In the dining hall, the Wei family members were having a meal together. Wei Wenshi sat at the head of the table, with the three members of the second branch of the family and Wei Ping and her daughter on either side.

Wei Chengxiu was blind, and usually relied on his maid to place his favorite dishes on a small plate in front of him so he could enjoy them. But today, Wei Shuwan had left early in the morning and had not yet returned by this time, so he had to turn his head slightly to signal the servant to come and help serve the food.

Cai Die sat next to Wei Chengxiu. Seeing his actions, she immediately understood, picked up the serving chopsticks, put some food into the small dish in front of him, and said gently, "Axiu, your sister will take care of you."

Since the eldest son's family was forced to move away, Cai Die realized that now that she had come to Shengjing, it wouldn't be enough to just please Wei Wen Shi; she also needed to cultivate good relationships with the second son's family in order to stay here for a long time. Therefore, how could she let go of this good opportunity to show the warmth of family?

Upon hearing this, Wei Chengxiu froze, holding his chopsticks and hesitating to pick up the dish that Cai Die had brought over.

Although he rarely got involved in the affairs of the inner quarters, he had a general idea of ​​what kind of person his older sister, Cai Die, was. Her sudden warmth and gentleness towards him made the hairs on his clothes stand on end, and he felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

However, hearing her granddaughter say this, Madam Wei was quite pleased. Now that Cai Die had become a member of the Wei family, she should be closer to the other branches of the family. Since her own son wasn't here, it was a good thing that she and her daughter could get along well with the second branch of the family first.

Wei Ping and Sun Lurong also looked over.

Although Wei Chengxiu couldn't see, he could guess that several people were focusing their attention on him. If he didn't eat this dish, he would be going against Sister Caidie's goodwill.

Therefore, despite not liking it, Wei Chengxiu slowly lowered his chopsticks to pick up some food from the plate, just as a lively voice interrupted him:

"I'm back~"

"Sister!" Wei Chengxiu naturally put his chopsticks on the table and turned to look down the door with a happy expression. Although he couldn't see, he was used to letting his sister see his expression.

Wei Shuwan gave a brief greeting to her grandmother, father, and mother before taking her seat. As she sat down, she patted Ah Xiu's head and said, "Are you hungry? Your older sister will get you something delicious."

Wei Shuwan picked up several different dishes and placed them on Axiu's plate. As if they were telepathically connected, Axiu was able to precisely avoid the dishes that Caidie had picked up with each bite, and only eat the dishes that Wei Shuwan had picked up.

Seeing this, Cai Die couldn't help but feel annoyed, realizing that she had wasted her time being a good person.

Although Wei Ping was also dissatisfied, she was more composed than her daughter and asked with a smile, "Where did Shuwan go this morning? If there was anything fun, don't forget to take Caidie to see it next time."

Wei Shuwan's eyes darted between the mother and daughter opposite her, sensing that their warmth today seemed to have some ulterior motive. She gave a distant smile and said, "I went to the Prince's mansion to apologize for my fourth sister's matter."

There's no point in hiding this kind of thing, especially since Li Qingchen has already sent the betrothal gifts, and with the two families moving around, no one can say anything.

These words surprised everyone at the table, and Lady Wei Wen quickly asked, "What did the young prince say?"

"Grandmother, don't worry, he didn't take it too seriously and let it go."

Lady Wei was finally relieved. It was a rare opportunity for the Wei family to climb such a high branch, and it would be a pity if they offended Shuyao because of her momentary willfulness.

It was inconvenient to take Cai Die to such a place, but Wei Ping persisted, saying, "Shu Wan, I've heard that there's a very popular temple called Luoyun Temple in the outskirts of the capital. If you're free tomorrow, could you take Cai Die with you to offer incense?"

Upon hearing this suggestion, Madam Wei Wen wholeheartedly agreed: "We should go and pray to the Bodhisattva. Our Wei family has been plagued by misfortunes lately. It's a pity that my old bones can't withstand the strain and I can't go. Fourth daughter, if you don't have anything important to do tomorrow, take Cai Die with you and go."

Wei Shuwan was initially reluctant to go out with Cai Die, but considering that she would have to go to the Qiaochuan Prince's Mansion to help that person mix incense the next day if she didn't go, it would be more comfortable to go out of the capital with Cai Die to offer incense.

Even Li Qingchen couldn't say anything about this, since she hadn't sold it to the Li family.

Thus, Wei Shuwan readily agreed. After the meal, she sent Ziqiao to the Prince of Qiaochuan's residence to deliver a message, saying that she would be going to the capital to offer incense on behalf of her grandmother early the next morning, and therefore would not be able to prepare incense for him.

Li Qingchen sat at his desk in the quiet room and listened to Yuan Que come in and report these words. He nodded and said he understood. After Yuan Que left, he picked up the sachet filled with spices, brought it to his nose and smelled it. The fragrance entered his mind and he felt refreshed. The unpleasant feeling in his heart disappeared. He then lowered his eyes and focused on writing the memorial in front of him.

*

Luoyun Temple is located halfway up the mountain, surrounded by lush vegetation, with ancient vines and creepers. There are small groves of dense pine and cypress trees in front of and behind the temple, which remain evergreen throughout the year. From a distance, the magnificent temple is surrounded by lush greenery in the morning light, adding a touch of wildness to its solemnity.

Although it was still early, the smoke from the incense burning by the worshippers in the temple had already risen into the air, swirling around the temple rooftop for a while before slowly dissipating.

Before Wei Shuwan led Cai Die into Luoyun Temple, she paused and gave her a special reminder: "The temple is solemn, so please be careful with your words and actions later, sister."

She had witnessed Cai Die's usual way of mocking others, saying all sorts of nasty things without regard for the occasion, showing no manners whatsoever, and was afraid that bringing her out would cause unnecessary trouble.

Cai Die was annoyed that Wei Shuwan looked down on her so much, but she forced a smile and said, "Alright, Third Sister, don't worry."

Wei Shuwan and Caidie walked ahead, followed by Ziqiao and Miaoxiang. The four of them crossed the courtyard and arrived at the Buddhist hall. Ziqiao and Miaoxiang waited outside the hall, while Wei Shuwan led Caidie inside to offer incense.

The Buddhist hall was resplendent with gold and incense, filled with the gentle chanting of sutras from afar. In the center of the hall was a golden statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, wearing a jeweled crown and necklace, standing on a thousand-petaled blue lotus, holding a string of mani jewels in his left hand and a staff in his right, with a kind and benevolent expression, lifelike.

After the worshippers in front of him got up and left, Wei Shuwan knelt on the prayer mat in the center, put her hands together, and closed her eyes slightly.

Cai Die followed suit, kneeling down on the prayer mat to Wei Shuwan's right and putting her palms together.

Wei Shuwan was silently praying for her family's safety and well-being when she was suddenly interrupted by a sound from next door:

"Bodhisattva, I have just arrived in Shengjing and I love this place very much. I wish to settle down here, but I am unfamiliar with the area and do not know where to find a good match. I beg you, Bodhisattva, to bless me so that I may meet a good man as soon as I step out. I will definitely come to give you five taels of incense money... no, ten taels!"

Wei Shuwan frowned, completely unable to continue, so she turned to Cai Die and reminded her: "This Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva does not concern himself with marriage. If you want to pray for a marriage, you can go to the Temple of the Old Man Under the Moon."