Chapter 60 [VIP]
As the night deepened, the monk watched them make way for them, his prayer beads turning in his palm, the sandalwood beads clinking together with a clear sound as they fell to the ground.
Lu Xuejin: "We are sorry to have troubled you, Holy Monk, to welcome us in the middle of the night. We came from the north and there are no inns within ten miles. We passed by this place and saw incense burning here. We hope that the gods and Buddhas will take us in."
He showed great respect for Buddhist sites, which attracted the attention of a young boy next to him. The boy's eyes gleamed in the night, looking at him as if he were a guiding light before the Buddha, without glancing at the Buddha statue on the platform.
“Your words are wise. Since you are a disciple of the Buddha, the temple is willing to open its doors to you. Please come in,” the monk said to them.
"My Buddhist name is Jiming. You may simply call me Jiming. There are two rooms in the back courtyard where you four may rest tonight. When you wake up tomorrow, I will introduce you to the abbot."
A monk held a candle in his hand, which illuminated the vermilion corridor. The decorations on both sides were simple, with Buddha heads imprinted on the brick patterns. In the courtyard, lotus flowers curved, and a statue of Guanyin stood before the night, surrounded by bamboo and wood on both sides. Soft light shone on the statue, and Guanyin's eyes lowered with compassion.
Lu Xuejin followed behind the monk, observing the surroundings without saying a word. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boy curiously reaching out to touch Guanyin's face. He grabbed the boy and pulled him back to his side.
Murong Yue said to him, "Brother, look at Guanyin's face, it seems to have faded."
Jiming stepped forward and said, “Our temple is a hundred years old. The Guanyin statue in the courtyard has been worn down over time, and the jade on it has been polished away, leaving only a layer of powder.”
Lu Xuejin took the boy's hand, and the boy became much more obedient, merely looking around without saying anything more. The monk led them to their lodgings in the back courtyard.
Ji Ming: "I will be on night watch in the front hall tonight. If you need anything, please come to the front hall to find me."
Lu Xuejin thanked them, and after the door closed, Tengluo and Ziyan put their things down. The room was simply furnished, suggesting it was originally intended as a guest room.
Murong Yue automatically rummaged through his luggage and pulled out his outer robe, intending to use it as a blanket. He hugged the robe, sniffed it, and claimed the robe as his own.
"Brother Changyou, do you believe in gods and Buddhas?" Murong Yue asked him casually.
Lu Xuejin pondered the boy's intentions and replied, "That's fair. If there's something to do, I'll go; otherwise, I won't."
Tengluo already knew what His Highness was going to say next. She took out chilled milk tea and peanuts from her luggage, spread them out on the table, and placed four small cups in front of her, filling each cup to the brim.
"Your Highness certainly won't believe it. How dare a mere prince be so presumptuous before gods and Buddhas? He's utterly lawless!" Tengluo said, mimicking a storyteller's tone.
“It’s not that I don’t believe, I just want to hear your opinion, brother,” Murong Yue said thoughtfully. “The first time I went to a temple was when I left the capital. My mother took me there. I was very young then, and my mother made me kneel before the gods and Buddhas. I didn’t want to kneel, and I felt that the statues in the hall were gloomy and terrifying. Later, after I returned from the temple, I fell ill. My mother said it was because I was disrespectful to the gods and Buddhas, and that I was punished for it.”
Murong Yue: "Later, I went there a few more times. I have nothing to ask of the gods and Buddhas. My father and mother are already noble people in the world, and I have no desires. But every time I see people kneeling before the gods and Buddhas, their respectful manner is no different from that of officials who are humble and obsequious before my father and mother. If the gods and Buddhas punish people arbitrarily because of their insincerity, and if the gods and Buddhas grant people's wishes only based on whether people can show humility, then I would like to ask if there is another being in heaven similar to my father."
"If a person is disrespectful to gods and Buddhas but respectful to the common people, and believes only in the facts of the present without believing in fortune-telling, this person neither seeks peace and wealth nor retribution in the next life. He only pursues immediate pleasure, is charitable to the people, considers goodness a virtue, and criticizes gods and Buddhas for being hypocritical because they are no longer in this world, then how should we judge this? Should we deny his good deeds because of his attitude towards a certain thing? If we weigh it according to the law of cause and effect and reincarnation, should he go to hell because of his verbal karma?"
The peanuts in Tengluo's hand fell onto the plate with a "plop." She fell into deep thought because of Murong Yue's words. Ziyan, who was standing next to her, was also very surprised. Such treasonous words could probably only be uttered by someone born into an imperial family and of the highest nobility.
"..." Lu Xuejin looked at the boy's expression, and it felt as if a chain was slowly untying in his heart. He couldn't help but laugh, as if he had seen the most outstanding article when he was in the Zhizhang Hall.
