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Xiaoxuan smiled faintly and said, "No, I've been wandering around. I heard that Tokyo is prosperous and stable, so I thought I'd settle down there."

After listening to Xiaoxuan's words, the old monk pondered for a moment and said, "Since you have nowhere to stay, why don't you come with us? My temple is in Tokyo. There is an uninhabited nunnery on the mountain behind my temple. If you don't mind, you can stay there to take shelter from the wind and rain."

A nunnery? Xiao Xuan hesitated for a moment, then thought that she wasn't familiar with the route. If she traveled with them, although the journey would be slower, it would save her a lot of unnecessary travel. Besides, if they traveled together, she could take care of the old man and the young girl. The old monk had also said that there was an abandoned nunnery where she could stay. She had no place to stay in Tokyo, and having a nunnery to stay in was better than nothing. She immediately nodded and replied, "Then I'll trouble you, sir."

Hearing this, the old monk and the child were overjoyed, and the three of them set off together on their journey to Tokyo. The child was especially happy to have the little red horse to ride. After walking for many days, his little feet were blistered and raw, and he was overjoyed to be able to ride the little horse.

As they traveled together, Xiao Xuan learned that the old monk was the abbot of a temple in the capital city of Dongjing. He had heard that Song Shi was attacking the Han Dynasty and had followed him. He knew that where there was war, there was bound to be disaster and orphans, so he was searching for surviving orphans to bring back to the temple in Dongjing and raise them. However, he caught a cold on the way, and if he hadn't met Xiao Xuan, he might not have been able to return to Dongjing. Hearing about the old monk's intentions, Xiao Xuan's heart stirred again. Without war, there wouldn't be so many impoverished people. Why did the ruler of a country always have to wage war instead of choosing to bring peace and prosperity to the people? The country might become strong, but how many innocent lives were sacrificed to build that strength?

The three of them traveled and talked along the way, traveling during the day and resting at night. After several days, they finally arrived in Tokyo.

Tokyo truly lived up to its reputation as the capital of the Song Dynasty; it was bustling with people, and the streets were teeming with prosperity. Even the combined prosperity of the Liao Dynasty's Western Capital and Nanjing could not match it.

The old master escorted Xiaoxuan to the deserted, old nunnery, then bid her farewell with the child. Xiaoxuan didn't remain idle; she took the remaining gold to the market, exchanged it for necessities, and began cleaning the nunnery. After several days, the small nunnery was exceptionally clean. At least she was living with the Buddha, and every day Xiaoxuan would clean the Buddha statues and offer them incense. Realizing that she would eventually run out of money and valuables, she had an idea. She made a nun's robe, a nun's hat, and covered her long black hair, then opened the nunnery to the public to earn some money to support herself.

Xiao Xuan, living in the Song Dynasty, was busy with her life, while her "father" Xiao Siwen, living in the Liao Dynasty, was extremely anxious.

After withdrawing his troops from Taiyuan and returning to the Liao Dynasty, Yelü Xiuge requested permission from Yelü Jing to search for Xiao Chuo, but Yelü Jing flatly refused. Yelü Jing said, "If she is alive, she will naturally return alive; if she is not, then it is her fate." He also ordered that no one be allowed to search for Xiao Chuo unless she returned on her own.

This order intensified Xiao Siwen's hatred for Yelü Jing. Years ago, when he was defending Nanjing and besieged by Emperor Zhou Shizong's army, he pleaded with Yelü Jing for help. Yelü Jing retorted, "The Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun were given away for free; let whoever wants them take them." These words infuriated Xiao Siwen, who was then desperately defending Nanjing. If Emperor Zhou Shizong hadn't fallen ill and withdrawn his troops, Xiao Siwen might be dead or alive today. Now, seeing his beloved daughter run away, Yelü Jing forbade anyone to search for her—it was truly suicidal! Xiao Siwen was seething with anger, unable to abandon his youngest daughter. He went to Prince Yelü Xian's residence, hoping he could put in a good word for Xiao Chuo before the Emperor. However, Prince Yelü Xian informed him that he had already secretly sent people to search for Xiao Chuo. Hearing this, he finally felt relieved.

