Chapter 559: A Terrifying Experience at the Temple

Before dawn the next day, Li Qing’an left home for the military camp outside the city. The prince’s mansion was in full activity; Mingyue and Li Qing’an’s other concubines got up early as well. They were going to Ci’en Temple to offer incense, having arranged it the day before. It was a major event for Princess Zhao to visit the temple, so Ci’en Temple planned to close for half a day. However, Mingyue didn’t want to draw too much attention. After discussion, they decided to close the temple for an hour in the early morning, when the fewest people would be there, minimizing disruption.

Time was tight. Mingyue and the other ladies quickly got ready and boarded two horse carriages, accompanied by over a dozen maids, women, and two eunuchs in charge of coordinating with the temple. Additionally, more than a hundred of Li Qing’an’s personal guards surrounded the carriages.

“Muyu, are you really not coming with us?” Mingyue asked with a smile as she boarded the carriage.

Gao Mu seemed preoccupied. She forced a smile and said, “You go ahead! I want to visit a friend.”

“Alright! Remember to come back early at noon.”

“I know.”

Mingyue didn’t insist further and hurried off in the carriage. Gao Mu stood in the courtyard for a while before sighing softly. Although she had come to Chang’an with Li Qing’an, that didn’t mean she could freely appear in public with his family. If the Southern Tang learned she lived in Li Qing’an’s residence, her father’s life would be in danger—something Gao Mu was well aware of, so she was extremely cautious.

Moreover, as long as her father remained in the Southern Tang, she couldn’t have any relationship with Li Qing’an. Even if he wanted to marry her, she couldn’t agree. She was a filial daughter and couldn’t risk her father’s life for her own sake.

Last night, Mingyue had talked to her and offered to let her join their family. This filled Gao Mu with both joy and worry. Though she had waited ten years for this day, she still declined Mingyue’s offer at the last moment. She was merely Li Qing’an’s sister and had never hoped to marry him.

Gao Mu went to the stables to get her horse. She was going to Bao’en Temple to make a wish for her father, hoping he would leave the Southern Tang soon and reunite safely with his family in Chang’an.

She led the horse to a side courtyard, prepared its gear, and then led it out.

As soon as Gao Mu stepped outside, she saw Mingzhu rushing over on a small donkey. “Mingzhu!” Gao Mu greeted her with a smile.

Yesterday, Mingzhu’s aunt fell ill—Pei Min’s wife was sick. So Mingzhu went to visit her aunt with her mother. Early this morning, upon hearing that Rushi had returned, she hurried over. As soon as she reached the door, she heard someone calling her. Turning around, she saw Gao Wu and exclaimed in delight, “Sis Wu, when did you arrive?”
“I came here yesterday with Wuyi and the others. We happened to meet them in Anxi, so we came back together.”
Gao Wu didn’t want to tell Mingzhu that Li Qing’an had brought her there. She smiled and said, “You must be here to see your sister! It’s a pity you’re a step too late.”
“Where did they go?” Mingzhu asked irritably. Those guys didn’t even wait for her!
“They went to Cien Temple. They just left. If you hurry, you might still catch up.”
“Hmph! Why should I chase after them? They didn’t even call me. I’m not going!”
Seeing that Gao Wu was about to leave, Mingzhu said with a smile, “Sis Wu, where are you going?”
“I want to go to another temple. My mother used to take me to Baoyen Temple.”
“I know. It’s the one in Chongde Fang, right? I go there often too.”
Mingzhu clapped her hands and laughed. With a pleading expression, she took Gao Wu’s hand and said, “Sis Wu, please take me with you! I’m so bored alone.”
“You can go to Cien Temple!”
“I’m not going! My sister acts all high and mighty like a princess. I don’t want to deal with her. Sis Wu, I’ll go with you.”
Gao Wu was a bit hesitant. She wanted to make a wish for her father in front of the Buddha. But after thinking it over, she figured it didn’t matter—as long as Mingzhu didn’t find out. Besides, Gao Wu really liked this lively and mischievous younger sister. So she nodded and said with a smile, “Alright! Let’s go together.”
Mingzhu was overjoyed. She urged her donkey forward, and together with Gao Wu, they headed toward Chongde Fang.
Along the way, seeing how magnificent Gao Wu’s horse was, Mingzhu couldn’t help but envy it. “Sis Wu, why is your horse so big? I think many men in Chang’an have horses that can’t compare to yours.”
Gao Wu stroked her beloved warhorse and smiled. “This is a Daxian warhorse. It’s naturally more magnificent than ordinary warhorses, let alone the regular riding horses in Chang’an. I named it Liehuo. My father gave it to me specially. Don’t underestimate it—it’s been in several battles. Especially in the battle against Nanzhao, if not for this horse, I would have died on the battlefield.”
Hearing that Gao Wu had fought in battles, Mingzhu’s eyes filled with even more admiration. “Sis Wu, you’re so amazing! You can even fight alongside men. I think you’re the only woman in Chang’an who’s ever fought in battle.”

