Cien Temple is located outside Anding Gate in the northern part of the city, a millennia-old ancient monastery. At the founding of this dynasty, it was renovated by imperial decree and renamed Baoguo Cien Temple. Apart from the usual halls found in ordinary temples—such as the Grand Buddha Hall, the Great Dharma Hall, and numerous other chambers—there is a sutra repository in the southwest called the "Rotating Sutra Repository." This is a wooden scripture pavilion ingeniously designed with mechanisms that allow it to be rotated by human effort. Inside, it houses vast collections of Buddhist scriptures. Rotating it once symbolizes having read all the scriptures within, embodying the concept of achieving perfect enlightenment through cycles of rebirth.
Because of this rotating scripture pavilion, over dynasties and generations, the temple walls of Cien Temple have been adorned with countless inscriptions and calligraphy by literati and poets. Monks have traveled from afar to practice here, yet it is said that over the centuries, despite countless monks devoting their lives to diligent study, none have ever managed to complete a full rotation of the repository.
When Jiafu arrived at Cien Temple, it was midday, and the temple was sparsely populated with worshippers. However, upon reaching the foot of the mountain, she saw the Duke's carriage parked there, confirming that the person she wished to meet was indeed inside the temple. She entered the temple gate, went straight to the Grand Buddha Hall to offer incense and prayers, and made a donation of lamp oil. After finishing, she inquired with a receptionist monk about the whereabouts of the Duke's household worshippers.
Over twenty years ago, Empress Pei Yuanhou contracted a seasonal epidemic. Due to the rampant spread of the disease at the time, she was sent to Cien Temple for isolation and recuperation to prevent an outbreak in the imperial harem. The empress's illness lingered for over a year, with no signs of recovery—only worsening—until she eventually passed away in the rear temple. As Old Madam Pei frequently visited the temple during that period, the monks were very familiar with her.
The receptionist monk was initially reluctant to respond, but seeing Jiafu's generous donation, he said, "The old Duchess has retired to the rear meditation quarters for rest. Female patrons are not permitted to approach."
...
After Old Madam Pei finished her incense offerings and had a light vegetarian meal, her advanced age began to show signs of fatigue. Pei You'an escorted her to the meditation quarters for a short rest.
After Empress Pei Yuanhou's passing, the Tianxi Emperor sealed off the meditation courtyard where she had resided during her illness, allowing only her mother, Old Madam Pei, to enter. Though over two decades had passed, and the current emperor—who had ascended the throne with the support of Prince Shun'an—held no favor for the Pei family, he did not openly defy the decree of his predecessor and elder brother. Thus, this secluded quadrangle courtyard remained exclusively for the Duke's household use, its gates usually locked. When Old Madam Pei planned to visit, the temple would be notified in advance to unlock, clean, and prepare for her arrival.
Pei You'an knew his grandmother often reminisced about his aunt, who had passed away prematurely over twenty years ago. Seeing her pause at the threshold and gaze around, he understood her emotions.
Although notice had been sent the previous day and the courtyard had been cleaned and tidied, it was now early winter. The meditation courtyard was strewn with withered yellow leaves and shriveled vines, a scene that might stir melancholy. He reached out to support her, saying, "Grandmother, let's go inside. The wind is strong."
Old Madam Pei entered, and Yuzhu and the two accompanying maids prepared to attend to her. However, seeing the young master step forward, they watched as he personally removed her outer robe, then knelt to take off her shoes, neatly arranging them side by side on the floor.
The maids were slightly taken aback. Yuzhu, noticing their surprise, gave them a meaningful look and led them out of the room.
Old Madam Pei sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her grandson.
Pei You'an cupped her socked feet in his hands, gently massaging them. After a while, when they felt slightly warmer, he helped her lie down slowly, lifting her feet and tucking them under the blanket. "Rest now, Grandmother," he said.Old Madam Pei closed her eyes, and Pei You'an sat quietly by her side, keeping her company until she fell asleep. He gently tucked in the quilt, then stood up and walked to the window, pausing for a moment before stepping out.
...
"Is the Duke's mother also at the temple?"
Zhen Yaoting immediately recalled the maid he had seen the day before. Though she wasn’t the most stunning beauty he had ever laid eyes on, for some reason, just one glance had left an impression, lingering in his mind. Unable to suppress his delight, he urged Jiafu, "Go quickly and have someone announce your arrival. It would be impolite not to pay respects when we’ve coincidentally met here."
Jiafu knew Old Madam Pei had a habit of napping in the afternoon and had no intention of listening to her brother. Besides, the person she had hurried here to see wasn’t Old Madam Pei at all.
She stood there for a moment, then turned to Zhen Yaoting and said, "Then I’ll go take a look. Brother, you wait here in the front hall and don’t wander off."
