Wang Yuyan’s personal maid, Jade, angrily rebuked her. “What do you mean? Prince Ning clearly said that this prayer ribbon was for my young mistress. Yet you’re trying to snatch it away at a time like this. You’re obviously trying to humiliate her.”
“Oh!” Tantai Mingzhu covered her belly and let out a soft cry before collapsing delicately against Ning Yuan. Ning Yuan had no choice but to catch her. “What’s wrong with the baby?”
Tantai Mingzhu gave a soft, coquettish whimper. “My prince, the baby… our baby…”
Ning Yuan stared at her tensely, every nerve in his body taut.
Tantai Mingzhu’s lips curved faintly. “He kicked me. I suppose he can’t bear to miss out on the blessings of this imperial temple either.”
After all, Tantai Mingzhu was carrying the only heir of the Ning family. Ning Yuan could only compromise. “My apologies, eldest Miss Wang.”
With that, he placed the prayer ribbon in Tantai Mingzhu’s hands and helped her leave.
As she departed, Tantai Mingzhu deliberately looked back and raised an eyebrow at Wang Yuyan, her expression unbearably smug.
The crowd dispersed as well.
Not wanting to attract attention, Yan Tongshu pulled Yan Liangyu along and left with the crowd.
From behind them came Jade’s furious voice. “What’s there to be proud of? She’s only a concubine. So what if she’s pregnant? Young mistress, don’t worry. Prince Ning is only indulging her because of the child. The person he truly loves is still you.”
Wang Yuyan said nothing.
Yan Liangyu shook his head and sighed. “It looks like the Ning household’s inner quarters are going to be anything but peaceful in the future.”
Yan Tongshu nodded.
They had managed to put on such a dramatic show even at Xiangguo Temple. The Ning household would probably be staging one every day from now on.
As Yan Liangyu and Yan Tongshu sighed over the matter, the people who had dispersed were also discussing it among themselves.
“Which family do those sisters belong to? They were fighting so fiercely.”
“The family of Wang Quan’an, the Vice Minister of Revenue.”
“That’s a high-ranking official of the third grade.”
“Exactly. With a father that powerful, what was there to fight over?”
“You don’t know the whole story, do you? The man is the heir of the Earl of Yu. He’s quite the eligible match. But the eldest Miss Wang is truly pitiful.”
“Pitiful? I thought she had her younger sister completely under control just now.”
“Under control? You didn’t see what happened at the temple gate. In front of all those people, Lord Wang slapped the eldest Miss Wang.”
“Why? The eldest Miss Wang seemed quite dignified to me. It was the second Miss Wang who had no manners, snatching something from her own elder sister in public.”
“Heh. They said the eldest Miss Wang hadn’t taken proper care of her younger sister and had walked too quickly. But I’d say there’s definitely more to it than that.”
“Sigh…”
“Forget it, forget it. Master Yuanhui’s discourse is about to begin. Let’s hurry and secure our seats.”
Yan Liangyu looked at Yan Tongshu. “Big brother, shall we go find seats too?”
Yan Tongshu nodded and quickened his pace, hurrying to claim a spot near the front.
When they arrived, she discovered that these people were not honest at all!
With the competition for the first incense over, they had started fighting over seats instead.
Many families had hired people to guard the temple gates before dawn and reserve places. As soon as the grounds opened, the first ten rows had already been taken. At best, she could only secure a seat in the fifteenth row.
From there, she would be lucky to see the gleaming top of Master Yuanhui’s head, let alone speak with him.
Yan Tongshu planted her hands on her hips in outrage. This was outrageous!
Yan Tongshu and Yan Liangyu sat at the edge of the fifteenth row. From the moment Master Yuanhui entered until he finished, they did not even catch a glimpse of his robes.
It was infuriating.
She refused to believe that she wouldn’t be able to catch Master Yuanhui sometime during the day.
Once her temper flared, Yan Tongshu immediately split up with Yan Liangyu and acted alone, making her way to Master Yuanhui’s courtyard.
The courtyard was in a remote location—or, to put it another way, it was quiet and ideal for secluded cultivation.
