After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 225 Jia Baoyu Castrates Himself

Huang'en Temple is located on Wanhua Mountain in the west of the city. Jia Family Iron Threshold Temple and Muni Temple, where Miaoyu stayed after arriving in Beijing, are also nearby. There are dozens of temples and Taoist temples. Huang'en Temple is located on the main peak. From the mountain gate to the top of the mountain, there are many buildings, including nearly ten pagodas.

When Chu Yan arrived at Wanhua Mountain, Abbot Huineng of Huangen Temple was already leading a group of monks, totaling more than 500 people, waiting in front of the mountain gate.

Upon seeing the imperial carriage, all the monks knelt and bowed.

Chu Yan gestured for them to rise, and the officials from the Ministry of Rites hurriedly led Huineng to the Emperor's presence, where the abbot of Huang'en Temple bowed once more.

"Get up."

Chu Yan did not get out of the carriage. After meeting him once, he lowered the curtain and the carriage continued forward, stopping only when it reached the middle of the mountain.

Guards stood watch everywhere, and officials from the Ministry of Rites and eunuchs drove away the rest of the people in the temple, leaving only a dozen or so elderly monks behind. The rest were all sent to the back courtyard of the temple.

After the area was cleared, the concubines got out of their carriages one after another and came to Chu Yan's side.

"Come on, let's go up."

Chu Yan led them up the mountain. There were still five or six hundred steps left. He smiled at them and said, "If you get tired later, you can take a palanquin, but there are only a few. You can take turns if you want to ride one."

He glanced at Daiyu, then at Baochai.

Daiyu remained silent, but Baochai's forehead was already covered in fragrant sweat, which made her fair skin appear even more smooth and tender.

Xiangyun walked beside him and said with a smile, "We're out here today to work up a good sweat and have a good time. Sister Lin is feeling better now, so she doesn't need to ride in a sedan chair!"

Daiyu then gave Chu Yan a look and said with a smile, "Thanks to the Emperor, I was able to take a elixir, and my health is much better than before. I haven't even taken any medicine these past few days."

Everyone hurriedly asked, "Is Pin'er really better?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "Although it's not perfect, it's about 70 or 80 percent better."

Everyone was amazed and chatted and laughed as they went up the stone steps. However, Tan Chun, Xiang Yun, Feng Jie, and a few others were still worried about Jia Baoyu, who was about to become a monk.

Upon arriving at the main gate of Huang'en Temple, the young ladies, wives, and maids were all exhausted. They rested briefly under the shade of the trees before entering the temple.

Burn incense and worship Buddha, and visit the various halls.

Chu Yan was accompanied by Abbot Huineng and several old monks, who explained things along the way. They said with smiles that most of the things that were originally bestowed upon the temple by the Shun Dynasty royal family had been put away, such as plaques, memorial tablets, and calligraphy and paintings.

Of the five emperors of the Shun Dynasty, three stayed here, hence the name Huang'en Temple (Imperial Grace Temple).

Chu Yan didn't say much along the way, only casually lighting an incense stick in the main hall. His calm demeanor made Huineng and the others increasingly anxious, and they hurriedly pulled Xia Shouzhong aside.

After a while, Xia Shouzhong stepped forward and said with a fawning smile, "Does Your Majesty wish to rename this temple? Or perhaps write another temple plaque for it to hang up, so as to truly reflect the benevolence and wisdom of our dynasty!"

Xiangyun and the others were sightseeing ahead when Chu Yanxian asked, "Are there only three or four hundred people in the temple?"

Huineng hurriedly replied, "There are about 2,500 people. Besides those who came to greet you earlier, there are also novices and lay Buddhists in the temple."

Chu Yan then asked, "How much land does the temple own?"

Xia Shouzhong quickly gave Huineng a look, urging him to tell the truth: the new emperor had just confiscated the property of the princes and nobles in the capital, and the sword was sharp at that moment.

Abbot Huineng could only reply, "It's about 100,000 mu." He quickly explained, "Most of these were bestowed by the Shun Dynasty emperor, and some were donated by devout men and women and registered under the temple's name, with the temple collecting rent on their behalf."

Chu Yan said, "No wonder. I see that your temple is in good condition everywhere. It is clear that you have taken good care of it."

