Chapter 38: Seeing Through the Vanity of the World

Qiu Ming was pacing back and forth in the courtyard when she looked up and saw Xiao Yuanchi carrying Yin Jiaojiao inside.

"Your Highness, you really made Qiu Ming search for you."

Yin Jiaojiao replied with a dejected look, "I am fine."

Xiao Yuanchi did not let go until he had deposited her onto the bed. Yin Jiaojiao quickly retreated into the depths of the mattress, but fortunately, the man made no further move. He turned his gaze to Qiu Ming.

"You have performed your duties well. Slacking off in the courtyard and letting the Princess wander about—could it be that you aspire to be as 'capable' as that Xia Lan?"

Qiu Ming’s knees went weak, and she knelt down. "Your Highness, please forgive me; it was my negligence."

"My Lord, I..."

It would have been better if Yin Jiaojiao had remained silent, but the moment she spoke, it drew Xiao Yuanchi’s gaze back to her. He slammed both palms onto the bed frame, locking eyes with her.

"You were attacked not three days ago, yet you ran out to catch the wind. If anything else had happened, even the gods could not have saved you! Yin Jiaojiao, as long as you are alive, you are my wife. But if you die, whether it be Gu Xuezhi or Shu Yu," he curled his lips into a sinister smile, "your beloved will take them all in."

A buzzing sound filled Yin Jiaojiao’s mind. "Xiao Yuanchi!"

"Do you understand?"

Yin Jiaojiao was so angry she could barely breathe, but after a long pause, she said, "I understand."

"Since you understand, starting tomorrow, you are confined for ten days. You are not to step one foot outside this courtyard, nor are any outsiders permitted to visit."

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that an assassin managed to infiltrate the birthday banquet you organized, and that I discovered just how much convenience you provided for the assassin’s strike." Xiao Yuanchi rose, his icy gaze descending upon her. "Yin Jiaojiao, ask yourself: was that sword really meant to protect me?"

Yin Jiaojiao was left speechless, unable to utter a sound until long after Xiao Yuanchi had departed.

She stared blankly at the bats embroidered on the satin bed curtains, her heart in turmoil.

Exposed.

Truly, she had been exposed.

How could she not be? Her scheme was too crude, her pretense of going with the flow too eager, and her change in attitude too unnatural. With so many flaws, it was impossible for Xiao Yuanchi not to suspect her. Besides, the way she had blocked that sword was suspicious; if others couldn't see it, how could a man who had fought his way through the battlefield fail to notice?

Yin Jiaojiao clutched her head. Xiao Yuanchi must have suspected her murderous intent long ago. The only reason he hadn't confirmed it was likely because he lacked concrete evidence, and because she had genuinely suffered grievance and grave injury, leaving him with a shred of guilt.

Once that shred of guilt was exhausted, if she remained this careless, her death would not be far off.

After all, he had said it clearly: she was only his wife as long as she was alive. Once she died, it would be time to step down and let another take her place.

The flicker of hope and warmth that had briefly surfaced was extinguished by a wave of intense fear. The assassination had failed, and the deadline for her death hung over her head once more. If she remembered correctly, in two months, around the time of her birthday, a massive catastrophe would occur. Acting on Xia Lan’s suggestion, she would rush to Liangzhou to find Xiao Yuanchi. That journey would be fraught with life-threatening dangers, leaving her not only with a broken leg but also causing the loss of the child she had just conceived.

If the calamities of her past life were destined to be encountered again in this one, did that mean her leg must be broken and her child lost again?

No, she could not sit and wait for death.

But Xia Lan was already out of the game, and she had taken the contraceptive decoction quite readily—what else could lead her into this catastrophe?

Could it be the hand behind Xia Lan?

That hand was not Gu Xuezhi’s, and it didn't seem to be Lady Li’s, yet it looked so much like Lady Li’s—especially the "Four Spirits Golden Elixir" that Lady Li spoke of.

When her biological mother, Lady Cen, was pregnant with her, she fell ill and passed away three months after giving birth. Her wet nurse had been bribed by Yin Chaozong’s political enemies to poison her. By the time it was discovered, she had already one foot in the grave, leaving her with a fragile constitution that required medicinal pills for years. She only fully recovered around the age of fourteen, but unexpectedly, the illness resurfaced a month before her marriage, and she had been taking the pills again ever since.

In the past, the pills were selected and prepared by her grandmother’s head maid. She had never thought about who prepared them later; Xia Lan always brought them, and she took them as usual. Aside from them having no particular benefit, there seemed to be nothing wrong. Could it be... that there was something wrong with these pills?

The more Yin Jiaojiao thought about it, the more lost in the fog she became. She spent two days without appetite or focus.

