Taiqing Temple stood at the foot of Mount Taiqing, nestled between the mountains and the water in an exceptionally beautiful setting.
Even after months of severe drought, the well inside the temple remained plentiful.
As soon as the Taoist on duty outside the Coldlight Courtyard shouted, “Fire!” he immediately shoved the door open and rushed inside.
The two men did not run toward the burning kitchen, nor did they head for the room that had already caught fire.
Instead, they rushed into the room on the right side of the main gate and carried out a child.
The child was about three or four years old, with delicate, almost doll-like features. His undergarment gleamed with the silvery luster of silk in the light of the lantern.
Awakened by the sudden commotion, the child began to cry at the top of his lungs.
The children in the other rooms were roused as well.
The weather was dry, and the flames in the rooms connected to the kitchen grew fiercer by the moment. The older orphans heard the crackling of burning wood, saw the firelight shining through the roof tiles, and felt the rising heat.
“Run! Hurry! There’s a fire!”
The moment those words were shouted, the children leaped down from the shared beds and ran out of the rooms without even having time to put on their shoes.
By the time the Taoists of Taiqing Temple arrived at Coldlight Courtyard to put out the fire, most of the row of rooms directly opposite the entrance had already been consumed by the flames.
Everyone’s eyes fell on the chubby little boy, who was still crying hysterically from fright.
“I want my papa! I want my mama!”
Once they saw that the most important child was safe and sound, they all let out a long sigh of relief.
The other orphans stood outside the courtyard, their faces illuminated by the firelight.
Their sorrow and terror were impossible to hide.
“Put… put out the fire,” one child said timidly.
The Taoists paid him no attention. One of them even set down the bucket he was holding.
The fire had broken out in the rear courtyard, making it impossible to draw water from the well to extinguish the flames.
Besides, Coldlight Courtyard was rather remote. Fetching water from elsewhere would be too troublesome, and it would have little effect.
Before long, Taoist Master Taixu arrived.
He immediately took the sobbing child into his arms and soothed him. “Don’t cry, Lin’er. Your godfather will take you somewhere to rest.”
Then he turned to one of his disciples.
“Take the children to the front courtyard. They can make do with sleeping on the ground for one night. Tomorrow, post a notice at the temple gate and ask the pilgrims to make donations so Coldlight Courtyard can be repaired.”
This was an excellent opportunity to make money. They could not let it slip away!
“Yes, Master.”
Qi Yanzhou followed Taoist Master Taixu to the Wuji Courtyard, where the latter lived.
The child had clearly been spoiled. No matter how much they tried to comfort him, he kept clamoring to see his parents.
After Taoist Master Taixu lost his temper, the boy cried even harder, gasping for breath between sobs.
“Little ancestor, stop crying. I’ll take you to find your mother.”
Hearing that, Qi Yanzhou was certain that this child was Zhu Hong’s son by his mistress.
Click!
Taoist Master Taixu turned the oil lamp on the desk. The wooden floor beneath his feet slid aside, revealing a secret passage.
Holding the child in one arm, he picked up the oil lamp with the other. He covered the opening beneath the lamp with a book before entering the passage.
Qi Yanzhou replaced the roof tile, jumped down from the roof, and entered the room through the window.
Before the wooden panel closed, he leaped into the secret passage.
There were mechanisms hidden throughout the passage.
Although Qi Yanzhou avoided them, Taoist Master Taixu, who had not gone far, heard the disturbance.
“Who’s there?”
“Qi Yanzhou.”
Those three words sent Taoist Master Taixu into a panic. Clutching the child, he hurried forward as fast as he could.
The oil lamp went out, plunging the passage into absolute darkness.
Terrified, the child began wailing and struggling wildly.
A moment later, he was knocked unconscious by a chop to the neck.
The mechanisms in secret passages were usually much the same. Qi Yanzhou avoided them with ease and quickly caught up with Taoist Master Taixu.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Taoist Master Taixu’s heart rose into his throat.
In his panic, he forgot to turn and slammed straight into the earthen wall.
The tremendous impact sent him sprawling onto the ground, nearly splitting his backside in two.
The child in his arms was knocked as well. He woke in pain and immediately began screaming until his voice turned hoarse.
Qi Yanzhou took a fire starter from his robes and struck it.
The dim yellow light illuminated a small area around them.
Taoist Master Taixu’s forehead had already swollen from the collision. His head was ringing, and his vision kept going black.
