Chapter 169 Entering the Dream

She said she wanted to read the letters, but when the three letters were placed in front of her, Lan Wu hesitated to open them and even glance at them.

She was still thinking about the dream she had just had. It was so real, it was as if she were standing right there watching Chu Mingheng ride his horse towards her from the other end of the road.

But whether in her previous life or this one, she had never seen Chu Mingheng riding a horse, and besides, the road was clearly outside the palace.

It was raining, so why was he riding alone? Logically, he should have had many guards with him.

Did this dream come without any reason?

Lan Wu pondered carefully, feeling somewhat uncertain.

She remembered that after New Year's Eve, Chu Mingheng from her previous life had said something to her.

He said—he had already rushed there very quickly…

But a dream doesn't really prove anything.

Lan Wu shook her head, reached out and opened the letter in her hand, carefully reading the letter Chu Mingheng had written to her.

Everything described in the letter seemed ordinary; Chu Mingheng even noted down the dates, saying he would come to pick her up when the three-month period was over.

Lan Wu read the letter, and only then did she open the one Luo Yun had given her.

The letter said that Chu Mingheng had caught a cold, but the cold had already subsided when she wrote the letter, and there was nothing else wrong with him.

The wooden box for holding letters was placed on the table, with a horizontal bar in the middle to make it easier to separate the two people's letters.

After putting the letter away, she began to write a reply.

But what should I say?

She's just arrived at Changyong Mountain and hasn't gone out yet. What interesting things could she tell Chu Mingheng?

Thinking about the dream she had just had, Lan Wu wrote down its contents in a letter and asked Chu Mingheng if he remembered it.

The two letters were written a little faster than last time, and at the same time, the prepared hot water was sent to the side room.

These ten days weren't spent traveling every moment; there were always places to rest, and there were also inns along the way. However, Lan Wu's last bath was three days ago.

She was very clean, and as soon as she arrived at Changyong Mountain, she said she wanted to take a bath. She asked someone to prepare hot water, and after she finally had a refreshing bath, Lanwu changed her clothes and asked Lianxi what time it was.

"Your Majesty, it's already late afternoon." Lianxi called two more palace maids into the hall to dry her hair, afraid that she would catch a cold.

Lan Wu nodded and looked out the window.

They arrived in the afternoon, and she took a nap afterward, so it's only late afternoon now.

"Where does Princess Yizhen live?" Lan Wu suddenly remembered that Yizhen did not live in the same palace as her.

"Your Majesty, Her Highness is residing in Fangchi Hall in the West Garden." Lianxi, true to her nature, guessed what was going on from that question. "Would Your Majesty like to take a stroll in the other courtyards later?"

Lan Wu chuckled, "I've never been here before. I'll have someone show me around later."

"Yes, Your Highness, this servant will make the arrangements immediately." Lianxi withdrew upon hearing this.

After the palace maids dried her hair and helped her change into another set of clothes, Lanwu took a closer look at the grand hall.

It is quiet and elegant, but also somewhat empty and lacks human presence.

Fortunately, the palace servants were busy moving things in the afternoon, which at least added some life to the place; otherwise, Lan Wu would have felt a little uncomfortable living there.

It was colder up on the mountain than down below, but there was no snow. Lan Wu knew that the sacrificial site where the new emperor ascended the throne was not here; it should be on another mountain peak in a different direction, even higher, with long steps.

It is said that when each new monarch ascends the throne, he must climb those high steps alone. If he falls or stops halfway, it is considered a bad omen.

Unfortunately, she didn't see Chu Mingheng ascend the throne. However, she hadn't even met Chu Mingheng at that time; she was still in the music hall being watched and constantly practicing her dance.

"Your Highness, please put on this cloak. It's so cold outside," Lian Qiao said, handing her a white velvet cloak.

Lan Wu nodded and put it on.

Stepping out of the main hall where she lived, the other halls around were empty, with few people living there. Fortunately, there were quite a few palace servants around, so it didn't feel too quiet.

However, Lan Wu only saw guards standing at the palace gate, not the many soldiers who had come with her.

"Your Majesty, the villa can't accommodate too many people. The rest of the soldiers are stationed outside the villa and patrol daily. As for accommodation, there is another manor on the mountainside that is specifically for them."

Lan Wu listened to these words and continued walking forward. Suddenly, she heard a bell ring.

The sound seemed to be coming from a very far place, and it was still clear when it reached my ears.

Lan Wu subconsciously looked up into the distance.

"Is that Wuji Temple ringing its bell?"

The palace attendant leading the way respectfully replied, "The bell is rung every day at Wuji Temple, but Your Majesty can rest assured that you will not hear it while you are resting in the palace."

Lan Wu then asked her, "Does it take two quarters of an hour to get from the villa to Wuji Temple?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Take the carriage north. It will take about 15 minutes to reach Wuji Temple."

At night, Lan Wu leaned gently against the couch to read. The surroundings were unusually quiet, but this quietness didn't frighten her; it just calmed her heart.

I fell asleep without realizing it.

The bells rang again in my dream.

Lan Wu felt as if she had turned into a cloud, her body light and airy, her feet not touching the ground, and she could fly into the air with a light leap.

She didn't know where she was; all she could feel was a vast expanse of white, and she couldn't hear any sound.

Until the bell rang, as if it were right next to her ear, she quickly regained her composure, and the surrounding white mist gradually dissipated, making the scene before her clear.

The familiar main hall was now completely empty.

A gentle breeze stirred the golden bells hanging on her bed curtains, producing a series of melodious sounds.

Lan Wu walked closer to look at the golden bell, and suddenly realized that she had never worn a golden bell in this life.

So this is... the Yilan Palace from the previous life.

She walked slowly across the palace carpet as if revisiting a familiar place, from the inner hall to the outer hall, but suddenly stopped at the threshold.

There are people in the hall.

The man had loose hair, wore only thin clothes, and had his back to her. The exposed section of his wrist looked excessively pale.

But that hand was one that Lan Wu was very familiar with.

It was Chu Mingheng's hand.

Several wine jugs were scattered around him, indicating that he had drunk quite a bit.

Lan Wu stared blankly for a moment, then quickly ran up behind Chu Mingheng, calling out to him as she reached out to grab the glass of wine he was about to pour into his mouth.

However, her hand passed right through Chu Mingheng's hand, like a phantom.