Chapter 586: Prison Break |
The ninth of the ninth lunar month of Jianing, Double Ninth Festival.
Xiaoman got up earlier than usual. Wearing an apron, she brought out the glutinous rice soaked last night and poured it into a steamer lined with cheesecloth. The firewood in the kitchen stove burned with cracking sounds.
When the glutinous rice was steamed thoroughly, it was poured into a stone mortar. The Little Monk rolled up his sleeves, hefted the wooden pestle, and pounded it down one strike at a time.
"Exert some force," Xiaoman directed from the side: "Haven't you eaten?"
The Little Monk panted heavily: "I truly haven't eaten yet..."
Xiaoman rolled her eyes at him, took over the wooden pestle, and used her shoulder to knock the Little Monk aside: "I'll do it myself."
At this time, Bai Li came out from the main room, scrutinizing curiously: "Xiaoman is making Double Ninth Cake herself?"
Xiaoman looked up and saw she was still wearing the suit of white clothes she had prepared. She smiled and said: "Commandery Princess, when I was young, the Auntie personally made them every year. Auntie said seasonal foods must be made by one's own hands for the home to look like a home. If everything is bought outside—not making dumplings on New Year's Day, zongzi on Duan Wu (Dragon Boat Festival), or sweet dumplings on the Lantern Festival oneself—over time, the festive flavor fades. Once the festive flavor fades, the flavor of home also fades."
Seeing Xiaoman wielding the pestle, Bai Li said gently: "Let me help you."
But Bai Li didn't take the pestle, only clenching her palm from a distance, and the pestle surprisingly began pounding on its own out of thin air. The wooden pestle exerted force evenly, and before noon it had pounded the glutinous rice into a dough ball.
Xiaoman's eyes widened: "Commandery Princess, what Practitioner Pathway is this?"
Bai Li changed the topic: "What to do next?"
Xiaoman took out the pounded glutinous rice dough, rolled it flat on the chopping board, and then sprinkled sesame seeds, melon seed kernels, and red and green shredded preserved fruits: "Roll these up again, cut them into pieces, steam them one more time and they'll be ready to eat."
"Let me cut them," Bai Li took the knife, the blade cutting crisply across the chopping board, uniform in thickness.
Xiaoman was astonished: "Has the Commandery Princess done chores before?"
Bai Li said gently: "Previously when I was at the Donglin Academy with my older brother, we had to cook our own meals every day. Not only making my own, but also having to make my older brother's and the Little Monk's. Over time, I learned quite a lot of things."
Xiaoman looked at the Little Monk. The Little Monk hurriedly explained: "The Commandery Princess's culinary skills are excellent. Back when this young monk was at the Donglin Academy, if it weren't for the Commandery Princess, I fear I would have starved to death."
Xiaoman said pleasantly surprised: "Then on this journey, I finally won't have to cook meals alone. Oh right, the carriages and horses are already prepared, one carrying people and one carrying goods. The axles are elm wood. I personally watched the carpenter apply the tung oil, brushing it three times, it is extremely sturdy."
The more she spoke the more energetic she became, stacking the Double Ninth Cakes Bai Li cut into the steamer one piece at a time: "I prepared three large cloth-wrapped bundles of food. The roasted flour is naked oats, this stuff staves off hunger, just steep it in boiling water and it can be eaten. For dried meat, I bought fifty catties (approx. 25 kg), picked the leanest hind legs and cut them into strips; chewing one strip can last half a day. The salted vegetables are from Liubiju in Checkerboard Street, it's their family's ancestral recipe, suffocatingly salty, it won't spoil even if kept for a year."
Xiaoman covered the steamer properly and clapped the glutinous rice flour off her hands: "The Winter Clothes are also complete. One set of thick Padded Cotton Jacket and Padded Cotton Trousers per person, covered with old unlined jackets with windproof exteriors, dug out from the second-hand clothing shops. They've been washed and starched three times, clean and warm. Leather jackets are too expensive, I only bought one each for the Young Master and Commandery Princess. The others can wait until Guyuan to add them, the leather goods over there are truly... Oh right, are we leaving tonight?"
Bai Li suddenly interrupted: "Let me cook a meal for you guys at noon, and also let you taste my craftsmanship."
Xiaoman said pleasantly surprised: "Really?"
