Chapter 408: Using Ye Wantang's Hand
The temple bell startled dreams, Buddhist chants echoed through the air; green stones witnessed birdsong, golden platforms heard crane calls.
Xiangguo Temple stood majestic and solemn. Though Shen Xihe didn't believe in Buddhism, the elegant tranquility of this place still refreshed her mind and spirit, as if possessing a magical power to make one forget worldly troubles.
When she saw Ye Wantang, the woman was no longer wearing her beloved silk skirt with begonia patterns, though a begonia flower still adorned her hair - deliberately crafted into a plain white silk flower pressed against her dark chignon, making her appear even more haggard and subdued.
"Your Highness." Ye Wantang stepped forward and performed a graceful curtsy.
With Xiao Changtai stripped of his titles - no longer the Prince of Ding nor the Fourth Prince - she was no longer a royal daughter-in-law, but merely a widowed daughter of the Ye family. Naturally, she had to show respect when meeting Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe treated her as before, returning a greeting between equals: "Second Lady Ye."
Ye Wantang was the second daughter in the Ye family, with an elder half-sister born of a concubine.
"Your Highness, did you come specifically to find me?" Ye Wantang invited Shen Xihe to sit beneath a bodhi tree, personally lifting the teapot to pour tea for her.
"What makes you think so?" Shen Xihe asked.
"Your Highness has visited temples only once or twice since arriving in the capital a full year ago. You are not a Buddhist believer." Ye Wantang handed the teacup to Shen Xihe with both hands. "After summer began, you stopped leaving your residence, not even bothering to visit the Eastern Palace. You suffer from summer heat fatigue."
She looked up at the dazzling sunlight filtering through the leaves. Though it was still early morning, the bright sun already felt scorching: "You don't believe in Buddhism, you suffer from summer heat, yet you came to Xiangguo Temple under the blazing sun. You must have business here. Since you came directly to me, this matter must be related to me."
Ye Wantang had once been one of the Nine Unrivaled Talents of the Capital. Besides possessing skills other noble ladies couldn't hope to match, each of these nine talents was a well-read, intelligent, and perceptive young woman.
It was just a pity that a young girl's spring feelings were always poetic - she had ultimately been blinded by love for Xiao Changtai.
For a moment, Shen Xihe couldn't bear to reveal such a cruel truth to her, truly wishing she could just forget the past and start anew.
However, even if she pitied Ye Wantang and didn't plan to use her against Xiao Changtai, would Xiao Changtai ever let her off?
Taking the teacup from Ye Wantang with both hands, Shen Xihe took a small sip before setting it down. She retrieved a scented sachet from her bosom and silently handed it to Ye Wantang.
Ye Wantang looked puzzled. She accepted it and opened it to find a small bamboo tube resembling a fire starter, along with a jade pendant shaped like a eucommia leaf: "Your Highness, what does this mean?".."
"Token and distress signal." Shen Xihe said.
"Why are you giving me these?" Ye Wantang grew more confused.
Shen Xihe's obsidian-like eyes remained calm and profound, reflecting Ye Wantang's face. She paused before saying: "Xiao Changtai isn't dead."
Ye Wantang's face changed color. She froze in place, her lips instantly drained of blood. Her heart must have been in turmoil, as she had to support herself on the stone table to avoid collapsing.
This news was nothing less than a bolt from the blue for Ye Wantang. He wasn't dead?
How could he not be dead! If he wasn't dead, where had he gone? And how did Shen Xihe know about this?Her gaze was filled with shock and suspicion, and Shen Xihe noticed her complex doubts. With a calm expression, she said, "Since that fire was set by him, after sharing a bed with him for so many years, have you never suspected he might have faked his death?"
Something shattered inside, draining all strength from Ye Wantang. Even seated, she felt unsteady and fragile.
Had she ever suspected?
Yes, she had. But as layer after layer of ugliness was revealed, she would rather he had died—before she saw his true, hideous face. So she had accepted the fact with resignation.
"His Majesty is going to the Lin You Imperial Villa. All civil and military officials will accompany him. It’s the perfect opportunity for him to sneak back and take you far away," Shen Xihe continued in the same detached tone.
Ye Wantang abruptly turned to look at Shen Xihe. "Why would I leave with him?"
"You will," Shen Xihe met her gaze unflinchingly. "You still hold affection for him in your heart. Though he betrayed your expectations and his feelings for you were not as pure as you imagined, all these years, he never betrayed you as a person.
Perhaps he didn’t love you as passionately as he vowed, but his feelings were genuine."
Xiao Changtai was not indifferent to fame and fortune, yet he never took another woman. For Ye Wantang, this alone was an insurmountable hurdle. There were plenty of men in this world worse than Xiao Changtai. As a prince, it was only natural for him to have ambition.
Ye Wantang could grieve over this, but she had no grounds to blame him. As for the Ye family, with her intelligence, she should have realized that from the moment Ye Qiyun married into the family, they had no intention of staying out of the fray. The Ye family was not dragged into this by Xiao Changtai; they too harbored desires for power and happened to cross paths with him.
Those eyes, calm and unreadable, seemed to penetrate the heart; her words, neither light nor heavy, were sharp as blades.
Ye Wantang’s thoughts were laid bare before Shen Xihe. She turned her face away, avoiding eye contact. "Since you’re so certain that I still can’t let him go and will leave with him, why go to all this trouble? How could I possibly harm him for your sake?"
A faint smile touched Shen Xihe’s lips. "You would leave with him because you still hold hope for him. But let me tell you, that hope is nothing but a pipe dream. I’m giving you these things not to make you serve me or harm him.
I’m offering you a way out. One day, you will be utterly disappointed in him and have nowhere to turn. Remember, there is still someone in this world who can lend you a hand."
Ye Wantang’s fingers tightened around her sleeve, her eyelashes fluttering. "If I believe what you’re saying, how could I still leave with him? And if I don’t believe you, why would I accept anything from you?"
"You will believe my words, but deep down, you still cling to a sliver of hope—that having fallen to this state, with no chance at the throne, he might truly let go of his ambitions," Shen Xihe said softly. "But you’ve been disappointed too many times. Whether it’s me or him, you only half-believe."
With that, Shen Xihe stood up. "You will accept it. If possible, I’d rather you never need to use the pouch I’ve given you."
That way, it wouldn’t be because Ye Wantang was unshakably devoted to Xiao Changtai, but because her beautiful dream had come true—Xiao Changtai had truly let go of everything, just like Xiao Changyu and Bian Xianyi, living together as a devoted couple.Without waiting for Ye Wantang's response, Shen Xihe turned and left. A verdant bodhi leaf drifted down, landing on Shen Xihe's arm. She paused to gaze at it for a moment before saying, "Second Lady is a clever and resolute person, not worth withering like fading incense for a mere man. This affair of the heart—to begin well and end well has always been a luxury. How many people can't even hope for a good beginning? To have a beginning without an end—at least there was once possession, much like the Buddhist concept of enduring tribulations; to comprehend it is to achieve great enlightenment."
Ah, I don't know what to say. Posting fewer updates always brings a sense of guilt, and I don't know how to face you all. But these past few days I've been particularly weary—I can stare blankly at an open document for an entire afternoon. I don't know what's wrong with me. How dreadful.
(End of Chapter)
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