temple fair
On the first day of the second lunar month, the City God Temple Fair was held in Weizhou Prefecture. The dark clouds of the past few days were swept away, and the weather was sunny and breezy. Tender green branches peeked out from the black tiles and white walls, adding a touch of brightness to the brightly decorated streets.
When the Lu family's carriage entered the main street, the street was not yet congested, with a group of servants and guards in front of and behind the carriage. Mu Qing and Lu Tongxue sat side by side in the carriage, lifting a corner of the brocade curtain from the carriage, and could see the street scene through the window.
"Sister Qing, look, those people are dressed in red and green, carrying colorful flags. It's so interesting."
Mu Qing glanced over and saw it was a procession welcoming the gods. "Isn't there a temple fair in Chongzhou?"
“I’ve never seen it before. My father is a strict old man, and he’s very strict in Chongzhou.” Lu Tongxue pouted, then added, “Hey, why is that carriage getting closer and closer? It’s blocking my view, I can’t see anything at all, it’s so annoying.”
At this moment, a guard outside the carriage announced that it was Miss Ji's carriage and that he wanted to come closer to speak.
Mu Qing readily agreed and introduced to Lu Tongxue, "Master Ji is the Assistant Magistrate of Weizhou, the same rank as Second Uncle. Among his daughters, I know the Fifth Miss and the Sixth Miss."
Upon hearing this, Lu Tongxue immediately asked her personal maid sitting beside her to help her tidy her clothes.
The two carriages rode side by side, their sides close together to block the view of others. Each carriage had its window open, and the two women faced each other directly through the windows. Both were young women in the prime of their lives, and they had both dressed up carefully for the day. After Mu Qing introduced them to each other, they saw each other's beautiful faces, exchanged compliments, and then began to talk.
Miss Ji Shucai, the fifth daughter of the Ji family, is the same age as Mu Qing. With light makeup and an elegant demeanor, she smiled and said, "The girls of the Lu family are all beautiful. It's truly enviable."
Miss Ji Shuzhen, the sixth young lady, was sixteen years old. With her red lips and white teeth, she smiled brightly. "I think this lady is even more beautiful than Sister Qingxue."
Lu Tongxue's heart skipped a beat. She looked at Mu Qing, who was still smiling, and asked, "Are you going to the City God Temple too?"
Ji Shucai nodded gently: "I will go, but not now."
Ji Shuzhen smiled and said, "A cousin of mine is coming to Weizhou. We should go and get together. It's quite a coincidence that my cousin used to live in the mountains. He might be able to chat with Sister Qingxue."
“Zhen’er, don’t talk nonsense. That cousin is a rude man. We ourselves don’t feel comfortable talking to him, let alone other girls.” Ji Shucai glanced at her sister and then turned to Mu Qing. “Qingxue, don’t pay attention to her.”
Mu Qing smiled and said, "Sister Shuzhen has always loved to joke. When have I ever taken offense?"
Ji Shucai also smiled and said, "It's been a while since we last saw each other. Now we also have Tongxue. I heard that there's a musician playing music at the newly opened teahouse near the City God Temple this afternoon. How about we go there together and have a chat?"
They agreed to return at noon when they left, but Lu Tongxue already thought it was too early. Hearing that there was a chance to play until the afternoon, she said, "Sister Qing, please agree. I haven't been to a teahouse to listen to music yet."
Seeing her clasp her hands in supplication, Ning Gu beside her nodded gently. Mu Qing asked, "What's the name of that teahouse?"
"Yiye Residence," Ji Shucai said with a smile, "How about we meet at Shenshi (3-5 PM)?"
"Okay, see you there."
Mu Qing was happy to accept the invitation. After saying goodbye, she told Lu Tongxue about her past interactions with the Ji sisters.
"Miss Ji Wu is virtuous and gentle, kind and understanding, and can be called a model of a young lady in her boudoir."
Mu Qing longed for it, so she studied it diligently, learning to speak softly and move gently and slowly, making her seem dull, and always worried that the thieving nature in her bones would emerge.
"Unfortunately, her younger sister is a bit spoiled and not easy to get along with."
Mu Qing felt regretful about this, as the sisters always stayed together, and if she wanted to talk to her older sister, she had to put up with her younger sister.
Listening to Mu Qing's analysis, Lu Tongxue rolled her eyes and responded softly, "Oh."
She had clearly seen the sisters' expressions; one was obviously playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, neither of them seemed kind-hearted. However, having someone to provide entertainment was much better than being cooped up in the mansion, so she didn't interfere.
Mu Qing had no idea about any of this. With Ning Gu's approval, she felt at ease and had no idea what the Ji sisters would say in the departing carriage.
Inside the Ji family carriage, Ji Shucai smiled silently after the appointment, while Ji Shuzhen sighed and complained, "Lu Qingxue is dull and boring. Inviting her to a teahouse to listen to music is not necessarily fun."
Ji Shucai said softly, "What's interesting isn't people, it's time."
What's fun to do during Shen Shi (3-5 PM)?
“Someone from the theater sent a letter saying that the young prince has written a play and forbids any leaks, saying it's a surprise for everyone. The play will start at 3 PM.”
Ji Shuzhen covered her mouth and laughed, "If Lu Qingxue goes to the teahouse as we arranged, then the surprise will have nothing to do with her."
“That’s right. If she doesn’t go to the teahouse, she’ll break her promise and owe us a favor.”
"But aren't you going to watch the play written by the young prince, sister?"
"Of course we'll see." A hint of resentment flashed across Ji Shucai's face. "The young prince will definitely take her to the theater. Her younger sister isn't familiar with us, so she'll definitely break her promise too. We can just have someone impersonate us at the teahouse to deal with it."
