Chapter 7 Trouble Comes


    Two dayster, as expected, the Empress brought some people to the Pce. She imed that Yun


    Shang was possessed, as, within a short space of time, two inexplicable events urred. First, she fell


    from the attic and then, the pce where she lived caught fire. The Empress sent somebody to call for


    a savant Taoist from Lingyun Temple to hold an exorcism for Yun Shang.


    The Empress arrived just as Yun Shang had just finished her breakfast. Decided on a nap, the young


    princess left the table. As she walked past the window, she saw the maids-in-waiting curtsying to the


    Empress. Yun Shang yawned and winked at Qin Yi. Qin Yi withdrew secretly from the Pce.


    Yun Shang stepped out of the Pce and walked towards the Empress. "Mother, what are you doing


    here? It is too noisy. I wanted a nap, but now I can''t fall asleep." She yawned again to emphasize her


    point.


    "My little sister, you are the younger princess. How can you care so little about your manners while


    under the watch of so many maids-in-waiting and eunuchs? You should be wary. It would not do well to


    be seen by madams who would take you for etiquette training." said Princess Hua Jing. As Yun Shang


    turned, she found Hua Jing standing behind the Empress. Hua Jing wore a light blue court dress with


    peach blossom petals embroidered on the fringe of the tunic, a jade hairpin on her head, and fine silver


    beaded tassels hanging from the hairpin. As she wasing of age, she had a grown woman''s body.


    Yun Shang looked over her sister''s slim waist, beautifully defined shoulders, rosy cheeks, and bright


    eyes.


    Yun Shang smiled. There was no doubt that Hua Jing was a real beauty. No wonder her husband from


    her previous life had mistreated Yun Shang to stay with Hua Jing.


    Yun Shang said smilingly, "My elder sister is also here……"


    Hua Jing nodded and walked forward to take Yun Shang''s hands. "I heard that the ritual of exorcism is


    more miraculous and interesting than folk acrobatics. I came all the way to see it. You are already out.


    Let''s go to see it together!"


    As Hua Jing touched her arms, Yun Shang forced a smile. Hearing Hua Jing talk to her in such a


    heartfelt way enraged Yun Shang. She thought that Hua Jing must enjoy watching her suffer.


    Yun Shang didn''t show her emotions. Instead, she said, "Well, I''ll go with you. What you think is


    interesting must certainly be just that. I wouldn''t want to miss it." Yun Shang turned round to look at the


    Empress. The Empress looked graceful and gorgeous in a phoenix robe. The tunic stretched behind


    her; the colors glittering in the morning sun. At the moment, the Empress was looking at her and Hua


    Jing with a gentle smile. She certainly looked like an amiable mother.


    Yun Shang smiled and turned around. "This is going to be a long ritual. You will get very tired if you


    keep standing here. My servants, go to the Pce and bring out three chairs."


    As the eunuchs brought out the chairs, Yun Shang said, "Please sit down, my Empress and sister. Let''s


    sit and watch the ritual." After that, she sat down first.


    Yun Shang noticed the Empress frowning at herck of respect. The look disappeared so quickly that


    Yun Shang wondered if she had imagined it. She smiled and turned to see Qin Yi standing nearby.


    Feeling Yun Shang''s eyes, Qin Yi shook her head before leaving.


    Yun Shang frowned. Then she saw that the eunuchs had prepared candlesticks. The Taoist made a


    gesture with his hands implying that the ritual had begun. He pulled out his sword, closed his eyes and


    murmured a chant. After that, the Taoist picked up the bells and began chanting and swaying to the


    rhythm of the bells.


    "Temptation may grasp a person for a short while. But human beings should remember to follow the


    right path. Those who choose the path of enlightenment cherish life, while those who ept the evil


    path devote themselves to stifling good things. Those on the path of enlightenment and that of


    trapped in a cycle of unhappiness, greed, and selfishness…" The Taoist murmured an incantation


    before taking a sip of water from the bowl ced near the candlesticks. With the sword, he lifted


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    several spiritual magic figures*. The chants continued as he brought the figures closer to the candles.


