Thinking about it, Zhao Qian couldn't help but feel a little confused.
Looking at Zhang Duo again, he saw that his shoulders were trembling slightly, as if he was trying hard to control his emotions.
Zhao Qian scratched his head.
Thinking about these two people who were so different, whether it was their identities or their situations, they were both people that he couldn't empathize with. How could this woman's panic and stubbornness ignite Zhang Duo?
Just as Zhao Qian was hesitating whether to go in, the old servant returned with the clothes, bowing and presenting them to Zhang Duo.
Loose-sleeved robe with frost colored and embroidered lotus flowers, a moon-white inner lining, a crimson-colored skirt, and a moon-white waistband.
Zhang Duo didn't even look at it, but took it with one hand and threw it directly at her.
The servants in the courtyard all knew what to do. After looking at each other for a while, they all stopped their duties and followed the old servant out.
Xi Yin was covered by her sleeve and couldn't see her surroundings. She could only hear the sound of footsteps retreating outwards, and soon it was quiet. Only then did she sneak a peek, and just as she was about to reach out to untie the belt around her waist, she met his gaze, as sharp as a blade. Her hand stiffened involuntarily, and then she thought, he already regarded her as a prostitute, and it was impossible for him to give her even the slightest bit of respect. At this moment, with the fair of losing the cloths, she could only waive hesitation.
she was about to resign and to take off her clothes, but she saw another person she didn't recognize standing at the door. She hadn't seen clearly just now, but when she looked closely now, she realized it was also a man. The hand that had been pulling on the belt around her waist shrank back.
Seeing her timidness, Zhang Duo followed her gaze and looked back. He saw Zhao Qian, who had retreated to the door, staring blankly at Xi Yin under the dwarf plum tree.
"What are you doing there?"
What could be more pitiful than a woman being tested in such a desperate situation?
Zhao Qian was momentarily stunned and, hearing Zhang Duo's voice, raised his hand to rub his eyes and vaguely replied to Zhang Duo, "I'm not..."
"Get out."
"No, I'm just standing here, and besides, I shouldn't be looking, what are you looking at! You..."
Before he could finish speaking, the door was suddenly slammed shut, and Zhao Qian, who hadn't reacted, was immediately knocked out of his nosebleed.
"Zhang Tuohan! You remember this!"
He shouted loudly, but there was no response from inside.
He helplessly pressed one hand against his nose and took a handkerchief from a servant standing nearby, stuffing two balls into his nostrils. He turned around and walked out, muttering strangely as he walked, "You said you were going to kill her, but I think you'd rather kill me!"
The early spring vine flowers that had climbed over the wall were shaken down by the sound of the door closing. With a blow of wind, they swirled coldly.
Zhang Duo heard Zhao Qian's last sentence.
However, when he looked down, the woman was still entangled in her clothes, shrinking under the tree, as if afraid that he would regret it. For a moment, Zhang Duo had the urge to strip her naked and throw her in front of Cen Zhao. But after realizing that he had lost control, he felt extremely angry with himself.
For many years, he had been accustomed to restraint and disliked causeless emotions.
Decades ago, he had saved himself by relying on this restraint. Those who struggled with him either went mad or died, only he, left only flesh and blood and a heart full of scars, survived. Since then, he had been alone.
As long as he stayed away from sentient beings, he would be fearless.
But this woman's "fear", he seemed to find familiar.
The sudden loss of words made Zhang Duo uneasy.
He simply stopped looking at her and turned to walk towards Quiet Study, focusing his gaze on the statue of Guanyin(2).
"Get dressed and come."
"Don't go..."
What did she say?
Even facing Guanyin, Zhang Duo felt a momentary blankness in his mind. He turned his head and shouted, "Don't seduce me anymore!"
She was startled and stretched out her weak hand, tremblingly pointing at the snow-white dog in the corner, stammering and explaining to him, "You're not here, it's going to bite me..."
Zhang Duo turned sideways, and the dog, which had originally raised its front legs and faced him, cowered and lay down again.
He suddenly found her so silly that he couldn't help but sneer:
"Dogs are stupider than people, and you're even afraid of it. How dare you believe that the person in front of you will protect you?"
She didn't respond to him, and as if she was afraid that he would regret it, she shrank behind the dwarf plum tree and hurriedly pulled off the belt, wrapping the loose-sleeved shirt around her body, glances at the dog and Zhang Duo from time to time.
The trunk of the dwarf plum was not thick and could not cover her whole body.
Her soft hands, legs like jade, and even her occasionally visible pair of peaks were all swaying in the cold wind.
Zhang Duo turned his head away and unconsciously took a step down the steps. The sole of his boot broke a dry branch, making a "crack" sound, and the woman behind the dwarf plum quickly turned around, hugging the tree trunk and hiding her body as hard as she could.
"Don't go, I... I'm done."
"I'm not going."
He was silent for a long time before uttering these three words to her.
She, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly focused on dealing with the mess on her body.
Zhang Duo sat down on the steps, summoned the dog using his whip.
The dog obediently lay at his feet, not daring to move. He sat on the steps and casually stroked the dog's head, while looking at the shadow behind the dwarf plum tree.
A few days ago, she had hung herself naked on this dwarf plum tree, and he had beaten her until her skin was torn. Today, she was under the tree, straightening her collar, tying her belt, putting on her shoes and socks, and combing her long hair...
