Marrying a Disabled General and be His Wife

Qi Wanyuan, the young monk, came back. He saluted the two of them: “Honorable guests, please come with me.”

Tan Chuyan said: “Thank you and excuse us.”

The backyard of Tianling Temple could be described as nine twists and turns. After leading them through the forest for a long time, the young monk stopped and pointed to the bamboo garden standing in the deepest part: “It’s right there. You two can go there by yourselves.”

“Thank you for your hard work, little master,” Tan Chuyan said, taking out a bunch of money from his arms. “We just wrote a wind chime prayer, and this is for the offering.”

The wind chimes were for people who came to the temple to pray for themselves. If they were willing to give money, it could be seen as their sincerity. They could also choose not to give, as it all depended on the person praying. However, most people were willing to give a small amount of money to show their sincerity and hopefulness.

The young monk accepted the money and left muttering: “Amitabha, that’s good, that’s good.”

.

Once the little master had walked away, the two of them stepped into the Bamboo Garden.

The door was closed tightly, and neither of them entered rashly. Instead, they stood outside the door and requested to come inside.

Not long after, a gentle voice came from inside the room: “Where did you get this jade bracelet?”

Feng Chilie took a step forward: “This jade bracelet was passed down from this young man’s grandmother.”

The room fell quiet. Then someone asked: “Is your… grandmother, okay?”

Feng Chilie: “She has… passed away due to illness.”

This time, the room remained silent for a longer time, just like someone drinking a cup of tea before speaking again: “What are your intentions coming to see me?”

The people inside the room had already admitted their identities, so there was no need for them to hide it. And the more they covered it up, the less sincere it appeared.

Tan Chuyan said bluntly: “We are here today to request the drawings of the fire gun and to ask Master Jing’an to provide them.”

The door remained closed, and only Master Jing’an’s voice sounded: “What is your intention in asking for the drawings?”

“Cui Yuanqing colludes to fight for power with the Xiyi people, and the Xiyi people have been coveting Great Yong for a long time. So, we came here today to request the drawings in order to defend against foreign enemies and protect our territory,” Tan Chuyan explained, his tone steady. “Everything in the world must be determined by the human heart. We are willing to undergo any test you propose,”

Master Jing’an said. “How do you prove your intentions?”

Both of them were stumped for a moment.

.

At this moment, the door of the house slowly opened, and a woman who had shaved off three thousand black hairs stood in the doorway holding Buddhist beads.

She twisted the beads: “I have a method. It depends on whether you are willing to accept it.”

Tan Chuyan held up his hands and said, “Master Jing’an, please advise us.”

Master Jing’an raised her hand and pointed out: “There are three thousand stone steps up the mountain. If any one of you is willing to kneel and kowtow step by step, I will give you the blueprint.”

Even if they only climbed the three thousand stone steps in this way, it would cost them half their lives!

And for Tan Chuyan, whose body was already weak, how could he withstand such a trial?

Feng Chilie took Tan Chuyan’s hand and turned around to leave: “We don’t need this blueprint anymore. I’ll draw it for you when we get back!”

“Ah Lie!” Tan Chuyan grabbed him and whispered, “You know as well as I do that the Tantai family’s blacksmithing skills are highly sophisticated. It’s impossible to draw them overnight. And with the Xiyi people already involved, we don’t have much time!”

“But…”

“No ‘buts’.” Tan Chuyan glanced back at Master Jing’an. “I’m willing to give it a try, and I’ll ask Master Jing’an to keep his promise.”

“This poor nun never breaks her promise,” Master Jing’an affirmed, closing the door. “I’ll await your return.”

.

As they descended to the mountainside, more and more people arrived at Tianling Temple to offer incense and worship.

Tan Chuyan knelt down, but Feng Chilie grabbed him: “I’ll do it.”

“I can handle it,” Tan Chuyan insisted. “I know you never wanted to get involved in this conflict, especially with your status restrictions. But I’m the one who insisted on dragging you in.”

“Besides, I made the promise to my teacher, not you.” Tan Chuyan smiled. “So, emotionally and logically, I’m the one who should kneel.”

In truth, his promise to Tan Hongchen was the primary reason he agreed. He was determined to fulfill his teacher’s last wish.

Tan Chuyan gently pulled his hand away: “Let go, Ah Lie.”

But Feng Chilie didn’t release him; instead, he led him into the quiet forest.

Leaning against a tree, he kissed Tan Chuyan fiercely.

Tan Chuyan knew he had somehow angered Feng Chilie, so he let the man kissed him.

After a long while, Feng Chilie released him, resting his forehead against Tan Chuyan’s, his eyes burning.

“What’s wrong?” Tan Chuyan touched his face. “Why are you suddenly angry? Don’t be upset anymore, okay.”

“Tan Chuyan,” Feng Chilie called out, his gaze intense. “Listen carefully, I love you, and I—” His tone grew more serious than ever. “-I don’t mind being riddled with holes and pierced by thousands of arrows for you, but you must be safe. If you want the moon and stars, I’ll get them for you. As long as I’m here, no one can hurt you, and you don’t have to do everything alone.”

No one had ever spoken such words to him. Tan Chuyan was momentarily stunned, then he placed his finger over Feng Chilie’s heart. “And what if I want your heart?”

Feng Chilie held his hand firmly. “You can take it whenever you want. It’s been yours for a long time.”

Feeling the steady beat under his touch, Tan Chuyan smiled. Standing on tiptoes, he whispered in Feng Chilie’s ear, “General, from now on, I’ll be your stronghold—” He gently bit Feng Chilie’s earlobe, saying each word deliberately, “You can do as you please.”

In the end, the future looked bright, and the universe bore witness to their hearts’ union.

Note:

Feng Chilis is a king of Jing Kingdom now, he should never kneel at all. So, it was a huge favor to ask Feng Chilie to climb and kowtowed on the steps.