Chapter Twenty-Five: When Beating a Dog, Consider Its Master

When Ye Fashan addressed her as "Princess," Pei Min felt a chill run down his spine.

Princess!

Who else could the princess in the Jade Purity Temple be, if not Princess Jade Purity herself?

Realization dawned on Pei Min. His hands froze awkwardly. He had never imagined that the young girl before him was the renowned Princess Jade Purity of history. He had simply thought she was some wealthy family’s mischievous child come to the temple to play…

To take such liberties with Princess Jade Purity—what an ominous sign. Though she did not wield power like Princess Taiping, her presence left a profound mark on history: she was Li Dan’s most cherished daughter and Li Longji’s most beloved sister. After Princess Taiping’s downfall, her status surpassed all other princesses. Though she had no love for power, she still wielded considerable political influence, able to intervene in state affairs and sway Li Longji’s decisions. She was especially fond of poetry and literature; even legends like Wang Wei and Li Bai sought her favor…

To have taken such liberties with someone like her?

Pei Min suppressed his anxiety, determined not to reveal his unease. He kneaded her wound a little more, and, seeing that the swelling had gone down considerably, stepped back and said, “Forgive me, Your Highness. I had no idea you were here. Please do not hold my offense against me.”

Li Chiying reached up to touch her injury. It still ached faintly, but the swelling had noticeably lessened. She assumed Pei Min truly knew medicine and, recalling his earlier words, decided to overlook his offense in light of his efforts to eliminate her scar. Little did she know that such bruises, caused by blunt force, tend to heal quickly with some proper massaging to promote blood flow and reduce swelling. This was common knowledge among the people, but Li Chiying’s status meant she was knowledgeable in many things, yet precisely lacked such everyday wisdom.

Ye Fashan understood this, and Sun Pu, grandson of the famed physician Sun Simiao, understood it even more. But neither would expose Pei Min at such a moment; both kept silent on the matter.

Li Chiying, having been discovered, did not bother to hide. She strode boldly into the hall. She was at that age when curiosity and playfulness were at their peak, but life in the Jade Purity Temple suppressed such impulses. The fact that she listened to Ye Fashan’s tedious lectures on the Dao simply to stave off boredom was telling enough—her daily life was dull indeed.

Now, with something happening right before her, Li Chiying seized the chance for amusement and said, “That Huifan is truly detestable! Physician Liu treated me when I was a child—he even entered the palace for my sake. Yet that petty abbot of Shengshan Temple dared to arrest my benefactor in broad daylight! Outrageous. Now that I know of this, I cannot stand idly by.”

Seeing Li Chiying’s precocious assertiveness, both Pei Min and Ye Fashan shared the same thought: this little princess certainly did not fear stirring up trouble. The abbot of Shengshan Temple may have been only a third-rank official, but he was also ennobled as a duke—no ordinary man could afford to provoke him. Yet, given Li Chiying’s status as the emperor’s own sister, born with the rank of first-class nobility, such a “mere” third-rank official was truly nothing in her eyes.

“You!” Li Chiying pointed at Pei Min. “Tell me the whole story. I didn’t quite catch it just now.” She was, in fact, covering up for having eavesdropped.

Ye Fashan signaled Pei Min with his eyes. Having spent half a lifetime navigating the bureaucracy, Ye Fashan was revered as a demigod, though he had never quite become a true celestial. He was full of officialdom’s cunning. His rank was equal to Huifan’s; both were third-rank officials. Their spheres of influence did not overlap, and they maintained a respectful distance. In terms of power, Huifan clearly held the advantage, being a “false monk” with a band of thuggish monks under his command, while Ye Fashan was a genuine Daoist with only a handful of sincere, pious followers. He could protect Sun Pu from Huifan’s harm within his means, but rescuing his old friend from the West Market was beyond his ability. Even six or seven of his Daoists could not stand up to a single one of Huifan’s monks.

Li Chiying’s willingness to intervene was a stroke of fortune. Though she held no official power, she was the apple of the former emperor’s eye and the emperor’s cherished sister. Even Princess Taiping, Huifan’s patron, doted on this beloved little niece. With her stepping forward, everything would fall into place.

Catching Ye Fashan’s look, Pei Min understood immediately—the capable must shoulder the task. At this moment, Li Chiying might not even realize the immense soft power she wielded. So, with a touch of embellishment, he recounted once more Huifan’s misdeeds and those of his band of villainous monks.

As a member of the imperial family, Li Chiying was not one to be directed at will. Her mind might not be as scheming as Ye Fashan’s or Pei Min’s, but her loyalties were undoubtedly with the Tang dynasty. Huifan’s lawless behavior, his contempt for order and his arbitrary actions, were intolerable to the imperial house. Furiously, she declared, “To abduct innocent citizens and arrest those who have rendered meritorious service to the Tang—Huifan is truly out of control! I will go to the palace at once and inform my royal brother, so that he may punish Huifan’s crimes.”

Pei Min replied, “It would be better to appeal to Princess Taiping. Huifan is closely connected to her—if she intervenes, the outcome will be far more effective.”

If they went to Li Longji, the matter could be resolved, but Huifan might not actually be punished. The emperor, for all his power, might not be able to confront Princess Taiping directly. To discipline a dog, one must look to its master. Li Longji could not deal with Huifan, but Princess Taiping could punish her own retainer as she saw fit.

Li Chiying’s eyes brightened. She realized she had not visited her Aunt Taiping in some time. Striving for a tone of maturity, she said, “You are quite right. My royal brother, as emperor, is busy with affairs of state. Let Aunt Taiping handle this small matter instead… I shall go to her at once.” With that, she left without delay.

Ye Fashan watched Li Chiying go and gave Pei Min a long, searching look. “You are a bold young man indeed, daring to involve Princess Taiping in this.”

Pei Min smiled calmly. “Don’t you think, Master, that having Princess Taiping handle this is the fastest and most direct route?”

Ye Fashan’s tone became grave. “That may be so, but by doing this, you have made yourself Huifan’s mortal enemy. Are you not afraid of courting disaster?”

Pei Min replied with a smile, “What use is fear? Judging by the arrogance of Huifan’s monks, one can easily imagine what kind of man Huifan is himself. To someone like him, I am no more significant than a blade of grass. Whether I offend him a little or a lot makes no real difference. Either way, he won’t let me off. Why should I care whether I pluck a hair from his beard or kick him outright? It’s better to thoroughly offend him, show him my mettle, and make him wary. Besides, does the Master know who I truly am? None of you do, so I doubt that no matter how resourceful Huifan may be, he could possibly find me among the millions in this great city. At most, I’ll just keep a low profile for a few days. Now then, to avoid further trouble, I’ll take my leave.”

Ye Fashan watched Pei Min’s composed departure with a sense of awe and sighed, “Truly, the younger generation is to be reckoned with!”

Pei Min retraced his steps, heading toward the temple gate, but as he was about to leave, a voice called out behind him, “Benefactor, wait!”