Chapter 72

The room Xiuniang lived in did have windows, but they were not particularly large. Furthermore, if she tried to climb out the window at this critical juncture, the person outside would likely hear the noise and enter before she even made it halfway out.

If that happened, it would be absolutely impossible to explain herself.

Xiuniang had said earlier that she was stepping out for a moment and would be right back. Surprisingly, she had not been lying.

She really was quick...

Dai Li's blood raced, her heart leaping into her throat. This uncontrollable physiological reaction made her subconsciously raise a hand to touch her face.

Fortunately, it was not too hot.

Dai Li hurriedly took two deep breaths. At the same time, she dug a small object out of her pocket and conspicuously placed it right beside Xiuniang's brocade pillow.

Only after doing all of this did she turn to walk out, straightening her back and trying hard to feign a calm and composed demeanor.

Outside, whether the person had noticed she was not in her own room or had sensed something amiss with the door, whoever was pushing it open quickened their pace to enter.

Two breaths later, Dai Li and Xiuniang saw each other through a layer of bead curtains. The master of the room stood on the outside, while the guest was in the inner chamber.

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Dai Li clearly saw Xiuniang's expression change. Taking the initiative, she said, "Oh, I did not expect you to come back so soon. It seems the surprise I prepared for you is ruined."

With that, Dai Li turned back around. Under Xiuniang's watchful eyes, she picked up the plush rabbit she had just placed by the brocade pillow.

"This is the result of my learning these past few days. Here, it is for you," Dai Li said, stuffing the plush rabbit into Xiuniang's hands. "My embroidery skills are not even a tenth of yours, but you are not allowed to dislike it."

Dai Li let her hands drop, her wide sleeves hiding her stiff, ice-cold fingertips. Then, acting as if nothing had happened, she brushed past Xiuniang and walked out.

Xiuniang turned sideways, watching Dai Li's retreating back. Only after the other woman had completely left the room did she look down at the plush rabbit in her hands.

The rabbit was smaller than a woman's palm. Two pieces of red jade were sewn on for eyes, its ears were uneven in length, and its mouth was so small it was almost invisible.

Every part of it looked awkward, but when put together, it had an inexplicably festive charm.

Xiuniang squeezed the rabbit, then turned her gaze toward the bed and the low cabinet in the inner room. Crossing the distance in a few quick strides, she swiftly opened the low cabinet next to the bed.

The small porcelain bottles inside the cabinet were neatly arranged, each with its patterned side facing outward, exactly in the identical posture she had left them.

She had only ever shown Madam Dai one kind of medicine. Xiuniang reached out and took the lotus-patterned bottle, popped out the wooden cork, found a small clay saucer, and poured out all the medicine.

The bottle was not large; it could only hold ten pills. She had previously used two from this particular bottle.

She counted them. There were exactly eight pills. Not a single one was missing.

Xiuniang poured the small black pills back in, then took down another medicine bottle and opened it.

One by one, Xiuniang carefully poured out and checked all the bottles of this type. However, the number of pills in every single one was correct; not a single pill was missing.

Xiuniang subconsciously turned her head to look at the plush rabbit again, the doubt in her eyes deepening.

Could it be that Madam Dai really just came to give her a gift?

But lost in her thoughts, Xiuniang completely forgot about another important matter.

...

Meanwhile.

Back in her own room, Dai Li held a teacup and drank. The cool water slid down her throat, slowly soothing the restless anxiety throbbing within her.

Thank goodness she had prepared an extra plush rabbit, otherwise her cover would definitely have been blown.

Just as she finished having this thought, her right eyelid suddenly began to twitch violently.

There was a folk saying: "A twitching left eye brings wealth, a twitching right eye brings disaster." Dai Li never used to believe in such things, but she could not help feeling guilty right now. Her eyelid started twitching right after she had done something bad, and it was her right eye at that.

"She could not have found out, right..." Dai Li felt completely unsure.

