“Ning Chen, have you drunk that jar of wine?”

The crown prince asked it suddenly.

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes. “I haven’t had a chance to drink it yet. Wine the crown prince gave me must wait for a good day before the seal is broken.”

The crown prince smiled and said no more. Some things need only be said up to a point and no further.

“By the way, I went outside the city yesterday and came on something interesting.”

Ning Chen looked at him and said nothing.

The crown prince said, “There is a Spirit Spring Temple on South Mountain outside the city. It was a ruined temple and the incense had long since gone out… And yesterday I found people going in and out of it.”

“Ning Chen, in this freezing weather, in a ruined temple — how would the people living in it get through a winter as cold as this?”

Ning Chen’s eyes tightened slightly.

The crown prince would not be saying this for nothing.

There is something wrong with that temple — or more exactly, with the people who have suddenly appeared in it.

The crown prince fished a thousand-tael silver note out of his robe and held it out.

“My station makes it awkward for me, so I must trouble you to buy some padded clothes and charcoal for me and take them to the temple… I am the heir apparent of the Great Xuan. Faced with the sufferings of the people, I cannot shut my eyes to them.”

Ning Chen did not hesitate. He took the note and tucked it into his robe. “Very well. The crown prince may rest easy. I will see the warmth delivered.”

“If there is nothing else, I’ll be going.”

The crown prince inclined his head slightly.

Ning Chen jumped down from the carriage and walked toward the courtesans’ quarter.

The crown prince lifted the window curtain and watched Ning Chen’s back go, something flickering in his eyes.

Lu Yan had the look of a man who had something to say and had stopped himself.

The crown prince glanced at him. “What is it you want to say?”

“Your Highness, your subordinate thinks this man is not to be relied on.”

The crown prince smiled a little. “Whether he is to be relied on does not matter. It is enough that he can be used.”

Lu Yan said, “This man has very little awe of the imperial house. In front of Your Highness he showed no respect at all… Your subordinate thinks he is not fit to be used.”

The crown prince’s eyes were dark. “He has some use in him. For the present his object and mine are the same… Use him, and it clears away those who are not our own at the same time.”

“Ning Chen does have abilities. Let him be used for now… When everything is settled, he will have no more use.”

“Come. We’ll go back.”

Ning Chen reached the door of the courtesans’ quarter, looked back and watched the crown prince’s carriage go, and the corner of his mouth curled in mockery.

It seems the crown prince has been pushed to it.

He has hidden himself all this while and has chosen this moment to show what is in his mind… He must feel danger coming.

Is it because the Grand Tutor is coming home?

Or has he learned something that goes against him?

“Plenty of dark in him and no great brains.”

Ning Chen muttered it. That was his estimate of the crown prince.

The man wants to use me against the Empress… Does he really think that once the Empress is cleared away the throne is his?

Ning Chen pursed his lips. At present, besides the Third Prince with his eye on the throne, there was another who was hidden very deep… Prince Fu.

There was only one thing he needed to do well now and he could sit as steady as Mount Tai (TL Note: the great sacred peak of the east, the standard image for a thing that cannot be moved.)… and that was to keep His Majesty safe.

So long as His Majesty was there, they could raise no great waves.

And there was Old General Chen to keep safe too.

Ning Chen thought a while, and then rode his beloved Diaochan to the Inspectorate.

He came to Geng Jing’s room.

Geng Jing was scratching his head with irritation all over his face.

“Lord Geng, stop scratching… you’ll scratch yourself bald.”

Geng Jing sighed. “I’ve only just come back from the palace… The immortal powder case is going nowhere and His Majesty tore me to shreds.”

Ning Chen shut his lips tight quickly, afraid he would laugh out loud.

It was a strange feeling. He was truly sorry for Geng Jing, and yet hearing that His Majesty had given him a scolding made him unaccountably happy.

“I have something to go on, on my side.”

Geng Jing’s head came round at once. “Something to go on? What?”

“Does Lord Geng know the Spirit Spring Temple on South Mountain outside the city?”

Geng Jing nodded. “I do. A ruined temple. The incense went out long ago and it has been abandoned for years.”

Ning Chen said, smiling, “Lately there have been people going in and out of that temple.”

“Might it not be beggars?”

Ning Chen said, smiling, “Beggars or not — we’ll know when we look, won’t we?”

