“Free from the perception of self, others, sentient beings, and a lasting life…”

The Chen family’s Buddhist hall was brightly lit by candles, and the smoke from them curled around the rafters. Inside, a gilded statue of Sakyamuni Buddha sat with his left hand in the gesture of fearlessness (Abhaya Mudra) and his right hand in the gesture of granting wishes (Varada Mudra). His expression was compassionate, his appearance solemn and majestic. Chen Ji and Madam Liang sat cross-legged, speaking in low voices. Their mouths were dry, their bodies and minds exhausted, and their faces contorted with fatigue.

Outside the Buddhist hall, a group of servants, maids, and nannies huddled together, almost falling asleep while standing. Xiao Man, noticing that Chen Ji had left for his morning greetings but had not returned, also waited by the door, leaning against the wall and dozing, her head occasionally jerking.

Outside the Chen mansion, a night watchman passed, striking his gong and calling out in a loud voice, “The weather is dry, beware of fire!”

It was midnight.

Dong Zhi, Madam Liang’s personal maid, heard the night watchman’s call and her lips twitched slightly. This session of “morning greetings” had lasted a full ten *shichen* (twenty hours), beginning before dawn at *maoshi* (5-7 AM) and continuing until *zishi* (11 PM – 1 AM). A day only had twelve *shichen*, so who in their right mind would perform greetings for an entire day? Such sincerity should be enough to even bring the Buddha himself down.

Inside the Buddhist hall, Madam Liang secretly cast a sidelong glance at the two people beside her. She knew that they were young and robust, and she certainly wouldn’t be able to outlast them. If she were to be worn out to death by Chen Ji here today, it would be a colossal joke. Yet, she was the one who had initiated this. After finishing one scroll of Buddhist scripture, she wasn’t content and insisted Chen Ji recite another. In the end, she had shot herself in the foot.

Madam Liang pondered for a moment, then slowly set down the Buddhist scripture. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “You two continue reciting. I’ve suddenly had a desire to read the *Diamond Sutra*, but it’s not here. I’ll go look for it elsewhere.”

Chen Wenzong nodded slightly. “Mother, please go ahead.”

Madam Liang stood up and gave Dong Zhi, who was waiting outside the door, a meaningful glance. “Dong Zhi, you come and help me look as well.”

Dong Zhi acknowledged with a sound and followed Madam Liang to the side room where the Buddhist scriptures were kept. As soon as they entered the room, Dong Zhi turned to close the door firmly. Madam Liang immediately sagged, letting out a breath, and nearly collapsed onto a chair.

Dong Zhi knelt beside her, massaging her legs, and whispered, “Madam, why has Chen Ji’s temperament changed so much? Last year, when he returned for the New Year, he was timid and completely subservient to your every word. But now, he has a certain ruthlessness about him.”

Madam Liang frowned. “You noticed? I also feel he’s not quite right, as if he’s a different person.”

Dong Zhi comforted her, “Madam, you just rest here. If they come, we can simply say we haven’t found the book yet. Can Chen Ji really endure until dawn?”

Madam Liang was too exhausted to say more. She slowly closed her eyes. “I’ll rest for a moment. Please keep watch for me.”

In the Buddhist hall, Chen Ji glanced at the empty meditation cushion beside him and suddenly asked, “Elder Brother, I’ve reached this part and suddenly have a few questions, but I haven’t found the answers in the Buddhist scriptures. Could you please help me clarify them?”

Chen Wenzong set down the scripture scroll he was holding and said gently, “Tell me what they are.”

Chen Ji asked, “Is this world eternal?”

Chen Wenzong froze.

Chen Ji then asked, “Does this world have boundaries?”

Chen Wenzong frowned and remained silent. Even though he had thoroughly read Buddhist scriptures in his youth, he had never encountered the Buddha answering these two particular questions. However, Chen Ji had known from the beginning that Chen Wenzong would be unable to answer, as these were two of the “Fourteen Unanswerable Questions” in Buddhism. The “Fourteen Unanswerable Questions” refer to fourteen questions that, as later generations often remark, the Buddha himself chose not to answer. The term “Wuji” (无记) is a direct translation from Sanskrit, originally meaning “indefinable” or “indescribable.”

Chen Ji asked curiously, “Even you, Elder Brother, don’t know the answers to these two questions?”

Chen Wenzong candidly replied, “I am of shallow learning. Upon reflection, it seems the Buddha never did answer these two questions. I will re-examine the Buddhist scriptures in the coming days to see if there are any explanations.”

Chen Ji smiled and said, “Elder Brother, there’s no need for such trouble.”

Chen Wenzong looked puzzled. “Do you have a way to resolve these questions, Third Brother?”

Chen Ji replied, “Why don’t we go ask Madam?”

Chen Wenzong was taken aback.

Chen Ji stood up. “Madam has delved deeply into Buddhist studies; she will surely be able to answer these two questions.” With that, he walked to the side room and knocked on the door. “Madam, Chen Ji has some questions. Could you please clarify them for me?”

