In the 23rd year of the Daoguang reign (A.D. 1844), Yang Mai arrived at the Ministry of Rites in the capital to assume his new post. He had once been the governor of Zhejiang, and now served as a deputy director — a significant demotion. Having navigated the bureaucratic landscape for two decades, Yang Mai was skilled in divining fate through physiognomy. He had studied under a reclusive master for several years, gaining insight into reading faces that earned him a reputation across the Jiangnan region.
Upon his arrival, colleagues pressed him: “Mr. Yang, you are so skilled — might you read our fortunes?” Yang Mai replied: “I am too old for that now. I stopped long ago.” At that moment, Grand Master Liang approached and said: “Brother Yang, did you not read your own fortune before the incident in Zhejiang?”
Yang Mai sighed: “At the time, I truly saw no sign of impending doom. My complexion was rosy, and my forehead showed no dark lines. How could I have imagined demotion?” MasterLiang laughed heartily: “Brother Yang, your physiognomy is remarkably accurate!”
…
Read the full article on Nspirement
Comments