Chapter Ten: When Choosing a Wife, Seek One from the Five Esteemed Families

Page 1/3

A faint pale light dawned on the horizon. Hidden within the bamboo grove, the bell tower stood quietly as a small novice monk yawned and climbed up to ring the bell. Living atop this ancient mountain temple, with the morning bell and evening drum at one’s ears, daily life felt like endlessly chanting scriptures—the perception of time seemed to slow.

It seemed to be the same hour as that day before, but with familiarity came ease. This time, Ouyang Rong nimbly climbed out of the wellhead, vaulted over the fence, and walked away casually with his hands behind his back.

After discovering that secret blessing worth ten thousand merits, he lingered below for quite some time—not to chat with the unknowing master, but to thoroughly inspect the underground palace several times from start to finish.

He wanted to see if he could manually find or trigger this hidden blessing.

Because if it turned out to be something strange rather than the “return home” he hoped for, he needed to rule that out.

Yet what left Ouyang Rong uncertain whether to feel pleased or disappointed was that… he found nothing and returned empty-handed.

Ouyang Rong headed back to Sanhui Courtyard but deliberately took a detour—mainly to avoid his aunt’s courtyard. Since Madam Zhen came to live here, the atmosphere had been full of guilt, as if he were a thief.

But this detour led him to unexpectedly encounter Master Shandao, who was preparing to chant sutras and partake in the morning meal.

The old monk looked puzzled: “Why so stealthy and quiet in the early morning at Ming Hall?”

“This is... a popular morning exercise method at Bailu Cave Academy.”

“Then I lack experience,” said the monk with a smile.

As they passed each other, Ouyang Rong suddenly recalled something and curiously looked back:

“By the way, I haven’t asked—what sect does Donglin Temple practice? Chan or Vinaya?”

“Neither. Chan is to the west, Vinaya to the north,” Shandao shook his head. “Our little temple is in the south, practicing the orthodox Lotus Sect, though Ming Hall can also be called Pure Land Sect.”

“Pure Land Sect, huh…” Ouyang Rong looked up and asked, “Do you believe there really is a Pure Land in this world?”

Master Shandao immediately nodded. “Of course. My elder uncle is a perfect example.”

“If so, where exactly is this Pure Land?”

The master pointed to Ouyang Rong’s chest. “The Pure Land is here. The Pure Land in Ming Hall has always been within ourselves. Why ask an outsider like me?”

Ouyang Rong nodded. “That’s because I’m attached to form.”

Master Shandao looked into his eyes. “There’s a saying, though I don’t know if I should say it: I noticed the other day Ming Hall’s face was always gloomy, as if there was a block in the heart.”

Ouyang Rong looked straight at the monk and humbly asked, “How can one overcome such a block?”

The master did not reply. He lowered his gaze, tidied his robe, straightened himself, then before leaving, raised a hand and pointed toward Sanhui Courtyard, turning and walking away slowly.

Ouyang Rong stood still for a moment, then turned and returned to Sanhui Courtyard.

Upon entering, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the plaque hanging above the door.

It read: “Sanhui” (Three Wisdoms).

“What are the Three Wisdoms? Hearing, Thinking, Cultivating—the threefold path... One must hear with care, think with discernment, and cultivate with truth.”

Ouyang Rong’s voice rose from low to high, as if his understanding deepened. He raised his head and spoke loudly: “Ouyang Lianghan, one more question for you—how do you break through the block?”

He answered himself: “Lie down and hear it, sit and think it, rise and… act upon it!”

The scholar smiled, flicked his sleeve, and strode confidently inside.

...

“Today, I will leave the temple.”

Page 2/3

At the dining table, the newly appointed young county magistrate of Longcheng solemnly put down his bowl and chopsticks.

“No,” Madam Zhen said, lowering her head as she sipped porridge, not even lifting her eyelids.

“Aunt, I’m just informing you, not asking for your opinion. I’ve already notified Captain Yan and others to take charge there. I also asked the master, and he said my health has recovered to about seventy or eighty percent. I can go down the mountain now.”

“Decide first, report later?”

“You should have done that a long time ago.”

“But the floodwaters have receded seven or eight parts already. Why go down now?”

“Precisely because the waters have receded so much, it’s the most critical time to begin disaster relief. As the magistrate of Longcheng, I can’t just hide in the mountains after recovering, leaving it to my subordinates.”