Inside the side room, Madam Liang’s eyes snapped open. Chen Ji’s voice at that moment felt like a malevolent ghost from the Five Turbid Ages, haunting and inescapable. She had clearly hidden herself here, yet he still found an excuse to pursue her. Her expression was somewhat dazed, as if she could no longer bear the strain.

Dong Zhi cast a worried glance at her. “Madam, shall I send him away?”

Madam Liang shook her head. “There’s no need.” With that, she tidied her appearance, smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes. Holding a copy of the *Diamond Sutra*, she walked out the door and asked with a gentle smile, “What are the questions?”

Outside the Buddhist hall, footsteps approached. Chen Liqin frowned as he saw the servants and maids gathered outside the Buddhist hall. “What are you all doing gathered here?”

Dong Zhi performed a deep curtsy and immediately prepared to complain. “Reporting to Master, the Third Young Master is too un—”

Xiao Man, who had been dozing nearby, suddenly woke up and quickly interjected, “Master, the Eldest Young Master and the Third Young Master are accompanying Madam in reciting Buddhist scriptures.”

Dong Zhi turned and shot her a subtle glare, but Xiao Man glared back, unwilling to be outdone. Chen Liqin didn’t notice their silent exchange. His gaze was fixed on the three figures illuminated by the Buddhist hall’s lights, and the soft murmuring from within filled his ears. He felt a long-lost sense of warmth pervading the mansion.

Hearing Chen Liqin’s voice, Madam Liang let out a sigh of relief as if freed, and stood up to greet him. “Master, you’re back.”

Chen Liqin stepped into the Buddhist hall and said with a smile, “I’ve been inspecting the river dykes all day. You all seem to be enjoying quite the refined pastime.”

Madam Liang was silent for a moment, then replied hoarsely, “It’s not really a pastime…”

Chen Wenzong explained, “Father, Third Brother and I came together for morning greetings today, and afterward, we accompanied Mother in reciting Buddhist scriptures. Third Brother seems to have suddenly taken an interest in the meaning of the scriptures, so we’ve been accompanying him and clarifying his doubts. Third Brother is quite astute; the questions he raised even Mother and I couldn’t answer.”

“Oh?” Chen Liqin didn’t ask what the questions were, as he implicitly understood that anything that could stump Chen Wenzong would likely stump him as well. He said with a smile, “Chen Ji, it’s rare for you to take such an interest in scripture. However, you should also focus on our Confucian classics. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are fundamentally interconnected, and there is great knowledge within our Confucian tradition as well. By the way, you should attend Donglin Academy next spring.”

Chen Ji clasped his hands and bowed. “Master Chen, I don’t wish to be away from home for so long, or so far.”

Chen Liqin pondered for a moment. “In that case, you can attend the Imperial Academy. I am acquainted with its Libationer, Yang Zhan, so it wouldn’t be difficult to arrange a student’s status for you. However, the Imperial Academy has only just over fifty professors (*Guozi Boshi*) to guide more than nine thousand students. Ultimately, it won’t be as good as Donglin Academy…”

Chen Ji understood. The Imperial Academy in the capital offered mass education, while Donglin Academy in Luzhou provided more specialized instruction. The superiority of one over the other was immediately clear. However, he was already a Haidongqing of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a fifth-rank imperial bodyguard directly serving the emperor. Even ordinary county magistrates had to salute him. There was truly no need for him to participate in the imperial examinations.

At this moment, Madam Liang said hoarsely, “Master, you are about to leave office, yet you still go to inspect the river dykes. You must be exhausted. Your humble wife will arrange for servants to prepare hot water for you and brew a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup. Chen Ji, Wenzong, you two should return for now.”

Chen Ji bowed. “Yes.”

As he prepared to leave, Madam Liang suddenly called out to him, “Chen Ji.”

Chen Ji turned around. “Does Madam have any further instructions?”

Madam Liang sent Dong Zhi to retrieve three scrolls of the *Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra* and handed them to him. “I know you wish to strike while the iron is hot. Take these three scrolls back to read. Now that you’re full of momentum, you must not slacken. Tomorrow, I will test your knowledge of their contents.”

Chen Ji showed no change in expression. “Thank you, Madam.”

“Go back and rest now.”

Moonlight spilled across the bluestone path. As tree branches swayed and rubbed, their dark shadows seemed like waves lapping against the green bricks. Chen Ji walked ahead, while Xiao Man followed behind, yawning and clutching the three scrolls of scriptures.

Upon returning to Mingquan Garden, Xiao Man curiously asked, “Young Master, where should these three scrolls be put?”

Chen Ji, utterly exhausted, said, “Throw away the first and second scrolls.”

“Huh?” Xiao Man exclaimed in surprise. “What about the third scroll?”

Chen Ji flopped onto his bed with a thud. “Throw the third scroll far away.”

