The Collected Annotations and True Interpretations of Guiguzi's 51 Chapters

  Yang Zhi had a strong desire to become an official, which can be seen from the fact that he went to the Duanwang Mansion to offer gifts on the second day after Emperor Taizong's death. This is also understandable, as there were few male members in the Yang family, and the widows of the Yang family placed all their hopes on him, making him feel suppressed from a young age, always dreaming of achieving greater merits than his ancestor Yang Ye and bringing glory to the family.

  However, the Yang family has declined now. In the time of Bao Zheng, a great Confucian scholar, he advocated for "inner law and outer military", the way of kings, so he took care of the Yang family who were martial artists. After Bao Zheng left, there was no one in the court to take care of the Yang family, which is why it has become deserted now. Even Yang Zhi couldn't enter the gate of the Duanwang Mansion, so he thought of another plan and wanted to take the route of Wu Song.

  Wu Song could only agree to him, allowing him to take the lead in guarding the martial arts masters' duties, and together they returned to the Tianji Pavilion. Sure enough, a small sedan chair was seen carrying Zhou Dang to his home entrance. Zhou Dang instructed Han Guanjia to clear out a set of rooms for him, and he moved in with great fanfare. He also handed over a prescription, telling Han Guanjia to go fetch the medicine and decoct it.

  "Should we put some poison in the old thief's medicine..." Wu Song was considering this possibility, when he saw Shi Xiniang quietly walk over and say in a low voice: "Master, Li Shishi has been invited. I didn't use any aphrodisiacs, I just told her that Second Madam entrusted her to Master's care before she died, so she wouldn't fall into the dust. This woman only listens to her parents' words and the matchmaker's words, when she heard about Second Madam's dying entrustment, she agreed, packed up some silver and soft goods, and moved into Master's room, waiting for Master to go there tonight."

  Wu Song was overjoyed, and then thought of the girl from Gong Sheng's family who had moved his bedroom to the backyard, and couldn't help but feel extremely annoyed. He said: "Xi Niangzi, is there a way to move Li Shi Shi out of the mansion and raise her in secret, hiding her like a precious treasure?"

  The young lady suddenly said: "Sir, aren't you afraid of Gongshu's daughter?"

  "How can I, an official, be afraid of her? My official rank is two grades higher than hers! Back in my hometown, I have two more wives who haven't moved in yet. I was just thinking of bringing them over and when the time is ripe, I'll explain everything clearly to the first wife and bring Li Shi Shi into the mansion."

  "That's a good idea, but Gong Xiang is with Shifu now. I'm a bit afraid of her, so please go and tell her yourself."

  Wu Song rushed to his original residence, only to see Xiaoyuehong blocking the door, refusing to let him in. This maid now had someone backing her up and gradually didn't put Wu Song, the master, in her eyes. She moved a small stool to sit in front of the room and said: "The two young ladies are inside taking a bath, with freshly drawn hot water, sprinkled with Yunnan's tribute lemons and Pingyang's tribute roses, the water is red, fragrant and overflowing."

  Wu Song glared at her, inside there were two big girls taking a bath, and he couldn't go in. Xiaoyue Hong said to herself: "Gongsun girl also said that she is preparing to imitate the setting of Tang Minghuang's time, building a Yu Hua pool for the imperial concubine to take a bath, a special place for girls from good families to take baths."

  Wu Song continued to glare at her with anger in his eyes. The maid had been spoiled, and now she had her own maid serving her, leaving the official helpless.

  "Tomorrow, bring Yu Lian and Jin Lian over. Those two maids are still easy to deal with, especially that little girl Jin Lian, who always wants to be the mistress of a martial arts family..."

  The housekeeper ran in, panting and said: "Master, Master, that Taoist priest has come again!" Wu Song was still angry, glaring at him with a pair of eyes: "Which Taoist priest?"

  Han Guanjia was startled and hastily said, "It's that Lin Lingsu who brought two sheets of paper last time. Last time he knew to bring two sheets of paper, but this time he came empty-handed, bringing nothing."

  Wu Song's spirit lifted and he said, "Quickly invite him to the tea room, order the young servant to lay out two... no, four cushions! Invite Old Man Zhou over as well."

  The housekeeper hastily agreed and immediately began to prepare. Wu Song said to the room, "Yanran, Lin Lingzhi has arrived, you can take a bath and come out quickly, Lin Lingzhi is a geomancer."

  A voice came from inside the house, and after a low response, Gong Xuan walked out with her wet hair tied back, her face flushed, and said to the person at the door: "Shi Shi Jie, please sit for a while, I'll come back to accompany you later, and I'll sleep here tonight."

  A soft voice came from inside the door, Wu Song took advantage of the opportunity to take a look, but only saw half of her back, wearing a skirt made of Yu Guanyin's popular satin fabric in the capital, soft and smooth, hanging down to her feet, with white tender and slightly red arms exposed under the sleeve, gently closing the door.

