TRT – Chapter 17 The Ancestral Temple (Middle)

That morning’s sunlight, the cicadas crying on the mulberry and locust trees of the Heavenly Ancestor Temple, the cool touch of his hands holding my forearm, and that rare, warm smile—all of these were sealed into my memory. At the time, I didn’t know that in the instant he helped me up, he had already made a decision I wasn’t aware of. From that moment onward, whether I willed it or not, my fate was bound to his in countless threads…

The Heavenly Ancestor Temple was enormous.

The dome was covered in prayer flags, the four walls were carved with seasonal Buddhas, the place was filled inside and out with giant coils of incense, the donation box was the size of a Simmons mattress, and the hall was so wide you could drive a Ferrari across it. For Minmin, this was a nightmare.

I’d already been kneeling here for ages. My calves had started showing early signs of poor circulation—arteries squeezed tight, veins clogged, muscles twitching irregularly. The state we usually call… numb.

Sighing, Minmin moved on from sheep-counting and estimating the Buddha’s body measurements to her third pastime—warming up her voice.

“Ah—ah—ah ah ah ah!”

“Mi-mi—ma-ma—mi-mi—ma-ma—mi-mi—ma-ma—mi-mi—ma-ma—”

“Miss Minmin—!!”

That nanny, who was standing more stiffly than the statue itself, finally lost her patience. “Miss Minmin, raising your voice in the temple is a great disrespect to the Heavenly Ancestor! Our Lady Jiwen told you to quietly reflect here for two hours, so please don’t make this difficult for me.” She slapped the family rod against her palm in a menacing rhythm as she spoke…

Of course, of course. That snake-hearted beauty, Lady Jiwen, had tormented me for over two hours under the pretense of “etiquette training” when really it was just petty revenge. Then, so as not to delay her afternoon tea, she threw me in here to kneel on the floor, and even thoughtfully granted this nanny the right to punish me on the spot, hoping to deal double damage to my tender little heart! (Please read this in one breath.)

They always say ancient women—especially cloistered noble ladies—grew so stifled in their boudoirs that they ended up inventing the most inhumane, twisted forms of torture. Of course, the poisonous vipers in the harem were another active force. And Jiwen, being both a noble lady and an imperial consort, perfectly embodied the truth: if you don’t turn bad in silence, you turn perverse in silence!

Expressionless, I faced the nanny who looked ready to roll up her sleeves at any second. “Who said I was being noisy? This is our country’s scripture for worshiping the Buddha. What would you know about it?”

“How dare you recite your country’s scripture before our Buddha?!” Of course the nanny wasn’t about to let go of the woman who’d just forced her mistress to climb into a carriage dozens of times. “Reciting foreign texts before the Heavenly Ancestor is disrespect! Today, I shall punish you on behalf of the Heavenly Ancestor. This is divine retribution!” She raised the rod.

“Hmph! I’d say you’re the one disrespecting your exalted Heavenly Ancestor.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Have you never heard the saying? Buddha’s law is boundless—Buddha knows no borders~”

The nanny froze, utterly thrown off by my nonsense.

“Or are you suggesting the great Heavenly Ancestor Buddha lacks the power to spread the Dharma across the seas?” I piled it on.

“O—of course not…” She panicked. Such irreverence was more than she could bear.

“Exactly. Shallow! If you so much as land a whip on me, one who is devotedly worshiping, then you are slandering the Buddha himself! Sooner or later you’ll be struck by lightning, blasted by five thunders, and left to die in the wilderness, your corpse exposed…”

The nanny actually stumbled back a step, lowering her rod. “Y-you’re talking nonsense! Then tell me—which Buddhist sect is your country from?”

“The Pepsi Billboard!”

“And… how many believers does it have?”

“At least five hundred million! That’s fifty wan wan!” (This part was actually true…)

“And the scripture is called?”

“Ye Huimei.”

“And which deity does it praise?”

“Pop Prince Jay Chou.”

“Then recite this scripture for me!”

“Gladly.” I grinned. “Don’t regret it now—this scripture is addictive once you hear it.”

I rolled my tongue three times, shouted out a slurred version of In the Name of the Father, chanting it rap-style with the aid of frenzied wooden-fish pounding for rhythm, and even threw in a shrill operatic soprano wail with a heavy dose of religious fervor…

The nanny was utterly destroyed.

Much later, she even came back with a group of devotees to ask me what sort of god this “Pop Prince” was, how much incense money one needed to donate each year to join the Pepsi Billboard sect, and so on… With a sorrowful face, I told her it was a long-lost ancient religion, then kindly taught them the seven-character mantra of our sect.

