Emperor Kangxi arrived at the foot of Mount Wutai with his entourage. Along the way, Kangxi acted much like an old man nearing sixty, enjoying recounting anecdotes from his childhood to the Fourth Prince, Tenth Prince, and Fourteenth Prince. The Fourth Prince increasingly felt that Kangxi's visit to Mount Wutai was indeed, as he had suspected, to see Emperor Shunzhi.
When Emperor Kangxi and his entourage arrived at Mount Wutai, they were naturally received by the abbot, and the Fourth Prince and his companions were arranged to rest in the highest-standard meditation rooms. The Fourth Prince had expected the people at Mount Wutai to be quite surprised, but when they learned of Kangxi's personal arrival, they showed neither particular astonishment nor resistance. Because other Buddhist practitioners were also on the mountain, the abbot simply treated Kangxi as a distinguished guest and did not publicize it.
Emperor Kangxi and the abbot secretly spent the entire day in the kitchen. The Fourth Prince, the Tenth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, several trusted ministers, and guards were not allowed inside. It's unknown what Kangxi was investigating. After emerging, Kangxi didn't rush to meet anyone but instead followed the abbot to study Buddhist scriptures.
And so, the Fourth Prince and his companions stayed with Emperor Kangxi at Mount Wutai for ten days. Every day, they rose early like monks to attend to Buddhist rituals, and then went to the abbot to discuss scriptures and literature. Emperor Kangxi did not require the Fourth Prince and his companions to stay with him, but allowed them to move freely, though they were not permitted to leave Mount Wutai.
Seeing this, the Fourth Prince wondered if he had misunderstood. His father's trip to Mount Wutai wasn't to see Emperor Shunzhi, but merely a clandestine journey. However, Kangxi hadn't shown any interest in sightseeing along the way; the group had traveled for over ten days to reach Mount Wutai. If it was indeed a clandestine trip, Kangxi should at least have taken the time to learn more about the local people and visit some representative places.
The Tenth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince accompanied him for a few days, but they couldn't bear to listen to the esoteric Buddhist teachings any longer, and they both made excuses to stop going. Emperor Kangxi didn't make things difficult for them, and in the end, only the Fourth Prince continued to accompany Kangxi to study Buddhism every day.
On this day, the abbot led Kangxi away from the others and took him alone to the back of Mount Wutai.
"Xingchi has been cultivating here for almost fifty years. Does Your Majesty really wish to see him?" The abbot was no older than Emperor Kangxi. Master Xingchi, who had been cultivating in the back mountains, had been there since he took over as abbot of Wutai Mountain. When his master passed away, he told him, "Master Xingchi is a key figure under the protection of Wutai Mountain." Of course, he was also told Xingchi's identity.
"My father has been cultivating here for fifty years. I shouldn't have come to disturb his seclusion, but now I'm truly at a point where I can't make up my mind, so I've come to request an audience with my father," Kangxi said to the abbot.
The abbot led Emperor Kangxi up the stone steps. Xingchi had been practicing meditation in the temple behind the mountain for fifty years, never stepping outside the temple gates, nor even leaving the back mountain. When he arrived, he was accompanied by three bodyguards. To protect Emperor Shunzhi, these three men had become monks with him, and had now been with him for fifty years.
Kangxi sighed inwardly. His once-young and vigorous guards were probably now elderly men in their seventies and eighties. He himself hadn't seen Emperor Shunzhi for almost fifty years. He walked on, a slight excitement stirring within him. He hadn't felt this way in a long time; since becoming emperor and possessing the entire realm, nothing had been able to excite him anymore.
The two climbed the last stone step and came to a large courtyard. A red painted door was slightly ajar. Trees surrounded the courtyard, and an old man dressed in a yellow monk's robe was sweeping leaves.
The abbot took a closer look and was slightly taken aback. He quickly said to Emperor Kangxi, who was standing to the side, "Your Majesty, that's Xingchi over there!"
Kangxi was startled. He looked at the tall, upright figure. Although the man was over eighty years old, his back view made him look nothing like an eighty-year-old. Kangxi suddenly remembered the Shunzhi Emperor he had met when he was eight years old.
He remembered that before Shunzhi left, he called Kangxi to his side, patted his head, and said to him, "Xuanye, your father hopes that one day you will be a wise ruler, a wise ruler unlike your father."
The abbot silently withdrew, leaving only Xingchi and Kangxi in the courtyard. They were about ten meters apart, and Xingchi was still sweeping the leaves with a broom. Those were the leaves that hadn't all fallen in winter.
"Father!" A slight mist welled up in Kangxi's eyes. His voice no longer had the childishness of fifty years ago; it even sounded slightly aged. This "Father" made Kangxi feel as if he had returned to that snowy night fifty years ago.
Xingchi seemed not to hear Kangxi's call and continued sweeping leaves.
Seeing that Xingchi seemed completely unresponsive to his calls, Kangxi assumed that Xingchi might be getting old and hard of hearing. So, Kangxi quickly walked a few steps to Xingchi's side.
Xingchi still seemed oblivious to the approaching figure behind him, continuing to slowly sweep the leaves.
"Father!" Kangxi's voice trembled almost. He couldn't truly understand how Emperor Shunzhi had abandoned the entire empire for a woman. He had shouldered the responsibility of the Qing Dynasty since he was eight years old. His grandmother had once told him that to secure the throne, he had to bravely bear everything. One day, the things he cherished most would be gone. As an emperor, he had to endure such loneliness and solitude! In the past fifty years, he had lost his grandmother, his empress, the sincere hearts of countless women, and gradually, the hearts of his sons. He had indeed become the loneliest emperor, and also the greatest emperor!
“Benefactor, there is no Emperor here, only Xingchi!” Xingchi finally turned around and looked at Kangxi.
Kangxi recognized at a glance that the old man standing in front of him was indeed Shunzhi. The once elegant and distinguished Emperor Shunzhi had become an old man in a monk's robe, with completely white hair, eyebrows, and beard.
"Your Majesty, Master Xingchi!" Kangxi suppressed his immense excitement and almost called out "Father Emperor" again, but he held back.
"Benefactor, it's been many years! How are you?" Xingchi looked at Kangxi with a hint of affection in his eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, Master Xingchi. I am fine!" Kangxi gradually calmed down his excitement. He was no longer that eight-year-old child; he was the ruler of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor of all people.
"Hehe, I knew you'd do better than me!" Xingchi smiled slightly.
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