Nanny Zhou acknowledged and went off, while Madam Li took Ren Yaoqi to offer incense.
Kneeling before the Buddha statue over ten feet tall in the Great Hero Hall, Madam Li pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and prayed devoutly.
Her prayers were nothing more than for the health and well-being of the entire family, the safety and smooth lives of her two children, and finally, she hoped the Buddha could help Ren Yaoqi dispel evil spirits and free her from the torment of nightmares.
Ren Yaoqi knelt beside her with proper decorum. Seeing Madam Li rise to offer incense, she followed behind, imitating her actions.
After both mother and daughter had finished burning incense, Nanny Zhou returned.
"Madam, Master Jingchen is currently discussing Buddhist teachings with a distinguished guest. I'm afraid we'll have to wait a while longer," Nanny Zhou approached and whispered. "The guest-monk has arranged a courtyard for us to rest. Would you like to go there and rest for a moment now?"
White Dragon Temple received many visitors daily, so it was normal to have one or two distinguished guests. Monks, while detached from worldly affairs, were also part of society and could not avoid such interactions.
Having ridden in a carriage for over an hour, Madam Li was somewhat fatigued. She nodded and said to Ren Yaoqi, "The abbot is temporarily unavailable. Let's go rest for a while."
Ren Yaoqi naturally had no objections.
The courtyard White Dragon Temple prepared for Madam Li to rest in happened to be the same one Ren Yaoqi and the others had used during their previous visit.
However, Madam Li and Ren Yaoqi had only sat down and taken a few sips of tea when a young monk sent by Master Jingchen arrived to inform them that he was now available.
Nanny Zhou asked the monk, "Didn't you say earlier that the abbot was receiving a distinguished guest?"
The young monk chanted a Buddhist invocation and replied, "That gentleman came to play chess with our abbot. Upon hearing that the benefactor wished to see him, the gentleman has already taken his leave."
Nanny Zhou looked at Madam Li, who nodded. Nanny Zhou then smiled and said, "Then please, young master, inform Master Jingchen that our madam will come right away."
The young monk returned the Buddhist salute and withdrew.
Madam Li then took Ren Yaoqi to the abbot's reception area.
Abbot Jingchen was an elderly monk in his sixties, somewhat thin but with kind and gentle features.
When Ren Yaoqi followed Madam Li into the meditation room, she noticed a chessboard placed on the kang table by the window, where black and white pieces were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.
The white pieces were made of high-quality clam-stone "Snow Seal," pure white throughout, smooth as jade, with exquisite patterns—clearly extraordinary pieces. The quality of chess pieces was traditionally distinguished by the white ones, making this set particularly rare.
"Young benefactor, are you also skilled at chess?" The old monk, despite his age, had sharp eyes. Noticing Ren Yaoqi's gaze lingering on the kang table under the south window, he asked kindly.
Ren Yaoqi turned back, meeting the old monk's calm and tolerant gaze, and replied with a smile, "I only know how to play; I wouldn't call myself skilled."
The old monk chuckled and invited Madam Li and Ren Yaoqi to sit.
Madam Li explained Ren Yaoqi's nightmare troubles to the old monk and asked if he had any remedies.
Master Jingchen observed Ren Yaoqi for a moment and gently asked, "Allow this old monk to take your pulse, young benefactor."
Madam Li was taken aback. "Master, do you mean she is having nightmares because she is ill?"
Monk Jingchen shook his head peacefully and said, "Dreams arise from the heart. This old monk merely wishes to confirm something."
Ren Yaoqi obediently extended her hand for him to take her pulse.Master Jingchen closed his eyes and felt the pulse for a while, then asked, "How long has the young benefactor been having these nightmares? Recently, have you often experienced cold sweats, poor appetite, and difficulty sleeping?"
"No," Ren Yaoqi answered truthfully.
Master Jingchen carefully observed Ren Yaoqi's complexion and nodded. "Then it's not a physical ailment. Later, I'll prescribe a calming formula for you—you may take it or not." The old monk sighed softly. "Life is but a few short decades; if one worries about everything, everything becomes a burden."
"So there's nothing wrong?" Madam Li, not noticing the old monk's sigh, asked anxiously. "Do we need to perform any rituals to dispel negative energy?"
Master Jingchen shook his head and said with a smile, "If you're still concerned, recite the Diamond Sutra once every night before bed."
Since Master Jingchen had a good reputation, Madam Li felt somewhat reassured.
The old monk then began discussing Buddhist scriptures with Madam Li. Knowing Ren Yaoqi wasn't interested in such topics, Madam Li told her to go rest first.
Ren Yaoqi had been looking for an opportunity to attend to her own matters, so she gladly left.
Just as she reached the area outside the Great Hero Hall along the central axis of White Dragon Temple, Ren Yaoqi suddenly caught a glimpse of Yuan Dayong's figure disappearing.
After a moment's thought, Ren Yaoqi walked outside.
"Miss, aren't you going back to rest? Where are you heading?" the maidservant behind her asked cautiously.
Walking slowly, Ren Yaoqi replied casually, "I'm going to the Fortune Bell at the Single-Arch Bridge outside. I heard that if you manage to strike it, you'll have good luck."
Hearing this, the maidservants assumed Ren Yaoqi was in a playful mood and wanted to try striking the bell, so they said nothing more.
The distance from the Great Hero Hall to the Single-Arch Bridge wasn't far. As Ren Yaoqi approached, she noticed a large crowd gathered around the bridge, with many people clapping and cheering, creating a lively atmosphere.
