Chapter 101 Jingjue's skills are not as good as they used to be
After the monks of Taihuang Temple finished chanting the last Buddhist sutra in April, Xie Wenjun asked the kitchen to bring a pot of wine for them to drink.
Instead of sitting at the dining table to pour and drink wine, she took a wine cup in her hand and strolled around in the secluded woods of Taihuang Temple.
Xie Yuan exchanged Rong Jun for the list of officials under surveillance from Xie Wenjun, and Rong Jun returned to Yongning Palace. The imperial guards and warrior monks around Yongning Palace were no longer strictly guarded, and were dispersed to guard various halls and intersections of Taihuang Temple.
Xie Wenjun was no longer confined to the hall, but she was still not allowed to leave the temple. She was monitored wherever she went, and her every move was watched closely by eyes in the shadows.
The Emperor only ordered the Imperial Guards and the warrior monks of the Taihuang Temple to protect the Princess's safety; he did not explicitly order her to stay at the temple. Xie Wenjun wanted to walk around the temple, and the Imperial Guards were powerless to stop her.
After the wine was finished, Xie Wenjun wanted to summon the monk who had brewed the wine.
A young monk, whose features still retained a touch of childishness, kindly advised, "Your Highness, Master Jingjue has a capricious and eccentric temperament. He listens to no one except the abbot." He mispronounced the character "jue" in "juewu" (觉悟, meaning enlightenment).
Upon hearing this, Rong Jun asked, "Jingjue? Is it the 'jue' of enlightenment, or the 'jue' of sleep?"
"The abbot bestowed upon him the Dharma name 'Jue,' meaning 'enlightenment,' but everyone in the temple calls him 'Jue,' meaning 'sleepy.' If he's not brewing wine, he sleeps all day long. He has a bad temper; he doesn't speak to anyone, but if he does, he curses. He can't beat anyone in a fight, so none of the monks in the temple like him. They all avoid him when they see him. Besides, he's quite old, and he's often late for morning prayers..."
The monk launched a barrage of accusations.
Rong Jun quickly made a gesture to stop him, preventing him from saying any more nonsense.
Xie Wenjun said, "Rong Jun, go and invite him."
The monk sighed and looked dejected. (t said.)
Taihuang Temple had been selling wine for many years, and its reputation was known far and wide. Every few days, the monk Jingjue would pull a cart up and down the mountain to deliver wine. On this particular day, he had just returned to the temple and unloaded the cart when the abbot invited him over.
The monk Jingjue stood on the bluestone path and performed a Buddhist salute.
"This humble monk, Jingjue, greets the Princess."
He kept his head down, and one could vaguely make out the erratic movements of his facial muscles; his eyebrows, nose, and lips were haphazardly twitched. A quick glance at his face revealed that he had committed murder before entering the Buddhist temple. Years of purification within the Buddhist community had failed to wash away his ferocity. Therefore, he spent most of his time hiding in the back mountains of Taihuang Temple, keeping company with wine and rarely seeing outsiders.
Xie Wenjun said, "I have long heard of Master Jingjue's extraordinary winemaking skills, and I would like to learn the secrets of winemaking."
The monk Jingjue said, "This is a unique skill, not to be passed on to outsiders. Even if I am buried in the yellow earth, I will take this brewing recipe with me to the afterlife."
Rong Jun pressed his sword against the old monk's neck. The old monk glanced at him sideways and said, "There are plenty of people on the back mountain who want to drink. If you insist on fighting, I can also exchange a few blows."
Rong Jun swirled the sword blade, its edge slashing horizontally. Monk Jingjue clasped his hands together, his feet neither too far forward nor too backward, and took several steps back to avoid the sword. He then suddenly separated his hands, his palms whistling as they struck straight at Rong Jun's crown.
This palm strike was made with murderous intent.
Rong Jun blocked the palm strike with his sword, but the force of the blow sent him staggering backward, his sword nearly slipping from his grasp.
The young martial monk who had just delivered his tearful accusations against Monk Jingjue had already fled far away.
“Rong Jun, you mustn’t be rude,” Xie Wenjun said.
The abbot quickly spoke up as well: "Jingjue."
