Chapter 9 A Small Gathering of Three at Dongshan Temple

He forcefully ripped open the thick yet thin brocade quilt.

Shen Hegui disliked yellow, which symbolized royal nobility; he preferred to use flawless pure white or light-colored brocade for his undergarments.

As we all know, dark colors make you look thinner, while light colors make you look fatter.

Especially now, under the clear outline of the plain white satin, the unusually bulge that is so taut as to be impossible to ignore appears particularly eye-catching, and could even be considered somewhat alarming.

In the past, he wouldn't have been so surprised, but things are different now.

Shen Hegui stared at that spot, his brow furrowed slightly, and as if possessed, he reached out and lightly touched it with his fingertips through the smooth satin fabric.

It's the familiar, correct feel.

Along with the familiar touch came an instinctive reaction of even greater swelling and pain upon being touched. Shen Hegui tensed up uncontrollably and was forced to let out an unbearable gasp.

It felt both painful and pleasurable.

Hearing the commotion, Feng Gou, who was guarding outside the hall, called out in a low voice, "Your Highness?"

The lingering echo from the dream vanished completely with the voice that broke the silence. In an instant, it all became smooth, as if everything before had been Shen Hegui's illusion.

He raised his hand and stroked it through the satin, trying to awaken it, but found that everything was the same and his hidden ailment had not healed.

"Get in here!" Hope appeared and disappeared, causing his mood to fluctuate wildly. Shen Hegui was too lazy to pretend to be his usual calm and composed self. He spoke those three simple words with a lot of hostility.

Feng Gou was one of the few people who knew what Shen Hegui really looked like, so he really had to crawl in. He tried hard to suppress his fear of Shen Hegui and asked tremblingly, "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"Go and invite Judge Zhang here."

"Yes." Feng Gou breathed a sigh of relief and then swiftly rolled out. A few years ago, when he was still loyal to Emperor Qinghe, he, like outsiders, thought that the Crown Prince was as bright as the moon, gentle and pure, not at all like a child who grew up in the center of power.

Until his favorite godson offended the Crown Prince. By the time he received the news and went to rescue him, his godson had been tortured to the point of barely clinging to life and was no longer recognizable as human. That day, he saw a completely different Crown Prince. He also understood why His Majesty always called the Crown Prince a devil, even erasing all traces of the Crown Prince's mother's existence.

Judge Zhang was already in the palace, so he arrived very quickly.

After Shen Hegui told him everything, he carefully took Shen Hegui's pulse, and the judge stroked the end of his short goatee into a small point.

"Your Highness's pulse is very healthy. It seems that in your dream, Your Highness forgot the unpleasant things that happened in the past, which led to the healing of your psychological trauma." He sighed and advised, "A mental illness requires a mental cure. I hope Your Highness can think things through soon. I will go and prescribe some medicine to calm your mind and relieve your anxiety."

Shen Hegui waved his hand, signaling to Zhang Yuanpan to go and prescribe the medicine.

Silence returned to the hall once more.

That's enough, one shouldn't ask for too much in life.

Shen Hegui rubbed his thumb against his other four fingers, feeling as if he had actually experienced the smooth, slippery sensation in his dream somewhere in reality, even though he hadn't been with a woman in a long time.

The deep blue sky was gradually taken over by the snow-white light. The absence of rosy dawn meant that today would be a cold and desolate overcast day.

Shen Hegui lay quietly with his eyes open until dawn. He was a light sleeper and had unusual energy, which he guessed was related to his mother's bloodline.

Thinking of the woman whose face was blurry deep in his memory, Shen Hegui rolled his eyes and looked at the yellow curtains swaying in the wind. He planned to visit his biological father, Shen Rui, later.

...

Lu Wensheng was never stingy with food, drink, and medicine, so when he woke up the next afternoon, he was able to get out of bed and walk normally, though he couldn't walk fast.

The family had just finished their first meal of the day when there was a loud knocking on the door outside the courtyard.

"Lu Wensheng, open the door quickly!"

"Wensheng, we've come to see you!"

It was Huo Qian and Shang Lian who pounded on the door like bandits entering a village.

Yingniang was washing the dishes, Song Zhiyun was wiping the table, and Lu Wensheng was propping himself up to open the door.

Song Zhiyun hurriedly stopped her: "Mother, you can't walk fast." Luckily, she gave birth to a daughter. If she had two sons, even ten door panels a month wouldn't be enough to knock on.

Song Zhiyun called out as she walked, "They're here, they're here."

Although she thought this way, she still liked Huo Qian and Shang Lian very much, and even hoped that one of them could become her son-in-law.

Of course, she only hoped for it secretly. She never revealed her thoughts to Lu Wensheng. The intricacies of officialdom were already enough to cause her anxiety, and she didn't want to add any more trouble for her daughter. It was fine if she never got married in this life.

