Chapter 38 An Invite into the Trap (2)
1941 Words
Right after returning to the Master's Mansion, Ming Lan and the eunuchs encircled the plate of flower cakes sent by Gu Yunxi dubiously.
To bake the cakes, one needed to mix the yeast-fermented white dough with honey, milk, and ghee. Then, it was rolled, folded, and cut into small squares, which were later roasted. Consequently, the dough rose, and its surface was rendered layered and flakey. Lastly, topped with a layer of almond crumble, the half-an-inch thick pastry was made.
Although the cooking process was time-consuming, the pastry was crispy and flavorsome. With a sweet aroma of almond and milk and the resemblance of snowy flowers, it was hence named "flower cake".
Qin Zhong frowned, swallowing his saliva hard at the snow-white and delicious-smelling pastry right before his eyes.
"Master, could it be poisonous?" Greedy as he might be, his suspicion remained.
Yun Guaner was shrewd. She lied about her gender and worked for the Eastern Depot. How could she be so kind to send the Master the pastry?
It was like a weasel giving a courtesy call to a hen. Obviously she had no good intentions.
An Hong, the eunuch beside Qin Zhong, nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I definitely smell a rat. Even if it's not poisonous, it might be laxative! Master, you must not eat anything sent by the Eastern Depot!"
Ming Lan scrutinized it for a second, and then commanded, "Qin Zhong, you eat one first!"
"Huh? Master..." Qin Zhong was shocked, flinching from the table.
"Little brat, what are you afraid of?!"
Ming Lan glared at him, furious. Looking away, he ordered An Hong,
"An, you eat it!"
"Master, please don't!" An Hong shrunk in horror, embarrassed.
"Useless little s**t! Eat." Ming Lan booted An Hong's buttocks.
Helpless and red-eyed, An Hong gave a pitiful look to the Master, stuffing a slice of cake in his mouth with trembles.
For a while, everyone held their breath in silence and focused on An Hong's lips covered with crispy flakes.
"Delicious! Delicious!"
After eating the slice, An Hong's eyes were shining in surprise. He looked around, shouting with excitement and relish, "This is absolutely delicious! I will not regret it even if it is poisonous!"
"Pathetic wretch!" Arms crossed, Ming Lan glanced at An Hong with upset, cursing.
After waiting patiently for a moment, An Hong was still alive and had no strange feeling in his stomach. Finally, Ming Lan was relieved.
With a loud slap on Qin Zhong's face, Ming Lan scolded him angrily,
"What's the use of keeping a death-fearing coward like you!"
"Master, please have mercy!"
Qin Zhong knelt hard on the ground and kowtowed. Leaning forward, he grabbed and caressed Ming Lan's hand, fawning for clemency.
"Did it not show that I could not bear to leave you? I shall keep my valueless life to stand by you and serve most humbly. Master, please show mercy..."
"Humph! You honey-mouthed thing..." Ming Lan turned from angry to pleasant, rolling his eyes at Qin Zhong.
An Hong wiped his mouth, turning to Ming Lan and asking,
"Master, why did Lord Leng order his protege to send you gifts?"
"Two possibilities. First, I sent jewelry to Yun Guaner on the Double Ninth Festival, trying to probe her identity. Lord Leng saw that the secret had come to light, so he sent her over as an olive branch. Second, the meeting tonight is a snare."
Ming Lan squinted, inferring freely.
"Are you still going to the Qingfeng Temple tonight?"
"Yes! Surely I'll go!"
Ming Lan was determined. "I rank the same as Lord Leng. I believe he dare not to scheme against me! After all, I can have him in court to face the Emperor and expose his atrocity of hiding a damsel!"
"But that place is really haunted..." A eunuch beside An Hong said, extremely scared.
Ming Lan replied with a disdainful smile,
"How could you believe such an absurd rumor? The Qingfeng Temple has been long-abandoned and only frequented by some beggars, who fabricated ghost stories to scare people off their turf. Then the stories ended up spreading across. I will meet Yun Guaner tonight and pry her mouth open to get the evidence that can throw down the Eastern Depot Master."
Once Leng Qingtang fell, his Eastern Depot and Imperial Guards would be under the command of the Western Depot.
Ming Lan fancied about the sweet future, pulling his red lips into an evil arc.
Qin Zhong volunteered. "Master, I will bring a few men to go along tonight."
Ming Lan smiled wickedly, holding Qin Zhong and speaking to him in the code that only the two of them understood,
"Trap or not, bring the two things with you. Tonight, let's first unravel the secret of Yun Guaner's body..."
"OK!" Qin Zhong's smile was flattering and treacherous. "I'll make the arrangement..."
...
Gu Yunxi's carriage flew all the way to the Eastern Depot after leaving Langtian Lane.
Sitting in the bumpy carriage, Gu Yunxi felt like collapsing.
At last, she escaped from Ming Lan's pale pointy face!
Her stomached turned on the thought of his frivolity. She took out her handkerchief, wiping the wrist that had been pulled by him and the ear that had been under his warm breath.
The carriage took a turn onto another street. Meanwhile, a black shadow jumped on and flashed into the curtain.
Gu Yunxi squealed. Sun Bing next to her, on the other hand, stayed calm and lowered his head. He greeted obediently to the person in the bamboo hat, "Master."
