That day, when Chen Anzhi returned from outside, Lushu ran over to report that Fang Qingyi was feeling unwell. Chen Anzhi hurried to Anxiang Courtyard, making a big fuss and alarming the entire manor by summoning a doctor.
In the end, the doctor prescribed a formula to stabilize the pregnancy and advised Fang Qingyi not to worry and to focus on nourishing the fetus with a calm mind.
“Everything was fine before. Why does your stomach hurt today? Did you overexert yourself or eat something cold?” Chen Anzhi sat beside Fang Qingyi on the Luohan bed, his face full of concern.
Fang Qingyi lowered her head and said nothing. Lushu, standing beside them, spoke up, “Our mistress wasn’t feeling well after returning from paying respects to the lady today.”
“Lushu!” Fang Qingyi stopped her.
Lushu fell silent and walked out with the doctor’s prescription in hand.
“Paying respects? Why did you go to pay respects to her?” Chen Anzhi’s anger flared up instantly, “Who do you think you are, and who does she think she is? You’re pregnant, and you went to pay respects to her? Someone from the grasslands, does she even deserve it?”
“Don’t say that…” Fang Qingyi tugged at his sleeve, “Be careful, walls have ears. If this gets out, it won’t be good… I just felt that since I entered the manor, I haven’t paid respects to her even once, and it seemed improper.”
Chen Anzhi suddenly thought of those concubines who had clung to You Yuji daily and even changed their preferences, dressing garishly and indecently. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, “Just go once to make a show of it and that’s enough. Don’t go over there to be humiliated anymore.”
Fang Qingyi nodded.
“You have to be extra careful since you’re pregnant,” Chen Anzhi paused, “Did you eat anything there today? Or did she say something to upset you?”
Fang Qingyi looked up at Chen Anzhi in surprise, “Cousin, are you suspecting…”
She fearfully placed her hand on her abdomen and then quickly shook her head, “Cousin, don’t overthink it. The lady treats people kindly, which is well known throughout the manor. I just ate some pastries that might have disagreed with me. But I went there on a whim, the lady didn’t know in advance.”
She comforted him understandingly, “Cousin, don’t worry, I’ll be more careful to protect our child. The lady is so kind, she wouldn’t want to harm our baby.”
After a long pause, Chen Anzhi reluctantly nodded.
Fang Qingyi lowered her eyes, gently stroking her rounded belly.
Today, she didn’t intend to falsely accuse You Yuji, nor could she. Planting the seed of doubt in Chen Anzhi’s mind was enough.
“Cousin, tomorrow I want to go to the temple to pray for our child.”
“Tomorrow?” Chen Anzhi frowned, “There are matters at the palace tomorrow. All the cousins have to go. I won’t be able to accompany you.”
“It’s fine. It’s still early in the pregnancy, my body isn’t heavy, and I’m not that delicate. I can go by myself,” Fang Qingyi said.
After a few more words of persuasion from Fang Qingyi, Chen Anzhi finally agreed.
Fang Qingyi leaned tenderly against Chen Anzhi, but inwardly she was sneering. She didn’t actually want to go to the temple to pray for the child; she knew that according to the customs of the Si Kingdom, You Yuji would go to the temple tomorrow to pray for her deceased father.
On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, according to the customs of the Si Kingdom, it was the day to hold memorial rites for deceased relatives. Even in a foreign land, without the grand ceremonies of their homeland, You Yuji still changed into plain clothes, planning to go to Wan’an Temple.
You Jiamu would come to Jinnan Prince’s Mansion early in the morning to pick up You Yuji.
“When will you be back, Sister?” Si Que stood at the door of the small room, watching You Yuji change clothes inside.
“Probably by evening.” You Yuji was tying up her hair, and she turned back to give him a gentle smile.
She didn’t actually need to stay out that late, but today, besides performing the memorial rites for her father at Wan’an Temple, she had another task to complete—
She planned to send Si Que away tomorrow night. He would “die” on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, right before the New Year. To avoid any bad omens, the household would certainly handle everything simply, which would make it easier for her to manage things. Although she had already arranged the house, the carriage, and even the people responsible for digging the grave and carrying the “corpse,” she still felt uneasy and planned to personally inspect everything today, walking through the route in advance.
