Wei Shubin controlled her mount with desperate precision, weaving left and right through the serpentine alleys of Guangde Ward, charging straight ahead when passages permitted. Initially, she managed to create considerable distance between herself and her pursuers. But when she wheeled onto the ward's main crossroads, she suddenly found her path obstructed by an impenetrable wall of humanity. Her family's blue horse—always well-mannered and obedient—dared not crash into the crowd and came to an abrupt halt with a plaintive whinny.
As dusk descended like a closing curtain, several bare-chested Hu men with distinctive curly hair were performing "fire meteors" in the crossroads' center. They wielded flaming objects bound to ropes in both hands, creating brilliant circular rings of fire in the darkening air—quite a spectacular and mesmerizing sight. Three layers of captivated spectators surrounded the performers, continuously cheering and applauding with unrestrained enthusiasm.
Wei Shubin, already in profound distress, possessed no patience to appreciate such diversions carefully. With the crowd blocking her escape route and unable to continue galloping, she had no choice but to dismount hastily, abandon the reins, and plunge into the sea of bodies. While most people remained caught up in the excitement and laughter, some noticed her passage—their surprised expressions marking an elegantly dressed young lady fleeing alone through the streets.
Thus, when her family members came inquiring, tracking her movements wouldn't prove particularly difficult.
With this sobering realization crystallizing in her mind, Wei Shubin pushed through the pressing crowd and suddenly spotted an ornate ox cart parked conspicuously beside a grand gate flanked by ceremonial halberds. The guards, driver, and attending servants had all abandoned their posts to watch the street performance, leaving both cart and ox completely unattended.
This presented the perfect opportunity. She slipped to the cart's rear, deftly opened the door with practiced fingers, and quietly climbed inside.
Fortunately, the compartment was blessedly empty.
Though the windows were narrow and the light outside steadily diminishing, she could discern through touch that the cushions and reclining posts were arranged with considerable comfort in mind. Tucked in the cart's corner sat a small brazier, its intricately patterned cover allowing faint red coals to glow beneath, radiating enough warmth to keep the enclosed space from becoming uncomfortably cold.
Wei Shubin didn't pause to wonder why such an elegant ox cart would be parked beside a high official's gate at this particular hour. She merely released a long, shuddering sigh, collapsed onto a cushioned seat, and attempted to calm her aching body and racing heart.
She calculated she could hide here temporarily, wait for her pursuing family members to pass by in their frantic search, then slip out of the cart and locate somewhere else to conceal herself.
But where could she possibly hide? For how long could she evade them?
Two heavy iron hammers seemed to strike her chest repeatedly, and Wei Shubin's tears flowed again in hot streams. As she wiped them away with her embroidered handkerchief while sobbing quietly, she reflected bitterly on how fleeing her arranged marriage had brought tremendous shame upon Minister Wei's distinguished household. Though her father would certainly be apoplectic with fury, he wouldn't publicize the scandal. He would simply order the entire household to search thoroughly and retrieve her swiftly to marry that scoundrel Cheng Yaojin in exchange for the substantial betrothal gifts already received...
A Prime Minister and a Grand General—both families wielded enormous power throughout Chang'an. Where could she possibly escape? What place would dare shelter her and stand defiantly against both the Wei and Cheng households combined?
Just as these agonizing thoughts consumed her consciousness entirely, a tremendous commotion erupted outside the cart. What sounded like an elaborate procession of people emerged from somewhere nearby, followed by loud ceremonial calls, inquiring voices, gongs, drums, and enthusiastic cheers. Someone shouted urgently, "Don't miss the auspicious hour, hurry, hurry!" Dozens of voices responded in perfect unison, surrounding the ox cart as it lurched into motion.
Wei Shubin's head spun from the overwhelming cacophony. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she opened her mouth to call out but quickly closed it again with tactical restraint. Her family members were undoubtedly still nearby conducting interrogations and searches—they might have already alerted the ward's military police station. The entire Guangde Ward had become dangerously unsafe. Perhaps it was fortuitous that the cart was moving; once it traveled far enough from this perilous area, she could determine how to disembark.
Or perhaps she needn't disembark at all—anywhere would suffice now.
After all, her ultimate destination... no longer held any significance.