Geng Jing frowned. “There’s something secretive about you, boy. Are you keeping something from me?”

“My lord, there’s no time to lose. Let’s start now.”

Geng Jing glared at him and inclined his head slightly.

The whole strength of the first department turned out, and thirty red coats besides.

The party rode straight for the temple outside the city.

The temple was built halfway up the mountain, and because of the snow the road was wet and slippery and the horses could not go up, so they went up the mountain on foot.

Ning Chen looked at the stone steps and said, smiling, “A great many footprints. It seems there are a good many people in that temple.”

Geng Jing gave the order to climb.

The party went up the steps one behind another.

At the temple gate Geng Jing split off a part of the men to hold the gate and led the rest in at a rush.

The temple was not large.

There were men in the courtyard sweeping the snow off the ground.

All of them were in monks’ robes, their great bald heads shining.

Ning Chen studied them.

“Have you noticed anything?”

Geng Jing asked it under his breath.

Ning Chen said, smiling, “These little monks are very calm at the sight of us.”

Geng Jing smiled. “Rather too calm… And their heads have all been shaved very recently.”

Ning Chen nodded. “And whoever shaved them was no great hand at it. Look how many of those heads have cuts on them.”

And just then an old monk came out of one of the rooms at a quick step.

“Amitabha (TL Note: the name of the Buddha of the Western Paradise, spoken as a pious formula — closer in use to God have mercy than to a prayer.). This poor monk is called Du’e, and greets my lords.”

Geng Jing looked at him and asked, “What manner of man are you?”

“This poor monk leads his disciples wandering the four quarters, praying for the people’s good fortune… Coming near the capital, we found this abandoned temple, and thought to put it in order and get through this winter. We will leave when spring opens next year.”

Geng Jing said heavily, “Where have you come from?”

“Amitabha. Men of the Buddha travel everywhere and have nowhere fixed to live. Wherever we walk to, there is home.”

Ning Chen smiled a little and pointed at the treetops swaying in the wind in the courtyard. “Master, look there.”

Du’e raised his head to look, and could not tell what was meant.

Ning Chen asked flatly, “Master, would you say it is the wind that moves, or the tree?”

Du’e was blank for a long moment, and then hesitated and said, “It is the wind that moves.”

“Wrong!”

Du’e looked at him. “Where is it wrong?”

Ning Chen’s face was full of teasing. “To put it in your own Buddhist way — the wind does not move and the tree does not move. It is the master’s mind that moves.” (TL Note: a famous Chan exchange. Two monks argue whether it is a flag or the wind that moves, and the patriarch tells them it is their own minds. Ning Chen is showing off that he knows it.)

The muscle at the corner of Du’e’s eye twitched, and he put his palms together. “Amitabha. I never thought this lord understood the Dharma… This poor monk is full of admiration.”

Ning Chen smiled. “A little of it, no more. Master, let me ask you another. Two men walk on through heavy snow. Why does heaven not wet one of them?”

“This—” Du’e’s face was full of difficulty. “Because… because one of them is carrying an umbrella.”

Ning Chen burst out laughing.

“Why does my lord laugh? Was this poor monk’s answer wrong?”

Ning Chen glanced at him, and then looked round at Geng Jing and the others. “Do any of you know?”

Geng Jing shook his head.

Feng Qizheng said sourly, “If this great bald donkey (TL Note: an old insult for a monk — the shaved head, and the animal for stupidity and stubbornness.) doesn’t know, how should I?”

Ning Chen looked at Du’e.

Du’e’s expression was one of sullen anger. He looked at Feng Qizheng and put his palms together. “Amitabha. Let this lord guard his words.”

Ning Chen could not hold the laugh in.

“Master, you are caught in appearances (TL Note: clinging to the outward form of a thing instead of seeing through it. To accuse a monk of it is to say he has failed at his own discipline.). A man who has left the world holds the four elements to be empty (TL Note: earth, water, fire and air — the Buddhist teaching that all things are made of them and none of them is real.). How should he be angered by one word like donkey?”

“I’ll answer the question myself. Two men walk on through heavy snow. Why does heaven not wet one of them? Because both of them were wet through. Heaven is fair. How could it wet only one?”

The words were hardly out when Ning Chen’s face darkened and he said sharply, “You false monks… Somebody! Take every one of them!”

(End of Chapter 216)