Chapter Fifty-Three: Storms Rise at the Supreme Purity Temple

With her sleeve, she gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. Her eyes were red, filled with uncertainty as she gazed at Lu Liao. At this moment, she was neither the lofty princess of the Great Tang nor the transcendent Daoist master, but merely a pitiable mother longing for her beloved son.

“Don’t worry, Mistress. I will do my best to persuade Senior Brother Gu Ye and bring him to see you,” Lu Liao said, feeling for the first time in her life a deep envy for those children who had mothers.

“Then I must trouble you,” Princess Yuzhen rarely showed a hint of gratitude toward Lu Liao.

Lu Liao bowed deeply to Princess Yuzhen and prepared to leave.

“Liao! I spoke to the Sage, but the result was not satisfactory. This time, Mistress could not help you,” Princess Yuzhen’s face showed a trace of embarrassment.

“Please rest assured, Mistress. I am confident about the spring imperial examination,” Lu Liao responded with a radiant smile.

Yuzhen remained silent for a long time.

In the small courtyard, the bare old locust tree stared quietly at Lu Liao, its wrinkles crowding its forehead. Upon hearing that Lu Liao was going to Shangqing Temple to see the returning Gu Ye, Tang Xiaoqi would not be left behind. She bathed and dressed with great care, burned incense, cleansed herself, and fussed for ages.

When Tang Xiaoqi finally arrived, dazzling and exquisitely dressed, Lu Liao’s brows furrowed even deeper.

“We’re just going to see which little priest is still throwing tantrums after returning to the capital—do you really need to make such an event of it?”

“Daoist Gu Ye once saved me. How could I visit him casually? Besides, Shangqing Temple is thriving lately—I want to bring my new jade pendant to be blessed, hoping it will ensure your success at the imperial examination,” Tang Xiaoqi said, inspecting the offerings and incense in Ping’er’s basket.

“Heavens! You actually believe in these things? Don’t tell me you don’t know where these rumors originate,” Lu Liao shook her head in exasperation.

“Even if it’s a rumor, enough believers turn it into reality. Now all the scholars are wearing pairs of jade pendants. Why don’t you go court a courtesan and have her gift you one too, so you’ll have matching pairs?” Tang Xiaoqi’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she teased Lu Liao.

“Fine! You said it. I, Master Lu, will woo Miss Yelai from the Celestial Pavilion and have her gift me a jade pendant, so you won’t look down on me anymore,” Lu Liao replied, half-joking.

“Haha! You haven’t even looked in a basin of water to see yourself. Yelai? Without tens of thousands in cash, you wouldn’t even get a glimpse of her. She’d never notice a penniless nobody like you!” Tang Xiaoqi laughed uncontrollably.

Lu Liao was deeply wounded, casting a strange look at Tang Xiaoqi and mocking, “Miss Tang Xiaoqi, I don’t think you’re any worse than Yelai. How did you end up as my little wife?”

“That’s because I was blind, and certain shameless scoundrels took advantage of me in my vulnerable moment, landing me in this pit,” Tang Xiaoqi retorted sharply, yet her face radiated happiness and contentment.

Shangqing Temple, shaded by ancient trees, was once a secluded retreat for Daoist cultivation, but now it was bustling with activity. Beautiful maidens and dashing youths abounded. The side halls honoring the God of Literature and the rooms for seeking fortunes and matchmaking were crowded with visitors.

In a side hall at the back of Shangqing Temple, Master Yuanqiu, with his long beard and immortal bearing, shook his head at the vibrant scene, sighing again and again.

“How did the Wang family girl from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce ever come up with such an idea? This place, once serene and detached from worldly affairs, has become a haunt for lovesick men and women.”

“Master, your cultivation is profound, and your path is assured. All this is but an illusion in your eyes—no need to mind it.” Lu Liao grinned.

“You brat, even teasing your Master Yuanqiu. Gu Ye is still lying in his room. If you want to see him, be quick, lest you annoy this old Daoist further.” Master Yuanqiu waved his whisk and shooed Lu Liao away.

Gu Ye’s meditation chamber was unremarkable, plain and tidy. Gu Ye lay on his stone bed facing the wall, a round cushion tossed aside. When Lu Liao and Tang Xiaoqi arrived, he refused to rise and greet them.

Lu Liao waved Tang Xiaoqi off to pay her respects to the gods, unsheathed her sword, and struck Gu Ye’s backside hard.

“Lu Liao, you dare hit me again!” Gu Ye sprang up, furious, pointing at Lu Liao.

“It’s been so long since I last did—you’d almost forgotten, right? You think, just because you gave me a bag of pearls, you can act like my senior? Have you practiced swordsmanship at Dongchang Rock for months, confident you can beat me now?” Lu Liao toyed with her sword, looking at Gu Ye with amusement.

“Hmph! I can’t be bothered with you,” Gu Ye grumbled.

“So, from Mistress’s letter, you learned that Ge Shu Xiaoye became a beautiful Daoist nun—you rushed back to Chang’an. But now you’re home, why won’t you visit Yuzhen Temple and greet her, or see that little Hu girl you pine for?” Lu Liao smiled.

