Ci’en Temple was located outside the Anding Gate in the north of the city. A thousand-year-old monastery, it had been imperially rebuilt and renamed Baoguo Ci’en Temple at the beginning of the current dynasty. Besides the common halls found in ordinary temples, such as the Mahavira Hall, the Great Dharma Hall, and various other pavilions, there was a scripture pavilion in the southwest called the “Revolving Sutra Cabinet.” This was a wooden scripture gallery with an ingenious mechanism that could be rotated by human power. It housed vast collections of sutras. If one turned it for a complete revolution, it symbolized having read all the Buddhist scriptures contained within, also representing the completeness of the cycle of rebirth.

Because of this revolving sutra cabinet, throughout the dynasties, countless scholars and poets left their inscriptions and calligraphy on the temple’s walls. Even monks would travel thousands of miles to practice here. However, it was said that over hundreds of years, despite numerous monks dedicating their lives to studying here, no one was known to have completed a full rotation of the revolving cabinet.

When Jia Fu arrived at Ci’en Temple, it was noon. There were few visitors in the temple, but having just reached the foot of the mountain, she had seen the Duke’s mansion’s carriage parked there. Knowing the person she wanted to meet was indeed inside the temple, she entered the mountain gate and went directly to the Mahavira Hall to offer incense, worship Buddha, and donate lamp oil. After finishing, she came out and asked a reception monk about the whereabouts of the visitors from the Duke’s mansion.

More than twenty years ago, the Tianxi Empress had contracted an epidemic. As the disease was rampant, to prevent its spread in the inner palace, she had been sent to Ci’en Temple for isolation and recuperation. The Empress had suffered from illness for over a year, never showing signs of improvement, only deteriorating further, and ultimately passed away in the rear temple. Since Old Madam Pei frequently visited the temple at that time, the monks were very familiar with her.

The reception monk initially did not want to respond, but seeing that Jia Fu was generous in her donation, he said, “The Old Madam of the Duke’s mansion has gone to rest in the rear meditation chamber. Female devotees are not permitted to approach.”

…

After Old Madam Pei finished burning incense and had a light vegetarian meal, she showed signs of fatigue due to her advanced age. Pei You An accompanied her to the meditation chamber for a brief rest.

After the Tianxi Empress had passed away, the Tianxi Emperor had sealed off the meditation courtyard where she had resided during her illness, allowing only her mother, Old Madam Pei, to enter. Although more than twenty years had passed, the current emperor, who had successfully ascended the throne as the Shun’an Prince Regent, did not favor the Pei family. However, he would not openly defy the imperial decree of his predecessor and elder brother. Thus, this secluded quadrangle courtyard remained exclusively for the use of the Duke’s mansion. Usually, the main gate was kept locked. When the Old Madam was to visit, the temple would receive advance notice, then unlock and clean the place, preparing for her arrival.

Pei You An knew that his grandmother often reminisced about her niece who had unfortunately passed away more than twenty years ago. Now seeing her standing at the threshold, he paused and looked around.

Although notice had been sent ahead yesterday and the place had been cleaned and arranged, it was nonetheless early winter, and the meditation courtyard was filled with falling yellow leaves and withering vines. Fearing that the scene might evoke sad memories, he extended his hand to guide her: “Grandmother, let’s go inside. The wind is strong.”

As Old Madam Pei entered, Yu Zhu and the two maids who accompanied them were about to attend to her, but seeing that the Young Master had already stepped forward to personally remove her outer garments, then crouched down to take off her shoes and arrange them neatly on the floor, the maids watched in slight surprise. Yu Zhu, noticing this, gave them a look and led them all to withdraw.

Old Madam Pei sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her grandson.

Pei You An took his grandmother’s stockinged feet in his hands, massaging them slowly. After a while, when they felt slightly warm, he helped her lie down gradually, lifted her feet, and placed them under the quilt, saying, “Grandmother, please rest.”

Old Madam Pei closed her eyes. Pei You An sat beside her, quietly accompanying her. Once she had fallen asleep, he gently tucked in the corners of the quilt, rose, stood by the window for a moment, then walked out.

…

“Is the Old Madam of the Duke’s mansion also in the temple?”

The image of the maid he had seen yesterday immediately surfaced in Zhen Yao Ting’s mind. Though not the most exquisite beauty he had ever seen, for some reason, just one glance had left her imprinted in his memory, making him delighted. He urged Jia Fu: “Go quickly, have someone announce you. Having coincidentally met here, it would be impolite not to pay your respects.”

Jia Fu knew of the Old Madam’s habit of taking afternoon naps, so she wouldn’t listen to her brother’s suggestion. Besides, the person she had come here to see wasn’t the Old Madam at all.

She stood there, thinking for a moment, then turned to Zhen Yao Ting and said, “I’ll go and see. Brother, wait for me here in the front hall, and don’t wander off.”

Zhen Yao Ting agreed, then added with a grin: “If you see her, don’t forget to mention me, so I can pay my respects to the old lady too!”

Jia Fu nodded absently, then led Tan Xiang through the main hall, heading southwest.