The cart rumbled along the uneven road, surrounded by chattering voices, with a musical band playing somewhere ahead. Several men's voices sang along with enthusiastic accompaniment, their lyrics carrying clearly into the enclosed compartment:
"Young man... think carefully, examine inside and out, be close in everything, match in all ways... Gold and silver vessels scatter like rain, silk and gauze pile high as ward walls..."
This melody seemed strangely familiar... As Wei Shubin gradually regained her composure, sudden realization struck—this was the traditional "Blocking the Cart Song" used to intercept newlywed couples. Had she accidentally infiltrated a bridal procession?
Of course—at this hour, with such ceremonial grandeur, who else but a pre-registered wedding party would receive permission to travel after curfew?
Prime Minister Wei's eldest daughter had fled her own arranged marriage, only to find herself trapped inside someone else's bridal cart...
Crying while simultaneously laughing with bitter irony, Wei Shubin sat in the now pitch-dark compartment and waited with enforced patience. She dared not peek through the windows and constantly worried that someone in the wedding procession might suddenly decide to open the cart door and discover her presence. After an interminable bumpy journey during which they appeared to pass through the ward gate, traveled for considerable time, then passed through another gate, the dusty air that had been flowing into the cart through narrow windows gradually transformed into the fresh scent of trees and vegetation.
This development was deeply troublesome—had they already departed Chang'an city entirely?
Contemplating the wolves and tigers that roamed the mountains and forests beyond the city walls, Wei Shubin shuddered involuntarily. As the early spring night's penetrating chill crept inward in successive waves, she fumbled around blindly to retrieve the brazier from the cart floor and clutched it in her arms for warmth. This hand warmer proved slightly larger than the one she customarily used at home, and its materials and craftsmanship were demonstrably more expensive and refined. Besides charcoal, it also contained fragrant substances, releasing a misty aromatic haze in the darkness.
This cart must belong to an exceptionally wealthy family—but whose?
Before Wei Shubin could unravel this puzzle, the ox cart came to a complete stop.
The sounds of gongs and drums outside intensified into organized chaos, accompanied by the laughing and shouting of numerous men. Listening intently, she could distinguish phrases like "bride" and "come out" among the celebratory shouts—the groom's party had evidently arrived at the bride's residence. But... did the bride's family truly live outside Chang'an's protective walls?
The ox cart lurched forward again, apparently turning a corner and traveling a brief distance before stopping once more. With an abrupt swoosh, the cart door was yanked open, and brilliant torchlight flooded the interior.
Having been immersed in complete darkness for so long, the sudden illumination proved blinding. Wei Shubin instinctively squeezed her eyes shut and raised her hand defensively to shield her face. The person who had opened the door released a surprised exclamation, clearly not anticipating anyone's presence within the cart.
That voice unmistakably belonged to a man... Wei Shubin cautiously opened her eyes to narrow slits and peered outward.
Outside the cart door, within the circle of flickering torchlight, stood three or four maidservants carrying various ceremonial items. In their midst stood a young man garbed in dark robes, slender in build, regarding the cart with visible surprise.
After they stared at each other for several suspended moments, the young man inquired with measured confusion:
"Are you... a servant from the Chai household?"
Servant... Wei Shubin straightened her posture instinctively, her mind churning in absolute chaos, uncertain how to respond appropriately. She was wearing the bright, expensive garments befitting a minister's daughter, with elaborate makeup carefully applied—how could she possibly resemble a servant? Though her presence in this particular location was admittedly rather suspicious...
"Oh my, the True Master thought of absolutely everything, even sending a maid with a hand warmer," came an older woman's approving voice. "It is indeed cold at night, and Young Lady Yi Niang faces such an extended journey into the city by cart—we mustn't allow her to catch cold..."
The honorific "True Master" caught her attention sharply, along with several mentions of "Chai family" and "Yi Niang," and Wei Shubin suddenly understood everything with crystalline clarity. As she registered the woman still chattering enthusiastically—"Let her take the hand warmer to Yi Niang first, they've only just opened the front gate and the groom's party is still performing the makeup urging ceremony, there's still time"—Wei Shubin blurted out desperately:
"Where is the True Master? I have urgent business requiring discussion with her!"
"Who exactly are you?" The slim young man's expression darkened perceptibly as he studied her with sharpened scrutiny. "You're not a servant, are you? How did you infiltrate the Chai family's wedding cart?"
"I..." Wei Shubin swallowed with difficulty. "My surname is Wei, I am... a wedding guest."
