Chapter 36
Prajna (Must Be Seen)
Yu Youyao pouted. “Grandmother, what are you saying? I’ve clearly been here accompanying you. I haven’t caused any trouble!”
“If you hadn’t caused any trouble, why are you being so mild, and not running about outside having fun? Why are you staying in the meditation room with an old woman like me?” Old Madam Yu looked at her with a look of doubt. Usually, anytime they left the residence, she was the best at causing trouble.
Yu Youyao felt a lump in her throat and stomped her feet guiltily. “I’m just being filial to my grandmother, but apparently that’s wrong too.”
The servant girls and old maids in the room lowered their heads and stifled their laughter.
Dong Mei said, “Madam, you’ve really misjudged Eldest Miss this time. She took us to walk around the temple for a while, then picked some apricot flowers before coming back.”
However, she did not know what had happened when she was picking the apricot flowers.
Old Madam Yu was surprised. She hugged her granddaughter and apologized.
Yu Youyao’s anger dissipated. “Grandmother, you can’t accuse me again.”
Old Madam Yu agreed repeatedly. Then, she brought Yu Youyao to the cubicle and informed the old monk that they were leaving.
The old monk opened his eyes and his turbid gaze landed on Yu Youyao, causing her heart to turn numb. Only then did she hear him say, “Amitabha. Little one is fated with Buddha.”
Yu Youyao was a little stunned, but Old Madam Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She tilted her head to look at her and asked, “Grandmaster Hui
Neng
, what do you mean?”
She had heard that Grandmaster Hui Neng was knowledgeable in Buddhism and some physiognomy. Could it be that he could tell that there was something unique about Yao Yao?
The old monk did not answer. He slowly closed his eyes and recited in a low voice, “May I attain enlightenment from the Buddha in my next life. May my own light be blazing, illuminating boundlessly and immeasurably. Since I am here, I am no different from all living beings.”
“May I receive Bodhi’s help in my next life. May my body be like gla.s.s, clean inside and out, without any impurities. May the light be vast, and the prestige be blazing. My body is good, and I live in peace. If there are sentient beings, they will be born between worlds. Or, if there is darkness and night among humans, by my light, anything desired can be done…”
Old Madam Yu was stunned.
This was the “Sutra of the Medicine Buddha”, also called “Universal Light Tathagata.” When practicing the Bodhisattva’s Dao, he gave medicine and made twelve great wishes. Every wish was for the sake of fulfilling the wishes of all living beings, to remove the suffering and cure the illnesses of all living beings, and to allow people to live in peace, to live healthily and happily.
The old monk had observed silence for many years, so why did he choose to recite the twelve wishes of the “Sutra of the Medicine Buddha” to Yao Yao?
What did this scripture have to do with her granddaughter?
Yu Youyao was a little confused and looked at Grandmaster Hui Neng curiously.
It was not until many years later, when Yu Youyao saw Grandmaster Hui Neng again after she had left the capital and then returned to Precious Peace Temple again, that she suddenly realized that all karma had its own Prajna.
And Grandmaster Hui Neng had already taken a glimpse.
The second day after returning from Precious Peace Temple was the eighth of February.
After Yu Youyao accompanied her grandmother for breakfast, she returned to the Jade Courtyard.
The withered apricot branch had been nourished with water that was mixed with spirit dew, and had become lively again overnight. The buds on the branches had also bloomed and there was a strong fragrance.
Yu Youyao was learning how to mix perfume, and one way was to use dried flowers.
She plucked the flowers from the branches and pressed them flat using a paperboard. Then, together with the cardboard, she put the whole thing over a fire. When the flowers were half-dried, she placed them in a jar filled with some powder and sealed them away.
When the water in the dried flowers was naturally dried by the powder, not only were the petals dry and soft, but the color also looked as new as if they had just been plucked from a tree, but with a lasting fragrance.
Nanny Xu watched from the side, not forgetting to guide her, “In the book ‘Sacred Benefits of Peace’, there’s a technique for using apricot flowers to wash the face and treat spots. It’s the season of apricot flowers now—you should try it.
Apricot trees weren’t very auspicious and the Yu Residence did not plant them, but Yu Youyao had a plantation under her name that was specially for planting flowers and trees, so she most probably had planted them.
“There’s a secret mixture called the ‘Yang Taizhen Anise Cream’ in the ‘Lu Residence Cla.s.sified Formulas’. It’s said to be a secret beauty recipe specially used by a favored concubine in the palace. Remove the outer parts of the flower, grind them, steam them, add a little fennel, and mix them evenly with eggs. Apply this mixture on the face every morning and night. It’s said to have the effect of making the face rosy and beautiful. Eldest Miss, when you’re a little older, you can use it too.”
Yu Youyao took the book of ‘Heavenly Fragrance Records’ and flipped through it.
The ‘Heavenly Fragrance Records’ was a collection of recipes and formulas from various dynasties. In the chapter for ‘Apricot Flowers,’ there were more than ten recipes for using apricot flowers to create fragrances and nourish one’s appearance. Among them was the secret recipe for the “Yang Taizhen Anise Cream”.
In the An Shou Hall, Old Madam Yu leaned against the armrest of the chair and said to Nanny Liu, “Have we sent out the gifts to all of the clan’s disciples who are about to enter the exam? This exam is a big deal; we can’t be negligent.”
Nanny Liu bowed and said, “Old Madam, don’t worry. We might have missed out an item or two in the past, but this year, Eldest Miss has helped to keep an eye on it. Since our return from the Precious Peace Temple yesterday, she has already asked the maidservants to pack all the incense ashes we’d obtained from the temple into the good luck packages. She has also instructed someone to prepare ink, ink, paper, ink stone, and so on. And early this morning, she has already ordered them to be sent over. I’ve checked the list. Not only were all the direct descendants accounted for, but the distant branches were also included.”
Madam Yang was now in charge of the household, so Nanny Liu could not give the instructions. Instead, without letting Madam Yang know, she had reminded Yu Youyao to be involved in the big and small matters of the household.
And now, as she was explaining, she made it sound like it was all thanks to Yao Yao that the matter was settled.
Old Madam Yu glanced at Nanny Liu with a faint smile. This old nanny was wise and shrewd.
Nanny Liu stood at the side obediently, as if she hadn’t noticed Old Madam Yu’s gaze. “I’m old, and I’m not as good at managing many things in the residence as I used to be. Eldest Miss has been learning how to manage the house from me for a while, and she’s also quite good. Even the accounts in the residence don’t stump her. Her intelligence and sharpness are reminiscent of a younger you, Old Madam Yu.”
Although these were words of flattery, Nanny Liu was her close personal aide, and she knew that she wouldn’t say something like that if she didn’t mean it. In that case, it must mean that Yao Yao had indeed done a good job.
Old Madam Yu could not stop smiling. Seeing that there was no one else in the room, she did not hide it. “What do you think of the heir of the Marquis of Zhen Residence?”
Nanny Liu was stunned for a moment. After a while, she said, “I’ve been with you for most of my life and have seen many outstanding juniors. Be it in terms of family background, appearance, or talent, the heir of the Marquis Zhen Residence is top-notch. No one in the capital can compare to him.”
At this point, she thought of Young Master Zhou, who was living in The Green Room. Compared to the Song Heir, they each had their own merits. Unfortunately…
Old Madam Yu did not say anything else after this one question.
The next day, the candidates partic.i.p.ating in the Spring Quarter Examination entered the venue.
During the few days of the examination, the capital was put under martial law. Every household lived their lives behind closed doors. It was rare for the capital to be completely without activity for a few days.
And so, day by day went by!
- Hui means wisdom and Neng means ability