Chapter 170: Conversation
Outside, heavy snow fell as the north wind howled. Yet inside the Welcoming Hall, a brazier burned warmly. Normally one of Bao Xiang Temple's main halls, the Welcoming Hall now stood empty of worshippers, heavily guarded to prevent anyone from entering.
The new silver frost charcoal had only just begun to burn, its core not yet fully ignited.
"Miss Gu, please sit here." Wang Chun closed his umbrella and stepped out, while Jiang Yan gestured for Gu Jinzhao to take a stool by the brazier.
Soon, a servant brought in hot tea.
Gu Jinzhao held the tea but stared at the brazier for a moment before lifting her gaze forward.
The Welcoming Hall was supported by eight large red-lacquered pillars, with a towering lotus pedestal at its center. A golden Buddha statue, over ten feet tall, stood with bowed head and clasped hands, flanked by candle stands whose flickering light bathed the hall in a golden glow. Below the lotus pedestal lay a gold-threaded lotus-patterned cushion and a long table. Third Master Chen stood facing an elderly monk at some distance, their voices too faint for her to hear clearly—only the monk's steady, soothing recitation of Buddhist scriptures reached her ears.
Buddhist scriptures brought tranquility to the heart.
Once the monk finished chanting, he spoke with Chen Yanyun. The monk was so aged his years were indiscernible, yet his snow-white kasaya radiated gentleness. Chen Yanyun asked quietly, "The Buddha told Subhuti, 'All phenomena are illusory. If you see all phenomena as non-phenomena, then you see the Tathagata.' How does the abbot interpret this?"
The old monk replied, "The Buddha has three bodies. The Dharmakaya is the Buddha-nature, where mind, Buddha, and sentient beings are undifferentiated. All things arise from causes and conditions, their birth and destruction mere transient illusions. The Tathagata is the Dharmakaya itself. The Dharmakaya cannot be perceived through form—it neither arises nor ceases, is neither defiled nor pure, neither comes nor goes, neither increases nor decreases. As Master Baizhang Huaihai said, 'The radiant light shines alone, transcending all worldly dust; the true essence is revealed, unbound by words. The mind's nature is inherently pure and complete—only by severing delusions can one realize the Buddha.' This is the Dharmakaya. To see beyond form while dwelling amidst form is to perceive..."
The monk added, "Your reverence, the Buddha you seek is the Dharmakaya, not our ancestor Shakyamuni." He chanted the Buddha's name. "Different paths lead to the same destination—all return to the Buddha."
Gu Jinzhao did not understand. But Third Master Chen lowered his head with a faint smile, his left hand idly turning a string of prayer beads.
After the monk finished explaining the Buddha-nature, he pressed his palms together and withdrew. Chen Yanyun returned the gesture.
Only once the abbot had left the Welcoming Hall did Third Master Chen approach her. He motioned for her to follow him. "The inner chamber has a heated bed—warmer than here." Her small face was flushed red again, just as it had been the last time he saw her. This time was worse—both she and her maid were drenched.
Gu Jinzhao looked up at him, momentarily stunned. Third Master Chen thought her gaze looked lost and pitiful, like a helpless little creature.
He walked ahead first, and Gu Jinzhao could only rise and follow. Only then did over a dozen guards hidden in the shadows of the Welcoming Hall reveal themselves.
...This was the proper entourage befitting a high-ranking official of the second rank.
Gu Jinzhao mused silently.
To the left of Shakyamuni Buddha stood Avalokiteshvara, and to the right, Mahasthamaprapta. The lattice window of the inner chamber opened beside Mahasthamaprapta's right hand. Inside was a heated bed with a simple, cleanly arranged heated bed table.
Third Master Chen took a seat on one side of the table and gestured for her to sit opposite him. "No need for restraint—this is a place of Buddhist serenity. The snow won't stop anytime soon, and I wouldn't want you to freeze."
He then called Jiang Yan inside and instructed him, "The temple freshly ground soy milk today. Bring a pot of it."Jiang Yan acknowledged and left, while Chen Yanyun picked up a volume of Buddhist scriptures from the heated bed table to read. The lattice windows were pasted with Korean paper. Although translucent, the heavy snowfall outside made the sky dim and gloomy, leaving the room rather dark. A guard brought in a pine oil lamp.
Gu Jinzhao was at even more of a loss for words, as he had already said everything there was to say. She gestured for Qingpu to sit down as well. Though their clothes were wet, this was hardly the time to change, and she didn't even dare to undo her cloak. She wanted to see just how heavy the snow outside was—if she didn't return, Madam Feng would surely send someone to look for her... But given the current situation, there was no reasonable explanation for it!
Although Third Master Chen appeared to be reading, he was observing her movements.
She seemed restless, frequently glancing outside with a hesitant expression.
He closed the book and said gently, "If you brave the snow to return now, wet clothes are the least of your worries. We're halfway up the mountain—what if you slip and fall? Don't worry. Just tell me who you came with, and I'll have the guest-prefect monk inform them."
Gu Jinzhao whispered the details, and soon the guest-prefect monk went out with an umbrella.
"The guest-prefect knows the paths well—much better than a young girl wandering around alone," Third Master Chen remarked.
Gu Jinzhao had no choice but to remain silent.
Jiang Yan brought in a pot of soy milk and carried a brazier into the inner chamber. He heated the soy milk until it steamed, then poured it into bowls, first handing one to Gu Jinzhao before inviting Qingpu to warm herself by the fire and giving her a bowl as well.
Qingpu, thoroughly drenched and uncomfortable, sat by the brazier, sipping the soy milk in small mouthfuls.
