Chapter 302: Safety and Danger
The crimson clouds hung low, and the scattered snow, like salt, fell pitter-patter onto the celadon tiles of Shui Yue Nunnery, accumulating in a thick layer.
Princess Wen Jia’s carriage stopped before the nunnery gate, emitting a dull thud.
The wet nurse lifted the heavy felt curtain, and Wen Jia, holding Niu Niu tightly wrapped, carefully alighted from the carriage.
“The stone steps are slippery, watch your footing,” Wen Jia said with a smile.
Niu Niu, however, was jumping with joy, her little face flushed. In her hand, she held a delicate little food box, and she looked up at her mother, saying, “Mother, Niu Niu wants to see Auntie quickly and give her the plum blossom cakes Niu Niu made herself…”
“Alright.”
Wen Jia smiled, tucking her daughter’s jacket around her, but a lingering worry clouded her eyes.
The nunnery gate was tightly shut.
As she signaled Dongzhi to go and knock, the heavy door creaked open from within.
Ru Yi, wrapped in a jacket, clasped her hands together like a little nun.
“Greetings, Princess. Master Miaozhen is waiting in the east wing. Please follow me.”
Wen Jia nodded with a smile and led Niu Niu across the threshold.
Passing through the snow-covered corridor, the door to the east wing’s monastic room was wide open.
Xue Sui stood under the eaves outside the door, a faint smile on her face. She was still wearing a semi-worn indigo zen robe, her figure appearing slender and frail in the light snow and cold wind. Her left arm hung slightly, revealing the stiffness of an old, unhealed injury.
“This nun greets Princess Wen Jia,” she said, clasping her hands in greeting.
“Auntie—” Niu Niu pounced like a little sparrow.
Wen Jia chided with a smile, “My little ancestor, why are you running so fast? Be careful not to fall.”
“I won’t, I won’t,” Niu Niu said in a childish voice. “These are plum blossom cakes Niu Niu made for Auntie with her own hands, with her own hands…”
A sweet, milky fragrance mixed with the biting cold air tickled her neck.
Xue Sui bent down and gently embraced Niu Niu, her heart melting.
“It’s cold outside, come in and sit.”
“Jinshu, fetch the willow whistle I made for Niu Niu.”
The group entered the monastic room and took their seats.
Jinshu gestured to Ru Yi, who served hot tea.
Wen Jia held the warm hand warmer, her gaze sweeping across the room.
Silver wire charcoal smoldered in the brazier, and a plate of glistening snow pears was neatly sliced. A few candied plums were arranged on a small celadon dish, looking fresh.
“Ping An lives quite a leisurely life,” Wen Jia sipped her hot tea, trying to dispel the chill in her heart.
“The weather is as sharp as a knife. Will bringing the children disturb your peace?”
Xue Sui sat opposite her and slowly smiled.
“Your Highness is too kind. It is my fortune that an old friend has come through the snow.”
“You, you are becoming more and more detached and indifferent, truly like a nun.”
Wen Jia smiled and met her gaze, her expression growing more solemn.
Xue Sui glanced sideways, signaling Xiao Zhao.
“Go outside and see if the snow at the entrance has been cleared…”
Xiao Zhao understood her meaning and had just replied when hurried footsteps were heard from outside. Immediately after, the curtain was lifted, announcing the arrival of Abbess Huiming.
Xue Sui and Wen Jia quickly rose.
Abbess Huiming entered with a young nun. Her face was deeply lined, but her back was straight, and her eyes were clear and peaceful.
“Amitabha, the Princess’s visit brings honor to this humble nunnery…”
Wen Jia quickly rose to return the greeting.
“Greetings, Abbess Huiming. I am the one disturbing you.”
Huiming exchanged pleasantries, then turned to Xue Sui, her expression growing more serious.
“Miaozhen, Master is here to inform you. An imperial decree has arrived from the palace; the Empress Dowager wishes to hold a prayer and blessing ceremony…”
The young nun presented a post with a bright yellow cover.
Xue Sui took it and unfolded it, revealing the Empress Dowager’s seal on the delicate calligraphy.
“The Abbot of Shui Yue Nunnery, Huiming, along with five disciples who are well-versed in scriptures and possess excellent virtue, are to proceed to Baohua Palace on the eighth day of the first lunar month at the auspicious hour to pray for blessings for Consort Li’s unborn dragon descendant.”
