Chapter 81: Assassin

Xia Tong paused mid-step. As she turned around, the man behind her slowly spoke, “I see the princess has a sincere heart towards Buddhism; she must have deep insights about it. Why not stay and discuss it with me?”

Xifeng’s expression changed, but Xia Tong smiled lightly at him. “Your Majesty has misunderstood. I am not here to pray to the Buddha. I only came here because Your Majesty believed in it. So I am afraid I cannot discuss Buddhism with you. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me.”

It was the first time someone had dared to disregard the Emperor, and the eunuch beside Xiao Jing was visibly displeased. It was clear that neither the princess nor the regent knew how to show respect.

Xiao Jing, however, did not show displeasure. He stepped closer to her, his handsome features adorned with a faint smile. His tone was gentle, “I’ve heard that those who do not believe in Buddha often have a clear conscience.”

Xia Tong: “……” 

What was going on with this male lead? Had he bumped his head today? Why was he saying such odd things to her?

“It doesn’t matter if your heart is clear or not, as long as you have a clear conscience, it’s fine. Of course, I have done things that have let others down, but everyone makes mistakes in life. As long as you make amends with all your heart and cherish the present, you will naturally have a clear conscience.”

Xiao Jing paused, his gaze fixed on the clear, bright eyes of the woman in front of him, which held no impurities. “But what if someone feels guilty?”

A heavy silence enveloped the hall, the incense burner emitting wisps of white smoke. The large Buddha statue at the front still wore a smile, gazing down with compassionate eyes at the world below.

“Amitabha,” a gentle voice suddenly interrupted the silence. Xia Tong looked up to see Gu Qin emerging from somewhere, accompanied by an elderly monk in a cassock, who was presumably the abbot of the Guanglu Temple.

“The Buddha teaches that life is like being trapped in thorns. If the heart remains still, one will not act rashly. If the heart stirs, it leads to rash actions, causing harm and pain. Thus, one experiences all manner of suffering. What this lady said is true; everyone makes mistakes. If we cannot turn back time, we should strive to make amends and work to be guilt-free.”

As the abbot approached, Xiao Jing suddenly chuckled softly. “I merely recalled some teachings. If I have the time, I will certainly discuss Buddhist scriptures with the abbot.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qin’s expression soured. “So the Emperor enjoys discussing Buddhist teachings with women?”

Xifeng suppressed a laugh, knowing the Emperor harbored ill intentions toward the princess. Xia Tong shot Gu Qin a glare, aware that he was likely overthinking the situation again.

Xiao Jing did not get angry; instead, he smiled faintly and glanced at the large Buddha statue in front of him. “The Buddha teaches that all beings are equal, regardless of gender or age. Abbot, is that not right?”

Xia Tong: “…”

It seemed that being an emperor required a sharp tongue. She admired him!

“Amitabha.” The abbot clasped his hands in prayer and said no more.

However, Gu Qin’s eyes were cold, his possessiveness evident as he held the woman’s waist, maintaining his gaze on Xiao Jing. “If the Emperor truly believes in the equality of all beings, then how can there be a distinction between commoners and emperors in this world?”

The eunuch beside Xiao Jing hesitated, caught between wanting to speak up and holding back. If someone else had uttered such rebellious words, he would have reprimanded them immediately, but facing the regent, he decided it was best to hold his tongue.

“That statement is misguided.” Xiao Jing, seeming to relish discussing lofty principles, paced slowly, his hands clasped behind him as his eyes rested on the Buddha. “Differences in status and appearance are merely superficial. At their core, all are the same. The common people work hard to support their families, and I rule the world to be responsible for my people. In truth, all beings are equal. Abbot, do you not agree?”

Xia Tong felt that the male lead’s ability to endure was remarkable. He didn’t seem angry at all after being insulted by Gu Qin. If it were anyone else, they would have likely lost their temper by now.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qin merely raised an eyebrow and glanced at the Emperor. “If you can’t even take responsibility for your own family, how can you talk about the world?”

Xia Tong understood he was referring to the current turmoil within the royal family, where brothers were turning against each other. Xiao Jing’s expression shifted slightly, but before he could speak, Gu Qin took the woman by the hand and walked straight out of the great hall, his tone leisurely. “It seems I am indeed not as capable as Your Majesty. I can’t even support a family. I’m utterly ashamed.”

Watching Gu Qin’s proud and arrogant figure, Xiao Jing’s eyes flickered, and he tightened his grip slightly. What he desired would eventually be his.

Once they left the inner hall, Xia Tong couldn’t help but glance back. But in the next moment, her head was forcibly turned back by a nearby man, who looked at her with a dark expression.

