OMD Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Qinglian Temple

"The draft? Me? What would I go for? I can’t even fight my way to the top in this rotten State Duke’s Manor, and I’m supposed to enter the palace? Am I mad? Never mind that I don’t have a chance, even if I did, I’d be looking for a way out of it," Shen Yi laughed. 

This was the truth; she had no intention of entering the palace. If the Crown Prince were twenty-four or thirty-four this year, she might consider it. 

But a fourteen-year-old Crown Prince? Whether he can even ascend the throne is still up in the air, and I’m supposed to go be his concubine now? 

Tsk tsk, wouldn’t that be even more hopeless?

It would be better to serve the Old Emperor, though that was just a passing thought, she had no real heart for it. 

Han Shi’s interference was actually doing her a favor.

"The Young Lady is right; that place really isn't a good destination. Sigh," Fanxing sighed. 

"This servant is just worried. You are fourteen now, and in less than two years, it will be time to marry. There hasn't been a word about it yet. And with the Madam being the way she is, it’s truly worrying."

Shen Yi shook her head. "Don't worry, don't be anxious; take it slow. Isn't the Old Duke’s birthday at the end of June? There will be a house full of guests then, perhaps there will be some opportunity. Compared to getting married, I want revenge much more."

Fanxing nodded. Indeed, the Young Lady was so full of hatred that she truly couldn't spare the mind to think about marriage.

"Young Lady," someone called from the door.

It was Honglu, a maid who served in the courtyard. Shen Yi had several maids and nannies, but only Fanxing and Zhu Mama were trusted confidants. 

This Honglu was decent enough, but she was, after all, a person of the manor, so Shen Yi didn't fully trust her.

"Come in."

"Young Lady, word came from the Old Madam’s side saying that the day after tomorrow, she will take the young ladies of the manor to offer incense. If you have nothing else to do, you are to go along," Honglu said.

"Oh, alright. Who brought the message?" Shen Die asked.

"In reply to the Young Lady, it was a nanny from the Old Madam’s quarters. I have already given her a reward." It wasn't anyone of great importance.

Shen Yi understood. "Then the day after tomorrow, you shall accompany me."

Honglu hurriedly complied, a joyful smile spreading across her face. Being able to serve closely was a good thing.

After Honglu left, Fanxing asked urgently, "Why take her?"

"When I leave the manor, I only have one person by my side, of course I can't take you. You are the people I trust most, so there's even less need for you to appear everywhere. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The Old Madam is much clearer-headed than Lady Han."

The Old Madam valued the reputation and interests of the State Duke’s Manor. To her, Shen Yi might still be a chess piece. Therefore, she wouldn't make things difficult for Shen Yi for no reason; at most, she simply wouldn't care. 

This lack of concern was perfect for Shen Yi. Unlike Han Shi, who obsessed over the petty squabbles of the inner chambers and made life difficult for Shen Yi at every turn, that was the real hassle.

Time flew by, and soon it was the day to go offer incense. It was the first day of the sixth lunar month.

The Qinglian Taoist Temple held scripture lectures on the first of every month, attracting people from wealthy and noble families. 

In the Great Qin Dynasty, the social segregation between men and women was not strictly enforced, so both could attend. Today, there were many men and women present to offer incense.

However, a family like the State Duke's Manor was still considered elite guests. The Old Madam, Zhao Shi, took several granddaughters and three grandsons' wives out. 

A fleet of carriages left the State Duke's Manor in a grand procession, heading straight for Mount Qinglian.

Mount Qinglian was north of Ningjing City, and the entire mountain was the property of the Qinglian Temple. 

Shen Yi sat in a carriage with the Third Young Lady and Sixth Young Lady from the Second Branch. 

The Third Young Lady was a "smiling tiger," and the Sixth Young Lady was a "silent gourd," so the atmosphere remained harmonious. 

