Chapter 188 Once you enter this room, it is not up to you whether you can leave or not
"yes!"
Today's replacement, the troublemaker Hou Ren from Lihua Hall who temporarily acted as the "coachman" responded fiercely.
He raised his hand and gently pressed down the brim of his sun hat, then shook his hand and the horsewhip made a crisp sound.
A group of officials on a secret visit headed straight for the Shenlong Temple.
…
On the other side, the fragrant carriage drove out of Li’s mansion and also headed for Shenlong Temple.
Inside the carriage, the sixth concubine of the young cabinet minister, a woman respectfully called Madam Lin, sat quietly, like a lifeless dead tree.
Or the bones of a beautiful person who has lost her soul.
Sitting opposite her was the maid arranged by Li Yinglong. She seemed to be respectful, but in fact her eyes were fixed on the "Sixth Madam", not missing any movement.
Today, Madam Lin was wearing a plain white dress, which made her look particularly pretty and charming.
But only she knew that this white dress symbolized a certain kind of dead heart and an attitude of keeping one's heart for one's husband.
Well, it’s just an attitude.
even……
She was worried that as time went by, with the persuasion of the Li family's nanny, she would one day become completely numb.
Adapting to the new life, she willingly surrendered to the enemy who had separated her and her husband.
Mrs. Lin knew clearly how terrifying people's ability to adapt to the environment was.
When she was in Jiangnan, she saw too many geishas, and at first each of them had the firm idea of saving money to redeem themselves.
But in the end, as time passed, I no longer had the courage to leave.
To the point of being assimilated and choosing geisha as the final destination of life.
Because of this, although she was both talented and beautiful, she quickly became famous in the Jiangnan area and attracted many scholars and literati to follow her.
At her peak, she was only one step away from being on the list of the most popular geisha.
However, she resolutely chose to retire and did not marry any powerful person as a concubine. Instead, she followed her own heart and chose a businessman who was not outstanding at that time as her husband.
In just a few years, her husband's business grew bigger and bigger, and Mrs. Lin also bid farewell to the past.
This time I came to Beijing to accompany my husband on a business trip, and also to see with my own eyes the most powerful city of the Dayu Dynasty.
But unexpectedly, he stepped into purgatory.
During this time in the Li Mansion, she felt like she was trapped in a cage, missing her husband day and night. All she could do was go to the temple to pray for him.
Fortunately, the hypocritical Li Yinglong did not completely confine her.
Perhaps in order to make her change her mind sooner, or perhaps because he had been too busy with court affairs recently and had neglected to pay attention to her, he actually allowed her to go out for some fresh air.
At this moment, Mrs. Lin's beautiful and elegant face looked out at the shaking curtains and the bustling streets, and her depressed mood couldn't help but ease a little.
…
A moment later.
The Li family's carriage stopped outside the Shenlong Temple.
"Madam, we have arrived," the maidservant in the same carriage said calmly:
"Our family doesn't need to squeeze in with those lowly commoners. Instead of burning incense and worshipping Buddha outside, we can go directly to the temple in the back, which is much quieter."
Shenlong Temple covers a large area, and several courtyards in front can be used for pilgrims to worship Buddha.
But there are also ranks in front of the Buddha. There is a special "VIP" room for distinguished pilgrims who make donations throughout the year, and the Li family is naturally within the scope.
"kindness."
Mrs. Lin snorted coldly in response.
He was quite displeased with the condescending attitude of the Li family's servants.
At this moment, she got out of the car slowly and gracefully. The security guard who was driving the car stared at her vigilantly without saying a word.
"I can't run away." Mrs. Lin said with a hint of sarcasm.
The guard simply bowed and said, "Madam, please forgive me."
The guards and maids were naturally here to monitor her.
At this time, the young monk had taken the initiative to step forward. Seeing that it was the Li family's carriage, he immediately led the three people in through the side door, avoiding the noisy front hall.
The person was led to a quiet Buddhist temple.
"I want to worship Buddha and chant sutras, and you guys have to stay with me even for a moment? Are you afraid that I'll run away from this room?"
When Madam Lin saw the two men following closely, she couldn't help but get angry. Although she was a geisha, she was surprisingly very imposing.
The two of them lowered their heads and said, "We dare not."
After all, she was the master's favorite concubine, and they dared not really offend her.
Seeing that the Buddhist temple ahead only had a main entrance, they figured a weak woman wouldn't be able to escape even if she had wings, so they stood sideways and guarded outside the door.
Only then did Madam Lin's brows relax slightly, and she put on a white gauze dress and stepped into the hall.
This is a small side hall, with a dome supported by wooden pillars.
On the altar in front stands a statue of Medicine Buddha.
Silk curtains hung on both sides, and smoke rose into the air. Normally, there would be monks guarding the hall, but there was no one there.
Madam Lin didn't think much of it, she just thought that the monk on duty was not there and it was quieter, which was exactly what she wanted.
He closed the door behind him.
She walked straight to the Buddha and knelt down, clasping her hands together, closing her eyes, and looking focused on her oval face, silently praying for her husband, whose condition she didn't know.
He also prayed to gods and Buddhas for protection for his miserable fate.
Du...
Du...
Du...
The sound of wooden fish outside the room, the faint chanting in the front hall, and the solemn and sacred atmosphere of the ancient temple gradually calmed her heart.
However, just as she closed her eyes and finished praying, she faintly felt as if there were footsteps approaching.
Madam Lin opened her eyes a little, and then saw that there was a pair of boots in front of the cushion where she was kneeling.
Upwards, there is a pair of legs.
And, a man's half-smiley voice:
"What a pretty young lady."
scare!
Mrs. Lin was startled and frightened by the mysterious man who appeared like a ghost.
