Chapter 18 Chapter 18 See You Again

Jingming Temple is the most famous and popular temple in Chang'an City. It is one of the three major Taoist temples in Chang'an. It is a place that many dignitaries like to choose to pray for their families and chant scriptures.

Liu Chang said that he had lit eternal lamps here for several officials from the Ministry of Works. It happened that Chang'an had been raining a lot in recent days and fewer people were going out, so Xu Qing'an chose a day when there were fewer people to come to Jingming Temple to take a look.

Jingming Temple is very popular. Normally, there are many pilgrims every day, but it has rained in recent days, so naturally there are fewer people worshipping Buddha. However, as soon as Xu Qing'an entered Jingming Temple, he felt that the number of people had increased compared to the past. Upon closer inspection, he realized that some of them did not seem to be here to burn incense and worship Buddha. Instead, their every move made them look more like soldiers on a mission.

Sure enough, when he finished worshipping the spirit tablet and was about to visit the backyard of the temple, he was stopped by the monks.

"The backyard of this temple is not open to the public today. Please do not enter."

——

At the same time, Shangguan Xu handed the copied scriptures to the abbot in a Buddhist temple in the backyard.

Shangguan Xu said respectfully, "Thank you, Master Miyin."

Mi Yin took the scripture with both hands and said, "Every year, the goddess goes to Jingming Temple to copy scriptures and chant Buddhist scriptures, sitting there for a whole day. With such piety, the Buddha will surely be able to sense it and protect the people in the goddess' heart."

Shangguan Xu smiled faintly and said, "When my mother was alive, she often came to the temple to worship Buddha. She said that the monks at Jingming Temple were all kind and knowledgeable people. Talking with them always helped her calm her mind and spirit. So after my mother passed away, I thought about coming to the temple more often to copy scriptures and pray for her. It was like I was connecting with her soul."

"It's a pity that my current status does not allow me to come here often." Shangguan Xu suddenly lowered his eyes and sighed.

Mi Yin said gently, "The Buddha said, 'If your mind is at peace, why do you need to observe the precepts?' [1] The number of times you worship the Buddha is not important, but your sincerity is the key. Your Majesty is sincere now, and that is enough. Moreover, every time you come, you do not stop others from worshipping the Buddha and praying. You just hide in a corner and do not take away other people's incense. This is already a merit."

Shangguan Xu laughed and sighed, "Master, you really embarrass me by saying that. Although I come here incognito, every time I come here I have to ask the monks in the temple to clean up the backyard. I feel really guilty about that."

Mi Yin comforted her, "There are many monks' quarters in the backyard, and since it's where the Sutra Repository is located, ordinary pilgrims don't come often. Your Majesty, don't worry."

Shangguan Xu smiled and said no more.

——

According to Shangguan Xu's previous habit, after finishing copying the scriptures, she would go to the main hall in the front yard to pay her respects. She actually did not believe in Buddhism, but she felt that it was a place where she could express her feelings.

Inside the main hall, everyone worships the Buddha statue and prays for their wishes. It is the place where sincerity is the strongest. Everyone only thinks about what is in their hearts. There are no lies or deceptions. Perhaps as she said just now, it is the most suitable place to talk to old friends.

However, this time when she just reached the small door leading to the front yard, she saw a familiar person.

The man also saw her at a glance and showed a little surprise.

Just as Xu Qing'an finished talking to the monk and was about to leave, he saw Shangguan Xu, dressed simply, walking towards him.

His expression faltered for a moment, then he immediately bowed and said, "Sir, you are here too."

No wonder there were so many soldiers in plain clothes entering the temple.

Shangguan Xu's visit to Jingming Temple was an annual schedule to recite scriptures for his mother, which was an act of filial piety. Naturally, the court officials would not say much when they knew about it.

However, Shangguan Xu said that he did not want her trip to affect the people's worship of Buddha, so he came in disguise. However, it was difficult to refuse the request of court officials, so he brought more imperial guards in plain clothes to protect her, and also cleared the backyard.

When Shangguan Xu saw that Xu Qing'an did not call her "Empress" but "Noble Lady" instead, she knew that he understood that she had come in disguise today.

