SLLBTT Chapter 40
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 40⊱⊷⋇
On the cool autumn night, the azure sky held the moonlight like water. The empty hall remained wakeful. As a breeze from the Snow Hall on the Wolf Mountain swept through the long street, the night sky darkened like mist. Queen Ming, still clad in a single garment, knelt there, unmoving.
Hong Huli arrived outside the palace, bowed to the kneeling Queen Dowager, and respectfully said, "Queen Dowager, the Great King wishes you to stop kneeling. It's so cold, and the wind is strong. Catching a chill wouldn't be good."
Upon hearing this, Queen Ming felt a sense of triumph. However, he pretended to be sorrowful, loudly declaring, "I must kneel until the Great King forgives me. Otherwise, even if I'm sick or dead, I won't get up." With that, Queen Ming began fake crying loudly.
Hong Huli sighed helplessly and said, "Well, let me go back and convey your message to the Great King."
Saying so, Hong Huli walked back into the palace.
The attendant then asked Queen Ming, "Queen Dowager, are you alright? Aren't you afraid of getting sick?"
Queen Ming, however, wore a somewhat triumphant expression. "This is nothing for now. Didn't you see the Snow Wolf King sending attendants to give me an out? The Snow Wolf King is even more afraid of me catching a cold and getting sick."
"Really?" the attendant asked curiously.
Queen Ming nodded. "Think about it. While the Great King is the ruler of the nation, he is ultimately under the Son of Heaven's rule. The royal family governs with filial piety, so even if I don't have a blood relation with him, he wouldn't dare to go against me. Otherwise, he can expect accusations from the Censorate and the wrath of the Son of Heaven!"
After a while, Hong Huli came out of the palace and said the same to Queen Ming, "Queen Dowager, it's better for you to go back first. Don't risk getting yourself sick."
Queen Ming felt a deep sense of satisfaction internally but continued to feign helplessness. "No, I can't go back. Without the Great King's forgiveness, I'd be restless even if I returned."
"Since the Queen Dowager has made up his mind, no one can really persuade him." Hong Huli had a heater brought in and directed warm air toward Queen Ming.
Queen Ming, seeing this arrangement, turned green in the face.
Hong Huli continued, "The Great King is concerned about you catching a cold, so he specially provided this heater. It's a gift from the Son of Heaven and works quite well! Ah, the Great King is truly filial!"
Suppressing any vulgar words, Queen Ming, upon hearing that the heater was a gift from the Son of Heaven, had to bow three times in gratitude for the imperial favor.
And so, Queen Ming spent the night in front of the heater.
The next morning, the Snow Wolf King emerged from the main hall and, seeing Queen Ming, appeared surprised, "Queen Dowager, why are you still here?"
Queen Ming, seeing the Snow Wolf King finally appearing, gritted his teeth and lowered his head, "Great King, please forgive me!"
The Snow Wolf King calmly said, "Queen Dowager, your words are too heavy. Go back for now. We'll discuss everything when I return after the morning court."
Queen Ming reluctantly agreed and, attempting to rise, discovered that after kneeling all night, his knees were numb. He nearly lost his balance and had to be supported by someone to stand shakily.
Seeing the Queen Dowager rise, the Snow Wolf King said, "Since you've used the Son of Heaven's heater, remember to express gratitude when you go back."
"Yes." Queen Ming, hearing the mention of the Son of Heaven, knelt again, supporting his numb legs, and kowtowed three times in front of the heater.
With aching waist and legs, Queen Ming, helped up by attendants, was about to leave when Hong Huli suddenly said, "Oh, nearly forgot. The Son of Heaven has issued an edict to be announced!"
Cursing internally, Queen Ming maintained a respectful demeanor, knelt again, risking a faint from low blood sugar. Others naturally followed suit, kneeling all around.
Hong Huli picked up a tablet, opened the email sent by the Son of Heaven, and said, "The first sentence says it all: the Great King is unwell, no need to kneel for the imperial decree."
The Snow Wolf King then expressed, "Many thanks to the Son of Heaven."
Hong Huli proceeded to read, "The Heavenly Family has received the official report from the Northern Kingdom. They express deep concern for the Snow Wolf King's health and granted medicinal herbs as a special gift. Simultaneously, the Heavenly Family has responded to the Censorate's impeachment of the Queen Dowager of the Northern Kingdom. They acknowledge the inappropriate behavior of Queen Ming. As a consequence, entries related to his private affairs were removed from official records, and his harem management privileges were temporarily suspended. It is hoped that Queen Ming will study diligently, reflect seriously, correct mistakes, and contribute to improvement and development."