From the first to the fifth day of the first lunar month, the Imperial Family would hold the New Year Grand Court Assembly and ancestral sacrifices, leaving no time for the ceremony. The eighth day of the first lunar month was the day of the valley, when the stars descended, a good time indeed.
Xue Sui closed the post without a word.
Abbess Huiming sighed, her wrinkles seeming to deepen.
“This old nun has lived for over sixty years, and this is the first time I’ve seen the palace make such a fuss over a concubine’s pregnancy, and the first time Shui Yue Nunnery has been entrusted with such an important task…”
“Consort Li’s pregnancy is a matter of great joy. It is only right that the Empress Dowager attaches importance to it.”
Xue Sui’s tone was flat, as if discussing trivial matters of the nunnery.
Huiming looked at her deeply. “The eunuch who delivered the decree said that the Empress Dowager specifically mentioned your name, saying you ‘once rendered meritorious service to the Imperial Family and possess a clear and pure heart,’ and that your attendance is mandatory.”
“Yes. This disciple obeys.”
Huiming gave a few more instructions on fasting and abstinence rituals before bidding farewell to Wen Jia.
Xue Sui escorted Huiming to the door before turning back into the room.
Silence fell in the room for a moment.
Wen Jia lowered her voice, “The ceremony at Baohua Palace is no ordinary event. The palace is likely to face some turmoil.”
Xue Sui sat down, understanding the unspoken meaning. “Has Your Highness heard any news?”
Wen Jia leaned forward. “It is rumored in the palace that Consort Li’s pregnancy is a sign of a Qilin’s descent. The Empress Dowager is making a grand display, ordering all noblewomen of the Imperial Clan to attend the prayer…”
Xue Sui: “Whether it’s a Qilin or not is uncertain, but it is definitely a chess piece of the Xiao family, or rather, the Emperor’s chess piece. This move, rather than using it to elevate the Xiao family and display the Emperor’s immense grace to stabilize the hearts of the people…”
She paused, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the warm cup.
“It is more of a silent warning to the Eastern Palace.”
“Indeed. If Xiao Qing’er gives birth to a prince, the Xiao family’s foundation in the palace will be even more stable. It’s a pity for my aunt; she hasn’t done anything, yet she is still resented by her…”
Wen Jia clenched her hand warmer and recounted the subtle atmosphere she had felt in Cining Palace and her own worries in detail.
Xue Sui listened quietly, picked up the tea kettle, and refilled Wen Jia’s cup with hot water.
“Nothing concerning the Imperial Family is simple. Princess Tuya is proud and aloof, not someone who schemes for power. His Majesty knows this clearly…”
“How could I not know? But my heart is always uneasy.” Wen Jia’s expression was slightly anxious. “Ping An, do you know what the situation is like in the capital now? Prince Duan is in charge of the capital region’s defenses. He claims to be investigating rumors and rectifying discipline, but in reality, he is using this opportunity to eliminate his opponents…”
She sighed softly.
“Anything related to the Eastern Palace is being apprehended by the Five City Military and Horse Department like wolves and tigers… The box for exposing corruption is now a mere formality; no one dares to submit any words. In my twenty-odd years, I have never seen Shangjing City in such a state of panic and self-preservation…”
Prince Duan.
The face of Li Huan flashed in Xue Sui’s mind.
The winds and clouds of the Imperial Court, ever-changing.
What remains unchanged through the ages are the steps paved with bones in the purgatory of power, leading to the supreme throne…
She knew the reason why Li Zhao had been silent for days.
Wen Jia grew more fearful the more she thought about it, her voice betraying a subtle tension.
“The Crown Prince is in a difficult situation now, and Ping An, your identity is also special… And the Lu family; General Lu is far away in the Western Frontier, and the two children were almost harmed… I feel like my heart is a tangled mess, I can’t sort it out, I can’t see clearly, and I’m restless. That’s why I couldn’t help but come to find you in the snow…”
The monastic room fell into a terrifying silence, with only the rustling sound of wind and snow beating against the windowpanes outside, further accentuating the heavy atmosphere within.
“The boat will reach its destination naturally.”
Xue Sui reached out and gently stirred the dark red embers in the brazier, a few sparks flickering and dancing.
