Chapter 470 - Young Master Zhang Has an Eccentricity of Collecting

As for playboys in the capital city, one would never forget Prime Minister Zhang’s son, Zhang Lanjue.

It did not mean that Young Master Zhang was bullying men and women, fighting in the streets, or something like that. Young Master Zhang had a special hobby. He liked to collect strange things, but he did not like antique calligraphy or paintings. Sometimes, he even went to brothels to collect the round fans of the women there.

It was said that he was currently collecting the round fans that the Four Courtesan Belles in the capital city used to hold when they fought for the champion.

With such a hobby, this handsome childe of the Premier was defined as a rich playboy.

Today was the day when his mother was doing a ritual for his deceased grandmother. They especially chose a big hall. Madam Zhang, together with her son and daughters, chanted with the nuns and knelt respectfully from time to time. Only this Young Master Zhang turned his eyes a few times and focused on an incense burner in front of the Buddha platform. He was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks. He had been collecting incense burners recently.

And it was an eight-horned censer from the olden days.

The small censer supporting the Buddha platform was just right. It was about the same size as what he had collected before. If he took it back, he would definitely be able to put 10 together. It would be perfect.

It was very quiet in the main hall, and only the singing could be heard. Everyone was bowing respectfully. If he made any noise now, he would be punished by his mother.

Of course, Zhang Lanjue did not dare to move. Although he looked forward to taking the censer back secretly, he could only look at it eagerly.

It was not easy for him to hold on until noon. He persuaded his mother to go to the side hall to rest, where a vegetarian meal had already been prepared.

Madam Zhang and Miss Zhang bowed for the whole morning. They were also very tired, so they didn’t eat, but only took a few sips of tea to rest.

When Madam Zhang saw that her son was going out, she fell her face and asked, “Where are you going?”

Of course, she knew about her son’s strange hobby. Judging from his looks, it was not a good thing.

“Mother, take a rest first. I will burn some incense sticks for grandmother. When we left just now, I saw that the incense sticks were going to go out!”

Seeing that he was discovered, Zhang Lanjue answered seriously and sincerely, as if he really couldn’t bear to see the incense sticks in front of his grandmother go out.

“Brother, this is the Yuhui Nunnery. Don’t mess around!” His sister, Miss Zhang Qilan, did not believe that he would do something good, so she warned him.

“Sister, what are you saying? Of course, I know this is the Yuhui Nunnery, which is full of nuns. A gentleman from an aristocratic family like me has to avoid getting involved with the nuns.” Zhang Lanjue became more and more serious, and he looked a little aggrieved because of his sister’s suspicion.

Madam Zhang was not fooled by her son. She looked up and continued asking, “You’ll only go to the hall on the side?”

“Of course. If not, where else could I go? Mother, don’t worry, I know. Nothing will happen to me. Rumors about what happened have spread in the circle of young masters in the capital city. They all regard it as a joke. I’m afraid it is not true. That is just for fun.”

Zhang Lanjue knew what his mother was worried about and quickly said.

“What is the matter? Big brother, tell me about it!” Zhang Qilan’s eyes lit up and she immediately became interested in it. She wanted to know if there was any rumor outside that was related to the nunnery.

“Nothing serious. It was said that a noble young master came to the Yuhui Nunnery and took a fancy to a nun there. They were seen dating secretly. After that, the nun followed the noble young master and returned to the secular world! How could such a thing be true?”

Zhang Lanjue’s voice was full of disregard.

Hearing him say such things in front of his sister, Madam Zhang was so angry that she picked up the cushion on the chair behind her and threw it at him. She scolded him, “Is this what you can say to your sister?”

Zhang Lanjue deftly avoided the cushion and said with a bitter expression, “Mother, I didn’t want to say it. It was Sister who wanted me to say it. I said it, then you hit me. You should hit Sister.”

“Big Brother, I’m just asking. Who told you to say that?” Zhang Qilan rolled her eyes and blamed it all on her big brother. Although she was really interested in it, she could not reveal it in front of her mother. Otherwise, her mother would ask her to copy the Women’s Precepts and Daughter’s Warns later!

For her brother messing around all day, he was punished only by kneeling down and cursing. She could not come out of her boudoir every day, and even if she spoke a little too much, she would be confiscated. Thus, Zhang Qilan thought that men were better. If she were a man, she would be much more promising than her own brother.

At least, she would not be a well-known playboy. The entire Zhang family’s face was lost by her big brother.

Zhang Lanjue saw that his sister was so cunning that she wanted to push the blame to him, so he said hurriedly. “Hey, it’s me again…”

“If you want to go, go there quickly. Don’t mislead your sister.” Madam Zhang saw that he was going to say more, so she immediately shouted, fearing that he would say something stupid again.

This was the Yuhui Nunnery, where many people come in and out. She could not let anyone listen to her son’s strange words.

Seeing his mother letting him go, Zhang Lanjue was overjoyed. He hastily waved his hand and said. “Yes, yes, yes. Mother, Sister, I’ll be right there. If you are hungry, then eat first. I’m not in a hurry.”

