Chapter 51 Good Things Are Near (Part 1) His Lips.

How can I describe this moment?

Sweet and fresh, like a deity, it is an indulgence, a willing surrender.

Her lips were incredibly soft. Wen Kong froze on the spot, his limbs tense, afraid to move for fear of disturbing this careful tenderness.

Ye Mu seemed to sense his indulgence and became bolder in her probing.

She flicked out the tip of her tongue, like a newborn serpent tentatively flicking its tongue, lightly brushing across her tightly pursed lips, moist and soft, so real.

My soul was shaken.

Overwhelming guilt crashed down on Wen Kong. He knew he was ashamed and guilty, and the weight of the precepts hung over his head. He should push her away.

But his arm acted before his mind could process it, and involuntarily pulled her close.

Wen Kong closed his eyes, wearing a monk's robe, but knew that none of the Buddhas of the ten directions could shake him anymore.

At this moment, Wen Kong suddenly felt he could forgive his mother's whipping when he was a child.

He was young then and didn't want to become a monk. His mother would strike his back, hands, and legs again and again with a rattan cane soaked in salt water as he tried to escape the mountain gate, causing a burning pain.

He huddled on the stone steps outside the temple gate, watching his mother's carriage resolutely depart without ever looking back. The temple gate slammed shut behind him, and from then on, the secular world was the secular world, and the Buddhist temple was the Buddhist temple.

He was kept within the strict rules and regulations, shoved by the older novices, had his vegetarian meals withheld, and was forced to sleep in a drafty, leaky hut.

It was precisely this monk's robe, which he was forced to wear, that allowed him to go to the Marquis's mansion to chant sutras a year later, and that's how he met her.

On their first meeting, she helped him rebuke his fellow disciple. She was so young then, yet she already knew how to be chivalrous.

Life is full of irony. If he hadn't been a monk, he would never have met her. But because he was a monk, his robes became an insurmountable barrier.

The moment was extremely brief; the warm pressure against Wen Kong's lips eased in the next instant.

Ye Mu rubbed against his cheek and fell into his arms, limp and completely relaxed.

He sat quietly for a long time.

"Ye Mu?"

Hearing Kong call her name, his throat tightened, he raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder and back.

There was no response.

Only her even, long breaths could be heard; her long eyelashes were closed, and her still-rosy cheeks were pressed against his monk's robe as she slept.

Wen Kong didn't know what to do with her.

She effortlessly shattered the steely resolve he had painstakingly built, making his arduous ascetic practices and struggles before the Buddha, which involved abstaining from food and drink and bordering on self-destruction, seem like a joke.

She might not even know who she kissed, she might have kissed the wrong person, she might not even remember kissing him. Wen Kong pursed his lips, comparing in his mind which of these situations was more uncomfortable, and it seemed that none of them were quite pleasant.

She's so wicked; she always acts so recklessly, disturbing him while she herself sleeps soundly.

Wen Kong let out a very light sigh, then carefully gathered up Ye Mu's loose, slipping cloak, wrapping her up tightly, leaving only a small section of her quiet profile flushed with drunkenness.

After doing all this, he bent down, carried her steadily on his back, and went down the mountain.

The mountain wind grew colder, and the sporadic sounds of firecrackers in the distance made the surrounding wilderness seem even more desolate and silent. Wen Kong stopped and pursed her lips, still smelling her sweet fragrance. The thrilling experience just now had indeed happened.

From then on, the person he carried on his back became his karma and his debt.

Wen Kong lifted her knees slightly. "Ye Mu, do you know who you just kissed?"

She lay on his back with her eyes closed, listening to him ask her questions several times before answering, seemingly impatiently, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "The one I kiss is naturally my husband."

"What is your surname, young master?"

She stopped talking again.

Wen Kong spoke for her, "The young master's surname is Xie, and his given name is Yi Cheng."

Regardless of whether she kissed the wrong person or not, he had already pledged his allegiance to her in his heart.

