frightfiction Chapter 88 Prayer
Chapter 88 Prayer
Master Jueqing, whose secular name is Yehenara Yihuan, has been practicing at Ganlu Temple for more than half a year.
At first, she thought that entering the temple to cultivate oneself would be nothing more than living a life of quiet contemplation, with only the sound of the lamp and the ancient Buddha, the sound of the drum at dusk and the sound of the bell at dawn. She did not expect that life in the temple would not be as simple as she thought.
The first difficult thing was the labor. Yi Huan no longer had palace maids to serve her, so she had to do everything herself. Even though she was still practicing Buddhism, she couldn't escape the temple's chores. Every day, besides washing her own clothes, she had to take turns with the other nuns chopping wood, carrying water, cooking, cleaning the Buddha hall, and tending the Buddha statues. Although Abbot Mo Yan was fair and understanding of her frail health, and didn't assign her many heavy tasks, Yi Huan, formerly a pampered young lady and imperial concubine, knew nothing except needlework and had to learn everything from scratch.
The second difficulty was getting along with others. Even those in the nunnery are still human, and as such, they are subject to the coldness and indifference of human relationships. Since Yi Huan was not skilled in manual labor, those who shared shifts with her suffered even more, and over time, resentment inevitably arose. Moreover, when she first entered the temple, she was despondent and lacked the energy to greet others with a smile. The other nuns assumed she was ill at the time and said nothing, but she was proud and aloof, disdainful of worldly affairs, and had always disdained to interact with others. Even after some time, she remained cold and distant.
Gradually, people began to say behind her back that she was more temperamental than capable, and that even as a deposed concubine, she still acted like she was before. People began to isolate and ostracize her. It was Abbess Mo Yan who noticed something was wrong and spoke kindly to everyone about compassion and the importance of helping others. She also had her sew clothes and copy scriptures for others, which lessened their discontent and made her life a little easier. However, the other nuns still refused to associate with her.
As for the third difficulty, it was merely the unbearable heartache caused by the breakup with the emperor. For Yi Huan at present, this was not as difficult as the previous two. In particular, the daily labor, copying scriptures, and chanting scriptures consumed a lot of energy, and she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at night, without any dreams, so naturally she would not dream of the emperor; it was only when the sad things resurfaced that she would be distracted and absent-minded when doing work that did not require mental effort.
When she became distracted too often, Abbess Mo Yan privately scolded her: "The Fifth Patriarch Hongren said that before attaining enlightenment, one might be thinking about carrying water while chopping wood, about cooking while carrying water, and about chopping wood while cooking; after attaining enlightenment, chopping wood is simply chopping wood, carrying water is simply carrying water, and cooking is simply cooking—that is enlightenment. But you, Jueqing, are probably thinking about that stinky man while chopping wood, thinking about that stinky man while carrying water, and even thinking about that stinky man while cooking. In that case, you claim to be practicing with hair still intact, but in reality, you haven't even begun your path of cultivation. How can you attain enlightenment?"
Yi Huan was very embarrassed and secretly shocked by Mo Yan's direct words: This Abbot Mo Yan knew that she had been a concubine in the palace and was the emperor's woman, yet he still called her a "stinky man" and didn't think there was anything wrong with cursing the current emperor.
She remained silent for a long time before saying, "This humble nun is ashamed."
Mo Yan snorted and asked her to have a half-foot-tall stone Guanyin statue and various guardian deities such as Sudhana, the Dragon Girl, the Sangharama, and Weituo enshrined in her room. In addition to morning and evening prayers, she was also required to chant sutras and meditate in front of these Buddha statues in her room every day.
Ganlu Temple was a royal temple and did not welcome other worshippers, so it was quiet and serene on ordinary days. In the silence, she washed clothes, mended, swept the floor, copied scriptures, and chanted sutras day after day. The sad things of the past slowly became a wound in her heart that had festered to the point of no longer hurting, and she gradually became calm and numb.
