At the appointed hour, the temple doors gently opened as Huaisu Dashi entered the main hall dressed in plain white monastic robes.
His sleeves fluttered gracefully with each step, as if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm.
Many young maidens in the capital admired him, including Song Yujin.
Qu Ling glanced at Song Yujin.
The Second Young Miss of the Song Family was clutching her handkerchief so tightly her knuckles turned white, her gaze clinging to Huaisu Dashi like a persistent shadow.
That obsessive, coveting look sent a chill through Qu Ling’s fingertips.
In her previous life, a Miss Zhang had merely discussed Zen with Huaisu Dashi during a Buddhist ceremony. Within three days, she had boiling water thrown in her face on the street, permanently disfiguring her.
Later, her hair was shorn and she was sent to a nunnery.
At a banquet, Song Yujin had laughed delightedly, “Since she enjoys discussing Zen so much, she can now serve Buddha for the rest of her life.”
Everyone knew Song Yujin was behind it.
But who dared speak of it?
And then there was herself…
Qu Ling touched her wrist. She had merely exchanged a few words when others mentioned Huaisu Dashi, yet Song Yujin remembered and constantly made things difficult for her.
The worst incident nearly resulted in her hand being pierced through.
“Dong—”
The clear, melodious sound of the jade chime resonated through the hall.
Huaisu Dashi’s prayer beads slipped down his wrist, his voice flowing like a mountain spring.
Song Yujin’s fingers lightly traced the rim of her teacup, a peculiar light flashing in her eyes.
“Aiya—”
She let out a startled cry.
Her teacup had fallen to the ground, splashing tea everywhere and interrupting the scripture recitation.
Her maid immediately knelt, panicking, “Please forgive me, Young Miss! This servant failed to hold it steady.”
The corners of Song Yujin’s lips curved upward as she gently shook her head, “It’s nothing, just a minor matter.”
She rose slowly, her dress flowing like water waves that accentuated her slender waist.
Reaching to help the maid up, her jade bracelet slid down, revealing a section of snow-white wrist.
“Get up quickly, no need to kneel,” she said softly, her eyes lowered with long lashes casting shadows that made her appear particularly delicate and charming.
As she stood, she seemed to unintentionally lift her gaze, her sparkling eyes looking toward Huaisu Dashi’s direction, a perfectly measured shy smile gracing her lips.
She presented the very picture of gentle virtue.
The Princess showed some displeasure but didn’t confront her about it.
“Aunt, I saw her pinch the maid’s arm, which caused the teacup to fall.”
Qu Ling’s voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone to hear.
“Is that true?” The Princess’s eyes sharpened as she instructed her lady official, “Go check.”
Song Yujin’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
The lady official stepped forward and pulled up the maid’s sleeve, revealing a bruised patch.
“Drag her out of here,” the Princess said with utter impatience, “and forbid her from ever setting foot in Guoqing Temple again.”
With only one man present in the hall, Song Yujin’s intentions were unmistakable.
Old Madam Song and Liu Shi felt their faces burning with shame.
“Your Highness, please forgive her,” Liu Shi pleaded angrily, unable to watch her daughter be thrown out of Guoqing Temple like this.
So many noble ladies and young maidens from the capital were present.
The scripture listening gathering served another purpose – matchmaking.
Although few families present could aspire to match with a Song Family daughter, losing face was another matter entirely.
“Considering her youth and that this is her first offense, please spare her this once.”
The Princess frowned, not relenting.
“After we return to the Song Family, Your Highness may send someone to administer punishment.”
Being disciplined at home was better than public humiliation.
Only then did the Princess wave her hand, letting the matter drop.
Song Yujin’s tears welled up in her eyes, her face burning with heat.
She still had to thank the Princess.
Then her gaze fell upon Qu Ling, wishing she could bore a hole through her with her stare.
The scripture lecture continued, with a young novice monk bringing oil to replenish the lamps.
Qu Lianxue’s heart leaped into her throat.