Wei Shubin wasn't fabricating—she had indeed been a guest at this very wedding and had visited this particular "household" of the bride merely two days prior.
Two days earlier, she had also been dressed in her finest garments, sharing an ox cart with her mother, Lady Pei, followed by porters carrying elaborately decorated gift baskets, making their merry procession out through the North Fanglin Gate and into the imperial garden where officials and common citizens were strictly forbidden entry without explicit permission.
At the time, she had assumed they were traveling to deliver wedding gifts to the joyous bride's family, but the further they progressed, the more it felt disturbingly like approaching a prison compound.
Fanglin Gate, the imperial garden, and military encampments lined the entire route—there was literally a guard post stationed every five paces and a checkpoint every ten steps. On the watchtowers positioned at the four corners of the temple complex, guards were posted in pairs, standing back-to-back in vigilant formation, their crimson tassels adorning long spears clearly visible even from considerable distance.
This "Ganye Temple" occupied remarkably extensive grounds. Beyond the imposing black-topped gate lay a deep front courtyard with a porter's lodge, requiring no fewer than one hundred deliberate paces to reach the three-section, five-span swooping-eaved vermillion gate. Though numerous people populated the area—servants and maids carrying various items constantly coming and going—an eerie quietude pervaded everything. The female official who emerged to greet the mother and daughter wore a warm smile and observed all proper courtesies meticulously, her voice particularly resonant in the unnaturally empty courtyard:
"What an extraordinary honor to have Minister Wei's esteemed wife grace us with her presence! The servants have already gone to inform Princess Xin Yin and the True Master, please wait just a moment..."
Wei Shubin followed her mother through the imposing main gate, surveying their surroundings with keen observation. The temple compound proved vast with rigidly orderly layout. The main hall directly facing them was a tall, spacious pavilion, standing in austere isolation at the great courtyard's center, positioned quite far from the wing rooms flanking both eastern and western sides.
It was evident the buildings and courtyards had undergone recent renovation. Beyond the weathered bricks and ancient stones, the ground had been systematically cleared of invasive weeds, turned over with fresh soil, and compacted down firmly. The roof tiles adorning the main hall displayed uneven coloration—the darker green tiles were obviously newly installed, and several dry weeds that hadn't been removed still clung to the northwestern corner of the eaves, their withered stalks trembling pitifully in the early spring wind.
Who could know what this courtyard had resembled before this wedding had been officially arranged? After all, this residence housed the family members of executed criminals—who would normally pay any attention to their living conditions? Perhaps Wei Shubin's instinctive feeling that it was "like a prison" approached uncomfortable truth more closely than she realized.
On the lengthening day of the sixth month of the ninth year of Wude, Crown Prince Jiancheng and Prince of Qi Yuanji were formally accused by Prince of Qin Shimin of plotting against him, and he led troops to execute them at the Xuanwu Gate in what would become history's most infamous fratricide.
Li Jiancheng's five sons—Prince of Anlu Chengdao, Prince of Hedong Chengde, Prince of Wu'an Chengxun, Prince of Runan Chengming, and Prince of Julu Chengyi—and Li Yuanji's five sons—Prince of Liang Chengrong, Prince of Yuyang Chengluan, Prince of Pu'an Chengjiang, Prince of Jiangxia Chengyu, and Prince of Yiyang Chengdu—all lost their young heads within a day or two of brutal efficiency. Ten boys, the eldest no more than nine years old—in the early morning of that catastrophic summer day, their fresh blood soaked the ground before the Xiande Hall of the Eastern Palace in dark pools. Months afterward, before the new occupants relocated into the Eastern Palace, they specifically ordered all contaminated soil from that courtyard excavated and replaced entirely.
As for the surviving women of both families—Li Jiancheng's primary consort Lady Zheng and their five daughters, Li Yuanji's primary consort Lady Yang, and their six daughters—they vanished from the mortal world's consciousness from that point forward. It wasn't until this past winter, nine years later, when news spread from the palace that Li Jiancheng's eldest daughter would receive the title Princess of Linfen County and be married to the heir of Duke Chao of Chai, that many people learned with surprise they were still alive, having endured all this time in this Ganye Temple, converted from the former residence of the Prince of Qi.