“Your Highness, why do you say that? You can believe it or not. The gods and Buddhas will not blame you for it... These are ultimately just speculations of the world. In the realm of illusion, no one knows the truth.”
Murong Yue placed the milk tea in front of him and put two peanuts in it.
"I simply feel that we should be treated equally. Perhaps because my father dotes on me, I always feel that I am equal to him. Even though I was not born into an imperial family, I do not like others bowing and scraping to me. I do not believe that others bowing to me proves that I am worthy of respect, nor do I like servants being subservient to me, as if we are worlds apart simply because of our birth. Such a conclusion is too superficial, yet many people, because of their noble status and the kneeling of many people to them, believe that they are truly worthy of respect. Although I am the crown prince, I am equal to the servants. Nobility should come from virtue, not from crowns and jade belts, decorations and songs, or the determination of lineage."
Lu Xuejin couldn't help but say, "Your Highness's thoughts are rare throughout the ages and truly admirable."
“That’s not the case,” Murong Yue said. “I have thought about everything I want to do, and the common people are my embodiment. People of low status, even if they speak out or write articles, will only be questioned because the rules of the world are too profound. No one will find the ordinary things amazing.”
"For example, regarding the gods and Buddhas we are talking about, everyone says that there are gods watching from above. We believe in the existence of so-called non-existent authorities to bind people to doing good and make them inviolable gods. We only need to create a fictitious punishment, because this punishment is invisible and intangible, both extremely distant and unpredictable, becoming an invisible fear that controls people's hearts. Over time, naturally everyone will reveal the doubts in their hearts, making them unspeakable questions."
Murong Yue: "Today I will raise my questions right here at the feet of the gods and Buddhas. As for the answer, time will naturally provide the verification."
“Your Highness is so amazing,” Tengluo couldn’t help but say. “I, I, I also think Your Highness is right. I see other servants being mistreated in the manor, and I just can’t understand why so many people can’t be like the young master. We all have hands and feet, and we all look pretty much the same… Meeting the young master is already a blessing for me. Meeting Your Highness is the same. Your Highness and the young master are both people I like the most.”
Murong Yue noticed the sparkle in Tengluo's eyes and couldn't help but say, "I'm the one who likes you the most, Tengluo needs to be ranked lower."
As Lu Xuejin watched the two girls and the boy drinking milk tea together, the candlelight flickered, and his eyes softened. He smiled and used the candlelight to trace the boy's features.
The boy's ideas were too naive, yet pitifully endearing; he always managed to see through the superficial to the essential essence. This was an incredibly precious talent. Truth always lies beneath appearances; it is beautiful, yet difficult to put into practice.
Tengluo and Ziyan went to rest next door. Murong Yue carried his outer robe to the bed, placed a candlestick by the bed, lit a candle, and the boy, holding his outer robe, moved the milk tea and peanuts to the side as well, comfortably reading a comic book by the bed.
He noticed that the boy was focused and attentive, and that his face would darken when he saw key details. Then he looked at the book on the cover, "A Few Things About Me and My Brother-in-Law." He sat down on the bed, and the boy immediately put down the book and came over to look at him.
"Brother Changyou, are you tired? Come here, I'll hold you and you won't feel tired anymore."
Lu Xuejin: "Your Highness should rest early. I have never seen Your Highness enjoy reading so much."
Upon hearing this, Murong Yue said, "If you don't like it, I won't watch it anymore."
As soon as he lay down on the bed, the boy immediately clung to him. The autumn night was chilly, and the temperature on their bed felt about forty degrees Celsius. He felt a little dazed, recalling how the prince had been quite reserved when they first slept together, but now the prince was naturally and completely at his own discretion.
He would lean in and kiss him while reading, or kiss him after finishing his milk tea, or hug him when he was upset. Then, he would suddenly remember something and lean in to bite him. He would close his eyes and then open them again. Soon after, the boy fell asleep, sleeping peacefully while hugging his robe, his cheeks rosy.
"..." Murong Yue hugged him, and groggily called out "brother-in-law", then his eyebrows furrowed.
He looked at the boy's appearance, touched the boy's cheek with his palm, and hugged the boy in his arms. The boy pushed him away because he felt hot, but after a while he clung to him again, insisting on hugging him like a doll. He fell asleep in the man's arms.
Before dawn, the temple bells rang out, their sound echoing from the inner courtyard towards the distant mountains, while birds sang merrily on the eaves.
Lu Xuejin heard the noise, but he wasn't awakened by the bell. Instead, he heard a rustling sound beside him. Murong Yue had already woken up. His mind was still blank when he felt a touch on his side. He immediately opened his eyes and saw a bulge under the covers. His Highness had crawled into his blanket.
"Your Highness?" he asked in confusion. Murong Yue came out from under the covers, his face flushed, but his eyes remained calm.
