Chapter 28 She shut her out, taking her for someone she could summon and dismiss at will...
When the medicinal herbs were brought back intact, Wang Yan threw a tantrum for quite a while.
"He moved to the Yang residence without a word, and then he just ignores my kind offer to invite him to our residence this morning to recuperate?!"
"I rushed to the Yang residence without saying a word, but he put on airs like a noble young master and refused to see any guests!"
"If he hadn't stopped me, I would have dealt with that thief long ago!"
"Aying, come and lend a hand! Tonight we're making your favorite Shatang Ice Snow Cold Dumplings!" A melodious voice came from the kitchen.
Only after Li Changling said that did she realize what was happening. Lately, the weather had been getting hotter and hotter, quite like summer was approaching. Although Wang Yan was still angry, the thought of Leng Yuanzi and Huai Tao, which she had been thinking about since winter, still made her happy with the budding summer heat.
Wang Yan went several times, undeterred, but was turned away at the gate each time. He only saw Hua Xin on his second visit; after that, he couldn't see Hua Xin at all.
Although she knew that she had moved into the Yang residence to guard against the assassins' next attack, she was still furious at Shen Minghuai's lack of loyalty. Now that news of the peony banquet had already reached the capital, his attempt to distance himself now was as if he only saw her as a pawn to be summoned and dismissed at will.
Several days later, Wang Yan had devoted all his attention to the poem "Linjiang Xian," leaving home at dawn and returning under the stars. Unexpectedly, one day when he returned home, Shangguan Yu came uninvited.
"The Dragon Boat Festival is almost here, Linjiangxian must be very busy lately."
Wang Yan stretched his neck and sat down, "That's right. Knowing that my sister had arrived, I rushed back, afraid that she would be waiting too long."
Shangguan Yu looked around, "Where is Young Hero Li?"
"He's been leaving early and returning late lately; I wonder what he's been up to." Wang Yan poured a cup of tea, which the maid had brought, and handed it to her. "Sister, are you here to see your cousin?"
“This tea…” Shangguan Yu asked curiously.
Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's make peach tea, sister, have a taste."
“Indeed, it is quite remarkable.” Shangguan Yu stated the purpose of her visit directly. “Thank you for discovering the clues and uncovering the truth behind Sister Li’s death. I heard that you are looking for Master Jingxin, and I can share what I have seen with you.”
Wang Yan immediately put down the celadon cup. "You know his whereabouts?"
Shangguan Yu shook her head. "Three days after Sister Li's Buddhist ceremony ended, on my way to Daming Temple to worship Buddha, I happened to meet a monk from India and a monk named Jingxin sitting by the river discussing the Dharma."
"Since I had the opportunity to be taught, I listened from the side. They were talking in Sanskrit, which I am not very fluent in, but I can understand about 70 or 80 percent of. They were talking about an ancient ritual implement called a toba, which can preserve the merit and wisdom of practitioners and wash away all defilements."
"Toba?" Li Changling, who had just returned to the mansion, happened to hear these two words.
"Young Master Li," Shangguan Yu bowed slightly to the newcomer and continued, "The Indian monk said that the higher one's cultivation level, the more effective one's practice will be. Upon hearing this, Master Jingxin immediately set out to search for it. As for where he specifically went to find this magical artifact, we do not know."
Li Changling explained to the two of them, "I have heard of this magical artifact before. It is made from the skull of a person who has achieved great success in cultivation, shaped into a bowl, and used to hold wine."
Wang Yan frowned and said, "This sounds a bit strange."
Shangguan Yu immediately retorted, "Since it is a Buddhist artifact, it must contain Buddhist teachings. I, who have only a rudimentary understanding of Buddhism, dare not even speak of it. How can Lady Wang, who does not understand it, make such a comment?"
Wang Yan, momentarily losing her composure, uttered a slip of the tongue in front of Shangguan Yu, a devout Buddhist. She could only lower her brows, slightly bow, and offer a sidelong apology. This single remark instantly changed the atmosphere, and Shangguan Yu quickly left Wanchun Garden. The two women then began a swift discussion about the matter.
If one seeks the skull of a highly accomplished spiritual practitioner, and if there are no ritual implements, it is unlikely that the skull will be preserved, as most eminent monks are cremated after their death. Furthermore, it is unheard of for anyone to have their head damaged when they preserve a complete relic. Therefore, the only possibility is that someone was killed to steal the skull.
Li Changling immediately dismissed Wang Yan's conjecture. The murder of a high-ranking monk would inevitably shock the entire martial arts world. At present, it seemed that only the first possibility and the attempted murder to seize his bones were possible. Indian Buddhism had always only preached in the capital and some coastal areas. In this light, the only high-ranking monks that Jingxin might have sought out were Puyuan of Longxing Temple and Zongqing of Tiantong Temple.
Knowing that she would definitely take on the task of informing Shen Minghuai, Li Changling worried that she would be depressed because of it, so he casually mentioned, "Cao Jia Huai Tao will start selling tomorrow."
Wang Yan got up very early, but Li Changling suddenly stopped her before she left, saying he needed to write a letter to Shen Minghuai and asked her to take it with her. This delay meant that by the time they arrived at Cao's Food Shop, there was already a long line ahead of them. Although each person was limited to two servings, Wang Yan couldn't help but feel anxious as she watched one serving of Huai Tao (a type of steamed bun) after another slip away from her sight.
Fortunately, I managed to buy it.
Arriving at the Yang residence again, she asked the gatekeeper to inform Shen Minghuai that she had come on urgent business. The gatekeeper only glanced into the inner courtyard and once again declined her visit.
The Censor's Office is truly imposing! This time, they're not even bothering with pretense. Wang Yan, annoyed, quietly went around to the backyard and climbed over the wall. After searching for a while, he squatted on someone's rooftop and saw Shen Minghuai playing the flute under the eaves. To hear music and eat locust blossom tea is quite a rare sight. However, he didn't seem very familiar with the Yangzhou slow tune, suggesting he had only recently learned it.
After the music and the meal were over, Wang Yan was about to jump down and say something to him when he noticed that there was another person standing next to him.
A maid brought over two bowls of locust tea. Yang Qiying invited Shen Minghuai to sit down at the stone table, saying, "It's getting warmer, young master, please rest for a while."
Thank you.
Shen Minghuai picked up the celadon bowl and heard Yang Qiying say, "This is the best-selling cold noodles in Yangzhou. Only a hundred servings are sold each day in early summer. Please try it, young master."
"Is 'Lengtao' the same as 'Huaitao'?"
"Indeed. Have you eaten here before, young master?" Yang Qiying put down her bowl when she saw that he hadn't touched it. "Is it not to your liking, young master?"
"Shen Yi gets a rash from touching locust leaves, so I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint him—"
A sudden letter from out of the blue startled Yang Qiying, who thought another assassin had broken into the mansion. Although Shen Minghuai reacted quickly and caught it steadily, by the time he strode into the courtyard, the only trace of the assassin was a corner of a robe.
Yang Qiying panicked and shouted, "Help! There's an assassin!"
Shen Minghuai turned around and saw two portions of Huai Tao left on the stone bench. He hurriedly opened the letter and immediately understood.
"Madam Yang is not an assassin."
Yang Qiying finally calmed down and walked towards Shen Minghuai. "Who wrote this letter to you, young master? You could have just sent it through the gatekeeper. There's no need to be so rude now."
Shen Minghuai carefully put the letter away, smiled apologetically, and said, "My friend is used to being unrestrained, so I apologize to your wife on her behalf."
Yang Jingzhe and his guards rushed over, shouting, "What assassin?! Where is the assassin?!"
Yang Qiying grabbed Yang Jingzhe, who was rushing out with his sword drawn, and said, "There are no assassins. They are just friends of Young Master Shen. It's all a misunderstanding."
Yang Jingzhe breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed his sword. "I was truly shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. Brother Minghuai, what friend of yours has such extraordinary martial arts skills?"
Shen Minghuai smiled and said, "A friend I made in the martial arts world."
Yang Jingzhe was quite surprised, "Brother Minghuai has made such powerful friends in the martial arts world. Let me get to know them sometime."
Yang Qiying stared at the stone bench and asked, "When did two more servings of locust soup appear? Or have we already eaten them?"
Shen Minghuai followed the gaze and looked over, "Perhaps the guards came in a hurry and brought it over unintentionally."
Yang Jingzhe smacked his lips, savoring the taste. "When it gets hot, everyone starts eating locust flower soup again. Why isn't Brother Minghuai eating any? Don't you like it?"
Yang Qiying walked out of the courtyard and nodded slightly to Hua Xin and the other person who came towards her. "Young Master Shen is allergic to locust leaves. Have you reviewed your lessons today?"
Yang Jingzhe walked ahead of Yang Qiying in an instant and disappeared from sight.
Shen Minghuai launched Huai Tao, "You—"
Ying Ming reported, "The last loose end of Prince Yi has been dealt with."
Shen Minghuai asked doubtfully, "The last one?"
Hua Xin immediately sat down and moved the bowl in front of him, saying, "Let me try it."
Ying Ming counted them again, "Yes. There were six assassins in total, and not one was left."
"Then what is the cause of my injury..." Shen Minghuai suddenly realized that the person who stabbed him was not part of the group of assassins, or perhaps his target was Wang Yan.
"Two groups of assassins?! And they're after Lady Wang?" Hua Xin threw down his spoon in disbelief.
Ying Ming glanced at the empty bowl. "Haven't you eaten for days?"
"It's really delicious! I'll buy some more to try tomorrow." Hua Xin smiled contentedly.
Recalling the events of that day, Shen Minghuai said, "Although I did not fight him, I could sense that he was exceptionally skilled. Ying Ming was no match for him, but Hua Xin could probably fight to a draw."
Ying Ming was taken aback, and Hua Xin exclaimed in surprise, "If that's the case, then Madam Wang is definitely no match for her. But who exactly is attacking her? Is it an enemy of Young Master Li?"
They all thought of four words simultaneously: the Heart Sutra of Still Water. Shen Minghuai instructed Huaxin to go to Wanchun Garden immediately and inform Li Changling of this matter.
"Has the painting studio been behaving itself lately?"
Ying Ming replied, "No one buys ordinary paintings and calligraphy anymore, but I heard that Young Master Yang recently purchased a painting by a master craftsman for 3,500 strings of cash."
"Three thousand five hundred strings of cash?" Shen Minghuai suddenly looked up. "Who is the supervising official?"
Ying Mingxuan said, "I will go and investigate immediately."
Shen Minghuai called him back, "Check again the first person who sold this painting."
Hua Xin asked, puzzled, "Does the young master suspect that the three thousand five hundred strings of cash were obtained illegally?"
"Whether it's right or wrong, we'll see in a moment." Shen Minghuai stared unblinkingly at Huaxin.
"I'll head to Wanchun Garden now." Hua Xin took a step, but was stopped by Shen Minghuai.
"Wait, I'll go with you."
To their surprise, Wanchun Garden was deserted. Wang Yanfang, the old Taoist priest from the Sun family residence, had just gone to Linjiangxian, and Li Changling had already left. The two left a letter and went to Linjiangxian again, but still couldn't find anyone. Finally, they entered a color shop with "Tiangong Plaque" and "Shise Certificate" hanging on the wall. They picked and chose, but didn't buy much.
Stepping out of the shop, the commotion outside immediately filled his ears. The out-of-control oxcart startled passersby on both sides and rushed straight towards Wang Yan, who was standing still.
In an instant, a man in white pulled Wang Yan away, leaped up, and plunged his sword into the bull's neck, killing it instantly.
Ignoring Hua Xin's attempts to stop him, Shen Minghuai strode towards Wang Yan, "Are you alright?"
Wang Yan felt somewhat relieved, snorted, turned around and left, saying, "How could I trouble Young Master Chen with such trouble?"
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