Mo Qing arrived at the Shen Mansion gatehouse the following morning, earlier than Shen Miao had expected. She had already arranged things beforehand, slipping silver to the concierge through Shuangjiang and having him introduce Mo Qing as a distant cousin. Since the gatehouse guards were sorted by rank and position, Mo Qing had asked only for the outermost post, and so he settled in without trouble.
Three days passed quickly.
On the morning of the third day, Ren Wanyun had everything prepared well before dawn and sent her attendant Xianglan to inform Shen Miao of the arrangements. Before the carriages departed, the whole party gathered at Rongjing Hall.
Old Lady Shen addressed them with a grave expression, the usual sort of instruction about conducting oneself properly in a sacred place. She rarely made the trip to Wolong Temple herself. The temple sat too far from the city, and though it had a reputation, it drew far fewer worshippers than the closer temples in town. Why she had chosen to go the greater distance this time was unclear.
Shen Qing's face was bright with undisguised excitement. She declared loudly that she intended to pray alongside Old Lady Shen and Shen Yuanbai. Old Lady Shen received this warmly, and her manner toward Shen Qing visibly softened.
A contingent of personal guards had been brought along to escort the Shen ladies. Shen Miao stood before one of the carriages and did not move to board.
Ren Wanyun frowned. "Why hasn't Fifth Sister gotten in?"
"I only think the escort is a little light," Shen Miao said. "To be safe, Second Aunt might consider sending a few more guards with us."
Ren Wanyun had not expected her to raise this, not today with everything already set in motion. She kept her expression pleasant. "Fifth Sister, we've brought quite a number of people already. We can't strip the mansion of all its guards, and too large a party only makes travel more difficult. Let's leave things as they are."
Shen Miao shook her head.
Shen Yue said nothing. Shen Qing, visibly annoyed, spoke up: "Our family isn't a royal household. How grand does Fifth Sister need things to be? I've never seen Uncle fuss this much when he goes out." She even brought Shen Xin's name into it for good measure.
The moment she finished, Shen Miao looked at her. It was a brief, almost idle look, but it sent a chill straight through Shen Qing.
"Add two more." Shen Miao pointed toward the gatehouse with a light gesture. "Just those two."
Seeing that Shen Miao was asking for only two additional men rather than a dozen, Ren Wanyun let out a quiet breath. Two guards would change nothing. She arranged her face into an expression of mild reluctance. "Fifth Sister, you really are... well, when has Second Aunt ever refused you? Fine. Have it your way." She turned to Xianglan. "Go and fetch those two. They'll come with us."
"Thank you, Second Aunt." A faint smile touched Shen Miao's lips.
Shen Yue watched her with a curious look. Shen Qing stamped her foot hard, shot Shen Miao a sharp glare, and turned away.
Once they were all in the carriages and moving, Shen Qing made a deliberate point of ignoring Shen Miao entirely. Shen Yue did speak to her, but her words carried a probing quality, testing the edges of each topic. Shen Miao had no patience for it and answered in short, vague phrases that gave nothing away. Ren Wanyun, by contrast, was in high spirits throughout the journey, chatting about small memories from Shen Miao's childhood, performing warmth with practiced ease. In an earlier time, Shen Miao might have felt genuine affection for this aunt who always seemed so kind. Now, watching her, every gesture and soft laugh read as hollow performance. After years in the imperial palace surrounded by women who had made an art of concealment, Ren Wanyun's act was almost too thin to bother studying.
They set out in the morning and did not reach their destination until evening.
Wolong Temple rested against the slope of Yangjing Peak, surrounded by deep valleys. In spring it would have been pleasant, full of birdsong and new growth. But early autumn had arrived, and the hillside was stripped and grey, the bare branches lending the place a quiet desolation.
The distance from the capital and the poor condition of the road kept most worshippers away. Only the most devoted women made the journey. When the party climbed out of the carriages and approached the temple gate, the only person they found was a young novice monk sweeping the steps in the gathering dusk.
"Peaceful enough," Shen Yue said, with a small laugh.
Shen Qing wrinkled her nose as though about to complain, then caught herself and swallowed it.
"Don't let the quiet fool you," Ren Wanyun said. "The Buddha here is said to be remarkably efficacious. When we burn incense tomorrow, make sure your hearts are sincere."
The novice set down his broom to greet them. While the servants unloaded things from the carriages, Ren Wanyun and the others followed the boy into the temple.
The deeper they went, the more apparent it became how empty the place truly was. Pilgrims were scarce, but even the number of monks seemed few for a temple of this size. The courtyards and corridors were wide, and that width made them feel hollow. Spending a night here alone would unsettle most people.
After meeting with the abbot, rooms were assigned. The arrangement was straightforward: one room per young lady, all positioned near each other. When they reached the question of Shen Miao's accommodation, a middle-aged monk standing beside the abbot spoke up with an apologetic air. "I'm afraid the south pavilion has no rooms remaining for the young lady. If she does not object, perhaps the north pavilion would suit?"
Everyone looked at Shen Miao.
She smiled. "I'm afraid I do object."
"Fifth Sister." Ren Wanyun's voice carried a soft reprimand. "This is a place of worship. You cannot insist on having everything your way."
"It isn't willfulness," Shen Miao said, undisturbed. "The temple seems to have very few visitors. I'm only curious why the pavilions are already full."
The middle-aged monk's brow tightened. He had likely never had a young lady question the arrangements so directly, without raising her voice or making a scene. There was no obvious rudeness to push back against.
The old abbot gave a gentle smile and offered an explanation. "Little donor, though pilgrims are few, our temple houses a good number of monks."
"Even so, I'd be sleeping alone and I'm quite easily frightened," Shen Miao said. "What do you suggest?"
Ren Wanyun stepped in before the monk could answer. "Fifth Sister, stay the night with the rest of us. The Buddha values sincerity. Burn your incense tomorrow with a willing heart and whatever you've wished for will certainly be granted."
In another life, that would have been enough. Shen Miao had always responded to gentleness, not pressure, and with Fu Xiuyi sitting at the center of her every hope, she would have endured any small discomfort if it meant the gods might look favorably on her wishes.
Things were different now.
Ren Wanyun was quietly frustrated. She could not quite name when Shen Miao had started becoming so difficult. The girl had always been easy to manage before, soft and trusting and easy to steer. But today she had missed step after step. If Shen Miao was not dealt with soon, she would become a genuine problem for the family.
"What if," Shen Miao said pleasantly, "Second Aunt came and stayed in the north pavilion with me? I always feel much better with company nearby."