He tried to restrain himself, but his body's instincts still betrayed Buddha, and from then on, he knew he was beyond saving.

The Buddhist paradise in my heart has transformed the human world.

"Fourth Sister, Happy New Year."

Under the cover of the mountain breeze, Wen Kong called her as if she were her closest confidant, "My common name is Xie Yicheng. Let's get to know each other again."

-

The first day of the first lunar month is New Year's Day.

The morning light shone through the window paper, already a bright white.

When Ye Mu woke up, he felt as if his head was stuffed with a tangled mess of hemp fibers, and his head was numb and throbbing with pain.

She sat up, propping herself up on her hand. Fragments of memories from last night flooded back: the dazzling fireworks, the biting mountain wind, her master's warm back, and...

He kissed his master.

Ye Mu touched her lips, then couldn't help but purse them. Did she really kiss him? Was that sweet, soft touch real?

Ye Mu instinctively felt it was a dream.

Beneath his monk's robe, his muscles were bulging, his knuckles were hard and cold, and his whole being was as aloof as a stone statue. It was hard to believe he had such soft lips.

Damn it, I can't remember anything when it comes to the crucial part. Ye Mu shook her head vigorously. Even if it was a dream, it would be good for her to savor it. But she couldn't remember anything more. She couldn't tell whether it was a dream or reality.

But before he could figure it out, he suddenly remembered the important matter and his heart sank. Oh no! Yesterday he was so busy drinking that he forgot to mention to his master that he was going to meet his third sister at Baoxiang Temple today!

On New Year's Day, the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince visited Baoxiang Temple to pray for blessings and worship Buddha. At that time, Baoxiang Temple was probably under strict discipline. Even a sparrow flying in would be questioned about its ancestors for three generations. How could ordinary people be allowed to enter and leave at will?

Ye Mu was anxious, and the headache from his hangover was somewhat relieved by his anxiety.

She quickly washed and dressed, but because her legs were still not very agile and she was in a hurry, she unusually didn't skimp on the money and went to the carriage shop at the alley entrance to rent a slightly worn blue-draped carriage. It was a holiday, so the fare was more than double that of an oxcart, but she didn't haggle. It concerned her third sister, and she couldn't be stingy.

The carriage clattered as it drove out of the city gate, heading towards Baoxiang Temple in the west of the city.

With the carriage curtain half-open, Ye Mu felt the cold wind blowing, which cleared her mind considerably.

As far as the eye could see, the official road leading to Baoxiang Temple appeared desolate due to the cleansing of the mountain, but along the side roads, many carriages had quietly stopped.

The carriages and horses varied in size, but most were exquisitely decorated, with thick brocade curtains hanging down. The horses pulling the carriages were also exceptionally fine. Occasionally, a corner of the curtain would be carefully lifted, revealing half of the profile of a young woman with powdered face and jeweled hairpins, or the wrists of a woman wearing jade bracelets, adjusting her skirt.

Ye Mu understood.

It was a rare occasion for His Highness the Crown Prince to publicly accompany the Empress Dowager to a Buddhist temple to pray for blessings, which was a godsend for the families of many shrewd officials in the capital.

Under the guise of worshipping Buddha and praying for blessings, bringing along one's young daughter is a chance to make an appearance, even if it's just for her to be seen by a distinguished person for a brief moment.

If one were fortunate enough to catch the eye of the Empress Dowager or one of the accompanying palace ladies and be asked a question or two, that would be a great honor and would pave the way for the upcoming selection of the Crown Prince.

But what if the crown prince doesn't like women...?

Ye Mu initially found this idea shocking and chilling, but at this moment, she suddenly realized that if this guess was true, it might not be a disaster for her third sister, but could even be a great blessing.

If the Crown Prince truly harbors such secrets, then the so-called selection of the Eastern Palace is merely a formality, a way to give an explanation to the royal family and the people.

