Chapter 34

The Flower Goddess Temple is located south of the East Market, near Lingyan Lake. Inside, it houses the Kindness Bodhisattva and dozens of flower deities. During the Flower Festival, the temple holds flower deity worship ceremonies, attracting women from the capital and surrounding counties, all dressed in their finest, often seeking marriage and blessings. On regular days, the temple is also bustling with visitors offering incense, creating a lively scene.

At the beginning of Xu Hour (7-9 pm), the evening deepens, and Magnolia Street outside the temple is adorned with scattered lights.

Most visitors to the Flower Goddess Temple are women, and Magnolia Street sells items favored by women, such as cosmetics, jewelry, and elegant fabrics, creating a dazzling array. Amid these, there are exquisite tea houses and flower markets, which are especially popular with ladies of nobility.

Qin Ying’s carriage had just arrived at the Flower Goddess Temple when she spotted the Lu family’s carriage waiting there. Lu Roujia was already peering out of the curtain, and upon seeing Qin Ying, her smile brightened. She quickly descended from the carriage.

“Greetings, County Princess—”

Today, Lu Roujia was dressed in a moon-white orchid-patterned dress. Standing gracefully amidst the lights, she exuded quiet beauty and elegance that was especially pleasing to the eye. Qin Ying studied her momentarily and asked, “Have you been to the Flower Goddess Temple before?”

Lu Roujia smiled, “Of course. I’ve been here before. Did you invite me to accompany you in offering incense today?”

Qin Ying shook her head and pointed at the teahouse opposite the Flower Goddess Temple. “Let’s sit there for a while.”

Lu Roujia found it a bit odd but responded with a smile and agreed. As they walked, she said, “It’s quite late today. If we’d come earlier, before Shen Hour (3-5 pm), we might have met Master Huineng in the temple to draw lots. His predictions are incredibly accurate—many women have had their marriages foretold by him.”

Qin Ying’s face carried a faint smile, though her heart felt heavy. Seeing Lu Roujia’s bright, sincere eyes, it was hard to imagine the tragic fate awaiting her seven years later—broken and eventually dying in misery.

Qin Ying took a deep breath. “We can come another day for the lot drawing. You might remember that ten days ago, I mentioned that after Cui Wan’s case is resolved, I’d take you to a certain place.”

Lu Roujia looked at her. “Yes, I remember.” She glanced toward the teahouse ahead. “Could it be that the place County Princess referred to is this teahouse across from the Flower Goddess Temple?”

Qin Ying nodded. As they spoke, the two arrived at the teahouse entrance, where a servant warmly welcomed them. Qin Ying said, “We’d like a private room on the second floor facing the Flower Goddess Temple.”

The servant responded promptly, leading them upstairs and selecting a finely decorated room for them. Qin Ying and Lu Roujia entered and took their seats, but Qin Ying had Shen Luo and Bai Yuan wait outside. Bai Yuan seemed surprised but said nothing in Lu Roujia’s presence.

After the servant delivered fresh tea sets and leaves, Lu Roujia personally brewed tea for Qin Ying. Qin Ying didn’t stop her, but she turned slightly to look toward the Flower Goddess Temple. After a while, she said, “What you’ll see later might upset you, but after thinking it over, I felt it wouldn’t be right to hide it from you.”

Her expression was overly serious, causing Lu Roujia’s movements to freeze. “What does the County Princess want me to see?”

Qin Ying replied, “You’ll understand once the tea is brewed.”

Lu Roujia grew increasingly suspicious, but knowing that Qin Ying would never harm her, she resumed her actions. Soon, the elegant aroma of the tea filled the room. Unable to resist, Lu Roujia asked, “County Princess, did you know about this long ago?”

Qin Ying raised her eyebrows. “Know about what?”

In a soft voice, Lu Roujia said, “About the illegitimate son of Earl Zhongyuan’s residence.”

Qin Ying hadn’t expected Lu Roujia to bring this up. Seeing her reaction, Lu Roujia understood and explained, “After the public trial, everyone thought it was just a private affair between Cui Wan and Xue Ming. But today, Madam Lin’s illness worsened, and my father’s colleague, Physician He, visited to treat her. He happened to witness the Xue family sending people to make a scene at Earl Zhongyuan’s residence. Physician He overheard things he shouldn’t have and was so startled that he couldn’t keep it to himself. When he returned to the imperial hospital, he shared the matter with my father.”

Qin Ying sighed deeply. “It’s true.”

Lu Roujia’s eyes were filled with shock. “I never expected it to escalate to this extent. Madam Lin truly took a dangerous gamble for her daughter.”