She thought the eyelid would only twitch for a moment, but it ended up twitching intermittently for the entire day. It did not even stop by the next morning, leaving Dai Li both irritable and depressed.

Tomorrow was the first day of the lunar month. She had heard Xiuniang mention that the auspicious time for tomorrow's ceremony was set for exactly noon, which meant twelve o'clock.

Tomorrow at dawn, there would surely be many believers leaving the city to climb the mountain and enter the temple. Diting and his group would set off a day early, which meant they would be leaving the city this afternoon during the hour of Wei.

There were still four hours left before they left the city.

According to the information she had gathered so far, believers of the Green Lotus Sect from around Tianshui Prefecture would all rush to Ganquan Temple tomorrow. By then, there would definitely be many carriages at the foot of the mountain.

Wherever there was a way to make a living, there were merchants.

She guessed that there would surely be passenger carriages along the mountain roads or at the foot of the mountain. Since Ganquan Temple was located outside the city, she would not have to go through the city gates again. As long as she successfully made it down the mountain and got into a carriage, she could reach the ferry crossing in just half an hour.

Once she boarded a boat, she could sail east with the current, cross the border between Si and Yan provinces, and disembark at a county on the western side of Yan Province.

By then, it would be inconvenient for anyone to find her.

After going over her plan again, Dai Li's right eyelid was still twitching, making her feel terribly restless. Finally, unable to sit still any longer, she decided to take a stroll in the back garden with the little time she had left before leaving the estate.

As a result of this stroll, her right eyelid stopped twitching, because she seemed to have run smack into the very source of the disaster.

In the back garden, bizarre rocks stood tall and imposing, and jade brocade carp spat gurgling water that sounded like endless fairy music. The surrounding flowers were in full bloom, a riot of vibrant colors. It was truly a beautiful scene.

A gentle breeze brushed past, bringing with it a rich floral fragrance and a hint of alcohol. At first, Dai Li did not know where the smell of alcohol was coming from, until she turned out of the rockery corridor and saw two figures in the waterside pavilion by the pond.

Amidst the half-draped sheer gauze curtains, the two men in the pavilion sat facing each other across a table.

One wore a sapphire-blue cross-collared robe with gold-trimmed edges, exhibiting the demeanor of a wealthy young master that Dai Li was familiar with. The other wore a white jade crown with a continuous bead pattern and a dark cyan brocade robe. He appeared to be around thirty years of age, with long eyes, an aquiline nose, and a gaze as piercing as a torch.

Xie Yuanxiu had been drinking with Diting when he caught a glimpse of a beautiful silhouette stepping out from the corner of his eye.

At that moment, all the exotic flora in the garden seemed to dim, leaving only that graceful, curvaceous figure glowing brightly. Sunlight danced on her emerald-blue dress, and as she walked, a layer of fragmented light, like the iridescence of a seashell, rippled out around her feet.

Seeming to notice his gaze, she looked over.

Thus, the ethereal soul of snow and flowers materialized into substance, and the elegant flower demon took on a true form. This beautiful woman with her fair skin and thick, dark hair commanded absolute allure without uttering a single word.

Clang—

The jade cup slipped from his hand and fell.

The wine spilled across the table, and a few splashed drops dampened Xie Yuanxiu's cuffs.

But right now, he could not care less about wiping it off. He did not even try to hide his loss of composure. With his eyes still fixed on Dai Li, he asked Diting, "Who is that beautiful lady?"

Seeing the man across from him staring without blinking, even dropping his cup, Diting knew things had gone terribly wrong.

This Third Young Master Xie had come yesterday to discuss matters and happened to stay overnight at the estate. Because of this, he had specifically instructed Xiuniang to pass a message to Madam Dai, telling her not to leave her courtyard.

If nothing unexpected had happened, Xie the Third would have left after finishing this pot of wine. After all, everything they needed to discuss was settled, and they had another itinerary for the afternoon.

