Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Hardest Favor to Bear Is Beauty’s Kindness

The Cui branch of the Qinghe clan had lived for many years in the Eastern Capital. Their ancestral graves lay on the plain of Mang Mountain in Mianqian Ward of Pingyin County, Luoyang. On the day of the burial, Du Shiyi stayed for one night with the Cui family at a nearby monastery founded with the Cuis’ donations. Only on the next day did he set out back for the Eastern Capital. Yet no sooner had he returned to the Cui residence in Yongfeng Ward than he received startling news.

Madam Gongsun had arrived in Luoyang. The next day, the twenty-sixth day of the second month, she would perform her sword dance at Anguo Temple in the Xuanjiao Ward of Luoyang!

In the past, the Grand Lady of Qi had personally invited Gongsun Daniang to remain in the household and instruct the family’s singing girls, but Gongsun had politely declined. After leaving, she wandered through Dengfeng, Yanshi, Bianzhou, and many other places, even traveling as far as the Hebei Circuit; within less than three years, her fame had surpassed what it once was. So when they heard that Gongsun Daniang had come to Luoyang, Cui Jianxuan glanced at the conspicuous coarse hemp mourning clothes on his body, then nudged Du Shiyi with his elbow and dragged him all the way to his study. Before he even had time to close the door, he blurted out, "Du Nineteen, I am in mourning and it would be improper to go see Madam Gongsun, so I am not going. You go to Anguo Temple, and at the very least return the bronze token she once gave us but we never used. Also..."

"And also to pass along a message."

Before he had finished, two people stepped over the threshold, one in front and one behind. The one in front was Cui Wuniang; the one behind, dark-faced and silent, was Cui Jiuniang. Cui Wuniang walked forward slowly and sighed. "Madam Gongsun once could not withstand Jiuniang’s persistent pleading and taught us sisters a few essentials of sword dance. But now Grandmother has only just passed away, and my sisters and I should not go to see her. Please, Young Lord Du, convey our greetings to her for me and for Jiu-niang. Also, there is a rumor that even the sovereign in the palace has heard of Madam Gongsun’s great renown and intends to send someone to invite her to the Music Bureau to instruct the court ladies. Please mention this to her so she may be prepared. After all, not everyone can be like Lord Lu of Songshan and firmly decline an imperial appointment. If this is true, she may not be able to refuse."

The things that needed saying had all been said by Cui Jianxuan and Cui Wuniang. Seeing Du Shiyi nod, Cui Jiu-niang could not help grinding her teeth, then snorted. "That is not how you put it. Aren’t you supposed to be so capable? Madam Gongsun values freedom above all else. If you truly have such immense ability, then think of a way for her to decline the summons from the palace..."

"Zhenzhen, shut your mouth at once!" Cui Wuniang’s face darkened. In her agitation, she had actually cried out her younger sister’s pet name. Seeing Cui Jiu-niang freeze, she said sternly, "Not everything can be turned into a quarrel or a joke! This is not the same as Lord Lu’s firm refusal of appointment. When the sovereign issues a summons, whether one is monk, Daoist, or reclusive worthy, one has no choice but to obey. If Lord Lu had not been so famous, if Princess Yuzhen had not mediated, and if the various nobles and ministers had not each had their own selfish motives, Lord Lu would never have been so easily permitted to return to the mountains last time! Do you think Du Nineteen has gone mad, rushing in recklessly over such a matter? That is not helping anyone; it is harming them!"

After chastising Cui Jiu-niang, and seeing her bite her lip and fall silent, she softened her expression and said gently to Du Shiyi, "Young Lord Du, Jiu-niang is young and ignorant. Please do not take it to heart."

"Fine, I am young and ignorant. Do as you please; I do not care anymore!" Cui Jiu-niang stamped hard, then stormed out of Cui Jianxuan’s study like a whirlwind. Once she had hurried down the steps and reached the courtyard below, she raised a hand to wipe away the tears she could no longer hold back, her heart full of indignation and worry.

Du Shiyi still would not admit it, and Mother would not tell her the truth. Yet looking at Elder Sister now, all her heart was for Du Shiyi—where was there any room left for her younger sister?

