The Lacquered Talisman by 447891147

Author:447891147 [447891147]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0000000000000
Published: 2020-11-04T05:24:01+00:00

9

Tending the Hungry Ghosts and spirit tablets

Still autumn of Correctness Attained, fourth year (1344), at Tiger Empress Temple.

“Who is the Tiger Empress?” Vessel asked on the day after receiving his new monk name. He was still adjusting to having a new name, and so names were on his mind.

“Our temple was named for an empress who was raised by tigers,” said Piety, who was in the midst of showing Vessel where he should sweep each morning. “That is why we have a tiger pavilion.”

Vessel frowned. “Why didn’t her parents raise her?”

“It is said that her parents left the baby in a Goddess of Mercy grotto when they were fleeing the border wars between the Song and the northern invaders,” Piety answered. “The Goddess must have summoned the tiger family to take care of the baby. Some say the tigers were actually immortals. The baby grew up to be a beautiful lady and so she was sent to court to be a consort. Before she died, she gave her best jewels to a monk at court and told him to use them to build a temple in honor of her tiger protectors near the place where she was raised.” Piety paused. “You know about the gilded monk, right?”

Vessel smiled. “Oh yes, it’s famous in Lone Hamlet. I even came here and saw it once during a temple fair. That was the only time I ever visited this place until the day before yesterday.”

“The ‘meat body’ is right over there,” said Piety, pointing to a pedestal at the far side of the Hall of the Temple Guardian. The two walked over and stood before it, gazing up at the gilded death grimace of the monk, who was seated in the lotus position — feet crossed, soles upward, hands loose in lap.

“He is our temple founder,” said Piety reverentially.

“You mean the one entrusted with the empress’s jewels?”

Piety nodded.

Vessel smirked. “I guess he’d need to be saintly to be given a job like that.”

Piety looked askance at Vessel and lit a stick of incense, which he set on the monk’s altar.

“How did he end up like this?” Vessel asked.

“Abbot Virtue told me that the monk asked to be placed in a ceramic container when he was about to die, seated just like that. Then after he died, his disciples pickled him in salt and sealed up the jar. When Commander Yesunge, the tiger tamer, came through here, his men found the sealed jar. They broke it open and saw that the body had been perfectly preserved. So the monks took up a collection to have the body gilded and displayed on its own altar.”

“And who are the women in the kitchen?”

“They are the wife and daughter of the Abbot,” Piety replied in a low voice. “You must address the wife as ‘Master Mother’ and the daughter as ‘Elder Sister.’”

“But how are there women in a temple of monks?” Vessel pressed. “Isn’t that forbidden?”

Piety glanced cautiously around as he led Vessel out to the main courtyard.

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