Xiao Xuan, living in the capital city of Tokyo, had no idea of Xiao Siwen's longing for her back in the Liao Dynasty. She was preoccupied with figuring out how to make a living. Fortunately, her idea actually worked to some extent. Every now and then, two or three devout women would come to her small nunnery to burn incense and donate some money, which did help alleviate some of Xiao Xuan and Achi's hunger and thirst.

That afternoon, Xiao Xuan was sweeping the courtyard when she heard a voice calling from behind: "Female benefactor, how have you been?"

Xiao Xuan turned around and saw the old monk she had met on the road. She quickly put down her utensils and welcomed the old monk into the side hall.

"Master, what brings you here to see me today?" Xiaoxuan asked with a smile.

Seeing that she was still so radiant and had kept the small nunnery clean and tidy, the old monk was very pleased. He stroked his long beard and said, "When I woke up this morning, I saw that the peach blossoms on the back mountain had actually bloomed. It's quite unusual for peach blossoms to bloom in this freezing weather. I'm afraid your little nunnery is about to welcome a distinguished guest."

"Ah!" Xiao Xuan screamed with her mouth wide open, then ran towards the door without looking back, shouting, "Master, please sit down for a moment, I'll go see where the peach blossoms are?"

Seeing her anxious expression, the old monk smiled and shook his head.

Running out of the nunnery, Xiao Xuan stood in front of it and looked up at the mountain. Sure enough, on the rocks behind the nunnery, a peach blossom was blooming with exceptionally bright color, and the branch of the peach blossom was pointing directly at the small nunnery where Xiao Xuan lived.

Oh! It's only just past the twelfth lunar month, the weather is still cold, and it's still a long way from March, yet this peach blossom has already bloomed. Looking at the beautiful peach blossom, Xiao Xuan felt a warm feeling welling up in her heart. She walked back to the side hall and said to the old monk, "Master, it really is! It's blooming so beautifully."

"Yes, the city is full of withered branches and broken willows, but this one branch is bright and eye-catching, and it is really lovely."

"Yes." Xiaoxuan nodded in agreement, indicating that she shared the same opinion as the old monk.

Looking at her beautiful face, the old monk said, "Yesterday, I read a book that told two stories. I have nothing to do today, so I'd like to tell them to you."

“Okay!” Xiaoxuan readily agreed; listening to stories was her hobby.

"The first story is about an old man. His child was seriously ill and knew he wouldn't survive, so he found a temple. From the moment he entered the temple, he prostrated himself with every step he took until he reached the Buddha statue. His face was covered in blood, and no matter how many young monks in the temple tried to help him up, he refused to get up. He knelt before the Buddha statue and said, 'Bodhisattva, I beg you, take my life. I am willing to exchange my lifespan for my child's.' After worshipping the Bodhisattva and offering incense, he left the temple. To demonstrate his will, he smashed his head against a large tree at the temple gate and died."

Xiao Xuan frowned slightly upon hearing this, thinking of Xiao Siwen, the old man who knelt under Yelü Jing's horse hooves to save her.

"The second story, however, is about a child. This child grew up in a poor family, and was very clever and quick-witted from a young age. Hoping he would one day rise above his circumstances and escape hardship, his family gave him away to a wealthy local family to be their adopted son. At that time, the child was still young and didn't understand; he always thought he was the wealthy family's biological son. It wasn't until later, when he became successful and returned home, that he overheard the neighbors talking and learned he had two poor biological parents. He asked the wealthy family who had raised him for so many years: 'Are you really my biological parents?'" The wealthy man said, "Even if we aren't your biological fathers, I've raised you for so many years, and you don't care?" The child replied, "How could I not care after raising me for so many years? In my heart, you will always be my parents. But I also need to know who my biological parents are and where they live. Without them, I wouldn't exist; I wouldn't be here. Everything I have today is inseparable from them." Upon hearing this, the wealthy man found the child's biological parents, reunited the family, and took the poor couple into his home, where they enjoyed family happiness together.

