Chapter 18 I feel wronged but I don’t mind her hitting me on purpose…
She deliberately tried to smooth things over, "Let's go, let's go. I heard that this Yuzhou Temple is very true. Now that we are here, let's go and take a look."
Song Youning grabbed Li Funing's sleeve with one hand and Xiao Lin's wrist with the other, dragging them both into the temple.
There were a few stubborn donkey hairs sticking up on Xiao Lin's head, swaying with his struggles.
Seeing her funny look, Song Youning sneered, and then he let go of Li Funing's hand and picked up the donkey hair on Xiao Lin's forehead, saying jokingly, "Xiao Lin, your new hairstyle is quite unique."
The body fragrance brought by the movement was so hot that Xiao Lin's ears felt hot. He swallowed and was about to find an excuse to refute it, but he saw Li Funing's eyes suddenly darken.
He suddenly grabbed Song Youning's wrist and forced her to face his palm with her fingers together. His pair of dark eyes, which showed no emotion, stared at her hand holding Xiao Lin's. He pretended to be calm and indifferent: "Princess, you are not allowed to show favoritism."
Song Youning looked at him and knew that he was jealous.
She tightened her fingers, like coaxing a grumpy cat, and said, "Alright," with a soft drag on the end of the syllable. "I won't let go. Is Lord Li satisfied?"
"Your Highness,"
He raised his eyes to glance at her, then squinted at Xiao Lin and said, "The prince is untidy and unbecoming. Your Highness should stay away from him."
Xiao Lin: "...you, you, you"
Song Youning took the opportunity to pull down Xiao Lin's sleeve while he was speaking and said, "Shut up," interrupting him.
She pulled the two of them directly into the temple, completely ending their fight.
Inside the Yuzhou Temple
As soon as Song Youning stepped into the hall, he was enveloped by the aroma of incense that had been stored for thousands of years.
There are coiled dragons on the beams and pillars painted with gold, and the dragon's eyes are inlaid with glass beads, making it look lifelike.
The eternal lamp hanging on the ceiling of the hall is always burning. The statue of Guanyin in the center sits on a lotus platform with a compassionate look. In front of the altar, a bronze incense burner stands on three legs, and countless copper coins lie in the bronze vessel on the side.
Some of them have long since rusted into bluish-green copper spots, and it's obvious they're very old. They're densely packed together in a very thick stack.
Song Youning walked to the front of the stage, picked up three incense sticks from the carved box in front of it, and prepared to light them in worship, praying to the statue in front of the stage. As the future empress of Dagan, even if she lived a carefree and unattached life, she should still promise Dagan a future of peace and prosperity for the country and the people...
Just as she picked up the tinder to light the fire, shadows darkened on both sides at the same time.
"Your Highness, I light incense for you."
Li Funing held the flame, leaned slightly towards her, and held the fire starter with his slender fingers, protecting the dancing flame in his palm.
Xiao Lin raised his hand and held out the fire stick: "Ningning, use this!"
Song Youning, who was standing in the middle, was neither sure nor wrong. She looked at the two men's piercing expressions and frowned. She knew which one she had chosen. She would never be able to walk out of the palace comfortably today...
Just as Song Youning was tossing and turning, Xiao Lin raised his hand to block the fire starter that Li Funing was extending.
As a result, they accidentally touched Song Youning's incense sticks, and the three incense sticks "crackled" and fell to the front of the table...
"you......"
Song Youning was furious. Before he could say anything, Li Funing suddenly stumbled and fell onto the altar...
“Crash!”
The bronze incense burner fell over with a loud bang, and the incense ash poured down like a waterfall. The fall of the incense burner also brought with it the bronze vessels beside it. In an instant, dust filled the sky, and the bronze in the vessels fell down with a clatter, staining the hems of the three people's clothes into a mottled gray.
Everyone's face was covered in incense ash, and the ground was littered with copper coins stuck with various spider webs. From a distance, they looked like three sloppy beggars begging on the spot, with copper coins covering the entire ground.
Li Funing, who was closest to the copper furnace, was hit the hardest. Not only were his clothes covered with incense ash, but his head was also hit by several red marks from the fallen copper coins.
Seeing his miserable state, Song Youning quickly got up from the ground, helped Li Funing up, and gently brushed away the spider web tangled in his hair. He softly asked, "Are you okay?"
Li Funing used the force to slowly stand up, lightly brushed his sleeves, and the incense ash fell along his slender body.
He raised his eyes to look at Song Youning, his expression calm but with a hint of grievance: "I am fine, it's just that the prince moved a little too much just now and knocked over the incense burner."
Xiao Lin: “???”
Song Youning was furious and didn't bother to find out whether it was true or not. She directly attacked Xiao Lin: "Xiao Lin, what are you doing? If you make trouble again, get out of here and go back to Bianjing..."
Xiao Lin was stunned for a moment before reacting. He jumped up and said, "Ningning! He is slandering me! It was obviously him..."
