Chapter 69.1: Temple Rules are Meant to be Broken

“Is that so? Then we definitely need to feast one’s eyes on it.” Jing Wan evidently was very interested. Then contemplating for a bit, “I’ll invite big sister Jia, older cousin Yuan, and Ying Shuang together. The more the merrier. I’ll go send them an invitation right now.”

Jing Wan wasn’t someone who was indecisive. Once she says she’ll do something, she’ll do it.

Gong mama rather wished for her to refuse. If she refused, then that living Enma can’t blame them for not putting in the effort. Unfortunately, this excuse can be said to perfectly stab into Miss’s weak spot. Once again ‘helping the tyrant Zhou in his oppression[1]‘, she sighed inside her heart, ‘Miss ah, you’re this excited, but you’re voluntarily entering the wolf’s lair and tiger’s den!’

Jing Wan wrote the invitation cards as she said, “In a bit, when I go report to grandmother, I’ll also ask if grandmother wants to go too. Grandmother has been away from the capital for this many years. She’s probably very nostalgic towards many of the places in the capital city.”

“It is still Miss that’s filial.” With Luo Old Madam present, if she wanted to leave Miss by her side, then that was also perfectly legitimate, and naturally she won’t be easily left on her own. If that living Enma wanted to make a move, he would still have to reconsider. Although Gong mama has never assumed that as long as there were more people, it would stop him. But under such circumstances, where there was no other way, she could only find some consolation with this.

“This rather has nothing to do with being filial. I was just thinking in her place and felt grandmother would probably be like this.”

Jing Wan finished writing the invitations and took them directly with her to the main courtyard. When she suggested that she wanted to go to White Dragon Temple to play and offer incense, Luo Old Madam naturally wouldn’t not agree to it. For the time being, Luo Old Madam didn’t have anything important either. Although she wasn’t very interested in the White Dragon Temple’s peach orchard, she did miss the White Dragon Temple’s vegetarian dishes. “It’s been this many years already after all, afraid the chefs have long been changed. Don’t know if it will still be that taste.”

“There’s precisely the saying, ‘take the best, and discard the rubbish’. Perhaps the taste might be even better now.” Jing Wan said with a smile.

“Wan Wan is right, perhaps it’s even better now. What time did you arrange to go with those good friends of yours?”

“Tomorrow.”

“When it comes to plants and flowers, you sure are an impatient one.” Luo Old Madam pointed at her in the air.

“This granddaughter only has that bit of hobby.” Towards this, Jing Wan didn’t feel there was anything wrong in the least. “If grandmother feels it’s not suitable, we can change it. The invitations haven’t been sent out anyways.” Although she was eager to see that scenery, it’s not like she couldn’t wait another day or two either.

“No need, tomorrow is fine.” Luo Old Madam directly had a personal servant by her side go deliver the invitations.

After which, Jing Wan thought of another question. “Grandmother, should we ask the other sisters if they want to go too?” Was it bad to have not thought of them initially? Jing Wan began reflecting to herself. After all, they’re not in Qi’an Fu anymore. She wasn’t the only young lady that needed to go out from time to time to get fresh air. Furthermore, in the capital city, no matter what, she couldn’t be as free as in the regional prefectures either.

“No need, it’s not like they’ve only been in the capital for a month or half a year. What should be seen, they’ve probably all seen, and places that need to be visited, they’ve probably all visited. Perhaps when the peach blossoms first bloomed, they’ve already went and saw. In a bit, I’ll just have someone go ask your fourth aunt.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to grandmother then.” Not having to go together with Luo Jing Ying, Jing Wan naturally was even more satisfied.

The invitation cards Jing Wan sent out were very quickly responded to. The reply cards were all directly brought back by the person responsible for sending out the invitations, all indicating they wanted to go.

The quickest reply even belonged to Sun Yi Jia, who had the highest family status among them. Generally speaking, invitation cards sent into the Ding Duke Manor, at the quickest, would still need to wait until the next day before hearing a response. However, yesterday, after Sun Yi Jia returned home, she already spoke with the gatekeepers. If there’s anyone from the Head Minister Luo’s residence looking for her, or have an invitation to give her, directly have the person led to her place. Because of this, Sun Yi Jia directly met with the Luo family’s servant. Having received Jing Wan’s invitation, she naturally was very happy. Never mind going to White Dragon Temple to admire flowers, even if it’s going to the outskirts to look at weed, she would still be happily willing. Thus, she immediately wrote a reply, clearly stating that tomorrow she will head to the Luo Manor as early as possible.

