Xuyu finally decided to go to Ci'en Temple to paint the blessing painting.
Judging from Yuwen Zhi's appearance, he was really just going to paint this time and not do anything sinister.
This man was not a good person, but he seemed to miss his deceased mother a lot. She had heard about this when she lived in the Prince's Mansion. And people at that time thought that seeking blessings was an extremely important thing for parents and relatives after their death, so he would not disrespect his mother for revenge.
When she traveled with Grandpa, whenever her money ran out, Grandpa would stop and look for some work to earn money, mostly painting for local temples or wealthy families. She had also painted a lot of merit paintings like this one. According to her experience, if she had an assistant, it would take three or two days to complete. If she was assigned to paint alone, four or five days should be enough.
It would be better to spend a few days to finish the painting quickly, and the matter will be settled.
She went straight to Ci'en Temple.
This temple is located in the southeast of Chang'an. There are few residents around it, and most of them are temples and Taoist temples. The temple covers a large area and is built on the highest hill in this area. The temple is surrounded by trees and is full of green. It was noon when the rain came, and the sun was in the sky. The road was full of yellow dust, but inside, there were Buddhist chants, birds singing, and thick shades. The incense was even more prosperous. Outside the gate, there were fragrant carriages and horses from the north of the city, and there was an endless flow of good men and women.
The people from the Prince's Mansion were waiting in the temple just as Yuwen Zhi said. It was the steward she met at Lingao Posthouse that day. His attitude was different from Yuwen Zhi's. He was quite courteous and led her to the Merit Cave behind the temple.
The so-called merit caves are actually a row of stone chambers excavated at the foot of the back mountain. The merit chamber of the late Princess of the County is in the middle, about ten steps long, half a step wide, and more than ten feet high. However, it should have belonged to another family before it was transferred to the Prince's Mansion. The mountain walls and arches on three sides have been flattened and painted white, erasing the marks of the old paintings.
Nowadays, many temples in Chang'an are making money in a good way, and they have opened such merit caves for the donors who donate the most incense money. For example, in famous temples built by imperial decree, such as Ci'en Temple, believers flock to it and compete to make offerings and boast about it, so it is common for the caves to change owners.
He had seen this steward Xuyu in the palace before. She took the surname of the master. They met by chance outside the city that day. There were many people on the roadside, so he should not have seen her. He was a little surprised when he recognized Xuyu, but he quickly recovered and did not mention the past.
Xuyu asked what to paint, and the steward said that the prince had not specified anything and told the painter to paint it himself.
Xuyu looked around and quickly came up with an idea. She made a list and asked for the preparation of the necessary painting materials, including various brushes, paints, lighting, ladders for climbing, etc. The manager ordered his attendant to write down everything with pen and paper, and finally asked if there was anything else needed.
The foundation of the stone chamber had been completed, which saved her a lot of trouble. For a stone chamber of this size, according to the current popular painting method, painting three sides and the dome, one person would work day and night, which was about the four or five days she had initially estimated. Considering the inconvenience of going back and forth here, and also having to work at night, she asked for a place to stay.
The steward said, "Don't worry, young master. You don't need to tell me about this. I have asked the monk in charge of reception to prepare it."
The residence is nearby. It is a meditation room for the donor to purify his mind and practice Zen. It is fully equipped with bedding and is kept very clean.
Xuyu returned to the residence, packed up her things, and was about to leave. After hesitating for a while, she finally wrote a note to the secretary, asking him to pass it on if anyone wanted to see her. Then she hurried back to Ci'en Temple and started painting that day. And the progress was smoother than she expected.