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墨書 Inktalez
The sudden voice startled Mei Shuang, who was kneeling in thought before the pillar. She quickly got up and turned around to see a woman in plain clothing standing behind her.
The woman had a kind face; although she appeared not very young, her fair skin and graceful demeanor set her apart from the peasant women working in the fields. Especially when she looked at Mei Shuang with a mix of surprise and curiosity.
Mei Shuang thought that her uninvited presence might have caused the woman to question her identity and upbringing. She hurriedly brushed off the dirt from her knees and apologized, "I'm sorry, I came here seeking shelter. I knocked for a long time but no one answered, so I took the liberty of coming in..."
As she spoke, she noticed that the sky was already darkening. The woman examined Mei Shuang closely and nodded, speaking kindly, "Since it is getting late, you may stay. No outsiders have ever lodged here, so we do not have extra bedding..."
Mei Shuang quickly waved her hand, "I am alone; having a place to stay is already good enough for me. As long as it's not in the wilderness, I don't mind. I thought I would have to spend the night here by myself, but I didn't expect to find someone to talk to."
The gratitude on Mei Shuang's face was genuine. To be honest, she felt a bit scared at the thought of staying alone in such a desolate place at night.
Although she had faced various difficulties on Qishan and had become bolder, she had been with others during those times; no matter what they did, there was always company. This shows that humans are indeed social creatures.
However, since this woman lived in the Buddha Hall, she must be its owner. Yet from her attire, it was clear that she was not a nun or any kind of ascetic. Moreover, she did not refer to herself as "this humble nun" or call Mei Shuang "benefactor" or anything similar.
Noticing Mei Shuang examining her, the woman seemed to understand her thoughts and smiled slightly. "This place is indeed a temple, but it was not built for ascetics; it is simply..."
At this point, she suddenly stopped speaking and walked directly into the Buddha Hall. After checking inside and seeing that the incense had burned out, she hurriedly replenished it and respectfully offered a prayer before turning back outside.
Seeing her actions piqued Mei Shuang's curiosity.
When the woman came out, Mei Shuang asked, "Um... may I ask how to address you?"
The woman paused for a moment before casually replying, "You can call me Master Jing."
Master Jing? Mei Shuang repeated the name and found it somewhat strange; it sounded like a title for an ascetic. However, the character for "Jing" resonated with her calm demeanor.
“Master Jing, do you live here alone?”
Master Jing shook his head, “My master has gone out for some business...”
“Your master?” Mei Shuang was a bit surprised. Although curious, she remembered the lesson from the afternoon about curiosity killing the cat and forced herself to suppress her curiosity, saying, “Oh, alright, Master Jing, it’s getting late. Where do you think I should stay?”
Without hesitation, Master Jing led Mei Shuang to a room on the east side and opened the door. “You can stay here tonight. My master is out for business and won’t be back for a while. You can put your things here, and I’ll go make dinner. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
After expressing her gratitude, Mei Shuang entered the room. It was simple and unadorned, tidy and clean. It was clear that the person living here must be someone who valued cleanliness, which made Mei Shuang feel a good impression of Master Jing’s master.
Although she was offered to stay here, she thought it was just politeness; after all, it was a borrowed space, and she didn’t want to take over someone else's bed.
After thinking for a moment, she moved a few stools together and laid a board flat against the wall, creating a small makeshift bed.
She felt quite satisfied with her arrangement and lay down on it briefly to test it out.
From across the long window, Master Jing happened to catch sight of this scene and found himself momentarily lost in thought.
This child was so understanding.
While cooking, Master Jing gazed at the fire in the stove, lost in his thoughts.
There was no difference between when he saw her at Cheng En Temple and now; he just wondered how she had suddenly left Cheng En Temple.
As he was lost in thought, a gentle voice came from behind him, “Master Jing, may I help you with anything?”
Master Jing came back to her senses and turned to see Mei Shuang looking at her, holding a few buns in her hands. "Master Jing, I didn't bring anything when I went out, so let's have these buns for dinner."
Master Jing felt a warmth in her heart and did not refuse. She opened the pot lid and placed the buns inside, then invited Mei Shuang to sit down with her.
Seeing that Master Jing accepted the buns, Mei Shuang relaxed and sat beside her. "Master Jing, let me take care of the fire."
Master Jing shook her head, tossing some dry grass into the stove. "Where did you come from? Where are you going?"
Mei Shuang paused, a hint of a bitter smile forming on her lips. "I came from where I've always been, and I'm going to where I'm meant to go."
Master Jing frowned slightly, shifting her gaze from the stove to Mei Shuang's face. She was somewhat surprised but did not press for clarification, merely nodding.
Mei Shuang couldn't help but sigh; living day by day without knowing what tomorrow holds felt meaningless.
Even if she tried to hide it well, the worry was clearly written on her brow. Since Mei Shuang wasn't willing to share more, Master Jing didn't want to pry further. Moreover, her own master had no plans for any familial recognition at the moment, so she felt it best not to get too involved.
However, judging by Mei Shuang's demeanor, it seemed she had left the temple. But how did she end up here?
