Beauty Pass
After the young monk finished speaking, he was about to leave when Shen Yao said, "I have some small gifts I would like to offer to Master Chengxin. I hope that the young master will make an exception and deliver them to him."
After speaking, Shen Yao took an exquisite box from Xia Guo's hand, inside which was a golden Buddha amulet.
The little monk was even more helpless, a hint of boredom flashing in his eyes: "Amitabha, Princess, there's no need for such formality."
He knew these people were all rich and powerful, and he couldn't refuse them. He also knew that no matter what gifts they gave him, it would be useless; he would never be able to see Chengxin. The words he used to respond were all templates that Chengxin had taught him.
Xia Guo said with some dissatisfaction, "This monk actually shows no respect for the princess!"
Shen Yao didn't feel anything special. Xiliang was remote, and for a princess, it was certainly not as convenient as the capital. So everything, including dignity, had to be earned by herself.
The current situation was entirely within Shen Yao's expectations, so she remained calm and continued, "In that case, I will not bother you any longer."
The little monk nodded: "Princess, please return."
Upon reaching this point, the people around, seeing the princess back down, also lost interest and gradually turned and left.
Shen Yao remained motionless. After most of the people had left, she suddenly stepped forward, handed a piece of paper to the little monk, and said softly, "But Shen Yao has something else here that I would like to ask the little monk to help me pass on to Master Chengxin."
The young monk looked at the piece of paper that Shen Yao handed him with a puzzled expression.
His master is quite interested in calligraphy and paintings, and he might accept such gifts if someone is willing to give them to him, but whether he meets them or not is up to fate.
The paper Shen Yao gave him was quite new, clearly written by Shen Yao herself. However, he had never heard of Princess Yao having any skill in calligraphy, so he paid even less attention to it.
The young monk put his hands together and said, "Please wait a moment, Princess." Then he turned and went into the house.
Xia Guo asked curiously, "Princess, what did you write?"
Shen Yao paused for a moment, then said, "...'An Envoy to the Frontier'."
Xia Guo looked bewildered, but Shen Yao clearly had no intention of explaining further.
The two waited anxiously outside for a long time, but the young master did not come out again. Shen Yao's heart sank, and she gave a bitter smile, thinking that fairy tales were all lies and reciting poems was useless.
"Let's go..." Helpless, Shen Yao had to think of another way. Just as she turned around to leave with Xia Guo, the door of the side hall suddenly opened.
Shen Yao paused, a few fallen leaves brushing against her skirt in the rustling wind. A strong scent of sandalwood wafted from the side hall behind her, causing the surrounding worshippers to stop and stare in astonishment.
"Please wait, benefactor." A leisurely voice, seemingly from heaven, came from behind.
Shen Yao stopped and slowly turned around, only to see a handsome young man dressed in coarse cloth robes suddenly appear.
Shen Yao's eyes flickered.
Chengxin was not young, but her appearance did not reveal it at all. Having lived a life detached from worldly affairs for so long, every smile and frown of hers was otherworldly, reminding Shen Yao of the lotus she had seen in her past life.
If her husband was already considered exceptionally handsome, then this Master Chengxin was no less so, and in fact, she was a perfect match for Shen Yao's personality.
Seemingly because Shen Yao's gaze was too ardent, Chengxin unconsciously turned her face away. Shen Yao, realizing her rudeness, quickly cupped her hands and said, "Master Chengxin."
Chengxin raised her chin slightly, looked down at Shen Yao for a while, and then said indifferently, "It is truly an eye-opener for Chengxin that such an ordinary woman as you could write such a masterpiece."
After he finished speaking, some people couldn't help but come over to ask what had happened. Those who hadn't left explained the situation to those who were unaware, and so many people learned that Shen Yao had submitted an article to Cheng Xin, causing Cheng Xin to suddenly open the door to receive guests.
Chengxin continued, "If you truly possess such talent, even as a woman, you would surely become famous throughout the world."
Shen Yao hurriedly confessed, "To be honest, these are poems that I obtained from my teacher's collection when I was young and traveling. They are not written by me."
Chengxin revealed a knowing look: "So it wasn't written by you, benefactor."
Shen Yao said, "If I don't ask, it would be stealing. But I am really not very knowledgeable and I don't want to just get by without understanding. That's why I want to ask Master Chengxin for some guidance. This poem is only for Master Chengxin to see and for us to exchange ideas privately. I also hope that Master Chengxin will not publicize it. I will burn it after reading it."
Chengxin: "Of course, please rest assured, benefactor."
After saying that, Chengxin fell silent again.
He neither told Shen Yao to come in nor said goodbye, as if he was weighing the pros and cons of dating Shen Yao.
Shen Yao had no choice but to continue, saying, "I have countless poems of this caliber in my mind."
Chengxin: "...Come in."
Shen Yao smiled and cupped her hands again, saying, "Thank you, Master Chengxin."
After saying that, he was about to take Xia Guo inside, but when Xia Guo reached the door, the little monk stopped her.
Shen Yao looked at Cheng Xin's back in front of her. Cheng Xin said calmly, "You came in alone, with the poem you memorized."
Shen Yao suddenly realized, nodded to Xia Guo, and then stepped into the inner hall alone.
*
During the ten-day holiday, Lingshan Temple was bustling with people, and the entire Lingshan village was also lively.
