"Did the young lord not sleep well?" Zhong Li asked as she got into the carriage, noticing Lu Wuxie's dark circles and displeased expression.
It seemed the young Lord Lu had a bad temper when woken.
Lu Wuxie glanced at Zhong Li, grunted unhappily, pulled a small blanket over himself, and prepared to recline and sleep.
Zhong Li hadn't intended to say much, but seeing Lu Wuxie’s troubled expression even with his eyes closed, she couldn't help but speak, "It's best if the young lord doesn't sleep like this. Not only does it disrupt your body clock, but frequent naps can lead to headaches."
As she spoke, she took out a small bottle from her medicine chest. As the stopper was removed, a faint, fresh fragrance filled the carriage.
Lu Wuxie took several deep breaths, and instantly, his spirits lifted significantly, and his headache seemed to lessen.
"What is this?" he couldn't help but ask curiously.
Zhong Li placed the small bottle on the table and said, "Lavender hydrosol, it's calming. It's for the young lord."
Lu Wuxie took it and brought it to his nose to sniff again.
"If the young lord often has trouble sleeping, you can drip a few drops on your pillow. It will gradually get better," Zhong Li continued.
Lu Wuxie followed her instructions, dripping a few drops onto the small soft pillow beneath him. "How did you do that?"
This time, Zhong Li didn't answer. After all, Nan Yue Kingdom still used incense to scent rooms. She feared Lu Wuxie wouldn't understand this distillation and extraction method.
Lu Wuxie didn't seem to press the issue. He leaned against the carriage wall, his dark eyes fixed on the sky outside the window, lost in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, until Jin Cheng was no longer visible in the distance, he suddenly spoke, "When the former emperor married my mother to my father, my father didn't like her very much."
Zhong Li, who had been feeling drowsy, suddenly lost all sleepiness upon hearing Lu Wuxie's voice.
She stared at the man opposite her, waiting for him to continue.
"For thirty years, the Xie family was like the Fu family and the Shen family today, the only families that could contend with the Ruan family at that time," Lu Wuxie continued.
Zhong Li processed his words. It was now the An He era. It was said that each new emperor brought new officials, and this was particularly evident during Lu Jing'an's reign. Beside him were two major families: the Fu family, who controlled the court, and the Shen family, who controlled the military. Among them, Shen Nong, the legitimate daughter of the Shen family, was the current new Empress.
The reason for calling her the "new Empress" was that twenty years ago, the Ruan family had instigated rebellion. After the matter was quelled, Emperor Lu Jing'an deposed the legitimate daughter of the Ruan family. Because the Shen family had performed meritorious service in protecting the emperor during the rebellion, he married Shen Nong as the new Empress. From then on, the Shen family became the most noble existence in Nan Yue.
"Although the Xie family did not participate in the Ruan family's affairs twenty years ago, in the Emperor's eyes, not taking sides meant having ulterior motives, wanting to profit without effort, wanting to watch from the sidelines. Especially..." Lu Wuxie paused at this point.
Zhong Li could guess what he was about to express: "Especially since the master of the Prince Xian's mansion was rumored to be the true emperor, the Xie family must have hoped for their own family to produce an Empress."
"It was then that the Xie family faced constant setbacks in the imperial court, but what truly made my grandfather have the idea of returning home in glory was my mother's death ten years ago in the incident of the 'Suppression of Unrest'." Lu Wuxie continued.
"So, the young lord believes that your mother's death is inseparable from the court struggles?" Zhong Li asked.
Lu Wuxie shook his head. Without concrete evidence, how could he speak carelessly?
Zhong Li remained silent. In her opinion, this was all Lu Wuxie's private matter. If he was willing to speak, she would help analyze; if not, it was understandable.
"Before, I couldn't see clearly. I was too impetuous, always thinking that it was just a throne, and it didn't matter who sat on it as long as they were good to the people. But just because I don't guard against others doesn't mean others won't guard against me. It's not too late to hope now." After a long silence between them, Lu Wuxie suddenly uttered this sentence.
Zhong Li looked up, wanting to ask for clarification, but when she saw him close his eyes again, she changed her tone, "As long as one's conscience is clear, heaven is fair."
