Chapter 22 More Snow

Ancient temple deep in the mountains.

It took such a short time to get from the city to Xiangguo Temple that heavy snow had already fallen. The morning bell in the temple rang leisurely through the mountains. Mountain sparrows were pecking at the snow on the snowy branches. When they heard the human voices, they quickly flapped their wings and dived into the forest.

Sui Yan followed Duan Mingchong up the stairs holding an umbrella. Before he reached halfway, he covered his chest and cried out in pain. The attendants following behind him looked at each other, not knowing for a moment whether they should go forward to support him.

Duan Mingchong waved his hands casually, indicating that they should watch.

Sui Yan pressed his chest, looked at Duan Mingchong pitifully, and said, "Your Highness, I can't breathe."

Duan Mingchong held the red sandalwood box in his hands and said calmly, "Stand still, you will be able to go up soon. The gods and Buddhas are watching over this Xiangguo Temple. You need to be sincere to achieve your wish and everything will go smoothly and safely."

Sui Yan threw the umbrella aside, clasped his hands together, and muttered, "I beg some god or Buddha to take me directly to the temple and not let me climb the mountain again. I pray sincerely."

Duan Mingchong was almost amused by his anger, and perhaps his heart softened. He walked down the stairs a few steps, handed the rosewood box in his hand to the servant beside him, and stretched out his hand towards Sui Yan.

"Come, I'll pull you."

Sui Yan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed - this old devil who had lived for so many years actually had his ears reddened by a young man's careless words.

His eyelashes trembled for a long time, and he reached out his hand with trembling hands.

Duan Mingchong's eyes were pure and he didn't think there was anything wrong. He exerted a little force and pulled Sui Yan under his umbrella. Sui Yan almost fell directly into his arms.

Duan Mingchong tilted his head and said, "Hold on tight, don't let go - why are your hands so cold?"

Sui Yan turned his face to the side unnaturally, and stopped yelling. He coughed dryly and said, "No, nothing. Let's go upstairs. The bell has been ringing for a long time."

Duan Mingchong thought to himself that if you hadn't been making trouble here, we would have gone up a long time ago. However, he was used to being gentle, humble and courteous, so he couldn't say such harsh words. He just smiled and half-dragged, half-carried Sui Yan to Xiangguo Temple.

After climbing the mountain steps and seeing the four golden characters "Daxiangguo Temple" on the huge plaque, Sui Yan almost collapsed.

He held Duan Mingchong's shoulders and panted slightly, saying with a faint breath: "I will never come here again next time. The stairs really took my life last time."

Duan Mingchong suppressed his laughter and teased him: "Aren't you coming even though there's sweet porridge?"

Sui Yan frowned and thought for a while: "Then I have to think about it carefully."

Duan Mingchong laughed out loud.

It snowed heavily today, and there were very few people coming to worship Buddha. Duan Ming Chongxu was a frequent visitor. The monk who was sweeping the snow in front of the main hall saw him and slowly came over to pay his respects.

Duan Mingchong took the red sandalwood box, spoke a few words to the monk in a gentle manner, and then said to Sui Yan, "Young Marquis, please wait here for a while. I will place the Heart Sutra in the Buddhist hall and then come back."

Sui Yan said: "Yes."

Duan Mingchong gave some instructions to a few attendants before leaving with the monk.

Sui Yan had been to Xiangguo Temple several times, but that was in his previous life. At that time, he just walked past it in a hurry and did not take a close look at this ancient temple located deep in the mountains.

He held Duan Mingchong's umbrella, hugged the small hand warmer, and walked in a random direction, completely forgetting Duan Mingchong's words to wait here.

The attendants wanted to persuade him but did not dare to, so they had to follow him closely, fearing that he would get lost.

Small stone Buddha statues can be seen everywhere in the temple. The green bricks and red tiles, the eaves are covered with icicles, and the temple is shrouded in white mountain snow.

After just being there for a moment, Sui Yan suddenly felt that the depressed mood that had been lingering in his heart since his rebirth had dissipated into nothingness, and even his state of mind seemed to have become much more open.

The ancient temple was filled with the scent of sandalwood. Sui Yan took a deep breath and felt a chill in his lungs. He suddenly understood why so many princes and nobles in the capital always went to Xiangguo Temple for no reason.

If it weren't for the shadow he had cast on this place in his previous life, he would have wanted to live here directly.

Sui Yan strolled around for another half an hour, and Duan Mingchong finally found him. Before he got close, he heard Duan Mingchong say disapprovingly, "Didn't I tell you to wait there? The road is slippery now because of the snow. What if you accidentally fall down the mountain?"

Sui Yan was in a good mood and said with a smile: "It's okay, as long as I didn't die from the fall. I'm lucky."

Duan Mingchong glared at him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the front hall.

Sui Yan had just walked a long way, and his feet were already covered with a layer of snow and frost. He was pulled by Duan Mingchong and almost lost his balance. He cried out twice: "Your Highness! Hey, Your Highness! Slow down, I can't stand steadily...ah——"

As he was speaking, Sui Yan slipped and fell forward.

Duan Mingchong was startled and was about to catch him with his backhand, but before he could stretch out his hand, he was hit by Sui Yan.

The two men's bodies tilted and they stumbled to the snow beside them, making a dull sound.

Although Sui Yan is one year older than Duan Mingchong, he is shorter than Duan Mingchong due to his weak physique. After falling down, he landed right on Duan Mingchong's neck.

Duan Mingchong took a deep breath.

Sui Yan secretly cursed in his heart that he had committed a sin and hurriedly supported himself with his hands to try to get up. As he was getting up, the two of them suddenly rubbed their faces, one cold and the other warm. Although it was fleeting, it still left the two inexperienced people stunned at the same time.

Such behavior is too intimate for two men.

