How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

Dong Feng was busy from morning till night, giving acupuncture, brewing medicine, and wiping Liu Yin's body. She didn't leave the room until the sun set, wiping away her sweat.

"How was it?" Wen Shuyun had been waiting outside the door for a whole day. When she saw her come out, she hurriedly went up to ask.

Seeing the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and his chapped lips, Dong Feng knew he hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day. She sighed inwardly before speaking, "Miss, you suffered a serious injury years ago, and you've been weak these past few days. This blow has truly shattered your spirit and soul. You must take good care of yourself, otherwise..."

Wen Shuyun's face turned ugly, and she suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself.

Dong Feng quickly stopped him and said, "Now, it's just the two of us by your side, Miss. I still need to brew medicine and give you acupuncture and pulse diagnosis. Only you can help you. You mustn't do that."

Wen Shuyun, relieved that she had been stopped, nodded dejectedly and said nothing more.

Liu Yin's illness was indeed severe this time, and she even developed a high fever at night.

After much effort, the temperature finally dropped when the sun was high in the sky, and Wen Shuyun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Dong Feng came to check on her several times before her complexion improved. She then said to Wen Shuyun, "Miss, you're fine now. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Wen Shuyun nodded before saying, "Thank you for your trouble. You should go and rest now."

Dong Feng gently shook her head and replied, "You are my mentor. It is my duty as a disciple to do something for my teacher. You don't need to thank me."

"You go and rest first, I'll watch over the teacher," Dong Feng continued.

Wen Shuyun shook her head: "No need, I can't sleep well either, you go first."

Seeing this, Dong Feng tried to persuade her a few more times, but Shu Yun refused repeatedly before turning around and leaving to rest.

Liu Yin was seriously ill, and it wasn't until seven days later that she was gradually able to get up.

"Sword Maiden, be careful." Wen Shuyun gently helped her up and took out a pillow to put behind her waist.

Liu Yin drank a few sips of water from her hand before saying, "It's alright, don't worry, I won't do anything rash."

"Sword Maiden..." Wen Shuyun called softly, but was speechless for a moment.

Liu Yin sighed and said, "I should have stopped her back then. If I had, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

“It was her choice, wasn’t it? And it wasn’t the battlefield’s fault. If you look at it from another angle, if… if she hadn’t been a general back then, if she hadn’t entered the palace, wouldn’t… wouldn’t it have been His Majesty who was in trouble? In the end, she would have been a loyal subject.” Wen Shuyun said softly.

Seeing that Liu Yin's complexion was not very good, he continued, "His Majesty has already said that he will confer upon her the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, and agrees to hang her portrait in the Pavilion of Loyalty and Righteousness so that future generations can admire her."

“What’s the point of a person’s posthumous fame if they’re gone?” Liu Yin sighed and replied.

Wen Shuyun handed her another bowl of thin porridge before continuing, "Being able to shield His Majesty from a sword, Mei Wu must have died without regret. Such a loyal and brave person deserves to be admired for all eternity."

Liu Yin didn't reply to him, but felt a chill all over her body.

She wanted to say that Mei Wu hadn't found his sister yet; she wanted to say that it was such a pity that Mei Wu's life had ended so abruptly at only twenty-something years old; she wanted to say that no amount of fame could compare to a life; she wanted to say that nothing was more precious than a life.

She wanted to say a lot, but in the end she didn't say it, because that's how this era is: a scholar dies for his confidant, a general dies for his lord—this is the highest honor, and it is worthy of praise.

She wanted to say that's not how it is, that all lives are equal, and that risking one's life to save another is commendable, but... but... but this isn't right, it's so flippant, it's wrong...

She didn't say it aloud, but only sighed and asked, "How is it in the capital?"

Wen Shuyun was somewhat surprised, then said, "Fortunately, everyone is busy with the enthronement, and the palace has been reorganized."

That wasn't the question Liu Yin wanted to ask, nor did she want that answer. For a moment, she simply didn't know what she wanted.

About a month later, Zhu Mei arrived with an imperial edict.

"Miss!" Zhu Mei saw that she was thin and looked sickly, and tears welled up in her eyes with worry.

"Zhu Mei," Liu Yin said with a smile, patting her gently before adding, "It's alright, everything will be alright."

Zhu Mei nodded before handing the imperial edict to her.

Seeing this, Liu Yin was about to beckon Wen Shuyun to come over and set up the incense table, but Zhu Mei stopped her: "Miss, His Majesty said that there is no need for that. You can just look at it directly."

Seeing this, Liu Yin had no choice but to unfold the imperial edict and read it.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The case of the late Prince Anning has been investigated and confirmed to be a miscarriage of justice. His orphaned daughter, Princess Yinrong, is hereby granted the title of Princess Anguo, enjoying the stipend of a Grand Princess. The two prefectures of Qinhuai are granted to Princess Anguo as her fiefdom, and the former Prince Anning's residence is hereby granted to Princess Anguo as her residence..."

The imperial edict was short, and Liu Yin didn't read it for long either. Her hands trembled as she looked at Zhu Mei in disbelief.

Zhu Mei nodded, and Liu Yin's tears fell on the imperial edict: "Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother... you can finally rest in peace."

"Princess, His Majesty has summoned you to the capital to attend the ceremony," Zhu Mei said with a smile, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Liu Yin nodded, about to agree.

An old woman rushed in from outside. She was dressed in plain clothes and was very thin. When she saw Liu Yin, tears streamed down her face.

"Aunt Qian?" Liu Yin looked at the person who had been accompanying Madam Liu, and then at her attire, and immediately had a bad feeling.

“Miss…Madam…Madam has passed away…” Aunt Qian knelt on the ground with trembling hands and handed over a letter.

Liu Yin swayed back and forth, a salty, metallic taste rising in her throat, and she nearly vomited blood.

"Sword Maiden!" Wen Shuyun quickly hugged her.

"Girl!" Dong Feng hurriedly stepped forward to give her acupuncture.

Aunt Qian and Zhu Mei looked at her with even more panic.

After a long while, she finally exhaled the pent-up frustration in her chest and looked at Aunt Qian, asking, "Mother, what is the reason?"

Aunt Qian wiped away her tears before saying, "Madam had already ruined her body in the brothels. After the eldest daughter passed away, she was heartbroken. She only gradually recovered after having the young lady. Now that she has heard about Miss Mei Wu, she was... well..."

Liu Yin closed her eyes briefly before asking, "Where is Mother's coffin now?"

Aunt Qian continued, "Madam said that she had experienced many hardships in her life, but found peace in Yancheng, so she asked us to bury her there."

"Yancheng..." Liu Yin sighed before saying, "It's a pity... I can't go there..."

"Miss?" Zhu Mei sensed the deathly intent in her voice and felt somewhat worried.

Liu Yin looked at her, thought for a moment, and then continued, "Go back and tell Duan'an that as a good emperor, he should not forget his original intentions. I will not go to the capital. In a few days, I will move to Huaicheng, which is where I belong."

Zhu Mei opened her mouth as if to persuade her, but after seeing the deathly look on her face, she closed her mouth and nodded.