Huineng smiled and said, "Huang'en Temple belongs to His Majesty. It was merely a gift that allowed us to stay here temporarily for cultivation. How can it be said to be mine? Please understand, Your Majesty."

Chu Yan laughed, said nothing, waved for him to step back, and went to continue his tour of the temple with Baochai and the others.

There was no excuse, and it was not appropriate to target Huang'en Temple. He didn't need to personally speak up to take back some land; he could simply issue an imperial decree later.

After a brief tour, Tan Chun came to ask, "Your Majesty, would you like to summon Bao Yu?"

Chu Yan nodded, "Go ahead and call him. There's a pavilion outside, let's go sit down and you can chat with him."

As they spoke, they exited the temple through a side gate and sat down in a pavilion by the cliff. Hongyu and the others went to bring tea. Since the pavilion couldn't accommodate many people, the maids, such as Zijuan and Fangguan, sat under the trees to cool off, using handkerchiefs as mats on the ground.

Sitting beside Chu Yan were Ke Qing and Bao Chai. Xiang Yun would occasionally look into the distance and say, "I wonder how Second Brother is doing?"

Chu Yan looked at Daiyu and saw that she was just sitting quietly, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, neither arrogant nor impatient, and gently fanning herself with a round fan.

Baoqin joked with her, and Xichun and Yingchun were also there.

After finishing her tea, Xiangyun saw two eunuchs leading a young man in a gray cloth shirt approaching from afar. Xiangyun spotted him with her sharp eyes, but after a few glances, she said in a puzzled tone, "Come and see, that man looks a bit like Brother Bao!"

The girls rushed over to look, and when they got closer, they saw that it was indeed Jia Baoyu!
"Baoyu!"

"Second brother."

They called out in unison, and Jia Baoyu finally recognized them. His eyes were fixed on them, his lips trembled, and tears streamed down his face as he cried out, "Second Sister, Third Sister... Sister Yun, Sister Bao... Sister Lin, Sister Lin, are you there?!"

After searching for a while, he finally found that familiar, slender figure among the many young ladies and concubines, and immediately burst into tears again.

Chu Yan glanced at Daiyu and saw that she only looked sad but did not cry. He didn't know if she had cried all her tears or if she no longer wanted to cry for Jia Baoyu.

He smiled and said to Daiyu, "You go and talk to him, I'll just sit here."

Daiyu sneered, "Whether I speak or not is my own business. Do you think it's your order for me to go and talk to Baoyu?"

Fortunately, everyone else was talking to Baoyu and didn't hear her words. Only Qin Keqing overheard it, but she just smiled and didn't say anything.

Chu Yan had no choice but to say, "Either you're in the right, or he'll come into the pavilion if you don't go."

Although Jia Baoyu was talking to the sisters, his eyes kept glancing at Daiyu, which showed that he had not yet let go of her, let alone sever his worldly ties and become a monk.

Daiyu said, "You don't allow ordinary people to enter this pavilion?"

Chu Yan understood what she meant and smiled, "Alright, sit next to me, come here!"

He reached out and pulled her, and Daiyu, without much struggle, was beside him, standing silently and glancing at him.

Jia Baoyu finally couldn't hold back any longer and walked into the pavilion with tears streaming down his face. He stared blankly at his Lin sister, tears flowing uncontrollably.

Qin Keqing smiled and called out, "Brother Bao, how have you been these past few days?"

Baochai, who was also standing nearby, laughed and said, "Brother Bao, why don't you bow to the Emperor? The older you get, the less manners you have."

Jia Baoyu finally came to his senses and reluctantly bowed. Chu Yan said indifferently, "I heard that Young Master Jia wants to become a monk. It just so happens that I brought my concubines out for a trip. Let your sisters meet you. You can chat as you please."

Jia Baoyu had no choice but to bow again.

Sister Feng stepped forward and asked, "Brother Bao, do you really want to become a monk? If you really say you want to become a monk in front of the Emperor, you will really have to shave your head and become a monk. We are all here now, and the Emperor will not make things difficult for you. Just tell the truth, do you want to become a monk or not?"

