Xue Wanyao followed Gu Zhuo out the door. As soon as they reached the courtyard, Xue Wanyao watched Gu Zhuo walking briskly ahead and softly coughed.
"Concubine Xue, you should walk more ladylike, not so roughly."
It took Gu Zhuo a moment to realize that "Concubine Xue" referred to him. He turned to look at the "Prince of Chu" walking with small steps and frowned, "You too, no man walks like that. Take bigger strides."
As he spoke, seeing Xue Wanyao still walking slowly and gracefully, Gu Zhuo simply grabbed the young man's hand and led him to the stables.
Upon reaching the stables, Gu Zhuo went to his own horse, Mingyue, intending to untie the reins and mount it.
However, Mingyue seemed not to recognize him anymore and let out a long neigh at him.
Frowning, Gu Zhuo pulled Xue Wanyao over, "You ride the horse and take me to the Taoist temple."
"Ah? But I don't know how to ride," Xue Wanyao whispered.
The Xue family had strict rules for its daughters. By the age of seventeen, Xue Wanyao had only left the mansion a handful of times, let alone ridden a horse.
Gu Zhuo said, "Then we'll take a carriage to the Taoist temple."
"Wang Quan, Fu Gui, go prepare a carriage."
Gu Zhuo ordered the two servants behind him.
The two servants exchanged glances again, looking at each other. Why did this Concubine Xue, who was ordering them around, feel so much like their young prince?
Seeing Wang Quan and Fu Gui not moving, Gu Zhuo said, "Am I not able to command you?"
"Concubine Xue, please wait a moment. We'll go prepare the carriage right away."
Wang Quan and Fu Gui were quite quick, bringing over an extremely luxurious carriage.
Xue Wanyao entered the carriage and sighed, truly worthy of one of the most esteemed princes of the dynasty. The carriage was so spacious and comfortable.
Even while traveling, it didn't jostle uncomfortably.
In the Xue family.
In the courtyard of the third concubine.
The third daughter of the Xue family, Xue Yunping, whispered to her maid, "Second Sister was rejected in marriage yesterday?"
"Yes, it's spread all over Shengjing City today. Our second young lady's bridal sedan was struck by lightning and fell into the water. She was rescued by an unrelated man, so the Marquis of Wuding's family sent her back."
Xue Yunping said, "Has Second Sister returned? I'll go visit her."
"Why would you go see her?" Concubine Hong, the third concubine of the Xue family, entered. "Be careful not to get yourself involved. Her reputation is already ruined, and the Xue family is too ashamed to let her return home."
Xue Yunping said, "If Sister is rejected by the Marquis of Wuding's family and the Xue family doesn't let her return, where should Second Sister go?"
"Either commit suicide or become a nun in a Taoist temple or convent—that would at least preserve the reputation of our Xue family daughters."
Listening to her concubine's cold words, Xue Yunping couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine. Was falling into the water by accident really only met with these two paths?
Concubine Hong smiled and said, "Xue Wanyao's misfortune is actually a good thing. The Taoist priest said that to cure the eldest son of the Marquis of Wuding's illness, a daughter of the Xue family must marry into their family. With your second sister's incident, the one who becomes the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Wuding's family will be you."
Listening to Concubine Hong's laughter, Xue Yunping's frown deepened even more.
The Prince of Chu's carriage arrived at Qingyun Temple.
Qingyun Temple was the most famous Taoist temple in Shengjing City and also the place where the Grand Preceptor of the Great Sheng Dynasty practiced cultivation.
Xue Wanyao lifted the carriage window curtain and gazed at the towering mountain ahead. She turned to the young woman beside her and said, "Your Highness, what if the State Preceptor discovers that we have swapped bodies and decides to eliminate us as demons?"
Gu Zhuo, who was about to step out of the carriage, halted. He settled back into his seat and looked at Xue Wanyao.
The situation was indeed bizarre. Who could have imagined such an absurd occurrence as swapping bodies? What if the State Preceptor truly regarded them as demons?
