Chapter 32 After Marriage

This palace must have belonged to a powerful figure from a previous dynasty, and traces of that dynasty can still be seen in its structure.

Upon hearing this, the monk's pupils contracted sharply, and even the prayer beads he had been moving steadily and continuously in his hand made a erratic sound.

"Your Majesty, I have forgotten all that happened in the past."

Jialuo gently tugged at the corners of her mouth, nodded slightly to the monk, and before rising again, she turned to look at the silent emperor beside her and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I do not understand Buddhism, and listening here now is futile. It is a waste of this holy monk's words. However, this palace looks quite ancient. I will go and take a look. You can stay here and listen to the holy monk explain the Dharma."

Although Jialuo's tone was very calm, it still sounded somewhat strange.

Fu Lin nodded and said in a low voice, "It won't take long."

Jialuo then got up and walked out of the palace.

The two people inside the house watched the girl's departing figure.

She walked out into the light, which outlined her beautiful figure as she stepped out of the somewhat dark and quiet palace.

"Your Majesty, your Empress and Empress Dowager look remarkably alike."

When only the Emperor and Monk Xingsen were in the room, he spoke.

Fu Lin slowly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly fixed on the serene monk before him.

"They are all heroines among women, living and navigating this worldly life, yet they are not bound by it."

Fu Lin's lips curled slightly, and his gaze returned to the scriptures in his hands.

He casually flipped through the scripture in his hand and said in a nonchalant tone, "Does the Holy Monk mean that the Empress will dissuade me from coming to listen to your sermons?"

Xing Sen clasped his hands together, his gaze shifting to one of pity, and said in a low voice, “The poem ‘Hearing the Buddhist chants in the meditation room of Master Ying’ reads: ‘I first realized that life is without attachment, and suddenly my heart desires to take refuge.’ Your Majesty is now gradually merging the six senses into one, while the Empress seems to be only now experiencing the joy of the six senses.”

"Since the Emperor has no heir at this moment, the Empress can only ever be the Empress."

Fu Lin nodded slightly, his dark eyes filled with contemplation.

......

Jialu walked out of the door and headed towards the backyard.

This mansion is a five-courtyard house with a large main gate.

The architectural style is spacious, reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty, while the gardens also possess a touch of the exquisite elegance of pavilions and towers typical of the Jiangnan region.

The reliefs were grand and magnificent, reminding Jialuo of the grandeur of the Ming Dynasty emperors.

Even though the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chongzhen (Zhu Youjian), was not a wise ruler in terms of governance, he still had the spirit of an emperor and sacrificed his life for his country.

Its national policy also emphasizes: "The emperor guards the nation's gates, and the monarch dies for the state."

Therefore, there is no historical record of the princess being married off to a foreign ruler.

Jialuo strolled through this picturesque garden, feeling the national integrity and imperial spirit of the previous dynasty.

Feeling a bit tired, I leaned against the window of the pavilion by the water, looking through the artificial hill at the traces of the previous dynasty.

"It's very good?"

A young man beside her stopped and asked in a low voice.

Jialuo didn't turn her head. Suddenly curious, she asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, do you think Zhu Youjian was afraid before he hanged himself?"

"When the country is in turmoil, it will cease to be a country."

"His suicide seems inevitable, but was he more filled with self-blame or fear?"

"That's what Jialuo asked."

The boy beside him seemed unable to answer for a moment; he remained silent.

At this moment, Jialuo finally turned her head, raised her head, and looked at the boy.

In fact, Fulin was only a fourteen-year-old boy at that time.

What was the fourteen-year-old boy doing in his previous life?

Perhaps he's a first-year high school student?

If he were a child prodigy, he would probably be studying at university or pursuing a doctorate right now.

However, Fulin was already the emperor of a country.

He gradually brought the unstable court to a state of stability, but he also had to face his powerful mother in the harem.

The only quiet place he sought, the young woman who was no longer the wife of Prince Xiang, was not powerful enough.

Perhaps from the moment he was born, he never had a moment of peace in his life.

Jialuo seemed to understand why he was willing to sacrifice himself for Buddha.

If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.

Where can peace and tranquility coexist?

Jialuo looked away. It was almost noon, and she was still thinking about having three meals outside the palace.

"Your Majesty, may we go out for a stroll now?"

Fu Lin sighed, his expression full of helplessness.

"You are an empress, how come you do things that are not befitting your status?"

Jialuo got up and followed behind him, her face completely indifferent.

"Humans have seven emotions and six desires, as stated in the Book of Rites."

"The seven emotions are joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire. The six desires are birth, death, hearing, sight, smell, taste, and smell."

"Although I am the Empress, I have not said that the Empress must sever these seven emotions and six desires."

Fu Lin strode out, and Jia Luo had no choice but to jog behind him.

All the monks in the courtyard stopped and bowed to the two of them.

Fulin said to Jialuo in a low voice, "Nonsense. I am the emperor who is diligent, frugal and courteous, and you, as the empress, should also set an example."

