“I think we should first help the Fourteenth Young Master rescue the Seventeenth Princess.”
Wei Shubin felt her own words were vague and rash. She was in dire straits herself, and Chai Yaoluo was seriously injured and in need of rest. Yet somehow, her thoughts had suddenly turned to Li Yuangui.
She expected mockery from the Daoist priestess, but surprisingly, the Zixu Temple Master merely raised her eyebrows, curved her lips, and shaking her head, said “Follow me,” quietly leading her out of the Great Peace Hall and into the Seventeenth Prince’s compound.
Neither of them knew where Li Yuangui and Yang Xinzhi currently were, so it seemed more prudent to first inquire at Prince Wu’s mansion. Unfortunately, from Senior Director Chen Hong down, no one in the mansion knew more than they did.
After Director Chen’s lengthy explanation, the two women learned that the Great Peace Palace guards had found Consort Yin De’s shattered body at the foot of Cuiyun Peak’s cliff at dawn, but there was no word of finding the foreign Hu youth or any suspected ringleaders. It seemed Sang Sai had successfully climbed down the cliff and escaped.
Li Yuangui hadn’t informed his mansion’s director about this treasonous plot, but Wei Shubin sensed that the old steward had figured out forty or fifty percent of it, his words betraying both anxiety and tension. This Chen Hong was the clan nephew of Chen Wanfu, the former Palace Attendant and current Great Peace Palace Supervisor, who had served the Tang Duke’s family since before the Great Tang’s founding and understood all too well the rebellious, trouble-making nature of the men in this family.
The two women rested for a while at Prince Wu’s mansion and had some refreshments. Chai Yaoluo said the pain in her chest had eased somewhat. Wei Shubin urged her to stay and continue resting while she returned to Zixu Temple to call for a sedan chair, but the Daoist priestess shook her head:
“We can’t stay here too long. The Imperial Carriage has arrived, and after hearing the Crown Prince’s report, a summons could come at any moment for Fourteenth Uncle and us to have an audience…”
Defying an imperial summons was a capital offense. So was lying to the emperor’s face.
They needed to go somewhere the imperial envoys couldn’t find them… hide as long as they could.
Having decided, the two women borrowed two horses from Director Chen. Chai Yaoluo also asked him to relay a message that if the Prince returned or sent someone inquiring about their whereabouts, to say “The True Master and Miss Wei went to see the Sacred Fire—remember, only tell this to your master’s people, absolutely do not tell anyone else!”
What was this Sacred Fire… Wei Shubin was completely puzzled as she followed the Daoist priestess down the main hall steps. Just as she was about to ask, suddenly came a commotion of crying from the west side of the compound:
“Fourteenth Young Master—your servant—your servant begs to see Fourteenth Young Master—”
Looking over, they saw a middle-aged woman in coarse hemp clothing, her hair disheveled and appearance haggard, struggling to approach the hall while two or three servants blocked her way. While Wei Shubin didn’t recognize who it was, Chen Hong squinted for a moment before exclaiming:
“Isn’t that Madam Liu… Don’t stop her, let her through!”
The old director explained to Chai Yaoluo that this Lady Liu had been Li Yuangui’s wet nurse, and later helped raise the Seventeenth Princess in Beauty Zhang’s quarters, regularly moving between the Great Peace Palace’s inner courts and Prince Wu’s mansion with considerable status. Last year when Beauty Zhang met with misfortune and the Seventeenth Princess was adopted by Consort Yin De, this Lady Liu had disappeared without a trace, unexpectedly appearing here today.
As they spoke, Lady Liu staggered over, grabbing Director Chen’s robe and bursting into tears, attempting to kneel. Chen Hong hurriedly helped her up, while Chai Yaoluo and Wei Shubin also helped support her into the hall, letting her sit and drink some soup while telling her story slowly.
A prince or princess’s wet nurse normally held quite a high rank among palace servants and officials, usually filled by women from noble families who had been sentenced to palace service. Yet this Lady Liu was hunched over with graying hair, lifeless eyes, and rough dark skin, looking like the lowest class of laundry maids or garden servants who toiled daily. Director Chen couldn’t help asking: “Where have you been these past few months, Lady Liu? How did you end up in such a state?”
“Your servant… I…” The middle-aged woman barely got two words out before breaking down crying again.