The chubby child rolled off him onto the ground. His face was swollen, and snot and tears covered it as he cried.
Qi Yanzhou picked up the oil lamp from the ground.
Most of the kerosene had spilled out, but a little remained—barely enough to use.
He set the oil lamp, which still had its wick needle, against the earthen wall and lit it.
The passage brightened considerably.
Qi Yanzhou planted one foot on Taoist Master Taixu’s chest and asked, “You have only one chance to answer. Whose child is this?”
The immense pressure against his chest made it feel as though his ribs might snap at any moment.
The fear of death washed over Taoist Master Taixu.
He answered truthfully, “He is the governor’s child.”
Qi Yanzhou eased the pressure of his foot and asked another question. “Is Zhu Hong’s mistress at the end of this passage?”
“Yes. Follow the passage for the time it takes to burn one incense stick, and you’ll reach her.”
“Tell me about this mistress.”
Zhu Hong’s mistress was his distant cousin.
After his eldest son had been sent to the capital as a hostage, Zhu Hong knew that the boy’s future was ruined.
So he had summoned his distant cousin to Dingzhou and settled her in a nunnery on the mountain behind Taiqing Temple, where he secretly carried on an affair with her.
She had borne him a son and a daughter.
To avoid attracting attention, Zhu Hong raised his daughter at the nunnery and his son at Taiqing Temple.
On the first and fifteenth days of every month, he would come to see his mistress and their two children.
Whenever he was not busy, he would even stay for two days.
Apart from the temple master and the abbess of the nunnery, no one knew about this shameful secret.
After all, deceiving the emperor was a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire family!
The Taoists cared about Lin’er only because Taoist Master Taixu had claimed that the boy possessed exceptional comprehension and had taken him as his godson.
After hearing everything, Qi Yanzhou nudged Taoist Master Taixu with his foot.
“Go back to your room and send someone to find Zhu Hong. I want to see him tonight.”
Taoist Master Taixu hurriedly got to his feet, scooped up the child, whose cries had turned hoarse, and covered his mouth.
“Yes, sir!”
He picked up the oil lamp from the ground and led the way, avoiding the mechanisms as he exited the passage.
Qi Yanzhou followed close behind.
Once they returned to the room, Taoist Master Taixu placed the oil lamp back on the desk. The wooden panel slid shut, sealing the pitch-black passage.
He knocked Lin’er unconscious again with a chop to the neck, then summoned a disciple.
He ordered the disciple to immediately go and invite Zhu Hong to the temple.
The excuse was that Coldlight Courtyard had burned down, and they wished to ask the governor to help raise funds for its reconstruction.
This was not the first time the temple master had done such a thing, so the disciple gave it no further thought.
After all, the governor would receive a share of the donations as well.
“I’ll leave at once.”
***
By the time Taoist Master Taixu’s disciple was riding toward Dingzhou, Pei Zirong arrived at the courier station bearing lavish gifts.
He had brought a large chest and a wooden case.
The large chest contained priceless treasures, while the wooden case held ten thousand taels’ worth of banknotes.
“Madam Qi, you saved my mother’s life. These are my thanks.”
With that, he knelt once more and struck his forehead against the ground.
“Your life-saving favor and my thanks are now settled!”
He rose and extended a hand toward Ye Chutang, his tone cold and hard.
“Madam Qi, can you give me the prescription for treating my mother now?”
Ye Chutang nodded and glanced at Qi He’an, who was standing nearby.
“Third Brother, go fetch the medicine packets from the table.”
“Sure thing, Second Sister-in-law.”
Qi He’an quickly brought over the packets and handed them to Pei Zirong.
Ye Chutang also passed over the prescription she had written.
“General Pei, the prescription includes detailed instructions on decocting and taking the medicine. Just follow them.”
Pei Zirong accepted the ten doses of medicine and the prescription.
He threatened her, “If your medicine fails to cure my mother’s illness completely, I will hunt you down even if you flee to Tianshan Commandery. I still won’t let you off!”
With that, he bowed to Ye Chutang once again.
“If Madam Qi can cure my mother, I will certainly send a generous gift to Tianshan Commandery and offer my thanks once more!”
He had begun with force before extending courtesy, putting on a show for the people at the post station and the onlookers gathered around.
The corners of Ye Chutang’s lips curved upward, her manner calm and confident.
“I’ll be waiting for your generous thanks in Tianshan Commandery, General Pei!”