“I’ve slept with my brother for so long, and I’ve never seen him do it himself. I just saw that he does it just like me.” Murong Yue said, covering his lower body with his outer robe.
Lu Xuejin's gaze paused slightly as he saw the small tent and understood its meaning. He replied, "Of course. I am no different from Your Highness."
Murong Yue smiled at him, leaned closer and asked, "Then I need to ask you, brother, how did you manage to hold back?"
Lu Xuejin: "If Your Highness feels lonely, just recite the Heart Sutra a few times. If it's really unbearable, just take a bath."
"Brother, you didn't do it yourself?" Murong Yue pressed.
"..." Lu Xuejin saw the boy's eyes light up as he waited for his answer. He said quietly, "I usually cultivate my mind and never think about such filthy things. Your Highness should also think less about them and think more about the wise words you spoke yesterday."
Murong Yue sensed something was amiss. He didn't believe anyone could resist taking action; he certainly couldn't. Not only could he not resist, but he thought about doing it to the young man every day. Looking at the young man's serious expression, he couldn't help but ponder, and a wicked thought began to emerge in his mind.
He smiled at the young man, his bright smile revealing a hidden, sinister glint within, and leaned over to kiss Lu Xuejin.
"Brother Changyou is right, I never want to do it again."
Hearing this, Lu Xuejin looked at him again, gazing at him thoughtfully. Seeing how obedient he was, she rewarded him by stroking his little tiger tooth. The moment the young man touched him, he became restless, the fire in his chest reignited, and he wished he could bite the man's neck right now. Seeing the change in his eyes, the young man withdrew his hand.
"It's time, let's go see the host," Lu Xuejin said lightly.
Seeing that the boy couldn't hide his expression, Lu Xuejin pretended not to know, letting the boy behind him look at him with an undisguised gaze that seemed to want to devour him completely, but he remained calm as usual.
He was unaware that he was now like a forbidden fruit to the boy, always tempting him and then disappearing. The boy coveted him, and had already devoured him in his heart, peeling away his outer skin and leaving him dripping with juice.
"Young Master, Your Highness, it's time to eat vegetarian food," Tengluo said at the door.
Ji Ming was already waiting for them outside the door. He uttered a prayer of Amitabha, showing no signs of fatigue despite not having slept all night. When a person becomes fanatical about something and develops a belief in it, they may temporarily abandon their common sense.
“Please follow me, benefactors. The abbot is already waiting for you.”
Looking at the deserted temple, Lu Xuejin asked, "There are hardly any people around here, so there shouldn't be many people coming to offer incense. Yet the temple hasn't fallen into ruin because of the lack of visitors. Is there a high-ranking monk in the temple?"
“No,” Jiming looked over at him with a hint of surprise in his eyes as he asked the question. “To my shame, our temple has survived to this day thanks to donations from officials in Dingzhou and Luzhou every year. When the people of Liancheng suffered, the officials donated clothing and food, and any refugees passing by could stay here.”
“Brother, we are refugees now too,” Murong Yue said.
The main hall in the center of the courtyard is majestic and imposing, with thousands of candlesticks standing before it. The statue of Guanyin, the Water Moon Bodhisattva, sits in the center of the courtyard, below which are nine tiers of incense burners, around which monks are observed, emitting smoke. The incense burners are made entirely of bronze, with emerald green rings on top, which sway and move as the bells are tolled.
The deities and Buddhas lowered their eyes and brows, while the abbot in the center of the monks had a benevolent face, held prayer beads in his hand, and bowed to them.
Murong Yue counted them; there were twenty bald heads in total, all here. The temple didn't look big, and there was hardly anyone coming or going. The location was also remote, yet all the monks were plump and fat; there were very few thin ones.
The abbot said to them, “Before you all came, the magistrate of Luzhou wrote to us saying that he was coming from the capital. It is truly an honor for Leiyin Temple to have a high-ranking official from the capital visit us.”
"The vegetarian meal has been prepared for you. If you wish to visit the temple, you can accompany the monks who are chanting sutras after the meal. It just so happens that it is time for the ceremony."
Lu Xuejin noticed the varying expressions on the faces of the monks. They were told to stay, but the bell-keeper was nowhere to be seen; it seemed they had all gathered here to see them off. He felt uneasy, recalling Xiao Qi's instructions before he left, and couldn't help but say...
“Then I will trouble the abbot. I am very interested in Buddhism and I am not in a hurry to get on my way today. Perhaps I will stay here for another night.”
He spoke quietly, and the abbot still smiled. The vegetarian meal was served, but the prince wasn't very interested since it contained no meat. After taking a couple of bites, he leaned closer and stared at his lower body. His gaze was too revealing; behind them was a Buddha statue. When he looked over, Murong Yue naturally looked away.
Lu Xuejin: "..."
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