It turned out that after Beauty Zhang’s death, all her maids and serving women had been reassigned by Consort Yin De to do menial work in the Great Peace Palace gardens, daily hauling water, tending gardens, removing manure, weeding, and in winter switching to washing clothes and other such tasks. Lady Liu had never suffered such humiliation before and had attempted suicide several times without success. This morning, suddenly hearing that Consort Yin De and her brother were dead, with everyone in various departments panicking and knowing great changes were coming to the Great Peace Palace, no one paid attention to them. Lady Liu took the opportunity to escape, running straight to Prince Wu’s mansion seeking the Fourteenth Young Master’s protection.
“Ai… I’m afraid that won’t work…” Chen Hong stroked his beard pensively. “Though you were innocently caught up in this, Lady Liu, you’re still officially registered. Running away like this simply won’t do—whoever takes charge, they can’t openly harbor an escaped servant…”
Hearing this, the middle-aged woman burst into loud wailing again. Wei Shubin looked sympathetically at Chai Yaoluo, who then said to Chen Hong:
“She was after all Fourteenth Uncle’s wet nurse, who showed kindness in raising your master. You know Fourteenth Uncle’s temperament, Director Chen—he would never stand by while a helpless woman is in distress—” At this point, Chai Yaoluo cast a meaningful glance at Wei Shubin, “Besides, it’s not your place to decide Lady Liu’s fate. Just keep her here for now, and wait for Fourteenth Young Master’s return to make a decision.”
“The True Master speaks wisely.” Chen Hong smiled wryly and bowed, ordering someone to come and settle Lady Liu.
This small incident had consumed more time, and the two women dared not delay further, quickly bidding farewell to Prince Wu’s mansion and leading their horses out of the Seventeenth Prince’s compound. Fearing the Great Peace Palace gates might have already received orders to search for and intercept them, they didn’t dare converse on the mountain path, galloping their horses to the gate towers, fortunately meeting no resistance in leaving the palace.
Only after leaving the double towers of the Great Peace Palace mountain path entrance far behind did Wei Shubin slow her horse and draw near to Chai Yaoluo to ask: “Sister Yao, where are we going now?”
“To see the Sacred Fire, didn’t I say so?”
“Sacred Fire… what’s that?”
Chai Yaoluo smiled on horseback, only saying “Don’t ask so many questions now, just follow me,” leading her like a gust of wind back to Zixu Temple first.
Dismounting and entering the temple, the managing Daoist nun Jingxuan came out to meet them. Chai Yaoluo asked if there had been “any strange or urgent matters these past few days” while ordering people to “pack some changes of clothes and money for myself and Miss Wei,” and prepare horses and carriage, while she and Wei Shubin went to change into men’s clothes. Jingxuan followed close behind, chattering about several trivial matters, then mentioned “People from the Policy Hall, Eastern Palace, and Prince Yue’s mansion all came looking for the True Master several times, but left no message when you weren’t here.”
Chai Yaoluo, who was tightening her hair bun and wrapping it in a headcloth, paused at this news and after some thought instructed: “Sister Jing, you should also temporarily retreat to Guangde Ward for a few days. It seems the Empress and Crown Prince’s brothers aren’t getting along—let’s not get caught in the crossfire.”
Jingxuan agreed and accompanied the two women as they finished changing into complete men’s attire. The temple had prepared a plain carriage and several horses waiting at the gate. As the Zixu Temple Master gave some final instructions with Wei Shubin standing beside her listening, she suddenly smelled a rank odor, followed by a “woo” sound as a yellow and black beast pounced on the Daoist priestess in men’s clothing.
It was the fat leopard Atun—the servants hadn’t tied it properly again and it had run out to be close to its master. Chai Yaoluo smiled while rubbing its head and ears, comforting it with a few words and calling someone to lead it away, but this time Atun absolutely refused, baring its teeth while calling and jumping, showing its fangs and breathing threateningly at the approaching servants, refusing to leave Chai Yaoluo’s side.
The leopard keeper who usually trained and cared for it had been missing for a long time, and the beast had grown much more temperamental. Chai Yaoluo frowned and scolded it, servants brought whips to beat it, but nothing worked. Wei Shubin advised:
“Sister Yao, we’re going to search for someone. Atun has a keen nose, why don’t we… try bringing it along?”