"I was wrong." Wei Shufen bowed deeply to Chai Yingluo on the bamboo bed, pressing her hands together in apology. "Sister Ying, please forgive me for making presumptuous assumptions."
Chai Yingluo gave a bitter smile, leaning forward to pat the younger girl's cheek. "No need for such formalities. It's not your fault—had I been in your position, I would have thought the same... Ah, as I've said, this is my responsibility for not keeping this object properly secured. It's not something that should be carried around and shown to others... If only he had explained its origins to me earlier."
"When did you learn about the jade thumb ring's background?" Wei Shufen asked.
"After the incident occurred, I privately sent someone to investigate. Some of the Empress's attendants revealed parts of the story. Then you told me more details, and later... today when the Crown Prince burst into my room, he said quite a lot too. After he left, I sat quietly to piece together the full story." Chai Yingluo's expression darkened as she opened her palm to stare at the jade thumb ring. "Such a precious item—he never should have given it to me. Truth be told, I've long felt this streak of blood in the jade gives it an ominous, sinister aura..."
Ominous and sinister, yet you still carry it with you. In your heart, you must still value this relationship more than you're willing to admit aloud...
"After the incident, when the Empress suspected the Crown Prince's involvement and showed him the thumb ring, he kept wanting to confront you directly to clarify matters," Wei Shufen recalled. "You've been avoiding him, haven't you? Why? Didn't you want to admit that your carelessness caused him such great trouble?"
The female Taoist shook her head and sighed again.
"He sent me messages expressing suspicions that Prince Yue and I conspired to frame him for murder and ruin his reputation. These past years, the brothers' relationship has deteriorated, with His Majesty openly favoring Prince Yue, making the Crown Prince increasingly paranoid. I originally intended to explain, but then thought—let him believe what he wants... I've been struggling with how to end this ill-fated entanglement anyway. The Empress's health has been declining too, and she's not as benevolent and tolerant as in previous years. If his anger toward me extinguishes any thoughts of reconciliation, perhaps it's for the best. We'll endure this period first—the future can wait. The truth about Yi Niang's case will come out eventually, and then no explanation from me will be needed—he'll understand naturally."
"But you couldn't endure it after all," Wei Shufen sighed. "I imagine news of the Princess of Hailing bearing His Majesty's child must have provoked him. With his father setting such an example, what restraint does he need? So today he... came charging here in a rage to tear open the unspoken truth."
"You guessed correctly there," Chai Yingluo said with a faint, bitter smile. "When he stormed in, he first demanded I go to the Hall of Established Governance to explain the thumb ring's true story to the Empress, to clear his name of incest and murder accusations. I agreed, on condition that he sever all ties with me—that henceforth we'd only be ruler and subject, relatives and nothing more. He agreed too... But the moment the words left his mouth, he recanted... First came shouting and raging, then weeping and tantrums, until finally he stubbornly refused... There was nothing I could do but let him have his way and leave it to fate... At worst, it means death..."
The Taoist nun curled up on the bamboo bed, burying her face in her arms, utterly drained and exhausted. Wei Shufen leaned over to embrace her shoulders, patting her comfortingly, but could only sigh along with her.The night was cool as water, yet neither of them felt sleepy. They simply sat silently facing each other on the bamboo bed beneath the steps. Atun, having rubbed against its master enough, now nuzzled Wei Shufen's legs playfully, purring in its throat before suddenly stiffening and turning its head toward the courtyard gate.
Following the leopard's gaze, Wei Shufen looked over and for a moment thought a ghostly apparition had drifted in from outside.
It was Su Lingyu. She still wore the plain mourning garments of the principal grandson's wife for the Supreme Emperor, her hands and face pale as death. Her steps were light and drifting as she approached silently, stopping before the bamboo bed. Even her voice seemed devoid of living breath:
"An oral decree from the Crown Prince's Palace servants commands the High Truth Master to return to her family home immediately after the palace gates open tomorrow, to be placed under her father's strict supervision. Henceforth, she may not enter the imperial precincts without imperial decree."
At least... this only meant Chai Yingluo was being "sent back to her family." The two women rose from the bed to kneel and receive the decree. Wei Shufen glanced at the silent Master of the Purple Void Monastery before asking:
"Is this the only punishment? No other decrees?"
"This is merely His Majesty's oral decree," Su Lingyu replied with a wan smile.
"And the Empress? Did the Empress say nothing?"
The Crown Princess shook her head, not answering the question, and instead took Chai Yingluo's arm. "The High Truth Master should have her belongings packed. There are no other restrictions—take whatever you wish, and pack thoroughly."
Once gone, it would be difficult to return for forgotten items—Wei Shufen sensed this unspoken thought in Su Lingyu's words. Her expression and tone remained calm, as though the person and matter at hand bore no relation to her.
Chai Yingluo smiled at her, saying, "Thank you," then added, "The Empress is too weak in vitality, unable to withstand emotional turmoil that harms her spleen and liver. After I leave the palace, I hope you, Lady Su, will take care not to administer overly potent remedies. Gentle tonics to nourish yin would be best."
"The High Truth Master need not worry," Su Lingyu nodded. "They say the Empress was exhausted from speaking too long today. Earlier, she had a lengthy private discussion with the former Sui Empress Xiao, and it was already dark when she summoned the Crown Prince to the main chamber of the Hall of Established Governance. After only a few words, His Majesty called the Crown Prince out to the Imperial Study for a private audience—so perhaps by tomorrow morning, when the Empress has recovered somewhat, there may be a more lenient decree. The High Truth Master should take heart."
Perhaps the punishment would be lighter, or perhaps harsher—everything depended on Empress Zhangsun.
The two women, both closely connected to the Crown Prince, fell into silence. After a moment, Chai Yingluo raised her right hand and gently placed an object from her palm into Su Lingyu's hand:
"This should rightfully belong to the Crown Princess."
Su Lingyu looked down, her slender shoulders visibly trembling, and without thinking, tried to push it back into the female Taoist's hand. But her arm strength was no match for Chai Yingluo's, and with both hands clasped, she was immobilized.
"If the Crown Princess finds this object inauspicious, then return it to the Crown Prince on my behalf, or have a virtuous monk perform rites to seal it away—do with it as you will," the Taoist sighed, refusing further protest. Turning to Wei Shufen, she said, "A Fen, I have one more request of you."
"Ying-jie, just name it," Wei Shufen replied, tears welling in her eyes.
Chai Yingluo looked around the courtyard she had called home, as though awakening from a long dream:"I have been assisting my master, the True Man Sun, in collecting medical prescriptions, compiling case studies, and cultivating medicinal herbs for six or seven years now. There's too much material to move everything home at once, and the plants in the herb gardens on the back mountain can't be relocated. Compiling medical texts is an immensely virtuous act that shouldn't be abandoned halfway. A Fen, if you can spare the time, I'll entrust everything here to you—at least finish revising these volumes of Treatments for Women . The True Man Sun said he would return to find me this autumn. I... no matter what happens to me, I want to fulfill my promise to him. Only then could I close my eyes in peace."
Crickets chirped softly, moonlight filtered through the leaves, the Milky Way gradually faded, and the long night remained endless.
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