Cui Jiu-niang’s sudden departure left the three in the room stunned for a moment. Then, as if nothing had happened, they exchanged a few more words, and Cui Wuniang took her leave with a smile. Only then did Cui Jianxuan ask in confusion, "Though Jiu-niang has always been such an odd sort, a few days ago she was still discreetly asking me about your family and about your studies in the mountains. Why did she suddenly change her face today?"

"She asked you about me?" Seeing Cui Jianxuan nod, Du Shiyi recalled how the girl had once interrogated him. He knew that Cui Jiu-niang was probably still trapped in her own stubborn thoughts. He had intended to explain the whole matter clearly to Cui Jianxuan, but then he thought better of it: this fellow was afraid of his elder sister and afraid of his younger sister; if he could avoid bringing trouble later, that would already be good. More importantly, he would be setting out for the capital within the next few days, while the Cui family would remain in Luoyang to keep mourning, so there were only a few days left to endure in any case. Thus he brushed it off lightly. "So it seems your Jiu-niang is probably thinking of some way to set another trap for me... Come to think of it, once I am gone, you will have to fend for yourself!"

Cui Jianxuan, who had originally wanted to press him for details, was instantly choked with fury. "You ungrateful wretch!"

Xuanjiao Ward of Luoyang lay in the sixth ward north of the first street east of Changxia Gate Avenue. Since it was a ward farther from the Luo River and nearer to the southern wall of Luoyang, the mansions and estates of the great and powerful usually avoided building there. As a result, most of the ward’s structures dated from before the Kaiyuan era. Among them, Anguo Temple had originally been the residence of the Crown Prince Jiemin in the Zhongzong reign. In the second year of Shenlong it became Chongguo Temple, later was renamed Weiguo Temple, and only in the Jingyun years did it receive its present name.

The Buddha Hall enshrined the Maitreya at Dangyang. To the east of the temple stood a gate reserved for carriages and horses, and it was one of Luoyang’s great temples. Gongsun Daniang had chosen this place as the site for her sword dance upon arriving in Luoyang not only because the temple’s abbot, Master Chongzhao, had once received her help and repayment of kindness in former days, but also because his profound Buddhism and strict discipline were famous throughout Luoyang, and because the invitation was sincere. She had no fear of being criticized for a woman lodging in a temple, nor would she be disturbed as she often was at an inn by powerful guests. Most important of all, the temple contained a spacious courtyard large enough to hold a thousand or several thousand people, once used as the martial practice ground of Crown Prince Jiemin.

At that moment, she was personally measuring the ground with her steps together with her two newly accepted disciples, Sister Yue and the others. Whenever she came to bricks or stones that protruded from the surface, she would pause in thoughtful silence and tread upon them a few times, lightly or heavily with the tip of her shoe, before continuing slowly on. Only after she had thoroughly explored nearly every floor tile in the central sword-dance area did she stop. By then, Feng Yuanniang, the eldest of the three Feng sisters, had come forward personally carrying a cup of tea and presented it to her with both hands.

"Madam Gongsun, this tea was sent by order of Master Chongzhao. I brewed it myself; please have a sip to quench your thirst."

"Yuanniang, I have told you many times that you need not do such things in the future." Gongsun Daniang took the cup and, after a sip, frowned. Though the Eastern Capital was now deeply devoted to Buddhism, and it was said that tea had gradually become the drink of choice in many noble households, she had tried this taste many times before and had never been able to grow accustomed to it. Yet under Feng Yuanniang’s eager gaze, she had no choice but to drink it all slowly, then forced herself to say without betraying her feelings, "Since the tea was sent by Master Chongzhao, brew it and send a cup to everyone. We have just arrived in the Eastern Capital and must perform tomorrow, so you have all worked hard."

After Feng Yuanniang happily nodded and departed, Yue Wuniang immediately put on the airs of an elder sister, sent her two younger sisters off to arrange the swords and costumes, and then came forward to link her arm coaxingly through Gongsun Daniang’s. "Master, now that we have come to the Eastern Capital, will our next stop be Chang'an through Tong Pass? I have never been to Chang'an. I hear it is even grander than Luoyang..."

