He hadn’t expected that when they rode to Zixu Temple, they wouldn’t find Chai Yingluo upon entering, but instead, Wei Shubin came out to receive guests. Surprised, delighted, and anxious, they naturally first asked “Where has Master Shangren gone,” which led to Wei Shubin’s lengthy explanation, delivered with reddened eyes.
Crown Prince Li Chengqian had been meeting secretly with Chai Yingluo for three years. That blood jade thumb ring was also from Li Chengqian? The child that Princess Hailing Yang Buyao carried was the current Emperor’s?… This series of secrets struck Li Yuanji dizzy and dumbfounded; he couldn’t eat a single bite of the lunch the maids served. When Wei Shubin finished speaking and asked “How did you return,” his mind still wasn’t settled, and he thoughtlessly told the truth, revealing his morning’s marriage request at Wanchun Palace.
I’ve never seen anyone as stupid as myself…
The young lady Wei changed color and rose to leave, and he rushed to explain and make amends. The two faced each other across the chamber’s wooden wall, one sobbing, one speechless.
After his mouth hung open for a long while, Li Yuanji truly couldn’t speak. He turned back to call for reinforcements, only to see Yang Xinzhi eating heartily from his bowl, even having the leisure to raise his chubby face and grin at him with bared teeth…
Receiving his lord’s murderous glare, the human tower Yang finally reluctantly put down his rice bowl and rose to kneel before the chamber door, speaking in a conciliatory tone:
“Miss Wei, the Fourteenth Lord truly had no choice. Please be more understanding and forgive him once more. There’s still plenty of time ahead! Next time something like this happens, he’ll seek your permission first before volunteering to be a prince consort or whatever…”
Was that even human speech? Li Yuanji turned and landed an elbow strike on Yang Xinzhi’s chest, making the tall strong guard cry out in pain. As they were causing this commotion inside and out, a servant announced at the hall entrance: “Princess Guiyang has arrived.”
Princess Guiyang? The current Emperor’s Fifth Sister? Of course, she was also Li Yuanji’s Fifth Sister and Yang Xinzhi’s stepmother.
Given this guest’s noble status, Wei Shubin had to stop arguing with Li Yuanji, open the door to wipe her tears and touch up her makeup, and then join Jingxuan in leaving the courtyard to welcome the visitor.
Yang Xinzhi didn’t want to see his stepmother, and while Li Yuanji didn’t mind, if he showed his face he would have to explain many things, which seemed troublesome. So the two retreated behind the hall’s screen, and just as they settled, they heard women’s voices, laughter, and footsteps as the Fifth Princess entered with her attending servants.
Fifth Princess had also come to Zixu Temple looking for Chai Yingluo, saying “There’s an urgent female patient who just gave birth and is in a very bad state. Because there’s some connection with the Prince Consort’s family, my Fifth Uncle-in-law asked me to come request Yeouniang to save her life.”
Her tone was somewhat strange—though speaking of a critical life-saving matter, she showed no urgency or concern but rather seemed… annoyed. Or perhaps resigned? In any case, she seemed to have come under duress, not truly anxious herself.
Jingxuan apologized repeatedly, saying Master Shangren had returned to the Chai mansion on business and might not return to the temple for some time. Temple affairs were temporarily managed by Miss Wei, who had learned medical arts from Master Shangren and was quite skilled.
“In that case, I’ll trouble Miss Wei to come with me first. I’ll send someone else to request Yeouniang from Third Sister’s mansion, though I don’t know if they’ll make it in time.” Fifth Princess decided matter-of-factly, ignoring Wei Shubin’s humble declines like “my shallow learning doesn’t dare presume to diagnose for fear of mishandling the condition,” and directly ordered carriages prepared.
“May I ask Princess, is the patient currently at your residence? If Miss Wei lacks needles or medicines, where should we servants deliver them?” Jingxuan was thoughtful enough to ask. Fifth Princess hesitated a moment before answering: “Not at my home, at Cihe Nunnery.”
Cihe Temple… Princess Hailing Yang Buyao?
Behind the screen, Li Yuanji became clearer-headed, understanding that his Fourth Sister-in-law had given birth to the Emperor’s illegitimate child and was unwell after delivery. Her imperial-ordered caretaker, Fifth Prince Consort Yang Shidao, had grown anxious and asked his wife to find Chai Yingluo for medical help.
