Chapter Ninety-Two: The Cycle of Cause and Effect
Both the Shen and Ruan families are centuries-old clans; putting aside everything else, their manners and etiquette are certainly impeccable. Therefore, regardless of what ulterior motives Baiyun might have had, the formalities couldn't be overlooked when Master Baiyun spoke.
Shen Mi first said, "Amitabha, Master, you are known throughout the world for your great and just teachings. If you are willing to use your skillful acupuncture techniques to harmonize the yin and yang of this old matter, my son and I will be more than happy to do so."
Old Master Ruan smiled coolly and said, "The old prime minister is right. My son and I are willing to listen to the master's mediation. We hope that the master will uphold justice, speak frankly and criticize, and remove the obstacles." The last eight words were spoken with a strong and powerful tone, like metal clashing, full of momentum.
The word "针砭" (zhēnbìn) can mean both to prescribe the right medicine for the illness and to correct mistakes. Shen Mi was referring to the former, a general term for reconciliation. Old Madam Ruan was referring to the latter, implying that the Shen family had made a mistake and were being plagued by demonic possession. Therefore, upon hearing this, the expressions of the three members of the Shen family all changed.
Ruan Bi frowned slightly. While Old Madam Ruan's words had the upper hand in terms of momentum, they lacked the composure and gravitas of Chen Mi. Her intentions were revealed from the outset, making her appear narrow-minded and impatient. Moreover, she had already implicated Master Baiyun in her words—"You must uphold justice." Most people would have been displeased long ago; this was only the beginning, yet she was already questioning my stance, clearly indicating a lack of trust.
Fortunately, Master Baiyun was a highly accomplished master, and had lost all anger. His expression remained gentle, like a clear breeze and bright moon, as he said, "Since both Madam Ruan and Madam Shen, and the Prime Minister, agree, then this old monk will presume to mediate between your two families." He paused, clasped his hands together, slightly lowered his eyelids, and solemnly uttered a Buddhist chant: "Amitabha."
This deep and powerful sound entered everyone's ears like a morning bell or evening drum, instantly brightening their hearts.
Master Baiyun opened his eyes and slowly said, "All things in this world are merely the convergence of causes and conditions; love, hate, and passion cannot escape the word 'cause and effect.' Back then, the marriage between the Shen and Ruan families was a celebrated event throughout the land. On the wedding day, the procession stretched for miles with red bridal gifts and the sounds of music echoed for miles. Children in the capital lined the streets, picking up sweets and clap their hands in celebration. Who could have foreseen this outcome?"
He paused, then pointed at Ruan Bi and said, "Was this woman the cause? No, no, back then she was nothing but a speck of dust, still in her mother's womb. What did it have to do with her? Was the marriage between the Shen and Ruan families the cause? No, no, it was only because the Old Madam Shen and the Prime Minister were close friends that this marriage was arranged. Without the marriage, there would be no outcome today. Was the friendship between the Old Madam Shen and the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister Wenxiao the cause? No, no, it is necessary to explain how the Shen and Ruan families were both pillars of the upright officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty..."
It is clear that tracing back to the source would take countless eons to fully explain. Cause and effect, cause and effect—cause is effect, and effect is cause. Without flowers, there is no fruit; without kernels, where is the fruit tree? Treating causes well is treating effects well, and treating effects well is treating causes well. You are all people with great potential; how can you allow greed and desire to bury your wisdom, causing you to become entangled in the cycle of cause and effect, repeatedly creating evil causes and evil effects? Why not take a step back, treat today's causes well, and tomorrow you will surely reap abundant rewards.”
Ruan Bi secretly admired Master Baiyun, who was indeed a highly virtuous monk who had already seen through the illusion of cause and effect. However, he was perhaps too idealistic. Madam Shen and Madam Ruan had been diligent in their Buddhist practice in the past. If they could truly see through cause and effect, why would they have waited until today? Therefore, these words were mostly just empty talk.