From about fifty feet away, Ren Yaoqi could hear the distinct, powerful sounds of "clang," "clang," "clang" striking the bell, one after another.
"Huh? Who's so skilled?" Sangshen whispered. "I've never managed to hit that bell."
One of the maidservants, however, said dismissively, "This is the temple's Fortune Bell, not some street performance! Whose child is so mischievous?"
Ren Yaoqi paused to listen for a moment and inwardly shook her head.
This person not only had precise aim but also excellent control of strength. It didn't seem like a mischievous child—more likely someone skilled in martial arts.
"Miss, shall we still go over?" the maidservant inquired.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head. "Never mind, let's go another time." She didn't want to cause any trouble, nor was she particularly curious.
Just as she was about to take a different path to detour, she saw a young monk leading an old monk toward them.
The young monk was speaking as they walked. The old monk, around fifty years old, appeared calm and unhurried.
As they drew closer, Ren Yaoqi overheard the young monk saying, "...The Commandery Princess has been striking it for nearly half an hour. Pilgrims are gathered there watching the spectacle, and even benefactors from outside are blocked from entering. Could you go and see if you can persuade her? If that doesn't work, we might have to ask Second Young Master Xiao to intervene..."
"Don't rush, don't rush. The Commandery Princess is not an unreasonable person. If you speak to her properly, she'll listen," the old monk replied calmly, his expression unchanged.
Ren Yaoqi, however, felt a stir in her heart.Commandery Princess? In all of Yanbei, the only one who could be called Commandery Princess was the daughter of the Prince of Yanbei. Moreover, the monk had mentioned the second young master of the Xiao Family. Could the person ringing the bell be Xiao Jinglin, the Commandery Princess of Yanbei Prince's Mansion?
She had heard that this Commandery Princess preferred military attire over feminine adornments and spent most of the year not in Yanbei Prince's Mansion but guarding Jiajing Pass alongside the generals under the Prince of Yanbei.
In her previous life, Ren Yaoqi had never met this Commandery Princess, though she had heard that the imperial court once intended to arrange a marriage for her with the youngest son of the Duke of Zhengguo, which she flatly refused.
Xiao Jinglin’s reason for refusal was enough to shame all the men of Great Zhou. She said that as long as the northern frontier remained unsettled, how could she settle down?
She also declared that her future husband must fight her before the wedding. It wasn’t necessary for him to defeat her; as long as he could get out of bed within a month after the fight, he would be considered qualified. In her eyes, a man who would collapse at the slightest breeze was no different from trash. Then, someone recounted how Xiao Jinglin had once single-handedly challenged ten of the Prince of Yanbei’s Black Cavalry.
As a result, the wife of the Duke of Zhengguo tearfully rushed to the Empress Dowager, begging for mercy to spare her youngest son’s life. Other noble families with eligible sons hurriedly arranged engagements or marriages, fearing they might end up with this Commandery Princess from the Yanbei Prince’s household.
In the end, the marriage proposal was quietly dropped. At the time, Ren Yaoqi found it quite amusing.
Now, Xiao Jinglin shouldn’t be much older than her, right? Judging by her martial skills, she already seemed quite impressive.
Speaking of the current generation of the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, the eldest son, who was a hostage in the capital, was only fond of literature and calligraphy. The second young master, though somewhat of an unknown, was in poor health. Only this Commandery Princess still carried some of the imposing aura of the Xiao Family’s ancestors.
Thinking this, Ren Yaoqi changed her mind and walked toward the Single-Arch Bridge.
The maids and elderly servants, hearing it was the Commandery Princess, were also curious and followed silently.
After the two monks passed by, the young monk asked the onlookers to disperse.
Only then did Ren Yaoqi clearly see a tall young girl standing by the railing.
The girl appeared to be thirteen or fourteen years old, not at all like the cross-dressing, gender-ambiguous characters described in operas that Ren Yaoqi had imagined. She wore a simple lake-green dress, her hair styled in double buns, and her features were exquisitely delicate.
However, Ren Yaoqi noticed that her posture was more upright than that of most girls.
The old monk chanted a Buddhist invocation and stepped forward to speak with her. Xiao Jinglin listened quietly, then without saying a word, simply nodded and came down.
As she happened to be heading in Ren Yaoqi’s direction, Ren Yaoqi noticed up close that Xiao Jinglin’s eyebrows were well-shaped sword-like brows, darker than those of ordinary girls. Yet, because her features were exceptionally gentle, the brows didn’t make her appear the least bit coarse. Instead, they gave her a unique aura rarely seen in other women.
Noticing Ren Yaoqi’s gaze, Xiao Jinglin looked over. Her eyes lingered on Ren Yaoqi for a moment before she walked toward her.
“Which family are you from?” Xiao Jinglin asked expressionlessly. Her tone was by no means friendly, though it carried no malice either.
“The Ren Family of White Crane Town, Ren Yaoqi,” Ren Yaoqi replied with a smile.
Xiao Jinglin seemed to tilt her head in thought for a moment, then nodded.Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone, she took Ren Yaoqi’s hand: “Come with me, I’ll treat you to tea.”
With that, she pulled Ren Yaoqi along and walked away.
The maids and elderly servants behind Ren Yaoqi were stunned for a moment before quickly following.
Given Xiao Jinglin’s status and seeing that Ren Yaoqi offered no resistance, they dared not say a word.
Xiao Jinglin’s strides were not particularly large, yet Ren Yaoqi struggled somewhat to keep up with her pace.
(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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