Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C070

Mei Chang and Mei E, unsure of when Wushuang would arrive, could only sit in the carriage and wait, ready to depart once the Prince Wei's mansion sent someone.

Who knew that the Prince Wei's mansion was so meticulous in its affairs? Just as their carriage left, they sent someone ahead to deliver a message. The two waited in vain, their hands and feet growing cold in the carriage. Afterward, they were even made to leave their own carriage behind, directly boarding another carriage from the Prince Wei's mansion.

The carriage had a brazier, hot tea, and maids. The chill on the two women was swept away, and they finally felt much warmer.

"The two Misses may rest for a while. It will be about half an hour before we reach Baofo Temple," said the maid, considerately offering a velvet blanket.

With soft cushions behind their backs, soft velvet blankets on their laps, and a warm brazier nearby, they felt this was what riding in a carriage should be like. It was nothing like when they were in their own carriage, shivering and cold, even with hand warmers.

On the other side, Wushuang's face was flushed red, and she felt as if her ears were smoking.

She wanted to hide, but could not, her hand still held in his, warmed in his embrace.

"Your Highness…"

"What's wrong? Your face is so red?"

He put down the gazette, his other large hand lightly touching her cheek. The words 'Don't look at me like that' that were in Wushuang's throat, automatically disappeared.

Such things as gazes, when spoken, lacked any persuasive power, and would only make one seem ridiculous. Therefore, it was not that Prince Wei's gaze was the problem, but that her heart was.

Seeing her cheeks flushed red, yet her watery eyes so full of emotion, Prince Wei sighed and pulled her into his embrace.

"If you are uncomfortable, then lean on this Prince and sleep for a while."

In truth, Wushuang was not uncomfortable at all. She was simply too embarrassed. But now that Prince Wei had pulled her into his cloak, her face buried in his chest, she could not see anyone, and no one could see her. Although she was somewhat flustered at being held in Prince Wei's arms, it was much better than being stared at so intently.

They traveled in silence. Halfway through the journey, Wushuang fell asleep, only waking when someone called her.

"Have we arrived?"

"We have. I'll have someone come in to fix your hair and makeup before you get out of the carriage," Prince Wei said.

Not long after, Linglong arrived.

In her arms, she held a small wooden box containing a wooden comb, a hand mirror, some simple rouge and powder, and two hairpins.

Wushuang had no idea when she had brought these things out, but Linglong had already swiftly tidied her slightly disheveled hair, secured the hairpins in their proper places, and smoothed her clothes.

During this time, Prince Wei sat beside them, and Wushuang did not dare to look at him.

Once everything was done, Prince Wei got out of the carriage first, and Wushuang, supported by Linglong, followed behind.

After getting out of the carriage, Wushuang saw that Mei Chang and Mei E had also gotten out and were standing not far away.

Prince Wei said, "This matter has been arranged. You don't need to worry. Someone will take them up the mountain."

Wushuang trusted the way the Prince Wei's mansion handled things.

She went over and exchanged a few words with Mei Chang and Mei E, then returned. After that, she and Prince Wei took a detour and went up the mountain from the back.

The mountain was not high, and the path up was paved with stone steps, which dispelled any worries about getting their shoes and socks wet from the melting snow.

Perhaps because the snow had just stopped, there were no other people admiring the plum blossoms on the mountain path, making it seem particularly serene.

From afar, the goose-yellow wintersweet blossoms were particularly eye-catching. Up close, the rugged, unyielding branches and the delicate flowers were covered with a layer of crystalline frost. A subtle fragrance floated on the breeze, truly a picture of 'proud plum blossoms braving the snow.'

The group walked and stopped, Wushuang being a woman, her stamina was not good, so she could only walk slowly. Fortunately, the person who planted the plum blossoms at Baofo Temple had probably considered this, and the plum groves were scattered. Every section of the path upwards had a plum grove, along with pavilions and stone benches, so they could walk and rest, which was manageable.

On the last section, Wushuang relied entirely on Prince Wei holding her hand to reach the summit.

Reaching the mountain peak, another vista unfolded.

The temple grounds were paved with blue flagstones, flanked by towering pines, a solemn and sacred place. A monk led them to a side room, offering hot tea for them to rest and warm themselves.

After drinking the tea and partaking of some pastries brought from the Prince's mansion, Wushuang felt her spirits lift.

It was said that the Buddha of this Baofo Temple was very efficacious, and besides, having entered another's gate, it would be improper not to burn incense. Thus, she followed Prince Wei towards the front.

