Chapter 128 Part 1

 

The carriage moved slowly along the official road in the early morning, the wheels crushing the frozen crust that had formed on the road surface overnight, heading towards the city gate. The mountain shadows were cold and dark, the trembling branches were withered and thin, and because it was still early, there were few passers-by and carriages on the road. Under the cold blue morning sky, a group of crows circled back and forth above their nests on the branches by the roadside, crowing hoarsely.

In the early morning of a winter countryside, everything was filled with solemnity.

Xuyu sat in the carriage, listening to the rumbling sound of the wheels, and suddenly remembered an evening in late spring when she was walking on the same road that the carriage was passing at this moment, carrying a bag on her shoulder and looking travelworn.

At the time, she had no mind to admire the scenery, yet she still remembered—the warm breeze drifting lazily, willow branches hanging like mist. On either side of the road, the countryside and riverbanks were covered in lush green clusters of elms and poplars, interspersed with patches of flowering trees. Dust from the road clung to passing travelers, and amidst the laughter and chatter of carriages out for spring excursions, the air carried the scattered fragrance of spices on the evening wind.

It had all begun with a dream. She had stubbornly followed the dusty road under her feet, walking hurriedly in the panicking sound of dusk drums that could be heard everywhere. At last, just before the city gates closed at sunset, she stepped into the city she had longed to reach.

The scene seemed to have happened yesterday. She still remembered the feeling of the evening breeze blowing across her forehead, damp with sweat from the rush of the journey. And yet, time had passed, and things had changed, just as this road she once traveled no longer bore the same sights as before.

She knew Pei Xiaoyuan was following behind her carriage, keeping a distance that was neither too far nor too close. She just pretended not to see him. After the carriage had passed through the quiet suburban road and entered the city gate, he was still following behind, protecting her until her carriage was about to reach the palace. The rider stopped at a street corner and then turned around and left.

Through a corner of the carriage’s roller blind, Xuyu watched the rider disappear at the end of the crowded street. She also lost her direction and ordered the coachman to stop the carriage at the side of the street.

In fact, she had no plans to return to the palace today.

Although her father was still angry with him, he gradually became silent as time went by. Yesterday at dusk, she had told him she wanted to visit the murals at Chongtian Hall and would stay outside the palace for a night, returning the next day. It had been some time since she last went back.

At first, his face was expressionless, and his eyes, which were covered with a layer of light blue film, did not blink, nor did he react in any way. He neither nodded nor forbade her from leaving. Taking his silence as consent, she stepped out of Ziyun Palace. Yet, before she could go far, Zhao Zhongfang hurried after her and spoke softly: because she had been by His Majesty’s side day and night, managing everything, he had grown rather tired of her presence. He had said that since she was leaving the palace, she should stay out a little longer—there was no need to rush back. For now, Zhao Zhongfang, who could recognize a few characters, would read the memorials to the emperor in her stead.

The old palace eunuch imitated the emperor’s complaining tone very vividly, and there was a hint of smile in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

How could she not understand her father’s heart? As proud as he was, even if he had tacitly accepted such an outcome, he would never want anyone to see him bowing, even in front of his daughter.

The change of plan happened overnight. While the maids combed her hair early in the morning, they asked her happily if she could stay a few more days this time. Through the half-open window, she looked at the figure waiting for her in the courtyard and said that she had something to do today and had to go back to the palace.

The palace gate was not far ahead. However, she hesitated, not wanting her unexpected early return to arouse any unnecessary suspicion. After his eyesight was damaged, her father’s temper became worse and worse, becoming more sensitive and suspicious than before.

She just had to get through this day and night, and return to the emperor later, at least tomorrow.

“Go to the south of the city!”

She sat in the carriage for a while and told the coachman to turn.

There was Qinglong Temple there. Many years ago, her father, who had just become the emperor, destroyed Ding Baiya’s paintings in anger, which then implicated her grandfather’s works. The monks of the temple, unwilling to see such art lost, had risked themselves to preserve it. Now, Qinglong Temple remained the only place in all of Chang’an where an authentic mural by her grandfather still existed. Therefore, although this temple was located in a deserted lane with poor access, the temple enjoyed a steady stream of worshippers. People came from far and wide, not only to offer incense but also to admire the famed artwork.

