Shen Tang had slept poorly the night before. In her dreams, the maid’s face kept appearing, followed by the scene of Qingyang telling her the girl was dead.
Though she was usually bolder than other young ladies from respectable families, this was still the first time she had ever encountered anything like it.
One moment, the girl had been alive and well; the next, she had become a cold corpse.
Just thinking about it made Shen Tang shudder.
Meng Huaiyan had advised her not to go out for the next few days, and had even assigned people to protect her from the shadows.
After all, she had been drawn into this trouble because of him.
Shen Tang valued her life, so she didn’t stand on ceremony and agreed.
Ayun had been badly frightened, too. Today, neither of them had much appetite, and both were rather dispirited.
That afternoon, Qingyang unexpectedly came by.
It was the first time anything like this had happened, and Shen Tang was surprised.
Qingyang held a box in his hands and said respectfully, “Miss Shen, the Heir asked me to give this to you.”
Shen Tang took it and opened it. Inside was a pair of jade bangles carved from Hetian jade, along with three thousand taels in silver notes.
Shen Tang stared in surprise. “Why are you giving me this all of a sudden?”
Qingyang replied politely, “The Heir said he was indebted to Miss Shen for your kindness yesterday. This is to thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything yesterday. It was just a small favor.”
“Besides, even as thanks, this is far too much…” Shen Tang stopped, as if a thought had just occurred to her.
Perhaps this wasn’t gratitude at all, but his way of drawing a clear line between them.
Was he worried she would use her favor to demand something from him? That she had ulterior motives?
Shen Tang’s expression turned cold. She let out a scornful laugh. He really was the Heir Meng—so generous, just to keep her from clinging to him.
He was giving himself far too much credit. In this lifetime, even if he begged her, she wouldn’t give him a second glance!
Shen Tang shoved the box into Qingyang’s arms. Her voice was icy. “Go back and tell your Heir that he’s far too arrogant and self-absorbed!”
“There are thousands upon thousands of men in the world. I, Shen Tang, don’t need him.”
“The thing he’s worried about will never happen in this lifetime. Tell him he can rest completely easy!”
Qingyang was so taken aback by this sudden outburst that he was left bewildered.
He tried to explain, “Miss Shen, our Heir didn’t mean—”
But Shen Tang cut Qingyang off before he could finish and showed him the door. “Please leave. You’re not welcome here.”
Qingyang tried to say more, but Ayun pushed him all the way to the gate.
With a bang, she shut it without hesitation.
Qingyang rubbed his nose, which had nearly been hit by the door, and looked somewhat sheepish.
What on earth was that about?!
After Qingyang left, Shen Tang paced furiously around the room.
Did she look like the sort of petty person who would exploit a favor to get something in return?
She had kindly helped him, and not only had he failed to thank her in person, he had maliciously assumed the worst of her!
She must have been blind in her previous life. How had she never realized Meng Huaiyan was such an ungrateful wretch?
Seeing how furious her young mistress was, Ayun tried to soothe her with food and drink, and joined in cursing Meng Huaiyan.
After venting for a while, Shen Tang finally calmed down.
And then she began to regret it.
She’d acted on impulse. Those were three thousand taels in silver notes!
Three thousand taels!
Pride or three thousand taels—it should have been an easy choice.
But she simply couldn’t bring herself to go back to Meng Huaiyan.
The more Shen Tang thought about it, the more she regretted it. She was practically sick with it.
Meanwhile, Qingyang was troubled as he looked at the gifts and silver notes he hadn’t managed to deliver.
After hesitating for a long while, he finally knocked on the study door.
“Come in,” Meng Huaiyan said.
Qingyang entered the study and gently set the box on the desk. Meng Huaiyan glanced at it. “What happened?”
Daring not to lie, Qingyang nervously repeated Shen Tang’s words exactly as she had said them.
Silence fell over the room. Meng Huaiyan’s expression was cold, giving nothing away, yet Qingyang still felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him.
His back bent despite himself.
Meng Huaiyan gave an ambiguous little “Heh.”
How interesting. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to insult him like that. He had underestimated her.
Qingyang was so frightened by that sound that he nearly broke out in a cold sweat. He lowered his head even further, not daring to look at the Heir’s expression.
Suppressing his displeasure, Meng Huaiyan said coldly, “Put it away.”
“Yes.”
*
The days passed like flowing water.
At first, Shen Tang was still worried and afraid, but after nothing untoward happened for a while, she gradually relaxed.
With Qingming approaching, the Old Madam decided that everyone from Meng Residence should visit Zhenru Temple for an outing and prayers for blessings.
Zhenru Temple lay on the outskirts of the capital, only half a day’s journey from the city, and was famous for its beautiful scenery.
Every year around Qingming, Zhenru Temple’s cherry and apricot blossoms burst into bloom across the mountain, creating a dreamlike sight and one of the capital’s great spectacles.
The Grand Princess held a most exalted status.
When the abbot of Zhenru Temple heard that Meng Residence would be visiting, he closed off the mountain in advance. No outsiders were allowed near.
