Chapter 13: An Unexpected Encounter [Edited]

“Ever since my brother saw you that day, he has been in love with you and can never forget you. He is a reserved person. If he hadn’t been transferred to Shanxi this time, he wouldn’t have been in a hurry to ask mother to come and propose marriage. Everything I said is true. If I lied to you in any way, I would be struck by lightning…”

“Alright, alright.” Xia Tong interrupted her oath, turning her head with a complex expression, looking at the distant rock garden.

Thinking that Xia Tong was just shy, Lin Qin immediately scooted closer, grabbing her arm and chattering away, “Once you become my sister-in-law, we’ll be even closer! Besides, my brother has both great character and talent. If he ever dares to mistreat you, I’ll help you get revenge!”

While Lin Qin continued passionately persuading her, Xia Tong’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. Yes, Lin Yi was good-looking, and she hadn’t heard anything bad about him. Her impression of him wasn’t bad either. But the Duke family was incredibly complicated. If she were to marry into it, she’d probably have to accept concubines with a forced smile just to seem ‘gracious.’ Worse yet, she might spend the rest of her life caught up in endless inner-court struggles. It was nothing short of a nightmare.

Although she wasn’t the main character and didn’t dream of rising to great power like becoming an empress, she at least wanted her freedom. Once she saved enough money, she could run away and open a small shop. And if things didn’t work out, she could always indulge herself by keeping a few handsome men—how delightful would that be?

“This isn’t a joke. Stop talking about it. Let’s just go back.” Xia Tong shook off her daydreams, stood up seriously, and began walking back.

“Hey… wait for me, Sister Tong!” Lin Qin stomped her foot and quickly chased after her.

When they returned to where the old lady was, it seemed that the Duchess was also preparing to leave. Whatever conversation had taken place between her and the old lady left an unusual look in their eyes.

“Sister Tong, I’m leaving now,” Lin Qin said her goodbyes, while Xia Tong bowed slightly towards the Duchess. “Tong’er respectfully sees Madam off.”

Her gestures were graceful but not ingratiating, poised and appropriate. The more the Duchess looked at her, the more pleased she became. No wonder the old lady was reluctant to let her go.

Once they watched the two leave, Xia Tong followed suit, as it seemed the old lady had no intention of saying anything to her.

When everyone had finally left, the room became quiet again. The tea had long grown cold. As Momo Liu brought in a new pot of hot tea, she noticed the old lady massaging her tired forehead.

“Should we inform Master Zhengshi about this?” Momo Liu asked tentatively.

The old lady waved her hand dismissively, speaking calmly, “No rush. Let’s keep stalling the Duke family for now. Besides, according to the information I have, the Empress will be taking Princess Mingyue to Guanglu Temple for a blessing in two days. I’ll bring Tong’er along, and we’ll see how the Empress reacts before making any decisions.”

At the end, the old lady’s weary voice echoed in the room, “No matter how good the Duke family is, it can never compare to the Crown Princess.”

*

Ever since Lin Qin’s conversation with her, Xia Tong had been subtly probing the old lady during her morning visits. If it were true, she’d escape at the first opportunity. But the old lady was as tight-lipped as ever. Xia Tong, a mere novice in the art of manipulation, was no match for a seasoned expert like her.

Still, the old lady had let slip a few clues—mainly, her sudden generosity towards Xia Tong. She was being showered with gifts, which only made Xia Tong more anxious and uneasy.

It wasn’t long before the old lady announced she would take Xia Tong to Guanglu Temple outside the city for a blessing. A simple blessing was one thing, but the fact that she sent someone to deliver a gown made of Shu brocade, in a soft lotus-pink color, raised eyebrows. The dress was understated but exquisitely crafted, and she insisted that Xia Tong wear it. This was clearly about more than just a blessing.

But under the circumstances, Xia Tong had no choice but to comply. Only later did she realize that the old lady was grooming her to appear graceful and dignified, likely for an important meeting.

At the same time, Xia Min and Xia Ning were also coming along for the trip. Inside the spacious carriage, the old lady sat in silence, while Xia Min kept glaring at Xia Tong with a resentful expression. Xia Tong, tired of it, closed her eyes and pretended to rest.

“You should spend more time copying Buddhist scriptures when you have nothing else to do, especially you, Min’er. Your restless nature needs calming, or you’ll only bring harm to yourself,” the old lady suddenly said. Xia Tong remained silent, but Xia Min reluctantly nodded.

Guanglu Temple was a renowned national temple, and there were always many people burning incense and praying in the outer halls. But for noble families like the Xiahou family, there was a special privilege. The inner hall is specially for these wealthy people to worship Buddha, but when they arrived outside the inner hall, they found a group of imperial guards guarding there, which shows that there must be someone from the royal family inside.

Several titled ladies from other families had also arrived to burn incense, but they weren’t allowed to enter either. As the old lady approached, a green-clad palace maid came forward to greet her.

“I greet Old Madam Xia. The Empress and Princess are currently inside praying and will likely need another hour.”

