“Your Highness.” The young monk, surprised to see the Crown Prince, immediately opened the door wider, clasped his hands together, and bowed.

The Crown Prince replied, “In the temple, there are no distinctions between ruler and subject.”

The young monk smiled and then greeted, “Master Mingzai.”

The highest-ranking person in the Great Xiangguo Temple was Master Wu Jue.

When the Crown Prince came to the temple for training, he was under Master Wu Jue’s tutelage.

Now, the current head of the temple, Master Mingyi, is the Crown Prince’s senior disciple.

The young monk in front of him is a disciple of Master Mingyi, so he should address the Crown Prince as “Master Uncle.”

“Is Master Wu Jue in meditation?”

The young monk replied, “Master Uncle has come at a good time. Master Wu Jue just emerged from meditation yesterday and is currently giving a sermon in the Mahaviro Hall. Please, this way.”

The Crown Prince nodded.

Before reaching the Mahaviro Hall, the Crown Prince could hear the chanting of scriptures from inside.

During the night, he had been anxious and hurried to Mengqi Mountain.

Now, standing in the temple, merely smelling the sandalwood and hearing the wooden fish sounds, his mind calmed significantly, and he no longer felt as urgent as he did before.

Upon entering the hall, he saw the monks sitting around, with Master Wu Jue seated on a cushion in the middle, dignified and solemn.

As Master Wu Jue finished reading a sutra and looked up, he saw the Crown Prince entering.

The Crown Prince put his hands together and bowed to the master, without disturbing the monks’ studies.

He chose a cushion on the side and sat down.

A monk asked Master Wu Jue, “Can the seals of the Buddhas be attained?”

Master Wu Jue answered, “The seals of the Buddhas are not obtained from humans.”

Another asked, “My heart is not at peace; may I seek the master’s comfort?”

Master Wu Jue replied, “I shall grant you peace of mind.” The monks then felt relieved.

Listening to the exchange between the master and his disciples, the Crown Prince gained some insight.

By the end of the sermon, his emotions were completely settled.

As the monks left the hall, the Crown Prince approached Master Wu Jue to pay his respects.

“Disciple Mingzai greets Master.”

Master Wu Jue looked at the Crown Prince and nodded, “Follow me to the meditation room.”

“Understood.” The Crown Prince rose and followed Master Wu Jue around the Buddha statue and out of the Mahaviro Hall.

Behind the hall, there was a winding stone staircase leading up to a wooden house shaded by trees on the mountain.

That was Master Wu Jue’s meditation room.

Once inside the meditation room and seated, Master Wu Jue said, “Today is neither the first nor the fifteenth of the month. You have come in a hurry; what is the matter?”

“Forgive me, Master. Today, I came for a family matter.”

Zen Master Wujue asked, “What happened to Yuanbao?” Last year, the Crown Prince had brought Yuanbao to Daxiangguo Temple to visit Zen Master Wujue.

At that time, Yuanbao had just learned to speak and had a discussion about Buddhism with Zen Master Wujue.

The Zen Master had said that Yuanbao had more Buddhist nature than the Crown Prince.

Before the Crown Prince could reply, the Zen Master shook his head, “Yuanbao’s life calamities should have ended at his birth. After that, his life should be smooth, without any issues. You must be talking about someone else.”

The Crown Prince lowered his head, “I have disturbed you, Master.”

“No matter, I am glad that you have gained another family member.” Zen Master Wujue’s voice was steady and powerful, bringing a sense of calm.

“Master, you practice Zen and enlightenment. Do you believe that a person’s soul can transfer to another?”

The Zen Master said, “Tell me everything from the beginning.”

The Crown Prince then explained his doubts about himself and Xie Yuanchu, along with the matters between himself, Jing Rong, and Rongrong.

Zen Master Wujue was a highly attained monk.

The Crown Prince felt somewhat ashamed discussing these mundane matters before him.

However, the Zen Master listened attentively.

When the Crown Prince finished, the Zen Master nodded slightly and poured a cup of tea for him.

The tea leaves were grown and processed by the monks in the mountains.

Due to the crude processing method, the tea tasted much more bitter than the tea from outside.

However, after the initial bitterness, it left a lingering sweetness in the mouth.

“In the past, you were steadfast in your studies and martial arts, rarely disturbed by external things. You always did everything faster than others.

The Empress once said that you lacked a human touch. Though not entirely correct, it wasn’t baseless. You need to have some connection with the ordinary world while walking among it.”

The Crown Prince nodded, smiling bitterly, “Master, do you think this is just my imagination?”

