xiu would have been forced to study and prepare for the imperial examination. Disobedience would be unfilial; Jiang Qiuyu would also have been forced to embroider and, like other girls, study "The Female Commandments" and "The Story of the Martyr Woman" , "The Analects of Confucius" and "The Classic of Female Filial Piety".
Immortals are reborn in the mortal world and take advantage of others, so they owe karma.
In order to reduce trouble, they pretended to be deaf and mute, wanted to live a pure life, and calm down to cultivate immortality.
However, doing this will definitely make the parents sad. The father may not feel so uncomfortable. The real sad person is the mother. If Lu Xiu and Jiang Qiuyu don't make up for this shortcoming, then there will be additional obstacles on the road to immortality in the future.
In the spring of the 23rd year of Wanli, Lu Xiu, the grandson of the Lu family, married Jiang Qiuyu, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family.
On this day, guests arrived, and many people came to watch the ceremony.
When people see boys and girls who are handsome and gorgeous, they can't help but praise them, envy them, and so on.
Soon there were whispers among each other. It was rumored that one of the two young men was deaf and the other was mute. So everyone whispered, some sighed, some said sarcastic words, and some looked on with cold eyes, cursing in their hearts: "People are here." If you do it, God is watching. If you do not practice morality as an official, God will punish them."
Some people even snorted: "The groom is deaf. I'm afraid he can't even hear the words of the officiant. How can the wedding go on? Let's just wait and see the joke."
Yet the wedding went smoothly. First, they worship heaven and earth, and secondly, they bow to the high hall. The couple bows to each other before entering the bridal chamber.
The groom behaved politely, followed the instructions of the master of ceremonies, and successfully completed the ceremony of marriage.
One month after their marriage, the young couple went to Xuanmiao Temple to offer incense.
Lu Xiu offered ten taels of silver and met Wang Lin, the master of the temple, who was about forty years old. He took out a copy of the "Golden Elixir and Jade Liquid Sutra", opened a lotus flower in his mouth, bewitched the other party, and then quietly slapped Wang Lin on the head.
Wang Lin had been cultivating Taoism for many years, but his harvest was limited. When he tapped him lightly, he suddenly opened his heavenly aperture and felt the strands of spiritual energy. He was immediately blessed and wanted to make Lu Xiu his teacher.
Lu Xiu refused to accept a disciple, but was willing to give advice on his practice.
A few months later, Wang Lin followed Lu Xiu's instructions and selected ginseng from Changbai Mountain, Polygonatum odorifera from Jiuhua Mountain, antler from sika deer, and several herbs to refine some elixirs.
In late July, he put on the most exquisite Taoist priest's clothes, went to the Lu Mansion, met with Lu Xiu, and presented the elixir.
Lu Xiu and Jiang Qiuyu each swallowed a pill in front of their parents, and then amazing changes occurred. One could hear voices, and the other could speak!
Of course, for them, the pill is just an excuse because they are pretending to be deaf and dumb.
But in the eyes of others, it is a huge miracle!
Both Wang Wan and Lu Zhen felt happy from heaven. Lin Niang heard the news and hurried over. She was so excited that she burst into tears and hugged her daughter and refused to let go.
"Thank you Heavenly Master for your great kindness!"
They thought it was Taoist Wang Lin's contribution, so they gave him a thousand taels of silver as a thank you gift.
Wang Lin didn't dare to accept it and refused repeatedly.
Lu Xiu gave each of his parents a pill. Although the efficacy of the elixir is limited, it also has the effect of nourishing qi and blood. They are all mortals, and it is appropriate to take such elixirs. If Lu Xiu took out the elixir from the Hongmeng Pearl, it really couldn't be given to mortals. If mortals swallow the elixir, most of them will explode and die, and only a handful of natural spirits will survive.
Since then, Wang Lin has offered a batch of elixirs every year.
Lu Xiu and Jiang Qiuyu gave their parents a pill every eight years. Grandparents Lu Jing and Lu Li also followed Zhan Guang and received elixirs from their families in the capital.
Two years later, 67-year-old Lu Jing has become younger, her gray hair has turned black, and the age spots on her face have faded.
Fellow officials were curious and asked him about his health tips, but he refused to tell the truth. Because Emperor Wanli liked to make friends with Taoist priests, he practiced behind closed doors every day and did not go to court for many years. Lu Jing still has some conscience and is unwilling to recommend Wang Lin. So he kept silent and refused to tell the reason.