The third sister, with her gentle, timid, and rule-abiding nature, possessed neither stunning beauty nor the ability to navigate social situations, making her stand out among these carefully trained noble ladies.

Losing the election was almost inevitable.

They don't need to rack their brains and worry about how to avoid this at all. The problem itself may not have existed in the first place.

The real trouble lies not in the Crown Prince's palace, but in the Zhou family.

Ye Mu felt a headache just thinking about this person; she was a woman who would do anything to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy.

How could she easily give up the opportunity to elevate her third sister to the Crown Prince's residence? Even if her third sister was mediocre, since she had this intention, she would definitely devise a way to pave the way for her.

Ye Mu was at a loss, unsure of what she would do, and could only take it one step at a time.

The carriage had just arrived at the foot of the mountain where Baoxiang Temple was located, and was still a hundred feet away from the mountain gate, when it was stopped by a group of imperial guards in bright armor, wielding halberds.

"Ahead lies Jingshan. The imperial family has arrived at Baoxiang Temple to pray for blessings. All unauthorized personnel must retreat! No one is allowed to approach!" The head of the team shouted in a loud and authoritative voice.

The coachman was so frightened that he immediately reined in the horse and dared not go any further.

Ye Mu lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. He saw that the main road leading up the mountain had been completely blocked off. There were many barricades, banners fluttering, and guards in golden armor or brocade robes stood along the mountain road, all the way to the eaves of the temples hidden in the trees halfway up the mountain.

She was startled by the carriage, and her heart sank as she knew there was absolutely no way she could get on.

Just as I was getting anxious, I heard the sound of horses' hooves behind me.

A black, flat-roofed carriage with low-hanging curtains approached, surrounded by several attendants. A small emblem hung on the carriage shaft, which Ye Mu recognized at a glance as the mark of the Hanlin Academy.

The carriage was familiar; it belonged to Jiang Si.

The carriage stopped beside her, and a hand with distinct knuckles lifted the curtain of the window, revealing Jiang Si's face. He was dressed in casual clothes today, but the materials were exquisite, and his expression carried the composed demeanor of a newly appointed official.

"Fourth Sister?" He seemed somewhat surprised, then understood. "Want to come to Baoxiang Temple to offer incense? Unfortunately, His Majesty is here today, and the entire mountain is closed off for purification. Ordinary people can't go up."

Jiang Si leaned forward slightly, "However, I am on official business and have a token that allows me to pass through. Why don't you try riding in my carriage? It's better than waiting here in vain or making a wasted trip."

Ye Mu instinctively wanted to refuse, but her gaze returned to the heavily guarded mountain path. She thought of her third sister, who might be anxiously waiting in the temple, and then of the foolish Zhou Shi…

That's all.

She lowered her eyes. "Then I will trouble you, Lord Jiang."

A hint of smugness flashed in Jiang Si's eyes. He got out of the car himself and reached out to help.

Ye Mu stepped aside to avoid it and then climbed onto the carriage using the brocade stools.

The car door closed, shutting out the cold wind from outside.

The space suddenly became private. Jiang Si sat down on the soft chair covered with a fox fur opposite her, leaned back to relax, and looked at her cheeks, which were reddened by the cold wind.

"Fourth Sister seems to be in a great hurry?" he said, picking up the teapot warming on the small clay stove, pouring a cup of hot tea and pushing it in front of her, "Have a sip of hot tea to warm yourself up first."

The tea was clear and steaming.

Ye Mu didn't touch the cup. Instead, she looked up and asked him directly, "Do you remember who became the Crown Princess after the third daughter of the Yongchang Marquis's mansion passed away in your previous life?"

Her memories have become hazy and indistinct due to the passage of time since her rebirth, and many details have become indistinct.

But he is different.

He has only been reborn for a short time, and he should still have a vivid memory of his past, especially of major events involving the transfer of power and the shifting of the political winds in the harem.

