Divination at Ci'en Temple 9

The man looked at her with disbelief. "Is that so?"

Seeing that he seemed to hold no genuine malice, Jiang Shuwan tentatively voiced her inner confusion: "May I ask, sir, who you are?"

The man replied indifferently, "I go by the name Third."

How could it be such a coincidence? He shared the same rank as Gu Yunting. Yet, in her past life, she had never heard of anyone in the Marquis of Pingning’s estate other than the Marquis himself, Gu Yunting, holding the third position.

Could he be the Third Master of the Yan family, Gu Yunting’s maternal grandfather? It was rumored that he had caused trouble and been placed under house arrest; perhaps he had snuck out, which would explain why he dared not enter through the main gate, choosing to slink in instead.

The man noticed the strange look in Jiang Shuwan’s eyes. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of an argument drifted in from outside the door.

"Why are their monthly wages being raised, but not ours?"

"Exactly! We won't stand for this. If they get a raise, we all get a raise!"

Jiang Shuwan turned toward the door, surprised that they had arrived so quickly.

"Miss Jiang, do not tell anyone you saw me."

The voice brushed against her ear. When Jiang Shuwan turned back, she found that the man had already vanished.

Looking at the empty room, she felt even more certain of her suspicions. Ignoring the noisy crowd outside, she returned to her desk to practice calligraphy, turning a deaf ear to the clamor beyond her window.

***

A gentle breeze stirred the damp air, and the temperature plummeted. Yet, the people on the East Street continued to bustle back and forth, their faces bright with smiles as they shopped, completely unfazed by the weather.

At the far end of the alley, however, it was quiet. Beneath a massive tree, its trunk wide enough for three children to encircle, stood the man who had just been in Jiang Shuwan’s room.

Fengye looked at him and said, "Third Master, the assassins have been identified. In a few days, you will be able to return to the capital."

"Do not tell the Gu family about my feigned death," the man commanded. "The culprits are still at large; we must not alert them."

"Understood," Fengye replied respectfully.

The man then instructed, "Investigate the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. Leave no detail unexamined."

Fengye was puzzled. Since when had his master taken an interest in a woman? The Third Master had always been indifferent to the opposite sex. Could she be a spy sent by their enemies?

With a murderous glint in his eyes, Fengye made a throat-slitting gesture. "Third Master, shall I dispose of her?"

Gu, the Third Master, looked solemn. "Just investigate. Do not act on your own initiative."

Realizing he had misunderstood, Fengye nodded. "This subordinate understands."

***

The next day.

After several days of drizzling rain, the sky finally cleared, and weak sunlight filtered through the trees, spilling onto the ground.

Jiang Shuwan leaned against the window and looked outside. It seemed less cold today. She tightened her light green cotton-padded jacket and turned to Lusu. "Lusu, what about those people from yesterday?"

Lusu stopped tidying the tea table, her brows furrowed. "They made a scene for a long time yesterday. Then, as you instructed, I told them you would see them today, so they dispersed. They will likely come looking for you soon."

"Lusu, stop cleaning. We are going out," Jiang Shuwan said suddenly after a moment of contemplation.

"Where to?" Lusu asked, puzzled.

"Hurry, I'll tell you on the way."

Jiang Shuwan walked out quickly, slipping out through the side gate. She took Lusu and boarded a carriage, heading toward the outskirts of the city.

Once they were outside the city walls, Lusu asked, "Miss, where are we going?"

"Ci'en Temple." Feeling a cold gust of wind, Jiang Shuwan raised her slender hand to pull her large white coat tighter.

Lusu tucked a hand warmer into her embrace. "Why did you suddenly want to visit Ci'en Temple, Miss?"

"It has been a long time. With my marriage approaching, I wish to go and offer prayers."

Rebirth was a chance the heavens had granted her, and she wanted to thank the Buddha for the opportunity to live again. But such a bizarre matter was impossible to explain to Lusu, so she had simply made up an excuse.

Lusu did not doubt her. "Then we must pray sincerely. Perhaps you can also offer a prayer for the Marquis, that he may return safely."

"Yes."

Jiang Shuwan knew the Marquis of Pingning would never return, but she dared not tell Lusu, fearing the girl would worry and try to persuade her not to go through with the marriage. The silly girl was always looking out for her.

After an hour of bumpy travel, they finally arrived at Ci'en Temple.

Stepping down from the carriage, Jiang Shuwan looked up at the grey tiles and white walls in the distance, and the legendary ninety-nine steps leading to the temple gate.

On the grand plaque above the entrance were the bold black characters: *Ci'en Temple*.

It was said that these words were inscribed by the Emperor himself, and the temple was reserved for the nobility and the imperial family. Since it was not a day for incense offerings, there were few people around.

Jiang Shuwan climbed the steps one by one until she reached the entrance. As she stepped inside, the scent of incense greeted her. Beyond the main gate lay a vast courtyard, in the center of which stood a bronze cauldron filled with the remains of burned joss sticks.

After offering incense at the cauldron, she entered the main hall. Inside, a solemn Maitreya Buddha was enshrined, with three prayer mats placed before the altar.

While Lusu went to offer incense and pay the temple fees, Jiang Shuwan knelt on the center mat, closed her eyes, and pressed her palms together.

*Thank you, Buddha, for allowing this humble believer to live again. I shall donate to the temple and perform good deeds to honor your mercy.*

After a few moments, she opened her eyes and bowed three times. On the table before the Buddha sat a cylindrical bamboo container filled with fortune sticks.

Jiang Shuwan stood up, took the container, and knelt again. She shook it until a single bamboo stick fell out, inscribed with words:

*Peach blossoms bloom in the depth of winter,*
*Spring chills leave the branches bare.*
*The coming year shall bloom with spring,*
*Yet in autumn, a journey must be made.*

Holding the stick, she furrowed her brows and walked out of the hall. Looking toward the right side of the courtyard from a high vantage point, she saw a banyan tree so large it would take three or four children to embrace it. Beneath it sat a monk at a table draped in yellow silk.

Jiang Shuwan approached the table and, seeing who was sitting there, her eyes widened in surprise. "Master Yuanming, why are you here?"

Master Yuanming looked up. He saw a young woman with a slender frame and a face the size of a palm, her eyes holding a depth of maturity. He frowned slightly.

He raised his right elbow, palm open and fingers together. "Benefactor Jiang, I am here today to cast fortunes for those visiting the temple."

Jiang Shuwan was stunned.

Master Yuanming was the Abbot of Ci'en Temple, usually residing in the back cloister for meditation. Fortune-telling was typically handled by monks specializing in the craft.

"Benefactor Jiang, please sit. Let me cast a fortune for you."

Jiang Shuwan nodded and sat on the stool opposite him, handing him the bamboo stick.

Master Yuanming took the stick, his brows knitting together.

"Benefactor Jiang, this fortune of yours is... highly unusual," he said, his expression grave.

"Master, could you explain further?"