Chapter 10 Lu Wensheng caused trouble at the morning court session~ Shen Hegui: Lu Wensheng…
But that also explains why Huo Qian, who has never believed in Buddhism or ghosts, would bring her to the Taoist temple with Shang Lian.
After all, they had encountered something beyond their control; that glaring power shift in the palace was a rare occurrence in a person's short life of just a few decades.
Lu Wensheng put the note back, his tone calm and even: "Go in and take a look."
Shang Lian's eyes were still fixed on the green grass: "This grass shouldn't be here at all this time of year? Is it really protected by some deity?"
Lu Wensheng gently reminded them, "It's best not to question people's beliefs in front of temples and monasteries, especially since we're here to ask for amulets to ward off bad luck."
Shang Lian instinctively clasped his hands together and repeatedly whispered sorry.
Xiao Guan appears to be a simple bamboo hut from the outside, but inside it is unsurprisingly crowded.
A table with an incense burner, two clean and tidy cushions, and a table and chairs by the door take up half the space.
Lu Wensheng was jostled by Shang Lian and almost fell, but fortunately Huo Qian was there to catch her in time.
Shang Lian said awkwardly, "Maybe I should go outside. It's obvious that there's only room for two people, and I often accompany my mother to temples to pray, so it doesn't feel right for me to come in."
As Shang Lian finished speaking, the light streaming in from outside the door frame was blocked by a human-shaped shadow, and the room suddenly became much darker.
Another person came in.
It's even more crowded now.
Backlit, the three could not see the newcomer's appearance, but could tell from his voice that he was a young man and the abbot: "Sincerity is all that matters; he doesn't care about being worshipped or being half-hearted."
Lu Wensheng raised his hand and pushed open the side window. Light streamed in, and he finally saw the person's appearance clearly: black hair flowing down, handsome and otherworldly, wearing a brand-new dark blue Taoist robe. He didn't look like a Taoist at all, but rather like someone who had been temporarily pulled in to fill a quota.
Huo Qian had only brought Lu Wensheng here because he was temporarily blinded by greed, so he immediately seized on the loophole in the newcomer's words: "Are you very familiar with each other?" He was asking about the abbot and the deity he worshipped.
Therefore, normal people would not directly answer yes or no.
"Yes, we're friends through thick and thin." He couldn't be serious for more than three seconds before switching to a nonchalant attitude, making his short, normal sentence sound like it had a long, drawn-out melody.
He licked his fingertips, casually lit an oil lamp on the table, and then stepped forward and deftly pulled open the silk rope hanging above the incense table.
A scent mingled with the aroma of roasted chicken and spicy seasonings wafted into Lu Wensheng's nostrils as he moved.
The abbot said, "Just offer three sticks of incense for a peace charm or to ward off bad luck. The price for divination to change your fate is negotiable!" He raised his chin and urged, "Hey, hurry up and worship. I still have a few chickens to eat."
The three of them fell silent for a moment.
Seeing that the three did not move, the abbot made a move to put away the portrait: "If you have no requests, may I roll it up? There is tea over there, please help yourselves."
"Bye!" Lu Wensheng said. Since we're already here...
Seeing Lu Wensheng go to light incense, Huo Qian and Shang Lian followed to get their own incense.
Wisps of smoke gradually rose onto the portrait. The Xuan paper was soft and smooth, and the portrait was ancient. An unknown god, dressed in golden robes, stood on the edge of a cliff, gazing at the continuous water below. His knee-length black hair was flowing freely, but instead of appearing messy, it became the most intense color in the entire portrait.
Lu Wensheng didn't ask why the image he was worshipping was the back of the god instead of the front.
After the three finished their prayers, the blue-robed abbot took out three amulets from his robes, rubbed them on the portrait, and then tossed them to the three: "Wear them carefully, and do more good deeds in the future. The gods will see."
It wasn't grand enough, and it even seemed a bit perfunctory.
Huo Qian and Shang Lian both regretted bringing Lu Wensheng along.
Looking at the simple Taoist temple in front of him, Lu Wensheng thought of the cold he had suffered as a child. Overwhelmed with empathy, he took out the silver coins he had and handed them to the abbot: "Winter is long in the north. These are for the abbot to use for repairing the temple."
The abbot weighed the object in his hand, then suddenly reverted to his previous serious demeanor. He made some calculations on his extremely long and slender fingers and said, "I see that you have a connection with me, so I will give you a divination."