The other two families weren’t that complicated or troublesome either. In addition, someone from the Luo family, the two families’ gatekeepers naturally didn’t dare to slight, and so they were all able to successfully meet the family’s masters.

On this side, Jing Wan had just finalized the trip, and at the same time, on that side, Li Hong Yuan more or less had arrived at White Dragon Temple.

Have to say, Li Hong Yuan’s move at the flower market really can be said to be played brilliantly. He had more than half of the officials of the entire capital all involved in it. Of the few most influential princes on the surface, not one will be able to make it out cleanly. Not only that, it even caused yet another intense struggle between them, mutually suspecting one another. An as the mastermind, after stirring up the waters, he not only clapped his hands and nonchalantly left, he even made it where not a single person suspected him.

And those that vaguely guessed that it might’ve been his handiwork, regardless how sorrowful they felt inside, they didn’t say a single word. Instead they just once again warned themselves, following this kind of master, even if their leeway to fully utilize their abilities were reduced quite a bit, even possibly becoming a person that only needed to work and didn’t need to talk, still don’t give birth to disloyalty.

Hidden in the grove to the side, Li Hong Yuan stared at this magnificent buddhist temple that was filled with the buddhist scent. His train of thought somewhat adrift again.

(T/N: Smells like buddha I guess lol)

White Dragon Temple was the buddhist temple consecrated by the imperial family. Aside from some special day, this place was also open to the commoners. That’s why incense burning flourished year round. In addition, the presiding monk, Liao Chen, was the present age’s Enlightened High Monk. To the extent that this place was nearly filled with visitors every day.

Grandmaster Liao Chen’s fortune telling, divinatory diagram reading, and name surveying were all very accurate. However, in a year, he at most only calculated three fortunes. Furthermore, one had to be a fated person as well. Otherwise, even if his Majesty were to personally grace his presence, he still wouldn’t let him break the rules. For some people, the so called fated person was probably just the other person was pleasant to the eyes, but this wasn’t the case for Grandmaster Liao Chen. In his eyes, he didn’t discriminate between noble or lowly status. His examining of whether a person had fate or not, didn’t even rely on his eyes.

There were countless people every year that earnestly hoped to become the fated person Grandmaster Liao Chen spoke of, not only just wanting to know their own fate, but also to be able to let Grandmaster Liao Chen alter their fate.

No one knew where this rumor came from, but everyone all deeply believed in it. It’s not that there weren’t any influential officials that wanted to force Grandmaster Liao Chen to alter their fate, but not long after, that person died an unnatural death. One has to know, that person was told by quite a few grandmasters simultaneously that ‘one’s life although was a bit bumpy, nevertheless there was the sign of longevity.’ But when he died he wasn’t even thirty yet. In an instant, those restless people all shut their mouths out of fear, not daring to be rash. When facing Grandmaster Liao Chen, they all carried respect. To be able to let him predict their fortune, or give them a few pointers was naturally good. If not, then they wouldn’t impose either.

Just, with Grandmaster Liao Chen, there were also a few other rules, he won’t predict the fate of the country, close matters, and distant matters.

The so called fate of the country, naturally can be easily understood. And as for close matters, that was things that will happen very soon. The matters of the world can change countless times in an instant. The matters before one’s eyes, even if predicted, it would still be hard to alter. As for not predicting distant matters, meant he won’t predict matters hundreds of years from now. The time was too far, he was powerless to predict, couldn’t predict, and unable to predict.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Grandmaster Liao Chen wasn’t the type of person that was elusive and never seen. Although he would occasionally leave the capital, he definitely wouldn’t let someone be completely unable to find his whereabouts. Even when there’s a noble personage or someone that was rather special that wanted to come meet him and listen to his lectures, he still wouldn’t self maintain his status and avoid them.

Li Hong Yuan and Grandmaster Liao Chen actually can be considered old acquaintances, and not just in this life. In his past life, in those years he sat on the throne, if not for Grandmaster Liao Chen enlightening him from time to time, afraid his viciousness would be even heavier, killing even more people. His tyrant name, afraid wouldn’t just be limited to the imperial court, but also widely spread across the land.

In this life, after he left the palace and opened his own residence at 16, he immediately went to find Grandmaster Liao Chen. He didn’t say much, only one question: ‘Can this prince’s wish come true?’