Beside him, Yang Xinzhi’s robust frame also stirred, even letting out a low “Ah!” The space behind the screen wasn’t large, to begin with, and his sudden movement knocked against the wooden base, making an obvious noise. From beyond the screen, Fifth Princess immediately demanded: “Who’s over there?”
There was no hiding now. Li Yuanji steeled himself and came out with Yang Xinzhi to pay their respects, awkwardly smiling and making up excuses. His bejeweled Fifth Sister hardly paid attention to him, instead frowning as she examined her stepson Yang Xinzhi:
“You’re here playing hide and seek? Return home without informing anyone, unknown whether dead or alive—your father can rest easy! It’s your birth mother who’s to be pitied…”
At “birth mother,” Fifth Princess immediately clamped her mouth shut, heaved a heavy sigh, and glared at her stepson again. Yang Xinzhi raised his head and asked urgently: “How is my mother? Please tell me, Princess!”
“How is she? Go see for yourself—how can I explain it here!” Princess Guiyang rose shakily, supported by her maid, without looking directly at Yang Xinzhi again. “What’s it got to do with me? Making me worry and suffer this trouble—you Yangs!”
Speaking as if you weren’t the mistress of the Hongnong Yang family… Li Yuanji secretly mocked, also following them out. He mounted his horse, intending to ride together to Cihe Temple to see the situation. But Fifth Princess, seated in her plain carriage, lifted the window curtain to say:
“Fourteenth Brother, don’t come along to join the commotion. You’re just a young man—women’s matters of childbirth and hemorrhage are traditionally forbidden to men and don’t concern you anyway. Go rest, and visit my home when you have time.”
This was indeed proper. The matter of Yang Buyao’s illicit affair and child involved palace secrets, and the Fifth Princess didn’t know that he and Wei Shubin already understood the circumstances. She was still trying to keep it concealed and prevent more people from getting involved, at least to avoid being charged with leaking secrets herself.
Li Yuanji couldn’t think of any reason to insist on going along, so he verbally agreed and reined his horse. Behind him came the sound of the horse’s breathing and human movement as Yang Xinzhi approached on his sturdy mount. Li Yuanji grabbed his reins:
“Big Yang, tell me honestly, my Fourth Sister-in-law… Princess Hailing, what exactly is your relationship to her?”
Yang Xinzhi’s ox-like large eyes swept over blankly, his mouth opened and closed, yet couldn’t produce an answer.
Years ago, when Prince Qi Li Yuanji married Yang Shidao’s niece as his primary wife, Princess Yang should have been Yang Shidao’s eldest son Yang Xinzhi’s cousin. But what was that “your birth mother” reference about? Moreover, according to the elders’ accounts, Yang Xinzhi’s build and strength were really… very similar to the valiant Prince Qi who could match ten men in strength. And there was that tale of Yang Buyao secretly protecting her birth son by switching babies…
“My mother is urgent—forgive me, Fourteenth Lord, we’ll discuss everything later.” Yang Xinzhi shook his head and pulled his reins free, spurring his horse to catch up with his stepmother’s carriage train, without looking back at Li Yuanji.
In the early autumn afternoon, the sunlight was still dazzling and harsh, making faces sweat. Li Yuanji stood with his horse outside Zixu Temple, watching that procession gradually disappear and Yang Xinzhi’s robust figure vanish with it, while his heart slowly sank into an icy sea.
If he had truly been deceived for so long by someone who accompanied him day and night… then the mystery of the Ganye Temple Linfen County Princess murder case would likely be unveiled in the way he least wished to see.
Note: The matter of Gaochang detaining and imprisoning Han people returning to Tang from beyond the frontier has some historical basis. The “Cefu Yuangui” Volume 985 contains the “Tang Decree on Pacifying Gaochang” which states: “Since the end of Sui when the Way was lost and the realm fell into chaos, noble clans and frontier people either took refuge among various barbarians or were captured by bandits. When the Central Plains were stabilized and imperial influence spread far, people longed to return home, but passing through those territories, they were all imprisoned, subjected to heavy labor, enduring suffering far away with nowhere to appeal.” Documents unearthed in Turpan also show that Gaochang at the time had “detained people” and “detained laborers.” Scholars like Dong Guodong have theorized these “detained people” were the returning subjects forcibly held by the Qu regime mentioned in the Tang decree (from “Research on the Qu Gaochang Labor System”).