Chapter 393: 393. Prepare to fry fish

Translator: 549690339

On the first day of the third month, a large number of pilgrims flocked to Huguo Temple early in the morning, forming an unending stream.

This was Ji Xiaoshu’s first visit. As they climbed the mountain, he would often disappear as he wandered around, enjoying himself immensely, only to be caught and brought back by Old Mu from the nearby forest.

Old Master Qin, who was walking with them, wasn’t fast but seemed to enjoy the lively and adorable child. However, he noticed something peculiar: The “Zhengzheng” he saw today spoke and behaved differently from before, and seemed taller, more like the boy called Xiaoshu.

But Old Master Qin didn’t know that Xiaoshu’s surname was Ji. He just wondered why the two close friends couldn’t play together and seemed to share one identity in front of others.

Seeing Ji Xiaoshu being caught again in the forest by Old Mu, Old Master Qin laughed and said, “You can come and climb trees at my place tomorrow.”

“Sure!” Ji Xiaoshu nodded immediately.

Old Mu knew that Old Master Qin had discovered this boy wasn’t Zhengzheng but Tree-loving Xiaoshu, and it didn’t matter. Old Master Qin was a wise man and understood that Xiaoshu was pretending, so he wouldn’t reveal it or tell others.

When they arrived at Huguo Temple, Old Mu first took Ji Xiaoshu to visit the front hall.

In the towering hall, there were several giant Buddha statues for Ji Xiaoshu, whose heads could only be seen by tilting his head high. The statues were splendid and solemn.

Devout pilgrims lined up to kowtow and pray for blessings in front of the Buddhas. Seeing people kneeling and kowtowing on the cushions, Ji Xiaoshu pulled Old Mu’s sleeve and asked, “Old Mu, can the Buddha really grant all our wishes?”

Some nearby pilgrims frowned, seeming to feel that Ji Xiaoshu’s words were disrespectful in the Buddha Hall.

However, Old Mu didn’t mind, and answered Ji Xiaoshu’s question, “It depends on human effort.”

Old Master Qin chuckled, “Let’s go outside and offer incense.” He had once knelt there to kowtow and pray for his daughter and grandson’s safety. He might do similar things in the future, but not today. He was very satisfied with his current life and had no other requests, and the Buddha was very busy with so many people.

The incense burner, like a large cauldron, was placed outside the hall. Pilgrims could take incense from the nearby table, and monks would help light it before inserting it into the burner.

Ji Xiaoshu was interested in this but choked on the smoky smell as soon as he approached it.

So Old Mu took Ji Xiaoshu farther away, watching Old Master Qin offer three sticks of incense before they went somewhere else.

“Old Master Qin, are there immortals in this world?” Ji Xiaoshu asked.

Old Master Qin smiled, “Maybe there are, but we can’t see them.”

Ji Xiaoshu’s face was serious, “I think Master and Mistress are like immortals descended from heaven, and little sister Nuannuan is also.”

Old Mu laughed, “Maybe they are, just forgetting they were once immortals.”

“Are there ghosts in the world?” Ji Xiaoshu asked again.

Old Master Qin shook his head, “No.”

Old Mu added, “Ghosts are in people’s hearts.”

Ji Xiaoshu nodded, “I know, only bad people have ghosts in their hearts, right?”

“You’re very smart.” Old Master Qin praised, rubbing Ji Xiaoshu’s head with a smile.

Old Master Qin and Ji Xiaoshu went to the back mountain to enjoy the scenery. Ji Xiaoshu happily climbed up and down the trees in the back mountain forest, and when he saw a bigger tree, Old Mu would join him.

Old Master Qin sat on a rock, appreciating the sea of clouds, listening to Old Mu and Zhengzheng’s laughter, thinking that when his great-grandson grows up, he can also take him out to play.

Sunlight pierced through the layers of clouds, gentle breezes blew, the sea of clouds gradually thinned, and finally disappeared. The sky brightened, and the view became more open and clear.

Old Master Qin thought of the couple Min Rui, who wanted to harm him, and couldn’t help but sigh. At his age, he had seen too many scoundrels; but when the “ghost” lurking in the hearts of the people he knew emerged, he couldn’t help but lament. After all, he was the one who had watched Min Rui grow up. When Min Rui safely returned this time, Old Master Qin was happy for him and the Min Family and even helped in inviting Su Liang to treat him.

However, you can know someone’s face but not their heart. Old Master Qin didn’t know what would happen to Min Rui and his wife after their scheme was exposed, but he presumed they wouldn’t survive. This is because their biggest problem was not wanting to kill Old Master Qin, but rather that they were suspected of colluding with the “enemy,” in other words, they could be spies.

