"I don't believe her!" Dong'e Shi said in a low voice, her face cold. She had already been reborn, and in her previous life, she had prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva for so many years, yet not a single wish had been fulfilled. To still believe in her in this life would truly be a sign of someone's brain being squeezed in a door!
Although Ninth Princess Consort's voice was extremely low, Eighth Princess Consort still heard it. She stared at Ninth Princess Consort in astonishment, as if she were seeing a monster. Because in this era, no woman disbelieved in Guanyin Bodhisattva, and to dare to speak of her in front of Guanyin Bodhisattva was simply outrageous.
"Eighth Sister-in-law, please continue your prayers. My sister-in-law wishes to go out and see some other Buddhas. Excuse me." Dong Eshi didn't want to explain anything. In any case, she didn't want Ninth Prince and Eighth Prince to continue their relationship. It would be best if Ninth Prince could get closer to Fourth Prince. Perhaps when he became emperor, he wouldn't punish Ninth Prince.
"Yes!" Dong'e suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Why hadn't she thought of getting closer to the Fourth Prince's family sooner? If she had cultivated a good relationship with them now, perhaps she wouldn't have ended up like that later.
The Eighth Princess Consort's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she watched Lady Dong'e and her servants leave. She had just witnessed the Ninth Princess Consort's disrespect towards Guanyin Bodhisattva and even her showing her a cold shoulder. How could the usually mild-mannered and honest Ninth Princess Consort suddenly seem like a completely different person?
Meanwhile, Ninth Prince Consort Dong'e, supported by her personal maid, began to stroll around Tan Tuo Temple. She followed the flow of people offering incense, walking from one Buddhist hall to another.
"My lady, that looks like Consort Niohuru from the Fourth Prince's residence," said Dong E's maid, pointing to the pair of mistress and servant in front of her.
Following the direction Chunling pointed, Dong Eshi saw a woman dressed in a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and pipa (a type of traditional Chinese lute) standing at the entrance of the Jigong Buddha statue. She was none other than Niohuru, whom she had seen in the palace.
In fact, Lanqin had already seen Dong'e when she saw herself. She saw Dong'e smiling at her, and she could only return the smile.
“Isn’t that Ninth Princess Consort?” Cui Niang whispered.
"Indeed, I never expected to run into you here!" Lanqin said, then took light steps and walked towards Dong Eshi.
"This concubine greets Ninth Prince Consort!" Lanqin bowed to Dong Eshi.
"Sister, please don't. It's fate that we met here today. Why don't we go sit over there?" Dong Eshi's heart stirred. Since she had made up her mind not to let Ninth Prince follow the same path as the previous one, she might as well take the initiative to do something, otherwise he would still end up like that.
Lanqin had only come to pay her respects, but she hadn't expected Dong'e to invite her for a chat, so she had no choice but to go along. She had chosen this day to have Cui Niang and Nianxue accompany her to pray to Buddha. This was the only reason she could think of for going out. Anyway, she was in charge of her own affairs in the manor, and no one dared to stop her from going out.
"I heard my sister is pregnant with twins?" Dong Eshi's eyes glanced at Lanqin's belly.
"Yes, I came out today specifically to fulfill my vow to Guanyin Bodhisattva," Lanqin lied. She knew that women of this era believed that Guanyin Bodhisattva could truly grant children. In reality, she was just so bored at home that she was practically growing mold, and since the Fourth Master wasn't around, she used the excuse of worshipping Buddha to come out.
"My sister is so lucky to have two children at once! And her future will be even brighter!" Dong Eshi thought of the Niohuru clan member who later gave birth to a son named Hongli, who was greatly favored by Emperor Kangxi and was often summoned to the palace to study and accompany him. But counting from her current belly, that child shouldn't be in this one.
Lanqin's eyelids twitched, and she suddenly felt that Dong E's words seemed to be hinting at something to her. She looked at Dong E's profile, trying to see some clue in her face.
"What does Ninth Princess Consort mean by that? Please enlighten me, my sister," Lanqin said, still uneasy. Dong'e seemed different from the Dong'e of the past. She had only met her two or three times and wasn't particularly familiar with her. Why did she feel there was a deeper meaning in her words?
“My sister is now a concubine of the Fourth Prince, and she is pregnant with twins. Won’t her future be even more blessed?” Seeing that Lanqin seemed to understand the deeper meaning of what she had just said, Dong’e looked at Lanqin as well.
The moment their eyes met, it seemed they both saw something in each other's eyes.
Lanqin's heart pounded. She wondered how Dong'e could possibly predict the future. Could it be that she was from the same hometown as her?
Dong Eshi was also wondering to herself, how come this Niohuru clan member seemed to know the deeper meaning of her words? Could it be that she had also been reborn?
The two walked to a secluded spot and each picked a rock to rest on.
"Sister, I have something I want to say to you alone!" Dong'e decided to take the risk. She felt that her encounter with Niohuru here was destined. Now that she had been reborn, she should follow the will of Heaven and do her best to change Ninth Prince's fate.
Lanqin nodded to Nianxue and Cui Niang, signaling them to stand further away. Dong'e also told Chunling to stand some distance away. After the maids had all gone about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) away, Dong'e stood up, moved to Lanqin's side, and sat down next to her.
"Sister, do you believe in reincarnation?" Dong Eshi asked, her handkerchief clenched slightly with nervousness. She was afraid that if she revealed the truth, Niohuru would be frightened and leave immediately, so she could only gently coax her.
When Lanqin heard her say that, she became even more convinced that her guess was definitely correct. It turned out that Dong Eshi was also a modern person who had traveled from the past.
"I believe it!" Lanqin said calmly, suppressing the immense shock in her heart. She had already traveled from the 21st century to this 300-year-old dynasty with its long braids, so what was there to disbelieve?
"Sister, your master is destined for great things. Neither the Prince Zhi nor the Eighth Prince will succeed. So you, sister, will also be destined for great things. Stay with the Fourth Prince and raise your child well." Dong E Shi felt more at ease after seeing Lan Qin's letter, but she still did not directly reveal that she already knew about the events of the next ten years.
Lanqin was so nervous that her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and asked in a trembling voice, "How does Ninth Princess know about these things?"
Dong Eshi seemed to have anticipated Lanqin's question, and sighed, "Sister, didn't you just say you believe in reincarnation? I am from a past life, and I have come to this life."
Lanqin couldn't believe what she had just heard, yet the noise of the bustling crowd was clearly audible, and Dong Eshi's words had all reached her ears.
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