In the second year of Zhenguan, Li Jiancheng was posthumously titled "Prince Xi" with the temple name "Yin," while Li Yuanji received the title "Prince Hailing" with temple name "Li." Their primary consorts thus received the titles of Princess Consorts, and their daughters became formally eligible for the designation "County Princess." The imperial court placed tremendous importance on this wedding of Li Jiancheng's eldest daughter, the County Princess of Linfen, specially ordering former Eastern Palace officials Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, Wei Ting, and their families to attend and offer congratulations, maintaining the old bonds between ruler and subject despite the bloodstained history.
Standing dutifully behind her mother, Wei Shubin found herself intensely curious about what the two Princess Consorts and their group of County Princesses actually looked like, but the person who arrived to receive them was a surprisingly familiar face—a striking female official appearing around twenty-four or twenty-five years old.
"Please forgive any inadequacy, Lady Pei, and ah, Young Lady Fen has come as well? Please enter quickly. My elder aunt—Consort Zheng is currently receiving guests, and Yingluo has been charged with all arrangements both inside and out, please excuse any oversights..."
In that clear, crisp voice, Wei Shubin curled her lips with amusement while following her mother inside, studying the female official with frank interest. She wore a tall ceremonial hairdo secured with phoenix-headed ornamental pins, dressed in a cross-collared wide-sleeved jacket and skirt ensemble. Though the fabric was appropriately thick, her neckline was daringly low-cut, revealing a generous expanse of snow-white skin with an enticing hint of cleavage visible where the crossed edges met. A birthmark on her slender neck gleamed like a red plum blossom against fresh snow. It was remarkable she wasn't concerned about catching cold in this unpredictable early spring weather.
"Blessings to the True Master—having shed your Taoist robes for palace official's attire, I hardly recognized you at first!" Mother Lady Pei was also laughing with genuine warmth.
"I had absolutely no choice in the matter. As you're aware, my younger brother is taking a bride. We have several competent female stewards managing our household affairs, and my father functions like a protective deity, so I genuinely thought I could avoid additional work. But the Empress declared this Ganye Temple looked far too undignified and lacked anyone capable of properly managing affairs, so she issued an imperial order specifically for me, as the elder sister, to come assist at my future sister-in-law's residence, to substitute as family and arrange Yi Niang—the County Princess of Linfen's wedding preparations. I haven't enjoyed a single moment's rest since before the new year until today," the official sighed dramatically. "When managing a wedding, I could hardly gesture about in Taoist robes, could I? Outsiders would mistake the ceremony for a funeral service rather than a joyous celebration."
This elder sister spoke with absolutely no verbal filters whatsoever. Wei Shubin burst out laughing spontaneously. "So, True Master, does this arrangement count as officially leaving the religious life?"
"I've burned a formal memorial to the Supreme Lord Lao requesting temporary leave for precisely three days," the official winked conspiratorially. "Right now, I'm Lady Chai Yingluo. Once the bride is safely settled in our household, I'll return promptly to my Purple Void Abbey, burn the paper to formally end my leave, and resume being a True Master Taoist."
...This female Taoist certainly adopted an extraordinarily casual approach to entering and leaving religious life.
Chai Yingluo wasn't exaggerating when she claimed she "hadn't enjoyed a moment's rest"—in the few steps it required to escort the Wei mother and daughter to the main hall, she issued several crisp orders to various servants:
"Locate the formal robes for the two Princess Consorts immediately, regardless which chest they're packed in—it'll be your heads if anything goes wrong!"
"Transport the Wei family's wedding gifts to place before the Buddha as well, and exercise extreme care!"
"Don't waste effort on that large patch of wasteland to the north, simply pile the courtyard weeds over there..."
The Empress Zhangsun had chosen with perfect wisdom to appoint Chai Yingluo to oversee the wedding preparations at Ganye Temple, Wei Shubin reflected privately. Though young, this female Taoist was remarkably capable and efficient, with an unmistakable commanding presence reminiscent of a great general—everyone said "like mother, like daughter" with excellent reason.
Chai Yingluo's mother was surnamed Li, originally from Didao in Longxi. She was the only daughter of the Supreme Emperor and his primary consort Empress Mu née Dou, and the current Emperor's full sister, ranking third among the imperial sisters. When the Supreme Emperor and his sons raised their army in Taiyuan to rebel against the Sui Dynasty, Li Third Lady—already married into the Chai family—used her substantial personal wealth to pacify bandits and organized a "Ladies' Army" as a mere woman. She commanded seventy thousand troops and terrorized Guanzhong, contributing enormously to the Taiyuan righteous army's successful entry through the passes and capture of the capital to establish Tang.