All the girls looked at him. Baoqin, Junyi, and Xuanzhu sat to the side, not saying much. They had just come to visit and, like Qin Keqing, didn't care much about whether Jia Baoyu had become a monk.

Although Li Wan was Jia Baoyu's daughter-in-law, she had been married into the Jia family for several years and watched Jia Baoyu grow up, so she also cared about him.

Upon hearing Feng Jie's words, Jia Baoyu subconsciously looked at Lin Daiyu, only to find her indifferent, seemingly unconcerned, and without the excitement and tears he had felt upon seeing her again.

In that instant, Jia Baoyu's heart broke. Wiping away his tears, he said, "You don't need to care about me anymore. You can be concubines in the palace, and I will be a monk in the temple. From now on, we will have nothing to do with each other!"

Even Chu Yan knew that these words were meant for Daiyu.

Daiyu remained silent, only slightly furrowing her brow.

Tan Chun advised him, "Second Brother, are you tired of the corvée labor? Now that His Majesty is wise, let me tell you, you only need to serve for a few more years, and there will be a time when His Majesty will grant you and your master a pardon. You must not become a monk because of a moment of confusion, because then you won't be able to get a pardon!"

This was something Chu Yan had promised them, so Tan Chun brought it up.

Yingchun couldn't help but advise, "The old lady and the madam have been thinking about you these past few days and don't want you to become a nun. In my opinion, it would be better if you went back to the royal estate and settled down there."

Xichun didn't say anything.

Li Wan and Feng Jie tried to persuade him again, and even Qin Keqing tried to persuade him out of consideration for their past relationship, but Jia Baoyu remained unmoved. He looked at Daiyu several times, but saw that she remained silent, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Lin Daiyu did indeed enter the palace as a concubine.

If that's the case, what difference does it make whether he's in a temple or an imperial estate? It's what's meant by "the body is like the void, the Dharma is like a dream, there is no attainment, no proof." What he realized that day will ultimately be fulfilled here.

He was thinking to himself, but seeing Lin Daiyu's appearance and expression brought back memories of the past, and he couldn't help but ask, "Lin Daiyu...do you have something to say?"

The pavilion fell silent for a moment.

Tan Chun, Feng Jie, and others all knew that the two had feelings for each other, but now the emperor wanted to take Daiyu as a concubine. The fact that the two could meet again was already a sign of the emperor's favor towards Lin Daiyu. No one else would have been so willful.

Even Xiangyun was worried that His Majesty the Emperor would be angry.

"Zijuan." Daiyu called out, and Zijuan, who was enjoying the cool shade under the tree, hurried over and handed her the letter. Daiyu then handed the letter to Jia Baoyu, saying only, "The Yangtze River flows from west to east, and once it enters the sea, there is no way it can flow back up."

Jia Baoyu was instantly filled with despair, knowing that what she meant was that it was impossible to go back to the way things were before, and that from now on they would have nothing to do with each other!
"Enough, enough, enough! I will shave my head and become a monk today. From now on, there will be no more Jia Baoyu in this world. I will not make things difficult for my sisters, nor will I delay your entry into the palace to become imperial concubines!"

Jia Baoyu resolutely said.

Daiyu turned her head with a cold smile, and understood that the last sentence meant that she only cared about wealth and status and wanted to become a concubine in the palace, which was why she was so ruthless.

When she was at home, she would explain that she had no intention of entering the palace, but now, she would just let him go and they would have nothing to do with each other from now on!
"Baoyu, think about it again!"

Tan Chun and the others tried to persuade him again, but Jia Baoyu had already made up his mind, so they had no choice but to give up.

After watching the play, Chu Yan was very satisfied and said, "Let's go to the Buddhist hall to watch Brother Bao's head-shaving ceremony. It's like you two are brothers and sisters in this life, and they'll see you off."

Huineng hurried over and led everyone to the Buddhist hall.

Seeing that Xichun was somewhat dazed, Chu Yan hesitated for a moment, but heard her whisper, "After shaving your head, you will truly be unrelated to everyone else, with no more brothers, sisters, parents, or relatives."

Chu Yan smiled, raised his hand and pinched Xi Chun's innocent and lovely face, and whispered to her, "Fourth sister is indeed the most cold-hearted, but I will not allow you to become a nun. From now on, you will be my concubine in the palace."

