It was customary for young ladies to accompany their families when visiting temples to pray for marital blessings. Ning Huanyi had gone every year to wish for good health, but as she grew older, she also began to quietly ask the Bodhisattva for a good match.
It seemed the Buddha had heard her small wishes, for such a marriage had fallen into her lap like a gift from the heavens. Ning Huanyi couldn’t help but feel the urge to return to the temple to give thanks.
Bai Yingying, burdened with the important task of gathering gossip, had already informed the Bai household that she would return late. Naturally, her playful nature led her to accompany Ning Huanyi to the temple.
After a brief discussion, the group set off in the grand carriages of the Yongchang Marquisate. The court had adjourned early that day, and Ning Yuanxun, having completed his duties swiftly, returned home to join his wife, Pei Ruan, in their carriage. Behind them followed the carriage carrying Ning Huanyi and Bai Yingying.
“Huanyi! Just think—yesterday, the Regent was so gallant in protecting you. Such a romantic tale has already spread like wildfire among the young ladies of the capital. The other noble maidens who once gossiped about you marrying a woman are now green with envy, their handkerchiefs nearly torn to shreds when they saw how stunning the Regent is and how fiercely she defends her beloved!” Bai Yingying chattered away in the carriage, recounting how the attitudes of the noble ladies had shifted after Ning Huanyi was carried away by Xiao Ning’an.
But Ning Huanyi only felt more uneasy. She worried that Xiao Ning’an’s kindness might be fleeting, like a night-blooming cereus. The romance novels she had read often depicted men who showered their betrothed with affection before marriage, only to reveal their true, unfaithful nature afterward.
Though Xiao Ning’an was a woman, she had risen from obscurity to the powerful position of Regent, commanding such respect that even the most outspoken officials dared not oppose her. Surely, her success wasn’t just due to her bravery in battle—there must have been ruthless tactics involved.
Ning Huanyi knew she was only clever in small ways. Against someone like Xiao Ning’an, she doubted she could ever truly hold her own.
Bai Yingying, oblivious to Ning Huanyi’s worries, was simply overjoyed that her dear friend would soon silence the mockery by marrying into the Regent’s household.
The carriage swayed gently as it arrived at Xichan Temple. Unlike the sweet tension of yesterday, when Xiao Ning’an had held her in the carriage, Ning Huanyi now carried a heavy heart. She lowered her head slightly, hiding her expression from view.
As a noble young lady, she was not permitted to let stray strands of hair fall across her forehead. Instead, she adorned her brow with delicate floral embellishments—a touch of allure that contrasted with her otherwise innocent and gentle features.
Stepping out of the carriage under the sunlight, she stood before the solemn gates of Xichan Temple, flanked by two stone lions standing guard.
The temple’s name, “Xichan Temple,” inscribed by the Emperor himself, gleamed brilliantly on the plaque above the entrance. A monk holding a large broom stood in the courtyard, and upon seeing the noble guests, he immediately thought of the donation ledger—the Yongchang Marquisate was always the most generous contributor.
Though monks devoted themselves to Buddhism and a vegetarian lifestyle, the temple’s upkeep and simple meals relied entirely on the donations from the merit box.
Thus, the monks treated the Yongchang Marquisate with utmost reverence. The monk clasped his hands in a respectful bow before hurrying off to summon the abbot, who soon emerged from the main hall in his grand monastic robes.
Ning Yuanxun and Pei Ruan warmly stepped forward to chat with the abbot. Over the years, due to Ning Huanyi’s health, the Yongchang Marquis’s household had donated generously to Xichan Temple for blessings, naturally making them acquainted with the abbot.
Ning Huanyi, however, simply clasped her hands in a polite bow to the abbot before heading straight to the Temple of Matrimony with Bai Yingying.
“Let’s get this straight! After you get your matrimonial charm, you have to come with me to the Temple of Wealth to pray!” Bai Yingying stood at the entrance, lowering her voice as if slightly embarrassed by her request. Ning Huanyi readily agreed to accompany her to the Temple of Wealth afterward.
Upon entering the Temple of Matrimony, Ning Huanyi was about to kneel on a prayer cushion to devoutly offer her prayers when she spotted a familiar figure already kneeling there.
Wait a minute…
“Your Highness…” The words slipped out almost involuntarily as Ning Huanyi stared in astonishment at Xiao Ning’an, who was kneeling before the Matrimonial Deity, completely absorbed in her prayers.
Ning Huanyi rubbed her eyes to confirm it was indeed Xiao Ning’an, whose figure also seemed to freeze momentarily.
Bai Yingying, oblivious to Xiao Ning’an’s presence, was still naively asking a monk how to obtain a matrimonial charm. Hearing Ning Huanyi’s words, she couldn’t resist teasing, “Oh, even now, you’re still thinking about your beloved Highness? At this hour, she should still be in the palace helping His Majesty review memorials.”
Ning Huanyi quickly tugged at Bai Yingying’s sleeve. By then, Xiao Ning’an had composed herself, rising with her usual icy demeanor.
“Miss Ning, you’re here as well.”
