Chapter 44: Tiles of a Myriad Souls

Han Tang wept bitterly within the ancestral hall of the Han family.

Meanwhile, deep within the second branch of the Han estate, Han Tang’s second uncle summoned his eldest son. Looking at him, he instructed:

"Get ready and depart immediately. Bring craftsmen and sacrificial offerings, and rush outside the city before nightfall to worship the mountain god and pay respects to the immortal elder. Remember, all matters regarding the ritual must be entirely at the discretion of that immortal elder!"

The young gentleman had initially maintained a posture of bowing with cupped hands, but upon hearing this, he froze and looked up in surprise:

"Ah?"

Han Tang’s second uncle offered no explanation, simply drawing a map from his sleeve:

"I have already secured the route for you. Just follow the map."

Unable to hold back any longer, the young gentleman protested:

"Father, surely you must be joking?"

The man handing over the map lowered his gaze with a faint smile, his voice tinged with a measure of praise:

"Han Tang has always been clever, sharp, prudent, and proper in her conduct. In all other matters, she has consistently known when to advance and when to retreat, maintaining the refined demeanor of our great family. I suppose she would never make any grave mistakes even before His Majesty."

At this point, he suddenly drew out his tone into a low, lingering sigh:

"Yet the moment she becomes entangled with matters concerning her dearest kin, it always seems to make one... lose all sense of proportion."

The young gentleman understood immediately:

"You mean to say she was neither lying nor deceived? But rather... that it is true?!"

"Correct. Han Tang deeply loves her family, so she would never plot against our clan. She is sharp and intelligent, so she could undoubtedly never be fooled by such an absurd and tricky matter."

"But you were the very first one to declare the whole thing a delusion and denounce it as a catastrophe!"

The man looked at his son with amusement:

"If I hadn't done that, how else could I have sent you?"

The eldest branch had occupied enough; it was time for their second branch to take their turn.

The young gentleman remained deeply hesitant:

"But Father, you haven't witnessed it with your own eyes after all. Furthermore, Han Tang has been away from home for years; how can you be so certain she is still the same as the impression you held of her back then?"

At these words, the man poured himself a cup of tea with growing self-satisfaction. Raising the cup, amidst the flickering and uncertain lamplight, he watched the tea leaves unfold and tumble in the boiling water before finally sinking heavily to the bottom of the cup, the smile on his lips deepening:

"A person's character is, for the most part, rooted in the sights, sounds, and upbringing of their childhood. As for Han Tang..."

He chuckled softly, his knuckles tapping against the rim of the cup:

"Her guiding mentor—was none other than me."

The young gentleman’s eyes widened. Was his father implying that because Han Tang had been taught by him, he understood her exceptionally well?

Or was he implying that *he* was the one who had taught Han Tang to be this way?!

His father did not make it explicit, and he dared not think any further.

This did not quite align with the propriety, benevolence, and filial piety he had been taught.

He could only lower his head and say:

"However, however—"

His father finally let out a long sigh:

"Back then, I was indeed provoked by your grandfather's favoritism toward my older brother. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taught you to be just like that uncle of yours—seemingly thorough in every detail, yet excessively cautious and timid. In truth, it is nothing more than overthinking every step, hesitating, capable only of preserving the household while lacking any ability to expand its horizons."

"Ah, well. Even though your uncle most likely believes it even more deeply than I do, his temperament dictates that unless he interrogates every single guard and maid until every detail is crystal clear, he will never take action."

"Does Uncle actually believe it too?"

The man smiled as he looked at his son:

"That is his own flesh and blood; how could he not believe it? It is much like how you know I would believe you."

"Then?"

He let out a scoff:

"Because, as I said, he is just like you—overthinking and hesitating when it comes to crucial matters of great importance. He can only guard what we have, not pioneer the future! Because of this, he can only serve as the Assistant Administrator of Qingzhou rather than the Governor!"

"If he wants to figure out whether there is any shred of suspicion anywhere, it will take him at least until dawn! Therefore, set off quickly!"

Without waiting for the young gentleman to react, the man stepped forward, grabbed his shoulders, and urged:

"You must remember, although everyone says your uncle is the future head of the family, the reality is that your uncle knows he isn't yet, I know he isn't yet, and your grandfather knows he isn't yet either. Therefore, go quickly and let your grandfather take a good look—"

"Who, should, lead!"

