Chapter 3 The Ancestral Teachings of Master Xiang

  Just as I was about to lift the curtain and enter the house, I heard Xiaoyue and Wanday Cheng speaking in unison. I hastily turned back, it was Prime Minister, above one person, below ten thousand people. I walked forward and bowed, when I got up, golden stars flashed before my eyes, Xiaoyue quickly supported me with a swift hand.

  "Miss, you're still a bit weak!"

  "Thank you for your concern, sir. Perhaps I've been lying in bed for too long, that's why."

  "The weather is cool, come inside, everyone. Day Cheng, you too." Several people responded and entered the house one after another. Master Xiang sat down in the chair at the center of the opposite door, while Wan Day Cheng stood behind him.

  "Girl, don't stand there, sit here." Master Xiang pointed to the chair beside him.

  "This...", today's Master Xiang is different from that day, although he is an old man, but not like a rustic old fellow, his every move exudes majesty, which is quite intimidating. I hesitated and didn't dare sit down, but Master Xiang nodded kindly, "Then I'll first thank you for saving my life."

  "Please sit down, miss. You don't have to thank me. If it weren't for my brother, you wouldn't be in this situation." I nodded and sat down, as this body was indeed limited. Xiaoyue was very polite and quickly poured tea for everyone.

  "How did you get here, miss? Will you be caught by those people again?"

  "Sir, this matter is truly hard to put into words." Master Xiang nodded and smiled, indicating for me to continue. I thought that since I was a person with an unclear background, he would definitely ask clearly about it, so I might as well make something up.

  "The little man got separated from his brother and drifted to this place, passing through that forest, but how he was caught and taken into the forest is still unclear."

  "Where does the young lady live?"

  "The place where the dwarves live is called Fugui Village, but it's actually very poor. The name 'Fugui' is just for good luck." Master Xiang nodded in understanding.

  "Where is the girl going later?"

  "Haven't thought of it, I'm actually a directionally challenged person, the way back home has long been forgotten. Now that I want to go back by myself, it's impossible. The money on me has also been used up, can only beg and search for my brother."

  "Hmm, then the girl should first take care of her body and wait until she is fully recovered. I will give you some silver coins to continue searching for your brother, so that you can meet him soon."

  "Thank you so much, sir!" He handed over the money!! His heart was filled with joy, and he quickly got up and knelt down in front of this gentleman, his previous fatigue also disappeared.

  "Get up!" I got up beautifully, "slap", what sound? I turned around and saw a red cloth package at Xiaoyue's feet.

  "Oh no, don't break it!" Xiaoyue muttered to herself as she bent down to pick up the red cloth package. Then she opened it and said, "Ah, fortunately, it didn't break. Miss, here, I helped you change clothes earlier, and this jade fell off. I wrapped it in this package, thinking of giving it back to you. Look at my memory, I actually forgot!"

  "Ah, good thing, good thing, luckily it's you, Little Moon. I didn't even feel like there was something hanging around my neck."

  I quickly took the jade and looked at it, then wiped it with my sleeve. Fortunately, nothing happened to it, this is a family heirloom after all.

  "With a 'clatter', I raised my head to see what it was, and found that Xiang Ye had already arrived in front of me. I was so frightened that I retreated continuously. Xiang Ye chased forward again, staring at the jade in my hand with a look of astonishment. Even Wan Ri Cheng, who was standing aside, came forward, while Xiao Yue stood still on the spot, seemingly unaware of what was happening. What's going on? I was even more frightened and retreated several steps."

  "What's wrong, sir?"

  "What is your name, miss?!" Master Xiang asked hastily.

  "Xiao...xiao...xiao Shen...shen Liu," Master Xiang, Wan Ri Cheng was completely shocked, staring straight at me, even Xiao Yue was surprised and couldn't close her mouth. Was there something wrong with my name?

  "Shen... Liu?" Master Xiang looked at me muttering to myself, "I don't know which two characters they are."

  How to say this, at this time looking at the pen and ink on the table, picked up the pen in the past, also don't know what kind of pen it is, looks very strange, no time to investigate, okay I'll make a fool of myself once, spread out the paper, good, it's paper, crookedly wrote the two characters "Shen Liu".

  Alas, just like drawing a talisman, I handed the paper to Master Xiang. He took it and glanced at it, then raised his head and stared at me. Was there something wrong somewhere? I hadn't said anything, so I could only dodge Master Xiang's gaze, but saw that the paper in his hand was trembling slightly with his hand movements.

  "Adult?" It was Wan Ri Cheng's voice.

  "Everyone get out. Wan Ri Cheng, you stay at the gate and don't let anyone in." Wan Ri Cheng took orders and retreated with Xiao Yue.

  A moment of silence, Mr. Xiang let out a sigh and sat back in his chair. I lifted my head to see that he no longer had the spirit from earlier, now with a look of despair on his face. He raised his hand to signal me to sit down as well. After I was seated, Mr. Xiang finally began to speak.

  "Where did you get this jade, Shen Niang?"

  "This is an heirloom." Is there something wrong with this jade?

  "Why didn't you pass it to your brother?"

  "Teach daughters but not sons."

  "There may be others at home."

  "None, I have an older brother." Oh my god, checking household registration, what a load of nonsense I'm talking.

  "Hasn't your elder mentioned the origin of the jade?"

  "No, it was my parents who gave it to me when I was ten years old. They just said that the jade is passed down through daughters and not sons, but I don't know its origin either. Because the next year they all fell ill due to a plague in the village and passed away." Oh heavens, I'm talking nonsense, nonsense.

  "Heaven's will! Heaven's will!" Eh? What's wrong with Master Xiang?" Miss Shen, do you know what the daughter of this humble official is called?"

  "That day I heard you call her 'Liu Er'." Master Xiang nodded.

  "Shen Liu. Same name and surname as the young lady!"

  "Ah, I have the same name and surname as the young master, this is indeed a blessing for me." What a coincidence!

  "His real name is Shen Heishan, and there's a madam in his household, the one you saw that day, has already been... Alas! In his household, there's only a daughter named Shen Liu, also the one you saw that day. The ancestral teachings say, our clan was originally surnamed Wan, to save the world from chaos, we changed our surname to Shen, generation after generation, only having two children, if born a girl, name her Shen Liu, if born a boy, he can be the heir, when the time comes to pass on, only then can this ancestral teaching be told to the male heir. If one day you meet a girl named Shen Liu, holding the Taiji White Jade, she is the person the Wan family has been waiting for, push her into the imperial court, overthrow the country, until then, the Shen surname will come to an end."

  Overturning the country, I muttered silently, "Master Xiang, what you said, this humble person doesn't quite understand, please enlighten me, Master Xiang."

  "Ancestral matters, many of which are not understood by the younger generation, what does it mean? When I was young, my father said that this family rule must be strictly observed for generations to come. You have committed a crime, miss."

  The old man stood up, pulled up his sleeve, and on his arm was a pattern in the shape of this jade, but it was black. The old man pulled down his sleeve and sat down, "This mark is the curse that our ancestors left on their descendants, every generation of men has it, only the location is different. If you don't follow the teachings of your ancestors, the cursed seal will take effect, making life worse than death." Is this for real or not? It's too mysterious!

  "Promoted to the imperial court? Isn't it just making a minor official?"

  "Let the maiden disturb the imperial harem, thus."

  What? I stood up in shock. This is what makes me a bad woman for the rest of my life, it's too absurd. When writing, think whatever you want to become.