Queen Ming, unaware that his night-long kneeling was in vain, received the news of revoked privileges with a pale face. However, he could only bow and express gratitude.
After the imperial decree was read, Queen Ming approached the Snow Wolf King, whispering, "Great King, do we really need to bring this matter to the Heavenly Family? Aren't you afraid the Son of Heaven will think you're indulging in extravagance and harming the nation?"
The Snow Wolf King smiled. "You are the Queen Dowager. I must show filial piety and can't punish you. Therefore, I can only let the Son of Heaven decide."
Queen Ming's expression was complicated. After a moment, he took a step back and said, "Great King, you needn't trouble yourself. Since it's my mistake, I willingly impose a self-confinement."
Having said that, with the assistance of attendants, Queen Ming returned to Qingque Terrace. Ordering the attendants to close the doors, he imposed self-restriction.
Meanwhile, Liu Jiao had already left Chunguang Pavilion, preparing to exit the palace and proceed to the Temple of Heavenly Emperor.
Bai Juan, residing in the same palace, feared getting involved in the turmoil and stayed indoors, avoiding any public appearances. Leng Jiao, however, came to see him. Liu Jiao said, "Didn't you say I'm a major offender and it's not good to have any association with me?"
Leng Jiao simply replied, "It wasn't appropriate to seek you out in the middle of the night, but in broad daylight, since you're leaving, it's only proper for me to see you off. After all, we share the same palace. It's a matter of courtesy."
Liu Jiao nodded and added, "Do you know how Suisui is doing?"
Surprised, Leng Jiao asked, "You still care about him?"
"Don't you care about me too?"
"How is that the same!" Leng Jiao, feeling a bit uneasy with the comparison, maintained composure and said, "This matter originally had nothing to do with Suisui. He got involved because of the Snow Wolf King's benevolence. He won't face any trouble."
Liu Jiao, puzzled, asked, "How do you know that this matter originally had nothing to do with Suisui?"
While Leng Jiao wasn't directly involved, having observed from the sidelines, the situation was clear to him. On the other hand, Liu Jiao, a key figure, remained oblivious. Leng Jiao sighed after a moment, patted Liu Jiao on the shoulder, and simply said, "It's better for you to leave this place."
Liu Jiao, realizing he was about to leave, showed a hint of reluctance. "I'll miss you."
Leng Jiao, momentarily surprised, responded, "I'll stay in touch with you. There are phones at the Temple of Heavenly Emperor. I'll find a way to call you. Don't worry."
Delighted, Liu Jiao exclaimed, "Really? That's wonderful!"
Leng Jiao nodded.
A palace attendant came to hurry Liu Jiao's departure. Liu Jiao was about to turn away but remembered something. He looked back at Leng Jiao and said, "And also..."
Leng Jiao reassured him, "I know, I'll inquire about Suisui for you."
Liu Jiao, touched by Leng Jiao's unexpected warmth despite his cold personality, nodded in gratitude before parting ways with the attendant. The journey to the Temple of Heavenly Emperor went smoothly, and upon arrival, monks greeted him. The monks had long hair and robes, walking barefoot. They surrounded a red-robed senior monk in the center. This monk, however, had a shaved head and a solemn demeanor.
Gesturing towards the shaved-headed senior monk, a monk introduced, "This is our head monk, Fang Zhang."
"May I know how to address the abbot?" Liu Jiao asked. (note: fang zhang literally means abbot, so for Liu Jiao, the monk's introduction sounds like: "This is our head monk abbot.")
The senior monk said, "My surname is Fang, and my given name is Zhang."
"Oh..." Liu Jiao swallowed and glanced around. "So, ordinary disciples in the Temple of Heavenly Emperor keep their hair, and only the head monk shaves his head?"
The senior monk responded, "This humble monk is balding (xie ding)." (translator's note: xie ding literally translates to "thank you for the top," but idiomatically means "balding")
Liu Jiao was confused. "So, are you called Abbot (Fang Zhang) or Baldy (Xie Ding)?"
The abbot refused to answer the question and simply said, "Guest Liu, let me show you to your residence."
The abbot arranged for him to stay in a secluded and quiet courtyard. "Since you are a carnivore, you don't need to adhere to dietary restrictions. Also, as an outsider, you are not bound by the rules of our temple. Morning practices are optional — basically, do whatever you like."
