"Young Master..."
When these three words ca out of Mu Xian’s mouth, Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a blinding light in front of her, almost causing her to faint.
She quickly reached out to support herself, lowered her head, and took a few deep breaths before she could barely stabilize her body.
When she looked up again, she discovered that the sun had risen.
The dazzling light suddenly penetrated everyone’s eyes and dispelled the deep darkness and uneasy emotions of the night but conveyed a more complex emotion into her and their hearts.
Shang Ruyi’s heartbeats pounded like thunder.
Young Master, Yu Wenqian!
Wait, why is soone like him wearing a white monk’s robe?
A white monk’s robe?!
At this mont, Shang Ruyi only felt her mind in turmoil, as if countless chaotic thoughts had turned into a tide, rushing upon her, almost swallowing her whole.
But Yu Wenye, sitting beside her, was so calm that even his breathing was inaudible.
His eyes were slightly narrowed, with no change in expression on his face. It was only after a long silence that he slowly lifted his eyes to look at Mu Xian’s uneasy face and said, "I understand. You may leave."
"...Yes."
Mu Xian carefully bowed, then turned and left.
Although he left, the two remaining people did not imdiately say anything. Not only did they not, but there was also a strange, silent atmosphere surrounding them. The tense air made it so that neither dared to speak, and even breathing and heartbeats seed to beco cautious.
It was unknown how long it took before Shang Ruyi finally mustered up the courage to turn to Yu Wenye: "You—"
Yu Wenye lifted his eyes to glance at her.
Just that glance rendered her unable to utter a single word she wanted to say.
Shang Ruyi felt her throat constrict, her whole being in disarray like a tangled ss with no thread end to be found. But at this mont, Yu Wenye’s gaze was colder and clearer than before.
He said, "Are you trying to ask about my brother?"
"... "
"What do you want to ask?"
"... "
After struggling for a long ti, although she had many unresolved questions about this person before she married, even now as Yu Wenye opened his mouth, she still did not know what she should ask to clarify everything.
After a while, she finally said, "What’s with the monk’s robe?"
"... "
"Your brother, he—"
Yu Wenye said, "He practices Buddhism."
"...?"
Shang Ruyi widened her eyes in surprise.
Practicing Buddhism?
Yu Wenqian is a practitioner of Buddhism?
She suddenly rembered that, inside and outside the court, including among the aristocratic families, although there were many words of praise regarding Yu Wenqian, outside of such praise was the fact that he, for so special reasons, stayed away from the court and the officialdom, a figure from a noble birth yet with no military achievents, and even for years not often staying at ho.
It turns out that special reason was—he is a practitioner of Buddhism.
But, speaking of which, at such a young age, with a background almost envied by all noble sons, with looks and skills, why would he practice Buddhism?
She looked up at Yu Wenye: "Why does he practice Buddhism, and why has the family never ntioned this?"
Yu Wenye said, "Of course, father doesn’t approve of his practice, so the family never talks about it. It’s a taboo topic."
"So, did he beco a monk?"
"He hasn’t shaved his head. His practice and observance of the precepts is already the limit of what father can tolerate; father wouldn’t allow him to actually shave his head and beco a monk."
"... "
"These years, he has spent most of his ti wandering outside, rarely returning ho."
Shang Ruyi took a sharp breath.
She suddenly rembered that when Guan Yunmu passed away previously, she inadvertently overheard Yu Wenye asking Aunt Hui about Yu Wenqian’s whereabouts. Aunt Hui had said he had achieved so enlightennt and went off wandering; later, when they stayed at Ban Yan Temple, Yu Wenye spoke with the monks about Yu Wenqian, and the monks also ntioned that Yu Wenqian had once stayed at the temple.
Enlightennt, wandering, staying in temples...
These phrases used to describe an ordinary person, especially a Princely Heir from the Duke Mansion, seed very strange, but if placed on a traveling monk, a Yunshui Monk, it would not be strange.
But he happened to be the Young Master of Duke Mansion.
For a mont, Shang Ruyi’s thoughts drifted far away.
"What are you thinking?"
Suddenly, Yu Wenye’s voice sounded in her ears. Startled, she turned to look at him, her expression even more grave. After a mont of silence, she softly said, "I didn’t expect to encounter sothing about him—so quickly."
The atmosphere between them grew sowhat tense.
Yes, about him.
This "him", even more than Chu Yang or Empress Jiang, caused a bigger shock with his appearance.
Because his existence is not just an emotional entanglent, more importantly, their marriage was built upon Yu Wenqian and it could be said that his shadow will forever loom over their hearts.
Yu Wenye looked at her for a while, then said solemnly, "He is my brother, and eventually, you two will have to et."
"..."
"I just didn’t expect—"
His remaining words seed to be unspeakable, but Shang Ruyi glanced at his rare mont of hesitation in his cold eyes and seed to understand his feelings.
She softly said, "You didn’t expect him to return to father’s side, did you?"
Yu Wenye was silent for a while, but he tacitly agreed.
If Yu Wenqian had continued as before, wandering outside and rarely returning to the Yuwen Family, then there would be few opportunities for him to et with Shang Ruyi, thus avoiding awkward monts; but now, since he has returned to the Yuwen Family, and with great achievents, fully participating in the affairs of the family, obviously, he would no longer wander around, moving unpredictably as he did in the past.
His state has shifted from "renunciation of worldly life," or "seclusion," to "engagent in worldly matters."
Therefore, the issue between them is not whether to et but rather the necessity of long-term cohabitation in the future.
At this ti, Tushere, noticing the two had risen, brought over hot towels and green salt to help them freshen up, then went to tend the nearby campfire to prepare porridge. The surrounding people also got up one after another, starting to make breakfast, with the smoke and sounds of cooking pervading the air, mingling with the aroma of the als and the hustle and bustle of the mundane world.
In this commotion, Shang Ruyi’s mind beca clearer.
She asked again, "Then, why did your elder brother practice Buddhism? Did he have a connection with it from a young age?"
Yu Wenye replied, "More or less."
"More or less?"
Shang Ruyi looked at him, "What do you an?"
Yu Wenye thought for a mont and said, "From my mory, it was when I was about four or five years old, I suddenly fell gravely ill, and dicine was ineffective, almost dying. At that ti, father and mother took the family to Dayan Temple to pray for , and shortly after returning, my illness healed."
"..."
"However, after recovering, my elder brother was not seen at ho. We found out he had gone with father and mother to Dayan Temple, listened to the Zen Master’s teachings, and was so absorbed he wouldn’t co back."
"..."
"Later, even though father forcibly brought him back, his heart seed to have remained there."
"..."
"After that, he frequently stayed at temples, listening to monks preach, and began to chant and practice Buddhism himself. Gradually, as he grew up, father couldn’t control him, and he started wandering away, seldom returning over the years."
At this point, Yu Wenye sighed lightly, "Actually, before this incident in Daxing City, almost everyone thought he would dedicate his life to Buddhism, even seeking ordination in the future. I never expected—"
Though he didn’t finish his sentence, Shang Ruyi fully understood.
No one expected soone who had practiced Buddhism for so many years, not returning ho, to suddenly engage with worldly affairs and return to the family.
Indeed, it’s a very curious affair.
Judging from Yu Wenqian’s previous actions and footsteps, he was soone indifferent to everything, roaming the world with the heavens as his shelter, solitary, no matter his noble birth, he did not value fa or fortune; yet this ti, he unexpectedly involved himself in Duke Sheng’s grand enterprise, even—single-handedly and without bloodshed, capturing Daxing City and opening its gates to welco Yu Wenquan.
This is an unparalleled achievent.
And more like—him returning to his father’s side as recompense for these years of being a son yet not fulfilling filial duties and not contributing to the family.
But in hindsight, it’s too contradictory.
Why did he suddenly undergo such change?
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi looked up at Yu Wenye, "Soone who has always focused on spiritual practice, why suddenly return? Do you know the reason?"
Yu Wenye’s eyes flickered once more.
For so reason, Shang Ruyi felt in his flickering gaze, there seed to be a bit of clarity.
After a while, he said, "Perhaps he—enlightened."
"....?"
Shang Ruyi’s heart skipped a beat.
Enlightened?
These were the words Aunt Hui had said before.
But after enlightennt, rather than delve deeper into Buddhist Law, why did he start engaging in worldly affairs, returning to the family?
This all left her unable to comprehend, but Shang Ruyi also knew she hadn’t even seen Yu Wenqian yet, naturally couldn’t understand his actions.
Only—
She looked at Yu Wenye and asked, "Then, the figure Mu Xian saw, do you think it could be him?"
"....!"
Upon hearing this question, Yu Wenye’s eyes suddenly trembled.
That feeling seed like his heart was also imnsely shaken.
Shang Ruyi instinctively felt tense.
But the next mont, Yu Wenye returned to his indifferent expression, lowered his head to glance at Shang Ruyi, then raised his head again to look at the already high-rising sun in front of them. The sunlight illuminated his face, every contour so distinct, yet it could not illuminate the deep-hidden emotions in his profound eyes.
After a while, he said, "Perhaps, perhaps not."
"..."
Shang Ruyi’s brows furrowed slightly.
Perhaps, perhaps not.
Of course, there are only these two possibilities.
But, if not, then everything is fine.
If it is—
User Comments
0 comments from readers