Bai Fuxue was not surprised by the name the master before her had given.
She had transmigrated into a book and was considered one of its protagonists. The other protagonist was none other than Xiao Shizhi.
It was no exaggeration to call Xiao Shizhi the Child of Fortune the master spoke of.
Zen Master Xinming looked at Bai Fuxue with profound meaning. His eyes were tranquil and deep, yet they also held many emotions that were difficult to comprehend.
“Benefactor, you have glimpsed the secrets of heaven. You must be a person of great fortune. To be born in the Great Xia Dynasty is the glory of Great Xia.”
Zen Master Xinming sat cross-legged before the Buddha statue, his expression an exact replica of the golden Buddha’s.
Anyone else would have felt both honored and apprehensive, their heart stirred.
But what kind of person was Bai Fuxue,
Bai Fuxue gave a wry smile. “I have no other ambitions. As long as I can eat and drink well and live out my days in the deep palace, this life will be complete.”
This time, it was Zen Master Xinming’s turn to be taken aback. The two of them walked out of the main hall, the entire temple enveloped in the fragrance of autumn osmanthus.
The solemn sounds of Buddhist chanting filled the air. Young novice monks walked past in an orderly fashion, their shiny, bald heads slipping past Bai Fuxue.
Zen Master Xinming quietly watched the Empress Dowager and her palace maids standing in a pavilion above.
“Is the benefactor not tempted by this overwhelming wealth and honor?”
The Empress Dowager, standing above, also saw Bai Fuxue and Zen Master Xinming and was even more astonished.
Rong Baolin tugged at her aunt’s sleeve. “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager! How can that Bai Fuxue walk side-by-side with Zen Master Xinming? How is someone like her, who has no good fortune and only knows how to cling to the powerful, worthy of it!”
Zen Master Xinming had already been a highly respected monk during the late Emperor’s reign and had entered the imperial palace to preach more than once.
The Empress Dowager naturally would not question Zen Master Xinming. She shot her young niece a warning glance, and the girl immediately shut her mouth.
In Zichen Palace, Xiao Shizhi sneezed. Wiping her nose, she continued to sketch with a charcoal pencil.
Xiao Shizhi was so busy that even Li Dequan couldn’t bear to watch. “Your Majesty must take good care of yourself! Your health is paramount.”
Xiao Shizhi was recalling the method for making MSG. The principle was simple; it just needed to be put into practice.
For most commoners, their diet was extremely coarse. They didn’t even know to add a little cooking wine, scallions, and ginger to get rid of the gamey taste when boiling meat in plain water.
Wild vegetables and assorted greens were eaten as soon as they were tasted, their lives a constant struggle on the brink of starvation.
Compared to something like MSG, which was merely an embellishment, ensuring everyone had enough to eat was far more important.
Xiao Shizhi leaned back wearily in her soft chair. “How is Bai Fuxue?”
Li Dequan received the report from a shadow guard with both hands.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Ladyship is well. Zen Master Xinming has been treating her with the utmost courtesy.”
Li Dequan continued, “Your Majesty, you see, who in this Xingguo Temple would dare to be disrespectful to Her Ladyship?”
Xiao Shizhi picked up the thin sheet of paper with two slender fingers, her brow twitching violently.
Damn it.
Ever since she had transmigrated, Xiao Shizhi had met Zen Master Xinming more than once.
And every single time, her brow twitched violently.
She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
She didn’t know if there were truly any supernatural forces at play, but Zen Master Xinming’s eyes made Her Majesty the Empress’s scalp tingle.
Xiao Shizhi’s face was calm and cool, but inwardly she was lamenting:
Thank goodness I didn’t transmigrate to medieval Europe. Otherwise, I’d probably have been burned as a witch.
After calming down for a moment, Xiao Shizhi looked at the endless pile of work and missed Bai Fuxue even more.
I want Xuexue’s kisses.
I want Xuexue’s hugs.
I want to bury my face in Xuexue’s breasts.
Xiao Shizhi pulled out a sheet of Xuan paper. The brush licked the ink, and with gentle, affectionate eyes, she wrote line after line.
She was going to correspond with her little girlfriend.
Zen Master Xinming led Bai Fuxue to the vegetarian dining hall. Bai Fuxue helped herself to a bowl of noodles and a few small side dishes.
Throughout the process, Zen Master Xinming observed the beautiful woman before him, remarking nonchalantly:
“The benefactor is accustomed to the delicacies of the palace, the most exquisite flavors in the world. I imagine it must be difficult to get used to this simple porridge and plain fare.”
The noodles in front of Bai Fuxue were distinct, soaking in the broth, exceptionally soft and springy.
They gave off a light soy sauce fragrance, dotted with a bit of sesame oil that filled the air with a rich aroma and left a lingering taste.
Slurping the noodles mixed with the broth into her mouth, accompanied by the crisp dried radish, it was delicious.
Bai Fuxue said, “I can get used to it.”
Zen Master Xinming smiled faintly. “The benefactor truly holds no attachment to palace life.”
Bai Fuxue spoke as she ate, “There’s no difference between being here and being in the imperial palace. In the palace, I just stay in my own residence. Besides Her Majesty the Empress, I don’t see anyone else on a daily basis.”
Bai Fuxue’s mentality was to just let it all rot. “It’s better here. I don’t even have to see Her Majesty.”
Zen Master Xinming: “…”
Would the benefactor dare to say that to Xiao Shizhi’s face?
The scenery was beautiful, and the sound of chanting was endless. It was truly a good place to recuperate.
