Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 247 Unfinished Duties
A pretty young nun led Xue Sui into the Shuiyue Nunnery.

The snow under the eaves hadn't been swept away, and it crunched underfoot.

The young nun said timidly, "Benefactor, Abbess Huiming has arrived."

Perhaps it was the quiet and secluded atmosphere of the nunnery, but her voice had a slightly nasal quality to it.

Xue Sui looked up to meet her gaze, and an old nun emerged from the moon gate. She wore a simple gray robe, and a string of Bodhi seeds hanging from her neck gleamed warmly in the snow. Her face was solemn, and her eyes were deep and compassionate.

"Amitabha Buddha, is this Benefactor Xue?"

The emperor bestowed a hundred taels of gold to repair the nunnery. Shuiyue Nunnery, having received this favor, had everything arranged for her arrival. While not exactly overly attentive, everything was handled with care and consideration.

Xue Sui bowed and said, "It is indeed Xue Liu. I am sorry to disturb the nun's meditation."

The old nun scrutinized Xue Sui for a moment, then clasped her hands together, her eyes crinkling with unspoken words.

"Last night I dreamt of white plum blossoms covered in snow, and I knew that a distinguished guest was coming to my door. Sure enough, I welcomed you here..."

She was different from other nuns.

Xue Sui understood the nun's concerns and bowed respectfully.

"I would like to trouble you, nun, to preside over my tonsure ceremony."

The old nun nodded and led her into the main hall.

The candlelight flickered inside the hall, and the Buddha's compassionate gaze fell upon her, as if looking down upon the joys and sorrows of humankind.

The cushion had a faint scent of mugwort mixed with the aroma of aged incense, which gave people a sense of peace.

Xue Sui closed her eyes, knelt on the prayer mat, and listened to the sound of Abbess Huiming chanting Buddhist scriptures. Her mind wandered inexplicably, and she recalled what Li Zhao had said in prison—

"Even if the sky falls, I will still take you away from this hellish place."

Now she's really gone, but in this way.

"Is something on your mind, benefactor?" Master Huiming asked softly, gently turning the prayer beads in her hand.

"The nun's eyes are sharp." Xue Sui lowered her eyes, looking at the patterns on the prayer mat, and did not lie in front of the Buddha.

"You shaved your head yourself, and I thought you had already made up your mind. Now, seeing this, perhaps you are reluctant to part with it?"

"It was just a brief encounter in the mortal world, and once it's over, it's over." Xue Sui raised her hand to brush her hair and smiled. "I've long since left behind my worldly ties, and now I want to borrow the knife in your hand, Master, to carry out a clean and pure act."

“There’s a hint of hostility between your brows,” the old nun suddenly spoke, sighing softly. “Could it be that there’s someone you can’t let go of, or something you haven’t finished?”

Xue Sui calmly looked up at her, then at the Buddha statue, and said softly, "You can't let go, but you have to. Just like the snow outside this temple, it's cold when it falls into your palm, but if you clench your fist, it will melt."

Master Huiming smiled slightly: "In this world, it is normal not to get what you want. You might as well take it easy, everything is preordained."

“The nun is right.”

"This humble nun notices dark circles under your eyes and a listless demeanor; perhaps you should rest and recuperate for a while longer..."

"Don't be afraid, nun, I'm tough."

“Excellent! Then this humble nun will give you the Dharma name ‘Liaochen,’ shall we?”

"Thank you, Master." Xue Sui kowtowed, her forehead touching the ground.

Master Huiming said no more, and holding the dagger, she chanted: "The first cut, cuts off ignorance. The second cut, cuts off anger and delusion. The third cut, cuts off desire."

After saying this, he lightly brushed the dagger against her head, but didn't shave off much hair. He then wrapped the scraps in yellow silk and threw them into the incense burner to burn.

"May I eliminate all evil, may I cultivate all good, may I liberate all sentient beings..."

Then, she took a Guanyin water bottle and used a willow branch to dip water and gently sprinkle it on her shoulders.

"The first sprinkling cleanses the body, the second cleanses the mind, and the third cleanses the nature."

As soon as she finished speaking, she closed her eyes slightly and nodded in acknowledgment.

The young nun beside him fetched a Buddhist robe and draped it over Xue Sui.

Master Huiming said softly, "Liaochen, from now on you are a Buddhist, and you must abide by the rules and sever ties with worldly affairs."

The candles before the Buddha flickered on their own, even without wind.

Xue Sui kowtowed: "I will remember your teachings, Master."
-
After the ceremony, Xue Sui returned to his residence under the guidance of Xiao Ni.

The meditation room was set up in the backyard. Opening the window revealed an old plum tree with icicles hanging from its branches, reflecting a shimmering light.

Xiao Zhao was busy making the bed when she saw Xue Sui return, and she started muttering to herself.

“Girl, let’s plant some flowers in the yard when spring comes; this yard is too plain…”

"Isn't it better to be simple?" Xue Sui interrupted her, his gaze falling on the bronze mirror on the table. Reflected in it was a bald woman with thin eyebrows and a pointed chin, like a drawn sword. Her eyes were smiling, yet held a thin layer of icy coldness.

She touched the top of her head with satisfaction.

"It saves me the time of combing my hair, so I can do a lot more things."

Xiao Zhao pouted, touched the top of her head, and her eyes reddened again.

"Miss, these are your old belongings. Please take stock of them." Jinshu led her maid in, carrying two trunks. Her tone was calm, as always.

