On this day, the weather was fine, with a clear blue sky and not a cloud in sight.

After breakfast, Shen Wan went to Qinghui Courtyard to pay her respects to the old lady, as usual.

As she stepped up the stairs, she heard laughter and chatter coming from inside the house. After Shen Wan went in, Shen Ying asked, "Big sister, we're going to Huguo Temple later, are you coming?"

Shen Wan didn't want to get too close to the Shen Ying and Shen Rong sisters, and she didn't want to become their money bag. However, just as she was about to refuse, the old lady said, "Go to Huguo Temple to pray for your father, and don't forget to light an everlasting lamp for Prince Ling."

This was because they didn't expect Shen Wan to refuse, nor did they give her the opportunity to refuse.

Shen Wan looked at Yin Shuang and whispered a few instructions before Yin Shuang withdrew.

After sitting for a quarter of an hour, a maid came in and said, "The carriage is ready."

The old lady instructed Shen Wan and the others, "Don't forget the time when you go out to play, and return to the manor early."

"yes."

Shen Ying and the others curtsied and took their leave, and Shen Wan also stood up.

As they approached the second gate, Yinshuang arrived, and Chen Wan asked, "Why did it take you so long?"

Yinshuang said, "Ziyu said that I have gone out of the manor with you several times, and this time it is her turn to go out with you. I disagreed, and we argued for a while. Fortunately, Zhou Mama spoke up for me, and Ziyu gave up."

Shen Ying then realized that she had rarely seen Zi Yu lately. She said, "They are both head maids, so it would be better if you didn't show favoritism to one over the other."

Shen Wan glanced at Shen Ying with her cold gaze, "When I used to take Ziyu out, why didn't I hear my second sister say this?"

She only recently started bringing Yinshuang with her more often; before, when she went out of the manor, she would bring Ziyu eight out of ten times.

Shen Ying wasn't embarrassed at all, and even said with a touch of naivety, "Really? I didn't even notice until you said so, big sister."

Shen Wan ignored her and stepped out the door. Yin Shuang slapped her forehead and said, "Look at my terrible memory. Zi Yu took my purse and I forgot to take it back. I only had one hundred taels on me."

Shen Rong said, "How can your maid be so unreliable? Who goes out without money?"

Yinshuang said, "Should I go back and get it?"

Shen Wan said, "One hundred taels is enough to light the everlasting lamp. If you really need to buy anything, my second and third sisters can lend me some. I'll pay you back when I get back."

Shen Rong's face flushed red, and she glared fiercely at Yin Shuang. She only had a few dozen taels of silver on her, and she was waiting for her older sister to pay for her. Where would she get the money to lend?

But she said it herself, and if she were to say that she didn't bring any money, she would be contradicting herself.

Shen Ying said, "Elder sister can take a little from the public fund first, and then return it to the public fund when she comes back."

She's really quick-witted; she's managed her money perfectly.

But Shen Wan simply wouldn't take the bait, saying, "I don't have the habit of taking money from public funds, and I won't set that precedent."

As she spoke, Shen Wan looked toward the carriage road, "Today, my fourth sister and I will ride in the same carriage."

Shen Wei couldn't believe that her older sister would let her ride in the same carriage with her. In the past, her older sister would rather ride alone than take her along.

Shen Wan got into the carriage, then looked at Shen Wei, who happily sat down.

Shen Ying and Shen Rong exchanged a glance and asked in surprise, "When did the relationship between eldest sister and fourth sister become so good?"

The two boarded the carriage, filled with doubt.

Inside the carriage, Shen Wei sat far away from Shen Wan. Upon seeing this, Shen Wan said, "Is Fourth Sister so afraid of me?"

Shen Wei shook her head vigorously, and Shen Wan said, "Fourth Uncle is close to Father, and Fourth Brother is also close to Eldest Brother. But you are always timid when you see me. If I have spoken harshly to you in the past, Fourth Sister, please don't take it to heart."

Shen Wei was surprised that Shen Wan not only applied medicine to her and rode in the carriage with her, but also apologized to her.

Shen Wei shook her head repeatedly, "Whatever my older sister does to me is for my own good."

Shen Wan had a headache. How could her fourth sister be so meek? No wonder she could stay at Jingci Nunnery for so many years in her previous life. With a personality like that, it would be strange if she didn't get bullied after marriage. Shen Wan was already looking in her mind for a suitable young master from a noble family, but it seemed... there really wasn't one.

The two chatted casually for more than half an hour before the carriage arrived at the foot of Huguo Temple Mountain.

Huguo Temple sits atop a mountain. Even when the sun is high in the sky, the mountaintop remains shrouded in mist, obscuring most of the temple's majestic grandeur and leaving only a glimpse of it, adding to its mystique.

Huguo Temple is very popular, and even outside of the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, worshippers come in droves.

Upon arriving at the horse parking area outside Huguo Temple, everyone dismounted from the carriages and went to the Mahavira Hall, where they knelt on prayer cushions and sincerely prayed for blessings.

My wish is for my father to live to be a hundred years old.

My second wish is for my elder brother's marriage to go smoothly.

My third wish is that everything goes well for the Yun family.

If the Bodhisattva didn't think she was too greedy, she would like to add another wish: that the Prince of Ling could be with his beloved in this lifetime.

Shen Wan made a wish, then added incense money. When she got up, Shen Ying and Shen Rong were nowhere to be seen, and even Shen Wei was gone.

Although everyone had disappeared, Shen Wan didn't even frown. She had gotten used to Shen Ying and Shen Rong's self-centeredness. They were the ones who always had to accommodate others, and they never thought about others.

The young monk came over to greet Shen Wan, who said, "I want to light an everlasting lamp."

The young monk led Shen Wan over, and Shen Wan wrote down Xie Jingyan's name, then paid the incense money, and that was it.

Shen Wan stepped out of the main hall, intending to stroll through the market. Just as she was about to descend the steps, a maidservant approached from afar and said, "Eldest Miss, Second Miss and the others are waiting for you over at the pavilion. They want you to come over."

Didn't you go to the market? Did you not plan to buy anything without her paying?

Noble ladies and young women from prominent families often came to Huguo Temple to offer incense. The sisters of the same household separated and each did their own thing, which inevitably led people to think that the sisters were not on good terms. Shen Wan did not think much of it. She often came to Huguo Temple and was very familiar with the area, so she went with her maid.

After walking for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, they still hadn't seen any sign of Shen Ying and the others. Instead, they were going further and further astray. Although it was already late spring and early summer, the path was shaded by green trees on both sides, and the mountain wind was still a bit chilly.

Shen Wan frowned and asked, "Where exactly are they?"

The maid replied, "It's just ahead."

There's an artificial hill blocking the view, so you can't see anything, but there is indeed a pavilion in front of you.

After passing the artificial hill, Shen Wan immediately spotted a familiar figure standing in the pavilion.

If it's not the Prince of Jin, then who is it?

Almost the instant she saw Xie Jingyin, Shen Wan's anger rose to her face.

She thought the old lady had sent her to Huguo Temple to pray for blessings, but it turns out she was waiting for her here!

What a lovely old lady!

Openly, he made her listen to her father, but secretly he helped Prince Jin meet her, the future Princess Ling, whom the Emperor had bestowed upon him!

For power and wealth, they disregarded even basic morality and shame.

Shen Wan, who no longer wanted any connection with Xie Jingyin in this life, turned to leave. However, the maid who was supposed to lead the way had disappeared, and the guards blocked Shen Wan's path.