  Although it was just a glimpse, Wu Song left an impression. Gong Sun looked at him with a seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling expression and said: "Master, let's go."

  "Wu Song hastily said: 'It's time to go.' He turned his head and took another look, only to see half of a pretty face and a strand of black hair behind the window curtain, after which the window was closed."

  "So fragrant..."

  "It's the fragrance on you!" Gong Sun Yan raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed, and felt a little disappointed. Wu Song smiled: "I'm talking about the good smell on you." Gong Sun Yan then turned her anger into joy, saying: "This is Jin Hua Xiang Zhuang, made from the dew of peony flowers at spring equinox, after bathing, apply a thin layer to the cheeks, and there will be a faint elegant fragrance."

  Wu Song looked at her face and saw that on her snow-white and tender cheeks, there was a faint flush, and under the hairline on her forehead, there were small beads of sweat, which had been steamed down during her bath. He couldn't help but exclaim: "Really beautiful."

  Gong Sun's heart was delighted, and he lowered his head. Then he heard Wu Song say: "This Lin Ling Su is a Yin Yang master, the Eight Pulse Seal God Curse in your body is the ultimate skill of the Yin Yang family, ask him to take a look, maybe he can find a solution."

  Gong Shu's heart was moved, and he looked up and said: "Master..."

  "What?"

  Gong Shu Yan Ran lowered her head again: "Nothing..."

  Two people on their way to the teahouse saw Chen Liqing's little girl feeding fish by the goldfish pond, and laughed: "With Liqing around, relying on her eyes, she must be able to see whether Lin Lingsu is a yin-yang master or not." Wu Song picked up the little girl and put her on his shoulders, arriving at the teahouse, where they heard Zhou Dang's voice inside, saying: "Can Mr. Lin tell my age and time of death based on my physiognomy?"

  Wu Song hastily walked in, and saw Zhou Tong and a young Taoist priest sitting opposite each other in the teahouse. The Taoist priest had a pale face with sparse whiskers, wearing a Taoist robe embroidered with the River Chart and Luo Book, and was calculating with his fingers.

  Zhou Tang glanced at his fingers and shook his head: "Mr. Lin, please go back."

  "What?" Lin Lingsu exclaimed in surprise.

  Zhou Tong waved his hand and said to Han Gongzhu, "See the guest off." Han Gongzhu asked Wu Song for instructions, and Wu Song nodded slightly. Lin Lingzhi called out, "Wu Gezhai, have you forgotten those two pieces of paper?"

  Wu Song didn't say a word. He waited until the steward had escorted him out of the door before turning to Zhou Tong and asking, "Old thief, what's going on here?"

  "Fake, a half-baked little thief, actually impersonating a Taoist of the Yin-Yang family!" Zhou Dang sneered: "The Yin-Yang family is divided into two factions, one faction combines and the other connects horizontally. Both factions are proficient in divination calculations and array methods."

  It is said that the calculation of the fingers, apart from the thumb, each of the other four fingers has three joints, corresponding to the Three Talents, Three Yang, Three Yin, Three Births, Twelve Earthly Branches, Twelve Months, Twelve Yuan Chen, and Twelve Earthly Branches. The ten fingers of both hands are the Ten Heavenly Stems, and the twenty-four finger joints of both hands are the Twenty-Four Solar Terms.

  The Yin Yang family's calculation method, the basic operation is either three into one, eight into one, ten into one, twelve into one, or twenty-four into one. Using the thumb to press the finger joints, both hands calculate down, there are countless possibilities, but after calculating, there is only one result, so it is called divine calculation. That person just now didn't even know the method of twelve into one, how could he be a disciple of the Yin Yang family?

  Wu Song pondered for a moment, saying: "So that means this person is a swindler?" Zhou Tong nodded, and Wu Song said again: "But he has a copy of 'Gui Gu Zi Ji Zhu' with genuine annotations, how can this be explained?" Wu Song walked out of the teahouse, thinking for a while, then said: "Housekeeper, go invite Yang Zhi to come."

  Before he had finished speaking, Yang Zhi suddenly appeared silently behind him and cupped his hands, saying: "What are your orders, sir?"

  "......Would you mind making some noise next time you appear? Don't always be so sudden and stealthy, it's scary."

  Yang Zhi nodded, and Wu Song said: "You go and follow Lin Lingsu, no matter what means you use, you must find the true explanation of 'Gui Gu Zi Ji Zhu' in his hands! If you can bring that book back, I'll promote your official rank!"

  Yang Zhi's eyes lit up: "Life and death are of no consequence?"

  Wu Song nodded and said: "Life or death is of no concern!" As soon as he finished speaking, the green-faced beast Yang Zhi silently disappeared and chased after Lin Rong.