Chapter 80: Accumulating Virtue

Xia Tong stared blankly, unable to believe the man before her, whose eyes were filled with questioning. She never expected him to be jealous over their own child—had he gone mad?

“Your Highness, why don’t you just cut off my limbs and keep me by your side at all times? That way, no one can steal me away,” she puffed up her cheeks, sounding like she was talking to a child.

Hearing this, the man raised an eyebrow. “I did indeed have that thought once.”

But upon further reflection, it was better to keep her alive.

Xia Tong: “…”

So, had she narrowly escaped death in the past?

After glancing at her flat belly, Gu Qin contemplated for a moment. “In a few days, come with me to the Guanglu Temple.”

Seeing his serious expression, Xia Tong thought he had something important to discuss, so she dared not ask further and simply agreed.

That night, someone warmed her bed, and Xia Tong slept especially soundly. However, she usually woke up to a cold bed the next morning, as the person beside her had already left.

Gu Qin was busy. Although Xia Tong didn’t know what he was occupied with, after the mourning period for the late emperor ended, Xiao Jing held his coronation ceremony. She thought there would be some sort of disturbance, but the ceremony went smoothly. Xiao Ming didn’t cause any trouble either. Still, Xia Tong knew he wouldn’t easily give up and was likely plotting to seize the throne again in secret.

After a tumultuous time, the capital gradually settled down, yet Gu Qin remained the target of everyone’s criticism. No one believed the emperor would allow him to continue growing in power.

When Xia Tong and Gu Qin went to Guanglu Temple, she thought they were going to do something important. However, he informed her that they were simply there to ask for a string of Buddhist beads that had been blessed, said to ensure a safe pregnancy. Xia Tong was taken aback. If this had come from her mother, it wouldn’t have been surprising, but she never expected Gu Qin to say it. When did he become so superstitious? Was he really that ruthless villain she had known?

In early spring, peach trees along the roads outside the city bloomed with tender buds. Many children were laughing and playing there. When they saw a large black wooden carriage passing by, they quickly stepped aside, as their fathers had told them that anyone who could ride in a carriage was a high official who could behead others.

The carriage rocked gently, and the woman inside was nibbling on a green plum, looking oddly at the man across from her, who held a bamboo slip. The more she stared, the greater her confusion grew. She wondered if he had received some kind of shock; otherwise, how could he have thoughts so contrary to his usual character?

“Temples like this are just for fooling the common folks. How can you actually believe in them?” Xia Tong bit into a green plum with all her might, feeling that the man’s character was about to collapse.

Upon hearing this, the man didn’t even lift his head, his tone cool, “It’s better to believe there’s something than to believe there’s nothing.”

Xia Tong: “…”

That’s it. She felt that the villain’s persona had completely crumbled.

He had killed so many people, yet he believed in these mysterious things?

“Are you not busy now?” She suddenly leaned closer, her face full of expectation. “You promised to take me to Jiangnan when you’re not busy. You can’t go back on your word.”

Gu Qin didn’t look up; he simply murmured a soft “mm.”

Xia Tong was used to his poker face, but hearing his agreement made her very happy. She wondered if this counted as a honeymoon—though it was a bit late, it was better than nothing.

Biting the green plum, she turned to look at the scenery outside the carriage. She saw a group of children playing, but noticed a freshly bloomed peach blossom by the roadside, delicate and pink, particularly beautiful.

Turning her head, she pointed outside and said, “I want that flower!”

The man didn’t respond, as if he hadn’t heard. Xia Tong pouted and insisted that the carriage stop, then carefully get down with Fang Yu’s help. The ground was a bit wet, so she had to tread carefully toward the flower.

The woman was draped in a moon-blue silk cloak, her hair adorned with delicate hairpins that swayed slightly, her figure slender and graceful. Not far away, a few men with unfriendly faces suddenly brightened when they saw her and chuckled as they walked over.

After picking the flower bud, Xia Tong smelled it and turned to head back to the carriage. However, just as she turned, a few tall, burly figures surrounded her.

“Hehe, which young lady is this? I’ve never seen her in the capital after all these years.”

The man, short in stature and clad in a light green robe, wore a lecherous grin, his eyes nearly popping out at the sight of the heavenly beauty before him.

Xia Tong took a step back, glancing at the few big men around her, her brows furrowing. Having been in the capital for so long, this was the first time she had encountered such arrogant young scions, who didn’t know how many women they had bullied in private.

“How dare you!” Fang Yu shot them a cold glare and said sternly, “Which family are you from?”

The surrounding children were so scared that they immediately ran off, hiding behind a tree to watch from a distance. The leading man, however, revealed a hint of coldness on his face. He sensed that the person before him was not ordinary—could she be a princess?

Even if she were a princess, so what? The late emperor had passed away, weren’t the few princesses in the palace bound to marry? At that time, he could just have his father speak to the emperor. Who would dare disregard the influence of his family?

Thinking this way, he immediately leered as he stepped closer to Xia Tong, wanting to reach out and touch her delicate face. However, as soon as his hand reached out, it suddenly got severed, and Fang Yu hurriedly shielded Xia Tong from the splattering blood.

“Ah!!!”

The man fell to the ground, clutching his severed arm and howling in pain, while his subordinates rushed forward in shock to check on him.