Li Funing coughed lightly at the right time, tugged at the corner of Song Youning's clothes, and looked like "I am wronged but I don't care": "I'm fine."
Song Youning became even angrier when he heard this. He didn't even bother shaking off the incense ash on his body and glared at Xiao Lin: "Xiao Lin! Can you please behave yourself?"
Xiao Lin, glared at by Song Youning, was so angry that he jumped up and down: "Li Funing! Why are you pretending to be innocent!"
Li Funing lowered his eyes, the corners of his lips curled up imperceptibly, and then he quickly regained his composure: "If the prince is dissatisfied, I am willing to apologize."
"you……"
The temple keeper who was fortune-telling outside the temple heard the noise inside, rushed in, took a look at the mess inside, and sat down on the ground.
The sound of wailing instantly resounded throughout the hall: "The century-old incense ashes of Yuzhou Temple... This, this abbot must kill me!!!"
Song Youning looked at the temple priest rolling on the ground in front of him, feeling sorry for him. He glared at Xiao Lin angrily and helped the temple priest up. "Master, you get up first..."
"We will compensate, we will compensate..."
Hearing that someone was willing to take responsibility, the temple priest cried even harder, "This, this is a hundred-year-old incense ash," his voice trembling, and he didn't forget to sob a few times, "How are you going to compensate?"
"We will rebuild the goddess's golden statue and continue the incense money..."
Song Youning squatted down, looked at the old temple priest at eye level, and slowed down his voice: "Master, it's my fault for not disciplining you strictly. You see..."
The old temple keeper sobbed and wiped his tears, then emphasized again, "That's incense ash that's been used for a hundred years..."
Song Youning quickly took out the princess token from her pocket and handed it to him: "Look, I am the princess. I will definitely compensate you for all the losses in this temple..."
"I will compensate you three times."
She said decisively, her fingertips gently pressing the old man's trembling hand, "No, five times."
The old temple keeper paused and sobbed softly.
"I have added another pair of pure gold candlesticks."
She blinked, "Follow the pattern enshrined in the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace."
The old temple keeper's tears miraculously stopped, but he still maintained his composure: "This, this is not for money..."
"Of course not, of course not..."
Song Youning hurriedly pulled the Grand Tutor's token from Li Funing's waist and handed it to the temple priest: "I also ask the Prime Minister to personally write the plaque, and ask the King of Zhenbei to personally supervise the work..."
The old temple keeper's crying stopped abruptly, and his eyes moved back and forth between the two tokens.
The old monk's face lit up when he heard about the compensation. He didn't care who paid, as long as someone paid. He jumped up, not even bothering to brush off the incense ash on his robes. His eyes rolled, and lust was written directly on his face: "Amitabha! Your Highness the Princess is so sincere in worshiping the Buddha, how can I let you come here in vain?"
He clasped his hands together, but the corner of his eyes kept glancing at the mandarin duck ring on Song Youning's waist. "There happens to be an old incense burner in the temple. I'll get it for you..."
He ran two steps and turned back, speaking mysteriously in a low voice: "Your Highness, it's..."
"that is?"
Song Youning: "What...?"
"It costs extra money."
Xiao Lin immediately perked up after hearing this: "Hey, you black-hearted monk... you're obsessed with money..."
The old temple keeper moved behind Song Youning.
Song Youning: ...Do you have to make this money?
Song Youning rolled her eyes inwardly, but on the surface she still maintained her princess image: "Okay... okay..."
After hearing that there was still money to be made, the old temple keeper ran out in a hurry and immediately brought back an incense burner from the warehouse. There were still cobwebs on it, and it looked like it was indeed very old.
"Princess, this, this is left behind by the previous dynasty..."
He wiped the incense burner while trembling, and warned: "If you knock it over again, the goddess Guanyin will really punish you..."
Song Youning: I think you're just hoping it breaks so you can make more money...
Song Youning continued to maintain her princess image on the surface, but inwardly she rolled her eyes: "That's natural, that's natural..."
Song Youning couldn't help but feel pained when she saw such a luxurious incense burner. She had already spent the money, so she had to light the incense today.
In order to ensure that the two people who lit the incense this time would not cause her any more trouble, Song Youning decided to come in person and ordered them to stand still and not move an inch. Before lighting the incense, she even glanced at them sideways and said, "You two, behave yourself... If anyone touches the incense burner again, I will stuff him in and burn him like incense."
Li Funing stepped back half a step with her hands down, standing obediently at the back without saying a word. Just as Xiao Lin was about to reach out his hand, he was frozen in mid-air by her glare, and then stood aside with a pout.
After a while, three wisps of green smoke finally rose steadily to the dome...
"Your Highness, after burning incense, it's time to draw lots..."
The old temple keeper had unearthed an old bamboo stick holder from behind him. The ebony was polished to a shine, and the corners were wrapped with several turns of faded red string. He shook the holder, and the bamboo sticks clattered.