Old Master Qin could only hope that the other members of the Min Family would not be implicated, especially Old Master Min, who had worried and cared for that son for so many years, and finally waiting for his return. Upon learning the truth, he didn’t know if he could bear it…

“Old Master Qin!” Ji Xiaoshu stealthily ran up behind Old Master Qin and suddenly hugged him from behind.

Old Master Qin was startled and put his hand on his chest to calm his breath, while Ji Xiaoshu was already standing in front of him. “Were you thinking, Old Master Qin? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Old Master Qin smiled and hugged Ji Xiaoshu, “It’s nothing.”

After playing in the back mountain for a while, they were in no hurry to return and planned to eat Huguo Temple’s Vegetarian Dishes later before leaving. Ji Xiaoshu hadn’t tried them yet and wanted him to have a taste.

Other visitors kept arriving at the back mountain and then leaving.

Ji Xiaoshu and Old Master Qin were playing tug-of-war with tree leaves when they saw Elder Mu bring over a few newly-selected leaves. “I heard someone say that the emperor and Empress Dowager have arrived.”

“The emperor?” Ji Xiaoshu raised his head when he heard this, but quickly lowered it again. In his mind, the emperor’s father is also the emperor. As for the uncle who was the emperor of Qian Country, he had already seen him before.

Ji Xiaoshu’s tree leaf broke first, and Old Master Qin chuckled, “Let’s do it again.”

The front hall of Huguo Temple was cleared because the Empress Dowager and the emperor wanted to burn incense. The Forbidden Army was guarding outside, keeping outsiders away.

Duanmu Chen helped the Empress Dowager walk and scanned the layers of visitors outside. He noticed a problem: he had followed Gu Ling’s lead in targeting Min Rou, but he didn’t know which one was Min Rou…

The Empress Dowager offered incense, praying to the Buddha for the prosperity of Qian Country and for Xing Yuyan and Situ Yao to safely give birth to sons for Duanmu Chen.

At this time, Lady Min and Min Rou had just entered the gate of Huguo Temple. They set off after Gu Ling had given Min Rui acupuncture, and after Min Rou’s elder aunt decided to accompany them, they waited a little longer.

Standing on the periphery of the crowd and tiptoeing, Min Rou could only see one part of the Buddha statues in the main hall and not the Empress Dowager and Duanmu Chen.

Min Rou asked the elder lady of the Min family, “Aunt, do we have to kneel and bow when the Empress Dowager and the emperor come out later?”

The elder lady of the Min family shook her head, “No need.”

“That’s good,” said Min Rou.

Lady Min quietly tugged Min Rou’s sleeve, reminding her not to speak carelessly.

After offering incense, the Empress Dowager planned to join Duanmu Chen in tasting Huguo Temple’s Vegetarian Dishes.

As they stepped out of the front hall, Duanmu Chen saw the elder lady of the Min Family standing at the edge of the crowd. His gaze then shifted to the young girl in white, holding Lady Min’s arm.

Of all the notable young ladies in the capital, Duanmu Chen had seen them all. This unfamiliar face must be Min Rou, the granddaughter of Old Master Min who had recently returned home.

She looked quite good, and her eyes were very lively… This was Duanmu Chen’s first impression of Min Rou.

Min Rou noticed Duanmu Chen looking at her, and as she was curious about the emperor, she didn’t avoid his gaze and looked back boldly.

At this time, most people kept their heads down and didn’t dare to stare, including the elder lady and Lady Min of the Min family, so they didn’t notice the eye contact between Duanmu Chen and Min Rou.

The Empress Dowager noticed but didn’t mind, and she quickly walked with Duanmu Chen towards the Vegetarian Hall.

When the Forbidden Army withdrew, the order in the front hall was restored. The three from the Min Family went in, and Lady Min knelt in front of the Buddha, bowing and offering incense, praying for Min Rui to recover quickly.

At this point, it was approaching noon. Lady Min, with a hint of regret, said, “The vegetarian dishes at Huguo Temple are quite good. I originally planned to take you all to taste them, but Empress Dowager and the Emperor are here today, so we can’t go to the Vegetarian Hall. We’ll come another day.”

“Can’t we go after Empress Dowager and the Emperor finish eating?” Min Rou asked with a coquettish tone. “Aunt, we’re not in a hurry to leave, are we?”