“What do you mean leaving it to subordinates? The flood at the mountain’s foot wasn’t largely Tan Lang’s fault. You just took office, and this is a once-in-several-years flood caused by Yunmeng Marsh swelling during your unconsciousness. It’s an act of God; no one will hold Tan Lang responsible.”

“No responsibility means I can rest easy, sleeping soundly without worries?”

Madam Zhen set down her bowl, taking a handkerchief from Banxi’s hand to wipe her mouth, and began deliberately:

“Fine. Then you go down the mountain. Don’t bother about me anymore. Just leave me to fend for myself in this deep mountain ancient temple. Maybe I should just become a nun; I’ve raised this child for twenty years, yet even the flickering lamp and ancient Buddha cannot be relied upon.”

Her tone was proud and resolute yet oddly tinged with tears. The woman tilted her head and quietly wiped a tear.

Ouyang Rong’s expression did not change. His aunt had accused him of being ungrateful and unfilial, yet after waiting for a long time, there was no dull sound of the wooden fish. It seemed even the Buddha could not bear it.

He continued, “If Aunt doesn’t want to stay here, how about sending someone to escort you back to Nanlong?”

“No!”

Madam Zhen was firm and resolute.

“…”

She glared. “Now that Tan Lang is an official, with wings grown, he doesn’t want to bring Aunt along to share the good life, right?”

Ouyang Rong replied seriously, “The Da Zhou decree requires local county magistrates to serve at least a thousand miles away from home, and must not bring along relatives or fellow townspeople to seek profit.”

“Hmph, Aunt has never read Da Zhou decrees, but when it comes to the requirements of a parent official, don’t try to fool me.”

Madam Zhen smiled faintly. “That kind of relative means male kin who can be seen publicly. Bringing along one’s mother or similar kin is not only not opposed but even encouraged. The imperial inspectors from the Provincial Censorate might praise Tan Lang for filial devotion to his mother, counting it favorably in his assessments.”

Ouyang Rong coughed lightly into his fist. “Alright, alright. But I heard from Sixth Brother that the county office was flooded. When we go down, we’ll settle things first and then fetch Aunt...”

Madam Zhen didn’t care, smiling as she cut off his attempt to change the subject. “Besides, doesn’t the Da Zhou decree also say county magistrates must bring their wives and daughters when taking office? If none, then concubines. And while serving locally, supervisors must not marry daughters of those they supervise, or else be sentenced... The county magistrate should know this better than a village woman, right?”

Ouyang Rong’s face stiffened. He found it strange how Madam Zhen could be so confusing on some matters yet so sharp on others. Was she his nemesis?

“So, our dutiful Magistrate Ouyang, perhaps you should consider marriage.”

“…” Aunt’s map of the Yan Kingdom was indeed somewhat long; she only now drew her dagger, Ouyang Rong thought.

But this time, having decided to go down the mountain and serve properly, he no longer avoided the topic.

“I am impossible to marry into the Five Surnames clan.”

Ouyang Rong looked Madam Zhen in the eye.

“Why not? Tan Lang is a gentleman renowned at a young age.”

“Simple. It’s about the pedigree.” Ouyang Rong raised his hand and gestured near his forehead.

“What’s wrong with the pedigree? Our Ouyang family from Nanlong…”

Ouyang Rong nodded and said frankly: “Our Ouyang clan from Nanlong has little pedigree in the eyes of the Five Surnames and Seven Esteemed families. The last notable figure from our line appeared back in the Han dynasty.”

“…” Madam Zhen was speechless.

Page 3/3

“Even the imperial examinations path I took is, to them, well... Aunt, you should know I was granted the Lin Tai Zheng Zi position by the Empress at the Apricot Garden Banquet. It’s equivalent to the Secretary Ministry’s proofreader official, requiring a pure background, the purest of the pure. The prime ministers almost all began their careers in this post. It’s prestigious and the starting point desired by scholars from the north and south.

“But do you know, every year’s Da Zhou imperial exams select only about thirty or forty from humble families across north and south, and only the top scorer and a few can pass the stringent Ministry of Personnel selection to hold this office.”

Pausing, Ouyang Rong casually added, “But this office is directly appointed to sons of the Five Surnames and Seven Esteemed families, recommended by their elders, no exam needed.”

