Chapter 126
Chapter 126: If You’re Not Here to Burn Incense, Are You Here to Visit a Grave?
Rumors about the Jia family matriarch, Madam Wang, having her head shaved spread fast. The noble houses said nothing in public, but in private they all guessed the Jia family had offended someone powerful for things to go that far.
The one who started it stood by the carriage and reached out to help Xia Meng Yan, but she stepped aside to avoid him. Duan Yi Chen rubbed his nose, thinking: [I was just angry and shaved Madam Wang’s head. Who knew it would get out.]
Lin Qing Wan did not notice their awkwardness. She chattered with bright eyes: “I was bored to death these past two days. Cousin, you’re amazing. You asked, and Mother agreed to let me come.”
Her eldest maternal aunt was in trouble, so her mother had told her to behave and stay home. She had been unhappy, because she had overheard her aunt and her mother talking at that banquet. Lin Qing Wan had never thought her aunt would try to reach her goal by marrying her cousin to a man with a disability. Now that her aunt’s head was shaved, she thought: [Serves her right.]
Xia Meng Yan had already tossed Madam Wang’s harsh words to the back of her mind. In her view, Madam Wang was a fool being used by others and not worth getting angry over. She cautioned Lin Qing Wan as the carriage rolled on: “Once we reach Cloud Mountain Temple, do not wander. If something happens to you, I cannot explain to Aunt.”
Lin Qing Wan bobbed her head like a pecking chick and promised: “Rest easy, Cousin, I will not cause trouble.”
Seeing how eager she was, as if she might fly off at any moment, Xia Meng Yan felt a bit of regret. With only two months left before she gave birth, she planned to bathe and fast for three days at Cloud Mountain Temple and pray for a peace talisman for the child in her belly. When Lin Qing Wan heard the plan, she begged to come along, and Xia Meng Yan had softened and agreed.
She remembered something and asked: “By the way, I’ve been busy these two days. How is Yu’er?”
Thinking of Concubine Su, Xia Meng Yan felt a dull weight in her chest, [something about her feels wrong, but I don’t know what].
Lin Qing Wan pushed pastries around on the plate and answered lazily: “It’s already a blessing if Yu’er can keep his current wits. The day he fell into the water was just chance. Even if it wasn’t Yu’er, it would have been someone else.”
She picked up a plum blossom–shaped pastry. A sudden flash of anger rose inside her, and she tossed it back onto the plate. She said with a huff: “Yu’er suffers, and Concubine Su benefits. Father learned Yu’er fell into the water and sent Divine Physician Luo to give him a pulse diagnosis. He also had him adjust Concubine Su’s health and even gave her two shops. She clearly failed to watch over Yu’er, yet in the end she became the ‘victim.’ No wonder Mother dislikes Concubine Su. She always uses Yu’er to win pity.”
Suspicion flickered in Xia Meng Yan’s eyes as she tested gently: “Was Yu’er born slow-witted?”
“That makes me even angrier,” Lin Qing Wan said as she sat up and told the story from years ago. “Back then the eldest young master was only ten. He was reading in the study when Lin Yu called him out to play. Lin Yu was young and naughty. He insisted on climbing the rockery. The eldest young master had no choice but to follow behind. He slipped and almost fell. Lin Yu grabbed him, but Lin Yu was small, so halfway through the pull, he himself fell. The eldest young master caught the rockery edge in time and didn’t drop. Lin Yu wasn’t so lucky. His head struck the stone, and he passed out on the spot.
“Yu’er had plenty of attendants, yet at the moment of the accident not a single person was with him. That makes no sense. Only the two boys knew what really happened. Over time, rumors twisted the story into ‘Yu’er became dull to save his elder brother.’ Elder Brother thought Yu’er was pitiful and never explained otherwise.”
Xia Meng Yan’s gaze cooled as her hands moved slower. She asked with meaning: “Did Uncle not question the people serving Yu’er?”
“He did. They said Yu’er’s new book desk had arrived. The servants didn’t dare move things in his study on their own, so they told his personal servant boy to go check.” Lin Qing Wan still could not figure it out. “Lin Yu is Concubine Su’s only son. Even if she wanted to frame Elder Brother, there was no need to use her own son. It would make no sense.”
“And the outcome?” Xia Meng Yan asked.
“What else? Father gave Concubine Su five shops as compensation, and Grandmother gave her two more.”
Xia Meng Yan narrowed her eyes: “Shops again?”
