Chapter 1: Xingzhi Temple (1)
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In a bustling restaurant with laughter and music.
Behind the shadowy lattice door, two figures sat facing each other. One wore a dark cloak concealing their face, while the other exuded an air of authority, eyes gleaming with determination.
The conversation was muffled, only a few snippets audible.
“Marquis Dingbei is returning to the capital. The Emperor has instructed simplicity, and he will have only three guards by his side. This is a rare opportunity…”
“So what if Xiao Fu’s subordinates are skilled in martial arts! Even if they can scale walls and roofs, they cannot withstand a hundred elite soldiers! Marquis Dingbei is doomed! Before he enters Jinling, he must be killed on the spot…”
In the late autumn of October, cold flowers fell along with the leaves.
Outside the city walls of Jinling, the wheels of the carriage creaked as it rolled along. The driver, a man dressed in black, casually adjusted his sleeves, leisurely holding the reins. He turned to the occupant inside and said, “Lord Marquis, we’re almost in Jinling. It’s been smooth sailing all the way, and as for the ambush you mentioned… there is not a trace of it. After all, we didn’t bring any auxiliary forces and kept the news tightly sealed. It’s possible nobody knows you’ve returned from the border.”
The carriage, adorned with bamboo curtains, let in a hint of alcohol.
Under the flamboyant red silk of the garment, only a pale bare foot peeked out.
A lazy voice followed the swaying of the carriage, “No rush, we still have sixty miles to go before reaching the city gates.”
“But…” The guard was about to say something when he heard leaves rustling nearby. He perked up his ears and tore at the reins, “Hush—”
“Here they come.”
Xiao Fu remained unhurried, his wide sleeves revealing a glimpse of wrist as he held a white jade wine cup between his slender fingers. He lounged against the luxurious silk cushions.
In the woods, a dense crowd of black-clad figures surrounded the carriage.
“Lord Marquis, they’re death warriors!” The guard’s expression turned serious as he drew his curved blade, scanning the surroundings. “There are easily over a hundred.”
Note: Death warriors here refer to solders who willing to sacrifice their life on the mission.
Another towering guard held a crossbow, sneering, “Just a hundred death warriors? Not even enough to match one-thousandth of the enemy we’ve faced!”
Beside them stood a youth who appeared no more than fifteen or sixteen, his skin slightly darkened, cheeks flushed red. His gaze was innocent and clean, yet he bore twin rods taller than himself.
The boy gripped the black rods tightly, silent.
The sharp sound of arrows cutting through the air rang out, and a barrage of poisoned arrows descended amidst the dark clouds! The three men swiftly swung their weapons, first severing the reins to prevent the horses from panicking.
Swords flashed and danced as the three men seamlessly protected their master, keeping the carriage unharmed.
The clash of arrows against weapons, the crisp and melodious sound of battle, was something Xiao Fu had heard every day and night for the past five years.
Suddenly, with a sharp “swish,” a poisoned arrow pierced through the bamboo curtain!
Xiao Fu swiftly turned his face aside, his seemingly casual demeanor tensing for a moment. Unexpectedly, a burst of explosive force erupted from him, narrowly avoiding the arrow grazing his cheek and embedding it into the carriage wall.
The naturally smiling face of Xiao Fu turned cold in an instant.
Outside, corpses littered the ground.
The guard asked, “Lord Marquis, shall we pursue?”
“Kill them all,” came the chilling tone, starkly different from moments before.
The two guards nodded, understanding his meaning: not even the messenger back would be spared. They swiftly pursued their targets.
The black-clad death warriors, caught off guard, pupils constricting, had not expected that Marquis Dingbei would be accompanied by such skilled individuals. The Chen brothers were formidable enough, but the young boy was terrifying! With brute strength, he wielded his rods like they weighed nothing, leaving a trail of death and injury in his wake!
These death warriors, with their professional integrity, chose to end their own lives with poison before the guards could interrogate them.
After a brief inspection, the guard shook his head. “Lord Marquis, these death warriors have no identifiable markings on their weapons. Their craftsmanship rivals that of the Imperial Guards.”
