206. Old Rules
“There is no self, no person, no sentient being, no life…”
The Chen family's Buddhist hall was brightly lit with candles, and the smoke from the candles swirled around the beams.
Inside the Buddhist hall, a gilded statue of Sakyamuni, his left hand in the mudra of giving and his right in the mudra of granting, his features benevolent and solemn. Chen Ji and Liang sat cross-legged, whispering, their mouths dry, their bodies and minds exhausted, their faces grim.
Outside the temple, servants, maids, and nannies gathered in a heap, nearly falling asleep while standing. Xiaoman, noticing Chen Ji had gone out to pay his respects but hadn't returned, joined them outside, leaning against the wall, dozing off.
Outside the Chen residence, a night watchman passed by, banging a gong. His voice was high and sharp: "It's dry, be careful with fire!"
Midnight.
Liang's personal maid, Dongzhi, heard the night watchman's call and her lips twitched slightly. This time, the greetings would begin before dawn at 11:00 AM and end at 12:00 PM, a full ten hours.
There are only twelve hours in a day. Who would take a whole day to pay respects? With such sincerity, even Buddha should be invited down.
In the Buddhist hall, Liang secretly glanced at the two people beside her. She knew that they were young and strong, and she would definitely not be able to survive. If she was outlasted by Chen Ji here today, it would be a huge joke.
But she was the one who started this matter. It was not enough for her to finish reading one volume of Buddhist scriptures. She insisted on asking Chen Ji to read another volume. In the end, she shot herself in the foot.
Liang pondered for a moment, then slowly put down the Buddhist scriptures. She said in a hoarse voice, "You two continue reading. I suddenly wanted to read the Diamond Sutra. It's not here. I'll look for it somewhere else."
Chen Wenzong nodded slightly: "Mother, please go."
Liang stood up and winked at Dongzhi outside the door: "Dongzhi, come over and help me look for it."
Dongzhi sighed and followed Liang to the side room where Buddhist books were kept.
As soon as he entered the house, Dongzhi turned around and closed the door. Liang suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and almost fell into the chair.
Dongzhi knelt beside her, massaging her legs and whispering, "Madam, how come Chenji has changed his personality? When he came back last year, he was so cowardly and obedient to you, but now he's so ruthless."
Liang frowned. "Did you notice that? I also felt that something was wrong with him. He seemed like a different person."
Dongzhi comforted her, "Madam, you can rest here. When they come, they will say they haven't found the book yet. Can Chenji last until dawn?"
Liang didn't have the energy to say anything more. She slowly closed her eyes and said, "I'm going to take a short nap. Please keep an eye on me."
In the Buddhist hall, Chen Ji glanced at the empty cushion beside him and suddenly asked, "Brother, I have a few questions after reading this, but I haven't found the answers in the Buddhist scriptures. Could you please help me answer them?"
Chen Wenzong put down the scroll in his hand and said gently, "Tell me about it."
Chen Ji asked, "Is this world eternal?"
Chen Wenzong was stunned.
Chen Ji asked again: "Does this world have boundaries?"
Chen Wenzong frowned and remained silent. Even though he had read Buddhist scriptures extensively when he was young, he had never seen the Buddha answer these two questions.
However, Chen Ji knew from the beginning that Chen Wenzong would not be able to answer the questions, because these were two of the "Fourteen Unknown Questions" in Buddhism.
The so-called "Fourteen Unconsciousnesses" are the fourteen questions that later generations often refer to as questions that even the Buddha was unwilling to answer. The word "unconsciousness" is a direct translation from Sanskrit, meaning "unable to be clearly stated or described."
Chen Ji asked curiously, "Brother, don't you know the answers to these two questions?"
Chen Wenzong said frankly, "Brother, I am not very knowledgeable. After careful consideration, it seems that even the Buddha has never answered these two questions. I will look through the Buddhist scriptures again in the next few days to see if there are any answers."
Chen Ji smiled and said, "Brother, there's no need to go through so much trouble."
Chen Wenzong was puzzled: "Third brother, do you have a way to solve this problem?"
Chen Ji said, "Why don't we go ask the lady?"
Chen Wenzong was stunned.
Chen Ji stood up and said, "Madam, you have studied Buddhism and will definitely be able to answer these two questions."
After that, he walked to the side room and knocked on the door: "Madam, Chen Ji has some questions, please help me solve them."