Zhen Yaoting agreed, adding with a grin, "If you see her, don’t forget to mention me so I can go pay my respects too!"
Jiafu nodded absently and, accompanied by Tanxiang, passed through the main hall, heading southwest.
At this hour, the morning bells and evening drums were naturally silent. Only when passing by a few low walls did faint chants accompanied by wooden fish drift over, making the surroundings feel even more serene.
The path beneath her feet was paved with white pebbles, worn gray with age, their crevices thick with moss. Ginkgo trees lined both sides of the path, and at its end stood an ancient tree a thousand years old, its trunk soaring straight into the sky, its branches twisting and spreading above the temple roofs, shading half of the hipped eaves. A gust of wind sent ginkgo leaves rustling down, scattering like golden rain over half the rooftop and piling thickly on the ground.
A man stood beneath the quiet caisson of the Rotating Sutra Repository.
The beams surrounding the caisson were painted with scenes of the Eight Legions and the Tathagata's Flower Adornment Assembly—Buddhas with lowered brows, wrathful Vajras glaring. The midday sun filtered through the ginkgo canopy above the caisson, casting a bright square of golden light. He stood at the edge where light and shadow intertwined, his figure dappled, half in brightness, half in shade. A single leaf drifted down from the caisson above him, spiraling slowly before landing at his feet.
He remained absorbed, head bowed as he flipped through the scripture in his hands, his figure motionless.
Jiafu stood outside the threshold, gazing at the man’s back.
Earlier, she had guessed he might be here. It was just a feeling. So she had come, hoping to test her luck.
Her luck seemed good—he was indeed in the Rotating Sutra Repository.
But now that she had actually found him, she suddenly felt nervous. Several times she opened her mouth to call out, only to close it again. Just as she hesitated, the man seemed to sense something unusual behind him and turned his head slightly, his gaze shifting toward her.
Jiafu’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately smiled, calling out softly, "Cousin," her voice gentle and pleasing.
Seeing her there, Pei You'an didn’t seem overly surprised. He remained where he stood.
"What brings you here?" he asked simply.
Jiafu lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.
"I won’t hide it—I came here this morning specifically to find you, Cousin. There’s something I’d like to ask your advice about."
Her voice was soft, as if lacking confidence.Pei You'an paused his gaze on her face, closed the scripture, and placed it back on the shelf before turning to walk toward her.
He stopped. One stood outside the threshold, the other within, separated by a distance of seven or eight steps.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Yesterday, Yuzhu came to my home. Before leaving, she suddenly whispered to me that you had specifically instructed her to tell me to stop using my current incense from now on. From her tone, it seemed the incense I use is harmful to others. When I pressed further, she couldn’t explain, saying she was only relaying your words…”
Jiafu bit her lip.
“Your instructions are naturally correct, and I will follow them. But I truly don’t understand, and now that I’m being accused of harming someone, I feel uneasy. I couldn’t sleep all night, and this morning, I couldn’t focus on anything. Then I remembered Yuzhu mentioning that you would accompany the Old Madam to Cien Temple today, so I came here directly. I know it’s presumptuous to disturb you like this, but I…”
Pei You'an raised a hand, cutting off her unfinished words.
“Do you know what incense you used on my grandmother’s birthday?” he asked, his gaze fixed on her face.
“Ambergris.”
Jiafu answered immediately without blinking.
He remained silent, studying her intently.
Jiafu looked bewildered. “Why are you looking at me like that, Cousin?”
“Where did the ambergris you used come from?”
“Our family’s storeroom.”
“Do you know of frozen borneol?”
After a pause, he suddenly asked.
Jiafu nodded.
“When my father was alive, I remember him mentioning it occasionally. He said it was a spice from South India, similar in nature to ambergris but inferior in quality.”
She blinked at him. “Why do you ask?”
“I can tell you with certainty that what you used was not ambergris but frozen borneol. Quan Ge’s illness was caused by the frozen borneol you burned. Frozen borneol is not just a spice—in the Western Regions, it is also used medicinally. However, a very small number of people cannot tolerate its scent. Even minimal exposure can trigger adverse reactions, and if ingested by mistake, it can even be fatal. Quan Ge is one such person. That is why he fell ill both times after being near you.”
Jiafu’s heart skipped a beat.
She only knew that Quan Ge would fall ill after exposure to frozen borneol, recovering after a few days. She hadn’t realized it was also a medicinal substance capable of killing. This was unexpected.
But now, there was no turning back. She had to convince him to believe her—even to help her—or at the very least, not interfere with her plans.
Her expression turned anxious, and she shook her head repeatedly. “I truly didn’t know! In our family’s storeroom, spices are sorted and stored separately. I’ve always used ambergris. Before leaving for the capital, I noticed the box of scented cakes was nearly empty, so I asked a servant to fetch a new one. It was done in haste—perhaps the servant made a mistake. I had no idea!”
