Chapter 69.2: Temple Rules are Meant to be Broken
Li Hong Yuan was plagued by his obsession*, fulfilling his wish, this obsession will be erased. Once his intentions were all smooth, naturally all things will also be peaceful. If this obsession isn’t erased, the longer the time, the deeper the curse. And he also held power in his hands, who knows what kind of waves will he cause. The ones that will suffer such calamity are naturally those innocent people. Perhaps some day he will lose his rationality, or perhaps indulge himself and do as he pleased. It’s very difficult to say that he wouldn’t cause the people to suffer. Although he didn’t want to shake the country, but that was only for the sake of having time to enjoy life with Jing Wan. But if he can’t even obtain Jing Wan, he naturally will have large amount of spare time. Perhaps the more chaotic the world, the happier he will be. That way he’ll have things to do to pass the time, no? Compared to his past life, he will without a doubt be more intense.
(*T/N: Although I translated as obsession, I don’t think its the perfect word for the term ‘执念’. It can also be translated to attachment or regret given the context; the term is also used to describe when a ghost has attachments or regrets to the mortal world and only when those wishes are fulfilled it will move on. This is similar meaning to how the term is used here.)
“Then dare to ask Grandmaster, is it that this prince already is able to have one’s wish fulfilled, or are you preparing to alter the heavens and change fate for this prince?”
“Six years ago, it was still like looking at flowers in the fog, many things uncertain. Wangye’s actions have opened up a clear path.”
“That’s why, as expected, it is still ‘with effort one can achieve anything’. —in two days, she will be coming to White Dragon Temple. Grandmaster might as well have a look.”
“Wangye is hoping for this humble monk to read that miss’s fortune?”
“Everything can be according to Grandmaster’s rules, this prince won’t insist.”
“‘Will not insist’, for these three words to come from Wangye’s mouth, really is hard to come by.”
“On her, this prince will insist yet also not insist. The reason therein, Grandmaster is very clear why.”
Grandmaster Liao Chen nodded, “Wangye initial heart does not change, whether the others are good or bad, all unconcerned.”
A light knock sounded from the room’s door, “Shifu[1], the old benefactor at the foot of the mountain seeks an audience.” A young child’s sharp voice was heard.
“Amitabha Buddha, understood. For the time being, let the old benefactor wait for a moment.” Afterwards, he looked to Li Hong Yuan with a clear and amicable expression, “Wangye, do as one pleases, this humble monk will return shortly.”
Li Hong Yuan casted him a glance, “As expected, you are still like before, putting on an act and pretending to be compassionate. For the sake of a commoner, you’re able to abandon this prince. If you need to go, just go. You don’t need to come back again today. This prince will have some peace and quiet time.” It sounded as if he was angered because of Grandmaster Liao Chen’s neglect, after all his words were no longer respectful anymore, but in actuality, it was not so. For him, Grandmaster Liao Chen was considered rather special, so he was relatively lenient towards him.
“Amitabha Buddha, it is all Wangye’s mercy. If Wangye didn’t allow, this humble monk wouldn’t be such presumptuous either.”
“You old monk, also learned to be smooth talking?”
“A monk does not tell lies.”
Li Hong Yuan coldly laughed, “Don’t use the word ‘mercy’ on this prince. For this prince, a person whose heart, liver and lungs are all black, it’s best to not have that word tainted.”
Grandmaster Liao Chen still ‘bemoaned the state of the universe and pitied the fate of mankind’, smiling gently, “This humble monk has never made a mistake.”
Li Hong Yuan was too lazy to keep bothering with him.
After Grandmaster Liao Chen left, Li Hong Yuan got up and walked to the window. Eunuch Mu went ahead of him and pushed opened the window.
Because White Dragon Temple was the buddhist temple consecrated by the Imperial family, naturally had some places that ordinary people can’t intrude. And this small courtyard amongst them was also even more special. Quiet and secluded, yet not considered remote either. Under normal circumstances, it didn’t attract much attention.
