The Pei family members immediately felt they had found their anchor. Second Madam Pei was no longer flustered, the servants were no longer panicked. Some directed people to bring over a soft sedan chair, others supported Chen Shi, and Second Madam Pei even took the opportunity to have someone move a screen to place in front of the daybed where Yu Tang lay.
Soon, Chen Shi was sent to where the Wu and Wei families were resting.
Setting aside the chaos that ensued there, here Second Madam Pei had just seen Chen Shi off when the Pei family’s attending elderly physician arrived.
He had already learned what happened on the way, but upon seeing Pei Yan standing at the meditation room entrance like a door guardian, he was still badly startled. He quickly bowed to Pei Yan before hurrying into the meditation room at a trot.
Pei Yan also followed into the meditation room.
Second Madam Pei had placed a handkerchief over Yu Tang’s hand and watched from the side as the elderly physician took her pulse.
After checking the pulse, the elderly physician couldn’t help but glance at Pei Yan in surprise.
The Pei family’s inner chambers had always been peaceful, but no one could guarantee they would remain peaceful forever.
This young lady had clearly suffered shock and fright, yet Second Madam Pei and Pei Yan stood guard beside her. How should he describe her condition? He truly had no confidence in his heart.
Pei Yan felt this physician had been a good choice. He made a mental note to tell Pei Man later that whoever recommended this physician for the household deserved generous rewards.
His expression was mild as he said, “My second sister-in-law thinks Miss Yu suffered heatstroke, while the Old Madam thinks it’s chest tightness and shortness of breath. What do you think is actually wrong?”
Naturally, whatever the Old Madam said must be correct, right?
The elderly physician smiled and said, “When family elders have experience, it’s the younger generation’s blessing. Most likely there were too many people in the dharma hall. A young lady raised in the inner chambers, suddenly encountering such a situation, couldn’t quite handle it. I’ll prescribe some heat-clearing and detoxifying medicine—two doses should do it. Nothing serious!”
Second Madam Pei knew Pei Yan was pressuring the physician not to speak the truth. She couldn’t very well interfere, so she called her personal maid to attend to the physician with writing materials.
Pei Yan followed the physician out from behind the screen.
The physician said nothing, writing out a prescription with swift strokes and handing it to Pei Yan to see.
Pei Yan looked and saw it was a calming and heart-settling prescription. Knowing his earlier pulse diagnosis hadn’t been wrong, his brows furrowed into a deep line, but his anxious heart finally settled somewhat.
He called A’Ming to fetch the medicine, adding, “You personally brew it and attend to Miss Yu as she drinks it.”
This meant not letting others know about Miss Yu’s true condition.
Everyone understood in their hearts and responded “yes” in unison, saying, “Miss Yu was stifled—she should have ventilation and fresh air. We’ll attend to her from outside, and when Miss Yu feels better, we’ll all serve her in person again.”
Those coming to visit the sick naturally couldn’t be received either.
Pei Yan nodded with satisfaction.
A’Ming took the prescription and ran out.
Pei Yan then called to Second Madam, “Sister-in-law, we must trouble the physician to examine Madam Yu as well. Why don’t you accompany him? I’ll have Qing Yuan come here to attend, so you won’t be overwhelmed running back and forth.” Then, thinking Second Madam would probably wish she had eight arms even so, he added, “I’ll also have Hu Xing come to help and follow your instructions.”
Second Madam Pei exclaimed, “I wouldn’t dare! Chief Steward Hu must be very busy too! Mother has many matters as well.”
Pei Yan waved his hand dismissively, saying, “He was originally brought to help Mother and you manage inner chamber affairs. Now having my sister-in-law running east and west shows his dereliction of duty. Having him come help can be considered making amends for his failures. Sister-in-law needn’t worry about him being too busy.”
Second Madam Pei was indeed worried about one thing while thinking of another, feeling quite strained. She thought that although Hu Xing served her mother-in-law, since Third Uncle was the one asking Hu Xing to help her, it was justified. She smiled, thanked him, and agreed, taking the physician to where Chen Shi was.
Pei Yan then moved a high-backed chair to sit under the bodhi tree in the courtyard.
Pei Man asked cautiously, as if walking on thin ice, “You’re not going to the sutra lecture?”
“What’s there to go to?” Pei Yan said. “Isn’t Second Brother still there?”
But could Second Master and Third Master be the same?
Pei Man didn’t dare say more.
He hadn’t slept all night, then got caught up in the Yu Tang mother-daughter affair, and the stewards were still waiting for his instructions about the noon vegetarian feast. He sat restlessly, yet didn’t dare say he was leaving.
Pei Man could only accompany Pei Yan as they waited there.
Soon, Qing Yuan arrived carrying a bundle, leading two young maids, panting from exertion. Just as she was about to step forward and bow to Pei Yan, he waved his hand and said, “Go inside and attend to Miss Yu. Her room only has the young maid left by Second Sister-in-law, who probably doesn’t understand anything.”
Qing Yuan had served Pei Yan since childhood and knew his decisive temperament. Not daring to say more, she hurriedly performed a half-curtsy and led the two young maids into the meditation room.
Pei Yan craned his neck to glance, then resumed his meditation posture sitting there, though his mind constantly pondered—how could Yu Tang have been frightened by a mere Peng Eleven? Unfortunately, he had no one in the east hall, otherwise he could have used this opportunity to thoroughly investigate what actually happened there and learn who had truly frightened her.
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious this matter seemed, and the less he wanted to leave, as if by staying, he could wait for answers.
After about half an incense stick’s time, A’Ming returned with a medicine package, bringing along one servant carrying a stove and another carrying coal. They crouched under the eaves and began brewing the medicine.
Pei Man was truly unable to bear his exhaustion and covered his mouth as he yawned.
