Starting from the capital city, Jingtan Temple is located fourteen miles to the east.
This is the royal temple of the Great Jin Dynasty, specifically used to house the concubines of past emperors.
Ascending the moss-covered, winding stone steps, one can see the deep red walls of Jingtan Temple through the snow-laden, bare branches.
It was late at night, and the two main gates of Jingtan Temple were tightly closed. Above the gates, two lanterns swayed in the cold wind, illuminating the black plaque with gold lettering that read "Da Jin Jingtan Chan Temple".
Passing through the main gate and walking along the red brick floor, we arrived at the entrance of the main hall, where couplets were inscribed on the pillars on the left and right:
"Though the rain from heaven may be abundant, it cannot nourish grass without roots; though the Buddha's teachings are vast, they cannot save those without affinity."
The sound of wooden fish being struck emanated from the main hall, sounding exceptionally clear in the silent night.
A nun knelt upright on a prayer mat with her back to the door, facing the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp, counting prayer beads with her left hand and striking a wooden fish with her right.
"Huiming." An old voice came from the doorway.
The nun put down her prayer beads and wooden mallet, stood up, turned around, and bowed with her palms together, saying, "Master."
The visitor was a gaunt old nun, who was also the abbess of Jingtan Temple. She had once been one of the concubines of Emperor Kangping's father, and after becoming a nun, her Dharma name was Jingyuan.
Jingyuan, leaning on her cane, entered the main hall and said, "Huiming, the goddess's messenger has arrived. She wants you to write a letter to the Fifth Prince and is waiting in the side room."
Huiming said, "This disciple will go immediately."
She straightened her clothes and was about to leave when Jingyuan called her back.
"Huiming, I know that before you became a nun, you were the emperor's favorite, but things are different now. His Majesty has passed away, and a new emperor has not yet been enthroned. It would be best to completely forget your identity as Consort Li."
Huiming bowed and said, "This disciple will remember. I wonder how the battle at Xiping Pass is progressing?"
Jingyuan paused with his cane, his face showing displeasure, and said, "What, you still think the Fifth Prince will come back to pick you up after winning the battle? Now that you have shaved your head, you should serve the Buddha devoutly. Since the establishment of this temple, has anyone ever been able to leave? I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible."
Huiming neither believed nor argued, but bowed and said, "Master is right."
Jingyuan said, "I'm not going to say anything more. Go and send the messenger away."
Huiming left the main hall and walked towards the side room, thinking, "Jingyuan has been locked in this temple for so many years, it's normal for him to have resentment. If Shao'er can break through Xiping Pass and defeat Wei Jingzhuo in one fell swoop, then the throne will naturally be Shao'er's."
At that time, how could Shao'er leave his mother here? He would definitely take her back.
Thinking about this, she became even more eager to know how the battle at Xiping Pass was progressing.
Upon arriving at the side room reserved for receiving guests, a burly, strong male messenger was already waiting there. Seeing her enter, he stood up and said, "Why are you taking so long?"
Before Huiming could reply, he pointed to the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone that had been prepared on the table: "Your Highness, please write."
Huiming picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and held it in the air, saying to the messenger, "Sir, could you tell me how the battle at Xiping Pass is progressing?"
The messenger said impatiently, "Every time I ask you to write something, you keep asking endless questions."
Huiming said, “We people are locked up in this temple all day long and know nothing about what’s happening outside. Please have pity on me and tell me.”
The envoy said, "It's alright to tell you. The Fifth Prince's army and the Southern Chu army are attacking from both sides, and Xiping Pass is about to be breached. After taking Xiping Pass, the Fifth Prince and the Southern Chu army will sign a treaty, and then the army will return to the capital."
Huiming was overjoyed, and the brush in her hand trembled slightly. Afraid of spilling ink on the paper, she quickly put the brush back on the brush holder and asked, "What kind of contract?"
"Of course, it was agreed upon with Southern Chu beforehand. The boundary is Xiping Pass, with the west belonging to Southern Chu and the east belonging to Great Jin. Wasn't that already said?"
Huiming asked in confusion, "Since Xiping Pass is about to be captured, what else do I need to write to the Fifth Prince?"
The messenger said, “You’re not uneducated, you know your son is about to capture Xiping Pass, you must have something to say. Just one thing, don’t reveal that you’re here, this is what the goddess specifically instructed.”
Huiming thought to himself, "Qiu Jie is using my letter to keep Shao'er occupied so he can focus on attacking Wei Jingzhuo. Fortunately, she spared my life. Once Shao'er returns and rescues me from here, it won't be too late to seek revenge."
After a moment's thought, she picked up her pen and quickly wrote a letter. The gist of it was that she was very satisfied with Wei Shao's current situation and looked forward to his swift return to the capital.
After she finished writing, she put the pen away, picked up the paper, blew the ink dry, and then handed it to the messenger.
The messenger took it, read it once, and shook his head, saying, "You missed writing one thing."
"Which point?"
"The Fifth Prince still needs to sign a contract with the Southern Chu army, and the Goddess doesn't want anything to go wrong on this matter. The Southern Chu side is very sincere, having come all the way over mountains and rivers to help the Fifth Prince. Hopefully, the Fifth Prince won't have any other thoughts on this."
Huiming asked, "Then what should I add?"
"Add that the Prince of Southern Chu will invite the Fifth Prince to a banquet, where they will sign a contract."
Huiming asked in confusion, "If we're going to draw up a contract, can't we do it through Lai Shao'er? Why do I have to add this clause?"
The messenger said impatiently, "Why are you asking so many questions? This is what the goddess instructed. She said this is the last letter, and you don't need to write any more. Just wait for the Fifth Prince to return to court and ascend the throne."
Huiming recalled these days, and compared to her previous life in the palace, it was like heaven and earth. She endured it all, hoping that Wei Shao would return after conquering Xiping Pass and rescue her.
Seeing that the hard times were about to end, she didn't want to think too much about it and spread out another sheet of paper to write a new one according to the messenger's instructions.
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