Chapter 10 The Wolf-Head Jade Pendant: Who is she really?
As she opened her eyes, a sharply defined face loomed large before her, and she swallowed her scream back down.
"The Crown Prince?!"
Zhou Congxian: "Get dressed, let's go to the White Horse Temple."
"Huh? White Horse Temple?"
Zhou Congxian turned and walked out of the room, letting Shuangjiang and Mother He in.
"Hurry up, I'll be waiting for you at the door."
Jiang Shiyao stared blankly at Zhou Congxian's retreating figure, asking him to go to Baima Temple.
In his previous life, Zhou Congxian went to the White Horse Temple.
It seems that something else has happened. The wedding date that Zhou Congxian and Song Jiyun were originally scheduled for in the autumn has been moved up to the time of Lesser Heat.
However, she didn't go, so she had no way of knowing what had happened at Baima Temple.
When Zhou Congxian's servant urged him for the third time, Jiang Shiyao finally arrived at the door carrying Fu'er.
Three horse-drawn carriages stood at the entrance, ready to depart.
Zhao lifted the carriage curtain and saw Jiang Shiyao holding a child.
Why is she here?
Zhou Congxian said, "Didn't you say you wanted to pray for Fu'er's safety and well-being? I thought I'd bring them along."
Jiang Shiyao hugged her daughter tightly, inwardly grumbling, "Why drag them into this magical duel?"
Zhou Congxian glanced at the two people, one big and one small, who were still standing there in a daze.
"Get in the car now."
White Horse Temple.
The most popular temple in the suburbs of Beijing.
Jiang Shiyao has been in the capital for many years, but she has only been there once, when Fu'er was still in her womb.
She held her daughter, who was now sleeping soundly, and reminisced about her past life.
It seems that after returning from Baima Temple, Zhao had a fight with the Duke.
Since returning from the temple, Zhao stopped interfering in Zhou Congxian's marriage.
Even when they went to the Song family to propose marriage, she surprisingly went along with them.
Could it be that the two were trying to commit adultery at the temple, were discovered, and Zhao gave up the struggle, thus bringing forward the wedding?
Jiang Shiyao shivered.
She couldn't fathom how someone as aloof as Zhou Congxian could do such a thing...
The temple is situated on high ground, and from the mountain path beside it, one can see most of the capital city.
Miss Li had already arrived. As soon as Jiang Shiyao got out of the car, she saw a beautiful woman in purple bowing to Zhao.
By this time, Fu'er had fully woken up. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, she excitedly stretched her legs, wanting to get down.
"Mother, Mother, there are sugar figurines!"
The temple gate is bustling with activity; on temple fair days, it's so crowded that it's impossible to walk past.
Looking at his excited daughter, Zhou Congxian took the money pouch off his waist and said, "Take Fu'er to play, but don't go too far."
Another heavy money bag.
Jiang Shiyao clutched the money pouch, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Okay, I'll take Fu'er and have some fun. I promise I won't show up!"
Um? ?
Zhou Congxian looked at Jiang Shiyao, whose face was beaming with joy, and then turned to the servant beside him. "What did she mean just now?"
The servant gestured in another direction with his chin, "Madam Jiang may have seen that person."
Zhou Congxian followed his gaze and felt a throbbing sensation in his temple.
Song Jiyun got out of the car dressed in a flamboyant manner, looking impatient, but her expression quickly changed when she saw him.
Attendant Wei Xun couldn't help but sigh, it was practically comparable to a magic show at a temple fair.
No wonder the Crown Prince avoids it like the plague.
I wonder if the Crown Prince will be able to get rid of this hot potato...
On the other side.
Fu'er was like a cheerful little bird, holding a little rabbit-shaped sugar figurine in her two small hands, looking at it for a long time with great affection, but she couldn't bear to eat it.
On the day of Frost's Descent, a towering tree was seen extending from the mountain gate wall, with many red ribbons tied to it.
Her ears turned slightly red. "My lady, I'd like to draw a fortune stick..."
