15. Bath
◎The fair face is slightly flushed.◎
When the sunset is at its brightest, Chongsheng Temple is already in sight.
The deacon of the temple was waiting in front of the mountain gate, and he saluted His Majesty King Zhao with folded hands.
Chongsheng Temple had received an imperial decree from the palace earlier, refusing to allow outside visitors during this period, and the rituals had been prepared.
"Your Highness, please."
The deacon led the distinguished guests to the Zen rooms in the back mountain. The several small courtyards were exceptionally quiet and elegant.
Apart from them, there were no other pilgrims at Chongsheng Temple, and the meditation rooms were all empty. Gu Ningxi felt an indescribable sense of relief at being able to live alone in a small courtyard. She instructed Yinyue to simply pack her bag, take out a change of clothes, and then go to the temple's bathhouse to bathe.
There were hot springs in the mountains, and the temple had drawn water from them, with bathing rooms built at several springs, scattered across the area. Some of these were reserved for distinguished guests. Gu Ningxi chose the most secluded pool and locked the wooden door of the bathing room from the inner room.
The clothes were taken off, and the warm spring water wrapped the whole body comfortably, washing away the fatigue of the day's journey.
Gu Ningxi took off her long hairpin and scooped up a handful of hot spring water to wash her hair.
White mist was rising from the house, and occasionally a few peach blossoms could be seen flowing down with the water, making it look like a hazy fairyland in the mountains.
After wiping her black hair until it was half dry, Gu Ningxi habitually skipped her chest wrap when changing clothes. As she put on her undergarment, she remembered that she was currently traveling with Prince Zhao, so she should be cautious in everything she did.
She picked up her bra from the rack and found that a part of it had been accidentally wet while showering.
Yinyue was waiting outside. Gu Ningxi hesitated for a moment. It would be too much trouble and too conspicuous to ask her to get a new bra.
Gu Ningxi wrung out the water and put it on reluctantly.
Fortunately, it couldn't be seen after she put on her outer clothes. Gu Ningxi tied up her black hair and walked back to her courtyard in the moonlight.
While Yinyue was tidying up the room, Gu Ningxi retraced her steps. The mountain path twisted and turned, but fortunately, Gu Ningxi knew it well. The moonlight blanketed the ground, making the pebbles gleam.
After turning a corner, Gu Ningxi paused and met King Zhao halfway.
"Your Highness."
When Lu Jingfang returned from the abbot's place, his father asked him to light a lamp in front of the Buddha himself to pray for more blessings.
The moonlight was bright. Gu Ningxi had just finished her bath, her fair face slightly rosy. Her dark hair was tied up with a green headband and hung down behind her. The hot spring water had a faint peach blossom fragrance, which also stained her body.
The person in front of her was half a head taller than her, and the patterns embroidered with gold and silver threads on his black brocade clothes looked even more gorgeous under the moonlight.
The courtyards where the two lived were adjacent to each other, so it was common for them to go home together.
After walking for a while, Gu Ningxi's bra was wet and stuck to her body. After bathing, she felt even more uncomfortable being alone with King Zhao under the moonlight. In her dream, they were splashing in the bathtub again and again. She was exhausted from the push-ups and could only hold on tightly...
Gu Ningxi quickly stopped talking, desperately wanting to find an excuse to turn back. But the excuse he had been preparing for so long suddenly came out: "Your Highness, it seems my jade pendant is missing."
"Um?"
Gu Ningxi really wanted to shut up. Why should he tell His Royal Highness Prince Zhao that his jade pendant was lost?
But since she had started this, she could only bite the bullet and continue: "Maybe it fell on the road, your Majesty..."
She watched as King Zhao summoned his secret guards and ordered them calmly, "Go look for it." He then glanced at her sideways and asked, "Where did you lose it?"
The secret guards obeyed the order and waited for Lord Gu's words.
"The path under the peach tree might also be inside the room." Gu Ningxi's voice became increasingly low, as if he himself was unsure. "I will return to the room first and take a look. Your Highness, please do not bother me for now."
Lu Jing was speechless for a moment, and finally just nodded.
The two of them returned to the Zen temple together. Gu Ningxi walked with his head down, and they were inexplicably silent for the rest of the journey.
The silence in the mountains is especially depressing when no one is talking.
Lu Jing occasionally turned his head to look at the people around him. Ever since he returned to Beijing, Yuan Le had sometimes been with him privately. There was always something inexplicably... a little awkward? He didn't know why, or was it just his illusion?
No one spoke again until they saw the wooden door of their own courtyard from afar. Gu Ningxi felt as if she had been pardoned.
"Then your highness should rest early."
"Yeah, okay."