Jingjue looked very displeased. Lizhang bowed to Xie Wenjun and said, "This humble monk takes his leave."
He was about to leave when his gaze fell on a metal object protruding from Xie Wenjun's waist, and he couldn't move his feet.
He was momentarily astonished.
The prayer beads wrapped around the tiger's mouth swayed slightly.
He glanced around and saw guards and warrior monks everywhere. He turned his back and walked a short distance. “If you sincerely want to learn how to brew wine, find me under the old pine tree on the back mountain after 5 pm tomorrow.”
The following day at dusk, when Xie Wenjun arrived at the back mountain, he found the monk Jingjue indeed waiting under an old pine tree.
The brewing grounds weren't fortified with mud walls, but rather with a ring of wild fence posts. A few brewing stoves were built in the yard, along with a wooden hut for storing wine barrels and a cart in the corner. Nothing else.
"No one else is allowed to come in!"
The monk Jingjue had a fearsome reputation, so the martial monks were unwilling to come in and provoke him. The imperial guards, seeing that the place was quiet and deserted, and that there was a cliff behind the courtyard, also consciously guarded the outside of the fenced village and kept a close watch on the inside.
After sweeping away the wine stove, the monk Jingjue asked in a deep voice, "How did the iron letter tube end up on you?"
"A gift from an old friend."
Without saying a word, the monk Jingjue brought over a wooden bucket and scooped the soaked sorghum porridge into a steamer, then lit a fire to steam it.
The wind blew silently along the cliff edge for a long time.
Is he still alive?
The surroundings were quiet.
Monk Jingjue froze instantly. "No need to say anything. It was this humble monk who had a deluded thought."
Xie Wenjun said, "I have a request to make of Master Jingjue."
"Now that the iron letter tube is in your hands, there is no need to ask for anything. Just give the princess her orders. This humble monk has long since become a monk and no longer cares about worldly affairs. I can only grant you one request."
The fire in the stove blazed brightly, and Monk Jingjue began stirring the sorghum paste with a wooden stick. Only when the stove cooled did he add yeast, and then it was placed in a wooden barrel and sealed layer by layer for fermentation.
Another row of wooden barrels, exuding the smell of yeast, has appeared in the log cabin.
As dawn broke, the monk Jingjue's wine was ready again.
He pulled the cart down the mountain and back up the mountain, returning to the temple on the Dragon Boat Festival.
Xie Wenjun went up the back mountain again and personally brewed several jars of realgar wine. On the Dragon Boat Festival, the monks in the temple did not drink alcohol, but the Changning Guards and Imperial Guards guarding the temple could not help but have a few drinks.
The stove was lit from noon until midnight.
Xie Wenjun instructed Rong Jun to distribute the jarred realgar wine to the Imperial Guards.
That evening, Xie Wenjun took out the long box from under the Buddhist shrine again; the feathered arrow was still there. He ran his fingertips over the shaft.
Yuanrong served the meal. The vegetarian food was laid out on the table, all bland and tasteless, making it unappetizing.
"Does Your Highness truly intend to transfer the authority over agriculture and sericulture to the Central Secretariat?"
“If I do not relinquish the power over agriculture and sericulture, Chen Liangyu will remain imprisoned in the death row for another day.”
***
A horse-drawn carriage rumbled along the long street, pausing briefly at the entrance of a narrow alley. Two people sat at the wonton stall at the alley's entrance, glancing into the alley every now and then.
Walking a short distance into the alley, you'll find the main gate of Lingjiu Academy.
Inside the carriage, a woman's voice whispered something to the coachman. The coachman cracked his leather whip and drove off into the distance. He then drove the carriage down another street and turned into Green Willow Lane at another intersection.
Along one side of Green Willow Lane, slender willows are planted, their countless strands dazzlingly green in spring and summer. On the other side, there were also willows, but they were all cut down the year Lingjiu Academy was completed, and ginkgo trees were planted in their place.
This has resulted in a street with two distinct views, creating a stark contrast.
The people of Lingjiu Academy could only learn from Gu Xie that the Eldest Princess had ordered the felling of willow trees and the planting of ginkgo trees. As for why the Eldest Princess did this, few could explain the reason. Later, rumors began to circulate that the Eldest Princess had a sweetheart who loved ginkgo trees.