She watched the young monk’s movements unblinkingly, only relaxing when the scripture book placed before the Buddha statue was knocked over.
Chaos ensued one after another.
The young monk scrambled to pick up the scripture, while several nearby madams in the hall reached out to help.
A madam wearing a dark purple beizi bent down to help gather the pages when she saw a thin piece of paper flutter out from the scripture.
She casually picked it up and, upon glancing at it unintentionally, immediately widened her eyes, “This…”
“This isn’t copied Buddhist scripture.”
The handwriting on the paper was elegant, yet it contained explicit poetry.
The madam’s hand trembled, and the paper drifted to the ground.
Several nearby madams gathered to look, gasping in shock. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs, but their eyes kept darting toward Song Yujin.
Liu Shi, who had been sitting upright, suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
She rushed over in quick strides, snatched the paper, and upon seeing the content, became furious.
Yet the handwriting was all too familiar to her—it was Song Yujin’s.
Just from the looks in everyone’s eyes, Song Yujin knew something had gone terribly wrong.
Last night, unable to sleep, she had secretly written a poem for Huaisu Dashi.
But when she came to the temple, she had placed the poem in a pouch and left it in the master’s meditation room. How could it be here?
Qu Lianxue stood at the edge of the crowd, sweating with anxiety.
She had personally slipped the poem imitating Qu Ling’s handwriting into the scripture—how could it have become Song Yujin’s?
She instinctively looked at Qu Ling, only to see her standing beside the Princess, a faint, elusive smile playing on her lips.
Their eyes met across the room, and Qu Lianxue felt as if struck by lightning.
Qu Ling had known all along what she was planning to do!
“Mother, this isn’t written by me. Someone imitated my handwriting. How could I possibly…”Song Yujin panickedly tried to explain, but then she saw Huaisu Dashi approaching slowly.”
Her words caught in her throat, her eyes fixed only on the ethereal figure.
Huaisu Dashi glanced at it and gently shook his head, “Amitabha.”
This Buddhist invocation felt like a heavy blow to Song Yujin’s heart.
The Princess sneered, “The Song Family has taught their daughter well, truly eye-opening. If the second young lady is like this, wouldn’t the eldest young lady be the same?”
Liu Shi felt a pain in her chest.
Not only had Song Yujin brought trouble upon herself, but she had also allowed the Princess to mock Song Yu Zhen in her words.
“The Song Family’s daughters are naturally virtuous,” Old Madam Song intervened in desperation, “otherwise how could there be two queens from one family?”
In her heart, she cursed Song Yujin vehemently, yet she couldn’t abandon her.
Her daughter-in-law couldn’t handle such situations—her old bones couldn’t rest for even a day.
“It’s too rash to randomly write a name and frame her for it.”
Old Madam Song calmly and composedly took the paper from Huaisu Dashi’s hand and held it over a burning candle.
“In this pure land of Buddhism, our Song Family will not pursue the evil person with malicious intentions any further.”
With a few words, she portrayed Song Yujin as the victim.
Old Madam Song looked solemnly at the distraught Song Yujin, silently cursing her for being so disappointing.
“Before the entire hall of Buddhas, you must swear immediately that you have no intention of defiling the Master, and that you have never written such licentious verses.”
Song Yujin’s heart raced wildly.
She knew this was meant to save her—where was there any room for flirtatious thoughts? She quickly made the vow.
The Princess lost interest in listening to the scriptures. “This Guoqing Temple has been overpraised.”
Huaisu Dashi hurriedly said, “I have disturbed Your Highness’s enjoyment. From today onward, this humble monk will cease giving lectures.”
“Very well,” the Princess replied.
The crowd’s gaze toward Song Yujin was filled with disapproval.
It was her causing trouble that led the Master to stop his lectures.
After seeing off the Princess, the crowd prepared to disperse.
Qu Ling walked over to Qu Lianxue and silently hung a pouch on her, then remarked, “Sister, is this pouch newly made? How exquisite.”
Qu Lianxue looked down and was filled with terror.
The pouch was not hers at all.