Two warrior monks guarded the entrance, making it impossible to enter casually.
But Master Yuanhui had to eat, didn’t he?
She would go to the dining hall.
Yan Tongshu arrived at the bustling dining hall. Since mealtime was still some time away, she slipped into the kitchen to ask around.
As luck would have it, Yan Liangrong was preparing vegetarian dishes there with Zheng Ke. Yan Tongshu tapped her sister on the shoulder. “Sister, you come to the kitchen to help prepare the vegetarian meals every year, so you must know many people at Xiangguo Temple, right?”
Yan Liangrong saw through her immediately. “What scheme are you plotting now? This is an imperial temple. You mustn’t cause any trouble.”
Yan Tongshu pleaded, “Sister, I want to meet Master Yuanhui.”
“Then you’re going to be disappointed.” Yan Liangrong wiped her hands and said helplessly, “I just asked one of the temple attendants how much food needed to be prepared today and whether there was anything special to take note of. He said the vegetarian dishes were just cabbage, radishes, tofu, and the like—nothing special. However, Master Yuanhui fell ill half a year ago, and his health has been poor ever since. He eats his meals in his own courtyard every day. So later, they’ll simply set aside a separate portion for him.”
Yan Tongshu perked up. “Then I’ll deliver Master Yuanhui’s meal.”
Yan Liangrong looked at Yan Tongshu with the indulgent affection of an older sister toward her younger brother. “There’s a young monk assigned to deliver the meals. Why would they let you do it?”
“Then what should I do?” Yan Tongshu lowered her head.
Yan Liangrong thought for a moment. “You really want to go?”
Yan Tongshu nodded vigorously.
Yan Liangrong smiled. “All right. Your sister will help you.”
“Sister!” Yan Tongshu immediately gazed at Yan Liangrong with adoration.
Yan Liangrong continued, “The young monk who delivers the meals was bullied when he went down the mountain to gain experience last year. I helped him out once. I’ll ask him to take you along.”
Yan Tongshu immediately clasped her hands together in excitement. “Thank you, Sister! You’re the best!”
About half an hour later, the vegetarian dishes were ready.
Yan Liangrong called over the young monk responsible for delivering the meals.
The monk was named Jiekong. He was twenty-five years old. He had been abandoned at the temple gates immediately after birth. That very day, Master Tongda happened to be returning from a period of traveling and training. When he saw the infant at the entrance, he brought him into the temple and raised him for twenty-five years.
Jiekong pressed his palms together. A lotus-shaped mark adorned his wrist.
He said, “Amitabha. May I ask what sort of Buddhist connection brings the benefactor to see the abbot?”
Jiekong had a clear, pure countenance.
Yan Tongshu herself did not know why she thought of the word “clear” to describe someone’s appearance, but overall, Jiekong gave people a feeling of utter purity and emptiness. It was as though the person standing before her was not a man, but a naturally formed statue of the Buddha.
Yan Tongshu did not dare lie in front of someone like that, so she explained the entire story.
“I see.” Jiekong kept his palms clasped before his chest. “All causes and effects in this world are Buddhist affinities. Lord Yan’s plea for the people is the cause, and the estrangement from his friend is the effect. The desire to repair that friendship is the cause, and seeking the abbot is the effect. When I followed the abbot down the mountain to gain experience, I was troubled while searching for medicine, and Lord Yan’s sister came to my aid. That was the cause. Today, Lord Yan wishes to see the abbot, and this completes the effect. Please follow me, Lord Yan.”
Yan Tongshu immediately clasped her hands before her chest and said respectfully, “Thank you, Master Jiekong.”
She followed Jiekong to the place where the vegetarian meals were kept.
Jiekong took one portion, and Yan Tongshu took another. Together, they had two portions.
Jiekong explained, “The abbot has a guest today.”
Oh, so he had a guest.
Yan Tongshu silently followed Jiekong. If Master Yuanhui had a guest, she would have to be even more careful than she had expected. She could not rush in recklessly, disturb Master Yuanhui’s meeting with his friend, and leave a bad impression.
