Chapter 91 Meeting You, Jun: When did you and Jiang Ning become so close? ...
Judging from the sky, the night's ordeal was over. In about half an hour, the red-crested rooster kept by the temple to crow at dawn would start to crow loudly. The sounds of drinking games over there gradually faded away. Sure enough, Lin Yin and Bu Ping'er were the most drunk, leaning on the table with their elbows, unable to sit up straight.
He has no knowledge of literature, yet he insists on competing with others in academics.
That's exactly right.
The meditation platform has meditation rooms for people to rest temporarily. Before the Buddhist ceremony begins, the monks would take stock of the scriptures in the meditation rooms behind the meditation platform. At present, the rooms are empty, with only the wooden fish, copper chime, bell, vajra, drum and other utensils needed for the ceremony placed there.
Chen Liangyu had someone help Lin Yin and Bu Ping'er to the meditation room to rest, then he put his arm around Xie Wenjun and strode out of the Buddhist hall.
Yuan Rong and Dai Qing immediately caught up.
Xie Wenjun wrapped her arms around Chen Liangyu's neck, nestled on her shoulder, closed her eyes and rested, and murmured, "I haven't drunk any wine, you don't need to trouble yourself. Put me down, I can walk by myself."
The Zen-inquiring platform is located at a high point, requiring one to descend stone steps. Upon stepping outside, a cool breeze greets you.
Chen Liangyu held Xie Wenjun firmly in his arms and stepped down the stone steps, saying, "I am a military general, how can I be burdened?"
Xie Wenjun slowly opened her eyes, her round, doe-like eyes showing weariness and languidness. She said, "Although you are a military general, you are also a woman. It's enough for us to support each other. If one person carries the other alone, you will inevitably get tired over time."
Chen Liangyu seemed not to hear, and walked down from the meditation platform toward the meditation room in Yongning Hall.
Xie Wenjun seemed to have gotten even thinner, perhaps due to the constant paperwork and overwork. The weight of a living person on my arm was less than that of two black iron hammers in the military camp.
The distance from the meditation platform to the Yongning Hall seemed shorter than the journey there, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the door of the meditation room.
Xie Wenjun was fast asleep. The palace maid who stayed on duty in Yongning Palace was a little confused when she first saw that Xie Wenjun had been carried back by Chen Liangyu. She thought that Xie Wenjun had suddenly contracted a serious illness and tentatively asked Yuanrong, "Sister, should we call the imperial physician for His Highness?"
After receiving the reply "no need," Chen Liangyu laid Xie Wenjun flat on the bed, and several palace maids rushed over to help Xie Wenjun undress and take off her boots.
Chen Liangyu stood in the meditation room for a long time until the palace maid who had just asked Yuanrong if she wanted to call the imperial physician came back and asked her, "General, is there anything else?" Only then did she suddenly realize that she shouldn't have stayed there.
So he turned and walked out of the meditation room, closing the door behind him quietly.
The copper bells on the eaves of the Buddhist temple rang softly in the early morning breeze.
Standing under the corridor of Yongning Hall, the unique fragrance of grass and trees and the damp, cold air of the mountains and forests instantly refreshed me, and a chill ran through my body.
Chen Liangyu leaped onto the railing, bent one leg, and sat down against a pillar, a strange feeling stirring within her for some reason. Xie Wenjun was sleeping soundly inside the door behind her; she could see him at a glance if she simply pushed the door open.
But the longing in my heart grew wildly like vines.
She was madly in love with Xie Wenjun by her side, her heart pounding wildly between them. Even though she knew there was a long future ahead, she still wished that time would pass more slowly, much more slowly.
Not long after, a loud rooster crow broke the silence on time, and then roosters began to crow in the farmhouses below the mountain.
Looking down, dim candlelight shone from the low-lying monks' quarters in the distance, and the creaking of doors echoed as monks, dressed in plain robes and carrying prayer flags, hurried along.
That's because the monks are heading to the Buddha Hall for their morning prayers.
The sound of a door hinge turning came from behind, and a door to the side room suddenly swung open.
Chen Liangyu suddenly turned around and saw Daiqing wearing a robe and carrying a lantern, heading down the mountain. She asked, "Daiqing, it's not dawn yet, where are you going?"
Daiqing said, "I heard the rooster in the temple crow. There's a small stall selling sweet cakes outside the temple. The first batch of sweet cakes will be ready in about an hour. Last year when I came to add incense for Empress Huixian, Your Highness tasted the sweet cakes and bought two extra. I suppose the cakes suit Your Highness's taste. I'll go and buy some more."
Chen Liangyu said, "His Highness has just fallen asleep and will probably sleep for quite some time. It's not too late to prepare food after His Highness wakes up. You haven't slept all night either, so go and rest."