But as luck would have it, an accident happened right at this moment.

"This woman is not suitable for you, Third Young Master," Diting simply replied.

"Which family is this lady from?" Xie Yuanxiu pressed.

Diting also turned his head. He saw that Dai Li seemed to realize her presence was inappropriate. After giving them a slight curtsy, she turned and left.

Though she had left, someone was still staring blankly after her.

Diting was about to speak, but he saw Xie Yuanxiu, separated only by a table, abruptly stand up and follow closely after her.

Diting thought to himself that this Third Young Master Xie's strengths and weaknesses were far too obvious. This man was the third son of the provincial governor. If they did not support him, the third son of the Xie family would certainly have no chance at the position of Sizhou's governor.

He was obedient, knew his boundaries, and clearly understood what he relied on to rise to power. Moreover, he was quite religious, making him half a believer of theirs.

In stark contrast, however, this man was quite licentious when it came to women. Whenever he set his sights on a lady, regardless of whether she was from a respectable family or not, he had to have her.

Previously, this flaw hadn't seemed like a concern to him. After all, a person without weaknesses and shortcomings was difficult to control. But who would have thought that now...

Xie Yuanxiu felt as if a wisp of his soul had been snatched away. His chest hummed, and the only thing echoing in his ears was his own heartbeat drumming wildly. He could no longer hear any other sounds.

The last emperor of the previous Great Liang dynasty had exclusively favored the bewitching consort Jiang Ji. For her, he imposed heavy taxes, launched massive construction projects, and even executed Crown Prince Dan, whom he had personally cultivated, all because he was dead set on putting Jiang Ji's youngest son on the throne.

Later generations scoffed at his foolishness, and Xie Yuanxiu used to be one of them. She was merely a woman, as insignificant as grass and duckweed. How could she be worth destroying one's own foundation and ruining an empire meant to last ten thousand generations?

Women were just for playing around with.

But now, the continuous waves of novelty and excitement thrilled him so much that even his soul seemed to tremble, causing Xie Yuanxiu to completely throw his past grand words to the back of his mind.

He hurried after her, walking faster and faster, until his robes even whipped up a gust of wind.

Dai Li was very familiar with that burning gaze, one that looked as if it wanted to devour her whole. When they first met, Qin Shaozong had looked at her exactly like that. Later, he restrained himself considerably, only letting his gaze run wild when they were in bed.

Dai Li was returning the way she came, but just as she walked out of the moongate of the back garden, a figure bypassed her from behind and blocked her path.

The newcomer was about six feet tall, standing a couple of inches taller than Dai Li, with a rather lean physique.

To Dai Li, who used to face Qin Shaozong on a regular basis, the sense of oppression brought by this man was negligible.

"May I know your fair name, my lady?" Xie Yuanxiu stared at her unblinkingly.

Dai Li turned her head to look at Diting. With a calm expression, she opened her mouth and said, "Brother, is this your guest? I am feeling unwell, so please entertain your guest well."

It was entirely the tone of a host.

Both Diting and Xie Yuanxiu were taken aback.

Diting nodded helplessly. "Alright, Sister. If you are feeling unwell, go back to your room and rest. If you don't feel better by this afternoon, I will have Xinglin come and examine you."

Dai Li nodded casually, tossing the mess to him, and turned to return to her room.

Xie Yuanxiu wanted to chase after her, but Diting reached out from behind and pressed a hand onto his shoulder.

"Third Young Master." Diting looked like a scholar, but the force of his hand was not light. "Those who achieve great things know when to stop and do not harbor greed."

Xie Yuanxiu understood the warning in his words. The veins on his forehead bulged. "Sir, if I could have your sister, I would surely cherish and value her. I would seek out all the treasures in the world just to make her smile."