Lady Min smiled, “If you and Rourou are not hungry, there’s no harm in waiting. Why not take a walk around the temple? The scenery at the back mountain is quite beautiful.”

The three of them, accompanied by several maids and nannies, walked towards the back mountain while enjoying the view. Halfway, they ran into Old Master Qin and Ji Xiaoshu.

Old Master Qin greeted them with his usual demeanor, and his gaze on Lady Min showed no signs of anything unusual.

Lady Min played her part flawlessly as well.

Lady Min asked Old Master Qin if he was going back, and he replied with a smile that he was heading to the Vegetarian Hall.

“The Emperor and Empress Dowager are there,” Min Rou said.

Ji Xiaoshu, with a playful smile, exclaimed, “Then I’ll go eat with Uncle Emperor!”

Min Rou had met “Zhengzheng” at the Lin Family, but that day she had only seen Ji Xiaoshu pretending to be Zhengzheng, so she detected nothing amiss. She knew that Gu Ling and Su Liang held extraordinary positions in Qian Country, and as Gu Ling’s disciple, “Zhengzheng” had a special relationship with Duanmu Chen that granted him special privileges.

At this moment, a nanny from the Empress Dowager’s side appeared nearby with two palace maids.

Everyone thought that Duanmu Chen had sent someone to invite “Zhengzheng” when he found out he was there, but the nanny walked straight up to the Min Family and said, “The Empress Dowager invites Lady Min and Miss Min to the Vegetarian Hall for a discussion.”

Lady Min was startled, although her twin daughters were married to good families and many noble ladies in the capital envied her for that. However, she had little contact with distinguished people from the palace and immediately felt like something was wrong.

Lady Min also felt something strange, while Min Rou was somewhat puzzled but didn’t think too much about it.

So, they all headed to the Vegetarian Hall.

“Uncle Emperor!” Ji Xiaoshu yelled at Duanmu Chen at the entrance.

Duanmu Chen came out with a smile, rubbing Ji Xiaoshu’s head and holding his little hand. His eyes, however, fell on Min Rou, not hiding his manly interest in her.

Lady Min hesitated for a moment before realizing what was going on.

Old Master Qin and the others had already gone in, and Lady Min led Lady Min and Min Rou to the Empress Dowager. They hadn’t even knelt down before they were told not to show such formalities.

Then, the Empress Dowager called Min Rou over, asked her a few questions about her daily activities, what books she read, and whether she was used to the capital. After praising her for having a spirit different from the capital’s noble ladies, the Empress Dowager awarded her a gold bracelet.

When the cool gold bracelet was placed on her wrist, Min Rou finally realized what was happening. However, after receiving a hint from Lady Min’s gaze, she dared not show anything.

The vegetarian dishes were still delicious, but the only ones who enjoyed the meal were Ji Xiaoshu and the nanny.

Old Master Qin was baffled, wondering whether the Emperor was genuinely interested in Min Rui’s daughter or had other intentions. After pondering the matter, Old Master Qin tended towards the latter; Gu Ling and Su Liang had already mentioned that there were issues with Min Rui and his wife, so they must have informed the Emperor as well.

“Does Rourou not like vegetarian dishes?” Empress Dowager asked with a warm smile.

Min Rou hurriedly replied, “They’re very delicious, but I’m just not hungry today.”

Duanmu Chen interacted with Ji Xiaoshu a lot, and it seemed very natural. As the Crown Prince of Yin Country, Ji Xiaoshu had no fear of Duanmu Chen and treated him like any uncle who accompanied his father.

Finally, Duanmu Chen put down his chopsticks, and the meal was over.

The Empress Dowager and Duanmu Chen left first, and before he left, Duanmu Chen asked Ji Xiaoshu if he wanted to go to the palace to play. Ji Xiaoshu calmly replied, “I’ll go tomorrow. I still have to go home and write today, or my master will punish me!”

Only Old Master Qin’s group and the three people from the Min Family were left in the Vegetarian Hall when something happened that almost made Old Master Qin lose his composure…

Suddenly, Lady Min frowned and said to Old Master Qin, “Did the emperor set his sights on my daughter Rourou… Old Master Qin has a great reputation, can you please help and speak for us? My daughter Rourou doesn’t understand the rules, and if she enters the palace, I’m afraid she’ll cause trouble and displease the emperor.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Old Master Qin was stunned, Lady Min’s expression changed, and even Min Rou quickly tried to stop Lady Min from talking any further. This had nothing to do with whether or not Min Rou wanted to enter the palace. This kind of talk just shouldn’t be spoken here, especially not directed at Old Master Qin.