The old temple keeper held the fortune stick with his skinny fingers, squinted his eyes and smiled:
"The fortune sticks from our Yuzhou Temple are really effective..."
"A few years ago, a lady prayed for her son's marriage, and soon after, her son got married and lived happily ever after. There was also a merchant from Bianjing who came all the way from far away to pray for a marriage, and within three months, he made a fortune..."
He deliberately dragged out his tone, his eyes darting between the three of them. "Would you like to try it, my nobles? Originally, I wanted fifty taels of silver, but since the princess is here, we should be pious and not accept any money for offerings..."
Song Youning's inner voice: "It's obvious that you feel that you've cheated too much, and you'd be embarrassed to cheat again..."
When Li Funing and Xiao Lin heard the words "married a new bride", they both straightened their backs.
Xiao Lin stepped forward and grabbed the lottery box: "This prince goes first!"
"As the saying goes, there's order in the hierarchy."
Li Funing's voice was gentle, his eyes filled with unquestionable majesty: "Prince Xiao, the elders should come first."
Xiao Lin raised his eyebrows: "Master Li, do you think you are old?"
Li Funing said calmly: "I am just observing the etiquette and laws."
The two men exchanged glances, and the lottery box creaked as they competed secretly.
Song Youning suddenly reached out: "Give them all to me."
They both looked at her, confused.
Song Youning rolled her eyes at them: "I've spent so much money, and you two have the nerve to compete with me?"
Then, regardless of the looks of the two people, he knelt directly on the mat and shook out a stick from the stick holder.
The fortune says: "Avoid men"
She raised her eyebrows and glanced meaningfully at the two people behind her. It was so accurate!!! Men really were her worst luck!
Li Funing looked calm as he took a step forward and drew a bamboo stick from the stick holder with his slender fingers, but he didn't have time to look at it.
Xiao Lin was quick-witted and snatched it away, raised his eyebrows and said:
"Avoid fighting for favor."
He deliberately drew out his tone, smiled ostentatiously, and waved the fortune stick in front of Li Funing provocatively: "Master Li, it seems that the gods also think that you are... too jealous."
Xiao Lin sneered and drew a lot:
“Avoid forcing”
Xiao Linhong flicked her sleeves and tried to insert the bamboo stick back into the tube. Li Funing immediately pulled it away, looked at the words on the stick, and sneered, "It seems that the gods also think..."
Phoenix eyes slanted at Xiao Lin: "Some people should know better."
"No, no, come again, come again..."
Xiao Lin snatched the three sticks from their hands, threw them into the stick bucket, and shook it again.
"That was just a sample, it doesn't count. Let's try again."
Then he turned around stealthily and smoked, winking at the old temple priest beside him...
Xiao Lin drew again and said, "This lot should be looked at by the temple keeper," and handed the lot to the temple keeper beside him.
The temple keeper took it, randomly drew a stick from the stick box, looked at it carefully, and then handed it to Xiao Lin flatteringly: "Suitable for marriage."
After learning the contents of the lottery, Xiao Linxi smiled and turned to look at Song Youning. "Ningning, I will help you draw one."
Xiao Lin helped Song Youning get another one:
"Easy to marry"
He raised an eyebrow at Li Funing proudly, shook the bamboo stick in his hand, and smiled happily: "Ningning, it seems that God has..."
Li Funing suddenly reached out and snatched the signature slip, and with a touch of his fingertips, the wet words immediately became blurred.
"Prince Xiao."
He raised his eyes calmly, "Bribing a temple keeper is not a gentleman's behavior."
Seeing his evil intentions being exposed by Li Funing, his face flushed and he slammed the table and stood up: "Li Funing! Are you deliberately looking for trouble?!"
Li Funing slowly placed the slip back into the holder and dusted off the ashes in his hand. "If you're not satisfied, you can go to the government and argue."
"Theory, bullshit! I'll argue with you first!" Xiao Lin threw a punch, but missed.
Seeing Li Funing dodge away, Xiao Lin suddenly grabbed the glutinous rice balls from the offering plate and threw them at Li Funing: "You did it on purpose!"
Li Funing dodged sideways again, and the glutinous rice ball hit the new bronze incense ash burner again. With a "bang", dust filled the sky...
The sticky rice dumpling landed right between the Guanyin statue's eyebrows, then slowly slid down, falling onto the countertop...
In the donation box...
Song Youning didn't want to get involved in the war between the two, so he just watched them bicker quietly.
Who knew that Xiao Lin had no moral principles of martial arts. Seeing that her "money bag" was in danger, she rushed over and grabbed Xiao Lin, but Xiao Lin slid to avoid it. With a "pop", the glutinous rice ball hit the statue right between the eyebrows, and Li Funing's dodging action caused the already unstable table to collapse.
In an instant, the place was in a mess again. Song Youning silently took three steps back and looked at the temple keeper beside her. Whoever did it should be punished. This time, she really didn't want to be blamed...
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