Xiao Man was speechless. She moved closer, intending to help Chen Ji remove his black boots. Startled by her actions, Chen Ji sat back up. “What are you doing?”

Xiao Man replied matter-of-factly, “Taking off your boots, Young Master. I’ll go heat some water for you to wash your feet later; a warm foot bath will help you sleep better.”

Chen Ji pulled back his legs and said earnestly, “I’ve told you before, you don’t need to attend to me when you’re by my side. You just need to take care of yourself.”

Xiao Man’s eyes widened. “Does Young Master dislike me? Haven’t I always done this?”

Chen Ji had no choice but to explain, “During my two years at the medical clinic, I grew accustomed to looking after myself. I don’t need to be waited on anymore.”

Xiao Man fell silent, and Chen Ji also remained quiet. After a moment, Xiao Man remarked with a sigh, “It seems you’ve endured much hardship these past two years, Young Master.” With that, she took eight silver ‘peanuts’ (small ingots/weights) from her sleeve. “Young Master, the usual.”

Chen Ji sat on the bed, confused. What “usual”? And what were these eight silver ‘peanuts’ for?

On the window lattice, Wuyun meowed.

Then Xiao Man said, “Sister Liqiu came to see me today. She said someone wants to buy information about you for eight taels of silver a month, so I agreed, just like before. Look, all eight taels are here. According to our usual custom, I’ll take one tael, and you’ll take seven. I wanted to help you find out who the employer was, but Sister Liqiu is very tight-lipped and wouldn’t tell me.” Xiao Man then muttered, “Young Master, please don’t flaunt the silver in front of others, or they’ll realize we’re living off ill-gotten gains.”

Chen Ji looked at Xiao Man with a half-smile. “This employer is too stingy. Only eight taels of silver?”

Xiao Man, without batting an eyelid, confidently stated, “Yes, just eight taels. It’s much more generous than before; they used to only give eight hundred *wen*. Life was much tighter back then.”

Chen Ji didn’t press the matter. After taking the seven taels of silver, he instructed her, “Go sleep in the west wing. I still have to wake up early tomorrow for morning greetings.”

Xiao Man suddenly stood up in anger. “Madam used to exploit the ‘morning greetings’ to make you serve her tea and water. Now you’ve just returned, and she’s punished you to recite scriptures in the Buddhist hall all day, almost turning you into a monk! Young Master, why can’t you be a bit more assertive? What if you don’t go for greetings?”

Chen Ji observed her angry expression carefully, then explained softly, “The Chen family places the highest importance on rules. If we don’t adhere to them, we won’t be able to survive in this mansion.” Someone once said that immature people bravely die for their ideals, while mature people choose to live, enduring humiliation for the sake of those ideals. Chen Ji didn’t know if that saying was entirely true, but he had no other choice now. The White Dragon had instructed him to get close to the core of the Chen family, which meant he had to abide by their rules. However, he had his own plan.

Chen Ji instructed Xiao Man, “Go to sleep.”

Xiao Man pouted. “Sleep? Young Master has nightmares every day. I have to stay awake to watch over you. You go to sleep; I’ll catch up on rest during the day.”

Chen Ji shook his head. “I don’t have nightmares anymore.”

Xiao Man was skeptical. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I don’t believe it. I’ll stay up and watch over you tonight to see.”

The next morning, before dawn, Wuyun (the cat) nudged Chen Ji with its paw. Chen Ji slowly got up, feeling revitalized. The ‘Great Furnace’ technique of the Mountain Lord’s Path surged like a spring, allowing him to gain as much rest from a brief nap as others would from a full night’s sleep. He turned to look and saw Xiao Man sitting on a small stool, guarding the brazier, her head nodding drowsily.

Chen Ji didn’t wake Xiao Man. He quietly dressed, walked past her, left the courtyard, and headed straight for the Buddhist hall. At that hour, the roosters hadn’t crowed, and even the maids in the Flower Garden Courtyard had not yet begun to stir. The vast Chen mansion was quiet and empty.

Chen Ji straightened his clothes, approached the Buddhist hall, and knocked firmly on the door. Moments later, the Buddhist hall door opened. Madam Liang appeared, her hair disheveled and her eyes heavy with sleep. She glanced at the sky, then, with a startled expression, looked at Chen Ji. “What time is it?”

Chen Ji replied respectfully, “Reporting to Madam, it is the third watch.”

Madam Liang’s fingers clutched the wooden door tightly. “Why have you come so early? Aren’t you tired?”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, then sincerely replied, “Madam, sincerity is the key to spiritual efficacy.”

Madam Liang stared blankly. She opened her mouth but remained speechless for a long time, nearly losing her composure. After a long pause, Madam Liang took a deep breath and said slowly, “Chen Ji, you are currently at an age where you thirst for knowledge. You should focus all your efforts on your studies. From now on, you won’t need to come for morning greetings.”

Chen Ji smiled, then clasped his hands and bowed. “Thank you for your consideration, Madam. I will take my leave.”