She arrived at the place and entered as an ordinary pilgrim. It was early in the morning and the winter was very cold. The temple gates had just been opened, and the grounds were nearly deserted. Aside from a few young monks sweeping the stone paths, no other visitors were in sight. She offered incense, worshiped the Buddha devoutly in the main hall, and after silently praying, she made her way to the southern wall, where the mural was painted.

Because this mural was the only one of its kind in Chang’an, it was of immense value. Several years after the destruction of the other paintings, a bold official from the Jixian Hall had proposed that the court allocate funds to support the temple and protect the mural. The emperor had not opposed the suggestion, and as a result, the wall before her now was safeguarded with great care. A covered corridor had been built to shield it from rain, and a wooden railing had been installed several feet away, preventing visitors from coming too close.

She stopped and gazed at it.

The mural was a common sutra painting, yet unlike her grandfather’s well-known grand compositions, this one portrayed a far rarer subject, which was about a heretical enchantress seducing Sariputra, a disciple of Buddha. The painting is divided into two parts. In the upper panel, Sariputra was wearing a rough linen Zen robe and sitting cross-legged on a brocade dais. His features were strikingly handsome, his gaze sharp with wisdom, yet his expression remained cool and detached. Opposite him, the enchantress wore her hair in an elaborate cicada-bun, adorned with an array of gold pins and blossoms. She was dressed in a floral robe and a brightly colored skirt, exuding an air of unparalleled beauty. With one arm bent to support her chin, she cast a sidelong glance at Sariputra, her eyes brimming with allure, her expression full of seduction.

In the next panel, a strong wind suddenly blew from nowhere, with sand and rocks flying everywhere. Beneath the wildly flapping prayer banners, the enchantress’s robes and skirts were thrown into disarray, her carefully arranged hair undone, her ornaments tumbling to the ground. She was extremely frightened, and her face, which was as beautiful as a peach, lost all color. Her once-seductive gestures had transformed into ones of cowering fear and desperate supplication, revealing her embarrassment. In contrast, Shariputra’s face showed a sense of majesty and slight contempt, yet his slightly downturned eyes also seemed to hold a measure of pity—pity for the foolish enchantress before him, who was about to suffer divine punishment for her ignorance and transgressions.

This mural served as a cautionary teaching, urging all who beheld it to follow the wisdom of the Buddha’s disciple Sariputra—rejecting the temptations of the flesh and remaining steadfast on the path of righteousness.

The mural was painted during the Jingsheng period, at least twenty to thirty years ago. At that time, her grandfather was still in his prime, his fame resounding throughout Chang’an. One could imagine that when he created this piece, he was still in those days of unrestrained indulgence—when his talent flowed as freely as the wine he drank. Today, the ink and color of the mural have faded a little, and it was not as bright and beautiful as before, but it does not affect the exquisiteness of the painting at all. Every detail was rendered with striking realism: the enchantress’s initial confidence, with her lips slightly parted and her gaze heavy with allure; her subsequent fear and humiliation; the Buddha disciple’s calm detachment shifting to faint displeasure, then scorn, and finally, that near-imperceptible touch of pity. The brushwork was so masterful that the figures seemed to move—caught in the storm’s fury, poised as if they might step right off the wall.

Xuyu’s gaze finally fell on the lower half of the Buddha’s disciple’s face, which was contemptuous yet compassionate. After looking at it for a long time, she suddenly felt inexplicably sad.

After an unknown amount of time, the sun gradually approached noon, and more pilgrims entered the temple, walking around her. A woman worshiped devoutly at the mural, muttering to the Immortal Ye to bless her family with good health and freedom from illness and disaster. A businessman wished for a prosperous business and a lot of money. Others whispered about the content of the painting, praising the Buddha’s disciple for his iron-heartedness and the heretic enchantress for overestimating her own abilities and getting what she deserved.

Yang Zai’en and Zhang Dunyi followed closely behind her, afraid that someone would bump into her. When they saw more and more people coming, they came up to her and asked in a low voice if she wanted a place to rest first.

She stopped looking at the mural, turned around silently, and walked out of Qinglong Temple. Standing outside the temple gate and looking around, she remembered that it had been a while since she last went to the orchard.

With her follow-up and the emperor’s tacit approval, the families of the Beiyuan heroes living in the Orchard Quarter had been able to receive monthly pensions. All expenditures come from the emperor’s inner treasury.

The only thing that lacking was the official rectification of reputations from the imperial court.

For some people, rectification of reputations may be the most important thing.