She walked to the door, looked him up and down as she went, and said with a slight smile, "What a coincidence. Sir Xu, have you recovered from your illness and are here to pay your respects to the Buddha?"

Xu Qing'an smiled and replied, "Thank you for your concern. I'm feeling better now. I've heard that Jingming Temple is a famous temple in Chang'an, but I haven't visited it in a long time since I came here. I thought I'd take advantage of the rain today and come here for a walk. I also want to ask the Buddha to bless my health."

He smiled as he spoke, "No wonder when I entered the temple just now, I found that there were still so many pilgrims today, and many of them were extraordinary. It turns out that it is because of the noble man here."

Shangguan Xu squinted his eyes slightly, as if in surprise, and said, "Master Xu is truly discerning. He can tell even the pilgrims are different."

Xu Qing'an wasn't being modest either. "I used to work in the Censorate. Isn't the job of a Censor to find fault with others? How could I have done my job well without a keen eye?"

Shangguan Xu nodded, his brows etched with thought. Although his words didn't seem particularly sincere, he couldn't help but smile. "I did let it slip just now. Lord Xu is not only discerning, but also eloquent. He truly is a talent of both the highest and lowest rank."

Xu Qing'an was now extremely polite: "Your Excellency, thank you for your compliment."

He must have wanted to say something else, but Shangguan Xu spoke first to get him out of trouble. She only said that Jingming Temple was not only famous for its temple, but also for its beautiful scenery. She wanted him to wander around here for a while, which could be considered an activity after being bedridden for a long time and would be beneficial to his health.

After she said this, Xu Qing'an understood what she meant, and tactfully bowed and left.

——

Shangguan Xu stayed alone in the main hall for a while. After she had expressed everything in her mind, she slowly stood up.

Qing He came over and helped her up. Seeing that she looked gloomy, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "I heard from the abbot that there are few people in the back mountain today. Are you going there today, Madam?"

Shangguan Xu hummed lightly, still without looking up: "Since there are few people, then let's go."

Qinghe nodded, feeling unhappy.

When Jingming Temple was first built, it was on a high ground in Chang'an City. Later, the earth and rocks excavated during the construction were gathered in one place and then modified, thus forming the back mountain of Jingming Temple.

Jingming Temple was not only a place that Shangguan Xu's mother loved to visit, but also a place that Shangguan Xu and he had visited together.

The talk in the main hall just now was full of sadness, so when Qinghe asked Shangguan Xu whether he wanted to go to the back mountain, she hesitated for a while.

However, the scenery of the back mountain is beautiful. During normal times, many tourists come not to worship Buddha, but just to climb the back mountain. Sending people to close the mountain would really disturb the people's enjoyment. Shangguan Xushi is unwilling to do this, so even if she wanted to go in the past, she would choose not to go.

However, there are fewer people today, so it is enough to bring a few people with you. There is no need to close the mountain, which is much more convenient.

There are many flat areas in Chang'an City, and from a height like the hill behind Jingming Temple, you can overlook a long distance.

They came here once when they were young.

He was first a crown prince and later the ruler of a country. He had few opportunities to leave the palace. Even when he occasionally came out, it was mostly because there were state ceremonies that required him to preside over. At that time, he had more responsibilities than just being a husband who stayed by her side.

Thinking about it this way, there weren't actually many places he left for her to reminisce about.

It had rained in Chang'an the past few days, and the woods were quiet and peaceful, with traces of rain still lingering on the stone paths. Such an environment was perfect for a solitary walk in the woods.

On cloudy days after rain, people are most melancholy, so Shangguan Xu simply stopped accompanying the attendants and went up the mountain alone.

The trail behind Jingming Temple is spacious, and there are many places to rest in the mountains. Shangguan Xu had just come up the mountain and turned a corner when he saw a person sitting under a pavilion.

Xu Qing'an's sleeves dropped slightly, revealing his long fingers and white wrists. His hand was stroking a bunch of flowers and leaves, just like a jade tree swaying in the wind, forming a painting in itself.

There were few people in the mountains today, so Xu Qing'an could detect anyone passing by.

He also turned his head to look.

In an instant, time was silent and the mountain breeze carried dew past.

Xu Qing'an's sleeves lifted slightly, and Shangguan Xu's skirt flew. The two looked at each other, both surprised, and both speechless.