In the past six months, only one of the princess's maids has been a regular visitor to Ganlu Temple.
Several royal temples regularly donate funds to Princess Roushu's charitable organization, both as a way to accumulate merit and to strengthen ties with the royal family. The people at the charitable organization reciprocate with embroidered Buddha images and copied scriptures.
A maid who worked at the charity often came to collect donations and deliver gifts. In Yi Huan's eyes, although the maid wore simple clothes and only a delicate silver lotus flower necklace around her neck was somewhat eye-catching, and she was slender and timid, she possessed a unique ethereal air. Her appearance was seven-tenths similar to her former close friend Ruyi, but her nose and mouth were more delicate and exquisite, and her almond-shaped eyes, with their clear black and white, added a touch of liveliness to her. Abbot Mo Yan mentioned that this maid was named Ying'er, and that the Buddhist scriptures offered by the charity were all copied by Ying'er. Yi Huan opened the scriptures and saw her beautiful, delicate calligraphy.
She felt a growing curiosity about the maid, but did not strike up a conversation with her.
As early winter approached, Yi Huan felt unwell. Even when her period was not in, she often experienced lower abdominal pain, and her hands would feel cold when she lit a charcoal brazier.
Yi Huan initially thought that she was just weak and had difficulty adapting to the changing weather, so Abbot Mo Yan reduced her workload, especially tasks involving cold water such as washing clothes and mopping the floor.
Even so, Yi Huan's symptoms did not improve; instead, the pain became more frequent and severe.
Mo Yan then said he would go and fetch a doctor to take a look. Yi Huan felt a little bad and said, "This is too much trouble for the abbess. Besides, Ganlu Temple is all nuns. How can an outsider enter without permission?"
Mo Yan said coldly, "If you're sick and don't get treatment, are you going to wait until you die from it?" With that, he went out and gave the abbot a few instructions.
To Yi Huan's surprise, it was Ying'er who came.
Ying'er took her pulse and diagnosed that she had suffered heavy bleeding after her miscarriage. Although she had taken medicine to regulate her body, she was still too weak. In addition, she was depressed, which caused her spleen to be damaged by worry, resulting in poor circulation of qi and blood and blood clots in her body. This would only happen when the weather was cold. After looking at the medicine she was currently taking, she wrote a prescription and a dietary supplement for her.
She advised, "It's not too serious yet. Taking some medicine to disperse the stagnation and replenish blood will be fine. Otherwise, if it develops into anemia over time, it will be difficult to endure." Her voice lowered slightly at the last sentence.
Yi Huan thanked him, and Mo Yan offered to pay the consultation fee with silver, but Ying'er resolutely refused, saying that she would come again tomorrow to bring the medicine.
Yi Huan remembered that she had seen the red plum blossoms in the courtyard blooming beautifully that morning, so she picked a few branches. Besides offering them in front of the Buddhist shrine in her room, she kept two branches for herself. Since she couldn't find a vase, she temporarily put them in an empty medicine bottle.
She casually picked a branch and gave it to Ying'er, thinking of the poetic sentiment, "Jiangnan has nothing to offer, so I'll give you a branch of spring."
Ying'er's face paled for a moment before she accepted it with a faint smile.
She saw Ying'er off. In winter, to prevent the water in the auspicious vat from freezing, the fire under the vat was always kept burning brightly.
When Ying'er went out, she carefully walked around the auspicious vat.
Perhaps she was afraid the fire would burn the hem of her clothes, Yi Huan thought.
As the Spring Festival approached, news came from the palace that the Emperor would take his consorts to Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings after the spring season, and everyone at Ganlu Temple was to make preparations in advance.
During the Spring Festival, Yingluo also came and said that the Empress, mindful of the hardships the people of Ganlu Temple had endured in the winter, donated a cart of firewood and charcoal and a cart of rice and flour to Ganlu Temple.