This row of ginkgo trees was planted by the eldest princess for her beloved.
Despite this claim, no one could actually figure out the identity of that "beloved."
At this moment, a new moon swept across the towering sentry post, casting a soft light on the high walls and deep courtyard. On the eaves, weary birds, tired from their migration, rested and preened their feathers.
The carriage stopped in front of a small door, and a woman with a long scarf covering her face stepped out. If it were daytime, people would definitely see very faint marks on her exposed skin.
He knocked three times on the small door with his knuckles, and the door creaked open a crack from the inside.
Li Yujing handed in a token, and the person inside opened the door after seeing it. "Miss Qin, please. The headmaster is in the Mingli Hall."
Li Yujing glanced at both ends of the alley.
The gatekeeper said, "We give the people guarding Green Willow Lane a few taels of silver every day at dusk to send them off to drink." He then invited Li Yujing into the academy.
Gu Xie hung up a small stove and began to brew wine and tea, just like the reclusive hermits in the mountains.
She wore her long hair in a bun and dressed in the coarsest linen. After Yao Jifeng died, she rode a fast horse to collect his body and bury him, and thereafter wore mourning clothes.
"Ayu, why are you in such a hurry? What happened?"
Li Yujing said, "A few days ago, a group of people dressed in grassland attire stormed into Yifeng Pavilion, smashed things up, and demanded that the steward hand over General Chen. I felt something was amiss, so I inquired and learned that the General had killed the younger brother of the Ximano chieftain and had been imprisoned by the Emperor. I heard he would be executed in the autumn. I only managed to come to you today because the steward was drunk and I bribed a pimp. Last month, the Princess went to Taihuang Temple to pay respects to Empress Huixian, and since then, there has been no news of her. The General has also been imprisoned. Is the court about to change?"
"Execution?"
"You didn't know?"
Gu Xie's hand trembled, and the copper poker on the small stove shook.
Chen Liangyu was known to the Emperor for killing a diplomatic envoy and being imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. She also heard that Lady Yan Nian, the wife of the Marquis of Wu'an, had rushed back from Zhuodong to plead for Chen Liangyu's life, bringing with her the armor of the old Marquis and the Marquis of Wu'an.
Would the Emperor really execute Chen Liangyu for the sake of a few Ximanuo people?
Li Yujing lowered his voice and said, "Yesterday, several officials came to Yifeng Pavilion. I overheard a few words during their conversation. It seemed that they wanted to seize power from the Princess."
"That makes sense."
Unless the Emperor is certain that there is some unspoken alliance between Chen Liangyu and the Eldest Princess, and the Eldest Princess's power over grain taxes and Chen Liangyu's military power form a bond of shared destiny between ruler and subject, one day the Eldest Princess will become the true ruler of Da Lin. The Emperor may become a puppet.
Thinking about it this way, it's quite possible that the Emperor might actually execute Chen Liangyu.
Li Yujing clenched his fists, his palms sweating profusely. "Think of a way to get the news from the court to the Princess so that she can make a decision sooner."
Gu Xie poured out a pot of tea and extinguished the embers in the stove.
"The Swan Maiden".
Gu Xie called out, and soon a girl wearing a short jacket and with two buns in her hair ran out from outside the corridor. "Greetings, teacher," she said in a clear, crisp voice.
Out of habit, Gu Xie asked about his homework, "How's copying the books going?"
The young woman said, "I've copied three books, and there are three more to copy. Teacher, when will Sister Daiqing marry and go to the grasslands?"
Gu Xie did the math, “June.”
The young woman lowered her head and counted on her fingers, saying, "There's still time to copy it."
Gu Xie nodded approvingly, then instructed her, "Go and tell Daomi and Xiaoshu to take the horses, go to Yueyanglou and pack some good wine and dishes, and come back as soon as possible."
"I'll go right away."
The young woman bowed respectfully and ran across the corridor like a gust of wind. Li Yujing said, "I'm not hungry yet."
“It’s not for you,” Gu Xie said. “I’m going to see a grumpy old man, and I need to bribe him with some good food and wine.”
