White Lotus of the West

It was the eastern compounds of Wei's inner courtyard, residence for the daughters and young one's of the family. The dawn had yet to approach. The lanterns still hung outside, glowing in their gentle timidity; red reflection falling on the walls sliding, flickering once, twice under the star-filled sky's breeze. It must be the hour when the darkness is as deep as can be imagined: like blue ink softening into abyssal nothingness. Even the light of the lantern appeared to be embraced in the darkness, an embrace suffocating to its existence.

"Plop!"

Water. Cold and biting stung her. It was a torture to endure.

'Why? Why should she endure? Why, why this fate?'

The lake which had welcomed the rippled waves soon, silently, once again settled into mirror reflecting the starry sky. It wasn't until fifteen minutes later though, that a figure frantically broke the surface and came out panting again. The koi in the pond jumped around bewildered, as the lotus and lilies of water swayed with more force. The figure remained panting for a while and then soon clenched the pond's edges and forced herself out.

Wei Ziya knew she had escaped a fatal point in her life as she panted tiredly squinting out the water from her eyes. Yet still she had been unfortunate to only come back at this point. She thought as she wrung water out from her cloak, which was now hanging heavily on her petite self. 

But was it really her souls' rebirth? Not a dream that unfolded her destiny? A forewarning? A blessing from the dark? No, how could someone be so kind to her without any reason? Herself, she knew was not that lucky. She knew for a fact that she shouldn't have been born. Let alone this, this – alms of another chance! A proof of the sins of old, a detestable existence should never have such kind results from the heaven. And wasn't the past life a living proof of that? 

Wei Ziya hurriedly collected herself and looked around. The pond and the stars…it was night time, still. Her eyes contracted with a strange, weird yet apprehensive glint. She looked around once more, finding no other figure near her. There were no maids around. 

Way past twelve in the night. Perhaps way past even the most of the night. The silence was dead, as gloomy as penetrating despair. Even the wind had fallen down, leaving no trace behind. 

Wei Ziya hurriedly retracted her feet which were still dangling inside the water. She had to rush. She shouldn't stay outside. The family warning resounded in her mind; her grandfather had strictly restricted anyone – not even night-watches and guards to remain outside when inside the house. She didn't know the reason in her past life, but she knew that whatever was restricted was for a reason. The reason for her death had been a stark warning for any rebellion, for heaven's sake! 

'No, she had to hurry!'

Hidden amongst the leaves and flowers of the lotuses the size of her tiny frame, sitting on her canoe, Wei Zhiruo silently looked at the hurried figure rushing back. The leaving silhouette stretched into an oblong shadowy hollow, waving around, weirdly incoherent in the atmosphere, and soon phased out from her view. The stench of rotten corpses increasingly filled the air, reaching up from her nose into her head, even filling up her body with uncomfortable itchiness. Wei Zhiruo's eyes flickered in the darkness.

Her small figure soon stumbled out from the canoe off into the pavilion. She didn't want to return to her room yet. Whole day sitting inside her chamber may have worn away her tiredness, but the suffocation she felt inside was genuine. As genuine as the aching bones of her sick body, her raging pulse and burning throat. 

But it was strange. The strange smell lingered as if coming from herself. She felt her body weigh heavily, more than it should as if she was dragging tons of weightage above her head. Her shoulders ached and, the chills. She shivered and stilled.

It was too quiet.

Too still.

She should go back. It wasn't the time yet.

'No, I'll get plenty of time for this some other day!'

*

The next morning heralded a long after seen sunny bright day. The several weeks shower had really dusted off the face of the westerly region – the mountains, the valleys and the fields in the plain alike. And of course, the pretty town situated at the helms of the mighty blue mountain! The peasants carried their hoes hanging on their shoulders and carts for ploughing down the fields. Flocks of children gathered and the amusement of the day began – fishing, jumping around or simply frolicking in the water-filled fields. The sky was as bright as could be, as fresh and pristine as if all the grievances of the past had been washed off.