With Jiekong leading the way, the warrior monks on guard did not make things difficult for them. They opened the gate without even asking any questions.
The moment Yan Tongshu stepped inside, she caught the pleasant fragrance of sandalwood—light, elegant, and soothing.
Although Master Yuanhui was the abbot of Xiangguo Temple, his living quarters were exceedingly simple. After entering, Yan Tongshu reached the far end of the courtyard in just two steps.
There were only two rooms: one for Buddhist meditation and study, and the other for sleeping and resting.
The bedroom was tiny, looking as though it could accommodate no more than a single bed.
The meditation room was slightly larger, but only by a little.
Jiekong tapped lightly on the door. When it opened, Yan Tongshu got a full view of the meditation room.
Small. Far too small.
A portrait of Shakyamuni hung on the wall. Beneath it was a meditation cushion, followed by a table just large enough for two people to sit across from each other, and two chairs. That was all.
But what truly made Yan Tongshu sigh over how small the room was, was the fact that Qin Yi happened to be sitting directly opposite Master Yuanhui.
The world was far too small.
With the Emperor here, how could she dare cause any trouble?
Yan Tongshu lamented inwardly. Forget it. She would quietly leave after delivering the vegetarian meal.
Qin Yi had been discussing the Buddhist doctrine with Master Yuanhui. When he looked up and saw Yan Tongshu, his gaze swept over her from head to toe before he drawled, “Lord Yan, what a fine mood you’re in today. You’ve even dressed up as a little monk.”
Yan Tongshu lowered her eyes and bowed to Qin Yi. “Your Majesty, I have a personal matter I wished to ask Master Yuanhui about, so I asked Master Jiekong for help. I certainly did not mean to disturb Your Majesty and Master Yuanhui’s discussion.”
Qin Yi picked up his hot tea and brushed the tea leaves from the surface with the lid. “What personal matter?”
Yan Tongshu kept her head lowered, her manner perfectly respectful. “I heard that the prayer beads blessed by Master Yuanhui are highly efficacious. They can strengthen the body and ensure one’s safety, so I wanted to ask for a strand. But I also heard that Master Yuanhui has not blessed prayer beads for anyone in quite some time, so I thought I might as well try my luck.”
Qin Yi took a sip of hot tea, his eyes growing slightly darker.
So this was why the little rascal had spent half the day making such a fuss—listening to Master Yuanhui expound on Buddhism and wandering aimlessly around the courtyard?
“Hmm,” Qin Yi replied, his tone impossible to read.
Unable to determine what he meant, Yan Tongshu placed the vegetarian meal in front of Qin Yi and withdrew with Jiekong.
Master Yuanhui said respectfully, “Your Majesty, the temple’s vegetarian dishes are plain, but all of them were prepared with care by the disciples. Please do not take offense.”
Qin Yi picked up the bamboo chopsticks. “Master Yuanhui, you are too modest. Xiangguo Temple’s vegetarian cuisine is famous far and wide. How could the word ‘plain’ possibly do it justice?”
Master Yuanhui pressed his palms together and silently recited Buddhist scripture for a while before picking up his chopsticks.
After some time, Qin Yi put down his chopsticks and spoke in a low voice. “Master Yuanhui.”
Master Yuanhui set down his chopsticks as well and looked at Qin Yi respectfully, waiting for his imperial instruction.
Qin Yi slowly said, “As for the prayer beads to be blessed, if the person asking for them is sincere, making an exception just once should not be a problem.”
Master Yuanhui lowered his eyes. “Amitabha. Where there is sincerity, there is affinity. That in itself is the Buddha’s teaching.”
…
“Sigh…”
Yan Tongshu chewed on her tofu without tasting it. She had originally planned to give the prayer beads blessed by Master Yuanhui to the Meng family as a return gift. Whether the lantern had been sent by Madam Meng or by Meng Zheng, they would all be able to wear them.
But after all that effort, she had not even managed to exchange a single word with Master Yuanhui.
Forget it. She would have to see whether she could find something else to give them in return.
After finishing her meal, Yan Tongshu wandered aimlessly around the temple. Before she knew it, she had returned to the glazed pagoda.