Gao Wu smiled and said, “There are many female soldiers who go into battle! There are them in the Anxi Army and the Jiannan Army. I’ve heard there are also some in the ranks of Ge Shu Han and An Lushan. But… I’m probably the only female general left.”
“Oh! Then will Sister Wu go to battle again in the future?”
Gao Wu’s face turned slightly red. Whether she could go to battle would likely depend on Li Qing’an’s decision—she had no control over it. But she didn’t want to talk about it, so she changed the subject with a smile, “Mingzhu, you’re actually very brave too! You went to Gongyue City all by yourself back then. I’ve been there—there are many wild wolves along the way. You really are very courageous.”
“Mm!” Mingzhu puffed out her chest. That was an experience she had always been proud of. She had boasted about it to many people, but no one had ever told her there were wild wolves along the way. Suddenly realizing this, she exclaimed, “Sister Wu, are you lying to me? How could there be wild wolves?”
“I’m not lying. The Huangcaobo area is one of the three most famous places where wild wolves appear in Anxi. I’ve passed through there twice, and I encountered wild wolves both times. That’s why merchants never travel alone—they must go in groups.”
Mingzhu’s eyes widened in fear. She shuddered and said anxiously, “Even if I die, I’ll never go there again. So there are wild wolves! No wonder Brother Li gave me a diamond as a reward! It turned out it was worth my life. I refuse to accept it—I have to ask for more from him. I can’t let him get away with it. I almost lost my life.”
“Weren’t you not encountered by any wild wolves? Right here in front of me.”
Gao Wu was actually only a few years older than Mingzhu. She used to be very active too and was jokingly called a “tall chicken” by the soldiers in Anxi. But years of longing and her military career had made her calmer and more mature. At this moment, she was also influenced by Mingzhu’s liveliness and cheerfulness, so she joked, “Such a beautiful girl like you—wild wolves wouldn’t dare eat you. So you’re definitely safe.”
Hearing Gao Wu praise her beauty, Mingzhu became even happier, and her fondness for Gao Wu grew even stronger.
The two chatted and laughed as they arrived at Chongde Fang. The Gao family’s former residence was in Huai Zhen Fang, next to Chongde Fang—official residences of the Anxi military governors. Later, the whole family moved to Chengdu, and they no longer had a home in Chang’an. Inside Chongde Fang was a famous temple called Baoyen Temple, which attracted many pilgrims and was very prosperous. When Gao Wu was a child living in Chang’an, her grandfather often took her to this temple. After she grew up, her mother also took her there a few times. She was very familiar with this place.