Xi Chun blushed slightly and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. I was just expressing my feelings. I don't mean to become a nun. Besides, I've seen that temples aren't very peaceful."

Yingchun and the others may have just been sightseeing, but Xichun was paying close attention. First, she saw the temple's magnificent splendor; second, she overheard the abbot and Chu Yan's conversation; and third, she witnessed the monks' servile and obsequious manner, which was completely different from the Buddhism she had imagined.

If she has to kneel before the emperor even at a temple, why bother coming to a temple at all? She doesn't have to kneel in the palace.

Chu Yan smiled and walked alongside her. Ke Qing turned around and said with a smile, "Your Majesty and Fourth Sister, hurry up! We've never seen a hair-shaving ceremony before!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Baoyu, who was walking ahead, faltered.

His ordination ceremony was used as a source of amusement by the emperor and his concubines!

Upon arriving at the Buddhist hall, it was not the abbot's place to shave the head of a young novice like Jia Baoyu. However, since the emperor was present to witness the ceremony, the abbot personally shaved his head.

"Second brother."

Tan Chun sighed.

Baochai also remembered many things and glanced at her mother.

Xiangyun, standing next to Chu Yan, had nothing more to say.

During the gradation ceremony, Jia Baoyu looked at Lin Daiyu several times, as if thinking that if she spoke up, he would give up his vow to become a monk and return to the imperial estate, or go anywhere else.

In the end, Daiyu remained silent, only somewhat dazed, as if she had many things on her mind.

Inside the Buddhist hall, the most anxious person was none other than Zijuan, who was clutching two old handkerchiefs in her hand.

She originally wanted to put the handkerchief in the envelope, but she was worried that it would bulge out and be taken out by Master Bao. At that time, the girl would not be able to explain herself, which would only displease His Majesty.

But if she didn't return it soon, after the haircut was finished, Master Bao would be sent back to live in the temple's backyard, and she wouldn't be able to return it then.

Therefore, he sighed, "Young lady, you have really given me a very big problem."

After a while, feeling that she couldn't wait any longer, Zijuan quietly found Qingwen and asked her, "I have something to give to Master Bao, would you help me?"

Qingwen asked, "What is it?"

"Don't worry about it, I have my own plans."

“That won’t do,” Qingwen said with a smile. “It’s not like before. I can’t pass things to you privately anymore. There are rules in the palace.”

Zijuan thought for a while and could only sigh, "This is the very thing you sent before."

As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief.

Qingwen looked at the handkerchief strangely for a while, turning it over and over, and sighed, "What a coincidence! I brought it here, and now I'm being asked to return it." After a moment, she smiled and said, "Well, I'll help Master Bao again and repay the favor."

Zijuan whispered, "Don't tell His Majesty about this."

Qingwen thought for a moment and said, "If Your Majesty asks, I will say so; if not, I don't like to talk about it."

Zijuan smiled and thanked her.

After a while, the hair-shaving ceremony ended, and Jia Baoyu received a Buddhist name: Kongxing.

With his head shaved, he bowed to his former sisters with hands clasped in greeting. Huineng then ordered his men to take him back to the backyard, where he never had any further dealings with the secular world and devoted himself to spiritual practice within the temple.

After Tan Chun and the others cried for a while, they had no choice but to stop and continue playing in the mountains.

Qingwen, holding a handkerchief and accompanied by several eunuchs, went straight to the back gate of the temple and ordered someone to call out Master Bao, no, to call out Kongxing, who had just had his head shaved.

She handed the two handkerchiefs back to him and said with a smile, "Zijuan asked me to bring these to you. She said it's up to you, Second Master, whether you burn them or throw them away, and from now on, we'll have nothing to do with each other."

Upon seeing the handkerchief, Kongxing felt as if struck by lightning, and instinctively cried out, "Lin Daiyu! Did Lin Daiyu tell you to return it to me?"

Qingwen didn't answer, turned around and left, saying from afar, "Second Master, take care of yourself."

"Kongxing" returned to the room, clutching her handkerchief in a daze. Although she had shaved her head, the old memories that came to mind were even more numerous than before she became a nun. She had not forgotten the people from her past after becoming a nun; on the contrary, her heart was breaking. All she could think about were the beautiful and spirited sisters she had just seen.