He didn't know why, but he thought of the first volume of the "Six Degrees Collection", the chapter on Boundless Giving (10), in which the Buddha cut his flesh to feed the eagle. Suddenly his senses coming back, he felt a wetness on his back.
Fortunately, Xi Yin finally tied her waist band and walked out from behind the tree.
Looking at the snow-white crouching at his feet, she dared not go forward.
"Thank you, Master, for giving me... clothes."
Zhang Duo looked up and replied with a smile:
"It's enough to wrap a corpse."
Hearing this, she pursed her lips and said nothing.
"Don't you want to ask me for anything?"
"No matter what Master does to me, I can bear it, but my brother doesn't know anything. He is a decent person, and I beg you, don't insult him."
"Ha. Not stupid, you've guessed half of it."
"What are you going to do to my brother!"
"Presumptuous!"
She shrank her shoulders suddenly, and her voice softened, "Please..."
Zhang Duo lifted her chin with the handle of the whip, "I told you, begging is not enough to save yourself. If I see you like this again, I'll make your life worse than death."
After saying that, he let go of her face and said to the door, "Jiang Qin, tie her up and take her away. Give them some time in the West Pavilion."
***
At that moment, in the Western Pavilion, Cen Zhao's life hung by a thread.
He knelt quietly behind the jade-carved screen, his hands bound together in front of his knees.
The nightfall wind had calmed down, gently caressing his loose hair. The blindfold was gone, but he dared not open his eyes. He sat with his eyes closed, facing the jade-carved flowers and birds on the screen, truly like a piece of fine jade like he was praised, unworthy of being desecrated.
Zhao Qian stood behind the screen with his arms crossed, and Jiang Ling couldn't help but say, "General Zhao, are you going to have dinner with master tonight?"
Zhao Qian made a silencing gesture towards him.
"What's the rush?"
"How dare I rush the general."
Zhao Qian turned around and said, "I'm here for your master to listen to what these siblings have to say."
"Master probably doesn't want to listen."
"You don't understand. He believes in harsh punishment and savage torture, but I believe in true feelings. Tell me, the siblings have been dependent on each other for so many years, can't they tell the truth? Stand aside, don't learn from your master's death-like expression. The words he says are like they're from a coffin, without any vitality."
Just as he was speaking, the old servant brought Xi Yin over.
Jiang Ling stepped forward and said, "Your brother is behind you. The master gives you time, say whatever you want to say as soon as possible, and we will take you back."
"What about my brother? Where are you going to take him?"
Jiang Ling stepped aside and said,
"Miss, you should know your master's rules. What we should know, we don't dare to forget, and what we shouldn't know, we can't hear a word. Go."
This was reasonable, and Xi Yin dared not delay any longer, and hurriedly walked around to the back of the jade screen.
Her soft robe trailed over the sedge grass, and the copper bells on her ankles clinked, making a scattered sound.
"Be careful, Yin, there is a low stool in front, don't bump into it."
It was a voice very different from Zhang Duo's, soft and soothing, like a spring flowing over jade, calming her heart.
Xi Yin's nose suddenly felt hot.
"Brother..."
The person in front of her raised her head, "Did you bump into it?"
"No..."
Her hands were bound by ropes, so she couldn't wipe her tears, and could only try her best to stop the crying voice in her throat.
"Yin can see."
Cen Zhao's brows softened. "The bell sounds so urgent."
Xi Yin looked down at the string of copper bells on her ankle. It was something Cen Zhao had personally put on her when she was young.
He said, "Soon I might not be able to see you. Wear this, so I can always know where you are."
When she grew older, many men saw this as a part of her promiscuity, talking about it and making her feel humiliated at the banquet, but she refused to take it off, nor did she want to tell Cen Zhao.
"Yin."
"Hmm?"
"Take off the bells later."
"Why?"
Hearing her panic, he quickly comforted her softly, "Yin has grown up, how can she still be like a little girl, jingling and jangling. Don't worry, I can still find Yin without the bells."
She was startled and involuntarily clenched her intertwined fingers.
"Brother shouldn't have come to find me."
"Nonsense."
"It's not nonsense, Yin just wants brother to be fine..."
"Am I not fine?"
"No... they even took off the blindfold on your eyes... and they tied you up."
Cen Zhao shook his head, "So I know that Yin has suffered for me."
Xi Yin shook her head desperately and sobbed.
"No, no, Yin's death is nothing, I'm just afraid that no one will take care of my brother..."
"Silly girl."
He called out to her with a voice as warm as a spring breeze, "It's me who has made you tired. Don't be afraid, we won't die."
"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid of anything..."
As she spoke, she moved her body, trying to block the scattered light coming through the carved screen for him.
"What are they going to do to my brother? I want to follow you too!"
"What I'm going to do is something girls can't follow. Yin please don't ask, and don't listen to what others say."
"Then where will Yin go to find brother... I'm so afraid of him... I'm really afraid of him... I really want to go home with you."
She became more and more confusing as she spoke.
"Don't cry."
"No."
"Hold on a little longer, I will definitely take you home."
The Six Paramitas Sutra (10) is a classic that integrates Buddhist philosophy, ethics, and practical guidelines. This sutra elaborates on the concept and practice of the six paramitas: generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom.