Wei Shufen never expected that right after praising Chai Yingluo in front of her beloved, hoping to follow in her footsteps for life, she would end up quarreling with the Master of the Purple Void Monastery.
The reason for the argument was... a niece resembling her uncle.
After Li Yuangui escorted her back to the Purple Void Monastery from Eternal Peace Palace, she couldn't wait to find Chai Yingluo. Dismissing the servants, she recounted her recent adventure, solemnly informing her, "We've been wrong all along. The child in Consort Hai Ling's womb isn't the Crown Prince's—it's the current Son of Heaven's doing. The Empress knows now and was so furious she fell ill and was taken back to the Hall of Established Governance. His Majesty wants you to treat her and offer some comfort..."
As she spoke, she noticed the female Taoist's expression growing increasingly peculiar. At first, she listened attentively, but soon her thin lips curled, her nostrils quivered, and her delicate cheeks tightened—as if... she was desperately holding back laughter.
This expression looked all too familiar, strikingly similar to that of the lofty Tang Emperor in the royal tent at Eternal Peace Palace, looking down at her and Li Yuangui with a mix of amusement, helplessness, and a touch of disdain.
A sudden realization struck Wei Shufen: "Sister Ying, you already knew Consort Yang was carrying the Emperor's child, didn't you?"
With a snort, Chai Yingluo finally burst into laughter, pounding the bed. Wei Shufen glared at her angrily, "How long have you been keeping this from me and laughing at my expense?"
"Not long," the Master of the Purple Void Monastery replied patiently after her laughter subsided. "At first, I only had suspicions. Fourth Aunt was taken out by Fifth Uncle-in-law, Consort Yang's husband. As an elder of high status and cautious nature, he wasn't known to be particularly close to the Crown Prince's Palace. If it had been the Crown Prince's doing, he wouldn't likely have involved Fifth Uncle-in-law to secretly escort Fourth Aunt out—he has his own trusted aides in the Eastern Palace. After discovering Fourth Aunt's pregnancy at the nunnery, I returned to investigate who had seen her here last autumn... You know, such things can't be hidden from the servants..."
"So you knew by spring it wasn't the Crown Prince, yet you didn't tell me the truth, letting me speculate wildly and blunder around," Wei Shufen complained. Chai Yingluo sighed:
"Silly girl, don't you know why I didn't tell you? You're straightforward and can't keep secrets—whatever you hear, you broadcast to the world. If you thought it was the Crown Prince's scandal and spread that, fine, since he wouldn't easily have you killed. But if you knew the truth and still couldn't keep quiet, angering the Son of Heaven and the Empress—then—"
"How could I be that stupid!" Wei Shufen protested. "This is an incredibly sensitive matter—I wouldn't go around gossiping about it! One wrong move could mean death—do you think I'd act recklessly? Sister Ying, do you take me for a seven- or eight-year-old child?"
"Hmm, you're not," Chai Yingluo replied with a faint smile. "Alright, now that you know the truth about Consort Yang's pregnancy, what's your next move?"
The eldest daughter of Chancellor Wei blurted out, "Go to the Benevolent Harmony Nunnery, confront Consort Yang directly, and threaten her into revealing the truth behind Princess Linfen's case!"
Groaning, the female Taoist pressed a hand to her forehead: "And this is what you call not acting recklessly...?"
"Uh..." Wei Shufen thought for a moment, flushing with embarrassment. "Then... what else can we do to make her confess the truth?"Chai Yingluo shook her head. "I've thought about it many times too, but haven't come up with any good ideas. Let me warn you—never go looking for her at the Temple of Compassionate Harmony."
"Why not?"
"How dense can you be? The Son of Heaven ordered Consort Yang's son-in-law to settle her and her daughter there. Do you think it's just a few lonely women with their servants living among the nuns? There aren't people from the Yang household and the palace sent to watch over them? Last time when the two of us barged in recklessly, we were either lucky or it was Fourth Aunt herself who didn't want to make a fuss and suppressed the matter. No one reported it to the palace—at least neither the Son of Heaven nor the Empress treated me any differently. And you want to risk going again? Can't you guess the consequences if the palace finds out you've discovered the Son of Heaven's secret?"
This was the real reason Wei Shufen and Chai Yingluo were seriously arguing. All the previous deception, sulking, teasing, and defiance were just their usual banter. Their true disagreement lay in how much importance they placed on "the case of Princess Linfen."
