Chapter 62
On February 22, the spring breeze is strong and the sun is bright.
Wang Yining invited Xie Yunchu to go to Long'an Temple in Xicheng to burn incense.
"My two children have been sleeping restlessly lately, so I'm going to ask for a talisman."
Xie Yunchu could see that Wang Yining wanted to go to the temple to pray for Yao Taihe's soul, so he didn't expose her and continued,
“I also pray for the two children.”
Although they were praying for the child, it was not customary to take the child to the temple. The two of them traveled together in Wang Yining's carriage.
Wang Yining padded the carriage thickly and gave the main seat to Xie Yunchu, "You go lie down, I'll sit."
Xie Yunchu didn't bother to be polite with her. Her belly was bulging quickly, and the curve was deeper than before. She stroked it gently and lay down on her side.
After Wang Shuhuai left, he still told Qi Wei to follow Xie Yunchu. Qi Wei didn't trust the coachman, so he drove the carriage for the young lady himself. He had some experience in martial arts, so he controlled the carriage very steadily.
Longan Temple is not far from the palace and can be reached in two quarters of an hour.
After getting off the carriage, the mountain gate that was usually crowded with people was now deserted.
Wang Yining was puzzled, "This is really strange. There is a yard of beautiful plum blossoms in the backyard of Long'an Temple. The weather is good today, and it should be a time to appreciate the plum blossoms. Why are there no plum blossoms?"
"Then we've come at a good time." Xie Yunchu smiled.
The two girls went inside, surrounded by old women and maids.
Both of them were dressed very simply.
Wang Yining was wearing a moon-white long jacket with a string of eighteen pearls pinned on her chest, two pearl pendants on her earlobes, and a few plain-colored flowers inlaid in her hair. There was nothing more to it than that.
Although Xie Yunchu is plain, she looks gorgeous with Wang Yining as a foil.
She was wearing a plain lotus-pink horse-faced skirt, a cherry-pink short jacket, a pink coral lotus hairpin and a pair of jade bracelets, giving her a pure and unworldly aura.
Wang Yining looked back at her. Her face was as white as cream, shining in the sun.
"Look at you, you're pregnant and still acting like a little girl."
Wang Yining was visibly haggard after this blow.
Xie Yunchu took her hand and led her inside. "Your heart is open, and your complexion is better too."
The temples in the city are relatively small, with no winding mountain roads. When you enter the gate, you will see a flat bluestone brick courtyard. After crossing the white jade arch bridge, the Main Hall is in sight. A maid from the Wang family had already come to take care of things. They worshipped the Buddha first, and then a monk who was in charge of receiving guests took them to the back room to copy scriptures and make amulets.
After a while of struggling, it was already early noon.
The two stood under a vine trellis covered with green grass. Below was a garden with red flowers and green willows. The breeze was gentle and the warm fragrance was everywhere. There was a place in the garden that extended to the back. Wang Yining pointed inside.
"Behind is the Plum Garden, which has a four-cornered pavilion. You can go there to enjoy the warm breeze and admire the plum blossoms. I'll go to the Shantang Guest House to take a look and tidy up the courtyard. We'll take a rest later and then go back."
Xie Yunchu knew that Wang Yining was concerned about her pregnancy and personally took care of her food and accommodation.
"I will follow my aunt's arrangements."
In addition to Chunqi and Xia An, Xie Yunchu was accompanied by seven or eight people including Nanny Gui. They took her to the garden in a grand manner.
Wang Yining walked towards the charity hall, while instructing Aunt Zhen beside her,
"Take a hundred taels of silver and go to the Hall of the Dead to ask someone to pray for that bastard's soul, so that the two children won't be in trouble."
Aunt Jane is gone.
The group walked around the Guanyin Temple and turned to the charity hall in the northeast corner, but saw a person standing alone on the white jade platform above.
He was wearing an ink-black robe with a python dragon pattern, and he was tall and majestic, with a pair of cold eyes looking into the distance.
