Chapter 93 "Auntie, you've come to see the master..."
Consort Gao's younger brother was notoriously arrogant and domineering in the capital; otherwise, he wouldn't have earned the well-known nickname "Little Imperial Uncle."
It is said that Consort Gao's mother was almost forty years old when she conceived this precious child. Having a son late in life, she spoiled him rotten from a young age. When he was around ten years old, it was the height of Consort Gao's unparalleled favor in the palace. The Gao family also rose from small merchants to become marquises. The old couple felt that their youngest son was a son who would bring prosperity to the family, and they favored him even more.
Now, Gao Yu, the third son of the Gao family, has reached the age to get married. He has the wild idea of becoming a prince consort, and his mother dares to openly ask her daughter to act as matchmaker at a palace banquet. They are truly a pair of people who dare to dream and dare to do.
But anyone with eyes could see that Gao Yu was no good. He spent his days chasing after women, indulging in cockfighting and dog racing, and had already ruined many of the maids in the household before even getting married. Any family that cared about their daughter would never want such a son-in-law, let alone the precious Princess Lekang.
Furthermore, Shen Lingyue remembered very clearly that at the palace banquet, Consort Gao had flatly refused, and Princess Lekang's birth mother, Consort Lin, clearly did not approve of this outrageous marriage.
So it's quite suspicious that Gao Yu put on this big show today.
Yan Yi was still taking care of Princess Lekang inside the carriage, while Shen Lingyue stood in front of the carriage door, blocking the view from outside.
A thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately showed a hint of fear, bowing her head and apologizing: "So it is the young imperial brother-in-law who has arrived. Please forgive this humble woman for not recognizing you. Seeing your party arriving so quickly and with such an arrogant attitude, I thought you were some kind of highway robbers."
Gao Yu was pleased by her submissive attitude, and his expression softened slightly. He arrogantly raised his whip and said, "Alright, this is none of your business. Get out of the way and don't delay my rescue of the princess."
Shen Lingyue blinked, looking puzzled: "There are no royal insignia on this carriage, so how did the young imperial uncle know from a distance that the princess was sitting in the carriage that had overturned in fright?"
Gao Yu was stumped by the question. She opened her mouth, somewhat annoyed, and said, "Why are you asking so many questions?"
Shen Lingyue said solemnly, "The princess is of noble birth. Now that she has been frightened outside, the palace will definitely send someone to inquire about her. As the first person to help, our Changning Marquis's Mansion may have to go to the palace to plead with the emperor... If the young imperial uncle doesn't mind, then I will tell His Majesty the truth at that time."
Gao Yu's brow twitched slightly; he thought to himself, "This is bad."
He glared at the attendant behind him who had given him bad advice: It's all your fault! You insisted that all women love the trope of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress, and deliberately bribed the Imperial Stables to tamper with the horse's hooves... Now you've really messed things up, haven't you?
The attendant, drenched in cold sweat from the glare, desperately protested, "What, what's so difficult about that? When Consort Xian fell ill recently, Princess Lekang, being the most filial and devoted woman, personally left the palace to visit the Jade Buddha Temple, praying to the Medicine Buddha for Consort Xian's safety. She copied scriptures day and night, only returning to the palace every seven days..."
Shen Lingyue tightly pursed her lips to keep from laughing out loud.
And you're saying you weren't deliberately watching Princess Lekang's movements to cause trouble? At this moment, Gao Yu belatedly realized that this young lady seemed to have mentioned the Marquis of Changning's residence earlier?
He finally turned his gaze to Pei Jinghuai, who was guarding the carriage, and squinted at him for a long time before saying, "Second Brother Pei, it's you."
Pei Jinghuai nodded, his attitude somewhat indifferent, "I was escorting the women of my family to the Jade Buddha Temple when I happened to witness the princess's carriage having an accident, so naturally I couldn't stand idly by."
If it were some minor character who ruined his plans today, Gao Yu would definitely have dragged them away and given them a good beating.
Even the most dissolute young man knew very well which families in the capital he couldn't afford to offend.
The Changning Marquis's residence was one of them.
Despite his displeasure, Gao Yu still put on a smile and craned his neck to look into the carriage. "Why haven't I heard Le Kang's voice for so long? She must be frightened. Come down and let your third brother take a look."
He spoke in a flippant and slick tone, then winked at Pei Jinghuai with a grin, “Second Brother Pei, you may not know this, but my eldest sister intends to pair me up with Sister Lekang. I’m not an outsider anymore.”