Sure enough, Madam Ruan said, "Since you've brought up cause and effect, I'd also like to ask about something that has puzzled me for a long time. The scriptures always say: good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil consequences; cause and effect are infallible. My daughter is gentle, law-abiding, and kind to everyone; she wouldn't even step on an ant. Why was she framed by a villain and ended up wandering in a foreign land for half her life in loneliness? If there really is retribution, then why does the villain have a wife and daughter and a distinguished family?"
These words were so blunt, it was tantamount to directly revealing a weapon, and the three members of the Shen family changed their expressions simultaneously. Old Madam Shen gripped the armrest of her chair, her veins bulging, and she almost stood up abruptly.
Master Baiyun said, “Amitabha, Madam Ruan, you only see the cause and effect in this life, but you have not seen the cause and effect in the previous life, the life before that, and even the life before that.
Madam Ruan said stiffly, "Master Baiyun, I am but a mortal with limited vision. How dare I speak of past and future lives? I only wish to see the retribution in this life, so that I may know the cycle of karma and that cause and effect are infallible."
Finally, Madam Shen couldn't hold back any longer and snorted coldly, saying, "You keep saying how virtuous and kind your daughter is? You keep saying she was framed? If that's really the case, why would she..."
“Mother.” Shen hurriedly pressed her hand and glanced at Ruan Bi.
Ruan Bi's heart stirred slightly, thinking that Shen Xiang was indeed a man of some benevolence and righteousness.
Madam Shen realized she had lost her composure, so she shut her mouth, breathed heavily, and her cheeks twitched.
Madam Ruan, not one to back down, pushed Ruan Bi forward a step and said with a sneer, "Why don't you finish? You're talking to my fifth daughter, talking to her face. Do you dare say she doesn't look like your eldest daughter, Xiu?"
Ruan Bi had long known that the old lady had brought her here to use her as a tool, so she was not flustered when she was suddenly pushed out. She stood there calmly and composedly.
Madam Shen glanced at her, her imposing manner slightly softening, but she still disliked Madam Ruan's aggressive demeanor, and said, "There is some resemblance, so what? I have seen people who look exactly like me before, but I have no connection with them whatsoever."
Old Madam Ruan said indignantly, "You can keep deceiving yourself."
Madam Shen snorted and turned her head away, ignoring her.
Master Baiyun observed his wife's expressions and actions, understanding that neither of them were easy to get along with; they were evenly matched. Moreover, their resentment had been brewing for a long time, and their grudges were difficult to resolve. If their anger were to erupt, it would likely lead to a series of bloody attacks, and might even dredge up the old secrets of the Shen-Ruan marriage alliance. It was inappropriate for Ruan Bi, a young lady from a secluded family, to remain here. Therefore, he coughed lightly and said loudly, "Fifth Miss Ruan, in our temple's flower garden there is a Udumbara flower brought from the Western Regions, which has just formed buds. This flower is also known as the Auspicious Flower, surrounded by auspicious energy, bringing blessings to those who see it. How about I have a young novice take you to see it?"
Ruan Bi was naturally happy to leave this place of trouble, but with elders present, she could not make decisions on her own. She remained silent and turned to look at the old lady.
The old lady thought that she had already achieved her goal, and that if she stayed any longer, it would only hinder her from getting revenge. So she nodded slightly.
Having received permission, Ruan Bi curtsied and said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Master. It would be impolite of me to refuse."
Master Baiyun clapped his hands, called in the young novice monk, and gave him a few instructions.
The young novice monk agreed in a low voice and led Ruan Bi out of the guest hall.
Standing outside, Granny Zheng hurriedly came forward, anxiously asking, "Young lady, why did you come out? How is it inside?"
Ruan Bi said, "Mom, don't be in a hurry. We've only just started talking, and I don't think we can explain it clearly in a short time. If you're tired, you can come with me to see the Udumbara flower."
