Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 80
Chapter 80 - Xie Ping Has Disappeared
Yunchu and Du Ling chatted extensively.
From amusing anecdotes of their childhood to the vexations of married life, they touched upon all manner of topics, growing more talkative as the conversation flowed.
At that moment, a young novice monk led attendants in to serve the vegetarian meal. A table of over a dozen dishes consisted entirely of vegetarian fare, yet they were prepared with such skill that they were visually appealing, fragrant, and delectable.
Du Ling was just about to dispatch a maid to fetch Du Ying and Xie Ping back when Du Ying hurried into the doorway with a flustered expression. "This is terrible, Elder Sister Yun! Miss Xie has vanished!"
Yunchu rose to her feet. "Xiao Ying, do not panic. What do you mean by vanished?"
"After Miss Xie and I finished admiring the peonies, both of us wanted to ask the Buddha for another divination slip, so we went to the front halls together," Du Ying replied. "After I went inside, drew my slip, and came back out, Miss Xie was nowhere to be seen. My maid and I searched a round in the front, and then searched the back as well, but we simply couldn't find a trace of her."
Du Ling's expression shifted drastically. "Ever since the Prince of Pingxi cracked down on the bandits, there are still a few remnants who haven't been captured. I heard several peasant girls outside the city have gone missing. Could it be..."
"That shouldn't be the case," Yunchu said calmly. "Qing'an Temple is crowded with people everywhere; bandits abducting someone would certainly not choose this place. Ping'er is fond of wandering about, so she must have lost her way. Let us go outside and search for her."
There was no longer any leisure to partake of the vegetarian meal, and the group hastily set out to search for Xie Ping.
The back courtyard of Qing'an Temple was exceedingly expansive, featuring several small courtyards specifically designated for hosting high-ranking officials and aristocratic families. Unless it was during a major festival, these courtyards mostly remained vacant. Yunchu was just about to conduct a courtyard-by-courtyard search when two guards came running hurriedly from the direction of the eastern corridor, looking precisely as though they were searching for someone.
Madam Ji and Madam Xie were not figures known to everyone, but neither guard was a stranger to them. Recognizing the two ladies before them—one the daughter of the Minister of Punishments and the other the daughter of a Grand General—they naturally paid their respects promptly and inquired, "Might the two Madams happen to have seen the Prince of Anjing?"
A spark of brilliance surfaced in the depths of Du Ying's eyes. "The Prince of Anjing has come to Qing'an Temple as well?"
Du Ling shot a look of exasperated disappointment at her younger sister—how could she grow this elated simply upon hearing the Prince of Anjing's name...
She spoke up, "The disappearance of the Prince of Anjing is no trivial matter. Quickly have the temple's abbot arrange people to assist in the search together."
The two guards had originally clung to a shred of wishful thinking, but upon remembering the uncaptured bandits still lingering outside the city, they knew that if any mishap befell the Prince of Anjing, their own heads would roll.
The two of them were just about to head to the front courtyard to find the abbot.
Yunchu furrowed her brow. "There seems to be a sound coming from inside this courtyard."
This was an unoccupied small courtyard, and upon entering, one immediately encountered the guest chambers. The sound in question was unmistakably issuing from within that very guest room.
"It's His Highness's voice." The two guards exchanged glances, both reading the joy of a reprieve from disaster in the other's eyes, and hastened toward the guest chamber.
Without a second thought, Du Ying followed closely behind the guards.
She had not laid eyes on the Prince of Anjing for quite some time, and truly never expected to encounter him here at Qing'an Temple. Had the Buddha heard the wish she had just offered up a moment ago?
Du Ling looked toward Yunchu. "Since we've encountered the Prince of Anjing, we ought to pay our respects first, lest His Highness later accuse us of discourtesy."
Yunchu's mind was as clear and reflective as a polished mirror.
She followed along with them.
As they drew closer, the sound grew increasingly distinct.
"Ping'er, that you are able to come see this Prince at a time like this is proof enough of your sincere devotion to me. This Prince will certainly not let you down..."
Immediately following, a soft female voice rang out.
"Ever since our encounter that day, Ping'er has already fallen deeply in love with Your Highness. Being able to share even this brief moment with Your Highness is already the greatest fortune of Ping'er's past lives."
The Prince of Anjing pulled Xie Ping tightly into his embrace in a single, fluid motion.
The Crown Prince was gravely ill, and all evidence pointed toward him. He had been inexplicably banished by his Imperial Father to this temple, where enduring vegetarian meals was one thing, but he couldn't even catch sight of a single woman around him.
