Chapter 80: Xie Ping Is Missing
Yun Chu and Du Ling chatted about many things.
From amusing childhood anecdotes to post-marriage troubles, they covered various topics, and the more they talked, the more they had to say.
Just then, a young monk and his assistants brought in the vegetarian meal. The table was filled with over a dozen dishes, all vegetarian, yet each was prepared with exquisite color, aroma, and flavor.
Du Ling was about to send a maid to fetch Du Ying and Xie Ping when Du Ying hurried in through the door in a panic: "It's terrible, Sister Yun, Miss Xie is missing."
Yun Chu stood up: "Xiao Ying, don’t panic. What do you mean by 'missing'?"
"After Miss Xie and I admired the peonies, we both wanted to ask the Buddha for another fortune stick, so we went to the front hall together," Du Ying replied. "I went in to have my fortune interpreted, but when I came out, Miss Xie was gone. The maid and I searched the front and back areas but couldn’t find any trace of her."
Du Ling’s expression changed: "After Prince Pingxi’s recent bandit suppression, some remnants are still at large. I’ve heard several peasant girls outside the city have gone missing. Could it be…"
"Probably not," Yun Chu said calmly. "Qing’an Temple is crowded everywhere. Bandits wouldn’t choose such a place to kidnap someone. Ping Jie'er is playful and must have gotten lost. Let’s go look for her."
Without bothering to eat the vegetarian meal, the group hurried out to search for Xie Ping.
The backyard of Qing’an Temple was spacious, with several small courtyards reserved for nobles and officials. Since it wasn’t a festival, most courtyards were empty. Just as Yun Chu was about to search them one by one, two guards came rushing down the eastern corridor, clearly looking for someone.
"Madam Ji, Madam Xie." The guards didn’t recognize everyone, but they knew the two ladies before them—one was the daughter of the Minister of Justice, the other the daughter of a general—so they quickly bowed and asked, "Might you have seen the Anjing Prince?"
Du Ying’s eyes lit up: "The Anjing Prince is here at Qing’an Temple too?"
Du Ling shot her sister a frustrated look. How could she get so excited just hearing the Anjing Prince’s name…
She said, "If the Anjing Prince is missing, it’s no small matter. Quickly ask the temple abbot to arrange help in the search."
The two guards had initially held onto a sliver of hope, but the thought of the remaining bandits still at large outside the city—and the risk of losing their heads if anything happened to the Anjing Prince—made them anxious.
They were about to head to the front courtyard to find the abbot.
Yun Chu frowned: "There seems to be a sound coming from this courtyard."
It was an unused small courtyard, with a side room visible upon entry. The sound was coming from inside that room.
"That’s the Prince’s voice," the two guards exchanged glances, relief evident in their eyes as if they had narrowly escaped disaster. They hurried toward the side room.
Without a second thought, Du Ying followed the guards.
It had been so long since she last saw the Anjing Prince. She never expected to meet him at Qing’an Temple. Had the Buddha heard the wish she had just made?
Du Ling looked at Yun Chu: "Since we’ve encountered the Anjing Prince, we should pay our respects to avoid being seen as disrespectful later."
Yun Chu understood the situation perfectly.
She followed along.
As they drew closer, the voices became clearer.
"Ping’er, your coming to see me at such a time proves your sincerity toward me. I will not let you down…"
Then, a soft female voice responded."Since that day we met, Ping'er has been deeply enamored with Your Highness. Being able to spend even this brief moment with you is a blessing Ping'er must have cultivated from her previous life."
Anjing Prince pulled Xie Ping into his embrace.
With the Crown Prince critically ill and all evidence pointing toward him, he had been inexplicably banished by his father to this temple. Enduring vegetarian meals was one thing, but not even seeing a woman around was another.
He used to revel nightly, living in carefree pleasure day after day.
This parched existence had become unbearable.
Seeing this delicate young maiden before him, how could he restrain himself? He reached out and slipped the garment from Xie Ping's shoulders...
Rustling sounds emerged from the chamber.
Du Ling suddenly understood what was happening and turned to look at Yun Chu.
Before she could discern any expression on Yun Chu's face, she saw Du Ying beside her dart up the steps in a flash.
She reached to stop Du Ying but missed.
Du Ying raised her hand and forcefully pushed open the chamber door.
When she saw the scene before her, Du Ying's rosy face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Your Highness, you..."
Her voice caught in her throat as if someone were choking her.
Her gaze fixed on Anjing Prince, slowly shifting from disbelief to utter disappointment...
Just months ago, they had admired flowers under the moonlight together. He had promised to request Consort De to bestow their marriage, vowing not to betray her sincere feelings.
Yet now, after such a short time, he was embracing another maiden, whispering sweet nothings, engaging in this unsightly conduct...
Anjing Prince was holding Xie Ping on the couch when the door suddenly swung open. Sunlight streamed in, dazzling him momentarily.
It took him a while to adjust before finally recognizing who had arrived.
He hastily pulled a thin quilt over himself.
Xie Ping frantically grabbed her long skirt from the floor to cover her chest.
As Du Ying tried to speak, Du Ling sharply pulled her back, whispering: "This has nothing to do with you. Keep quiet."
The Emperor had not bestowed any marriage, the Du family had not discussed matrimonial arrangements with Anjing Prince, nor had they exchanged birth charts. Regardless of whom Anjing Prince was with, it concerned not the Du family.
Dragged outside, Du Ying's tears fell like rain.
"This humble wife pays respects to Anjing Prince," Yun Chu spoke coldly. "Might Your Highness deign to offer this humble wife an explanation?"
Anjing Prince had now composed himself.
Though being caught in such circumstances was somewhat embarrassing, he was a imperial prince—who would dare criticize him?
He lifted his eyelids to look at Yun Chu: "Ah, it's Madam Xie. Since Madam Xie has witnessed this, this prince shall speak plainly: This prince and Miss Xie are mutually devoted. I intend to take her as my Concubine. What does Madam Xie think?"
Xie Ping, half-sitting on the couch, abruptly looked up.
A Concubine...? Anjing Prince only wanted her as a Concubine?
The women in the prince's rear court had ranks: highest was the Princess Consort, then the Side Princess Consort, followed by low-ranking imperial concubine, and lowest was the Concubine.
Her expectations weren't high—she would have been content with just a low-ranking imperial concubine position...
Here with Anjing Prince, they hadn't even used the medicine He Shi provided, yet the Prince had been moved by her. She thought she was special to him.
But this Concubine status made her suddenly realize: had her mother and Madam Ji not burst in, after Anjing Prince took her, she might not even have qualified as a Concubine... This realization made Xie Ping burst into tears."What a fine 'mutual affection'—my daughter is weeping like this, I certainly don't believe she's willing!" A cold smile appeared on Yun Chu's furious face. "If the Anjing Prince truly fancies my daughter, he should have sent a matchmaker to our door. Even if he only wants her as a Concubine, he must follow proper protocols. This is Qing'an Temple—at the feet of Buddha! The Anjing Prince disregards my daughter's wishes, committing such defilement in this sacred place. How is he any different from the bandits in the mountains... Not to mention my daughter hasn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony! I demand justice in this matter!"
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