Xue Wanyao whispered, "Your Highness, perhaps we should wait and see?"
Gu Zhuo snorted lightly. "Wait and see? I think you’re just scheming to keep my body for yourself and never return it. If that old Taoist dares to treat me as a demon, I’ll pluck out his beard!"
Xue Wanyao looked at the face that was unmistakably her own, yet it now wore an expression of arrogant pride she had never possessed.
Gu Zhuo jumped down from the carriage and said, "Follow me."
Xue Wanyao stepped out and looked up at the mountain. "Is the Taoist temple at the summit?"
Gu Zhuo nodded. "Yes. Have you never been here before?"
Xue Wanyao shook her head. "Never."
Gu Zhuo said, "The summit isn’t far. It should only take about an hour to reach the temple."
The morning mist clung to the mountainside, occasionally punctuated by birdsong.
Xue Wanyao gazed at the faintly visible peak, worried she might not be able to make the climb.
However, after climbing for about a quarter of an hour, she found herself not only unexhausted but also full of energy, barely even out of breath.
When she looked back at Gu Zhuo—or rather, her own body—she saw him panting heavily and struggling slowly up the mountain.
Gu Zhuo caught up to Xue Wanyao, gasping for breath. "I can’t go on. What kind of body is this? After just a quarter of an hour of climbing, I’m already exhausted. You…"
Xue Wanyao whispered, "I’ve never climbed a mountain before."
Gu Zhuo was utterly worn out. After another half hour of climbing, his entire body ached, and he could barely lift his feet. He plopped down unceremoniously on the mountain steps.
Xue Wanyao hurriedly said, "Aunt Xue, this is improper. You shouldn’t sit like that."
Gu Zhuo slumped on the ground. "I’m about to die, and you’re worried about whether I’m sitting properly? If I collapse from exhaustion here, would it count as your death or mine?"
Xue Wanyao truly didn’t know the answer to that. She simply said, "I hear a mountain spring, Your Highness. Why not go drink some water and rest for a while before continuing?"
Gu Zhuo was beyond caring whether Xue Wanyao touched him or not. He stretched out his hand toward the young man before him. "Help me up!"
Seeing this, Xue Wanyao supported Gu Zhuo and led him to the nearby mountain spring.
After drinking water and resting for a good while, Gu Zhuo allowed Xue Wanyao to lead him toward the summit.
What should have been an hour’s climb ended up taking a full two hours. By the time they reached the mountaintop temple, it was mealtime. Gu Zhuo unceremoniously devoured two bowls of porridge and was about to ask for more when Xue Wanyao stopped him.
Xue Wanyao whispered, "Aunt Xue, eat less. If you eat this much, you’ll gain weight."
Gu Zhuo paid no heed and downed another bowl of porridge.
Only after eating his fill did he finally belch, then grabbed Xue Wanyao’s hand and headed off to find State Preceptor Yuantong.
Upon entering the main hall of the temple, Yuantong bowed upon seeing Xue Wanyao and said, "Boundless Heavenly Lord, greetings to Prince Chu."
"It’s ‘Prince,’ not ‘Young Prince’!"
Gu Zhuo, standing to the side, spoke in a clear and melodious woman's voice.
Xue Wanyao also bowed and said, "Daoist, my aunt and I have come to ask you about something."
Daoist Yuan Tong's gaze shifted between the two of them. He gently rested his whisk on his own wrist, his voice deep and mellow: "Since the two of you have encountered such a fate, you should accept it as it comes."
Gu Zhuo frowned and said, "What do you mean, 'accept it as it comes'? I refuse to be some weak woman! State Preceptor, you must find a way to switch me back with her."
"Your Highness, please forgive me. I truly cannot make the two of you switch back. This is the will of heaven, and heaven's will cannot be defied."
Gu Zhuo said, "So, I still have to rely on this body to go down the mountain?"
The woman's voice was filled with anger, tinged with a hint of sorrow and hopelessness…