Chance Encounter

Though Wang Yuqian held the exalted position of Vice Minister of War, his carriage was not at all luxurious. There was no soft couch, no tea table, and certainly no elegant refinements such as incense. Even the beasts pulling it were low-grade demonic beasts—red-date horses. Were it not for the purple-gold patterns etched along the carriage body—a mark exclusive to high officials of the third rank—it would have looked just like an ordinary merchant carriage. With the two of them sitting upright inside, the carriage interior even felt somewhat cramped. Yet there was no helping it. Keeping the carriage modest might not necessarily catch His Majesty's eye, but it demonstrated at least to some degree that one was incorruptible. Without the support of a shock absorption device, the carriage jolted all the way until the sundial clock hanging inside pointed to three quarters past the hour of the snake, finally arriving before the imposing gates of the Chancellor's Manor. Drawing back the carriage window slightly, Xu Yuan peered outside. Somewhat unexpectedly, theirs was not the first carriage to come calling. The wide avenue before the Prime Minister's Manor was already bustling with traffic. Many carriages were parked along both sides of the street, and the manor's servants and receptionists were continuously guiding these beast-drawn carriages inside. Among them were lavishly decorated beast carriages drawn by horned demonic horses, as well as various carriages engraved with the exclusive totems of high court officials. Xu Yuan even spotted the crimson patterns designated for officials of the second rank. After a quick glance, Xu Yuan turned his gaze to the little old man sitting across from him in the carriage. "Old Wang, is today some special occasion?" Hearing this, Wang Yuqian cast a rather strange look at the Third Young Master before him, then whispered a reminder, "The end of the year is approaching, and the officials' triennial evaluations have already begun. The Prime Minister's Manor's aides stationed across the provinces also come to the capital at this time to report on their duties. Bringing you back to the manor under this pretext ensures no one will notice anything amiss." Hearing that, Xu Yuan had an immediate realization, and fragments of memory surfaced in his mind. In those increasingly blurred childhood memories, as the year drew to a close, their originally quiet household truly would become mysteriously bustling. Back then, he had only found it lively and fun without thinking much of it. But looking at it now... One could only say that no wonder rumors circulated among the public that without the Prime Minister's nod, no decree leaves the Jinluan Hall. With a rough glance, just the carriages coming to pay respects at the Prime Minister's Manor today included over a dozen high officials of the third and fourth ranks—and these figures basically accounted for half the imperial court. Although there were many visiting carriages, Xu Yuan and Wang Yuqian did not wait very long, perhaps thanks to the purple-gold patterns on their carriage that belonged to a third-rank official. Soon, a steward approached their carriage and led the two through an antique side gate and along a small pathway into the manor. Though there were many people inside, the Prime Minister's Manor's stately and towering complex was not noisy. None of the officials or aides raised their voices; they moved in groups of two or three, guided by attendants to various parts of the manor. Led by that steward, Xu Yuan and Wang Yuqian proceeded without hindrance all the way to a vast lake inside the Prime Minister's Manor. Looking at the scenic wetland lake before him, Xu Yuan instinctively stopped in his tracks. Though winter had arrived, the surface of the lake was not frozen. A gentle breeze blew across, causing ripples of shimmering light to dance over the water. However, Xu Yuan was not looking at the lake, but rather at the pavilion in the middle of it, and the woman on that pavilion. It had been a long time since he woke up, but this was the first time Xu Yuan had seen Ran Qingmo in the Prime Minister's Manor. Skin fair as snow, clothes black as ink, long hair sleek and glossy—she looked just as she had when they parted. There was no meeting of glances across the distance; she simply sat quietly by the window frame, staring blankly at the rippling lake. Gazing at the young woman's flawlessly breathtaking profile, Xu Yuan let a quiet sigh flicker through the depths of his eyes. "Young Master Wang, is something the matter?" The steward's quiet voice broke Xu Yuan's train of thought. Before he could speak, the manor steward glanced in the direction Xu Yuan was looking and softly explained, "That is an honored guest of the Lord Chancellor. Even the head steward is not permitted to take half a step over there. Though, in the past, the Fourth Miss often went over to visit that young lady from Lanyu Pavilion." Xu Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then realized this was a gesture of goodwill from the steward. The man was warning him: though you may be the son of a Vice Minister, that young lady's status is even more exalted, and far beyond your reach. Xu Yuan fell silent for a brief moment, pulled his gaze back, and gave a gentle nod. "Wang understands." With that, the steward smiled faintly and continued leading the way, while Xu Yuan and Wang Yuqian beside him silently followed behind. A gust of chilly wind swept through the warm sunshine, swirling fallen leaves from the ancient trees along the lakeshore, and also brought the woman in black inside the pavilion back to her senses. Casting her gaze outward, Ran Qingmo instinctively swept her eyes across the three people walking along the opposite shore. Her eyes finally landed on the young man's back, and her dark pupils contracted slightly. A layer of ice crystals condensed upon the window frame. In the next instant, the young woman sitting in the pavilion vanished. When she reappeared, she was already standing before Xu Yuan and the others. Seeing the young woman blocking their path, the steward leading them was taken aback for a second before immediately bowing in greeting. "Miss, do you have any orders for us?" "..." Ran Qingmo paid no heed to the steward's words; her gaze fell dead-straight upon the young man among the three. "..." Their gazes met in midair. Xu Yuan reacted quickly, letting a hint of confusion show in his eyes, but his heart sped up slightly. He did not know why Ran Qingmo had suddenly blocked his way. Looking at the girl before him, a trace of worry rose in his heart, yet it was also tinged with an inexplicable anticipation. Yet very soon, both the worry and anticipation faded away. In her clear, beautiful eyes, he saw a visible flicker of disappointment. "...I am sorry. I mistook you for someone else." That old man really hadn't lied to him: beneath the Saint realm, no one could see through this human-skin mask. With that thought in mind, Xu Yuan replied softly in the cultured, refined voice of a gentleman, "Oh? Does Wang resemble an old acquaintance of Miss's?" Ran Qingmo stared at Xu Yuan's face for a few breaths, then shook her head gently. "Only from behind..." With those words, Xu Yuan wanted to say something more to the big ice block, but Ran Qingmo had already lowered her head in disappointment, turning in silence to step across the water back toward the pavilion in the center of the lake. "..." Gazing at that lonely, departing figure, Xu Yuan unconsciously pursed his lips slightly. Due to the deal he had struck with the Imperial Preceptor back then, he had gotten his father to weave an elaborate information bubble around the big ice block. Inside the Prime Minister's Manor, no one was permitted to mention the news of his death. And with the big ice block's habit of cultivating around the clock, she would not venture out of the Prime Minister's Manor casually either. Because of this, even though news of his death had been circulating for half a month, the big ice block remained completely unaware. At that thought, Xu Yuan tightened his fist slightly. Yet seeing her dazed expression as she sat by the window today, she had likely already grown somewhat suspicious. After all, she had once told him: she wasn't stupid...