Jialu rolled her eyes discreetly and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty is right, I will remember it."

Her tone was reluctant, but the emperor, who was walking ahead, did not show his usual anger. Instead, he silently curled his lips and asked, "So what is the Empress going to do now?"

When this was mentioned, Jialuo became very interested.

She counted on her fingers, saying one thing at a time: "Now I want to eat sauerkraut stewed with cured pig's trotters, then cherry meat and yam, glutinous rice strips, and I also want Jade to pack some dragon beard candy and jujube paste cake. After the meal, I also want to go to the West Market to see if there are any rare items."

Upon hearing this, Fu Lin turned and glanced at Jia Luo before getting into the carriage.

Jialuo was overjoyed and blinked her big eyes at Fulin in a daze.

"Does Your Majesty have enough money to buy so many?"

Jialuo was even more surprised than him, and she subconsciously lowered her voice as she asked, "Does Your Majesty mean that I have to pay for my own trip out with you?"

The group boarded the carriage, and suddenly a boy's hearty laughter came from inside, along with a girl's slightly complaining whispers.

"Master?"

Xing Sen, who was seeing them off at the door, stood in the shadows, watching the carriage slowly depart with quiet eyes.

........

The group arrived at the restaurant with a clear goal in mind. Jialuo ordered everything she wanted to eat without any hesitation before sitting down contentedly and waiting for the food to be served.

Fu Lin sat down, took a sip of tea, frowned, placed the teacup on the table beside him, and said in a low voice, "What's so good about this?"

Jialu shook his head slightly and said, "His Majesty is used to eating delicacies, but sometimes he also needs to eat some simple meals to change things up."

"You see, although this tea tastes a bit rough at first sip, if you savor it carefully, you'll find a hint of sweetness mixed in with the bitterness."

Fu Lin looked at her and suddenly asked, "Does the Empress know Xing Sen?"

Jialu knew he would ask, and she was already prepared.

"I do not know him."

"Then how do you know he was an official from the previous dynasty?"

Jialu raised an eyebrow and snorted, saying, "That monk called himself a monk, but he didn't show the slightest panic in front of the Emperor and me. He even knew that I was the Empress. It's clear that he has an extraordinary background."

"Furthermore, how could a truly detached monk know where I come from? And why would he ask me if I miss the scenery of the Horqin Grassland?"

"Judging from his appearance, he looks to be about fifty or sixty years old, and he does not look like a Manchu or Mongol. Given his current high status, he must have been in the temple for quite some time. Therefore, he cannot be a Han Chinese official of the Qing Dynasty. So there is only one explanation: he is from a family of officials of the previous dynasty. As for whether he served as an official in the court, I do not know."

"I do not know about his Buddhist teachings, so I will not judge them, but I do not agree with his character."

Fulin did not indicate whether he agreed with Jialuo's words, but instead asked, "So you don't agree with me going to listen to him preach Buddhism?"

Jialu was shocked to hear this!

She quickly replied, "Why would Your Majesty think that way? Your Majesty is the emperor; how could I possibly control your words, actions, or whereabouts?"

“You are a thousand times, ten thousand times more intelligent than I am. I can guess some of the monk’s background, but Your Majesty knows much more. In this situation, you are willing to listen to him talk about Buddhism, which is enough to show that Monk Xingsen’s Buddhism is profound and mysterious, and that he has been practicing the principles since childhood.”

"Your Majesty, I have neither the standing to dissuade you, nor the ability to dissuade you, nor the intention to dissuade you."

Fu Lin looked at her intently.

Galo, on the other hand, looked shocked and bewildered.

Then, he smiled wryly, looked away, and turned to look out the window.

The private rooms on the second floor of the restaurant naturally offer the best views.

The distant mountains are covered in snow, with snow already accumulating on their peaks, while the bare branches below are of various shapes and sizes, with birds perched on them or a few yellow leaves remaining.

Nearby are layers upon layers of rooftops. It is noon, the time when people light fires to cook their meals. Every household has a stove burning, and smoke swirls around, a scene of everyday life.

Fu Lin's heart, which had never found peace before, seemed to have found peace at this moment.

After the food was served, the girl happily introduced him to the flavors of each dish and the parts she thought were delicious.

Then we went to the West Market, and the last stop was a small alley where we sat on an open-air bench and watched an old man bring over several bowls of steaming hot noodles with the aroma of chili oil.

The milky white mist made the girl's beautiful face look like a fairy seen through a mirror or the moon's reflection in water.

Fu Lin's heart tightened suddenly. He waved away the mist, revealing the girl's slightly surprised face.

His image was reflected in her beautiful eyes.

The two returned to the palace in high spirits, but as soon as they arrived at the inner palace, they heard a palace maid with an anxious expression suddenly kneel down in front of the emperor.

"Your Majesty, save me! My master is dying!"

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Author's note: Hehe, early update today!