Chapter 1223: Light Rain

Yuan Cong once again spoke for him. "This Jia still has official business to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

Noble Consort Lan hurriedly said, "Sir, you're leaving already? Ah... it was my good fortune to meet you and receive your help. This consort truly does not know how to thank you. If there is anything you need while you are here in the capital, please speak plainly. If it lies within my power, I will certainly do my utmost."

Jia Wuqun shook his head, smiled, and cupped his hands. Then he turned and left on the spot.

Never mind that this woman could not really help him with much. Even if she could, he had no intention of drawing too close to her for now, lest he invite suspicion.

"Huan'er, hurry and thank Sir," Noble Consort Lan urged her daughter.

But Taishu Huan'er kept her head lowered and gave no response at all.

Unable to do anything about her, Noble Consort Lan could only hurry to the doorway and see the guests off.

The moment Jia Wuqun and Yuan Cong emerged, Mai Deman immediately followed them away.

Guo Wenshang, meanwhile, did not know which side he ought to attend to first. In the end, he hurried over to Noble Consort Lan, observed the proper courtesies, and took his leave.

Noble Consort Lan reminded him not to forget the duties of a host. Guo Wenshang repeatedly agreed, brushed through the formalities, then hurried after Jia Wuqun. Catching up, he moved close and asked as they walked, "What did Sir say to Her Ladyship?" He was worried Jia Wuqun might have spouted some nonsense.

Jia Wuqun casually traced a few characters across Yuan Cong's back.

Yuan Cong said, "Only a few words to help enlighten the Seventh Princess."

Not long after the group descended the mountain, Noble Consort Lan and her people also prepared to leave. But when they passed the main hall of the Fire God Temple, something seemed to occur to her. She suddenly caught her daughter's hand and led her inside again, drawing her down to kneel once more before the statue of the Fire God.

This time, there was genuine and boundless devotion in Noble Consort Lan's expression as she worshiped and looked up at the divine image.

Today she had finally experienced for herself just how efficacious the Fire God Temple was. When she first heard inside the palace that worship here could burn away misfortune, she had not really believed it. She had only thought there was no harm in trying if it might bring peace of mind. Who could have imagined that on her very first visit she would encounter Song's Hidden Chancellor, who casually offered a way out of their predicament?

This second act of worship was truly one of thanksgiving and fulfillment of a vow.

After mother and daughter rose, they saw the temple officiant. Noble Consort Lan smiled slightly and waved to the servants outside. "Reward him..." She stopped herself and changed the order. "Double the incense offering!"

A palace maid immediately stepped forward and presented another gold note.

The temple officiant accepted it with both hands and bowed in thanks.

Mother and daughter left the main hall. Outside, Noble Consort Lan raised her face to the sky and released a long breath. In a crisp voice, she said, "Return to the palace!"

During her worship just now, she had secretly prayed to the Fire God that if things truly went as she hoped, she would certainly return to fulfill her vow.

At the command, the guards openly and secretly deployed throughout the Fire God Temple swiftly gathered and withdrew, escorting the noble visitors from the palace down the mountain.

Yet the party had barely left the temple when a eunuch furtively slipped back into the main hall. He went straight to the temple officiant and, without a word, simply held out one hand.

The temple officiant immediately nodded and bowed. Reaching into his sleeve, he took out the gold notes and counted out half of Noble Consort Lan's incense offering, respectfully placing it into the eunuch's hand. "Safe travels, Eunuch!"

"Heh heh. No need to see me off!" The eunuch tucked away the money and swaggered off.

Fire God Temple? He did not believe in that ghostly nonsense at all. As far as he knew, for this temple officiant to sit here and make money year after year, who knew how much he had to grease the palms of people in the government? This stuff could fool noble women from the palace, perhaps. Gold and silver in one's own hand were much more real.

It was an amusing phenomenon. The families of powerful men came to worship the gods and gave lavish incense money. The powerful men's own subordinates then reached into the temple to skim some of it, and the people who skimmed it would in turn use part of their gains to curry favor with those powerful men.

Round and round it went.

