Chapter 698: Chapter 698: Unrivalled in the World _1
She picked up the Lovesick Jade Pillow and asked, "Sir, I would like to question you about the detailed history of this object. Also, what is the significance of the four words carved on the back?"
The old man looked at Qin Sisi and asked, "Are you very interested in it?"
Qin Sisi nodded, "Yes."
The old man pondered for a mont and said, "The history of it is quite long. Once we get off the car, let’s find a quiet place to discuss it properly!"
"Okay." Qin Sisi knew that the taxi was not the right place for such a conversation, so she agreed with the old man.
The taxi quickly brought them to the hotel where the old man was staying. After they got out of the car, the old man pointed ahead and said, "There’s a tea house over there. It has a nice atmosphere and I owe you a favor. Let
treat you to a cup of tea!"
With the old man’s sincere tone, Qin Sisi didn’t want to be overly modest and reject his offer, so she promptly replied, "Okay, thank you, sir."
The old man smiled and nodded. They entered the teahouse, one after the other. Worried that pets might not be allowed in such a place, Qin Sisi hid Ye You in her backpack beforehand.
After they took their seats at an antique square mahogany table, a long-robed waiter brought them a pot of hot, fragrant tea. He poured tea for them with a long-spouted teapot, politely said "Please enjoy," then stepped away.
Qin Sisi looked at the cup of tea with its faint fragrance in front of her, then raised her head to look at the old man, her expectations clear. She didn’t need to press him; she was just waiting for him to speak.
The old man slowly picked up his tea cup, blew on it a few tis, and gently took a sip. Then he put the tea cup back on the table and asked, "The phrase ’unrivalled under heaven,’ what do you think it implies?"
Qin Sisi thought for a mont and responded. "Surface-wise, it indicates an object is extrely powerful and magnificent. There is nothing else in this world that can compare to it. However, I feel the phrase ’unrivalled under heaven’ inscribed on the Lovesick Jade Pillow has a deeper aning."
The old man nodded approvingly and said, "You are quite right. The phrase ’unrivalled under heaven’ on the Lovesick Jade Pillow ans so much more. It’s not just praising the incomparable magnificence of the jade pillow, it’s also proclaiming a curse, a curse that all lovers in the world will never be together."
Qin Sisi was taken aback, looking at the old man with surprise. So, that was the intended aning of "unrivalled under heaven" inscribed on the Lovesick Jade Pillow.
What a cruel curse; this princess, due to her own failed love life, would let every couple in the world suffer along with her.
Qin Sisi regained her composure and uttered a bitter laugh, saying "the princess’s intention is too malicious."
For the elder who probably had understood this history long before, there was no fluctuation in his expression. He calmly said: "As the most cherished daughter of Emperor Taizong, she was indeed arrogant and domineering, terribly self-indulgent. Yet, from an emotional perspective, she could also be seen as pitiful."
The tiline rewound a thousand years, stopping on that romantic affluent era, the Great Tang Dynasty. Chanting of Buddhist sutras resonated softly, sandalwood incense perated the air, Princess Gao Yang and Master Bian Ji, a single thought sparked a decade of tribulation.
When the famous Mage Xuanzang returned with the Buddhist sutras after more than twenty years of travel from India, Emperor Taizong called together all the Buddhist elites in the empire to assist Mage Xuanzang in translating the sutras.
Eventually, nine people stood out, becoming Mage Xuanzang’s assistants, known as the "Nine Virtues". And among them, Bian Ji was the leader.
The young monk, only twenty-six years of age, was the youngest and the most talented in the elite group. He was also Mage Xuanzang’s most favored disciple.
Unfortunately for him, he encountered a romantic disaster in this life he could not overco.
At the ti, Princess Gao Yang had already been betrothed by Emperor Taizong to Fang Yi’ai, the son of his chief minister, Fang Xuanling. This was a marriage of political convenience and she had no feelings for her husband.
During a hunting trip, Princess Gao Yang encountered Monk Bian Ji. A princess flamboyant like the peach blossom and a young and accomplished master, their love at first sight needed no explanation.
Princess Gao Yang gave her personal jade pillow to Monk Bian Ji and nad it "Lovesick Jade Pillow" to express her longing for him.
How could the world afford to satisfy both, without betraying Buddha or her beloved?
Perhaps Monk Bian Ji too, had wrestled with such a contradiction within his heart.
However, in the end, there was no compromise in this world that could accommodate his intentions. This forbidden love was tragically dood.
Four years later, an ordinary theft served as the thread that unraveled their covert relationship. A thief broke into the monastery and stole nurous objects.
The thief was quickly apprehended, but among the stolen goods was a jade pillow used by a woman from the royal palace. After careful investigation, the forbidden affair between Princess Gao Yang and Monk Bian Ji was revealed to the world.
The news sent Chang’an into an uproar. Everyone was talking about the royal scandal in every corner of the city.
The charismatic and talented Master Bian Ji was accused of being a licentious monk!
The beautiful and noble princess of the Great Tang Dynasty was labeled a loose woman!
Emperor Taizong was furious. He imdiately ordered the execution of Monk Bian Ji by waist chopping.
That day was the most desperate for the haughty Princess Gao Yang. She knelt at the entrance of Emperor Taizong’s chamber pleading for rcy for Monk Bian Ji. However, the emperor who once loved her dearly refused to see her.
The Tang Dynasty was open-minded, a cri of illicit sex did not warrant a death sentence.
However, Monk Bian Ji had to die.
Because he was a monk.
Monk Bian Ji, the forr leader of the Nine Virtues, calmly strode to the execution ground. As he lay under the sharp blade of the executioner, he noticed a small ant on the blade. He carefully picked up the ant and placed it on the ground.
The executioner swung the blade.
Blood splattered over Chang’an.
Princess Gao Yang would not let go of her resentnt. After the death of Emperor Taizong, she entered the palace without grief.
So years later, Princess Gao Yang conspired to stage a coup d’état with Prince Li Yuanjing of Jing; however, the plot was foiled, and Emperor Gaozong sentenced her to death.
"In the end, it was said that Princess Gao Yang clung to the Lovesick Jade Pillow until her death. Unable to separate her from it, she was buried with it. Unable to rest in peace, the Princess converted her rage into four words forming an unrivalled curse against all lovers in the world."
The old man’s deep voice flowed slowly within the quiet tea house, guiding Qin Sisi from the prosperous era a thousand years ago, back to present day A City.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Sisi’s gaze fell upon the brilliant Lovesick Jade Pillow, her murmured question filling the air, "Could there really be love between a princess and a monk?"
The old man gave a small smile then answered, "If it was true love or a fall from grace, opinions varied. How its viewed is an individual’s perception."
After thinking for a mont, Qin Sisi smiled, "I think, there must have been true love."
The deeper the love, the fiercer the hate.
Only the one who experienced true love, could harbor such hatred, then throw out a vicious curse on all lovers.
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