Chapter 12 The Duke of Dingguo at Daxiangguo Temple was suddenly stopped, and Daxiangguo Temple welcomed him…
“Amitabha. Benefactor Li, Benefactor Wang.”
"The abbot knows the two of us?" Wang Yan was somewhat surprised. Could it be that Jue Ming had foreseen their arrival?
This monk, whose Dharma name is Jue Ming, became the foremost Zen master in Dai Viet at the age of forty. He never got involved in factional disputes, and people of all kinds, whether righteous or evil, would give way to him. Now in his seventies, he is still very healthy.
Jueming poured tea for them, seemingly very kind, saying, "Benefactor Li is famous throughout the martial arts world, and Benefactor Wang's coming-of-age ceremony can also be said to be renowned in the capital."
Li Changling didn't reply, but asked instead, "Master and Master are old friends, aren't they?"
Wang Yan added, "My master is still thinking about when he can see you again."
"Life is like the stars, never to meet again, like the stars of Orion and Scorpio." Jueming smiled and gestured for him to enter.
Wang Yan then picked up his teacup and took a sip. “Both Master and Master are in good health. There will surely be a day when we meet again.”
Li Changling, without bothering with tea and reminiscing, said directly, "Master Jueming, I won't beat around the bush. We've come here to ask Zen Master Jingxin a question."
Jueming fiddled with his sandalwood prayer beads and chanted "Amitabha" again. "Jingxin often travels around, chanting scriptures and praying for blessings. This old monk does not know where he is now."
Li Changling then added, "I heard that four months ago, Zen Master Jingxin was still at Daxiangguo Temple."
Jueming continued to twirl his prayer beads, saying, "Mortals each have their unfinished business. Where they go and where they return is not for this old monk to decide."
"It seems the abbot is unwilling to tell us." Wang Yan knew they were used to beating around the bush, so it wouldn't be easy to find out Jingxin's whereabouts from Jueming.
"It's not that I'm unwilling, but that I don't know."
They were no match at all... Wang Yan had no choice but to give up and silently look at his senior brother. Li Changling pondered for a moment and then decided to tell the whole story.
"Master, you must know that we have come for the Heart Sutra of Still Water. To be honest, we two have seen this manual before. It is not the supreme mental cultivation method as rumored, but rather an evil alchemical technique. Because of the word 'supreme,' many people covet it. If it falls into the hands of someone with impure intentions, the consequences will be unimaginable. The Buddha said to be compassionate. If you are unwilling to tell us where Zen Master Jingxin is, many people will die in vain."
The last sentence was a bit harsh, bordering on morally binding, but that was the truth. Jueming also fell silent.
Seeing that he was showing signs of softening, Li Changling quickly added, "Since you say that I am famous throughout the martial arts world, you must know that I never lie about these things. I vouch for you in my name, Li Changling, that everything I have said is true."
Jueming sighed. Everything was preordained; what could he possibly stop? So be it. So be it.
“Four months ago, a family in Yangzhou invited him to perform a religious ceremony, and I have not heard from him since.”
"Four months ago?" Wang Yan suddenly felt something was amiss. "Yangzhou? We were leaving Yangzhou four months ago, heading towards the capital."
“Since it’s a ritual, it shouldn’t have been done quietly…” Li Changling recalled Wang Zhen’s words, wondering if the deceased’s cause of death was unusual.
Jueming had told him everything he knew. The family hadn't said much in their letter, only asking him to calmly make the trip.
Wang Yan finished her cup of tea, seemingly concluding that the clues to the Great Xiangguo Temple had ended there. She rose with Li Changling, clasped her hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
"Amitabha."
Stepping out of the meditation room, a cool breeze hit him directly, and Wang Yan shivered.
Li Changling opened the umbrella and handed it to her, saying worriedly, "Hurry back to the manor, be careful not to catch a cold. This rain came so suddenly."