No one knew whether or not Grandmaster Liao Chen was able to see anything. He only said to him, “Wangye harbors an obsession, similar to a mantra. Even if this humble monk says you can’t, will Wangye give up this obsession?”

“Won’t.” The young Li Hong Yuan replied very bluntly.

“Since that’s the case, why be concerned with whether one can or can not? When the time comes, naturally one will be able to know.”

Since then, Li Hong Yuan no longer inquired, and didn’t let Grandmaster Liao Chen predict his fortune for him either, occasionally coming to find Grandmaster Liao Chen only to play some qi, drink some tea, or discuss buddhist teachings. Actually, Li Hong Yuan was rather proficient in the buddhist teachings, yet he’s always held it in contempt. Even going as far as to criticize everything about it is wrong in front of Grandmaster Liao Chen. Such presumptuous words were frequent, and every time Grandmaster Liao Chen would only laugh and not speak. And only when Li Hong Yuan finished, would he finally say with a smile, “Wangye understands the buddhist teachings, that’s why Wangye is able to find other ways to refute the teachings.” In exchange, Li Hong Yuan coldly snorted.

Li Hong Yuan only brought Eunuch Mu by his side. He stood for about a quarter of an hour, before finally, without attracting any outside attention, heading towards White Dragon Temple’s rear courtyard directly. Grandmaster Liao Chen was already respectfully waiting there for him. Adorned in monk’s clothes, with kind brows and pleasant eyes, growing a long white beard, certainly appearing quite elderly in years, yet his complexion was rosy. And that pair of eyes didn’t look muddy and unclear, like an ordinary elderly person’s, instead, even looking bright and clear like an infant’s. It was truly unbelievable. However, those eyes only quietly looked at you, as if able to make one quickly feel tranquil.

Grandmaster Liao Chen put his palms together, “This humble monk greets Wangye.” The monks behind him all bowed with him.

“Grandmaster, no need to be too courteous.” Li Hong Yuan returned the courtesy. Compared to when he left the palace plagued by moodiness, right now, he was like a completely different person, as different as the sky and earth.

The party directly headed to the little courtyard Li Hong Yuan often stayed in. Pushing open one of the side room doors, it was clean and simple, incense fragrance permeating the whole place. Naturally it was the highest quality sandalwood burning.

On the two sides of the short table, Li Hong Yuan sat across from Grandmaster Liao Chen. The novice monk very quickly brought the tea. This was the White Dragon Temple’s distinctive tea from a hundreds of years old tea tree. The amount every year was very little, and more importantly, from picking the tea leaves to the final product, it was all taken care of by Grandmaster Liao Chen. Perhaps because of this, it was dyed with a trace buddhist nature. In his past life, after Li Hong Yuan became the Emperor, he very tyrannically hoarded all the tea for himself. Luckily, Grandmaster Liao Chen was very magnanimous, never one to bicker with him. Since he wanted, he thus gave him.

Li Hong Yuan looked to the faint steam coming from the cup. This tea’s flavor was very unique. Bitter, then sweet. After swallowing down the tea, the mouth was then filled with a sweet scent, truly leaving a rich aftertaste. Most importantly, it had the effect of calming the nerves.

“Wangye’s mood is very good.” Grandmaster Liao Chen said.

“Grandmaster has an all seeing mind, so naturally nothing can be hidden from grandmaster.” Li Hong Yuan casually replied.

“Wangye truly is able to have one’s desire fulfilled.” Grandmaster Liao Chen quickly added. Yet, coming from his mouth, it didn’t sound harsh at all.

Li Hong Yuan paused and lifted his head, “After six years, why didn’t grandmaster suddenly mention this again? Compared to that time, grandmaster’s attitude is also vastly different.”

“For Wangye to be able have one’s wish fulfilled, that is the good fortune of the world.”

“Grandmaster’s words are too serious.”

“Wangye knows best inside that this humble monk’s words are not empty.”

[1] Tyrant Zhou is reference to one of the early mythical King’s of ancient China, it’s in debate whether the early Kings of ancient history were real or not. His full title is King Zhou of Shang, and he is known for being the one responsible for the destruction of the Shang dynasty. He’s more known for his role in the 16th century novel, Investiture of the Gods, where he falls in love with the infamous nine-tailed fox spirit Daji, which eventually leads him into becoming a cruel tyrant and leading his country to ruins.