But that was all later. For now, this nanny was so mesmerized by my heavenly music that she just stood there, dazed, her eyes vacant, not knowing day from night.

To help her achieve a deeper state of spiritual enlightenment, I decisively delivered a sharp karate chop to the side of her neck artery!

“Amen~”

Smiling gracefully, I laid her flat, then eagerly scrambled up to refresh my stiff, kneeling limbs. I stretched my legs, bent my waist, bounced lightly a few times—then realized that this Ferrari-sized hall was a perfect stage!

Outside, the afternoon sun shone brilliantly. A gentle spring breeze carried the fragrance of grass and soil, shattering the centuries-old suffocating incense inside the temple. Life-filled energy poured in from every direction, while unseen birds sang fluid, melodious notes! For no reason at all, my heart felt unspeakably light!

I struck a perfect ballet pose, then spun across the hall like a white-feathered dove in the wind. No choreography, no music—just the urge to dance, the urge to laugh, the urge to shout. It was simply that, in such radiant afternoon sunshine, I was in the highest of spirits!

No.一十七 禮廟（下）

Golden Rule of Time-Travel, Rule No.6:

When the heroine falls, she will definitely be caught! And eight times out of ten, the one catching her is a handsome guy!

Turns out, the golden rules of transmigration really do exist.

Every dance the heroine performs is never in vain.

So, if anyone wants to speed up the plot in the future, just wave your arms and legs around a little more often.

Therefore, when I spun three times on one foot, felt dizzy, and toppled backwards, it was no surprise when a warm and broad embrace appeared to catch me.

With great satisfaction, I closed my eyes in the arms of this potential male lead #n and asked:

“Name.”

A muffled chuckle came from above my head. Then, a voice I’d never heard before—like resonant drums and golden bells, carrying laughter—slipped into my ear.

“…Luo Cheng.”

How—how can even a voice sound this good—ahhh! I couldn’t wait to open my eyes to see the owner of that voice…

A refined young lord!

That was the first thought that flashed into my head. How could someone be this handsome!!

If Xiao Shou was beautiful, the Big Fox was cold, and Guard Yang was cool, then this man was elegant—but the kind of elegance taken to the very extreme of grace and poise!

Staring blankly at him, I saw Luo Cheng smile lightly. A charming curve tugged at his thin lips, and his black eyes turned into whirlpools that could make countless girls drown in them… If Xiao Shou would grow up to be a lady-killer, then this man was the upgraded version! From eight to eighty years old—no one could escape!

“Hand…some…” I blurted out without thinking.

But clearly, this man was used to long-lasting amazement from others. He didn’t care about my muttering, only lazily toying with my short hair…

“Such a rare style… soft, so cute, my little kitten~” he said, lifting a strand of my hair and brushing a light kiss over it.

My goosebumps fell all over the floor!

I reflexively struggled out of his arms and instinctively took a step back. My favorable impression of this handsome man instantly dropped by fifteen percent!

This guy… was a pervert… a wolf…

“Little kitten?”

The words sent another shiver crawling down my spine.

Seeing me tremble, the man chuckled softly: “What? Afraid? You ask others’ names but won’t give your own?”

With a magician’s flair, he pulled out a folding fan, swaying it with elegance while putting on the typical flirtatious expression of a playboy, sticking to me like glue.

“May I ask, young lady, your honorable name~?”

This guy clearly had an unusual obsession with my short hair!

Brushing away his hand messing up my hair, I suddenly felt very reluctant to tell him my name. Probably the leftover effect of all those childhood warnings from adults not to take candy from strangers.

“Wh-who are you? Why should I tell you my name just because you asked? Hmph! I won’t tell you!” I stood my ground stubbornly. After all, I was dressed in a soft yellow gauze gown that the Big Fox had forcibly made me wear this morning, along with several unfamiliar yet obviously expensive accessories. Surely I could still pass off as a dignified young lady.

Apparently not many people dared to resist his charms. At my refusal, he raised his brows in surprise, stepped back a little, and looked me up and down.

“Little kitten, are you one of the Fourth Prince’s people?”

The shock on my face practically shouted: How did you know?!

He chuckled: “Because today is the ancestral ritual. The only people qualified to enter this inner hall are two types: one, members of the imperial family—the one representing the royal clan this year is the Fourth Prince. The other type is the host of this Ancestral Temple. Since I am the latter, you must be the former.”

“You’re… a monk?” (What kind of logic is that?)

“Wouldn’t that be such a pity?” Before I even saw how he moved, he was suddenly back at my side, one hand wrapped boldly around my waist. Leaning close to my ear, his voice dropped to a whisper: “The host of the Ancestral Temple is the Prince of Luo.”

