Chapter 80 "I don't want to rekindle our past relationship..."
The Empress's carriage left Changqiu Palace the following day.
The carriage slowly drove into Chanxu Temple and stopped at the foot of the mountain. Palace servants carried the boxes and trunks all the way up the mountain until they were brought into the temple.
The accompanying eunuch said, "In the days to come, Her Majesty will be practicing at Chanxu Temple. This is the back mountain, where few people come, but there are still some dignitaries who venture here. In order not to affect the believers' worship, the back mountain is not sealed off. There are guards outside Her Majesty's courtyard, who can be ordered around at will."
Yuan Chaolu walked to the window, pushed it open, and was greeted by lush green mountains. A breeze from the mountains carried a refreshing fragrance.
The eunuch instructed his men to move the things faster, saying, "Outsiders only know that you are in meditation at Ningyuan Temple, but they don't know that you are at Chanxu Temple. Please take care of your health, Your Highness. If you need anything, just send someone to help you."
Yuan Chaolu said, "Good."
After the people carrying the luggage filed out, the huge room fell silent again, leaving only one or two palace maids to serve outside.
Last night, devastating news spread through the palace: the Empress, who was pregnant, suffered a miscarriage and was heartbroken.
The news caused a stir both inside and outside the palace.
This morning, the Empress herself went to a Buddhist temple to pray for the unborn child who had died young.
However, the Empress brought many trunks today, as if she intended to stay for a long time. Moreover, the Emperor in Xuande Hall did not make any move or offer any words of comfort to the Empress's arrival at Chanxu Temple, which made the two palace maids outside the courtyard sense something was amiss.
What outsiders think naturally has no bearing on Yuan Chaolu.
The room was bright and clean, exuding a Zen-like atmosphere, and remained the same as before, but her circumstances had undergone a dramatic change.
At this moment, Yuan Chaolu heard voices outside the courtyard and looked up to see a familiar, slender figure walking quickly from the courtyard gate.
"Your Majesty!" Qingheng, carrying a bundle, hurried into the courtyard.
Yuan Chaolu led her into the house and asked, "Why are you here?"
Qingheng said, "I was dismissed from my post. Although Your Majesty pleaded with the Emperor to take all the blame upon yourself, I was promoted by Your Majesty and I am truly unworthy of such a position. I have already requested to resign from the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Her eyes, illuminated by the light, appeared gentle, with an amber-like color that exuded warmth.
Yuan Chaolu's eyes met hers, and for some reason, her heartstrings were touched. She said softly, "Thank you."
Qingheng smiled and shook her head: "Your Majesty, there's no need to say such things. Things are already as they are, so let's take it one step at a time. Your Majesty doesn't need to be so hard on yourself."
“Of course.” Yuan Chaolu took her hand and walked to the window. “When I came here, I noticed a nursery under the window. We can clear the soil and plant some flowers tomorrow.”
“You’ve come at the right time. The bed and table here are too plain. I was just thinking about how to decorate them,” Yuan Chaolu turned around, “How about hanging some sachets on the curtains and putting some flowers in the plum vase?”
Qingheng replied "okay," having actually prepared words of comfort before coming, but the person in front of her was completely unaffected.
Qingheng said, "Compared to Changqiu Palace, this place is far too plain."
The figure stood by the bed, raising a hand to hang a sachet on it.
“It’s alright,” she said softly, like a gentle breeze, “I’m used to it.”
"This place is so much better than where I used to live."
**
The weather in Luoyang has been fine for days, with clear blue skies. As Empress Dowager Lu's birthday approaches, the court celebrates with its officials and people, issuing an imperial edict to bestow cakes upon all the people and sending opera troupes to tour the streets.
The atmosphere surrounding the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration grew increasingly intense.
As the afternoon sun cast its shimmering light upon the rooftops of Penglai Palace, Prince Xiao Luozhi of Yan sat in the palace, intently listening to Empress Dowager Lu speak.
"Several days have passed since the Empress's false pregnancy, and your brother has not set foot in Penglai Palace even once. It is clear that he is still angry with me because of that vixen."
When the word "demoness" reached the ears of the Prince of Yan, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Didn't Physician Dou say that he was just confused and misremembered, but the Empress is indeed pregnant?"
