She raised her arm and flung out a talisman, immobilizing the ghost’s shadowy form. She walked up close, stood on her tiptoes to examine the wound at the top of his head, and studied it for a long while without being able to determine what had caused it. She had no choice but to remove the talisman and ask him: “Who harmed you? How did you come to be here?”
The man wore no expression and began turning in circles on the spot again, repeating over and over: “I’m looking for my wife. She is very beautiful; her name is Li Niang. Have you seen her?”
Qin Yao sighed softly. Though this soul’s resentful energy was intense, it carried not even the slightest murderous aura, and its spiritual power was exceedingly faint — clear signs that the person had been good-natured in life.
Moreover, judging from the man’s behavior, it seemed that he had been searching for his wife up until the very last moment before his death, and clinging to that obsession, he simply refused to be reincarnated even after dying.
Unfortunately, just from looking at this ghost’s resentful energy, she couldn’t tell for the moment whether he had died recently or some time ago, nor could she figure out why he was wandering through the academy.
If she let him continue to linger here, even if he didn’t harm anyone, there was no guarantee that someone else in the academy would not inadvertently see him and be frightened into a serious illness — it was better to take him in first.
So Qin Yao once again used a talisman to immobilize him, then fished out from her robe a small jade gourd that had been used for storing medicinal pills. She poured the pills out, guided the ghost’s soul into the gourd, then affixed a talisman to seal it, intending to ask her master to take a closer look at it when she left the academy one of these days.
Just past the hour of Yin the following morning, Qin Yao and Pei Min were jolted awake by a knocking at the door. Cai Ping and the other servants opened it, and it turned out to be Official Lady Lu.
Official Lady Lu’s still youthful face wore no powder or rouge, and her expression was severe to an excessive degree. She conveyed a message on behalf of the Madam of Duke Lu’s household: “Noble Consort Yi will be visiting the academy today to inspect it, and Princess Dengrong and Princess Lan’s consort will also be accompanying her. Rise early and get yourselves properly dressed, then come quickly to Weirui Hall to receive the imperial party.”
Qin Yao and Pei Min hastened to comply.
After finishing their morning meal in their room, not daring to delay, the two of them hurried as fast as they could to Weirui Hall.
The Madam of Duke Lu’s household was already seated at the front of the hall early in the morning. Catching sight of Qin Yao entering, the solemn expression she had worn eased noticeably, and she wore an uncharacteristically faint smile as she said: “In a moment when Noble Consort Yi and Princess Dengrong arrive, don’t be frightened. Whatever they ask you, simply answer.”
All the young women acknowledged in unison.
They waited silently before the hall for a good while. Kang Ping was stretching her neck to peek outside when a small, slender palace servant came hurrying in: “They’re here, they’re here!”
Qin Yao and the others quickly straightened their posture and stood with eyes lowered and breath stilled in quiet attendance.
Then Kang Ping called out joyfully: “Mother Consort.”
A tinkling of jade pendants rang out, and two rows of palace servants surrounded Noble Consort Yi and her party as they entered. Qin Yao and the others quickly bent their knees in obeisance.
Noble Consort Yi walked slowly, supported by a maidservant’s hand — her bearing unhurried, her face strikingly beautiful. From a distance she looked just like a girl of sixteen.
Seeing Kang Ping’s undignified behavior, Noble Consort Yi stopped in her tracks and cast her daughter a warning glance. Only after her daughter had properly returned to her position in formation did she proceed into the hall.
Princess Dengrong and Princess Lan’s consort each took the arm of a palace maidservant beside them and sat down on either side of Noble Consort Yi.
From the moment she entered, Princess Dengrong had kept her eyes on Xia Yan. Seeing her daughter looking straight ahead, her posture erect, standing at the front of the assembled young women like a jade magnolia blossom, so much more well-mannered than Kang Ping — her heart was very much gladdened.
Qin Yao did not dare raise her head, still half-bent at the knee, and heard only Noble Consort Yi say: “All of you may rise.”
She had just risen in compliance when she suddenly felt a gaze land upon her face.