Wang Yining was surprised when he saw him, "Cousin Prince Xin?"
Prince Xin Zhu Yun lowered his eyes, recognized Wang Yining, and hurriedly walked down from the stone platform. The two stood on the stone path and talked.
Prince Xin is two years older than Wang Yining and is 28 years old this year. When he was young, Prince Xin also took Wang Yining to race horses, and the two have a good relationship.
There is a cinnabar plum tree lying across the stone path. Although the flower is small, the petals are graceful and bright. There are gusts of pine wind and the fragrance of plum blossom lingering in the air.
Wang Yining asked with a smile, "When did His Highness come back?"
Prince Xin nodded and said, "My father caught a cold, and I came back to visit him three days ago." Seeing the sadness between Wang Yining's brows, he counseled, "I know about your situation. Things in the world are unpredictable. You should be more open-minded. The past was full of thorns, but the future will surely be smooth sailing."
Wang Yining did not expect that the always cold-faced Prince Xin would say such sincere and heartfelt words. Her eyes ached. She held back her tears and said, "Thank you for your comfort, Your Highness. I am much better now."
"I went to see Taihe before he died."
Wang Yining's slender body swayed, and she lowered her eyes and tried to stay calm. Wang Shuzhao and Wang Shuxu went to see Yao Taihe for her and brought back a message. Wang Yining knew that Yao Taihe died peacefully.
Prince Xin said, "He was very regretful and said that he did not protect his wife and children. If there is an afterlife, he will definitely be a man who stands tall and proud."
Upon hearing this, the tears that had been suppressed in Wang Yining's eyes suddenly burst out. The past events came to her mind vividly, and she was overwhelmed with sorrow.
Prince Xin knew what Wang Yining was worried about, and he said,
"Feizixiao is a forbidden drug in the palace. Many concubines in the harem of the last emperor of the previous dynasty died from this drug. Their deaths were horrible. After the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, this poison was listed as a banned drug. Anyone who used it would be killed without mercy. The Yao family's actions violated the emperor's taboo. Even if you plead for mercy, he will die in the end. You should let it go."
Wang Yining bit her lip and nodded heavily, "Thank you, I understand..."
These past few days, every time she saw the two children calling for their daddy pitifully, Wang Yining had doubted herself. But what Prince Xin said today completely resolved her worries.
Prince Xin glanced around her and asked, "Are you here alone?"
Wang Yining held back her tears and took a deep breath as she replied, "I brought Yun Chu with me. She is in the Plum Garden."
Prince Xin was moved when he heard this. "It's sunny, so don't go to the guest house and crowd with others. My mother loved plum blossoms when she was alive, so I made a memorial tablet for her in Long'an Temple. Whenever I come back to Beijing, I always come here to linger. The abbot knows my intention and deliberately opened a separate guest house for me. It's quiet and well-equipped. You can take your niece-in-law to rest there."
Wang Yining was overjoyed. "That's great. Yun Chu is pregnant, and I was worried that I couldn't find a separate courtyard to settle her down."
Prince Xin smiled, and ordered the guards beside him to lead Wang Yining's maid to go to the front. He then said to Wang Yining, "It's getting late. I have something to do. I'll leave first. You guys stay here and come directly when you come."
Wang Yining expressed her gratitude.
After seeing Prince Xin off, she went to the courtyard to arrange lunch and told the head maid to pick up Xie Yunchu.
The courtyard is very quiet and peaceful. In front of the gate is a wide bluestone courtyard with a moon-shaped door on the west side, which connects to the Sutra Library of the temple. On the east side is a courtyard of plum blossoms, which stretches from the front hall to the backyard. There are more than a dozen varieties, including cinnabar, green calyx, yellow fragrance, jade butterfly, and palace powder. From a distance, it looks like a brocade carpet, colorful and gorgeous.
Xie Yunchu sat down and realized that this was Prince Xin's courtyard, and he immediately felt a little uncomfortable.