After finishing his words, the old monk glanced at Xiao Xuan, whose eyes were filled with melancholy, and said, “Child, I don’t know who you are, but judging from your attire, appearance, speech, and behavior when we met, you don’t seem like a down-on-your-luck person. You spend your days in this little nunnery, keeping company with the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp. I shouldn’t have come to disturb you, but I feel this place is not suitable for you. At such a beautiful age, no matter what happens, you should try to think more positively. Besides, if you really have family at home, wouldn’t they worry about you after you’ve been away for so many days? They can’t find you every day, and without any news of you, how can they live in peace? Listen to my advice, go home. Alas, I originally introduced you here because I saw that you were different from ordinary people, hoping that you wouldn’t be able to bear the coldness here and would turn back soon. But I didn’t expect you to persevere.” The old monk smiled self-deprecatingly as he said this.

Khitan Empress - Khitan Dowager Chapter Twenty-Four Conversation

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:58 Word Count: 3564

“Master, I understand.” Xiao Xuan said through gritted teeth, “I understand what you mean. I’ll pack my bags now and go back as soon as it’s light tomorrow.”

The old monk smiled upon hearing this, stood up, and said with a smile, "You really do understand immediately. Now that I have achieved my purpose for this trip, I will not delay any longer. I will return."

"May you have a safe journey, Master." Xiao Xuan said, seeing the old monk off from the temple.

The old monk descended the mountain with great satisfaction. Reaching the foot of the mountain, he looked back at the small temple and was filled with astonishment. Mist and water vapor from somewhere on the mountain, rising in the sunlight, had transformed into a beautiful rainbow spanning the sky above the temple.

"Ha!" The old monk exhaled softly, his surprised gaze vanished, and he walked back the way he came.

It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter where you come from, you are you, and I am still me. Everything in this world can change, the landscape can change, but heaven and earth will not change. It is still the sky above your head, and the land beneath your feet, accompanying you on your journey.

The flowers blooming on the mountain rocks, regardless of for whom they release their fragrance, only display their beauty for the one in their heart. The rainbow lying across the sky, no matter how enchanting or magnificent, only lingers where it pleases. A wandering heart, no matter how wild or expansive, can never shake off loneliness. You either continue searching, seeking a way to forget loneliness, or you stop wandering and let another life erase the color of loneliness.

After seeing the old monk off, Xiao Xuan packed her belongings. Yes, I can forget everything, but I can't forget Old Man Xiao. It was just a short meeting, but it feels like I owe him so much. Recalling the first story the old monk told, Old Man Xiao seemed to be that old man who prayed to Buddha, wholeheartedly devoted to his child, yet he had left him in the distant Liao Kingdom.

Zhong Xuan, you've forgotten, you've forgotten that this body of yours is called Xiao Chuo. It doesn't belong to you; it belongs to the Xiao Chuo who grew up in the Liao Kingdom. You can carelessly forget your father, you can carelessly continue living on the land of the Song Dynasty, but what about the real Xiao Chuo? What have you given her? You stole her body, forcibly taken her father's love, and now, after offending the King of Liao, you've fled to a distant land, leaving your father alone in the Liao Kingdom. You don't even care about his life or death. Zhong Xuan, do you have any conscience? Xiao Xuan cursed herself inwardly.

Go back, no matter what life brings, you must live on that land, because there lies the family of this girl named Xiao Chuo, her home, her husband, and everything she has.

After packing her belongings, Xiaoxuan walked to the stables behind the nunnery, stroked Achi, and said, "Achi, let's go home tomorrow."

"Er," Achi raised its front hooves and neighed incessantly, seemingly delighted to hear those words.

As evening approached, Xiaoxuan was about to close the temple gate when she saw a beautiful sunset on the horizon.

A faint, white glow peeked through the clouds, and crimson light shone on the horizon, bathing everything nearby in its red glow.

So beautiful! How wonderful it would be if this sunset never disappeared, or if we could see it every day.