Jiang Shiyao's eyes didn't leave her daughter for a second, but she told her not to play for too long, "Hurry back, or Madam might come looking for you later."
Fu'er is over three years old, which is a time of great curiosity.
She squatted in front of a small stall, looking at a small yellow dog with a look of amazement.
The puppy even stuck out its little tongue to lick, and Jiang Shiyao was so frightened that she was about to reach out and pull her daughter away, but Fu'er turned around with a look of surprise.
"Mother, it's licking my hand!"
The vendor immediately smiled and said, "This puppy is destined for you, Miss. Madam, please buy it for her to keep her company."
Fu'er immediately blinked her big, watery eyes at her mother.
Jiang Shiyao looked at her daughter with difficulty, "Father and Grandmother will not agree."
Over the years, apart from the chickens and ducks waiting to be slaughtered in the kitchen, she has never seen any living creature.
Fu'er lowered her head, looking somewhat dejected.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking down?"
Zhou Congxian, with his tall stature and long arms, stepped over the crowd and scooped his daughter up from the ground.
"Daddy!" Fu'er hugged his neck and kissed him.
Then, blinking her big, watery eyes, she said, "Fu'er wants this puppy."
Zhou Congxian looked down, and the little yellow dog at his feet blinked its equally watery eyes at him.
The vendor was very perceptive: "Sir, this puppy was born at the White Horse Temple; it's very intelligent!"
"This little dog has been with me for so long, and apart from Miss, I've never seen it be affectionate towards anyone."
Fu'er handed her little rabbit dough figurine, which she couldn't eat or drink, to her father. "Fu'er will give the sugar dough to Father to eat, and Father will give Fu'er the puppy, okay?"
Zhou Congxian smelled the sweet aroma of sugar figurines at the tip of his nose, and before him stood his soft and adorable daughter.
The gloom that had just filled the temple was completely swept away.
He smiled slightly and tapped his daughter's little nose with his hand. "Alright, since Fu'er likes it."
"Yay! Daddy's the best!"
Fu'er smiled, her eyes crinkling, as if her eyes held her father completely.
Jiang Shiyao looked at the two similar faces and was somewhat moved.
In his previous life, Zhou Congxian was not indifferent to his daughter, but every time he came to the courtyard, Fu'er was already asleep.
The little trinkets he brought for Fu'er were all thought to be bought by her mother.
The father and daughter rarely have time to spend together like this.
Later, Fu'er moved to the prince's courtyard, and she could no longer see her daughter at will.
Thinking of this, Jiang Shiyao felt a chill in her heart.
Zhou Congxian was not a good father, otherwise his daughter Fu'er wouldn't have turned out that way.
The vendor deftly placed the puppy into a small bamboo cage.
Jiang Shiyao pulled out a piece of silver from her purse and took the cage with a blank expression.
The vendor looked completely bewildered; everything had been fine just a moment ago...
She returned quickly after the Frost's Descent, clutching a small wooden plaque in her hand, the shy smile on her lips still lingering.
Jiang Shiyao handed the small bamboo cage to Shuangjiang, "You're smiling so happily, did you find some silver?"
Shuangjiang's smile deepened slightly. "This servant has drawn a very auspicious fortune stick!"
She drew a fortune stick for Zhang Lang, which said that he would definitely pass the imperial examination this year, and then she would ask the old lady to release her from her contract.
Just as the group reached the mountain gate, Zhao's maid, Xiang Mama, arrived. "Master Huineng is giving a sermon today, and Madam is looking for the young master!"
Jiang Shiyao reached out to hug her daughter, "Your Highness, please go ahead. I'll take Fu'er over there to take a look."
Zhou Congxian stepped aside to let them go together. "Let's go together. My mother said she wants to pray for Fu'er's safety and well-being. It just so happens that the master is here."
Jiang Shiyao hesitated for a moment, as she had heard of Master Huineng before.
Will she, a reborn soul, be mistaken for a ghost and captured by a sorcerer...?
Zhou Congxian had already left.
