Song Shiwen was agonizing over how to find Song Chuzhao when, unexpectedly, an opportunity presented itself.
Tang Zhirou had made arrangements with a few of her close friends, planning to go out for a stroll.
Since the literary banquet, Tang Zhirou had kept herself confined to her home, without any news. Everyone had been worried that something might have happened to her, after all, the young County Princess was always one who couldn’t stay still. Now, hearing that she was going out to play, they realized she must be alright. They all vied to invite her out of the city for a walk.
During that time, Tang Zhirou had actually wanted to give herself some time to calm down, to forget about Fifth Son Gu. But the longer she stayed alone, the more profound the loneliness in her heart became, and the heavier the accumulated sadness grew. Her mind kept replaying the scene of the two of them reprimanding her together, it had become a shadow in her heart, disturbing her peace.
She was simply not the kind of person who was suited to wallowing in self-pity! It was simply inviting trouble!
After realizing this, Tang Zhirou decided it would be better to go out and clear her head.
Song Shiwen, hearing the news, rushed over and suggested that Tang Zhirou could take her friends to Mount Shaoling for a walk.
Tang Zhirou was initially reluctant. She still remembered how Song Shiwen had used her before, and she was wary of her. If she could, she wouldn’t even want to invite Song Shiwen, and in fact, she hadn’t. It was Song Shiwen who had stubbornly insisted on joining them.
Song Shiwen acted humble and apologetic in front of her, showering her with kind words. Tang Zhirou wasn’t a shrew, she couldn’t argue with someone face-to-face, and her anger had already subsided. Besides, Song Shiwen said that a very skilled Daoist had recently arrived on Mount Shaoling, who was incredibly effective at fortune-telling, exorcism, and geomancy. They could go and ask the master for good fortune.
Tang Zhirou, for her part, didn’t really believe in Daoists or monks. She wouldn’t usually go to Daoist temples or Buddhist monasteries to offer incense and show her sincerity, but she still had a sense of awe in her heart, and she wouldn’t dare to say definitively that they were ineffective. If it was just for the experience, she was interested. So, after a moment’s consideration, she readily agreed.
Song Shiwen then asked Tang Zhirou to send an invitation to Song Chuzhao as well, saying that it wouldn’t be appropriate to leave Third Girl Song out. Recently, there had been whispers about their strained relationship, and inviting Third Girl Song out would dispel those rumors.
Tang Zhirou rolled her eyes, thinking to herself, those aren’t rumors, it’s true that I don’t get along with Song Chuzhao very well, and you, Second Miss Song, are partly responsible for that.
Though she thought this, she also privately knew that Song Shiwen’s words held some truth. She was on good terms with most of the wives and daughters of officials in the capital, and she had a reputation for being outgoing and friendly. If she continued to ignore Third Girl Song, it wouldn’t look good. It would make her seem petty.
In the end, Tang Zhirou still wrote an invitation, inviting Third Girl Song to go out of the city to enjoy the mountains. The date was set for the very next day. She sent a servant directly to the He Mansion and instructed him to return only after receiving a definite reply from Third Girl Song.
After making these arrangements, Tang Zhirou unceremoniously asked Song Shiwen to leave. She didn’t take the matter to heart at all. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, and Third Girl Song was used to her indifference anyway, she might not even come. Of course, if she did come, Tang Zhirou wasn’t afraid.
Song Shiwen, having achieved her goal, didn’t mind Tang Zhirou’s coldness. She turned and chased after the servant who was delivering the message.
She was only worried that the matter of Mount Shaoling had been circulating too widely, and Song Chuzhao might have heard about it and would refuse to go.
She had originally wanted to attach a yellow talisman to the letter to gauge her younger sister’s reaction. But thinking about the price of the talisman, her heart ached. She was too reluctant to part with it, deciding to save it for a critical moment.
If she didn’t have the talisman, glutinous rice would be better than nothing.
Song Shiwen stopped the servant who was delivering the message and rubbed a thin layer of glutinous rice powder onto the invitation, making sure it wasn’t too noticeable before letting him go.
The invitation soon arrived at the He Mansion. Knowing it was a letter from another young lady, Master He was quite concerned.
For some reason, the old man was very concerned about “Zhaozhao not having any friends.”
Seeing the old man’s curious yet restrained expression, Gu Fengjian simply opened the letter in front of him. He then read the contents aloud.
When he saw the words “Mount Shaoling,” Gu Fengjian paused for a moment.
Earlier this morning, Song Chuzhao had already delivered the letter to him.