Since they were both people who had been given a second chance at life, and Ye Mu had no intention of currying favor with him, there was no need for him to be polite or reserved.

"You're still interested in running for Crown Princess?" Jiang Si raised an eyebrow. "So you're not here to offer incense today, but to see His Highness the Crown Prince? Ye Mu, you've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve this life. Tired of being the accountant at Fuyao Pavilion?"

"Get to the point." Ye Mu said impatiently, his voice turning cold.

Seeing her cold face, Jiang Si honestly answered, "She is the second daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's family. Less than half a year after the one from the Yongchang Earl's family passed away, His Majesty personally issued an edict to betroth her as the Crown Princess."

"So when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, she became the Empress?"

"Naturally, the Crown Prince's principal wife will become the Empress after she ascends the throne."

"How is their relationship?"

She thought that Jiang Si had held a high-ranking official position in his previous life and frequently entered and exited the palace, so perhaps he had glimpsed some of the true nature of the relationship between the emperor and empress.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Si interpreted these words in a completely different way, and he became furious. "I advise you to give up this wishful thinking as soon as possible."

"Look at your current situation. Abandoned daughter of a marquis, now living in the marketplace, doing menial work in a place where people come and go. You can't even keep a clean reputation. And look at the dilapidated house in Elm Lane where you live. What do you think the imperial palace is? With your current appearance and status, you're not even as good as the lowly palace maids who sweep outside the palace gates! You dare to dream of it?"

He leaned back heavily against the fox fur cushion, his gaze fixed on her. "In this life, it is your good fortune that I was able to find you again. I, Jiang Si, am the best place for you to be. You were my wife in your past life, and in this life, you can only be my wife, Jiang Si. This is destiny, and you cannot escape it."

Ye Mu looked at the fresh scar on his forehead, left from falling off the oxcart a few days ago. The faint red mark shone in the dim light of the carriage, and she felt it was utterly absurd.

She just couldn't see eye to eye with him; if she asked him something, he would insist on talking about something else.

Ye Mu said, "I don't know where your deep obsession comes from. But there is absolutely no possibility between us in this life. Being able to sit in the same car with you today and say these few words is already the limit of my tolerance. Jiang Si, the relationship between us is no longer one where we can sit down and have a proper talk. It is not now, and it will never be in the future."

“In our past lives, didn’t we have some good times together? Under the flowers and the moon, whispering sweet nothings to each other… As long as you agree to my request, my mother will stay in our old home in this life and will never be allowed to disturb us again. We will then be able to return to the way things were before.”

“That was the good time you thought it was.” Ye Mu interrupted him, her eyes indifferent. “I’ve thought about it carefully in this life. Between us, from temperament and interests to how we conduct ourselves, there is nothing we are compatible with. The so-called good times are nothing more than the superficial peace that I have obtained by retreating again and again and compromising.”

"Not in sync? Are we also..."

"You've never made me feel comfortable."

Ye Mu cut him off before he could finish his vulgarities, swiftly and decisively.

“On this point alone, we are not suitable.”

Jiang Si's face flushed instantly. He was stunned by this blunt and humiliating rejection, which shattered his dignity as a man. He leaned forward, almost touching her nose, "Then who made you feel good?!"

In fact, even though he had experienced it many times in his previous life, Ye Mu was still clueless about matters between men and women.

For her, her marital relations with Jiang Si in her previous life were more like a chore she had to complete, which was exhausting and very uncomfortable.

She endured it stiffly, hoping it would end soon, never having experienced the kind of enchanting pleasure described in folk tales and poems, such as "powder melting with fragrant sweat" and "spring thoughts surging like waves."

She vaguely sensed from the ambiguous whispers of the older maids and the occasional satisfied expressions on the faces of the other ladies that this matter might not be as dull as she had experienced, and might even be quite enjoyable.

Later, when she was copying storybooks, she would sometimes come across some erotic stories and plays. The words "mandarin ducks under the curtain", "red waves under the quilt", and "delicate moaning" would always make her ears burn. She would quickly skim over them, but a vague curiosity and embarrassment would remain in her heart.