If she was alone, she could leave immediately, but there was Wang Yining with her. Xie Yunchu saw tears in her eyes and she was exhausted. It was not good to continue to toss and turn. She just rested for a while and then went back, and simply gave up.
If Wang Shuhuai really argued with her about this matter, he would be petty.
Wang Yining had no idea about the past between Prince Xin and Xie Yunchu, so Xie Yunchu, in keeping with the principle of less trouble is worse than more, did not bring it up.
The main courtyard was empty. Wang Yining went to the east wing to rest, and Xie Yunchu went to the west wing.
At this time, Wang Shuhuai, who had returned to Beijing early, ran into Prince Xin at the entrance of an alleyway of a residential area outside Long'an Temple.
Qi Wei sent a carrier pigeon to tell Wang Shuhuai that Xie Yunchu came to Long'an Temple to burn incense today. Wang Shuhuai happened to enter Beijing from the west gate, so he naturally came to pick up his wife and take her back home.
Unexpectedly, I saw the person I least wanted to see.
Prince Xin didn't look happy when he saw Wang Shuhuai.
However, neither of them showed any clues on their faces.
One was tall and straight, the other was majestic and tall. They both bowed to each other on horseback and exchanged polite greetings.
"I haven't congratulated Shu Huai on his promotion to the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue yet."
"I don't deserve it. Why did His Highness return to the capital?"
“Now that Duke Yao has fallen, the position of the second-rank deputy governor of the Governor’s Office has become vacant. I am a prince, and I have made many military achievements. Who else but me can take this position?” Prince Xin had sharp eyebrows and a hint of faith at the corners of his lips.
Wang Shuhuai nodded calmly and politely, "Indeed, no one is more suitable than His Royal Highness Prince Xin. If you seize this vacancy of the Vice Governor, the promotion assessments of all the generals in the Governor's Office will have to go through you. Your Royal Highness Prince Xin's move is really superb, but now that I have been promoted to a third-rank minister and can participate in court discussions, I am bound to give Your Royal Highness some problems."
Prince Xin had never expected that Wang Shuhuai would be promoted so quickly. The Ministry of Revenue was holding on to the money, just like it was holding the throats of all the government offices. Prince Xin was secretly annoyed.
"Shu Huai." He still had a cold smile on his face, "I heard that you gave up the marriage proposal with the Jiangnan Governor's Mansion? It's just right, I'm planning to secretly marry the Jiangnan Governor's Mansion."
A hint of sharpness flashed across Wang Shuhuai's brows. Since it was a secret relationship, it meant that Prince Xin did not intend to marry himself.
He actually wished that Prince Xin would marry Jiang Cairu.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid you made a wrong calculation. Do you know why Jiang Cheng agreed to marry into the Wang family?"
Prince Xin narrowed his eyes and said nothing.
Wang Shuhuai smiled and said, "Because no matter which prince in the court inherits the throne, he must obtain the support of the eldest princess. Making friends with the eldest princess can ensure the prosperity of the Jiang family. This also means that Jiang Cheng does not want to participate in the fight for the throne."
Prince Xin smiled and said, "I have my own way to convince His Majesty to grant the marriage. If Shu Huai doesn't believe it, we can wait and see."
Wang Shuhuai spread out his robe slightly, looked up at the sky and smiled, with a hint of disdain on the corners of his lips.
"Last time, His Highness said to wait and see, but now, my wife and I are about to have our second child."
In other words, it was impossible for Xie Yunchu to divorce him, so Prince Xin should stop dreaming.
Prince Xin smiled calmly and said, "It doesn't matter. No matter how many children she has, I can help her raise them."
These words made Wang Shuhuai very angry.
Wang Shuhuai's sleeves were already covered with blood from the knuckles he had pinched, but he still had a gentle smile on his face, even with a hint of a sigh.
"Your Highness, there is really no other way out except to dream."
"Huai is different from His Highness. He focuses on what is in front of him."