The temple officiant walked to the entrance of the main hall to see him off. Once the eunuch was gone, his face suddenly twisted with disgust. "Pah!" He spat on the ground.

Then he touched the gold notes still hidden in his sleeve and smiled again. All told, the day's takings had still been rather good...

By the time they descended Nanling Mountain and returned to the city, the day's sightseeing had carried on until late. Guo Wenshang had originally intended to host a banquet as well.

But Jia Wuqun had already accomplished his objective and had no interest in continuing to humor him. He excused himself on the grounds that a full day of sightseeing had left him tired and said he wished to return and rest.

Guo Wenshang could only let the matter drop.

Back at the Song embassy, Jia Wuqun immediately gave Mai Deman an instruction through Yuan Cong. "Have our eyes and ears inside the palace watch every movement there from this moment onward, especially those two—mother and daughter!"

"Very well!" Mai Deman cupped his hands and accepted the order, then went at once to make the arrangements.

After a full day's wandering, Jia Wuqun should indeed have been somewhat tired. Yet he stood silently beneath the eaves with his hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought.

Yuan Cong remained nearby as always.

Inside, Wei Duo was cleaning the room, wiping tables and chairs spotless. From time to time, he stole a glance outside.

Jia Wuqun suddenly turned beneath the eaves and extended one hand.

Yuan Cong noticed, walked over, and turned his back to him, feeling the characters Jia Wuqun traced there.

Jia Wuqun wrote: If an ordinary man has numerous cultivators helping nurse his body, yet still often coughs blood, what might be the cause?

Yuan Cong considered it. "Perhaps his health is poor and he has some hidden illness that even cultivators cannot cure."

Jia Wuqun wrote: And if his body is otherwise healthy?

Yuan Cong replied, "Then perhaps he has overtaxed his mind and body. Someone like that should avoid excessive strain and stimulation."

Jia Wuqun lowered his hand and fell into thought.

Yuan Cong glanced back at him, then unexpectedly asked of his own accord, "What if that man refuses to marry her?"

Jia Wuqun smiled faintly and raised his hand again.

He wrote: From what I understand, the entire Jin court is unfriendly toward him. Once every factor is in place and the road is completely blocked, refusing the marriage leaves him only one outcome: flee Jin! If he runs without authorization, he loses Jin's support and protection. Is that not exactly what Nanzhou wants? And Jin itself will not let him off either. If he stays, he must marry. If he refuses, he must flee. Those are his only two roads. Whichever he chooses is an outcome Nanzhou wishes to see.

Yuan Cong silently nodded. He understood.

Jia Wuqun wrote: I really am somewhat tired. I will rest for a while.

He lowered his hand and turned away.

Yuan Cong looked toward the room and called, "Wei Duo, Sir is going to rest."

"Yes!" Wei Duo immediately ran out from inside and followed Jia Wuqun into the bedchamber.

A short while later, he hurried out again to fetch hot water. When he emerged once more, he carried a basin filled with shoes, socks, and clothes that needed washing.

But he did not immediately go wash them. Reaching the eaves, he set the things down and moved close to Yuan Cong. In a subdued voice, he asked, "What did Sir Jia do after going up the mountain?"

Yuan Cong gave him a cold sidelong glance.

He had no wish to waste words, but he also knew Wei Duo's responsibility was to pass messages and keep Nanzhou informed of what was happening here.

Niu Youdao had also entrusted Wei Duo to his care, saying that the man was loyal and righteous and asking Yuan Cong to look after him when possible.

"After going up the mountain, he first entered the temple and offered incense..." Yuan Cong gave him a detailed account from beginning to end.

After listening, Wei Duo nodded repeatedly. "I understand." Then he bent, picked up the dirty clothes, and prepared to go deal with them.

"You were the disciple of the Shangqing Sect's previous Sect Leader?" Yuan Cong suddenly asked.

Wei Duo stopped. "Yes!"

Yuan Cong asked, "How much do you know about Dong Guo Haoran, Niu Youdao's master?"

Wei Duo froze for a moment, then answered vaguely, "I don't know much about matters concerning the elders."