The Fifth Young Lady, naturally, sat in the same carriage as the Old Madam, along with the Seventh Young Lady from the Third Branch and the Eighth Young Lady from the Fourth Branch.

Although the Eighth Young Lady was also a legitimate daughter and was raised in the main courtyard, her father was not a legitimate son, so she naturally couldn't compare to the favor shown to the Fifth Young Lady. 

Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, they dismounted the carriages and switched to sedan chairs. The young ladies followed the Old Madam and were carried up.

Actually, Shen Yi would have preferred to walk up herself, but with so many people around, there was no need to mention it. After ascending the mountain, they encountered many acquaintances.

They were all there to pay their respects to the Old Madam.

After all, the State Duke’s Manor was no ordinary household, as long as they didn't encounter royalty, they were generally the ones being greeted. 

Everyone praised the girls of the State Duke’s Manor for their beauty. This was indeed true; standing together right now—the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Young Ladies— each one of them was exceptionally good-looking.

The most noble and delicate was the Fifth Young Lady, Shen Xichang.

Shen Yi’s beauty was beyond doubt, her features were a blend of Li Shi and her father. 

However, her aura was different from the Fifth Young Lady's softness. Shen Yi truly lived up to her name—she was "Yili" (radiantly beautiful), a beauty one recognized at a single glance. Even though she was still young, she was eye-catching enough. 

In other words, elders might not like this type; she was too striking. Her beauty had a certain 'aggressiveness' to it.

Of course, who didn't know the scandals of the State Duke's Manor? 

No one praised Shen Die, instead, they all crowded around the Fifth Young Lady with relentless compliments.

Shen Xichang had long been used to this, accepting the praise with grace and poise. It made people like her even more, though it was known that this Fifth Young Lady of the Shen family was set on entering the palace, otherwise, suitors would have likely broken down the threshold.

However, there were some from lower-ranking families who looked at the concubine-born daughters of the Shen family and found them quite suitable. 

Naturally, this excluded Shen Yi, the daughter of an outsider mistress.

The pleasantries didn't last long, as the serious business of the day was listening to the scriptures and offering incense. 

Once everyone entered Qinglian Temple, the lecture was about to begin. The Old Madam stayed to listen and told the girls to go amuse themselves.

Qinglian Temple was vast, with plenty of beautiful scenery to see. The Fifth Young Lady had invitations; she had many close female friends. The others had their own places to go, leaving only the dull Sixth Young Lady and Shen Yi behind.

Shen Yi smiled. "I don't know what Sixth Sister's plans are, but I’d like to see the lotus pond in the back."

The Sixth Young Lady hurriedly said, "Fourth Sister should go. There are too many people there, I’ll just wander around randomly."

Shen Yi smiled and agreed. The Sixth Young Lady was not just dull but also socially anxious, if a place was crowded, she generally wouldn't go. 

Shen Yi also just wanted to walk alone.

The lecture would take the entire morning, and they would be here all day, so Shen Yi felt comfortable following her whims and walking a bit further away. 

She didn't get out of the house often, usually, she only went when the Old Madam wanted to bring her granddaughters along, likely to show off her own magnanimity. 

Han Shi would generally never take her.

Therefore, this was Shen Yi’s first time at Qinglian Temple, and she naturally found it quite novel.

Unknowingly, she wandered further and further into more secluded areas. She did this intentionally, of course; crowded places were uninteresting.

Turning past a cluster of greenery and crossing a rockery, she heard some voices. Shen Yi looked and saw four people ahead. All were men.

The man with his back to her wore a brocade robe and a gold crown; one could tell at a glance he was from a high-born background. Kneeling before him was a man, roughly thirty or forty years old, with a beard. 

This bearded man had his arms pinned behind his back by two other men.

Shen Yi stopped in her tracks, pulling Honglu back behind the rockery. Honglu’s face turned deathly pale from fright.

"Young Master, he refuses to admit it," one man said.