novelden Chapter 147 Destiny
Chapter 147 Destiny
The palace of the Grand Princess.
The eldest princess, Feng Xin, sat in the main seat, letting Bai Yu and another servant kneel on the ground massage her legs.
Although she was released from confinement, the spies and agents she had planted were eliminated, and the Fifth Prince was imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum. Now, there are not many people she can use!
And all of these matters are closely related to one person. Now, upon hearing the report of Lin Shu's boastful words in court today, he couldn't help but speak out in anger:
"Lin Shu, Lin Shu... It's Lin Shu again! Why does she always have to pick a fight with me!"
"Your Highness, this person is almost supernaturally intelligent, and is increasingly favored by the Empress. She cannot be allowed to live any longer!" an advisor advised in a deep voice. Ever since Lin Shu suddenly appeared, the First Princess has never had a smooth journey.
"Do you think I don't know? Do I need you, you fool, to remind me? What I need now is a way to get rid of Lin Shu!"
The eldest princess, glaring at the group of fools before her, slammed her hand on the table and rose to her feet. Truly, there's no harm without comparison; she hadn't realized how stupid they were when she used them against Feng Qing!
"Your Highness, please calm down!" the surrounding crowd exclaimed in unison.
"Calm down! Calm down! What good are you bunch of useless trash besides calming me down?" With that, the First Princess shoved away Bai Yu and the other man who were massaging her legs, and threatened the strategists:
"I do not keep useless people under my wing. Think more about your mothers, fathers, husbands, and daughters. Or, at the very least, think about the pack of stray dogs I keep in my backyard..."
The strategists were startled by her sinister words and lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
Just as the eldest princess was about to erupt in anger, Bai Yu, standing at her feet, spoke up in a sweet, coquettish voice:
"Your Highness, please don't be angry. I have a good way to get Lin Shu to work for you."
"Oh? What's your idea?" The eldest princess narrowed her eyes, reached out a finger to lift Bai Yu's chin, and looked him in the eye.
"Judging from Li Yun'er's matter, Lin Shu must care a lot about feelings. If we can use her husband as leverage, we're not afraid that she won't be easily won over," Bai Yu said with a flattering smile.
After listening, the eldest princess released the other person's chin with disinterest, leaned back in her chair, and glanced sideways at Bai Yu:
"You make it sound so easy. I've only just been released from confinement. If word gets out now that I've arrested officials' families, do you know what the consequences will be?"
Bai Yu grabbed the Crown Princess's hand, which she had let go of, and pressed it against his face again, saying, "Does Your Highness still remember when I went to the Huguo Temple a few days ago to pray for you?"
The eldest princess nodded impatiently, signaling him to spit it out.
Bai Yu, naturally, dared not keep them in suspense any longer and quickly told them everything:
"I saw a man at the Huguo Temple. He was Li Yun'er's brother, Li Huanzhi, who was also Lin Shu's husband."
It seems there was a rift between the two due to the Li family matter, which is why Li Huanzhi chose to become a nun. But I noticed that Li Huanzhi's lower abdomen is slightly protruding, suggesting she may be pregnant.
You said if we capture him and use him as leverage, then Lin Shu would be completely at your mercy…
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess's eyes gleamed with an unfathomable light. She pulled Bai Yu up from the ground, sat him on her lap, and planted a large kiss on his cheek, praising him:
"Hahaha! Good! Good! Xiaoyu is truly my lucky star! If this matter succeeds, I will appoint you as my attendant."
"Oh dear! Your Highness, there are so many people here!" Bai Yu said with a shy expression, but in reality, he was openly flirting with the eldest princess, acting very dissolutely, completely unlike the gentle and innocent girl he was on the pleasure boat.
"...Why bother with those useless people? Let them watch. I'm counting on Xiaoyu to have another child for me..."
Hearing the eldest princess's words, the others quickly withdrew. They dared not actually watch the unpredictable eldest princess engage in sexual activity! Otherwise, they wouldn't even know how they died!
As soon as everyone left, the door was locked from the outside by the woman in black who was closely protecting the eldest princess, and she stood upright outside the door to guard her.
