Chapter 40 Mid-Autumn Festival 2 Cui Ying's heart tightened, and she subconsciously looked at Xiao Qi...

The night was deep and quiet, and the dew was slightly cool.

Xuanwu Avenue is adjacent to the north of the imperial city, and numerous government offices stand along its surface.

The Three Judicial Offices and the Northern Garrison Office were all included in this list.

During the day, shops on both sides are open, vendors push their carts and hawk their wares, and pedestrians come and go in a constant stream, creating a lively atmosphere.

At this moment, all was silent. The only sound in the darkness was the rustling of the swords and armor of the night patrol guards. The cold moon hung high in the sky, and the light and shadow it cast seemed to be tinged with a murderous aura. Ordinary people walking on the street felt a chill run down their spines.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves rang out from the street and eventually disappeared into a quiet alley at the end of the street.

In the alley, there was only one courtyard. Two white gauze lanterns hung on either side of the black lacquered elm door of the courtyard. The dim candlelight and moonlight intertwined, illuminating the three neat and upright characters on the plaque: Zangjingzhai.

Xiao Heng dismounted, casually removing his official hat. The embroidered spring knife rubbed against the belt at his waist, making a sound, and the scale-shaped chain patterns on his flying fish robe, woven with gold thread, gleamed coldly in the lamplight.

The servant, Qingshan, bowed and greeted him, skillfully taking the official hat. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Sir, the old lady sent someone today to say that the family sacrifice is tomorrow, and you must return to the manor."

"knew."

Seeing that Xiao Heng did not stop, Qingshan followed up and said, "The young mistress was concerned about your health and sent someone to deliver a bowl of black-boned chicken and ginseng soup, which has been kept warm on the stove."

Xiao Heng's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his tone instantly turned cold: "You drank it."

Qingshan lowered his head even further and respectfully replied, "Yes." Then, after a moment's hesitation, his voice was almost caught in his throat: "And also... that girl still hasn't left."

Xiao Heng's steps suddenly froze.

The evening breeze was damp, making the crape myrtle tree by the door rustle. Its crimson blossoms covered the ground, and the auspicious color that originally symbolized the arrival of good fortune from the east was mixed with dust and turned into an unsightly green.

A woman knelt under a tree, her figure as slender and delicate as a willow branch easily broken in early spring. Her thin clothes blended almost into the night, and her snow-white skin seemed to glow in the darkness. Her long, ink-black hair was draped down, covering most of her face, revealing only her delicately shaped jawline and a pair of pale but still beautiful lips.

Upon realizing that Xiao Heng's gaze was fixed on her, the woman's body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

She clenched her pale fingers, then bent over deeply, her forehead slamming heavily against the cold stone floor: "This servant, Jingnu, begs Commander Xiao to rescue the Zhao family mother and daughter from the Jiaofangsi. This servant is willing to serve Commander Xiao like a slave for the rest of her life, even unto death!"

Her voice was weak and light, like a raindrop that seemed about to fall, yet it also forced a strong and resolute tone, making one feel sorry for her.

"I don't need a weak woman to be my slave."

Xiao Heng's tone was calm and authoritative, and his gaze towards the woman was devoid of any emotion: "I have no need for you to die for me."

"You are just a lowly dancer. Without the protection of the Zhao family, you can barely protect yourself. Don't even think about meddling in the affairs of the court. This is not something you can interfere with."

He strode toward the courtyard gate, his voice icy: "Do you know that if I wanted to, I could have taken you away yesterday, charged you with bribery, given a hundred strokes of the cane, and exiled two thousand miles away?"

The woman's shoulders trembled even more violently, but her kowtowing posture remained unchanged. Her thin body blended into the shadows under the tree, so fragile that a single petal could crush her.

After Xiao Heng entered, Qingshan walked to the tree and sighed, "Miss Jingnu, why did you do this? The Zhao family has fallen, and you have gained your freedom. You should be happy. Why risk your life for that mother and daughter? Zhao Dongsheng deserved his punishment, and his wife and daughter were not innocent either. They deserved to die."

Silence reigned beneath the tree, broken only by the soft rustling of crape myrtle blossoms falling.

Qingshan knew that saying anything more would be useless, after all, he had been kneeling for a whole day and night. If he could persuade him, he wouldn't have waited until now.

