Spring of the Blade - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

The Old Madam was likely afraid of any further mishaps, especially since Shen Run had already issued his orders—a mix of deception and intimidation. Therefore, when Qingyuan set out for Bihong Temple the next day, she did not specifically ask the Old Madam for guards, yet the Old Madam spontaneously dispatched over a dozen retainers to accompany her. After paying her morning respects and boarding the carriage, the grand procession was truly a spectacle the likes of which she had never seen before.

When the abbess of the temple saw her arrive, she pressed her palms together and recited, "Amitabha. I never expected that after the Fourth Young Mistress returned that day, such an incident would occur. People from your esteemed residence came wave after wave; I kept saying that when she left, she was perfectly fine and there was nothing untoward, but who would have thought that trouble would arise halfway home."

Qingyuan only offered a faint smile. She knew these people were accustomed to seeing which way the wind blew, and she disdained to say much to her. Bao Xian, however, stood to the side and said, half-truthfully and half-mockingly, "The abbess ought to be more punctual today. It was precisely because the memorial service went on too late last time that our young mistress encountered such danger. Wasn't it said earlier that it would finish by the Shen hour (3 PM to 5 PM)? Why did it drag on until the Xu hour (7 PM to 9 PM) that night? To speak plainly, it was all too much of a coincidence. Thinking back on it now, one truly realizes that 'without coincidences, there is no story'."

The abbess looked embarrassed. She toyed with her prayer beads and said, "The young mistress does not know, but that day we added two volumes of scriptures for 'averting disasters and resolving misfortune,' which naturally added an hour or so. If I had known trouble would arise, it would have been better for the young mistress to return to the mansion earlier. It is fortunate the young mistress is safe and sound; otherwise, all the merit we have cultivated for these many years would have been in vain. How could we ever face the Old Madam, the Master, and the Mistress of your residence?"

Bao Xian was about to argue further when Qingyuan stopped her. Maintaining a gentle expression, Qingyuan said to the abbess, "Today is the final day. Let us complete it perfectly, and then my running about these past few days will not have been in vain. The robbery was not your doing, so the abbess need not take it to heart." As she spoke, she glanced at the paper effigies under the shed in the distance, "What do you think of the items to be burned later? If anything is missing, there is still time to fill in the gaps."

The abbess replied, "I have already inspected them. The courtyards, carriages, and sedan chairs are all there; there are no omissions. We will finish chanting the remaining volumes of the scriptures in the morning, and you will only need to make an appearance in the afternoon. I will come to inform you then."

Qingyuan said, "Very well," and stood far off under a Chinese parasol tree, watching the people coming and going in the small Buddha hall. Before long, the murmuring sound of chanting drifted over. She sighed and looked toward the distant mountains; under the sunlight, they remained a deep, dark gray. She recalled what Zhenglun had said yesterday and felt astonished that Li Congxin had truly followed her words and gone to Hengtang. A distance of a thousand miles, rushing there and back in such hot weather—for a pampered little Marquis, it was no small ordeal.

The sun rose higher and higher. Bao Xian said, "Young Mistress, go inside and rest; you might suffer from heatstroke."

So, they moved to the side chamber prepared by the abbess. Having nothing to do, Qingyuan sat by the window and leafed through the scriptures. Outside, there was a steady sound of wind in the pines, and a cool mountain breeze blew in, brushing past the hair at her temples and stirring the pages under her fingertips. For the moment, there was no backstabbing or scheming; simply passing the day in such leisure felt exceptionally peaceful.

Yet this tranquility lasted for barely an hour. Qingyuan had only drunk half a cup of tea and read half the book when suddenly, a rolling thunder shook the sky overhead. The wind picked up, the sky darkened, and it was actually going to rain.

Bao Xian hurried over to close the window, muttering, "I didn't see any signs of a weather change this morning; it's as if it just came out of nowhere..."

However, when the window was half-closed, Qingyuan held it in place. That rumbling sound was not like thunder; it sounded more like the rhythmic beating of horse hooves. She peered through the gap in the latticed window. Sure enough, she saw over a dozen fast horses galloping toward the temple gate. At first, she was startled; the fear of the past two days still lingered in her heart and had not yet dissipated. But then, as she looked closer and saw their attire—uniform brocade robes with round collars—she suddenly grew panicked. She paced around the room and saw a cabinet in the corner, waist-high and just large enough to hide in. She gave Bao Xian a nudge, "Shen Run is here again. Why is this man like a lingering ghost? Block him for me and say I was feeling unwell and have already returned."