Before Lu Wensheng could answer, he continued, "The believer should be careful of a certain person around him. This person will develop into a 'peach blossom curse,' which could be a good match or a calamity. It all depends on the believer's choice."
Lu Wensheng: "Thank you for your kindness, Abbot."
She verbally agreed sincerely, but in her heart, Lu Wensheng didn't believe it. In the present world, she had also visited a Taoist temple, but unfortunately, she also prayed for a marriage, and before the prayers were answered, she had transmigrated.
Whether you worship gods or pray to Buddha, it's ultimately just about finding peace of mind. Even if you're sincere when you pray, once you're back home, you still have to rely on your own efforts to solve the problem.
For Lu Wensheng and his two companions, the greater their expectations upon arrival, the greater their disappointment upon departure.
On the donkey cart, Huo Qian wanted to throw away the amulet, but Lu Wensheng stopped him in time.
Lu Wensheng: "Even if it's fake, it can still be a souvenir after all the time and effort it took to acquire it."
Huo Qian pursed his lips, looking rather unhappy: "You're always good at comforting people indirectly. This one is for Aunt Song; I already have one."
Lu Wensheng reached out and took it: "Okay!"
Shang Lian examined the amulet in his hand: "Actually, the pattern is quite unique, and upon closer inspection, it even resembles some characters."
Lu Wensheng nodded in agreement: "It does look quite similar." She had noticed it too.
After the three of them had walked away, a tall figure dressed in golden robes entered the temple. If Lu Wensheng and the others were still there, they would have noticed that the clothes on this person were exactly the same as those on the deity in the portrait.
Abbot: "Have you found the last piece?"
"Yes, if we go to the palace and retrieve a wisp of imperial purple energy, we can leave this world."
The abbot said, "I still have a few chickens outside. You go first, I'll tidy up and come over shortly."
"good."
...
Even if you don't want it, the next day will still arrive on time.
Lu Wensheng's mule and dog were still not found, so they renewed their rental of the donkey cart.
Song Zhiyun, trying to save money, opted to renew her rental with an old donkey that was slow, which almost made Lu Wensheng late.
The sky was as dark as ink, and the number of carriages and horses on Chang'an Street in front of the palace gates was gradually increasing, but it was far less crowded than in the past.
Before the donkey cart had even come to a complete stop, Lu Wensheng had already jumped off. He had no time to say anything to Yingniang and ran towards the end of the group, enduring the pain.
Several officials at the end of the line turned their heads when they heard the voice. When they saw that it was Lu Wensheng, their eyes flashed with surprise, but then they also showed some understanding. After all, at the banquet the night before last, he even sat next to His Highness, and His Highness had specially bestowed ginger tea upon him, which showed how much he was favored.
However, Editor Lu was very stubborn and refused to drink a drop. As a result, His Highness kept him behind and punished him with a board. Although they disapproved of Editor Lu's usual behavior, his determination to be loyal to Prince Su was still commendable.
The fact that he was able to run so nimbly suggests that His Highness ultimately showed leniency and didn't punish him severely.
Upon realizing this, the officials exchanged glances and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Those high-ranking officials who used to be in the front ranks are either sick or injured. Today, at this court assembly, these lower-ranking officials will probably have to stand very close to the front. They were originally on tenterhooks, but now they are suddenly relieved.
His Highness is still tolerant and reasonable.
After their identities were verified one by one, the civil and military officials lined up according to their ranks and entered the Fengtian Hall. Lu Wensheng hid at the very end of the civil officials' line, concealing himself completely.
Hopefully, Shen Hegui has taken a nap and has forgotten about calling her to court.
The crisp crack of the whip shattered in the air, signaling Shen He's return.
With the crack of the whip, Lu Wensheng's scalp tightened: The prince is here!
There should have been a lot of people at the small court assembly, but the officials had spent the whole afternoon in fear and cold the day before, not to mention those who were beaten for fighting over the latrine.
Now, with some sick, some injured, and some waiting to die, Lu Wensheng happened to be standing at the entrance of Fengtian Hall.
The heads of the people in front knelt down one by one.
It was too far forward, far from the expected position, and Lu Wensheng was a little nervous.
In the past, people would shout: "Long live the Emperor!" But now that the Emperor is gone and the Crown Prince is here, what should they shout?
Lu Wensheng knelt down, clutching the ceremonial tablet.
Huh—
It's so cool!
