Chapter 33 [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Worshipping Buddha.

The next morning, Yu Jing woke up early. Xiao Ting came in and helped Yu Jing with her makeup before they set off for the mountain. There was a section of the road from Wanjiang Mountain to Xun'an Temple where sedan chairs were not allowed.

Yu Jing alighted from the sedan chair, and Xiao Ting helped her along as they walked slowly. After walking for a while, Yu Jing was too exhausted to continue and stopped to rest. Xie Xuan, seeing Yu Jing panting, said, "Madam, please bear with it a little longer; Xun'an Temple is just ahead."

Yu Jing glanced up, but couldn't see any trace of Xun'an Temple. Yu Jing shook her head; Xie Xuan had been saying this all the way, and Yu Jing no longer believed him.

After walking and stopping for a while, it was almost noon when we were almost at Xun'an Temple. Yu Jing was both tired and hungry.

A young novice monk was waiting at the crossroads. When he saw Yu Jing and the others approaching, he hesitated for a while before asking, "May I ask if you gentlemen are from the capital?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan took out the token from his waist and handed it over. The young novice monk returned the token to Xie Xuan and then said, "Greetings, benefactors. The temple has prepared a vegetarian meal. Please follow me."

"Okay." Yu Jing replied, feeling relieved. Finally, she could get some rest.

As the young monk walked further in, one could sense the profound tranquility of Xun'an Temple, an ancient temple with a history of over a thousand years. Although many worshippers surrounded it, a sense of serenity permeated the air as one approached. The temple's blue bricks and gray tiles were covered with a layer of vibrant green moss. Towering trees stood tall, their roots partially exposed on the ground, some even thicker than a forearm. At midday, the sunlight cast dappled shadows. After a few steps, the distant sound of a bell drifted from afar.

They went to the temple together. Because of Yu Jing's special status, they dared not neglect him and arranged for him to have the best room in the temple. The young novice opened the door, and Yu Jing saw a vegetarian meal neatly laid out on the table. Yu Jing was hungry, and the aroma of the food made him forget everything else. The young novice bowed slightly to Yu Jing and said, "Benefactor, the meal has been prepared. If you need anything, please feel free to call me. The abbot said that you have traveled a long way and must be very tired. Please rest in the room today, and we can continue our prayers and offerings tomorrow, is that alright?"

"Okay, thank you for your trouble," Yu Jing said with a smile to the young novice monk.

“You’re too kind, benefactor. It’s just what we should do,” the young novice monk said, bowing again.

Upon entering the room, though somewhat simple, it was very clean. Several vegetarian dishes, rice, and rice porridge were laid out on the central table. Yu Jing sat down, and after Xiao Ting tested for poison with a silver needle, Yu Jing picked up a large mouthful of vegetables with her chopsticks. The vegetables themselves were quite sweet, simply stir-fried with oil, yet they tasted no worse than meat. Yu Jing was truly hungry, and her meal was much larger than what she ate in the palace.

After finishing his meal, Yu Jing lay down on the couch to rest. The bedding on the couch was light gray, the same color as the young novice monk's robe. It looked newly made, very clean and soft. Yu Jing lay down, thinking he wouldn't be able to sleep, but unexpectedly, he fell asleep very quickly.

When Yu Jing woke up again, the room was dimly lit. She was still a little dazed from sleep and it took her a while to realize where she was.

"Xiaoting," Yu Jing called out as she got up from under the covers.

"Yes, madam," Xiaoting replied immediately. "Is Madam hungry? Would you like some food?"

"Okay." Yu Jing was indeed a little hungry.

Dinner was vegetarian noodles, served with crisp and refreshing pickled radishes and cucumbers. After finishing her meal, Yu Jing thought she would go for a walk. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Xie Xuan.

Xie Xuan had just finished his dinner and was on duty when he heard the commotion. He turned around, bowed to Yu Jing, and asked, "What is Madam wishing for?"

"Let's go for a walk," Yu Jing replied, and then walked to the corridor. Xie Xuan didn't ask any more questions and followed behind Yu Jing.

Xun'an Temple was very large, divided into several halls, each enshrining a different deity. Yu Jing strolled around casually, and as she passed one of the halls, she suddenly sensed an extremely heavy aura of deity within. Yu Jing stopped and carefully sensed it; it was indeed the aura of deity.

Yu Jing turned and walked into the hall.

Xie Xuan found Yu Jing's reaction somewhat strange, but he still obediently followed behind her.

As Yu Jing entered the hall, he saw the Dipankara Buddha standing on the lotus platform. Yu Jing bowed slightly to the Dipankara Buddha, then walked to the futon on the lotus platform and knelt down.

Xie Xuan watched as Yu Jing walked over. She was dressed in simple white, and her expression was solemn and devout when she saw the Buddha statue.

Yu Jing knelt on the prayer mat, clasped his hands together, and made a wish with the Dipankara Buddha.

Dipankara Buddha noticed Yu Jing entering the hall before he did, and slightly raised his eyelids to look at Yu Jing.

After making her wish, Yu Jing looked up at Dipankara Buddha and met his eyes. Dipankara Buddha's eyes were filled with boundless compassion, yet he appeared indifferent and heartless.

