In the silent depths of the night, with the clock striking four, only a few lamps remained unextinguished in the Marquis’ Mansion. Their dim glow cast faint halos on the cold, dark stone path. At this moment, a pair of feet clad in plain satin shoes swiftly trod upon the blue stone slabs, advancing rapidly. The hem of the horse-faced skirt continuously brushed aside the grass and flowers growing along the path, while the cold moonlight, like a hook, slowly stretched her silhouette on the path, twisting slightly with the swaying lamp flames.
Her steps were swift and silent on this quiet night. It seemed like she was carrying something in her hand, but it was difficult to discern from a distance. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew open the mouth of the bag she was carrying, revealing a dark mass inside, resembling human hair. However, she quickly closed the bag, and with the night breeze, traced an arc across the sky.
She walked cautiously, vigilantly scanning her surroundings. Finally, she arrived at the entrance of the Buddha Hall. Pushing open the beast-headed lacquered door, moonlight slipped in along with the cold wind. In the cool moonlight, a person was kneeling on a cushion, seemingly shrinking from the cold wind blowing in from outside. Startled by the sound, she turned her head abruptly. Her beautiful eyes were now icy, and she was none other than the princess who often practiced fasting and chanting Buddha. Half of her face, however, was corroded!
The newcomer hurriedly entered the hall, and the door slowly closed behind her. Inside, the Buddha statue remained silent, concealing its compassionate gaze within the dense shadows…
“And then?” Xiao Qing sat up straight, his face filled with anticipation.
“How would I know?” Wang Yiniang lazily flicked the candle wick with a golden hairpin, her exquisite face tinged with the red glow of the candlelight. “After that, the door was closed, and no one knew what happened inside. At that time, I had just entered the room and didn’t dare to look or think too much. But…” She glanced at the candlelight, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. “They surely didn’t expect that after so many years, the truth would eventually be revealed.”
Xiao Qing’s face also showed a playful smile. “So, it’s something to look forward to. But is Mother sure that her secret is still hidden in the Buddha Hall?”
Wang Yiniang snorted, saying, “You saw it yourself. As soon as she heard about the Buddha Hall, she panicked. She even resorted to trickery to prevent outsiders from entering. What do you think she’s hiding? It’s just a pity that the servant girl intervened last time. Otherwise, if we could get rid of that wretched slave, it would be like cutting off her arm. Tomorrow’s show will be even more exciting.”
Xiao Qing tapped his fingers lightly on the table, saying, “So Mother is taking advantage of the opportunity of tomorrow’s Duanwu Festival to invite a high monk from the Gānlán Temple to hold a ceremony in the Buddha Hall, and also invite distant relatives to worship together. It’s ostensibly to completely dispel the rumors of haunting the Buddha Hall, but in reality, it’s to expose her secrets in front of everyone.”
“Exactly!” Wang Yiniang’s eyes flashed, saying, “Tomorrow, I will expose her dirty laundry in front of the master and all the relatives!” A hint of resentment flashed in her eyes as she continued, “She thinks she’s a high and mighty phoenix, while I’m nothing but dirt. This time, I’ll let her know what it’s like to fall from the sky and be despised by everyone!”
Xiao Qing seemed to find the matter very interesting, excitement evident on his face. Wang Yiniang glanced at him, then frowned, saying, “Yesterday, Shi Qin came to me again. Qing’er, when will you make some progress and save some face for me? Why don’t you find a legitimate concubine instead of fooling around with those lowly maids all day? She came to me crying again, and it annoys me to see her like that.”
Xiao Qing’s expression changed, and he turned his head impatiently. “Hmph, what else can she do besides crying and complaining? All she knows is to do these useless things.”
Wang Yiniang shook her head. “After all, she is your legal wife and my niece. You still need to give her some face.” She sighed, a hint of tears flashing in her eyes. “Mother knows you’re suffering. Don’t worry, Mother will fight for you…”
“That’s enough!” Xiao Qing suddenly stood up. “Why bring up these things for no reason? No matter what I do, I can’t compare to my useless elder brother. How many people in this mansion truly respect and honor me? I’ve survived in this Marquis’ Mansion by relying on his breath alone. What’s there to fight for?” With that, he slammed the bronze mirror on the table to the ground and walked away angrily. On the shattered surface of the mirror, Wang Yiniang’s fragmented and resentful face was reflected.
The next day was the Duanwu Festival, nearing the summer solstice, and the weather became humid and sultry. In the streets of the capital, every household inserted wormwood and calamus in front of their doors. Children tied colorful silk threads, happily sharing zongzi. Meanwhile, beyond the towering golden bronze gate and majestic beast carvings, monks in grey robes stood in front of the Buddha Hall, chanting sutras with their hands clasped and eyes closed devoutly.