The Empress Dowager leaned against the phoenix couch, her voice leisurely: "It was your elder brother who insisted on favoring him, what could Physician Dou do?"
Her eyes, hidden in the shadows, gleamed with a deep, eerie light. "However, even your brother, the Emperor, cannot tolerate deception. Although he outwardly defended the Empress, he still sent her to a temple, claiming it was to pray for the unborn child. How is that any different from the Cold Palace?"
There was a moment of silence in the hall. Xiao Luozhi said, "Even if the Empress is like this, I think there must be a reason for it."
Empress Dowager Lu heard her son say several things, but he didn't listen to her. She withdrew her hand with a cold face. "Prince Yan, don't you even look at yourself? How dejected you've become these days?"
First, on the night of the emperor and empress's wedding, the Prince of Yan got drunk, making a scene known to everyone. After that, the Prince of Yan became despondent, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day, and thus became decadent, as everyone could see.
Empress Dowager Lu looked at the person in front of her, whose face was thin and whose expression was no longer as spirited as before, as if his soul had been sucked away. She held back for a long time before finally saying, "You know your own identity."
Xiao Luozhi suddenly stood up.
"Stop!" Empress Dowager Lu's voice rang out.
"Who are you trying to impress with this? Do you still harbor any delusions about the Empress?"
Xiao Luozhi paused for a moment, but did not turn around, before quickly walking out of the main hall.
**
The mountain behind Chanxu Temple is lush with vegetation, including many medicinal herbs and flowering plants. Its secluded location makes for a stunning landscape. Since Yuan Chaolu came to Chanxu Temple, he often accompanied Qingheng to enjoy the mountain scenery while picking medicinal herbs.
As dusk approached, two figures walked along a narrow, overgrown path in the mountains.
Qingheng said, "When we arrived, we were very uneasy, worried that His Majesty would punish the Empress. However, in the past few days, no other decrees have been sent from the palace. It seems that His Majesty still has some favor towards the Empress..."
“He won’t let anyone guess his thoughts.” Yuan Chaolu gripped the basket on her back tightly. “Even I’m not sure if he’ll cripple me.”
but--
She will not allow herself to become a deposed empress.
Her elder sister's revenge has not yet been taken, the Lu family has not yet paid the price, and the Helan family is waiting for her. She has to find a way to go back.
The two rested at a secluded temple in the mountains.
Yuan Chaolu placed a bunch of flowers into the plum vase in front of the Buddha, and looked up at the Buddha's gentle face.
When she turned her head again, she saw a tall, slender figure standing at the entrance of the palace.
The sunlight, falling from one side, shone on him, blurring his features. He approached and called out, "Morning Dew."
Yuan Chaolu recognized the familiar voice: "Your Highness, Prince Yan?"
The man before me was dressed in a blue robe, and his recent dejection was written all over his face. His chin was covered with stubble from neglect, and his cheeks were sunken. However, his demeanor was very different from before, and he had lost his former handsome and dashing appearance.
Xiao Luozhi was also sizing her up.
She stood before the ancient Buddha and the green lamp, her simple white dress devoid of any artifice. Just moments before, she had smiled as she picked a flower before the Buddha, her face as fresh as snow after a storm, brightening even the dimly lit hall.
She asked, "Why is His Highness Prince Yan here today?"
Xiao Luozhi, feeling scrutinized by her, raised his hand to cover his thin cheek and said, "This afternoon, I came to Chanxu Temple to worship Buddha. On the mountain path, I saw a figure from afar that looked very familiar. When I came closer, I was surprised to find that it was indeed you. Shouldn't Your Highness be at Ningyuan Temple?"
Yuan Chaolu: "That's what outsiders think."
Her gaze swept silently over his gaunt face, neck, and robes.
This scrutiny made Xiao Luozhi even more embarrassed.
She said, "I've heard all the rumors lately."
Xiao Luozhi suddenly realized she was referring to his drinking to drown his sorrows and asked, "Morning Dew?"
Yuan Chaolu smiled faintly: "My initial approach to the Prince of Yan was for ulterior motives. I coveted a high position and wanted to seek the protection of a powerful family. I never gave my heart to His Highness. It is truly not worth it for Your Highness to torment yourself in this matter."
