Chapter 30 One in the Light, One in the Dark: She was in the light, he was in the dark.
Meng Lingyao was slightly taken aback, then remembered her father's instructions before she left.
Could it be that Meng Shaoqing has mastered the art of martial arts?
That's fine. If he can't make it in the officialdom in the future, he can find a way to survive at the city gate.
She smiled and said, "What's so difficult about that? I prepared a few umbrellas before I went out today. I can lend one to Lord Pei."
So she called out and summoned Songlan in. Upon hearing this, Songlan quickly took out an extra umbrella, as if afraid that her young mistress might change her mind.
Pei Xu gestured for Qingzhou to accept it.
Qingzhou moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but after stealing a glance at his young master, he swallowed his words. He bowed and accepted the umbrella that Songlan offered with both hands.
Songlan's eyebrows danced with joy, and a hint of triumph lingered in the corners of her eyes, as if she had finally won a victory.
Thank you.
Pei Xu's voice remained calm, but his eyes held a warmth that was more intense than usual.
"You're too kind, sir."
Meng Lingyao raised her chin, glanced at the still dense rain outside the window, stood up and straightened her clothes, "It's time to stay. Judging from this rain, it doesn't seem like it'll stop anytime soon. I should go back early."
Pei Xu nodded. "Be careful on the road."
Meng Lingyao went downstairs to the shop on the first floor. The lights inside were already on, and various jewels shone quietly in the soft light. When Manager Wei saw her come down, he immediately greeted her with a smile, holding a red lacquered and carved sandalwood box in his hands.
"Miss Meng, please wait a moment." Manager Wei respectfully presented the box. "My master said that he was fortunate to receive your help, Miss, and specially instructed me to present this small gift to express his gratitude. I hope you will not refuse."
Meng Lingyao frowned slightly, her face showing little joy. "Shopkeeper, you're too kind. There's really no need for that."
"Keep it." Pei Xu's voice came from the stairs.
Meng Lingyao looked up and saw that Pei Xu had come down from the second floor at some point and was standing on a few steps. Because he was backlit, she couldn't see his expression, but she could see the outline of his tall and straight figure.
"What does Lord Pei mean by this?" Meng Lingyao asked in an unfriendly tone. "Could it be that you just want to appease me with a piece of jewelry and break your previous promise?"
She was in the light, he was in the dark.
Pei Xu could see it clearly. She was glaring at him with her lips pursed, her cheeks flushed with anger, and the jade hairpin in her hair swayed slightly, casting delicate shadows under the lamplight, like a restless butterfly.
He sighed silently, "That's not it. I'm just thanking you for lending me your umbrella today."
Meng Lingyao paused for a moment, then blinked. "So that's how it is."
She then raised the corners of her lips, showing no sign of anger, and said, "Lord Pei is so kind; it would be impolite of me to refuse."
A very soft laugh seemed to fall on the stairs, fleeting and so quick it was almost an illusion.
Meng Lingyao touched her earlobe, wondering if she was hallucinating.
"Miss Meng, please don't stand on ceremony, please go back."
"Farewell." Meng Lingyao smiled politely at Manager Wei, bowed her head, approached the umbrella that Songlan had opened, and pushed open the door to leave.
It was a simple oil-paper umbrella with a bamboo frame and a few ink plum blossoms painted on the surface, its posture elegant.
It was only a few steps to get onto the carriage, but Meng Lingyao's skirt was already soaked. Songlan found some clean clothes and helped her change.
After everything was tidied up, I finally had time to open the box and take a look inside.
Lifting the sandalwood box, a hairpin lies quietly inside. The hairpin body is made of lustrous red gold, and the head of the hairpin is a phoenix about to take flight, with each feather clearly defined. Two pure gemstones are set as the phoenix's eyes, their brilliance flowing.
Even though Songlan had seen many fine things with her young mistress, she still let out a small gasp when she saw it.
"Hiss... Lord Pei is truly generous."
Meng Lingyao nodded. As expected of someone who owns the entire Linlang Pavilion. What's rare is that the hairpin she chose was quite nice, luxurious yet not overly ostentatious.
It would be a perfect match for her newly tailored spring dress.
I just don't know whether it was the experienced Manager Wei who chose it, or Pei Xu.