In the side room, Liang suddenly opened her eyes. She felt Chen Ji's voice haunt her like a ghost from the Five Turbidities, a lingering presence. She had clearly already hidden here, yet he still found a reason to chase her.
She looked a little dazed, as if
Some can't stand it anymore.
Dongzhi looked at her worriedly and said, "Madam, should I send him away?"
Liang shook her head: "No need."
After that, she fixed her makeup, smoothed out the wrinkles on her body, and walked out the door with a copy of the Diamond Sutra. She smiled gently and said, "What's the problem?"
…
…
Footsteps were heard outside the Buddhist temple.
Chen Liqin frowned as he looked at the servants and maids outside the Buddhist temple: "What are you all doing here?"
Dongzhi bowed and immediately complained: "Master, the Third Young Master is so un--"
Xiaoman, who was dozing off on the side, suddenly woke up and interrupted, "Master, the eldest and third sons are chanting Buddhist scriptures with the lady."
Dongzhi turned around and glared at her implicitly, and Xiaoman glared back without giving in.
Chen Liqin didn't notice these things. He was looking at the three figures under the lights in the Buddhist temple and listening to the whispers in the temple. He felt that this was the long-lost warmth in the house.
When Liang heard Chen Liqin's voice, she breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to greet him: "Master is back."
Chen Liqin stepped into the Buddhist hall and said with a smile, "I'm going to inspect the riverbank today. You guys are so elegant."
Liang was silent for a moment, then said hoarsely, "It's not really a refined hobby..."
Chen Wenzong explained, "Father, today my third brother and I came to pay our respects and then to chant the Buddha's name with Mother. My third brother seems to have developed a keen interest in the sutras, so we stayed with him and answered his questions. He's incredibly intelligent; he asked questions that even Mother and I couldn't answer."
"Oh?" Chen Liqin did not ask what the question was, because he knew in his heart that anything that could stump Chen Wenzong would probably stump him as well.
He smiled and said, "Chen Ji, it's rare that you're interested in the classics, but you should read more of my Confucian classics. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are inherently interconnected, and I, the Confucian scholars, also have profound knowledge. By the way, you should go to Donglin Academy in the spring of next year."
Chen Ji bowed and said, "Master Chen, I don't want to be away from home for so long and so far."
Chen Liqin pondered for a moment. "Then go to the Imperial College. I'm familiar with the chief academic officer, Yang Zhan, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to arrange a student status for you. However, there are only about fifty Imperial College doctors in the Imperial College, and they have to answer questions and solve problems for over nine thousand students. It's ultimately not as good as the Donglin Academy..."
Chen Ji understood that the Imperial College in the capital was a big pot, while the Donglin Academy in Luzhou was a small pot, and it was obvious which one was better.
However, he was already the Imperial Household Supervisor Hai Dongqing, a fifth-rank imperial guard in the inner court. Even ordinary county magistrates had to bow to him when they saw him. There was really no need for him to take the imperial examination.
At this time, Liang said hoarsely, "Master, you are about to leave your post and you are still inspecting the riverbank. You must be exhausted. I will arrange for the servants to boil water for you and make you a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup. Chen Ji, Wen Zong, you two can go back first."
Chen Ji saluted: "Yes."
When he was about to leave, Liang suddenly called out to him, "Chen Ji."
Chen Ji turned around and asked, "Madam, do you have any other instructions?"
Liang sent Dongzhi to fetch three volumes of the Great Prajna Sutra and handed them to him. "I know you want to strike while the iron is hot, so take these three volumes back and read them. You're in high spirits right now, so don't let up. Tomorrow I'll test your knowledge of them."
Chen Ji remained calm: "Thank you, ma'am."
"Go back and rest."
…
…
Moonlight shone across the bluestone pavement. As the branches swayed and rubbed against each other, dark shadows clung to the bluestone like waves crashing against the bricks.
Chen Ji walked in front, and Xiaoman followed behind, yawning and holding three books.
When they returned to Mingquan Garden, Xiaoman asked curiously, "Master, where are these three volumes?"
Chen Ji said exhaustedly, "I threw away the first and second volumes."
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"Ah?" Xiaoman was surprised: "Where's the third volume?"
Chen Ji fell back on the bed with a thud: "Throw the third volume away."
Xiaoman: “…”
She came closer and pretended to help Chen Ji take off his black boots.
Chen Ji was startled by her action and sat up again: "What are you doing?"