What a coincidence, why is everyone going to Mount Shaoling these days?
Before he could recover, Master He was already urging him, “Go. It’s good to make more acquaintances. There are also straightforward girls in the capital, maybe you’ll find someone you can get along with. You might have to stay in the capital for a while, you need to get used to it.”
Madam He didn’t know about the conflict between the group at the literary banquet, and she continued, “I know this young County Princess, she’s been doted on since she was little, and she’s free-spirited. Though she can be a bit willful, she’s not unreasonable. She’s taking the initiative to invite you out, she wants to be friends with you. You should befriend her, she’ll protect you.”
What a boring thing…carpreads.pages.dev
Gu Fengjian rubbed his fingers, feeling a slightly rough layer of dust on his fingertips. He shook the invitation, wondering how there could be so much fine powder on it.
Although the powder was white and only thinly coated on the paper, Gu Fengjian was still disgusted by the unknown substance. He tossed it aside, not wanting to touch it anymore.
Master He saw the displeasure on his face and the disdain in his movements. He immediately asked anxiously, “Zhaozhao, are you not getting along well with the young County Princess?”
Gu Fengjian said, “No. It’s probably because it fell on the ground. It feels a bit dirty when I touch it.”
“Oh. Then do you want to go?” Master He said, “Your maternal grandmother and I are in good health. You don’t need to stay at home to keep us company every day. If you want to go, then go.”
The most frightening thing is the sudden concern of “maternal grandfather.” You never know what he might do next.
Gu Fengjian recalled Master He’s previous attempts to find him a little sister to keep him company. His heart pounded, and he quickly agreed, “If that’s the case, then I’ll go with you.”
Then he would find his senior sister himself later. Anyway, his relationship with Tang Zhirou wasn’t that good.
Master He was overjoyed to hear his reply. This old man, idle at home, had nothing else to do but worry about his granddaughter.
The next day, the sky was clear and bright, a perfect day for an outing.
Tang Zhirou didn’t invite many people, only a few girls who were close to her, plus Gu Fengjian, making a total of seven people. They also brought six servants to help carry things and two guards.
They came by carriage, leaving two people to watch the carriage in the mountains, while the rest walked up the mountain path.
Although Mount Shaoling was located near the capital, with an excellent location and clear beauty, it was not renovated by the court like other mountains. The reason was that Fu Donglai had specifically explored the feng shui in the past and annotated that Mount Shaoling was not suitable for building temples or Daoist temples. This custom had been passed down for many years. Even though Fu Donglai had passed away, no one dared to touch that taboo.
However, there were many pavilions built on the mountain, and the roads had been cultivated, making them relatively flat. Above the mountainside, there were many abandoned houses. There used to be a small village there, but it gradually fell into disrepair.
Tang Zhirou deliberately set out early today, wanting to reach the summit early to avoid the midday sun.
When everyone started climbing the mountain, they were still very enthusiastic. They walked and stopped along the way, admiring the scenery, chatting, laughing, and enjoying themselves. Tang Zhirou’s mood also improved, feeling that the air in the forest was much fresher than in the capital.
Gu Fengjian walked alone at the back of the group. No one spoke to him, and he wasn’t interested in talking to them. He thought this was quite good.
This pleasant atmosphere, after lasting for nearly half an hour, finally dissipated. The reason was simple…
They were too tired! Really too tired!
Tang Zhirou looked at the winding path hidden among the trees, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, and grumbled, “Why didn’t I find Mount Shaoling so hard to climb before? It doesn’t look that high, but why can’t we reach the top?”
The girl beside her also gasped for breath, “Speaking of which, I’ve never been to Mount Shaoling. I only heard that the trees and plants here are particularly lush, and the scenery is very beautiful. There are often scholars who come here for a spring outing and even offer sacrifices at the summit. It’s true that the scenery is beautiful, even in late autumn, the trees and plants are still flourishing. But it’s too high. Why do we need to come to Mount Shaoling to relax?”
A group of girls chimed in, complaining endlessly.
They rarely exercised, at most they would gather together to play games. A few who liked to ride horses were fine, but most of the girls with delicate physiques were about to collapse.
Even though the mountain path was flat, the slope fluctuated, winding upwards, making it tiring to climb.
Tang Zhirou said, “It was Second Miss Song who said there was a very spiritual Daoist priest here who could read fortunes, so I wanted to come and see. How could I know that the masters all live on high mountains?”
The group of servants behind her had already noticed something amiss, but they didn’t say anything.
