The bustling streets were boisterous enough to fill the day with joy. From the ox cart, the inauspicious Shengsi could only admire the lively atmosphere, even though it was the sheer Hour of the Rabbit.
From the procession of carriages and carts to the townspeople in their clean, formal clothing, the air was thick with murmurs, laughter, and a bit of gossip. Red banners and lanterns were being hung everywhere. In some courtyards, portraits of the first king of the Dan Dynasty, Dan Bailu, of the first emperor of the Jiang Dynasty, Jiang Zheng, and of ancestors were displayed with burning incense and simple rites. This harmony was proof enough that she'd chosen the right time for her visit.
Although there was an ancestral temple with spirit tablets near the administrative center to honor the first king and emperor along with the other royal ancestors, it was common tradition for almost everyone to have portraits in their own courtyard to make the ceremonial and folk rites even more reverent.
Other than that, Shengsi always departed at this hour every commemoration of the Establishment Day, just as dawn broke, to ensure she reached the Ziyou Graveyard with ease. She needed to return early to help her grandfather perform the rituals for her parents and Aunt Li, setting up the altar with the ancestral tablets.
She always thought of this whenever she was on her way from the north — as the Li household residence was in that direction — to the eastern gate of Ziyou Town, where outside the wall was the Ziyou Graveyard. It'd only take twenty minutes to reach her destination, but to respect the ancestral rites and not neglect them when doing a visitation on an important day, even for a commoner like her who was fond of walking, would she have to be stingy with fifty wen that could be a day's wage? This, too, was a sign of respect and duty.
But as soon as she reached the eastern gate, most transportation had ceased. Passengers crowded the entrance, and guards with firm, stern faces blocked travelers from leaving. Other commoners simply observed from the periphery, trying to gather rumors.
Shengsi, who'd expected a smooth trip, was troubled. Why did the guards insist on keeping the gate closed? Was there a problem? She couldn't peer beyond the walls of people and carriages crowding the gate, and as whispers began to drown out the guards' explanations, she had no way of figuring out what was going on.
Eventually, she heard some commoners talking nearby.
"The Duke of Zhongyong is missing?" an elderly voice asked. "But isn't it known the Duke's on a campaign against mountain rebels at the Chongzhou Prefecture? How could such a thing happen?"
A woman's voice replied from the crowd, "Didn't you know what's been circulating since before dawn? Rumor has it the Duke was ambushed during his campaign, and there's talk of some sort of internal conflict!"
"Preposterous! Why spread such nasty gossip? What if it's false? Death would be the punishment!"
"The poor Duke, who lost his parents to the Deliberate Breach at Yingzhou... isn't his life already doomed? He only sought to continue the legacy of his father, who died a great warlock saving countless lives during the great cataclysm. A Reverend Honorable who fought well for his country. I beg the heavens to be merciful!"
Listening, Shengsi could only crease her forehead in confusion and sadness. She'd learned of the Duke when she was fifteen, back before he was even called a Duke. It was said he was continuing the legacy of his father, a man of noble Jiang blood and a cousin to the late emperor, Jiang Feihu.
While the imperial throne was inherited by the current emperor, Jiang Zilong, the Duke of Zhongyong, with his family name Jiang and first name Jiawei, had chosen a different path than his father. Unlike his father, who'd been a great warlock, Jiawei strived to be a general. By the age of eighteen, he'd earned the honorary title of Duke.
Though people regarded him as cold and ruthless in battle, sparing none and never facing defeat, he was also known for his wise military strategies. He did everything for the sake of the empire and was a loyal subject whom even the free people, like Shengsi, looked up to.
But for him to be missing... especially on the Establishment Day. It was certainly something to ponder. What could've caused such a tragedy?
Another voice resonated from the crowd: "I heard the guards say the gates are closed to perform a purification ritual for the missing Duke, decreed by His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Zilong himself. While all the gates are closed, I believe the ritual itself is being performed right here, just outside the east gate."
Shengsi, who hadn't left her seat on the ox cart, crossed her arms and thought to herself that today might be unlucky. But since she was away from home and didn't want the fifty wen she'd spent on the trip to be in vain, she decided to wait as the cool wind brushed against her skin and the sun warmed the streets.
It didn't take a minute before the cart rider stood in front of her and said, "Young lady, it seems the trip will take longer than usual." He paused for a moment. "I plan to park the cart near a restaurant while we wait for the gate to open."
