Fang Zhu, who was walking out of the palace, twitched his eyelids nervously.
"How did you manage to offend Princess Min'er?" Fang Qing asked curiously.
Fang Zhu looked speechless.
"Don't even mention it, that was a year ago."
A year ago, Yongzhou was hit by a once-in-a-century snowstorm, and the fields yielded no harvest. Many people turned to banditry, causing unrest in both Yongzhou and Tubo. At that time, Fang Zhu led troops to suppress the bandits and rescued Princess Min'er from the bandits.
“At the time, I thought she was just a girl from an ordinary Tibetan family, so I left her in the military camp for the time being and sent her back after I contacted her family. She stayed in the military camp for half a month. Later, when the Tibetan king personally led people to pick her up, I learned her identity.”
He treated the girl well because he pitied her background, but who would have thought that the girl's background was not pitiful at all, and she later became attached to him.
Fang Qing couldn't help but chuckle after hearing what he said.
"You two are quite destined to meet."
"A tragic fate, perhaps."
"What if Princess Min'er really insists on marrying you?"
Fang Zhu frowned, looking quite troubled.
"But I don't like her."
"Princess Min'er is quite cute."
Fang Zhu shook his head.
Neither her appearance nor her temperament was what he envisioned for his wife.
Fang Qing didn't ask any more questions when she saw that he didn't speak.
They returned to the embassy, and the next day they were woken up by the noise outside while they were still asleep.
Fang Qing only realized after she got up that the person who had come before was Princess Min'er.
She's quite energetic; she actually came over so early in the morning.
After they got up and washed, Princess Min'er had already arranged breakfast for them.
They sat down and finished their meal.
It was chilly in the early morning, so Fang Qing dressed warmly. It wasn't until they boarded the carriage and left the capital city to head west that Fang Qing felt the heat.
"The closer we get to the deep mountains, the higher the temperature gets," Fang Qing said to Zhao Shi'an, who was riding in the same carriage.
Zhao Shi'an nodded.
“Yesterday I sent someone to investigate. In the capital, the weather is just starting to warm up at this time of year, but in Shenshan, it’s even more unbearable than in Jiaozhou in June.”
Fang Qing became even more curious.
The carriage they were riding in was getting further and further away from the royal city.
They set off in the morning, but it wasn't until noon that they could see the outline of the sacred mountain.
It was a barren mountain, with not a blade of grass growing for miles around.
Before they even got close, Fang Qing could already feel the temperature from there.
When the carriage arrived at the foot of the sacred mountain, Fang Qing felt the same summer heat she had experienced in Jiaozhou.
They changed into summer clothes inside the carriage before getting off.
Princess Min'er was talking to the guards while holding the king's token, then she waved to Fang Qing and the others.
Princess Min'er led them into a courtyard at the foot of the mountain, and immediately someone led them into the house.
"What are you doing?" Fang Qing asked.
"Before climbing the sacred mountain, one must bathe and change clothes to show reverence for the gods; otherwise, one will offend the gods and will not be able to come down alive."
They followed the local custom and went inside to change their clothes.
When they came out again, everyone was wearing the same white clothes.
That wasn't all. Before going up the mountain, they had to recite scriptures devoutly. Only after all that was done were they led up the mountain by others.
The temperature on the mountain was even hotter than Fang Qing had imagined. It was alright at the foot of the mountain, but by the time she reached the halfway point, the heat was almost unbearable.
Fang Qing was covered in sweat, and everyone else was in a similar state, even Princess Min'er had flushed cheeks from the heat.
"There's a pavilion up ahead, let's go over and rest for a while."
The four of them walked into the pavilion, and Zhao Shi'an took out a water bag he carried with him to give Fang Qing some water.
The water we brought up the mountain was cold, but now it's lukewarm.
"How much further?" Zhao Shi'an asked.
"We've only gone halfway. The closer we get to the summit, the higher the temperature gets."
As she spoke, Min'er looked at Fang Qing.
"You'd better not go up there. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle the temperature up there."
Even Zhao Shi'an looked at Fang Qing.
"Wait here, I'll be right back."
Fang Qing felt dizzy and lightheaded; she figured if she continued any further, she would definitely get heatstroke.
Xiaodou sensed her physical condition and popped out.
How are you? Do you need me to help you exchange for some heatstroke relief pills?
As she spoke, Xiaodou displayed the effects of the heat-relieving pills on the screen.
"Quickly exchange four for me."
Xiaodou helped her exchange for heatstroke relief pills.
Looking up at the three people's concerned eyes, Fang Qing shook her head.
"I'm fine. Everyone, please have this. It's good for cooling down in the summer."
Fang Qing poured the pills out of the small porcelain bottle and gave two to each person.
The pills didn't taste good, but after taking them, I felt refreshed and my body temperature seemed to drop.
"What kind of medicine is this? It's so powerful!" Princess Min'er exclaimed in surprise.
"This is a heat-relieving medicine developed by the imperial physicians of Dali using traditional Chinese medicinal herbs."
Do you have any more?
"These are the last four."
Princess Min'er didn't say anything more.
They rested for a while, and then got up and headed up the mountain before it got even hotter.
It was half an hour later when they arrived at the altar on the sacred mountain.
This is the top of the mountain. Once you get up here, you'll see a magnificently decorated altar.
Behind the altar was a pit enclosed by glass.
"That's where the divine fire erupts. It erupts once a month, and each eruption lasts for almost a day. When the divine fire erupts, you can see it from the foot of the mountain."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
