Aoyama

Chapter 377 Heavenly Favorite
Looking back at the traces in front of the Temple of the Silkworm, one sees the remains of the past.

When the Qi sisters came before him, they brought with them a fragrant breeze.

Today, Qi Zhaoning changed into a willow-green high-collar gauze jacket, a moon-white lace skirt, and a pearl headdress. She also specially made up her face, with delicate eyebrows and rouge on her lips.

She stood gracefully in front of Chen Ji, her eyes sparkling: "Chen Ji, we just heard on the road that you whipped the eunuch faction's Imperial Palace Supervisor?"

The moment the other person spoke, Chen Ji's heart sank. He subconsciously looked at Lin Chaoqing beside him and knew something was wrong.

During the Ning Dynasty, civil officials took pride in criticizing the eunuch faction. In the seventeenth year of the Jianing era, the Grand Censor Wen Zheyi angrily denounced the eunuch faction outside the Meridian Gate. Later, the Secret Service used a pretext of him speaking out of turn while drunk to demote him to the south and make him a seventh-rank county magistrate.

Despite his demotion, Wen Zheyi was not treated coldly. During his journey south by boat, Ning Dynasty officials warmly received him and saw him off, requesting to leave him their calligraphy. After three years of exile, he had become one of the leading figures among the southern literati.

Today, Chen Ji whipped the Imperial Palace Supervisor in full view of everyone, which was even worse than Wen Zheyi's actions.

Having slapped the face of the Imperial Palace Supervisor, the matter would surely be widely publicized, but Chen Ji wasn't worried about it spreading...

But you can't pass it on in front of the eunuchs.

Lin Chaoqing looked at Chen Ji with a half-smile: "Lord Chen, you have quite the airs. In this vast capital, others might utter a few curses, but there aren't many who would actually dare to lay a hand on the Twelve Directors of the Inner Court. I could have let Lord Chen in for a look, but now that I'm granting you this favor, I'm afraid you'll have no place to stand in the Inner Court."

Chen Ji didn't waste any words with him and turned to leave.

He went straight back to the Imperial Guard formation, took the reins back from Lin Yanchu, and silently pondered how to give the silver hairpin to Bai Li.

Qi Zhaoning followed behind him as if she hadn't noticed, and said with a smile, "Chen Ji, when we got off the car just now, everyone was talking about you. They said they would definitely invite you to join them for the spring hunt tomorrow... But I told them that you might not like this kind of excitement, so it's okay if you don't go."

Chen Ji didn't want to speak, but Qi Zhenzhuo chimed in, "How could that be? We'll go together then. We've been cooped up in the capital for a while now and need to get some fresh air. I wonder where the spring hunt will be held this time?"

Qi Zhaoning quickly replied, "Xiangshan. My elder brother, the Crown Prince, will be in charge of the spring hunt then. It is said that the winner this year will receive a great prize."

Qi Zhenzhuo glanced at Chen Ji and said, "Then it would be a piece of cake for my Imperial Guard, Lord Chen."

Chen Ji remained silent. How could the eldest son of the Qi family not know that the Crown Prince was presiding over the spring hunt? It was merely a case of the brother and sister putting on an act.

He pondered for a moment and said, "The imperial examination is in a few days. I'd better stay at the Imperial Guard Commandery to keep watch."

Qi Zhaoning's expression darkened.

This time, even Li Xuan spoke up to help, saying, "It's alright, I'll stay here at the Governor's Mansion, you can go ahead."

Before Chen Ji could refuse again, Qi Zhaoning pulled Qi Zhaoyun away, saying, "Let's not talk about it now. We're in a hurry to attend the ceremony, which should be starting soon."

Chen Ji hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

He figured he probably wouldn't have another chance to spend time with Bai Li, so he asked the Qi family girl to help him take the plain silver hairpin inside and give it to Bai Li.

But then he thought that if he really did that, Qi Zhaoning might cause some trouble, so he had no choice but to suppress his thoughts.

