No matter how bold a refugee may be, it's not like they don't want to live. If they bump into a nobleman's carriage and frighten his delicate noblewoman, in this dynasty where power reigns supreme, they're likely to lose their lives.

"How many servants did you bring?" Gan Qiongying asked Gan Huiyue.

"My daughter and I, along with eight maids, a nanny, and one servant, each had thirty servants... two carriages and two drivers."

Gan Huiyue's pretty face was covered in cold sweat, clearly she was extremely anxious. Gan Qiongying looked at her and somehow found a resemblance to Gan Lin in her face.

This is what Gan Lin looked like when she was a child and hadn't fully grown up.

Because of their kinship, Gan Qiongying felt a pang of tenderness and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her cheeks.

Then he said, "Caihong and Qing, you two take a few guards from the princess's residence and follow them down the mountain."

"Don't be afraid, nothing serious will happen. The guards and carriages of the princess's residence all wear special badges and bells, so strangers dare not approach them easily, and no one dares to offend them."

"Go ahead," Gan Qiongying said to Gan Huiyue. "You don't need to come back looking for me. Tell your aunt that I'm going to the Grand Princess's residence for a free meal in a few days."

Gan Huiyue gave a hurried smile. She was always very proper, and it was clear how anxious and nervous she was about the youngest daughter of the official in charge of the Ministry of Rites.

Caihong and Queqing were initially hesitant when they received Lihua's order to protect the princess. However, they had only just arrived at Lihua's side and, having been apart for so long, they no longer understood their master's temperament.

In the two days since they arrived, it was clear that their master only had eyes for the princess, obeying her every word and never having any dissenting opinions.

They naturally dared not disobey Gan Qiongying, and after bowing, they quickly left behind Gan Huiyue.

Manyue and the other maids moved closer to Gan Qiongying. Manyue watched the two maids leave, still a little resentful. As she helped Gan Qiongying through the door, she muttered softly, "Princess, don't be afraid. I also know martial arts!"

As she spoke, Man Yue clenched her pink little fist.

Gan Qiongying's expression was somewhat indescribable.

Full Moon is indeed quite skilled in many areas, but her kung fu is the only exception... After Gan Qiongying got to know her, she realized that her rudimentary kung fu was taught by Chen Wa.

Chen Wa was also afraid that the head maid in the princess's mansion was in Manyue's hands, and that Manyue's allowance and expenses were no longer needed after the prince consort took over the mansion.

Previously, Chen Wa could only carefully coax Manyue, praising her as an unparalleled martial arts genius.

However, there was no danger inside the temple. To appease Manyue, Gan Qiongying nodded earnestly and said, "I'm counting on you to protect me."

After the group entered the temple, a nimble young novice monk quickly came to greet them and led Gan Qiongying and the others along a secluded path to the backyard, a place usually frequented by nobles.

"Your Excellencies have arrived at just the right time," said the young novice monk, who looked to be only eleven or twelve years old. He was very lively, a bit short, but his legs moved very quickly.

He has small eyes, but they squint when he smiles, which is kind of funny.

Gan Qiongying chuckled as she looked at his shiny bald head. Seeing that Gan Qiongying was always smiling, the young novice monk kept chattering to her, explaining which bodhisattvas were enshrined in the temple and what they were in charge of.

"That's the Wenchang Bodhisattva up ahead. He's very efficacious. If you have a child in your family, this Wenchang Bodhisattva can bless the child to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations!"

He spoke with such arrogance, as if he could command the God of Literature, but Gan Qiongying was quite happy, so Manyue didn't scold the little novice.

What's your name?

“That’s it,” the young novice said. “My fellow disciples have all renounced worldly life, but when it came to me, after my head was shaved, my master couldn’t think of a good name to transcend the mundane, so he simply waved his hand and said, ‘That’s it!’”

"Hahahaha—" Gan Qiongying was amused and Man Yue laughed too.