As she was lost in thought while tying her hair, her hands paused.
She hadn’t yet told Si Que about the plan. Once everything was ready, she would tell him tonight when she returned. Would he be happy? He should be happy, right? He should smile at her.
“What are you thinking about so deeply, Sister?” Si Que walked over, lifting a strand of hair that had slipped from her fingers, and helped her tie her hair.
You Yuji looked at Si Que in the copper mirror, her eyes slowly curving into a smile. She praised, “Ah Que, you’re very skilled at tying hair.”
“I’ve watched you do it every day, so I naturally learned.” Si Que lightly placed one hand on You Yuji’s shoulder, bent down to pick up the hairpin from the table, and carefully inserted it into her bun.
He looked at You Yuji in the copper mirror, admiring her, then watched as she turned her face in the mirror. Her palm rested on his cheek, turning his face towards her.
Si Que’s gaze shifted from her reflection to the real her.
The next moment, You Yuji leaned over and kissed his cheek. As she pulled back, the hand resting on his other cheek gently patted it.
“Wait for me to come back.” She gave his chin a quick kiss, then pushed him away with a smile, took the fox fur cloak from the rack, and turned to leave.
Si Que frowned, standing in place.
“This seductress…” He raised his hand to touch the cheek she had patted, his displeasure quickly turning into a smile, “Well, alright then.”
Si Que left You Yuji’s small room, played with Baisui for a while, and then called Tingyun over. “Where does that Fang lady live? I need to go over and get a lantern.”
Tingyun only half understood. But she didn’t ask for more details; she was used to it by now, and understanding half was enough to respond. She said, “Your Highness, Lady Fang lives in Anxiang Courtyard. But she’s not in the manor right now. Since she had a scare with her pregnancy yesterday, Lady Fang left the manor early this morning to pray for her unborn child.”
Not in the manor.
That’s fine, it might even be easier to act outside the manor. Since You Yuji wasn’t at the manor today, he could go out without her noticing.
But where to hang the finished lantern with the human head? On the city wall?
Si Que, expressionless, threw the dried fish he had been teasing Baisui with to the cat.
You Yuji arrived at Wan’an Temple and looked at the sacrificial fire burning a little farther from the temple. She was slightly surprised to see a large crowd gathered around the fire. It seemed that Emperor Chen’s integration policies had made a significant impact, as there were now more and more foreigners in Chenjing. Even the old rituals of the Si Kingdom could be celebrated so grandly here.
“Big sister!” You Jiamu personally set up a footstool for You Yuji.
You Yuji stepped down from the carriage using the footstool and instructed the servants to bring all the sacrificial tools.
“Madam?”
You Yuji paused and looked back to see Fang Qingyi, holding Lushu’s hand, getting down from her carriage. Fang Qingyi walked over with a smile and said, “I didn’t expect to see you at Wan’an Temple right after arriving. What a coincidence.”
You Yuji glanced at the carriage parked under a tree and said, “The carriage ride is bumpy. Be careful.”
“He is very well-behaved, it’s fine,” Fang Qingyi said, placing her hand on her lower abdomen. “I came here today to pray for his safety.”
You Yuji nodded lightly and continued walking forward. Fang Qingyi didn’t say more, silently following along.
As You Yuji approached the sacrificial fire, she couldn’t help but glance at Fang Qingyi’s belly. Frowning, she said, “There are many people over there. Be careful not to get pushed. The smoke isn’t good for you either.”
“I’ve always been curious about the unique sacrificial rituals of the Si Kingdom. Since I happened to encounter it today, I wanted to see it up close. Don’t worry, Madam. I’ll just watch from a distance and leave soon,” Fang Qingyi replied.
You Yuji said no more.
Lady Jing, with a stern face, leaned close to You Yuji’s ear, “Madam, I fear Lady Fang may have ulterior motives! Who knows what she’s scheming in her heart!”
You Yuji nodded lightly without saying anything.
