Emperor Guangqi reigned for more than ten years, using swift and decisive methods to control the turbulent previous dynasty, but he had never spoken so frankly about his innermost thoughts to outsiders.
Master Yuanhui shook his head, recited a Buddhist verse, and then whispered words of comfort: "He is doing well at Baima Temple now, Your Highness, there is no need to worry. Once the truth comes out, His Highness the Crown Prince will understand your good intentions."
The emperor looked up at the tent above him and simply said, "A mistake is a mistake."
"...This is the only mistake I have ever made in my life."
It took Master Yuanhui a long time before he slowly left the emperor's tent.
As he was leaving, Eunuch Shen thoughtfully handed him a cloak, saying, "You must take care of your health."
Master Yuanhui clasped his hands together, nodded gently to Eunuch Shen, and said softly, "Thank you."
But he only took the cloak and did not put it on; instead, he looked at the figure in the distance.
Soldiers were stationed near the emperor's tent, while Song Xizhi was stationed a little further away.
It was a bit cold at night, and her little face turned pale from the cold, but her eyes shone brightly in the darkness. Every now and then, she would lower her head, take a few leisurely steps, and stretch her arms and legs.
Judging from their appearance, they had been waiting for quite some time.
Master Yuanhui walked straight in her direction, and when Song Xizhi saw him, he handed her the cloak he was holding.
"The night is cold and frosty, and you are still injured. Why haven't you gone back?"
Song Xizhi was flattered and accepted the cloak handed to him by Master Yuanhui. He then put his hands together and bowed respectfully to him, saying, "Thank you, Master."
"...Actually, this thank you is not only for what is happening now, but also for what just happened."
Thinking of what had just happened, Song Xizhi's voice softened considerably: "Just now, in order to protect me and save my life, you said those things in front of everyone. It was truly my fault."
But Master Yuanhui shook his head: "It's true."
His gaze was like a scripture sealed by the dust of time, carrying the weight of history, yet also like soft silk, as if it could iron out every crevice of the heart.
"I never lie."
When Song Xizhi met his calm eyes, he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
Immediately afterwards, she saw Master Yuanhui take out a jade pendant from his sleeve.
"I found this jade pendant in a cave in the mountains today. I thought it should belong to you, so I brought it to you."
Song Xizhi lowered his eyes and looked at the jade pendant in Master Yuanhui's hand.
The jade pendant did indeed fall from her body, but the person who fell from it was not her husband, so the jade pendant did not actually belong to her.
Song Xizhi pondered for a moment, but still slowly accepted the jade pendant.
The jade pendant was warm to the touch. Song Xizhi habitually stroked the shape of the pendant with his fingertips, and then spoke:
"Master, do you know the injured man in the cave today? Did you... come here for him?"
Master Yuanhui simply replied, "I came here for the sake of this world."
Song Xizhi pursed his lips: "How is his health?"
"His health is fine now, there's no need to worry. You should go back soon, benefactor."
Seeing that Master Yuanhui was turning to leave, Song Xizhi quickly stepped forward and blocked his way:
"Master... I have one last request."
“That righteous man saved my life. If he recovers fully, may I ask him to come and see me again?”
Song Xizhi gripped the jade pendant tightly, his face expressionless, but he said, word by word, "...I want to express my gratitude to him in person."
Upon hearing this, Master Yuanhui pondered for a moment before nodding: "I will convey your request on your behalf."
Song Xizhi nodded to him as well: "Thank you, Master."
She stood there, watching Master Yuanhui's figure gradually disappear into the distance, finally vanishing into the thick darkness of the night.
Since that day, Song Xizhi's life has been peaceful.
She returned to her former courtyard, where, apart from recuperating from her injuries every day, she consistently performed acupuncture on the Tibetan holy woman.
According to Master Yuanhui's calculations, the date for the Fengshan ceremony was rescheduled to be five days after the winter solstice.
Song Xizhi did not attend the second Fengshan ceremony because he was injured.
However, she heard that the ceremony went very smoothly. After Emperor Guangqi and Consort Li climbed to the top of Heyan Mountain, Emperor Guangqi personally set fire to the mountain and offered sacrifices to Lord Luo of the Astronomical Bureau and the Tibetan shaman.
All officials involved in the execution were required to witness the execution, and Master Yuanhui did not prevent it.
The raging fire engulfed their bodies in an instant, and their heart-wrenching screams echoed through the valley, terrifying many civil officials.
Kill one to warn a hundred.
All dissenting voices vanished in an instant.
After the conferment and abdication ceremonies concluded, everyone gradually returned to the foot of the mountain, signifying that the Fengshan Grand Ceremony was nearing its end.
Due to the numerous casualties in the past, Emperor Guangqi did not hold a banquet or bestow rewards.
The group will be able to set off for the capital tomorrow.
On the night before returning to the capital, Song Xizhi finally saw the mysterious man again.
With the candlelight flickering, Song Xizhi, having nothing to do, sat quietly on the soft couch, flipping through a storybook.
This story is about the prince being replaced by a raccoon dog. Two concubines in the palace were both pregnant. In order to win the emperor's favor, Consort Liu bribed a eunuch to replace the prince born to Consort Li with a raccoon dog.
The story was novel, surpassing many of the storybooks Song Xizhi had read before. She read it with great interest, but the more she turned the pages, the deeper her eyes became.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
