Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 246: Chapter 224 Jiran or Not Jiran Chapter 246: Chapter 224 Jiran or Not Jiran Seeing Jiran, Chu Yu had a momentary daze, as if she had returned to Jiankang by the Qinhuai River, with the young monk standing at the temple gate, his drooping eyes seemingly filled with compassion.

But that moment passed quickly, the illusion dissolving like smoke in the wind, and Chu Yu realized that Jiran seemed somewhat different from before. Previously, there was no doubt he was seen as a monk, but now the first impression she got was that of a “person,” more so than the concept of a “monastic.”

This wasn’t to say Jiran no longer looked like a monk, but rather his humanity seemed to have grown stronger than before.

Although Chu Yu was a bit surprised, she didn’t inquire further. At that moment, Liu Sang came bounding over and, grabbing Chu Yu’s hand and pointing at Jiran, whispered, “…Princess…” very softly, “It’s someone from before, he said he wanted to see you.” Back when they were preparing for the tea party, Liu Sang had visited Chu Garden in Jiankang and met Jiran, so the two knew each other.

Just like Huan Yuan, after arriving in Northern Wei, everyone else had also changed how they addressed Chu Yu. Here, Chu Yu dressed as a man, You Lan called her a gentleman, Liu Sang called her Brother Yu, and Amman followed Huan Yuan in calling her Chu Yu, but because he encountered an old acquaintance, Liu Sang instinctively reverted to the original title.

Chu Yu couldn’t be bothered to correct it and simply gave Huan Yuan a look, who immediately understood and pulled Liu Sang aside to talk, leaving space for Chu Yu and Jiran to talk privately.

After sizing up Jiran for a while, Chu Yu showed a relieved smile and said, “I’ve always felt guilty, had it not been for delivering a message to me, you would not have encountered such misfortune. Now, at last, I can let it go.” Even though this matter should have been Rong Zhi’s doing, it was also because she had been too careless at the time, showing her hand, which allowed Rong Zhi to detect something was amiss and made a deadly move.

Rong Zhi rarely failed in his endeavors, so seeing Jiran alive today was a great surprise to Chu Yu.

Upon seeing the living person, Chu Yu casually asked how Jiran managed to escape. No sooner had she spoken, she saw a very unnatural expression flash across Jiran’s face, as if it was both joy and sorrow, and tinged with embarrassment. Then he awkwardly changed the subject, merely stating that Wang Yizhi was not in Luoyang at the moment, and he would let her know when he returned.

After saying this, Jiran hurriedly took his leave as if there was some ferocious beast in the courtyard, seemingly forgetting he was the one who had sought her out.

Watching Jiran’s back disappearing behind the door, Huan Yuan, who had managed to distract Liu Sang, came over and said indifferently, “He’s hiding something.” This was obvious to anyone with clear eyesight.

Though well-read in scriptures and versed in Buddhist doctrine, Jiran’s skills at lying and changing the subject were terribly clumsy.

Chu Yu nodded and said, “I was only asking in passing, but now I sincerely want to know about his escape.” Jiran, after all, had practiced Buddhism for so many years, and his composure and bearing were quite good. But such an expression due to her question suggested that something extraordinary had certainly happened on their way of escape.

After pondering for a moment, she turned and put her hand on his shoulder, smilingly saying, “There’s no rush. Since it’s already late today, if the weather is good tomorrow, let’s go out and play together. I hear that Luoyang’s Baima Temple is quite famous.”

Huan Yuan silently watched her, her smile was not particularly stunning, but it came like a spring breeze, allowing even those with concerns to temporarily set them aside. He then revealed a subtle smile, speaking softly, “Yes, we’ve been in Luoyang for quite a while and haven’t really walked around much.”

The monk can run away, but the temple won’t run with him.

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It wasn’t easy to endure until the next day.

As dawn was just breaking, Chu Yu took Huan Yuan with her in a horse carriage and left the house. Although she had said yesterday that she wasn’t in a rush, she had been idle for so many days that she was actually feeling somewhat panicked. Now that she had met an old acquaintance and discovered something worth investigating, her interest was immediately piqued.

Chu Yu didn’t suspect Jiran would do anything to harm her—how could there be such a clumsy villain in the world, one who didn’t even know how to disguise their intentions?

The carriage rode slowly and smoothly, and Chu Yu lay down to catch up on sleep as soon as they were on their way. She didn’t know how long she had slept when Huan Yuan woke her, and by then, they were already near Baima Temple.

As an ancient monastery with four hundred years of history, Baima Temple looked very solemn and grand. The mountain gate consisted of three parallel arches, with people coming and going, most likely believers there to offer incense and prayers.

Chu Yu and Huan Yuan lingered in front of Baima Temple’s mountain gate but didn’t hurry to enter the temple. The two exchanged a look and saw in each other’s eyes a tacit understanding. They then instructed the servants to take the carriage elsewhere while the two of them got off and walked slowly to the side.

Huan Yuan went to gather information, while Chu Yu found a place to rest. She observed Baima Temple’s thriving scene and listened to passersby gossiping. It was a good year to change emperors last year. Not only did the Southern Dynasty Song replace its emperor, but Northern Wei did the same.

The slight difference was that in Southern Dynasty Song, Liu Ziyue was dethroned by his uncle, whereas in Northern Wei, the late Emperor died of illness, and the Crown Prince naturally ascended the throne.

However, there was a piece of small gossip regarding the dead emperor of Northern Wei. During his funeral, following Northern Wei customs, they were to burn his belongings, and during the ceremony, the Empress suddenly jumped into the fire, intending to join him in death. Although she was later rescued, her action won praise from all the officials and generals present.

That Empress, surnamed Feng, should now be referred to as Empress Dowager.

Putting aside whether Empress Dowager Feng’s actions were a ploy to win people’s hearts, at least she made a very graceful gesture on the surface. Thinking back to the chaotic royal and familial relationships in the Southern Dynasty, Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Sometime later, Huan Yuan returned. He briefly relayed the information he had found—that Jiran had come to Baima Temple last winter, even arriving in Luoyang later than they had. However, Chu Yu hadn’t been aware of this since she didn’t care much about Buddhist affairs.

Though Jiran was a foreign monk, his position in Baima Temple was quite good. Right from the start, he assumed an important role, with extensive power. He could inquire into personnel and financial matters, but despite holding so much power, he could remain very idle, delegating tasks to other monks as necessary…

It’s said that monks are outsiders to worldly affairs, but as the Ancient Dragon says, where there are people, there’s Jianghu. No matter how ascetic the monks are, they still live in this world and can’t be completely detached. Jiran must have the support of powerful backers to receive such treatment.

Initially, it was mere curiosity and a bit of fun, but after hearing Huan Yuan’s report, Chu Yu couldn’t help but think deeply. Jiran had only entered the territories of Northern Wei a few months earlier than she did, so where did he meet these influential figures?

Could it be related to Wang Yizhi?

No, that’s not right. Providing him with such a prestigious and leisurely position doesn’t fit Wang Yizhi’s style and is also very different from the Jiran she knew before. Originally, when Jiran was at Jianchusi in the Southern Dynasty, even though he held a position, it was more akin to ascetic and frugal living. How could such a big change occur in just a few months?