The ancient tree, a thousand years old, was covered in prayer ribbons. The yellow ribbons stood out strikingly against the bleak winter landscape.
Yan Tongshu was not someone who liked to wallow in melancholy. She let herself feel gloomy for a while, but the little person in her heart immediately planted her hands on her hips and flew into a rage.
It was all that damned Emperor’s fault for suddenly appearing.
Otherwise, she would definitely have clung shamelessly to Master Yuanhui’s doorframe and refused to let go until he handed her a strand of blessed prayer beads.
She refused to believe that, as a third-rank official, Master Yuanhui would actually have the nerve to throw her out.
Hmph!
Yan Tongshu squatted on the ground, drawing circles in the dirt. Then, all of a sudden—
Crack!
A branch from the thousand-year-old tree broke and crashed to the ground.
Hmm?
Yan Tongshu stepped closer for a look. A lone prayer ribbon, tied in a dead knot, hung from the broken branch.
It looked especially familiar.
She bent down to inspect it more closely. It was not merely similar—it was unmistakably the very ribbon she had tied.
Yan Tongshu picked up the branch. How had it broken for no reason?
And why had it chosen to break right in front of her?
What did it mean?
Could she get a refund?
Could even the Bodhisattva process returns and refunds?
Yan Tongshu was stunned.
The knots were both dead knots. Liangyu’s ribbon was hanging perfectly well, while hers had been returned by the Bodhisattva?
What was the difference between the wish she had made and Liangyu’s?
She refused to accept this!
Yan Tongshu raised her hand and stripped away the small leaves around the branch. Then she pulled off the prayer ribbon and tied it to the thickest, sturdiest branch she could find—the one with the greatest number of prayer ribbons hanging from it.
This time, she tied two dead knots. She refused to believe it would fall again.
Yan Tongshu clapped her hands, dusting them off.
Just as she was feeling pleased with herself, crack!
A bolt of lightning flashed down, striking with perfect accuracy and turning the prayer ribbon she had just tied into ash.
Yan Tongshu stared dumbfounded at the thousand-year-old tree.
What did this mean?
Had the Bodhisattva banned her from placing the same order twice?
Yan Tongshu examined the ancient tree from every angle, but sure enough, only her ribbon had been struck.
Wasn’t this just pure bullying?
Yan Tongshu raised her middle finger at the ancient tree and stalked off angrily.
“Pfft.”
Qin Yi, standing in the distance, burst out laughing.
He had suffered too many setbacks at Yan Tongshu’s hands. As a result, every time he saw her suffer one herself, his mood improved considerably.
Standing beside Qin Yi, Lu Xi also struggled not to laugh.
Only after Yan Tongshu’s sulky figure had vanished completely did Qin Yi approach the ancient tree.
He had deliberately waited until no one was around before coming over.
Lu Xi presented the prayer ribbon with both hands.
Qin Yi hung it on the tree.
Lu Xi raised his head and watched the prayer ribbon fluttering in the breeze. Every year at this time, the Emperor came to Xiangguo Temple to pray for a blessing for the late empress and the Late Crown Prince.
He, too, silently prayed in his heart: Bodhisattva, please bless the late empress and the Late Crown Prince. They were both truly wonderful people. May they be happy and peaceful in their next lives, and may they enjoy a lifetime of safety and contentment.
Yan Tongshu returned to Madam Yan’s side.
Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu had gone out to play and had not yet returned.
She sat down beside Madam Yan. They had just finished reciting the Buddhist scriptures, and everyone was taking a break.
Madam Yan looked somewhat tired, so Yan Tongshu stood behind her and massaged her shoulders.
The Buddhist scriptures were recited twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.
The session Madam Yan had just completed was the first one of the afternoon. Many worshippers who had come from out of town to burn incense and recite scripture would leave after this session, rather than stay until the end. Otherwise, they would not make it home before nightfall.
Thus, many people in the scripture hall were already rising and gathering their belongings in preparation for departure.
As people left one after another, a girl dressed as a maid in pink hurried into the hall.
“Madam.”
