Chapter 4: Hiking Up Mount Sumeru

Master Mei exclaimed sharply: "We are emissaries of the Son of Heaven, must we also be bound by your rules?"

On the other side, the young monk also let out a sigh of relief and showed a friendly smile to Xia Ji

a period of three months

Cry

This caused Master Mei in the pavilion three hundred meters away to nod repeatedly, holding a whisk in his hand, crossing his legs, and holding a cup of hot tea, with a hint of mockery at the corners of his lips

As the summer solstice chanting continued into the afternoon, familiar footsteps were heard outside the door. Shortly after, the door was pushed open, and the Ninth Princess closed the door, only then revealing a look of grievance on her face

Under the green lamp

An hour later, Xia Ji had already reached the summit of the mountain

The old monk, upon seeing the visitor, did not invite him to take a seat, but instead said: "I have heard the abbot mention that the benefactor wishes to borrow the 'Past Lamp Sutra' for study. If one wishes to contemplate the sutra, one must first break the game. However, this game is not merely a contest of skill; it is a battle of Zen hearts. If the Zen heart is completely insufficient, the benefactor may find this game will turn his hair white and age him by decades. From now on, his heart will feel as if it is oppressed by a nightmare, unless he diligently practices vegetarianism and recites scriptures day and night, constantly accompanied by the blue lamp and ancient Buddha; otherwise, he will find no peace within."

Enough

As soon as she entered, she revealed a smile, "Brother, he has agreed, you can leave the palace tomorrow."

This time, I seek not the Buddha, but only the scriptures

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Emptiness is not separate from form, form is not separate from emptiness. Whatever is form, that is emptiness; whatever is emptiness, that is form. The same is true for feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness. There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; there are no forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or phenomena; there is no eye realm, up to and including no consciousness realm

Xia Ji's fingers remained calm, only tightening this embrace slightly as he held his sister in his arms. Xia Xiaosu suddenly began to cry uncontrollably, softly asking, "Why, why is this happening? What exactly did we do wrong?"

Xiao Xumi Mountain is a remarkable mountain located outside the Great Shang Imperial City, shrouded in clouds and mist throughout the year, with the density of the fog increasing as one ventures deeper, while the Leiyin Temple is situated only on the fifth peak

Xia Xiaosu was clearly somewhat afraid of the Son of Heaven, but thinking that she might only be able to spend three months with her brother, after which she would fall into the wilderness and head to that endless hell, she suddenly felt no fear, nodded her head, and said "Alright"

Hmm

He walked past the mountain gate, reaching the snow-covered ridge, and further up was the mist-shrouded mountain area

Cried too much

And wait.

The old monk shook his head, feeling that the young prince before him was still too unaware of the vastness of the world, completely failing to understand the game he was about to face. He sighed and said: "Before you take your seat, let me tell you a story. Once the story is finished, if you still wish to sit, then it is fate and destiny, and I shall say no more."

The abbot of Leiyin Temple had long been aware of the arrival of this prince. He did not personally receive the prince, who was under house arrest, but merely sent a young monk to guide him, leading Xia Ji to the back mountain.

can grow

The two siblings sat in the Sutra Pavilion at dusk. Xiaoshu sighed softly, gently resting her head on her brother's shoulder, pursing her lips, the smile in her eyes fading, revealing a hint of melancholy.

Xia Ji stopped in his tracks and shook his head, saying, "I did not think so."

Xia Xiaosu trembled slightly, turning her head away to gaze at the dim ground

Little Su, sit beside me

Eunuch Mei prepared the carriage, his voice resembling that of a drake, laced with a hint of mockery, and he sharply said: "Seventh Prince, please."

"Xiao Su, what happened?"

Eunuch Mei quietly followed behind.

The novice monk leads the way in front

In the evening, the Ninth Princess returned

Little Snow

Xia Ji allowed her to cry freely

If the father-in-law insists on coming, it will result in my inability to make this move in the game. Although I am a prince under house arrest, I can still exchange a few words with the emperor within the palace.

It was not until Xia Xiaosu spoke again that the tranquility was broken: "I promised him that I would go to Turkestan with joy and that I would do my utmost to facilitate the alliance between Turkestan and the Great Merchants"

Master Mei did not care about him and was about to walk past the mountain gate when Xia Ji suddenly said: "Master Mei, the temple has its rules, and those must be followed"

The mountaintop is spacious, and the mist has surprisingly cleared quite a bit, but looking around, it is a vast expanse, as if walking in the sky, with no sight of the earthly realm below.

Eunuch Mei was taken aback for a moment, weighing in his heart that there was no need to entangle himself with this already useless prince. If he truly became ruthless, it would be a significant loss for him. Thus, he let out a sharp laugh and said, "Then we shall wait for the prince at the foot of the mountain"

The small attic fell into silence

In the attic

Xia Ji extended his left hand, embracing his younger sister's shoulders, and suddenly asked: "What did you promise him?"

Xia Ji said little and directly got into the car; being able to go was already a favor from the emperor, so how could he allow others to accompany him? As for this Eunuch Mei, he was merely there to monitor, which was entirely different.

Xia Xiaosu continued, "I spoke with that monk, saying that my brother is under house arrest and unable to leave the palace, and that borrowing books is merely due to his obsession with Buddhist teachings. However, the monk replied that there are rules in the palace and also rules in the temple, and if there is no fate, one should not force it."

The prince recited scriptures day after day, his voice sincere yet imbued with a sense of true detachment from the mundane world.

Summer Ji waved, and Xia Xiaosu walked to his side

Xia Ji looked up and saw that in the center of the open space at the top of the mountain, there was a large stone serving as a natural chessboard, and opposite the chessboard sat an old monk with his knees crossed.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Ninth Peak, the young monk stopped in front of a mountain gate, then clasped his hands together and said: "Benefactor, please ascend the mountain alone; the chess game awaits at the summit."

Xia nodded slightly, indicating that he understood, and then sat down opposite the old monk

Xia Ji thought for a moment and suddenly said: "Xiao Su, you go find him and tell him that his son wishes to go to Mount Xumi to play a game of chess, solely to read a scripture, departing in the morning and returning by evening"

Xia Ji is certainly not helping this little novice; he simply does not want to have Master Mei standing behind him while he plays.

Xia Ji directly walked past the mountain gate, and Master Mei followed him. The young novice hurriedly said: "Esteemed sir, according to the rules of this temple, only the players may ascend the mountain alone; otherwise, entry is not permitted."

The old monk's voice resounded once more, suggesting, "Perhaps the benefactor thinks that my words are too profound and mysterious, believing them to be mere pretentiousness"

The young monk hurriedly said: "I kindly ask you, Your Excellency, not to make things difficult..."

Brother, the monk at Leiyin Temple said that the "Past Lamp Sutra" is a secret treasure of the Buddhist sect. There are rules in the temple, stating that only by climbing to the ninth peak of the Small Sumeru Mountain and playing a game of chess with the former abbot at the summit, can one qualify to read the "Past Lamp Sutra".

Xia Ji walks in the middle

He raised his head and looked out at the sky, his eyes calm, as tranquil as the moment at the dawn of creation, a brief serenity before the boundless chaos.

The Seventh Prince has studied the classics for two years, and his temperament has likely been dulled. Yesterday, the Ninth Princess must have informed him about the marriage alliance with the Turks, yet this prince did not even show anger, which indicates that he has truly become a weakling

The second day

The prince of the great merchant ascended step by step, distancing himself from the monks and eunuchs, his figure gradually merging into the deep winter sea of clouds