He sighed and prepared to return to the courtyard. Before leaving, he said, "Let me tell you the truth. If you really want to save them, you might as well ask someone else. My master is an unyielding bodhisattva. He is neither greedy for gold and silver nor interested in women. No matter how many high-ranking officials and nobles try to curry favor with him, what means can a girl like you who can only dance use to get him to help you?"

Having said all that, Qingshan said no more, turned and left, closing the courtyard gate to isolate himself from the outside world.

As the wind rustled through the trees, large swaths of crape myrtle blossoms fell softly, burying themselves on the woman's shoulders. The crimson flowers clung to her snow-white neck, like fresh scars.

...

At dawn, Xiao Heng finally finished reading the secret reports from various places. When he went to the window to look out at the watchtower of the Northern Garrison, he found that a fine drizzle had begun to fall outside.

As if possessed, he thought of the stubbornly kneeling figure under the crape myrtle tree.

A faint, complex emotion, which he himself was unaware of, swept quickly through his mind.

Xiao Heng never expected that Zhao Dongsheng, who was corrupt and abused his power, formed cliques and pursued personal gain, and had won over countless officials, would fall from grace and his followers would scatter like leaves in the wind. In the end, it was a helpless dancer who knelt in front of his door, hoping to plead for a chance to survive for the mother and daughter who had fallen into prostitution.

This was not the first time Xiao Heng had met Jing Nu.

In the first few years, Zhao Dongsheng's power was at its zenith. He went to Zhao's mansion for a banquet to investigate the situation. During the banquet, his eyes inadvertently swept over the lead dancer. He stayed overnight, and the woman was washed, perfumed, wrapped in a thin veil, and sent to his room.

Jingnu was the woman who led the dance.

Xiao Heng confiscated the person.

This incident solidified Zhao Dongsheng's crime of bribing officials with his sexual favors, and it became one of the crimes listed by the Northern Garrison Command later against Zhao Dongsheng.

The rain pattered softly, and the night was as dark as ink.

At daybreak, Xiao Heng left the courtyard and headed to the Marquis's residence.

He had changed his clothes; now he wore plain blue satin shoes and a jade crown to tie his hair. Without the oppressive aura of the flying fish robe, he was actually a gentle-looking young man, but the coldness that had settled deep in his eyes was still lingering.

After mounting his horse, Xiao Heng gave Qingshan a few instructions. Noticing that Qingshan's gaze kept sweeping towards the crape myrtle tree, he looked over as well.

The air after the rain was cool and damp, carrying a slight chill of early autumn. The figure in white was still kneeling under the tree, her thin clothes completely soaked by the rain, clinging to her body and outlining her delicate figure. Her dark hair clung to her slender, snow-white neck, and her skin shivered in the morning chill.

"Make her kneel." Xiao Heng's voice was colder than the morning breeze. He lightly squeezed his calves against the horse's belly and gripped the reins. "I want to see how long she can kneel."

As soon as he finished speaking, the horse reared up, breaking the silence of the alley, and sped away.

When we arrived at the Marquis's residence, it was nearly 5:45 AM. The rain had stopped, the sun was rising, and the sky was tinged with the glow of dawn, making everything bright and clear.

Xiao Heng first went to the Bodhi Hall to pay his respects to his grandmother, and then saw his grandmother and the women off in the carriage to the temple to participate in the Ullambana Festival. Only then did he return to his study in the front courtyard, change into plain clothes, and go to the ancestral hall to preside over the sacrificial ceremony.

Ancestral hall.

The black lacquered gate was wide open, and a huge plain white lantern hung above the lintel, bearing the solemn character "奠" (meaning "offering sacrifice"), swaying slightly in the morning breeze.

The young man stood tall and straight under the door, instructing his servants to place the offerings in the designated locations. His hair was tied into a high ponytail with a white ribbon, and his plain clothes were spotless. The extremely simple color, however, made him exude the clear and bright spirit of a pine tree and a bright moon, and his youthful vigor was overwhelming.

Unfortunately, he had a pair of narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes that were as dark as a deep well. The moment their eyes met, even the most youthful energy would turn into a solemnity that was incongruous with his age.

Upon seeing Xiao Heng, Xiao Qiyu naturally greeted him as "Third Brother".

Xiao Heng nodded in acknowledgment and went over to inquire about the remaining matters.