"It's been overcast for days, it should have rained long ago." Wang Yan and he walked quickly towards the temple gate. Even on rainy days, there are still quite a few people coming to the temple.
After closing the umbrella, the rain that had been splashing on the ground finally subsided.
"Master Jueming has gone out to preach Buddhism, and we do not know when he will return."
Shen Minghuai had anticipated being turned away on this trip, but for now, he had no choice but to try his luck at the Daxiangguo Temple. The argument he had just had with his father resurfaced in his mind.
I strode into the study and saw my father calmly flipping through his old works. After I greeted him, the room fell silent.
“You’re blaming me.” Shen Dingchen didn’t even raise his head.
He lowered his gaze slightly, "My son wouldn't dare."
Shen Dingchen snorted coldly, "What do you have to be afraid of? Don't think I don't know what you're thinking about taking the exam."
He replied respectfully, "The emperor's command is difficult to disobey."
"Is it impossible to disobey the emperor's orders? Xu'er told me that it was you who requested to leave the capital."
He often wondered whether Qian Xu or he was the father's son. No one knew then that the imperial examination would be the last. From this year onward, the only path to officialdom was the imperial examination. This autumn, the examinations will reopen.
"You don't need to get involved in this matter. Focus on preparing for the autumn imperial examination."
He remained standing still, saying only, "My son will find Jingxin and bring him back to the capital to clear your name."
The father angrily said, "The Emperor's authority! How dare you and I interfere?" But he quickly regained his composure, "One Duke of Dingguo has fallen, but there will be another."
He unconsciously clenched his fists.
“Father, I never wanted to become the Duke of Dingguo. That was your honor, not mine, nor was it what I wanted. I will find that monk, and you will still be the Duke of Dingguo.”
The father shouted, "You unfilial son! Do you think you can change this name just because you want to? This was my oversight... You can't find that monk."
"I will find that monk."
Just moments ago, he had stubbornly repeated the steps over and over again, but now even taking the first step was difficult. Before he even got close, he saw Qian Xu sitting inside the hall.
"Do you have any news about that monk?" Qian Xu asked before he could answer. "Judging from your appearance, you must have been rebuffed."
Seeing that Shen Minghuai still hadn't spoken, Qian Xu comforted him, "Don't keep everything bottled up inside. Your uncle is just stubborn like that; he never lets us get involved in things and just shoulders it all by himself. But those were all fabricated charges before, and even though he has many civil officials behind him now, but..."
After court, Qian Xu immediately went to the Dali Temple to verify the evidence, and to his surprise, the physical evidence was true. He discovered correspondence between Jingxin and Shen Dingchen from an unknown source; the handwriting was accurate, and the correspondence described the acquisition of the Tripitaka translation and the process of its printing and sale.
“It must be the work of my good third brother. Everyone with eyes can see the relationship between Yan Mo and him. But this time the evidence is conclusive, and Jingxin may be the only chance to overturn the case.”
"I will find him."
Shen Minghuai only said this one sentence. Although he was already deeply mired in this quagmire, he would not let the truth of the matter slip away to Shen Dahai.
Qian Xu always trusted Shen Minghuai's abilities. "If you need any help, just say so. Your uncle's reputation must not be ruined by those people in the Censorate. However, I can't help you directly; you'll have to rely on yourself, Minghuai."
After King Wei left, Yin Shicheng came over.
“Young master, just now the Queen sent someone to deliver a meal. I dared not make a decision on my own, so I put it in the kitchen first.”
Shen Minghuai rubbed his temples, a hint of warmth in his eyes quickly replaced by a dark expression. He then had them distribute the snacks. Not long after, Yin Shicheng brought over a letter. Inside the food box was a box of sweet candies, with the letter placed underneath.
"Eating some sweets will lift my spirits. I'm missing Huai Tao a bit; it's just as good as sesame noodles. But you won't be able to taste it anyway."
Have you ever eaten Huai Tao?