Inside the carriage, Princess Lekang blushed with anger upon hearing this. Just as she was about to deny it, Yan Yi suddenly made a shushing gesture at her.
She approached the car door and whispered behind Shen Lingyue, "She's fainted."
Upon receiving the signal, Shen Lingyue pretended to turn around and glance back, then exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, Her Highness the Princess has bumped her head and fainted!"
Princess Lekang realized what was happening and immediately closed her eyes tightly.
Upon hearing this, Gao Yu was alarmed and immediately spurred his horse forward to investigate.
At this moment, the young eunuch driving the carriage mustered his courage and spread his arms to stop him, "How dare you! How can you allow an outsider to spy on the princess's precious body?"
Enraged, Gao Yu lashed out with his whip, yelling, "You damned eunuch—"
The moment the whip was raised, Pei Jinghuai caught it with lightning speed and pulled it back.
His expression was even colder than before, and his dark eyes were filled with anger. "Young Imperial Uncle, my wife is right here. What if you hurt her?"
Gao Yu's hands were suddenly empty. Meeting Pei Jinghuai's unfriendly expression, he awkwardly rubbed his hands together a couple of times. "You've misunderstood. I wasn't there for your wife."
"Even accidental injury is unacceptable." Pei Jinghuai raised his hand, making a gesture to dismiss him.
"Princess Lekang is unconscious. It's possible she has injured her head. We absolutely cannot afford to be jostled in this condition. The Jade Buddha Temple is not far ahead. Let's escort the princess to the temple to rest first. If the young imperial uncle truly cares about the princess, he should ride back to the capital as soon as possible and quickly summon the imperial physician to treat her."
Gao Yu never expected things to escalate to this extent, so how could he dare to actually summon the imperial physician? He quickly chuckled and said, "I suddenly remembered that I still need to purchase antiques and calligraphy for my elder sister. For such a trivial matter as summoning the imperial physician, Second Brother Pei, you can just send any servant. Farewell."
After saying that, he spurred the horse and ran off, faster and faster, making it seem like a ghost was chasing him.
Pei Jinghuai watched his hasty departure and couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"An illiterate good-for-nothing who can't even read a single character wants to buy calligraphy and paintings?"
Only then did he have a chance to ask Shen Lingyue, "Did the princess really faint? How serious is it? This carriage is no longer safe for her. Should we carry her to your carriage instead..."
Princess Lekang peeked out from behind Shen Lingyue and smiled slightly at him: "Thank you, Second Young Master Pei, I'm fine."
When the carriage overturned, the palace maid protected her in time, so Princess Lekang was not seriously injured. However, the palace maid hit her head and had a big bump, and she is still dizzy.
Princess Lekang quickly tidied her clothes and then followed Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi to their carriage.
Pei Jinghuai summoned several attendants, and together they lifted the damaged carriage to the side of the road to avoid delaying other travelers.
The eunuchs and palace maids who were driving the carriages squeezed into the carriages of the Marquis's maids.
Princess Lekang got into the carriage and turned to bow to Shen Lingyue and Yan Yifu.
"Thank you both for saving my life today."
Shen Lingyue quickly grabbed her wrist to stop her from bowing further, jokingly saying, "Princess, you mustn't! If you bow now, our Marquis's mansion will be flooded with impeachment memorials tomorrow."
Yan Yi also chimed in, "It's no trouble at all, Your Highness."
Princess Lekang raised her head, a few tears welling up in her eyes, "No, if we hadn't met you in time today, Gao Yu, he, he would definitely..."
Amid her intermittent sobs, the two learned that this was not the first time Gao Yu had stopped Princess Lekang outside, attempting to get close to her.
"On the day of the New Year's banquet, Consort Gao and my mother had already rejected Madam Gao, but she still wouldn't give up. Every time she came to the palace to visit Consort Gao, she would always find an excuse to sit in my mother's palace, and she would brag about her precious son and urge my mother to agree to the marriage..."
Princess Lekang lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, looking angry but not daring to lash out.
A tear fell onto the carpet, and she quickly raised her hand to wipe her eye.
Shen Lingyue asked with concern, "The Virtuous Consort did not agree, did she?"
Princess Lekang closed her eyes, and two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably, her pale face filled with despair.
Yan Yi and Shen Lingyue exchanged a glance, both seeing the same surprise on each other's faces.
...The Consort Xian actually agreed? Has she gone mad?