Xiao Man said as a matter of course: "Take off your boots, sir. I will go and boil some hot water for you to wash your feet. You can sleep well after you have washed them warm."
The traces have retracted
Legs, said seriously: "I told you that you don't need to wait on me when you are around me, you just need to take care of yourself."
Xiaoman's eyes widened: "Master, do you despise me? Didn't I always do this before?"
Chen Ji had no choice but to explain: "I have been in the clinic for two years and I have become accustomed to taking care of myself. I don't need to be waited on."
Xiaoman was silent, and Chenji was also silent.
After a moment, Xiaoman said with emotion: "It seems that the young master has suffered a lot in the past two years."
After that, she took out eight silver peanuts from her sleeve and said, "Sir, the old rules apply."
Chen Ji sat on the bed, puzzled. What was the old rule? What was the matter with these eight silver peanuts?
On the window frame, dark clouds meowed.
Then Xiaoman said, "Sister Liqiu came to me today and said someone wanted to buy information about you for eight taels of silver a month, so I agreed as usual. Here, the eight taels of silver are here. According to the old rules, I'll take one tael and you will take seven. I also wanted to help you find out who the employer is, but Sister Liqiu is very tight-lipped and won't tell me."
As he spoke, Xiaoman muttered, "Sir, please don't show off your wealth in front of others, or they will know that we are cheating people out of our wealth."
Chen Ji looked at Xiao Man with a half-smile: "This employer is too stingy, only giving eight taels of silver?"
Xiao Man said confidently, without blushing or beating her heart, "It's just eight taels. It's much more generous than before. Before, I only gave eight hundred coins, and we had to live very tight."
Chen Ji didn't argue with her. He took the seven taels of silver and said, "Go to the west wing and sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow to pay my respects."
Xiao Man suddenly stood up in anger. "Madam used to use the excuse of paying respects to you to order you around to serve tea and water. Now, you've just returned and she's already made you chant sutras in the Buddhist temple all day. You're almost like a monk! Young Master, why can't you be more tough and not pay respects?"
Chen Ji carefully observed her angry expression and explained softly, "The Chen family values rules the most. If we don't follow the rules, we won't be able to survive in the Chen family mansion."
Someone once said that immature people will die heroically for their ideals, while mature people will choose to live and endure humiliation for their ideals.
Chen Ji didn't know if this was right or not, but he had no choice. Bai Long allowed him to get close to the core of the Chen family, so he had to abide by the rules of the Chen family.
However, he had his own plans.
Chen Ji told Xiao Man, "Go to sleep."
Xiao Man said angrily, "Why sleep? Young Master has nightmares every day, and I have to watch over you. You go to sleep, and I'll find time to catch up on my sleep during the day."
Chen Ji shook his head: "I don't have nightmares anymore."
Xiaoman was skeptical: "Really?"
"real."
"I don't believe it. I'll watch you all night and see."
…
…
The next morning, before daybreak, dark clouds raised their claws and slapped Chen Ji.
Chen Ji slowly stood up, looking refreshed.
The tiger's way of energy is like a spring, and just a moment's sleep is equivalent to a full night's sleep for others.
He turned around and saw Xiaoman sitting on a small stool guarding the charcoal brazier, nodding his head in a daze.
Chen Ji did not wake Xiaoman up, but just put on his clothes silently, walked past her, left the yard, and went straight to the Buddhist hall.
At this time, the rooster had not yet crowed, and even the maids in the Qunfang Garden had not come out to walk around. The huge Chen Mansion was empty.
Chen Ji straightened his clothes, walked to the Buddhist hall and knocked on the door hard.
After a while, the door of the Buddhist hall opened, and Liang's hair was disheveled and her eyes were sleepy.
She glanced at the sky, then looked at Chen Ji in panic: "What time is it?"
Chen Ji replied respectfully, "Madam, it's three o'clock."
Liang's fingers gripped the wooden door tightly: "Why are you here so early? Aren't you sleepy?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment and said sincerely, "Madam, sincerity is the key to success."
Liang: “?”
She opened her mouth but couldn't say anything for a long time, almost losing her composure.
After a long moment, Liang took a deep breath and said slowly, "Chen Ji, you are now eager to learn. You should focus all your attention on your studies. You won't need to pay your respects to me in the future."
Chen Ji smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Madam, for your consideration. I'll take my leave."
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