“It’s almost done,” Xiao Qiyu said. “My second aunt had already made all the arrangements before she left. All we need to do is stay here and keep an eye on things to make sure the offerings are placed in the wrong places.”

Xiao Heng nodded after hearing this, his gaze sweeping over the man's slightly pale face: "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Not hungry yet," Xiao Qiyu replied succinctly.

Xiao Heng's tone turned serious: "It will be too late if you wait until you are hungry. Not eating breakfast on time is extremely harmful to your health."

After saying this, he instructed the servant to bring over some warm porridge and side dishes, and ordered Xiao Qiyu to sit down and eat at a table that had been temporarily set up to the side.

Xiao Qiyu did not refuse and sat down as instructed, eating quietly and attentively.

In the center of the ancestral hall, a huge sandalwood altar resembles a shrine. The altar is covered with brand-new white brocade, on which are offered three kinds of sacrificial animals and five kinds of fruits. A whole roasted suckling pig, golden and shiny, is placed in the center, wearing a red flower on its head and holding a green orange in its mouth. To the left is a clean, brightly colored whole sheep, and to the right is a plump rooster, its head held high towards the sky.

After the three sacrificial animals, there were piles of brightly colored seasonal fruits, and various pastries were displayed on official kiln porcelain plates. There were also dried fruits, candied fruits, seasonal vegetables and side dishes, all kinds of which covered the table.

There were so many offerings that servants were coming and going frequently, yet no one could tell that the two brothers had parted on bad terms just yesterday.

After finishing his meal, Xiao Qiyu continued to work in the ancestral hall. After arranging the offerings, he had to arrange the paper offerings, and after that, he had to copy a mountain of scriptures.

When everything was ready and the time had come to Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the women who had been chanting scriptures returned and stood solemnly in the ancestral hall according to their seniority and kinship.

As the younger generation's daughter-in-law, Cui Ying stood at the back of the female relatives, not far from Xiao Qiyu. She was also dressed in plain clothes, with only a white jade hairpin in her hair. Her beautiful face was unadorned, and her eyes were slightly dark. She yawned from time to time.

Xiao Qiyu walked silently to her side and whispered, "Bear with it, it'll be over soon."

With red eyes, Cui Ying stubbornly replied, "I'm alright, I wasn't that sleepy."

He then let out a long yawn.

Xiao Qiyu frowned as he looked at the few blood vessels in the whites of her eyes, a tightness gripping his heart: "Rub your face and wake yourself up."

Cui Ying was so sleepy that her ears were ringing: "What meat?"

Xiao Qiyu simply stopped trying to reason with her and instead stretched out his hands and rubbed her face haphazardly.

"Are you feeling more energetic now?" he asked.

Cui Ying slapped his hand away, her face covered in red marks, her amber eyes wide with fury: "Xiao Qiyu! Are your hands made of iron? You've rubbed my face raw!"

Xiao Qiyu scoffed and turned away, too lazy to look at her: "Like a dog biting Lü Dongbin."

Cui Ying: "You're the dog! Your whole family are dogs!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Shu and Xiao Wan, who were standing next to her, as well as Xiao Sheng, Xiao Lin, Xiao Ye, and all their brothers and sisters in the front row, turned around to look at her.

Cui Ying silently shut up and crouched behind Xiao Qiyu.

"The time has come—"

The old but loud voice of the master of rites suddenly rang out in the silent ancestral hall, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating an echo.

With the help of her children and grandchildren, Old Lady Wang solemnly lifted her robe and knelt down on the thick prayer cushion with lotus flower patterns in front of the offering table.

Behind her, all the clansmen, young and old, followed her movements and knelt down in unison. The rustling sound of their clothes against the ground blended into a deep, resonant sound.

“I humbly submit—” the official in charge of rites drawled.

The crowd bowed their heads in worship, their foreheads gently touching the cold ground.

"rise--"

"I humbly submit—"

The three kneelings and nine kowtows were performed with complete etiquette.

After the ceremony, Cui Ying was finally able to return to Qiyun Pavilion to catch up on sleep.

But daytime is just the beginning; the main event takes place at night.

In the spacious center outside the ancestral hall, a huge "treasury of gold and silver" made of blue bricks had already been prepared.

The servants carried the mountain of gold and silver ingots, colorful paper offerings, and scriptures for the deceased, and carefully placed them in the storeroom.

At midnight, the clansmen knelt neatly two feet away from the gold and silver vault. As the ritual officer finished reading the sacrificial text, a piece of yellow paper was lit and thrown into the vault, instantly igniting the paper offerings that had already been soaked in pine resin.

Crimson flames suddenly shot up several meters high, engulfing a vast number of paper items and scriptures.

Flames shot into the sky.

The ancestral hall was brightly lit inside and out, and waves of heat rolled in. The ashes of the paper, like a swarm of black butterflies, danced wildly in the night wind, swirling and eventually drifting into the deep, boundless night sky. The smell of burning paper suddenly became stronger in the air.

All the tribespeople remained kneeling, silently watching the raging flames. The firelight danced on their faces, reflecting a complex mix of emotions: sorrow, piety, and bewilderment.

Suppressed sobs could be heard sporadically from among the women.

Lady Wang was already in tears, watching the swirling ashes, murmuring the name of the deceased old marquis.

Qin wiped away Wang's tears, her own eyes glistening with tears. Zhang and Xue's eyes were red, and they kept their handkerchiefs close to their eyes.

Qian Qiuchan knelt behind Qin Shi, also pressing her handkerchief to the corner of her eye, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were extremely moved. However, her gaze, hidden behind the handkerchief, silently wandered to Xiao Heng in the men's row.

Xiao Heng was dressed in plain clothes, with only a thin hemp rope binding his waist, yet it accentuated his strong and narrow waistline, causing Qian Qiuchan's heart to pound as if it were being burned by flames.

How long has it been since they last saw each other?

Three months? Five months? Six months?

Today is the family memorial day, and even out of respect for his grandmother, he would not stay overnight at the villa outside the mansion.

This opportunity only comes once; if you miss it again, who knows how long you'll have to wait?

Qian Qiuchan silently clenched her handkerchief, a ruthless glint flashing in her lowered eyes.

She will get what she wants.

A gust of wind swept through, scattering ashes everywhere, and cries erupted at that moment.

Cui Ying was blinded by the ashes, but she forced herself to pull a dried candied fruit from her purse and smash it against Xiao Qiyu's back.

Xiao Qiyu turned to look at her, and she winked at him.

The two reached a consensus in a short time and, taking advantage of everyone's overwhelming grief, quietly withdrew from the group.

The master of ceremonies noticed them and called out to stop them: "The ceremony is not over yet, and no one is allowed to leave."

Cui Ying's heart tightened, and she subconsciously looked at Xiao Qiyu.

Xiao Qiyu reacted even faster, grabbing her wrist and hissing, "Go."

Before he finished speaking, he had already darted out like an arrow, the flames dancing violently in his dark pupils.

The questioning of the official in charge of rites and the astonishment of the clansmen were all left far behind them.

"Stop them!" the official's shout suddenly rang out.

Flames surged and soared into the sky from the gold and silver vaults, opening their gaping maws like giant dragons.

Young boys and girls ran wildly under the moonlight. Cui Ying was walking fast and almost tripped.

Xiao Qiyu reacted quickly, pulling her wrist back with a sudden burst of strength. In an instant, as if thinking of something, he swiftly slipped his other hand under her knees and cleanly hoisted her onto his shoulder, increasing his speed.

The evening breeze whistled past Cui Ying's ears. She felt like she had never experienced anything so fast in her life, her body as light as if she were flying—if she weren't face down.

"Put me down right now! I'm going to throw up!" Cui Ying pounded Xiao Qiyu's shoulders with her fists, then remembered that his back wound hadn't healed, and asked, "Does your body hurt?"

Xiao Qiyu put her down without answering her. He looked behind him, panting, and when he saw that no one was chasing him, he said to Cui Ying, "Your strength isn't enough to tickle me."

Cui Ying kicked him in the shin: "So what if you're thick-skinned!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of chaotic footsteps came from behind him. Xiao Qiyu instinctively grabbed Cui Ying's wrist and continued running.

Under the moonlight, the two fled back to Qiyun Pavilion. Their plain clothes were stained with sweat and ash, making them look filthy. Their faces were also covered in stains, like cats with stained faces. They had lost all their usual nobility and dignity and looked as disheveled as two little beggars running for their lives on the street.

Indeed, after closing the door of Qiyun Pavilion and locking it, the two men, panting heavily, were stunned for a moment when they saw each other's faces, and then they both burst into laughter.