Bai Li gave an 'mm'. She untied the apron on Xiaoman's body and tied it around her own waist: "Braised Tofu, vinegar-glazed cabbage, quick-fried mutton with scallions, cured meat with dried bamboo shoots. The ingredients were already bought yesterday."
Xiaoman said with a face full of smiles: "I'll be your assistant."
Bai Li pushed her out of the kitchen: "I forgot to buy scallions, go help buy some scallions."
"Ah?" Xiaoman hurriedly agreed: "Then I'll go right now."
After Xiaoman bustled out the door like wind and fire, Bai Li looked at Chen Ji again: "The water vat in the house is out of water, can you help fetch some water?"
Chen Ji glanced at the half-full water vat, didn't ask further, and picked up the Carrying Pole and left Liquor Alley.
The small courtyard quieted down, leaving only the gentle breeze blowing the withered grapevines, making rustling sounds.
Bai Li then looked at the Little Monk: "Little Monk, help me..."
The Little Monk looked at her eyes and spoke softly: "Benefactor is actually trying to send all of us away, and then leave quietly, right?"
Bai Li remained silent.
The Little Monk sighed: "Among the Three Poisons, Benefactor Chen Ji slayed greed and hatred, leaving only ignorance/foolishness. Among the Seven Emotions, Benefactor Bai Li slayed desire at the Jingyang Palace, slayed fear at Xuan Zhen's place, slayed hatred at Zhu Lingyun's place, slayed sorrow at The Empress's place, and yesterday borrowed Benefactor Chen Ji to slay joy, leaving only anger and love now. For a time, this young monk also doesn't know whether to congratulate Benefactor on stepping into the Path-Seeking Stage, or to feel sad for Benefactor."
Bai Li had slayed five of her Seven Emotions, leaving the final two steps before she could ascend to the Great Dao.
The Little Monk said sincerely: "Benefactor, this young monk doesn't know who tossed that white jade leaf down from the Forty-Nine Heavens, only that this young monk once heard the Master mention that there are not many deities who can overlook the mortal world from the Forty-Nine Heavens, it must be those few who are prayed to and worshipped by countless living beings day and night. Calculating like this, there are not many people in the Daoist Court with this ability, I assume it should be one of the Three Purities Dao Ancestors."
"But regardless of who this person is, he first failed to select Princess Yongchun, and after decades passed, selected you to teach the method of Supreme Emotional Detachment; his schemes are very great. And the matters you asked about with the Crescent Divination Blocks were all his intentional acts. On that day at the Jingyang Palace, he resolved the misunderstanding between the two of you, only to make your love intense. On that day at the City God Temple, he answered you with ninety-nine Crescent Divination Blocks, clearly wanting you to slay the hardest emotion to part with among the Seven Emotions—love—and cross the hardest hurdle of Supreme Emotional Detachment... It's just that you couldn't bear to let go, so it didn't succeed."
Bai Li remained silent for a long time.
With a compassionate expression, the Little Monk said: "Benefactor Chen Ji also has Benefactor Chen Ji's unspoken difficulties."
Bai Li looked up at the Little Monk, and the Little Monk gazed steadily into her eyes.
At this time, the wind in the courtyard stopped, and the rustling sound of the withered vines also stopped. The entire small courtyard seemed to suddenly sink into a deep well, leaving only the cracking sounds of the firewood steaming the Double Ninth Cake in the kitchen.
In those eyes, there was no longer hatred, fear, joy, sorrow, or desire, only peace remained, like the eternally unextinguished green oil lamp in front of the Three Purities Dao Ancestors' statues, or the shadow beneath the green lamp.
Bai Li said softly: "You don't need to say these things. I don't hate him, nor can I bring myself to hate him. It's just that he has his mental knots, and I also have mine. Over time, they have all become dead knots."
The Little Monk was Hesitating to Speak, ultimately saying: "Those mental knots of Benefactor Chen Ji were never dead knots, it's just that he tied them too tightly himself and forgot how to untie them... But Benefactor, you can untie them. This young monk knows you want to avenge The Empress, but Benefactor Chen Ji isn't necessarily unwilling to do this matter together with you. You two walked all the way from Luo City to the capital city, walking such a long road, it wasn't to part ways."
Bai Li lowered her eyes: "Little Monk, the words Third Miss Qi said in the Imperial Music Bureau a few days ago make sense. Me and that Forbidden City have trapped Chen Ji for too long, we shouldn't trap him anymore."