And the reason why Li Hong Yuan liked this guest room was because just by pushing open the windows, one is able to have the back mountain’s entire peach orchard taken into one’s eyes. The field of view was exceptionally wide. The fluttering peach blossoms was really more beautiful than anything.
“Master, Miss Luo and the others will be coming to White Dragon Temple tomorrow.” Eunuch Mu tightly adhered to his duties as a loyal dog.
The competition was also very high for these castrated people like them. There were only so many masters, and masters that lived well were even fewer than few. And people with lowly status were numerous, regardless of who may stand out a little, there would always be a crowd staring from behind at all times. Not to prevent you from making a mistake, but rather hoping for you to make a mistake. In fact, even like with other places, endlessly scheming against you. A moment of carelessness, and one might get pulled down from the horse. Just last night, because he didn’t guess master’s true purpose of coming to the White Dragon Temple in time, he almost lost a layer of skin. Because of this, Eunuch Mu further worked up his spirits, and must let his master know that he can’t be replaced. Even if this master’s temper isn’t good, and sometimes following him was equal to having one’s head hang at the waist, but it was still better than being stepped into the mud and trampled on by others. Moreover, everything all had two sides. When master wasn’t good, think more about his good side.
Li Hong Yuan wasn’t surprised. According to Wan Wan’s level of obsession with flowers, to be able to wait until tomorrow was already considered late. “Who all is there?”
Eunuch Mu named all the people Jing Wan invited one by one, then there was also the people from Luo family that will be accompanying along.
Li Hong Yuan’s expression was faint. No matter how many people came, still wouldn’t be able to stop him from implementing his plans. Continuously watching from the dark, naturally he wasn’t content. Even if he can’t do anything intimate in public, at least he should still let Wan Wan get acquainted with himself first. Meeting for the first time as strangers on the bridal night, and wasting a year and two of good time, how stupid would he have to be to do something like this?
“Go fetch a jar of six year old peach blossom wine.”
“Yes.”
This was why, the rules and regulations of the buddhist temple, for Li Hong Yuan, really wasn’t considered anything. Whether to break the rules or adhere to them, all depended on himself. Everyone all thought Li Hong Yuan indulged in pleasure, unable to suffer the slightest simplicity of the monastic life. Who would know that in his past life, after he ascended the throne, because too much damage was caused by the battle for throne, in the beginning, there were no one of talent left in his hands. When he took to the battlefields himself as an Emperor, there was a period of time, because of the defeat on the battlefield, as the honorable ruler, he lived sleeping outdoors and eating simple meals. Li Hong Yuan never made a sound of complaint. This bit of simplicity of the buddhist temples, for him, all couldn’t even be considered as mere trifles.
Of course, Li Hong Yuan wouldn’t go too overboard either. Drinking a bit of wine, and then eating some meat were all inconsequential. Lust and such, he won’t touch, unless Wan Wan came to him on her own accord and let him break that rule. However, with his understanding of Wan Wan, even if the two of them had mutual feelings, or even married, she still wouldn’t agree to mess around here.
Just thinking about that scene, rather made him exceedingly want to have a taste. Perhaps, because of the taboo, Wan Wan might even have some unexpected reactions. Li Hong Yuan’s gaze became somewhat dark, even licking his lips. That appearance was especially enticing, yet also especially frightening.
In the courtyard, under the eyes of the martial monks, Eunuch Mu dug out a jar of wine from under the tree. The four martial monks, each all like a wooden pillar, not even batting an eye.
From that year when Li Hong Yuan first came to White Dragon Temple at 16, he fermented countless peach blossoms into wine, and directly buried them in the courtyard. He said, this way can let the wine be dye with the buddhist fragrance, and would be even more rich and delicious. Afterwards, once every year, underneath the courtyard, over half of the area were all wine, yet no one commented, because that was something the Head Monk permitted with a nod.