Qin Ying’s gaze grew somber. “Once things involve a child, there’s no turning back. Many tragedies could be avoided if the right choices were made at the very beginning.”

Lu Roujia felt that Qin Ying’s mood was particularly heavy today, and her words carried deeper meaning. Just then, the first pot of tea was ready. She poured a cup for Qin Ying and said, “County Princess, you’re acting strange today…”

As Qin Ying accepted the teacup, two carriages approached along the street below. Her gaze sharpened. “Look toward the Flower Goddess Temple.”

Filled with curiosity, Lu Roujia turned to look and saw the two carriages stopping in front of the temple. The curtain of the first carriage was lifted, and a maid stepped out first. Following her was a young lady cloaked in a cape. The lady was slender and elegantly dressed, but she appeared unwell. She descended the carriage unsteadily, relying on the maid for support.

Once steady, the lady turned to the carriage behind her. At that moment, Lu Roujia caught sight of her profile. She frowned slightly, “Which family’s young lady is that? She looks somewhat familiar.”

Qin Ying didn’t respond immediately. The young lady began speaking with someone inside the second carriage. The person inside lifted the curtain slightly, revealing just a corner, but from their vantage point, half of the person’s face was visible. In that instant, Lu Roujia was stunned. “That—that’s the heir?”

A beam of light entered the dim carriage, illuminating half of the face. Lu Roujia had admired Cui Muzhi since childhood; that glimpse was enough for her to recognize him. Qin Ying said, “That young lady is Lu Yue’ning, the second daughter of the Duke Lu household. She’s seventeen this year. The Duke Lu household and the Marquis Changqing household have long-standing ties. She and Cui Muzhi grew up as childhood friends. She’s been frail and sickly since childhood and was sent to a convent for two years to recuperate. Since then, she’s presented herself as a lay Buddhist disciple and has lived a secluded life. You’ve probably seen her at some banquets.”

Lu Roujia gripped the teacup tightly, her brows furrowed and her eyes trembling slightly. Only then did she understand why Qin Ying’s tone had been so heavy earlier. Qin Ying continued, “Lu Yuening is now a disciple under Master Hui’an in this temple. She comes every evening to listen to his sermons. Cui Muzhi, out of pity for her frailty, has offered 108 lotus heart lamps for her under the Twelve Flower Deities in this Flower Goddess Temple. You know that this place is meant for women to seek blessings, and for most people, offering seven heart lamps is already considered a small fulfillment. Yet Cui Muzhi offered her 108 lamps…”

Lu Roujia’s palms grew cold. “I’ve seen her before. She is indeed the second young lady of the Duke Lu household. She… since she is a lay Buddhist disciple and has childhood ties with Young Master Cui, it’s… it’s not that big of a deal…”

Qin Ying looked at her with pity. In the original account, Lu Roujia only discovered the 108 heart lamps in the Flower Goddess Temple a year into her marriage. At that time, she had been heartbroken over Cui Muzhi’s aloof behavior. Seeing those lamps, she finally realized that she was merely a pawn for the Cui family to display loyalty to Emperor Zhenyuan. She confronted Cui Muzhi immediately, and upon being discovered, Cui Muzhi no longer hid the truth. He recounted Lu Yuening’s tragic and pitiful life story. Later, when the Duke Lu household encountered difficulties, Cui Muzhi even brought Lu Yuening into the residence to recuperate and used the entire Cui family’s resources to help the Duke Lu household out of trouble.

Qin Ying shook her head. “The title of a lay Buddhist disciple is merely a label. Do you think the Duke Lu household would let their daughter remain unmarried forever?”

At this, Lu Roujia turned to Qin Ying. “Could it be that the County Princess changed her mind because of this matter?”

Qin Ying’s throat tightened, but she decided to go along with it. Without hesitation, she calmly said, “You are correct. A woman admiring a man is not a crime, but if you know his heart belongs to someone else, no matter how good he may seem, it’s not worth degrading ourselves to the dust. Besides, a person’s feelings are exceedingly difficult to change. Why force someone else and end up hurting yourself in the process?”

Lu Roujia’s lips were tightly pursed. “But if…”

Qin Ying sighed, “You are most aware of what kind of person Cui Muzhi is. He is indifferent, craves power, and values family honor above all. For someone like that to be so concerned about a frail young girl far exceeds the bounds of mere family friendship. He probably doesn’t even treat Cui Wan with such care. For someone so important to reside in his heart, how painful it would be for you to marry him.”

