Looking for books like The Marquis’s Wife Wants to Live Out Her Natural Lifespan. Any similar books? It’s so hard having caught up with the latest chapters.
My mother usually likes to watch TV series about family affairs. This time I bought a copy of "In and Out of the Village" and put it at home, thinking that I would read it myself. As a result, my mother flipped through a few pages while she was free, so she just snatched it away! She had been reading very enthusiastically in the past two days, and she kept mumbling while reading: "Oh, this is not about what happened to the old Zhang family in our village!" "Tsk, tsk, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is so similar!" She patted her thighs at every turn and said, "Yes, yes, that's what it is!" This book is really capable of making an old rural lady so engrossed! It doesn't write about earth-shattering events, but about the daily lives, bickering, struggles, and watching of villagers. Very real, very lifelike. I feel that anyone who has experienced rural life or is curious about the countryside can find resonance in this book. My mother said yes, so that's right!
Chapter 1 The Vision of Purple Gold, Nanjing City, the seventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty. At three o'clock in the morning, Dr. Lu Ziyuan of Qintian Prison had been standing on the Purple Mountain Observatory for two full hours. The night wind swept over his blue official robe, bringing the coolness of early autumn, but it could not dissipate the solemn look between his brows. "No, this is absolutely wrong." Lu Ziyuan muttered to himself, moving his fingers quickly on the star map, repeatedly checking tonight's celestial phenomena. His eyes turned north again. The main peak of Purple Mountain looks like a dormant dragon in the night, but at this moment, the "dragon energy" that should be strong is showing strange fluctuations. The pale golden aura invisible to ordinary people circulated among the mountains, but suddenly stopped somewhere, as if it was cut off by something. Lu Ziyuan took out a bronze compass from his arms, which was a gift from his mentor Zhou Xuansu when he entered the Qin Tian Prison. The compass needle rotated crazily, and finally pointed to the southern foot of Purple Mountain - where Xiaoling Mausoleum is located. "What's wrong with Xiaoling?" Lu Ziyuan's heart tightened. Xiaoling Mausoleum is the mausoleum of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, which is closely related to the fate of the Ming Dynasty. If there is a fengshui error, the consequences will be disastrous. He quickly put away the star map and compass and hurried down the mountain path. When the sky was dimming, he came to a high slope outside Xiaoling Mausoleum, took out three sticks of special "Guan Qi Incense" from the Feng Shui bag and lit them. Green smoke curled up, but the smoke column that should have been straight twisted and deformed in mid-air, as if it was disturbed by invisible hands. "As expected..." Lu Ziyuan's face turned pale. Guan Qixiang's reaction confirmed his guess - Xiaoling's Feng Shui pattern had been tampered with! "Dr. Lu is so elegant, why do you come to worship Taizu so early?" A feminine voice came from behind. Lu Ziyuan was startled, and quickly stamped out the incense. He turned around and saw Cheng Wenhuan, the Minister of Engineering, standing not far away with two entourages. "I see Master Cheng." Lu Ziyuan bowed his hands and saluted, his heart beating like a drum, "I was ordered to observe the sky and check the weather of Xiaoling Mausoleum." Cheng Wenhuan was in his early fifties, with a fair face and no beard, and a pair of slender eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling: "Oh? When did Qin Tianjian also take charge of the feng shui of the mausoleum? This should be the responsibility of the priest of the Ministry of Industry, right?" Cold sweat broke out on Lu Ziyuan's back: "Your Majesty, I know this, I am just doing it as a routine..." "That's all." Cheng Wenhuan waved his hand to interrupt him, "I'm here for the renovation project as well. Since Dr. Lu is interested in Feng Shui, why don't we check it out together?" Lu Ziyuan could only nod in agreement in a tone that did not allow for rejection. When following Cheng Wenhuan towards Xiaoling Shinto, he noticed that Cheng's followers had blocked his retreat intentionally or unintentionally. The stone statues on both sides of the Shinto were solemn and solemn in the morning light, but Lu Ziyuan's Feng Shui master's intuition made him detect a trace of