Chapter 23: Bound

Chapter 23: Kidnapped

Liu Yun greeted him properly, but her heart started to flutter with anxiety again.

What was going on? She'd bumped into the Crown Prince more in these past few months than in the last eight years put together.

Anyone who didn't know better would think she was stalking the Crown Prince just to run into him!

"Hm."

In response to Liu Yun's greeting, the Crown Prince let out a low, indifferent "hm" and nothing more.

Liu Yun naturally assumed that meant she was free to go, so still holding the pink lotus, she lowered her head and began to walk away.

"Did I say you could leave?"

She had only taken two steps when, out of nowhere, those words rang in her ears, scaring the wits out of her.

She whipped around in a hurry, bowed her head, and asked, "M-may I ask what else Your Highness commands?"

He was the Crown Prince—a rank second only to the emperor. How could Liu Yun dare question him? She could only put on her most deferential air.

She looked down and watched as the dark deerskin boots circled around her on the ground before stopping in front of her.

He reached out and brushed at the lotus she held in her arms, asking in a measured tone, "An unmarried man and woman secretly exchanging gifts like this—is this how Vice Minister Liu raised his daughter?"

That was a heavy charge to lay on her, and Liu Yun's expression changed instantly. She hastily explained, "Your Highness misunderstands. I would never do such a thing. It's just that Young Marquis Ye has always been that way—it's not like there's anything going on between us."

Watching the girl's face go suddenly pale, Xiao Hang momentarily felt his words had been a little too harsh.

But having just witnessed that "lovey-dovey" scene, he simply couldn't let it go.

He had to get this pent-up frustration off his chest.

"If you know what Ye Qingliu is like, why did you take the flower? Don't tell me you've got a thing for him?"

Another accusation thrown at her, and Liu Yun was about to cry from frustration. Her pale face turned bright red as she stumbled over her words, "That's absolutely not true! I just thought the flower was pretty and took it in a moment of foolishness. I have absolutely no designs on Young Marquis Ye, and I was just about to toss this flower away!"

Hearing Liu Yun's firm and emphatic assurance, Xiao Hang's expression quietly relaxed, and his tone unconsciously softened a notch.

"If that's the case, I hope Miss Liu will keep that in mind."

God knows what went through his mind when he saw that scene.

If he'd still had his bow, Xiao Hang was afraid he couldn't have stopped himself from letting a few arrows loose to get rid of that annoying thing.

Seeing the Crown Prince drop the matter, Liu Yun felt she'd dodged a bullet. After quickly excusing herself, she casually tossed the pink lotus that had almost gotten her in trouble into the weeds by the road.

Xiao Hang watched the girl's retreating figure as she fled in a panic, then expressionlessly followed in her footsteps, finally stopping beside the lone pink lotus its owner had discarded.

Right in front of the attendant Su Lin, Xiao Hang picked it up without the slightest hesitation, his fingertip wandering and caressing the flower stem.

A trace of warmth still lingered there. Bringing it to his nose, it seemed to carry a faint, lingering scent.

Not like the lotus's usual fresh scent.

"The lotuses here in Jinning are different from the ones outside—seem to smell better, too," Xiao Hang said, half in jest, half in earnest. His words sounded proper, but they didn't come across that way.

With a hint of flirtatious ambiguity.

Su Lin snuck a peek, then dropped his head, his heart pounding, swallowing everything he'd seen.

He didn't dare so much as chuckle.

Meanwhile, Liu Yun, having left the Crown Prince, saw that Zhen Zhen was just finishing up too, so she smiled and walked over to greet her.

After the Young Marquis Ye and Crown Prince incidents, Liu Yun could only find peace of mind upon seeing her friend's face.

"Shanshan, where did you go? Why did you come back in such a fluster?" Chen Wei asked, looking at her friend's flushed face with a smile.

Liu Yun had no intention of telling Zhen Zhen about her recent embarrassment. After all, no matter how close the friends, one couldn't pour out every secret hidden in the depths of one's heart.

She would resolve it herself.

In the afternoon, a group of young ladies gathered and played for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, they all felt exhausted and returned to their respective homes.

Once home, the day's joys, worries, and frights all dissipated like smoke.

Liu Yun was never one to dwell on things, and before long, she had cast that bit of melancholy aside.

Entering June, the Fahua Temple on Jiuyang Mountain held a dharma assembly, and her mother was going to take her to worship the Buddha again.

Mother always said it was the most efficacious temple in the capital.

She also said she would ask about her marriage prospects.

Marriage prospects?

Hearing this, Liu Yun curiously asked her mother, "Aren't I supposed to marry Brother Xiuyuan?"

"Then why ask about marriage?"

Wasn't her marriage already settled?

Wouldn't asking again be redundant?

In Zhang Yuhua's eyes, her daughter was the most adorable young lady in the world. At this moment, tilting her head and looking at her with wide, round eyes made her even more endearing.