Meng Lingyao preferred the former. For such a trivial matter, Pei Xu could have simply given an order, so there was no need for her to do it herself.
She was lost in thought, while Songlan beside her also seemed to be deep in thought.
After the carriage had traveled for a while, she finally couldn't help but lower her voice and ask, "Miss, there's something I'm not sure if I should say..."
"Hmm?" Meng Lingyao lowered her head and played with the gold hairpin, her voice sounding somewhat muffled in the rain.
"That jewelry store belongs to Lord Pei!" Songlan finally realized what was going on and frowned. "With so many rooms upstairs and downstairs, what doesn't the storeroom have? How could it not even have an umbrella, let alone..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already quite clear.
“Yes.” Meng Lingyao curled her lips into a smile. “He can have anything he wants…”
-
Before the rain stopped, Pei Xu was about to leave, as he still had many things to arrange.
Before leaving, Qingzhou consciously took out the umbrella that Meng Lingyao had given her.
An umbrella worth a fortune should not be left idle.
Pei Xu glanced at it but said nothing.
The light boat opened its umbrella.
In an instant, it was as if spring had blossomed in the whole garden.
A vermilion bamboo frame supports a pink silk canopy as thin as a cicada's wing, the canopy outlined with large peony blossoms in fine gold thread. A few inches of tassels hang from the edge of the canopy, rustling softly in the breeze.
Indeed, it is a beautiful umbrella. One can even imagine at a glance what kind of elegant lady its owner must be.
"..."
"Never mind." Pei Xu sighed softly, took the umbrella handle, and said, "Let's go."
Despite the fact that the Dali Temple had gathered numerous clues regarding the Ci'an Temple incident, the actual crackdown didn't occur until nearly ten days later. Zhiqing and the other imposter monks were all apprehended and imprisoned in the Dali Temple jail.
"That fake monk is pretty stubborn. Luckily, I ran into you, Master..." Yue Meng muttered to himself as he walked out of the dungeon, grabbed a cup of tea from the table, and poured it into his mouth.
"Sir, this tea has been cold for a long time! It's bad for your stomach." Shen Xiaoshan hurriedly stopped him and offered to add hot water.
“I’m not that delicate.” Yue Meng raised his teacup, finished the tea, and then let out a long sigh of relief. “To feel refreshed, you need to drink something cold.”
Helpless, Shen Xiaoshan still poured some hot water into his empty bowl.
He had changed back into his ordinary clothes, and a layer of stubble had sprouted on his head, looking like newly grown crops in the field, all fuzzy and fluffy. Yue Meng couldn't resist touching it and quickly gave it a couple of strokes.
Shen Xiaoshan tried to dodge, but his opponent was too skilled and he couldn't dodge.
Yue Meng laughed heartily, "Kid, you still need to practice your skills." He stroked his chin and said, "But you've done a great service this time, and the master will surely make some plans for you."
"I think the first thing to do is to find a master to practice on."
As he was speaking, Jian Su was coming in from outside. Yue Meng pointed and turned to Shen Xiaoshan, saying, "He's not bad. Don't let his pretty-boy appearance fool you; he's got excellent kung fu skills, and he's one of the best in our Dali Temple."
Jian Su, puzzled, frowned and said, "What nonsense are you spouting now?"
Yue Meng chuckled and told him about his plans.
Jian Su glanced at Shen Xiaoshan, his tone somewhat dismissive, "Him?"
Shen Xiaoshan's face immediately turned bright red, and he stood awkwardly in the corner.
Yue Meng was displeased. "What's wrong? Our Xiao Shan not only risked his life to sneak into Ci'an Temple alone, but he also discovered the cave where the temple was hiding salt and iron. He's so young and yet he has such courage. Doesn't he deserve to be your disciple?"
Jian Su walked slowly by, and when he passed Shen Xiaoshan, he patted his head with lightning speed, leaving only the words, "Let's talk about it when his scalp isn't cold anymore."
Yue Meng was taken aback, then laughed and scolded, "You little rascal!"
Jian Su's brows relaxed, and his fingers twitched almost imperceptibly. Only after entering the cell did the dimple on his right cheek completely disappear, and he reverted to the "Jade-Faced Yama" look that the people of Dali Temple often jokingly referred to in private.
