No wonder the abbess inside said she’s not ready to give up worldly ties; she wants to be served even as a monk. Is that really a monk?
"Why are you here?" Luo Linfei had already changed into simpler clothes, removing gold and silver hairpins.
Her hair was tied up like a man’s, secured with a peachwood hairpin. She looked quite believable.
"I heard you wanted to beco a monk, so I ca to see."
"Did you co to talk out of it?" Luo Linfei said, "I won’t change my mind, so there’s no need to persuade ."
"I didn’t co to persuade you." Yang Chuxia laughed, "I ca to advise you: before you beco a monk, speak to your parents. Otherwise, you’ll implicate the servants around you. They followed you when you ran away, and they won’t fare well when they return. But if you beco a monk, they’ll have no way out."
"Do you say your servants are unlucky? They might not have enjoyed good days for long, and now their lives are at risk." After a pause, Yang Chuxia added, "Besides, I don’t think you truly want to beco a monk. Otherwise, why haven’t you returned their contracts and let them go? If they left, your family wouldn’t implicate them when they find you later. Plus, look around, is there anyone here who’s a monk and still has servants?"
"Their contracts aren’t with , what can I do? And if they want to leave, they can go; I’m not holding them back."
"Alright, don’t make things difficult for the servants and the people here. I don’t see any commitnt to monastic life in you."
"My affairs are none of your business." Luo Linfei said angrily.
"I don’t want to ddle." Yang Chuxia shrugged, "I just can’t stand seeing so many servants die because of you. In a few days, sothing will be sent to Capital City; you should return with it. I’m not negotiating with you, I’m giving you an ultimatum. Honestly, your mother is clueless. If you really beco a monk and stay here, when I return to Capital City, she’ll co to my house causing trouble, saying we didn’t care about you and such."
"Ridiculous, why would she go to your house causing trouble?"
"She’s gone to Prince An’s Mansion to make a scene more than once; don’t pretend you don’t rember." After a pause, Yang Chuxia added, "Will you leave or not? If not, I’ll tie you up and take you."
"You..." Luo Linfei was furious. But she knew that if she didn’t leave, Yang Chuxia would indeed do it.
Helpless, she had to pack her things and follow them down the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, Yang Chuxia instructed Ye Liu to first send their group to Assistant General Liu, so they could return to Capital City with the main group.
After sending off Luo Linfei, Yang Chuxia got into the carriage and found that the father and son were still at it.
"Still the sa ga?"
Ye Zi’an nodded.
"They still haven’t decided the winner." Yang Chuxia was amused; this ga had lasted too long.
Yet she underestimated their skill. The ga lasted three days and finally, Ye Zi’an barely won against Lele by two pieces. But at the start, Lele had let him two pieces, making it almost a draw.
Ye Zi’an was both happy and frustrated.
"In a couple of years, I surely won’t be able to compete with him." He said to Yang Chuxia.
Yang Chuxia remarked bluntly, "Even now, if you drop your guard, you’re no match for him."
"Ah, having such a child is both joyous and proud."
Though Lele was still a child, he did have a sense of competitiveness.
Another day, he brought out the chess pieces again, "Dad, shall we play another ga? This ti we must determine a winner."
"How many pieces will you let have this ti?"
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