HMHSE - 59

“He just left like that?”

“Of course. I said earlier, they have no dealings anymore.”

Pei Shaoyong and Changsun Xin rode side by side, conversing in low tones as their procession exited Youzhou.

Pei Shaoyong glanced back. The carriage, protected behind them, was completely still.

“They clearly already annulled their marriage...” he murmured to himself.

Changsun Xin also looked back at the carriage. Shen Rong hadn’t spoken much throughout the journey.

He cleared his throat, then chuckled softly as if nothing were amiss: “That’s right, didn’t you hear him say it himself? Those were just a few parting words. Alright, no need to talk about this anymore.”

Pei Shaoyong said no more, but Shan Zong’s sharp gaze remained in his mind. That look even made him feel as if he had trespassed on a forbidden subject of Shan Zong’s.

________________________________________

The carriages stopped, reaching their lodging.

The distant tolling of the temple’s evening bell drifted on the spring breeze, carrying far away.

Zirui lifted the carriage curtain, helping Shen Rong out. Before them stood the familiar Taoist temple.

Shen Rong glanced at the temple gate and stepped inside.

The temple abbot had already come out to greet them, holding his whisk as he bowed to her on the steps before the Hall of Three Pure Ones: “It’s rare for the esteemed one to visit again.”

As he spoke, he saw two leading men following them in. He first recognized Changsun Xin and smiled: “So, Young Master Changsun has also come this time. The other gentleman must be the one who escorted the esteemed one last time.”

Shen Rong, reminded, pursed her lips, unconsciously recalling the situation when she and Shan Zong had stayed here.

Before the abbot finished speaking, he had clearly seen Pei Shaoyong’s appearance as he approached. He uttered “San Wuliang” and gave an embarrassed smile: “This humble Taoist’s eyes were indeed dim; I recognized wrongly.”

Shen Rong didn’t respond. She walked into the hall, but then remembered the last time in this hall, how she had held a feather, dipped in clear water, and tapped Shan Zong’s shoulder to cleanse him of ill fortune.

She turned and instructed Zirui: “Hurry and prepare. I want to go to my room and rest as soon as possible.”

Zirui, seeing her tired and somewhat impatient expression, knelt and affirmed, then busily went to make arrangements.

Pei Shaoyong and Changsun Xin arrived by her side one after another. “Ah Rong, why are you standing here? Are you going to bow to the Three Pure Ones?” Pei Shaoyong showed no trace of his previous emotions in front of her, his face full of bright smiles.

Shen Rong looked up at the tall bronze statues of the Three Pure Ones, and nodded as if to conceal something: “That’s fine, I’ll bow.”

The abbot greeted Changsun Xin by the door. Hearing her words, he came over to personally adjust the prayer mat for Shen Rong and gestured for her to begin.

Shen Rong smoothed her robes and knelt.

Immediately after, Pei Shaoyong also knelt beside her, turning his head to look at her.

Shen Rong gazed at the serene features of the Three Pure Ones statues. Her high-collared barbarian robe covered her neck, her dark hair like clouds, her profile like snow, her face expressionless, yet her brows and eyes seemed deeply etched, strikingly beautiful.

Pei Shaoyong couldn’t help but glance again, his eyes growing even softer.

The abbot came over with a fortune-telling cylinder, shook it three times, and smilingly presented it to Shen Rong: “Esteemed one, why not draw a lot?”

Shen Rong, hearing this, realized she had unconsciously drifted off again. She glanced at the cylinder, then reached out and picked a lot.

As she drew it out, the abbot asked: “What does the esteemed one seek? Fortune or marriage?”

Even Pei Shaoyong asked: “Ah Rong, what do you seek? Marriage?”

Shen Rong’s hand paused. She recalled the phrase, “To be husband and wife again.”

The abbot was still bowing, waiting for her to speak.

She suddenly pushed the lot back: “No need.”

After saying that, she rose and walked straight through the hall, heading to the back.

