Chapter 2: Daning Dynasty

In the later years of the Daming Dynasty, powerful enemies rose one after another, pressing closer and closer. When Emperor Yan Zhan ascended to the throne in the early years of Yanwu, the Liao Emperor Yelü was also seizing power by killing his father and brother. To establish dominance and lead his troops, Yelü led two hundred thousand soldiers to invade the Ning territory. Unfortunately, the officials and soldiers along the way were unwilling to confront the enemy. Within a month, the sixteen provinces of Yanyun fell into the hands of the Liao people. The Liao forces even advanced to the outskirts of Kaifeng. Emperor Yan Zhan, unable to confront the enemy, fled under the cover of night, leaving behind his harem, children, his birth mother Empress Dowager Zhang, Empress Cui, and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Kaifeng.

It was fortunate that his actions united the people and officials of the city. Despite her old age and frailty, Empress Dowager Zhang personally donned armor and ascended the city walls, accompanied by Empress Cui and leading the princes, concubines, eunuchs, and palace maids. They cut their long skirts, tore off their wide sleeves, wrapped their hair with cloth, and joined the common people in defending against the invaders.

The people of Daming fought fiercely against the Liao invaders outside the city of Kaifeng for eight days and nights. Although the Liao forces breached the city gates several times, the defenders fought back fiercely. Ultimately, they were overwhelmed, and the city fell into the hands of the enemy. The civilians and officials in the city suffered heavy casualties, and the entire city of Kaifeng was filled with corpses and flowing blood. Fortunately, reinforcements from all directions arrived swiftly and drove the invading Liao forces away. Empress Dowager Zhang died from a fatal arrow wound to the chest, and the princes and princesses died heroically, leaving only one surviving heir.

After the establishment of the capital in Dongjing, Empress Cui repeatedly urged the emperor to return to the capital. Only by returning to the capital could he stabilize the hearts of the northern people and reclaim the land of the Han Dynasty.

However, Emperor Yan Zhan, being weak and cowardly, refused to return to Dongjing and instead chose Lin'an as the new capital in the south.

Upon learning of this news, Empress Cui wept bitterly in the palace. She then disheveled her hair and went to the city, where she prostrated herself three times to the south and cursed the weak and incompetent emperor. She felt ashamed for not fulfilling her duty to advise him, and she felt guilty towards her ancestors, the deceased Empress Dowager Zhang, and the people. She was willing to sacrifice herself to make her husband repent.

After speaking, she leaped from the city wall and fell to the ground outside the city, her skull bursting upon impact, and her soul returning to the underworld.

Emperor Yan Zhan, upon hearing the news of his wife's death, angrily exclaimed, "This wretched woman has caused me trouble! This will only make me lose face in front of the world!" He hastily ordered the hasty burial of Empress Cui's body, and it is unknown where she was buried.

If the emperor acted in such a manner, it was no surprise that the common people, who were as fragile as grass, suffered even more. The Liao people treated the Han people like livestock, seizing them and confiscating their property and land. The people had no choice but to scatter and flee. The Mu family fled from Datong Prefecture to Taiyuan Prefecture when the war broke out. However, the authorities did not allow them to enter the city, so they settled in nearby towns and villages.

Fortunately, Mu Da was skilled in carpentry. Despite the ongoing turmoil, the people still had to make a living. Although they could not afford new things, there were always things that needed to be repaired.

Every day, Mu Da found odd jobs in the city of Taiyuan, earning some money and food. Although they could not eat well, they could still support their wife and children. Yang Sanniang was also hardworking and endured hardships, finding odd jobs nearby and taking care of the children. The couple raised their mentally disabled daughter and had another child during their escape. The family of four lived a relatively comfortable life.

However, people being people, although they had no property, they still envied others who were better off. At first, the women envied Yang Sanniang for marrying a honest and skilled man and secretly laughed at her for having a mentally disabled daughter. They pretended to advise her, but they were actually stabbing her in the back. However, Yang Sanniang was determined to keep her daughter, saying, "No matter how foolish she is, she is my own flesh and blood. I cannot abandon her to the wolves. I will raise her."

Others said, "With her being so foolish, she will be a burden to you. No one will want her as a daughter-in-law. When you and your husband are gone, she will be a burden to your siblings. Why not get rid of her now?"

Yang Sanniang could not bear it and lashed out, hitting them and driving them away. After that, no one dared to come and advise her, but they laughed behind her back. They watched as Yang Sanniang gave birth to two more daughters and finally a son. With the long-awaited male heir, they named him Baosheng.

