With both hands holding the incense burner plate, Wei Shufen followed the long procession of noblewomen and ladies-in-waiting as they moved forward step by step.
The wisps of incense seeping through the entwined floral pattern on the bronze furnace cover were too overpowering, making her eyes sting, her head ache, and her mind grow hazy. Perhaps this wasn't entirely a bad thing. Her thoughts couldn't remain firmly anchored to the present anyway, often drifting away to wander beyond the clouds.
At the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns in Tongyi Ward—the former residence of the Sui dynasty that later became the Tang State Duke's mansion where both the current Son of Heaven and the Supreme Emperor once lived—a true portrait of Empress Dowager Dou, the Supreme Emperor's first wife and the Son of Heaven's birth mother, was enshrined. On the birthday of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, the temple would hold a grand Dharma assembly, with the palace presenting a fresh flower treasure basin as an offering. Many noblewomen and ladies-in-waiting from the capital also came to burn incense and pay their respects.
Following the arrangement made in her correspondence with her mother, Wei Shufen had dressed up early in the morning to enter the temple and joined the noblewomen's incense procession, slowly making her way toward the main Buddha hall to pay homage. There were many familiar faces in the procession—wives and daughters of high-ranking officials and noble families she had previously accompanied her mother to meet—but most avoided meeting her gaze, pretending not to recognize her as they devoutly looked ahead.
True, lining up to burn incense in an imperial temple required solemnity and reverence; one couldn't chatter, laugh, or move about freely. But even someone as slow-witted as the daughter of Chancellor Wei could sense that she was being isolated and unwelcomed. She even caught sight of people pointing and whispering about her in corners. No doubt the news of her fleeing her wedding and causing trouble in the palace had already spread far and wide.
Chai Yingluo, the Master of the Purple Void Monastery, couldn't accompany her to the nunnery, which was frequented by many acquaintances, and had instead sent Jing Xuan with two serving girls for protection—all dressed in ordinary women's attire. The middle-aged Daoist nun now carried a vase of peach and apricot blossoms, walking slightly behind her. When Wei Shufen glanced back, she received an encouraging and comforting look.
To be honest, Wei Shufen didn't particularly care how other women viewed her. Compared to the secret she had witnessed a few days prior, such trivial gossip was nothing.
Consort Yang, Princess of Hailing, was pregnant.
Her husband, Li Yuan-ji—the fourth younger brother of the current Son of Heaven—had died nine years ago.
In the side chamber of the small courtyard at the Temple of Compassionate Harmony, even the usually unflappable Chai Yingluo had frozen in shock at the doorway, unable to utter a coherent word for the longest time. In the end, it was the stunning beauty Yangshi who gracefully approached them, extending her fair wrist and parting her crimson lips to speak:
"High Truth Master, your arrival is most timely. These past few days, I've been suffering from stomach discomfort and unable to keep food or water down. I would appreciate your diagnosis and treatment."
Chai Yingluo instinctively took her proffered right wrist, habitually pressing her fingers to check the pulse. It was clear she was first trying to compose herself before speaking. After a long pause, she finally said:
"Congratulations, Fourth Aunt... The Earth Palace is stable, and the fetus is strong—already three or four months along, I'd say... Morning sickness is common. A light diet and more sour or sweet foods to stimulate the appetite should help."
As soon as she finished, she seemed to falter again. Almost simultaneously, Wei Shufen recalled what the guest-receiving nun Sima Lingji had said the day before at the neighboring Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns:
"Two catties of dried apricots delivered over the west wall... No need for formalities, we're sisters in fate..."
"Thank you, High Truth Master. You truly are skilled—you found me after all." Consort Yang's gentle words of gratitude and praise sent an inexplicable chill down Wei Shufen's spine. "So it's like this... For Yingniang's sake, and for the sake of the Chai family, you should leave now. Pretend you were never here."
Chai Yingluo opened her mouth but seemed unable to respond, yet she refused to turn and leave. She simply stood there, staring at the beauty whose jade-like face was segmented by the shadows of the window grille. Standing behind her, Wei Shufen suddenly blurted out impulsively:"Was it the Eastern Palace that ordered Consort Yang's husband to bring the princess consort here?"
