Chapter 2
Chapter 2
But my sister never lived to see the day the Twin Beauties Conjoined Lotus bloomed.
She died on the road up the mountain to visit me.
A band of roaming bandits took turns violating her, then left her corpse exposed in the wilderness.
Even in death, her eyes would not close.
In her travel bag were the pastries I loved most.
She already had someone she loved: the second young master of Vice Minister Chen’s household. Their feelings were mutual, and their wedding date was near.
All of it happened because of one dream the Empress had.
Jiang Ruowei was of noble birth. She and Pei Jing had grown up together, and their affection ran deep.
Ever since the new emperor ascended the throne, she had been the most favored woman in the palace.
But in her dream, a voice told her that one day, both her position as Empress and her life would be taken by a Shen woman.
So she secretly sent people to murder my sister, cutting off the threat once and for all.
I wept until my voice broke, fainting again and again.
My sister had been the brightest, gentlest woman. How could she have died in such a defiled, humiliating way?
The case was reported to the Court of Judicial Review.
My father was only a minor fourth-rank official, while the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was a lackey of the Empress’s father and brothers. They were all in collusion, and the officials handling the case merely went through the motions before closing it in haste.
Grief, despair, then a heart gone cold.
I stopped crying in vain and wiped away the last of my tears.
Look, Sister.
The fox demon never committed any evil, yet the wicked still walk free.
I cannot wait for the cycle of heavenly justice.
Then I will become exactly what the eminent monk foretold.
I will bewitch the emperor’s heart and bring calamity to the mortal world.
As a fox demon, drawing the emperor’s attention was no difficult thing.
Fahua Temple was the national temple, and Pei Jing came here every year to offer incense and pray for blessings.
I timed his movements precisely. On the path he had to take back to his meditation room, I waited until he approached, then “accidentally” met his eyes.
He was finished.
I was certain of it.
Sure enough, Pei Jing noticed me.
Only, he stared so hard that with a splash, he toppled straight into the water.
I cried out in alarm. Before his hidden guards could react, I leapt in and swam over to pull him out.
With concern, I asked, “Benefactor, are you all right?”
After we reached shore, he stared at me without looking away, even forgetting to take the cloak his hidden guard handed him.
“Tell me. What is your name?”
I first froze for a moment, then immediately broke into a smile.
“My name is Lingzhi.”
Pei Jing fell for me at first sight and tried every possible way to bring me back to the palace.
The Empress loved pretending to be magnanimous and virtuous in front of him, so ordinarily, she would not have objected to him taking another consort.
But the moment she saw me, she stumbled in fright, a chill crawling up her back.
My sister and I did not look identical.
She was bright and gentle, while I was the kind of bewitching little vixen people called trouble.
But we were twins, after all. There was always some resemblance in the bones.
The Empress was nearly frantic, raising every possible objection.
“Your Majesty, you are being foolish! How can you bring someone who has taken refuge in Buddhism, someone already devoted to monastic life, back into the palace?!”
She thought invoking Buddhist law would stop the emperor.
But Pei Jing was the Son of Heaven. Why would he care about monastic rules?
The words of the Son of Heaven were heavenly law.
The emperor had made up his mind, while the Empress opposed him with equal resolve. For a time, the two remained deadlocked, and a rift began to form between them.
I took the opportunity to add more fuel to the fire.
In the dead of night, I walked to the lotus pond and silently recited an incantation.
The next day, news that the conjoined lotus had bloomed shook all of Fahua Temple.
Someone cried out in amazement, “This is truly an auspicious omen seen only once in a hundred years!”
An official eagerly offered flattery. “Legend says that when a conjoined lotus blooms, it signifies a perfect match blessed with gold and jade. This is a joyous event for our Liang Kingdom. Congratulations, Your Majesty!”
The Empress was so furious she nearly lost control on the spot. Pointing at me, she snapped, “You are a monastic, yet your six roots are impure and your intentions corrupt. You seduced His Majesty. You are a disgrace to Buddhism!”
Master Jingyan shielded me behind her and stepped forward to bow.
“May Her Majesty the Empress choose her words with care.”
“Fahua Temple is the national temple, and its customs are upright and pure. That day, His Majesty accidentally fell into the water. My disciple Lingzhi could not bear to stand by and so rescued him, thereby earning His Majesty’s favor. It is not as Niangniang claims, that her intentions are corrupt.”
Then she bowed to Pei Jing.
“Your Majesty, when a person cultivates while keeping their hair, it means their worldly ties are not yet severed and their heart still has attachments. Lingzhi has cultivated at our temple with her hair unshorn for more than ten years. Presumably, this too was ordained by Heaven, so that she would wait here for the one fated for her. And today, as expected, a miracle has appeared before the Buddha.”
I silently gazed at Master’s back.
A sharp ache rose in my heart.
She had once taught me to cherish compassion and never give rise to murderous thoughts.
Yet now, she was willing to lend me a hand in my revenge.
First there was an auspicious omen. Then came Master Jingyan’s words.
The Empress was left speechless.
By this point, the matter was settled.
Pei Jing laughed heartily.
“Good! Truly, what a match bestowed by Heaven!”
He reached out his hand to me.
“Are you willing to return to the palace with me?”
The sunlight was dazzling, and no one saw the raging flames of vengeance burning in my eyes.
I lowered my gaze and placed my hand in his.
“Lingzhi is willing.”