The two separated at a fork in the road. Gu Ningxi returned to the room, closed the door, and sat down on the couch.
The candlelight flickered, she patted her face, and it took her a long time to remember to take off her bra.
The bra binder was half dry, and she tried hard to forget the incident.
It is inevitably a little chilly in the mountains at night, so the bedding prepared on the couch is thick.
Yinyue was keeping watch in the middle room. Gu Ningxi was tired from traveling during the day and went to bed early.
A quiet and dreamless night.
…
The sound of the bells and chimes was clear, pleasant and long, which made people feel calmer.
The rituals in the main hall are solemn and dignified. From morning till dusk, the chanting echoes in the mountains, praying for the souls of the soldiers who died in the war.
Gu Ningxi listened to the chanting for a long time, walked around the palace from the side of the meditation pool, and saw a young monk sweeping outside the Guanyin Hall on the east side.
She clasped her hands together and bowed to them, wanting to go to the Guanyin Temple to pray for peace and blessings for her family.
My grandmother has been in poor health recently, and my mother has been very worried.
She kneels on a mat, the golden-bodied Bodhisattva looks solemn, with kind eyes and compassion for all living beings.
Gu Ningxi closed her eyes, pious and focused.
It is spring again, and the sycamore tree behind the Guanyin Temple is lush and green, showing new vitality.
This ancient sycamore tree is over 600 years old, requiring seven or eight people to hug it. It stands quietly in the mountains, its sturdy branches buried deep in the ground. Red strings of prayer are tied among its emerald leaves, and bronze bells occasionally chime in the wind.
Gu Ningxi sat beneath the tree, clutching a red prayer string in her hand. The sun shone brightly, casting a cool shade among the branches. The sycamore tree remained as vigorous as ever. She looked up at the lush green leaves. The red string she had tied three years ago to protect him was no longer recognizable.
She recalled how branches that had seemed unreachable to her as a child were now within her reach. Back then, she'd accompanied her grandmother to Chongsheng Temple to burn incense. While her mother and grandmother were listening to sutras in the main hall, she'd slipped out to ask for a peace charm for her mother. Her mother's cough hadn't subsided, and she'd heard from the maids that the bodhisattva at Chongsheng Temple was the most effective.
She finally managed to find the red string and climbed up the flowerbed, but she couldn't reach a single branch. A young stranger reached out and grabbed a branch for her, waiting for her to finish tying the string. He was dressed in a jade-white brocade robe and looked about two or three years older than her. As she jumped down from the flowerbed, he even reached out to catch her.
Gu Ningxi smiled. That must be their first meeting.
Later, she went to the Prince of Jin's Mansion with her mother for a banquet. When she saw him again in the main hall, she learned that he was the only son of the Princess of Jin.
The princess in the main seat was extremely beautiful, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was gentle and kind, speaking softly and gently. Not only did she call her forward to speak, she also gave her a mutton-fat jade pendant.
The palace had many rules and regulations, and the maids had already taught her in advance. She was afraid of making mistakes, but in front of the princess, she forgot her nervousness for a moment.
The family had warned these children that there were some taboos in the palace that should not be mentioned, especially not to mess up the order of greetings.
For example, there was only one legitimate consort in the palace: Zhen, the legitimate daughter of the Prince of Zhending. The Prince of Jin's original wife had been appointed a concubine, and while he had indeed intended to have both a consort and a princess, Gu Ningxi knew that this was how her mother became the principal wife. However, the princess was pregnant at the time, and the Prince of Zhending's palace was unwilling to see their daughter suffer such an injustice. Other noble families at court were even more reluctant to have two relatives from outside the family at court. The Yao family was not prominent at the time, and had declined during the war. The Prince of Jin was caught in a dilemma, and it was only when his wife volunteered to take on the position of concubine that the dilemma was resolved.
At that time, he was the only legitimate son of Prince Jin, loved by his parents, and his noble status in the palace was self-evident.
Gu Ningxi borrowed an ink pen, but when he finally picked up the brush, he didn't know what to write. As he grew older, the things he wanted to pray for became more and more.
She smiled wryly, the confusion lingering in her heart still unresolved. If those dreams were meant to guide her, could they offer some effective ones? She hadn't dared recall the various scenarios in her dreams before the Buddha, fearing disrespect for the deity. Sometimes, after dreaming of him... being intimate the night before, she found it difficult to remain calm when she met King Zhao the next day.
Gu Ningxi finally wrote only four characters: "May everything be a success." He found a branch with more space and carefully tied the red ribbon around it.
She rang the copper bell with her bare hands, and when she looked back, as if by fate, she saw a dark figure under the blue sky not far away.