Madam Zhen glanced, wanting to speak but stopped.

Ouyang Rong comforted softly, “Aunt, in the eyes of the Five Surnames and Seven Esteemed, we are the lowest of the low. Even the Li family of Da Qian, who ruled for nearly a century, are considered a mixed-blood secondary clan. They pride themselves on their lineage and disdain marrying outside their surnames. So... let’s not think about it for now.”

In the Da Zhou dynasty, it was said that the highest aristocracy was led by the Five Surnames: Cui, Li, Lu, Wang, and Xie—the Seven Esteemed families.

Among them, the Cui clans of Boling and Qinghe, Li of Longxi, Lu of Fanyang, and Wang of Taiyuan were commandery surnames, the highest northern aristocracy.

The Wang of Langya and Xie of Chen Commandery were expatriate surnames, the highest southern aristocracy, though ranked last among the Seven Esteemed.

This was because in the turbulent Northern and Southern Dynasties before unification, the northern Sui Qian faction ultimately prevailed, pacifying Southern Chen and unifying south and north again. The Da Zhou empire’s center was in Chang’an and Luoyang of Guanzhong, the traditional northern heartland, so northern aristocrats were stronger than southern Wang and Xie.

Among them, the Boling Cui clan was considered the pinnacle of aristocracy.

According to Ouyang Rong’s knowledge, these Five Surnames and Seven Esteemed families were not just renowned for their lineage and officialdom. Each of the seven highest noble gates was closely tied to one of the three prominent schools of Confucianism, Buddhism, or Daoism—either Confucian, metaphysical, or Daoist traditions passed down. Some even involved secret traditions of external cultivators.

Those who survived the chaotic Northern and Southern Dynasties and persisted into the Da Zhou era were formidable millennia-old clans, with genealogies tracing back to the pre-Qin era, contemporaneous with ancient cultivators recorded in old texts.

Ouyang Rong added, “During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, to suppress the Five Surnames and Seven Esteemed, an edict was issued forbidding the most direct clans from intermarrying. But it seems the ban failed; instead, it boosted these seven prestigious clans’ status, making them ‘forbidden marriage families’ honored in isolation... Think about it—your mother and you in the countryside have heard of the ‘Five Surname Women’s’ noble status and popular acclaim... It’s understandable.”

Using his past life’s words, this “forbidden marriage family” was the pinnacle of the social hierarchy in Da Zhou’s match-making market, with everyone from children to elders inflating their value.

Madam Zhen frowned. “Is it really that difficult? Isn’t my Tan Lang a top-tier man? Why wouldn’t it work?”

Ouyang Rong twitched the corner of his mouth, got up, and helped Banxi clear the dishes.

“Is there no chance even for distant branches?” Madam Zhen persisted.

“The distant branches—others aren’t fools. I heard the marriage ban edict came from a humble prime minister rejected in marriage by the aristocracy, prompting Gaozong’s decree. Without a family rank equivalent to a fourth-grade official, don’t even try.”

Madam Zhen frowned. “Why is it so complicated...”

Ouyang Rong took the hot towel Banxi handed him and rubbed his face, then smiled as if recalling something: “Northern aristocrats value marriage alliances, Jiangzuo aristocrats value talent, Guanzhong aristocrats value titles, and Dai Bei aristocrats value noble kinship. Which of these does your nephew have? None—he lacks ‘an outstanding young man.’”

Madam Zhen glared but said nothing.

Ouyang Rong pretended to share her frustration but secretly sighed with relief, finally letting his aunt give up.

“Jiangzuo aristocrats value talent... Funny, my Tan Lang is precisely a phoenix among men...” Madam Zhen muttered.

Ouyang Rong smiled but said nothing. Sometimes, shattering illusions too quickly does more harm than good; better let Aunt come to terms slowly... He washed his hands and prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, the woman in the silk skirt behind him suddenly asked, “Tan Lang, is your academy mentor’s surname Xie?”

Ouyang Rong was taken aback. “Yes, why?”

Then helplessly said, “Don’t overthink it. I’m going out.”

Feeling somewhat baffled, he paid no mind to Madam Zhen and left Sanhui Courtyard.

Inside, Madam Zhen propped her chin on her hand, watching the departing figure with her phoenix eyes curved in a smile.

“Really, Aunt still has to seize the opportunity for you.”

...