Not daring to make a sound and disturb Princess Lekang, Yan Yi took Shen Lingyue's hand and wrote the character "Heng" in her palm.
Shen Lingyue blinked, understanding.
Could it be that Consort Lin thinks that as long as she marries Princess Lekang to Gao Yu, she can gain Consort Gao's support for Prince Heng's succession?
Trading an unloved daughter for a son to ascend to the throne—that's a worthwhile deal.
...Pah!
She rolled her eyes in anger.
Even Consort Gao herself was unwilling to marry Princess Lekang to Gao Yu, yet you two made your own arrangements, huh?
Shen Lingyue looked at Princess Lekang with pity. So what if she was born into a noble family? She still couldn't even decide her own marriage.
She and Yan Yi quickly grabbed handkerchiefs to wipe away Princess Lekang's tears, but to their surprise, she quickly composed herself and even smiled gently at the two of them, saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you all this."
A hint of worry appeared on her face. "You offended Gao Yu today because of me. Won't he cause you trouble?"
"He wouldn't dare?" Shen Lingyue snorted angrily. "At worst, I'll find someone to put a sack over his head and beat him so badly he won't be able to get out of bed for three months!"
Princess Lekang chuckled, imagining Gao Yu's miserable state with a bruised and swollen face, and actually felt a little relieved.
This laugh broke the dull and oppressive atmosphere in the car, and the three of them quickly became much closer.
"I've always wanted to get to know you, but I just haven't found the right opportunity."
Princess Lekang whispered, "I went to Sister Tong'an's residence to relax before. She said that the two young mistresses of the Pei family are very, very good people, warm-hearted and upright. She told me to learn more from them, otherwise I might be bullied by my husband after I get married."
Shen Lingyue silently gave Princess Tong'an a thumbs up.
Yes, that's how we'll promote them when we're out and about from now on! ^_^
She cleared her throat and leaned closer to Princess Lekang, asking, "Does Your Highness have someone in mind? Instead of waiting passively, why not take the initiative? I think His Majesty is very good to his daughters, so why don't you just ask him to grant you a marriage?"
No matter how much Consort Lin and Lady Gao schemed, could they possibly get past the old emperor?
Shen Lingyue urged Princess Lekang not to hesitate and to speak up quickly if she took a fancy to someone, because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Princess Lekang seemed stumped by her question, and after a long pause, she slowly shook her head.
She whispered, "I...I don't have anyone I like..."
A fleeting hint of melancholy crossed his voice.
"No...that's troublesome."
Shen Lingyue stroked her chin, looking troubled, and racked her brains for any unmarried young talents she knew, wondering if any of them would be suitable to be the prince consort.
Or should we have Pei Jinghuai go to Lu Xilou and mobilize the Jinyiwei to conduct a city-wide selection?
A three-legged harem is hard to find, but a three-legged prince consort is not hard to come by.
"Your Highness, what kind of man do you like? List out the criteria, and we'll carefully select one."
Princess Lekang pursed her lips, her hands tightly twisting the hem of her dress. "I... I can't explain it either. My mind is in turmoil right now, and I just want to hurry back to the Jade Buddha Temple to copy scriptures and calm down."
Yan Yi shook her head at Shen Lingyue, "The princess was quite frightened just now, let her rest for a while."
Shen Lingyue stuck out her tongue, and after finally calming down for a while, she couldn't help but say, "Princess, you are so filial. Consort Xian is about to marry you off to Gao Yu, and you are still thinking about copying scriptures for her."
Yan Yi sighed and rubbed her forehead. Little Moon, please don't hurt my feelings at a time like this...
Princess Lekang gave a wry smile. "I just hope that my mother will spare me out of consideration for my filial piety and devotion. To be honest, this is also my selfish wish."
"So what? We judge by actions, not intentions. No one is perfect when it comes to intentions."
Shen Lingyue always has a twisted logic, but Princess Lekang seems to have found some comfort and doesn't look so down anymore.
As they spoke, they arrived at the Jade Buddha Temple.
Pei Jinghuai went inside first and spoke with the monk in charge of receiving guests.
When the monk learned that Princess Lekang was also in the carriage, he immediately pointed respectfully to the back mountain: "These days, Her Highness the Princess has been praying for her mother and has been staying in the best meditation hall of this temple. Please follow me, benefactor."
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi took Princess Lekang to the Zen temple. Since the palace maid Qiushan was still injured, they asked her if she wanted two maids from the Marquis's mansion to serve her.