At the entrance of the temple, monks were stationed to take care of the carriages and horses. Gao Wu and Mingzhu handed over their mounts to the monks, bought some incense at the entrance, and then entered the temple with great enthusiasm. There were many people inside, coming and going in a constant stream—some burning incense, some sightseeing. Every main hall was crowded. After entering the temple, the two headed straight for the Mahavira Hall. Under a tree, there were a dozen or so ruffians who had come specifically to hunt women. Their lecherous eyes were fixed on the young female pilgrims. Suddenly, their eyes lit up as they saw two beautiful young women approaching, especially the one in the green dress, who was extremely beautiful. After exchanging glances, they harbored evil intentions, stood up quietly, and followed them, planning to strike when there were fewer people around. Mingzhu, full of excitement, pulled Gao Wu and said, “Sis Wu, let’s go to the Guanyin Hall first!” By now, Gao Wu was already on guard. As a warrior, she was highly sensitive to such unsafe feelings. She glanced back with the corner of her eye and saw a dozen young men following them slowly. She instinctively gripped the long sword at her waist. “Mingzhu, I’ll go to the Mahavira Hall first and then to the Guanyin Hall later.” She pulled Mingzhu toward the Mahavira Hall, where there were the most pilgrims. Just then, the dozen ruffians suddenly ran ahead of them, spreading their arms with smiling faces to block their path. “Two young ladies, there’s a Happy Buddha in the back yard. Let’s worship together!” Gao Wu pulled Mingzhu behind her, placed her hand on the sword hilt, and snapped, “Get lost! Or I’ll kill you!” “Oh! So fierce! That’s just what I like.” The men didn’t take the two young women seriously at all. One tall and thin man even reached out to pinch Gao Wu’s face, saying, “I like fierce girls like you the most!” Before his hand could touch Gao Wu’s cheek, anger flashed in her eyes. She drew her sword, and in a flash, blood sprayed as the man let out a pig-like scream, fell to his knees clutching his hand, with two bloody fingers—thumb and index finger—left on the ground. This attracted all the pilgrims around, surrounding them tightly. The crowd gasped in shock—this woman was too fierce; with one swing of her sword, she had severed someone’s index finger and thumb, rendering that hand useless.

A dozen or so rangers stepped back in fear. They never expected this woman to be so fierce, daring to draw a sword and hurt people. Two of them quickly stepped forward to help their injured companion. The wounded man was in extreme pain, his hatred for Gao Wu reaching its peak. He turned around and shouted at his companions, “Drag these two women away! If I don’t kill them today, my hatred won’t subside!”

A dozen men surrounded them from all sides. They realized that Mingzhu was the weak link—by capturing her first, they could threaten the woman with the sword. Five or six of them rushed at Mingzhu. She turned pale with fear and cried out anxiously, “Don’t do anything reckless! We are the family of Prince Zhao. You’ll commit a grave crime!”

“Pah! I’m still the crown prince of the Eastern Palace!”

The wounded man refused to believe that they were truly Li Qing’an’s family—would they come without guards? He spat angrily and ordered, “Attack!”

The dozen men pounced at once. Gao Wu bit her lip tightly, holding Mingzhu one hand while waving her sword with the other, retreating toward the main gate. These rangers were clearly the aggressors. Even in broad daylight, none of the pilgrims around dared to provoke them or step in. Gao Wu had only taken a few steps back when the men surrounded her again. Now, each of them held an iron rod or long sword, their faces twisted in cruel smiles, like a pack of wolves eyeing two lambs about to fall into their grasp.

At that moment, the abbot of Baoyin Temple came out of the guest rooms with two distinguished guests. A monk rushed over and reported, “Abbot, those scoundrels are bullying innocent women again. It seems someone has been injured.”

“Good! Very good!”

The abbot frowned deeply. Those scoundrels were the bullies of the neighborhood, having corrupted countless innocent women. He couldn’t afford to confront them. A month earlier, they had abused a mother and daughter who had come to pray, taking them to the back yard to humiliate them. Unable to stand by, he had the monks rescue the pair. As revenge, those scoundrels set fire to the Kitchen God Hall at night. There was no evidence even when he reported it to the authorities.

The abbot hesitated, unsure whether to intervene. The other distinguished guests were a father and son—Cui Yuan, the Right Prime Minister of Southern Tang, his son Cui Jin, and Cui Yuan’s wife, Lady Changsun.

They had returned to Chang’an secretly to attend a family ritual. Of course, Cui Yuan didn’t dare to show himself openly in Chang’an. It was their first time going out in four days since arriving.

By then, Gao Wu had retreated not far from them. Cui Jin suddenly recognized her and exclaimed in surprise, “Father, isn’t that Mother Wu?”

At the beginning of the year, Gao Xianzhi had arranged a marriage between Gao Wu and Cui Jin, who also liked Gao Wu very much. It was originally a perfect match—a union between generals and ministers of the Southern Tang dynasty, with equal social status. Their parents had even exchanged marriage contracts. Yet this promising union was ruined by a arrow shot by Gao Wu. She rode her horse and shot an arrow at Cui’s family gate, forcing Cui Yuan to return the marriage contract to the Gao family that very night.