These two days were quiet. Thanks to Xiao Yuanchi’s order, her small courtyard grew increasingly desolate. The servants didn't dare to breathe too loudly. Occasionally, Yin Jiaojiao could hear them whispering at the base of the wall, saying that the West Courtyard was completely different from theirs—filled with visitors, well-wishers, and gifts from both inside and outside the palace, as if it were Gu Xuezhi who had blocked the sword for Xiao Yuanchi.

When Qiu Ming heard this, she scolded them, but Yin Jiaojiao consoled her, "It’s just the truth; it doesn't matter."

"Your Highness, Qiu Ming doesn't understand. Clearly, at that time, the Prince was truly worried and truly cared. Why would he turn cold so quickly?"

Yin Jiaojiao could hardly say it was because he was brilliant enough to discover her murderous intent. She could only say, "I don't know either. I only know that if you ever meet someone you love, don't rush to give your heart away. You must test and observe carefully. If he is heartless, you won't have invested too much, and you can let go in time."

"Your Highness, your words sound as if you’ve seen through the vanity of this world."

"Seen through the vanity of this world..." Yin Jiaojiao chewed on those words, and suddenly felt a flicker of joy. "Yes, seeing through the vanity of the world!"

Since she couldn't think of a way out for the moment, she might as well hide—the further, the better. Soon, Xiao Yuanchi would be reprimanded by the Emperor for the Qingzhou embezzlement case and demoted to serve as the Governor of Liangzhou. When the news reached the Prince’s manor, both she and Gu Xuezhi would volunteer to accompany him to Liangzhou. Naturally, Gu Xuezhi would win.

She had been unwilling to let go and chased after him, which led to the tragedy.

Clearly, in this life, the first rule was: do not chase him!

Not only must she not chase him, but she must also stay away from the source of trouble. As the saying goes, the more one does, the more one errs; doing nothing means no mistakes. Being heartbroken and "seeing through the vanity of the world" was the perfect excuse. Where could one find a place further removed from worldly turmoil than a temple or a Taoist monastery?

Watching the fire from the other shore was the best way to see things clearly. She could use this time to catch her breath and carefully unravel the mystery surrounding Xia Lan.

How wonderful!

Counting the days, there was still some time before Xiao Yuanchi’s demotion, enough to lay the groundwork. Yin Jiaojiao had a plan, and her spirits lifted. Over the next two days, she spent every night until dawn transcribing scriptures, occasionally sighing by the window with Buddhist phrases, perfectly portraying the image of someone locked away in despair.

Anyone who saw her would find her pathetic.

Su Zhengqing, who had escorted the divine physician Dong to check on her, also felt this way. Unable to keep things to himself, he hesitantly asked, "Your Highness, would you like to go see the Princess?"

At that moment, Xiao Yuanchi had just returned from the morning court. He was still in his official robes, holding his court tablet. When ministers bowed to him, he responded politely.

"Is she acting up again?"

"It’s that she’s being *too* well-behaved. So well-behaved that she’s taken to copying scriptures."

"Copying scriptures?"

"The Diamond Sutra. She’s on her eighth transcription," Su Zhengqing held up eight fingers. "My Lord, given the Princess’s usual style, even if she were bored enough to copy books, she’d be copying theater scripts like *Sun Wukong Thrice Beats the White Bone Demon*!"

"Has anyone come to see her these past few days?"

"No."

Xiao Yuanchi was silent for a moment, then snorted.

"Boring."

Another day passed. As the moon hung in the center of the sky, Xiao Yuanchi stepped out of his study for a walk.

He seemed to be pondering something, remaining silent along the way, but his footsteps did not stop. Before long, he turned toward the area outside the East Courtyard. The small garden outside Yin Jiaojiao’s quarters was planted with colorful flowers. She had many hobbies, and her tastes changed quickly; the gardener, knowing her temperament, simply changed the floral arrangements according to the changing seasons.

The courtyard wall was low, and a tall man only needed to glance up to see inside. Yin Jiaojiao was currently sitting in the courtyard.

There was a tea set on the stone table, and a lamp was lit. She was sitting under the light, brush in hand, writing something with intense focus.

Qiu Ming murmured, "The past mind cannot be grasped, the present mind cannot be grasped, the future mind cannot be grasped... then what mind can be grasped?"

"It is best if no mind can be grasped."

Qiu Ming didn't understand. "Does Your Highness mean that you want nothing at all?"

Yin Jiaojiao sighed. "Qiu Ming, if I understood these Buddhist principles, why would I be copying them? Don't make things difficult for me."

Qiu Ming said, "Oh. But if you don't understand them, why must you copy them repeatedly, and in this pitch-black courtyard? What is the point of it all?"

Yin Jiaojiao put down her brush and looked toward the bright moon in the night sky, saying with a mysterious air, "I cannot leave, and the courtyard is the only place where people come and go."

"And so?"

"So, if I don't copy them so conspicuously that everyone knows, how will they know that I have seen through the vanity of the world and am devoted to the Buddha?"

"Ah?"