In the rear, Marquis Xiao Yun stood solemnly at the forefront, with Xiao Du and the princess by his side. Behind them were Yuanxi, Xiao Qing, and other younger relatives, along with two aunts. Further back, the courtyard was filled with members of the Xiao family, all bowing their heads devoutly.
As a chanting session concluded, the presiding monk, wearing a kasaya robe, approached Marquis Xiao Yun and said, “Lord Marquis, we can proceed with the ceremony now.”
Marquis Xiao Yun nodded and led the group inside. The fragrance of incense permeated the Buddhist hall, where statues of various Buddhas sat or stood, silently overlooking the congregation. Although the hall had been thoroughly cleaned, some still recalled the tragic scene from that day, making this solemn place of worship seem eerie.
Yuanxi surreptitiously raised her head and looked at the fierce-faced golden statues above, unable to help but furrow her brows. What had happened on that day? These statues were nothing more than gilded clay figures, how could they shed tears of blood for no reason?
She pondered for a moment but caught a glimpse of the princess clutching the arm of her nanny tightly, her face turning pale. Behind her, Aunt Wang noticed this scene and couldn’t conceal her excitement.
The presiding monk bowed to the surroundings and then took out a talisman, pressing it under the Buddhist altar before closing his eyes and reciting sutras. Marquis Xiao Yun instructed servants to bring up the sacrificial livestock and fruits. Just as they turned around, the talisman on the altar suddenly ignited on its own!
The presiding monk opened his eyes abruptly, his face filled with shock. “How could this happen? There’s foul play afoot in this Buddhist hall!”
The people below were already uneasy, and upon hearing this, their faces turned pale with fear, exchanging anxious glances. Marquis Xiao Yun stepped forward, frowning. “What do you mean by this, venerable sir?”
The presiding monk turned around anxiously, his expression grave. “Earlier, Lord Marquis mentioned strange occurrences in this Buddhist hall, which made me suspicious. Today, this exorcising talisman unexpectedly ignited on its own. I am increasingly convinced that someone with ill intentions has set up an evil array in this Buddhist hall. If this array is not broken, the foundation of your mansion may be unstable, and your descendants may not prosper!”
The people below became even more terrified upon hearing this. Xiao Du sneered, “Why, venerable sir, do you speak in such dire terms? I haven’t noticed any disasters in our mansion.”
The monk spoke sternly, “If I’m not mistaken, Lord Marquis and your younger brother have no offspring yet, do they?”
Xiao Du remained disdainful, but Xiao Qing’s expression suddenly changed. At this moment, Aunt Wang exclaimed anxiously, “What should we do? Venerable sir, do you have a way to break the array?”
Marquis Xiao Yun shot her a stern look. “Mind your manners!” Aunt Wang hurriedly stepped back. The presiding monk continued, “Currently, we need to find the source of this evil array. Once the array is broken, peace will return to your mansion.”
At this point, many in the crowd were urging the monk to break the array quickly to safeguard the prosperity of the Xiao family. Marquis Xiao Yun hesitated for a moment, then bowed to the presiding monk. “Please, venerable sir, do us the honor.”
The presiding monk returned the gesture and began to search the Buddhist hall for clues. The princess’s face grew increasingly grim. Despite seeing everyone eagerly awaiting, she couldn’t find the courage to speak up. Just as a young monk approached the offering box in front of Guanyin, she suddenly stepped forward but was firmly held back by Nanny Yu from behind, who shook her head subtly.
Aunt Wang, who had been staring at the princess all along, suddenly exclaimed, “That box! Something seems amiss!”
The princess turned her head and glared fiercely at Aunt Wang. By now, the presiding monk had approached and carefully examined the offering box. After chanting for a while with closed eyes, he opened them and said to Marquis Xiao Yun, “There is indeed some evil aura here. May I have your permission to open and inspect it?”
Marquis Xiao Yun had not yet spoken when the princess rushed forward, extending her arms to block the box. “There are only silver offerings that I usually place here, nothing evil!”
The princess, always calm and composed, had never shown such a side before. The onlookers couldn’t help but cast doubtful glances at her, while Aunt Wang sneered, “Why are you so sure there’s nothing else inside? Since it’s just silver, there’s no harm in opening it to check.”
“You!” The princess, feeling overwhelmed, suddenly coughed a few times and staggered, her body leaning forward. Xiao Du quickly rushed forward, supporting her, and scanned the surroundings before saying coldly, “Why do you still doubt my mother?”
The crowd murmured again. At this moment, an elderly man with a cane tremblingly walked out and said, “Since this concerns future generations, it’s imperative to investigate thoroughly. Marquis, you wouldn’t want the Xiao family to decline because of this, would you?”