Liu Jiao, surprised by the leniency of the temple's "cultivation," nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Abbot. May I ask, can I enshrine a longevity tablet here?"
The abbot replied, "In our sacred teachings, we don't believe in that. However, if you wish to offer prayers for a living person, we usually write the name of the person a hundred times in sacred ink, then burn the paper in the sacred furnace with prayers. This ritual is conducted daily for forty-nine days, praying for the person's longevity."
"That works." Liu Jiao took out his phone and, following Leng Jiao's suggestion, searched for the "full name of the current Snow Wolf King of the Northern Kingdom" — the search engine responded with a string of characters.
Seeing the answer, Liu Jiao's eyes glazed over. "How many times did you say I have to write the name in a day?"
The abbot glanced at Liu Jiao's phone screen and chuckled. "Guest Liu, don't worry, this is just gibberish."
Liu Jiao breathed a sigh of relief. "So, what is the Snow Wolf King's name?"
The abbot replied, "You'll have to ask the Snow Wolf King himself. Names are taboo and cannot be casually revealed... However, if you have such intentions, simply write the three words 'the Snow Wolf King' on the prayer paper. After all, there is only one Snow Wolf King in the world."
Liu Jiao nodded in acknowledgment and expressed his gratitude.
The abbot added, "One more thing to note, the Northern Pagoda in the temple is off-limits."
"Why is that?" Liu Jiao asked.
"Because it's haunted."
Liu Jiao was greatly astonished. "Temples can be haunted?"
"Yes, indeed. It's been quite a headache," the abbot said. "We've already invited Daoist priests to perform rituals."
"You need to invite Daoist priests? Can't you handle it yourselves?"
"Well..." The abbot pondered for a moment. "We generally focus on blessings, and dealing with ghosts and such is better left to the experts at Zhengqi Temple across the way."
Liu Jiao thought for a moment and asked, "Are you a demon?"
The abbot shook his head. "I am human."
Nodding, Liu Jiao understandingly said, "No wonder you're afraid of ghosts."
The abbot frowned. "Aren't you afraid of ghosts?"
Liu Jiao shook his head. "Not afraid."
The abbot thought for a moment, then turned to a disciple. "Someone, get Guest Liu a collection of 'The Ring' series."
Subsequently, Liu Jiao was locked in a dark room to watch 'The Ring.' In less than ten minutes, Liu Jiao was scratching the door. "Abbot Baldy, I was wrong!!!!"
At that very moment, the phone in the room started ringing.
Liu Jiao's face turned pale, and he dared not answer.
After a while, the phone stopped ringing.
Liu Jiao squatted on the floor with a pale face, his tail drooping.
After a while, the phone rang again.
All the fur on Liu Jiao's body stood on end. With a swift motion, he smacked the phone, shattering it into pieces.
On the other end of the phone, the Snow Wolf King was puzzled. "Hmm? Why isn't Xiao Jiao answering my call?"
Hong Huli mentioned, "Maybe Beautiful Lady Jiao..." He caught himself, realizing that Liu Jiao was no longer referred to as "Beautiful Lady," and corrected, "Maybe Liu Jiao hasn't arrived at the meditation hall yet."
"Impossible," the Snow Wolf King picked up his phone, "The GPS shows he's already there."
Hong Huli thought, "The Great King acts magnanimous in front of the snow leopard, claiming to grant him freedom. But turns out, he immediately put him under GPS surveillance."
"There might be an error," Lanmao suggested.
The Snow Wolf King shook his head. "Not possible. This is military-grade GPS."
"......"
After finishing the collection of "The Ring," Liu Jiao, far from going to the haunted Northern Pagoda, was now afraid to even go to the bathroom.
Ah Ye and Da Huangya were quite displeased. They said, "That abbot went too far! How can he force you to watch horror movies alone in a dark room?"
Liu Jiao thought for a moment and said, "Actually, it's quite enjoyable..."
"......"
The abbot sent someone to fix Liu Jiao's phone. Feeling embarrassed, Liu Jiao apologized to the abbot, mentioning that he had broken their phone.
The abbot casually replied, "No problem, just deduct it from the living expenses the Great King allocated for you!"
Liu Jiao asked, "How much did the Great King allocate for my living expenses?"
The abbot didn't give a specific answer, "Don't worry, it's definitely more than enough."
Unsure of what to say, Liu Jiao hesitated and then said, "Alright then!"
The abbot added, "By the way, it seems like the palace called you. Once the phone is fixed, return their call."
Liu Jiao took a piece of paper, on which was written a series of numbers.