Princess Lekang declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, sisters, but I'm just copying scriptures in my room and don't need anyone to serve me. Let Qiushan rest in the side room first."
Shen Lingyue didn't insist and nodded, "I'll go and inquire later if there are any reliable doctors nearby. Qiushan hitting his head is no small matter; we still need to have a doctor take a look."
“No need for such trouble. There are monks in the temple who know medicine.” Princess Lekang raised the corners of her lips slightly. “After all, I’ve lived here for more than a month, so I know more than you do.”
"That would be perfect."
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi exchanged a glance. "Your Highness, we'll go to the front to worship Buddha first. If you need anything, just send someone to the front hall to find us."
The two watched Princess Lekang enter the meditation room before leaving the courtyard.
As soon as she stepped outside, Shen Lingyue stretched and regained her energy. She pulled Yan Yi along and said, "Let's go eat first."
She left early in the morning, but was delayed on the way, and now it's noon. She's so hungry that her stomach is practically sticking to her back.
The two asked a passing novice monk for directions to the dining hall, and on their way they happened to meet Pei Yuzhen.
She peeked behind the two of them and asked, "Where's the princess? Why didn't she come out to eat with you?"
Having heard that they had rescued the princess while they were down the mountain, Pei Yuzhen wanted to go and join in the fun, but Pei Jinghuai wouldn't allow it, insisting that there wasn't enough room in the carriage.
She had finally arrived at the Jade Buddha Temple, but she hadn't even seen the princess yet. How could this be?
Shen Lingyue waved her hand, "The princess was frightened and has no appetite for the time being. She went back to her room to copy scriptures. Little aunt, you'd better not disturb her, or you might be punished for disrespect."
Pei Yuzhen snorted twice, unconvinced. "I'm not some country bumpkin. How could I possibly offend a princess?"
"Oh dear, it's precisely because my aunt has seen the world that she finds so interesting, what's so special about a little princess?"
Without saying a word, Shen Lingyue grabbed Pei Yuzhen's arm and held her tightly, laughing, "Let's hurry to the canteen, eating is the most important thing in the world!"
"Hey, hey, let go of me—"
Pei Yuzhen seemed to have been kidnapped, and involuntarily followed Shen Lingyue forward.
Yan Yi chuckled to herself and followed.
...
The vegetarian food at Jade Buddha Temple truly lived up to its reputation. Despite not containing a trace of meat, the mountain delicacies and wild vegetables were made exceptionally delicious.
Especially the Three Delicacies Vegetarian Noodles, the soup is rich and fragrant, the noodles are thin and chewy, wrapped with diced mushrooms, shredded bean sprouts and shredded wood ear mushrooms, the rich texture is so delicious it will make your tongue tingle.
Even Pei Jinghuai, who usually loves meat, slurped down three large bowls. If Shen Lingyue hadn't stopped him, he could have had another bowl.
Pei Jinghuai complained, "Why won't you let me eat it?"
Shen Lingyue quickly poked his lower abdomen with her fingertip, her voice laced with threat: "If you get fat, I won't want you anymore."
Pei Jinghuai subconsciously took a breath and stubbornly replied, "I practice boxing every morning, that's why I haven't gained weight."
Shen Lingyue cleared her throat. "I was worried you might have indigestion from eating too much. I was thinking of taking a walk in the back mountain this afternoon. I saw some nice vegetarian snacks there. Why don't we pack a couple more to take to the mountain?"
Just then, Pei Jinghuai let out a burp, and readily agreed.
Pei Yuzhen overheard this and frowned in disgust: "What's so fun about the back mountain? I think all the mountains in the capital look pretty much the same."
She said mysteriously, "Have you forgotten why we came here today? Of course, we have to go see that very accurate Master Yunzhi first. It is said that he only interprets ten fortune sticks a day, so we should hurry over and line up, or we won't be able to get one."
Limited edition? I have to grab it!
Shen Lingyue changed her mind in a second, "Let's go, let's go, don't eat anymore."
Pei Jinghuai, who was packing vegetarian snacks: ...Didn't you just say you wanted to eat this?
...
Shen Lingyue and her companions rushed to the main hall and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw only a few worshippers inside.
"It seems we're in good luck today; we're sure to get a chance to have our fortune told by the master."
As the bell rang at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), a young man in a gray monk's robe emerged from behind the Buddha statue, bowed slightly to the worshippers in the hall, and said, "Amitabha."