"I am afraid that if Your Highness does not give birth to a child, the army will be unstable."
When the lord has no descendants, the soldiers under him will have some concerns. This has been the case since ancient times when heroes fought for supremacy.
Wang Shuhuai had never been fond of talking on paper before, but now that he was forced by Prince Xin, he had become quite good at talking.
He bowed gently to Prince Xin and rode his horse towards the mountain gate ahead.
Prince Xin looked at his back and raised his lips lightly, "She is resting in my yard now, Shu Huai, please don't disturb her."
Qi Wei met Wang Shuhuai at the mountain gate. Seeing that his master's face was full of anger, he knew the reason. He led him in and explained.
"It was the Fifth Aunt who ran into His Royal Highness Prince Xin and accepted his kindness. It has nothing to do with our Second Aunt."
Wang Shuhuai's porcelain-white face did not change at all. He walked all the way from the mountain gate to the guest house. He glanced around with his sharp eyes and indeed noticed that there were Prince Xin's guards in the dark. He was so angry that he laughed.
He originally planned to slowly wear her down by boiling her in warm water, but she always managed to easily step on his bottom line. She had promised him not to meet Prince Xin, so why didn't she avoid him?
Wang Shuhuai also guessed that President Xin Wang was shameless and approached Xie Yunchu, but he was vomiting with nameless anger in his heart. He was not a god, he also had seven emotions and six desires, and he would not allow Xie Yunchu to ignore him.
It was not her fault that Prince Xin did this, but her own heart was as hard as a rock and she didn't even give him the slightest chance.
At this moment, the door was pushed open without any warning.
Chunqi was helping Xie Yunchu take off her coat and was about to help her lie down. The curtains were drawn and the light in the room was dim. It was time for them to take a nap.
Seeing the male master falling from the sky, several maids were dumbfounded.
Xie Yunchu raised his eyes and looked at the people coming and going.
He stood at the door in a third-rank scarlet official robe, his hands resting on the door knocker. His wide robe moved without wind, like a towering mountain. Because of the backlight, she couldn't see his face clearly, but from the cold aura emanating from his body, she could tell that his expression was not good.
Xie Yunchu guessed what was going on and looked helpless.
I didn't expect him to come back so timely.
Wang Shuhuai's face was hidden in the darkness. He loosened his hand, stepped forward, looked directly at Xie Yunchu, and uttered three words coldly,
"Everyone get out."
Chunqi and others looked at Xie Yunchu worriedly.
Xie Yunchu was calm. She was pregnant and Wang Shuhuai couldn't do anything to her. She had a good idea of this man's character, otherwise she wouldn't be able to live with him. She pursed her lips and signaled everyone to leave.
Chunqi and the others bowed their heads and left silently. Chunqi walked at the end and gently helped the two to close the door. The ray of light from the hole finally fell on the bed. She clearly saw the tall male host suddenly covered Xie Yunchu, pinched her chin, and kissed her forcefully.
Chunqi was so scared that he suddenly closed the door and turned to look at the bright spring scenery in the yard.
Oh my God, this is a temple.
The unexpected warmth rushed into his lips and teeth, and Xie Yunchu's mind went blank.
She was caught off guard and was caught by Wang Shuhuai. Her mind was captured at that moment and she couldn't help but shiver. This feeling was too unfamiliar, and Xie Yunchu instinctively pushed him away.
Wang Shuhuai was afraid that she was pregnant, so he didn't dare to use any force at all. He stood up straight after being pushed.
His eyes were staring at her like a cold pond, trapping and enveloping her, leaving her with nowhere to escape. His handsome and sharp features silently exuded oppression, and his jaw seemed to tremble slightly because of the overly intense action just now.
Xie Yunchu raised his hand to wipe the water stains from the corners of his lips and scolded, "Why are you crazy?"
Qing Lingling's eyes were full of rejection.
Wang Shuhuai's cold and cruel aura suddenly filled his eyes and approached him again.
"I'm really crazy."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
