Jiasan: ??
Why is it so urgent?
In the past, Gu Fuju had co to pick her up before. Seeing her unfinished scriptures, unless the sky was falling, instead of urging her, he would help with the copying.
His behavior today was truly bizarre; how could Jiasan not notice sothing amiss?
She looked at him intently.
As he was about to speak, Gu Fuju hesitated.
"It’s not good to miss a palace feast. I noticed the weather seems like it’s going to rain in the next few days, which could make the mountain roads difficult. I’ve co to take you back."
Gu Fuju’s eyes were filled with a mix of emotions, very chaotic: "Don’t worry, let’s go down the mountain first. I’ll explain everything to you on the way."
They had been together since they were young.
Jiasan felt her eyelid starting to twitch, a sense of unease rising within her once again.
When climbing the mountain to pray sincerely requires walking, but going down, there are fewer concerns.
Gu Fuju had just helped Jiasan into the carriage.
Suddenly, a vague clinking sound was heard.
The sound wasn’t loud, seemingly coming from far ahead to the right. But it made Gu Fuju abruptly turn around.
This was a subconscious reaction.
Even before he could think, he had already chased after it.
But there were too many people in the temple.
By the ti he reached the spot, there was nothing there, only a child shaking a bell.
It appeared to be his auditory hallucination, or maybe his reaction was too intense.
Like... a startled bird.
Gu Fuju was dazed for a mont, then let out a heavy sigh and headed back.
As he neared the carriage, he heard a dull thud from inside.
Jiasan, after entering the carriage, was about to pour herself a cup of tea to moisten her throat, but caught a glimpse of so papers weighed down by a jade pendant in the corner to prevent them from being blown away.
The tassel on the jade pendant was woven by her own hands. Gu Fuju cherished it imnsely, wearing it every day and rarely taking it off.
Jiasan glanced over.
Her pupils contracted sharply as she recognized the person depicted in the painting.
Gu Fuju lifted the curtain.
She was staring intently at the painting, in a state of shock, lost in thought.
Seeing that only her skirt was wet and she wasn’t injured, his gaze softened.
"That child is Yu Tingwan."
He spoke softly.
"Doesn’t she look a lot like you?"
————
The incense at Changdu Temple was flourishing.
In the lush green valleys below the mountains, the Buddhist chants mingled with the clear chirping of birds, the statue of Buddha majestic, bathed in golden light, compassionately overlooking the kneeling pilgrims.
Climbing to the mountain’s peak was sowhat tiring.
Ning Suxuan knelt on the prayer mat, holding incense, eyes closed in sincere devotion.
Yu Tingwan imitated her actions.
She didn’t want to have nightmares anymore.
Even though she suspected that in her previous life, she might not have t a good end.
Wei Zhao’s actions were dangerous.
She hoped nothing would go wrong with the man’s plans to seize the throne.
After making her wishes, she inserted the incense into the burner. Seeing that Ning Suxuan was still kneeling, she went outside to wait.
Tan Jiang followed closely, never leaving her side.
Yu Tingwan’s gaze fell on a spot ahead where a stall was selling copper locks, with a long queue of people waiting to buy them. The business was quite prosperous.
"What is that for?"
Tan Jiang: "There’s a bridge in the temple, just ahead, called the Marriage Bridge."
"Many engaged couples co here to buy a Unity Lock. They ask the craftsn to engrave the nas of the couple on it, then walk across the Marriage Bridge together, hoping for a smooth relationship."
She said to Yu Tingwan: "Your cousin ca here several tis."
Yu Tingwan was slightly stunned.
"Hasn’t Ning Yunling not been engaged? Whose family did he co with?"
"He ca by himself."
"Many people write the na of the person they love and pray for the Buddha’s blessing."
Tan Jiang looked around and whispered: "Your cousin got several locks and engraved the nas of several girls on them."
This was sothing few people knew.
Yu Tingwan: ??
"Miss Zhou, Miss from the Grand Tutor’s family, from the Minister of the Ministry of Justice’s family, and several who have already beco other people’s wives, he fancied them all."
"Your cousin thinks that, surely, at least one will work out."
Yu Tingwan: ...
Goodness.
He’s like drawing lots here!
Tan Jiang: "But not a single one worked out."
"In my opinion, that Marriage Bridge is extrely unreliable."
That’s kind of tragic.
Ning Yunling’s status was evident, many wanted to marry into the Marquis Ning Mansion, yet he either fell for those he couldn’t marry or preferred the innocent types.
Since she was idle, Yu Tingwan walked over to take a look.
"Twenty wen for a lock, twenty wen for engraving."
This price was considered cheap in Shangjing.
Several monks were busy, engaged in an intense flurry of activity.
So were collecting money, so were engraving, so were bookkeeping.
The accounts were ticulously recorded.
Every transaction was logged, and incense patrons had to leave a thumbprint; this money was ultimately used for distributing porridge at the foot of the mountain.
Thus, patrons were quite willing to pay.
Yu Tingwan, with her keen eyes, noticed that among those lining up, many were unmarried couples, and most of the won blushed, not daring to glance at the n beside them.
Just then, it was a female patron’s turn.
The female patron handed over a note: "Master, please engrave these two nas."
Yu Tingwan craned her neck to take a look.
Female: Zhang Yue.
Male: Wei Zhao.
Yu Tingwan: ?? What is this.
Her eyes widened.
The engraving was quickly done, and the girl left happily with her lock.
"Wait a minute."
A woman in pink chased after her: "You have General Wei’s na on yours, and so do I."
"I’ve checked, out of the twenty locks engraved earlier, seven have General Wei’s na, and four have He Yushi’s na."
Yu Tingwan: ...
Goodness.
Tan Jiang was quite proud: "Madam, our General’s na is always on more locks than Mr. He’s!"
Always.
Yu Tingwan caught onto the key point, smiling as she patted Tan Jiang’s shoulder: "Is that so?"
Lunch was at the temple.
It was Yu Tingwan’s first ti having a vegetarian al.
There was no at, yet the flavor was surprisingly good, even refreshing.
Upon descending the mountain, they took a carriage.
Aside from the jostling, there were no incidents, and they smoothly returned to the capital.
The guards at the city gate, seeing the Duke Shun Mansion’s carriage, let them pass without the usual inspection.
The carriage ca to a steady stop at Duke Shun Mansion; Ning Suxuan was helped down without saying a word to Yu Tingwan and left.
Yu Tingwan didn’t mind.
She even found this way of coexistence with Ning Suxuan quite nice.
Near evening.
Most of the day had been spent on the road.
She was sowhat tired too, carrying the bouquet of flowers that had already wilted, heading to Huilan Garden.
The door was half-open; Wei Zhao, busy with official duties, looked up at the sound of movent.
Yu Tingwan stepped over the threshold.
Walked straight over.
Across the table, she stared at Wei Zhao.
Wei Zhao pondered for a mont: "Grand Tutor and the Imperial Tutor’s Wife just ca by."
They had just left not long ago.
Yu Tingwan leaned forward, her fingertip on his lips: "Shh."
"Let see first."
She was of a perfect figure, with soft bones and a well-proportioned body. In this casual gesture, her hips slightly arched, making her curves more prominent.
Wei Zhao’s eyes darkened; he stood up, clutching her slender waist, pulling her over the desk, placing her on the table.
He held her shoulder, caressing, his gaze lowered softly.
"See what?"
The atmosphere was very pleasant.
Yet Yu Tingwan sneered.
"Just seeing why you’re so attractive?"
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