She rushed over and whispered a few words into the ear of a middle-aged, elegantly dressed woman. The woman immediately beamed with delight and hurried away with her maid.
Yan Tongshu withdrew her gaze and continued massaging Madam Yan’s shoulders.
Elsewhere, Yan Liangrong led Zheng Ke from one Buddhist hall to another. In a gentle voice, she explained to him which Bodhisattva was enshrined in each hall and what blessings that Bodhisattva could bestow upon them.
Yan Liangrong took two incense sticks from the maid. "This is the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas. He and the Bodhisattva Manjusri serve the Buddha Sakyamuni together. Many people pray to him for success in their careers, official promotions, and prosperous business."
Yan Liangrong handed the incense to Zheng Ke and was about to lead him inside when a middle - aged and elegant woman suddenly rushed over.
The woman was in such a hurry that she even bumped into Yan Liangrong.
Yan Liangrong squinted her eyes. This woman seemed to be Gao Shengmei, the step - wife of the Wang family.
The Yan family and the Wang family had never had any friendship, so she didn't recognize the step - wife of the Wang family at first. It was not until noon when she was helping to cook vegetarian dishes in the vegetarian kitchen that she heard the step - wife hiding in a secluded place scolding Wang Yuyan for being shameless and seducing her brother - in - law that she found out who she was.
Gao Shengmei came up to Wang Quan'an, the right vice - minister of the Ministry of Revenue who was offering incense, covered her lips, and whispered a few words. Wang Quan'an's face changed drastically, and he cursed, "Bitch!" Then he stepped out of the main hall.
Gao Shengmei followed behind, with a sneering smile of conspiracy on her face.
Yan Liangrong couldn't help frowning.
If the Wang family was in turmoil at home, were they going to cause some trouble at Xiangguo Temple?
Yan Tongshu was the acting prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture, and since Jixiang Mountain was in Kaifeng, he would be held accountable for any incident. One couldn't afford to be careless.
Yan Liangrong handed Zheng Ke to the maid and asked the maid to take him to Mrs. Yan. Then she quickly followed them.
Gao Shengmei led Wang Quan'an to the wing - room where the female guests rested. She pretended to frown and persuaded with a troubled look, "My lord, don't be too angry. Yuyan has been raised in the countryside since she was a child. She has been hanging around with those shady people for a long time. She doesn't understand the rules of the capital and the virtues of chastity. You can just talk to her nicely later. Don't hit her."
Wang Quan'an's face was gloomy, and he gritted his teeth and cursed, "That rebellious daughter! I shouldn't have brought her back!"
The two of them walked in a hurry and finally arrived at the rest wing - room.
This was a place specially for female guests to rest, and there were many pilgrims who came to offer incense.
At this moment, there was already a dense circle of people around Wang Yuyan's room.
Inside the room, there were continuous sounds that made people blush.
Everyone covered their ears shyly while curiously peeping at the small room.
At this time, Qiaoxin, the maid of Wang Chuning, led Ning Yuan over. "Prince Ning, our young lady is inside..."
Before she could finish her words, both of them were shocked by the crowded yard and the continuous groans.
Qiaoxin exclaimed, "What's wrong with the eldest young lady's room? Could it be that the eldest young lady..."
Ning Yuan pushed through the crowd.
At this time, two servants brought by Wang Quan'an to offer incense rushed over. Wang Quan'an's face was so gloomy that it seemed to drip water. He shouted sternly, "Break the door open for me and drag that rebellious daughter out."
Hearing this, Yan Liangrong, who was hidden in the crowd, knew something was wrong.
Normally, even if a family's daughter really had an illicit affair with a man outside, in order to protect the family's reputation, they would never let male servants break into the door in public and drag their daughter out in front of everyone.
The correct way was to first clear out the others to make sure that there were only family members in the yard. Then they would let the maids knock on the door, let the daughter get dressed, tie up the man, and let the maids escort the young lady out through the back door.
After that, they would just find an excuse, saying that some irresponsible couple had gone into the wrong room. Anyway, whether others believed it or not, they would protect the family's reputation first.