Dai Qing said, "When it gets light, pilgrims will go up the mountain to the temple to worship Buddha. With so many people around, it's not a good time to buy anything."
Xie Wenjun rarely revealed her likes or dislikes, a fact Chen Liangyu knew, but she was unaware that she was so cautious that she would even hide the fact that she ate a piece of cake from him.
Dai Qing said, "Your Highness has had no playmates since childhood. When you lived in Yaohua Palace with Empress Huixian, the maids, eunuchs and guards around you were often changed. Yuan Rong and I were assigned to serve Your Highness by Crown Prince Yizhang. Sometimes we are not sure about Your Highness's likes and dislikes. As long as we can think of something Your Highness might like, we will prepare it in advance. Whether Your Highness uses it or not is another matter."
Chen Liangyu jumped down from the railing, supporting himself on his elbows. "I'll go with you."
Just as Dai Qing was about to suggest that she return to her quarters to rest, Chen Liangyu added, "Let her familiarize herself with the way."
Dai Qing smiled shyly, then said nothing more and led the way with the lantern.
After descending the steps, the path to the temple gate became a smooth, flat plain, so there was no need to pay too much attention to one's footing. Daiqing continued, "This servant was worried that after I went to the grasslands, Yuanrong was busy with the fish scale album, and the people serving His Highness were not attentive enough. There was not even anyone to buy a few pieces of sweet cake. If no one prepares them, His Highness will not specifically instruct us to buy cakes."
"It's alright, I'll buy it," Chen Liangyu said. "Is Your Highness always this cautious?"
Dai Qing said, "Caution is one thing, but Your Highness is even more afraid of disturbing the peaceful lives of the people. The sugar cake stall is small, enough for a family to make a living, but if the Princess loves this cake and word gets out, and those with ulterior motives smell the stench of money, it will be difficult for the stall owner to keep his family's livelihood."
"Did His Highness say these words?"
"Having accompanied His Highness on his field inspections, I have witnessed much hardship, and I understand this principle."
Daiqing and Yuanrong were both ladies-in-waiting who had been by Xie Wenjun's side for many years. They followed Xie Wenjun to various places and had a deep understanding of the people's conditions. Now they each served as female officials in the court and were able to take charge of their own affairs.
Now, Daiqing is about to marry far away to the grasslands.
Xie Wenjun had put a lot of effort into cultivating them, and losing one of them would be tantamount to cutting off one's own arm.
Chen Liangyu said, "Are you really sure you want to go to the grasslands? It's a journey of thousands of miles, and the grasslands are not a free land with green grass and lush willows. His Highness has ordered you to decide for yourself whether or not to marry Xiqing. Personally speaking, I would prefer you to stay in Yongdu."
Dai Qing said, "This servant understands the current situation clearly and knows the harshness of the grasslands. Having received Your Highness's teachings and guidance, this servant also wishes to repay Your Highness's kindness. Staying in Yongdu would certainly be of assistance to Your Highness, but if that day truly comes..."
Chen Liangyu knew which day Daiqing was referring to as "that day." Behind the pinnacle of power lay a path of bloodshed and turmoil, where every step was stained with blood.
Dai Qing said, "For Your Highness, the female officials of the Court of State Ceremonial are no match for the troops of the grasslands."
Several simple lanterns hang under the eaves of the mountain temple, each painted with an elegant lotus pattern.
Chen Liangyu followed Daiqing closely as they stepped out of the threshold.
It was still early, and vendors were already scrambling for stalls outside the temple gates; whoever snagged a good spot would make a profit that day. By noon, worshippers gathered, and the sounds of incense and chanting filled the air, making the area outside the temple gates as lively as a small temple fair every day.
Dai Qing said, "General, you need not worry about me. Your Highness should also not worry. After I leave, Your Highness will have more intelligent and capable people to serve you. Xi Qing admires me, and I also have feelings for him. Mutual affection is rare in this world, and I am content."
Not far from the temple gate, they found the sugar cake stall that Daiqing had mentioned, where pilgrims who had come at night were already waiting. Chen Liangyu stared at the steaming cakes in the pot, completely unaware that several people emerged from behind the heavy mahogany door of the temple. The leader stood under the lotus lantern, his cold eyes fixed on her back.
Chen Liangyu took the sweet cake handed to her by the stall owner and walked back. The moonlight had faded and the sky was gradually brightening, making it possible to see the mountain path clearly.
The sugar cake was wrapped in oil paper, and my palms were slightly warm.
I saw an old Taoist priest with his eyes covered by a black cloth holding a fortune-telling banner and groping to spread out a Bagua diagram by the roadside.