"In fact, I met His Majesty at Chanxu Temple long before I met Your Highness... Later, when I was with Your Highness, I was kept in the dark about this matter. I am truly sorry for this."
Xiao Luozhi said, "No, I know you must have your reasons."
She asked, puzzled, "Isn't Your Highness surprised?"
Xiao Luozhi stepped forward and said, "On the night of your wedding with the Emperor, I got drunk and went to the Emperor. He then told me how you met him."
She fell silent, then suddenly looked up. "But Your Highness has been so depressed for so long, and I can't bear to see you like this. This whole thing started because of me, and I hope Your Highness will pull yourself together and stop drowning your sorrows in alcohol all day long."
His eyes flickered slightly, like ripples spreading across a deep pool after a stone has been thrown in.
"I still remember the day I first met Your Highness. The Prince of Yan and I were discussing paintings, full of vigor. At that time, I truly felt that we shared the same interests and considered each other as kindred spirits. But the person standing in front of me now feels like a complete stranger."
“Morning dew…” Xiao Luo’s lips twitched.
"I've said all this in the hope that His Highness Prince Yan will recover."
Yuan Chaolu smiled back, and without waiting for his reply, turned and walked towards the bamboo basket placed at her feet. But the Prince of Yan stepped forward and said, "Let me help you."
As he spoke, he picked up his bamboo basket and started walking outside.
Yuan Chaolu withdrew her hand, watched his figure, and helplessly followed him out of the main hall.
Xiao Luo said, "I know about Chanxu Temple. You are only eating vegetarian food and wearing simple clothes here. Is that really alright? Are you missing anything? I will have someone send some things over tomorrow."
Yuan Chaolu stopped: "Your Highness, did you not understand what I said?"
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, bathing the two of them.
She gazed intently at the person before her, speaking each word with utmost seriousness: "I hope you can recover completely and stop torturing yourself. It doesn't mean that there's any possibility of us rekindling our past relationship..."
Xiao Luozhi said, "I understand. But it's really unacceptable for my brother to have you sent here. It was he who overruled everyone's objections to bring you into the Empress's Palace! I'm worried about your situation!"
“This is a matter between me and your royal brother, Your Highness Prince Yan.”
Her expression was calm, and her voice was gentle: "I am very grateful for the Prince of Yan's care today, but if His Highness continues to be so depressed, I'm afraid it won't just be me who will be disappointed."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Luozhi gazed at her for a long time before nodding: "I've remembered your words."
Yuan Chaolu took the bamboo basket from his hand and glanced at the end of the path: "In that case, the place where pilgrims come and go is just ahead. Your Highness, please stop here."
His eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, something he wanted to say, but he swallowed them back, bid farewell, and left.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back, took Yuan Chaolu's hand, and took off the white jade pendant from his waist, solemnly placing it in her palm.
“I am an old acquaintance of Zen Master Changming of Chanxu Temple. If you have any needs or are in danger, go and ask him for help.”
"I'm leaving."
Yuan Chaolu called out but could not reach it. She lowered her head and stared blankly at the jade pendant in her palm. Finally, she sighed and handed it to Qingheng beside her.
"When you deliver it to the monk, just say that you found a jade pendant left by a noble person on the mountain."
The two continued walking forward. After a few steps, they heard footsteps coming from the bamboo forest beside them. Yuan Chaolu subconsciously turned around and saw a figure walking out of the bamboo forest.
The middle-aged woman was dressed in a plain robe, and the white jade earrings on her ears swayed gently, reflecting a dazzling light.
The person who came was...
"Aunt?" Yuan Chaolu smiled and stepped forward.
Princess Zhenning also bowed to Yuan Chaolu.
"I have been practicing here, and I heard a few days ago that Your Majesty also visited Chanxu Temple, but I have not had time to pay my respects," the woman said, her gaze fixed on the path leading to the end. "Was the person Your Majesty just seeing the Prince of Yan?"
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Author's Note: Chanxu Temple is as transparent as a sieve; the Prince of Yan has already mobilized. [Hugs]
There's a red envelope dropping in this chapter, mwah~
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