So that day, apart from those from Meng Residence, there was no one else.
The abbot was in his seventies, yet vigorous and bright-eyed, with a kind and benevolent face.
Wearing a simple gray robe, he walked steadily ahead, leading everyone slowly toward the main hall.
The hall was magnificent and spacious, its grandeur inspiring a sense of solemn reverence.
Four enormous pillars stood inside, supporting the lofty roof.
Shen Tang stepped into the hall and looked up.
The great Buddha above appeared solemn and compassionate, and a deep sense of reverence welled up within her.
Holding incense, Shen Tang walked slowly to the kneeling cushion. She knelt, pressed her palms together, and reverently placed the incense in the burner.
She had never believed in such things. She had always thought they were insubstantial nonsense, meant to deceive people.
People prayed only to satisfy their own wishes, giving themselves something to hope for.
But after experiencing rebirth herself, she had realized just how vast the world was, and how full of wonders.
The things she had once thought absurd were not entirely impossible after all.
The blessing ceremony lasted a little over two hours. When it ended, everyone felt rather tired.
Seeing how exhausted they were, the abbot instructed several young novice monks to show them to their rooms to rest.
The rooms were on the eastern side, in a quiet and pleasant setting.
Feeling sleepy, Shen Tang decided to take a short nap. She thought the unfamiliar bed might keep her awake, but she slept right through until the hour of the Monkey.
The trouble with sleeping so much was that she tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep.
With a sigh, Shen Tang got up and decided to walk outside.
The moon was bright that night, its light spilling down like flowing water and casting a faint glow.
Moonlight dappled the shadows of the trees across the bluestone paving. A gentle breeze stirred, making the shadows sway softly—a scene with a beauty all its own.
Shen Tang strolled slowly, enjoying this rare peace and quiet.
Suddenly, a flash of light flickered before her eyes. Without thinking, she looked toward its source.
But all she saw there were trees and thick shrubs.
It was as if she had imagined it.
Still, Shen Tang had an inexplicable feeling that something was wrong.
Keeping her expression calm, she cautiously found a place to hide and fixed her eyes on the spot.
A moment later, something moved there. It was so slight that anyone who wasn’t watching closely would have noticed nothing amiss.
She saw several people emerge from the bushes, dressed in black, moving with agility and light steps, each gripping a sword.
The flash she had noticed earlier had probably been moonlight reflecting off a blade.
Shen Tang was horrified. The figures moved cautiously toward the northeast. She remembered that the Old Madam and the First Branch were staying in that direction.
Who were these people? How dare they attack the Meng family?
The situation was urgent. Shen Tang didn’t hesitate. She hid herself as quickly as she could and shouted, “Assassins!”
The night had been utterly silent, so Shen Tang’s cry rang out with startling clarity.
The assassins froze for a moment, startled by the sudden shout.
As soon as they recovered, they stopped trying to hide and hurried toward the northeast.
Only then did Shen Tang realize there were more than a hundred of them.
The Meng Residence guards heard the commotion and engaged the assassins.
The quiet night was shattered in an instant. The air filled with the harsh clang of clashing weapons and the sounds of fighting.
The assassins moved like ghosts, their attacks vicious. The guards parried as best they could and fought back with their lives on the line. The battle grew fiercer by the moment.
In no time, the air was thick with the stench of blood, making Shen Tang feel sick.
Shen Tang forced down her nausea and looked for an opportunity to reach Madam Shen’s quarters.
Madam Shen’s rooms were not far from the First Branch’s. Shen Tang didn’t know what was happening there now, and she was worried.
Her heart pounding, Shen Tang crouched low and kept herself as concealed as possible. She moved with extreme caution, trying to stay out of the assassins’ sight, but one of them spotted her anyway.
Terror seized Shen Tang. She took a deep breath, abandoned any attempt to stay hidden, gathered her skirts, and sprinted like the wind.
But the assassin was too fast. In an instant, he was right in front of Shen Tang.
Caught off guard, Shen Tang stumbled in fright and fell hard to the ground.
The assassin didn’t hesitate. His blade flashed coldly through the air as he thrust it viciously toward Shen Tang.
Shen Tang trembled all over and squeezed her eyes shut. Despair washed over her; she thought she was about to die there.
At that critical moment, there was a sharp clang, and the assassin’s hand was severed clean off, dropping to the ground!
Shen Tang opened her eyes in shock. A figure had appeared like a ghost, moving so fast it was astonishing.
Before the assassin could recover, a long sword plunged straight through his throat.
In an instant, blood sprayed everywhere.
Hot blood spattered Shen Tang’s body and face. Its sticky feel made her stomach churn, and she nearly retched.
Forcing down her discomfort, Shen Tang looked carefully. The newcomer was a woman in black fitted clothes, her face cold and stern.
She was slender but not frail. Every movement was crisp and decisive, every strike swift as lightning.
Clearly, she was a formidable fighter.
Shen Tang was still too stunned to react.
The woman abruptly hauled her to her feet and pulled her behind her. “Stay close!”