Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 492 Temple Discovery
Three days later, Balu led a team of elite soldiers to escort Xue Sui and Xue Ji's carriage to the royal mausoleum.

The royal mausoleum is located on the southern slope of Mount Wulan, thirty miles west of Chishui City.

Backed by the sacred mountain and facing the Chishui River, a huge stone wolf god statue stands at the entrance, weathered by wind and sand, desolate yet solemn.

The temple was the resting place of the kings of the West, and their spirit tablets were enshrined there.

Normally, it is heavily guarded by loyal royal guards and priests, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close.

Wearing the old-fashioned clothing of Princess Xiz, Yuki's steps were unsteady. Supported by two maids, she climbed the long stone steps one by one.

The closer she got to her parents' memorial tablet, the more violently her body trembled.

Upon seeing the two names standing side by side, she suddenly knelt down, her forehead slamming heavily against the stone slab, and burst into tears.

“Father…Mother…Ayinur is back…”

"Your daughter is unfilial... I didn't listen to you back then, and was greedy for novelty and fun... That's why I've ended up like this, neither human nor ghost... I'm so sorry..."

Those fragmented memories, like a flood bursting its banks, assaulted her already fragile mind.

She cried out, her fingers digging into the cold ground, repeating over and over again her belated confession and the pain she had suppressed for half her life.

Xue Sui knelt to the side, offering no advice and letting her vent her emotions.

Out of the corner of my eye, I subtly observed every detail of the temple...

Mottled murals, ancient stone pillars, and old sacrificial vessels.

What's hidden here?
What was the intention of the person who secretly passed on the message and guided her to the temple?

The worship ceremony is over.

Xue Sui helped Xue Ji, who was nearly exhausted from crying, to her feet and took her to rest in a side hall of the temple.

The old priest who guarded the temple personally served warm water and simple refreshments, respectfully placing them before the altar.

The accompanying guards stood outside the door. Balu personally inspected the doors, windows, and furnishings inside the hall, and only after confirming that there was nothing amiss did he bow slightly to Xue Sui.

"Princess, I will be waiting outside the door. Please call me if you have any orders."

Xue Sui nodded. “Thank you for your trouble, General. My mother and I would like to have a private conversation. Please do us a favor and do not let any outsiders disturb us.”

Baru bowed in agreement, respectfully withdrew, and gently closed the door behind him.

Xue Sui then carefully examined the side hall.

The side hall was small and simply furnished, but the most eye-catching feature was the huge mural on the wall.

The murals depict the legend of Mount Ulan.

Layer upon layer of mountains, shrouded in mist, with babbling streams and dotted with tiny blue flowers. A deer is drinking water, its appearance remarkably similar to the "peacock flower" described by Unger.

On the other side of the mural is a scene of the Xiz people picking flowers and offering them to the wolf god.

Xue Sui's heart stirred slightly.

She gestured for Ruyi and Jinshu to watch out for any movement at the door, while she helped Xueji sit down on the cushion.

“Mother, look at this mural… does it look familiar? When my grandparents came to worship when I was little, did they tell me any stories about the sacred mountain?”

Yuki looked up blankly, following the direction her daughter was pointing.

“Flowers…blue…Sacred Mountain…Red River flows down from there…We can’t go…Father said…it’s dangerous…”

"Where can't we go?" Xue Sui gently guided.

Yuki pointed at the mural, her lips moving as she spoke haltingly.

"We can't go any further... This is where the Wolf God sleeps... We can't disturb him... It will... It will anger the gods..."

As she spoke, she seemed to be struck by a thought, and suddenly became excited. She broke free from Xue Sui's hand, walked to an inconspicuous stone lamp base by the wall, bent down, and began to grope with trembling fingers.

"Here...it's here..."

"The box... Mother's little box... Hide it... somewhere with a light..."

She spoke softly, then suddenly jerked the lamp holder hard.

Click!

A soft sound.

The lamp holder actually turned on.

A small hidden compartment pops up at the bottom.

Inside lay a small wooden box, about the size of a palm.

Due to its age, the surface of the wooden box has rotted and lost its original luster.

Xue Sui held his breath and carefully took out the wooden box.

The box wasn't locked, so she gently lifted the lid—

There was a neatly stacked sheet of parchment.

The drawing on the paper is a detailed topographical map of Mount Ulan.

The brushstrokes are archaic, and there is a hidden path marked with wolf heads using special mineral pigments, pointing to a certain location on the sacred mountain.

There are also several lines of ancient Siz script annotations nearby.

Xue Sui was not proficient in the ancient Xizi language and was frowning in thought when Xue Ji came over and read it out in an almost dreamlike voice.

"The heart of the sacred mountain, the source of the Red River, the place where the wolf god sleeps, and where the forget-me-not blooms."

Forget-me-not?
Xue Sui gripped the parchment tightly, feeling that it was a bit rough on his hand.

"Mother, thank you..."

Yukihime was bewildered.

Xue Sui looked up at the window.

The Wulan Mountains stand majestically and continuously, silently rising under the gloomy sky, like a lurking giant beast.

The road ahead was uncertain, fraught with danger—but she had no other choice.

She expressionlessly helped her mother up, then quietly hid the parchment scroll deeper into her sleeve.