Xuyu believed that this was a matter of time. The emperor might just be waiting for an opportunity.

Since they were in the south of the city, why not go over and take a look?

She took some pastries and fruits from the temple, and drove to the orchard. Not wanting to attract too much attention, she ordered the carriage to stop far away after entering the lane, and walked along a dirt road across the wasteland with Yang Zai’en and Zhang Dunyi, gradually approaching the settlement that had been converted from a deserted temple.

When she was almost in front of the gate, she paused.

There was a horse parked in the field outside the gate.

Although it was not Jinwuzhui, she still recognized it. It was Pei Xiaoyuan’s mount this morning, a tall and strong horse with four snow-white hooves. It was not difficult to identify.

He clearly told her that he was going to the government office to deal with old documents. But he actually came here?

A few little kids who were riding bamboo horses and playing war games with wooden swords in the fields nearby came around and suddenly saw her. They recognized her, stopped playing and stared blankly. Xuyu waved her hand and the kids came running over immediately. She pointed at the horse and asked whose it was. Several kids were arguing for an answer, but it was unclear because of the chattering. Among them, a slightly older one spoke clearly, so Xuyu asked him to answer, and he said, “It was Master Pei! He came to see us again this morning! Later, he went to the temple, and the mothers didn’t allow us to follow him, so we came out to play!”

Xuyu took some pastries and fruits from the basket and distributed them to the children, then sent them off to play again.

She hesitated for a moment, told Yang and Zhang not to follow her, and then walked in alone.

It was quiet inside the gate, and no one could be seen behind the wall. Those who were working in the nearby orchard had not returned yet, and most of the women and children at home had gone to take a nap. She had been here several times before, so she naturally knew the location of the temple. She walked through the cleanly swept corridor, passed the courtyard that was converted from the main hall and was full of clothes, and came to the place behind that should have been the Jialan Hall.

Here, the tablets of eight hundred heroes, including Pei Gu, were enshrined.

In the past, the roof here was leaky and cracked, and there was no cover on rainy days. After repairs, although it was now windproof, the light was still dim even at noon. There was even a faint smell of dampness and mold in the corners.

Through a half-open door, she saw a man sitting on a cushion on the ground behind the threshold, his back straight as a sword and as stern as ice. Opposite him, rows of simple wooden plaques with names engraved on them were placed on the altar, extending to the dark corner deep in the altar without light.

Xuyu didn’t know how long Pei Xiaoyuan had been sitting quietly like this. She didn’t dare to get too close, let alone rush up to greet him. She subconsciously stopped far away in a corner of the courtyard in front of the hall, using a broken stele to cover herself.

He just sat there. The incense sticks in front of him gradually burned out, white ash fell from the top of the incense sticks, and completely extinguished. He also seemed to be unconscious and motionless, as if his soul was wandering in the void, and his body was just a shell of flesh.

Xuyu stared at his back for a long time. Her already depressed mood became even more frustrated and heavy. After hesitating for a long time, she finally decided to leave quietly, as if she had never been here and saw nothing.

She held her breath and took two steps back. At this moment, she heard a series of hurried and heavy footsteps hitting the ground behind her. She turned around and saw a man walking briskly. The man had a beard and was a big guy. It was Gu Twelve from the West Market. He seemed to be in a hurry and rushed to the threshold before slowing down.

“Chief! I finally found you!” he blurted out.

Pei Xiaoyuan turned around and asked him what was the matter.

“Bad news! I’m afraid that matter from before… we may not be able to hold it down…”

Gu Twelve stepped in with a single stride, bent down, and whispered something into his ear.

Standing too far away, Xuyu couldn’t hear the words—only see the deep worry on Gu Twelve’s face. After speaking, he hesitated briefly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, then made a cutting gesture—one unmistakably meant to kill.

Xuyu saw Pei Xiaoyuan ponder for a moment, shook his head and said something. Gu Twelve seemed to agree reluctantly and bowed to him. When he was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and turned around and knelt down towards a larger spirit tablet placed in the middle of the hall, which was different from the others. He kowtowed, then got up and hurried away.

After Gu Twelve left, Pei Xiaoyuan continued to sit there, as if in a trance.

Xuyu looked at his back from afar for a moment, decided not to go forward to disturb him, and quietly retreated.

Gu Twelve had already left. Xuyu called the children over and told them not to tell anyone that she had been there, and then she also headed north of the city.

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