Yuan Cong asked, "The relationship between Niu Youdao and the Shangqing Sect probably wasn't as bad as outsiders imagine, was it?"

"It was bad!" Wei Duo shook his head.

He did not understand why Yuan Cong had suddenly become interested in such matters, but the mention of Niu Youdao's relationship with the Shangqing Sect clearly dampened his mood. He lowered his head and walked away carrying the basin.

"Bad?" Yuan Cong sneered. Looking up at the sky beyond the eaves, he muttered to himself, "If it was bad, why did he tell me to look after you...?"

The weather changed without warning. Toward evening, dark clouds suddenly gathered and spread over the Jin capital. A fine drizzle began to fall.

People hurried along the capital's streets, either rushing home or taking shelter beneath the eaves of shops lining both sides of the road.

What the common people discussed most was still the war.

Yuan Cong stood beneath the eaves outside Jia Wuqun's room, never leaving his post, while rainwater dripped steadily before him.

Wei Duo temporarily put down the clothes he was washing and hurried over. Reaching the door, he gently pushed it open and slipped inside on quiet feet, afraid of disturbing the sleeping Jia Wuqun.

He carefully shut the window, then moved silently to the bed and tucked the blankets more securely around Jia Wuqun.

Only then did he leave without a sound.

The faint creak of door and window caused Jia Wuqun, sleeping on his side, to open his eyes slightly. He watched Wei Duo's departing figure, then slowly closed them again.

Whenever his mind became heavily occupied, his sleep was never good. Even the slightest disturbance could wake him.

The rain was not heavy—only a light rain—but once it began, it continued for several days, falling without pause.

Yuan Cong remained beneath the eaves listening to the endless patter. The tranquility in his expression made it seem as though he deeply savored every small moment as time and life flowed past...

In Nanzhou, inside the secret chamber, Niu Youdao lowered the intelligence report in his hand and smiled.

Guan Fangyi picked it up after him. Once she finished reading, she clicked her tongue in admiration. "This Tongueless Jia really does act differently from ordinary people. You didn't waste all that effort digging him out. Still, in the end he obediently takes orders from our Master Dao, doesn't he?" There was more than a hint of teasing flattery in her tone.

Niu Youdao shook his head. "Even if I went personally, I might not have thought to start with the Fire God Temple. I probably would have chosen some other way to approach them. But after seeing this, I can finally relax a little. This fellow probably won't be so easy for Shao Pingbo to kill!"

...

Early in the morning, the sky should ordinarily have been faintly bright, but dense clouds smothered the heavens and little light could be seen. Everything remained dim and black.

Noble Consort Lan had awakened long before dawn and slipped into her daughter's room, where mother and daughter whispered together.

They had been whispering like this for the past two days. Noble Consort Lan had spent the entire time repeatedly instructing and coaching her daughter.

Only after a servant came to report that the officials had already assembled for morning court did the two finally leave the room.

The sky had grown faintly lighter, but the fine rain still drifted down.

Noble Consort Lan gently pushed her daughter between the shoulder blades. "The future and fate of both mother and daughter now rest in your hands. Go!"

Taishu Huan'er bit her lip and stepped into the drizzle.

A servant at once hurried after her with an umbrella, trying to shield her from the rain.

Noble Consort Lan snapped, "This has nothing to do with any of you. Stop. Let her go!"

The eunuch holding the umbrella froze and did not dare move again.

The entire group watched Taishu Huan'er's solitary figure disappear into the cold rain.

A mother could not truly set her worries aside. In the end, Noble Consort Lan still took two attendants and followed at a distance.

She stopped outside a moon gate and watched her daughter, soaked by the rain, walk slowly across the empty palace square toward the great hall shrouded beneath dark clouds.

Taishu Huan'er's steps were heavy. Perhaps because the rain had soaked through her clothes, she felt cold.

The great hall ahead looked like a crouching beast. Its wide-open doors seemed like a maw lined with fangs, capable of swallowing everything.

She was afraid.

Yet in the end, she still reached the foot of the high jade steps.

The commander of the guards hurried over and blocked her path. "Princess, this is the imperial court. It is not a place you should come. Please return!"

[End of Chapter 1223]