Old Master Qin had never encountered such a speechless situation in his life. He thought that Lady Min truly loved her daughter, but asking for his help? Where’s her dignity? She was planning to conspire with Min Rui to kill him! Anyway, he’s not dead yet, and he can still be useful, right?

Before Old Master Qin could say anything, Lady Min was pulled away by the elder Lady Min, “Sister, it’s getting late, we should go back.”

Lady Min also realized that she shouldn’t have spoken like that just now and let the elder Lady Min lead her away. Min Rou said goodbye to both Old Master Qin and Ji Xiaoshu, and she seemed to be the calmest of them all.

Ji Xiaoshu sighed, “Do emperors have to marry so many women?”

Old Mu pinched his face, “No need to learn from others; this kind of thing depends on oneself.”

Ji Xiaoshu whispered, “I don’t want to be the emperor at all; I want to be an immortal like Master!”

Old Mu laughed heartily, and Old Master Qin also laughed. As they were laughing, a thought occurred to him. Why did Ji Xiaoshu say he didn’t want to be the emperor? What was his real identity?

As they left Huguo Temple and got on a carriage, Elder Lady Min’s face turned uncharacteristically serious, “Sister, there are many aristocrats and rules in the capital city. You can’t talk recklessly like you did just now. And even if the imperial decree hasn’t been issued yet, if it is issued, it should be considered as a grace. As long as we’re not talking to outsiders, we can be a bit more casual behind closed doors. Fortunately, Old Master Qin is not an outsider.”

Lady Min didn’t refute and just sat silently, lost in thought.

Min Rou, who had been more depressed than before, said, “I used to think the capital city was quite nice, but now I think the sea… where we used to live is much better.”

Elder Lady Min held Min Rou’s hand and sighed deeply, “We don’t know yet, don’t think too much.”

However, when they returned to the Ministry Mansion, no sooner had they stepped inside than someone from the palace arrived with the Imperial Matrimonial Decree; Min Rou was to enter the palace in three days. Her title was set as Concubine Rou, and many gold, silver, and precious jewels were awarded.

At this time, Gu Ling had secretly gone to the Huguo Temple and returned to Min Residence, replacing Cen Man and continuing to eavesdrop on Min Rui and his wife.

Lady Min couldn’t conceal her anger, “What kind of emperor is this? Who does he think he is? Casually wanting to marry my daughter, no way!”

Min Rui said coldly, “It’s not about marrying; Rou is just one of many concubines in the palace. I really don’t understand what you went to the Huguo Temple for. If you hadn’t taken Rou with you, how could this have happened?”

Lady Min’s anger intensified, “Isn’t it all because of you? I learned early on that the old geezer from next door was going to the Huguo Temple, so I went there specifically to find an opportunity.”

“You went, so why did you bring Rou with you?” Min Rui was also angry.

“I said it was to pray for blessings for you, so what’s wrong with me taking Rou with me? She’s been to the capital city before and it’s not like she hasn’t been out!” As Lady Min finished speaking, the sound of porcelain shattering was heard, “Everything started because of you! If it weren’t for you threatening me and forcing me to help you kill that Qin guy, none of this would have happened! I have only one daughter, and I just hoped she could marry the man she likes and have a lifelong partner. You ruined everything!”

“Are you blaming me? Isn’t Rou my only daughter? Don’t I hope she marries the person she loves?” Min Rui was agitated for a moment and started coughing from anger.

Gu Ling: … It’s understandable; both husband and wife in this lifetime have never been able to be with the people they love and are both obsessed with their feelings. That’s why they put their failed love on their only child and don’t want her to walk their old path. While they do genuinely love Min Rou, their expectations for Min Rou’s future are also compensating for and satisfying their own regrets.

After a moment of silence, Gu Ling heard Lady Min speak again sarcastically, “Your dear father, as much as he dotes on Rourou, has no ability to change the imperial decree for her. We shouldn’t have come here in the first place!”

Min Rui immediately retorted, “We’ve already come, if you want to leave, then just go! My father has no ability? Yeah, right! Who has the ability like your father? He’s in the capital, isn’t he? Go find him and see what he can do!”

Lady Min snorted coldly, “My father loves Rourou the most and will definitely find a solution. As for the Qin guy, I don’t care anymore. The most urgent thing right now is Rourou’s matter, and there must be no further complications. I will go to see my father tonight.”

Gu Ling: …Great, the “fishing” plan is a success. He’ll go home to prepare some grenades and go “fishing with dynamite” tonight.