The carriage came to a stop at the foot of Anshan Temple, and Xing'er finally released the breath she had been holding. She immediately lifted the curtain and jumped down from the carriage.
At last, she no longer had to listen to her young mistress’s terrifying endless chatter.
Cui Yunchu, on the other hand, seemed to have used up all her energy, lying motionless like a dead fish in the carriage.
Xing'er asked, "Miss, what time did the Lord Prime Minister arrange for you to meet Lord Zhou?"
"I don’t know."
Xing'er pressed, "Then where is the meeting supposed to take place?"
"I don’t know."
Xing'er asked, "...So where are we supposed to find him?"
"I don’t know."
The voice from inside the carriage was unabashedly confident. Xing'er knew she couldn’t rely on Cui Yunchu, so she went to find a young monk sweeping the grounds to ask for information.
Cui Yunchu sat idle for a while, then lifted the carriage curtain to look outside and pass the time. Just then, a somewhat familiar carriage passed by her.
The curtain swayed...but she saw nothing.
Cui Yunchu stared at the carriage, and soon it was obscured by the thick fog, barely visible.
She blinked, gazing blankly for a while.
An all-too-familiar scene brought back some unpleasant memories. She turned her gaze to the coachman, "Hey, old man."
The coachman turned around, "Is the young lady calling for this old servant?"
Cui Yunchu nodded, "Did Prince An pay you this time, and are you going to run off later?"
"??" The coachman was baffled, "Young lady, what are you talking about?"
Cui Yunchu squinted her eyes, "Let me tell you, now that the one in charge of the Prince An’s mansion is my own sister. If you and that scoundrel Xiao Yi dare to harm me again, your entire clan will be doomed."
Her fierce expression actually startled the coachman.
Though he didn’t understand what she meant. Just then, Xing'er returned, "Miss, I’ve asked around. The monk said two distinguished guests have arranged to meet in the rear courtyard today."
"Distinguished guests?" Cui Yunchu raised an eyebrow.
"True enough—though I’m not distinguished, the Lord Prime Minister certainly is." She lowered the curtain, sat up straight, and clung tightly to the carriage walls as she instructed the coachman, "Let’s go."
The carriage jolted up the mountain, but luckily the journey went smoothly without any mishaps.
The fog on the mountain seemed even thicker than at the foot; unless faces were practically touching, you could barely see anything a few steps away.
Cui Yunchu and Xing'er moved forward cautiously.
Along the way, they occasionally passed young monks guiding pilgrims. Cui Yunchu told Xing'er to find an idle one to lead the way.
Xing'er hesitated, "Miss, this servant just saw that pilgrim give one of those little monks a gold ingot as an offering."
Given her young mistress’s tendency to pick up one coin while trying to stick three more back together, would she be willing to pay?
Cui Yunchu predictably jumped in indignation, "What? A whole gold ingot? Why don’t they just rob people? Isn’t this a sacred Buddhist place, supposed to be free of worldly matters? Even a street vendor wouldn’t be so greedy!"
Her voice was loud enough to draw stares from passersby. Xing'er’s head nearly hit the ground as she tugged at Cui Yunchu’s sleeve, "Miss, it’s an offering, an offering. It’s a matter of mutual consent—how does it turn so...crude once it comes out of your mouth?"
Cui Yunchu curled her lip, "Isn’t it all about money? What’s the difference?"
Xing'er explained, "Pilgrims believe in the gods and Buddha. They think donating more offerings gains them divine protection, proving their sincerity and granting their wishes."
Cui Yunchu retorted, "Judging sincerity by money—what’s that if not a trade? Just whoever pays more gets served first by the gods. Isn’t that still a transaction?"
"Miss, could you please just stop talking?" Xing'er was nearly in tears.
She knew her young mistress was in a terrible mood today, but out in public, talking nonsense could get them beaten.
Cui Yunchu dismissed it casually, "If throwing money around can’t solve a problem, what use is praying to him?"
As the two walked and talked, they passed the main hall housing the Buddha statues. Yet Cui Yunchu stopped dead in her tracks, bowing devoutly before the image, "I’ve got no money, but I beg the gods to bless me with a lifetime of wealth and honor, endless riches and power, a husband who rises to the top overnight, and to make Cui Qingyuan look at me differently and beg at my feet..."
Before she could finish, Xing'er dragged her away.
"What are you pulling me for?" Cui Yunchu grumbled.
Xing'er said, "Miss, your wishes are too many; the Buddha won’t remember that many." She half-heartedly made an excuse.
After many twists and turns, the two finally reached the rear courtyard the young monk had mentioned.
By now, a few faint beams of light were beginning to slowly pierce the fog from the sky.
Cui Yunchu looked around but still couldn’t see anything, so she started calling out, "Lord Zhou, Lord Zhou, are you here?"
A young monk suddenly appeared from nowhere, "Lady benefactor, this is a sacred Buddhist site—please do not make loud noise."
"...Oh."
The young monk chanted a blessing and left. Cui Yunchu then went to sit in a pavilion.
The wind bit cold against her, and she couldn’t help but cough lowly, pulling her cloak tighter around her.
...
"Yu Feng." In another meditation courtyard, a man in a white brocade robe furrowed his brow and abruptly stood up.
"Master." Yu Feng quickly stepped forward.
"Just now—who was that speaking?"
Someone speaking? Yu Feng was utterly confused. He glanced at the woman in a monk’s robe with her hair coiled up, still seated by the stone table.
"I didn’t hear anyone speaking, Master."
The woman also looked up at the man, "I heard nothing either, Lord Shen—did you mishear?"
Shen Xiabai said nothing. After a moment of silence, he suddenly strode outside.
Yu Feng and the woman frowned and followed.
Shen Xiabai’s face darkened as he wandered aimlessly through the rear compound.
He had heard that cry of "Lord Zhou" with absolute clarity.
Prince An’s words seemed to echo in his ears once more.
It had only been three or four days since they last met...
He had known it—Prince An not dealing with Zhou Yuanmo back then had left behind a disaster.
"Lord Shen, are you looking for someone?"
Shen Xiabai stopped in his tracks. "Second Princess, let’s discuss those matters another day. I have something urgent today—I’ll take my leave now."
The woman raised an eyebrow, then nodded, "Still, I’m more familiar with the temple grounds. If you’re looking for someone, I can help."
"Looking for—" Shen Xiabai started, then stopped himself, his brow deeply furrowed.
"No one. Just taking a stroll."
Maybe it was just a figment of his obsessed mind. Otherwise, he feared he might really lose control and strangle that woman.
She could tease him, run away, shirk responsibility—but if she used the same tricks on someone else, he would never forgive her.
Yu Feng lowered his voice to remind him, "Master, the deadline the Empress Dowager set is almost up. If you can’t bring back the Second Princess..."
Shen Xiabai acted as if he hadn’t heard, hurrying through the narrow paths like a husband rushing to catch a lover in betrayal.
His fingers clenched tight, ready to grab her and snap her neck the moment he found her.
"Master, are you hallucinating?" Yu Feng glanced at the pale, foggy sky, unable to believe that the eldest Miss Cui would be here.
Shen Xiabai shot Yu Feng a cold glare without a word.
"...Master and young Miss Cui have a telepathic bond, perfect understanding. If Master says Miss Cui is here, then she must be here."