With that, she pulled the small blanket beside her and dozed off.
The carriage had already left the borders of Jin Cheng, heading towards Suqing.
Lu Wuxie opened his eyes and looked at the scenery, which was different from the desolate landscape outside Jin Cheng. He turned to look at the woman opposite him, whose hair had become a bit messy from sleep. It was the first time he had seen her like this, stripped of the coldness from the day, revealing a gentleness and softness. For some reason, she evoked a desire to protect him.
He suddenly found his thoughts amusing and curled his lips. He remembered the oath he made ten years ago, and his eyes turned cold at that moment.
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Suqing, Ling Shan Temple.
It was two days later when Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie arrived at Ling Shan Temple.
As Lu Wuxie's primary purpose for this trip was to mourn his late mother, he did not bring many guards. Besides Zhong Li, Tian Lianxue, who had been following the carriage, and Lin Jin, who was tagging along like an accessory, there were three guards from the Prince Xian's mansion to protect him and attend to daily matters.
Ling Shan Temple was a centuries-old temple in Nan Yue Kingdom. However, due to its early construction, it was not very large. Furthermore, eight years ago, Emperor Jing had built Bao Lin Temple in Jin Cheng, which led to a significant decrease in the number of people visiting Ling Shan Temple for spiritual guidance. Nevertheless, in the eyes of many royals and wealthy individuals, Ling Shan Temple still held an unshakeable status.
Ling Shan Temple had set aside three rooms for Lu Wuxie. Tian Lianxue, due to her special status, had a room to herself. The remaining two rooms were occupied by Lin Jin and the three guards. Zhong Li, who had been posing as Lu Wuxie's personal attendant, was naturally assigned to a room with the dissolute young lord.
During the day, Lu Wuxie was busy with his mother's affairs and did not return to his room. Zhong Li, after unpacking her luggage, felt bored and left her room on her own, intending to explore the surroundings of Ling Shan Temple.
Ling Shan Temple was designed in a rectangular shape. After passing the Hall of the Dharma Protectors at the entrance, one would proceed a short distance and ascend stairs to reach the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and then the Grand Hall of the Great Heroes behind it. Due to it being a festive period, pilgrims were constantly coming to offer incense.
Zhong Li preferred quiet, so instead of going directly to the Grand Hall of the Great Heroes, she went to a meditation room by the corridor.
The sound of chanting scriptures emanated from the meditation room.
Just as she was about to reach for the door bolt to push it open, a man's voice came from behind her.
"Who is the benefactor looking for?"
Zhong Li turned her head and saw a man dressed as a monk, with one hand placed on his chest and a serene expression.
"I heard that Master Liao Chen has profound attainments in Buddhism. Is Master Liao Chen chanting inside?" Zhong Li asked.
"Yes, benefactor," Wu Hui replied.
"Then I am looking for Master Liao Chen. May I listen to him chant?"
"I apologize, benefactor." Wu Hui bowed slightly to Zhong Li and said, "Today, Master Liao Chen is meeting with someone privately and it is not convenient to receive the benefactor. The benefactor may visit other places."
Zhong Li's expression showed surprise upon hearing this. According to Buddhist customs in Nan Yue Kingdom, chanting sessions at this hour were usually public, and meditation rooms were always open to outsiders. Why was it not allowed at Ling Shan Temple?
Wu Hui seemed to sense Zhong Li's confusion and said, "The guest our master is meeting today is special. Please forgive us, benefactor."
With that, he made a gesture to her, appearing very humble, but the intention to send her away was increasingly evident.
"May I ask who the guest inside is?"
Ordinarily, Zhong Li was not a nosy person, but the young lord of the Prince Xian's mansion, who had come to Ling Shan Temple to offer incense, had not received any special treatment. Even Lu Wuxie was unwilling to break the rules. Who exactly was in that meditation room to be treated with such favor?
Wu Hui knew that if he didn't tell the truth, this little benefactor opposite him would not give up. After a moment of thought, he said, "It is Zhao Jun, the Secretary of the Suqing County Magistrate's Office."