Chen Liangyu said, "The abbot of Taihuang Temple is indeed compassionate. Buddhism and Taoism have been fighting for over a thousand years, and now Taoists are openly setting up fortune-telling stalls in front of Buddhist temples."
Dai Qing said, "He was chased away, but later, when he was being chased by a young monk from the temple, he accidentally fell down the mountain and blinded himself. The abbot took pity on him because he was blind, so he asked the monks to give him a small piece of land by the roadside so he could beg for food."
Something flashed through Chen Liangyu's mind. She felt that the old Taoist priest looked somewhat familiar, so she stopped and took another look.
One glance was enough to see something amiss.
Although the old Taoist priest's eyes were covered with a black cloth, his head slowly turned to follow Chen Liangyu's steps, as if he were watching her come and go.
The old Taoist priest's lips twitched, and his fingers trembled. His expression was as if he was trying hard to recognize whether the woman in front of him was an old friend from many years ago.
After a moment of observation.
"Hey!" the old Taoist priest exclaimed.
Chen Liangyu tossed the few copper coins she had left over from buying cakes onto the Bagua diagram. Surprisingly, the coins didn't scatter randomly; instead, they lined up neatly in the center of the diagram.
The old Taoist priest said with dissatisfaction, "Are you trying to send me away like a beggar?" But his body betrayed him as he squatted down, picked up a few copper coins, and stuffed them into the pocket of his Taoist robe.
Before Chen Liangyu could take two steps forward, Daiqing, who was walking ahead with a lantern, suddenly stiffened and was about to kneel down.
Looking up, Xie Yuan was standing in front of me with his hands behind his back.
Xie Yuan flicked his finger, silently dismissing Dai Qing's formalities.
He was dressed in a black casual robe and wore a gold crown. Behind him followed Yan Feng and several personal attendants, all in plain clothes. The scabbards of his waist knives were also wrapped with hemp cloth, clearly indicating that Xie Yuan did not want his identity to be discovered.
Chen Liangyu bowed with his hands clasped.
Praying for blessings and spring plowing are not things to do in the near future, so she had no idea why Xie Yuan was at Taihuang Temple or when he arrived. Since he appeared in front of the temple gate early in the morning, it was enough to show that Xie Yuan had been in the temple yesterday.
Xie Yuan's gaze fell on the bag of sweet cakes she was holding. He didn't say anything, but his expression was cold.
The old fortune teller by the roadside immediately targeted Xie Yuan as a customer: "This young master has an extraordinary bearing and elegant demeanor. In my opinion, he has the air of a king. Would you like to have your fortune told?"
Xie Yuan ignored him.
Eager to secure such a distinguished customer in fine clothes and a golden crown, the old Taoist priest abandoned his pretense of blindness and said, "Not counting official career prospects, your family life is also promising. Judging from your appearance, you are destined for wealth and many wives and concubines. Have you been experiencing discord in your household lately?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Actually, the phrase "disharmony in the inner palace" is wrong. His harem should have been very harmonious. The empress ruled over all the palaces, and the concubines were well-behaved and no one overstepped their authority. But he also felt that the blind old Taoist priest was right; he and the empress were not on good terms.
Seeing that he had a chance, the old Taoist priest became even more eager to recommend himself, asking, "Young master, have you and your wife fallen out? Do you care a lot about your wife?"
Xie Yuan paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "A couple who have gone through thick and thin together." After a pause, he asked, "When did you and Jiang Ning become so close?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Liangyu froze instantly.
Seeing that they knew each other, the old Taoist priest turned to Chen Liangyu and struck up a conversation, saying, "Where is that young nobleman? Didn't he come to worship Buddha with you?" His tone was familiar, as if he were chatting with an old friend.
That familiar feeling flashed through Chen Liangyu's mind again.
She finally remembered.
The fortune teller who spouted nonsense to Xie Wenjun at the Lantern Festival was this man. He looked much older now and was blindfolded, so Chen Liangyu didn't recognize him immediately.
It was too late to shut the old Taoist priest up, so Xie Yuan preemptively asked, "Which distinguished guest is it?"
The old Taoist priest counted on his fingers and said, "What year was it again? Almost ten years ago..." He chanted mantras for a long time, "It happened during the Xuanyuan era. The emperor wasn't the one we have now yet. I remember it was the Lantern Festival, during the lantern festival in Yongdu. This young lady and a noblewoman consulted me about their marriage, and I gave them a gold ingot as a reward. That noblewoman was even prettier than a princess."
Xie Yuan asked, "Have you seen the princess?" His voice was even deeper.
The old Taoist chuckled awkwardly, "Never seen her. But I've heard that the emperor on the throne has a princess who is... stupid..."
"Shut up!"
Chen Liangyu stopped him.
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