“I am an outsider, my life is like a drifting duckweed, I care not for life or death. But Your Highness…”
She raised her eyes, her gaze meeting Wen Jia’s.
“Being on the edge of the vortex, with your aunt in the deep palace and your young child on your lap, you must be even more cautious and prudent, protecting yourself and your child. Sometimes, inaction is the best response.”
Wen Jia’s eyes welled up, and she nodded solemnly, tightly gripping Xue Sui’s hand.
“Ping An. We both have to get through this, and see the dawn after the clouds.”
“We will.”
This chess game, which involved the court and entangled the fates of countless people, was destined to have a perilous move played in this vast expanse of wind and snow.
And she and Li Zhao were already in the game, with no retreat.
Besides peace, there was only a dead end.
–
Shangjing City.
Feather-like snowflakes fell densely, swallowing the vermilion gates, dark tiles, long streets, and short alleys into a monochrome expanse.
However, the peaceful and serene atmosphere of the approaching festival was shattered by the sound of rough gongs.
“Clang—clang—clang—”
“The Five City Military and Horse Department, by imperial order, is apprehending troublemakers who spread rumors and disrupt the capital region! All idle individuals, withdraw quickly! Those who disobey will be punished as accomplices!”
Hoarse shouts pierced the wind and snow, accompanied by the muffled sound of horses’ hooves, approaching from afar.
Squads of soldiers in helmets and armor, with swords drawn, holding lists, patrolled the streets, dragging out startled hawkers, shop assistants, embroidery women, blacksmiths, brokers, butchers… and pushing them away roughly.
“Spreading rumors? I just hummed a few tunes, officer!” a peddler, with his hands tied behind his back, cried out in defense, his voice desperate.
“Less nonsense! Take him away!” The captain leading the group kicked him behind the knee, showing no mercy.
The peddler cried out in pain and fell onto the cold, snowy ground.
His sobs were instantly swallowed by the wind and snow.
Xue Sui, wrapped in a thick cloak, pulled her wide hood down low, revealing only a small part of her thin, pale face.
She carried a woven bamboo basket containing several packets of dried herbs.
After Wen Jia left, she pondered the situation and decided to come and see for herself before going to Sang Liu Courtyard to discuss countermeasures with Tianshu.
Unexpectedly, upon arriving here, she was pushed aside by the chaotic crowd.
Xiao Zhao followed half a step behind her, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
The street was noisy, and the air was filled with a suffocating sense of solemn killing intent.
There were several times more patrolling soldiers than usual, their armor glinting menacingly. Their cold gazes swept over every passerby, as if scrutinizing potential criminals.
“Young Lady, the situation in the city is not right. Shall we take a detour?” Xiao Zhao whispered.
This was not an investigation of rumors; it was clearly a search for forces from the Old Mausoleum Swamp…
Xue Sui lowered her head, her voice coming through the hood, “It’s alright, we’ll go to Xue Mansion.”
The two did not stop.
As they turned onto Chongren Ward Street, a commotion suddenly erupted ahead.
A team of Eastern Palace guards, their armor gleaming, escorted a black carriage with golden patterns, of noble design, slowly driving down the street.
The bright yellow dragon-patterned flag planted on the carriage fluttered in the cold wind.
The pedestrians on the road hastily moved to the side, not daring to breathe.
Xue Sui and Xiao Zhao also retreated to the side of the street with the crowd.
The carriage rumbled and stopped abruptly not far from Xue Sui.
The thick, luxurious carriage curtain was slowly lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles.
What met the eye…
Li Zhao’s handsome face, etched with frost, appeared.
He wore a black robe with dark gold trim, a black fox cloak over it, and looked down from his elevated position, his gaze precisely fixed on Xue Sui’s face.
The air seemed to freeze instantly, and even the sound of the wind and snow quieted down.
The gazes of the surrounding soldiers and commoners involuntarily focused on them, filled with surprise and scrutiny.
“Master Miaozhen,” Li Zhao’s voice was not loud, but it carried a cold, hard, and distant tone like metal striking stone, clearly piercing the cold air, striking everyone’s ears, and heavily striking Xue Sui’s heart.
Xue Sui slowly raised her head. “This nun, Miaozhen, greets His Highness the Crown Prince.”