After the founding of the Great Tang, Li Third Lady received the title "Princess Pingyang" and was greatly favored. Unfortunately, she did not live long, dying in childbirth in the sixth year of Wude, leaving behind one daughter and two sons. The elder son Chai Zhewei had been betrothed since childhood to his maternal uncle Jiancheng's eldest daughter and was the groom in this wedding, while the only daughter was this female Taoist Chai Yingluo.
When Chai Yingluo escorted the Wei mother and daughter into the main hall, Princess Consort Zheng of Prince Xi Yin was receiving guests with her daughter in formal attendance. Numerous ladies had arrived to offer congratulations, and Lady Pei immediately joined the assembly of middle-aged noble women, but Wei Shubin's attention remained entirely focused on the County Princess of Linfen seated to the side.
The young bride who would be married in two days showed absolutely no trace of joy or anticipation. Her small face appeared deathly pale, her head hung low with submission, and though she was already eighteen years old, she looked no more than fourteen or fifteen. She knelt on the cushions, uncomfortably fidgeting with her clothes and twisting her fingers anxiously.
There were no other young ladies present in the hall, so Wei Shubin could only approach her directly to initiate conversation. But when she drew near to pay her respects, she realized with growing horror that the Princess was not merely nervous—she was genuinely terrified and despairing, her body trembling as though Wei Shubin were some fearsome beast approaching to devour her.
Is this what happens when you're confined for nine years without seeing outsiders...?
When Li Yi Niang finally spoke, her voice also trembled uncontrollably:
"His Majesty and the Empress have been most merciful—most merciful to us... My late father and fourth uncle Prince Hailing deserved their punishment for their great crimes... Aunt Empress is extraordinarily virtuous, personally bestowing a dowry, showing the kindness of marrying off her own daughter... Wanxi is grateful—grateful beyond words..."
Whoever had taught her these mandatory words of praise had done a thoroughly inadequate job—she delivered them in broken, disconnected fragments that barely cohered into comprehensible meaning, enough to frustrate any teacher attempting instruction.
Wei Shubin tried valiantly to keep the conversation flowing, but Li Yi Niang, whose personal name was Wanxi, although two or three years her senior, possessed less practical understanding than Shufen's eleven-year-old third sister. Whatever topic was carefully raised, she would only stare with pure, unnervingly clear eyes, utterly unable to continue the exchange meaningfully. Finally, they could only discuss someone they both knew personally—True Master Chai Yingluo.
How wise of the Empress to send the True Master to oversee the wedding at Ganye Temple, surely she would take special care since the groom was her full-blood younger brother... Yes... Sister Ying's status was most noble, being the only daughter of their third aunt... She was also the only granddaughter of the Supreme Emperor's primary consort, displaying the heroic qualities of both Empress Taimu and Princess Pingyang... Indeed... I thought Sister Ying looked familiar at first sight, she resembles our third aunt remarkably... Yes, Sister Ying has been so kind to me, taking care of absolutely everything...
Wei Shubin observed Li Wanxi occasionally raise her head and produce a faint smile—like a splash of pale watercolor on blank silk, or like a small bird fluttering briefly through the dead stillness following winter snow, vanishing in an instant. Li Jiancheng's eldest daughter could be called reasonably pretty, but her features lacked any vitality whatsoever, and her eyes remained dim and timid as a caged animal's.
Such a quiet and docile young lady, marrying into the Chai family with her cousin looking after her welfare and presumably a loving husband, should gradually become more confident and cheerful, shouldn't she?
That day, the Wei mother and daughter didn't remain long. Mother Lady Pei suffered from poor health, so after delivering their gifts and exchanging proper pleasantries, she took her daughter home in the early afternoon.
According to the ritual procedures meticulously drafted by the Ministry of Rites, two days later on the wedding day—tonight—her parents would need to return to Ganye Temple in their official capacity as former Eastern Palace officials to formally see off Li Jiancheng's eldest daughter. But that obligation had nothing whatsoever to do with Wei Shubin—as an unmarried young lady, she shouldn't have been present at such an occasion under any circumstances...
Who could have possibly anticipated that through some inexplicable twist of fate, she would end up trapped in the wedding cart prepared by the Chai family specifically for Li Yi Niang?
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