As the frost descends, a voice asks, "Wife, should we bring the puppy along too?"
Jiang Shiyao glanced at the little yellow dog her daughter had just received, "We've never kept any of these before, I'm afraid Madam won't like them."
"First, take this dog to the carriage. If anyone asks, just say that the young master bought it."
"yes."
Inside the main hall, Master Huineng, having finished his sermon, was speaking with Lady Zhao.
His gaze swept past the crowd and landed on Zhou Congxian, who was standing behind. Upon seeing him, Zhao immediately told her son to step forward.
"Master, this is my son. He is not yet married. Please take a look at him."
On the other side, Song Jiyun stomped her foot unhappily upon hearing this. Luckily, she had come over, otherwise, would Zhao have asked the old monk to match the horoscopes of Congxian and Li Ruoshuang?
Huineng chanted a Buddhist mantra, but instead of placing his hand on Fu'er's head, he placed it on her head.
He chuckled and said, "After the worst comes the best. This young benefactor is a person of great fortune and prosperity. His blessings will continue to grow in the future. He is a blessed child."
Zhao and her mother, Xiang, exchanged a glance.
Zhou Congxian hugged his daughter and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Master."
Little Fu'er blinked, and then, just like her father, she held up the little rabbit candy figurine in one hand and placed the other hand in front of her chubby belly.
With a childlike voice, she bowed and said, "Thank you, Master!"
Zhao then realized what was happening, "Master..."
Master Huineng chanted a Buddhist prayer, “Madam Zhou, having such a woman in your household is a blessing to the whole family. Amitabha.”
Looking at his daughter's chubby little face, Zhou Congxian was in a good mood. He lifted her up and said, "Fu'er will be Daddy's little lucky star from now on."
Fu'er beamed with a big smile, "And Mother too!"
Zhao watched Master Huineng's retreating figure and thought, "He only showed it to the little girl, and I even donated so much money for incense offerings."
He tugged at Zhao's sleeve.
Seeing her son's expression, Zhao said gently, "Having been born from Jiang's womb into our household, she is naturally a wealthy and noble girl."
Jiang Shiyao stood at the door without going in. When she heard Master Huineng say that Fu'er's bad luck had turned into good luck, she covered her face with her hands and slowly squatted down, tears soaking between her fingers.
She was happy that her daughter would have a safe and smooth life in the future.
There are also concerns that the Zhou family might keep their daughter as an auspicious creature in their secluded mansion.
Hearing footsteps, Jiang Shiyao quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and stood up.
The faded red string on her wrist suddenly broke, and a lustrous white jade pendant with a wolf's head fell out.
Before she could pick it up, another hand was faster.
Jiang Shiyao immediately held back; this was the sucker who gave her the silver notes at the carriage shop.
"Young master, this is what I dropped..."
Xiao Shu turned the jade pendant over and saw two characters engraved on it, but they were already very blurry and illegible.
He returned the jade pendant to Jiang Shiyao, saying, "I just felt that the pattern on this jade pendant looked familiar, as if I had seen it in the home of an old friend, so I took a second look."
Jiang Shiyao said, "Perhaps you have misremembered. I am from Chuzhou. This jade pendant is a keepsake from my late mother, a family heirloom from the countryside."
Xiao Shu stopped asking questions and glanced at the crowd in the main hall.
"So you are a lady from the Duke of England's household. I apologize for the offense."
Jiang Shiyao quickly bowed, clutching the jade pendant, and said, "I dare not."
Xiao Shu nodded and then turned to leave.
After the person had gone far away, Jiang Shiyao glanced at the jade pendant in her hand. The red string hadn't been changed for more than ten years, and the knot was tied by her mother.
Her mother passed away suddenly before she could teach her.
As Xiao Shu walked out of the mountain gate, he glanced back at the direction of the main hall.
The wolf's head did resemble General Meng's Black Wolf Army's military orders.
Who exactly is this woman?
Chuzhou...
After a long pause, he shook his head.
Everything in the world has similarities.
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