Situated nearer to the city rather than the suburbs like other major houses, the Weis were a reputable name passed down since ages in Jinghai. They had made their names renowned at first, for their skilful hands at paper-making; a secret craft which had passed down through several generations of their clan. And the ink which they supplied, reached far and wide celebrated for its exquisite craftsmanship, reaching even outside of the nation to the far most of Samyan in the South. As the Wei's prospered, their wealth accumulating, there emerged the first Civil servant in the family; the first patriarch of the Wei clan. Although a small fifth-tier minister, he was quite a recognized face in the Imperial Capital.

And then each successive generation raised their head a little higher and higher, the ranks and cap changing to more stately positions. But when they could be said to have but a slight moment left from attaining the second highest position in the Country, they humbled their backs. Too softly too. 

It was in the time of the sixth Patriarch of the family when they had moved from the Capital to Jinghai. As an ex-Counsellor of his Majesty's Council, the Patriarch had made himself renowned worldwide. But then, it was said, he listened to his heart and followed the long tradition of returning to the roots, and since then established his family in Jinghai itself; teaching the later generations to stay true to their soil, till the land and fulfil the destiny of a respectable clan under the auspices of his majesty's throne. With such humble spirit, even the emperor was readied to bestow a title of marquise on the clan! 

It wasn't recorded when it started, but little by little, Jinghai was full of noble men of great heritage. These trickling influences, went unnoticed at first. And when the Westerly mountain was recalled later, many well-known names began to be issued together. The Songs, Wei's, Rong's and Zhang's – these were the surname that every citizen of the place was quite familiar with. And these were the names, even the Imperial Capital was quite familiar with, as lines of old ancestry of people with noble blood!

Unlike the huge mansions of the others, sprawling leisurely in the suburbs, the Weis were pretty much nearer to city center, adjacent to towns famous market. Built in the same spirit as of old, the mansion stood harmoniously, large and having all the amusements that a noble's heart could desire and nothing lacking for their standings. The blue bricks tiles, black shingles and dark woods overhanging in open eaves straggling over the sea-shell paved pathways could be viewed firsthand from afar. The eaves shaded the walls all around, while the slanted roof a necessity in the cold westerly regions was designed in the local flavor, specific to Jinghai. 

Inside the boundary walls which only opened at main, and back doors (there must have been many other secret exit doors in such houses but these were kept pretty much in dark for obvious reasons) the courtyards were divided into several directions designed in a unified spirit of aesthetic appeasement.

In this main house, the head of the clan and his family lived together. Master Wei had three daughters and only one son his whole life. All of them from his main wife. There must have been concubines in the early years of his life – but at the eve of his eighty or so years he was solely accompanied by the matriarch of the Wei family alone. The rest were shadows of a romantic past, left to memories.

Unlike mistress Weis stringent and wise management of the backhouse, her son was not fortunate enough to have such an astute wife. Master Wei Houyu in his early days had been a great romantic; while his wife a famously 'narrow sighted and jealous' maiden had taken to bed with depression from broken love. On the eve of her husband's second marriage, she couldn't handle the shock of Master Wei Houyu promising himself to other lover, and soon passed away with deepened anguish.

This romantic debt was deep enough for this young master of Wei to be famous around the town for a while. Now, this only young master had several worthy sons and daughter from his favorite concubines. His four sons and five daughters were famous around the westerly region and even farther away.

Apart from the main courtyard in the center reserved for the elderly couple, the western side was reserved for the young master and his concubines, while the unmarried maidens and young children of the family resided in the eastern courtyard.

Connected with interweaving halls and alleys, various gardens to sprawl at in leisure and a beautiful pavilion on the northern side adjacent to a large, almost lake like pond; a visitor would be pleased to view the beauty of the house and its pleasant shrubbery.

At noon, the eastern part of the courtyard was silent.

Wei Ziya sat in the parlor welcoming her bosom sister, a close friend of her since childhood from the Cheng family. The maiden was now nearly in tears.

