Chapter 47 My Heart Belongs Only to One Person (Part 4) There's something wrong with this tea! ...
Ye Yixiang looked up in a daze and saw that it was Uluzhu, whose vibrant foreign face was filled with pure joy. A faint ripple finally stirred in her tranquil heart, bringing a touch of relief: "Uluzhu? How is it you?"
"It was the general who asked me... no, it was this servant who begged the general to let me come to the palace to serve my sister!" Wuluozhu excitedly ran to her, her eyes sparkling. Then, remembering the rules, she quickly changed her words and lowered her voice, saying, "The general told the Empress Dowager that he was afraid the people in the palace wouldn't serve her well enough, so he specially asked me to come with my sister so that we could have someone to look after her."
This wasn't an excessive suggestion, and the Empress Dowager, to demonstrate her "benevolence," would likely grant it. However, Ye Yixiang's heart sank slightly; she couldn't understand Chu Huaili's intentions, nor could she comprehend why the Empress Dowager would agree so readily.
Seeing her gloomy expression, Wuluozhu leaned closer and whispered another piece of news: "Sister, there's something else. Yesterday, the Ministry of Rites presided over the formal recognition of the general as a member of the imperial family, and his name was recorded in the imperial genealogy. Everyone in the palace is saying that this is to bring good fortune to His Majesty."
"A marriage to ward off bad luck?" Ye Yixiang frowned.
“Hmm!” Wuluozhu nodded, her voice even lower. “I heard people in the palace talking privately that His Majesty has not been feeling well these days. They say he caught a cold during the spring hunt and it hasn’t healed; in fact, it’s gotten worse. Now, all the princes, princesses, and imperial concubines have been summoned to Jiayou Palace to attend to him.”
Ye Yixiang understood. No wonder Princess Zhaoning, with her vindictive nature, hadn't bothered her these past few days, even though she knew Ye Yixiang lived in the Empress Dowager's palace. She had initially thought Princess Zhaoning was afraid of the Empress Dowager, but now it seemed she was busy attending to Emperor Jingyuan in Jiayou Palace and had no time for anything else.
Just as I was pondering this, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Jin Xuan, the Empress Dowager's most trusted maid, led in two meek palace maids with respectful smiles on their faces: "Miss Ye, the weather is fine and the wind is gentle today. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has decreed that after you have breakfast, you should come with us to Tianning Temple outside the city to pray for blessings, firstly for the prosperity of our dynasty, and secondly for His Majesty's speedy recovery."
Ye Yixiang's mind raced. She lowered her thick eyelashes to conceal the fleeting understanding in her eyes, and replied obediently, "Yes, I will obey the Empress Dowager's decree. Thank you for your trouble, Granny."
Tianning Temple is located at the foot of the mountains on the outskirts of the city, and the journey there and back would take at least a whole day. The Empress Dowager deliberately chose this time to send her out of the palace to pray for blessings, and her intentions were quite obvious—Chu Huaili was probably also here to attend to the Emperor today. The Empress Dowager was preventing him from finding an opportunity to come looking for her, so she deliberately sent her away.
She silently finished her rather elaborate breakfast, without uttering a word, and boarded the blue-curtained carriage that had been prepared in the palace. The wheels began to creak, and the carriage slowly drove towards the heavy palace gates.
The mid-spring sun was warm and gentle, and the wheels of the carriage made a rhythmic sound as they rolled over the bluestone pavement.
The roadside is lush with greenery, and the melodious chirping of birds is constant. Upon reaching the foot of the mountain where Tianning Temple is located, as you ascend the stone steps, a gentle breeze caresses your face, bringing with it the unique freshness of the mountain forest, making the birdsong even more ethereal and pleasant.
After last night's spring rain, the mountains and forests are lush and green, and the temple on the mountaintop shines with a golden light in the sunlight. Its upturned eaves and corners make it look even more solemn and majestic.
Following Granny Jin Xuan's steps, Ye Yixiang ascended the long stone steps leading to the main hall. The abbot, having already received word, was personally waiting outside the temple gate. Seeing them approach, the abbot, clad in a crimson robe and holding prayer beads, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and spoke in a calm yet solemn voice:
"Amitabha. This old monk, Huiming, respectfully welcomes the distinguished guests from the palace. Granny, you must be tired from your journey. Is Her Majesty the Empress Dowager in good health?"
Granny Jin Xuan put on a perfectly measured smile and gave a slight bow in return: "Thank you for your concern, Master Huiming. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is in good health and often prays for the Buddha's compassion to protect His Majesty's health and ensure the longevity of our dynasty. Today, I have specially sent this old woman to accompany Miss Ye to offer incense and pray for blessings at the temple. I apologize for disturbing your peace and quiet, Master."
Abbot Huiming clasped his hands together, his expression growing increasingly respectful: "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's devout faith in Buddhism and her compassionate heart are a blessing to the nation and a boon to all people. For our temple to receive Her Majesty's favor, to pray for His Majesty and all living beings, is truly an unparalleled honor for our Buddhist community. How could this be considered an intrusion?" He turned his gaze to Ye Yixiang beside him, his eyes filled with a gentle understanding of the world, "This must be Miss Ye, right? The journey has been arduous, the mountain path must have been tough."
Following the custom, Ye Yixiang curtsied and said in a soft voice, "Greetings, Master. It is my honor to be able to come to your temple to pray for blessings."