Xiao Fu sneered softly. “How many people in the world could afford to maintain such a force of death warriors? You could count them on both hands.”
The bamboo curtain, now riddled with holes, lay fallen to the ground. A strong scent of blood wafted through the air, as the flamboyant red robe covered the pale bare feet.
Xiao Fu rose from the precarious carriage, his gaze sweeping over the lifeless bodies of the death warriors. He instructed, “Yuanqing, you must return to the capital immediately and present yourself before the Emperor. Tell him…”
Xiao Fu paused, his gaze shifting to a nearby mountain peak, where a green-tiled roof emerged from amidst the golden-red trees.
The guard followed his gaze. “Lord Marquis, that’s the Xingzhi Temple.”
Xiao Fu nodded slowly. “Yuanqing, if the Emperor inquires, tell him that his uncle, I were attacked on the outskirts of the capital. I sustained serious injuries and cannot move. I am recuperating at the Daoist temple in the outskirts and will return to the palace to report once I am fully healed. Ask him not to worry.”
Yuanqing nodded in acknowledgment, then with a light step, he vanished without a trace. Yuanwu whistled to calm the startled horses, soothing them with gentle strokes before leading Xiao Fu and the boy up the mountain.
Meanwhile, in the streets of Jinling, outside the residence of Minister Xiao of the Ministry of Revenue.
A visiting notice and three framed paintings were thrown out from the gate, hitting Lin Zikui squarely on the forehead.
“Ouch!” he exclaimed, wincing as he rubbed his head in pain.
“Young Master!” An attendent beside him grew agitated, glaring at the gatekeeper of the Xiao residence. “My young master is the future son-in-law of Lord Xiao! How dare you, a mere gatekeeper, treat my young master like this?!”
“Mo Liu! This is Jinling, don’t talk nonsense,” Lin Zikui interjected, holding his head and stooping to pick up the scattered paintings from the ground.
The attendant sniffed indignantly, turning his head away. “Young Master, let Mo Liu handle it, you can’t see clearly.”
Note: Mo Liu is a young boy who served as an attendant or assistant to a scholar not literally a servant.
The gatekeeper remained arrogant, pointing at Lin Zikui. “You, with your squinty eyes! How dare you try to associate with our Xiao family?!”
Mo Liu: “What’s wrong with squinty eyes! You look down on squinty eyes?!”
“I do! Get lost!” With that, the gatekeeper tossed the box again, hitting the attendant squarely this time, emitting a muffled thud.
Seeing this, Lin Zikui straightened his hunched back in concern. “Mo Liu! Are you alright?”
The attendant whispered softly, “Young Master, I’m fine.”
Lin Zikui quickly pulled him behind himself protectively, pointing at the gatekeeper. “You are already so old and yet still bullying a child! Is this the behavior befitting the gatekeeper of Lord Xiao’s residence? Let the teacher of my master, the Imperial Censor, know about this, and there will surely be consequences!”
At the mention of the Imperial Censor, the gatekeeper was left speechless. “You, th-this has nothing to do with our master! Don’t falsely accuse us!”
“Are you saying that Lord Xiao is unaware of my visit, yet you insist on obstructing me?”
The gatekeeper couldn’t come up with a response. Although his master hadn’t explicitly mentioned this matter, repeatedly blocking the visiting notice from Lin Zikui implied a clear message that everyone in the household understood.
Their Second Young Lady could never marry such a half-blind, impoverished scholar.
Seeing the gatekeeper’s silence, Lin Zikui continued with a polite bow. “I am Lin Zikui, and my father and Lord Xiao have arranged a marriage between me and Second Young Lady. Although circumstances have changed, and Lord Xiao may not acknowledge this arrangement, the Xiao family should still treat me with respect and discuss this matter face to face.” His voice was not loud, nor was it particularly imposing, but every word was articulate. “May I ask, does Lord Xiao personally refuse to see me? Does he deny my existence?”
—Truly a well-spoken scholar.
The gatekeeper hesitated, refraining from scolding him, and replied, “The master is truly not at home. Young Master Lin, you should leave quickly!”
Lin Zikui inquired further, “Is the Second Young Miss at home?”