For a corporate drone like Bai Fuxue, it couldn’t be more pleasant.
Zen Master Xinming watched with his own eyes as the female benefactor before him ate three bowls of noodles in one go.
He had originally thought Bai Fuxue wouldn’t be able to stand it after a few bites.
But it turned out her appetite was even better than his.
Bai Fuxue looked at Zen Master Xinming, who seemed to want to say something but was hesitating. “What is it, Master?”
Zen Master Xinming’s lips moved. “Benefactor, please mind your digestion.”
Monks practiced the rule of not eating after noon, so naturally, Zen Master Xinming had nothing for dinner. He watched as Bai Fuxue walked to her prepared meditation room.
The lamp was extinguished, and she went to sleep.
She had not the slightest attachment to this mortal world.
Zen Master Xinming: “…”
And so, for several days in a row, Zen Master Xinming was curious and wanted to chat with Bai Fuxue, but she was either eating, sleeping, or trying to feed the koi in the lotus pond to death.
The Empress Dowager had originally thought Bai Fuxue wouldn’t be able to endure it. Rong Baolin was even preparing to go find trouble, and Consort Lin worried daily.
But Bai Fuxue ate well and drank well. Although she hadn’t gained weight, her complexion had improved a lot.
Songluo, holding a stack of letter paper, trotted over to Bai Fuxue by the lotus pond.
“Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship, a letter has come from the palace.” Songluo was grinning from ear to ear. “I wonder what good news it is. Your Ladyship, hurry and open it.”
The Empress Dowager was standing not far away and slowly walked forward. She recognized Her Majesty’s handwriting on the envelope at a glance.
Zen Master Xinming was chanting Buddhist scriptures to the koi with a benevolent expression, but he was constantly paying attention to every glance and smile of the beautiful consort sitting by the pond.
What kind of letter would Her Majesty the Empress, a person whose fate was so hard to predict, send to the equally unpredictable Bai Fuxue?
Bai Fuxue tore open the envelope and looked at the Empress Dowager beside her with a complicated expression.
“You want to read it?”
Rong Baolin clung to her aunt’s arm, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “The Empress Dowager is Her Majesty’s legitimate mother. Does she not even have the right to read a letter?”
Bai Fuxue said, “Fine, you can read it.”
The handwriting on the letter was forceful, penetrating the paper with strokes like iron hooks and silver engravings.
But the contents were unbearable to look at.
This morning, Zhen reviewed ten catties of memorials. Zhen didn’t even eat much for lunch. It’s so hard.
At noon, Zhen went to feed the koi in the imperial garden. They’re all as fat as pigs and look listless. Tomorrow, they will be braised in soy sauce.
In the afternoon, Zhen went back to reviewing memorials. Why is it that no matter how many Zhen reviews, they never end.
The more Zhen works, the more Zhen wants to see Xuexue. The moment Zhen sees Xuexue, all the hardship will disappear.
In the evening, Zhen went for a walk in the imperial garden. As Zhen walked, Zhen ended up at the entrance of Zhujing Palace. Seeing it empty inside, the cold autumn wind is as icy as Zhen’s heart.
But Zhen cannot be immersed in sorrow for long. Zhen must continue to go back and review memorials.
In the middle of the night, Zhen’s heart suddenly beat rapidly twice. Zhen is afraid Zhen is about to die from overwork. Li Dequan knelt and begged Zhen to go to sleep.
Hilarious. Working more than six shichen a day and still not finishing the work.
The entire packet of letters contained not a single phrase saying “I miss you,” but every word screamed “I miss you.”
The Empress Dowager’s pupils quaked, her hands trembling. She had only seen the top sheet.
She couldn’t even imagine how much nonsense was in the thick stack.
Was this what an emperor’s letter home was supposed to look like?
Shouldn’t there be some admonishments for Bai Fuxue to focus on praying to Buddha, be filial to the Empress Dowager, and live in harmony with her sisters?
Bai Fuxue’s face clearly said, “I told you not to look. Can we not bring this humiliation upon ourselves?”
Not just the Empress Dowager, but Rong Baolin was also thoroughly frightened.
Rong Baolin had grown up in a prestigious noble family and was used to seeing her father and mother interact with courtesy and mutual respect, like honored guests.
Who had ever seen such a clingy, mushy letter?
Bai Fuxue pulled the letter from the Empress Dowager’s hands, folded it, and stuffed it back into the envelope.
Bai Fuxue said, “It’s getting late. It’s time for a nap. This concubine will return to her room to sleep for a while.”
The Empress Dowager’s voice was hoarse. “It has been less than two shichen since you woke up. It’s time to go pray for the nation’s fortune.”
Bai Fuxue replied, “Whether the nation has fortune depends on the monarch, not on this concubine kneeling before a Buddha statue to pray for it.”
Bai Fuxue’s lazy, sleepy eyes were exceptionally clear. “A fortune that is prayed for can one use it with a clear conscience?”
Rong Baolin felt a chill run down her spine under Bai Fuxue’s gaze, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.
She only breathed a sigh of relief after Bai Fuxue had completely left the lotus pond.
Zen Master Xinming slowly followed. The Empress Dowager called out to the master, pressing her palms together and bowing.
“Master, does Bai Fuxue have an affinity with Buddhism?”
Zen Master Xinming softly chanted, “Amitabha.”
“This humble monk cannot say for sure. This humble monk cannot say for sure. This humble monk only knows that Benefactor Bai is related to the nation’s destiny.”
The Empress Dowager’s heart was filled with shock and doubt!
The nation’s destiny?!