The Little Monk said anxiously: "Benefactor..."
Bai Li interrupted: "Little Monk, go help me buy two heads of garlic."
The Little Monk was silent for a moment, pressed his palms together, and gave a deep bow: "Okay."
Bai Li watched the Little Monk's departing figure, returned to the kitchen, and silently stir-fried the dishes.
At this time, Lü Qi appeared in front of the courtyard gate and lowered his voice: "Guild Master, the carriages and horses are right at the alley entrance, let's leave quickly."
Bai Li paid him no mind, still concentrating single-mindedly on stir-frying the dishes. First was Braised Tofu, then vinegar-glazed cabbage, then quick-fried mutton with scallions, and finally cured meat with dried bamboo shoots.
Lü Qi was spinning around anxiously at the kitchen door. Unhurriedly, Bai Li carried the dishes to the stone table in the courtyard, then returned to the main room and changed back into that Daoist robe.
Lü Qi hurriedly said: "Guild Master, let's leave quickly. If we wait for that Eunuch Faction member Chen Ji to return, I fear we won't be able to leave."
But as Bai Li walked outward, she suddenly stopped her footsteps, turned around, and took one last look at the courtyard.
Only when Lü Qi urged her again did she finally turn and leave.
Outside the alley not far away, Chen Ji stood behind a corner, the Carrying Pole and completely empty water buckets placed by his feet. He looked up at the midday sky, listening to the departing footsteps, not knowing what he was thinking.
He seemed to have seen the outcome long ago, and all that was left to do was to wait for the outcome to arrive.
A moment later, Chen Ji heard the sound of carriage axles turning gradually fade away, and then silently picked up the two empty water buckets and returned to the small courtyard.
He looked at the completely empty small courtyard, as well as the food placed on the table, silently unloaded the Carrying Pole onto the ground, and sat by the table with a calm expression.
Chen Ji didn't go crazy looking for people in the courtyard, nor did he rush out of the courtyard to follow the back of the carriages and horses. At this time, Xiaoman returned to the courtyard, still holding a bunch of scallions in her hand, and said excitedly: "Young Master, look how fresh these scallions are, they were grown by Auntie Zhang's family themselves, much more fragrant than the ones sold at the market... Yi, the dishes are already done?"
Chen Ji picked up his chopsticks: "Let's eat."
Xiaoman circled the courtyard once: "Where's the Commandery Princess? Is she still missing something and went out to buy it herself? Let's wait for her to come back before eating."
Chen Ji picked up a chopstick of tofu: "Eat, we won't be able to wait for her."
...
...
The Canal Transport Guild's carriage drove around the Outer City in circles, not immediately leaving the capital city.
Bai Li sat inside the carriage compartment with her eyes closed chanting scriptures, while Lü Qi sat opposite her saying: "Guild Master, tonight on the Double Ninth Festival there is also the Yuanjue Temple's Bodhisattva Ceremonial Procession. At that time, the commoners will follow the procession, and the entire capital city will be noisy and chaotic. The envoys from Annan are also bidding farewell to the imperial court today. At that time, the eagles and hounds of the Secret Spy Division and Trouble-Resolving Guard will be concentrated on the line between the Huitong Hostel and the Forbidden City... No one will notice us."
Lü Qi continued speaking: "The Old Guild Master is currently imprisoned in the Inner Prison at Taiye Pool. My Canal Transport Guild's Four Beams and Eight Pillars have already prepared. Tonight we will break him out, and we will leave the capital together."
Bai Li opened her eyes and looked at Lü Qi: "How do you plan to break him out?"
Lü Qi lowered his voice: "The Eunuch Faction's Inner Prison only recognizes the Waist Plaque, not the person. We have a Gyrfalcon Waist Plaque in our hands. When the time comes, we will use the Waist Plaque to knock open the gates of the Inner Prison, and the Four Beams and Eight Pillars will charge in together and take the Old Guild Master away... Right now, everyone within the Canal Transport Guild harbors their own ulterior motives. Without the Old Guild Master present, I fear we won't be able to suppress the guild members. Guild Master, you don't need to risk danger yourself with us. You only need to wait outside the Taiye Pool. If the matter succeeds, everyone leaves together; if the matter fails, you leave by yourself." (End of Chapter)