“Exactly. Every time something happens to Yu’er, Father gives Concubine Su more shops. This time again. Tell me, what concubine holds a dozen shops in her own hands?”
Xia Meng Yan put down her cup and curved her lips slightly: “Enough. It has been so long. Besides, Concubine Su seems honest to me.”
“Honest?” Lin Qing Wan snorted. “Every time she steps out of her courtyard, some big mess follows.”
Talking like this, they arrived at Cloud Mountain Temple.
The current abbot of Cloud Mountain Temple was past sixty. Before he shaved his head and became a monk, he had been a well-read provincial graduate. Tired of the schemes of official life and the twists of fate, he embraced the monastic path. Over many years he had become a monk with a devoted heart to the Buddha, a revered figure in Man Lin City.
Knowing that people from the Lin family were coming, the guest attendant was already waiting at the mountain gate to welcome them.
Xia Meng Yan was surprised to see the guest attendant was a woman. The attendant saw her confusion and explained with a smile: “The abbot is kind. He has rescued many women over the years. Some left, some stayed. We only want to do our part to help.”
Xia Meng Yan understood. Cloud Mountain Temple had strong incense offerings and many female visitors. Having women help manage things made it easier, which was likely why the abbot kept them on.
She bowed slightly and said: “We will trouble you for the next few days.”
With palms together, the guest attendant answered with sincere devotion: “Amitabha. After tomorrow morning, the abbot will chant scriptures in the main hall. Miss Xia may go then and pray for the child.”
Xia Meng Yan inclined her head: “Thank you.”
While they spoke, Duan Yi Chen led the men to move the luggage from the carriage.
Song Mo felt bitter in his heart. A certain eldest master lay around near him every day, treating him like family and pouring out troubles every night. He thought: [Killing someone might be easier than listening to all this.]
“I’ll do it,” Song Mo said as he stepped forward to take the load from Duan Yi Chen’s hands.
Duan Yi Chen didn’t think much of the work. If he could see Xia Meng Yan every day, he would have been happy to be a servant boy, or even pretend to be a maid. He avoided Song Mo’s hand and lowered his voice: “Right now I am a servant boy. If you help me, people will get suspicious.”
Song Mo fell silent. He thought: [If the Eldest Princess sees this, our miss is done for.] With the human-skin mask on his face, Duan Yi Chen looked no different from an ordinary servant boy. Song Mo sighed. Fine. If His Lordship wanted to suffer like this, there was nothing he could do.
Xia Meng Yan planned to stay three days at Cloud Mountain Temple. Besides her close maid and servant boy, the Lin family sent guards. Their courtyard was quiet and spacious. The guards lived near the gate in two shifts. Duan Yi Chen and Song Mo stayed closest to Xia Meng Yan.
Lin Qing Wan left the main room to Xia Meng Yan and took her maid to the west room.
A delighted voice called from the doorway: “Miss Xia, I didn’t expect it to really be you.”
Xia Meng Yan turned and saw Qiao Xi Wan wearing a pale pink dress at the gate of the yard. The Zheng siblings stood beside her. Zheng Jing Nian, the Zheng family’s legitimate son, truly was devoted. Every time she met Qiao Xi Wan, he was by her side.
Seeing the guards at the gate, Zheng Ming Lan’s face sank. She snapped: “Move aside. How dare you block me.”
The Lin family guards recognized Zheng Ming Lan, but without an order they did not let anyone in. Xia Meng Yan waved a hand, and the guards stepped back.
Qiao Xi Wan walked to her with a smile and said: “I saw a back that looked like Sister and came to check. I didn’t expect it to really be you. Are you also here at Cloud Mountain Temple to burn incense?”
Hearing the voice, Lin Qing Wan came out of the room. When she saw Qiao Xi Wan, she said bluntly: “If you come to a temple and don’t burn incense, are you here to visit a grave?”
Zheng Ming Lan froze.
Xia Meng Yan pressed her lips to hold back a laugh. Qiao Xi Wan knew the Lin family disliked her, yet she kept sticking close whenever they met. It was only a matter of time before someone scolded her.
Qiao Xi Wan’s eyes reddened. She leaned toward Zheng Jing Nian as if deeply wronged and said softly: “I know Sister Qing Wan dislikes me, but there is no need to say such things. This is a Buddhist sect’s pure place. We must not speak recklessly.”
Lin Qing Wan wanted to say more, but Xia Meng Yan stopped her and said calmly: “Miss Qiao, since you’re crying in a temple, I wonder which master in your household has suffered misfortune?”
Qiao Xi Wan fell silent.