For Wei Shufen, solving this case, uncovering the real culprit, obtaining the reward promised by the Son of Heaven, and clearing Li Yuangui's debts to secure his freedom were the most urgent matters at this moment—no, in her entire life. She was willing to pay any price for it. Chai Yingluo, however, clearly had far more reservations.
Of course, this couldn't be blamed on her. Hadn't she already done enough and suffered enough for herself and Li Yuangui?
So after exhausting themselves with quarreling, the two women each retreated to their rooms in a huff. When Wei Shufen woke up from her nap, she didn't go to argue with Chai Yingluo again. She had no right to force someone else to take risks for her. In this world, being able to act according to one's heart and bear the consequences was already a great fortune.
Borrowing a horse from the temple's stable and donning a veiled hat, she quietly left the forbidden garden and entered the inner city, heading toward the Xiuxiang Quarter's Temple of Compassionate Harmony Nunnery, guided by memory. Along the way, she asked for directions when unsure and successfully found the inconspicuous, humble nunnery gate. She announced her request to see the Princess of Hailing to the nun at the entrance. Unsurprisingly, the reply was, "Amitabha, there is no such person in this temple."
Though not particularly clever, Wei Shufen had anticipated this. She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a thin scroll of paper, and handed it to the receptionist nun:
"Venerable Sister, please deliver this to Lady Yang. If Lady Yang still refuses to see me after reading it, I will leave without further disturbance."
The nun gave her a deep look but said nothing more, taking the scroll and turning away. Wei Shufen sat waiting in the entrance hall. Before long, the nun returned with another person—a middle-aged nun with a serene face. Wei Shufen thought for a moment and recalled that this was the same serving nun she and Chai Yingluo had seen in Consort Yang's room during their last visit. Sure enough, the nun chanted a Buddhist invocation and said, "Lady benefactor, please follow me," leading Wei Shufen once again into the secluded residence courtyard where Consort Yang and her daughter lived.
Several months had passed, and Yang Buyao's belly was now visibly swollen, clearly nearing childbirth. Yet her delicate beauty, with skin like congealed cream, remained radiant as ever. She sat reclining on an inlaid sandalwood couch, legs dangling, and gestured for Wei Shufen to sit opposite her. Without preamble, she pointed to the thin sheet of paper spread on the desk before her:
"May I ask, young lady, where did you obtain this document? And why did you bring it to see me?"The handwriting on the paper was Wei Shufen's own, yet the content was identical—word for word—to the secret letter Yang Bu-yao had written to the current Son of Heaven in her silk pouch. Wei Shufen had copied it from the original and could now almost recite the short missive from memory:
"Your guilty servant, the woman Yang, bows her head in solemn reverence. The midsummer heat is at its peak..."
The great beauty Yang remained calm, even slightly curious. Had Wei Shufen not personally overheard the Emperor admitting to this affair, she might have doubted herself, thinking this "love letter" had nothing to do with her. Such skill in feigned innocence was enough to leave naive and unworldly young maidens like Wei Shufen far behind—no wonder she, a widow with a daughter, had managed to ensnare the current Son of Heaven...
Wei Shufen had witnessed the desolation of the Temple of Common Vocation before it was consumed by fire and held deep sympathy for the widows and orphaned daughters of the former Crown Prince and Prince Qi. Even after learning of Yangshi's unchaste pregnancy, she had believed it was the result of coercion by the Crown Prince Li Chengqian—or rather, his father—and had not felt much contempt or disgust toward her. But now, seeing Yang Bu-yao lie without batting an eye, a wave of revulsion rose within her. She replied coldly:
"I obtained this from the imperial tent in Eternal Peace Palace and personally heard His Majesty's words. I have questions for Lady Yang."
Not a single word of mine is a lie, Wei Shufen silently boasted to herself—far more honest than you.
Yang Bu-yao paused briefly, then deliberately studied Wei Shufen before smiling sweetly:
"Should I offer congratulations to Wei Niangzi and Wei the Palace Attendant? Though it's no surprise—a delicate young lady like you, from such a noble family, would naturally enjoy glory and favor from the very first selection. Unlike... ah, well. What instructions does His Majesty have, that Wei Niangzi has been entrusted to convey?"
OpenNovel