Chapter 90.1 - An Inescapable Trap (Part I) (1/2)

In the capital, the spring rain looked as if it was about to stop, but then suddenly it became heavier. Prior hopes for its abatement were dashed, and people were bitterly disappointed. All day long, the common people were praying to the gods and asking Buddha for help, hoping that the heavens would not continue to punish the Great Jin dynasty. However, the heavens do not heed man’s wishes, and it continued to rain as intensely as before.

Xia Yan proposed that the Jiang fu daughters should visit Bao Guang Temple to pray for blessings. Firstly, because at this time every year, the Jiang family would visit Bao Guang Temple to make a donation by purchasing incense, and then seeking Buddha’s blessing and protection. Secondly, Bao Guang Temple was the most famous temple in the capital and was known to be very effective in answering prayers, especially where touzhu incense[1] was concerned. Every year, countless people would be engaged in endless disputes over the touzhu incense. However, this year, due to the rain, there were much fewer disputes than usual.

[1] 头柱香 (tou zhu xiang) – In general, burning incense is an act of worship, Touzhu Xiang involves an ancient custom, where people rush to offer incense on the first day of the (Chinese) New Year, believing that this first offering of incense has the greatest merit and will be blessed the most. Worshippers will rush to the temple and may fight to be the first person to offer incense to show their piety. However, in this text it seems that this incense can be offered at other times of the year as well.

When Xia Yan made this suggestion, Jiang Ruan was very quick to agree. Lu Zhu said, nervously, “Miss, she clearly has bad intentions. Why did Miss agree so readily?”

Bao Guang Temple was in the mountainous region and there were many dangers along the route there. Since the rain was at present bombarding the earth, the mud road would be more unstable, and the journey would be even more challenging. The rich people who usually visited the temple all shrank back from undertaking such a journey, yet Xia Yan had proposed going there to offer touzhu incense. Surely, the situation was more complex than it seemed.

“It’s all right.” Jiang Ruan smiled faintly and said, “The clamshells are sealed too tightly, so it’s difficult to find a way to take action. Now that they have opened up of their own accord, how can we not seize the opportunity?”

Lu Zhu had found out that Xia Yan had gone out in the morning and had not returned until evening. When she returned, there was something peculiar about her expression and she straightaway went to Su Xin Yuan, where she had spoken with Jiang Su Su for a long time before eventually returning to her own courtyard.

“Clamshells?” Lu Zhu was taken aback. “Does Miss want to . . .”

“Tomorrow, you will go out with me.” Jiang Ruan beckoned for her to come over, then whispered several commands into her ear. When Lu Zhu heard them, her face went through several changes of expression before she said, “Miss, you can’t do this, it’s too dangerous!”

“How can you catch a tiger cub if you don’t enter the tiger’s lair?” Jiang Ruan said. “Besides, it’s not as if there is absolutely no possibility of success.”

Lu Zhu bit her lip. Finally, amid the turbulence in her heart, she said, “This servant will listen to Miss.”

Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. The hot tea before her sent up spirals of mist. This would be her second time visiting Bao Guang Temple. The first time had been five years ago, when she had wanted to fight over the touzhu incense, hoping that Zhao Mei would quickly recover from her illness. However, she had not managed to win the touzhu incense, and Zhao Mei’s condition did not improve.

In this lifetime, she did not believe in gods or Buddhas. She would begin her bloody revenge in this Buddhist sacred place.

Li An? She slowly lowered her head. The steam from the tea rose up in spirals, obscuring her face; one could only see a pair of clear, glistening eyes, which flashed fiercely for a split second, while her rosy lips ticked up at the corners.

Wait patiently.

* * *

Hui Jue had been extremely at ease the past few days.

In order to protect him, Guan Liang Han had invited him to stay in the Guan fu, and had even casually assigned him a bodyguard. Although Hui Jue was puzzled, he assumed that Guan Liang Han and the person behind Jiang Ruan were one and the same, and thus did not overly concern himself with the situation. After the reservoir incident, his popularity in the capital was extremely high, and many of the aristocratic families had invited him to visit them so they could bask in the reflected glory. However, Jiang Ruan had sent him a letter through an intermediary, asking him to keep a low profile, and suggesting that it would be best to keep his public appearances to a minimum.

At first, Hui Jue was discontented. Later, though, he understood that a large part of the reason why people worship gods and Buddha is the mystery involved. Nowadays, the more popular he became, the more he had to protect his mysterious aura. Jiang Ruan had said, in order to accomplish big things, one could not covet small gains. If one were exceedingly cautious now, one would enjoy great riches and honour in future.

Hui Jue regarded Jiang Ruan’s words as precious treasures to be revered, so he naturally complied with them. Everyday, he engaged in silent meditation in the Guan fu, and very rarely went out. Today, he was standing in front of the window wiping clean his wooden fish[2] when he saw Guan Liang Han chasing after a black-clad young man along the long corridor beyond the flower garden of the Guan fu, towards the entrance. As he hurried, he shouted, “Third Brother, what are you using my troops for again? No way, absolutely no way, what do you take my Guan family troops for? Damn you! Stop right there!”

木鱼对于佛教的真实意义是什么？ Image result for 木鱼

[2] 木鱼 (mùyú) – Literally “wooden fish”. An elaborately carved wooden drum struck with a padded wooden stick during Buddhist chanting services. Fish, since they never sleep, symbolize the alertness and watchfulness needed to attain Buddhahood. These are two kinds of wooden fish: One is round in shape with scales carved on it. The other is rectangle in shape, suspended in front of the dining hall of a Buddhist temple. When having breakfast and lunch, the monks beat it to produce rhythm.

Hui Jue adhered to the principle: see no evil, hear no evil[3], and thus he closed the window with a snap.

[3] 非礼莫视，非礼莫听 (fei li mo shi, fei li mo ting) – this is an abridged version of the Confucian analect: 非礼勿视，非礼勿听, 非礼勿言，非礼勿动 – do not see what is contrary to propriety, do not listen to what is contrary to propriety, do not speak what is contrary to propriety, do not do what is contrary to propriety.

Outside the main entrance, Xiao Shao had finally come to a stop. Guan Liang Han, who had been taking great strides, almost crashed into him. Jumping around agitatedly, he yelled angrily, “Damn it, what’s going on with you? Give me the soldier tally[4]!