incompatibility. When his eyes fell on a pair of stone pillars, his pupils suddenly shrank - the position of the pillars had actually moved more than three inches compared to last year's survey! This three-inch change is enough to change the direction of the entire Shinto aura. In Feng Shui, Shinto is like the "qi throat" of the dragon's veins. Now this change is equivalent to pricking an invisible needle in the dragon's veins. "Master Cheng, this pillar seems..." Lu Ziyuan just started to speak, but was stopped by Cheng Wenhuan's sharp eyes. "Dr. Lu," Cheng Wenhuan took a step closer and spoke in a very low voice, "some things are better not to know than to know. Didn't your master Zhou Xuansu teach you this truth?" Lu Ziyuan was shocked. Cheng Wenhuan not only knew that he was investigating, but also used the name of his mentor. This was no accident. "I'm stupid, sir. Thank you for your advice." Lu Ziyuan lowered his head to hide the horror in his eyes. After leaving Xiaoling, Lu Ziyuan did not return to Qintian Prison, but went straight to Zhou Xuansu's mansion. Zhou Xuansu once served as the Superintendent of Qintian Supervisor. Although he has become an official now, he still has considerable influence in the court. He is also Lu Ziyuan's Feng Shui master. When the housekeeper of Zhou Mansion saw it was him, he led him directly to the study. Zhou Xuansu was writing ink when he saw his beloved disciple coming in a hurry, and frowned slightly: "Ziyuan, why are you so panicked?" Lu Ziyuan closed the door tightly and told everything about what he saw today, including Cheng Wenhuan's threats. "Master, Xiaoling Feng Shui is related to the country. If someone secretly sabotages it..." "Shut up!" Zhou Xuansu suddenly shouted, the brush in his hand snapped, and ink splashed on the rice paper, like spilled blood. Lu Ziyuan had never seen his master lose his composure before and fell silent for a moment. Zhou Xuansu took a deep breath and lowered his voice: "This matter ends here. You will take leave to return to your hometown tomorrow, and do not return to Nanjing within three months." "Master!" "This is for your own good." Zhou Xuansu took an ancient bamboo slip from the bookshelf, "Take the Green Bag Sutra and go back to study and forget what you saw and heard today." Lu Ziyuan took the bamboo slips, his touch was cold. He was about to ask again when he suddenly heard a soft sound outside the window, like a tile loosening. Zhou Xuansu's face changed drastically and he pushed Lu Ziyuan away violently: "Be careful!" Almost at the same time, a crossbow arrow broke through the window and penetrated deeply into Zhou Xuansu's shoulder! "Master!" Lu Ziyuan rushed forward. "Go!" Zhou Xuansu reluctantly pushed him away, "Go through the secret passage! Remember, don't trust anyone!" Lu Ziyuan wanted to say something else, but the sound of fighting could be heard in the courtyard. He gritted his teeth and grabbed the "Qing Sang Sutra", pressed the mechanism behind the bookshelf, and took one last look before entering the secret passage. He saw Zhou Xuansu pull out a crossbow and draw a strange spell on the table with blood... The secret passage was dark and damp. Lu Ziyuan stumbled forward, his master's warning echoing in his ears. He didn't know why Cheng Wenhuan wanted to kill him, let alone why the master was so afraid. But one thing he knew very well - behind the changes in Xiaoling's feng shui, there was a secret hidden that could shake the foundation of the country. It was already bright when Lu Ziyuan emerged from a secret passage in an abandoned house in the east of the city. Just as he took a breath, he suddenly saw two familiar figures flashing past the alley—it was Cheng Wenhuan's entourage! "There!" Someone shouted pointing at him. Lu Ziyuan turned around and ran away, followed by footsteps chasing after him. After turning a few corners, he despairingly found himself forced into a dead end. "Run, why don't you run?" The entourage sneered and approached, the short knife in his hand shining with cold light. Just when Lu Ziyuan had his back against the wall with no way out, a chuckle suddenly came from the wall of the alley: "It's so shameless to have so many people chasing a scholar." Before the followers could react, a gray figure fell from the sky, and with a wave of the sleeves of his wide Taoist robe, a burst of white powder filled the air. The followers screamed and fell to the ground, covering their eyes and rolling around. The man in gray turned around. He was a Taoist priest in his early thirties, with sparse features and