At this hour, naturally, there were no morning bells or evening drums to be heard. Only when passing several low walls could one faintly hear chanting accompanied by wooden fish, which made the surrounding stillness even more pronounced.

The path underfoot was paved with white pebbles that had gradually been trampled to a dull gray color over the years, with moss growing in the crevices. Ginkgo trees lined both sides of the path. At the end stood a thousand-year-old tree, its trunk shooting straight up to the sky, its branches spreading out over the temple halls, covering half of the Xieshan-style roof. As a gust of wind passed, ginkgo leaves rustled down from above, slanting across half the roof, while a thick layer of fallen leaves had accumulated on the ground, as if a golden rain had just fallen.

A man was standing under the quiet caisson ceiling of the Revolving Sutra Cabinet Hall.

The caisson ceiling’s four sides were adorned with colorful paintings of the Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors and scenes of the Buddha’s assembly in the Lotus Treasury World. The Buddha had lowered his eyebrows, while the Vajra glared fiercely. The midday sun pierced through the ginkgo treetops above the caisson, casting a bright, square-shaped golden light. He stood at the edge where this golden light met the shadows, his figure dappled, half in light and half in darkness. A fallen leaf drifted down from the caisson above his head, spiraling slowly in the air before landing at his feet.

He kept his head lowered, completely absorbed in turning the scripture scroll in his hands, his figure motionless.

Jia Fu stood outside the threshold, gazing at the man’s back.

Earlier, she had guessed he might come here. It was just a feeling. So she came, wanting to try her luck first.

The luck seemed quite good; he was indeed in the Revolving Sutra Cabinet.

But now, having truly found him, she suddenly felt uneasy. Several times she opened her mouth to call him, then closed it again. As she hesitated, the man seemed to sense something unusual behind him and suddenly turned his face, his gaze following.

Jia Fu’s heart skipped slightly, and she immediately smiled, calling out “Elder Cousin” in a gentle, pleasing voice.

Seeing her there, Pei You An didn’t seem particularly surprised and remained where he stood.

“Why have you come here?” was all he asked.

Jia Fu raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

“To be honest, I came here this morning specifically to find Elder Cousin. There’s something I’d like to ask your advice on.”

Her voice was soft as if lacking courage.

Pei You An’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment. He closed the scripture scroll, inserted it back into the cabinet, then turned and walked toward her.

He stopped. One outside the threshold, and one inside, with a distance of seven or eight steps between them.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Yesterday when Yu Zhu came to my home, before leaving, she suddenly quietly relayed a message, saying that Elder Cousin had specially instructed her to tell me not to use my current fragrance anymore. From what she implied, it seems the fragrance I use is harmful to others. When I asked further, she couldn’t explain why, saying she was merely passing on Elder Cousin’s message…”

Jia Fu bit her lip.

“Elder Cousin’s instructions are certainly correct, and I will follow them. But I truly don’t understand, and as it involves harming others, I felt uneasy, couldn’t sleep all night, and this morning I couldn’t concentrate on anything. Remembering that Yu Zhu said Elder Cousin would escort the Old Madam to Ci’en Temple today, I simply came over. I apologize for boldly seeking you out here and disturbing you, I…”

Pei You An waved his hand, stopping her unfinished words.

“Do you know what fragrance you were wearing on my grandmother’s birthday?” he asked, his eyes fixed on her face.

“Ambergris.”

Jia Fu answered him immediately, without even blinking.

He didn’t speak, examining her scrutinizingly.

Jia Fu looked puzzled: “Why is Elder Cousin looking at me like that?”

“Where did you get the ambergris you used?”

“From our family’s storeroom.”

“Do you know about frozen dragon brain?”

After a slight pause, he suddenly asked.

Jia Fu nodded.

“When my father was alive, I remember occasionally hearing him mention it. He said it was a fragrance from Southern India, similar to ambergris in properties, but not as good.”

Jia Fu blinked, looking at him: “What is it?”

“I can tell you with certainty that what you used, the so-called ambergris was frozen dragon brain. Young Master Quan’s illness was caused by the frozen dragon brain you were wearing. Frozen dragon brain is not only a fragrance but also used as medicine in the Western Regions. However, a very small number of people cannot tolerate this scent. Coming into contact with even a small amount causes symptoms of discomfort, and if accidentally ingested, it can even be life-threatening. Young Master Quan is such a person. This is why he fell ill both times after contact with you.”

Jia Fu’s heart skipped a beat.

She only knew that Young Master Quan would fall ill from the frozen dragon brain and would gradually recover after a few days. She didn’t know that frozen dragon brain was also a medicinal ingredient that could be fatal. This was truly unexpected.

But by now, she had long passed the point of no return. She had to convince him to believe her and even enlist his help, or at least, not ruin her plans.

She displayed a look of distress, shaking her head continuously: “I didn’t know! In our family’s storeroom, fragrances are categorized and stored separately. I’ve always used ambergris. This time, because we were coming to the capital, I discovered that the box of fragrance cakes I had was almost used up before leaving, so I asked someone to get new ones. It was a rushed situation; perhaps the storeroom servant made a mistake. I truly didn’t know!”