Both Ning Huanyi and Bai Yingying, now realizing the situation, curtsied. Xiao Ning’an extended a hand as if to assist but hesitated, unsure if such a gesture in the crowded temple might displease Ning Huanyi.
Thus, her hand awkwardly lingered mid-air.
Though Ning Huanyi noticed, she didn’t dare comment. Standing up, she searched for something to say, but under Xiao Ning’an’s piercing gaze, she felt too shy to speak.
It was Bai Yingying who broke the silence first. “Your Highness, what brings you to the Temple of Matrimony today?”
Xiao Ning’an, who stood a head taller than both girls, had to look down slightly to meet their eyes. At Bai Yingying’s question, her typically expressionless face betrayed a hint of embarrassment.
“I heard that before a wedding, one should seek charms to bless the union. So… since I had free time today, I came to pray for some.” The flicker of discomfort on Xiao Ning’an’s face vanished quickly as she smoothly explained herself.
Only her attendants noticed the anomaly—their Highness, who never deigned to explain her actions to anyone, was now speaking at length. Clearly, she held this future princess-consort in high regard.
Ning Huanyi didn’t detect anything amiss. Meeting Xiao Ning’an here, especially after pondering their impending marriage in the carriage, felt like fate. She responded naturally to Xiao Ning’an’s words.
“I came with my parents today to seek matrimonial charms as well.” Without being asked, Ning Huanyi volunteered the information, lifting her gaze to meet Xiao Ning’an’s eyes. It truly seemed as though Xiao Ning’an behaved differently around her compared to others.
At the very least, when Xiao Ning’an had been speaking to Bai Yingying earlier, there hadn’t been a trace of a smile on her face. But now, as she looked at Ning Huanyi, her eyes were filled with deep mirth.
This couldn’t possibly be feigned, could it?
Lost in these thoughts, Ning Huanyi noticed a monk nearby bringing a new prayer cushion. She knelt down beside it, gazing quietly at the statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva who presided over all worldly bonds.
The Bodhisattva sat serenely on high, her benevolent countenance bringing Ning Huanyi a sense of peace. With hands pressed together in devout prayer, her well-behaved and sweet demeanor moved Xiao Ning’an, who stood nearby watching with quiet admiration.
The ever-discerning Bai Yingying tactfully withdrew to pay her respects to the God of Wealth, leaving only Xiao Ning’an and Ning Huanyi in the hall. It seemed fate had brought this soon-to-be-wedded pair together once again in the temple.
“What did you pray for?”
There was a tradition in their dynasty: before marriage, couples were to seek a marital talisman and kneel before the Bodhisattva to pray for their future life together.
Some prayed for many children and blessings, others for wealth and prosperity—all wishing for a better life in their spouse’s household after marriage, all prayers ultimately for themselves.
But Ning Huanyi was different. She knew full well that while the Regent’s residence appeared mighty and illustrious, it was actually besieged on all sides. Many ministers dared not cross the Regent—not out of unwillingness, but fear. This undercurrent of tension was something her father, Ning Yuanxun, had keenly observed.
As Ning Huanyi knelt before the Bodhisattva with hands clasped, her heart’s plea was not for herself alone, but that she and Xiao Ning’an might support and aid each other in the days to come—not merely as the Regent’s dependent wife.
“Don’t you know that wishes made in one’s heart aren’t meant to be spoken aloud?” Ning Huanyi tilted her head to look at Xiao Ning’an standing beside her, her lips curving into a smile as she recalled the slightly dazed figure she’d seen earlier.
Xiao Ning’an, caught in the warmth of Ning Huanyi’s gaze, momentarily lost herself. She knelt down beside Ning Huanyi, and together they faced the Bodhisattva, hands pressed together, silently making their wishes.
The monk standing nearby easily discerned the relationship between the two. And who in the realm did not know the Regent? He quickly surmised that this person cherished by the Regent must be the future Regent’s Consort.
Approaching respectfully, he presented them with the marital talisman. Ning Huanyi bowed slightly before accepting it and asked, “Where are my father and the others?”
The monk, who had accompanied the abbot earlier to receive Ning Yuanxun, answered her inquiry about the whereabouts of her father, Qing Dai, and Pei Ruan.
“Lord Ning is here too?” Xiao Ning’an seemed to recall this being mentioned earlier and added an apology, leaving Ning Huanyi momentarily puzzled.
The monk promptly replied, “Lord Ning and his wife are currently in the abbot’s quarters, discussing an auspicious date for the wedding.”
After expressing her thanks, Ning Huanyi turned to leave with Xiao Ning’an.
“Why did you suddenly apologize?” Ning Huanyi asked as they walked toward the abbot’s quarters, carefully holding the talisman inscribed with scriptures tailored to their union—a thoughtful gesture.
The ink had dried, but a faint scent still lingered when brought close.
Xiao Ning’an didn’t know how to explain. How could she say that she was afraid Ning Huanyi might be angry because she hadn’t properly remembered what was said, hence the belated apology?
But Ning Huanyi pressed the question again, and not answering seemed even more impolite.
Xiao Ning’an’s icy expression perfectly concealed the turmoil in her heart. Despite all her internal deliberation, she ultimately couldn’t bring herself to respond.