"Mother, we should go back now."

She spoke softly, her tone as calm as if nothing had happened.

"Finding the box is our little secret; we can't tell anyone, understand?"

Yukihime seemed to understand, but she obediently agreed.

"I'll remember, it's a secret... You can't tell anyone... I'll listen to my daughter..."
-
Perhaps Yukihime was too emotional during the ritual, which exhausted her energy.

On the return journey in the carriage, she developed a low-grade fever, her whole body was burning hot, and she kept talking nonsense, calling for her father and mother, saying that someone was trying to arrest her.

Xue Sui hugged his mother with heartache, his heart sinking deeper and deeper.

Yukihime's body was already weak, and this ordeal would likely worsen her condition.

She urged the driver on, constantly wiping her mother's forehead.

Back at his lodgings, he personally prepared and administered the medicine, staying by his side all night.

As dawn approached, Xueji's fever subsided, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Jinshu tiptoed over and whispered, "Princess, why don't you go and rest for a while? I'll keep watch here."

Xue Sui shook his head. "Is there any movement outside?"

Jinshu glanced at the shadowy figure moving on the window paper, her voice extremely low, "Balu's men have been keeping watch outside all night. Their suspicions are even greater than we thought... Princess, you must be careful..."

Xue Sui tucked the blanket around her mother, her eyes cold.

“What’s the point of taking precautions? A wolf will keep an eye on its prey and won’t give up just because the prey is wary. Rather than waiting to be outmaneuvered, it’s better to take the initiative and create an opening.”
-
Over the next two days, Xue Sui began planning to make the trip happen as soon as possible.

Getting close to the holy mountain without arousing suspicion and obstruction from Turgutai is not easy...

That afternoon, as she was pondering the parchment, the courtyard gate was knocked on again, this time without any politeness.

It was Prince Ang who arrived.

This time, he didn't barge in recklessly. Instead, he kept a straight face, followed by two maids carrying gift boxes.

"Here, Father asked me to bring this for Aunt." He spoke in a stiff tone, but couldn't help secretly glancing at Xue Sui's expression.

“Father said his aunt is ill, and these are precious medicinal herbs brought back from Daliang; they can help her recover…”

Xue Sui looked at those things, then at the young boy who clearly cared but insisted on putting on a mature and composed demeanor, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Why isn't your father coming?

According to custom, Xue Ji is Mori Le's aunt, and since his aunt is ill, it is only right for her nephew to visit her.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Ang's lips twitched and his voice lowered.

“Father has been sent by the king to the north to quell the tribal conflict. He set off yesterday with his wolf riders and didn’t have time to visit his great-aunt…”

Seemingly afraid that Xue Sui wouldn't believe him, Angge hurriedly added.

“These are medicinal herbs that even my father is reluctant to use. They were sent by the envoy from Daliang when he came to Xiz last time…”

Xue Sui smiled slightly, gesturing for Jinshu to take the items, and then smiled gently at Angge.

"Young Master, may we speak inside?"

Ang looked at her suspiciously, hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and followed her into the inner room.

Perhaps because he had been taught not to enter a woman's inner chamber, his cheeks flushed slightly, and he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.

"Speak quickly if you have something to say."

“Angge, I’m your aunt, what are you afraid of—” Xue Sui chuckled and tapped his tense shoulder blades, looking him in the eye and asking gently.

"Boy, have you been to the heart of the sacred mountain, the source of the red river?"

Upon hearing this, Ang narrowed his eyes warily.

"What do you want to do? That's a forbidden area of ​​the sacred mountain; no one except the priests and saintesses can go there!"

Forbidden Land on the Sacred Mountain?

Xue Sui smiled at him, "Didn't you say you'd take me to see blue peacock flowers and watch deer drink water? Or were you just bragging..."

Ang hurriedly waved his hand, his face turning red. "I was talking about Wolf Creek Valley, not the heart of the Holy Mountain or the source of the Red River. But it's very close to the Holy Mountain altar... They won't let us go any further in. The priest said there's a guardian beast of the Wolf God inside, and once you go in, you won't be able to come out."

Xue Sui sighed softly.

"Oh, I see. I was mistaken."

She glanced at the medicine bowl belonging to Yukihime on the table.

“Your great-aunt is very ill, and only the blue peacock flower can save her.”

Angge exclaimed in surprise, then hesitated and said, "Peacock flowers are just pretty, I've never heard of them being used in medicine?"

“I swear in the name of the Wolf God, it’s true.” Xue Sui said solemnly, “I need your help, Ang. Would you like to be the little hero who saves your great-aunt?”

Anger frowned.

Despite his young age, he had experienced the pain of separation and death, and he especially remembered his helplessness when his mother died.

He loved this beautiful and gentle aunt and couldn't bear to see her lose her mother.

"Okay! I'll help you. What do you want me to do?"

"Come to the old palace to find me early tomorrow morning. We'll go to Wolf Creek Valley together to pick peacock flowers," Xue Sui said in a low voice. "Remember, come from the back door. Don't let Balu's people see you."

“No problem, I’ve got it covered!” Ang patted his chest and nodded vigorously.

"I rode the fastest horse my father bought for me..."

(End of this chapter)