She sighed inwardly; everything would unfold as it should.
After having a simple dinner with Master Jing, Mei Shuang returned to her room.
Lying on the hard bed she had made herself and gazing at the bright moon outside, she felt a deep sense of helplessness rising from within, leaving her feeling weak all over.
Her mother's words from the temple still echoed in her ears, and the scene of Xiao Luo's arrival was vividly clear. In the end, her mother struggled for a long time but did not recognize her; she had spoken disrespectfully, angering the Sovereign, which completely shattered their already fragile relationship and pushed herself into a dead end.
Sigh, now that she thought about it calmly, she realized how foolish she had been to say such things. Even if she was being used by the other party, as an ordinary citizen, she should have felt grateful for still having some value. Why couldn't she position herself correctly?
Now, she had thoroughly offended that high and mighty Sovereign. Although he did not punish her for her disrespect at that moment—perhaps out of concern for the emperor's dignity and not wanting to be seen as petty—it was clear to her that there was no turning back.
Initially, she had deceived herself into thinking that he still had some feelings for her, but now it seemed that this divine will was indeed inscrutable.
Thinking this way made her heart sink.
The days of the past replayed in her mind like a film, and her mood grew increasingly low.
In one night, she tossed and turned, feeling cold in her hands and feet, with a painful stomach; she felt utterly miserable.
Master Jing also did not sleep well that night. While walking in the courtyard, she heard a faint sound.
Peering through the long window, she saw Mei Shuang lying on a simple bed, curled up in a small ball. The sound was coming from her; her body occasionally trembled lightly.
Master Jing was startled and hurriedly opened the door. She gently called out to Mei Shuang, but there was no response. When she approached to help Mei Shuang sit up, she realized that the girl was soft and powerless, trembling intermittently, with a forehead that felt alarmingly hot.
This child was sick—and very seriously so.
After a moment of contemplation, she decisively set Mei Shuang down and went to Buddha Hall.
When she emerged from Buddha Hall, she held something in her hand. Standing in the center of the courtyard, she raised her hand into the air. With a whoosh, something soared upward and exploded in a burst of sparks before vanishing without a trace.
She silently prayed for her master to return soon.
In a daze, Mei Shuang could only hear a distant voice coming from afar, but it was unclear. She wanted to open her eyes to see, but her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and she couldn't manage to lift them. After much effort, she finally managed to open them slightly, only to see a hazy light before everything plunged back into darkness.
Later that night, the temple door creaked open, and a dark figure hurried inside.
Master Jing heard the sound of the door and quickly emerged from his room. Upon seeing the newcomer, he hurriedly bowed and said, "Princess, we have an Esteemed Guest at the temple."
"Esteemed Guest?" The princess furrowed her brows slightly. Just moments ago, she had heard a noise in the air that felt significant. She had rushed back without delay, only to find it was merely an announcement of an Esteemed Guest.
"Princess, you should come in and take a look..." Master Jing did not specify who it was, but his expression was filled with concern.
Upon entering the room, the princess saw a woman lying on the bed, her head turned inward against the candlelight, making it difficult to see her face clearly.
A sense of dread filled her heart; she thought that ordinary people would never be allowed to sleep in her bed.
As she approached closer, she gasped in shock and exclaimed, "Shuang'er?"
After a moment of astonishment, she realized that the person on the bed was burning with fever, trembling intermittently from the high temperature.
"Jing, hurry and fetch some medicine."
Master Jing quickly retrieved a box and opened it while saying to the princess, "I already gave her a sedative earlier, but it seems it hasn't helped much with the fever."
The princess carefully checked Mei Shuang's pulse, her expression growing increasingly grave. "This is bad; her illness is fierce and likely has triggered an old ailment. Quickly prepare the horses; we must rush to Cheng En Temple tonight to seek help from the Abbot."
As the fourth watch of the night passed, Cheng En Temple opened its gates wide. The sound of hoofbeats echoed as the Abbot and the nuns rushed down the mountain.
Upon seeing that it was Mei Shuang who was ill, the Abbot inwardly groaned. How had this child ended up like this after disappearing for just one day?
Mei Shuang was burning with fever, yet she continued to shiver. The Abbot quickly took out a Silver Needle and pricked several acupoints on Mei Shuang, observing her reactions. After chanting "Amitabha," his expression grew anxious as he turned to the princess, who was drenched in sweat from rushing over. "Princess, I have temporarily stabilized her condition, but I'm afraid we may not be able to cure her."
"What should we do?" The princess and Master Jing were alarmed upon hearing this. The Abbot was highly skilled in medicine; if he said that, then Mei Shuang was in danger.
"It seems we must report this to His Majesty and ask for his help..." Master Jing urged.
The princess remained noncommittal.
The Abbot fell silent upon hearing this.
Master Jing grew anxious and said to the Abbot, "Abbot, please speak up. Didn't we hear that His Majesty recently visited Qizhou in disguise?"
The Abbot lowered his head awkwardly. "His Majesty... came by the other day..."
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