Yin Shicheng replied, "I have eaten it. In my hometown of Sichuan, we often eat this in the summer to cool off."
So she had even been to Sichuan. She must have spent more time away from the capital than he imagined, managing to do so so flawlessly. Like a crack creeping silently across ice, an uncontrollable emotion flickered across Shen Minghuai's face.
Yin Shicheng hesitated, but Shen Minghuai turned his gaze away from the food box and said, "Speak."
"As you instructed, young master, I have been keeping an eye on the Wang family these past few days. Everything was normal until this morning when Li Changling and Madam Wang went to the Daxiangguo Temple."
The two figures in the temple were indeed them. Shen Minghuai clenched the letter in his hand; it seemed this secret manual was truly related to them.
"Have you seen the abbot yet?"
Yin Shicheng replied, "No. After the abbot received them, the two left in a hurry."
Ying Ming walked in. "Could it be that you've learned of Jingxin's whereabouts?"
Yin Shicheng then said, "It is said that Lady Wang's face was burned by incense ash, and when she returned to her residence, she invited doctors from most of the city."
Shen Minghuai looked at Yin Shicheng, "You burned your face?"
“Yes…” Yin Shicheng was frightened by that look.
Unfolding the letter again, the ink was not completely dry, it must have been written after returning from the Daxiangguo Temple... Shen Minghuai then instructed Ying Ming to send the bottle of ointment from the mansion to the Prince's mansion.
Half an hour later, Hua Xin returned from his scouting trip, only to find Shen Minghuai alone in the room.
“Young master, this Jingxin acts in a strange and unpredictable manner. He specializes in chanting sutras for the deceased whose cause of death is unknown, and he is extremely devoted to Indian Buddhism.”
Shen Ming slowly swirled his teacup. "That's all?"
Hua Xin replied, "This person's whereabouts are uncertain, and Master Jueming is extremely protective of him. This is all we know for now."
Indian Buddhism has recently been preaching in Da Yue, and Shen Minghuai quickly sent Hua Xin to find out the location of the most recent preaching session.
The rain went away with the day, and when Juan Tao entered Wang Yan's room with a box, it was already past dusk.
"My lady, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion has sent some ointment."
"Dan ointment? Who sent it?"
Wang Yan was packing her clothes for her long journey. Not long ago, she and Li Changling had decided to set off for Yangzhou that very day, and she had asked Wang Zhen to spread the news of her facial injury.
Among Shen Minghuai's guards, Juan Tao had only seen Ying Ming twice and was not yet certain, "It seems to be Ying Ming."
"Censor Yan Mo submitted a memorial impeaching the Duke of Dingguo for privately printing Buddhist scriptures and for forming a clique with Jingxin of Daxiangguo Temple to seek huge personal profits. The evidence was complete, but Jingxin was nowhere to be found. The Emperor was furious and ordered an immediate halt and investigation."
She and Li Changling returned from the Daxiangguo Temple and heard about this from her brother, never expecting it to be related to Jingxin. Given the recent uncertain situation, Wang Zhen had specifically instructed her to stay at home. How could the capital be as safe as Yangzhou?
Wang Yan stopped what she was doing, walked to the table and sat down. She took out the jade bottle, opened it and sniffed it. It was indeed a high-quality ointment that had been newly presented as tribute last year. A smile immediately appeared on her lips. She closed the box, casually tossed it into her bundle, and then asked Juan Tao to call Sang Xing over.
"I'll go and find out where Shang Nianyao is tomorrow; I need to go out for a bit."
Remembering the head of the family's instructions, Juan Tao said worriedly, "My wife has just burned her face. If she goes out now, people might gossip about her."
Wang Yan wrapped the bundle neatly. "Let them talk. Otherwise, how am I supposed to leave the capital?"
A note from the author:
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—Life is like the stars, never meeting, yet always moving like the constellations of Orion and Scorpio.
From Du Fu's poem "To Wei Ba, a Recluse".
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