Consort Yang's beautiful eyes shifted, landing on Wei Shufen's face with a mix of surprise and sudden understanding. She offered a sorrowful smile but didn't answer.
"Last winter in October, the Sixth Sister caught a severe cold at the Temple of Common Vocation and was critically ill. I had already been ordered to oversee the wedding preparations at the temple. Fearing she might not recover and worried she might spread the illness, I took it upon myself to move her to my Purple Void Monastery. The Fourth Aunt followed to care for her... That must have been the time," Chai Yingluo said, gazing at Consort Yang. "Winter hunts were frequent, and men came and went daily in the forbidden garden..."
Consort Yang's fair cheeks flushed slightly, but she shook her head and remained silent, turning instead to the middle-aged serving nun in the room. "Escort them out," she said.
The nun bowed and approached. Chai Yingluo frowned.
"Fourth Aunt, please reconsider. Though you and your daughter are safe and comfortable now, in the future... It would be better for your safety if you shared more details with me. It would do no harm and only benefit you."
Her implication was clear. The widow of the Son of Heaven's younger brother becoming pregnant while secluded in the palace—regardless of who the father was—would be a scandal. Yang Shidao had likely been ordered to relocate Consort Yang and her daughter to the nunnery primarily to keep it secret. If those in charge later decided to silence them, eliminating mother and daughter would be effortless.
If Consort Yang confided all the secrets to Chai Yingluo, silencing them would become far more difficult, forcing the masterminds to act more cautiously—effectively making Consort Yang and her daughter safer. Even Wei Shufen grasped this logic immediately, but the beauty who had weathered countless storms merely smiled and shook her head.
"I appreciate your kindness. But this is my own affair, my own gamble. I'll bear the consequences, win or lose... You should leave. Back then, Third Sister treated me and the father of A-Si and A-Liu with great kindness and grace. Buyao doesn’t wish to implicate her family."
Chai Yingluo sighed, lowering her head in thought before finally saying:
"Yingluo is investigating under the Empress's decree. Answer me truthfully just this once, and I will leave, never to trouble you again—Ten years ago, in the Eastern Palace Poison Wine Case, was it you, Fourth Aunt, who first suggested poisoning Second Uncle's cup? And nine years ago, when the case was reopened, was it you who wrote the clue on the food box, leading investigators to retrieve that wine jug from the Eastern Palace well?"
This was a critical question. Wei Shufen also tensed, watching Consort Yang intently for her reaction.
The great beauty first turned her gaze outside, her face etched with sorrow, as if countless memories flashed through her mind. After a long, long silence, she finally answered slowly and clearly:
"Yes. It was me."
With that, she turned, lifting her skirts to retreat into the inner chamber, ignoring the two daughters of the Chai and Wei families entirely. The middle-aged serving nun chanted a Buddhist invocation and gestured for them to leave.
"The lady is unwell. Benefactors, do not press further. Heaven values life, and this temple is no place for disputes. Please take your leave."
Wei Shufen glanced at Chai Yingluo. The female Taoist clearly had no intention of forcing the matter, so they turned to leave. Just as they stepped off the veranda, a bright, girlish voice suddenly rang out from the corridor:
"Sister Yingniang!"
A little girl with her hair in a three-bun hairstyle threw herself into Chai Yingluo's arms, her large eyes brimming with joy. It was Consort Yang's youngest daughter, the Lady of Six Counties—the Son of Heaven's youngest niece, who had once been the smallest child at the Temple of Common Vocation. Close behind her ran a familiar maidservant: A Luo, Consort Yang's personal attendant, who had once answered Chai Yingluo's questions at the nunnery.Consort Yang and her daughter, who had quietly left the temple before the fire, were indeed all here. They had been brought by Yang Shidao to this ancestral temple of the Yang family, located beside the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns—a nunnery that housed the former consorts of the Zhou and Sui dynasties...
This was hardly surprising. However, the news of Consort Yang's pregnancy was utterly unexpected, to the point that even Chai Yingluo—usually unflappable and always in control—seemed to have lost her composure. After returning from the Temple of Compassionate Harmony, she had secluded herself, deep in thought, barely responding to anyone. Wei Shufen asked her twice, but she only replied:
"This case can't be investigated further... and perhaps there's no need to continue."
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