She suddenly widened her eyes, showing a horrified expression: “Could it be… Elder Cousin, you think I intentionally meant to harm Young Master Quan?”

She looked at Pei You An, who seemed to neither confirm nor deny, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes, her voice taking on an aggrieved tone.

“When I was young, I visited the Duke’s mansion a few times, but Young Master Quan hadn’t been born yet. Then in recent years, I’ve been in Quanzhou observing mourning for my father. Even if I knew frozen dragon brain was harmful, how could I have known that Young Master Quan couldn’t come into contact with it?”

She lowered her head and said no more, her teeth tightly biting her lip until the pitiful lip turned a pale white as if she were desperately holding back tears that were about to overflow. Yet, eventually, a crystalline tear did escape, falling with a “plop” onto the ground before her feet.

She hurriedly turned her face away, raising her hand to carelessly wipe the corner of her eye.

While she had been speaking, Pei You An had been watching her, his expression cool, as if assessing the truthfulness of her words. Gradually, he averted his gaze, no longer looking at her tearful appearance, saying only: “I suspect it was indeed unintentional on your part. Don’t cry anymore.”

His voice was even. But it sounded like he believed her and was comforting her.

Jia Fu could cry on command, which wasn’t difficult. Thinking of her departed father and the final moment of her previous life was enough to make her eyes sting.

Originally, she had only intended to cry for him to see. But hearing his comfort, somehow her emotions suddenly went out of control. She felt immensely wronged, silently lowering her head as tears kept falling down, drip by drip.

Pei You An’s face, which had remained expressionless until now, began to show signs of discomfort. He glanced at her several times, pinched his palm, then released it. After hesitating for a moment, he finally walked over, stopped at the threshold, leaned down slightly toward her, and said in a low voice: “Please stop crying. I believe you. Otherwise, why would I have only asked Yu Zhu to relay my message to remind you?”

“Think about it,” he added as if to console her.

He bent slightly, coming somewhat close. Jia Fu seemed to feel the warmth emanating from his body, like the golden warmth of winter sunlight through the caisson.

She hurriedly turned her back, lowered her head to wipe away the tears on her face, and only after her emotions had stabilized did she turn back, saying softly: “Thank you, Elder Cousin, for believing me.”

Pei You An had already stepped back several paces, his expression returning to its previous calmness. His gaze swept over her tear-stained face. After musing for a moment, he said: “These past two days, I’ve also heard rumors about this matter, saying that you and Young Master Quan have conflicting fates, which might be disadvantageous for your marriage negotiations. Since this matter is not your fault, I can help explain the cause of Young Master Quan’s illness. If you don’t want people to know it was due to your mistaken use of fragrance, I can also avoid mentioning you. Once my mother’s concerns are dispelled, you and my second brother can proceed smoothly with the marriage negotiations.”

Jia Fu slowly shook her head.

Pei You An was startled: “What’s wrong? You don’t want to clear up the misunderstanding?”

Jia Fu secretly clenched her fist and said: “Elder Cousin, it’s my good fortune that your family is willing to accept someone of my background. But to be honest, this trip to the capital for marriage negotiations was not of my own volition. With my grandmother managing the household, I truly couldn’t disobey, so I reluctantly followed the arrangement. Originally, I thought I would just settle my life like this and live out my days, but unexpectedly, by coincidence, these past two days, because of Young Master Quan’s illness, Madam Song and your mother have become displeased with me, and the marriage negotiations might be put on hold…”

She paused and raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

“May I boldly implore Elder Cousin to be merciful and pretend not to know about this matter?”

Pei You An frowned slightly: “Is that truly what you want? You would rather bear the name of being inauspicious than marry into the Duke’s mansion?”

“Yes.” Jia Fu nodded. “The Duke’s mansion is of noble standing, far beyond what I can aspire to. Young Master Quan falling ill due to my mistaken use of fragrance, causing Madam Song and your mother to be displeased with me, feels like heaven’s decree and is also an opportunity. I beg Elder Cousin to grant me this. Whether I eventually marry or not is predestined, and I accept it.”

Pei You An looked at her, suddenly feeling something wasn’t quite right, though he couldn’t pinpoint what. Suppressing the strange feeling rising in his heart, he finally nodded: “If that’s what you want, I certainly have no objection. However—”

His tone suddenly became stern.

“You didn’t know before, so it was unintentional, and therefore I don’t blame you. Now that you know frozen dragon brain is harmful to Young Master Quan, even if you view the Duke’s mansion as a raging flood, as long as Young Master Quan is present, I will not allow you to use this fragrance to harm him.”

Jia Fu secretly glanced up, saw him staring at her with a slight frown and a stern expression, and dared not disagree. She lowered her gaze and said softly: “You don’t need to tell me, Elder Cousin. I already know.”

Pei You An lifted the hem of his robe, stepped over the threshold, and walked past her.

Jia Fu stood for a moment, turned her head, and saw his figure moving further away, gradually disappearing at the end of the ginkgo-lined path.