Amid the sounds of bells and drums and Buddhist chants, Yuan Xi and Luo Yuan strolled to the towering Bodhi tree in the courtyard. Looking up, they saw a white bird spreading its wings and flying towards the sky. In the distance, green mountains were faintly visible and evening clouds were shrouded.

Yuan Xi took a deep breath of the scent of sandalwood and leaves in the air, and finally let go of his restraint and asked, "Little Master, how have you been lately?"

Luo Yuan withdrew his gaze from the overlapping shadows of the two people, and looked up at the distant mountains standing quietly in the mist. Finally, he smiled calmly and replied, "Not too good, not too bad. What about Madam? Is there anything on your mind that you don't understand?"

He asked casually, but Yuan Xi was a little hesitant. After all, her affairs with Xiao Du were family affairs, and it was inconvenient to talk about them with him. Just as she lowered her head in thought, Luo Yuan had turned his head and looked at her intently. Suddenly, he smiled softly and said, "Now, do you still regard me as your teacher?"

Yuan Xi was startled, and her eyes suddenly felt hot. In the past, when she hid her thoughts, the young master would always see through them. Once she was unwilling to speak, he would deliberately put on a stern face and ask her if she trusted him as a master.

Time seemed to have turned a corner and brought them back to the starting point, however, not everything could remain the same.

Now, his smile is still warm, and the corner of his blue shirt flutters in the wind, blending lightly into this deep and ancient temple. Yuan Xi suddenly felt that something had changed, and those missed feelings and obsessions disappeared in this smile. She raised her chin, her eyes were clear, and she smiled and said, "In my heart, the young master has always been the person I respect and trust the most."

Luo Yuan's eyes moved, and the corners of his lips still raised slightly, and he said: "Then can you tell me, Master, why you can't figure out something today, and why you want to kneel before the Buddha to ask, and see if I can answer you one or two."

Yuan Xi pondered for a while, and finally decided not to hide it anymore, and told Xiao Du about the entanglement between her father and Xiao Du, all her conflicts and worries. These days, these things have been lingering in her mind, and now that she finally has someone to confide in, she breathed a sigh of relief, and the depression in her chest was relieved a lot.

Luo Yuan listened to her quietly, then sighed and said, "The grudge between the Xia family and the Xiao family army is long-standing, and it is impossible for you to resolve it alone. Moreover, the predicament faced by the Marquis is not limited to your father's family."

Yuan Xi heard the worry in his tone. She never understood these political disputes, but she believed in the young master's knowledge and judgment. At this moment, she couldn't help but worry about the situation that man would face.

Luo Yuan watched her expression change and guessed what she was thinking. He turned his head and looked into the distance, and suddenly asked, "Have I ever told you about my life experience?"

Yuan Xi tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said, "The young master only mentioned your hometown and that you traveled a lot when you were young, but he didn't mention much else."

Luo Yuan smiled and said, "I say I traveled, but in fact I was forced to wander because I was poor and helpless. I was born in a small town on the border and suffered from war since I was a child. When I was eight years old, my parents died in the war, and I could only rely on relatives to support me. At that time, a relative of mine had no children and wanted me to inherit his name. He was willing to give me all his property and land as long as I could help him take care of him until his death. But I don't want to spend the rest of my life in this village and farmland. I want to take the imperial examination, want to stand out, want to do something more useful for my country. So I insisted on passing the examination despite the cold stares from all my relatives. Later, I left my hometown, worked and traveled around, and continued to study hard for the examination. It was not until I accidentally met Mr. Liu, my mentor, that I had the opportunity to teach at your school, and only then did I have a few years of peace. "

He paused and continued, "During the days when I was wandering outside, I was miserable and confused, and there were times when I couldn't bear it and was overwhelmed, but I never regretted my choice. Because this is my lifelong ambition, I met many different people and saw different things. No matter how long my life is, at least I can say with a clear conscience that this life has never been wasted."

He suddenly turned his head and stared at her, saying, "Wanwan, you only need to be responsible for yourself in life, be the person you want to be, and do what you want to do most." When he was moved, he forgot to avoid addressing her, which made him a little absent-minded. Then he concealed his emotions and continued to ask, "Tell the little master, don't think about the mansion of the marquis or the prime minister, and don't think about whether it is right or wrong. What do you want to do most in your heart right now?"

Yuan Xi felt her heart pounding, and she almost couldn't help blurting out: She wanted to go back to that man the most, to throw herself into his arms regardless of everything! But she had learned etiquette and manners since she was a child, so how could she easily throw away her family ethics because of her willfulness?

Luo Yuan walked up to her, his voice soft but firm: "Etiquette and human ethics cannot hold your heart. Ask yourself: Are you really willing to bury the rest of your life in a place that has almost never made you truly happy just because of so-called family affection and your surname? Will you really not regret it?"

Yuan Xi had never heard such words before. At this moment, she felt touched and full of courage. The idea that had been buried deep in her heart and made her afraid to face it all these days finally became clearer.

Her eyes became firm, she raised her hand to wipe away a tear that slipped from the corner of her eye, bit her lip and nodded: "Thank you, Master, I think I understand."

Luo Yuan knew that she had figured it out, and he felt relieved, but he continued to ask, "You really have to figure it out. If the day comes when the Marquis and the Prime Minister really come to a head, what will you choose?"