While Xue Sui was in the main hall, she and several maids had already set up the meditation room. The room was warm with charcoal fire burning, the tables and chairs were polished to a shine, and Xue Sui's usual celadon brush washer and sheep hair brush were placed there. Even the low table by the window was laid out with a layer of plain silk and pressed flat with a paperweight, just like before.

Compared to Tanqiu Courtyard, this place is much simpler, but it is bright and clean, and full of Zen atmosphere.

Xue Sui smiled slightly, his fingertips brushing against the copper clasp on the chest.

“My aunt handles all the affairs perfectly. I’m at ease.”

Xiao Zhao pouted as she bent down to tidy up the trunks. Suddenly, she pulled out a gilded lacquered box and several boxwood boxes from the bottom of the trunks. Inside were Xue Sui's old face powder, rouge, velvet flowers, and various hairpins and other mundane items...

The vibrant colors, bursting into view, stood out starkly against the somber gray of the meditation room.

Xiao Zhao's eyes reddened again. Just as she was about to ask what to do, Xue Sui reached out and took it, gently fiddled with it a couple of times, and then casually put it on the table.

"Keep them all."

Jinshu filled the brush washer with water and said gently, "If you miss your old things, just tell me and I'll go find them."

Xue Sui shook his head, his fingertips tracing the delicate peony patterns on the box.

"No matter how beautiful the scenery was in the past, it was for others to see. Unlike now, we live a carefree life, like wandering clouds and wild cranes."

Jinshu smiled slightly: "This servant understands."

Xue Sui appreciated Jinshu's thoughtfulness; she was an extremely reliable manager. Without needing to explicitly state anything, Jinshu understood Xue Sui's needs.

"Is there any news about the eldest son?"

Jinshu lowered her head and nodded: "Young Master will come again in a few days, saying that he will wait until you are calmer."

What is it that is making her uneasy?

The eldest brother is overthinking things.

Xue Sui sat by the window and looked out.

This window faces the empty mountains, and the mountain breeze brings a refreshing coolness.

I don't know when, but the snow had stopped.

A bright moon climbed over the mountaintop, its clear light spilling over the eaves of the temple. Under the snow's glow, the bare ginkgo trees pointed straight to the sky...

Xue Suili stood by the window gazing into the distance when he suddenly felt a slight itch in his chest, as if something was swirling in his blood and gently knocking on his heart's door, causing his heart to beat much faster.

She pressed her hand firmly against her chest.

This surging unrest was even more intense than usual...

I didn't think of romance, but romance came with the night, stirring my heart and crashing into my mind—

Li Zhao's cold eyes, gripping his sword, flickered like stars in a deep pool; the image of him riding his horse and cracking his whip lingered like a fleeting shadow; the hem of his black brocade robe, like vines, coiled and entwined around her heart...

"If I kiss you right now, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?"

The man's deep, husky, and scalding voice, accompanied by a tingling, ant-like sensation, surged through her veins, burning her senses, as if a warm breath brushed against her ear...

She had just taken medicine before leaving Hanzhang Hall.

It seems that some illnesses cannot be cured simply by taking medicine...

"Young lady, it's time for your meal. You've had a long and bumpy journey without a drop of water. Quickly drink a bowl of hot yam soup to warm yourself up..."

Xiao Zhao came in carrying a tray and greeted them warmly.

Xue Sui sat on a green bamboo rattan chair, pressed his hand to his chest and closed his eyes tightly.

"Did you hear the sound of horses' hooves?"

Xiao Zhao put down the bowl of porridge, looked at her strangely, listened for a moment, and then shook her head.

"Miss, you must have misheard me."

Xue Sui remained silent for a moment, then softly hummed in agreement.

The sound was indistinct, like the whistling of the night wind, languid and alluring, slowly disappearing into the stone steps outside the temple.

The wind was strong, and the door to the meditation room creaked twice before slamming shut!
Xue Sui touched the Buddhist scriptures on the table, then suddenly rushed forward and forcefully pushed open the window...

It was a cold night in the mountains. A pigeon fluttered in and landed in front of her window.

Xue Sui gently gathered it up and supported its paws.

The bird's claws were empty.

Xiao Zhao stood by the window and smiled, "So it's Lingyu! Auntie said that last night when she was packing her things, it suddenly flew away and she couldn't find it anywhere. She thought she had to go back to the palace to look for it, but it actually found its way here... Oh, Lingyu, you really are a little sprite..."

She reached out and gently stroked the pigeon, then took out some millet to feed it.

Lingyu responded with a cooing sound, its feathers gleaming softly in the candlelight.

Xue Sui picked up his pen, suppressing his erratic breathing, and sat down at his desk to write softly—

[I cast aside my golden hairpin for a simple robe, and let life take its course in simple shoes and socks.]

All the chess pieces have been sacrificed, only a single lamp remains lit before the Buddha.

The handwriting is so strong it seems to penetrate the paper, each stroke leaving long, drawn-out ink marks...

The flickering candlelight illuminated the determination in her eyes.

Outside the window, the moonlight, like water, illuminated the eaves of the temple and the majestic city walls of Shangjing.

"How can one sever worldly ties when worldly affairs are not yet resolved?"

Grudges and affections will eventually fade away.

In this quiet night, some struggle with love and hate, some sink into power struggles, but she will ultimately be the most clear-headed person in this game.

Simply wait for the flowers to bloom amidst the morning bells and evening drums of Shuiyue Nunnery, and regroup on your battlefield...