Inside the Dapushan Temple, ancient trees stand tall and their lush branches and leaves cast a thick shade. Only spots of light are cast on the gray-white stone road, and it is quiet and silent.
An old monk with a kind face led us into the main hall. Today, the Queen Mother came to Dapushan Temple to worship Buddha, and all concubines of the third rank and above followed.
"With great compassion and great mercy, He pities all living beings, and with great joy and generosity, He helps all sentient beings. With His beautiful and radiant features, He adorns Himself. We all sincerely pay homage to Him."
The empress dowager knelt in front, and the concubines knelt behind her according to their ranks and bowed devoutly.
The sound of bells could be heard faintly from outside the hall, lingering in the silent hall, and the faint scent of incense lingered around him.
…
After lunch in the temple, most of the concubines took a nap in the guest rooms. Because I wanted to go to the toilet, I left the sleepy Xiao Cui in the room and asked a nun to go out.
The ancient temple was shaded by thick trees, and even in the depths of summer, it felt refreshingly cool. I was walking down the gravel path back to my room, all around me quiet and silent, when suddenly someone jumped out from the nearby bushes. "You're not from here! You're not from here!"
I was so scared that I took a few steps back, and saw in front of me a monk in tattered robes dancing with a torn palm-leaf fan in his hand, with a few grass leaves hanging on his body.
He jumped towards me with an exaggerated expression. I turned around and wanted to run, but I stumbled and fell to the ground. I didn't know when he was in front of me, mumbling nonsense: "Namo Ami... Prajnaparamita..."
My arm was scratched, and I endured the pain and tried to get up and run away. He suddenly became quiet, leaned over and gave me a silly smile: "You are not from here... Hehe... You are not..."
My breath hitched, and suddenly two young monks came running up and quickly pulled the old monk away: "Uncle Tongwu, come, come back with us!"
Then a monk bowed respectfully towards me and said, "Sorry, our Master Tongwu had a hysterical episode and disturbed you."
I stood up, shook my head palely, and was about to turn and leave when the old monk suddenly said to a young monk with a chuckle, "An Ping An Ping, let me tell you a secret - she is not from our place!"
I paused.
"Master, of course she is not from our place. She is the Empress of the Imperial Palace."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old monk suddenly broke free from the two monks' shackles, threw his palm-leaf fan to the ground, and shouted angrily, "That's not what I said! You don't believe me!"
He was about to grab my hand, so I quickly dodged to the side. The two monks exchanged glances, and before I could react, the old monk in front of me was tied up with a thick hemp rope.
"Don't blame me, benefactor. We will send Master Tongwu back right away." The young monk bowed to me again. The old monk struggled desperately, his face flushed red, because a piece of rope was wrapped around his neck, showing a hideous, bright red mark.
I instinctively said, "He...seems very uncomfortable...loosen the rope around his neck."
The two monks frowned, loosened that section of the rope, held the old monk's arm tightly, and disappeared on the gravel road.
Only then did I realize that my heart was beating unusually fast, and I staggered back to the guest room.
Seeing that I was very worried, Xiao Cui asked, "My lady, why are you so pale?"
I shook my head and took a sip of the cold tea on the table: "Maybe it's too hot, I feel a little uncomfortable."
"Then I'll go get some water from the Songlie Spring to wipe your face," Xiao Cui said, picking up a basin from inside the house. "The water there is famous for being warm in winter and cool in summer!"
I nodded and said nothing more. The old monk's words just now always made me feel uneasy. I even had the urge to go out and find him to find out what was going on.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of drawing water outside the door. I was a little surprised. Didn’t Xiao Cui draw water from the "Songlie Spring"? Why did she go to the yard to draw well water again?
I pushed open the door and it was the monk Tongwu who had just appeared!
At this moment, he was holding a bucket and pouring water under an ancient cypress tree in the yard. He looked focused and meticulous, but there was still a faint red mark on his neck.
I didn't know what to do for a moment. He had finished watering, put down the bucket and wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve.
He looked up and saw me, then suddenly clasped his hands together and bowed to me. His voice was no longer as crazy as before, but as calm as an ancient pond: "I apologize for any offense I have just caused.
I held onto the door, still not daring to move forward, and just shook my head: "It's okay, it's okay, your neck..."
He paused and said, "It's nothing serious, just a superficial wound."
"The donor is a kind person," he continued, standing where he was. "I feel quite guilty for offending you this time. Therefore, I am going against the rules and giving you this advice."
I stared at him, confused for a moment.
He looked up at me and said, "Donor, your eyes are clear. Don't let yourself be blinded and suffer again..."
Before he finished speaking, Concubine Liu De walked in from outside the courtyard. Seeing the old monk under the cypress tree, she quickly clasped her hands together and bowed respectfully. The old monk said "Amitabha" and turned to leave.
I subconsciously called out to the monk and asked the question I had been wondering about before: "Exalted monk, please tell me if there is a way out?"
"Everything is destined to happen, so be well with each other and don't worry."
The bell rang again in the distance, the lingering sound, but the old monk, without stopping, had already disappeared.
Concubine Liu De was a little confused: "What is this...?"
I was still pondering the old monk’s words: I hope both of us are doing well, and my family is also doing well.
I don't know when Concubine Liu De was standing in front of me: "Sister Mu?"
I quickly came to my senses and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Why is your face paler than yours?" she asked with concern. "Nothing, it's just that the Queen Mother wants to discuss Buddhism with the abbot today. She will be back tomorrow morning, so I came to let you know first."
I nodded gratefully: "Thank you, sister."
"Who was that monk just now...?" Concubine Liu De glanced towards the door.
"We bumped into each other accidentally at noon," I covered it up. "The old monk even came to apologize to me."
She didn't ask any more questions, but just looked around: "Where is my sister's maid? Why is my sister alone?"
Then I realized why Xiao Cui hadn't come back yet. Just as I was hesitating, Xiao Cui came back with some water.
I laughed and said, "Speak of the devil!"
Concubine Liu De also smiled and said, "Then I won't bother you for now."
Xiao Cui was about to bow to Concubine Liu De, but Concubine Liu De stopped her and said, "No need to be so polite. It's inconvenient for you to carry the water. Go to the young lady quickly."
Xiao Cui looked at Concubine Liu De with gratitude. Concubine Liu De smiled gently and left the yard with the help of her maid.
The carriage was shaking from time to time, and the journey from Dapushan Temple to the palace was quite far.
At this time, Xiao Cui was guarding outside the carriage. I sat alone inside the carriage, chewing over the old monk's words over and over again. I roughly understood the latter sentence: probably just let me make the best of it. As for the first sentence -
Suddenly the curtain was lifted and a shiny object came in.
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