"Will it be long before the gate opens?" Shengsi asked, her lips twitching.
The cart rider nodded. "To be honest, the imperial edict nailed to the gate states that the gates must be sealed and purified. They can't be opened until another decree lifts the order."
With that, Shengsi was assured that even the Emperor and his imperial ministers were grieving the incident that had befallen the Duke.
"Our county magistrates and the other officials are outside the gate to perform the purification. But even if they finish and return to proceed with the start of the event, they're unlikely to open the gates unless the order is lifted." The cart rider added, "I heard the edict is for all county capitals, including our Ziyou Town."
"But what if it isn't lifted today?"
"The guards said that's impossible; they're certain an imperial decree will be passed down before dusk. A major event is being hosted tonight, and there'll be guests from the respective towns and villages."
Shengsi finally understood the situation and had no reason to reject the cart rider's plan.
She might as well stay on the cart, observe the area, and wait to see if the gate finally reopened.
Unfortunately, when lunch arrived, she had to pacify her hunger while she waited. It wasn't until the Hour of the Monkey, around four in the afternoon, that the gates finally opened. Shengsi went up the hill near the road and dismissed the cart rider, telling him to return to town as it'd take her some time before she descended.
The rider insisted on waiting, reasoning that it was his responsibility to finish the task, but Shengsi had already troubled him all day and disrupted his other business. She wasn't at ease, and it didn't take long before the rider gave up and left.
Shengsi was alone in the Ziyou Graveyard.
In front of her aunt's grave, she noticed weeds were already crawling over the stone tablet engraved with the name Li Ran. Kneeling, she pulled them and tidied the area before wiping down the headstone. Then, she laid out the offerings hidden in the baoguo she'd been carrying since morning — first the incense, then the joss paper.
The last thing she laid out was the bread.
"I baked this just for you, Aunt Li," she said with a bitter smile. "I wanted to give you more, but I know you'd only scold me. You know I hate your scolding most... but it's also what I miss most."
Her eyes began to water.
She lit three sticks and placed them in the stone censer, bowing before the grave. Afterward, she burned the joss paper and began to tell her aunt everything that'd happened.
Eventually, her gaze landed on the safety bells attached to the stone tablet.
"Aunt Li, you know I've been having so many nightmares about safety bells ringing." A melancholic chuckle escaped her. "The late Emperor Feihu adapted the use of safety bells after being inspired during his expedition to the Northern Empire. He proposed that all new graves have them... who'd have thought a year later you'd be gone? Why didn't you survive that attack eight years ago while you were traveling to Wuhan County?"
Back then, Aunt Li was supposed to visit a friend and leave Ping'an County for a week. She never returned. It was later discovered that several travelers had been ambushed by mountain rebels and robbed of everything. When the news arrived along with her aunt's cold corpse, they'd been devastated.
There was even a time when Shengsi visited the grave in hopes of hearing the safety bells ring, but that was only born out of her misery.
She hadn't been able to accept the truth.
"Even now, I hope your bells would ring..." Shengsi heaved a sigh. "Perhaps that's the root of my nightmares. I'm being haunted by my own ignorance."
Shengsi told her aunt that the bakery she now managed was doing well. She was selling steamed buns to expand her products, even though her loaves sold out every day. She mentioned earning a total sum of one tael per day and that she hadn't touched her aunt's savings.
"Grandfather Li and I maintained your garden house..." Shengsi stopped as she thought of the day's earlier events. "He's still thinking of you, but you know what's ridiculous? There seems to be some sort of 'auspiciousness' going around."
Aunt Li knew Shengsi never believed in fate, and had she been there, she surely would've laughed at her niece. Shengsi recalled the sealed gates, the purification ritual, and the cause of it all: the missing Duke of Zhongyong. It was the reason it'd taken her so long to visit, and even though her aunt wouldn't have minded, she still apologized.
Talking to the grave was Shengsi's only consolation.
Shengsi kowtowed after she fulfilled her visit.
She was about to depart, but as she stood, she heard something ominous—
Clink, clink, clink!
Shivers ran down her spine.
She looked at Aunt Li's safety bells, but they weren't the ones moving.
Clink, clink, clink!
In that moment, the fearless Shengsi couldn't contain her bewilderment.
The nightmares, the "auspicious" day... it all led to this horror.