As for the four daughters, the first one was named Hong, and the next three were named Er, San, and Si.

Fortunately, Mu Da had a skill, and Yang Sanniang was good at managing the household. The young couple raised five children, and although the situation was turbulent, they managed to get by.

When their eldest daughter turned six, the couple remembered the words of the mad Taoist. One day, they entrusted their younger children to their neighbors, borrowed a cart, and took their mentally disabled daughter to the Southern Mountain Tai Xu Temple.

Upon the arrival at Guanqian, two young Taoist disciples with small buns on their heads came forward and respectfully addressed the Mu couple as "Venerable Ones," indicating that they were the ones to guide them.

The Mu couple were both shocked and respectful at the sight.

"Indeed, the immortal has great power, and he even calculated the date!" exclaimed the couple.

With their dumb daughter in their arms, they followed the Taoist disciples timidly into the Tai Xu Temple. Inside, they saw a small temple with only three main halls, all clean and with wisps of incense lingering in the air. The three halls were named Tai Qing Hall, Tai Yi Hall, and Tai Xuan Hall, each enshrining Yuan Shi Tian Zun, Zhen Yuan Dao Zu, and Tai Yi Zhen Ren, all of whom were dignified and graceful.

The couple knelt down and kowtowed, then followed the Taoist disciples to the back.

Instead of going to the main hall, they were led to a side courtyard, where they saw a stone table and four stools. On top of the table was a cushion, and a mad Taoist sat cross-legged on it.

The couple dared not ask why the Taoist didn't use the stools and sat on the table instead. They approached respectfully, and the mad Taoist smiled at them and said, "You are obedient!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the dumb girl. She stared back at him blankly, unable to speak. The mad Taoist chuckled and asked, "Has she been given a name?"

Mr. Mu hurriedly replied, "We named her 'Hong'!"

Since he couldn't read, he simply named her "Hong" after Yang Sanniang saw blood. The Taoist clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Good! 'Hong' is good. Let me add another character for her!"

He instructed the Taoist disciple to bring paper and ink, and with his finger dipped in ink, he wrote the character "Luan" for them.

"It is destined for the phoenix to meet the dragon in this life, but there will be battles ahead..."

He pointed to the girl's forehead and said, "Silly child, you only have one soul left now. If it lingers and doesn't return, you won't be able to live as a human anymore! Hurry, hurry!"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a leftover chicken head, then stuffed it into the dumb girl's mouth without hesitation. Accustomed to being fed at home, she opened her mouth and started chewing.

Although she came from a poor family and was not used to eating meat, she didn't mind the chicken head. She chewed and swallowed it, but the bone was too hard and choked her. She gasped and clawed at her throat, her eyes rolling back.

Yang Sanniang rushed to pat her back, while the mad Taoist laughed heartily and said, "Look, she's not coming..."

He waved his hand at Yang Sanniang and said, "Don't bother... don't bother..."

Then, he leaned back and fell asleep with his legs crossed and his head tilted. The couple called out to him, but the Taoist disciple hurried them away and closed the door, ignoring the situation inside.

The Mu couple carried their daughter back home, trying to dislodge the chicken bone from her throat, but to no avail. She lay still, and they couldn't help but feel shocked and afraid. They didn't dare disturb the immortal again and could only watch their daughter in tears.

After three days, when they were not paying attention, their daughter woke up. Overjoyed, they thanked the immortal for his protection and blessings. They were surprised but didn't doubt why their daughter could speak and move as fluently as an adult. According to Yang Sanniang, "After taking the immortal's medicine, even if she died, she could come back to life. It's not surprising that she can speak and act so well!"

They regretted wasting the half-eaten chicken head thrown on the ground, thinking, "It's a pity that we, ordinary people, don't recognize immortal elixirs. If we had brought it back and shared it with our children, it would have been a great thing!"

Yang Sanniang was a good mother, always thinking of her children.

As Mu Hongluan woke up and saw the loving care her parents gave to her and her siblings despite their poverty, she realized that it was destined for her to be reborn in this family. Thinking of the words of the little ghost she met before, she couldn't help but feel a sense of desolation.

"I don't regret waiting for him in the underworld for ten years. I know that in the next life, he and I may have different destinies. I may be a servant while he becomes a high official. Such is our fate, and I can't blame others. I just wish I could see him and bid him farewell after waiting for so long. Now that I know he is living a prosperous life in this world, I can only hope that he is not as miserable as in our previous life. I wonder how we will meet again in the future!"

Then she remembered that he had drunk the Meng Po soup, and their next encounter might just be as strangers.