Sui Yan: "Palace..."

Duan Mingchong was stunned for a moment, then when he came to his senses, he suddenly reached out and pushed him aside, then stood up with his hands on his hands with red ears.

His hair, back and clothes were covered with snow. The servants beside him only then reacted and rushed forward to help His Royal Highness the Crown Prince brush the snow off.

There was no one to help Sui Yan, so he had to get up by himself. He stomped his feet vigorously twice to shake off the snow on his knees.

Both of them were a little embarrassed, and finally Duan Mingchong spoke.

"Are you...are you hurt?"

Sui Yan didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

Duan Mingchong might be as indecisive as Jun Jingxing said, but Sui Yan had to admit that he was also a rare passionate man in the royal family.

Duan Mingchong, who grew up in the palace, was not protected by the emperor since he was a child as others said. Since Emperor Beilan wanted to support him, he naturally would not raise him to be a useless person who was ignorant of the world. Being forced to grow up in a palace full of tigers and wolves, he must have experienced much more than others.

Does being born into a noble family ensure a smooth life?

Can you rest assured just because you are in a high position?

However, having seen so many intrigues and schemes, the gentleness and kindness on Duan Mingchong's face still did not seem fake.

Duan Mingchong disdained and did not want to use those sinister schemes planned by the institutions, but such a gentleman as upright as jade was the first to die in a fight between brothers in his previous life.

It was obvious that he was dragged down by someone and fell to the ground, but the first thing he said after getting up was to gently ask others if they were hurt.

Sui Yan shook his head lightly, bent down to pick up the umbrella on the ground, shook off the snow, and said nothing more.

The two of them walked towards the front hall of Xiangguo Temple, one in front and one behind. Duan Mingchong did not think much about it and soon returned to normal. Instead, Sui Yan, the old frivolous man, had his mind full of random thoughts. He thought that if Duan Mingchong continued like this, he would be killed sooner or later. Then he thought that the waist of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seemed to be very pleasant to touch. Then he thought that the green wood fragrance on his body smelled good. He didn't know what kind of fragrance he used. He would ask him another day.

By the time they arrived at the front hall of Xiangguo Temple, it was snowing heavily. Duan Mingchong saw Sui Yan's small body shivering, so he hurried forward, raised his cloak to shield him from the wind and snow, and protected him as he walked up the stairs into the hall.

No one had ever treated him so attentively. The more Sui Yan thought about it, the worse he felt. He quickly suppressed the dangerous thoughts in his mind, focused his eyes on the nose, and stopped his thoughts from racing.

In the front hall of Xiangguo Temple stands a huge golden Buddha with kind eyes and lifelike features. The incense table in front is filled with incense burners and red candles, with incense smoke rising.

On the cushion in front of the incense table, a monk in white was sitting cross-legged, holding Buddhist beads, with a relaxed and peaceful expression on his face.

Duan Mingchong stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and said, "Master Gengxue."

Sui Yan was collecting his umbrella and looked up when he heard this.

The monk with his back to them moved his lips slightly, as if he was silently reciting Buddhist scriptures. When he heard Duan Mingchong's voice, the movement and sound of turning the Buddhist beads in his hands stopped abruptly.

Gengxue stood up from the cushion and turned to greet Duan Mingchong in return.

Master Gengxue had a gentle face, perhaps because he had been practicing hard outside for many years, his facial features were a little thin, and his voice was deep and clear, as if it carried a Zen state immersed in his bones, making people dare not offend.

He is thin and gaunt from long years of practice, and once he puts on his hemp clothes, he is praised for his love.

Gengxue said: "I have met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

After he finished his greeting, he stood up and glanced at Sui Yan, then narrowed his narrow eyes slightly and spoke even softer.

"Young Master, I haven't seen you for many years."

Sui Yan's eyes narrowed suddenly, and he took a half step back without leaving a trace, looking at him strangely.

Duan Mingchong asked curiously, "Master, have you met the young marquis?"

Geng Xue smiled more gently: "Of course I have seen it, young master, you said... is it true?"

Sui Yan looked at him almost absentmindedly, the umbrella in his hand suddenly fell to the ground, and he moved his lips slightly: "You..."

Gengxue looked at him with a smile.

Sui Yan murmured, "When have we... met before?"

Gengxue smiled and said, "Young Master, you are so forgetful. One year ago, you asked the monk a question, but you were in a hurry at that time, so I never had the chance to answer you."

Sui Yan suddenly opened his eyes wide, looked at him in disbelief, and was almost scared to death.

Duan Mingchong saw that something was wrong, and hurried forward to support Sui Yan, saying, "What's wrong? You don't look well."

Sui Yan felt dizzy for a moment. Duan Mingchong's voice seemed to come from far away and didn't sound clear.

"I, I asked him something..." Sui Yan thought blankly.

The Buddhist beads in Gengxue's hand were gently held between his fingers and slowly rotated. A slight "click" sound was made in the silence - the sound was extremely faint, but it seemed like an invisible thread that pulled Sui Yan's memory and floated to the year when he was dying in his previous life.

That day, there seemed to be a heavy snowfall. The white-robed monk was standing under the Buddha's throne with a smile on his lips, but his eyes were filled with pity as he looked at him.

Sui Yan was already seriously ill at the time, and had no respect for the gods and Buddhas. He did not even greet him when he saw him, and asked him directly...

"Master, will the gods and Buddhas punish those who commit suicide?"

Gengxue had Buddhist beads wrapped around her wrist and smiled softly when she heard that.

"That depends on whether the prince believes in Buddha."

The author has something to say: He is thin and skinny after practicing for a long time, and he is praised for his love for Taoism when he puts on his sackcloth. Quoting Bai Juyi's "Praise for the Monk in the Bird's Nest".