“In order to see her beloved man once more, a rich young lady prayed to the Buddha. The Buddha allowed her to transform into a stone bridge and cultivate for five hundred years, only to get a fleeting glimpse of the man hurriedly crossing the bridge; she then transformed into a large tree and cultivated for another five hundred years, just to provide shade for the man to rest briefly beneath it... What are you praying for?”

A young man with sun-tanned skin knelt before the golden statue of Buddha, his hands clasped in prayer, yet he struck up a conversation with the woman kneeling beside him.

Before the young man entered the temple, this woman had already been kneeling there. She wore a rounded hat, a narrow-sleeved and tight-fitting robe with a turned-down collar, long pants, and high-waisted boots. Despite her male attire, she was clearly not trying to truly disguise herself as a man, as her face was clearly made up. Her eyebrows were drawn like willow leaves, and her thick lips were painted a vivid red, giving her an alluring appearance. This form of male clothing, snug in fit, accentuated the beautiful curves of a woman's body.

It was perhaps for this reason that Tang Dynasty women liked to dress in men's attire.

The temple was spacious. Even though the monks were chanting in the same room, their voices sounded distant. The rhythmic "dut dut dut..." of the wooden fish being struck served as the accompaniment. The entire "melody" felt hazy, ethereal, and serene.

In the fourth year of Xianheng after Emperor Gaozong started to reign in the Tang Dynasty, Crown Prince Li Xian donated his residence to build this Qianfu Temple. Now, thirty-eight years on it was the second year of Jingyun. The temple's founder, Crown Prince Li Xian, had long passed away, and so had Empress Wu Zetian, who ordered his execution. Over the years, with constant political upheavals and changes, many faces in the court and among the commoners had come and gone. Only the ancient architecture of Qianfu Temple remained unchanged.

Time changed, but objects remained.

With green tiles and white walls, roofs decorated with upturned eaves stretched far and wide. Amidst the swirling incense, the outside world's plays of deceit and struggles were kept at bay, turning the temple into a truly secluded sanctuary.

The woman, who was in deep prayer, opened her almond-shaped eyes upon hearing someone speak. Recognizing the young man, she placed a finger against her bright red lips, gently shushed him and whispered, "The Buddha is present, remain silent. We'll talk later."

Her voice was soothing, rich with a slow rhythm, and incredibly pleasing to the ear.

The young man didn't speak any further. After offering a few more prayers, he hurriedly stood up and left the temple.

Perhaps because the man's arrival and departure were so swift, it caught the woman off-guard, leaving her feeling somewhat uneasy. She quickly finished her prayers, stood up, and hurriedly followed him out.

Stepping out of the temple, there was a courtyard with straight-latticed windows and corridors. This place was originally the Crown Prince's residence, and its design still retained the style of old times. The woman looked around, and the courtyard was eerily silent. Apart from the newly sprouted willow branches gently swaying in the breeze, there seemed to be no other movement, not a single figure in sight.

For some unknown reason, a sense of loss suddenly flashed through her heart. But why? After all, the man she had just seen wasn't anyone important to her. So why the sense of loss? Sometimes, human emotions truly were unfathomable.

Unexpectedly, right then, a voice came from behind her, "The Buddha says that after a thousand years of cultivation, you still can't be with him. Will you continue to cultivate?"

Turning around, the woman frowned and said with a slight pout, "Putting on airs! Don't you find such tricks boring? ...Young Master Xue, don't you have duties today? Why did you come to Qianfu Temple? What a coincidence."

The young man referred to as Xue Qing was none other than Xue Chongxun, Duke of Wei of the Great Tang Dynasty and the eldest son of Princess Zhenguo Taiping.

The woman was named Yuwen Ji. She was the fiancee of Feng Yuanjun, Xue Chongxun's colleague and Vice Minister of Taichang Temple. Feng Yuanjun was the cousin of the eunuch Gao Lishi. The Tang Dynasty featured a time of liberal customs where women liked to go out and be active. Because of their connections, Xue Chongxun and Yuwen Ji knew each other.

Another reason they occasionally met was that Yuwen Ji was known in Chang'an as a female medical genius. Her medical skills were exceptional, and she often used unconventional methods to cure difficult ailments. Taichang Temple where Xue Chongxun worked was in charge of the Imperial Doctor Department. While Yuwen Ji was not an imperial doctor, she occasionally visited the Imperial Doctor Department. Once, Emperor Li Dan (father of Crown Prince Li Longji) suffered from a migraine. When the imperial doctors were at a loss, Yuwen Ji was allowed into the palace and astonishingly cured him with a single needle.

Responding to Yuwen Ji's question, Xue Chongxun said, "As you know, daily affairs are mostly managed by Feng, and I don't get involved much. Besides, today is the day my brothers and I pay our respects to our mother. So, I rushed over from Anyifang. Since it was still early and Qianfu Temple was nearby, I decided to take a stroll."

At the mentioning of Princess Taiping, a barely noticeable trace of worry flashed in Xue Chongxun's eyes.

After last year's political upheaval, Empress Wei, Princess Anle, Shangguan Wan'er, and many others were executed. Prince Li Dan was restored to power, leading to the current situation: Crown Prince Li Longji and Princess Taiping, leading their respective factions, were at loggerheads. For Xue Chongxun, the eldest son of Princess Taiping, the future seemed quite perilous, and it was perhaps a matter of just a year or two.

Perhaps Xue Chongxun wasn't devout enough towards Buddha. The incense and wooden fish sounds in the temple still couldn't bring even a moment's peace to his heart. The thought of conflict always lingered. He sighed quietly to himself and then cupped his hands, saying, "It's about time, I should take my leave."

“Wait." Yuwen Ji stopped him, asking, "You mentioned about the Buddha earlier. Is there really such a thing in the Buddhist scriptures?"

“There is," Xue Chongxun replied solemnly.

Yuwen Ji inquired, "When the Buddha asked the young woman if she wanted to cultivate for another thousand years, what did she say?"

Xue Chongxun smiled and answered, "She said there was no need."

“How uninteresting," Yuwen Ji sounded slightly disappointed. It seemed that all women had their own "obsessions."

Unexpectedly, Xue Chongxun added, "Then the Buddha sighed in relief and said that the man had already cultivated for two thousand years just to catch a glimpse of her... Do you understand?"

A faint blush spread across Yuwen Ji's face. She pondered for a moment. Considering the fact that she was Feng Yuanjun's fiancee and recalling the scene of her praying in front of the Buddha statue, she thought: Is he mocking me for something?

Yuwen Ji continued, "I feel you've changed from before. It's strange."

“In what way have I changed?" Xue Chongxun felt a hint of unease.

Yuwen Ji remarked, "In the past, forgive my bluntness, but I thought the court should have appointed you as a military officer rather than Taichang Temple’s Vice Minister... Now? You seem quite thoughtful."

Feigning nonchalance, Xue Chongxun responded, "We rarely meet, how would you know what kind of person I am?" He glanced up at the sun, noticing it was setting. It was the right time to go to the princess's residence, pay respects to his mother, and then enjoy a family feast. He then said, "I really must go now."