Listening to Rain at Jialan

[A dashing young general × a sweet, soft little princess???] He is the most ascetic and spiritually pure Buddhist in the kingdom’s foremost temple. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, where Buddhism is revered above all, everyone calls him Master Yanji. Yanji is the dharma name given to him by the abbot, a name that carries sorrow and pity: sorrow that he cannot speak, and pity for the muteness he was born with. But if he truly had been born unable to speak, there would have been no need for sorrow. She is the beloved princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty, showered with affection and enjoying every luxury. Yet a hideous scar on her face has earned her the name “Ugly Woman.” The eyes of the world cannot see the story of her past, nor the proud spirit that shines like autumn waters. In her previous life, she was kind all her days, yet could not escape a tragic death. He was a fearsome killer who had once galloped across the battlefield in splendid robes, yet possessed an immortal bond with Buddha that others could only dream of. In a realm of ethereal immortals, the Heavenly Dao transformed him. He spoke up for her and protested the injustice, but the Heavenly Dao could not be moved. “This is fate, and it cannot be defied.” How laughable. “If this is Heaven’s will, what can mortal strength do to change it? Ling Yan, turn back before it’s too late.” “What difference does another chance make? How can an ignorant child fight Heaven?” “Your destiny is to shave your head and take refuge in Buddhism...” But he declared to the Heavenly Dao, “If Buddha will not save her, then I will. I will give my body in exchange for my wife’s happiness in this world, and a life free of worry.” The wheel of fate turns once more. In this life, he has paid any price to begin again; the past is gone. Can he protect the love he holds deep in his heart and share peaceful days with her, listening to the rain at Jialan Temple, as their bond begins anew in this life...? Thus the line from the theater, “When I first met you, it felt as though an old friend had returned,” tells the story of an entire life.