……

……

First Silkworm Altar.

Qi Zhaoning pulled Qi Zhaoyun along quickly, and Qi Zhaoyun complained, "Walk slower, there are no wolves chasing you."

Qi Zhaoning slowed his pace and patted his chest: "I don't know why, but I feel a bit tight in my chest when I'm close to him. I never thought of him as a military general before, but I can't remember until I get close and see him in armor."

At this moment, several officials' wives caught up from behind.

A young woman, holding a silk fan, smiled and said, "Zhaoning, was the Imperial Guard who spoke to you just now Chen Ji?"

Qi Zhaoning said with a blush on her face, "It's him."

Several young women covered half their faces with silk fans and teased, "Zhao Ning wants to get married."

Qi Zhaoning blushed and shoved them away: "What nonsense are you talking about? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouths off."

The women laughed and said, "Do you think we don't know? What did Master Chen Lizun of the Chen family say at the Qi residence yesterday? I heard that the eldest branch of the Chen family has already started preparing the six rites."

Qi Zhaoning was taken aback: "How do you all know everything?"

The woman joked, "There are no secrets in this world. Officials and nobles in the capital only buy tea and silk from a few places. The Chen family's eldest son's purchase of so much at once is definitely not for their daily use. Besides, the Chen family's eldest son's son commissioned the Imperial Workshop to make two golden geese. What else can those things be used for besides bringing good fortune?"

In aristocratic families, a pair of live geese is a necessary betrothal gift.

However, it was early spring, and the wild geese were still in the south, not returning north until March. Ordinary officials and nobles would usually use live geese instead, but the Chen family was extravagant and simply commissioned craftsmen to make two golden geese as a sign of their sincerity.

Another woman tapped Qi Zhaoning's shoulder with her finger: "These rumors have been circulating for a while now. Who do you think you can keep them from? I heard that Grand Secretary Chen made the two illegitimate sons of the Chen family compete for adoption. This Chen Ji has been manipulating the managers of the Chen family's salt shop. He doesn't seem like a military general at all, but rather like a strategist. Now that the eldest branch of the family is preparing for the wedding, they should have already decided on the adoptive parent. You'll be going to the Chen family to continue enjoying your good fortune from now on."

Qi Zhaoning quickly said, "What the Chen family is planning is their business; I haven't agreed to it yet!"

The women giggled and said, "Alright, alright, you won't agree. You'd better really not agree, so you can give the opportunity to someone else. By the way, what about Zhaoyun's marriage?"

Qi Zhaoyun was not in a good mood: "I'm not getting married."

Just as everyone was surprised by her reaction, the bell of the Altar of the Silkworm suddenly rang out, and someone whispered, "Hurry up, the ceremony is starting, Her Majesty the Empress is going to offer sacrifices to the gods."

The group hurried to the main hall and stood in their designated places according to the rules: the imperial concubines were in front, the ladies of high rank were in the middle, and the wives of officials were in the back. Each had their own place and could not move around at will.

Several women stood on tiptoe and saw from afar the Empress, her dark blue robe trailing behind her, walking into the Sanqing Hall surrounded by palace maids.

Outside the main hall, musicians from the Music Bureau played music, and palace women danced. All the officials and their families stood silently with their heads bowed below the steps, waiting for the ceremony to conclude.

Inside the main hall, the Empress calmly approached the statues of the Three Pure Ones and received nine long incense sticks from the palace maid.

Burning three incense sticks symbolizes the three elements of heaven, earth, and humanity.

Burning six incense sticks symbolizes the six directions: up and down, north and south, east and west, and the six directions of harmony.

Burning nine incense sticks symbolizes the unity of all things, and is intended to pray for blessings from heaven and earth, and for the protection of the nation, society, and the peace of all people.

The Empress, holding up her wide robe sleeves, dipped the incense and candles in some fragrant oil and then brought them to the candle flame on the offering table.