This year, Lu Xiu finally got the golden finger and pushed a few test questions to Lu Zhen: "Father, I was dreaming at night. In a large hall, I saw many people writing furiously. I guess the questions for Qiu Wei this year may be It’s right here.”
Although Lu Zhen didn't believe it, literati had a sense of luck, so he prepared for these test questions. So, in August of the 24th year of Wanli, he walked into the examination room again and finally passed the Jinshi examination!
Wang Wan's hard work and dedication to her husband and children finally paid off.
After Lu Zhen became an official, she also wanted to urge Lu Xiu to study.
Lu Xiu naturally refused to agree: "You need to have a basic foundation in studying. I haven't been to school since I was a child, and I haven't even attended a private school. I spend three days fishing and two days drying nets. How can I take the scientific examination?"
Lu Zhen had no choice but to place her hope on the rest of her children.
Which wealthy family in these days does not have three wives and four concubines? If you have many wives and concubines, you will naturally have many children.
His wife, Wang Wan, gave birth to a son and a daughter. She really wanted her son Lu Xiu to pass the Jinshi exam, but seeing her husband fail the exam many times and knowing how hard it was, she couldn't bear to urge her son.
On the other side, Jiang Qiuyu is also trying to repay the kindness of her mother Lin Niang. She doesn't care about the other brothers and sisters, and she doesn't have much affection for her father Jiang Heng. Because when she was mute a few years ago, she did not receive the love of her father. Moreover, after she was born, Jiang Heng married several more concubines and gave birth to more than a dozen children.
Jiang Qiuyu's soul is that of a modern person. Although she is broad-minded and can tolerate three wives and four concubines, she cannot bear to see her mother suffer, especially when she was nine years old. An uncle died of illness, and Lin Niang lost a supporter. Jiang Heng went even further and married his third concubine within two years.
This situation is different from Lu Cheng's back then. Lu Cheng never knew that the matchmaker was married to another woman. He cut out his clones, covered his ears and stole the bell, and asked Lu Chan to accompany Qingmei and Lu You to accompany Guan Sangyue, so Jiang Qiuyun could turn a blind eye. If Qingmei and Guan Sangyue were hanging around in front of her every day, she would probably be angry to death.
Because of this, Jiang Qiuyu only occasionally provided a pill to his father. She paid more attention to her mother Lin Niang's physical condition. Not only did she provide elixirs on a regular basis, but she also often returned home to use the technique of guiding massage to sort out Lin Niang's meridians.
Since then, Mrs. Lin, who is nearly seventy years old, has become younger and happier as she lives.
Mrs. Lin looks forward to having her grandson every day, but this expectation is destined to fail.
Because Lu Xiu and Jiang Qiuyu were immortals with golden bodies, it was impossible for them to have children. They already have hundreds of thousands of descendants, so there is no point in having more children.
Speaking of which, according to ancient etiquette, not having children is also unfilial, depriving the family of incense and owing karma.
Lu Xiu and Jiang Qiuyu could only compensate for the old man's regrets in other ways.
Within the Hongmeng Pearl, Lu Cheng had practiced for twenty years before barely repairing the damaged Immortal Foundation, and then continued to retreat, using the energy of Hongmeng, to work towards the intermediate level Immortal Emperor.
Jiang Qiuyun's skills have improved greatly, and she is about to be promoted to a high-level Immortal King.
Two jade disks of good fortune were smashed previously, and a large amount of Xuanhuang Qi and Hongmeng Qi were emitted. They were tightly restrained by the Hongmeng Pearl that was banned on the 53rd floor, and very little fairy spiritual energy was emitted.
The Hongmeng Pearl itself was nourished and advanced one level higher, reaching the 54th level of prohibition.
But at this moment, Lu Cheng cannot easily open the Hongmeng Pearl and let the clones Lu Xiu and Jiang Qiuyu in, because every time he opens it, the Xuanhuang Qi and Hongmeng Qi will be lost. The Hongmeng Qi is extremely precious, and it would be a pity to let it out. Moreover, for mortals, this kind of high-level Qi is harmful. Just like when the Wulian Tomb was opened, many archaeologists were impacted by the immortal spiritual energy, and many people died.
Therefore, even if Lu Cheng wanted to open the Hongmeng Pearl, he could not open it in Suzhou Mansion. He had to go to the deserted wilderness to do it.