Having practiced martial arts for many years, her senses were sharper than most people’s. She could feel that this gaze was extremely piercing and carried a scorching heat; she genuinely feared that if she let that person continue staring, the gaze could burn a hole right through her face.
Unable to help herself, she raised her head — and met squarely a pair of eyes that were scrutinizing her. She knew the owner of those eyes extremely well; just a few days ago she had witnessed this person meeting privately with a man at Fuchun Restaurant. It was none other than Cui Shi, Princess Lan’s consort.
Startled by the unfriendly look in Cui Shi’s eyes, Qin Yao pondered to herself: could Princess Lan’s consort have already recognized her as the little Daoist who had once helped Lin Xiao counter her?
She was still thinking it through when she suddenly heard a stream of greetings being called from outside the door. Noble Consort Yi and Princess Dengrong said in surprise: “Oh? Surely the seventh and the eleventh have also come.”
Cui Shi, who had been sizing up Qin Yao with an unfriendly eye, quickly raised her head to look outside the hall at those words.
She saw Prince Wu stride in from outside and walk to the front of the hall. He first glanced at Xia Yan, then turned to Noble Consort Yi and the others with a smile. “Father Emperor was uneasy about Mother Consort, Honored Aunt, and Sixth Sister-in-law going out unaccompanied, so he specially dispatched the eleventh and me to serve as escort.”
Noble Consort Yi smiled. “How is it only you I see? Where is the eleventh?”
Prince Wu replied: “Outside, giving instructions to the troops below. He’ll be in shortly.”
He had barely finished speaking when several young military officers entered through the main door. At their head was a man in purple robes and silver armor, a black jade crown upon his head and one hand resting on the sword at his waist. He was speaking in a low voice with the soldiers behind him as he walked — it was Lin Xiao.
Upon entering the courtyard, the soldiers behind him, mindful of propriety, came to a halt of their own accord. Lin Xiao, however, continued straight in. He paid his respects to Noble Consort Yi and the others: “The Emperor will also be moving to the academy shortly and has specially dispatched this nephew to arrange the defenses.”
Everyone was startled.
Noble Consort Yi’s complexion shifted, and she quickly smiled again. “Oh my — that truly is unexpected. His Majesty is rarely in such a spirited mood. Well then — Yunyin Academy is certainly going to be lively today.”
Kang Ping could no longer contain herself and ran up to Noble Consort Yi. “Father Emperor is coming too? Has he been missing me? Or has he agreed to let Miss Feng come to study at the academy?”
Noble Consort Yi tapped her forehead with her slender jade-tipped finger. “What a thing to wish for!”
Xia Yan, though she stood in her place without moving, cooed softly in a sweet, delicate voice to Princess Dengrong: “Mother.”
Only after Princess Dengrong called out, “Ah Yan, come here to Mother,” did she sway gracefully forward and bow with bent knees to Prince Wu and Lin Xiao, smiling: “Seventh Elder Brother, Eleventh Elder Brother.”
Prince Wu quickly helped her up and said gently: “Among family, there’s no need for such formalities.”
He noticed that Lin Xiao had not paid any attention to Xia Yan and turned his head in mild surprise — only to find Lin Xiao standing motionless, his eyes fixed on some point below. Following his line of sight, Prince Wu saw, among the assembled young women, a girl with her hair in two buns, of strikingly fair complexion and beautiful features, remarkably lovely in appearance.
He laughed inwardly. No wonder Kang Ping had been saying lately that the eleventh elder brother had someone in his heart. He had still thought it was merely a passing fancy on Lin Xiao’s part, but from the look of things now, it was most likely real.
What he couldn’t figure out was why this girl seemed rather familiar to him. With his excellent memory he searched his mind for a moment before it dawned on him — wasn’t this the young woman who had nearly come to blows with the Kunlun Slave at Donglai Pavilion that evening? He recalled that the eleventh had personally escorted her and her companions back to their estate that night, which had puzzled him greatly at the time. But now it was clear: the eleventh’s intentions toward this young woman must have been in play for far more than a day or two.
His interest was greatly piqued, and he began studying Qin Yao carefully all over again.