Inside the interrogation room, Zhiqing sat cross-legged on the ground with his hands clasped together, looking solemn and dignified. If it weren't for the shackles around his wrists, he would have looked like he was chanting sutras in front of a Buddha.
Pei Xu asked indifferently, "Master Zhiqing, do you know why you have been detained here?"
“Amitabha,” Zhiqing said, bowing his head. “This humble monk is devoted to Buddhism and knows nothing of my crime. It must be a frame-up by a villain. I beg Your Excellency to investigate.”
"Last night, tens of thousands of kilograms of smuggled salt and pig iron were seized in the back mountain of Ci'an Temple. As the abbot's chief disciple and in charge of the temple's general affairs, are you truly unaware of this?"
"Is that so?" A hint of panic appeared on his face. Zhiqing shook his head repeatedly. "The back mountain is remote and I rarely go there. If such a thing really exists, someone must be hiding it in secret, and it has nothing to do with the temple!"
"Is that so?" Pei Xu said calmly. "The abbot has already confessed that there are carriages transporting salt and iron entering and leaving through the side gate of Ci'an Temple on the ninth day of each month—which happens to be the day when you personally receive pilgrims."
Zhiqing's breathing was slightly labored, but he remained calm and said, "When pilgrims come to visit, this humble monk cannot ignore them. As for salt and iron, this humble monk knows nothing about them."
"Then why are all these salt certificates bearing the Zhou family's private seal hidden in the secret compartment of the master's meditation room?"
Jian Su sneered and placed a stack of salt permits in front of Pei Xu.
"My lord, I led my men in a long search, and fortunately, we did not fail in our mission," Jian Su said in a low voice.
Pei Xu nodded.
“And this is another item.” He pulled something out of his sleeve.
"I have long heard that the eldest son of the Zhou family is fond of Buddhism and often stays at Ci'an Temple. Now that I see it, the eldest son of the Zhou family is well-versed in Buddhism and gets along well with Master Zhiqing. He even gave this item to the master."
Jian Su held up the object in his hand to Zhi Qing's eyes. It was an exquisitely crafted jade thumb ring with the character "Yi" engraved on the inner wall, clearly imprinted in his deep black pupils.
"Could it be a token of love, a promise, or a gift?"
Zhiqing's smile froze on her face, and she subconsciously reached out to snatch it.
Jian Su immediately withdrew his hand and said coldly, "As expected, their relationship is extraordinary."
Zhiqing's lips trembled, and after a moment he bent his back and covered his face with his hands. "This humble monk has broken the precept against lust, which is a sin. After death, I will go to Avici Hell to atone for my sins."
Pei Xu: "If it is about atonement, there is no need to wait until after death."
Zhiqing smiled wryly, "At first, this humble monk thought it was just for storing ordinary goods, but later... I found myself in a dilemma."
"Why has Lord Wang, the Salt and Iron Commissioner, visited you at the temple time and time again?"
Zhiqing froze abruptly, a deep fear flashing in his eyes. He bit his lip hard, and after a long while, he said, "Lord Wang is always devout and often comes to the temple to offer incense and worship Buddha. This humble monk should naturally receive him."
"Just for receiving guests? Then why do you dismiss everyone else and speak with him privately every time he comes?"
"That...that's because Lord Wang is of noble status, and this humble monk dares not be negligent..." Zhiqing's voice trembled.
“You’re quite protective of them.” Pei Xu slowly sat back in his chair. “Zhiqing, do you know that Lord Wang went to the palace overnight and spoke to the Emperor, saying that the monks of Cixi Temple dared to get involved in the case of smuggling salt and iron, and should all be executed as a warning to others.”
Zhiqing remained silent for a long time, then closed his eyes and sighed, "Your Excellency is wise; I have spoken frankly about everything I know. As for other matters, how dare I, a mere blade of grass, speak ill of high-ranking officials of the court?"
Pei Xu gave him a deep look and said nothing more.
However, just two days later, Zhiqing died suddenly in prison. Before he died, his back was pressed against the wall, still maintaining the posture of meditation.
When Jian Su heard about this, he simply said, "He's quite clever; he even knows to leave himself a complete corpse."
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