“What’s your name?”

“I am Luo Cheng.”

“You’re Luo Wang?!” I was utterly stunned.

Then I shook my head in denial.

“No, no… impossible…! Never mind the looks—his aura, his whole bearing, were completely different from Luo Wang’s. There was no way they were the same person.”

“Hey, who are you really? Don’t tell me you’re Luo Wang’s son?”

“Heh… Luo Wang is only in his thirties. How could he have a son my age? But I can tell you this—I may not be Luo Wang himself, but I can freely enter and leave his residence. It’s just… wherever Luo Wang is, I cannot be. Now, who do you think I am?”

My gaze slid over his flowing white robes, the flirt’s fan, the refined and delicate embroidered pouch at his waist—clearly the handiwork of some talented beauty—and the expensive jade pendant, before finally landing on the arm clinging shamelessly to my waist, and then on his devastatingly handsome smile.

Suddenly enlightened, I patted his shoulder.

“I get it now. You really are cut out for this job.”

“…What?”

“Nothing. We both know what I mean. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“…Tell what?”

“You know very well. Anyway, in exchange for me keeping your secret, you’re not allowed to touch me.”

“Nooo~ You can say whatever you like. As for me… I’ll keep doing whatever I want.” His big hand immediately started roaming over me again.

“This scoundrel!!”

“Y-you stop right there!” I grabbed his hand desperately. “Don’t you people in this dynasty have the virtue of men and women keeping their distance?”

“Oh… we do. But you’re not an ordinary woman, are you, little kitten?” He smiled as he easily broke free from my grip, continuing his exploration of me.

“And I, coincidentally, am not an ordinary man…”

Thud!

I clapped my hands and stood up from beside the man who was clutching his vital spot, collapsed on the ground and unable to move.

“Right, you’re definitely not an ordinary man.” I smiled. “…You’re a wolf cub.”

To be honest, if I had known how serious the consequences would be later, I would never have kicked him like that. I should’ve just let him hug if he wanted to hug, touch if he wanted to touch—he would’ve gotten sick of it eventually… If I had known, I wouldn’t have kicked him… In the days that followed, I often thought this way…

I skipped out of the Buddha hall, then turned back and made a face at him. “Playing the mistress’s lover and still acting so cocky? Be careful you don’t get divine retribution, you lecherous wolf!” Then I bolted.

Like a headless fly, I darted about while fantasizing that maybe I could just escape for real and be free once and for all.

Of course, an escape without planning or preparation could only end badly. Sure enough, before I even made it past the back courtyard, I was caught by that godlike Guard Yang, who carried me back like a chick and tossed me in front of the Big Fox. Dangling in his grip as he leapt over eaves and walls, I suddenly realized something important: this Yang guard must be really, really skilled!

The Big Fox was calmly fingering a string of prayer beads, looking pious, ignoring the blatant crime happening under his nose—kidnapping an innocent woman in broad daylight. He didn’t even ask why I wasn’t in the hall learning proper etiquette.

A slip of paper dropped before me. Without expression, he ordered, “Memorize it.”

I skimmed it—two poems, both expressing devotion to Buddha. The second one was obviously deeper, more cultivated. I looked at the Big Fox with questioning eyes.

“That one was written for Master Mingjing.”

“Master Mingjing?”

“The foremost enlightened monk of the Later Ming, who roams the world. Profound in the Dharma, versed in astronomy and geography, knowledgeable in past, present, and future.”

“Future?!” My eyes lit up.

“What?” The Big Fox shot me a suspicious glance.

“N-nothing, go on!” Tsk, what a stroke of luck! Maybe this Master Mingjing was my key to reversing the transmigration!

“Master Mingjing sees only one destined person each year, and only once, one on one. He hears the heart’s voice, discerning through poetry. This year, only two came to meet him—you, and Prince Luo. The theme is Worship of Buddha. I want you, in the identity of my foster daughter, to match poems against Prince Luo. And you must lose.”

“And these two poems?”

“The second one is Prince Luo’s work. The first one is yours.”

“And you?”

“You’ll be representing me.”

“Represent you to lose to him? Hmph… you sure know how to flatter your opponent. Unfortunately, I don’t plan on losing to anyone. I must meet Master Mingjing!”

“I won’t represent you, nor do I want to. Do you really think that by making me lose on purpose you can win Prince Luo’s favor? Sorry, but if you invited me, you’ll have to trust my ability. Just watch me!” I leaned in with a wicked grin.

The Fox’s gaze suddenly turned dangerously sharp at being provoked.

But I didn’t care—right now, I was full of fighting spirit! Poems about Buddha? Piece of cake!