Why do the women in those stories keep asking men for more than once? If there is only suffering, why are there such tender sighs?

But with Jiang Si, even if it happened at that time, when he came at night, she would still have a mental block, and she would even secretly hope that he would be reading in the study until dawn without her noticing.

Since it was not easy to discuss this matter with others, Ye Mu could only try to understand it on his own. By comparing these fragmented understandings with his experiences from his previous life, he concluded that the problem was not with this matter, but with this person.

This matter has been proven in books and oral accounts from others, and it is quite wonderful and interesting.

If she can't understand, then the person must be at fault.

"It's none of your business." Ye Mu met his piercing gaze with an extremely cold voice. "In any case, I already know the intricacies involved, unlike how you treated me, Lord Jiang. Based on this alone, there is absolutely no possibility for us to reconcile."

"You!" Jiang Si trembled with rage, his fingers gripping the car wall so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as if he were about to strangle her at any moment.

However, the carriage jolted slightly at that moment and came to a stop.

The coachman outside said respectfully in a low voice, "Sir, we have arrived at the gate of Baoxiang Temple. The Imperial Guards are blocking the road ahead, and the carriage cannot proceed any further."

Ye Mu pushed him away, staggered off the carriage, and realized she had made herself clear enough to him.

Moreover, she didn't think Jiang Si wanted to marry her in this life because he loved her, but because he couldn't have her.

Jiang Si's obsession had nothing to do with whether Ye Mu was round or flat, happy or sad. His discomfort did not stem from the pain of losing his beloved, but from an old object that should have been locked away in his closet daring to grow legs and run away, even ending up in the dust within his sight, tainted by the worldly affairs he could not control.

He couldn't accept it, which is why he provoked her. To put it bluntly, he still loved himself the most. He wanted her to return to her rightful place and become the fourth daughter who listened to him again.

How could that be?

Having lived two lifetimes, she had already fallen in love with someone else.

Beside the stone steps of the temple gate, the third sister, Ye Qing, kept looking around anxiously. Around Ye Qing, a number of young women dressed in gorgeous clothes and carefully made up, along with their mistress, had gathered, some standing and some leaning. They were all holding their breath, their eyes fixed on the main mountain road, waiting for the imperial procession.

Ye Mu jogged over and saw that they were all familiar faces.

In the past, at the Marquis's mansion, the people I interacted with and secretly compared at all the flower banquets, poetry gatherings, and spring garden parties were none other than these same people.

Today, most of the eligible young ladies in the capital have probably gathered outside the mountain gate under the guise of worshipping Buddha.

"Oh, who do we have here?" A mocking voice rang out from beside me. "Isn't this the fourth young lady of our Yong'an Marquis's mansion? Oh, look at my memory, I should say the former fourth young lady of the Marquis's mansion."

Ye Mu didn't need to turn around; he knew it was Su Yao just by hearing her voice.

Ye Qing had already moved over in small steps, tightly holding Ye Mu's arm, and whispered in her ear, "Fourth sister, it's Su Yao. Her engagement was broken off by her aunt. On the surface, it's said that her eldest brother was sent to Suzhou to avoid delaying her youth, but privately everyone says that it must be because of her bad character. Otherwise, how could her aunt, who is still her cousin, be so ruthless? She's been a bit crazy lately, biting anyone she sees. Be careful..."

Ye Mu's eyes flickered slightly as she recalled giving her aunt, Madam Wang, a few words of advice when she was at the Marquis's residence. It seemed that Madam Wang had investigated and the result had led her to decisively sever the marriage.

She gently patted Ye Qing's hand to reassure her before slowly turning around. "Miss Su, it's been a long time."

Su Yao had clearly put in a lot of effort today, wearing a moon-white brocade jacket and skirt embroidered with pale purple orchid patterns, over which she wore a light green brocade cloak with gray squirrel fur, the colors of which were elegant and outstanding.