Suddenly, her eyes widened in horror. “Do you… Cousin, do you think I deliberately tried to harm Quan Ge’er?”
She looked at Pei You'an, who remained impassive, and slowly, tears welled in her eyes. Her voice trembled with a grievance-laden sob.
“I visited the Duke’s residence a few times as a child, but Quan Ge hadn’t been born yet. In recent years, I’ve been in Quanzhou observing mourning for my father. Even if I knew frozen borneol was harmful, how could I have known Quan Ge couldn’t be exposed to it?”She lowered her head and fell silent, her pearly teeth biting down hard on her lips until they turned a pitiful shade of pale, as if she was desperately holding back tears that threatened to spill. Yet, a single glistening tear escaped and fell with a soft "plop" onto the ground before her feet.
Flustered, she turned her face away and wiped her eyes hastily.
While she had been speaking, Pei You'an had been watching her with a cold expression, as if weighing the truth of her words. Gradually, he averted his gaze, unwilling to see her tearful appearance, and merely said, "I suppose it was an honest mistake. Don't cry."
His tone was flat, but it seemed he believed her and was offering comfort.
For Jiafu, crying on demand wasn’t difficult. Thinking of her departed father and the final moments of her past life made her eyes sting.
Originally, she had only intended to cry for his benefit. But hearing his words of comfort, for some reason, her emotions spiraled out of control. A wave of overwhelming grievance washed over her, and she silently bowed her head, tears falling in rapid succession.
Pei You'an's previously expressionless face began to show signs of unease. He glanced at her several times, clenched and unclenched his hands, hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped forward, stopping at the threshold. He leaned slightly toward her and said softly, "Don’t cry. I believe you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have just sent Yuzhu to relay a warning."
"Think about it," he added, as if coaxing her.
He bent slightly closer, and Jiafu could almost feel the warmth radiating from him, like the faint golden glow of winter sunlight filtering through a caisson ceiling.
Flustered, she turned her back to him, wiping away her tears. Only when she had steadied herself did she turn back and murmur, "Thank you, Cousin, for believing me."
Pei You'an had already retreated a few steps, his expression once again calm. His gaze swept over her tear-streaked face before he said thoughtfully, "These past few days, I’ve heard rumors about this matter—that you and Quan Ge are ill-fated, which might hinder your marriage prospects. Since this incident has nothing to do with you, I can help explain the real cause of Quan Ge’s illness. If you’d rather not have it known that it was due to your misuse of incense, I won’t mention you. Once my mother’s concerns are dispelled, your engagement to my younger brother can proceed smoothly."
Jiafu slowly shook her head.
Pei You'an was taken aback. "What’s wrong? You don’t want to clear up the misunderstanding?"
Jiafu clenched her fists subtly and said, "Cousin, for someone of my background to be accepted into your family would be a great fortune. But to be honest, this trip to the capital for marriage discussions wasn’t my own wish. My grandmother is the head of the household, and I couldn’t defy her, so I had no choice but to comply. I thought I’d just settle my fate this way and live out my life. But unexpectedly, due to Quan Ge’s illness, Madam Song and your mother have grown displeased with me, and the marriage talks may be suspended..."
She paused, then lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.
"Might I be so bold as to ask you, Cousin, to turn a blind eye and pretend you know nothing of this matter?"
Pei You'an frowned slightly. "Do you truly mean this? You’d rather bear the stigma of being ill-omened than marry into the Duke’s household?""Yes," Jiafu nodded. "The Duke's residence is of noble standing, far beyond what I could aspire to. Quan Ge fell ill because of my accidental use of incense, which led to Madam Song and the Duchess's displeasure with me. It seems like fate, yet also an opportunity. I beg you, Cousin, to grant me this wish. Whether I marry or not is destined, and I accept it as such."
Pei You'an gazed at her, suddenly sensing something amiss, though he couldn't quite grasp what it was. Suppressing the strange feeling rising in his chest, he finally nodded. "If that is how you feel, I have no objection. However—"
His tone abruptly turned stern.
"Your earlier ignorance was an innocent mistake, so I do not blame you. But now that you know Frozen Borneol is harmful to Quan Ge, even if you regard the Duke's residence as a den of beasts, I will not allow you to use that incense in his presence again."
Jiafu stole a glance at him, noticing his furrowed brow and severe expression. Not daring to refuse, she lowered her eyes and murmured, "You needn’t remind me, Cousin. I already know."
Pei You'an lifted the hem of his robe, stepped over the threshold, and walked past her.
Jiafu stood still for a moment before turning her head. She watched as his figure grew more distant, gradually disappearing at the end of the ginkgo-lined path.
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