CHAPTER 385: CHAPTER 385: BURN IT

The temple master looked at her with a smile and said, "Are you foolish? You are too clever. However, you must understand that cleverness can sometimes lead to one’s own downfall."

The temple master sat back down in the chair under the corridor, looking at Gu Jinli and said, "You don’t need to be anxious. Everything in this world follows the law of fate. If the time has not yet come, you shouldn’t pry too much. Knowing too much sometimes could be a bad thing."

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinli already knew that her guess was roughly eighty percent accurate.

She didn’t ask too many questions but only asked the temple master one thing: "Will my family be in danger?"

The temple master said, "Compared to several decades ago, there is currently no significant danger to speak of."

She was only worried about the new Emperor’s character, which was problematic. To be on the safe side, she was planning on continuing to live in hiding.

If the new Emperor no longer brought up matters of the former dynasty, or if she caused the downfall of Great Chu herself, then both Hu Yun Temple and Gu Jinli’s house would be safe, and they could reveal their identities openly.

After listening, Gu Jinli felt slightly relieved and handed the portrait embroidery of Elder Mi and his wife to Master Hu: "This was embroidered by my sister, specially brought to offer to the temple master."

She also remembered Gu Jinxiu’s desire to become an embroidery master and asked, "Manager Li of Huaiyu Embroidery Shop wants my sister to become an embroidery master; is this feasible?"

The medical books and the art of embroidery should all belong to the Lu Family. What if Madam Gui took a liking to her sister’s embroidery, and someone traced it back to Hu Yun Temple, and from there to the Lu Family, what then?

Master Hu smiled and said, "Luoxiu has been widespread throughout Great Chu for over a hundred years, and countless people are able to embroider it. There’s no need to worry."

She discovered Mrs. Cui because of Gu Jinli’s appearance.

And now, nearly a hundred years later, those who knew the Lu Family People’s appearance have long since passed away, so it doesn’t matter.

Gu Jinli breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Truly, fortune and misfortune come hand in hand.

Seeing her looking a little bitter, the temple master cheerfully laughed: "Now it’s too late for regrets. After you left last time, you should’ve played dumb. Unfortunately, your curiosity was too strong, and you insisted on finding clarity, eagerly coming to seek me out. Since that is the case, the future responsibilities will be yours to bear."

Master Hu had already dispatched people to investigate Gu Jinli’s house. Mrs. Cui was weak, Sister Xiu took after Mrs. Cui, Gu Dashan was incapable, and Brother Cheng was still too young. Only Gu Jinli and Gu Jin’an had the potential to be cultivated.

Gu Jinli was mocked, and although she was not happy in her heart, she had to accept her fate. Moreover, this matter was related to Mrs. Cui, and as Mrs. Cui’s daughter, she naturally had to shoulder the responsibility.

Besides, she did not like to pretend to be ignorant. Since she had discovered Master Hu’s particular interest in her, she naturally wanted to clear things up. Otherwise, she would not be able to sleep soundly.

"Has your sister decided on a trade name for her career as an embroidery master?" Master Hu asked. Like scholars and Madmen, embroidery masters could use trade names for their embroidered works.

Gu Jinli shook her head: "We haven’t given a reply to Huaiyu Embroidery Shop yet, and haven’t chosen a trade name."

Master Hu said, "In that case, let me suggest a trade name for your sister. How about ’Fu’an’?"

Fu’an?

Gu Jinli’s mouth twitched a bit — wasn’t that a bit too rustic?

An embroidery master was, after all, an artist of sorts.

Master Hu said, "Since you have no objection, then let’s call it ’Fu’an.’"

Gu Jinli frowned and asked, "Does this trade name have any other meanings?"

Master Hu looked at Gu Jinli and said, "I told you your curiosity is too great. You should curb it; knowing too much is not always good."

She added, "The most significant meaning of this trade name is that it carries fortune."

Gu Jinli: "..."

Fine, whatever you say.

"Temple master, this is specially for you, please don’t be polite and accept it." Gu Jinli moved the goods from the mule’s back to the ground in the courtyard.

Master Hu pointed to the jar in the basket and frowned, "Is the soybean oil sold in the market also made by you?"

The last time this girl came here, she brought soybean oil for the temple. At that time, there was no soybean oil for sale in the market, but now there is, and the power behind the soybean oil, other than County Captain Jiang, includes the Earl Mansion in the Capital and the shadow of this girl.

Gu Jinli nodded, "Consider it a partnership. I provide the recipe, don’t manage the other matters, and just wait for the profit share."

Speaking of which, the workshop has been open for three months, and she has only received one month’s profit share, which is a total of three hundred and sixty taels of silver. The profit shares from the first two months were deducted to cover the workshop’s startup costs.

Jiang Jiao said that the sale of soybean oil is getting better, and next month, her profit will be even more.

Master Hu said, "I know you’re smart, but there are some things that it’s wiser to do less of. The world is not short of smart people."

Still, he complimented her, "You know to stay behind the scenes and not become a target; that is smart and cautious."

If she were greedy and unwilling to share the soybean oil business with other families, or foolishly went out to publicize that she was the one making the soybean oil, she would not be standing here today but buried in some desolate mountain.

Gu Jinli replied, "Temple master, rest assured, I will not do anything I’m not confident in, nor anything that will bring disaster upon myself and my family."

After hearing her response, Master Hu was relieved and finally told her, "I know you covet the medicinal herbs in the temple, but for now, I can’t give them to you."

He also instructed Master Xiao Han beside him, "You must not give them to her either."

"Yes, Temple Master," Master Xiao Han obediently agreed, gave Gu Jinli an apologetic glance, and clutched the cloth bag tied around his waist as if afraid Gu Jinli would take back the food she had given him.

Gu Jinli found this amusing and assured the temple master, "Temple master, don’t worry. If I want to grow medicinal herbs I will buy the seeds myself and will not take advantage of the temple."

The temple master nodded indifferently and waved her away, "Go back." Staying too long at the temple was not good.

Gu Jinli bowed to Master Hu, "Temple master, the junior takes her leave."

But this time, Master Hu did not accept her courtesy, immediately standing up to avoid it.

The first temple master had familial ties with the Lu Family and could accept Gu Jinli’s gesture of respect, but it was not appropriate for her to do so.

Seeing this, Gu Jinli raised her eyebrows slightly, sweetly smiled at the temple master, led the mule away, and followed Master Xiao Han.

After Gu Jinli and Xiao Han left, the temple master stood up and went to an old courtyard of Hu Yun Temple.

Although the courtyard was old, it was very clean, and inside the room, there were no chairs, only mats.

The noble families from the former dynasty followed ancient etiquette; they didn’t sit on chairs but spread luxurious rugs or mats and sat on their knees.

Master Hu entered the main room, went to the left interior room, looked at the portrait embroidery hanging there for nearly a century, slowly knelt down, performed a ritual of three bows and nine kowtows, then took down the embroidery and placed it into the bronze tripod nearby. She lit it with a fire stick.

The whooshing sound of fire rose, flames burst forth, and this valuable portrait embroidery was burned to ashes.

After the burning, she looked around the room, didn’t say a word, and left the courtyard.

As for Elder Mi and his wife’s portrait embroidery, it was used by her to fuel the fire as she decocted medicine.

Elder Mi and his wife’s portrait embroidery didn’t qualify to enter this courtyard, much less to be incinerated in the bronze tripod.