Chapter 625: Praying Before the Buddha for Peace of Mind, Meeting the White Lotus in the Osmanthus Forest

Although the Yuan Dynasty originated on the grasslands, it embraced both Buddhism and Taoism. Yet Tibetan Buddhism was held in even higher esteem, so there were numerous temples in Dadu. Though many temples were destroyed during the Red Turban Rebellion at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Chongguo Temple survived and was even renovated several times in the early Ming Dynasty, becoming even more majestic. Located near the neighborhoods inhabited by nobles, it was frequented by the wealthy and noble, as well as many women who came to offer incense and pray. Over time, the temple’s attendants developed keen eyesight, able to recognize even nobles dressed in plain clothes.

Heading north along the alleyways led to Chongguo Temple. Seeing the two young women in the carriage—her cousin and her niece—silent and lost in thought, Zhang Qing felt extremely troubled. She tried to start a conversation. When they arrived, she saw Zhang Ke reluctant to get out of the carriage, so she stepped forward to pull her down, with a maid helping Meng Min as well. Once on solid ground, she smiled at the two of them.

“Sister Ke, Sister Si, you two haven’t been out much since starting your mourning period. Let’s take a break from it. I even went to Chongguo Temple a few days ago to offer incense for our grandmother. They say the prayers here are very effective—why not give it a try?”

Hearing this, Meng Min and Zhang Ke exchanged a glance, both seeing the emptiness in each other’s eyes. Remembering the poetry competition and the subsequent upheavals in their family, they both lowered their heads almost simultaneously. After a moment of silence, Meng Min reached out to Zhang Ke. “Sister Ke, just follow my sister-in-law’s advice. Since we’re here, let’s go in and pray together, then go see the osmanthus flowers. It’s rare to be out—don’t keep thinking about the past.”

Zhang Ke hesitated for a while but eventually took Meng Min’s hand. By then, an attendant monk had come forward. Recognizing Zhang Qing, he quickly joined his palms and bowed. “It turns out it’s the wife of the young marquis. Coincidentally, the Princess of Jiaxing just left. There are no other visitors in the temple—only two ladies enjoying the osmanthus flowers in the back garden. If you want peace and quiet, I’ll order that no one other than noblewomen be allowed in.”

Learning that the Princess of Jiaxing had been there, Zhang Qing gladly let the monk flatter her and nodded in agreement. She led Meng Min and Zhang Ke into Chongguo Temple. Upon entering the main gate, they first saw the twelve Heavenly Kings in the Hall of Heavenly Kings, followed by the Mahavira Hall. There were many more halls around, all with double-eaved roofs and towering spires. Influenced by their grandmothers, mothers, and other elders who were devout Buddhists, the three women naturally bowed in prayer.

Even Zhang Qing, who was living the most comfortable and happy life at the moment, still worried about her husband far away in Xuanfu, and couldn’t help but pray fervently in front of the Buddha. As for Zhang Ke and Meng Min, there was no need to say more—Zhang Ke for her deceased mother, and Meng Min for her parents who had both passed away as well as her two brothers in Danning. Thus, they murmured prayers on the meditation cushions for a long time, unwilling to get up. Since there were no other pilgrims, only a few wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner, and the soft chanting of Zen scriptures could be heard around them, gradually calming their hearts.

After making a quick entry in the prayer book, Zhang Qing instructed the monk in charge to show them the way, and the three of them walked together toward the back garden, each holding one another’s arms. Meng Min had grown up in Beijing and was familiar with Chongguo Temple. Seeing Zhang Ke’s rare smile as she inhaled the fragrant scent, Meng Min began to explain.

“The osmanthus doesn’t survive well through winter, so in the past, there were few osmanthus trees in the capital. Someone came up with the idea for Chongguo Temple to use potted osmanthus trees, moving them into warm rooms during winter. With the help of generous donations from pilgrims who appreciated the beautiful flowers, they started cultivating them. Over the past ten or twenty years, the osmanthus in Chongguo Temple has become the most famous and rare in the area—its fragrance is delicate yet intoxicating. Since the temple knew that women often came to admire it, they prohibited men from entering the back garden from early on to avoid disturbing them. It’s quite unusual that it bloomed as early as July this year, usually it blooms in August.”

“All other flowers bloom early in spring, but the osmanthus waits until autumn. Once it blooms, its fragrance spreads for miles— isn’t that better than the other flowers that compete for beauty in spring? Thinking back to our poetry gatherings back then, why did we choose the winter jasmine as our subject? It does bloom early, but by the time others are in full bloom, it has already withered…”

As Zhang Ke’s voice grew softer, Zhang Qing was stunned, and Meng Min also stopped in her tracks. All three of them had written poems at those poetry gatherings, each with its own level of elegance or simplicity. But now, thinking about it again, it seemed like a prophecy. Not only were Meng Min and Zhang Ke lost in thought, but when Zhang Qing remembered the last line Meng Min had jokingly added to her poem—“This flower represents deepest longing”—her originally moderate feelings of longing suddenly filled her chest so much that she could hardly breathe.

