Chapter 2277: New Noble
Having secured this mandate, Yi Haoran could now act with proper name and authority.
The purpose of the incense offering was to see Cai Lan. For Yi Haoran, this "deity" was far harder to summon. So he decided on his own to set the date for July 6th.
Ding A-tao had little housework to manage; a few days earlier or later made no difference. So they settled on that day.
Yi Haoran immediately went outside the city to Dragon Mother Temple to find the Abbot.
The Dragon Mother Temple's Abbot was named Wu Yuan. Though not old, he was a man of many connections in Wuzhou, maintaining relationships with local aristocratic families and prominent households. Originally, medium and small merchants like Luo Yangming wouldn't have registered in his eyes at all; having a guest prefect receive them when they came to offer incense was already showing face.
But now Luo Yangming was a ringing, real-power figure in Wuzhou. So when Yi Haoran arrived at Dragon Mother Temple and handed over his name card, Abbot Wu Yuan personally came out to welcome him. After an exchange of pleasantries, Yi Haoran explained his purpose: Luo Yangming's wife and concubine wished to come to Dragon Mother Temple to offer incense on July 6th, and he hoped to reserve a quiet room in the backyard in advance and order a table of vegetarian dishes.
Upon hearing this, Abbot Wu Yuan's fair-skinned face took on a troubled expression.
"Is there a difficulty?" Yi Haoran pressed.
"Master Luo's business—naturally our humble temple dares not refuse. It's just that the timing is unfortunate." Abbot Wu Yuan frowned. "Someone else came yesterday to make a reservation..."
"Surely there's more than one quiet room in your backyard?"
"Of course there are several," Abbot Wu Yuan hurriedly said. "It's just that this guest has a very significant background."
"Oh? Which Master's household would that be?"
"Not any Master's household..." The Abbot lowered his voice. "It was booked by the Australians—a female dependent."
Yi Haoran thought to himself: This must be Cai Lan! Qiuchan has done well! He smiled slightly and said: "Abbot, my employer works right in the Aftermath Bureau. The only True Australian in Wuzhou is Prefect Xie. And he has no female dependent accompanying him here. This 'female dependent' you speak of is probably..." He pointed toward the temple gate, "...that one, correct?"
Cai Lan's assassination attempt at the Dragon Mother Temple gate had caused quite a sensation in Wuzhou at the time. Her subsequent "loss of chastity in following the thieves" had become even bigger news. People added oil and vinegar to the story, spinning it into something quite lurid. Whenever anyone mentioned the matter, it was mostly with disdain.
Disdain aside, Cai Lan was now "the True Hair's woman"—and common people were still clear-eyed enough to understand what came of discussing a power holder's woman. Thus Abbot Wu Yuan spoke in a lowered voice, and Yi Haoran referred to her only as "that one."
Abbot Wu Yuan nodded.
"Since it's her, then this is easy to handle," Yi Haoran said. "Speaking of it, this person has no title—neither wife nor concubine, neither slave nor maid. Why must the Abbot show her such honor? The Masters of Wuzhou city, if they knew, would surely sneer!"
Wu Yuan was somewhat surprised. These words were spoken quite viciously. Had it been anyone else, he would have hurried to feign confusion and "see the guest out." But behind this Mr. Yi stood Master Luo of the "Aftermath Bureau"—the number one red-hot figure under the True Hair! Not to mention his status was more exalted than this Cai Lan's, yet his advisor had publicly spoken such words...
He recalled that the person who had come to make the reservation was not some important cadre under the Australian, but only a minor clerk and Cai Lan's "accompanying woman." Nor had any security clearance been requested. Clearly, the True Hair's favor for her had waned.
Wu Yuan was a man of exquisite perception, his thoughts turning with extreme speed. He immediately smiled. "Since Master Luo's household so favors our humble temple, this poor Daoist cannot refuse. How about this—we'll arrange for the quiet room at the east end. As for the vegetarian meal..."
"The Abbot may handle it as he sees fit. There's no need to be frugal," Yi Haoran smiled. "Master Luo's family are reasonable people. They certainly won't make things difficult for the Abbot."
Yi Haoran had visited Dragon Mother Temple's backyard before. He knew the layout: the three main rooms would be for Cai Lan's party, while the quiet room at the east end that Wu Yuan mentioned consisted of three wing rooms—quiet, hidden, an excellent place for a private conversation.
"That's easily arranged." Abbot Wu Yuan agreed fully. "In this summer heat, few ladies from prominent households come to the temple to offer incense. With Sir's instructions, we shall naturally attend to matters with our whole hearts."
When July 6th arrived, the weather was sunny and hot with few clouds. Yi Haoran rose very early, finished washing and ate breakfast quickly, then went to a sedan chair shop on the street and hired two bamboo-silk cool sedans, which he had carried to the courtyard to wait.
He was anxious at heart, fearing he might miss Cai Lan. Though he knew it was still early, he kept glancing toward the inner residence gate.
A-Chun noticed his restlessness. "Advisor," he joked, "I think your eagerness to get to Dragon Mother Temple is greater than the Mistress and Concubine's!"
Yi Haoran realized he had lost his composure and quickly defended himself: "Hardly. The weather is hot—we should leave early when the road is still cool. Once the sun comes up, walking the whole way will be both steaming and scorching."
"Master need not be anxious," A-Chun said. "The Mistress and Concubine got up early. Breakfast was just sent in. They're probably washing up and doing their hair now—that'll take quite some time. The Mistress said that now our family counts as half a gentry household, and going out to worship the gods is a big occasion. It shouldn't be too shabby."