The Zen Master pondered for a moment before saying, “Taoism has a concept called ‘soul transfer,’ but I have only heard of it and do not practice it. It is said to be very dangerous and goes against the natural order. Those who perform it will face backlash and bring harm to their families.”

The Zen Master’s eyes were deep, and the Crown Prince immediately felt something.

He said, “Although I miss my deceased wife, I have never practiced any evil arts.”

Zen Master Wujue nodded.

The Crown Prince was a disciple he had personally taught, and he did not believe the Crown Prince would do such a thing.

“Buddhism also speaks of reincarnation and the cycle of rebirth, but our Chan school does not delve into this path.

We focus on the mind; the saying goes, ‘To know the mind, one must be patient.’ You should not use your eyes to see but use your heart. If your heart is convinced, then it must be true.”

The mind…

His heart had long surrendered to her, and now he was just barely holding on with a bit of rationality and pride.

“Thank you, Master.” It seemed that he would not find the answer here.

“When Yuanbao was born, I cast a divination for him. His fate was extremely prosperous; his parents and children are all like Yuanbao. At that time, I thought I must have made a mistake, so I did not tell you. Perhaps I was not wrong after all.”

The Crown Prince was overjoyed, “Is what the Master says truly so?”

Master Wu Jue nodded and then said, “Speaking of reincarnation and rebirth, among the Tibetans, there is a sect specializing in this, known as the Rebirth Sect.

Four years ago, when I was giving a Dharma talk, Master Duiqi from the Rebirth Sect discussed Chan with me.

Unfortunately, he is far in Tibet. If he were here, he could surely resolve your doubts.”

The Rebirth Sect? Master Duiqi?

For some reason, the Crown Prince felt he had heard this name somewhere before.

Master Wu Jue noticed the Crown Prince’s reaction and said, “Master Duiqi once wrote to His Majesty and to you, requesting to be appointed as the National Master. However, he was met with a closed door in the capital.”

The Crown Prince smiled wryly.

At that time, he was in the midst of mortal trials and had no time to entertain the self-recommendations of a Tibetan monk.

But hearing Master Wu Jue’s words now, it seemed that Master Duiqi was indeed capable.

It was a missed opportunity to seek his guidance.

“If you are still worried, you may bring Miss Xue to Mengqi Mountain. If it is an evil spirit causing trouble, it will reveal itself.”

“Disciple understands.” The Crown Prince stood, hands clasped together in thanks. “Thank you for your guidance, Master. I take my leave.”

The meditation room was built quite high. As the Crown Prince opened the door, he looked out over the rugged mountain terrain.

At this time, the thin mist in the mountain was yet to dissipate, swirling around the base of the mountain like the gauzy skirts Miss Xue usually wore.

If she were truly an evil spirit, should he leave her to the Master to deal with?

No, if she were a demon, he would rather be bewitched by her and never wake up.

---

“Your Highness, Your Highness.”

Yesterday’s butterfly kite had fallen to the ground when the Crown Prince knocked it down, and its wings were dirtied.

Miss Xue and Yuanbao were preparing to make a new kite, painting the butterfly, when Wang An rushed in urgently.

Yuanbao, without looking up, asked, “Has Father returned?”

Wang An wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned his gaze to Rongrong, “The Empress has arrived. She should be in the Eastern Palace by now.”

The Empress is here?

Yuanbao had ink all over his hands, face, and clothes, looking quite comical. Rongrong quickly took the brush from his hand and set it aside.

“Come on, let’s change into some clean clothes.”

Wang An ordered someone to bring water, and the two of them quickly washed Yuanbao’s face and hands and changed him into clean everyday clothes.

Just as they were about to go out to greet the Empress, she arrived in front of Yuhua Palace.

The Empress wore a phoenix crown adorned with gold, jade, and pearls.

Her robe, a rich red, was embroidered with gold cloud and dragon patterns, and she had a colorful, gold-threaded cape draped over her shoulders.

She was truly a sight of national beauty.

Additionally, the Empress was taller than most women, naturally commanding respect and admiration.

“Imperial Grandmother.” Yuanbao joyfully bounced over to her.

The Empress scooped Yuanbao into her arms, affectionately touching his face and hands.

“Why are you alone? Where is your father?”

“Father is taking care of official business, Imperial Grandmother. You’re mistaken, I’m not alone. Auntie Rongrong is with me!”

Since Yuanbao mentioned Rongrong, the Empress’s gaze naturally fell on her.