The gatekeeper stalled, “Our Second Young Miss and the Old Madam have gone to the Xingzhi Temple to offer incense. They won’t be back for several months!”
Lin Zikui clenched the paintings in his hand, giving a slight bow before turning around. He whispered to the side, “Mo Liu, let’s go back.”
“Yes… Young Master.”
Mo Liu, who seemed to be around twelve or thirteen, with a youthful face, muttered softly, “He’s just a Ministry of Revenue official, only promoted to a sixth-rank position, yet he acts so superior! You’ve been in Jinling for two months, sent visiting notice several times, but no one from his household responded. Today, when you personally visited, it turned out like this…”
“Mo Liu,” Lin Zikui interrupted him, “how many times have I told you, be cautious in your words and actions.”
Mo Liu lowered his head even further, holding Lin Zikui’s hand. “Young Master, your eyesight isn’t good, so take it slow.”
“I can still see the road clearly; you don’t have to treat me like a blind man.”
“That’s true, but the physician said if you don’t take good care, you might truly lose your sight in the future. What would we do then?”
Lin Zikui smiled, a faint glimmer in his eyes. “I’ve followed the physician’s advice, applied some herbal medicine over the past six months, stayed away from the light, and today, after removing the blindfold, I can see your face clearly. I feel much better.” With that, he tugged at Mo Liu’s sleeve and walked to the side. “Look, isn’t that a carriage over there?”
“…Young Master, that’s a donkey.”
“Oh, horse, donkey, they’re all the same.”
Strolling along the street, Lin Zikui, accompanied by the young attendant, entered an antique calligraphy and painting shop.
“Young Master, are you here to see the paintings?” the shopkeeper greeted Lin Zikui, eyeing him up and down.
This young man wore a clean white cotton garment, looking neat and scholarly, with a gentle and refined demeanor, but he didn’t seem like someone from a wealthy family.
Sure enough, Lin Zikui placed the paintings on the table. “Do you buy paintings here?”
The shopkeeper behind the counter raised his hand. “What paintings? From what dynasty?”
“Well…” Lin Zikui blushed slightly. “From last month.”
“Oh? Which master’s work?”
Lin Zikui spread out the paintings.
The shopkeeper glanced at the impressive calligraphy and delicate paintings, then squinted at the red seal. “Lin Huaifu? Who’s that?”
Lin Zikui modestly bowed. “That would be me. Huaifu is my courtesy name.”
“Your calligraphy is decent, and the paintings are good,” the shopkeeper said casually. “I’ll give you this amount.” He held out his hand.
Mo Liu interjected, “Five taels?”
The shopkeeper stroked his beard. “Five hundred wen, for three paintings.”
Mo Liu hurriedly took back the paintings. “Five hundred wen! Ridiculous! It’s not even enough for my master’s writing materials! These are painted with the finest ink on high-quality paper!”
“You are but a poor scholar, huh? High-quality ink? What nonsense.”
“It’s true! These were given to our master by the Grand Academician Tang of the Imperial Academy as a gift! You don’t know quality!”
Lin Zikui shook his head gently. “Mo Liu…”
Mo Liu turned with wide eyes. “Really, young master? Five hundred wen, why are you selling yourself short?”
Lin Zikui hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “Let’s go. We’ve inconvenienced the shopkeeper.”
He politely bid farewell, and the master and attendant encountered repeated setbacks as they visited several more calligraphy and painting shops. These paintings, in terms of craftsmanship and artistic conception, were indeed exquisite. The paper and ink used were also of excellent quality. If it weren’t for the intention of paying respects to Lord Xiao, Lin Zikui wouldn’t have been willing to use such rare and expensive paper and ink.
But in Jinling, where officials and nobles had seen everything, what significance did a nobody’s paintings hold?
Lin Zikui’s paintings, a nameless amateur’s painting would never sell here.
Dejectedly returning to the Yingtian Prefectural Academy, the next day brought another knock on the door.
Mo Liu got up early to answer it. The morning mist enveloped them, the scent of ink lingering in the room. Lin Zikui sat on the edge of the bed, holding a scroll of book, a piece of black fabric covering his eyes. The light from the window fell on his side profile, highlighting the transparent fuzz on his cheeks like a layer of white frost.