“I’m not a child anymore—whatever I want, it will be brought to me. Xiaoye is a person, not a plaything. Turning a general’s daughter into a Daoist nun—what nonsense!” Gu Ye protested angrily.

“I think, firstly, you lost face to Jun Ruocheng before Ge Shu Xiaoye; secondly, since Mistress took her as disciple and made her a Daoist nun, you’re too embarrassed to see her.” Lu Liao’s words hit the mark, making Gu Ye’s face darken.

“I’ve grown up. If I want something, I’ll strive for it myself—not have it handed to me like this.” Gu Ye raised his head defiantly.

“If you have a mother who gives you whatever you want, yet you sulk here after months away, refusing to see her—how do you think someone like me, who never had a mother’s affection, feels? Have you ever seen the homeless, crippled beggar children in Chang’an, who never rest rain or shine, just to beg a few coins to survive? They’re abducted, their limbs cut off, and even the hard-earned copper is stolen by wicked men. They survive on muddy millet porridge, barely one meal a day. Don’t you think they long for a mother who gives them whatever they want?”

Lu Liao finished, fixing Gu Ye with a steady gaze.

“In the Sage’s realm, in the wealthy Great Tang, such tragedies still exist? If I ever meet those villains, I’ll kill them with my sword!” Gu Ye exclaimed, shocked and angry.

“They’ve always been there. Even if they’re right before your eyes, you wouldn’t see them. Do you think the Sage’s light reaches every corner of Great Tang? If you’re interested, I can take you to see the shantytowns outside Chang’an,” Lu Liao said, feeling a deep sorrow.

“Fine! If I see those villains, I’ll kill a few myself,” Gu Ye grabbed his sword.

“Kill? Can you kill them all? Will killing help those beggar children who’ve lost their limbs? Do you know about the notorious Flower Thief of Chengdu, chased by bored noble sons? She stole jewels and gold from wealthy ladies—what for? She rescued countless orphans, giving them shelter and food to survive.”

“And yet here you are sulking because your mother gives you whatever you want, and after months away, you won’t even see her. You claim you’ve grown up—not a child?” Lu Liao grew increasingly agitated, raising her sword as if to strike again.

“A gentleman uses words, not violence! Stop hitting me—I’ll go pay my respects at Yuzhen Temple, all right? But I never expected the Flower Thief, infamous though she is, to do such admirable deeds in secret. If I ever have the chance, I’ll apologize and express my respect,” Gu Ye said, dodging.

“Good! I’ll take you to visit the shantytowns and then the estate where the Flower Thief shelters orphans. You can bring Ge Shu Xiaoye, too. Moon-gazing on the haystacks there—quite an experience,” Lu Liao said, savoring the memory of passionate nights with Gu Xihua amid the haystacks, under the moon.

“Senior brother, how did you meet the Flower Thief?” Gu Ye unconsciously changed his address, curious.

“That’s a friendship forged through ‘battle’—you wouldn’t understand,” Lu Liao replied, pride evident.

Standing atop the moral high ground, lecturing others—it was exhilarating, a sense of accomplishment. Lu Liao left Gu Ye’s chamber, thoroughly satisfied.

After finally locating Tang Xiaoqi and her guard Zhou Liuzi, Lu Liao found Tang Xiaoqi’s expression dark as water; she wouldn’t even look at him, much less speak. Once they returned home to the study and were alone, Tang Xiaoqi’s fury erupted.

“Well, Lu Liao! I’ve only been home with you for a few months, not even formally married, and you’re already tired of me? Behind my back, you’re flirting with girls from the pleasure quarters. You’re truly talented—the famed courtesan Yelai, with her jade pendant blessed at Shangqing Temple, intends to gift it to you, the dashing Lu Liao!”

Seeing tears welling in Tang Xiaoqi’s beautiful eyes, her face drawn and miserable, Lu Liao was instantly at a loss.

“It was just a joke! Would Yelai ever give me a jade pendant? How could such a ridiculous thing happen?” Having returned Zhou Liuzi’s jade pendant, Lu Liao had none to wear and would not admit it.

“A joke? From the moment Zhou Liuzi and I entered the main hall of Shangqing Temple, a stunning woman accompanied by a servant followed me. That was fine, but she kept scrutinizing me. When I took out my jade pendant for blessing before the God of Literature, she did the same. Coincidentally, her prayer was for the same person as mine—Lu Liao, scholar of Jinshui County, Yangzhou. After praying, she stared at me for a long while before leaving. Can you still say it was just a joke?” Tang Xiaoqi’s tears streamed down as she pointed at Lu Liao’s nose.

Lu Liao stepped back, furiously pondering and muttering in disbelief, “This is odd—could there really be another scholar named Lu Liao from Jinshui County?”

Just then, the study door creaked open, and whom should he see but Xiao Ningjiao, long out of touch. Holding a jade pendant, he spoke seriously:

“Boss lady says this jade pendant was specially blessed at Shangqing Temple for you. You must wear it at all times. She may not be joining the Lu family yet, but it’s necessary for Miss Tang Xiaoqi to know she exists.”