“Twenty-five years ago, a woman was living in the Hidden Cold Courtyard. She and the princess were both pregnant around the same time. I suspect that at that time, Master deliberately brought the princess and that woman to the outer residence to give the child of that woman a legitimate status. They were brought back to the Hou Mansion under the guise of twins. But unexpectedly, the woman gave birth to her child, and the princess’s fetus was intentionally lost. I wonder how Master convinced the princess to accept the child under his name. That’s why the princess has been staying in the temple all these years, not because she suffered physically after childbirth, but because she was deeply traumatized, which led to her current condition.”
Xiao Zhixuan’s face changed several times as she listened. After a while, she sighed and said, “In that case, the princess is also a pitiful soul. But who is that woman from the Hidden Cold Courtyard? Is she a concubine raised by Father? Why didn’t he bring her into the main family and instead use such a method to arrange for her child? Where does that leave the princess?”
Though she had always suspected the princess of causing Aunt Cai’s death and harbored resentment towards her, Xiao Zhixuan was still a woman at heart. Hearing such a story, she couldn’t help feeling sympathy for the princess.
Yuan Xi shook her head, her gaze somewhat unfocused. “I don’t know, but I always feel that this woman’s identity is crucial. Otherwise, why would they insist on keeping it a secret even now? And why would Wugu risk killing the child in the princess’s womb for that woman?”
Xiao Zhixuan thought for a long time but ultimately shook her head helplessly. Then she asked with concern, “And Brother? How is he doing now?”
Yuan Xi sighed and replied, “Not well. He doesn’t want to face Father and doesn’t know how to face the princess either. He just locks himself in his room every day. I don’t know how to advise him.”
At that moment, some servants who had gone to buy sacrificial offerings and incense candles returned to the mansion. They were now in the courtyard, listening to the steward’s instructions for arranging things. Their muffled voices drifted into the room, catching Yuan Xi’s attention. She walked to the window and looked out for a long time before turning back to Xiao Zhixuan. “Isn’t it almost time for the annual ceremony at the temple?”
Xiao Zhixuan nodded in understanding. “Yes, it’s around this time every year that preparations begin.”
Suddenly, Yuan Xi said, “Xuan’er, do you want to know what secrets lie within the princess’s temple?”
Xiao Zhixuan was taken aback. “Secrets in the temple? What do you mean?”
Yuan Xi’s eyes gradually grew deeper as she spoke. “I don’t know, but I always feel that the princess has been doing something in secret while hiding in the temple all these years. Do you remember when Aunt Wang insisted on renovating the temple? I think she must have discovered something. I even feel that Aunt Wang’s and Aunt Cai’s deaths are related to this matter.”
At the mention of her mother’s death, Xiao Zhixuan’s gaze turned dark again. She scratched the desk with her nails, appearing restless and troubled. Yuan Xi walked over, took her hand, and said, “Xuan’er, I promise you, I will find out. Although the princess is pitiful, it doesn’t mean she can harm others. I even suspect that the woman was…”
Her eyes flickered, unwilling to continue. But Xiao Zhixuan understood a lot from her gaze, feeling a chill running down her spine. She didn’t dare to imagine how Brother would face this if it were true.
On the day of the ceremony, the temple was adorned with candles, and the scent of incense filled the air. Several purple-red sandalwood incense sticks were inserted at the entrance, and large bronze incense burners were placed in front of the altar. A fierce-looking animal-headed figure on the burner stared menacingly at the solemn crowd gathered around.
The chanting of scriptures began, led by Master Zhengyan, the abbot of the Pudu Temple, accompanied by many monks dressed in gray robes. They stood in front of the incense burner, bowing with their hands together, chanting scriptures with devoutness. Behind them stood the people from the Hou Mansion participating in the ceremony, all showing solemn expressions as they followed along with the chanting.
The princess was supported by Yuma at the forefront, her eyes fixed on the incense burner ahead. The swirling smoke enveloped her body, making it almost impossible for Yuan Xi, who stood behind her, to discern her expression.
Yuan Xi also turned her gaze to the incense burner. According to the steward responsible for preparing the ceremony, the annual ceremony was nothing more than chanting scriptures and praying for blessings in front of the temple, followed by burning all the incense candles and offerings in the incense burner. The burner had been prepared in advance, filled with incense ash. After all the items were burned to ashes, they would be disposed of by a designated person.