Gu Yunxi froze.
"Girl, don't be afraid! It's me."
A voice she could not be more familiar with. When he took off the big bamboo hat and removed the gray false eyebrows and beard on the chin, she recognized that he was her Master, Leng Qingtang.
No wonder she had not recognized him. With that disguise and gray garments, she would never find him on the street even if they were face to face.
"Master!" Glad and surprised, she called to him excitedly.
In no regard of Sun Bing, he extended his arms and pulled her over, consoling gently, "Well done! You must be tired."
Through their clothes, Gu Yunxi could clearly feel the warmth from her Master. She took the opportunity to lie down in front of his strong chest. Embraced by him, her body slowly became lighter, as if it were turning into a feather.
Leng Qingtang held her wrist once grabbed by Ming Lan, gently lifting the chiffon sleeve.
On the fair skin, the grip of five fingers was still conspicuous. Bruised, the imprint looked blueish red.
Immediately, Leng Qingtang's became black-faced. His eyes were ablaze with coldness, like bolts of lightning across the dark night.
"Does it hurt?" With a touch of tenderness fell on his chilling face, he asked pitifully,
Gu Yunxi shook her head in the Master's chest. A warm feeling flowed into her heart.
The Master had not lied to her. He had been guarding her in the dark. Otherwise, he could not have known that she was harassed by Ming Lan, and he would not have spotted her injured wrist.
Leng Qingtang looked down at her with affection lingering in his eyes. Lips fell slightly, leaving a tender kiss on her forehead.
She shredded and glanced in shock at the Master, who was smiling faintly and gently.
Gu Yunxi bowed her head in shyness, her cheeks blushing.
The Master just kissed her.
The numb and warm feeling of his lips on her forehead remained. Nervous yet happy, her heart beat faster.
The Master's soft big hands stroked her head, snuggling her in his arms.
Also in the carriage with his eyes lowered, Sun Bing was wise enough to pretend as a log, ignoring the beautiful scene in front of him.
...
The night was as cold as water, and the moon was shining alone in the sky.
A carriage drove out of the Western Depot Master's Mansion. Crushing the gravel in the night, it traveled to the Qingfeng Temple, north of the capital.
It was still early before the meeting.
Seated relaxedly in the carriage before a makeup mirror, Ming Lan powdered his face and rubbed fragrant balm on his neck and the back of his hands.
Tonight was the first date between Yun Guaner and him, so he must pay attention to his look.
Qin Zhong was holding the makeup mirror ardently next to him. Presented with the even more voluptuous face under makeup, he sang praises,
"Master, you are the most beautiful man. Lord Leng is old and ugly compared to you. After tonight, Yun Guaner will surely never be able to forget you. Congratulations to you, Master. You will win the beauty's body as well as her heart."
Squinting his eyes, Ming Lan groaned softly. He fixed his hair behind the temples and said in contempt, "Who knows whether her body has already been taken by her Master or not."
Realizing his complement had missed the point, Qin Zhong looked stiff and changed the subject.
"Master, rest assured. I have sent out scouts to the Qingfeng Temple this afternoon for fear that the Eastern Depot may have laid an ambush. No abnormal news was heard since then, so it must be safe."
"Anyway, don't be careless. If that little brat dares to play tricks again, we'll just take her captive and discipline her in the Mansion..."
Conversing, the two simultaneously envisaged a more obscene picture and couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Halfway through.
Radiating fragrance, pieces of red petals flew in through the curtain and landed on Ming Lan's laps.
He casually lifted the curtain on the side and popped his head out. On both sides of the road, tall manglietia trees were planted, blossoming brightly red in the deep autumn. When the wind passed, their petals seem to be dancing in the night sky, looking quite spectacular.
Sniffing the fragrance of manglietia, Ming Lan felt the skin of his temples tightened, and his head was dull. Shivering mutely, he withdrew inside and subconsciously wrapped the fur closer over his body.
Strange, how could it be so cold at night before early winter?
After some time, they arrived at the Qingfeng Temple.
Ming Lan got off the carriage with Qin Zhong. Ten guards accompanied them, standing by with lanterns in their hands.
Ming Lan observed the surrounding. Leaning forward, he could vaguely discern the rolling hills not far away.
The Qingfeng Temple was located at the foot of the mountain. It was a large temple with turmeric walls and green ridges.
Once the place had been popular and visited by countless congregations. After Emperor Jingxiao converted to Taoism and constructed many Taoist temples, however, the Qingfeng Temple was eclipsed.
Within the sight, the outer layer of the courtyard wall was peeled off, revealing the uneven broken bricks inside. In the hazy night fog, this ancient temple, sealed under the thick dust and dense cobwebs, was attached with peculiar strangeness and treacherousness and saturated with darkness and gruesomeness.
Escorted by the guards, Ming Lan walked on the weedy and mossy path under the bleak moonlight cautiously towards the temple.
Qin Zhong withdrew his sword and followed closely by his side.
A mass of blackness rushed towards them. With a flash of cold light, the shadow fell to Qin Zhong's feet.
It turned out to be an owl.
The squeak of night birds continued, high-pitched and sharp, adding more desolation to the midnight.
Qin Zhong stared at the owl slain by himself, looking around warily. He whispered to the guards,
"Protect the Master carefully! And watch out for ambush!"
- Writer