Changsun Xin, who had quietly observed until now, looked at Shen Rong’s retreating figure, frowning slightly, a hint of worry in his eyes. He had never seen his sister like this, seemingly distracted for days.

But turning to see Pei Shaoyong rising, a smile reappeared on his face: “It’s nothing. Ah Rong simply dislikes these things.”

Pei Shaoyong held the lot—the very one Shen Rong had just drawn—and smiled: “What a shame, it’s an auspicious one.”

________________________________________

Zhang Wei walked into the drill ground. The mighty roar of training echoed.

He squeezed next to Hu Shi-yi at the edge of the field: “Where’s the Chief?”

Hu Shi-yi gestured with his chin towards the front: “He’s busy. I advise you not to look for him unless it’s important.”

Zhang Wei looked in that direction. Shan Zong, dressed only in a thin inner robe, held a unsheathed, slender straight saber, his figure starkly isolated in the center of the field.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Wei was puzzled: “Why can’t I look for him?”

Hu Shi-yi looked left and right, then leaned into Zhang Wei’s ear, cupping his hand to whisper: “Jin Jiaojiao left!”

“Huh?” Zhang Wei was stunned for a moment: “Then the Chief didn’t go with her this time?”

Hu Shi-yi shushed him, pointing in that direction, and whispered: “Are you stupid? If he could go, would he be like this? You didn’t see his face when he just got back...”

He trailed off, recalling Shan Zong’s appearance upon his return. He had ridden at full gallop into the military camp, dismounted cleanly, but the look on his face was unlike anything he had ever seen—his eyes commanding, his expression tense, as if suppressing something.

Even a burly man like Hu Shi-yi couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart and didn’t know what to say at the time.

Later, he could only force himself to call out: “Chief, you’re back?”

He dared not ask anything else.

After a while, Shan Zong finally spoke, as if releasing long-clenched teeth, his voice a little hoarse: “Go help me keep an eye on the Changsun family’s procession. I need to know their whereabouts at all times, if any messages are sent.”

At this point, he suddenly twisted his mouth, his Adam’s apple bobbing: “Never mind, there won’t be any messages sent. Just keep an eye on their itinerary.”

After saying that, he strode away.

Hu Shi-yi finished his thought, sighed, looking at the field, and scratched his forehead: “I’ve really never seen the Chief like this.”

Zhang Wei looked in that direction again.

Shan Zong walked step by step across the field, shrouded in the deepening twilight. As he turned, his profile was cold and grim.

He believed him; he still wouldn’t go looking for him.

________________________________________

Suddenly, a swift horse arrived from outside the field. A soldier dismounted and reported to the field: “Chief, the pass scouts report movement.”

Shan Zong’s expression didn’t change. He lifted the saber in his hand, sheathed it, and strode out of the field: “Bring me my horse.”

It was probably since his trip beyond the pass that there had been frequent activity at the pass.

Hu Shi-yi was already moving nimbly, being the first to bring his horse over.

Shan Zong tossed the saber to him, then quickly donned his barbarian robe, tightening the leather belt. After mounting his horse, he took the saber back. Just as he was about to leave, he pulled on the reins and paused: “Where are they now?”

Hu Shi-yi was stunned for a moment, then realized he was asking about Jin Jiaojiao. He quickly replied: “They’ve reached Tanzhou.”

Shan Zong nodded, gripping the reins tightly. He tugged, then spurred his horse out.

Several people on horseback quickly followed him.

Hu Shi-yi stretched his neck, watching him head straight for the military camp gate.

Looking at him just now, he almost thought he wasn’t going to the pass, but to Tanzhou.

________________________________________

In the Taoist temple, early in the morning, the guest rooms were already tidied up.

Shen Rong sat behind the table, holding a brush, meticulously writing on the scroll spread before her.

When she went outside the pass, she had intended to add a new entry to her ancestors’ scroll. Now, the section about Mount Wangji had been filled in.

She paused her writing and lowered her eyes to look at the small lines of script. Obscure and unintelligible sentences, which no one but her could decipher. Her experience outside the pass was probably the same—it was a secret between her and Shan Zong.