The palace maid was the same one Xia Tong had seen before in the Empress’s palace, making it clear that the old lady had planned this visit well in advance.

“No matter, I haven’t had the chance to see the Empress in a long time. It’s quite a coincidence today.” The old lady smiled graciously.

The maid smiled but said nothing, casting a glance at the three young women behind the old lady. Everyone understood it wasn’t just a coincidence. The maid’s gaze lingered on Xia Tong for a moment, her eyes flickering before she withdrew.

With an hour left to wait, Xia Tong had no desire to stand around idly. Fortunately, the old lady didn’t make her stay. She sent Xia Tong and the others to rest elsewhere.

The news of the beautiful fourth daughter of the Xiahou family had spread quickly. It wasn’t long before a few noblewomen, who had come to burn incense, approached the old lady with smiles.

“Is that the Fourth Miss who recently returned to the capital? She’s truly a beauty, Old Madam Xia. You’re very fortunate.”

“Indeed. Has the Fourth Miss been engaged yet?” another lady teased.

Faced with their questions, the old lady merely smiled and changed the subject. Since her fourth granddaughter had returned to the capital, countless families had come, both openly and secretly, with marriage proposals. Even the Duke family required careful consideration, let alone anyone else.

Guanglu Temple was vast, and Xia Tong noticed many high-ranking officials and nobles had come to pray. Aside from the inner hall, there was also a centuries-old tree nearby that many went to worship. Xia Tong, uninterested in these rituals, found a small courtyard and sat down, sending Qing’er to find her something to eat.

She hadn’t been sitting for long when Xia Ning arrived with a stack of copied Buddhist scriptures in her hands. Upon seeing Xia Tong, she visibly relaxed. “Tong’er, there you are.”

“Did Grandmother send you to find me for something?” Xia Tong raised her eyebrows, slightly puzzled as it hadn’t been an hour yet.

There was a large phoenix tree in the courtyard, its fallen leaves scattered across the ground. Xia Ning approached, a slight smile on her refined face. “No, it wasn’t Grandmother. I ran into Miss Lin from the Duke family earlier. She said she had something for you and asked you to meet her by the Meiren Jiao flower grove.”

The temple had an area known as the Meiren Jiao, and at this time of year, the flowers were in full bloom. Hearing this, Xia Tong fixed her gaze on her cousin, sensing something too coincidental about it. Why would Lin Qin also be at the temple?

She felt a sense of caution. Something felt off. However, with Qing’er not around, she was hesitant to go alone in case something happened.

“I heard that there are often poisonous snakes near Meiren Jiao, and I’m a bit scared. Why don’t you come with me, cousin?” she said, batting her eyelashes and pretending to be timid.

Xia Ning paused for a moment, glancing at the Buddhist scripture in her hands, looking somewhat troubled. “But I need to deliver this handwritten scripture to the abbot for Grandma.”

“How about this? You go get what you need, and I’ll help deliver the scripture?” Xia Tong suggested with a smile, now fully convinced that something was up.

After a moment’s hesitation, Xia Ning finally nodded and teased, “Why are you so timid? It’s broad daylight—how could there be so many snakes?”

Surprised by her agreement, Xia Tong couldn’t quite figure out what Xia Ning was planning. After taking the scripture, she watched as her cousin walked away.

As she flipped through the scripture, she noted that the characters were quite elegant. After all, Xia Ning came from a prestigious family, and those who often did bad things needed some spiritual belief, which explained why wealthy officials were so eager to donate money at temples.

Regardless of what was going on, it wasn’t her problem. Xia Tong made her way to find the abbot, asking a novice monk for directions before heading deeper into the temple grounds.

The abbot of Guanglu Temple was quite esteemed and regarded as a spiritual leader by many. However, Xia Tong wasn’t particularly interested. When she arrived, she spotted a familiar figure standing guard outside. The sight of the sword he held made her feel an involuntary chill down her spine.

“Miss Xia?”

The man’s voice was dry, devoid of any emotion. Xia Tong glanced inside and felt a bead of sweat forming on her back. She weakly offered the scripture, saying, “I came to deliver something to the abbot. Since… since there are people inside, could you pass it along for me? Just mention that it was personally copied by the old madam of the Xiahou family.”

The sword-wielding man remained expressionless as he accepted the scripture. He clearly didn’t want any disturbances to the important matters at hand.

Surprisingly agreeable, Xia Tong thanked him and quickly turned to leave, as if fleeing from a flood.

Just then, the door suddenly swung open from inside, revealing a tall figure stepping out.

Xia Tong hurried her pace, desperate to avoid being seen. She had no desire to encounter that strange person again. Her survival instinct was strong.

As she walked, she sensed something odd about the shadow on the ground. Slowly turning her head, she came face-to-face with a cold, handsome face.

“You—”

Startled, her face went pale, and she stumbled back against a column in the corridor, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She couldn’t comprehend how he had followed her without her noticing!

Only a few monks were passing through the corridor. The man stepped closer, casting a glance at her. His deep voice broke the silence. “Why are you leaving?”

**

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