I wish I hadn't slept for that little bit longer; I didn't even have time to put on my gear.
Lu Wensheng shivered from the cold as she came out, causing her to be a step slower than everyone else in everything she did.
Thus, Shen Hegui, sitting high above, saw Lu Wensheng, who bowed his head a step later, and heard His Highness say a word behind.
He touched the white jade thumb ring on his thumb with his slender index finger, his expression intriguing.
Unexpectedly, Lu Wensheng couldn't resist trying to attract his attention so quickly. He suddenly became very curious about how far Lu Wensheng could go if he let himself go.
Her reckless running had aggravated the cane wound on Lu Wensheng's buttocks. When she got up, an unbearable pain suddenly shot up, causing her face to contort, her knees to buckle, and her whole body to stagger forward uncontrollably.
She bumped into a fairly sturdy back and managed to steady herself in time.
"Hmm!"
The official in front of Lu Wensheng was concentrating on attending court when he was suddenly bumped into. He groaned, lost his balance, and the tablet in his hand flew out of his hand. He then crashed solidly into his colleague who was further ahead of him.
Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, ripples suddenly spread outwards.
The second official was knocked forward and, in his haste, instinctively grabbed the belt of his colleague in front of him for balance.
The next person to be caught was startled and frantically dodged to the side, bumping into people in the adjacent queue...
In an instant, a suppressed gasp, the crisp sound of the imperial tablet hitting the ground, and the clatter of official boots scraping against the floor tiles filled the solemn court.
The originally neat and uniform civil service formation collapsed a large chunk, starting with Lu Wensheng.
Shen Hegui stopped what he was doing when he saw Lu Wensheng, who was the only one standing properly at the door.
It was a bit too much, but it was definitely a good way to get his attention. Now, he couldn't ignore Lu Wensheng even if he wanted to.
Shen Hegui raised his naturally long and narrow phoenix eyes high, creating an extremely gorgeous arc.
How could he dissuade Lu Wensheng from his thoughts, get Lu Wensheng to focus on his work and stop thinking about him? He was destined not to like him.
The civil officials quickly regained their composure, bowed their heads to straighten their clothes, and picked up their official tablets. Their faces flushed red and pale, but no one dared to utter a word of complaint.
The court was deathly silent, filled with awkwardness and countless gazes—some condemning, some probing, and some secretly watching the drama unfold—all fixed on the culprit, Lu Wensheng.
If I had known this would happen, I would have stood at the very front.
Lu Wensheng slowly lowered her hand from the soothing area. She felt she could explain that she hadn't done it on purpose.
However, before she could speak, the official she had initially bumped into slowly turned around, his face serious: "Editor Lu, why did you push me?"
Lu Wensheng: "..."
This is why she used to only act as a lackey and not befriend her colleagues; they were too good at shifting blame without asking why, even though the root of the problem was indeed her this time.
She had initially felt guilty and embarrassed, but that feeling is gone now.
Lu Wensheng took a half step forward, holding the scepter, about to step out to explain, but the next moment, the sound of tearing cloth rang in his ears.
"Sizzle—"
Lu Wensheng suddenly felt a chill in his lower body.
She stared blankly down, lifted her official robe to look at her lower body, and then, acting on instinct, turned her head and retaliated: "This official is so ruthless, actually using his official tablet to tear my robe and trousers in public!"
If it were summer, wouldn't her lower body be completely naked? No, wait, she's wearing underwear, which is better than nothing.
“You…” This locust wood tablet was clearly broken because Lu Wensheng pushed him.
Lu Wensheng didn't give him a chance to explain, and pressed on, "And this official robe, it's the only one I have left to wear. What am I supposed to do now! Pay up!"
At this moment, Lu Wensheng reverted to the arrogant demeanor that the officials had previously recognized.
The official was so angry that his face turned red and his fingers trembled.
Lu Wensheng tugged at his pants, and cotton wadding flew all over the ground.
The military officer in the next line, who had been holding back his laughter for a long time, finally couldn't help but say, "Editor Lu's legs are too thin!"
"Yeah, yeah! I never even noticed that before!" someone chimed in, eager for a good show.
Lu Wensheng's face gradually turned red; she had never been so embarrassed before.
A note from the author:
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Ah!!! I really want to write a story where Xiao Lu discovers that Shen Hegui likes him, and then gets so scared in the middle of the night that she climbs a mountain to pray to the gods.
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