She carried her own bundle, explained the situation to Mo Yan, and arrived at Yi Huan's residence.
At that time, Yi Huan was kneeling on a prayer mat, chanting sutras in front of the Buddhist shrine in the room.
Smoke drifted from the incense burner, and behind the smoke, Guanyin, with lowered eyes and a gentle smile, stood on a lotus platform.
After she finished chanting the sutra, she heard Mo Yan calling her. She turned around, saw Yingluo, and put her palms together, saying, "This humble concubine, Jueqing, greets Benefactor Yingluo."
Yingluo was carrying two large bundles and didn't have a free hand to return the greeting.
She opened the bundle and took out some everyday items, all of which were not particularly noticeable, along with some snacks such as jujube paste and yam cake, and medicine prepared according to Ying'er's prescription.
Yingluo gave a few instructions to share the food with others and not to eat it all by herself. Yihuan nodded, hesitated for a while, and then asked, "How are Your Majesty the Empress and Consort Xian doing lately?"
Yingluo said, "Her Majesty the Empress is preparing for Princess Hejing's wedding. Xian has taken in a new eunuch and a palace maid, both of whom seem to have bright futures. Aren't you going to ask His Majesty about it?"
Yi Huan sighed and said softly, "Sometimes I still think back to the day I broke into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The Emperor was still the same as when I first met him outside Xiuyun Temple. He was elegant and graceful, like a jade tree in full bloom. He was the most beautiful person I had ever seen in my life. But... perhaps Nalan Xingde's poem is right: 'If life were only as beautiful as the first time we met, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan?'"
Yingluo originally wanted to tell her the news of the emperor's fall from his horse to cheer her up, but upon hearing it, she got goosebumps again and couldn't help but regret that she shouldn't have brought up this topic with a non-human being.
Mo Yan said curtly, "Why bother asking? When the time is right, you will know. Alright, Jueqing has already entered the Buddhist order and should not linger too much on worldly affairs. Miss Yingluo, please leave."
Once outside, Mo Yan asked, "What's going on? Why did the Emperor come to Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings?"
Yingluo, as if to keep the story short, said, "During the Mulan Autumn Hunt this year, the Emperor... had a little accident. People, when they're afraid of death, tend to believe in gods, so he thought he'd come here at the last minute to seek divine help."
Mo Yan asked, "Then should we avoid the situation at that time?"
Yingluo said, "Avoidance is useless. Yuan Yi said that the connection between non-human beings and the chosen ones is difficult to sever, and non-human beings are naturally attracted and captured by the chosen ones. Someone of Yi Huan's level can hardly avoid being entangled by the chosen ones. We can only let nature take its course and deal with whatever comes our way. Be careful then, because the chosen ones have another non-human being by their side named Rong Pei. Her true form is a Yaksha, and she can attack people."
Mo Yan responded with a cold laugh: "The Yaksha is originally a guardian deity. Does he dare to rebel against the Heavenly Gang within Buddhism?"
Yingluo smiled and said, "Of course we won't let her cause any trouble."
The emperor's trip to Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings was not only out of fear of death, but also because of Aruo's suggestion.
After singing "The Grand Coronation" during the day, the emperor chose A'Ruo for his concubine that very night.
Amid the commotion and firecrackers outside, A'Ruo knelt by the bedside and added to the rule "The Empress can be trusted," "The Empress is a gentle and tactful person. When the Empress speaks directly, do not say anything more. The Empress and her maids are very powerful, so do not anger the Empress."
After writing a sentence, she couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, it doesn't have to be this way. If you can't even trust the Empress, who can you trust?"
The Emperor, hugging his knees and shrinking at the foot of the bed, said, "Of course it is! Consort Shen, of course I believe the Empress is a good person, but... but sometimes the Empress treats me differently than she treats you!"
Aruo said, "You are the Emperor, and we are concubines. How can Your Majesty treat the Emperor and concubines the same way?"