Unable to resist pinching her daughter's cheek again, Zhang Yuhua chuckled, "So what? Does that mean I can't ask?"

"Fahua Temple is very efficacious—no harm in asking."

Liu Yun laughed helplessly and went along with her mother.

...

On the second day of the sixth month, Fahua Temple was bustling with people.

Liu Yun followed her mother off the carriage and gazed in amazement at the sea of worshippers at the temple.

"Mother, Mother! There are so many people at Fahua Temple today!"

Even such hot weather couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm for worship, and Liu Yun truly admired them.

If her mother hadn't dragged her here, Liu Yun would never have come to such a crowded place.

Zhang Yuhua, holding her daughter's soft hand, walked along, fanning herself as she explained, "It's been three years since the last Dharma assembly, and now that we finally have another one, the wives and daughters of the capital naturally wouldn't miss it. They'd fight tooth and nail just to soak up a bit of that Buddhist blessing."

As they stepped through the temple gate, mother and daughter merged into the crowd, heading toward the Grand Hall of Great Heroes to pray.

Along the way, they ran into plenty of familiar faces—all wives and daughters of capital officials, all there for the day's Dharma assembly.

The two of them exchanged greetings with each one, chatting here and there, so a walk that should've taken the time to finish a cup of tea stretched into nearly half an hour.

And they also ran into someone Liu Yun didn't want to see: County Princess Rong'an, He Xiang.

At first glance, Liu Yun didn't react—she was momentarily stunned.

But then, counting the days, it seemed County Princess Rong'an's three-month house arrest was up.

No wonder she was out with her mother, Lady Hu.

The moment their eyes met, Liu Yun's chest tightened as the humiliating memories from months ago surged back, sinking her mood.

As for County Princess Rong'an, she was taken aback at first, then remembered who Liu Yun was.

But thanks to the lesson she'd learned this time, County Princess Rong'an had reined in her temper quite a bit. She just shot Liu Yun a cold glare and walked off with her mother.

Her father had warned her—no more causing trouble outside—so she had to behave.

Especially when she thought of the prince's scolding, He Xiang felt a pang of fear and bitterness.

Seeing that County Princess Rong'an hadn't come to cause trouble, Liu Yun relaxed and let out a long sigh.

Once inside the Grand Hall of Great Heroes, the scorching sun overhead was gone, replaced by a cool, calming atmosphere, with the faint, elegant scent of agarwood in the air.

Usually, temples only burned sandalwood, but for big Dharma assemblies like this, they switched to agarwood.

With so many visitors today, the Grand Hall was packed with worshippers seeking blessings and drawing fortunes. Liu Yun and her mother waited a bit longer before it was their turn.

Kneeling on the prayer cushion, Liu Yun pressed her palms together and silently murmured her wishes.

Her wish was simple: for her family to be happy and healthy.

Oh, and to marry a good man.

Whether it was Brother Xiuyuan or someone else, as long as he was a good man, that was all that mattered.

After they finished praying, a young monk nearby offered them the fortune stick container. Liu Yun gave it a playful shake.

With a clatter,

a stick fell out. Liu Yun picked it up, and her eyes widened slightly at the inscription.

"Jade steps hold an old bond; a quiet courtyard awaits good news."

Liu Yun knew many temples deliberately stocked auspicious fortunes to please visitors, but she hadn't expected them to be this shameless.

Look at what it said—jade steps and all. They weren't afraid of bragging so hard they'd throw their backs out.

By its very nature, jade steps represented something extraordinary.

Just like in poetry, where jade steps often referred to the imperial palace.

At that thought, Liu Yun's expression changed, and she started silently badmouthing Fahua Temple.

They'd dragged her marriage all the way into the imperial palace—how was that supposed to be true?

Despite her thoughts, she kept her composure, and the monk interpreting fortunes noticed nothing amiss, smiling as he congratulated her: "This is an exceptionally auspicious sign. Young miss, your marriage will be supremely noble, and your fate is extraordinary. I offer my congratulations in advance."

True or not, she knew better than to hit a smiling face, so Liu Yun thanked him with a smile and turned to look at her mother.

Unexpectedly, her mother didn't look the way she'd imagined.

Instead, she wore a contemplative, complicated expression and gave Liu Yun a dazed look, as if she were hiding something.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

She asked worriedly, and Zhang Yuhua snapped out of it, shaking her head with a light laugh. "Nothing, just thinking about some trivial things."

"Thank you, Master, for your kind words."

After praying, Liu Yun followed her mother toward the Dharma assembly. Along the way, her mother held her hand the whole time but seemed distracted.

"Shanshan."

Suddenly, her mother called her name softly.

"Hmm?"

Liu Yun tilted her head up and immediately hummed in response, the sound carrying a hint of playful charm from her surprise.

"What do you need, Mother?"