Yu Jing felt a tremor in her heart. For some reason, she felt a sense of unease in the gaze of the Dipankara Buddha. So she bowed her head and gently kowtowed to show her piety.

The surrounding area was filled with burning incense, the fiery candlelight illuminating the hall like daytime. The statue of Dipankara Buddha was enormous, seated serenely on a lotus platform, radiating compassion for all beings. The figure kneeling beneath the lotus platform prostrated herself, her head bowed devoutly; it was unclear what she was asking of the deity. Despite being the most esteemed woman in the world, second only to the emperor, she too had a request.

The days spent praying at the temple passed quickly, and Yu Jing felt that only a few days had passed before it was time to set off back to the capital.

"A scout reports that the Empress Dowager has passed through the guard post and should arrive in Guizhou around noon today," a man dressed in dark red riding attire and wearing a mask reported as he jogged up to the man at the head of the group.

The man twirled the string of coins in his hand, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "Pass down the order to have everyone lie in ambush on Qian'an Slope in front of Guizhou City. This road is the only way to Guizhou City. Once the people arrive, then..."

The man stopped speaking at this point, but those below all knew what he meant.

"Yes, I'll go right away."

"Wait," the man called out to him, then added, "If this doesn't work out, we'll all die."

"Yes, I understand."

"Xie Xuan, where shall we rest today?" Yu Jing asked Xie Xuan, lifting the carriage curtain.

"Madam, after another five li, we will reach Guizhou City. How about we find an inn in Guizhou City tonight?"

"Okay." Yu Jing replied, then looked up at the sky again. The sky was overcast and suffocating, as if a heavy rain was about to fall.

Hopefully we can reach Guizhou City before it rains, otherwise, if it rains, our travel speed will definitely be much slower, and it will take even longer to reach Guizhou City.

Xie Xuan glanced at the sky with some concern, then shouted to the group behind him, "It looks like it's going to rain soon. Let's hurry up and get to Guizhou City so we can avoid it."

"Yes," the guard following behind replied emphatically.

Sitting in the carriage, Yu Jing felt inexplicably flustered, and the Jade Soul Bead given to her by the Goddess Zhelan on her wrist felt slightly tight. Yu Jing stared blankly at the Jade Soul Bead on her wrist when suddenly a cup of tea was handed to her: "Madam, would you like some tea to refresh yourself?"

Xiao Ting smiled and said to Yu Jing, who reached out and took the tea from Xiao Ting, taking a sip.

"Xie Xuan, are we almost at Guizhou City?" Yu Jing asked, lifting the carriage curtain.

Xie Xuandu clearly sensed that Yu Jing seemed a bit off today, especially impatient. In less than an hour, he had asked many times if they were almost at Guizhou City.

Xie Xuan sat on horseback, glanced into the distance, and replied, "Reporting to Madam, we're almost there. Qian'an Slope, in front of Guizhou City, is just ahead."

"Okay," Yu Jing replied, then sat back down in the carriage.

At this moment, on Qian'an Slope.

A group of people lay in ambush in the surrounding mountains and forests. It was very quiet. One of them jogged back and said to the leader, "Their carriages and horses will be here soon."

"Hurry up and get ready!"

"yes."

The carriage moved slowly, and Xie Xuan sat on the horse. For some reason, when they entered Qian'an Slope, Xie Xuan felt that something was wrong.

The surroundings were unusually quiet, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves; otherwise, the silence was eerily quiet.

"Whoosh." An arrow shot out from the forest without warning, and Xie Xuan quickly drew the sword from his waist.

"Clang." The sound of metal clashing rang out in the exceptionally quiet forest.

"Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!" The guards nearby reacted and shouted loudly.

Sitting inside the sedan chair, Yu Jing was startled by these words, her heart pounding wildly. Then she heard the sounds of swords clashing against metal, and the cries of pain. Yu Jing knew what had happened, but dared not think about it.

Xiao Ting seemed terrified as well, standing there stunned, her body even trembling slightly. Somewhat at a loss, she looked at Yu Jing and called out, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Yu Jing was about to say something when the carriage was suddenly slammed hard, making a loud bang, followed by the sound of swords piercing flesh. The sound was particularly clear, likely coming from right next to the carriage. Yu Jing had previously experienced an assassination attempt, but at that time she had just entered Sheng Hua's body and was still somewhat dazed. But now, she was perfectly lucid.

Although Yu Jing was also very scared, she still reached out and touched Xiao Ting's face to comfort her. The guards escorting her out of the palace were all handpicked by the imperial palace and were highly skilled in martial arts, so she should be fine.

Just then, I felt as if someone was rushing down the hillside outside. Judging from the sound, there were quite a few people, as if they had come prepared.

Yu Jing was also a little flustered at this moment, her hands trembling slightly, not knowing what to say or do.

Xie Xuan...

Xie Xuan is still outside!

Yu Jing suddenly realized something and didn't care about anything else. She was about to get up and lift the curtain to go out. But then she thought that she was now a mortal and had no strength to kill a chicken. If she went out, she would probably cause Xie Xuan a lot of trouble. It would be better to stay in the carriage.