Inside the Great Compassion Hall of Huangjue Temple.
"Master, it's time to rise. You've been kneeling here for an hour." Su Peisheng stood outside the door, bowing low, and whispered. In this royal temple, no one dared to speak loudly, as if afraid of disturbing the Buddha.
Inside the hall, a man dressed in a blue robe and a sky-blue jacket was kneeling in the center. Many candles were lit under the Bodhisattva's seat, flickering gently.
The man's profile was cold and profound, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. Although his eyes were closed, his handsome nose revealed his imposing presence. Hearing the servant outside the door finish speaking, he slowly opened his eyes. Indeed, he had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with piercing gazes!
"I'll recite some more sutras for the princes and princesses. You go and give the abbot another thousand taels of silver, and order him to have people recite sutras day and night to exorcise demons from the children and bring them peace." The man waved his hand, indicating that Su Peisheng should go and make the arrangements first. Su Peisheng bowed and then got up to leave.
The man tried to close his eyes again, but suddenly felt unwell, so he got up from the mat and walked towards the side room.
At this time, Lanqin had already escaped from the abbot.
She excused herself to relieve herself and let Xue'er leave the side room of the main hall with her.
The master and servant strolled along the mountain path, exploring the temple. They exited through the back door of the main hall and continued up the mountain path.
"Princess, let's not wander around like this. When Madam comes out, she'll be worried if she doesn't see us." Xue'er saw that Lanqin was in the mood for a stroll and was afraid that if she went too far, Madam would scold her. So she had to persuade her.
"Alright, go back now and see if Mother has finished talking with that old monk, then come find me. I'm not leaving either; I'll just stay here and look at the wildflowers," Lanqin said. They walked to a courtyard, where they saw many peach blossoms outside the gate, braving the slightly chilly spring breeze.
Xue'er was afraid of being scolded by Anjia, but she didn't dare to spoil the princess's enjoyment of the flowers. Seeing that it only took a quarter of an hour to travel between the two halls, she had no choice but to agree.
"Princess, you must play here and not wander too far. I'll go down and check on you, I'll be right back." Xue'er curtsied and then turned and went downstairs.
Lanqin felt a surge of relief when she finally shook off this little tail that she couldn't shake off even when going to the toilet or sleeping. She looked at the main hall and saw the sweeping monk cleaning the courtyard, so she boldly stepped inside.
The main hall in the courtyard has a plaque that reads "Hall of Great Compassion". The two side halls next to it are much smaller than the main hall. They are "Hall of Many Sons" and "Hall of Marriage".
Lanqin headed straight for the main hall, a habit Lin Mengyao used to have when traveling: first explore the main hall, then the side halls. She reached the entrance of the Great Compassion Hall, looked inside, and saw no one. Looking at the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a clay sculpture with a golden body, she indeed appeared compassionate and merciful, seemingly dedicated to saving all sentient beings.
Lanqin stepped inside and saw that the table under the Bodhisattva was covered with candles, so she stopped to look. She knew nothing about Buddhism, but seeing so many candles intrigued her, so she walked over to the stone wall to examine them.
After watching for a while, she realized that these candles were longevity lamps used to pray for the life of those who were sick and dying or who were suffering and dying.
"Hehe, are there really such ignorant people in the world who think that lighting a few candles and chanting a few sutras can keep people safe? How ridiculous!" Lanqin said casually in Lin Mengyao's tone, finally no longer having to hold back her classical Chinese.
"Who are you? How dare you speak nonsense in front of the Bodhisattva! Aren't you afraid of the Bodhisattva's wrath?" A man dressed in a blue robe and a dark blue jacket suddenly came out from the side room. Hearing her say this, he was greatly alarmed and immediately shouted.
In the quiet hall, Lanqin was startled when someone suddenly shouted at the Bodhisattva.
Damn it, what I say is none of your business!
Just as Lanqin was about to say those words, she suddenly realized her current status, so she suppressed her anger and immediately acted like a little lady.
She turned her head and saw a man coming out of the side room. She lowered her head and said, "I was just talking nonsense. Please don't be offended, sir! I'll take my leave now."
After saying that, Lan Qin bowed slightly, immediately turned around, and wanted to slip away as quickly as possible.
Why was she in such a hurry to leave? Naturally, it was because she had seen the precious jade inlaid on the man's hat, the embroidery on his belt, and the jade pendant hanging from it.
Just kidding. Lin Mengyao, who possessed Niu Hulu Lanqin's body, was a PhD in the History Department of the Capital University. Just by looking at those items, she knew that the visitor was either a member of the imperial family or a high-ranking official, or most likely a prince or grandson of the emperor.
Although the jade on the hat was only the size of a thumbnail, its color was lustrous and flawless, making it priceless. The color of the belt around her waist and the python pattern embroidered on it were not something an ordinary wealthy merchant could wear; even a minor official wouldn't dare wear it. Only royalty could wear a yellow python belt. Looking again at the jade pendant hanging from the side of her robe, she felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
Based on these points, Lanqin judged that this person was definitely someone she couldn't afford to offend. She couldn't help but utter a few words of nonsense just now, and that's why she was caught. It would be best to leave as soon as possible.
Indeed, this man was none other than the current emperor's fourth son, Yinzhen, known as "Fourth Prince".
"Stop!" The Fourth Prince shouted sternly as the woman who had uttered those outrageous words was about to leave. Actually, he wasn't such a petty person, but why was a woman's nonsense provoking such anger? It was because those lamps were for his children. His eldest son, Honghui, was eight years old; his second son had died two years ago; his third son was only four and a half; and his fourth son was only six months old. His two princesses had also been born prematurely. He was 26 years old this year, but only had three sons and two daughters. Even his father, the Emperor, had mentioned that his offspring were too few. Therefore, he and his personal eunuch, Su Peisheng, had come to Huangjue Temple early this morning to light longevity lamps and recite longevity sutras for the children.
This woman had just shattered the little bit of comfort he had painstakingly built up with a single sentence. He knew, in truth, that he had done all this merely for psychological reassurance.
Lanqin dared not move, so she stood there with her head down, slowly turned around, bowed again to the Fourth Master, and said aggrievedly, "My lord, my daughter was just joking and did not mean to disturb you. I hope you will forgive her."
When Fourth Master heard what she said, he was taken aback for a moment, thinking to himself: This young woman actually knows his identity?
"Tell me your name and family details." He wanted to hear who this woman was, who dared to say such things in front of the Bodhisattva and who could immediately tell that he was no ordinary person, even though he knew she was just telling the truth.
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