Shen Lingyue was silent for two seconds, then turned to look at Pei Yuzhen, "Aunt, tell me honestly, did you come to see the master or the handsome man?"
Why didn't anyone tell her that Master Yunzhi was such a handsome guy?!
Pei Yuzhen was also shocked, staring intently at Master Yunzhi, her red lips slightly parted, unable to recover for a long time.
She's innocent! The Grand Madam never mentioned this!
Yan Yi was also engrossed in watching, as if she were in a trance.
Shen Lingyue's eyes widened, and she kept exclaiming "Wow, wow!"
Well, Master Yunzhi is a bit like a gender-swapped version of Lan Ya'er, except that he doesn't have a red mole between his eyebrows. But the pure and otherworldly Buddhist nature they both possess gives people the illusion that they are fellow disciples.
Shen Lingyue felt that she had seen all kinds of handsome men since she came here, but this was the first time she had seen a saintly monk like Master Yunzhi.
She pulled Yan Yi aside and whispered, swooning, "You have no idea how obsessed I was with the 'demoness x holy monk' pairing... it was so sweet!"
"Cough cough cough!"
A deafening cough erupted behind him.
As Shen Lingyue turned her head, Pei Jinghuai expressionlessly handed her a vegetarian pastry. "Want some? This smells pretty good too."
Shen Lingyue said with a righteous expression, "This is a sacred Buddhist site. How can you eat and drink so much here? Take it back immediately."
Pei Jinghuai snorted, glanced at Master Yunzhi from head to toe, and said sarcastically, "What a perfectly round bald head! You don't even need to carry a lantern when you go out at night. How convenient!"
Shen Lingyue, Yan Yi, and Pei Yuzhen said in unison, "Shut up."
Pei Jinghuai: ...
They've gone mad, the whole family has gone mad!
This guy must be a wicked monk!
The "evil monk" Yun Zhi had already walked to the fortune-telling table and calmly began to interpret the fortune for the benefactor.
Pei Yuzhen was soon in line; as an elder, she naturally had to be the first to arrive.
Pei Yuzhen blushed and stepped forward, staring intently at Yun Zhi's face, admiring him more and more with each glance.
Yun Zhi remained unmoved by her direct and fiery gaze, seemingly already used to it. He lowered his eyes slightly and asked, "What does the benefactor wish to ask for?"
Pei Yuzhen's voice softened slightly, "I wish to ask for a marriage match."
She held up the container with both hands and shook it a dozen times until a bamboo stick fell out.
Yun Zhi stepped forward, picked it up, glanced at the number on the slip, and said calmly, "Trying to catch the moon in the water is a waste of energy, and seeking wealth in dreams is futile. Only by recognizing that emptiness gives rise to wondrous existence can one know that the ordinary is a rare treasure."
Pei Yuzhen: ...So accurate!
Her eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she covered her face and burst into sobs.
Waaaaah, if she hadn't been after money, she wouldn't have been scammed so much... Hua Ming, you turtle, you liar, you bastard... I curse you to have a son who's never born with a penis!!!
Pei Jinghuai quickly helped his heartbroken aunt to rest on a nearby prayer mat, and then glared at Yun Zhi when no one was looking.
What are you babbling about that made my aunt so upset!
Next up is Yan Yi.
As they got closer, she felt embarrassed to look at Yun Zhi any longer and politely nodded to him.
“I want…to have children,” Yan Yi said softly.
She has been taking care of her health for the past six months, regularly checking her pulse. The doctor said that her physical condition has improved a lot and she can try to conceive.
For the past two months, she and Pei Jingyi have not used any protection, but her period still comes on time.
Although Yan Yi wasn't superstitious, she still said the same thing—since she was already here.
She devoutly picked up the divination stick container and shook it for a long time. Suddenly, a bamboo stick jumped out and was caught by Yun Zhi.
He glanced at the signature, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.
"The precious raft crosses today by chance, and auspicious clouds protect us with endless blessings. Just do good deeds with true intentions, and heavenly dragons will protect you."
Yun Zhi nodded to Yan Yi, "Congratulations, benefactor, you will surely get what you wish for."
A bright light shone in Yan Yi's eyes, and she could hardly contain her joy.
She subconsciously looked to her side, only to see empty air, and felt a little disappointed.
...If Pei Jingyi were here too, that would be great.
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Author's Note: [Pei Da: VIP membership has been recharged, and I'm on my way at full speed—]
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