"And it has even more high officials and nobles," Gongsun Daniang cut in at once. Seeing Yue Wuniang’s expression change sharply, she knew the girl’s knot of worry and gave a wry smile. "Chang'an is the imperial capital, so naturally I want to go there too. But I am afraid it will be easy to go and hard to leave... If such a thing happened again, how could I face you? Besides, tomorrow it will be you and your two younger sisters on stage. If you have leisure to think of other things, why not spend it considering how to dance even more brilliantly!"

Hearing her master’s tone turn, unconsciously, into one of rebuke, Yue Wuniang immediately nodded. Yet just then, a young monk outside hastened over and, without lifting his head, bowed deeply. "Madam Gongsun, there is a gentleman outside requesting an audience."

"Didn’t Master already say so? We are tired from the journey, and tomorrow is the day of performance. We must conserve our energy. Whoever it is, they will have to wait until after tomorrow!"

At Yue Wuniang’s words, the little monk looked a bit alarmed and stole a glance upward. He saw that the famed Madam Gongsun was indeed peerlessly beautiful, but her expression was quite cool, while the young disciple beside her was as lovely as a peach blossom, and especially charming in the expression that was half smile, half rebuke. Momentarily unable to resist, he chanted several hurried invocations to Amitabha in his heart before clearing his throat and saying, "But that gentleman says he is returning the token once given by Madam Gongsun. If Madam Gongsun has no time to receive him, then please accept this item instead."

With that, he drew a bronze token from the wide sleeve of his monk’s robe and offered it with both hands. When Yue Wuniang’s smooth fingertips took the token easily from his hands, the young monk, who had been raised by the abbot and had never come near female beauty, blushed deeply and could only keep his head bowed.

"Master, what do you think?"

"It is he?" Gongsun Daniang recognized at a glance the thing she had once given away. She was at once astonished and delighted, and immediately said without a second thought, "Hurry and invite Young Lord Du in!"

"Master, it is indeed Young Lord Du... speaking of which, I wonder whether that young lord whose face is even more lovely than a woman’s has arrived as well..."

Listening to the exchange between master and disciple, the little monk hurriedly turned to leave, yet in his heart he carved two names. That Young Lord Du must be closely connected to Madam Gongsun. As for that Young Lord Cui... could it be that Madam Gongsun’s beautiful female disciple preferred men prettier than women?

He hurried all the way to the gate of the northern courtyard. Seeing Du Shiyi gazing absentmindedly at the blank white wall, he quickly approached, pressed his palms together, and bowed. "Please come with me, Young Lord Du."

"Thank you for your trouble, little master."

Following the little monk inside, Du Shiyi noticed that the walls in many parts of the temple, like the one at the northern courtyard gate, were left blank and pale. He could not help asking thoughtfully, "Why are so many of the temple walls left empty?"

"You mean these walls, Young Lord Du?" The little monk stopped short at once, and Tian Mo, who had been looking around behind him, could not brake in time and slammed squarely into his back. Only then did he react, hastily stepping back in alarm, before saying respectfully, "Young Lord Du, these white walls have simply not yet been painted. Master Abbot invited Master Wu Daozi to paint the temple walls in color, but Master Wu says he has not yet found inspiration and cannot paint them. It has already been several months, and they are still blank. Everyone in the temple, including me, is worried sick, but Master Abbot says that once Master Wu has the spark, he can finish at any time in a single stroke, so we must not fret pointlessly!"

Seeing the little monk, no more than twelve or thirteen years old, with his smooth shaven head and his worried little face, Du Shiyi could not help finding him amusing, and asked with a smile, "What is your name, little master? Do you have a religious name?"

"I was picked up by Master Abbot, and since I have not taken the vows, I do not have a religious name." This was the first time the little monk had been asked his name, and his face actually reddened again. His voice too grew somewhat hesitant. "Master Abbot said the swaddling cloth that wrapped me had the character for Luo written on it, and that day happened to be the night of the full moon, so he named me Ying, the Ying of fullness and waning."

"The Ying of fullness and waning? It sounds a little delicate, like a girl’s name..."

At Du Shiyi’s words, Luo Ying’s face flushed at once. Then, summoning his courage, he said, "Young Lord Du, do not look down on me. I learned staff fighting at Shaolin Temple. Among everyone in the temple, my martial arts are the best!"

Seeing the little monk roll up his sleeves at once, revealing the firm muscles of his forearms, Du Shiyi first froze, then burst out laughing.