Chapter 535: A Dispute over Feng Shui

The setting sun melted like molten gold; evening clouds gathered like joined jade. I was on my way home.

By the time Zhu Ping’an departed from his teacher’s residence, the sun was already tilting toward the western hills. The sky blazed in hues of crimson and amber, as though the heavens themselves had been set aflame. The glowing orb of sunset hung low, casting a soft yet solemn light over the land. Wrapped in that sea of gold and red, Zhu Ping’an walked at an unhurried pace, his thoughts lingering on his teacher’s words as he made his way back toward Xiahe Village.

As he approached the village and drew near his home, he noticed something unusual—there was a crowd gathered in front of his family courtyard. Men and women stood clustered together, craning their necks, murmuring among themselves, as though some spectacle were unfolding.

Curious, Zhu Ping’an quickened his steps slightly.

When he came closer, he saw familiar faces: his mother Madam Chen, his father, as well as his grandfather and grandmother from the old residence, his eldest aunt, Fourth Aunt, Third Aunt… and several neighbors besides. Yet none of them seemed to notice his arrival. All attention was fixed upon a man standing at the center of the crowd.

That man wore a dark purplish Taoist robe, his hair coiled into a topknot secured with a wooden pin. Slung across his shoulder was a cloth bag embroidered with the Eight Trigrams, and in his hand he held a geomantic compass.

With a single glance at the instrument, Zhu Ping’an could already guess his identity.

A wandering feng shui master… or more likely, a charlatan living off deception.

Even in modern times, such figures found eager patrons—how much more so in the deeply superstitious climate of the Great Ming.

Amid the crowd, his mother Madam Chen stood with a face flushed in anger, her brows drawn tight, her eyes blazing as she glared at the eldest aunt. The expression on her face made it seem as though she would gladly take a bite out of her if given the chance.

The eldest aunt, meanwhile, avoided Madam Chen’s gaze, lingering close beside the old matriarch. She pointed toward Zhu Ping’an’s house and spoke to the Taoist in a suggestive tone:

“Master, please take a look… could there be anything unclean about this residence? You’ve already examined the old house just now—perhaps you could also see whether there’s any conflict between the two properties?”

“Eldest Sister-in-law, what exactly are you implying?” Madam Chen’s brows shot up sharply as she let out a cold laugh. “What do you mean by something ‘unclean’ in my house?”

The eldest aunt coughed lightly, clearly lacking confidence as she dodged Madam Chen’s piercing stare.

“Ahem… we’re all part of the Zhu family, aren’t we? I went through quite some trouble to invite Master Zhang all this way. Since he’s already examined our old residence, he might as well take a look at yours too. Master Zhang is very effective—many people can’t even manage to invite him. If there’s anything amiss, he can help adjust your feng shui.”

At the mention of “Master Zhang,” a few among the onlookers let out low exclamations. Those who recognized the name began eagerly whispering explanations to the others.

It was said that this Master Zhang was a descendant of the famed Celestial Masters of Daoism. Since childhood, he had cultivated himself in a Taoist temple atop Wolong Mountain and had become highly skilled in geomancy and feng shui. In the region around Wolong Mountain, his reputation was considerable—officials and commoners alike took pride in securing his services.

There were even stories circulating: the former magistrate of Huaining County had once summoned him to test his abilities. At the yamen, Master Zhang had casually pointed to a corner of the courtyard wall, declaring that five chi beneath the ground lay a stone tiger. When the magistrate ordered it excavated, a tiger-shaped stone was indeed found at roughly that depth. From then on, his fame only grew louder.

Listening to the villagers’ hushed chatter, Zhu Ping’an glanced at the so-called Celestial Master and allowed the faintest curl of a smile to form at his lips.

Interesting… this one even knows how to build a reputation and manipulate public opinion. A rather sophisticated swindler.

“Thank you for your concern, Eldest Sister-in-law,” Madam Chen said with a cold smile. “But the feng shui of our house is perfectly fine. There’s no need for you to trouble yourself.”

“No need to be polite, younger sister,” the eldest aunt replied awkwardly. “Since Master Zhang is already here, he might as well take a look.”

“There’s no need,” Madam Chen shot back, her voice firm. “Just mind the old residence. Our house is perfectly fine—we don’t need any of this.” Her disdain was plain, her gaze sharp as she glared at the eldest aunt.

The eldest aunt coughed again, her confidence wavering, yet she persisted stubbornly.

“Well… your elder brother has been studying longer than Zhi’er, yet he still hasn’t passed the imperial exams all these years. I’ve consulted many people—they all said the feng shui at home is poor and has been obstructing his luck…”

“What are you saying?” Madam Chen’s voice rose, incredulous. “Are you claiming my house’s feng shui is suppressing your husband?”