His thumb lightly traced the rough surface of the paper, as if he could feel the words on it.
Voices from outside drifted into his ears.
“Mo Liu, your young master still owes last month’s grain fee. I can’t afford to extend it any longer…”
“Give us a few more days, just a few more days, okay? My young master will participate in the imperial examination next year, and he will surely not forget your kindness when he becomes a successful candidate.”
“Sigh… How about this, why don’t you find somewhere else? There are several temples outside Jinling that are quite decent. Accommodation and meals are cheap there. You should know that the current Deputy Minister of the Ministr of Appointments once studied hard at the Xingzhi Temple and ranked top in the imperial examination! The temple houses the God of Literature, and in recent years, many candidates have gone there to prepare for the exams.”
“Xingzhi Temple?”
When Lin Zikui heard these three words, something stirred within him.
“Young Master, do we really have to leave the Yingtian Prefectural Academy?”
Lin Zikui nodded. “Yes, the physician advised me to gain some perspective from high places, which would help with my eyesight recovery. Besides, we don’t have much money left, and the Yingtian Prefectural Academy… needs to be taken care of entirely. There’s not much left from the government stipend, and I’m afraid we won’t last until the spring exams next year.”
Mo Liu suggested, “But you still have ancestral property, you could sell it for a few hundred taels of silver, enough to last until the spring exams.”
Lin Zikui adamantly refused, “The ancestral property must not be sold. It’s what my parents left behind. Don’t mention it again in the future.”
Two days later, Lin Zikui packed his belongings, carried his books, and led the attendant out of the North Gate.
As they walked, they were pushed aside by the imperial soldiers passing by arrogantly. “Get out of the way! Move!”
The journey of fifty or sixty miles took Lin Zikui, a weak scholar, and the young attendant three days to complete.
By the time they arrived at the Xingzhi Temple, Lin Zikui was covered in dust, his shoes and robes were filthy. He couldn’t see the path uphill, and Mo Liu, being small and weak, couldn’t hold him back, so Lin Zikui kept falling.
On either side of the gate outside the temple, there was a couplet inscribed. Lin Zikui couldn’t see clearly, so he asked Mo Liu, “What’s written on those couplets?”
“Young Master, it says, ‘Long kneeling for Dao, the universe is a mirror, only then do we realize that Dao cannot be spoken; When it’s time to act, act; when it’s time to stop, stop. Sitting at the gate of the mountain temple, the sun and moon are like twin orbs, only then do we realize there’s a sky beyond the sky; When it’s time to stop, stop.'”
Mo Liu, despite his young age, knew many characters, and he was Lin Zikui’s eyes.
Lin Zikui nodded repeatedly as he listened. “Good! When it’s time to act, act; when it’s time to stop, stop. Stopping at the physical realm, purifying the heart with the outside world. What a good concept of Xingzhi Temple!”
Just as he was admiring, he noticed a discreet yet elegant carriage parked nearby, along with several good horses. He wondered who had arrived.
Mo Liu climbed the steps and knocked on the temple door. Before long, a young Taoist monk opened the door. Lin Zikui explained his intentions, “Taoist, I’m Lin Zikui, a scholar from Huainan. I’m here to take the imperial examination in the capital and would like to stay in the Xingzhi Temple for a while to focus on my studies. I wonder if it’s convenient for your temple?”
The Taoist monk glanced at him in surprise, then carefully examined his travel documents and the provincial examination certificate issued by the Huainan Prefect. Despite his slightly disheveled appearance, Lin Zikui exuded a gentle and refined demeanor, with an extraordinary appearance. The Taoist monk politely gestured, “Young Master Lin, please follow me.”
“Thank you, Taoist,” Lin Zikui lifted his robe and stepped across the threshold with his left foot. “May I ask, Taoist, about those carriages and horses…..”
The Taoist monk whispered, “A nobleman has arrived at the temple. They’re from the capital and seem to be looking for someone. It seems their surname is Xiao.”
Lin Zikui felt a slight daze.
—It really was Second Young Miss Xiao, his betrothed, whom he had yet to marry.
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