Granny Zheng shook her head and said, "Amitabha, young lady, go ahead. I'd rather stay here and stay put."
Ruan Bi did not insist, and led Xiuzhi and the young novice monk deeper into the temple.
The flowerbed at Tianqing Temple is in the northeast corner, surrounded by a bamboo fence and covered with vines, which must have been lush and verdant in spring and summer. Now, the leaves are sparse, and the few remaining ones are yellowed and curled up, just waiting for the winter wind to blow them down to their roots. The vines are also half yellow, twisting and turning, showing signs of decay.
Before even getting close, three figures could be seen behind the fence. The one in the middle was dressed in a red dress with peony and auspicious patterns, slender and graceful, breathtakingly beautiful. She looked somewhat familiar. As Ruan Bi approached the fence, she recognized her as Shen Zhen. Surprised, she stopped in her tracks.
I didn't expect her to come too.
She wasn't a party to the negotiations between the Shen and Ruan families, and being a junior, there was no real need for her to appear. Besides, Ruan Bi's recognition of her ancestral lineage would inevitably affect her status as the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, and the Shen family should have asked her to avoid suspicion. Her presence here could only mean two things: first, the entire Shen family truly doted on her and hadn't hidden the negotiations from her at all; second, the Shen family's intention in having Ruan Bi recognize her ancestral lineage was not entirely sincere.
Ruan Biwei hesitated, wondering whether she should go over. Although she didn't dislike the girl and even admired her a little, their relationship was too complicated. Even if they stood together, they would have nothing to say to each other, which would only make things more awkward.
Seeing her stop, the young novice asked curiously, "Why did you stop, young lady?" "The Udumbara flower is just ahead," he said, pointing to Chen Zhen, "that's where this young lady is standing."
Ruan Bi gazed into the distance and saw only a tall, lush plant in front of Shen Zhen, its leaves dark red, but no flowers in sight. Just as she was about to suggest turning back, she saw two people approaching from the direction of the hermitage, talking as they walked. One was a bald monk, about fifty years old, with a radiant appearance. The other had a full beard, obscuring his face, but his physique and mannerisms were all too familiar to her.
Ruan Bi was overjoyed and was about to greet him. But she saw him walk straight to Shen Zhen's side without looking to either side.
Shen Zhen seemed to know the monk, bowing gracefully to him and speaking with her head slightly tilted back. Although her expression was unclear, a hint of a smile could be seen on her face. Prince Jin looked down at her, his face obscured by a thick beard, but his posture exuded a gentle, spring-like aura. Ruan Bi suddenly felt a strange displeasure. After a long while, she realized she was jealous.
After thinking for a moment, he asked the young novice who the two men were.
The young novice said, "One is my uncle, Master Bailian, and the other is Master Bailian's lay disciple, who often comes to see him. His name is Yang Fei."
Ruan Bi hadn't originally planned to go, but now she changed her mind. "Little Master, let's go see the Udumbara flower." With that, she followed the fence to the entrance and walked towards them step by step.
About three zhang away, the voice of the Prince of Jin drifted on the wind… “I have seen the Udumbara flower in the Western Regions. When it blooms, its petals are pure white, like a thousand piles of snow, extremely beautiful. It’s just a pity that it withers overnight.”
Shen Zhen turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling. "You've been to the Western Regions?"
"Um?"
"I heard that there are either sandstorms or snow-capped peaks over there, and the scenery is completely different from that of the Central Plains. Even the people are born different, with green and blue eyes. Is that true?"
The Prince of Jin nodded and said, "It's true."
Shen Zhen blinked, clasped her hands together as if in prayer, and said, "If I live long enough, I would love to go there and see it." Her expression was gentle, her movements graceful, and her clothes fluttered in the wind. She was like a poem written in the wind, fresh and beautiful, moving beyond words.
Ruan Bi thought she was charming and beautiful, and Prince Jin also glanced at her twice.
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