Princess Consort Rui rose reluctantly to her feet and curtsied to Duoduo.
Duoduo froze for a moment, then hurriedly stepped aside.
Princess Consort Rui straightened. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“And thank you for being willing to take the risk of meeting Fourth Aunt today.”
“I’m even more grateful for your guidance just now.”
Duoduo shook her head.
“Fourth Aunt, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“I came to the Great Buddha Temple today to pray for my parents.”
“I just happened to run into Fourth Aunt, so I came over to pay my respects.”
Princess Consort Rui immediately understood.
“That’s right!”
“You’re right!”
“Fourth Aunt was being foolish. Don’t laugh at me!”
Duoduo smiled and waved her hands.
“Mother says that a mother must be strong. Since Fourth Aunt is a mother too, naturally you’re the same.”
“Fourth Aunt, I’m leaving now!”
Duoduo curtsied, then turned and left.
Li Jin, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately followed her.
“Teacher, I want to burn incense!” Duoduo looked at Li Jin expectantly.
“All right!”
Li Jin put a veil hat on Duoduo and led her to the main hall.
Jinzhi knocked on the door. “Princess Consort, may this servant come in?”
The door opened from within, and Princess Consort Rui stood there.
“Jinzhi, let’s go. We’re returning to the residence.”
Jinzhi was somewhat startled. “Princess Consort, we’re leaving already?”
Princess Consort Rui stepped outside.
“Haven’t we already burned incense and donated the incense money?”
“Now that everything is done, of course we should return home.”
Jinzhi noticed that Princess Consort Rui seemed to be in much better spirits.
She no longer looked as bitter and anguished as she had when they first arrived at the Great Buddha Temple.
Jinzhi helped Princess Consort Rui into the carriage. Just then, she saw a girl stepping down from another carriage.
“Princess Consort, that young lady looks a lot like Princess Changle!”
Jinzhi found it rather strange.
Princess Consort Rui glanced over, then withdrew her gaze.
“How do they look alike? They’re merely wearing the same clothes by coincidence.”
“Let’s go. We’ll return to the city first,” Princess Consort Rui ordered.
The carriage began to move.
Princess Consort Rui’s gaze swept over Lüdou, who was entering the temple.
By now, she understood completely how much Changle had prepared just to meet her.
A trace of warmth flowed through Princess Consort Rui’s heart.
She absolutely could not betray such affection.
She had to stay alive and live well, so that she would be worthy of all Changle had done for her.
“Jinzhi, I’m going to rest my eyes for a while.”
“When we enter the city, have the coachman stop at a medical clinic.”
After saying this, Princess Consort Rui closed her eyes, giving Jinzhi no chance to ask questions.
Jinzhi lowered her head uneasily and looked at the handkerchief in her hands.
Inside the Great Buddha Temple, Duoduo held a bundle of incense and knelt devoutly before the Buddha.
“May Buddha bless Father and Mother with good health, and may all their wishes come true. May everything go smoothly for them!”
“May Buddha bless Lüdou’s shop with flourishing business, and may Aunt Xu open more and more shops and make piles of money!”
“May Great-Grandmother remain healthy, and may Grandfather stay safe and sound!”
“May Father be able to…”
Duoduo silently recited her prayers in her heart, as devoutly as a young acolyte at the Buddha’s side.
Li Jin could not help but laugh.
“Duoduo, one mustn’t be greedy!” he reminded her softly. It was time to leave.
Only then did Duoduo raise her little head and look up at the benevolent Buddha.
This Buddha looked exactly like the one she had seen in her dreams.
They were both so kind and compassionate.
Duoduo kowtowed three times to the Buddha before standing up.
Li Jin helped her place the incense in the burner.
Duoduo pulled a banknote from her sleeve and handed it to the abbot standing nearby.
The abbot accepted it, pressed his palms together, and recited a Buddhist prayer.
Li Jin took Duoduo by the hand and turned to leave.
They had not gone far from the main hall when they ran into Lüdou and Qingliu.
Duoduo was just about to cheer and run over when Li Jin pulled her back.
Across from them, Qingliu also held Lüdou back.
The two of them exchanged knowing looks and shifted sideways, passing each other without stopping.
“We’ll see you back at the residence!”
“Be careful!”
As they passed one another, both of them reminded the other to take care.
Duoduo followed Li Jin out of the Great Buddha Temple without looking back, and their carriage soon disappeared into the distance.
Not long afterward, Lüdou and Qingliu boarded the carriage belonging to Prince Pingyang’s residence and left as well.
The two carriages traveled one behind the other along the official road.
Through a gap in the carriage curtains, Duoduo saw the carriage behind them.
“Teacher, if Lüdou and the others arrive safely, does that mean everything is all right?”
“Then can we return to the residence by the main road too, just like Lüdou and the others?”
The secret passage was quick, but there was hardly any light inside.
Besides, the carriage first had to take a detour to the back of the shop before they could return to the residence through the passage.
Duoduo was unsure whether frequently entering and leaving that way would attract attention.
If someone discovered it, they would be in serious trouble!
Li Jin slowly shook his head.
“No.”
“Princess, I must ensure that you return to the residence safely.”
Duoduo puffed out her cheeks.
“Teacher, if someone sees us go in but never sees us come out, wouldn’t that make them even more suspicious?”
“That place is a shop, not a residence!”
Li Jin froze for a moment. “Princess, is that what you’re worried about?”
Duoduo nodded vigorously.
“If someone notices something strange and follows the clues until they find the secret passage…”
“Wouldn’t Prince Pingyang’s residence be in danger then?”
Li Jin thought for a while before nodding.
“Princess, you make a good point.”
“In that case, the carriage won’t stop in front of the shop later. We’ll climb over from somewhere else.”
At those words, Duoduo’s little face immediately fell.
After all that, she still had to return through the secret passage.
Sigh!
Duoduo began to miss the days when Grandfather was well.
At least then, she could go out in public every day without having to hide.
She could even enter the palace to attend school and learn all kinds of knowledge and skills.
Thinking of the Emperor, a trace of doubt surfaced in Duoduo’s heart.
The medicine she had given Grandfather should have made it impossible for him to be poisoned after taking it.
So how had Grandfather not only been poisoned, but also vomited blood and fainted?
It made no sense!
Duoduo rested her chin in both hands, her little face scrunched up as she tried to figure it out.
Li Jin thought Duoduo was upset because he had rejected her suggestion.
He patted her shoulder.
“Princess, just endure it a little longer. This will pass eventually!”
Duoduo came back to herself and tilted her head toward Li Jin.
“Teacher, may I ask you a question?”
Li Jin nodded. “Mm-hmm. Ask away!”
Duoduo blinked her large eyes.
“Teacher, if there’s something that doesn’t make sense, why is that?”
Li Jin paused. He did not quite understand what Duoduo was asking.
Still, he considered her question for a moment.
“If you say it doesn’t make sense, then there must be a problem!”
“Princess, have you noticed something unusual?”
At that thought, a cold sweat broke out across Li Jin’s back.
He hurriedly went over everything and everyone from earlier in his mind, trying to find what had gone wrong.
“A problem?” Duoduo did not hear what Li Jin said afterward.
She murmured, repeating his words to herself.
“Then where is the problem?”