As the long sword was sheathed, Xifeng cast a cold glance at the man on the ground. His master had said that they needed to accumulate blessings for the unborn young master and shouldn’t easily kill. Otherwise, the losses would not be limited to just an arm.

“You!!!” The man recognized Xifeng and turned pale with fear.

Xia Tong would never feel pity for this man. She shot him a cold glare and then went back to the carriage with the flower bud. However, as she lifted the curtain, she saw that Xifeng had spared the man’s life, while all of his subordinates had their arms chopped off. The scene was gruesome, but she felt that Xifeng seemed to have shown mercy this time. In the past, he would have directly killed them with a single strike.

“You’re always causing trouble,” the man glanced at her nonchalantly.

Hearing this, Xia Tong felt aggrieved and retorted, “What trouble did I cause? They were the ones looking for a fight! And you still blame me.”

The more she spoke, the more wronged she felt. She turned away and didn’t want to pay any more attention to him, until suddenly her arm was pulled, and her entire body was enveloped in a warm embrace. The flower bud in her hand was suddenly snatched away, and her hair moved slightly, as if he had tucked it behind her ear.

“You’re getting more temperamental. Can’t I say a couple of words?” He gently rubbed the small face of the peach blossom with his finger.

Xia Tong didn’t speak, still huffing in discontent, turning her head away from him.

Leaning down, he inhaled the fragrant scent of her hair. His voice was gentle, “How about I take you to Jiangnan at the end of the month?”

Upon hearing this, Xia Tong’s expression softened, and she shot him an annoyed look but couldn’t help but curiously ask, “Why didn’t Xifeng kill them?”

Every time Xifeng acted, there were never any survivors, and no official family in court could make Xifeng wary!

He kissed her delicate cheek from behind, his tone light, “To accumulate virtue for the child.”

Xia Tong: “…”

This man’s character had crumbled more than a little. In the past, he would kill someone without hesitation over a disagreement, regardless of whether the other person was a royal descendant or a foreign envoy. Now he actually believed in cause and effect?

She didn’t understand what Gu Qin had experienced, but thinking that he could control his violent nature for the child made Xia Tong very happy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned over to kiss his face.

That wasn’t enough. The man directly covered her rosy lips, diving deeper…

When the carriage arrived at Guanglu Temple, Xia Tong stepped down with a flushed face, pretending to be nonchalant as she distanced herself from the man. However, he still held her hand at his side.

As the national temple, although there weren’t crowds in the temple at this time, the flow of people was still continuous. As VIP members, they went directly to the inner hall. A young monk immediately led them to the place where the abbot was located, but Xia Tong didn’t follow, feeling a bit afraid to meet the abbot. The person who had earned Gu Qin’s trust must not be simple. If he could really see that she wasn’t from this world, it would be a huge loss.

Gu Qin didn’t insist, seeming to have something to discuss privately with the abbot, so he let Xifeng accompany her in the inner hall to pay respects to the Buddha.

The golden Buddha statue in the inner hall was impressively tall, exuding a feeling of kindness and benevolence. Xia Tong accepted the incense from the young monk and sincerely knelt on the mat to bow three times, wishing only for the health and safety of her child.

Before she could rise and place the incense into the burner, Xifeng suddenly stirred behind her, and Fang Yu quickly bowed, saying, “Your servant greets His Majesty.”

There were no other people in the inner hall. As Xia Tong turned around, she saw Xiao Jing, dressed in plain robes, with a eunuch in casual attire behind him. It had been some time since they last met, and his recent ascension had given him an even more imposing presence, radiating an aura of authority that demanded respect without needing to show anger.

“What does the princess seek?”

With Fang Yu’s help, Xia Tong rose and placed the incense in the burner. She was uncertain why Xiao Jing was here but still offered a slight bow and replied respectfully, “I naturally seek peace for my family and smooth sailing in all matters.”

It sounded strange coming from her lips, as ordinary women’s words were not typically associated with her. Xiao Jing fixed his gaze on this calm woman, puzzled as to why, even after becoming the Emperor, she remained so indifferent towards him. Was this all she truly wanted?

“If the Emperor wishes to visit the abbot, you may go to the side hall,” Xifeng immediately stepped in front of Xia Tong, his expression still cold. He could clearly see that the Emperor had ulterior motives towards the princess, and he wouldn’t allow her to be taken advantage of.

“What the Emperor does is none of your concern, Lord Xifeng!” said the eunuch beside him, his face dark with displeasure.

Xiao Jing stood with his hands clasped behind him, gazing deeply at the large Buddha statue in the hall, his expression calm and inscrutable, making it difficult to read his thoughts.

Seeing that Xifeng was about to say something, Xia Tong knew he had a violent temper and quickly interrupted him. She turned to Xiao Jing and performed a polite bow, saying, “The Emperor’s whereabouts are not for us to pry into. If that is the case, then this humble servant won’t disturb the Emperor’s prayers for the nation.”

With that, she straightened up, intending to leave. Xiao Jing was not the late Emperor. He didn’t have any hold over Gu Qin, and it was essential to maintain appearances and not easily sever ties. Xifeng was simply acting on his master’s temper.

As she turned to leave, Xiao Jing’s gaze shifted to her, and he suddenly called out, “Wait a moment.”