He was afraid that Madam Zhang would stop him, so he strode to the side door.

It was very quiet in the hall. The people of the Zhang family and the Yuhui Nunnery all left. In front of the big Buddha statues, there was not only a big incense burner, but also a small incense burner. From the big incense burner, smoke was curling up, and the small incense burner was also foggy. However, to Zhang Lanjue’s surprise, the small incense burner he had taken a fancy to was not there.

How could it have disappeared? He had been keeping an eye on it just now, and it had always been there.

Zhang Lanjue did not believe it anymore. “In such a short time, even if it flew away, there would still be traces to be found!”

He squatted at the position where the censer had been, turned over the yellow cloth, and started to search carefully. There was no censer, but there were some ashes and the trace of the censer being put down. The ashes were still on the way. Someone took the censer that he had chosen at his family’s ceremony!

This thought made Zhang Lanjue fly into a rage. In the past, he was the one who collected other people’s things; there was no one else who collected his things.

Following the traces of incense ashes, he turned to the other side door. Suddenly, he heard a woman’s voice inside. Although Zhang Lanjue was a scoundrel, he knew that there was a difference between men and women. It was not convenient for him to go in at this time, but he did not want to lose this censer. The censer would be perfectly formed soon, so how could he bear to leave?

In fact, today’s hall was reserved by the Zhang family. One side hall was used as a place to rest. His mother and sister were still having a rest. The other side hall was the place to put the thing that the ritual required. There were various kinds of things there.

Zhang Lanjue had come here to check on the situation. At this moment, the people of his family were resting in another side hall. Was a nun of the Yuhui Nunnery here?

Suddenly remembering the previous rumor, Zhang Lanjue did not dare to be reckless. If he was asked to take a young nun back, his mother would break his legs!

That man was so hungry that he took a fancy to a nun and had a private date with her. In Zhang Lanjue’s heart, he felt that the rumors were not credible. He had pondered and felt that maybe the little nun was not at ease with the Buddha. She took a fancy to the young master and took the initiative to scheme against him, so the man had to take her down the mountain.

While Zhang Lanjue thought about this, his heart trembled. He did not dare to push open the side door that led to the side hall, even though the door was half-closed.

“Have you finished tidying up?” A beautiful voice of a girl came from behind the door, making him feel a sense of relief.

“Everything has been packed up. Miss, don’t worry. It is all in order. Even if Huiqing comes to check, she can’t say that we don’t work hard.” It was the voice of a servant girl. It seemed that Huiqing was the name of a nun.

He did not understand why a young lady from an aristocratic family was so afraid of a nun, and it seemed that this nun had been looking for trouble with the lady inside.

“We came to the mountain for self-cultivation, but we can’t go against the monks’ wishes. Only those who are well-behaved can guard filial piety for their parents.”

The girl’s voice was very elegant, which let people know that she was a well-educated and polite young lady.

“Miss, you have suffered a lot in order to cultivate in peace. But look, Huiqing and Qingqing don’t intend to let you cultivate in peace. They not only deliberately blame all kinds of things on you, but also find all kinds of excuses to drive you down the mountain. They say that you are making a fool of yourself. Obviously, they don’t want to see you!”

“Miss, I’ll go back and tell Old Madam. Let’s see if they dare to bully you in the future!” The voice of another servant girl was slightly different from that of the previous one.

“Forget it, if this matter blows up, the reputation will not be good!” The Miss’s voice was gentle and calm.

One of the servant girls said angrily, “Miss, you are so kind. You are always trying to settle the matter peacefully without hurting them. That’s why they’re so insatiable.”

“Qu Le, stop talking and let Miss have a bite of steamed bun first. The steamed bun has been baked on the censer for a while and it’s a little warm. It’s just right to eat now! If Miss doesn’t eat all the time, the body cannot bear it.”

The other servant girl sighed and said with some sadness.

Zhang Lanjue, who was listening from outside, felt that he had understood everything. He could not help getting angry. How could there be a nun like that? It was obvious that she was sure of the fact that the Miss did not want to ruin her reputation of cultivating in the mountains. That was why she was trying to deal with the Miss.

The Yuhui Nunnery had a good reputation outside, and it was the largest nunnery in the capital city. There were always some young ladies who liked to stay here for 10 days or half a month as a form of self-cultivation.

Zhang Qilan, the younger sister of Zhang Lanjue, had lived quietly on the mountain for half a month. When she came back and saw the meat on the table, she ate two bowls of meat continuously.

At that time, he thought that the Yuhui Nunnery treated his sister badly and said that he wanted to argue with the nunnery. Later, he was stopped by Zhang Qilan, who put down the rice bowl. She said that she only ate steamed buns and vegetarian dishes every day on the mountain, so she ate more meat this time.

His younger sister was full and went down the mountain like this. Yet this young lady here did not even have food. Such a big grudge!

“Fifth Miss, you have done nothing. You only know to eat, eat, eat. Why do you practice here? You had better go down the mountain!” Zhang Lanjue had not figured out what to do when he heard that the door of the side hall was pushed open heavily, and then he heard a sharp and mean voice…