Chapter 25 Mountain Overturning Rain Could it be that he deliberately left the candle burning just now...?
Guanghua Temple is located north of Shengjing. Early in the morning, noble families and nobles dressed up and set off to accompany the emperor.
The rules for offering incense are always complicated and strict. When offering incense, wine, and paper money, everyone must remain silent and lower their eyes, solemnly following the emperor and empress in bowing. After half a day of this, everyone's faces show signs of exhaustion.
After the afternoon chanting of sutras, and after everyone had eaten the vegetarian meal at the temple, the Empress ordered that a meditation room in the back courtyard of the temple be arranged for a short rest.
Cui Yiluo, Jiang Zhaoyue, and the others walked towards the backyard. This was the first time Cui Yiluo had seen Xie Xiyun since the small banquet at the Duke of Zheng's mansion.
Two months prior, the Xie family, who had always maintained a clean and upright reputation, had been humiliated and overwhelmed by the sudden uproar over their affair with the Chu family. They had become reclusive and politely declined all invitations.
The Xie family accompanied the emperor on this pilgrimage to Guanghua Temple, indicating that the matter had been resolved. During the pilgrimage, everyone's gaze lingered between the Xie and Chu families.
We sat separately during the vegetarian meal, and now we can finally exchange a few words.
Yang Jingling felt Xie Xiyun's pulse: "I was worried about you, but now that I see you look better and your pulse is strong, I'm relieved."
Jiang Zhaoyue chimed in, "Of course, who would want to marry someone they don't like?"
Cui Yiluo smiled but remained silent.
Yang Jingling asked, "By the way, why didn't I see your half-sister today?"
"The father ordered Yingzhu to stay at home to prepare for her wedding."
After the affair between Chu Ke and Xie Yingzhu of the Duke of Zheng's mansion became public, the Chu family shamelessly demanded that the two sisters share a husband. The next day, they were severely reprimanded by Consort Qiong. Although she reprimanded them on the surface, she still wanted Xie Xiyun to be Chu Ke's legal wife. So what about Xie Yingzhu?
Unlike other aristocratic families that emphasized the distinction between嫡子 (legitimate sons) and 庶子 (illegitimate sons), the Xie family was known for its loyalty and righteousness. Even though Xie Yingzhu had done such a thing, the Xie family would not ignore it. The two families discussed the matter for over half a month, and finally, with the intervention of the Xie matriarch, the matter was settled. Xie Yingzhu married Chu Ke.
However, the previous incident had become too scandalous, so Xie Yingzhu was ordered to stay at home before the wedding.
As they spoke, they arrived at the meditation room in the backyard. The temple was quiet and peaceful, so everyone stopped talking and returned to their rooms.
The young men were all helping to prepare for the afternoon's chanting and sacrificial rites, while only the women were arranged in the back courtyard. It was already noon, and the women had all returned to their meditation rooms to rest.
With people all around and Jiang Zhaoyue in the next meditation room, Cui Yiluo figured those people wouldn't dare to lay a hand on her. She felt a little relieved, but still didn't dare touch the tea in the room, so she just leaned against the couch fully clothed and took a nap.
Half asleep and half awake, a pungent smell of smoke gradually intensified, and the surroundings became scorching hot, as if a fire was burning.
Cui Yiluo immediately opened her eyes and saw thick smoke spreading in the room, blurring her vision. She subconsciously looked towards the door.
Through the window paper, one could vaguely see the raging fire burning fiercely outside.
"Fire! Fire!"
The screams of the women and the hurried footsteps filled my ears.
At the same time, Jiang Zhaoyue's voice entered the meditation room through the crackling sound of the flames.
"Cousin! Cousin! Come out quickly!"
Flames had already squeezed into the cracks in the doors and windows, licking upwards. By the time Cui Yiluo walked from the edge of the bed to the doors and windows, the flames had almost engulfed them, making it impossible to get close. Unfortunately, before her afternoon nap, she had bolted the doors and windows to prevent thieves. The bolts had to be unfastened before the door could be opened.