In front of the Flower Goddess Temple, Lu Yuening had already finished her conversation with Cui Muzhi. The carriage curtain fell, and only after Lu Yuening entered the temple did Cui Muzhi’s carriage depart. Pain had already surfaced in Lu Roujia’s eyes. “But the engagement between the two families has been set. The young ladies of the Duke Lu household could never become mere concubines…”

Qin Ying helplessly replied, “You are by his side, yet he has someone else in his heart. Can you truly bear this?”

Lu Roujia lowered her gaze. “But in this world, men have three wives and four concubines. Even if it’s not her, there will always be someone else—”

Qin Ying grew slightly anxious. Indeed, the world is as Lu Roujia described, and finding such a husband may not be the worst fate. But if it leads to death…? Even if the plot has now diverged, with Lu Roujia’s character, once she marries into the Marquis’s household, the outcome would be uncertain.

Qin Ying was visibly hesitant, but seeing Lu Roujia’s pale complexion and apparent inability to bear it, she restrained herself and said, “I brought you here because I didn’t want you to remain oblivious. Now that you know, the choice is entirely yours.”

Lu Roujia’s teacup had already cooled, but she no longer had the heart to drink tea. She turned her gaze toward the Flower Goddess Temple, then looked at Qin Ying a moment later. “I always thought you were the most persistent, but I never expected you to be so carefree.”

Feeling slightly guilty, Qin Ying replied calmly, “Cui Muzhi isn’t the best man in the world. Why should I hang myself from just one tree?”

Lu Roujia gave a bitter smile. “I never imagined that one day, I’d be sitting with you, only for you to persuade me not to marry into the Cui family.”

Thinking of the original storyline, Qin Ying also felt it was like a dream. But she had already said enough. If Lu Roujia was determined not to turn back, she truly had no way to stop her.

Seeing her spiritless, Qin Ying said, “Love and marriage are not all there is to a woman’s life. If you won’t hurt yourself because of Cui Muzhi’s actions, then marrying into the Marquis’s household to live a wealthy and leisurely life as the heir’s wife wouldn’t be bad at all. It’s just up to you to decide.”

Noticing her cooled tea, Qin Ying took the cup from Lu Roujia’s hand and replaced it with a fresh, warm one. After sipping the hot tea, the vitality returned to Lu Roujia’s eyes, and she sincerely said, “I understand. Thank you, County Lord.”

Qin Ying smiled bitterly. “Just don’t think I’m trying to ruin your marriage.”

Lu Roujia couldn’t help but smile. “In the past, I might have thought so. But the night you saved me, I realized I couldn’t repay kindness with resentment. Moreover, you’re quite different from how you used to be.”

There was no way to continue this conversation, so Qin Ying picked up her tea and drank.

Seeing that Lu Roujia was distracted, Qin Ying decided not to linger any longer. After finishing her tea, she left the tea room with her. When they entered, Lu Roujia was in good spirits, but by the time they left, her face was clearly pale. Bai Yuan and Shen Luo were alarmed, and as they descended the stairs, Bai Yuan whispered beside Qin Ying, “County Princess, did you bully Miss Lu again?”

Qin Ying almost raised her hand to her forehead. “I’m not bullying her; I’m saving her.”

How could Bai Yuan believe that? But before she could say anything, her attention was suddenly drawn to the tea house’s entrance, and she exclaimed, “Envoy Xie—”

Following Bai Yuan’s gaze, Qin Ying was also surprised. She instructed Shen Luo to pay for the tea and quickly stepped outside to greet Xie Xinglan. “Envoy Xie, are you here for tea as well?”

Xie Xinglan seemed unsure of what expression to make. “No.”

“Then you are—?”

Xie Xinglan hesitated for words, but Xie Jian, standing behind him, poked his head out and said, “County Princess, our lord is here to see you.”

Raising her eyebrows, Qin Ying asked, “Is there news?”

Xie Xinglan started to reply, “Su Huaizhang—”

Before he could finish, Lu Roujia appeared, walking out from behind. She greeted Xie Xinglan with a bow, but her expression was vacant, and she seemed lost in thought. Xie Xinglan glanced at Lu Roujia and then at Qin Ying, his expression uncannily similar to Bai Yuan’s earlier.

Qin Ying laughed coldly. “I wasn’t bullying her.”

Xie Xinglan neither agreed nor denied it. Qin Ying, uninterested in arguing, first spoke to Lu Roujia. Since they both needed to return home from the Flower Goddess Temple via the eastern market before heading north, Lu Roujia boarded the carriage first. Qin Ying then turned to Xie Xinglan. “What about Su Huaizhang?”