The man heavily patted the young gentleman's shoulder.

The young gentleman said no more, only bowing solemnly:

"Father, your son is leaving at once!"

"Go."

The man nodded, yet ultimately unable to set his mind at ease, he hurried forward and grabbed his hand:

"My son, remember this: first, it is impossible for Han Tang to have lied or been deceived; second, your father has a student who noticed that the Prince seems to be associating with people he ought not to."

"Therefore, even if you fail to secure blessings for the Han family, you must surely secure blessings for yourself!"

The Prince?!

The young gentleman stood stunned for a moment before bowing and withdrawing.

Leaving the man behind to wait in quiet solitude.

Before long, the young gentleman arrived at the gates of Qingzhou city with craftsmen, guards, and numerous ritual offerings. Looking at the tightly shut city gates, a guard stepped forward and shouted:

"The Han family is going out on business, open the gates at once!"

Yet the city gates that Han Tang had effortlessly commanded to open now stood completely motionless.

A moment later, under the young gentleman's watchful gaze, one of the trusted provincial soldiers personally handpicked by his uncle walked out.

Cupping his hands, the soldier smiled and said:

"Young master, the Assistant Administrator has given orders: before the morning drum sounds, no one is permitted to leave Qingzhou, including all the honorable members of the Han family!"

A night wind whipped up dust and sand as it swept past, and the young gentleman involuntarily squinted his eyes. In the midst of a spinning world, his father’s evaluation—*‘thorough in every detail, yet excessively cautious and timid’*—suddenly exploded in his ears.

-----------------

Another night passed, and the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Du Yuan, waiting in the dilapidated temple, heard a considerable commotion coming from outside.

"Hurry, everyone, put your backs into it, the shrine is just ahead!"

"I see it, I see it!"

"Everyone keep up!"

"That Daoist priest is inside, too!"

...

Hearing the voices, Du Yuan walked out of the shrine.

He saw a multitude of commoners, each carrying roof tiles on their backs, standing together in the open space outside the shrine.

Leading them were the exact two men from before.

Looking at the tiles on their backs, Du Yuan stepped forward with curiosity:

"How did you manage to get so many tiles?"

The man proudly patted the tiles strapped to his back:

"When we were here earlier, we noticed that the roof tiles on the Mountain God's temple were a bit too broken and leaky, so the villagers picked through the tiles on their own roofs and carried them all the way here!"

Because of this, they had been delayed until now in arriving.

"We don't have any skilled master craftsmen, but replacing the tiles for the Mountain God so the temple doesn't leak in the rain is no problem at all!"

Looking at the sturdy, weathered, and genuine old tiles, Du Yuan smiled and asked:

"Did you encounter any trouble?"

"Trouble? What trouble? Oh, oh, I understand—no, none at all! The villagers walked just fine all the way here, saying the Mountain God must be blessing us; otherwise, in the dead of night, who knows how many of us would have taken a tumble!"

Du Yuan chuckled in spite of himself and changed the phrasing of his question:

"Roof tiles that keep out the wind and rain are essential items for farming households. To bring them all the way here like this—did you really not run into any issues?"

"None at all, none at all. Repairing the temple for the Mountain God is a blessing, and as soon as everyone heard about it, they started moving right away. Besides, each family only chipped in a little, rather than giving away all their roof tiles, so how could it not work out?"

The man carrying the tiles laughed heartily.

Du Yuan nodded repeatedly, then picked up a tile and asked the divine statue behind him:

"Confucianism regards the Petition of the Myriad Commoners as its most supreme sacred artifact, while Buddhism uses the Patchwork Kasaya as its solemn and majestic manifestation—now, borrowing the principle of 'gathering the strength of the multitude to forge a great vessel' from both schools, I shall name this tile the 'Tile of the Myriad Commoners' to renovate your temple. What do you think?"

A mountain breeze swept through the pillars, causing the bronze bells at the eaves to ring softly. Everyone felt a refreshing crispness fill their chests and sleeves, and even their breaths carried the clean scent of pine needles and damp earth.

And Du Yuan heard the response echoing softly in his ear: *'Very well!'*