Abbot Huiming nodded slightly and said no more. He turned to a middle-aged monk with a calm face beside him and said, "Liaochen, you lead our distinguished guest to the Mahavira Hall to offer incense. Please make sure everything is done properly."
The monk named Liaochen bowed and accepted the order. He stepped forward and bowed to Granny Jinxuan and Ye Yixiang. His voice was steady: "This humble monk Liaochen respectfully obeys my master's orders. Please follow me to the Great Buddha Hall, esteemed guests."
The temple was filled with the smoke of incense, and the Buddha statues were solemn and dignified.
Ye Yixiang was absent-minded. She hastily knelt on the prayer mat and bowed, her heart devoid of much piety, only emptiness. When she got up, she saw that Granny Jin Xuan seemed to have something important to hand over to the abbot. The two walked aside and talked in hushed tones. She then tactfully said, "Since Granny Jin Xuan has something to attend to, I will go to the meditation room in the backyard to rest and wait."
The abbot immediately assigned a clever young novice monk to guide her.
The young novice led her to a rather elegant and quiet meditation room in the backyard. The view from here was excellent; by opening the window, one could see the winding official road below the mountain and the faint outline of the city in the distance.
Inside the room, steam rose from a kettle of hot tea, emitting a faint aroma, creating a tranquil and pleasant atmosphere.
She picked up the teacup the young monk had just poured, took a few sips, then frowned slightly and asked, "Little monk, what kind of tea is this? Why... does it taste a little sour and astringent?"
The young novice monk clasped his hands together and respectfully replied, "This is a new black tea served at the temple. It is probably because... there was a lot of rain this spring, and the fermentation process was a bit overdone, so it has a slightly sour taste. I hope you will forgive me."
Ye Yixiang nodded without saying anything more. The young novice then bowed and withdrew.
Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Wuluozhu immediately walked to the door and looked around. Then, she carefully took out a folded plain handkerchief from her sleeve, walked quickly to Ye Yixiang, and whispered, "Sister, there are too many people in the palace, and I haven't been able to find an opportunity to give you this."
Ye Yixiang took the handkerchief, noticing its slight weight. She slowly unfolded it, and when she saw what was inside, she was startled and her breath caught in her throat for a moment—it was none other than the twin gold hairpin she had used to buy Wuluozhu in Qiankun Fang in Liangzhou City!
“It was the guild master,” Wuluozhu leaned closer, her breath slightly rapid, “He somehow managed to contact me a couple of days ago, telling me I must find a chance to return this item to my sister. The guild master also asked me to pass on a message to my sister…”
She paused, her voice growing softer yet each word clear, "He said that if you feel unhappy in the palace, or... if you are in danger, he has made all the necessary preparations and can send someone to pick you up and take you away from this dangerous place at any time."
Ye Yixiang gripped the cold gold hairpin tightly in her hand, the sharp end digging painfully into her palm. After a long while, she spoke in a weak voice, as if she had exhausted all her strength, "I understand... You can go down now and stand guard outside the door. I want to be alone for a while."
Looking at her profile, which had become even paler and more forlorn in an instant, Urozhu opened his mouth as if to say something more, but in the end he swallowed his words back, silently left the meditation room, and carefully closed the door behind him.
Silence returned to the meditation room, broken only by the faint chirping of birds outside the window and the rustling of the wind through the bamboo grove. Ye Yixiang felt as if something was tightly blocking her chest, making it hard to breathe, and waves of inexplicable heat began to rise within her. She reached out and poured another cup of the slightly cool tea on the table, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp, trying to suppress the discomfort.
However, the burning sensation in my heart did not subside; instead, it spread rapidly throughout my body like wildfire, causing a strange feeling of weakness and emptiness in my limbs and bones, and my cheeks flushed uncontrollably.
Oh no! There's something wrong with this tea!
A chilling thought suddenly flashed into her mind! Ye Yixiang's blood seemed to freeze instantly. The sourness in her mouth wasn't a flaw in the tea leaves, but... it was the taste of some kind of drug dissolved in the tea, clumsily masked!
The last vestige of clarity gave her an astonishing burst of strength; she swung her hand violently and overturned the low table in front of her!
Cups, saucers, and teapots shattered and crashed to the ground, scalding tea and porcelain shards splashing everywhere, creating a complete mess.
She tried to call out to Urozhu, who was guarding the door, but only managed to squeeze out broken and weak breaths: "Uro... Zhu..."
Almost simultaneously.
"Squeak—"
The half-closed wooden door of the meditation room was slowly pushed open from the outside by a hand wearing a black jade thumb ring.
A tall, slender figure stood against the bright spring sunlight streaming through the corridor, almost completely blocking out the dazzling light source and casting a shadow that felt oppressive.
The newcomer was dressed in a black casual robe, the fabric of which was not ordinary silk. Under the dim light filtering in from outside the door, intricate dark patterns flowed faintly. Most eye-catching were the four-clawed python patterns meticulously embroidered with extremely fine gold thread on the front, cuffs, and hem. The pythons, baring their fangs and claws, reflected a dark golden light on the black background, carrying a silent yet awe-inspiring pressure.
Ye Yixiang's heart sank, as if she had fallen into an ice cave. A four-clawed golden python... This regulation... Only a prince can use it! Which prince of the current dynasty? Or... that Prince Ke, known for his virtue but who lives a secluded life?
Backlit, she couldn't see the person's face clearly, only a blurry but upright silhouette, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a well-proportioned and powerful figure.
However, even without seeing their faces clearly, the attire that proclaimed their supreme status already brought a heavy sense of oppression.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com