The soy milk had only a hint of sugar but was exceptionally rich and fragrant.
Gu Jinzhao asked softly, "Won't you have a bowl, Third Master?"
Third Master Chen looked up at her and replied, "I don't care for sweets."
Gu Jinzhao frowned slightly, puzzled. How could he not like sweets? Shortly after their marriage in her past life, the only dish she could make was caramelized bananas, and he had always finished every bite.
If he didn't like them, why had he eaten them?
Remembering Cao Ziheng's mention of Lord Wen, Gu Jinzhao tightened her grip on the bowl and suddenly asked, "...Sir, have you met me before?"
Third Master Chen hummed in acknowledgment. "I saw you once at the Ji family during your cousin's wedding."
Gu Jinzhao shook her head. "Before that? Last time, you asked if I truly didn't remember. My childhood memories are hazy... It's possible I met you before but have no recollection of it."
Chen Yanyun was silent for a moment before smiling faintly.
"I saw you twice. The first time, you were picking lotus pods by the pond and threatening your maid, saying you'd sell her to the mountains as a child bride. But you probably didn't notice me then..."
The second time was half a year later, on a snowy day much like this one. She sat alone under the corridor, arms wrapped around herself, crying incessantly, with not a single maid in sight. He had gone to discuss the construction of a new temple in Baoding with Master Ji and happened to see her. He didn't know why she was crying so bitterly, nor did he approach to ask.
Back then, Gu Jinzhao's cloak had been just as soaked, leaving her looking just as pitiable and lonely as she did now—like someone no one wanted.
He had watched until she wiped her tears and walked back, only then slowly turning to leave himself.If it weren't for seeing her again this time, he would have surely forgotten about saving such a little girl. But now that memory became vividly clear in his mind—her tugging at his sleeve, saying she wanted to sell him off as a child bride. She wore a light pink jacket embroidered with red cherry blossoms and a deep red crepe eight-panel Xiang skirt, with one corner of the skirt trailing in the water, which its owner paid no heed to.
He felt an inexplicable surge of compassion.
Gu Jinzhao still remembered this incident. Every summer, she would visit her grandmother's house and loved picking lotus seed pods by the pond. Once, she even slipped and fell into the water. The little maid who served her was punished and sent to work in the kitchen because of it.
She stood up and opened the lattice window. Sure enough, the sky outside was still overcast, with endless snow blanketing everything.
In his previous life, before marrying her, he had known her. Even if marrying her had been for a certain purpose, it couldn't be denied that Third Master Chen had treated her very well from the start—subtly so. Unless one was paying attention, it would have gone unnoticed.
Like when she first entered the reception hall, a new fire had been lit at the entrance.
So, when he married her, he had also wanted to treat her well.
Gu Jinzhao closed her eyes, feeling a deep ache in her heart. No wonder... no wonder he stopped interacting with her a month after their marriage. Third Master Chen must have discovered her affair with Chen Xuanqing. He was so clever—he must have noticed the signs. That's why he stopped engaging with her, his expression indifferent whenever they met, barely speaking a word. Third Master Chen, who had maneuvered through court politics his entire life, ended up being burdened by her.
When she turned to look, Third Master Chen was still reading the Buddhist scripture in his hands. He flipped a page and said to her, "No matter how much you look, the snow won't lessen. Come back and sit properly."
She replied coolly, "Third Master, Lord Wen died four years ago."
Only then did Third Master Chen lift his head to look at her, his gaze gentle and profound, still wearing that refined smile. He gave a faint "Mm" before lowering his head to continue reading.
Gu Jinzhao felt there was no need to ask him why he had helped her. Third Master Chen was so composed—he wasn't the least bit surprised, nor did he care whether she found out. Annoyed, she muttered, "...You deliberately let me find out!"
Chen Yanyun didn't understand what she was upset about. After watching her for a moment, he set down the book and beckoned her over.
"It's not a big deal. I just wanted to help you... But if I had said outright that I wanted to help, you would have been suspicious. So what if I borrowed someone else's name to do it? Don't be afraid—just consider it my daily good deed."
Gu Jinzhao didn't quite believe him. She felt Third Master Chen treated her somewhat differently—otherwise, in her past life, he wouldn't have tolerated her so much. If she hadn't married Third Master Chen, any normal husband's family would have sent her back to her parents with a letter of divorce, and worse, would have ruined her reputation with accusations under the "Seven Reasons for Divorce."
If she were to tally it up, the debts she owed Third Master Chen in her past life could never be repaid. In the political arena, he was decisive and authoritative. Back then, when she had just arrived at the Chen family, she knew nothing and made many mistakes—yet Third Master Chen never once reprimanded her, silently enduring it all.
So she said, "Your daily good deed? I don’t think you’re the kind to be soft-hearted... Do you really believe in Buddhism?"He was certainly not a soft-hearted man—no one with a tender heart could have reached his current position. On the contrary, he had to be countless times more ruthless than others. After a moment of contemplation, Third Master Chen told her, "Of course I believe in Buddha... The Dharma-nature Buddha resides in my heart. To believe in myself is to believe in Buddha."
Gu Jinzhao was left speechless. Religion was merely a pretense—negotiating with a tiger for its skin. If Lord Chen wished to preserve himself, he had no choice but to bide his time and conceal his brilliance. Yet within him lay an immensely strong and resolute self, one that needed no faith in Buddha, for believing in himself was more than enough.
PS: Updates have indeed been slow lately. Please bear with me—if I don’t hit writer’s block, there’ll be a second update today.
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