Chapter 211 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Guarjia Wenyuan 10

Abbess Jing'an had incense sticks placed in the incense burner and continued, "Please invite Consort Qi, Consort Jing, Consort Jin, and Consort An to offer incense."

Consort Duan was not in good health, so the Emperor and Empress granted her special permission not to come to Ganlu Temple to pray for blessings.

Guarjia Wenyuan and the others entered the main hall with three sticks of incense, knelt on the prayer cushions on either side of the Empress, bowed three times, and then stood up to hand the incense to the nun.

"Please invite Noble Lady Hui and Noble Lady Xin to offer incense."

After the two finished offering incense, the Empress, who had been kneeling, was helped to stand up.

Guarjia Wenyuan stared at the figure behind the pillar, frowned, and said sharply, "Who's there!"

"Sister Jinfei, what's wrong?"

Consort An was closer to Guarjia Wenyuan, and upon hearing the reprimand, she followed Guarjia Wenyuan's gaze.

I saw a furtive figure behind the pillar, and I recognized it because of the half of Consort Wan's face that she showed.

Consort An naturally recognized who it was, but she pretended not to. She gave Baojuan a wink, and Baojuan stepped forward and dragged the person out.

Guarjia Wenyuan looked at the kneeling Consort Wan and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "So it's Consort Wan. What were you doing hiding there so suspiciously?"

"Sister Wanpin," Consort An smiled apologetically, "Baojuan was rude. I didn't expect it to be you, sister. I thought it was some kind of thief."

The Empress and concubines all gathered in this direction. Zhen Huan knelt down and said, "This humble concubine greets Your Majesty the Empress and all the ladies."

When Consort Hui saw Zhen Huan, she wanted to go forward, but Consort Jing stopped her and gently shook her head.

Guarjia Wenyuan patted her chest. "What's there to apologize for? It wasn't our fault in the first place. Anyone who sees someone sneaking around like that would think she's a thief."

Remembering that Zhen Huan herself gave up her status as a concubine in the harem to cultivate herself, Guarjia Wenyuan asked, "But since she is about to embark on her cultivation journey, she should no longer be called Consort Wan. What should she be addressed as?"

Consort Wan replied, "This humble servant is Mo Chou, a nun from Ganlu Temple."

Consort An smiled gently and asked with concern, "Consort Wan... Lady Mochou, Baojuan was a bit rough just now. Did Lady Mochou get hurt?"

Jingbai smiled and said, "Your Highness, Consort An, you won't be hurt. The nuns at Ganlu Temple are used to doing rough work, it's nothing serious."

Consort An was surprised, "Rough work?"

"Yes, after all, they are not pampered empresses or young ladies. They have to do things like chopping wood, washing clothes, and mopping floors. They are no different from the nuns in the temple."

Jing'an felt uneasy and secretly glanced at the Empress a few times before tentatively replying, "But Mo Chou is, after all, a noble lady in the palace. It's really unfair to treat her like this."

The Empress replied with a serious expression, "That is only right. Just as a Buddhist monk is free from worldly desires, one should abandon the past and future. The Buddha's teachings say that all beings are equal, and Lady Mochou should be no exception."

Jingbai replied, "Your Majesty is right."

"Your Majesty the Empress," Consort Hui curtsied and said, "Mo Chou was sent out of the palace to cultivate herself by imperial decree, and she is also the birth mother of the princess."

"You can tell from her complexion that she is weak, yet the temple still makes her do so much heavy work. Isn't that putting her in a difficult position?"

Consort Qi interjected, "All cultivators are like this. If the nuns at Ganlu Temple can do it, why can't she?"

"His Majesty has said that Princess Longyue only has Consort Duan as her mother. Consort Hui, do not disobey His Majesty's decree."

Consort Hui walked to Zhen Huan's side, tears welling in her eyes, and tried to help her up, saying, "Huan'er, the ground is cold, don't kneel down."

The Empress said sternly, "Consort Hui, come here. Mochou is not standing where you should be."

Zhen Huan gently comforted and urged, "Go quickly, it's alright."