After running, he burst into laughter. Xiao Qiyu was almost exhausted. His clothes were soaked with sweat, dirty and messy, a disheveled state that he would never have tolerated in the past.

But he had never felt so exhilarated as he did at this moment.

"Let's hurry up, or we'll miss the appointed time." Cui Ying, still out of breath, hurriedly set up the altar and placed the offerings.

In order to have some peace and quiet, she gave all the maids in the courtyard a day off, so the two of them had to do everything themselves.

Xiao Qiyu pushed Cui Ying aside, moved the offering table to the courtyard with one hand, and then took out the food box and placed the offerings that Cui Ying had prepared in advance.

If Xiao Qiyu was only slightly taken aback when he saw donkey meat sandwiches and steamed sugar-coated cheese, he really couldn't hold back when he saw crispy pork covered in chili powder, braised duck necks with a rich, savory aroma, and even fried tofu with a strange smell.

“Cui Ying,” Xiao Qiyu said, suppressing the throbbing in his temples. In his extreme helplessness, his tone became calm, “Why are the offerings you prepared for my mother all the ones you usually like to eat?”

Cui Ying placed the gold and silver ingots she had prepared in advance, as well as the Diamond Sutra that the two of them had worked together to copy, on the incense table in preparation for burning. Upon hearing this, she said with a straight face, "I'm already tired of all the big fish and meat dishes on the family sacrifice. It's time for some snacks. I love to eat the most delicious things, so of course I want one of each."

Xiao Qiyu remained silent for a moment, then finally pointed to the plate of stinky tofu and asked, "But, will this really work?"

Cui Ying gave him a look that said, "A wild boar can't eat fine chaff." She replied, "If you don't believe me, try it yourself. Anyway, your mother won't blame you."

Xiao Qiyu stared at the plate of crispy fried stinky tofu, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to taste it. He closed his eyes and followed Cui Ying.

After finishing everything, the two of them bowed to the altar before the appointed time, and then burned the ingots containing scriptures and recited the scriptures.

Cui Ying struggled to copy the scriptures, let alone recite them, so the task of reciting the scriptures naturally fell to Xiao Qiyu. She had to put the ingot-shaped scriptures into the brazier while muttering to herself.

"Fifth Aunt, I am Cui Ying. Although I should call you Mother-in-law on the surface, I find it a little hard to say it, so I'll just call you Aunt instead."

“Auntie, don’t be fooled by the strange food I’ve prepared for you, especially the fried stinky tofu. Trust me, it may smell bad, but it tastes amazing. Once you try the first bite, I guarantee you won’t be able to stop eating it.”

"And that braised duck neck, although it's a bit hard to chew, that's the essence of it. When you're reading a storybook, having a piece of braised duck neck with you is the ultimate way to be a celestial being."

As Cui Ying chattered on, she casually placed the storybooks she had gathered beforehand into the brazier.

Xiao Qiyu glanced casually and caught sight of flames licking the cover of the storybook. The bright firelight illuminated the cover, which clearly read: "The Investiture of the Gods: A Few Untold Stories about the Howling Celestial Dog and King Zhou of Shang."

In an instant, memories surged, and countless indescribable words floated through his mind—

Di Xin approached Xiaotian Dog, his slender jade fingers landing on the cold, hard lines of the dog's jaw, then trailing down along the jaw, his fingertips sliding towards the dog's firm waist and abdomen, circling over the well-defined muscles...

Di Xin, with a dreamy look in his eyes and alluring red lips, smiled at the Celestial Hound and said, "What guardian hound? It's just a little white-furred, slender-waisted puppy. Little puppy, don't go back to heaven. Stay by my side, and I'll appoint you as the Slender-Waisted General, how about that?"

"Little puppy, now that you're on my dragon bed, you can't just get off so easily."

"...Mmm, my slender waist general is truly amazing, tireless for seven days and seven nights... Be gentle, my waist is about to break from your impact."

The firelight scorched his face.

Xiao Qiyu's face flushed red, her delicate phoenix eyes distorted with anger. She forced a smile and gritted her teeth, uttering the word fiercely: "Cui Ying!"

What kind of awful things are you burning for my mother?!

-----------------------

Author's Note: Yu'er's mother: If you like it, burn more. [Starry-eyed]

The scene where Xiao Qiyu secretly reads Cui Ying's storybook seems to be in chapter ten. Those who have forgotten can catch up!