Upon hearing it was Gao Wu, Cui Yuan was shocked and quickly said to the abbot, “Hurry and stop them! That’s Gao Xianzhi’s daughter!”

At that moment, Cui Yuan’s wife also recognized Mingzhu—she was the daughter of the Changsun family. The Changsun and Dugu families had been close friends for generations. Cui Yuan’s wife had met Mingyue and Mingzhu twice. Although it had been several years, Mingzhu’s face hadn’t changed much, so she recognized her right away.

“Master, the other woman seems to be Mingzhu! The sister of the Princess of Zhao.”

Hearing it was the sister of the Princess of Zhao, the abbot felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground. Several monks rushed to support him. “Abbot! Abbot!”

The abbot shouted in a trembling voice, “Hurry! Go stop them! A disaster is about to happen!”

Although Gao Wu had fought in battles, she was still a woman and had to protect Mingzhu, so she didn’t dare leave her to fight. Meanwhile, the dozen or so ruffians, who had grown up fighting, were highly experienced. They surrounded Gao Wu, shouting vulgar insults and harassing her rudely. They also struck suddenly when she wasn’t paying attention, exhausting her greatly. By now, Gao Wu’s hair was disheveled, her face covered in sweat, and her strength was fading. The ruffians grew even more arrogant and used even more obscene words to tease her.

The injured man laughed loudly from the side, “That bitch belongs to me! I want her to serve me for life. I’ll marry her soon and make her taste what it’s like to be with a man, haha!”

Gao Wu flew into a rage and glared at him fiercely. In her distraction, one of the men took advantage of her unguarded moment and swung a stick at her from the side. With a clang, the long sword in Gao Wu’s hand was knocked away, leaving her unarmed.

The ruffians burst into wild laughter. “Young lady, now you’ll have to obey us obediently.”

As everyone rushed forward, it seemed Gao Wu and Mingzhu were about to be captured. Just then, dozens of monks rushed out from the side. They grabbed the ruffians and shouted at Gao Wu and Mingzhu, “Female devotees, run quickly!”

The injured man was furious. Pointing with his bloody finger, he cursed, “Bald fools! You dare ruin my fun! I’ll burn down your main hall tonight!”

Gao Wu didn’t leave. She stared at the man with hatred in her eyes. Suddenly, she picked up her sword, rushed forward, and thrust it sharply, piercing his heart. The long sword went through his heart and emerged from his back. His eyes rolled back, and he pointed at Gao Wu in disbelief before collapsing to the ground and dying.

A murder had suddenly occurred, shocking everyone in the temple. They stood frozen, as if under a spell, staring at this fierce woman. But Gao Wu didn’t stop. She pulled out her sword violently and thrust it again with incredible speed. With a scream, the man who had knocked her sword away was pierced through the chest and died on the spot.

Now, everyone snapped out of their shock and started screaming as they fled in all directions. The dozen or so rangers scrambled away in panic. Gao Wu showed no mercy. She chased after the few who had attacked her earlier, piercing the backs of three rangers and killing them one after another.

In just a moment, five people were dead. Everyone was terrified, even Cui Yuan was stunned. Mingzhu stamped her foot anxiously and cried, “Sister Wu, stop killing!”

Gao Wu was filled with deep hatred. Without hesitation, she chased after another man, kicked him over, stepped on him, and turned her sword toward his chest. The man trembled in fear and cried, “Please spare me! I have a wife and daughter to support at home!”

Gao Wu halted her sword in midair. She said coldly, “Dare you lie to me?”

The man sobbed, “I wouldn’t dare lie to you! I’m thirty years old—how could I not have a wife and children?”

Gao Wu let out a long sigh, finally sheathing her sword. She kicked him away and said, “Get lost!”

The man rolled over and fled. Gao Wu looked at the five corpses on the ground, shook her head, and said to a monk, “Go report this to the authorities. I won’t leave.”

At that moment, Cui Yuan came over and said with a smile, “Niece Gao, I never expected we’d meet in Chang’an.”

……

(This passage is adapted from a Tang dynasty anecdote. Two sisters were harassed by a group of rangers in a temple. The Tang woman was extremely fierce; she killed three of them with a dagger and was later acquitted by the authorities for maintaining her chastity.)