Her tone dripped with mockery, as though she had just heard the most absurd joke in the world.

“Your elder brother has already set out again,” the eldest aunt pressed on, her eyes lighting up as she spoke of him, her back straightening with renewed conviction. “If we let Master Zhang examine the feng shui this time, perhaps it will help him pass the exams smoothly. His success concerns the entire Zhu family—it would benefit all of us.”

At these words, Madam Chen lifted her chin slightly and rolled her eyes with undisguised disdain.

My son Zhu Ping’an has already become the top scholar—why would we care about your husband barely scraping by as a xiucai? With his character—borrowing money and framing his own kin—it’s a blessing if he doesn’t bring trouble upon us, let alone benefit us.

While the two women clashed, the old patriarch stood quietly to the side, smoking from his pipe. He said nothing, merely watching the scene unfold with unreadable eyes.

The old matriarch, as always, leaned toward the eldest branch. Though her words sounded impartial on the surface, anyone could hear where her loyalties lay.

“That’s enough, both of you,” she said, waving a hand. “So many people are watching—aren’t you afraid of being laughed at? The sun is setting. Don’t delay Master Zhang any longer. Let him examine the house quickly.”

Madam Chen opened her mouth, ready to argue further, but Zhu Ping’an’s gently tugged at her sleeve. Though still brimming with displeasure, she held back out of respect for him.

Seeing her relent, the eldest aunt felt as though she had swallowed honey—sweet relief spread across her face.

In truth, she had long believed that Zhu Ping’an’s household was the source of her misfortune. Years ago, she had consulted fortune-tellers in town many times. Each had declared she possessed the fate of an official’s wife, that her husband would succeed in the examinations, and that her son Zhu Pingjun was destined to become a top scholar.

Yet reality had unfolded in the opposite direction.

Her husband had failed repeatedly, while Zhu Ping’an had risen step by step—tongsheng, xiucai, juren, gongshi—until finally becoming zhuangyuan. Not only that, he had already ascended to a sixth-rank official, reportedly outranking even the county magistrate.

As for her son, he had not even passed the lowest examination.

In her heart, all of it—the glory, the success—should have belonged to her family. Somehow, in her mind, it had all been “stolen” by Zhu Ping’an…

And so, she had gone to great lengths to invite Master Zhang, hoping to “correct” the feng shui.

Having grasped the full situation, Zhu Ping’an stepped forward into the crowd. He greeted his mother, father, grandparents, and the others one by one.

When Madam Chen saw him, her tense expression finally softened, a rare smile appearing on her face.

The eldest aunt, however, grew visibly uneasy. There was embarrassment in her eyes—and a trace of worry. After all, Zhu Ping’an was now an official. If he refused to allow the feng shui inspection, she would have no way to proceed.

After Zhu Ping’an paid his respects, the old patriarch set aside his pipe and responded warmly, repeating his approval. The old matriarch, after nodding, explained again the decision that had just been made—to have Master Zhang examine the residence quickly.

Zhu Ping’an gave a slight nod.

Let him look, he thought. I’m rather curious to see how a “feng shui master” of this era conducts his tricks.

Seeing his agreement, the eldest aunt finally let out a long breath of relief.

Soon, the group entered Zhu Ping’an’s courtyard, surrounding both him and Master Zhang. Holding his geomantic compass, the Taoist began explaining his “method”—that feng shui must be examined in sequence: first the rear, then the front; first the left, then the right.

Accordingly, the group headed toward the backyard.

As they approached, Zhu Ping’an suddenly noticed birds taking flight. He heard the grunting of pigs, the flapping and squawking of chickens, and even the creaking sway of tree branches being shaken. Beneath it all, faintly, came the sound of children’s voices.

He stopped at once, raising a hand to signal the others to halt.

“What is it, Zhi’er?” the eldest aunt asked sharply, her voice tinged with alarm. “Have you changed your mind?”

“No,” Zhu Ping’an shook his head lightly. “My father planted fruit trees in the backyard, and they’re in season now. Just now, I saw birds fly up and heard the chickens and pigs stirring. There are probably children sneaking in to pick fruit. If we all rush in, we might startle them—if they fall from the trees, that would be bad.”

The eldest aunt frowned, clearly annoyed. What does it matter if some children are there? Getting the feng shui checked is the priority…

At that moment—

“I need not examine this residence any further.”

Master Zhang suddenly put away his compass. With a look of deep admiration, he bowed respectfully toward Zhu Ping’an.

“Wherever you are, that place is already blessed with auspicious fortune.”

Having said this, he turned to the eldest aunt and the others, offering his polite farewell.

The eldest aunt stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded…