Chapter 53
"My master?" Wen Weili softly repeated Rong Ming's words, a hint of doubt in her voice. "My master is already the best doctor in the world. I, an unfinished disciple, am probably nothing. Or rather—"
"Miss Wen, it's so rare to see this side of you!" A brisk voice came from outside the door. Before Wen Weili could finish her words, the person who spoke outside quickly pushed the door open and walked in. She was a very gentle woman with a very young face. She spoke directly, "Miss Wen, thank you for waiting. I am Kong Hou, the deputy chief of 'Tianming'. I have come specially to take Miss Wen to my school. I hope you will do me the honor of attending to me!"
Wen Weili knew she couldn't avoid this, so she nodded in agreement and followed Kong Hou into a carriage in the backyard of the restaurant. The interior of the carriage was lined with light ochre-red silk. Once inside, Wen Weili discovered it wasn't as cramped as the Wen family's carriages, nor as neatly appointed as those used in the palace. Instead, it was exquisitely appointed. She casually pulled the embossed pattern on the left side of the carriage, and a secret compartment slid open, revealing a dazzling array of small trinkets to pass the time.
Picking up a nine-link chain at random, Wen Weili fiddled with it for a few times, then took the jade ball and shook it in her hand, and several jade beads jingled in it.
Pulling out the secret compartment on the right side, she found several boxes of soft and fluffy pastries. The lily and barley cake was the best in the city, and the rare eight-treasure cake was made by a royal chef - the taste was so familiar, and even the golden thread soft cake was very much to her liking. Wen Weili had to admit that the person behind the scenes really knew her very well.
The carriage jolted slightly along the road as the horses galloped, but such a smooth ride was definitely not what the worn gravel road at the city gate could offer. Furthermore, the sounds along the way grew increasingly silent. This 'Heaven's Mandate' sect's base was near the Imperial City, but it was unclear which lord's orders could have bypassed the city gates. The Imperial City Office? The Central Command Camp? Or perhaps someone within the imperial palace? Wen Weili's mind raced through several thoughts, but she was unsure.
Soon, the carriage stopped, and Kong Hou leaned over to invite Wen Weili: "Miss Wen, please follow me."
Wen Weili got out of the carriage and was greeted by a magnificent scene of lush flowers and green leaves, towering strange rocks, and gurgling water. It was a magnificent garden. As the sky cleared and she went deeper, the flowers and plants became more and more colorful. The corner of a pavilion in the woods was looming, and someone was watching her from there.
After passing the garden, a spacious complex of houses appeared before their eyes. The front of the houses were decorated with carved beams and painted buildings, and the door lintels and window sills were adorned with gold foil and pearls. In the bright sunlight, they were particularly dazzling. Kong Hou walked half a step in front of Wen Weili, pushed open the door, and gently reminded her, "Miss Wen, the leader has been waiting for you for a long time."
Wen Weili stepped into the room and felt as if she had ascended into a fairyland. Every detail of the room was exquisitely crafted, and everything she saw was precious and rare. The water-glossy silk, a mere ten bolts of which were supplied annually by the emperor, was used only as embroidery for the stools. A single piece of flawless, translucent mutton-fat jade was a screen, and upon it, auspicious clouds and figures were depicted, so nimble that they seemed as if they were about to leap from it. Ancient paintings of names adorned the walls, and from the twelve-tiered purple-gold incense burner wafted an ethereal fragrance that was so refreshing and soothing. A woman in yellow, stirring the incense burner with a golden rod, turned and smiled before she spoke: "Weili, you're here."
"you......"
"Aunt Fu, Sister Fu, whatever you like to call me. Little Weili, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
This woman, whom I'll call Aunt Fu for now, looked incredibly young, her smile brimming with youthful spirit. If she truly was the leader of the 'Tianming' sect, how could she have ascended to such a high position at such a young age? If she wasn't a false target, perhaps she possessed a secret to maintaining her youthful appearance. Even as Wen Weili pondered this, she exclaimed, "Aunt Fu, I've long heard of Tianming's name. I'm delighted to meet you now."
"You're such a sweet-talker," Aunt Fu said, smiling brightly. "You're wondering why Tianming brought you here. I'd love to clear that up for you, but now's not the time to reveal secrets. You know too little. Follow Kong Hou and take a walk inside and around Tianming. I'll tell you when the time comes."
Wen Weili was unwilling to follow her arrangements. Even if there were some things she couldn't say, it was better than being confused like this. "Then Auntie, please tell Weili what 'Destiny' wants to do. It has nothing to do with me, right?"
Aunt Fu pointed her slender white finger at Wen Weili through the air and smiled, "Little rascal, that's certainly possible. 'Destiny' is simple: to ensure that most people live a good life."
To make life better for the majority of people? Wen Weili was truly shocked. This wish sounded simple, but in reality it was too big, too ambitious, and too complicated.
What constitutes the majority, and what constitutes a good life? If we examine the very concept of "human," then are the corrupt aristocratic families and the criminal relatives of the imperial family within the imperial city considered human? Are the precarious commoners and the lowly people struggling for survival outside the city considered human? Are the slaves and servants, the merchants fawning over the powerful considered human? And even further afield, beyond the reach of our sight, in the frontiers, deep mountains, brothels, and other places, are those who live there the very people defined by "destiny"?
Wen Weili didn't voice these doubts. She had a feeling that Aunt Fu wouldn't tell her. Sure enough, the moment Wen Weili lost her focus, Aunt Fu vanished from the room as quietly as smoke.
"Sister Wen, have you decided what to have for dinner?" When the door was pushed open, she was empty, but she was completely different from the way she looked before she was brought here. Her face was filled with a happy smile, and even the way she was addressed had become so intimate. This was probably the way she was addressed in 'Tianming'. Just by bringing her here to meet the leader, she changed so quickly. Did he really believe that she would change?
"Do most people in the church address each other as sisters?" Wen Weili looked into Kong Hou's eyes. Seeing her nod, she immediately changed her tone, "Sister Kong Hou, please take me to the rest room."
"As for dinner, can I make some side dishes myself?" Wen Weili asked tentatively. If Kong Hou agreed to her, she would have too many items to mobilize. You know, medicine and poison are inseparable.
"Of course," Kong Hou led Wen Weili along a winding stone path and briefly introduced the 'Tianming' sect here to Wen Weili. This was not the real place of 'Tianming', but just a branch sect. It had everything it should have, but Kong Hou didn't say which ones specifically. The rest were some words to win people's hearts, such as sisters and family members in the sect don't have to be restrained, and all wishes will be granted.
Arriving at a courtyard filled with the fragrance of flowers, Kong Hou stopped and handed a flower-shaped key to Wen Weili: "Sister Wen, this garden is called Yuming, and it is in bloom. If you have nothing to do, you can enjoy it."
"Thank you, Sister Konghou." Wen Weili thanked her without asking about the meal arrangements. Since it has come to this and Konghou has agreed, 'Destiny' will naturally not make her unhappy over such a small matter. It would be more important to wait for Konghou to leave and explore the surroundings carefully.
Wen Weili used the key to open the courtyard gate and noticed a wooden box hanging on the wall. Inside was a courtyard with two entrances. As soon as she entered the door, she saw a large area of pure white and pink jade tea flowers in various shapes and colors, with branches hanging down and large flowers. The faint fragrance of the flowers was refreshing.
Entering the inner courtyard, there are side rooms on each side, but I don't know what they are used for. After passing the corridor still decorated with jade tea flowers, I pushed open the door of the main room. It was spotless inside, with gorgeous decorations. The furniture was all made of the finest pear blossom yellow wood, which showed that "Heaven's Destiny" really valued her.
Not long after, a girl with two buns and a pink and white long skirt came with a menu and asked Wen Weili to order food. She told Wen Weili that if she wanted to order food, she just had to write down the dishes and put them in the wooden box hanging on the courtyard wall every day. If she wanted to cook by herself, the kitchen was at the western end of Yuming Courtyard, which was equipped with seasonings and kitchen utensils. The firewood room next to it was also full of freshly dried fruit wood. Just write down the required ingredients and put them in the wooden box, and they would deliver it within an incense stick. If there was anything else she wanted to eat, play with, or use, just write it down and put it in the wooden box. They would do their best to meet Sister Wen's requirements.
"Then what's your name?" Wen Weili asked her.
"Just call me sister, that's enough." The girl smiled faintly, took the list written by Wen Weili, confirmed it with Wen Weili, and soon delivered the materials Wen Weili needed.
As for dinner, why not have some freshly harvested spring bamboo shoots with bamboo-smoked bacon and a bowl of rich and fragrant trout soup? It would be perfect.
Wen Weili first washes the spring bamboo shoots, removing only the outer skin, leaving the inside tender and juicy. Slice the bamboo shoots and rinse them in boiling water, and the fragrance is fragrant.
The bamboo-smoked bacon naturally has the aroma of bamboo. It is cut into thin slices and stir-fried over low heat for a while. The aroma of oil and meat covers up the bamboo fragrance, but Wen Weili pours in the spring bamboo shoots slices. Immediately, a bamboo fragrance bursts out, filling the kitchen with the aroma of oil and meat. Then add ginger and garlic and stir-fry. After a while, a dish of spring bamboo shoots and bacon is ready.
At the same time, the aroma of fish soup gradually wafted out of the soup pot that Wen Weili had been stewing for a long time. She gently lifted the lid, and in the thick white fish soup, yellow and white bean sprouts were rolling in it. Sprinkle a handful of green chopped green onions on it, and the trout soup that was so delicious that it could make your eyebrows fall off was ready.
Wen Weili served spring bamboo shoots and bacon on a white porcelain plate with grape patterns, and filled a bowl with fish soup, picking up a few pieces of the tenderest fish meat and adding a bowl of crystal clear Su white rice. They sat alone at a table under the shade of the jade tea flowers, smelling the fragrance of the jade tea flowers, watching the blazing sunset, and enjoying the fresh and refreshing dinner, and suddenly felt their hearts open.
She had been in a hurry all day, and her heart, which had been hanging in the air since she left the palace, finally settled down temporarily. No matter what, she had chosen to leave the palace and was determined to find a new way out here at "Tianming". After all the negotiations, "Tianming" was much better than she had imagined. It was indeed a good start.
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