Xie Xinglan said, “Su Huaizhang mentioned that Dou Yu hadn’t said anything strange in the past six months, but he brought up an old matter. Thirteen or fourteen years ago, when Dou Yu became his disciple, the student he originally intended to take was someone else—a person of similar build to Dou Yu. Based on the ages of the four Dou brothers, Dou Yu, Dou Ye, and Dou Huan were of similar age, so it likely was one of them.”

Qin Ying furrowed her brow. “But that was thirteen or fourteen years ago.”

Xie Xinglan nodded. “That’s correct, but this old grievance may be something the culprit has been harboring deep in their heart.”

Qin Ying nodded in agreement, noticing Lu Roujia sitting in the carriage waiting. She boarded the carriage first and continued speaking with Xie Xinglan as the carriage began moving toward the eastern market. Qin Ying, knowing that Xie Xinglan was already aware of the matter regarding the grape cake, remarked, “But we still can’t confirm the culprit. When we visit the Dou family tomorrow, it’s best to investigate this matter thoroughly and see if any clues can be found. However, I still feel that something about this doesn’t add up—several pieces of evidence just don’t align.”

Xie Xinglan agreed and glanced at the carriage at the front, which belonged to the Lu family. “I didn’t expect you to meet with Lu Roujia, but what did you do to make her look like that?”

Qin Ying replied coldly, “Stay out of women’s affairs.”

With a swift motion, she let the curtain fall, clearly displeased. Xie Xinglan couldn’t help but chuckle, his lips curving slightly. At that moment, as if remembering something, Qin Ying suddenly lifted the curtain again. Upon doing so, she was momentarily stunned. Xie Xinglan, with his tall, slender figure and elegant face, stood illuminated by the scattered lamplight, his eyes shimmering as if containing a starry river. His smile—or lack thereof—seemed to transform him into someone entirely different.

Xie Xinglan was also momentarily dazed but quickly regained composure. His expression turned neutral again as he asked, “What is it?”

The carriage had already entered the bustling market, with the crowds and lanterns around fading into the backdrop. Qin Ying was about to praise his charming smile when her attention was suddenly drawn to shouts from a small alley by the street. The alley lacked the light of the main street, but Qin Ying immediately noticed two men harassing a young woman. Her brows furrowed, and she called out, “Stop the carriage!”

Before the carriage stopped, she leaped down and strode into the dark alley, demanding, “What are you doing?!”

It was unclear whose back door this was. Two men in black robes were holding on tightly to a young woman in a purple dress. The woman had already taken two blows to her face, leaving her lips bruised and her hair undone. She was now huddled helplessly on the ground, her eyes brimming with tears. As soon as Qin Ying shouted, the men and the woman turned to look.

Seeing Qin Ying dressed in luxurious attire, the man leading the group said, ‘We are merely disciplining a servant from our own inn. My lady, it’s better if you don’t interfere in other people’s affairs, or else—’

Before he could finish, his expression changed dramatically. Behind Qin Ying stood Xie Xinglan, dressed in an official robe. The two men immediately let go of the young woman in purple and said, “Your Excellency, we were only disciplining our own servant. Hong Xiu, you tell them yourself.”

The woman on the ground clutched her torn collar as she knelt and sobbed, “I am a musician from the inn, but my hands were clumsy, and I stole money from the boss. These two brothers gave me a small punishment; it’s all my fault.”

Xie Xinglan assessed her for a moment and asked, ‘How much money did you steal?’

One of the men in black replied, “Twenty taels—it’s three years of her wages. The money cannot be recovered now, but at least we didn’t report this to the authorities.”

Xie Xinglan looked at the woman in purple. “Is this true?”

The woman kept nodding, and Qin Ying couldn’t help but ask, ‘Where is your boss?'”

Seeing her want to pursue the matter, the girl in purple started crying and pleading, “I beg the lord and madam to spare this common girl. Please don’t call the master. If the master is called, this common girl will surely be sent to the authorities. Being beaten is nothing, but once I’m in the authorities’ hands, it will be hard for me to make a living in the capital. I beg the lord and madam for great mercy. I don’t want to lose my means of survival…”

Qin Ying originally intended to investigate the truth, but unexpectedly, the girl was very resistant. Moreover, she addressed them as “lord” and “madam,” clearly misunderstanding the relationship between Qin Ying and Xie Xinglan. Qin Ying didn’t mind, but upon glancing to the side, Xie Xinglan’s expression appeared somewhat odd.

After some thought, Qin Ying eventually told the two men, “You’ve punished her enough. If you hurt her too badly, you would also be breaking the law. Should the authorities decide to investigate, the crime of harming someone would be far greater than stealing silver.”

At this moment, the man in black respectfully replied, “Yes, madam, your instruction is correct. Rest assured, we won’t beat her anymore. Tomorrow, we’ll make her pack up and leave. We won’t even demand the silver.”