“Greetings to the Empress,” Rongrong bowed her head and curtsied.

Except for a distant glimpse in the Imperial Garden, this was Rongrong’s first formal meeting with the Empress.

Even with her head lowered, Rongrong could feel the sharp gaze on her.

“You are Xue Rongrong?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Empress nodded slightly and said nothing more, carrying Yuanbao into Yuhua Palace.

She smiled and said, “Imperial Grandmother missed you, so I came to the Eastern Palace to see you. It’s almost noon. What have you prepared for lunch?”

Yuanbao turned and asked, “Auntie Rongrong, what are we having for lunch today?”

Rongrong quickly replied, “Today we have steamed Eight-Treasure Duck as the main dish, West Lake Fish Soup, Butterfly Shrimp Rolls, Mushroom Stuffed with Meat, and also Braised Buddha’s Hand and Pickled Eggplant.”

“Is that all?” The Empress frowned.

When Yuanbao dined at Kunning Palace, there would be at least six cold dishes alone.

Yuanbao noticed the Empress’s dissatisfaction and chuckled, “Auntie Rongrong was playing with me, so she only had time to make these dishes.”

The Empress looked at Rongrong, “Do you usually prepare Yuanbao’s meals?”

“Not always. Today, only the Eight-Treasure Duck was made by me. The rest were prepared by the imperial chefs. I just gave some instructions.”

“You are thoughtful,” the Empress nodded and signaled to Anru, “Reward her.”

Anru stepped forward and handed a purse to Rongrong, who quickly accepted it.

She had used all her saved money to buy Zhenzhen’s freedom, so she was in need of silver.

The Empress’s reward was timely.

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.”

Once the Empress arrived, it was naturally unnecessary for Rongrong to continue playing with Yuanbao.

The Empress, being from a noble family and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, was adept at playing games like double-six and six-board.

It was likely that the Crown Prince learned these games from the Empress.

Rongrong served tea and snacks to the grandmother and grandson, watching them enjoy themselves, and then quietly withdrew.

The food previously prepared was only for Yuanbao and herself.

With the Empress now present, the few dishes were clearly insufficient.

She hurried to the kitchen to prepare a few more dishes.

With time running short, she could only make home-style dishes and quickly cooked ginger rabbit pieces, steamed bass, and hand-torn cabbage.

After a busy period, when the food was finally served at Yuhua Palace, the table was sufficiently filled.

The Empress glanced over the dishes on the table.

The arrangement of meat and vegetables, hot and cold dishes was satisfactory, and she nodded approvingly. “You are indeed capable.”

Yuanbao was delighted to hear the Empress praise Rongrong and eagerly served her his favorite Kung Pao Chicken.

“Grandmother, this is really delicious. Please try it.”

People always enjoy trying something new.

The Empress, used to the palace chefs’ cuisine, found Rongrong’s home-cooked style refreshing and ate a few more bites.

Seeing the Empress eating several pieces of meat, Rongrong approached to pour her a glass of water to balance the richness.

The Empress took a sip and was immediately surprised. “What is this?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, this is jasmine tea.”

“It does have a jasmine fragrance. The aroma is subtle and just right. How did you make it?”

“First, coat a bowl with a bit of honey, then place freshly picked jasmine flowers in the bowl in the morning, and cover the bowl. When you want to drink it, remove the flowers and pour the tea. If you have jasmine flower honey, you can simply use that. This is just a method I thought of.”

The Empress shook her head. “This is not a clumsy method. I have used jasmine flower honey before, but the fragrance was not as good as your tea. The sweetness was too strong and cloying.”

“Miss Xue is indeed clever and resourceful to come up with such a wonderful method,” An Ru also praised.

“Indeed, I now only want to eat the food made by my aunt.” Yuanbao added.

The Empress lightly tapped Yuanbao’s cheek with her finger and laughed. “Little glutton. Did you really think that you would go hungry with your grandmother?”

“Of course not. As long as I am with grandmother, I am happy no matter what we eat.”

“Ha ha.” The Empress was delighted by Yuanbao’s words.

After lunch, the Empress indicated for Xue Xue to take Yuanbao for his nap.

As she was about to take Yuanbao to bed, she saw An Ru standing at the door of the bedroom.

Was the Empress asking to speak with her?

Rongrong’s heart was pounding.

With the Crown Prince about to marry, would the Empress expel her, the woman of unknown origins, from the East Palace?

Yuanbao was still so young, and Rongrong did not want to leave.

Rongrong took a deep breath and followed An Ru to the main hall.