"We've reached the chanting hall just ahead. If you, esteemed guest, enter now, you'll be able to hear it," Liao Liao said. "Master said that listening to your senior brother chant a sutra can cleanse the body of all impurities. Your senior brother's spiritual cultivation is the highest in the temple!"

"Alright, alright, I'll go in and listen." Gan Qiongying hadn't originally planned to listen to any scriptures, but since she was already here, and Liao Liao had been preaching all the way, plus it was almost mealtime, she could eat vegetarian food after listening.

It can also be considered a purification of the soul. Anyway, I've agreed to meet Li Hua at the foot of the mountain in two hours.

As Man Yue helped Gan Qiongying approach the main hall, they could hear a calm and gentle voice, like wisps of smoke or the flowing of a clear spring.

Gan Qiongying immediately felt a sense of relief, and the pleasurable emotions that Liao Liao had stirred up seemed to have been suppressed.

She couldn't understand what scriptures the monk was chanting. She entered the main hall from the door and couldn't hear a single word clearly, but she could tell that the pronunciation was completely different from normal speech.

Inside the main hall, it was as if students were going to school, with prayer cushions scattered all over the floor, and many women kneeling on them, some with upright postures, and some looking around.

There were also some novices staring intently at the sermon master above, their faces ruddy.

Gan Qiongying followed local customs and knelt on a prayer mat. Before she could even sit properly, Manyue gasped.

The sound of gasping was so loud that many people looked over.

Even the young monk who was chanting scriptures opened his eyes.

Gan Qiongying was stunned by the calm and serene look in his eyes, as still as an autumn lake and as cold as the moon. This man was handsome, and his baldness did not affect his good looks. No one who looked into his eyes could judge his appearance.

He looked to be only in his early twenties, but sitting there, he seemed to embody the passage of time and the changing of landscapes, exuding a sense of fleeting vicissitudes and enduring fragrance.

Gan Qiongying stared in disbelief, for she had never seen a monk who looked so otherworldly in her entire life.

Now someone is telling her that this person will immediately ascend to heaven and become a saint, and Gan Qiongying also feels that it is not a joke.

He had a solemn and dignified appearance, with eyes as deep as a mirror and a seated posture as still as a deep pool.

The monk quickly closed his eyes, and everyone who was looking at Gan Qiongying turned their backs. Gan Qiongying seemed to wake from a dream, and at this moment, Manyue quietly leaned close to Gan Qiongying's ear.

In a very, very soft voice, she said, "It is the little monk Dingzhen, Princess."

Gan Qiongying suddenly opened her eyes, which she had been preparing to listen to the scriptures.

"Huh?" She didn't say anything, but mouthed the question to the full moon, which shocked her immensely.

She should know Dingzhen, but why is there no memory of the appearance of the little monk who "could not get what he wanted" and wanted to raise money to build a temple for others in Duanrong's memory?

And is this a confirmed fact?

Gan Qiongying seemed to understand immediately why Duanrong was so willing to spend so much money on this little monk.

It's not that he looks like someone who wants people to spend money on him.

Rather, faith is inseparable from political rights in any era and occupies an extremely important position.

This young monk, just by sitting there, is a reincarnation of a Buddha. If he were in control, who knows how many people he could incite to follow and worship him based solely on his appearance and his ability to chant sutras.

Gan Qiongying stared blankly at Dingzhen, when Manyue leaned in and asked, "Does the princess still like him? Should we help the princess secretly ask him out later?"

Manyue knew the situation of all the male concubines in Princess Duanrong's harem, and knew that Princess Duanrong only admired or pitied those young men.

However, his pursuit of Dingzhen was second only to that of the hostage from Jinchuan. Building a temple was not an empty promise, and he almost sold his warehouse for it.

Now that we've secured a prince consort like the one from Jinchuan, then this little monk Dingzhen... isn't such a bad idea either.

Full Moon had a loyal look on her face, as if she would help get rid of people as long as Gan Qiongying nodded.

Gan Qiongying: "..."

Please, she came here to seek a good marriage and receive Buddha's blessing, not to steal a marriage or mess with a Buddhist monk.