Bao Xian looked miserable as she watched her usually composed young mistress curl up and hide inside, followed by the sound of the door slamming shut. Suddenly, she was the only one left in the room. After thinking it over, she realized she could not stand there, or she would only attract him. She turned to head out, but before she could reach the door, she heard footsteps arriving under the eaves. Trying her best to look calm, she saw Commander Shen enter. She hurriedly folded her hands in a respectful gesture and said with a smile, "Commander, your arrival... what a coincidence, just after our young mistress left... she suffered from heatstroke today and has already returned to the manor... did you not encounter her on the road?"

Those two cold, sharp gazes shifted over and swept across her with an arrogant glance. That one look alone made Bao Xian shiver repeatedly.

"Returned?" he said loosely. "It is about to rain; your young mistress will likely be caught in it."

Bao Xian smiled awkwardly, "There is nothing to be done... the weather hadn't turned when she left."

Shen Run gave an 'un-huh' sound, "The robbery case is still under investigation. Today, I must question the abbess, the temple keepers, and the rest. I originally had a few words to ask the Fourth Young Mistress, but since she is not here, it matters not."

Hidden in the cabinet, Qingyuan breathed a long, quiet sigh of relief. The air was stiflingly hot, and there was not a trace of wind inside the cabinet. Hiding there was quite difficult. But there was no help for it; she was truly afraid. She feared that if he discovered Li Congxin had proposed, he would kill his way over and cause trouble for her. What would she do then? She had repeatedly refused him, only to turn around and accept Li Congxin. If he flew into a rage, he might not listen to her explanations and would only think she was double-dealing and stringing him along. Once he turned hostile, there was no telling what he might do. She dared not imagine it; the mere thought made her shudder. She had no choice but to cower in the cabinet—even if it meant seeing him a couple of days later, it was still preferable.

Bao Xian also thought she had successfully covered it up and smiled, "If the Commander has urgent matters to ask, please wait until our young mistress has recovered her health..."

Then, the sound of speech vanished. The cabinet in the temple was sturdily built, and with every seam sealed, not a sliver of light penetrated it. Qingyuan pressed her ear against the wooden board to listen intently. It seemed as though the footsteps were fading away; it appeared they had all left. She secretly rejoiced and waited cautiously. Once everything was quiet outside, she carefully pushed the cabinet door open a crack.

It had started to rain. The scent of green grass and wet earth was mixed into the wind, blowing into her face with a chill that reached her heart. She took a breath, feeling as though she had returned to the world of the living. She pushed the door a little wider; within her field of vision, there was no one. Excellent, very safe.

Reassured, she pushed the cabinet door wide open with a flourish. With a smile, she was just about to step out when she discovered, to her horror, someone squatting right behind the cabinet door, looking at her with a beaming smile, "Fourth Young Mistress, are you admiring the scenery from inside the cabinet?"

Such a large human figure suddenly crashing into her line of sight caused Qingyuan to almost scream in terror. Regrettably, the roar of the rain outside and the rolling thunder swallowed her panic whole, leaving only Shen Run looking at her with sympathy, "In order to hide from me, Fourth Young Mistress has truly gone to great pains."

Qingyuan stood in an awkward posture, the tip of one foot touching the green brick floor, not knowing whether to step out or shrink back. This moment was truly humiliating. The image of the composed, sheltered young lady she had always maintained had completely collapsed. Her face flushed, her eyes darting away, unable to look at him. She wanted to say something, but anything would be inappropriate. She felt like a fool; everything had been fine, yet she had gotten herself into such a wretched state.

A pale, well-defined hand stretched out before her. He sighed, "Are you not intending to come out yet, Fourth Young Mistress? Is it not hot hiding in there?"

When a person's dignity is swept away, they become exceptionally prone to anger. She did not know where she found the courage, but in her annoyance, she brushed his hand away. Without a word, she stumbled as she crawled out of the cabinet.

He looked at her. Her hair was slightly disheveled—unlike the previous times they had met, when she always held herself with the poise of a young lady of noble birth. This time, her cheeks were flushed, beads of sweat glistened on her skin, and stray locks of hair curled by her temples; she looked even more childlike.

Shen Run folded his arms and scrutinized her, "Is Fourth Young Mistress really that unwilling to see me?"

Qingyuan turned her face away, "Pardon me, but I do not wish to speak with the Commander."

This time, she had real rebellious spirit. The only shortcoming was that a person who values propriety is genteel even when angry, and her resistance clearly lacked force; he even detected a hint of coquettishness in her tone.