He opened his mouth to scream, but felt a pain in his chest and abdomen, and the scream turned into a hoarse exhalation.
"Shh, don't shout. You don't want people outside to break in, do you?"
The mysterious man bent his fingers and released the Qi. The finger that hit her "mute point" stood up and pressed against his lips, with a smile on his unusually handsome face.
Madam Lin stumbled back, quickly stood up, and after regaining her composure, she opened her mouth.
"Who...are you?"
She can speak now.
The mysterious man was naturally Zhao Duan. He smiled and did not move closer to provoke the other party.
Instead, he walked leisurely towards the incense table and shook the sandalwood sticks in his hand:
"If someone is not a monk here, then they must be a pilgrim."
pilgrim?
Mrs. Lin was stunned for a moment, wondering why she didn’t see it just now?
Then, he thought, he might have been behind the curtain, fetching incense and candles, and he didn't see it when he entered the room...
The young monk leading the way didn't even remind us that there were other pilgrims...
When Madam Lin regained her composure, she noticed that the young man in front of her was dressed in understated and elegant clothes, and his appearance was even more outstanding.
She thought to herself, he might be a young man from a high-ranking family in the capital. However, her woman's sixth sense reminded her that there was something strange about him, and it didn't seem to be a coincidence. She tentatively asked:
"Is this young man here to pay his respects to the Buddha as well? I didn't see him just now, so I don't know what to call him."
"Me?"
Zhao Duan walked gracefully, picked up the tinder, and while lighting the sandalwood, he smiled and said casually:
"Surname Zhao, Zhao Duan."
boom!
When she heard this name, Madam Lin's eyes widened instantly!
The body subconsciously stepped back with an expression of astonishment, and then, there was instinctive fear!
Zhao Duan!
Even though she was not from Beijing, she was familiar with this name.
Some time ago, when she arrived in the capital, Zhao Duan was becoming famous, and she also heard some legends about the empress's lover.
It is said that this person is cruel and ruthless, and will take revenge for any slight. Anyone who offends him will end up with a miserable end of having his family destroyed.
Relying on the favor of the current emperor, he behaved arrogantly and unscrupulously, and was the "Little King of Hell" in the imperial court, second only to the governor Ma Yan.
A truly wicked villain, the Empress's number one lackey, a notorious, sinister, cruel and treacherous official...
In short, Li Yinglong's reputation is that of a gentleman who abides by the rules.
"You are the... White Horse Prison..."
"Haha, Zhao's reputation is so great, is it that Sixth Madam knows about it?"
Dengdengdeng!
Madam Lin retreated several steps in fear, stunned by the other party's identity and realizing that his intentions were not simple:
"You...know me?"
"Madam, please be patient," Zhao Duan said with a smile. He blew out the fire stick slowly and shook the incense and candles.
He didn't look like the violent official rumored, but rather like a scholar from a well-known family with a deep understanding of poetry and literature:
"Haha, I've never met Madam, but I recognize you... Um, Junior Minister... Minister Li. Didn't you mention me? Oh, it seems not. I served in the same court with him, so I did have some dealings with him."
Mrs. Lin was stunned.
Li Yinglong’s friend?
This was her first thought...
As the wife of a merchant from the south of the Yangtze River, she knew very little about the disputes within the imperial court. This was also the situation of most of the people in the Dayu Dynasty.
At most, I have heard of the names of a few big figures, but other than that, I know nothing about them.
He had no idea how many factions there were in the court, nor did he know the complicated interpersonal relationships between different bureaucrats.
Therefore, even though they had heard of some of Zhao Duan's deeds, such as the arrest of dozens of officials, and his fights with Marquis Xiajiang and even Princess Yunyang, they did not know whether Zhao Duan and Li Yinglong were enemies or friends.
Zhao Duan was so experienced that he figured out the Sixth Lady's background with just a few words of probing. He smiled and said:
"Of course, it's normal that Madam doesn't recognize me. It was my impertinence to step out just now and bump into you, my lady."
As he spoke, he looked down at the woman.
I couldn't help but admire him in my heart, thinking that although Li Yinglong's ability was poor, you could always trust the aesthetic taste of the nobles...
She has an oval face, long eyebrows, and an elegant and beautiful appearance.
Especially when she was dressed in plain clothes and had a sad and melancholic look, she possessed both the dignity of a good wife and the charm of a geisha...
Mrs. Lin was being scrutinized by him. She felt as if she was stripped naked and had a strong sense of discomfort.
Especially thinking of the other party's bad reputation, she couldn't help but turn sideways and her tone became cold:
"Master Zhao, there's no need to be so polite. Since it's just a misunderstanding, please be as you please. I'll take my leave now."
As he said this, he took a step and was about to walk out -
Although she didn't want to go back to the Li family, she was even more unwilling to stay in this Buddhist temple with Zhao Duan.
She always felt that the other party had bad intentions.
Otherwise, why would such a coincidence happen here?
It's more like it's waiting for me to arrive.
Zhao Duan did not try to stop him.
He simply turned around, raised the burning sandalwood incense high in both hands, bowed to the Buddha statue without any sincerity, and then placed the incense in the incense burner.
He said lightly:
"Madam, please think carefully. Once you enter this room, whether you can leave or not is not up to you."
laugh--
In the furnace, the green smoke suddenly became chaotic for a moment.
Madam Lin stopped in her tracks instantly.
The slender jade hand stopped in the air only half a foot away from the palace door.
A deep knife mark slowly appeared on the ground in front of her.
It was only a hair's breadth away from cutting off her embroidered shoes.
Mrs. Lin's back hair stood up and cold sweat poured down.
Thanks to Di Ting Feng Yu for the 2000 points reward support!
(End of this chapter)
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