"Excuse me, young lady, is anyone in this nunnery? May I come in and rest for a while?" Xiao Xuan heard a gentle voice in her ear.

...

Zhong Xuan was captivated by the sunset and was so engrossed in watching it that she didn't hear what the person next to her was saying.

"Hmph!" The man cleared his throat and raised his voice, "Little girl, is there a nun in this nunnery?"

This time, Xiao Xuan finally heard it. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw that soldiers had been standing on both sides of the mountain path. It seemed that the person who came was someone of great importance. Xiao Xuan carefully examined the man in front of her. He was about forty years old, with his head held high and eyebrows raised. His eyes were like hanging pearls, his nose was straight and his mouth was wide. He had an air of authority between his brows, and his bronze skin made him look even more robust.

The man was also sizing up the young girl. In such a remote place in the back mountains, there was a little girl like her. Wasn't she afraid of danger? If she were an ugly woman, it wouldn't be surprising, but this girl was very dignified, beautiful, and graceful. What was such a pretty young girl doing here alone? Perhaps she was here to offer incense? Thinking it over, the man felt he was being too nosy and said to Xiaoxuan, "Young lady, is there a nun in this temple? I'm tired and would like to rest here. If the nun is here, I would appreciate it if you could pass on my message so as not to disturb the nuns inside." After speaking, the man took out a small ingot of silver from his pocket and handed it to Xiaoxuan.

Xiao Xuan took the silver coins, put them away, and said, "Please come in, please come in. I am the master of this nunnery."

The man was taken aback by what he heard and looked at the young woman in front of him again.

"Are you a nun at this temple?" the man asked with a smile. "Then why are you dressed like this?"

It turned out that Xiao Xuan had made up her mind to return to the Liao Dynasty early the next morning. She took off her nun's robe, washed it, and hung it to dry in the backyard, while already changing into new clothes she had bought at the market. So when the man saw Xiao Xuan, he assumed she was someone who had come to offer incense and had nothing to do with the nunnery.

Xiao Xuan smiled gently upon hearing this and said, "I've been taking care of things here these past few days. Would you like to offer incense? The incense is on the offering table in the main hall of the temple. If you wish to rest inside, please come in and have a seat."

Upon hearing this, the man frowned slightly, then regained his composure, smiled at Xiaoxuan, and turned to look at the guards following behind him, saying loudly, "My legs are tired, so I'll go into this nunnery to rest for a while. You wait outside and do not disturb me."

"yes!"

Upon hearing the reply, the man stepped into the nunnery and was immediately greeted by a delicate fragrance of offerings, which instantly soothed his mind. Looking at the small nunnery, he found it exceptionally elegant and unique, with every corner spotless and tidy.

The man was surprised; he hadn't expected this unassuming little nunnery in the back mountains to be so neatly arranged. If he hadn't heard on the way that a branch of beautiful peach blossoms was blooming in the mountains, he wouldn't have come here and would have missed this secluded little nunnery. He smiled with satisfaction, entered the main hall, and looked around; indeed, it was very tidy.

After pondering for a moment, he looked at Xiaoxuan and asked, "Do you know how to chant scriptures?"

Xiaoxuan smiled faintly and replied, "Reciting scriptures isn't difficult. I bought some scriptures; if you need them, I can recite them."

“The monks in other temples and nunneries recite scriptures by heart, so why are you reading this scripture? You must be a slacker, using the guise of a bodhisattva to make a living.”

"Hehe, you guessed it. But I'm not just freeloading. I buy incense to make it convenient for devout men and women to come here to worship Buddha. I keep this place clean so that Buddha and Bodhisattva can have a place to live. I worship them, and they support me. I haven't taken any advantage, let alone freeloaded."

The man smiled slightly and said, "Since you respect him so much, why don't you simply convert to Buddhism instead of wearing worldly clothes?"

“I have an elderly father at home, and I haven’t even taken care of him in his old age yet. How can I abandon him and become a Buddhist monk? That would be unfilial.”