It was understandable that the young ladies were weak, but they had been carrying various items for a long time and felt very tired. According to their pace and the height of Mount Shaoling, they should have reached the top by now. Why were they still wandering around the mountainside?
If they weren’t actually getting closer to the top, and it was broad daylight, they would have suspected they had encountered a ghost wall.
Hearing Tang Zhirou mention the Daoist priest, the girls became interested. They pulled her and asked, “Really?”
“Maybe this is a test set by the master to test our sincerity.”
“But I heard that there are many spirits and monsters in the sacred mountains.”
“Don’t try to scare me. It’s daytime now!”
“Is that Daoist truly skilled at divination? I heard that a great master has come to Mount Shaoling recently.”
“What kind of great master? What else did you hear? Does he divine people’s destinies, including their love lives?”
“It’s a woman. I heard everyone calls her ‘Master,’ not ‘Daoist.’ I don’t know why.”
“A woman?!”
The group chatted in surprise, deciding to rest for a while where they were.
Gu Fengjian looked up at the heights.
Lieshui must have deliberately made things difficult, fearing too many people would come. From a while ago, they had been circling upwards at an angle. A perfectly good path had been stretched out unnecessarily. How could anyone climb without getting tired?
But once they got closer to the mountaintop, they would be able to speed up.
“But…” a young lady suddenly spoke up, interrupting their lively conversation. “According to what you said, there should be quite a few people coming to Mount Shaoling. Since we started climbing, we’ve only seen a handful of people, right? We haven’t encountered anyone else since. Let’s say we came early and there was no one ahead of us… why have the people behind us disappeared too?”
Her voice grew quieter, blending with the empty wind, adding a touch of etherealness. Before she could finish, everyone fell silent. As her words faded, a gust of mountain wind swept through the forest, rustling the branches and sending down a shower of dry leaves.
The forest wind was always strong, and the dust on the ground was blown up, blurring everyone’s vision. The strong wind slapped against their backs, like a pair of large hands pressing down on them. It was fine if they didn’t pay attention, but once they noticed, it felt particularly terrifying.
A timid young lady suddenly screamed, and the others, startled by her, followed suit.
Tang Zhirou jumped over to hug her sister beside her. One followed suit, then another, and in the blink of an eye, the group had huddled together.
The screams stopped with the wind, but they still dared not let go.
Gu Fengjian stood apart, speechless at their behavior.
…It’s just a gust of wind. Are you seriously joking with me?
The group didn’t notice anything amiss. Instead, they felt even more afraid. After cautiously looking around, they whispered, “No way? You say that, and I feel like Mount Shaoling is really eerie.”
The servants, carrying things on their backs, were startled by their high-pitched cries and felt a little uneasy themselves. They waited cautiously for a while before saying, “Miss, it seems like it’s just the wind.”
“How could it be as simple as the wind?” someone said. “It’s even scarier if it’s just the wind! Where are the other people?”
“Why is it so quiet here?”
“I told you this mountain is unusually high! Should we keep going now?”
Tang Zhirou’s arm reached around the person in front of her, tugging at Song Shiwen’s sleeve. She cried out, “Second Miss Song, you’re the one who asked me to come! Tell me what’s going on!”
Song Shiwen’s face was probably paler than hers. She clutched the yellow talisman in her sleeve tightly, while glancing at Gu Fengjian with her peripheral vision.
Something was wrong! Everyone else was so afraid, but she stood alone calmly, even her eyes were cold and distant.
Third Girl Song definitely had a problem!
Song Shiwen confirmed her suspicions, feeling uneasy. Looking again, she felt that the gloomy woman across from her was looking at her as if she were a dead thing.
She had given aunt Zhang fifty taels, plus some jewelry. Altogether, it was worth nearly one hundred taels, and she had only bought one talisman.
Thinking of the price of the yellow talisman, Song Shiwen felt that the paper packet in her hand was more effective.
She comforted herself, thinking that the Master was on the mountain, so the wandering spirit wouldn’t dare to be too bold and wouldn’t be able to do anything to her.
“I don’t know,” Song Shiwen stammered. “Maybe someone is afraid to see the Master, so they’ve trapped us here.”
Tang Zhirou said, “What are you talking about? Who are you referring to?”
Song Shiwen left the group and walked towards Gu Fengjian.
Everyone watched her movements, puzzled by her intentions.
When they were still two or three steps apart, Song Shiwen reached into her sleeve, pulled out a handful of glutinous rice, and threw it.