Liu Yun didn't understand what was bothering her mother.

"Shanshan, do you remember the fortune from earlier?"

Hearing this, Liu Yun perked up.

"Of course I remember! It was so funny, I'll probably remember it forever!"

"Mother, listen—isn't it hilarious? That fortune said I'd marry into the palace. But His Majesty is what age now, and he stopped selecting concubines ages ago. How could that ever happen?"

Looking at her daughter's cheerful smile, Zhang Yuhua said almost without thinking, "Shanshan, the palace isn't just the Emperor..."

"There's also the Crown Prince."

She and her husband had harbored some suspicions before, which they'd pushed to the back of their minds, but today, reminded by that fortune, it all came flooding back.

How could it be such a coincidence that she'd drawn that exact stick?

After speaking, Zhang Yuhua watched her daughter in silence.

Liu Yun looked stunned, at a loss for words for a long moment.

"How could that be? What are you saying, Mother?"

"That's impossible."

"I'm neither beautiful nor talented, and my family background is just average in the Crown Prince's eyes. I doubt I'd even qualify to be a Liangdi!"

The young girl belittled herself with a grin and arched brows, looking like a fool.

Zhang Yuhua sighed and first rebuked her daughter, saying, "That's nonsense, our Shanshan is the prettiest girl in the whole world!"

That shout of "Mother" was a bit too loud, drawing the attention of many around them, and Liu Yun turned bright red.

"Mother, lower your voice. You can say these things to please me at home, but don't let outsiders hear."

Zhang Yuhua looked at her daughter's carefree smile, sighed first, then ventured to ask, "What if—just suppose—the Crown Prince truly set his eyes on our Shanshan, how would Shanshan feel about it?"

Though puzzled as to why her mother asked such a strange question, Liu Yun answered honestly, with a strange look on her face, "What else would I think? I'd cry, obviously."

"Mother, why are you being so weird all of a sudden? You don't actually believe that fortune slip, do you?"

"I don't believe it at all—it's complete nonsense."

Tossing her little head, Liu Yun declared with certainty.

Seeing this, Zhang Yuhua pushed the distracting thoughts out of her mind and let it go.

Indeed, someone like the Crown Prince could have anyone he wanted just by saying so; maybe she and her husband were worrying over nothing.

Moreover, her daughter had no interest in that, so she should finalize the marriage arrangement with the Yang family as soon as possible.

The venue of the Dharma assembly was packed with crowds upon crowds of pilgrims, all watching the solemn ceremony.

As the bell rang, the monks entered the hall, the faithful took their places, and silence fell over the entire gathering.

The abbot of Fahua Temple, Master Kongming, who was leading the ceremony, held a willow branch dipped in pure water, walked around the altar sprinkling it to purify the space. Liu Yun joined the crowd in offering incense and bowing, reciting "Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha."

After sprinkling the willow water, Master Kongming knelt and prostrated three times before the Buddha, then ascended the high seat. The monks present chanted in unison, chanting Buddhist hymns in praise.

The proceedings were long and drawn-out, with subsequent parts including scattering flowers and chanting sutras, expounding the Dharma, repentance and vows, and circumambulating the Buddha with dedication of merits.

Even Liu Yun, patient as she was, nearly couldn't take it several times, but after what felt like an eternity, the ceremony finally drew to a close.

After Master Kongming led all the novices in three prostrations, the bells and drums rang out, and this triennial Dharma assembly finally came to a proper close.

Liu Yun was already tired, and checking the time, it was noon—time for lunch.

It must be said, pilgrims in Yanjing all knew that Fahua Temple's vegetarian meals were second to none.

Part of Liu Yun's reason for coming was also for the temple's vegetarian cuisine.

Following the young novice to the guest hall, she enjoyed the renowned Fahua Temple vegetarian feast.

Luohan vegetarian feast, nine-grade vegetable soup, fried spring rolls, white lotus soup, and vegetarian pastries.

These were all meals specially provided to pilgrims during the Dharma assembly.

They were all ordinary vegetarian dishes, but thanks to the exquisite cooking skills of Fahua Temple's monks, after the meal she felt it was even more delicious than meat.

However, the meal was quite substantial, and shortly after finishing, Liu Yun felt drowsy and couldn't help but fall asleep.

She had originally planned to take a walk around the temple to digest.

Before falling asleep, Liu Yun was surprised to find that her mother had fallen asleep even faster than she had, already lying completely still.

As she drifted into slumber, Liu Yun still wondered who would wake up first between her and her mother.

But when she opened her eyes again, she wasn't lying on the relatively clean and soft bedding of the guest hall; instead, she was bound tightly and leaning against a corner.

And beside her, there were many official wives and daughters, all tied up securely, each face frighteningly familiar.

Thump, thump, thump...

Liu Yun shuddered, as if realizing what had happened.

They had fallen into the hands of bandits!

Author's note:

None