In the past, his nights had been filled with endless revelry and carefree pleasure every single day.
Such barren, parched days as these were truly impossible for him to endure any longer.
Upon beholding the blooming, delicate young maiden before him, how could he possibly hold back? Reaching out, he stripped the garments from Xie Ping's shoulders...
Rustling, pattering sounds drifted out from within the guest chamber.
Du Ling abruptly comprehended what was transpiring and whipped her head around to look at Yunchu.
Before she could detect any particular emotion on Yunchu's face, she saw Du Ying, who stood beside her, dart forward like an arrow released from a bow straight onto the stone steps.
She reached out to grab Du Ying, but failed to catch her.
Du Ying raised her hand and shoved the guest chamber door wide open with a violent push.
Upon beholding the scene before her, Du Ying's delicate, rose-and-white complexion instantly drained to a deathly pallor.
"Your Highness, you..."
Her voice jammed in her throat, as though someone had clamped a powerful hand around her windpipe.
Her gaze, fixed upon the Prince of Anjing's eyes, slowly shifted from sheer disbelief to utter, total disillusionment...
Scarcely months ago, the two of them had gazed upon flowers and moonlit skies together under the moonlight; he had vowed that he would request Consort De to grant a marriage decree, swearing he would never fail her sincere heart.
Yet how short a time had passed, and here he was holding a different young maiden in his arms, murmuring words of tender affection and committing such an unsightly act...
The Prince of Anjing was in the midst of embracing Xie Ping upon the couch when the door was suddenly thrust open, and sunlight came streaming in from outside, dazzling his eyes with its glare.
It took him a good while to adjust before he finally made out who the newcomer was.
He hurriedly dragged a light quilt over to shield his body.
Flustered and panicked, Xie Ping also scrambled to clutch her long gown from the floor, pulling it up over her chest.
Du Ying still wanted to speak, but Du Ling gave her a fierce yank backward, hissing in a low voice, "This matter has nothing to do with you—shut your mouth."
The Emperor had not issued any marriage decree, nor had the Du family and the Prince of Anjing ever discussed a betrothal, let alone exchanged betrothal documents. Regardless of whom the Prince of Anjing associated with, it had no bearing on the Du family.
Pulled back outside the doorway, Du Ying let tears stream down her face in a relentless cascade.
"This humble wife pays her respects to the Prince of Anjing here." Yunchu spoke in a cold, icy tone. "I wonder if the Prince of Anjing might grant this humble wife an explanation?"
By now, the Prince of Anjing had regained his composure.
Although being caught in the act of committing such an affair was somewhat detrimental to his dignity, he was an imperial prince—who dared utter a single word of criticism against him?
He lifted his eyelids to look toward Yunchu. "Oh, so it is Madam Xie. Since Madam Xie has witnessed it, then this Prince shall state it plainly: this Prince and Miss Xie share a deep mutual affection and intend to take her as a concubine. I wonder how Madam Xie finds this arrangement?"
Xie Ping, who was half-seated upon the couch, snapped her head upward.
A concubine... The Prince of Anjing actually intended to make her merely a concubine?
The women in a prince's inner court also possessed official ranks: the highest was the Primary Consort, followed by Secondary Consorts, then Lesser Consorts, and only at the very bottom came concubines.
Her expectations had not been high; she would have been entirely satisfied just being granted the status of a Lesser Consort...
She and the Prince of Anjing had been right here, and even without using the drug Concubine He had provided, His Highness had grown enamored with her; she had foolishly believed His Highness held her in a different regard.
Yet this lowly concubine status made her abruptly realize that had her mother and Madam Ji not suddenly broken in, once the Prince of Anjing had possessed her, she likely wouldn't even have secured the position of a concubine... This realization caused Xie Ping to burst into helpless tears.
"What a fine 'deep mutual affection'! With the young miss weeping in such a fashion, this humble wife certainly cannot perceive any willing consent!" A smile surfaced upon Yunchu's wrathful face. "If the Prince of Anjing held affection for the young miss, he should have invited a matchmaker to call upon our household. Even if he merely wished to make the young miss a concubine, it should still have been conducted according to proper protocol and propriety. This is Qing'an Temple, right beneath the feet of the Buddha! For the Prince of Anjing to disregard the young miss's willingness and commit acts of debauchery within sacred Buddhist grounds—how does this differ in any way from the bandits up on the mountain? Not to mention, the young miss has not even reached her coming-of-age ceremony! Regarding this matter, this humble wife will most certainly demand a proper account and explanation!”