Along the way, only the sounds of chanting reached their ears, calming the heart and spirit. They arrived at a deserted main hall, which had clearly been cleared beforehand, with no other idlers to be seen.

Entering the hall, they looked up at the solemn Buddha statue.

A monk brought forth several long incense sticks, handing them to Prince Wei and Wushuang respectively.

Prince Wei, holding the incense, bowed deeply. Wushuang followed suit, then handed the incense to the monks, who placed them in the incense burner.

A monk approached with a divination stick container, asking if they wished to draw lots.

The Buddha of this Baofo Temple was said to be efficacious, and the divination sticks were also said to be accurate. Most people came to burn incense for this very reason. However, Wushuang and Prince Wei had other purposes for their visit, not solely to burn incense and worship Buddha, though this was not something they could openly state.

Prince Wei, not believing in such things, asked Wushuang, "Do you wish to draw a lot?"

Wushuang shook her head, "I have no requests."

An old monk wearing a kasaya walked over, saying, "It is rare to find a female benefactor with no desires or requests."

One could not discern the old monk's age from his appearance, but his eyebrows and hair were all white, indicating he was quite old. His face was etched with the furrows of time, yet his eyes shone with a light full of wisdom.

In common parlance, he looked like an enlightened high monk.

Indeed, the monk holding the divination sticks addressed him as Dharma Master Lechen.

It should be known that in Buddhism, the title of Dharma Master was not given lightly. One must possess great merit, great wisdom, and have a method of cultivation to be called a Dharma Master.

However, Wushuang was unaware of this. She only perceived that Dharma Master Lechen held a very high position here.

Seeing that he said she had no desires or requests, which was rare, she thought for a moment and said, "Dharma Master, you flatter me. This concubine is but a mortal."

She truly had no requests. Now, she was free from want, her life was smooth, and she had changed her previous life's bitter fate. Of course, this did not mean Wushuang had no worries, she simply felt that one should not be too greedy.

Moreover, if the gods and Buddhas were truly efficacious, she would not have suffered such a miserable fate in the Zhao family in her previous life. She had also prayed to the gods and worshipped the Buddhas, begging them to save her from her suffering. Who knew that after so many twists and turns, she still died, and then returned, walking on thin ice step by step. If she hadn't met him...

"Three lifetimes a Buddha, two lifetimes a mortal, how could the female benefactor be a mortal?" Dharma Master Lechen smiled, "In this poor monk's view, the benefactor's fate is strange and wondrous. The rolling red dust of millions of people is entrusted to your single body. I hope you will take great care of yourself, for it is to bring blessings to the people."

Prince Wei frowned, his face showing coldness, "What is the meaning of this?"

Wushuang, however, was stunned. She seemed to understand these words, yet she did not quite comprehend them. Just as she wanted to ask the old monk what he meant, he unexpectedly left the main hall.

Prince Wei signaled for the guards to stop him, but the old monk did not dodge. He simply put his hands together and, with a peculiar gait, evaded all those who tried to block him, and left freely.

A middle-aged monk wearing a red kasaya walked in hurriedly from outside.

It was Huicheng, the current abbot of Baofo Temple.

With a troubled expression, he explained to Prince Wei that his grand-uncle Dharma Master Lechen had an eccentric personality, often liked to say strange things, and was not often in the temple. He often went on pilgrimages for more than a decade at a time. This time, he had just returned from outside. He asked Prince Wei not to take it to heart.

Seeing this, Prince Wei naturally could not pursue the matter further.

He led Wushuang away from there. Wushuang was still thinking about the old monk's words and could not help but ask, "Your Highness, what is the meaning of 'three lifetimes a Buddha'?"

Prince Wei explained the two different meanings of the Three-Life Buddhas to her, and then said, "The hall just now enshrined the Three-Life Buddhas. In the center is the present Buddha, Sakyamuni; on the left is the past Buddha, Kasyapa; and on the right is the future Buddha, Maitreya."

Wushuang could not distinguish which Buddha was called by what name, but she understood what past, present, and future meant, and she also understood the concept of two lifetimes. Could it be that the old monk had seen that she was a person who had lived two lives? But what was the meaning of that strange fate, with the lives of millions of people resting on her alone?

Her mind was preoccupied, and it inevitably showed on her face. Prince Wei took in her expression, but did not speak.

Wushuang felt a little flustered. Since her rebirth, she had kept the matter of living two lives a well-guarded secret. Now, it had been revealed by an old monk, which gave her an urge to leave this place immediately.

"Your Highness, shall we go back?" she pleaded, looking at Prince Wei.