The thick smoke stung Cui Yiluo's nose and throat, but she forced herself to shout, "Cousin, I can't open the door."
Jiang Zhaoyue's voice also became flustered: "What should we do? It's on fire outside too. Cousin, don't worry, I'll go get someone."
Jiang Zhaoyue's figure disappeared in front of the door in an instant, and Cui Yiluo immediately went back to get the tea from the table.
The fire had spread rapidly into the house. Cui Yilu covered her mouth and nose with a shawl and poured a full pot of tea onto the flames at the door latch.
Unexpectedly, the fire intensified even more in the next instant.
Something had been added to the tea; the person had anticipated that she would use the tea to set the fire. Cui Yiluo's eyes instantly turned cold as she looked at the empty teapot. She tossed the teapot aside, and with a crisp crackling sound as it shattered, she drew the dagger from her waist, attempting to use it to cut open the door latch.
But the dagger was too short, so Cui Yiluo rolled up her sleeves to avoid getting burned, and endured the burning pain as she lifted the latch.
The fire grew larger and larger, and the distance that Cui Yiluo could get close to was getting shorter and shorter. The fire was almost licking her skin. Cui Yiluo bit her lip and suppressed the trembling of her wrist.
Just as Cui Yiluo was about to open the door, before the dagger even touched the door, a dark figure suddenly appeared in front of the door.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she gripped the dagger tightly.
With a loud crash, the door was kicked open. Cui Yiluo quickly stepped back to avoid hitting the door, which was already engulfed in flames.
Outside the door, flames shot skyward, engulfing the entire backyard. Behind them, flames raged, and a man in black robes, his cloud-patterned outer robe soaked through, wore a grim expression.
Cui Yiluo was taken aback, then frowned.
It wasn't Jiang Yunjin who arrived, but Yuan Ling. She silently gripped the dagger tighter.
Yuan Ling naturally saw her actions as well. He sneered, reached out and grabbed Cui Yiluo's wrist, pulling her out of the raging flames.
Although Cui Yiluo quickly lifted her skirt, the shawl still caught fire, and the flames immediately licked at the shawl and burned upwards.
The clothes were newly made. After a moment of regret, Cui Yiluo tore off the shawl without hesitation and threw it into the fire.
The backyard of Guanghua Temple is planted with many trees, and once a fire starts, the entire backyard will be engulfed in flames.
Amidst the thick smoke and flames, the young novice monk carried buckets of water, frantically trying to extinguish the fire. However, the flames spread rapidly, and simply carrying buckets of water back and forth by hand was utterly ineffective. Several Yunyi Guards, like Yuan Ling, donned outer robes and went to search for the women trapped inside the rooms.
It seems that Yuan Ling saving her was just a coincidence.
Yuan Ling took half of his water-soaked outer robe and draped it over Cui Yiluo's head. Perhaps remembering Cui Yiluo's earlier wariness, he said with a half-smile, "Miss Cui, you don't want to die here, do you?"
Cui Yiluo glanced at him, but didn't say anything. Using the half of the outer robe he had given her, she ran out of the courtyard.
After running along the path for a while, they reached an open area where the fire gradually subsided and disappeared. Almost as soon as they reached a safe place, Cui Yiluo immediately emerged from under Yuan Ling's outer robe.
"Thank you very much, Lord Yuan."
He seemed to be expressing his gratitude, but his tone was flat and devoid of emotion.
Yuan Ling laughed sarcastically, "Miss Cui really knows how to discard someone after they've served their purpose."
Cui Yiluo didn't want to argue with him, so she turned and left.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned around, he saw Jiang Zhaoyue running towards him from not far away, with a tall figure following her.
The man's eyes were gloomy, and his face was covered with a thin layer of ice, giving the impression that a storm was brewing.
Cui Yiluo subconsciously called out, "Husband."
