The Scholar's Wife in the Emperor's Court 11

The night had deepened by now.

Moonlight spilled like water, silently bathing the stone steps before Baohua Temple, making the ancient monastery seem all the more tranquil and solemn.

In the guest hall beside the Medicine Master Hall, Chen Yao remained kneeling on her cushion. A large vermilion prayer lamp burned on the altar before her, and the girl's pretty brows were lowered as she concentrated on silently reciting the scriptures in her hands.

"Yaoyao, are you really going to stay here until midnight? The abbot said you don't have to keep vigil yourself—the monks could watch over it for you."

Shen Yunxiu stood near the entrance of the guest hall, looking at her with a hint of helplessness.

Chen Yao didn't even lift her head. She simply gave a slight shake and said in a tone full of disapproval, "How could I? Sincerity is what matters. I was the one who knelt before the bodhisattva to draw that lot for you, so of course I have to come fulfill the vow myself. How could I leave it to someone else?"

"In that case, I'll stay and keep you company." Shen Yunxiu stepped farther into the room, then bent down to take the scriptures from the girl's hands, preparing to kneel down as well.

"That won't do either. You said yourself you didn't sleep well last night—how can you stay up again now?"

Chen Yao's pretty face scrunched up slightly. She snatched the scriptures back from her, then pressed her lips together, stood, and slowly pushed her toward the door.

"I only need to keep vigil for half the night, then I'll go rest. Yunxiu-jiejie, you're not allowed to disturb me anymore—the bodhisattva will think my heart isn't sincere."

Shen Yunxiu was pushed along toward the exit, and though she wanted to say more, seeing how resolute the girl's face was, she ultimately had no way to argue. She could only reach out and pat her head, saying indulgently, "Then if you get tired, don't push yourself. Remember to head back to your room early."

"I know." Chen Yao obediently nuzzled against her palm.

Finally watching Shen Yunxiu leave with a resigned but helpless expression, she couldn't help the corners of her lips curling up slightly.

Then she returned to the altar, knelt back down on her cushion, and resumed earnestly reciting the scriptures in her hands.

"May the bodhisattva protect Yunxiu-jiejie, grant her a bright future and steady advancement... This faithful woman is willing to—"

Though she murmured piously, Chen Yao's ears were actually pricked, and she had System 04 scan the surroundings to be sure. Only after confirming there was truly no one else around did she snap the scriptures shut and slouch lazily half over the book.

"So sleepy. System, what time is it now?"

Chen Yao sat up again, propping her elbows on the table and cradling her chin in her hand, covering her mouth as she let out a big yawn, asking in a drowsy tone.

"It's currently the hour of Xu," System 04 replied.

Which was around seven or eight in the evening. Chen Yao had lived in ancient times long enough that she could now count the hours on her fingers.

"God, I still have to keep watch for four more hours until midnight. Just kill me now."

She felt her eyelids drooping, tears of exhaustion prickling at the corners of her eyes. She nearly wanted to just collapse onto the cushion and lie there.

If it weren't to give the male and female leads a chance to be alone, she really wouldn't want to stay in this side-hall guest room at all.

After all, she considered herself a materialist who didn't believe in Buddhism—there was no way she could be devout at all.

"For the mission, I've sacrificed so much." Chen Yao sighed long and hard in her mind while fending off the tide of drowsiness.

So System 04 helpfully played her an uplifting suona anthem, 'A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.'

Chen Yao, forcibly jolted awake: "..."

*

At the same time, in the Imperial Study.

Xiao Mingting stood with his back turned, before the carved window lattice, gazing up at the night sky outside.

He naturally knew that Shen Yunxiu had taken his wife to Baohua Temple outside the city. What's more, upon hearing of it, Yuan Fuju had even tried to urge him to take the opportunity to arrange a gathering among the three of them. He hadn't agreed at the time.

Xiao Mingting pulled his drifting thoughts back, then turned around to look at the Grand Censor standing below him, who had come to present a secret memorial.

"You're saying that in your investigation of the southern relief fund embezzlement case, you confirmed that a portion of the funds ultimately flowed to Baohua Temple?"

"Exactly." Ji Liangxu bowed slightly, his bearded face heavy with gravity.

"This subject secretly discovered that since last year, Luo Qiwen, the Minister of Revenue, has been donating large sums of incense money to Baohua Temple in his old mother's name at the start of every month. Moreover, in the first month of this year, Baohua Temple renovated the Buddha's golden statue, but judging from its incense revenue in recent years, it clearly couldn't afford such an expense."

"What's even more suspicious to this subject is that the private flow of the temple's incense funds appears to be secretly connected with several nameless money shops and merchant houses. I suspect the backers behind these businesses are also tied to Minister Luo. I beg Your Majesty to look into this!"

"Mm, I shall make my own judgment on this matter." Xiao Mingting's secret guard camp had already picked up some wind of this embezzlement case, though his expression never betrayed anything.

He only asked in a calm voice, "But this is an accusation against a court official. Do you have any solid evidence in hand, Minister Ji?"

"To answer Your Majesty: this subject discovered that the abbot of Baohua Temple, though he outwardly keeps only one public ledger to record daily incense transactions, secretly maintains another hidden account listing the specific flow of the embezzled funds. I have already sent my trusted men to investigate, but we have not yet obtained the ledger. I beg Your Majesty to allow me a few more days."