Strangely, the incense sticks in her hands remained unlit, as if she were holding an iron rod instead of incense sticks.

The Empress remained impassive, glancing back at Yuan Jin. Yuan Jin immediately realized something was amiss and hastily took nine long incense sticks from the side and handed them to her.

The Empress concealed herself with her sleeve, switched the incense stick to her hand, and nonchalantly lit it over the candle flame.

But this time, the incense still didn't light.

Yuan Jin's expression changed, and she lowered her voice: "Your Majesty, someone has tampered with the incense offerings."

The Empress remained calm and said, "Don't make a fuss. Change the incense."

Seeing that the Empress was calm and composed, Yuan Jin's mind gradually calmed down as well.

She immediately summoned several palace maids to stand in a row in front of the door, blocking the view of others. She then went to a side hall to fetch new incense sticks and handed them to the Empress, waiting for her to light them.

No matter how many sticks she tried, the incense sticks just wouldn't light. The Empress looked at the incense sticks in her hand and smiled, "Sister Xue is quite bold, and she's really impatient, daring to tamper with even the sacrificial ceremony."

Yuan Jin frowned and asked, "What do we do now?"

The Empress said calmly, "What else can we do? The music and dance will end soon, let's just put on a show for now."

After saying this, she pretended that the incense sticks had been lit, inserted them into the incense burner, and bowed three times.

The music and rituals ceased.

As the last drumbeat faded, the empress turned and walked out of the palace as if nothing had happened.

But right now.

Outside the main hall, at the foot of the stone steps, one of the concubines let out a soft exclamation and pointed into the Sanqing Hall: "Isn't the incense burning? Why is there no smoke?"

Yuan Jin suddenly turned her head and stared straight at Consort Xue among the concubines, her gaze as sharp as a knife, as if she wanted to cut a piece of flesh off her face.

The Empress looked at Consort Xue and said gently with a smile, "Sister, you've misjudged."

Consort Xue pointed inside the main hall and, feigning concern, reminded her, "I'm not mistaken, the incense sticks haven't been lit, not a wisp of smoke. Could something have gone wrong? Sister, please take the incense sticks down and light them again, lest the Three Pure Ones be displeased."

The Empress remained silent.

The officials' wives and servants below the stone steps looked at each other and whispered among themselves.

Emperor Ning believed in Taoism, and matters concerning the Taoist court were never to be taken lightly. Or rather, whether one believed or not didn't matter; all the officials and their families knew in their hearts that gods truly existed in this world.

The incense is now not burning, which is a sign of divine retribution and the Empress's lack of virtue!
Someone whispered, "Could it be that last year's flood in Yuzhou was also because of..."

"Shut up! How dare you interfere in palace affairs? Are you out of your mind?"

The officials' wives felt remorseful. They had dressed up in heavy makeup today, thinking they were there for a spring outing, but they never expected to get involved in trouble. It must be because the Crown Prince's recent fortunes had made Consort Xue anxious.

The Empress stood quietly, surveying the area below, knowing that things were unlikely to end well today.

As she pondered a solution, Yuan Jin gave a wink to one of the officials' wives. Immediately, one of the Hu family officials' wives shouted, "Someone must have tampered with the incense offerings to frame Her Majesty the Empress. All those responsible for this should be arrested and imprisoned for a thorough interrogation. We should find out who the mastermind is and what their intentions are."

Consort Xue calmly said, "Don't rush to punish her. The sacrifice to the Silkworm Goddess is a major event. Quickly send someone to fetch the incense prepared in the Silkworm Goddess Altar for Your Highness, and see if it can be lit."

The Queen chuckled: "What if it still can't be lit?"

No one spoke.

If all the incense sticks fail to light, even if a hundred people are killed afterward, the Empress's immorality will still spread.

Yuan Jin whispered in the Empress's ear, "I'm sure Consort Xue has already prepared a backup plan. After today's events, someone will definitely spread the word. I'll hurry back to the palace and fetch the incense and candles commonly used in Kunning Palace to ensure everything goes smoothly."