Inside the City God Temple, the official sacrificial ceremony had just concluded, and a group of officials who had presided over the ceremony were stepping out of the hall in turn. Prefect Liu, who was at the head of the group, paused on the stone steps outside the gate to exchange greetings and bid farewell to the civil and military officials who followed him out.
Upon seeing a figure in dark blue emerge, Prefect Liu waved to him, "Lord Zhong, please wait."
The two have spent a lot of time together these past two days and have become quite familiar with each other.
The officials gathered nearby, most of whom had met him before, greeted him respectfully.
Prefect Liu said, "Since Lord Zhong arrived in Weizhou, he has been busy with official business until late at night every day, which is worthy of our emulation."
Zhong Linlan bowed and declined, saying, "I dare not accept such praise. I have been fulfilling my duties and fearing any oversights. Fortunately, Lord Liu has been able to assist me day and night, which has made my work easier."
Those around them noticed that both of them had dark circles under their eyes, clearly indicating that they hadn't slept well, and praised them as role models.
"Lord Zhong, is there any progress in the case of Imperial Censor Qin?"
The gray-haired Prefect Ji voiced what everyone was thinking.
The news that Imperial Censor Qin died in his study with the doors and windows locked had already spread like wildfire throughout Weizhou.
In a normal investigation, finding a suspect requires first figuring out the modus operandi. However, when the new censor arrived in Weizhou, the case had already been going on for over ten days, with no breakthroughs and little chance of collecting new evidence. Since solving the case at the scene was difficult, they would start by making inferences based on the suspect.
The deceased was an imperial censor, and all officials under his supervision were inevitably suspected. Once an investigation began, many people would be implicated, and how many could withstand a thorough investigation? The newly arrived imperial censor was unfamiliar with the place and the people; who knew who he would start investigating?
"None available."
While everyone was still on edge, they saw that after Imperial Censor Zhong finished speaking, he glanced around and his gaze lingered on two of them. Just as he was about to ask a question, Prefect Liu introduced the two men.
One was the Grain Transport Commissioner, in charge of supervising the transport of grain, and the other was the Tea and Salt Commissioner, in charge of the tea and salt monopoly. Both were high-ranking, lucrative positions of the fourth rank. They were both away on official business the other day and were not in the government office, so they did not show their faces.
The two spoke calmly, exchanging only polite words.
Zhao Heng, the Grain Commissioner, was forty-two years old. He was short and stout, with a long beard, and his soft facial muscles trembled when he smiled. Zhang Conghuai, the Tea and Salt Commissioner, was thirty-four years old. He was tall and thin, with a stern face and deep-set, piercing eyes.
After everyone left, Zhong Linlan watched their departing figures. Following his gaze, Prefect Liu glanced at the temple gate and asked, "Was there anything wrong with those two just now?"
Zhong Linlan was still looking around when she thought, "That Lord Zhang has an extraordinary presence."
Prefect Liu was slightly surprised. Judging from the appearance of the two men, if one were to suspect one of them, it should be the plump and fair-skinned Grain Commissioner Zhao Heng. Zhao Heng was flamboyant and rather annoying. However, he could not say it directly.
Prefect Liu turned to look at Zhang Conghuai's back and said, "During his three years in office, Lord Zhang has been selfless and dedicated to public service, and his performance in every assessment has been rated as first-class."
Zhong Linlan remained calm and asked, "Does Lord Liu have any connection with him?"
Prefect Liu quickly waved his hand, “No. Zhang, the supervisor, doesn’t like socializing and doesn’t often interact with his colleagues in private. He doesn’t even have a woman in his family. But I’ve heard that although Zhang doesn’t often go to teahouses and restaurants, he went to the newly opened Yiyeju teahouse a few times last month. The owner of Yiyeju is a handsome young man, and Zhang was teased for having homosexual tendencies.”
Zhong Linlan asked calmly, "How will Lord Zhang respond?"
"It is said that Zhang Tiju did not deny it, and went there as planned afterward."
"In that case, we might run into him if we go to Yiye Residence."
Prefect Liu nodded in agreement, "Yiye Residence and the City God Temple aren't far apart, why don't we go there together for a cup of tea?"
If the case of Imperial Censor Qin remains unsolved, the prefect will bear even more responsibility. Prefect Liu hopes the case can be concluded soon. Although he considers Zhang Conghuai a rare and excellent official, he can only blame his bad luck that the imperial censor sent by the emperor has his eye on him.
Just as Prefect Liu finished speaking, a servant rushed into the temple gate. It was a young man from the manor, who ran up with a beaming face and shouted, "Master, the lady has given birth! Please return home!"
When the Lu family's carriage arrived near the City God Temple, the streets were bustling with people, many of whom were already carrying offerings to worship.
The City God is in charge of maintaining peace in the region and is revered by the people. His birthday is celebrated with grand ceremonies. People from neighboring villages and counties come to the city to set up stalls on carts and make a living.
The carriage moved very slowly. Lu Tongxue had someone buy some fresh snacks, tried them one by one, then lifted a corner of the curtain and peered out from the window, asking questions from time to time.
Seeing her excited like a child, Mu Qing found it amusing and patiently responded until Lu Tongxue brought up Chongzhou again.
"The man was shouting 'Selling bean flour cakes!' His accent sounded like that of Chongzhou, which was very endearing."
The north side of Weizhou Prefecture is not far from Xifeng County of Chongzhou. Most of the people from Chongzhou who attend the temple fair are from Xifeng County.
Mu Qing felt a chill run down her spine. Back when she met Zhong Linlan in Xifeng County, there were other people who had also seen her.
She pressed down on the corner of the curtain that Lu Tongxue had lifted and advised, "Tong-mei, there are too many people here. Be careful not to be seen by others and become the subject of their attention."
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