The emperor wanted to explain, but he couldn't explain the subtle sense of terror the empress instilled in him, so he had no choice but to remain silent.
A'Ruo wanted to say a few words for the Empress, so she said, "Please rest assured. If Your Majesty, Yingluo, and Mingyu are truly strong, tall, and mighty, and have been able to live in peace with you all these years, doesn't that just prove that Your Majesty is completely different from someone else and truly respects Your Majesty? In my opinion, we should still prioritize dealing with Consort Xian, especially since she now has the fierce Rong Pei and the inexplicable Xiao Lingzi by her side. One of them is clinging to her, while the other has suffered a great humiliation and is as soft as cotton, not even human. They might end up like Hailan and Yihuan. You must be wary."
These words of comfort were a blow to the emperor's heart. He lay down and asked, "So, what are your plans to do with Rong Pei?"
Aruo put away her brush and ink, and lay down. Suddenly, she said slowly, "Actually, I do have an idea, but alas, Princess Hejing is about to get married. I can't help but think of Princess Hewan, who is also approaching marriageable age. My heart is filled with sorrow, and this thought is easily interrupted by my worries."
The emperor knew that Aruo had come to negotiate terms.
He asked, "What does Consort Shen wish to do?"
Aruo said, "I cannot bear to see the princess leave the capital, but I dare not presume that Princess Hewan and Princess Hejing, like the sons of princes from large tribes like the Khorchin, will stay in the capital after their marriages. As for those from smaller tribes, perhaps we can consider that?"
The emperor thought about it. He had many princesses, and now that Yonglian had married a noblewoman from Mongolia, the Manchu-Mongol alliance was already solidified. Princess Hewan really didn't need to marry far away to Mongolia.
He then said, “The eldest son of the King of Balin is of suitable age and has a good appearance. I will immediately issue an edict to bring him to the capital to serve as a tutor to the princes. He will be betrothed to Princess Hewan in the future, and they will live in the capital after their marriage. Is Consort Shen satisfied with this?”
A'Ruo was quite satisfied, and then offered a suggestion: "I've heard that Rong Pei has ousted Hai Lan and given her all the hard work, making Hai Lan suffer quite a bit. As for Xian, she's only protecting Ling Yunche and completely ignoring him. It's clear that these demons aren't a united front. I was thinking, isn't Yi Huan at Ganlu Temple? You could say you're going to Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings, and take Xian with you. If they run into each other, they'll fight amongst themselves, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The Emperor hesitated, "But Yi Huan is the Empress's relative. The Empress doesn't know she has any problems. If this gets out of hand..."
Aruo said, "You have to take the Empress with you, right? If Consort Xian really causes trouble, it will be because she bullied the Empress's relative, and the Empress will be angry with her. You only went to pray for blessings because something happened at the hunting grounds, so no matter what the fault is, it can't be blamed on you."
The Emperor thought to himself that Ruyi had previously been indifferent to the seriously injured Hailan and had indeed sent abortion pills to Yihuan. He had also thought about letting them fight amongst themselves, but the time was not right. Now he could use A'ruo to test the waters first.
He rolled over and exclaimed happily, "That makes sense, that makes sense!"
As a result, when he turned over, he aggravated his back injury and couldn't help but gasp and grimace: "Consort Shen, Consort Shen... come and massage me."
A'Ruo was very reluctant to leave her warm bed, but she had no choice but to get up and poked the emperor's waist in an annoyed tone: "Is it here?"
The emperor hissed, and A'Ruo immediately pressed down hard, saying loudly, "Your Majesty! You must bear with the pain! If I don't press harder, these stiff places won't be able to open up!"
A'Ruo used to be a hard worker, and although she wasn't as strong as Yingluo, she could still pinch people quite hard.
The emperor was in so much pain that his face turned white, but because of his pride, he couldn't cry out. He had to hold it in, and his face turned from white to red.