The Empress said softly, "It's too late."

Since Consort Xue dared to set up this scheme, she must have planned this far. Before Yuan Jin even returns, someone else will launch another attack.

But how can one prove one's innocence without incense and candles?

But at this moment.

In the Jingyang Palace, Bai Li bent down and placed Wu Yun on the ground, whispering, "Be good, wait for me to come back here."

Having said that, she stepped out from the crowd and walked straight through the people towards the Sanqing Hall.

The officials' wives looked at the female Taoist priest passing by with surprise. Her dark blue Taoist robe accentuated her long, snow-white neck, and her unadorned eyes and brows were as calm as a lake.

Hearing the commotion behind her, Consort Xue turned around and asked, "Who are you? Step back."

The white carp ignored everything and climbed the stone steps in front of the hall step by step.

On the stone steps, Jie Fanwei drew his sword and pointed angrily: "Who goes there? Step back!"

Bai Li continued walking without stopping, treating the long sword as if it were nothing.

The Empress silently observed the white carp for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Let her come here."

The guards, puzzled, sheathed their swords and let the white carp pass through them and enter the Sanqing Hall.

Bai Li took the divination blocks offered on the offering table, held them in both hands, turned around, and walked out of the main hall.

She knelt on the stone steps: "Bai Li, a believer, humbly beseeches the Three Pure Ones to discern right from wrong. Is the incense not burning today due to the machinations of a villain?"

Having said that, she threw the divination blocks onto the blue bricks, one yin and one yang!
Yes!
The empress's pupils contracted slightly.

Yuan Jin reacted quickly and said loudly, "Yin and Yang, the Dao Ancestor has revealed that today's events are the work of a villain!"

At the foot of the stone steps, Consort Xue frowned and said, "To decide everything with just one divination using divination blocks is a bit too frivolous..."

Before she could finish speaking, Bai Li picked up the divination blocks and threw them onto the blue bricks again, one yin and one yang.

The toss is cast again, one yin and one yang.

Every time she tossed the toss, Yuan Jin would announce it once.

By the sixth time, Consort Xue could no longer remain calm. Ignoring the maid's attempts to stop her, she lifted her skirt and climbed the stone steps, watching intently as Bai Li threw out the divination blocks once more.

One yin and one yang!
Yuan Jin said in a low voice, "Zhu Baili, that's enough."

The six instances of alternating yin and yang are enough to silence public opinion. If this continues, and something else is thrown out right under Consort Xue's nose, all our previous efforts will be in vain.

But Bai Li did not answer. Instead, he threw out the divination blocks again, one yin and one yang!
Toss again, one yin and one yang!
Nine times in a row, each time it was a yin and a yang!
Yuan Jin paused for a moment, then said in a trembling voice, "Nine Yin and Yang cycles, and today a villain has caused trouble!"

The Empress slowly exhaled, gazing intently at Bai Li's kneeling figure, and finally smiled, asking, "Where is Jie Fan Wei?"

The guards replied in unison, "Here!"

The Empress calmly said, "Today's sacrificial ceremony is related to the livelihood of the people for a year. Anyone who interferes with the ceremony is tantamount to undermining the foundation of our Ning Dynasty. All those involved in the First Silkworm Altar will be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison and severely tortured until the mastermind behind it is found."

Jie Fanwei clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"

Consort Xue stared at Bai Li in disbelief, unable to utter a single word.

The Empress smiled gently and asked, "Is there anything else, sister?"

Consort Xue remained silent for a long time before performing a curtsy: "Sister, you are virtuous and blessed by Heaven, so I have nothing to say."

The Empress bent down, took Bai Li's wrist, and pulled her up: "What are you still kneeling for? Come on, today you will accompany me to worship the Silkworm Goddess."

She felt the white carp trembling slightly and gently patted the back of its hand.

(End of this chapter)