When not on leave, Lan Yunyi had to be stationed in the border region, ready to fight at any time. Even during her leave, she had to handle miscellaneous tasks related to the military farms in Lingshantun. Although she had virtually no "private time," she was far removed from the more treacherous power struggles in the capital, so her life was relatively comfortable.
Upon arriving at his office, the soldiers reported on recent events and then congratulated him. Many civil officials also came specifically to offer their congratulations, and Magistrate Chen, of course, couldn't resist such occasions. Lan Yunyi also praised Princess Yao's beauty and gentleness in front of others; the couple's relationship was harmonious, and the atmosphere was truly peaceful.
After dealing with all that, only he, Zhou Sui, and Chen Ming remained in the room.
Zhou Sui's face immediately darkened, and Chen Ming's face became even uglier. He said bluntly, "Everyone is staring at the general's hand injury. These people are clearly here to laugh at us!"
Thinking of the humiliation he had suffered yesterday, Zhou Sui stomped his foot in indignation.
Lan Yunyi sat down, stroking the gauze on her hand, and said, "The princess is gentle, kind, and obedient, a good wife and mother, not what you think."
Chen Ming: "You're still speaking up for her?"
Lan Yunyi extended her hand to them: "I accidentally injured my hand, and the princess even helped me apply medicine and bandage it."
Zhou Sui and Chen Ming exchanged a glance, then looked at Lan Yunyi, who was touching the knot on the gauze, deep in thought, as if he were completely immersed in his own world.
The expressions on their faces were somewhat indescribable.
Zhou Sui suddenly said with a cold face, "Your Highness, Prince Consort."
Lan Yunyi frowned in disgust: "Don't call me that."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Sui and Chen Ming both breathed a sigh of relief.
Finding an opportunity to take action against the princess was a foregone conclusion. Neither of them doubted Lan Yunyi's ruthlessness, but they were afraid that Lan Yunyi, a hero, would be unable to resist the charms of a beautiful woman.
If that woman were truly stupid, that would be fine, but clearly the real Princess Yao is jealous, scheming, and domineering—a tough nut to crack.
Lan Yunyi stood up and said, "The princess and I are only husband and wife in name, but the princess is still the princess, and you are not allowed to make such comments."
Zhou Sui was reluctant, but still bowed and said "Yes." Chen Ming sighed, knowing Lan Yunyi's predicament, and didn't say anything more, only saying, "With your looks, you must have already bewitched the princess. But her favor towards you is only because she covets your appearance. You must be careful not to fall into the trap of a woman's gentleness."
Lan Yunyi nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Chen Ming's words.
Not to mention Xiliang City, even in the entire Dasheng, he is a top-ranked handsome man. If he had to force a contest with someone, perhaps only Chengxin in Lingshan Temple would be a match for him.
However, Princess Yao and Chengxin could never have any connection. He even offered ten thousand taels of gold but could not persuade Chengxin to treat his subordinates.
Thinking of this, Lan Yunyi suddenly asked, "Where is Ayuan? If he's free, let him go to Lingshan Temple to keep the princess company."
Zhou Sui nodded and was about to go out to tell A Yuan when, as soon as he opened the door, he saw A Yuan riding in at breakneck speed. She jumped off the horse, tossed the reins to the person next to her, and hurriedly ran in.
"General!" A Yuan pushed Zhou Sui aside and rushed into the house with unusual recklessness, bowing to Lan Yunyi.
Lan Yunyi rarely saw him so eager, and was waiting for him to continue, but then A Yuan suddenly started coughing violently, turning his pale face red.
Due to health reasons, A Yuan was not in charge of important military affairs; he usually handled trivial matters or troublesome tasks assigned by the court. These matters were generally not urgent, and even if they were, they wouldn't affect Lan Yun's intentions in Xiliang, so he didn't take them too seriously. He casually moved a stool in front of A Yuan and asked him to sit down.
Zhou Sui handed her another water glass. After a while, A Yuan finally stopped coughing and looked up at Lan Yunyi with complicated eyes.
Lan Yunyi didn't speak, but raised an eyebrow at him.
Zhou Sui and Chen Ming were getting anxious. Zhou Sui said, "Hurry up and tell me, what's wrong that's making you so anxious?"
After he finished speaking, a fierce look flashed across A Yuan's face. Then he suddenly stood up, cupped his hands to Lan Yunyi, and reported: "I just saw Princess Yao while worshipping Buddha at Lingshan Temple."
Lan Yunyi said helplessly, "I took her there. Princess Yao is compassionate and believes in Buddhism and Taoism. What's there to say?"
A-Yuan pursed her lips, then closed her eyes and said directly, "...Dajue Temple Chengxin received Princess Yao."
Lan Yunyi was momentarily dazed, as if she hadn't understood what A Yuan was saying.
How could Chengxin be connected with Shen Yao?
Zhou Sui and Chen Ming, standing to the side, stared at A Yuan with their mouths agape, completely astonished.
A Yuan also looked incredulous, observing the expressions of Zhou Sui, Chen Ming, and Lan Yunyi, feeling a sense of vicissitude that she herself had already experienced.
“I didn’t believe it at first either, but I kept hearing on the way up the mountain that Princess Yao was asking to see Chengxin, so I went up the mountain to take a look,” A Yuan said. “In the end, Princess Yao followed that bald monk into the inner palace alone, without even asking the other women to follow her.”
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" Chen Ming slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Princess Yao, as a newlywed, has failed to uphold the virtues of a wife! I will immediately write a letter to His Majesty to report this!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