Ye Mu admired her for finding another way out after breaking off the engagement, and she showed no sign of discouragement.

"When I saw you get out of that carriage just now, I thought I had mistaken you for someone else." Su Yao's lips curved into a smile. "Miss Ye, you're really something. You've already climbed up to a higher branch after leaving the Marquis's residence?"

Her gaze drifted to Jiang Si, who was exchanging pleasantries with several officials not far away. He stood out among the uniformly dressed officials in scarlet or blue robes. Despite the recent rumors about him, his handsome appearance and the aura of a top scholar still attracted the furtive glances of many waiting noble ladies.

Seeing that Ye Mu remained silent, only smiling at her, Su Yao felt the pent-up anger in her heart, fueled by the annulment of their engagement, flare up even more. "You've got some tricks up your sleeve, getting off the train at the top scholar's place and then coming here to try your luck? You don't actually think that dressing shabbily will attract the Crown Prince's attention and pity, do you?"

She didn't seize on the reason for their departure from the mansion. Ye Mu's eyes flickered slightly. It seemed that Wang Shi had ultimately left room for maneuver. She guessed that she would use the excuse that the mother and daughter were "sick and needed to rest" as an external explanation. This was also a common excuse used by large families to preserve their reputation.

However, Wang's thoughtfulness only made Ye Mu feel that she was guilty.

Ye Mu smiled faintly, "I came here today to pray for good fortune on the first day of the Lunar New Year. I didn't expect to run into the royal procession and be unable to go up the mountain. Lord Jiang is kind-hearted and gave me a ride along the way."

She subtly changed the subject, "However, we were just strangers who met by chance. Lord Jiang didn't pay much attention to me on the way, but he mentioned Miss Su several times."

Su Yao was waiting for her to retaliate in anger and embarrassment, but she didn't expect her to suddenly steer the conversation back to herself. She was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Mention me? Mention me what?"

"This praises Miss Su for her intelligence and talent, and for being a model of virtue in the capital. Lord Jiang's words show his great admiration for Miss Su."

Since they were already connected in their past lives, she might as well grant their wish sooner and send them on their way in this life.

Whether this pot of honey attracts bees and butterflies to its fragrance or leaves them sticking to their hands and feet depends on their own fate.

Several gazes that had been scrutinizing Ye Mu quietly shifted to Su Yao, carrying a sense of reassessment and envy. After all, she was the newly appointed top scholar, a distinguished scholar, and a young man with a promising future.

Su Yao herself was completely stunned.

The whispers and whispers behind her back, and the open estrangement and coldness she received after the engagement was called off, had already made her as easily frightened as a bird startled by a bow. This sudden appreciation made her feel dizzy.

She had just been jilted and humiliated, and there was already some discontent within her family. If someone like Jiang Si were to extend an olive branch at this time, it would be enough to allow her to regain her standing among her friends and even turn the tables on her aunt, Madam Wang.

She stopped arguing, her hostility dissipating. She leaned forward slightly, her tone affectionate, "Fourth Sister, did Lord Jiang say anything else?"

Ye Mu readily agreed, saying, "He said that among all the young ladies he has met since arriving in the capital, Miss Su is the most outstanding in terms of appearance and talent. He especially praised your refined and elegant demeanor, which is incomparable to ordinary women."

Su Yao is still a young girl and doesn't have that kind of ruthless mindset yet, so she is easy to fool and was completely manipulated by Ye Mu.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she subconsciously raised her hand to tidy her temples. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly, and the tension from before had softened considerably.

Just then, Ye Qing, who had been standing close to Ye Mu, suddenly tugged at her sleeve, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Fourth sister... I... I'm about to pass out..."

Ye Mu was praising himself so much that he felt a little nauseous. Hearing this, he thought Ye Qing couldn't stand it anymore, so he turned his head and whispered, "Bear with it a little longer."