The thought of never seeing his sisters again made him feel increasingly choked up. He held the handkerchief in his hand for a long time before looking down at it.

He vaguely saw writing on the handkerchief, and quickly unfolded it to take a closer look. He could vaguely see the words "idly tossed aside, for whom?", which were clearly the lines of poetry that Lin Daiyu had written for him!

He didn't examine the handkerchief closely when he got it back that day, and thus missed it!
"Why did Lin Daiyu specifically return the handkerchief to me?"

"And why did you show me the letter just now?"

"She remained silent throughout, only speaking to me when she was near the emperor..."

"Yes, that must be it! That treacherous emperor coerced her, making her afraid to say a word!"

"She returned my handkerchief because she was heartbroken. I had misunderstood her. It turns out that Lin Daiyu had always had me in her heart, and she waited until today to return the handkerchief. I had misunderstood her before!"

In an instant, Jia Baoyu felt as if his heart was being torn apart, regretting his past mistake that Lin Daiyu had entered the palace as a concubine. But Lin Daiyu only returned the handkerchief to him today. Wasn't this a testament to Lin Daiyu's deep affection and loyalty?

With the emperor standing to the side, she dared not say a word... Sister Lin!

With a handkerchief in hand and tears welling in his eyes, Jia Baoyu ran out of the room, eager to find Lin Daiyu again and say one more word to her!

but.

Without an imperial edict, how could the eunuchs tolerate his reckless behavior?
Before he could even get close, a group of eunuchs pinned him down, punching and kicking him until he was pushed back, and sneered, "What kind of thing is this, daring to disturb the Emperor and the concubines' enjoyment!"

Jia Baoyu paced anxiously around, unwilling to leave. The eunuchs, seeing that he was someone with connections, did not dare to actually kill him, but simply prevented him from getting close.

"Can't those people also get close to the concubines in the harem?" Jia Baoyu suddenly pointed to the eunuchs following behind the emperor and concubines in the distance.

The nearby eunuchs laughed and beat Jia Baoyu again, scolding him: "You should also cut yourself off and become a eunuch with us, so that you can serve the emperor and his concubines. If you don't dare to cut yourself off, don't make fun of us!"

What was originally meant as a scolding turned into a cruel rebuke from Jia Baoyu, who gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll go back and cut it off! You tell me what to do!"

The young eunuchs were immediately amused and demonstrated to him how to castrate himself. They had initially intended to tease him, thinking that a young master from a duke's mansion wouldn't dare to do it. However, they didn't expect that the person in front of them was extraordinary. After learning how to castrate himself, he hurriedly went back to the backyard to find a knife.

The eunuchs panicked, fearing they would be implicated, and scattered in all directions, hiding among the other eunuchs, pretending to be nonchalant.

there.

Chu Yan was admiring Miaoyu standing on the cliff edge, her water-patterned robe fluttering in the wind, looking ethereal and otherworldly, chatting with Ke Qing and the others, when suddenly, a loud shout rang out:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Jia Baoyu has castrated himself!!"

"what?"

Not only Chu Yan, but all the girls also couldn't figure out which two words "castration" referred to. They only knew that something had happened to Jia Baoyu, so they hurriedly called the eunuch over to report.

The eunuch came running up, panting, and hurriedly said, "A monk just came to report that Jia Baoyu has castrated himself and is bleeding right now, crying out in pain!"

Baoqin was the first to react, and asked in surprise, "You mean... becoming a eunuch in the palace?"

The eunuch nodded hurriedly: "Exactly!"

Not only Chu Yan, Xiang Yun, Tan Chun, Xi Chun, Li Wan, and Feng Jie, but even the dignified and unassuming Baochai was surprised and asked, "Why would Brother Bao castrate himself? Could it be that someone is trying to harm him?"

The eunuch shook his head and mumbled, "I heard that perhaps she wants to enter the palace to serve the Emperor..."

Everyone immediately understood.

But now is not the time to dwell on these matters. Chu Yan immediately issued an edict: "Order the imperial physicians to treat him. Use whatever medicine you can to save his life!"

(End of this chapter)