The door was pulled open, making a creaking sound.

"Hello, Aunt Song!" the two greeted politely in unison.

"Okay." Seeing the two carrying red dates, goji berries, mutton, and several black fish on a stretcher, Song Zhiyun asked in confusion, "What are you doing?" Could it be some kind of auspicious custom that's become popular in the city?

Song Zhiyun was a native of the ancient times, so she was still somewhat superstitious at times.

Shang Lian spoke first, saying, "This morning we found out that Xiao Lu had been beaten, so we thought we'd bring some tonics to visit her. They're nothing valuable, so please don't mind, Auntie."

Huo Qian, following behind, raised the stretcher and added, "I heard that a particularly efficacious Taoist temple has recently opened on the eastern mountain of the city. We want to take Xiaolu there to get a peace charm and ward off bad luck."

Song Zhiyun stepped aside and said with a smile, "It's not a problem at all. It's all out of goodwill. Goodwill can't be measured in money. Xiao Lu is in the kitchen. Go in and carry her away."

Lu Wensheng had told her that Huo Qian and Shang Lian were both illegitimate sons in their families and their lives were not easy. These things were probably saved from their daily expenses.

In private, Huo Qian and Shang Lian always called Lu Wensheng "Little Lu," so whenever the two of them were around, Song Zhiyun would also call Lu Wensheng "Little Lu."

Lu Wensheng slowly walked to the door and just saw Song Zhiyun saying, "Go in and carry the person away." For a moment, he had a strange feeling that he had been betrayed.

Of course, this thought only flashed through my mind for a brief moment.

A hint of a smile appeared in her eyes.

It's good that everyone is alive!

The two carried the things and walked into the courtyard one after the other. Shang Lian, with his sharp eyes, spotted Lu Wensheng leaning against the door frame first.

Shang Lian said loudly, "Get ready quickly, your brothers will take you out to worship the gods! To get rid of bad luck!"

Shang Lian is twenty-four years old this year, and Huo Qian is twenty-seven. They are both much older than Lu Wensheng and are indeed the older brothers.

“No need for further preparations, we can set off now,” Lu Wensheng said.

She also really wanted to go out for some fresh air.

After helping to deliver the gifts on the stretcher to the kitchen, the two men offered to help Lu Wensheng onto the stretcher, and she did not refuse their kindness.

When Yingniang heard that Lu Wensheng was about to go out, she hurriedly took out a cloak and tied it on for her.

Song Zhiyun packed some fruit, candied fruit and pastries for Lu Wensheng to hold, and said, "Eat them together on the way." Then she said to the two of them, "Come to my house for dinner tonight. I'll make your favorite braised pork and fish soup, along with your favorite pickled radishes."

Shang Lian smiled brightly: "Thank you, Auntie!"

Huo Qian smiled and said, "Auntie, you're too kind!"

The fish soup and braised pork at Lu Wensheng's house were the best they had ever eaten, as were the pickled radishes with their skins on—crisp, chewy, and very refreshing and appetizing.

They always enjoyed eating at Lu Wensheng's house. Besides the delicious food, the biggest reason was that they felt very free. They wouldn't be lectured by their elders for only eating vegetables instead of staple food, and they could have normal conversations at the table without having to observe the rule of not talking while eating.

Once outside the alley, the two men helped Lu Wensheng into an open-top donkey cart.

Huo Qian took out a hand warmer from the cotton basket and handed it to Lu Wensheng: "Here, I specially asked my stepmother for this. You won't be cold if you hold it."

Lu Wensheng: "Thank you."

Shang Lian sat to the side and urged, "Hurry up and get in the carriage. Go early and come back early. I heard that Xiao Lu has to get up early tomorrow to go to court."

Even without Shang Lian mentioning it, Lu Wensheng herself almost forgot that there was a morning court session waiting for her tomorrow.

Lu Wensheng: You dog prince!

Huo Qian straightened Lu Wensheng's cloak, making sure it was properly wrapped up and that no wind could get in, before getting on the donkey.

The streets were bustling with a diverse population, and the three of them remained silent, not uttering a single word.

As Lu Wensheng passed by a clinic, he saw two familiar servants of an official family fighting over a doctor. Before they could finish arguing, another familiar servant appeared from the alleyway, snatched the doctor, and ran away.

This was the first time anyone had ever seen a doctor being snatched up like this. Many people watched the whole spectacle and then started whispering among themselves.

"Judging by their clothes, the last one must be from the Zhang family, right? Is the Grand Secretary also ill? Or was he also flogged yesterday?"

"No, I saw the Grand Secretary walk out perfectly fine yesterday, but I heard that he seems to have had a health problem because he held his urine for too long."

"Huh—" The man opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Lu Wensheng guessed that he probably wanted to say something that would get him escorted away by the Imperial Guards.

"Originally, when these high-ranking officials were sick, they would go to the Imperial Hospital to invite the imperial physicians. But I heard that two cabinet ministers were injured in a fall yesterday, so all the imperial physicians were sent to the residences of the two ministers."

"Yes, my third aunt's cousin's older cousin works in the palace. I heard that last night, the Crown Prince, who just returned, even summoned the Imperial Physician to the palace in the middle of the night to inquire about the recovery of the two high-ranking officials!"

"Make way! Make way! Make way!" A commotion arose from ahead.

Before Lu Wensheng could even crane his neck to look, he was showered with paper money.

"Who died here?"

"I heard he is the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

"The weather is about to change again!" said an old man with white hair and beard and a hunched back.

Once they reached the quiet and secluded path on the eastern mountain, the three of them broke the silence in unison.

Shang Lian, being simple-minded, couldn't hold back and spoke first: "Xiao Lu, what should the three of us do in the future?"

The mountains and forests were open and bare, offering no hiding place for eavesdroppers, so they could talk freely.

Lu Wensheng handed the snacks to the two of them and said, "The usual."

Huo Qian slowed the donkey down and, while munching on a snack, said, "We used to be Prince Su's men."

She adjusted her posture and corrected him, "I am indeed Prince Su's lackey, but you two have always been free. It's just that your personalities are compatible with mine, so you're closer. You must remember this. In fact, strictly speaking, the entire court was once Prince Su's man. They all betrayed Shen Hegui, who was born the rightful heir. Even if he wanted to kill the traitors, he wouldn't kill them all in a short time, unless he wanted to destroy the foundation of the country and ruin his own future."

She paused, took a breath, and said, "Throughout history, almost no ruler of a fallen kingdom has a good ending."

Shang Lian was deeply moved by the heartfelt analysis: "Little Deer!"

They were there yesterday too, and being officials, they have better access to information than ordinary people. In fact, many of my colleagues passed away this morning, but the news was covered up, and they probably won't be given a funeral even if they die.

Huo Qian, being the older and most composed of the three, said, "We will not abandon you. If His Highness seeks retribution in the future, the three of us will bear the consequences together."

Whether Shen Hegui would ultimately settle scores was uncertain to Lu Wensheng, so he could only tell them his thoughts and plans.

Lu Wensheng: "Yesterday in the palace, His Highness recruited me. I can't go into the specific details, but my life is safe for now. A new emperor brings a new court. Compilers and editors aren't high-ranking officials. You two can work the same way you used to. If you encounter anything you can't solve, remember to tell me. I have a trump card that can save the lives of the three of us."

Huo Qian remained silent.

With the change of power and the bloodshed in the court, Shang Lian was indeed frightened. He suggested, "Why don't we resign from our official posts? Xiao Lu is good at business. Let's go to the south to do business together."

In the past, when Lu Wensheng was looking for ways to make money, she would ask the two of them to help with some clerical work, errands, or small jobs like looking after people, and then secretly share some of the profits with them. So the two of them knew that she was good at business.

These small tasks, though seemingly insignificant, were all crucial. Lu Wensheng would repeatedly instruct them to thoroughly clean up any traces and distance themselves from the situation.

Lu Wensheng: "Let's wait and see. Doing business in the south isn't easy. You need a powerful backer to make big money."

"We've arrived," Huo Qian said, pulling himself out of his reverie.

It's called Dongshan, but it's really just a small earthen hill. They came here together four years ago. Back then, there wasn't even a pavilion to rest on, just grass and trees. Shang Lian almost got bitten by a snake.

Lu Wensheng got out of the car and gently avoided the two people's outstretched hands: "I can do it myself." When she was out in the world, she never wanted to show weakness.

Both Shang Lian and Huo Qian were visiting the Taoist temple for the first time.

Both of them were utterly astonished by the incredibly simple Taoist temple that had been built in front of them.

Huo Qian: "This..." He wanted to say that this was too simple, but when he thought of the gods enshrined inside, he swallowed the words back.

Shang Lian spoke frankly: "This is my first time visiting a Taoist temple. Are all Taoist temples this dilapidated? It's so different from a Buddhist temple!"

Looking at the thatched roof and green bamboo in front of her, Lu Wensheng did not express any opinion. She took a step forward, wanting to go into the temple to see what god was enshrined inside.

The soft grass rustled beneath her feet.

The three then noticed a patch of grass growing in front of the temple that didn't belong to this season.

Lu Wensheng lowered her head and murmured, "Something seemed off at first glance, and now I realize it's this grass." She turned around and asked, "Where did you learn about this temple?"

Huo Qian took out a peace charm from his pocket, then pulled out a slip of paper from the charm and handed it to her, saying, "I found this in front of my house last night."

Lu Wensheng unfolded the note and read: "Dongshan Temple specializes in helping those with affinity; if it fails, I will pay with my life." That was a bit ruthless.

A note from the author:

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