    Once they had lit, he sprinkled some water on them. The spiritual magic figures started burning


    furiously, giving out a strong smell of sandalwood.


    (*TN a kind of yellow paper with incantation on it, which is thought to have magic powers and to


    supposed to bring good luck.)


    Yun Shang closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly her body jerked. It urred to her that


    Taoist priest didn''t use sandalwood.


    In her previous life, she had spent some time learning about Buddhism to pacify her mother-inw, a


    Buddhist believer. Though she was not an expert in Buddhism, she knew that Buddhists use


    sandalwood while Taoists burn aquria agallocha. She was certain that what she smelled was


    sandalwood. There was no mistaking its distinct smell.


    Yun Shang saw Qin Yi appear again. She was blending in with a group of maids-in-waiting. She


    nodded her head. The tips of Yun Shang''s mouth lifted in a brief smile. From the corner of her eye, Yun


    Shang saw that Hua Jing had been watching her since the sandalwood had begun to smoke.


    For some reason, the smell was essential to the ritual.


    Yun Shang heard several unusual noisesing from outside the pce. Putting these things


    together, she had a vague idea of what to expect next. What she didn''t know was what responses


    woulde from the ostensibly virtuous Empress and the seemingly courteous Princess Hua Jing.


    Yun Shang put her hands on her forehead while thinking. The instant her hand touched her brow, Hua


    Jing spoke, "My sister, are you ok? Do you feel sick now?"


    Yun Shang nodded and said, "I don''t know why but the smell kind of sickens me and there is a buzzing


    in my head." Yun Shang said to the Empress and Hua Jing with a forced smile, "I feel very unwell. I will


    retire to my chamber to rest."


    The Empress nodded. However, Hua Jing couldn''t let go of this chance to embarrass Yun Shang in


    public. "The Taoist hasn''t finished the exorcism yet. Stay with me for another moment."


    Yun Shang looked at Hua Jing and waved her hands. She pretended to speak as though the act


    required quite an effort. "No, I can''t. I have a bad headache and I''d better rest now." After this, she


    beckoned Qin Yin. The servant quickly stepped forward to hold the young Princess''s arms. Just as they


    proceeded to the inner room, the Taoist eximed, "Get rid of the evil spirits, then life can be saved.


    With a pure heart, you''ll have a peaceful mind. Those who keep cultivating the Tao way, will have an


    immortal soul. Take effect immediately!"


    Just as the Taoist finished his speech, Yun Shang felt a gush of wind sweep across her face. Before


    she could register what transpired, a sword stopped her path.


    Yun Shang just frowned while Qin Yin lost her temper and said, "How dare you do that? Are you gonna


    kill our Princess, Yun Shang?"


    Qin Yin''s outburst ended the audience''s trance-like state, but nobody went forward to stop the priest. It


    was not until a whileter that the Empress said, "Taoist, have you noticed something unusual?


    The Taoist stared at Yun Shang coldly with a harrumph. He took the spiritual magic figure from the


    table, and ced it on Yun Shang''s forehead. "The Qingxin Pce would have been tranquil if


    Princess Yun Shang wasn''t being haunted by a ghost. I have just ced a spiritual magic figure to


    repress the ghost. And I will expel the ghost from the Princess by exorcism…"


    The spiritual magic figure must have contained sandalwood for as soon as it was ced on Yun


    Shang''s forehead, the fragrance became overwhelming. Yun Shang smiled. She took down the


    spiritual magic figure, and threw it at the Taoist. "I am not possessed and this ritual is a sham. I will ask


    my father to inquire into this business. Where on earth are you from? My beautiful Empress, don''t be


    cheated by this deceitful and fake Taoist…"


    These words hardly left Yun Shang''s mouth when amotion caught her attention. The attendees


    had not heard it as they were gaping at Yun Shang. As the noise got louder, everyone turned round to


    look. Since the door was open, they could see outside the courtyard. A few figures seemed to be


    rushing straight for them. Seeing this, Qin Yi grabbed Yun Shang''s arms and forced her behind a


    nearby tree.