As they drew closer, the mournful music of the sacrificial rites from her homeland filled You Yuji’s heart with a sudden bitterness. She gazed at the slowly burning flames from afar, her mind conjuring the image of her father smiling at her.
Lady Jing noticed the change in You Yuji’s expression, knowing she was thinking of her father again. Concerned that You Yuji wouldn’t be able to focus on the cunning Lady Fang, she quietly instructed Zhenxu to keep a close eye on Fang Qingyi. Then, she turned to lead the servants in placing the prepared sacrificial tools into the fire.
This was an old ritual of the Si Kingdom, held in front of Wan’an Temple. Although it was in front of the temple, it was different from Buddhist practices, and no monks from Wan’an Temple were involved.
Fang Qingyi hadn’t come to simply observe the old rites of the Si Kingdom.
Zhenxu was ordered to watch Fang Qingyi, but she behaved quite well, doing nothing suspicious. Just as she had said, she watched from a distance for a while and then headed towards Wan’an Temple.
Before leaving, she had Lushu pass a message to You Yuji, saying she would be waiting in the temple’s tea room for You Yuji to join her for tea.
Today, the participants of the ritual, to show gratitude to Wan’an Temple, would all go to the temple to add incense after the ceremony. Fang Qingyi was not making a special invitation; You Yuji would naturally go there anyway.
Fang Qingyi entered the solemn Wan’an Temple, gazing at the tall, compassionate Buddha statue, sincerely praying that her wishes would come true, that she could remove those she wanted gone, and that this child she was carrying would be a son.
She lowered her eyes, placing her hand on her small belly.
Although she had asked her mother to find thirteen other pregnant women with similar due dates, she still hoped more than anything that she herself would bear a son…
Fang Qingyi sighed softly. After offering incense, she went to the tea room prepared for guests. Sitting in the tea room, with the scent of sandalwood and tea surrounding her, she felt a sense of peace. She couldn’t help but recall the beautiful times of her girlhood, how simple and happy those days were. Growing up brought more troubles, tainted with matters of men and women. One wrong step led to many more. She longed for time to turn back, to the days before she and her cousin had been involved. But nothing could be undone…
She looked out through the half-open window, her gaze crossing the walls of Wan’an Temple, watching the smoke rise in the distance, silently waiting for You Yuji.
—
After the sacrificial tools were burned to ashes, You Yuji and You Jiamu solemnly bowed towards the rising flames, then led the group towards Wan’an Temple. She was very grateful to Wan’an Temple for organizing such a ceremony for the people of the Si Kingdom.
The temple wasn’t far from here.
As they neared Wan’an Temple, You Jiamu quietly tugged on You Yuji’s sleeve.
“What is it?” You Yuji turned her head slightly, asking in a low voice.
You Jiamu smiled and said, “Sister, there’s a piece of good news that you certainly don’t know!”
“What is it?” You Yuji’s eyes were still moist, and she couldn’t imagine what good news You Jiamu might have. Clearly, she was feeling a bit low and was not in the mood for guessing.
You Jiamu’s smile faltered and he became hesitant. Suddenly, he felt a bit scared, afraid that his sister might blame him for acting on his own.
Seeing his expression, You Yuji frowned and changed to a slightly more serious tone, “Jiamu, what is it?”
“You’ll know in a couple of days!” You Jiamu quickly walked ahead.
You Yuji, already at the threshold of Wan’an Temple, saw a monk greeting her with a respectful hand gesture. She hastily returned the gesture properly and couldn’t pursue further questioning.
You Jiamu watched his sister kneeling before the Buddha, his eyes devoid of the carefree look of a child.
In a couple of days, Brother Yuanyi would arrive. He liked his sister so much; he would surely save her from Jinnan Prince’s Mansion.
Even if his sister scolded him for acting without her consent, he didn’t care as long as he could save her.
Unaware of the letters her brother had been sending to Si Kingdom, You Yuji finished her prayers and planned to leave Wan’an Temple. She still had several places to visit today.
However, before leaving Wan’an Temple, she decided to stop by the tea room.
As You Yuji approached the tea room, she heard Fang Qingyi’s scream. Fang Qingyi rushed out, and there stood the Poison Pavilion’s master inside the tea room.