a strange copper gourd hanging from his waist. "This official, poor Taoist Zhang Qingyan is very polite." The Taoist priest smiled and held his hands, "Seeing that your hall is dark, I'm afraid there will be a disaster of blood and light." Lu Ziyuan was shocked: "Many... Thank you Taoist priest for saving me." Zhang Qingyan blinked: "Thanks are unnecessary. But you, poor Taoist temple, are entangled with dragon energy and bloody, so you must be involved in some big event?" Lu Ziyuan was shocked. This Taoist priest could actually see "dragon energy"? Zhang Qingyan didn't wait for his answer, but his expression suddenly changed: "No, there are pursuers again! Leave here first!" He grabbed Lu Ziyuan's wrist and jumped up to the wall. Lu Ziyuan only felt that his body was light, and he was carried over the eaves and over the wall. In the blink of an eye, his pursuers disappeared without a trace... Chapter 2 The Mystery of the Earth Master Lu Ziyuan was dragged by Zhang Qingyan and flew over the rooftops of Nanjing City, with the wind whistling in his ears. He had never experienced anything like this in his life, and his heart almost jumped out of his throat. When he nearly slipped several times, the Taoist priest's arms were as stable as iron and could always pull him back in time. "Tao, Taoist Priest! Where are we going?" Lu Ziyuan shouted over the sound of the wind. Zhang Qingyan didn't even look back: "Get off your tail first!" They landed in a dense residential area in the south of the city. Zhang Qingyan pushed open an inconspicuous wooden door and pulled Lu Ziyuan into a small Taoist temple. The furnishings in the temple are simple, with smoke lingering in the incense burner. What is enshrined is not Sanqing, but a strange statue - an old man holding a compass and stepping on a tortoise and snake. "This is..." "Guo Pu, the founder of Earth Master." Zhang Qingyan quickly bolted the door, took out a few yellow charms from his arms and pasted them on the window lattice, "It's safe for now." Lu Ziyuan looked around in shock, and his eyes fell back on Zhang Qingyan. This Taoist priest was about in his early thirties, with a pale face, but a pair of eyes that were astonishingly bright, as if they could penetrate people's hearts. The most peculiar thing is the copper gourd on his waist, which glows with a faint green light in the dark room. "Thank you, Taoist Master, for saving your life." Lu Ziyuan straightened his messy clothes and saluted solemnly, "I'm here to engrave Doctor Lu Ziyuan in the Qintian Prison." Zhang Qingyan waved his hand and sat down on the futon: "Dr. Lu, tell me, why did Cheng Wenhuan want to kill you?" Lu Ziyuan was shocked: "Does the Taoist Master know Mr. Cheng?" "Not really acquaintance." Zhang Qingyan picked up an apple from the altar table and gnawed it, "But I know that he has done some tricks in Xiaoling recently, and you -" he pointed to the "Green Bag Sutra" in Lu Ziyuan's arms, "you must have discovered something that shouldn't be discovered." Lu Ziyuan subconsciously held down the bamboo slips in his arms and took half a step back warily: "Who is the Taoist Priest?" "The poor Taoist Zhang Qingyan, the thirty-sixth generation disciple of the Maoshan sect, is now a wandering Taoist priest." He grinned, showing two tiger teeth, "He is also a thorn in the side of the Earth Master Association." "The Earth Master Association?" Zhang Qingyan raised his eyebrows: "You don't know? Then how did you get into trouble with Cheng Wenhuan?" Lu Ziyuan hesitated for a moment and decided to tell the truth. He briefly told the story of how he discovered anomalies in dragon veins in Zijin Mountain and then explored changes in Xiaoling's feng shui, but omitted Zhou Xuansu's part. After listening to this, Zhang Qingyan's face gradually became serious. He stood up and walked around for a few steps, then suddenly asked: "Who is your master?" "This..." "There are no more than three disciples in Nanjing who can teach the changes in Xiaoling's feng shui." Zhang Qingyan's eyes were blazing, "Is it Zhou Xuansu? Li Moyang? Or a descendant of the Shen family?" Lu Ziyuan was shocked, and he calmed down and said: "The Taoist priest is well-informed, and I admire you. The master is indeed Zhou Xuansu, the former imperial supervisor." "Zhou Xuansu..." Zhang Qingyan murmured again, with a complicated look flashing in his eyes, "That makes sense." "What does the Taoist priest mean by this?" Zhang Qingyan did not answer directly, but took off the copper gourd from his waist, pulled out the stopper and handed it over: "Take a