The Marquis of Xuanping's residence never lacked food for Jiang Bojin, yet he still shone with delight at the sight of the food and wine, as if he hadn't eaten for decades. After eating and drinking his fill, he wiped his mouth and sighed, "The taste is quite good."
Gu Xie stood to the side, serving Jiang Bojin his meal and then pouring him a cup of warm tea. Jiang Bojin lowered his head, sipped the tea, rinsed his mouth, and said, "Thank you for the hospitality." Then he leaned back in his recliner and fell asleep.
Gu Xie bowed to him.
"Sir, I have a favor to ask of you."
Jiang Bojin closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and soon began to snore. When he woke up, Gu Xie was still there. Still feeling dizzy, Jiang Bojin stretched and yawned with his severed arm above his head. "If you have something to say, just say it. Why did you have to wait so long?"
Gu Xie said, "I wouldn't dare disturb your rest, sir."
In truth, she understood that Jiang Bojin had already guessed her intentions and knew what she wanted. The disciples of the Duke of He were exceptionally perceptive to even the slightest changes in the court, let alone so many major events that had occurred in succession.
Jiang Bojin was like a dragon coiled in a cage, its scales and claws stripped away, leaving it powerless and without soldiers, forced to lie dormant all day.
Gu Xie could tell that he was unwilling to accept this.
Jiang Bojin said, "Only you would call me 'sir'. That little brat from the Chen family... I don't want to talk about her. Pour me another cup of tea."
Gu Xie quickly poured tea and brought it to Jiang Bojin's lips.
"Just for the sake of this cup of tea, I'll make a trip to Taihuang Temple on your behalf. It just so happens that I also want to see an old friend again."
When Jiang Bojin arrived at the town at the foot of Taihuang Temple Mountain, he indeed saw Imperial Guards with their swords sheaths wrapped in cloth strips everywhere. Although they were dressed in cloth instead of bright armor, the shape of their horizontal swords was too easy to recognize.
He wore a straw hat, and his severed arms were too conspicuous. Not wanting to attract attention, he quickly slipped into a tavern, spotted an empty table in the corner, and sat down.
Early in the morning, the tavern was nearly empty.
The tavern waiter quickly ran over to greet them.
Jiang Bojin asked, "I heard you have wine brewed by monks here?"
The tavern waiter replied, "Master Jingjue of Taihuang Temple makes the best wine. Pilgrims come here just for a sip. Master Jingjue only comes down the mountain once every few days, and the wine barrels are emptied before noon. If you come late, you won't get any. You're lucky today, sir; the wine was just delivered to the backyard."
"He doesn't sound like a proper monk at all. Bring a jar over."
"Okay."
Not long after the waiter left, a man who looked like a monk came out from the backyard and settled the bill with the accountant.
The shop owner was talking to customers at the next table.
"This monk ignores everyone. Every time he comes down the mountain, he just delivers wine, takes money, and leaves without saying a word. I wonder if he's mute."
After settling the bill, Monk Jingjue pulled his cart out of the back door of the tavern to deliver wine to the next establishment.
The waiter carried the wine jar and poured it into a large bowl.
Jiang Bojin took a sip, then followed the cart tracks with the wine jar between his fingers. When the monk Jingjue came out of another tavern, Jiang Bojin was squatting in the corner. "Wine seller, your wine isn't good."
Upon hearing this, Monk Jingjue unloaded the cart from his shoulder and walked towards Jiang Bojin. His gait was noticeably hurried, as if he were about to start a fight. The tavern staff, thinking the monk was about to attack, turned to watch the spectacle one by one.
The monk walked up to Jiang Bojin, grabbed the wine jar from his arms, and took a large gulp. Nothing different happened.
It's that drunkard who loves to amuse himself again.
The monk stuffed the wine jar back in and set up the cart again.
"Zhu Shan, your skills aren't what they used to be."
Jiang Bojin slowly raised his head, and the brim of his straw hat rose accordingly, revealing an old face underneath.
The monk Jingjue stood frozen for a long time. Then, he turned his gaze and noticed the empty sleeves on both sides of the person under the straw hat.
In the blink of an eye, three or four lines of tears streamed down her face.
"Commander-in-Chief."
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