Sigh, why are girls so hard to please? In the past, he had dealt with the official circles, been dragged to drinking parties—those women would roll up their sleeves and act in grand, boisterous ways. He knew a proper lady was different, and he had been prepared to muster enough patience to win her over, but the results proved that this path was truly difficult to walk.

Outside, the sky was dark and gloomy, lightning flashed alongside the torrential rain, and the dim light in the room made it hard to see a person's features clearly. Shen Run braced his hands on his knees to bring his gaze level with hers. Although his posture was accommodating, his tone was teasing, "Is it because you did something wrong to me, Fourth Young Mistress, that you didn't dare to see me?"

Qingyuan said she hadn't, but she could not help but feel guilty again. Why should she feel guilty? Thinking about it, even she found it strange.

Shen Run slowly straightened his waist, lowering his eyes to gaze at her, "Fourth Young Mistress..."

But before he could finish his sentence, her two hands reached out, holding that familiar little pouch, and she waved it before him, "I have been carrying it with me."

Shen Run was left speechless. There were very few times he found himself unable to continue speaking, but now that he had encountered her, his words were neither too light nor too heavy; they had to be rolled upon his tongue repeatedly before he could utter them. And now this—she had learned how to shut his mouth.

He looked at the pouch with a bitter expression, "That is not what I was talking about."

Qingyuan had no choice but to continue playing dumb, "Then what was it?"

She had forgotten about the "not wanting to speak with the Commander" part. In such hazy weather, with such dim light, the two of them stood face to face in the room. Suddenly, their titles and official ranks seemed to strip away, leaving them as two simple people, pouting and harboring resentment. One was in hot pursuit, while the other was painstakingly stalling. Yet, their quiet words had a unique, whisper-like tenderness...

Before coming here, he had heard about her affair with Li Congxin. The little girl was daring enough to promise someone else's marriage proposal behind his back. The Hall of Supreme Command was a place where they oversaw all investigations in the world; getting such information was as easy as flipping a palm. When he heard it, he sat there for a long time without speaking. His subordinate, the team leader, said, "Regardless of whether it's a fox, a monkey, or the Marquis of Danyang, I will catch up to him right now, cut his horse's hooves, and break his neck to see if he dares to snatch someone away from the Commander again!"

Of course, using such tactics was too unrefined, and the Marquis of Danyang was a royal relative; his son was not someone easily dismissed. After much thought, the only way was to have a good talk with the Fourth Young Mistress. He wanted to ask her why she repeatedly made excuses to him yet so easily agreed to Li Congxin. She had accepted his token of love, only to turn around and remain entangled with another man. Though the Fourth Young Mistress was young, she was certainly bold. But strangely, once he actually saw her, he was not as angry as before. Making her so scared that she hid in the cabinet—that counted as a victory of sorts! He laughed at her childishness, but he could not show it in front of her; he had to let her know he was furious so he could intimidate her. Thus, he knitted his brows and said in a cool voice, "You should give me an explanation. What is the meaning of you sitting on two boats like this?"

Qingyuan was stunned, retreating as she mumbled, "I have never sat on two boats. The Commander must not make false accusations."

"Still denying it?" He curled his lips into a smirk, "What kind of government office do you think my Hall of Supreme Command is? If we couldn't even grasp this bit of information, we wouldn't be worthy of serving the Saint. Tell me, how did you plead with me when you were at my mansion last time? You said that when I visited, you had no room to refuse, and that if it were anyone else, you could have bargained with your Old Madam. I haven't wronged you, have I, Young Mistress?"

For a moment, Qingyuan's face went blank. Of course, she remembered what she had said, but in the current situation, it was clearly not easy to explain. She slowly averted her eyes toward the ceiling, "I... said that...?"

The Commander narrowed his eyes, "It seems the Fourth Young Mistress does not remember." As he spoke, he moved toward her. His long, slender eyelashes wove together, and in a sliver of light, there was a faint glint, brilliant as the stars, as he smiled with ill intent, "I am very willing to help you remember."

Seeing that things were looking dire, Qingyuan hurriedly waved her hands, "No, no... don't trouble the Commander. I think I remember now. I did say that earlier, and I still intend to do so to this day. I have not the slightest intention of deceiving the Commander."

That little girl—even when she was trying to hoodwink people, she maintained an innocent expression. If he weren't so experienced and knowledgeable, he would have been fooled by her.

Shen Run smiled. Dealing with a girl like this required more than brute force; he had to use his wits and refuse to give an inch, "Since that is the case, why did you agree to the Marquis of Danyang’s son’s proposal?"

