“Is this really a deep Buddhist connection?”

Wen Xun glanced at the golden Buddha statue, momentarily speechless.

The people from the Duke of Zhen’s mansion, who had come along, were also quite surprised.

Wen Yuesheng had previously gone to great lengths to try to get closer to the Duke of Zhen’s family, sending them many gifts during holidays and festivals.

But despite this, the old lady had always treated her coldly.

Today, however, she had taken the initiative to speak to her, and her attitude was strangely warm.

Could it be that she really had some so-called Buddhist connection?

What was even stranger was Wen Yueheng’s attitude.

She had completely stopped her previous attempts to ingratiate herself and now seemed unusually distant.

A maid handed over a basin of cold water.

Wen Yueheng dipped her hands into the cool water to wash them, saying coldly, “The phrase ‘deep Buddhist connection’ has nothing to do with me.”

Gu Yu offered her a handkerchief.

Wen Yuesheng wiped her hands dry, her cold eyes becoming even sharper. “What the old lady believes to be a Buddhist connection is hers alone.”

“It has nothing to do with me.”

The detached words were a stark contrast to her previous behavior.

Not only the others, but even Wei Lanzhi was taken aback.

“What is her attitude? Could she have been possessed by something?” she muttered under her breath.

Wei Lanzhi, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhen, was very favored in her household, but even she would never speak to the Old Matriarch this way.

What was even more surprising was the old lady’s response.

The usually serious and reserved Madam Zheng, who was hard to approach, now had a hint of gleam in her eyes.

Upon hearing Wen Yuesheng’s cold reply, that gleam only seemed to grow stronger.

Wen Yuesheng’s calm and indifferent attitude now made her seem even more like someone deeply connected to Buddhism, as she claimed.

Whether it was true or not could be revealed by studying Buddhist scriptures.

The old lady glanced at the people beside her.

A maid, understanding the situation, looked at how the old lady was treating Wen Yuesheng and spoke with a soft and considerate tone, “Lately, the old lady has been feeling down and distracted. The princess is known to have a deep Buddhist connection. Would it be possible for you to handwrite a copy of the Buddhist scriptures for the old lady to help ease her mental troubles?”

They were actually requesting it!

Wen Xun was slightly stunned.

It was one thing for others to ask, but for the Duke of Zhen’s family, who usually kept their distance from others, to make such a request was extraordinary.

Zhao Mama couldn’t help but glance at Wen Yuesheng.

No one knew better than her how much Wen Yuesheng had sent to the Duke of Zhen’s family over the years.

The Duke’s family had accepted the gifts, but always returned something of equal value.

As for the personal items like pouches, headbands, and embroidered handkerchiefs, the Duke’s family had never accepted a single one.

Today, however, it was as if the sun had risen in the west; the Duke’s family had actually asked for something from her.

Although the request came from a servant, it was still done with courtesy.

Surely, Wen Yuesheng would be thrilled, right?

But things were completely different from what they expected.

Wen Yuesheng’s expression remained neutral, without a trace of joy at the Duke of Zhen’s family coming to her for something.

She handed the handkerchief back to her maid and said in a low voice, “If the old lady wants to worship Buddha, she should go to a temple. I am not a monk, and the Buddhist scriptures I write are not a cure for illness, they cannot fulfill the wish of healing or saving lives.”

She had rejected them without a second thought?

Wen Xun and the others were stunned. Wen Yueheng had said something that he had heard countless times before.

“Wishing is not my concern.”

So, it was the same answer for all of them.

“Th-this…” The maid beside the old lady’s face changed slightly.

She had never expected someone to refuse a request from the Duke of Zhen’s family.

What was even more unexpected was that the one who rejected them was Wen Yuesheng.

She was the one who would visit the Duke of Zhen’s household to pay her respects during the holidays!

Xiao Jin raised his eyes to look at Wen Yuesheng, his expression becoming darker.

His emotions surged.

Normally, Wen Yuesheng’s feelings were easy to read, as her moods were always written on her face.

She would often try to act out her little temper on him, but he never had the patience to deal with it.

However, the Wen Yuesheng in front of him, with her expression so unreadable, made it impossible for him to gauge her thoughts.

Beside them, Wei Lanzhi spoke up, “Didn’t you say before that you wanted to be filial to grandmother? Why is it that now you won’t even write a copy of the Buddhist scriptures for her?”

Wei Lanzhi didn’t like Wen Yuesheng.

In fact, the entire Duke of Zhen’s family was not fond of the wayward princess.

She wanted to say more, but was interrupted by the old lady’s voice.

“Lan Zhi!”

The old lady’s face darkened slightly.

Wen Yuesheng’s refusal displeased her, but someone who truly had a deep Buddhist connection would not simply give away their Buddhist scriptures.

Her gaze narrowed, and she finally turned her attention to the newly dug pond.

“This pond?” she asked hesitantly. “Did the princess build it specifically for raising turtles?”

It didn’t seem like it. Those turtles had a fierce look, and didn’t seem like pets.

“To answer the old lady, this is a wishing pond,” Gu Yu replied softly.

She continued, “It’s a place to throw away offerings while making a wish, and… oh, the turtles in the pond can hear the wishes.”

Wen Yuesheng: …

That wasn’t quite the case.

The wishing pond had been built simply because, in her previous life during the end times, she had grown tired of interacting with others, so she placed a pond in front of her residence.

Anyone who needed something from her had to throw an important item into the pond first.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed.

Asking for help and asking for directions was considered a transaction.

She used this to curb her murderous intent; now, she was just acting according to her usual habits.

Who would have thought that after hearing this, the old lady remained silent for a moment, and then actually removed a translucent jade bracelet from her wrist, placed it on her chest, closed her eyes, and silently made a wish. She then personally placed it in the pond.