When offering incense on Jixiang Mountain, the mountain path was difficult to walk, and there were many pilgrims. Each family only brought a few servants, at most one for each person. But now there were two maids from the Wang family on the scene, which was more than enough to protect the eldest Miss Wang.
This Lord Wang obviously wanted to push his own daughter to a dead end.
Yan Liangrong quietly backed out, stopped a monk, and whispered to him to go quickly to find Yan Tongshu.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The servants smashed the door crazily.
Finally, with a loud "bang", the door bolt broke, and the door was smashed open.
On the bed, the plain quilt was in a mess, and a man was pressing on a woman.
"Ouch!" Gao Shengmei covered her face with her sleeve, but her voice clearly came out. "Yuyan, you know, it's okay for you to be promiscuous on weekdays. But Xiangguo Temple is a pure Buddhist place. How could you do such a thing with a rustic man here... Alas, this time even mother can't help you."
Wang Quan'an was furious. He stepped forward, grabbed the man off the woman, and was about to raise his hand to hit. "Rebellious daughter! How dare you do such a filthy thing on Jixiang Mountain. I'll beat you to death today—"
The word "you" suddenly stuck in his throat.
At this time, Wang Yuyan, accompanied by her maid Jade, walked in gracefully from the door, looking surprised. "Father, mother, what are you talking about? Daughter just went to the plum - blossom garden at the back mountain to enjoy the plum blossoms. Where did this absurd thing come from?"
Her eyes swept across the crowd in the yard, and she became even more confused. "Huh? Why are so many people gathered in front of my room?"
Wang Yuyan was here, so who was in the room?
Everyone's eyes turned to the room in unison.
Gao Shengmei also quickly reacted. She stepped forward quickly, lifted a corner of the bed curtain, and immediately turned pale as if she was about to scream out.
Fortunately, for the sake of her daughter's reputation, she immediately covered her mouth.
Wang Quan'an quickly grabbed the brocade quilt and covered the shivering and tearful Wang Chuning tightly inside. He tried to calm himself down and said, "It's just a pilgrim who went into the wrong room. Everyone, disperse."
"Pilgrims?" Wang Yuyan sneered slightly. "Since they are pilgrims..."
Wang Yuyan took two steps forward with Jade. "Mother, father, let's leave together."
As she said that, she waved her plain hand and suddenly lifted the whole bed curtain.
"Ah—"
Wang Chuning let out a scream, and her pale and tear - stained face was completely exposed to everyone's eyes.
"You bitch!" Gao Shengmei rushed at Wang Yuyan like a madwoman. "Do you really want to kill your sister like this?"
She raised her hand and was about to slap Wang Yuyan in the face. Wang Yuyan grabbed her hand and stopped her from succeeding. "Mother, you've wronged me. How could I know that the person having an affair in the temple was my sister? I thought it was a pilgrim, and I wanted to avoid it with you and father."
"You—"
Gao Shengmei was so angry that her whole body trembled, and tears streamed down her face.
Wang Chuning wrapped herself in the quilt and cried, "Father, mother, daughter didn't have an affair! It was Wang Yuyan! That bitch Wang Yuyan drugged me. When I woke up, I... wuwuwu..."
Hearing this, the people around whispered and talked among themselves.
Just when Wang Yuyan was proud that she had won this round, Wang Quan'an stood up and slapped Wang Yuyan across the face. "Rebellious daughter! You've framed your sister many times, and I didn't bother to care about it. I didn't expect you to be so vicious as to set up a trap to frame your sister and make her lose her chastity. I'll beat you to death today!"
Wang Yuyan covered her face, with tears in her eyes, and stubbornly looked at Wang Quan'an. "Father, you're so partial. Just now, when you thought it was me, you joined the servants to drag me out in public to humiliate me. Now that you find out it's your younger daughter who lost her chastity, you try every means to cover it up and shift the blame to your daughter. Sometimes your daughter really doubts which one of us is your real daughter."
After saying that, Wang Yuyan leaned slightly in the direction of Ning Yuan, her voice soft and filled with sorrow. "Prince Ning, can you take me away?"