Upon hearing Xiaoxuan's words, the man narrowed his eyes, glanced at Xiaoxuan, and then stopped talking, continuing to survey the hall. Suddenly, he smiled broadly and pointed to a ribbon on the offering table, saying, "Isn't that a woman's belt? You put that on the offering table, which shows that you are very disrespectful to Buddha."

"That's not what you're saying!" Xiaoxuan immediately pouted and retorted. This guy didn't seem like he was here to rest at all; he was clearly here to cause trouble. "There's a signature on it that my friend gave me. He wrote his name on his belt, hoping that the name would protect me. I also offer it to the Buddha day and night to pray for my friend, hoping that he can turn bad luck into good and live a long life."

Upon hearing this, the man walked to the offering table, looked at the purplish-black name on his belt, and softly murmured, "Liu Yanyu." He then looked at Xiaoxuan and asked, "May I ask what relationship this Liu Yanyu has with my little master?"

Xiao Xuan didn't want to answer him, but seeing the man's age, she felt she should show him some respect, so she replied, "He is my good friend."

"Are you good friends?" The man looked up, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Good friends, it's rare that you two can be so considerate of each other. Especially you, a young girl. I know that most girls are thinking about what kind of family they want to marry into and what kind of pretty clothes they want to wear. You are the first girl I've ever met who treats the things that are between friends with such seriousness."

Xiao Xuan was very pleased with the man's praise, and replied, "You flatter me, benefactor."

The man smiled slightly, looked at Xiaoxuan, and said, "Little Master, I know that a peach blossom has bloomed on the mountain wall behind your temple. This peach blossom must be the first to bloom in the entire city of Tokyo. I would like to ask for it. I wonder how much you would ask for?"

Xiao Xuan smiled and said, "May I ask why you are picking this flower? If I like the answer, I will not charge you a penny, but please go ahead and pick it. If I do not like the answer, then this peach blossom is not meant for you. It is priceless and you may as well let it grow and die on the mountainside."

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter Twenty-Five: Deception

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:58 Word Count: 3483

The man was surprised by Xiao Xuan's words, especially the phrase "worth a thousand pieces of gold," which astonished him. This girl seemed impoverished; she probably earned very little from the offerings of this small nunnery, yet she dared to utter such arrogant words—it was all self-deception. He feared that no matter what answer he gave, she would launch into a long, sentimental speech, mentioning some kind of fate, and then try to extort money from him under some pretext. He'd seen plenty of these petty tricks. "Hmph, I'll hear what you have to say."

"Of course, the flowers are for display in my own room. What other use could they possibly have?" the man said.

"Sigh! Uncle! This flower is not meant for you, so you should give up on the idea."

Unexpectedly, the girl said something like that. The man chuckled to himself, thinking, "You're different from the others, you always know how to keep people in suspense. You're clearly trying to get me hooked. Fine, I'll keep singing with you and see how you do it."

"Oh? What do you mean? How can it be that we're not meant to be?" the man asked.

Xiao Xuan frowned at the man, pouted, and said, "Uncle, one should have a sense of morality and public morality. If you just want to admire the flowers, then wait a while until spring arrives and the flowers bloom. You can pick as many as you want, and you can put as many branches in your room as you like. But this branch is different. As you just said, this peach blossom is the first to bloom in this city of Tokyo. It is now blooming on the mountainside, and everyone in Tokyo, young and old, can see it and admire its early and beautiful bloom. If you pick this flower privately, only you will be able to see it, and no one else will be able to see it. If it's just for admiration, then more people should be able to see it. So it's not meant for you."

Xiao Xuan's words made the man frown. "Hmph," he thought, "so young, yet you've said so much. How can I face you after being scolded by such a little girl?" The man immediately put his hand into his robes, and when he took it out, he held a bright pearl.

Wow! What a huge bead! I wonder if it's real or fake! Xiao Xuan stared at the pearl, her eyes gleaming. The man saw this and chuckled inwardly.

"How about this bead? Is it worth exchanging it for the peach blossoms on that mountainside?" the man asked.

Xiaoxuan stared at the beads, almost unable to tear her eyes away, and said, "They are worth it, but I can't give them to you!"