Chapter 369: Just Because I Looked At You More In The Crowd — Master Jingjue Side Story
On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, there was a temple fair.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse tonight; it was late, yet the sky remained a deep, clear blue.
Princess Huiyun intended to take Mianmian and Cong Geer to the temple fair tonight.
Even though her son’s brow had been furrowed enough to crush a fly during the day, she didn’t care.
A grown son is beyond a Mother’s control; if he wanted to frown, let him frown. She wasn’t afraid.
She had discovered that when dealing with her own son, as long as she pretended not to understand, there was basically nothing he could do about it.
Secondly, as long as she was good to his wife, her son would just turn a blind eye and let it pass.
Princess Huiyun actually quite envied her daughter-in-law.
Although her daughter-in-law didn’t possess the traditional, worldly beauty, her son had a soft spot for this specific type.
The Emperor worked tirelessly every day just to spend time with the Empress sooner. A more vicious Mother-in-law might not be able to stand it and would likely try to force people on the Emperor.
However, Princess Huiyun was a person who prioritized love above all else; apart from envy, she felt nothing else.
She was extremely carefree.
She didn’t even show any particular reaction when she heard that her ex-husband had died a miserable death. At most, she ate an extra bowl of rice at dinner. She was quite conscious of her health and well-being, keeping a fit figure, and eating an extra bowl wasn’t exactly healthy, but there was no help for it—for her ex-husband, she would indulge in that extra bowl!
To make going out more convenient, Princess Huiyun obtained her daughter-in-law’s consent.
Her son glared at her, but she ignored him. Having convinced her daughter-in-law, it didn’t matter if her son’s eyes were as wide as copper bells; it was useless.
It had to be said, the old Princess possessed some wisdom for living, though not much.
Qin Luoxia was always decisive. Although she didn’t like such delicate beauties as a daughter-in-law, if this person was her Mother-in-law, acting all coquettish, she really couldn’t handle it.
In the end, she agreed.
Thus, that evening, Princess Huiyun, Mianmian, and Cong Geer went out to the temple fair together, with secret guards following them.
Cong Geer didn’t usually like to run around, but since Mianmian insisted on dragging him along, he was willing.
He kept a serious face, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
Cong Geer was a Capricorn; he liked to be happy but didn’t say it directly, always making people guess. Fortunately, he was easy to guess—one look was all it took to know.
There was a palace banquet, and the Emperor and Empress could not leave.
Princess Huiyun snuck out with Mianmian and Cong Geer.
The streets were very lively.
With The New Emperor having ascended the throne, everything was flourishing, and the capital was exceptionally prosperous.
The common people could not feel the power struggles at the top, but daily life was stable and secure. Being able to go out on the streets with peace of mind, running small businesses, having land to till, and not worrying about food and drink—that was a golden age.
No one needed to call for it; it naturally became lively.
The entire capital was open and stable.
There were not only locals but also many outsiders who seemed to have rushed to the capital.
Because The New Emperor had ascended the throne and opened the imperial examinations, talented people from all over the country were pouring into the capital.
The streets were not only crowded but filled with all sorts of tricks and juggling acts.
Everyone watching wore a smile on their face.
Fathers held their children high; wherever the child pointed, the Father walked.
The lights were bright, flickering and shining.
Princess Huiyun, who had been full of enthusiasm at first, soon became uncomfortable.
Fortunately, she had already booked a restaurant with a window seat.
She had specifically chosen the main hall rather than a private room.
This restaurant’s business was booming; it was said that one of the head chefs came from the palace’s Imperial Kitchen, and people had to queue to eat there. (This was creating income for the Emperor’s private treasury.)
The window seat in the main hall was truly excellent; one could sit, eat, and watch the bustling crowds outside. Of course, the main reason was that the restaurant’s location was prime.
Sitting in the restaurant, Princess Huiyun heaved a sigh of relief. She was truly afraid of losing Mianmian and Cong Geer, but she couldn’t suppress her urge to court trouble and still wanted to take them to experience the excitement.
She also wanted to make up for her own regrets through the children.
However, clearly, there weren’t many such regrets, and making up for them just a little was enough.
Cong Geer also breathed a sigh of relief.
There were too many people, far too many; he felt as if there were sharp objects everywhere, and he was indeed very uncomfortable, yet it was also very vivid.
Mianmian was very happy.
It was just like strolling through a night market—crowded, so one just needed to be careful not to have things stolen or get lost.
Outside the window was a picture of a prosperous world.
After pushing through the crowd, sitting here eating snacks and drinking tea was quite comfortable.
Sitting in a prime viewing spot, watching the endless stream of traffic and the bright lights outside.
At today’s temple fair, besides the crowds, there were all kinds of juggling acts and parades welcoming the gods.
There were also formations from various major temples, feeling a bit like the opening ceremony of a sports meet.
Watching group after group of people pass by, each with their own characteristics, the most exciting part was the fire-breathing and such.
There was also a group of monks from a temple chanting scriptures; they chanted very beautifully, as if it could shake the heart. As they walked along, the streets became a little quieter.
Princess Huiyun watched listlessly, finding everything amusing, except when she saw the team of monks chanting scriptures, at which point she turned her head away and didn’t look again.
“In the future, don’t like someone who looks like they won’t like you back. You should like someone who looks like they will like you. It would be best if it’s like your Father and Mother.”
Mianmian nodded obediently.
She understood; Princess Grandma was lamenting her own tendency to court trouble.
After all, having been in the capital for so long, she already knew the unspeakable royal secret: when Princess Grandma was young, she had dated someone—a monk.
So her grandfather was a monk… This was really quite trendy. As expected of Princess Huiyun, a person walking at the forefront of fashion, she was indeed one to court trouble.
Regardless, Princess Huiyun’s love and hate could fill a book.
Mianmian nodded obediently. There is a type of love-struck brain that just likes a challenge—liking whoever doesn’t like them back. It is basically the most difficult type of love-struck brain to understand, commonly known as the ‘Holy Body of Love’.
Cong Geer silently placed the peeled nuts in front of Mianmian, arranging them in a circle. He then took away the tea Mianmian had only taken one sip of and replaced it with a fresh cup.
The few of them sat there eating and drinking. Princess Huiyun felt it was another very meaningful day—she had taken the children to see the excitement and, incidentally, provided them with some moral education, which deserved some praise from her son.
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly felt someone looking at her. She looked up and saw a familiar face in the crowd.
That person was unforgettable until death, as if she were in a dream.
Princess Huiyun only saw a figure, and then it disappeared.
Looking again, there was only the dim light of the fading lanterns.
Sure enough, she smiled self-deprecatingly.
The past shouldn’t be mentioned; mentioning it made her lose focus, almost thinking she had returned to decades ago.
Back then, it was precisely because she had looked at that person one more time in the crowd.
From then on, it was uncontrollable, and half a lifetime was spent in unrest.
The Princess smiled self-deprecatingly, no longer possessing the innocence of her girlhood, yet her beauty remained unchanged, only adorned by the passage of time.
The next day. The whole world was buzzing with a piece of news.
The Buddhist Son had returned with the true scriptures, having obtained a total of 344 Buddhist scriptures, 130 Tathagata flesh sarira, sandalwood-carved Buddha statues, gold-carved Buddha statues, and silver-carved Buddha statues.
The New Emperor personally received the scripture-seeking delegation and held a banquet in the palace.
Only then was it known that Master Jingjue, the Buddhist Son, had passed away on the return journey.
The high monks of the delegation lectured on scriptures on the spot in the palace, and the listeners were intoxicated.
When the high monk saw Cong Geer, he was astonished, thinking him a heavenly being, and asked if Cong Geer was willing to become the new generation of the Buddhist Son.
The Buddhist Son was equivalent to the crown prince of the Buddhist sect, an emperor.
Cong Geer refused.
Later, the delegation left behind a large number of books, maps, and precious materials before drifting away.
The imperial court displayed the Buddhist scriptures, sarira, and Buddha statues at the Chang’an Pagoda for the world to admire.
One day, Princess Huiyun again snuck out of the palace with Mianmian to play. Passing by the Chang’an Pagoda, she saw tourists like a weaving loom, lining up to worship, with incense burning vigorously. Curious, she went up the pagoda to take a look.
As it turned out, she saw three Buddha statues on the pagoda, each with different postures and vivid expressions—seemingly angry, yet seemingly joyful and smiling. Looking closely, she discovered that the Buddha statues looked very much like Princess Huiyun, and also very much like Mianmian—Bodhisattvas with gentle smiles on their lips.
Saving all living beings, in the end, he did not save himself.
One thought can lead to becoming a Buddha, one thought to becoming a demon.
In his youth, he abandoned his beloved woman to seek the Buddha, traveled the world, and finally discovered that his beloved woman had long been the Buddha in his heart.
Thus, on the journey to the West, one by one, the Bodhisattvas all had new faces.
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