Diting withdrew his hand and crossed his arms. "Not to mention that my sister is already married, but if I remember correctly, you are already married as well, Third Young Master. Your esteemed wife's maternal family is a prominent clan in Xuzhou, and my sister will not be a concubine. This matter is inappropriate. Please do not bring it up again, Third Young Master."

Xie Yuanxiu's expression turned ugly.

To Dai Li, her chance encounter with Xie Yuanxiu was nothing more than a minor interlude; the man was just a stranger to her. Once she left Tianshui Commandery the next day, she would never see this man whose name she didn't even know again in this lifetime.

In the blink of an eye, the afternoon arrived. Xiuniang helped Dai Li pack a small travel bag, and they rode out of the city with the convoy.

The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone bricks and entered the yellow dirt road, leaving the hustle and bustle behind.

Ganquan Temple was located on the northwest side of Tianshui Commandery. Half an hour after leaving the city, Dai Li looked through the carriage window and saw the majestic temple emerging from the green mountains.

Besides their convoy, there were other carriages on the official road.

They were all horse-drawn carriages; there wasn't a single donkey cart in sight.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the mountain road wound upwards. The path had been widened, allowing two carriages to travel side by side. After passing through the snake-like winding mountain road, the path gradually leveled out.

The view suddenly opened up. A massive clearing had been carved out here, and at this moment, quite a few carriages were already parked neatly and orderly upon it.

Seeing this, Dai Li asked Xiuniang, who was in the same carriage, "Isn't the celebration tomorrow? Why have they come today as well?"

Xiuniang replied, "The auspicious hour is right at noon. There are only six hours from daybreak to noon. Wealthy families place great importance on etiquette and have many things to prepare. It is better to arrive at the temple a day in advance. Anyway, there are guest rooms available here for them to stay in."

Dai Li didn't voice the question, "Does it cost money?" She figured it obviously did, and the price was probably quite steep.

Thinking that Dai Li disliked sharing a courtyard with strangers, Xiuniang said, "Rest assured, Madam, your quarters are in another location."

Taking the opportunity, Dai Li brought up, "There shouldn't be any forbidden areas in this temple, right? I would like to go for a walk later."

Xiuniang replied, "Any place where pilgrims are not allowed to enter will be guarded."

Dai Li nodded.

Their carriage did not park in the clearing next to the temple. Instead, it took a small side path and entered through a side gate. Dai Li consciously memorized the route and noticed that the carriage stopped at a small courtyard on the westernmost side of the temple.

This courtyard was not considered large, just a single-entry courtyard with no back door. Perhaps to create as much of an imposing atmosphere for the temple as possible, the surrounding walls here were exceedingly high, about ten feet tall, and the top was paved with overlapping slanted tiles.

There was a tree in the courtyard. Dai Li visually estimated the distance, and her gaze darkened.

It wouldn't work. Even if she climbed up, she wouldn't be able to reach the edge of the wall.

There were no exits in three directions. If she wanted to get out, her only option was the main gate of the courtyard.

Wait, there were also windows in the room!

Dai Li walked into the small room. "Has it been a long time since anyone lived in this room? Why is there a smell? Caoxiang, did you bring my fish-and-bird incense burner? Hurry up and light some incense to cover up the smell."

Having said that, she raised her hand and pushed open the begonia-patterned window.

As soon as the window opened, the cool breeze from outside rushed in, fresh and refreshing.

Dai Li narrowed her eyes to feel the wind, her gaze looking out the window. Outside were green mountains and verdant forests, and further away were clouds as soft as cotton.

She quietly took a deep breath, as if she could smell the scent of freedom. Dai Li turned her head and asked Xiuniang, "Xiuniang, how many days will the ceremony last?"

Xiuniang smiled. "It won't be a matter of days. It will be less than four hours. After all, the commoners still have to make a living."

Dai Li lowered her eyes.

Less than two double-hours, less than four regular hours. She had to leave and descend the mountain before the celebration ended.

No, more accurately, she needed to reach the ferry crossing and board a boat before the celebration ended...