“Ding.” The jade bracelet made a crisp sound as it hit the water.

The old lady pressed her palms together, opened her eyes, and said, “What the princess said is right. The wish should be granted by the wise, spiritual turtle.”

Wen Xun: …

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought the old lady was out of her mind.

But the madness wasn’t limited to just one person.

The old lady, being elderly, didn’t stay long and returned to her residence.

After she left, guests who had come to attend the coming-of-age ceremony began to hear rumors about Wen Yuesheng’s wish-granting pond and rushed over to make their own wishes.

Gu Yu stood by the pond, stunned, watching as various noble guests from the capital came, one after another, throwing gold and jade into the pond.

Had she not said anything?

She, too, was intrigued when she first heard about it and wanted to try making a wish. The princess had told her to throw a coin in.

But these people…

Hairpins, jade bracelets, jade pendants, and even whole blocks of gold.

In just one afternoon, the pond’s fish were disturbed by the gold and silver treasures.

What had once been a small pond used for raising fish and feeding turtles had now turned into a magnificent pond filled with gold and jade.

Gu Yu was speechless.

The most absurd thing was that two days after Wen Yuruo’s coming-of-age ceremony, the capital was not talking about her hairpin or the ceremony itself.

Instead, it was all about Wen Yuesheng’s wishing pond.

For two consecutive days, people who had heard the rumors kept coming to visit, claiming they were there to make wishes.

Some even came to offer incense to the Buddha.

The princess’s mansion, of course, couldn’t allow people to enter and exit freely.

But the capital’s nobles were many, and some servants dared to block the way, while others did not.

In the end, Wen Yuesheng was annoyed and ordered that all visitors be turned away.

Only then did things quiet down a little.

Two days later, she was summoned to the Empress Dowager’s palace.

The summoning was for Wen Yuesheng, but it was actually a feast hosted by the Empress, with a request for Wen Yuesheng to visit the Empress Dowager afterward.

The feast was a private gathering organized by the Empress, and Wen Yuruo had been favored by her over the years, so she was already taken to the palace early.

By the time Wen Yuesheng entered the palace, the feast was about to begin.

The carriage stopped at the palace gates.

Wen Yuesheng slowly descended from it, and when she looked up, she saw a figure standing in front of the deep red palace walls.

The person turned upon hearing the sound and revealed a face that, once seen, would never be forgotten.

In the scorching summer heat, this person appeared like a snow-capped mountain—beautiful and majestic, but distant, a thousand miles away.

The wind lifted the edges of his robes, adding a touch of grace to an already stunning scene.

“Master Yan.” Yan Ling’s beauty was unparalleled, and his name had long been famous throughout the capital.

When Zhao Mama saw him, she called out in surprise, then realized she had acted out of turn and quickly shifted her gaze, smiling, “Are you here for the feast as well? What a coincidence.”

Yan Ling was hard to approach.

He rarely attended gatherings, and palace feasts were no exception.

His gaze landed on Wen Yuesheng, and he spoke softly, “It’s not a coincidence. I’ve been waiting for the princess here for quite some time.”

Zhao Mama opened her mouth in surprise.

That day when she went to the rear courtyard for a meal, she hadn’t seen Yan Ling directly.

Yan Ling’s eyes fell on Wen Yuesheng.

Today, she had gathered her collar, but the neck area was slightly open.

As she moved, her jade-like neck subtly revealed a white jade Buddha head, hanging on a red cord.

Yan Ling’s gaze deepened, and he turned away.

However, Wen Yuesheng’s outfit today was eye-catching.

Not only among the noble ladies, but even in the palace, where competition for beauty was fierce, it was rare to see such attire.

Everywhere she walked, even the palace servants, who were usually well-disciplined, couldn’t help but frequently look back at her.

This was because, in addition to her moon-white dress, Wen Yuesheng wore a black robe.

The robe was made of the finest woven gold satin, and under the sunlight, fine cloud patterns could be seen covering the fabric.

But this wasn’t the highlight—the embroidery was.

On the deep, rich black fabric, countless swastikas were embroidered in gold thread.

The swastikas didn’t stop, extending all the way to the long hem of the robe.

At a glance, it felt as if endless golden light was pouring into one’s eyes, nearly blinding them.

While it wasn’t unusual to see people dressed in fine attire at the palace, it was rare to see someone glowing with the radiance of Buddha.

Even from a distance, Xiao Jin noticed the golden light and saw Yan Ling walking beside Wen Yuesheng.

Yan Ling was distant and never got close to anyone.

Even though he was a close minister to the Emperor, and with the succession yet undecided, his brothers and half-brothers often tried to draw him in, but he had never been seen walking closely with anyone.

But today, he was walking with Wen Yuesheng.

From not too far away, Xiao Jin saw Yan Ling’s gaze fall on Wen Yuesheng’s neck.

Suddenly, Xiao Jin’s face darkened.

Over there, the two of them walked side by side. Yan Ling spoke in a calm voice, “Why are you worshipping the Buddha, Princess?”

The person in front of him, dressed in Buddhist garb, could not hide the coldness in her eyes.

Her eyes, dark as ink, were like a still lake, reflecting both black and white.

The ultimate blending of black and white created a contradiction and an indescribable beauty.

But more striking than her beauty was the killing intent hidden beneath the Buddha’s light.

It was like a vast killing power lurking at the bottom of a tranquil, deep lake, and with every step she took closer, the air seemed to carry a burning, oppressive pressure.

Wen Yuesheng smiled, and her cold eyes looked at him, “If I don’t worship the Buddha, I won’t kill people, right?”

“You agree, don’t you, Master Yan?”