Seeing Cui Yiluo emerge from the fire unharmed, Jiang Zhaoyue's tension vanished instantly. Only then did she notice that there was a man standing next to Cui Yiluo.
Jiang Zhaoyue looked puzzled and was about to speak when the person behind her suddenly stepped forward.
Where is your shawl?
Cui Yiluo was taken aback. She and Jiang Yunjin hadn't spent much time alone together in the past few days. This morning, he had already washed and changed, and during breakfast, he adhered to the rule of not speaking while eating, refusing to say a word.
Unexpectedly, he was able to spot at a glance that her shawl was missing.
"It just fell into the fire."
Jiang Yunjin's brows relaxed slightly, and he turned to Yuan Ling and bowed, "Thank you, Lord Yuan, for saving my wife."
Yuan Ling's smile held a strange hint of amusement. "You're too kind, Lord Ling. I was only acting on His Majesty's orders to lead the Yunyi Guards to rescue the women."
Jiang Yunjin glanced down at the black outer robe Yuan Ling was holding, then looked at Cui Yiluo: "I'll take you to the main hall first; your aunt is waiting for you."
Jiang Zhaoyue also said, "Yes, let's go quickly. The fire is so big, Mother must be extremely worried."
Upon hearing Lan Hui's name, Cui Yiluo immediately became anxious and hurriedly walked to Jiang Yunjin's side, her sleeve brushing against his almost imperceptibly.
Let's go.
After he finished speaking, Cui Yiluo inexplicably felt that his expression had softened slightly, and he gave a soft "hmm".
The three of them walked together toward the main hall. After a few steps, Cui Yiluo remembered Yuan Ling and subconsciously glanced back. The place was now empty. Yuan Ling, carrying orders, had probably returned to the backyard to tend to the fire.
As soon as I turned around, a deep male voice came from beside my ear: "What's wrong?"
Cui Yiluo looked up and met his deep gaze, but he remained calm, as if he was just worried that she might have left something behind in the meditation room.
Cui Yilu shook her head: "It's nothing."
The man lowered his eyes slightly, nodded gently, and the atmosphere around him became even heavier.
A fire suddenly broke out, but fortunately the fire did not spread to the front. Only a few women suffered minor injuries, but everyone was still in shock after such a big incident.
The emperor ordered the afternoon chanting to be canceled, sent the young men and women back to their residences, and rewarded them with many gifts to appease them. Only the Yunyi Guard and a few important officials were left to conduct a thorough investigation at Guanghua Temple, and Jiang Yunjin was naturally among them.
"Has your wife returned home?"
In a secluded and quiet place, Xiao Jing and Jiang Yunjin stood facing each other.
Jiang Yunjin frowned slightly, his expression somber. "Hmm."
Xiao Jing's tone turned cold: "I didn't expect Xiao Zheng to dare to make a move today. He's killing two birds with one stone. The prelude has begun, and I'm afraid he'll be coming after me next."
He then turned to Jiang Yunjin and said, "Now that you've married Miss Cui, he's even more furious. No wonder he couldn't hold back today. Miss Cui is truly his lifeline. Why not find an opportunity to expose this matter? If anything happens to Miss Cui then, everyone will blame him, and he won't dare to make a move."
Jiang Yunjin's expression grew even more somber: "Your Highness, this matter is of great importance, and I believe it is not the right time yet. There has been progress in the case of the smuggling of military horses a few days ago, so why not start from there?"
Xiao Jing pondered for a moment and nodded: "It was I who was anxious. You've had a hard time these past few days, having to leave early and return late even though you're newly married. But speaking of which, once that matter is revealed, you and your wife..."
Jiang Yunjin replied calmly, "I have no intention of taking another wife."
These words made Xiao Jing look at him a few more times, a hint of interest appearing in his eyes: "I think Shenzhi is different from before. You just said that the time is not right. Could it be that you are afraid that your wife will not be able to accept it for a while?"