“Young Mistress, why do you seem to sleep poorly every time you come to this temple?” Zirui gently reminded her from the side, while taking the brush from her hand, lest excess ink drip onto the scroll.

Shen Rong fanned the ink dry, then gently rolled up the scroll: “Mm, I once said I would never come to this place again.”

Zirui said: “It’s Young Master Pei who’s in a hurry to return to Chang’an, so he thought of taking this shortcut again. Does the Young Mistress dislike this place?”

Shen Rong put away the scroll, rose, and went out: “It always leads me to dreams. What’s there to like about it?”

Zirui listened, secretly surprised. After so long, the young mistress still remembered that nightmare from when she first arrived?

________________________________________

Outside, preparations for departure were already underway.

As Shen Rong walked out of the temple gate, a couple happened to be approaching hand in hand.

They passed each other, and then the woman suddenly stopped, quickened her steps towards Shen Rong: “Esteemed one?”

Shen Rong turned. Standing on the steps was a woman with delicate features and graceful charm, smiling at her: “It’s you.”

It was Du Xinnu, whom she had encountered in the Golden Den outside the pass.

“It’s this humble one,” Du Xinnu said with a smile, bowing to her: “I never thought I’d see the esteemed one again, yet we met here.”

Shen Rong asked: “Shouldn’t you have returned to Chang’an?”

“Exactly. That day, thanks to the assistance of Young Master Shan and the esteemed one, this humble one returned inside the pass with a merchant caravan from nearby Yizhou, and met my husband who had come looking for me. That’s why I delayed for some time and stayed until now. Passing through here today, I specifically came to this temple to fulfill a vow.”

Shen Rong glanced behind her. Standing there was a man dressed in plain blue cloth, appearing gentle and reserved. She presumed he was her husband.

“Since the esteemed one is here, I presume Young Master Shan is also here,” Du Xinnu looked around: “This humble one wishes to thank him in person again.”

“He’s not here,” Shen Rong glanced around. On the mountain path below the steps, a large group of guards were busy harnessing horses and loading carriages. Thankfully, her brother and second elder cousin hadn’t come out yet.

Du Xinnu looked at her with some surprise, a hint of worry on her face: “Could it be that something happened to Young Master Shan?”

Shen Rong looked at her: “Why do you say that?”

Du Xinnu whispered: “When this humble one left that day, I heard the barbarian driver say that he ventured alone and traveled a hundred li overnight, relying on a thread of a clue to find that place in time. Could it be that he encountered danger on the way back?”

Shen Rong’s heart stirred slightly. For a moment, she was speechless.

Du Xinnu, seeing her as if lost in thought, grew more suspicious and furrowed her delicate brows: “If that’s the case, this humble one would have no way to repay...”

“No,” Shen Rong interrupted her: “He’s fine, he’s just not here.”

Du Xinnu was first surprised, then she relaxed and smiled: “That’s good. Otherwise, this humble one wouldn’t be able to rest or eat in peace.”

She still wanted to ask why he wasn’t there, but then saw two well-dressed young gentlemen walk out of the temple gate. She stopped speaking.

Shen Rong said in a low voice: “Let’s go. There’s no need to mention what happened before here.”

Du Xinnu, seeing the two young gentlemen walking directly towards the esteemed lady, cleverly bowed and whispered: “If fate allows, we shall meet again in Chang’an another day.”

After saying that, she walked to her husband’s side, took his arm, and entered the temple with him.

Pei Shaoyong arrived a step ahead of Changsun Xin and glanced at the departing Du Xinnu: “Ah Rong, who was that person, and what did she say to you?”

Changsun Xin, adjusting his robes, interjected: “That’s Madam Du, a rather famous zither player from Chang’an. She probably asked if she could return to Chang’an with you, otherwise she doesn’t even know Ah Rong, what else could she say?”

Shen Rong nodded, going along with his words: “Mm, I declined.”