The east wind suddenly rises, and the green leaves on the trees and the red prayer ropes sway in the wind, sending the most beautiful wishes of the world to the Buddha.
When our eyes met, I felt as if I had returned to twelve years ago.
There seemed to be a voice in her head asking her over and over again, how did they end up like that after meeting each other when they were young?
It's useless to escape, Gu Ningxi thought.
Then try to solve it.
…
The breeze is gentle and the bell sounds melodiously.
"Your Highness is here to pray as well?" Gu Ningxi asked with a smile.
This is not entirely true. Lu Jing had nothing to do during the day and was just strolling around the temple.
The two of them walked together to enjoy the scenery. When they passed the Sutra Library, Gu Ningxi pointed in the direction and said, "I want to go to the Treasure Hall to ask for a fortune."
Now that you have arrived at Chongsheng Temple, you might as well ask the gods and Buddhas for guidance.
I heard from the young novice monk who was sweeping the temple that there was a senior monk interpreting the divination sticks in the temple today, and such an opportunity was rare.
Gu Ningxi and Lu Jing followed the shortcut he pointed out, passed through the corridor, and stepped into the palace gate, only to find that Xie Qian was also here to draw lots.
He won a very good fortune stick and happily shared the fortune with the two of them.
The bamboo slip reads: "As the leaves of the sycamore trees fall and autumn draws to a close, the traveler rushes on as if flying; thanks to the heavens for their gentle influence, the boat returns home bearing precious treasures."
The monk who interpreted the fortune was named Zhikong. The young monks practicing in the temple could not tell his age, but they only knew that he was probably over 80 years old.
Master Zhikong half-closed his eyes and interpreted the bamboo stick: "Whatever you do in your heart, Heaven will follow. You can carry out your plans and actions. This sign indicates bad luck at first and good luck later."
First bad luck, then good luck. Gu Ningxi lowered her eyes, fearing it wasn't just about Xie Qian leading the Bohai generals to surrender to King Zhao. If the palace coup she dreamed of were to come true, Xie Qian would surely be a loyal minister to the new emperor. Isn't this the pursuit of wealth and honor through risk?
When it was her turn, Gu Ningxi knelt on the mat. His Royal Highness Prince Zhao had no intention of asking for divination. Given his status in the court, no matter what lot he drew and sent back to the court, it would always cause a stir.
Gu Ningxi held the bamboo tube in both hands, and with a crisp sound, a bamboo stick fell out.
She picked it up and handed it respectfully to Master Zhikong.
The tenth lot reads: "Shizhi is a priceless treasure and a precious gem. Just search for it in foreign lands. It's like trying to find a light by holding a lamp. It's better to give up the wasted effort."
This is a neutral sign. Xie Qian just looked at it together and didn't understand its meaning.
Master Zhikong spoke calmly, "When your marriage partner meets you, nothing will be impossible. You must not have any other thoughts, and what is before your eyes is the truth. This sign is like holding a lamp and looking for fire. Everything will be accomplished when the time comes."
Everything will be accomplished in due time. Gu Ningxi silently repeated this twice, and the rest he could only figure out on his own.
She bowed: "Thank you, Master."
Master Zhikong fixed his gaze on her for a moment, twirling his Buddhist beads, and said, "Since this donor has received the Dharma, why not ask for a fortune stick as well?"
These words were addressed to King Zhao Lu Jing. Since the master had spoken, Lu Jing naturally obeyed.
His fortune was also a medium one, which said: "Within the heart lies a priceless treasure, why seek it in the outside world? It is better to wait for a sage to recognize it, just like a spiritual rain that clears away troubles."
"I don't know what this sign means?"
Master Zhikong carefully examined the bamboo stick in his hand, then looked at the high-spirited young man in front of him.
He was silent for a long time before he said, "There is a precious jade hidden within, so there is no need to search for it outside. If you meet a noble person to guide you, there is no need to waste your time. This sign indicates that it is auspicious to be conservative in all matters."
Xie Qian was puzzled. "It is auspicious to be conservative." With your highness's current status, one more step will lead him to the throne. How can it be auspicious to be conservative?
Besides, Your Highness has never been a conservative person, and there is no reason for him to wait for opportunities.
But in front of the master, Xie Qian did not dare to act rashly.
Gu Ningxi seemed to be lost in thought, but also remained silent.
Master Zhikong closed his eyes, seeming to be exhausted.
He finally said, "Donor, please pay more attention to the people around you."
"Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Lu Jing suppressed the confusion in his eyes and stood up and bowed.
【Author’s words】
The bamboo stick said: Marriage is right beside your Highness, let's see when you will find it~
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