“Bring me brush and ink!”

The Big Fox once said: “What a pity that Minmin was born a girl.”

“No—you’re wrong. The pity isn’t that I was born a girl. The pity is that you care whether I’m a man or a woman.” That was how I answered him.

……

…… ……

I disliked Master Mingjing’s eyes—like piercing wisdom, dredging up the mud at the deepest bottom of my heart. Minmin also had such eyes. But while Master Mingjing’s gaze was detached, Minmin’s was full of pity. I didn’t need pity. I never regretted what I had done, and I always knew exactly what I was doing.

Prince Luo, though a martial man, had the eyes of a politician. Such a man could be a fine ally—or a fine rival. For now, I hoped for the former.

The Buddha hall was suffused with the incense of a thousand years, seeping into every tile, every pillar. Heavy, sacred, suffocating.

The chanting of Master Mingjing, together with the wooden clappers of countless young monks, filled the hall like an inescapable incantation—eternal Sanskrit sound, pressing, choking!

Prince Luo recited his poem. The Master was very pleased. Of course—Prince Luo was well-versed in Buddhist studies. Then Master Mingjing turned to me, recalling the poem written on my slip. I hesitated whether to speak.

“Trust me! I’ll definitely leave a deep impression on Prince Luo!” She looked at me with eyes full of expectation. Expecting… what?

“Forgive my poor offering.”

“Your Highness, please. This old monk listens with respect.”

I pondered a moment, then slowly began:

…

The body is the Bodhi tree,
The mind a bright mirror stand,
Polish it diligently,
Let no dust alight.

I suddenly wondered—could Minmin really have written such a poem?

Master Mingjing looked at me with strange eyes, surely filled with the same doubt: Could a man with such murky eyes have written this?

He pressed his palms together and intoned: “Amitabha. My practice is shallow. I failed to recognize the destined one. Your Highness, please, step inside.”

“Waaait—!”

A crisp voice shattered the thousand-year-old chant. Disrespectful, rebellious. With the loud crash of the doors being kicked open, blinding sunlight poured in, sweeping away the suffocating air. Fresh wind rushed through, and I found myself smiling unconsciously.

“Master, I’ve long admired you~”

A catlike girl leaned against the doorway, smiling slyly, golden light dancing at her eyes and brows. Guards knelt outside in neat rows, Prince Luo’s eyes flashed with brief astonishment, the Master’s eyes deepened with unreadable meaning. I pretended not to see.

“Minmin, don’t be rude.” I pulled her behind me and saluted. “This is my newly adopted daughter. Spoiled and headstrong, ignorant of rules. My lax discipline—please forgive the offense.”

“This girl… does not belong here, does she?” Master Mingjing suddenly interrupted.

Minmin’s eyes lit up with unconcealed joy. She skipped forward to his side.

“You really are the Master! You saw through that so fast? Amazing! What else can you see?”

“Minmin, don’t be disrespectful!”

“Mmm~ I see much more… but heaven’s secrets mustn’t be revealed.” The Master actually seemed delighted, amused by her mischief.

“And what about the destined one?”

“I can reveal half.”

“Deal!”

“Minmin…” I pulled her aside, whispering. “Did you forget what you came here for?” From the start, it was obvious—she was far more interested in the Master than in Prince Luo!

“Of course I didn’t forget.” She winked playfully. “This is called killing two birds with one stone!”

Then she turned, hands on her hips, voice full: “Master! Let’s follow the rules. I’ll compose a poem too. Let’s see if I’m the destined one!”

The Master nodded.

Minmin swiftly wrote a verse and handed it over. The moment the Master read it, his eyes blazed! He stared at her, palms pressed in reverence.

“Lady Minmin, your wisdom is extraordinary! Even in my sixty years of cultivation, I may not have attained such enlightenment! Truly, there are always those beyond us. Please—accept this monk’s bow!”

“Don’t bother with formalities. Come, let’s talk in the back!” Minmin grabbed his sleeve and dragged him off. As they went, they bickered in low voices:

“Since you admire me so much, can’t you tell me a little more?”

“…Six parts.”

“Too little! At least nine!”

“Revealing heaven’s secrets shortens one’s life. Seven.”

“That’s stingy. Eight, minimum!”

“…Deal.”

……

And just like that, the two oddballs strode away, leaving behind a hall full of dumbfounded mortals.

Minmin—this girl was truly a treasure.

The slip of paper she had written fluttered to the ground, slowly opening. Everyone in the hall instinctively gathered around to read.

On it was another poem:

Bodhi is not a tree,
The bright mirror not a stand,
Originally nothing exists—
So where can dust alight?

Minmin, just who in the world are you?