"Believe me Ziya! If I knew something happened to you – how could I go away so peacefully, last night? How could someone do this to you? Did you see their faces, at least?"

"No, they dropped me pretty fast before they left. I wasn't conscious. You know how careful I have been since my mother passed away. I only took the tea you served, Jingting. I just, I just don't want to doubt you!" Wei Ziya rose up from her chair and turned her back to the sobbing figure. 

Her face showed all the heartbreak of a doubting friend, but the angrily clenched hands under her sleeves betrayed her hurt more. The several blood traces on her white palms – those were the proof of her patience. There was no doubt that her close friend had played a significant part in the last nights fiasco. She was unconscious, drowning. It was meant to kill her. But was it really? If so, then why wasn't she dead? Of course, there was an insider, who knew the guards would be gone, the maids would leave – no doubt about this fact. The preparations were all there, and she had pretty good inkling of who it could be who was behind this all. But in her past life, she hadn't died. She was alive and yes, she didn't remember how she left the pond, but she was very much alive! 'Somebody saved her? But who? And why couldn't she recollect anything?'

"I am not doubting you, my pretty Jingting, don't cry." Hearing the increasing number of sobs Wei Ziya hurriedly embraced the shoulders of her friend, patting her on her back. She softly spoke her misgivings and forgiveness.

"Believe me Ziya, I, I would never! Never in my dreams would I have thought of such atrocity upon you or any soul!"

"Yes, yes, I believe you Jingting. Believe me, I do. But it was chance that I could save my life and talk to you now. It was so cold! And I felt myself drowning with no hands to catch, I was being dragged down. I tried so hard!" Wei Ziya lost her voice as she recounted, placing her crying face close to Cheng Jingting's, almost laying her head on Cheng Jingtings hair. Her pearl like tears drenched the soft features and almond eyes that had turned red from crying giving her figure a strange calmness and sobriety; as if a strange and pious hymn was being sung around her. She grieved as if for the poor of the world and their pain and strife, selfless and devout. Her sobs, like bells rang like music in the room replacing the previous sobbing.

"No! Oh! So horrible! Who would do this to you? And you being so kind to everyone! You mustn't have harmed a bug in your life, Ziya. How cruel would be her heart to harm you!" Cheng Jingting stretched her hands entranced by the view of her beautiful friend. She took back Wei Ziyas hand in her own, embracing her, giving her solace. The two-figure embraced and cried for a while.

"We should tell the elders. I am going to tell my father."

"No!" A strong denial echoed in the chamber.

Wei Ziya let go Jingtings hand instantly. Clenching her hands tighter, her fingers digging the palm almost on the verge of bleeding again. "Why?" She asked. This was her silent question, holding several whys. Why did you betray me. Why, so much care, and love, but behind it all is but an empty heart that thinks only of herself? Why so much pretense? For whom? She thought tiredly. In this life as well as the last…you haven't changed.

"What if you alert them? There wouldn't be any leads then, if you couldn't find them in one go. Now they think you're afraid and sick. This is the best time to lie low, and I will try my best to catch the tails, Ziya, believe me!" Cheng Jingtings voice rang almost on the verge of another hysterical outbreak. "I promise you; I will bring out all the snakes that tried to lay their finger on you. They tried to harm our friendship, how dare they? No, promise me you won't do anything until I tell you the results of the investigation?" Cheng Jingting stood, holding both of Wei Ziyas hand in her hand she looked deeply in her eyes, as she spoke almost beseechingly. Her eyes were flooded with tears, without any sign of deeper emotions that shouldn't be there. It was only love, care and heartbreak for herself, Wei Ziya observed.

So much trust. Wei Ziya sighed, easing her tense shoulders. If there was no precedent, even I would never believe otherwise Jingting. But it was a truth written in blood that you, in fact, did betray me! She spoke in her heart and silently nodded her head.

"Hmm, I believe you." Jingting. Wei Ziya echoed in her heart.