The handsome man sat beside her, and his warm, dry hands always gave Qin Su a sense of security. However, she had never seen a man so assertive before.

But he should be like this. Who is he? A true member of the imperial family, a sibling of His Majesty.

Upon hearing his words, Qin Su stared at him without saying a word, her eyes gradually reddening.

"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly ask that?" Yu Shuo pulled her into his arms. The two were still a little awkward with each other, but they were almost like a normal married couple.

Qin Su no longer held back, wrapping her arms around his waist, her voice slightly choked, "N-nothing."

Despite this, Yu Shuo had some doubts.

What did the host say to her?

Yu Shuo lowered his eyes and gently coaxed Qin Su, "That day will never come. I will always be by Su Su's side. Even if I am not here, Chongyang will be here. I will leave many people to protect you."

He cherished Qin Su's life very much, even more than his own.

Qin Su pressed her face against Yu Shuo's chest, unable to say anything, only feeling a tightness in her chest.

Actually, we should believe what the host said. If Yu Shuo liked her and loved her in his previous life, he would definitely avenge her, since it's normal for her to have committed murder.

If it were her, and her beloved were brutally murdered, she wouldn't be able to remain calm either.

Qin Su could disregard others, but Yu Shuo was different. He was not only her husband, but even in her previous life, she regarded him as someone she could trust.

She will do more good deeds, starting now, but she will not give up on Xue Huai'an.

Even if Yu Shuo knew all this, he probably wouldn't have advised her to give up.

"Eat something and rest. You must be tired from the long journey."

Qin Su obeyed him.

After she rested, Yu Shuo left the meditation room to visit the abbot.

The abbot was still by the window. When he saw Yu Shuo come over, he simply replaced the teacup with a new one. His tone was indifferent and somewhat ethereal, as if he were truly an enlightened monk.

"Your Highness Prince Chen has not visited this humble monk in a long time. Would you like to play a game of Go?"

Clearly, the abbot of Xishan Temple and Yu Shuo had a very good personal relationship, perhaps unknown to others.

Yu Shuo didn't go over and sit down, nor did he answer his question. Instead, he went straight to the point and asked, "What did the abbot just say to my queen?"

The host paused slightly while pouring tea, but quickly resumed his normal actions.

He looked out the window. The scenery of Xishan Temple was pleasant, but the sky was darkening, and it seemed that there would be a light rain today.

The atmosphere after the rain is always refreshing, and the host really enjoys it.

Yu Shuo didn't answer his question, nor did he want to answer Yu Shuo's question. "What does Your Highness think of the world?"

This was a very strange question. In Yu Shuo's opinion, such a question was only suitable for discussion with Emperor Mingyang. He was just a prince and did not want to discuss matters of state.

However, the host did not let him off the hook, and continued, "Even if the emperors of Da'an throughout history were not benevolent rulers, they could still be considered good emperors."

There is truly no one who dares to discuss emperors of past dynasties in this way; he is one of them, and there is no other like him in the whole world.

But only the abbot of Xishan Temple dared to speak out. In the eyes of Emperor Da'an, the enlightened monks of Xishan Temple were able to communicate with the heavens and were different from ordinary mortals.

Although some emperors throughout history did not believe in these things, they still maintained a sense of awe towards Xishan Temple.

"This humble monk simply does not wish for further turmoil in the world."

Yu Shuo scoffed, “What does my queen have to do with the turmoil of the world? Your words are utterly absurd.”

"What exactly did the abbot say to her? Xishan Temple is indeed highly valued and trusted by the royal family, but the princess is carrying a royal child. If the abbot harms the fetus, Xishan Temple will probably not fare well either."

This counts as a threat.

If the host really causes any harm to Qin Su's child, the matter will not be taken lightly.

"The royal family is really prone to unpredictable changes," the abbot said out of the blue. "The last person I needed to remind was the Empress Dowager."

Yu Shuo was unaware of this matter; no one had told him.

"Regardless of what the host said, I hope you understand your place."

After saying this, he turned to leave, but just as he reached the door, he bumped into the Empress Dowager, who was dressed simply.

"Oh? Tzuyu is here to see the host too? It's been a long time since you've seen each other, it's good to catch up."

Yu Shuo: "..." He didn't want to spend much time with him.

"It's getting late. Mother can come to find the abbot tomorrow."

The Empress Dowager keenly sensed that her son was unhappy, but she wondered why.

The abbot and his son have a good relationship, don't they? He used to often stay at Nishiyama-ji Temple when he was in Kyoto.

Why is there such a big change today?

"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now."

The Empress Dowager was completely baffled. She had Granny Qin stand guard outside the meditation room while she went in alone.

What rumors could there be between her and an old bald monk? She didn't see anything wrong with her being here at this hour.

I came here today just to catch up with the host; to be honest, it's been almost twenty years since we last saw each other.

Eighteen years?

She couldn't remember exactly how long it took.

"Your Majesty, please have a seat."

The Empress Dowager didn't stand on ceremony with him and sat down, saying, "It's been a long time since I've seen you, Master. I didn't expect you to be in such good spirits."

"The Empress Dowager was the same."

"I remember the first time I met the host, you weren't the host yet."

At that time, he was only in his thirties and had not yet inherited the mantle of the previous host. However, he was already quite skilled at divination.

She didn't believe in superstitions at first, but the old abbot asserted that she wasn't from this place, so she panicked for a moment and then started chatting with the old abbot indirectly.

This conversation revealed that these bald monks at Xishan Temple actually have pretty sound values; as long as she doesn't cause any unrest, they won't interfere.

Moreover, in her hometown, she loved going to temples, asking for nothing but the blessings of the God of Wealth.

Who knew that she would be blessed in this place, and rise from Empress to Empress Dowager.

"Yes, many years have passed." The host's voice also carried a hint of melancholy.

"I have heard that the abbot recently invited Princess Consort Chen over."

Host: "..." So one or two of them came here for this?

He couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile.

It wasn't a big deal, so why are they making such a fuss about it?

"Is there anything special about her? I've probed her, and she seems to be a native of this area." The Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel curious. The abbot of Xishan Temple rarely met with people alone, except for a few close acquaintances.

The host nodded, "She and the Empress Dowager are not from the same place."

The Empress Dowager already knew about this matter, and even if she was now certain, she was not disappointed. She was just curious about what he had summoned Qin Su for and what he had said.

"Then why did you call her here? I don't believe you took a liking to my daughter-in-law at first sight."

Host: "..."

Even though they had known each other for a long time, they still couldn't get used to the Empress Dowager's way of doing things.