A moment later, a series of soft, blush-inducing moans drifted from inside the room…
……
Outside a Zen room at Huguo Temple on Qingcheng Mountain, in the outskirts of Beijing.
"Knock knock..."
A knock sounded on the door, and a slightly weathered female voice came from inside: "Benefactor Li, Master Master requests your presence."
The meditation room was completely open, containing only a bed and a table, with a futon placed on the bed.
On the prayer mat, a handsome man with a face like jade, long hair half-tied up, and dressed in a simple gray linen robe, slowly opened his eyes. His pale purple eyes were as bright as the starry sky tonight…
But when her eyes caught sight of her protruding belly, she was immediately filled with confusion.
This person was Li Huanzhi, whom everyone was thinking about. He had only been cultivating here for a while, but his temperament had changed a lot.
If he was once a reserved and aloof rich young master who couldn't let loose in any way, now he is a cultivator who is calm and composed in every move, with an extraordinary and refined charm.
He slowly got up, walked to the door, and opened it.
Then, he placed his left hand across his abdomen, holding a string of prayer beads; his right hand was placed in front of his chest, fingers pointing upwards, forming a palm mudra. He bowed to the nun who was outside delivering the message and said, "Thank you for your trouble, nun!"
The nun who delivered the message shook her head and smiled kindly, carrying a lantern, and said gently, "Benefactor Li, please come with me."
Li Huanzhi followed her past the meditation rooms in the outer courtyard before slowly entering the nunnery. In truth, he could only be considered a half-Buddhist disciple, living in the meditation rooms in the outer courtyard where the worshippers stayed, and he was not ordained as a monk...
"Uncle-Master, Benefactor Li has arrived." Before long, Li Huanzhi was led outside the lecture hall, and the nun who led the way bowed respectfully inside.
"Come in." A somewhat aged but ethereal voice came from inside, and Li Huanzhi followed the instructions and entered the house.
Inside, the room was brightly lit with candles and filled with the aroma of incense; one could smell the incense from afar.
The highest position in the center of the lecture hall is the seat reserved for the Living Buddha. The north wall is enshrined with 18 statues in 6 groups. The pillars around the hall are covered with golden tapestries woven with black bird patterns. Under the pillars is where the nun sits to listen to and chant sutras.
At this moment, in the very center of the hall sat a nun of about fifty years old, holding a scripture in her hand. She looked at Li Huanzhi who walked up to her, her eyes exuding a compassionate air, and said, "Benefactor, please sit."
Li Huanzhi bowed and then sat down on the prayer mat opposite the nun.
He had just sat down when the ethereal voice of the head nun across from him rang out again: "Benefactor Li, it's time for you to descend the mountain."
Facing the abbess's compassionate face, Li Huanzhi's eyes held a hint of confusion and pleading: "Abbess, I..."
The abbess smiled slightly, her eyes revealing a serene tranquility that transcended worldly affairs: "Everything in this world has its destiny. Your worldly ties are not yet severed; it is time for you to return home!"
"Go home? But I no longer..."
Li Huanzhi looked sorrowful and did not utter the last few words.
The nun's gaze fell on Li Huanzhi's slightly protruding belly, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes: "Everything in the world has its time. Flowers bloom in their time, flowers wither in their time, relationships end in their time, and relationships begin in their time."
After saying that, the nun looked up and met Li Huanzhi's gaze, as if she could see into his heart: "The past is like a dream. You have let go of it in your heart, but you can't let go of it, can you? What you have let go of are the events, but what you can't let go of is the people!"
Li Huanzhi gently touched his lower abdomen, then looked up at the head nun in shock. She actually knew what he was thinking!
"..."
Half an hour later, Li Huanzhi got up, bowed deeply to the headmaster, and walked out into the darkness.
The head nun watched his figure gradually disappear into the darkness, a smile in her eyes, her calm voice echoing in the empty hall:
"The morning bell and evening drum, marriage is preordained by heaven; meeting is fate, and parting is also fate."
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[I originally wanted to finish writing Phoenix Cry quickly and let Xiao Shushu go to Nanli for a trip, but I suddenly realized there's still so much I haven't written~]