Chapter 7 — The True Heiress Reads Fates

He scolded me harshly, yet his hands were remarkably gentle, as if he feared that even the slightest extra pressure might cause me pain. I hurried to comfort him, saying:

Do not worry, I have already recorded it as a debt.

When the old master caught the lingering scent of the noble marquisate clinging to me, his expression shifted immediately:

We are finished, you have been tainted by the airs of the ultra-wealthy.

I replied:

It can be washed away.

Xie Lin Yan sat within the carriage, a faint smile gracing his lips as he spoke:

Master Sang, I have admired you for a long time.

The moment the old master heard his voice, his countenance grew even more unsightly:

Are you that third prince who is on the verge of death?

I drew in a sharp breath. Truly, he was my master; he never minced words when scolding someone. Yet Xie Lin Yan did not take offense, instead answering calmly:

I am indeed he.

The old master emitted a cold laugh:

You are not merely on the verge of death; you should have died long ago. Someone took the fate of a deceased person and grafted it onto the Crown Prince, while using your living life force to sustain it. Neither the realm of the living nor the realm of the dead will claim you, so it is hardly a wonder that my disciple calls you short-lived.

I was startled:

Master, did you know about this all along?

The old master fell silent. Though his eyes were sightless, whenever he wished to avoid conversation, he would close them tightly, pretending to be even blinder than he was. Of all his habits, I loathed this one the most.

If you refuse to speak, I shall go and tell the widow Li who sells bean curd next door about the thirty taels of silver you have hidden beneath your bed frame.

The old master snapped his eyes wide open:

How could you possibly know that?

I smiled coldly:

I know how to divine the future.

My master was so enraged that his beard trembled, but eventually, he lowered his voice and spoke:

Sixteen years ago, your birth mother discovered that the Duke Thua An estate was using the birth fates of infants to forge talismans, and she intended to enter the palace to denounce the Empress. Consequently, the Empress dispatched agents to steal you away, aiming both to silence your mother permanently and to bind your fate into that of the Crown Prince.

I asked:

Then what about A Dan?

The old master paused. After a long moment, he let out a heavy sigh:

By the time I reached the scene, she had already drawn her final breath. That child possessed a fragile destiny, yet she stepped forward to deflect the very first blow for you. Little fortuneteller, those years when you constantly dreamed of a girl in red amidst the snow—that was no ordinary dream. It was her, still searching for you.

A tight knot formed in my throat, choking me. My master gently stroked my head:

You must never feel that you are indebted to her. The one who bears the debt is not you, but those wretched beasts who traded human lives to alter their destinies.

Xie Lin Yan lifted the carriage curtain, his expression finally turning frigid:

Who was the one who performed the sorcery?

The old master remained silent. I remarked with a dark look:

Widow Li.

Furious, the old master snapped:

It was the Empress!

An abrupt silence descended upon them. The moment the words left his mouth, the old master regretted them, clutching his bamboo cane as if preparing to flee. I grabbed hold of him.

Master, what are you running from?

Nonsense! Knowing that the Empress is responsible for harming an imperial prince and not running away? Are you waiting to have our entire household beheaded?

I pondered for a moment:

There are only two people in our Taoist sect, so it hardly counts as an entire household.

My master was so provoked by my logic that the whites of his eyes showed. Xie Lin Yan, however, merely chuckled:

Master Sang need not worry. Should this prince make a move, I shall certainly ensure the safety of both master and disciple.

The old master let out a cold humph:

Standing behind the Empress is the Duke Thua An estate, and the Crown Prince is the heir apparent. A sickly invalid like you—what could you possibly use to guarantee our safety?

Xie Lin Yan answered with unhurried ease:

The military tally.

The old master said no more. I stopped gnawing on my melon seeds as well. Xie Lin Yan looked at the two of us, his tone growing mild:

My maternal family's former subordinates still have thirty thousand troops stationed in the Northwest. Over the years, His Majesty has feigned ignorance simply because he was waiting for a justifiable reason to depose the Crown Prince. Before the Mid-Autumn palace banquet, I shall present that very reason upon His Majesty's desk.

All the fragmented, disconnected events from beginning to end finally clicked into place. He had not sought me out merely to have his fate linked. He intended to use this soul-swapping conspiracy to overthrow both the Crown Prince and the Empress. I looked straight at him:

Your Highness, did you know long ago that my master was acquainted with the inner truth, and thus deliberately rescued him?

Xie Lin Yan admitted it frankly:

I did.

And you sought me out solely because I possess the ability to see A Dan?

I did.

Did you present me with the jade bracelet yesterday merely to win me over?

He faltered, the amusement fading from his gaze:

No.

I stared at him intently. Xie Lin Yan spoke in a soft, low voice:

The jade bracelet is a keepsake left by my late mother. If my only intention had been to buy your loyalty, I would never have given it to you.

Suddenly, I found myself entirely at a loss for words. My master, who had been straining his ears to listen from the side, chimed in with a sarcastic, mocking tone:

Oh my, on the very threshold of death and he is already plotting to take a wife.

Xie Lin Yan replied with utmost seriousness:

If Master Sang gives his consent, I can request an imperial decree this very moment.

Master: ... Myself: ... I felt quite certain that both of them had lost their minds. Five days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a banquet was held within the palace walls. Nominally, it was a gathering to admire the early moon, but in reality, it served as a pretext for the Empress to pave the way for the Crown Prince to select a primary consort. Tham Minh Dao was also in attendance; upon seeing me now, she no longer maintained her former aloof reserve and even stealthily slipped pastries into my sleeve. I found myself quite satisfied with this. Anyone who knew to conceal pastries within my sleeves could not possibly be a truly bad person. Amidst the grandeur of the banquet, the Empress remained gentle and smiling, the Crown Prince remained upright and proper, and Xie Lin Yan remained frail and sickly. Only I sat with my sleeves crammed full of talisman papers, ancient bronze coins, peachwood nails, and a small dagger my master had recently whetted. My master had instructed me that if physical combat proved unavoidable, I was to stab the opponent in the thigh first. When I asked whose thigh I should puncture, he replied that I should simply stab whoever happened to be standing closest. Looking back, the fact that the old man had managed to survive until the present day was truly due to the divine protection of our founding ancestors. Halfway through the festivities, the Empress suddenly smiled and remarked:

Quy Di is well-versed in the art of physiognomy. Why not divine the romantic matches for our young maidens today? It will surely add a touch of lively merriment to the occasion.