Chapter 99: Sacrificing to The Dead
The day after Consort Song died, Wen Mingqian left early in the morning.
She arrived at Wu Qiu Nunnery, which was still exceptionally tranquil.
The old Abbot had passed away two months prior. The current Abbot, with the Dharma name Hui Kong, was around forty years old and was the old Abbot’s disciple. Wen Mingqian had known her for many years.
“Reverend Mother Hui Kong, I have spirit tablets for several of my former companions that I wish to enshrine here. Is that permissible?” Wen Mingqian asked.
“May I ask who these benefactors were to you?” Hui Kong inquired.
“They were maids who were with me since childhood,” Wen Mingqian said. “After so many years, I have not been able to find a proper resting place for their spirit tablets, and I feel quite uneasy about it.”
“Since you have the intention, our temple is naturally willing to fulfill your wish,” Hui Kong said. “We have a Buddhist Hall specifically for enshrining spirit tablets. Monks and nuns clean it daily, burn incense, and offer prayers. You can rest assured.”
“Thank you very much. I will pay the incense fee monthly. Please arrange for a few masters to perform a ritual for deliverance for a few days; it would also fulfill one of my wishes,” Wen Mingqian added.
“Certainly, certainly,” Hui Kong said. “Where are the spirit tablets? Please come into the Buddhist Hall first!”
She then sent a young nun to escort Wen Mingqian.
Various temples in the Capital City could house spirit tablets. Wen Mingqian chose Wu Qiu Nunnery not because the incense fee was cheap, but simply because she found it to be a place of purity, less tainted by worldly affairs.
Wen Mingqian personally placed the spirit tablets of A Shou and A Hui on the incense altar. Sang Er took the incense and said to the young nun, “Please go and attend to other matters, little master. My Madam wishes to pay her respects.”
The young nun turned and left. Sang Er also stepped out and closed the door of the meditation room, waiting at the foot of the steps.
Wen Mingqian lit the incense and knelt on the prayer mat. She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out. Tears streamed down like a broken string of pearls, falling onto her clothes and the prayer mat, shattering like crystals.
Her dignified composure, steadiness, and self-control in front of others all vanished at this moment.
The vindication of her innocence, achieved through seven years of enduring humiliation, brought only a sliver of joy, and more so, a deep sense of sorrow and reflection.
Her slander could be cleared, and the wicked had met their retribution.
But what about those who had died? They could never be brought back, no matter what.
For so many years, her grievances and pain had nowhere to be vented, and she had grown accustomed to hiding everything within her heart. Now, even with her great enemy defeated, she could not find suitable words to express her feelings.
Only tears, it seemed, would never run dry.
Perhaps it was because she hadn’t cried since holding Gong Changan in her arms. The tears accumulated over these seven years were too many, and now there was a legitimate reason to cry.
Wen Mingqian let her tears flow freely, yet she made no sound of crying.
She knelt there stiffly, tears pouring down, soaking her clothes.
After a long while, she finally stood up and slowly took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face.
Finally, she reached out and placed a handful of osmanthus candy on the offering table.
Sang Er heard the meditation room door open and quickly got up to greet her.
“Mother,” she said, seeing Wen Mingqian’s state and knowing she must have cried intensely. She couldn’t help but feel heartache as she offered her own handkerchief. “It’s good to cry; it might make you feel better.”
“Tell the people at the temple to find a room for me to change my clothes,” Wen Mingqian said. “I can’t go out to see anyone like this.”
“Mother, please sit here for a moment. I’ll go and ask right away,” Sang Er hurried off.
After Wen Mingqian changed her clothes, she washed her face and reapplied her makeup.
“Mother is truly beautiful,” Sang Er said, looking at Wen Mingqian, her eyes seeming to sparkle. “How could that old bastard Gong Xu be worthy of you?!”
In front of Gong Xu, Sang Er always pretended to be obedient and innocent, and she also deliberately showed him great respect.
In reality, in her heart, she regarded Gong Xu as nothing more than dog excrement. That man, worse than pigs and dogs, deserved to be drowned.
“You can say such things only to me,” Wen Mingqian reminded her. “In the Gong Family, you must be extremely cautious with your words and actions.”
“I know, Mother. It’s just that I can’t help but feel angry. Although Song Xiulian is detestable, Gong Xu’s guilt is actually comparable to hers. It’s a pity he was born a man; this world is too lenient towards men,” Sang Er said, feeling indignant on Wen Mingqian’s behalf.
“There are too many injustices in this world,” Wen Mingqian said, her eyes lowered. “If one can reclaim what is theirs with their own hands, then it’s not entirely a bad outcome.”
As they were speaking, the young nun from before led another person over.
It was none other than Liu Cuiyi.
“Sister, you are truly here,” Liu Cuiyi said, overjoyed. “I originally went to your mansion, but I heard you had gone out.
I decided to visit here on a whim, and I didn’t expect you to be here too.”
“That’s why we are fated to meet today. I’m very happy to see you too,” Wen Mingqian said. “It’s been some time since I last saw you.”
“I’ve been staying at my maternal home for a few days because my aunt and uncle came to the capital, and the whole family was quite lively. You know, my mother is getting old, and although I have a sister-in-law, with so many children, she’s often overwhelmed, so she asked me to help out,” Liu Cuiyi said, sitting down next to Wen Mingqian.
“If you’re not busy today, let’s stay here for a vegetarian meal!” Wen Mingqian suggested. “I remember their vegetarian meals are quite exquisite. I haven’t had them in many years.”
“That would be wonderful,” Liu Cuiyi said with a smile. “It suits me perfectly.”
“Sang Er, go and speak with this young nun. Give this thirty taels of silver to the Abbot; it’s for this month’s incense fee and the cost of the religious ceremony.”
“Sister, I heard last night when the lamps were lit that Concubine Song had passed away,” Liu Cuiyi asked, her voice trembling slightly after Sang Er left. “The news was so sudden.”
“You haven’t been to our mansion recently, so you wouldn’t know. She had a miscarriage last month and never fully recovered. That night, she suddenly had a hemorrhage, and it couldn’t be stopped, so she passed away,” Wen Mingqian said. “I only found out the next morning. It was indeed sudden.”
“Then she… she died just like that,” Liu Cuiyi said with a hint of regret. “Won’t your grievances remain unclear?”
“Don’t worry, the matter from that year has been investigated and clarified,” Wen Mingqian smiled. “Now everyone in the Gong Family knows I am innocent.”
“Really?!” Liu Cuiyi exclaimed, overjoyed. She grabbed Wen Mingqian’s hand. “Heavens! Thank goodness! Buddha bless!”
“Look at how happy you are; you don’t even know who to thank,” Wen Mingqian couldn’t help but laugh.
“Of course, I’m genuinely happy for you, Sister,” Liu Cuiyi said, her cheeks flushing with excitement. “You’ve been through so much these past few years. By the way, who was it that caused the death of that child?”
“It was Consort Song herself,” Wen Mingqian said.
“Ah?! How… how is that possible? That was her own child!” Liu Cuiyi’s eyes widened in shock. “How could she do such a thing?”
“According to her, she had her difficulties,” Wen Mingqian sighed softly. “Before she married our Master, she was already pregnant with this child, but she managed to conceal it. Later, as the child grew, the signs became more apparent. After much thought, she felt that under no circumstances could she let this child grow up, so she decided to use this incident to get rid of me, her thorn in the side.”
