Chapter 244 Unworthy
The first day of May is an auspicious day!
Concubine Shu chose this day and asked Nanny Wang and Mingzhi to bring the birth dates of the Second Prince and Liu Anyu to Xiangguo Temple.
Xiangguo Temple was the imperial temple of the Wei Dynasty. Most of the guests received here were dignitaries. Especially on days like the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, common people were strictly prohibited from burning incense there.
Going up ninety-nine steps is a large square. In the center of the square stands a large bronze tripod filled with incense sticks, with wisps of smoke swirling upwards.
The front is the Great Hall, which houses a golden statue of Sakyamuni. On the left and right are the bell tower and drum tower, and behind is the Heavenly King Hall, which houses the statues of the Four Vajra. Behind it is the Sutra Library.
The palace was filled with incense and was visited by ladies from aristocratic families in an endless stream.
Because Concubine Shu had some resentment towards Liu Anyu in her heart, she asked Nanny Wang and Mingzhi to keep a low profile. She did not want to let people know that this was a match made for her son and Liu Anyu, in order to avoid those people flattering her and praising them to the sky. She just treated it as an ordinary marriage and asked the master in the temple to have a look. If it was really a match made in heaven, Concubine Shu would accept it.
"Young master, is the abbot here?" Nanny Wang pulled a young monk and asked with her hands folded.
The young monk said a Buddhist saying, "In reply to the donor's question, the abbot is not in the temple today. May I ask if you two have any needs?"
"My son wants to get engaged. He took the girl's horoscope and wanted to give it to the abbot to have a look." Nanny Wang asked, "When will he be back?"
"Uncle Master has been gone for five days and didn't say when he would be back. How about I introduce Uncle Master Lechen to you two?" asked the young monk.
Nanny Wang and Mingzhi looked at each other.
Mingzhi hesitated and said, "Mammy, how about we come back next time?"
Nanny Wang thought for a moment and shook her head, saying, "We don't know when the abbot will return. If this delay continues, then he will just die."
"My lady, will anyone have any opinion on that?"
"I will explain to Her Majesty when the time comes. Besides, Her Majesty doesn't want to show off, so let's listen to what Lechen has to say first."
Nanny Wang naturally knew Concubine Shu better. If Concubine Shu really had no objection to the Sixth Miss Liu, she would not have asked her to conceal her identity and come to Xiangguo Temple to match the Second Prince's horoscope. She would have directly brought her order and ordered the abbot to match the horoscope.
When Mingzhi heard the nanny say this, she nodded.
The nanny said to the young monk, "Thank you, little master, for leading the way."
The young monk said, "Please follow me, two donors."
…
Liu Mansion
Mrs. Liu's room was decorated very elegantly and uniquely, with a pearwood landscape screen, a treasure chest filled with various jades and a small gold-threaded blue phoenix incense burner smoking sandalwood on the side, and a few dark red carved chairs on the other side of the screen. On the coffee table stood a blue and white porcelain vase with fragrant lilies blooming in it, with water droplets hanging on the petals, as if it had been sprinkled with water.
On the couch by the window, Liu Anyao and Madam Liu sat opposite each other. On the low table above the couch were fresh fruits, cakes and nuts.
Mother Wu stood aside and reported what had just come from the palace.
"Just as Madam expected, Madam Shufei felt that the Sixth Miss's fate was too ordinary to match that of the Second Prince, so she asked Madam to pick another candidate, even if I have to wait for two years."
Madam Liu pinched a piece of cake and took a bite, then looked at Liu Anyao and said with a smile: "Oh, this is really unlucky."
Liu Anyao smiled, gloating over the misfortune: "It's a pity that I praised her so much in front of the queen, but I never thought that this fortune is not the most suitable for the second prince. How pitiful."
Mother Wu pursed her lips and chuckled, with a hint of sarcasm in her eyes.
When Prime Minister Liu returned to the mansion in the evening, Madam Liu immediately invited everyone to the main courtyard and also called Aunt Qiu and Liu Anyu.
The two of them didn't know the result of the horoscope yet, but when they heard the lady calling them, they were overjoyed and thought that the matter was settled.
Aunt Qiu and Liu Anyu ran into Liu Xiang at the gate of the courtyard.
"Master." Aunt Qiu bowed.
Liu Anyu called out obediently: "Dad."
Liu Xiang looked at the beautiful mother and daughter and smiled lovingly: "Maybe there is a result, come in."
"Well, please go first, sir." Aunt Qiu smiled gently.
Liu Xiang went in first with a smile, followed closely by Aunt Qiu and Liu Anyu.
In the flower hall, Madam Liu sat in the main seat, and Liu Anyao sat right next to her. The mother and daughter were talking about something, and both looked solemn and worried.
When Liu Xiang and the other two saw the appearance of the mother and daughter, their hearts tightened at the same time.
"The Prime Minister is back." Madam Liu stood up quickly and said.
"Dad." Liu Anyao bowed and called out. Seeing Liu Anyu behind Liu Xiang, she nodded to her and said, "Sixth sister."
"Hello mother, fifth sister." Liu Anyu bowed.
Aunt Qiu bowed to Madam Liu and said, "Greetings to Madam, and to Miss Fifth."
"Aunt Qiu, Sixth Sister, please sit down." Liu Anyao said with a somewhat forced smile.
Aunt Qiu became more and more nervous. She sat down carefully and looked at Madam Liu eagerly.
He thought that maybe he had misunderstood. The Madam and the Fifth Miss were smiling reluctantly, perhaps because they were unhappy about the marriage between her daughter and the Second Prince.
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard Liu Xiang ask.
"Today, Concubine Shu ordered someone to go to Xiangguo Temple to match the two people's horoscopes. Is Your Majesty satisfied?"
Madam Liu looked at Prime Minister Liu helplessly and sighed softly.
Liu Xiang's heart suddenly skipped a beat: "Why is Madam sighing?"
"Prime Minister, there is nothing wrong with the Sixth Girl and the Second Prince..."
Halfway through his words, Prime Minister Liu heaved a sigh of relief, chuckled, glared at Madam Liu, and said, "This is good, why are you still sighing?"
Aunt Qiu and Liu Anyu also smiled happily.
Madam Liu glanced at the three of them and said, "Prime Minister, please listen to what I have to say. It is because there is nothing wrong with it that it is too ordinary. Your Majesty thinks that the Second Prince's concubine should find a good match with the most compatible horoscope. After all, it concerns the Second Prince's life."
After they finished speaking, the smiles on Aunt Qiu and Liu Anyu's faces suddenly froze.
Liu Anyu stood up in disbelief: "How...how could this happen? Did the master in the temple see it wrong?"
"Sixth girl, don't say such things carelessly. Don't insult the master in the temple. That is Xiangguo Temple, the imperial temple of our Great Wei. If such words get to your ears, it will be a crime of disrespect." Madam Liu said in a light voice, but with an indescribable majesty.
How can you slander a temple that even the emperor respects and trusts?
And precisely because it was Xiangguo Temple, Prime Minister Liu would not blame Madam Liu for this matter.
The abbot of Xiangguo Temple is not easy to bribe, but not everyone in the temple is upright and noble. Besides, she is not trying to ruin anyone's marriage. She just asked Lechen not to exaggerate.
Prime Minister Liu intends to make Liu Anyu a concubine, so Madam Liu cannot do anything drastic, otherwise Prime Minister Liu will only suspect her. However, as long as she knows the preferences of Concubine Shu, it will not be difficult for her to eliminate Liu Anyu.
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