Chapter 93: Heroes Gather at Qixia Temple

Qixia Temple is located on Qixia Mountain and has a history of nearly a thousand years, making it an ancient temple. It was extensively repaired during the Hongwu era and is even more magnificent than Jiming Temple, another ancient temple in Nanjing. Of course, compared to the grandly built Dabaoen Temple constructed today, its scale pales in comparison. Since Qixia Temple is not in the bustling areas of the city, aside from devout believers, those who visit it are mostly scholars and literati.

Upon arriving at the foot of Qixia Mountain, Zhang Yue and the others dismounted. Fang Ling instructed his two attendants to stay behind to take care of the horses and led the rest up the mountain path. Soon, a grand mountain gate appeared before them. The plaque bearing the name “Qixia Temple” was written in bold, dynamic strokes, but there was no signature—no one knew which great literary figure had penned it.

Except for Zhang Yue, the others had been there many times, so the eloquent Wan Shijie served as a guide, explaining everything to him along the way. He talked about the Ming Huijun Stele beside the mountain gate, the temple’s glorious history as one of the Four Great Temples of the Tang Dynasty, and how Emperor Wen of Sui had built a reliquary tower there. In short, he seemed to have the history of every hall etched in his mind, drawing on countless anecdotes with ease. His calm and refined demeanor left Fang Ling and Sun Han in awe, while Zhang Yue was utterly impressed.

It seemed as though his friend had been a monk at Qixia Temple in a past life—he could even recount the stories behind every brick in the temple!

Yet, Qixia Temple was still an ancient temple of the Jiangnan region. Not to mention its various halls, it had hundreds of monastic quarters and countless other buildings. Fang Ling had only heard a vague mention from his father and was unsure exactly where Daoyan was. The four of them wandered around aimlessly like flies without a direction, and even the most enthusiastic Wan Shijie grew disheartened.

“Those monks at Qixia Temple must have received orders,” Sun Han said softly. Though young, he had met Daoyan with his grandfather in his early years. He couldn’t remember much else, but he still had a vivid impression of Daoyan’s triangular eyes. Recalling some rumors from the court, he added, “Since the Jingnan Campaign, Master Yao has hardly interfered in state affairs. He only assisted the crown prince and the imperial grandson, having little contact with other officials. It’s the same now.”

Fangling Sun Han had always been shrewder than Zhang Yue, and now he deeply regretted bringing up this matter unnecessarily. He quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, “Ahem, we came to Qixia Temple today because the peach blossoms on the back mountain are in full bloom—not to pray to the gods or watch the monks. Come on, let’s go to the peach blossom forest on the back mountain. The peach blossoms there are the best in the capital. My son Sun and I come here every year; it’s truly a beautiful sight of people and blossoms complementing each other in red.”

Since there was no chance to meet up, Zhang Yue wasn’t the kind of person to be persistent, so he simply nodded in agreement. Although Wan Shi Jie was disappointed, he was naturally open-minded and soon regained his good mood, saying cheerfully, “Since we haven’t had the fortune to meet such a great person, we can only hope to encounter the peach blossoms in the forest today. Otherwise, we won’t be able to make up for the wasted trip.”

The four of them chatted and laughed as they headed toward the peach blossom forest on the back mountain. As they passed by a prayer hall, several people were just coming out. The one at the front was dressed in a bright red brocade robe, with a handsome face but a gloomy expression, as if he had just encountered something unpleasant. It was Prince Anyang, Zhu Zhanhuan, followed by Meng Xian and a group of guards.

Seeing such a group, Zhang Yue was slightly stunned, but it was already too late to avoid them. At that moment, Zhu Zhanhuan, who had just come out of the prayer hall, also saw Zhang Yue. After a brief surprise, he wore a smiling face and walked over, even waving his hand to stop Zhang Yue from bowing.

“I never expected to meet Yuan Jie here at Qixia Temple today. It really seems fate has brought us together,” Zhu Zhanhuan said with a smile, nodding. He didn’t even glance at the other three people behind Zhang Yue but stared at his shoulder for a while before asking concerningly, “I’m ashamed to say that I tried to do you justice that day, but things didn’t go as planned. After that, I had someone send you some carefully prepared wound medicine from the Imperial Medical Academy. Have you used it? Has your shoulder healed?”

Zhang Yue wasn’t expecting Zhu Zhanhuan to be so friendly. He quickly thanked him with a smile and said that his injury had healed and he was fine. As they were talking, Meng Xian stepped forward and said with a smile, “Brother Yue, that day Prince Anyang rushed into the palace because of you and happened to meet the Duke of Yingguo. The Duke didn’t want to bother the emperor with a trivial matter, so he persuaded Prince Anyang to back off. Otherwise, Prince Hengshan would have surely been reprimanded.”

Fangling Sun Han finally realized what was going on and exchanged glances with the others. There was Prince Anyang, then Prince Hengshan—how had Zhang Yue managed to attract so many people so soon after arriving in the capital? Seeing that there was no chance for them to speak, they exchanged glances, tugged at Wan Shi Jie’s sleeve, and quietly retreated behind a willow tree by the road.

It was one thing for Meng Xian not to chime in, but these words from Zhang Yue immediately reminded him of Zhu Zhanhun’s passive stance, waiting until things escalated before taking action. Thus, he grew weary of the false pretenses around him and became more cautious in his responses. When Zhu Zhanhun asked why he had come to Qixia Temple that day, he instinctively avoided certain topics.

“The spring scenery is still beautiful. Today, I came here with a few friends to enjoy the outdoors at Qixia Temple. I heard that the peach blossoms on the back mountain of this temple are a rare sight in the capital. It’s still early; is Prince Anyang interested in joining us?”

“So you came here to see the peach blossoms for the Yuan Festival.” Zhu Zhanhun smiled immediately but shook his head regretfully. “I would really like to accompany you to see the peach blossoms, but my father asked me to visit some guests this afternoon. I’ll have to wait until next time.”

Zhang Yue had merely said it casually, knowing Zhu Zhanhun likely wouldn’t have such an interest. He also smiled and expressed regret, but couldn’t help but take another look at the temple hall, pondering something in his mind.

After exchanging a few more casual words, Zhu Zhanhun left with his guards, while Meng Xian deliberately stayed behind. Once those in front had walked far enough away, he said with a smile, “Prince Anyang rarely shows favor to others. You’re truly lucky, Yuanjie. By the way, there’s something I need to remind you about. When Prince Anyang and I entered Qixia Temple earlier, we encountered your two cousins. Though they’re relatives, your elder brother has become quite famous these days, so it’s possible they have ulterior motives. You should be extra careful.”

Since Meng Xian had warned him, Zhang Yue had no choice but to agree. After Meng Xian left as well, he looked around and saw Sun Han from Fangling and Wan Shijie hiding under the willow tree. He quickly walked over and casually explained the identities of Zhu Zhanhun and the others. Sun Han, used to dealing with royalty, was surprised that Zhang Yue knew so many people right after arriving in the capital, but didn’t take it too seriously. Wan Shijie, however, gazed thoughtfully at the temple hall before suddenly saying, “Just now, I saw Prince Anyang looking rather upset when he left the temple hall. If I’m not mistaken, this isn’t a place for seeking fortunes or blessings, nor does it house any eminent monks who can predict people’s fates. If someone as important as a prince can be defeated here, the people inside must be extraordinary. Could it be that Master Yao is among them?”