Qingyuan knew that pulling tricks or trying to be clever in front of him was futile. She seemed to have become accustomed to telling him the truth, so she said, "When we were still in Hengtang, the Third Young Master had mentioned this to the family. At that time, his mother was displeased and hired someone to persuade me to retreat in the face of difficulties. I was thinking that since it happened once before, there was no way it could succeed this time. After all, the Xie family has hard feelings, and the Marquis of Danyang’s wife naturally has them too. I agreed to the Third Young Master this time to give him a graceful exit. Furthermore... my Second Sister has feelings for him, and I intentionally did this to provoke her and Lady Hu."

It sounded quite plausible, and he knew she was speaking the truth, yet he remained uneasy, "Then what if Li Congxin truly obtains his parents' consent? How does the Fourth Young Mistress intend to choose then?"

How to choose... in truth, she had not figured out why she was forced to make a choice. It was only because of this Commander's wishful thinking that she had been burdened with a heavy shackle; in reality, it made no sense. Regardless, avoidance was not a solution; she had to make it clear to him. She gestured with her hands, "The Commander has traveled dozens of miles today and must be tired. Please, sit down first. Once we sit, we can discuss this at length."

Her tone was unhurried, and there was always an appeasing power in it. If he were tired, he had long since endured hardship in his life; traveling dozens of miles in a day was nothing. However, since she had invited him to sit, he could not very well refuse, so he sat before the square cypress-wood table. Life in the temple was quiet and austere; the woodwork was crude. The knot in the wood had not been avoided, and when the boards were split to make the tabletop, a deep scar remained on the surface. She raised her sleeves to pour him a cup of tea. Her orchid-like hands cradled it, placed it before him, and she smiled with composure, calmly inviting him to moisten his throat.

"I knew the Third Young Master before I knew the Commander. It was precisely because of his introduction that I went to your mansion. I will speak the truth to you, Commander: I am born of a concubine, and my mother carries an indelible stain upon her reputation. I have never hoped for a particularly good marriage in the future. I have even thought that one day I might return to the Chen family to accompany my grandfather and grandmother until their old age, and that would be enough. Later, when I met the Third Young Master at the Spring Banquet, it wasn't a matter of love, but I was very grateful to him. If it hadn't been for the name list he provided to get me out of a bind, I don't know who I would have been betrothed to by now." After she finished, she softly looked at the person opposite her, "Commander, in your eyes, does someone like me have the qualifications to choose my own husband?"

He suddenly realized that this little girl had spread a net of gentleness, slowly tightening it, slowly attempting to coax words out of his mouth. Everything was becoming interesting. He nodded with great interest, "I still respect the Fourth Young Mistress very much; otherwise, I would have directly abducted you into my mansion, and I assure you that your Xie family wouldn't have dared to come knocking to demand your return."

Although this was arrogant, it was the truth. Qingyuan smiled blandly, "I know the Commander is a good person, and I am very grateful that the Commander is willing to listen to my grievances. But since the Commander says you respect me, then... may I be allowed to choose my own marriage?"

She looked at him with great hope. There were some things that were not stated explicitly, but he saw through it: she wanted to use this marriage as a gamble. If Lady Hu could not restrain herself and made another move, she would have an opportunity to be reborn from a desperate situation; if Lady Hu remained motionless, and Li Congxin was able to secure the opportunity to marry her, she would accept the arrangement. Either way, at worst, she would land the title of a Marquis’s young mistress, which did not seem too bad.

So, looking at it from all angles, he did not fit into this plan, and his persistence had become a stumbling block for her. This girl—if one said she was simple, she was truly not simple. She had ambition, and she knew how to cut her losses in time. She silently did what she wanted to do. If it succeeded, everyone would be happy; if it could not succeed, she would retreat unscathed. She did not have that many soul-stirring feelings; she was always indifferent. Yet, to be indifferent to that degree was also the height of heartlessness.

It was a pity that no matter how good her calculations were, she would not obtain his magnanimous approval, "The Fourth Young Mistress said that one day you would give me an answer—was that your plan, to thank me for my 'deep affection' after your marriage is settled? I seem to have forgotten to tell you: I have never known what it means to 'promote the success of others.' If others are beautiful, and I am not, I simply do not like it. In truth, why go through such a great circle? If you want revenge, I will take it for you. If you want to be a legitimate wife, I happen to have a vacancy here for a legitimate wife. Shen Run holds the rank of a second-tier official; you will certainly be granted a title in the future. Is that not a hundred times better than cowering and being subservient, waiting to wear your mother-in-law out before becoming a Marquis’s mistress?”