元夕 deliberately moved forward a bit, trying to see what was inside the burner, but she couldn’t see clearly. Accidentally, her sleeve brushed against the princess, who turned back with a puzzled glare. Yuan Xi realized she had overstepped and quickly stepped back. However, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss with this ceremony. Despite the thick smell of sandalwood incense, which permeated her nostrils, she couldn’t help coughing a few times.
Standing beside her were Xiao Du, whose gaze was equally deep, and Xiao Zhixuan, who seemed restless. This year, due to the various events in the mansion, the participants’ attitudes towards the ceremony were somewhat subtle. The chanting of scriptures echoed through the hall, the profound Buddhist teachings, could they dispel the inner demons?
After the chanting ended, Master Zhengyan loudly recited, “The overseer offers incense and prayers, performs a bow,” followed by another scripture recitation. Then, the princess made a bow with her hands together and said, “Princess and Lord Marquis, the ceremony may begin.” The princess nodded, glanced at the old marquis beside her, and ordered the stewards to bring the offerings and incense. They were all thrown into the burner, and flames soared into the sky, casting a red hue on everyone’s faces.
In just a few days, the old marquis seemed to have aged significantly, with the lines on his face becoming more pronounced. His vision blurred amidst the surging black smoke as if he could see many faces within it, but they were all eventually engulfed by the flames.
At this moment, Yuan Xi’s brows furrowed tightly. She felt that the scent was peculiar. Too many incense candles had been lit during the ceremony, and since early morning, the smell of sandalwood had pervaded the entire courtyard. However, when the offerings were thrown into the burner, an even stronger scent rose, one that Yuan Xi couldn’t identify but was emanating from the burner. She tugged at Xiao Zhixuan’s sleeve and asked, “Did previous ceremonies have such a heavy scent? Where is this scent coming from?”
Xiao Zhixuan nodded, seemingly accustomed to it. “The princess said she didn’t like the smell of smoke, so every year during the burning, some spices are added. As for what they are, I’m not sure.”
Yuan Xi became even more puzzled. But the overwhelming scent gave her a headache. She tried to discern other smells within it but felt nauseous instead. Eventually, she couldn’t bear it any longer. Her body swayed, and she soon found herself in a sturdy embrace.
Pale-faced, she looked up and saw Xiao Du’s concerned gaze fixed on her. Yuan Xi quickly grasped his hand, seeking warmth from it. Despite the surrounding candles, she felt bone-chillingly cold.
Seeing her distress, Xiao Du whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong? If you’re uncomfortable, let’s go back to the room and rest.”
Yuan Xi’s hand trembled as she held his, whispering back, “There’s something wrong with this ceremony… very wrong!”
Xiao Du’s gaze grew even deeper. Ignoring the gazes of the others around them, he let her lean into his embrace and covered her eyes with his hand. He whispered in her ear, “Then don’t look, let’s talk about it after it’s over.”
Observing this scene, the princess couldn’t help but sneer coldly. Clenching the hand of Yuma, who supported her, she turned her head and whispered, almost piercing Yuma’s skin with her nails. Yuma winced in pain but dared not make a sound. She saw the princess’s lips move, but no sound came out. However, she could read her lips: “Take care of the matter later yourself.” Yuma’s heart skipped a beat, but she nodded silently.
After the ceremony, everyone dispersed to their respective courtyards. After Yuma helped the princess back to her room, she led a few servants to lift the burner onto a cart. They drove through many alleys until they reached a secluded hill.
Yuma raised her hand to signal them to stop and looked around. Seeing no one following, she directed the servants to pour out the incense ash from the burner. Then she suddenly frowned and said, “I need to relieve myself. You wait outside.” She hurriedly sent the servants to guard the cart outside and walked over to the pile of incense ash. Taking out a few pieces of meat, she tossed them on top and whistled softly. Soon, a pack of stray dogs came running and fought over the meat on the ground. Then, they began to rummage through the incense ash.
A mysterious smile appeared on Yuma’s face as she brushed off the ash from her clothes and walked away. At this moment, a dark guard in black suddenly jumped down from a tree. He pulled out a knife to drive away the stray dogs and then covered his nose and mouth with a cloth, carefully searching through the incense ash.
The black ash was mixed with purple-red candle oil, and as he dug deeper, he found some burnt offerings that were unrecognizable. Finally, his hand stopped, and he bent down to pick up a piece of charred white bone. Frowning, he quickly recognized it: it was a human femur.