The white grains hit Gu Fengjian’s face and bounced away. Gu Fengjian was stunned, blinking reflexively, forgetting to react.
Tang Zhirou was so shocked that she forgot to be afraid. She also approached, staring intently at Song Shiwen’s face.
Song Shiwen said in a trembling voice, “You… are you afraid?”
“I’m scared even if she’s not!” Tang Zhirou jumped up, grabbing Song Shiwen’s wrist. “Second Miss Song, are you crazy? What were you doing just now?”
Gu Fengjian remained unresponsive. Song Shiwen, thinking it was effective, forcefully broke free from the restraint and, with lightning speed, threw another handful of glutinous rice.
The soft sound of the rice hitting the ground, mixed with the whistling wind, created an awkward scene.
Gu Fengjian didn’t know what he was thinking. He had been hit twice. He looked at Song Shiwen with a gaze that held a kind of pity, as if looking at a fool.
Tang Zhirou bent down to pick up the rice, saying, “What is this? Why are you throwing rice at her? Why did you bring this with you?”
Gu Fengjian also picked up a few grains to examine them. He discovered that the rice grains were round and plump, indicating they were glutinous rice. Glutinous rice was known to ward off evil spirits. Considering Song Shiwen’s fearful and mournful demeanor towards him, he immediately understood the situation.
She actually thought he was a ghost?
Should he praise Song Shiwen for her sharp mind or say that she was not very bright?
Gu Fengjian rubbed the glutinous rice between his fingertips, lifted his eyelids, and glanced at her with a faint sneer.
Song Shiwen felt her hair stand on end under Gu Fengjian’s gaze. Seeing that the glutinous rice was useless, she stumbled back a step, wanting to hide behind Tang Zhirou.
Tang Zhirou, unaware of the tension between them, grabbed Song Shiwen’s arm and said, “Second Miss Song, what do you mean? You can’t speak? Are you alright? Your face…”
Gu Fengjian felt a mischievous urge. He found the situation absurd and amusing. So, in a way that no one else could see, he bared his teeth at Song Shiwen.
Song Shiwen’s already pale face lost all color. She let out a scream and ran into the woods.
Song Shiwen ran blindly, wanting to get away from Gu Fengjian. In her panic, she found an unexpected burst of strength and dashed quite a distance.
Tang Zhirou, unprepared, was unable to stop her in time. She hurriedly called out, “Second Miss Song! Don’t run!”
She chased after her for a few steps, then turned to the guards who were still standing there dumbfounded and shouted, “What are you all standing there for? Go after her!”
The tall, imposing men finally came to their senses and rushed into the woods.
However, they were just a step behind. They could still hear her voice, but they couldn’t see her. The sound blended with the forest’s noises, becoming indistinct and impossible to locate.
The guards reported, “The trees in this forest are too dense, completely blocking our view. We can’t see anything far away. We have to follow her footprints to find her.”
Tang Zhirou was also panicked, but she still understood the gravity of the situation. “We don’t have time for that! Even if we can’t see, we have to find her. Split up and search quickly! She’s not in the right state of mind now. We can’t let her be alone!”
Song Shiwen was her responsibility. If something happened to her in the mountains, Tang Zhirou would be held accountable.
Gu Fengjian hadn’t expected Song Shiwen to be so easily frightened. He reached out and touched his lips, thinking that his expression shouldn’t have been that exaggerated.
The guards had all gone into the woods. Tang Zhirou hesitated at the edge of the forest, wanting to go in and search, but she was also afraid.
The young ladies, their hands clasped together, couldn’t help but ask, “What about us? What should we do now?”
Tang Zhirou turned to look at them, hesitating, “You…”
“You all should go down the mountain first,” Gu Fengjian said. “Once you’re down, if you’re worried, you can help find some people to come up. I’ll go in and take a look.”
This group of people didn’t seem very reliable, but after all, she was Song Chuzhao’s second older sister. He couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
“What if we can’t get down the mountain? We’re already trapped here!”
“Second Miss Song was just scared and lost her composure. You all are taking it too seriously,” Gu Fengjian pointed to the high ground. “You felt the path was long because we’ve been circling the mountain. Don’t look at the mountain peak, look at the sun. Just follow the direction of the sun all the way down, and you should be able to get down quickly.”
Tang Zhirou asked, “What’s the reason for this?”
Gu Fengjian replied, “There’s no reason, just a trick of the eye. There’s no danger, don’t worry.”
He didn’t explain further, and went straight into the woods.