As the Australians advanced through Guangdong singing their song of conquest, Ding A-tao—despite harboring many complaints about her husband devoting his energy to the Aftermath Bureau—had gradually come to feel that her status was "not ordinary."
Luo Yangming was now one of the "heads and faces" of Wuzhou city. No matter how prominent a gentry family had been, even if the head of house had fled, as long as property and dependents remained in Wuzhou, they would inevitably send someone to the door with a name card and a gift during festival times. This kind of respect was something Ding A-tao had never experienced in all her life.
Going out to offer incense was almost the only opportunity for women of that era to appear openly in public. It was also a chance for women of wealthy households to show off their family background, status, and wealth. Ding A-tao came from a humble background. At best, she had been the wife of a rice shop owner—not particularly distinguished even among Wuzhou's merchant class. She had never dared dream of such things. When she went out to burn incense, it was always quietly done.
This time, she had set her heart on taking the opportunity to make a bit of a show. Even A-Chun today had changed into a new cyan cloth short shirt, and even his hair net was brand new.
Yi Haoran waited for half a shichen before seeing two women emerge, dressed from head to toe in newly purchased clothes. Not only were the materials exquisite, but the patterns were gorgeous as well. Compared to their usual plain clothes and light makeup, they looked like entirely different people.
A-Chun was even more stunned, blurting out: "Mistress, you've suddenly become so beautiful!"
Ding A-tao, after all, came from a humble background. Praised by this boy, her cheeks immediately flushed red. "Since we're going to offer incense, we naturally have to make a proper show of it," she said.
Yi Haoran quickly joined in: "The Mistress speaks rightly! Now that the Master's status is elevated, the Mistress going out can't be too shabby. It wouldn't do to diminish the Master's standing."
Ding A-tao found that this Advisor Yi not only handled affairs capably but spoke pleasantly too. She couldn't help smiling slightly. "Today we must trouble Sir."
Her tone was both slow and composed, revealing an air of calm dignity befitting a gentry mistress—quite different from her usual manner as well.
Yi Haoran hastened to say: "The Mistress speaks too seriously." He bowed. "The sedan chairs are already waiting in the yard. Please, Mistress and Concubine, get in."
The two women mounted the sedans. Yi Haoran led the way in front while A-Chun followed behind. In truth, the Luo family's back residence was quite modest. Besides one rough-work old maid, Ding A-tao had no other slave girls at her side. Many things in the inner residence were done by herself and Wen Yun. Thus this procession to burn incense had to be simplified. They had only called a partner from the rice shop to carry a load of offerings and follow along.
The group left by the house gate and made their way along the Gui River bank. Ding A-tao very rarely went out—counting up the whole year, perhaps seven or eight times at most. After the Australians took Wuzhou, worried that the current situation was unstable and that going out might invite disaster, she had ventured outside even less. But her husband said the Australians had the talent for governance. She wanted to take a good look at this new appearance of Wuzhou.
Through the fine bamboo curtain hanging over the cool sedan's window, she saw that the streets outside were flat, tidy, and clean—indeed different from former days. There weren't many pedestrians, and those present walked with hurried steps, each seeking their own livelihood. Nothing seemed abnormal. Yet walking this way, she saw no beggars or refugees—once visible everywhere, they had now vanished without a trace.
It seems the Australians do have some ability, Ding A-tao thought. If they can carve out a kingdom in the Two Guangs, my husband following them will surely count as a gentry figure. And if it's really as my husband says—that the Australians intend to chase the deer across the Central Plains and unite all under heaven—then Luo Yangming will be a meritorious subject who followed the dragon from the beginning. I'll surely receive a mandated title...
But worry quickly clouded her heart again. Right now, the rice shop business was poor. All the merchants in the city complained that business was hard and the markets were desolate. Walking along, she indeed saw that though all the shops had their doors open, they all wore a half-dead appearance. There were no traveling merchants coming and going, no street runners everywhere matching deals...
Thinking again that Luo Yangming had barely been home these past few months, her mood sank once more. Everyone said the Dragon Mother was most efficacious. She could only pray that the Dragon Mother would bless the Australians to win more battles, so that Luo Yangming could attach himself to their horse's tail and gallop a thousand li, earning a fine future. And finally—absolutely—that he would not cast aside his wife of shared hardships after attaining wealth and honor...
Her thoughts wandered wildly the whole way. She didn't know how long had passed when suddenly the sedan chair stopped. Yi Haoran's voice came: "Mistress, Dragon Mother Temple has arrived."
Ding A-tao stepped down from the sedan and saw they were already at the foot of Dragon Mother Temple's steps. Though she had lived in Wuzhou for several years, the times she had visited Dragon Mother Temple could be counted on her fingers. Wen Yun, on the other hand, came often—her brother was a foreman among the dock porters, a man who earned his living from the water. His reverence for the Dragon Mother was far deeper than ordinary people's.
Yi Haoran sent away the sedan chairs and led the way. Ascending the steps, they passed through a stone archway. Right in the center, in large characters, was inscribed: "Imperially Bestowed Lady Yongning." Ding A-tao had heard people say this title was bestowed by Taizu, the founder of this Dynasty.
Passing through the archway brought them to the Main Hall. The weather was hot, and not many people had come to Dragon Mother Temple to offer incense. Yet the moment Ding A-tao appeared, she immediately attracted quite a few gazes—many of them confused. Ding A-tao suddenly realized: she was dressed as a wealthy household's mistress, yet she had no slave girls or old maids crowding around her.
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 481 (End of Chapter)