Ji Liangxu had originally planned to present the ledger to the throne only after securing it. But the southern drought brooked no delay, and the corruption could not be put off any longer—he truly could not wait.

"Very well." Xiao Mingting nodded. "In that case, I grant you the authority to mobilize a squad of the imperial guard for a secret investigation. Dequan, draft a handwritten edict and give it to Minister Ji."

"Yes." Eunuch De hastily bowed in acknowledgment.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ji Liangxu relaxed inwardly and promptly expressed his gratitude.

Only after the man had left did the Imperial Study return to its former silence.

Xiao Mingting paced a few steps before the imperial desk, then suppressed the thoughts in his mind and sat back down, preparing to continue reviewing memorials.

He settled his mind, his long fingers just flipping open a memorial, when his gaze landed on the words 'Baohua Temple' on the page. His movements paused slightly.

His eyes were deep, thoughts floating and sinking through them—a great many notions crossing his mind, yet also seemingly nothing at all.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Mingting ultimately set down the memorial he had opened, rose, and strode out of the Imperial Study.

*

He couldn't quite say why he had come to Baohua Temple. Perhaps it was to investigate the relief fund embezzlement case, Xiao Mingting told himself.

But the matter of investigating the ledger had already been entrusted to Grand Censor Ji Liangxu. Even if he didn't fully trust him, he could simply order his men to follow up covertly.

And yet, in the end, he had come in person.

At this moment, Xiao Mingting wore a dark-green close-fitting martial outfit, one knee bent as he sat atop the roof of a side hall in the temple.

He lowered his gaze, looking at the roof tile by his foot. Thanks to years of wind and rain erosion, the tile had developed a wide, obvious crack, and now barely managed to cover the spot on the roof.

Looking down through the crack in the tile, he could clearly see the girl in the guest hall beside the side hall—dressed in a pale-green ru skirt, her hair simply pinned up with a single white jade hairpin, kneeling properly on her cushion, head bowed as she earnestly recited the scriptures in her hands.

Reflected in the bright candlelight, the girl's slender lashes trembled slightly, casting a faint shadow beneath her eyes.

Chen Yao truly felt she had run out of options.

She had been drowsy and half-asleep, but when System 04 warned her that the male lead was currently sitting on the roof right above her head, she jolted with a start, all the sleepiness scattering from her mind in an instant.

She had no choice but to sit up straight again, putting on the posture of a demure, devoted girl earnestly reciting scriptures.

It was then that she noticed the prayer lamp on her table seemed to sway as if blown by the wind, the steady flame giving a little flicker.

Chen Yao was startled as well.

Her eyes widened, and she quickly set down her scripture book, then cupped her hands around the lamp, carefully shielding the dancing flame.

Only when the prayer lamp steadied again did she let out a small breath of relief.

After all, the abbot had said the prayer lamp couldn't be allowed to go out for even a moment before midnight, or the bodhisattva would think her heart insincere.

Chen Yao withdrew her hands, but she didn't notice her long sleeve sweeping along, catching the candle holder at the base with an unexpected knock.

Staring at the prayer lamp that toppled over before her eyes, she seemed frozen in place.

Then she quickly snapped back to her senses, reaching out in a desperate attempt to steady the candle holder—only to be scared into snatching her hand back when she saw the scalding hot wax dripping down.

The red candle rolled off the table with a clatter and continued rolling forward across the floor, until it bumped against a hexagonal Buddhist shrine set in the corner, where it finally came to a stop.

Chen Yao stood rigid in place, staring at the prayer lamp that had gone entirely dark. Her small frame swayed slightly, and for a moment, she felt as though all the strength had drained from her body.

"What do I do?" She clutched at her sleeve, murmuring unconsciously. "The lamp went out."

A faint, unnatural sound seemed to come from the rooftop, but Chen Yao had no mind to spare for it.

The girl's pretty face was pale, inwardly berating herself with guilt, while her almond-shaped eyes grew moist, tears welling up and spilling from their corners. But in the end, she bit her lip, suppressing her small sobs, and slowly walked over to the Buddhist shrine in the corner.

Chen Yao bent down, her small hand bracing gently against the shrine, her slender fingertips seemingly pressing on something by accident.

But now, with her mind full of picking up the prayer lamp and relighting it to make amends, she paid it no heed at all.

Seeing the red candle wax pooled across the floor, even seeping into the gaps between the green bricks, she didn't bother with it, focusing solely on righting the fallen candle holder.

But eventually, her gaze caught a green brick beneath the shrine that was slightly lifted at one corner. Since it was just a matter of convenience, she thought she'd shift it back into place.

However, the moment her fingertips moved the brick, a crisp 'click' sounded at her ear as if some mechanism had been triggered, and the next second, the ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way.

The once-level floor split open from the middle, folding downward on both sides, revealing a pitch-black hole beneath.

"Ah!"

Chen Yao let out a small cry of surprise, feeling herself falling helplessly into the void.

Then, at the same moment, a sound came from above, and a strong, solid hand seized her wrist.

"Don't be afraid. Hold tight."

It was a somewhat familiar man's voice—low and cold.

Chen Yao instinctively looked up, and through her tear-filled eyes, she saw Xiao Mingting's tall silhouette.