The next morning, Luo Wei ran into Long Xuan and Long Xiang at the palace gates accompanied by a monk. As he was just wondering what the two princes had to do with a monk, he heard the old monk next to Long Xuan call out to him with a smile, “Third young master.”
“You are?” Luo Wei looked at the old man. His expression was placid, smile comforting. He had a short beard, and though his face was obviously worn and weathered, it was clear that he’d been a handsome and elegant man in his youth.
“He’s the Grand Priest, Fu Yi,” Long Xiang’s words still had a tinge of anger in them, “Don’t you recognize the Grand Priest, Luo Wei?”
Grand Priest Fu Yi? Honestly, Luo Wei had never met this legendary man face to face. He took another detailed look at this famous grand priest. His entire habit was grey and extremely simple. There was no telling him from any other monk or priest.
“This humble monk has never met the third young master,” Fu Yi explained to Long Xiang, “It’s not so strange that he wouldn’t recognize me.”
“It’s an honor to make your acquaintance, grand priest,” Luo Wei only just managed to react. The detailed look he’d given to the priest was impolite, so he quickly made up for it by paying his respects.
“It’s late, we should head in soon,” Long Xuan sat in the hall for an entire night, his emotions were quiet now. Seeing that Luo Wei was also paying respects to him, he said by way of convenience, “Luo Wei, you have to go with my imperial father to morning audience, it’s not good to be late.”
Luo Wei nodded yes, and was just about to leave when the grand priest said, “This humble monk also needs to see His Imperial Majesty. Third young master, let’s go together.”
“We’ll go to say good morning to our Imperial Mother,” Long Xuan said to the Grand Priest, “We will talk more next time.”
“Did the second and fifth prince discuss something with you yesterday, Master Fu Yi?” Luo Wei didn’t remember Long Xuan having had anything to do with the Grand Priest in his past life.
“The palace gates were already shuttered,” Grand Priest Fu Yi responded, “The two princes are still youths at heart, the street corner is no resting place, so this humble monk invited them to the temple for a night’s rest.”
Luo Wei didn’t know why the Grand Priest Fu Yi was currying for Long Xuan’s favor. To be completely honest, he didn’t believe that this priest saw them in the streets by chance. “That’s why His Imperial Highness was so keen on seeing Her Imperial Majesty the empress. The Empress must be worried sick about them not coming home for a night, and it’s best if she doesn’t pa.s.s anything onto the Emperor himself.”
Grand Priest Fu Yi commented, “The third young master sees through people very easily, I believe that is the second prince’s intention.”
Luo Wei walked with his head down. He still couldn’t make heads or tails of Fu Yi’s relationship with Long Xuan, so perhaps it’s better if he didn’t talk just now.
But it was the Grand Priest’s turn to speak, “Third young master, I asked His Imperial Highness the second prince to abandon his obsessions, but he could not do it. What obsessions and obstinacy does the third young master hold in his heart?”
“Obsessions?” Luo Wei looked at the Grand Priest next to him, oblivious, “What obsessions?”
The Grand Priest pointed a finger at Luo Wei’s chest, “The young master is a young man yet, why does he hold such hatred in his heart?”
At this moment, Luo Wei had a sudden moment of suspicion that this Grand Priest knew exactly why he’d been reborn. He stopped in his tracks, staring at Grand Priest Fu Yi, dumbfounded.
“The third young master has lived all this time, what do you think it was all for?”
Luo Wei questioned right back, “What does Master Fu Yi really want to say to me? What kind of hatred would I hold in my heart?”
Grand Priest Fu Yi pa.s.sed Luo Wei by, leaving the scent of sandalwood in the air.
“Wait,” Luo Wei caught up to Fu Yi in a few steps, “Does Master Fu Yi know where I came from?”
“From the previous life, going to the next life,” Master Fu Yi answered, “Such is the fate of everyone in this world.”
“Can you not talk in these Buddhist riddles to me?” Luo Wei became impatient, and grabbed the monk’s habit in his fist, “What do you know?”
“Wei Er!” Emperor Xing Wu saw Luo Wei grabbing at Master Fu Yi from a distance, and quickly ordered him to stop, “Don’t be rude to the Grand Priest!”