Yuan Xi raised her head and smiled with tears in her eyes, "I will ask him to spare my father's life no matter what. Maybe he can't do it, and I will blame him and hate him. But no matter what, I will not regret the choice I made today."

Luo Yuan looked at her intently. Her face was already showing signs of toughness. She was no longer the naive and cautious little girl who followed him around and asked him questions. His little girl had grown up, but it was not because of him.

The sound of chanting sutras could be heard from the temple, "All love and affection come together, impermanence is hard to last long, life is full of fear, life is as dangerous as the morning dew, love gives rise to worry, love gives rise to fear, if you leave love, there will be no worry and no fear..." The sound of Buddhist verses echoed around the tree. Luo Yuan put his hands together, looked at the distant mountains and clouds, exhaled softly, and said, "Very good, I think you will no longer need the little master to guide you in the future." He suddenly swung his sleeves, bowed slightly, and said to Yuan Xi solemnly, "I only hope that my wife will be safe and happy in the future, and have nothing to worry about. Take care!"

After saying this, he turned around and walked away without looking back. The pines and cypresses in the courtyard were still green, making his figure look more calm and upright. Yuan Xi watched his back gradually walk away, and stood under the Bodhi tree for a long time. Finally, he raised the corners of his lips and said silently in his heart: "Goodbye."

The Zen bell rang again, and an hour had passed in the blink of an eye. Yuan Xi walked around the courtyard casually, chanting Buddhist verses. Because he had made up his mind, he felt a rare sense of relaxation and tranquility.

Finally she walked back to the meditation room. Nanny Li and An He saw that the worry on her brows had faded a lot after she came back. They thought that she had gained some enlightenment in front of the Buddha, so they secretly breathed a sigh of relief and were happy for her.

They sat down to eat some tea and chatted until almost noon, when a servant from Xia Mingyuan's side ran in and said respectfully, "Miss, the Prime Minister said he has some things to do, so please go back home and have dinner first."

Yuan Xi felt a little strange. Daddy said he brought her here to relax, but he never showed up after entering the temple, leaving her to wait in the meditation room. Now he asked her to go back home first, and she didn't know what important things he had to do.

But she just thought about it and didn't think too deeply about it, so she told Li Ma to go out with her and get on the carriage, and the other maids got on another carriage. With the sound of horses' hooves, they slowly drove along the mountain path in front of the temple gate towards the prime minister's residence.

After passing the temple wall, the monks' morning classes had already ended. Luo Yuan walked through the quiet Zen temple and slowly came to a secluded Zen room. Someone stood with his back to him in the room, his purple robe and python belt reflected in the light smoke. Luo Yuan stood outside the door, bowed respectfully, and said, "Luo Yuan has fulfilled his mission."

The man was silent for a while, then said, "Very good. I always like smart young people like you. Don't worry, I will definitely do what I promised you."

Luo Yuan smiled slightly, thanked the man repeatedly, then turned around and walked out. However, the smile on his face turned into a sneer at that moment.

Yuan Xi, who was jolted along the way by the carriage, was unaware of all this. She had no time to appreciate the mountain scenery along the way. She was just thinking in her heart: How should I explain my decision to my father? Will my father be willing to let her go?

At this moment, she felt the carriage suddenly stop while it was speeding, and she and Li Ma Ma almost bumped into the carriage. From outside came the mournful squeaking of horses, as well as shouting and noise.

"How can you hurry up!" Nanny Li cursed angrily and was about to push the door open to go out and question Yuan Xi, but Yuan Xi suddenly pulled her hand. For some reason, she had a bad premonition.

At this time, the noise outside gradually faded, and it was so quiet that it made people a little uneasy. Suddenly, footsteps were getting closer and closer, as if someone was walking towards the carriage. Yuan Xi's heart was pounding, and he quickly pulled Li Ma to his side and whispered, "Something may have happened outside. I'm afraid they are here for Daddy. No matter what happens later, you must find a way to sneak back and tell Daddy to bring help!"

Nanny Li showed a look of horror. At this moment, the car door had been opened. Yuan Xi clutched the corner of her clothes tightly with both hands, trying to calm herself down, but when she saw the face that came in, she couldn't help but be stunned.

Although the man had a leopard-like head and round eyes, and was sturdy and strong, he was already an old man with white beard and white eyebrows. He looked around and finally stared at Yuan Xi and asked, "You are Xia Mingyuan's daughter."

Yuan Xi couldn't help but tremble under the gaze, but he still mustered up the courage to straighten his neck and said, "Who are you? You know that kidnapping the family of an official is a serious crime! The guards of the prime minister's residence are right behind us. If you leave now, I can pretend that I didn't see anything."

Hearing this, the man couldn't help but burst into laughter, his white beard trembling with laughter, and said, "The little girl is quite brave, but never mind, just take her back to me first!"

Yuan Xi was so frightened that her whole body was shaking, but she knew that there were only two female relatives in the car and she could not resist at all. So she straightened her back and got out of the car by herself, while secretly winking at Li Ma Ma who was huddled in the car and trembling.

The white-bearded old man showed an admiring expression and was about to follow Yuan Xi out, but suddenly turned around, stared at Li Ma who was about to sneak away, and said, "You, follow too!"