“People plant peaches and plums, all at the gates of the wealthy. They scramble for shortcuts, in this warm spring breeze. But once the frost of heaven descends, glory cannot last long. Who knows that the osmanthus on the southern hill, with its green leaves and fragrant roots, can also provide shade? Why not plant it in your garden? The hermit of green lotus is no less than a demoted immortal. Though this poem may not be his finest, it still reveals the complexities of his heart.”

The three women, still in shock, were awakened by this clear voice. They were already outside the back garden gate and recognized it as a woman’s voice. Realizing it was Li Bai’s poem “Ode to Osmanthus,” they grew curious. The monk who had greeted them earlier hadn’t mentioned the names or backgrounds of those two women who came to admire the flowers; presumably, they weren’t from noble families. Yet, from the tone of their recitation, there was an air of superiority. Zhang Qing ordered her maids to wait outside and stepped in first. Meng Min insisted on pulling Zhang Ke in as well, and once inside the garden, she turned and smiled.

“The past is gone—don’t dwell on it. Even if we did, we couldn’t go back. What’s wrong with the winter jasmine? Just like your poem: it heralds the arrival of spring, filling the air with fragrance. Since it’s the first to welcome spring, even if its glory must soon be given to others, it has still bloomed!”

“Well said! As long as it has bloomed, there’s no regret!”

Hearing this strong voice inside, Meng Min faintly felt as though she had heard it somewhere before. She quickly joined Zhang Ke and entered the moon gate of the back garden. Looking up, they saw, under the bright sunlight, dozens of osmanthus plants in the garden, all covered in fragrant yellow flowers, filling their vision with golden hues. Just then, a strong wind blew, causing the branches to sway back and forth. Some petals and leaves fell to the ground, and amidst this shower of flowers and leaves stood two women with their hands behind their backs.

The taller woman wore a plain white hanfu with a front closure, along with a matching silk skirt. Though only her profile was visible, her strikingly bright eyes were clear. As they got closer, Zhang Ke and Meng Min noticed that her face was unadorned—no makeup, no painted eyebrows, no jewelry in her hair or ears. Her beauty carried an air of dignity that should not be trifled with. The woman beside her wore a lotus-pink shirt and skirt, her hair tied up with a single silver hairpin, looking neat and tidy.

Meng Min had met Tang Sair twice before, and she had even been helped by Tang Sair in treating Feng Yuanming’s mother. Coupled with Tang Sair’s truly astonishing background, the memory remained deeply imprinted in Meng Min’s mind, allowing her to recognize her at a glance. Seeing Tang Sair smile and nod at her without avoiding eye contact, Meng Min tried hard to suppress her shock and confusion and wanted to greet her, but after much thought, she didn’t know what to call her.

The last time they met, Tang Sair was dressed as a young lady, but Zhang Yue had said she was already a widow with a deceased husband. Now, however, she was dressed as a married woman—what should she be called then?

“Miss Meng.”

Tang Sair seemed to know a great deal about the Meng family. During the bloody night in the capital back then, she had cleanly killed Yue Changtian, avenging herself while also watching impassively as a conspiracy that should have caused a huge upheaval was completely exposed. Although the rise and fall of the Meng family had nothing to do with her, she had no particular feelings toward this young girl before her. Seeing Meng Min hesitate for a moment before calling her “Miss Tang,” Tang Sair immediately smiled.

“Miss Meng is still unmarried, while I am already a widow without a husband. If you wish, you can call me Lady Lin as well. Are these two who came to admire the osmanthus your close relatives? Well, Qingshuang and I have had enough. Let’s leave this place to you.”

As Tang Sair nodded at the woman beside her and was about to leave, Meng Min intended to remain silent, but suddenly remembered what Xiao Wu had muttered on the day of her marriage. Unable to hold back, she called out, “Tang… Lady Lin, do you know where Lady Feng has gone? A few days ago, her closest disciple got married, yet she didn’t show up at all. There’s no one at home—it’s been almost a month now…”

Tang Sair was walking very fast, almost reaching the Moon Gate at the other end. Hearing these words, she immediately turned around like a whirlwind. She stared at Meng Min for a long time, then moved swiftly and stood in front of her, asking word by word, “Are you saying that on my junior sister’s wedding day, my master simply didn’t show up for no reason?”

As soon as Meng Min nodded, she saw Tang Sair’s expression change drastically, giving her a badpremonition. Sure enough, moments later, she saw the woman in front of her sneer coldly with murderous intent. The overt chill from her made Meng Min step back involuntarily, feeling extremely nervous.

“My master has only had two disciples in his life. When I got married, he said he wouldn’t come, but actually he went to drink some wedding wine. Since my junior sister is his closest disciple, there’s no reason for him to hide from her. When you go back, tell my junior sister to be at ease. Even if I have to turn the entire capital upside down, I will find her!”

Before she could even speak, Meng Min felt a blur before her eyes. When she regained her focus and looked carefully, there was no trace of anyone left. After standing there in shock for a while, she remembered Zhang Qing and Zhang Ke were behind her. She quickly turned around only to find them both frozen in shock. Realizing the girls were still outside, she had no choice but to make things up on the spot. After much effort, she managed to convince them that Dr. Feng’s disciple was some kind of heroic woman like Red Thread Hidden Lady, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
But why had this so-called leader of the White Lotus Sect come to the capital in the first place?