"No, no..." Ye Qing's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, her face was a little pale, and she secretly pressed her other hand against her lower abdomen, her body slightly hunched over. "It's just that my stomach is churning violently, and I'm in cramping pain... I need to go to the toilet..."

Her ears turned bright red with embarrassment; in this kind of situation, such eagerness was simply a disaster.

Without hesitation, Ye Mu put his arm under Ye Qing's armpit and almost half-carried her to steady her. He then nodded slightly to Su Yao, whose eyes were still wandering, and said, "Miss Su, let's go over there for some fresh air."

She half-supported, half-carried Ye Qing, and moved her toward the side gate of the temple that led to the inner servants' area.

Fortunately, Ye Mu knew the layout of Baoxiang Temple like the back of his hand, and he took her to the clean room by a shortcut. Ye Qing was relieved and, disregarding her manners, clutched her stomach and stumbled into the half-closed door.

"Fourth sister, are you outside the door?" Ye Qing's weak voice came from inside the door soon after, muffled and weak, "It's a bit dark in here, don't go too far."

"I'm not leaving, I'll wait for you here." Ye Mu leaned against the cold outer wall, composing herself. The brisk walk had made her leg injury throb. "By the way, where was Second Grandmother when we were ahead?"

A rustling sound and muffled groans came from inside the door. After a moment, Ye Qing's voice came through intermittently, "My mother is pregnant, so she asked my aunt to bring me here. As soon as we arrived at the temple, my aunt went to find the abbot, so you didn't see her."

Ye Muchu didn't think much of it at first, but after thinking about it again, he realized the key.

The Empress Dowager is Wang's aunt. Today, the Emperor is here in person, and the Empress Dowager will surely summon this niece for a chat. At that time, Wang will definitely bring Ye Qing with her to meet the Crown Prince who is present.

It turned out that Zhou had this idea in mind: to use this method to push her third sister in front of the Crown Prince.

But doesn't Third Sister still have a marriage agreement with the Duke of Nanguo's family? What good would it do to see the Crown Prince?

Unless Zhou persuades Wang to join in the scheme.

Wang deliberately avoided mentioning the marriage agreement in front of the Empress Dowager. Instead, she introduced Ye Qing as a well-behaved and charming niece who was not yet betrothed. She offered a few words of praise, which was perfectly normal for the Empress Dowager, who was of advanced age, to casually praise such a gentle and beautiful girl from her maternal family, especially since it was a relaxed occasion of praying before Buddha.

As long as the Empress Dowager softened her tone even slightly, revealing a hint that "this child seems quite good," even if it was just the most ordinary politeness, Zhou would take it as gospel and make a big deal out of it.

Once the rumors start, wouldn't it be easy to annul the engagement with the Duke of Nanguo's mansion? Once the engagement is annulled, the rumors will seem more real, and regardless of whether the Crown Prince has taken a liking to her, Third Sister will be inextricably linked to the Eastern Palace.

However, one thing Ye Mu never understood was what leverage the Zhou family had over the Wang family.

The reason they were kicked out of the Marquis's residence was because, given Wang's personality, her first reaction to such a sordid matter would not be to hastily throw the people out, but rather to conduct a thorough internal investigation, just like she investigated Su Yao.

However, Wang's reaction at the time, though angry, was all bark and no bite. She did not investigate further and was almost led by the nose by Zhou, who quickly convicted the mother and daughter and drove them out like filth.

It's more like they had no choice but to compromise.

Ye Mu was puzzled. Inside, Ye Qing called out helplessly, "Fourth Sister, we're almost out of toilet paper. There's only a little rough paper left, which I don't like. Could you go find me some clean toilet paper? Hurry..."

Ye Mu didn't dare to delay and immediately replied, "Alright, just bear with me, I'll go find it right away."

She hurried toward the empty cabin.

Meanwhile, Jiang Si, seeing Ye Mu enter through the side gate, made an excuse to leave with his colleagues and followed them to this secluded side.