Pei Yan seemed only then to notice he was still there, saying, “Why are you still standing here? Is there nothing happening outside?”
If genuinely surprised, his face would definitely be stern.
Pei Man had also served Pei Yan since childhood and couldn’t help thinking to himself—isn’t this just wanting to punish me? Miss Yu falling ill wasn’t my fault, so why take it out on me?
But he didn’t dare voice these thoughts and had to pretend, “You gave no instructions, so I thought you still had matters to tell me!”
Only then did Pei Yan say “oh” and respond, “Go help Second Uncle keep watch over things. I’ll go over after Miss Yu wakes.”
Meaning if Miss Yu didn’t wake, he wouldn’t go to the dharma hall!
Pei Man couldn’t help muttering to himself.
If the guests asked, what excuse should he use to explain why their Third Master didn’t appear? And what about Old Madam Pei—how should he answer her?
Their Third Master had been willful since childhood, with a favorite saying being “I’ve already thought it through for you, so what can you do?”
He respectfully responded “yes,” then thought and said, “Then I’ll first inform the Old Madam. As for Second Master’s side, I’ll say a letter came from Suzhou Prefecture and you’ll be delayed for some time.”
Pei Man was telling Pei Yan that he planned to tell Old Madam Pei the truth, while letting the guests in the dharma hall mistakenly believe Pei Yan was receiving people from Wang Qibao.
This wasn’t really lying.
Wang Qibao had indeed proactively contacted Pei Yan, inviting him to enjoy the Three Treasures of the Lotus Pond at West Lake in Hangzhou in a couple of days.
Pei Yan said “mm.”
Pei Man felt his life and livelihood were finally secure. Relieved, not daring to stand there half a moment longer, he took off running.
Pei Yan was quite dissatisfied, feeling he should have made Pei Man stand there several more quarters of an hour. Fortunately, Qing Yuan came out and reported to him, “We’ve given Miss Yu a fresh wash and changed her clothes, added curtains around the daybed, lit half a burner of calming incense, and now Miss Yu is sleeping quite soundly—she won’t wake for some time.”
Given Yu Tang’s current condition, this arrangement was the best.
But Pei Yan still wasn’t satisfied. He said critically, “Sleeping too deeply isn’t good either. She still needs to drink medicine later. If she’s startled awake when called, that would be troublesome.”
Qing Yuan immediately said, “Then I’ll extinguish the calming incense.”
Pei Yan said, “Although she was unconscious before, she was never at peace—most likely having nightmares. If you extinguish the calming incense, won’t she remain restless even while unconscious?”
This wouldn’t work, that wouldn’t work—then what should they do?
Qing Yuan was bewildered.
She couldn’t help glancing back toward the meditation room.
What was this Miss Yu’s background?
Since she’d been serving Third Master, this was the first time he’d been so anxious and uncertain about anything.
Could Miss Yu not actually be a scholar’s daughter but secretly some prince or noble’s lost pearl, with their Third Master entrusted by said prince or noble to look after this Miss Yu? However, even if Miss Yu had such an identity, given their Third Master’s temperament, he wouldn’t necessarily be this nervous! Or perhaps this Miss Yu’s identity was even more important than that…
Her thoughts ran wild with speculation, but she kept her head lowered, hands clasped, saying respectfully, “Then shall we try to wake Miss Yu? I see A’Ming’s medicine is almost ready.”
They’d have to wake her to drink medicine anyway.
Pei Yan felt Qing Yuan’s words made sense, but how to wake her became a problem.
Should they use a cold cloth to press against Miss Yu’s face? Or just shake her awake? Or do both simultaneously?
He deliberated there.
Inside the meditation room, Yu Tang’s eyes suddenly flew open.
Blue gauze curtains, a daybed carved with the Eight Buddhist Treasures, a familiar Buddhist incense scent.
She was in a temple.
Yet it didn’t seem like a temple.
She still remembered the room she’d lived in during her previous life.
Simple white cotton curtains that had yellowed despite repeated washings due to age. One table, one chair, a mirror stand missing the copper mirror that should have been set in the center—furnishings so simple they were shabby. Not like this room, where even the small chamber had a screen of chicken-wing wood carved with eight hundred arhats placed before the bed.
The only thing the same was probably the scent that seemed to have seeped into the blue bricks and wooden pillars.
What had happened to her?
Yu Tang felt momentarily dazed.
She remembered seeing Peng Eleven, and because she’d resisted fiercely, he had killed her.
Before dying, she’d also seen Li Duan’s shocked face.
She didn’t know why those two had gathered at Ku’an Temple or why they’d argued.
At that time, Li Duan was already an official in the capital and shouldn’t have returned for at least twenty years.
She’d already learned that her uncle and eldest cousin’s deaths were related to Li Duan. Feeling the opportunity was rare, she’d kept scissors hidden under her pillow and tucked them in her bosom, wanting to find a chance to kill Li Duan.
Who knew she wouldn’t find Li Duan but would encounter Peng Eleven instead.
When Peng Eleven saw her, his eyes lit up.
In his eyes she saw the particular amazement men showed when seeing women.
She turned and ran.
Peng Eleven had originally just stood there. She seemed to hear Li Duan call her name. She turned back but didn’t see Li Duan—instead she saw Peng Eleven’s face turning pale. He caught up to her in just a few steps, asking if her name was “Yu Tang” while his expression turned savage as he grabbed her throat.
She felt Peng Eleven’s killing intent and pulled out the scissors to stab him…
She hadn’t managed to kill Li Duan or Peng Eleven, but was killed by someone else instead.
Of course, at that time she didn’t know the person who killed her was the Eleventh Master of the Peng family, didn’t know how Li Duan had found her, and didn’t know that her ability to find shelter at Ku’an Temple might have been related to Pei Yan.