sip." Lu Ziyuan took it hesitantly, feeling a spicy breath rushing straight to his nose: "This is..." "Realgar wine can temporarily mask your official aura." Zhang Qingyan explained, "Cheng Wenhuan's people will soon be searching the whole city. If you drink this, they won't be able to find you for a while." Lu Ziyuan raised his head and took a sip. Suddenly, his throat was burning and he choked with tears. Zhang Qingyan laughed loudly, took the gourd and took a big sip himself. "Okay, let's get down to business." Zhang Qingyan wiped his mouth, "The Earth Master's Association is a secret organization, and its members are mostly strangers who are proficient in Feng Shui. On the surface, they serve the court, but in fact they have other agendas." "What do they want?" "This involves a secret." Zhang Qingyan lowered his voice, "Do you know why Taizu moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing?" Lu Ziyuan frowned: "It's because Beijing is the 'Land of Dragons', and it is more conducive to controlling the northern border troubles..." "On the surface, it is like this." Zhang Qingyan sneered, "In fact, it is because Nanjing Dragon Veins had problems in the late Hongwu years. Taizu dreamed at night that the Dragon Qi of Purple Mountain collapsed, and then he thought of moving the capital." Lu Ziyuan's heart moved: "What I saw today..." "That's right." Zhang Qingyan nodded, "The Earth Master's Association has been secretly destroying the Nanjing Dragon Vein over the years, and the changes in Xiaoling are just one part of it." "Why did they do this?" Zhang Qingyan was about to answer, when his expression suddenly changed and he rushed towards the window. Before Lu Ziyuan could react, he heard three "snatching" sounds, and three crossbow arrows penetrated the window paper and penetrated deeply into the opposite wall! "Let's go!" Zhang Qingyan pulled Lu Ziyuan up, "Back door!" As soon as the two of them rushed out of the back door, the front door was kicked open. Lu Ziyuan turned around and saw several men in black rushing in with knives. One of them was the follower beside Cheng Wenhuan! Zhang Qingyan led him through the maze of alleys, and finally climbed over the wall and entered an abandoned dyeing workshop. Tall wooden racks for drying and layers of cloth curtains form an excellent hiding place. "How did they find it there?" Lu Ziyuan asked breathlessly. Zhang Qingyan's face was gloomy: "I was careless. Although the Taoist temple is small, it is protected by formations, unless..." He raised his head suddenly, "Unless they used a 'Qi-seeking disk'!" "What is a Qi-seeking disk?" "A magic weapon that can track the aura of a specific person." Zhang Qingyan quickly explained, "Do you have an official seal on your body?" Lu Ziyuan touched his arms and said, "Yes." "That's it." Zhang Qingyan gritted his teeth, "There is a unique aura on the official seal, and they must have followed this to find it." He untied a red rope from his waist and quickly made it into a simple knot: "Tie this on your wrist, it can temporarily block the official aura." Lu Ziyuan tied it as he was told, and he felt a lightness all over his body, as if something was isolated. "What's next?" He asked. Zhang Qingyan pondered for a moment: "Leave Nanjing first. I know there is a hermit in Suzhou who is proficient in Feng Shui. He may be able to help us find out the truth about Xiaoling's Feng Shui." "Suzhou..." Lu Ziyuan remembered his master's instructions to leave the capital and hesitated, "But my master..." Zhang Qingyan's eyes suddenly became complicated: "Dr. Lu, there is something you must know. I just got news from a friend that something happened... In Mr. Zhou's house." Lu Ziyuan's heart tightened: "What happened?" "Half an hour ago, there was a fire in the Zhou Mansion, and the fire was extremely fierce." Zhang Qingyan said in a low voice, "It is said that no one escaped." Lu Ziyuan felt as if he was struck by lightning, his legs weakened, and he almost fell to his knees. Zhang Qingyan hurriedly supported him. "Impossible..." Lu Ziyuan's voice trembled, "Master..." "Sorry." Zhang Qingyan sighed softly, "It seems that Mr. Zhou knows more than we thought." Lu Ziyuan's mind went blank, and the master's voice and smile kept flashing. The old man who taught him stargazing and qi analysis, and explained the "Burial Sutra" to him, just like this... He suddenly remembered something, and took out the "Qing Nang Sutra" from his arms with trembling: "Master gave me this before leaving, and also said, 'Don't trust anyone'..." Zhang Qingyan's eyes lit up: "Master Zhou is indeed far-sighted." He cautiously did not reach out to take it, "I'm afraid this "Qing Nang Sutra" is not just a Feng Shui classic." Lu Ziyuan opened the bamboo slips and found that in addition to the familiar scriptures, some of the bamboo slips were actually engraved with small symbols and place names on the back! "This is..." "Secret text." Zhang Qingyan looked closer, "Master Zhou left a clue." Lu Ziyuan suddenly closed the bamboo slip and looked at Zhang Qingyan warily: "Why does the Taoist know so much about this? Why do you want to help me?" Zhang Qingyan did not feel dissatisfied, but nodded approvingly: "It is a good thing to be cautious." He took out a simple jade pendant from his arms, "Do you recognize this?" Lu Ziyuan took it and saw that the word "Xuan Su" was engraved on the jade pendant, which was exactly the handwriting of his master! "This is..." "Ten years ago, Mr. Zhou saved my life." Zhang Qingyan took back the jade pendant. "At that time, he had a premonition that there would be big changes in the future, and asked me to protect his disciples if I found anything unusual." Lu Ziyuan's throat tightened: "Master... He had expected this day?" Zhang Qingyan nodded: "Master Zhou is well versed in Yili, so he must have figured something out. Now, are you willing to believe me?" Lu Ziyuan took a deep breath and nodded. He opened the "Green Bag Sutra" again and carefully studied the secret texts. After a moment, he raised his head: "There is a place mentioned here - the 'Yanzhou Villa' next to Hanshan Temple in Suzhou." Zhang Qingyan's eyes lit up: "What a coincidence, the hermit I am going to take you to lives near Hanshan Temple!" "Master also mentioned a name - Shen Yanzhou." "Shen?" Zhang Qingyan's face changed slightly, "Could it be the Shen family?" "Which Shen family?" Zhang Qingyan did not answer immediately, but looked around cautiously: "It is not suitable to stay here for a long time. Let's leave the city before dark, and I will tell you about the Shen family on the way." The two quietly left the dyeing shop and sneaked towards the south of the city in the dusk. On the way, Zhang Qingyan briefly told the origin of the "Shen Family" - a famous Feng Shui family in the previous dynasty, which had designated tombs for many emperors. The family's secret "Shaking the Dragon Scripture" is known as the supreme classic in the Feng Shui world. But in the last years of Hongwu, the entire Shen family was robbed, which was said to be related to a palace secret. "It is rumored that someone from the Shen family survived," Zhang Qingyan whispered, "If this Shen Yanzhou is really a descendant of the Shen family, then he may be the only person who knows the whereabouts of the "Shaking Dragon Scripture". Lu Ziyuan was shocked: "The "Shaking Dragon Scripture" is related to the changes in Xiaoling's feng shui?" "It's not just Xiaoling." Zhang Qingyan looked solemn, "The "Shaking Dragon Scripture" records the direction and nodes of the dragon veins in the world. It is said that if you master it, you can..." Before he finished speaking, three men in black suddenly appeared from the alley ahead. The leader sneered and said, "You can change the world, right? Daozhang Zhang, it's been a long time." Zhang Qingyan's expression changed drastically, and he pushed Lu Ziyuan behind him: "The Earth Master Association's 'Three Evils'! Dr. Lu, run!"
"The first time I went down the river to fish for treasure, I met a ghost, and it was a wedding team!" While the companions were counting antiques excitedly, only the protagonist saw the pair of embroidered shoes dripping under the sedan curtain...
- Solving the mystery of evil objects: Chu Mingyi diagnosed and treated Chen Bo, a middle-aged man with a golden face, in an antique shop and judged that he had picked up something he shouldn't have picked up. Chen Bo took out a piece of jade, and people around him started talking about it. Chu Mingyi said that jade was worth 150,000 yuan, but he only saved Chen Bo's life and would not pay more. After Chen Bo hesitated, he put the jade into the wooden box at the instruction of his wife Lin Xia, and then spurted out a mouthful of blood. Chu Mingyi used white wine and yellow medicinal wine dipped in a brush to draw lines on Chen Bo's arm, attracting many small black insects. After the insects entered the wine bowl, Chu Mingyi lit the yellow talisman and threw it into the bowl. Blue flames rose, the insects crackled, and the white wine in the porcelain bowl turned blood red, demonstrating magical Feng Shui and exorcism methods.