According to Grandmaster Liao Chen’s saying, Jing Qinwang’s status was noble, such trivial matters, needless to be concerned, seemingly displaying that he was also a common person, and would also lower his head to authority. Just when he was saying this, if his appearance wasn’t like his usual ‘bathe in buddhist light, bemoaning the state of the universe and pitying the fate of mankind’, perhaps there would still be a bit of believability. Those in the know all believed, if it wasn’t anyone else, even if it was his Majesty, they would all be refused by Grandmaster Liao Chen. Unfortunately, aside from Li Hong Yuan, this convention rebelling living Enma, there probably wouldn’t be anyone that would do something like this, no one would even think about it.
That’s why those people, who’d hoped for him to be unable to bear the simplistic monk’s lifestyle, and suffer from the upright martial monks’ flogging from breaking the rules, naturally will be disappointed. It was precisely as he said, wanting to use this opportunity to nitpick, still need to know what all he’s done first. Not just one person made secret moves in the dark, causing the inner court attendant to rush to White Dragon Temple at full speed on horseback to deliver his Majesty’s verbal decree. Everything must be arranged before Li Hong Yuan arrives. Yet the results? Inside and outside the courtyard, there really were quite a few martial monks, just they were all decorations. All done for certain people in the palace to see, perhaps even serving as bodyguards.
Eunuch Mu tore open the sealing clay, had the areas around the jar nicely cleaned, then took out the wine cup from the secret cabinet in the guest room and cleaned them, planning to pour wine for Li Hong Yuan. Li Hong Yuan instead waved his hand, reached out and picked up the wine jar, directly pouring it into his mouth.
Part of the wine dripped down from the two sides, following along the neck, entering into he collar, and disappearing. Gradually the color of his clothes deepened, evidently already drenched, sticking to his skin. Even if he was wearing more than one layer, it still exposed the contours of his chest, in addition to that rumbling throat……
Eunuch Mu inwardly thank buddha that fortunately there weren’t any women present here.
Finishing a jar of wine, Li Hong Yuan randomly threw it to the side, flying through the window and landing with a shattering sound in the courtyard.
Li Hong Yuan still sat steadily, and his face didn’t seem to flush red either, seemingly not the least bit drunk, even ordering, “Mu An, let the kitchen make two vegetarian dishes to send back to the palace for Noble Consort Su. As long as this prince is staying at White Dragon Temple, don’t stop sending them.”
Noble Consort Su said she missed the White Dragon Temple’s vegetarian dishes, so master is sending them back for her? Such filial piety! But master addressed her as Noble Consort Su and not consort-mother…Stop! “Yes.”
Li Hong Yuan walked over to the very hard heated brick bed and sat down, slowly closing his eyes. His body subsequently relaxing. Propping down with one hand, he laid flat; his breathing very quickly became light and slowed, seeming to have already fallen asleep. That peach blossom wine Eunuch Mu was once fortunate enough to have a taste. The texture wasn’t intense, even carrying the sweet scent of peach blossoms, more suitable for a woman’s taste, but the after strength was very full. Directly pouring down an entire jar, without any buffer, even if one had high alcohol tolerance, one would still fall.
Eunuch Mu went forward, seeing his wet clothes, hesitated for a moment, then covered him with the quilt. He didn’t dare to change his clothes for him. Once there was a time with similar circumstances. Before his hand could even reach his master’s collar, he was sent flying with a kick. That kick nearly took Eunuch Mu’s life. Even thinking about it now, he still felt it hurting. Since then, he no longer dared to make presumptuous moves, and fortunately, after master woke up, he didn’t punish him for not doing his best in serving either.
“Wan Wan……” A murmuring sound, looks like he really was drunk.
Eunuch Mu, upon hearing this, wordlessly retreated, not making a sound. Then softly and quietly had the spilt wine cleaned up, and also that shattered wine jar outside. Letting those monks clean it, smelling the wine, then that would really be a sin. Master has brought disaster to enough people already, it’s best to let off these sinless monks.
Grandmaster Liao Chen returned after finished the prior matter. Standing by the window under the corridor and seeing the deeply asleep Li Hong Yuan, he placed his palms together, “Amitabha Buddha”
[1] Shifu – Master as in teacher; what disciples address their teacher as; I actually was going to translate it just as master, but I feel the term master has been used too much for other terms that equally translate to master but have different connotations.
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