As he spoke, the man in black pulled the girl in purple up and pushed her through the door within a few moves, closing the door behind her. The narrow alley instantly became darker. Qin Ying felt somewhat helpless. She had seen many unclear cases like this, where most victims refused outside help. Furthermore, considering the current times, the girl’s fear was understandable.

Seeing Xie Xinglan silent, Qin Ying asked, “Lord, what is your opinion?”

Xie Xinglan had long been aware of Qin Ying’s unrestrained attitude. However, he hadn’t expected that, even in such circumstances, she could lightly call him “lord.” He stiffly replied, “What else can I think? I can’t do anything—”

After saying that, he turned and walked away. Qin Ying clicked her tongue lightly and followed him. Lu Roujia had already dismounted from the carriage. Seeing them come out, she hurriedly asked what had happened. After Qin Ying explained, Lu Roujia sighed, “Such things happen every day. The master scolding and punishing their wrong-doing servants is beyond control.”

Qin Ying nodded, “True. That girl fears us meddling too much, so let’s leave it be. It’s getting late; let’s head home early. Don’t let tonight’s matter trouble you too much.”

Lu Roujia acknowledged the remark, and Qin Ying watched as she entered the carriage. Just as Qin Ying was about to get on the carriage herself, she suddenly turned and looked at the signboard of the nearby restaurant. It was already late, yet the restaurant was brightly lit inside, bustling with guests. The sound of strings and bamboo instruments blended with the calls of drinking games, indicating that this was the most prosperous establishment on the long street. The striking three characters of “Feng Le Tavern” caused Qin Ying’s pupils to contract slightly.

It was such a coincidence that she encountered a restaurant owned by the Dou family.

Xie Xinglan also looked at the sign, “This restaurant belongs to the third branch of the Dou family’s business. Tomorrow, we can inquire again about the whereabouts of the girl we met earlier.”

Hearing this, Qin Ying felt reassured and boarded the carriage heading north. Upon reaching Yujie Street, she parted ways with Lu Roujia and Xie Xinglan and went straight to the Marquis Linchuan’s residence. Xie Xinglan lingered briefly on the street, this time not accompanying her to bid farewell.

Xie Jian asked suspiciously, “Why don’t you escort her to the Marquis’s residence today?”

Xie Xinglan replied irritably, “Why bother?”

Xie Jian and Xie Yong exchanged baffled looks, entirely puzzled.

Upon returning home, Qin Ying found that Qin Zhang was engrossed in his meditation in the study. The steward, Qin Guang, explained, “Earlier today, Daoist Zhang came to our residence to discuss Daoist scriptures with the Marquis. Since he left, the Marquis has been deep in thought and instructed us not to disturb him. It seems he will ponder this through half the night.”

Qin Ying nodded, “Then I won’t disturb Father. If he comes out, just let him know I returned early.”

Qin Guang acknowledged this, and Qin Ying went to rest in Qingwu Courtyard.

The next morning, as Qin Ying had breakfast, Qin Zhang was still nowhere to be seen. Qin Guang explained, “The Marquis hasn’t come out all night. He still seems to be reading scriptures, and we dare not interrupt him.”

Qin Ying wondered how a man of Qin Zhang’s age could stay up all night like this. She immediately headed to the scripture room.

Qin Zhang was passionate about cultivating the Dao, and the scripture room was an independent pavilion built next to his study. As Qin Ying entered the courtyard, she saw Qin Zhang’s silhouette cast onto the window lattice. He was still seated behind his desk, deeply engrossed in his reading.

Qin Ying shook her head helplessly, walked to the door, and called out, “Father.” She gently pushed the door open, but as soon as it opened, she stopped in her tracks. Qin Zhang was seated in a reclining chair, leaning back against the headrest, clutching a cushion to his chest, with his eyes closed and snoring softly.

Qin Guang, standing nearby, chuckled and whispered, “He’s not reading scriptures; clearly, he’s been asleep for a long time. A man of the Marquis’s age should know better than to sleep here instead of returning to his room. County Princess, shall we wake him up?”

Qin Ying did not immediately respond. Puzzled, Qin Guang looked at her and asked, “County Princess?”

At that moment, Qin Ying’s eyes flickered with changing light, and suddenly, she revealed a look of surprised realization, as if she had unraveled some mystery. She murmured, “So that’s how it is—”

Qin Guang was utterly bewildered. Qin Ying then instructed, “Wake Father up. Have him eat breakfast first before he goes back to sleep!”

After leaving these words behind, Qin Ying swiftly exited the courtyard like a gust of wind.