If Wu Jingying hadn't instigated Wu Jin'er to make such a scene that day, I might have really done something foolish.
Granny Xue was also still shaken. "That's right. Because of this incident, the Fourth Miss has lost favor with the Marquis."
Speaking of this, Rong felt a surge of joy.
"I really need to go and pray to the Bodhisattva tomorrow. Let's go to Daji Temple. I heard it's very efficacious. I hope the Bodhisattva will bless Xiaotong so that she can give birth to a boy soon."
Wu Xiaotong is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Wuping.
Like her younger sister Wu Jingying, she was also not favored in the household.
The only son whom Marquis Wuping truly loved was Wu Tianlang, the legitimate son born to Consort Rong, because he was the heir apparent of the Marquis Wuping's household.
Mentioning her eldest daughter, Madam Rong's face immediately fell with worry.
Speaking of which, outsiders all say that the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Wuping's family married well, marrying into the Lin family, the richest family in Ningzhou Prefecture.
But only she, as the mother, knew the bitterness inside.
Because she only gave birth to a daughter, Wu Xiaotong's life in the Lin family was not easy. In addition, she had a very strict mother-in-law, so you can imagine how difficult her life was.
...
Qin Sheng went to Daji Temple early in the morning.
I've heard that the Bodhisattvas here are very efficacious.
She had some bad dreams last night, and this morning she asked her maid to inquire with the guards in the outer courtyard. She learned that the most famous temple in Ningzhou was Daji Temple.
Qin Sheng immediately decided to come and offer incense.
Daji Temple truly lives up to its reputation as the most famous temple in Ningzhou, attracting a large number of visitors, comparable to Huaguang Temple in the capital.
However, when they arrived at the temple gate, they encountered the carriage of the Marquis of Wuping's residence; it was the Marquis of Wuping's wife who had come to offer incense.
The Wuping Marquis's residence was naturally very grand.
There were three carriages, surrounded by many maids and servants, and a special monk to greet them.
Qin Sheng and her maidservant moved aside.
Madam Rong led a group of maids and servants to the main hall to offer incense.
Qin Sheng thought for a moment, then took her maid to the side hall next door.
There was no one in the side hall, so Qin Sheng went in, lit incense, and knelt on the prayer mat.
First, I pray to the Bodhisattva to bless my parents in the capital with good health; second, I pray to the Bodhisattva to bless my brother far away at the border as if he were possessed by a god, so that he can drive out the Western barbarians as soon as possible and restore peace to the people of the border; third…
Qin Sheng paused slightly, afraid that she was being too greedy and that the Bodhisattva would be displeased.
But thinking about it, which of the devout men and women who pray to gods and Buddhas is not greedy?
Moreover, if the Bodhisattva were to grant her request, he would likely grant her one less request.
Thirdly, I pray that Regent Yue Rongheng's official business in Ningzhou Prefecture goes smoothly and that he finds a good match soon.
After Qin Sheng finished offering incense, he asked Caiyue to donate some money for incense oil into the donation box. Just as he was about to get up, someone came in.
"Madam Qin?" The other person was also a little surprised to see Qin Sheng.
"It is Madam Lin." Qin Sheng bowed slightly.
It was the lady from the pastry shop earlier. Qin Sheng had always felt that she looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her before.
It wasn't until two days later that I suddenly remembered why the other person looked familiar.
If Qin Sheng wasn't mistaken, the woman in front of him should be the eldest daughter of Marquis Wuping, who married the eldest son of the richest man in Ningzhou a few years ago.
"You recognize me?" Wu Xiaotong asked, somewhat surprised.
Qin Sheng said, "So she is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Wuping's mansion. I was mistaken before."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wu Xiaotong offered incense to the Bodhisattva before asking curiously, "Is Madam Qin also here... to pray for a child?"
"...Huh?" Qin Sheng looked completely bewildered.
Wu Xiaotong wiped her lips with a handkerchief before whispering, "Mrs. Qin, have you come to the wrong place? This is the Guanyin of Fertility."
"..."
Qin Sheng's vision went black, and her face turned crimson.
The Goddess of Mercy who grants children… She had been trying to avoid Lady Wuping, so she hadn’t paid attention.
The two left the side hall.
Lady Wuping should still be inside the main hall next door, as other worshippers are being prevented from entering by people blocking the entrance.
Qin Sheng glanced at it and said to Wu Xiaotong, "It's the Lady of Wuping Marquis. Shouldn't Madam Lin go over and say hello?"
Wu Xiaotong turned pale and shook her head.
Before she was married, she was not favored by her father at home. Later, she married into the Lin family, where her husband was an alcoholic and her mother-in-law was strict.
Old Madam Lin had repeatedly warned her to have less contact with her family.
Even when her mother was sick last time, Wu Xiaotong went back to her parents' home twice, and was scolded by her mother-in-law in front of the servants.
It's also my own fault for not being able to conceive.
She had a daughter as her first child, and although her second child was a son, he died before he was one year old.
Her body was damaged afterward, and she was unable to conceive for a long time.
A legitimate daughter who was not favored in her own family and could not bear a son, one can imagine how difficult her life would be in her husband's family.
The old nanny who came to offer incense today also came.
It was to prevent her from using the opportunity of offering incense to go back to her parents' home.
There were many things Wu Xiaotong couldn't say to Qin Sheng. With a pale face, she exchanged a few words with Qin Sheng at the entrance of the side hall and then left.
"My lady---"
After Madam Lin had gone far away, Caiyue stepped forward and whispered, "I heard that the eldest son of the Lin family suffers from a strange illness. Every time he has an attack, he has to drink alcohol, and when he drinks too much, he beats people."
"So that's how it is." Qin Sheng looked at Wu Xiaotong, who had already walked away.
No wonder... I saw those bruises under her sleeves in the pastry shop that day, they must have been pinched by her husband, right?
...
When I returned from Daji Temple, I learned that guests had come to my residence.
Yue Rongheng had been waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but he wasn't in a hurry and was actually reading a book in the hall.
When Qin Sheng heard that he had arrived, she hurriedly went to pay her respects, but she was a little nervous, as she still remembered that she owed this man a meal.
"Did you go to Daji Temple?" he asked.
Qin Sheng curtsied and said, "I had some bad dreams last night, so I went to Daji Temple to pray to the Bodhisattva."
Yue Rongheng didn't ask any more questions, and just nodded.
Qin Sheng wanted to say something more, but then he suddenly realized something was wrong—the book he was holding!
Those were the storybooks Qin Sheng had been reading to pass the time these past few days, but they weren't bought from a proper bookstore, and the content was somewhat...
Qin Sheng read it in the hall yesterday, but she hadn't finished it yet. Afraid that she would forget to finish it, she didn't let the maid tidy it up and put the storybook on the table, planning to continue reading it when she had time today.
"This book---"
Qin Sheng's face flushed slightly, and she cleared her throat: "Your Highness, could you please return this to me? This is a storybook for young ladies."
"Is that so?"
Yue Rongheng glanced at the book in his hand, raising an eyebrow slightly: "I quite like reading it too. May I borrow it and return it to you after I've finished reading it?"
"..."
The Qin family's garden was small, and because Qin Sheng didn't take good care of it, it wasn't very scenic.
She had tea brewed, and she and Yue Rongheng sat down in the pavilion in the garden. Only then did he reveal his purpose: "I need to go to Crescent Moon City."
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