Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 229 All living beings are equal
Wang Heng walked a few steps toward the cliff and reached out to pick up a few purple withered flowers from the rocks.

This is the evening primrose. The few remaining flowers have their stamens plucked out and the flower stalks pinched in half.

Wang Heng looked around the Sheshen Cliff and did not find any clusters of evening primroses. These flowers must have been brought from somewhere else.

Xiaocai said, "There are clusters of evening primroses in the Vimalakirti Courtyard. They were planted by the young monks in the dining hall at the base of the wall. Monasteries don't plant such flowers on purpose."

Wang Heng nodded, seemed to have thought of something, frowned, and stopped talking.

Zhang Xiru looked unhappy, staring blankly at the abyss below the cliff. After a long while, he asked the young monk who was leading the way, "What does it mean to jump off the cliff?"

The young monk looked reluctant and said, "I heard from my fellow monks that there was a filial son and grandson who jumped off the cliff to save his parents' illness or for other reasons. It was said that because of his piety, he was able to move the gods, so he jumped off the cliff without any injury. But this is just a legend. I have never seen anyone who jumped off the cliff and survived. If Miss Liu and Mrs. Liu really jumped off the cliff, they would most likely die."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiru's face turned pale, and he suddenly shouted loudly towards the cliff: "Le Niang, Le Niang."

As if he had received a hint, the housekeeper Ade sat down, stamped his feet and beat his chest, crying, "Madam, Miss, Madam, Miss."

The male and female servants beside him were at a loss for a moment and looked at each other.

Could it be that the wives and daughters of the Liu family were buried at the foot of the cliff?
As the shouts echoed in the valley, a weak voice came from the bottom of the cliff: "I'm here, I'm here."

Zhang Xiru was overjoyed and leaned over the cliff to look down: "Le Niang, where are you?"

Everyone held their breath and listened to the weak voice: "I'm hanging on the old pine branch."

The young monk pointed to everyone and showed them that there was indeed a pine tree that was more than a hundred years old, about ten feet away from the cliff.

Wang Heng asked the young monk whether Jubao Temple had any rescue measures for believers who jumped off the Sheshen Cliff?

The young monk shook his head and said that he jumped off the cliff to get the protection of the gods and everything depended on God's will.

The current plan is to let Mrs. Liu and Le Niang maintain the balance as much as possible. Wang Heng asked the little monk to take A De to the other courtyard to get a basket of coarse hemp ropes, and then bring two male servants up, and they must act quickly.

Zhang Xiru and Le Niang exchanged a few brief words and learned that she was hanging on a tree trunk when she fell off the cliff. Fortunately, the branch was very thick and she was still balanced and could stay stable for the time being.

After half an hour, Ade came back with the servants carrying the hemp rope. Wang Heng was quite satisfied when he saw that the hemp rope was at least two or three meters long and very thick.

Xiaocai instructed them to tie one end of the hemp rope to the juniper tree beside the cliff, let four male servants hold the knot, and then slowly lower the other end of the rope.

Wang Heng shouted towards the bottom of the cliff: "Mrs. Liu, we will let the rope down now. You try to grab it. If you can't grab it for the time being, don't worry. We will let it down from above a few more times. Make sure you keep your balance."

The rope slowly went down, and there was a thick fog under the cliff, and soon the view was no longer clear.

Fortunately, Mrs. Liu was very sensitive. She shouted hoarsely, "I caught it."

Wang Heng said quickly, "Mrs. Liu, wrap the rope around your waist, wrap it a few times and tie a knot. Hold the rope tightly with both hands. When you shout "pull", we will start to pull you up. Don't worry, there are so many of us above you, and you will be fine if you pull us up."

Fortunately, Mrs. Liu was brave enough to remain calm and not faint from fright. After a while, she heard a voice from the bottom of the cliff: "Pull." Mrs. Liu was light and slender, and several strong men worked together to pull her up quickly.

She had a dull look in her eyes, disheveled hair, and her hands and feet were all injured and bloody.

Butler Ade asked anxiously, "Madam, where is Miss Wanying?"

Mrs. Liu was terrified, huddled up in a ball, and pointed at the cliff and said, "Wanying, Wanying was determined to sacrifice herself by jumping off the cliff. I don't know where she got so much strength to pull me down the cliff. If I hadn't been caught by the pine branches, I would have been smashed to pieces."

Ade cried, "How could Wanying have such a stupid idea?"

Mrs. Liu fell to the ground weakly. She was a beauty, and even in her disheveled appearance, she still looked particularly pitiful.

Zhang Xiru stepped forward and asked the maid of the Liu residence to help his wife up quickly. He said to Ade, "Le Niang is too frightened. Get her down the mountain first. She is injured and needs to be treated quickly."

The maids in the Liu residence were strong, so they took turns carrying Mrs. Liu down the mountain and back to the villa.

Wang Heng quietly asked the young monk: "How does the temple deal with people who jump off cliffs and die?"

The young monk said, "All living beings are equal. The abyss below the cliff is ten thousand feet deep. It is steep and dangerous. It has always been a forbidden area in this temple."

Wang Heng and Xiaocai understood instantly that Jubao Temple would not carry out a rescue, and the people in Liu Mansion, firstly, did not have the ability, and secondly, they probably would not be willing to risk their lives to save Miss Wanying.

After hearing this result, even though they had no choice, they felt heavy in their hearts and could hardly breathe.

After going down the mountain and returning to the villa, we saw the monks of Jubao Temple still performing a ceremony at the scripture platform next to the release pond. Although the host disappeared inexplicably in the afternoon, the monks were still chanting the scriptures.

Since it was inconvenient to invite a doctor in the mountains, Butler Ade still asked the monk who treated the maid Xiaolian a few days ago to come and see Mrs. Liu.

Everyone in the Liu family was busy working, and Mr. Zhang was also worried about Mrs. Liu's injury, so he sat in the next room.

Xiaocai winked at Wang Heng, and Wang Heng understood what he meant. The two of them did not want to join in the fun, so they returned to the west wing where they lived to rest.

Xiaocai closed the door, sat down at the desk, and said hurriedly, "Seventh Brother, there are many doubts. What do you think?"

Wang Heng took out the evening primroses he had picked up from the cliff from his pocket. The purple flowers had withered and clumped together. He said, "I found these evening primroses on the cliff. Apart from Mrs. Liu's handkerchief, there were only these flowers on the cliff. It was obvious that they were either Mrs. Liu or Miss Wanying who fell from her body. The stamens of these flowers had been plucked out, and the stigma was pinched in half. Xiaocai, what do you think it is?"

Xiaocai suddenly had an idea and said, "Could it be that a child made a trumpet out of the flower and played with it?"

Wang Heng nodded and said, "The evening lily is the most common in our countryside. It blooms in the evening and withers the next morning. Judging from the color of the flower, it must have been picked in the morning. Would a child who picked flowers in the morning and made a trumpet to play with jump off a cliff at noon?"

"I also think it's impossible." Xiaocai looked out the window and saw that there was no one in front of or behind the house. He said, "I was thinking, could it be that this Jubao Temple has some secrets, and that Mrs. Liu and Miss Wanying put on a complete show and let Miss Wanying sneak into the Self-Sacrifice Cliff?"

Wang Heng shook his head and sighed, "This is too bizarre."

The two discussed for a long time, but could not come up with a reasonable idea.