However, the path inside the side gate branched off, and the area was overgrown with vegetation, so the two sisters had long since disappeared from sight.

He was hesitating about which way to go when he saw a monk carrying prayer cushions into the main hall. He didn't pay any attention to him at first, but the monk had an outstanding demeanor, and Jiang Si recognized him as Wen Kong.

Jiang Si had been curious about him since his previous life. When he first heard the name, Wen Kong was already a famous imperial advisor in the capital, deeply favored by the emperor. He was only responsible for divinering good and bad fortune for the royal family and predicting the fate of the country. It was extremely difficult for ordinary people to ask him for a divination.

At present, he is not yet the Imperial Preceptor, but merely a monk of some renown.

Jiang Si quickly went over and helped Wen Kong carry the remaining prayer mats into the hall.

Wen Kong did not recognize that this was the top scholar who had ridden in the oxcart with Ye Mu that day. At that time, he had only caught a glimpse of his back and had not seen his true face. Now, seeing his noble attire, he assumed that he was an official who had come with the imperial entourage to pray for blessings today.

Wen Kong put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, thank you for your help."

The prayer cushions were arranged neatly one by one.

"You must be Master Wenkong? I've heard that you are a master of Buddhism, especially skilled in divination and prediction," Jiang Si dusted off his clothes. "I have a matter on my mind concerning a woman, which is very troubling. I wonder if you could help me by matching our birth dates?"

Matching birth dates and times was a trivial matter, so Wen Kong did not refuse and led him to a secluded side hall. "Please follow me, benefactor."

The hall was spacious, furnished only with simple prayer cushions and a low table, and the burning incense emitted a calming sandalwood scent.

The two knelt facing each other. Wen Kong took a piece of plain paper and a short ink stick from the low table, mixed a little with water, dipped his brush in the ink, and waited quietly.

Jiang Si slowly said, "Male, born in the year of Gengyin, on the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month."

"Female, born in the year of Yiwei, on the eighth day of the fourth month, at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)."

Wen Kong lowered his eyes, picked up a pen and wrote two sets of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches on the paper, his knuckles slightly bent.

Immediately, his left hand began to rapidly calculate within his sleeve, his fingertips tracing across his palm as he silently deduced the complex constellations and the interactions of the five elements.

The hall was silent.

After a moment, Wen Kong raised his eyes and looked at Jiang Si.

“Benefactor, the birth charts of these two people... their marriage palaces are deeply intertwined, indicating a karmic entanglement from past lives that is difficult to sever.”

"It is truly a tragic fate."

Two lifetimes of searching, countless schemes and plots, only to be met with a casually dismissed tale of a tragic fate.

Jiang Si was unwilling. If there really was a destiny, why was he given a second chance at life? Human effort can change fate, so how could mere fortune-telling based on the Eight Characters of Destiny possibly make a difference?

He doesn't believe in fate.

This monk's words may not be accurate.

Moreover, isn't even a karmic entanglement a kind of fate?

As long as they can be entangled together, as long as Jiang Si is always in her destiny, what difference does it make whether they are a perfect match or a tragic couple?

If it's meant to be, it will be; if it's not, he'll force it, recklessly pursue it, and even snatch it if he can't get it. In short, whatever he gets by force, whether it's sweet or not, is still his, and that's enough.

After a few moments of silence, Jiang Si composed himself and said calmly, “Master, it is getting late. The Crown Prince and Empress Dowager should be arriving soon. I need to wait for them outside the mountain gate. I cannot disturb them any longer.”

Wen Kong stood with one hand in front of his chest and bowed silently.

Jiang Si stopped looking at him, turned around and strode out of the hall.

On the narrow path beside the palace, a woman hurriedly ran past, clutching something in her hand.

Wen Kong heard him call out to the woman, "Fourth Sister, Master Wen Kong just performed a divination and said we are destined to be together!"