Jiang Yunjin calmly replied, "Your Highness is overthinking it."
Xiao Jing chuckled: "Then let it be that I'm overthinking things."
-
News of the fire at Guanghua Temple quickly spread throughout Shengjing, sparking numerous speculations. Guanghua Temple had never experienced an accident in its hundred years of history, yet a fire suddenly broke out while the emperor was offering incense, which was quite intriguing.
Initially, Yunyi Guards discovered that a novice monk had accidentally burned a Buddhist banner while lighting incense in the Buddhist hall in the backyard, which caused the fire. However, as the sun began to set, another rumor suddenly spread throughout the city.
A fire broke out when the emperor was offering incense, which was considered a sign of the gods' dissatisfaction with the emperor's rule.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
The outside world was in an uproar, and Cui Yiluo also discerned some deeper meaning in it. It was a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy, as if killing her by creating an accident was just a convenient way to do it.
Just then, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open, and the dim yellow candlelight cast the man's tall figure on the wall, outlining his handsome profile.
Why is he back so early tonight? Wasn't he supposed to be avoiding her? And with such a big thing happening today, shouldn't he be even busier?
Cui Yiluo didn't understand for a moment, but she still smiled gently and said, "My husband is back."
His eyes appeared somewhat deep in the flickering candlelight. "I'll go take a bath first."
"Should I go and call someone to carry water?"
These past few days he had been avoiding her, only returning to bathe and rest after she had fallen asleep. She assumed it would be the same today, and of course, she hadn't prepared any water.
"No need, I have already given the instructions."
He had been busy all day; no wonder he was in such a hurry to take a bath. Cui Yiluo understood and smiled, "Then my husband should go quickly."
When Jiang Yunjin came out of the bath, most of the candles in the bedroom had been extinguished, leaving only a few small lamps in front of the bathroom. Jiang Yunjin stood there for a while, glanced down at the candle scissors placed to the side, and then walked into the room.
Cui Yiluo, who had just been sitting on the couch, had now climbed onto the couch, her back to the outside, her smooth black hair cascading down the couch.
Cui Yilu stared at the tent in front of her, lost in thought.
One side of the brocade quilt covering the person was slightly lifted, and a person lay down, the warm moisture instantly enveloping their back.
Cui Yiluo glanced at the faint candlelight shining into the tent and was stunned. In the past, the lights were always turned off before going to bed.
She turned to the side, "Husband?"
The man lay flat on his back, still some distance from her, and gave a soft "hmm".
Just as Cui Yiluo was about to ask him if he had forgotten to extinguish the candles, he spoke first, "Were you frightened today?"
She hadn't expected him to suddenly bring this up, but upon reflection, she realized that he had a responsibility to her now that she was his wife.
She answered truthfully, "It was indeed a bit sudden."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunjin's expression turned slightly cold. After a few moments, he said, "I apologize. It was my oversight today."
Cui Yiluo didn't seem to care, and instead smiled and comforted him, "My husband has important matters to attend to, so naturally he can't spare the attention. Besides, I'm not injured."
She burned her wrist a few times when she used the dagger to pry open the door, but she had already applied medicine after she returned.
Jiang Yunjin's expression did not soften at all, and his thin lips were slightly pursed.
The candlelight flickered slightly, casting a brief shadow in the tent. Having risen early and with so much to do all day, Cui Yiluo's eyes began to sting. She urged him softly, "My husband must be tired today. Go to sleep early."
The man beside her paused for a moment before softly saying, "Okay."
Having said that, he got up and went to extinguish the candle.
One by one, the lamps went out, and Cui Yiluo closed her sore eyes in the darkness.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and turned to look at the man who stepped into the tent through the moonlight.
Could he have deliberately left the candle burning?
Author's Note: [doge] It's almost the weekend, I'll try to write more, please don't leave me unfinished!
[Heart] Thank you to the lovely people who watered the nutrient solution: Caijin x1, 50556140 x2
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