Prince Wei's eyes darkened, and he raised his hand to pick off a snowflake that had landed on her head.

"I wonder if the matter of your two half-sisters is over. Are you not planning to wait for them?"

Only then did Wushuang remember Mei E and Mei Chang. Moreover, leaving like this would be too abrupt. Therefore, she suppressed her unease and said that they would wait for them to leave together.

On the other side, after ascending the mountain, Mei E and Mei Chang were led to a plum grove near the Baofu Temple.

Inside was a pavilion. Prince Wei's mansion had arranged everything meticulously. Not only were they provided with maids, but also guards. A maid brought out a brazier to boil water and brew tea. Against the backdrop of the snowy plum grove, it was indeed a rare place to enjoy the scenery.

The maid told them that they could enjoy themselves as they pleased, but they should not stray too far from here.

Mei E and Mei Chang knew that this was probably the place arranged for their matchmaking. However, this was their first time meeting someone for this purpose, and they could not help but feel uneasy.

During this time, in order to speak privately, the two of them deliberately left the pavilion and pretended to admire the plum blossoms not far away.

Mei E was truly nervous. Mei Chang comforted her, saying, "It's the same whether you stretch your neck or shrink it. What are you afraid of? It's better to meet before marriage than to have a blind marriage and only find out that the other party is bald or blind after lifting the veil."

Mei E chuckled, "It's not as exaggerated as you say."

"I'm just using an analogy. You must not be afraid. Third Sister has planned so much for us. Even if you are afraid, you must hold yourself together in front of others. Didn't you see that Prince Wei came today? If it weren't for Third Sister's sake, Prince Wei probably wouldn't bother with such trivial matters."

Mei E sighed slightly, "Third Sister and Prince Wei have a very good relationship. At first, I thought Prince Wei was not young and should be like my uncle, with a beard and a stern face. Later, I found out that he was not. My great aunt said that older men always take better care of their younger wives."

She thought of the sight of Prince Wei and Wushuang leaving together just now. One was taller, and the other was shorter. The two walked side by side, and from afar, they looked as beautiful as a painting, and she could not help but reveal envy in her eyes.

If before, Mei E's understanding of marriage and the relationship between husband and wife was limited to knowing that when one reached a certain age, one should marry, now she had a vague idea.

"According to what you said, you prefer the older one?" Mei Chang teased with a smile.

After the two returned to the mansion earlier, when they talked about this matter, Mei Chang used "the older one" and "the younger one" to refer to Chen Jin and Li Xin, as they were unmarried young ladies and were too embarrassed to call men by their names.

When Mei Chang teased her like this, Mei E immediately understood that she was talking about the man named Li Xin. Her ears flushed, and she scolded, "Second Sister, what are you talking about?"

What Mei E did not say was that she noticed Mei Chang mentioned Chen Jin more often. On that day at Prince Wei's mansion, Mei Chang had also taken the initiative to ask about Chen Jin, so she knew that Second Sister was probably interested in this man.

She did not care who she married, as long as the other party treated her well. Because Wushuang had married Prince Wei, she could not help but talk about this matter with her aunt. Her aunt had also analyzed the benefits of a husband being older than oneself, so she could not help but have some thoughts in her heart. However, to say that she was interested was indeed too early.

Mei Chang had never seen the usually calm Mei E reveal such a shy expression. She immediately plucked a plum blossom and shook it at her teasingly, "Alright, alright, I know you're shy, I won't say it anymore."

Mei E was so embarrassed that she could not help but stomp her feet and say, "Second Sister!"

The two of them were caught up in their playful laughter, never expecting that others had already arrived at this place.

Li Xin heard the petite girl, her face slightly flushed, say that older men always take better care of their younger wives.

Wife?

Even though he was usually stern and cold-hearted, he could not help but feel a ripple in his heart.

A low chuckle sounded from the side, and Chen Jin said, "It seems there's no need to fret over this anymore. It's a serendipitous encounter, a fate ordained by heaven."

Li Xin naturally understood Chen Jin's meaning, his dark face tight as he said, "One wonders who was just staring at that woman in red, eyes unblinking."

"Was I looking at a person? I was looking at the plum blossoms. Don't you think that plum tree's roots are unique, exceptionally shaped?" Chen Jin retorted, trying to justify himself.

Li Xin did not wish to waste words with him, and said in a low voice, "Enough, let's go over."

Chen Jin said, "Then tell me, should we pretend to admire the plum blossoms and compose a poem or something, so that people won't fail to notice us?"

"As you wish."

"Then tell me, will you compose the poem, or will I... Don't walk so fast, wait for me…"