“Discussing Buddhist teachings with others? I didn’t realize my Princess had such a transcendent state of mind,” he said, his tone neutral.

Startled by his ambiguous tone, Xia Tong instinctively shrank back. Desperate to survive this situation, she hurriedly clung to his arm and explained earnestly, “He just appeared out of nowhere! Xifeng can vouch for me, I kept my distance from him! I was just giving him some casual responses. There’s absolutely no way I would talk to him!”

At this, she turned to Xifeng, silently asking him to confirm her words.

Xifeng quickly obliged, emphasizing, “The Princess has always kept her distance from the Emperor; it’s the Emperor who has been persistent.”

Xia Tong: “…”

Does he even know how to talk? What does ‘persistent’ mean? It sounds like I’m having an affair with someone!

However, Gu Qin ignored her explanation and continued walking ahead with a cold face, a chilling aura surrounding him. Xia Tong wanted to reach out to him but couldn’t get through, and Xifeng dared not speak again, fearing it would only make things worse.

Once they were in the carriage, Gu Qin still didn’t give her a good look, not even a glance. Xia Tong felt aggrieved and resolved that if she saw the Hero again, she would avoid him.

“You asked the abbot for a string of prayer beads, didn’t you?” she persisted in trying to engage him.

The man held a blue-covered book, his eyes lowered and his expression cold as ice, seemingly ignoring everything around him, making Xia Tong feel utterly defeated.

As the carriage rocked on the muddy path, Xia Tong finally conceded and leaned against the wall, mumbling, “What a big man, and he doesn’t even want to discuss things reasonably! He always claims I’m being unreasonable. I don’t even know who’s being unreasonable here. I’ll have to tell my kids that their father is the most unreasonable person in the world!”

After ranting for a while, Xia Tong closely watched the man’s expression, but her tactics had no effect on him; he remained unfazed. Was it really worth getting this angry just because she talked to someone else? If she truly had something going on with another man, wouldn’t she be in deep trouble?

Just as she was about to say something else, the man suddenly looked up, grabbing her arm and pulling her into his familiar embrace. A loud clang came from behind them.

“There’s an assassin! Master, be careful!”

At Xifeng’s urgent voice from outside, Xia Tong turned to see a sharp arrow lodged in the spot where she had just been sitting. If Gu Qin hadn’t reacted in time, that arrow would have pierced her!

Feeling anxious, Xia Tong was comforted by the knowledge that Gu Qin always had hidden guards with him, so she wasn’t particularly worried. Still, she felt a lingering fear. Who would be so reckless? It had to be Xiao Ming; Xiao Jing would never do something so mindless. If a few assassins could take down Gu Qin, he would have died countless times already.

“What are you afraid of?”

The man leaned slightly forward, glancing at her slightly tense face, and tightened his embrace around her.

“I… I’m not scared!” Xia Tong blinked, trying to act calm and ignore the sounds of fighting outside the carriage.

But just then, an arrow suddenly whizzed through the air from outside the carriage. Xia Tong’s pupils dilated as the arrow stopped just a hair’s breadth from her forehead, caught effortlessly in a strong hand that casually tossed it away.

A cold sweat trickled down her forehead. Xia Tong swallowed hard and clung tightly to the man’s waist, shrinking into him. At that moment, she didn’t care about her dignity; she was genuinely frightened.

As the sounds of fighting outside gradually faded, Xifeng’s voice came from outside the carriage. “Master, these assassins aren’t very skilled. They seem to be just trying to distract us. There may be danger at the Emperor’s side. Should we go to his rescue?”

Upon hearing that the assassins were all dead, Xia Tong finally sighed in relief. But she also heard the man reply in a nonchalant tone, “Return to the residence.”

The outside fell silent for a moment before Xifeng responded respectfully, “Yes.”

It was clear that the master loathed the Emperor so much that he wouldn’t even bother to put on a facade. If anything happened to the Emperor, the blame would surely fall on him again. But over the years, he had borne countless accusations. He just worried that certain people might exploit this situation to gain control over the court.

Once the carriage began to rock again, Xia Tong thought about peeking through the curtains to see what was happening outside. But before she could even stick her head out, the man pressed her back down.

“Don’t look at unclean things.” His expression was stern, showing his concern for her safety.

Xia Tong pouted, thinking of something, and tugged at his sleeve with a smile that was almost flattering. “You’re not angry anymore?”

He glanced at her overly eager face, narrowed his eyes slightly, and gripped the back of her neck. “I’ll teach you a lesson when we get home.”