"You are her personal guard, yet I have never seen you before," Night Tianyu said, looking at Mo Li with confusion.
"Miss has never summoned me before. Therefore, it is normal that you haven't seen me," Mo Li replied expressionlessly. "If the Fourth Prince wishes to see my lady, please wait until she wakes up. If you have matters to discuss with her, I can report to you."
"Is that so? Sister Yue has really hidden you well," Night Tianyu nodded and glanced at the tightly shut doors and windows. The curtains concealed the interior, so he couldn't see inside. He then withdrew his gaze. "I have nothing important to say! I just wanted to come and sit for a while. Where is Ye Qingran?"
"Young Prince took Miss to the door and then went to the Damo Ancestor Hall," Mo Li replied.
"Alright, since she is sleeping, I won't disturb her. I will also go to the Damo Ancestor Hall and return once she wakes up," Night Tianyu said before turning and leaving the courtyard. His earlier doubts were now dispelled. Since the old lord had arranged such a highly skilled hidden guard for Yun Qianyue, it was evident that her martial arts were impressive. This meant that her previous display of lightness by the scented spring was likely just for show.
Once Night Tianyu left, Mo Li also concealed himself and withdrew.
Yun Qianyue was aware that the Fourth Prince had come. Drowsily, she woke up, listened to the sound of footsteps fading away, and then dozed off again.
The courtyard was quiet, with no one to disturb her.
Not long after, Cai Lian, Ting Xue, and Ting Yu returned to the courtyard. The three began chattering about the amusing things they had seen that day. However, upon entering the courtyard and hearing the silence, they immediately lowered their voices. Cai Lian approached the door and gently pushed it open to take a peek inside. She hissed softly to the others, and they understood, thinking to themselves how well their mistress could sleep! Cai Lian then shut the door tightly, and the three of them tiptoed back to their rooms.
As night fell, the temple bells at Ling Tai Temple began to chime.
Yun Qianyue woke up, opened her eyes, and stretched comfortably. The sky was dark. She pushed aside the quilt, sat up, got out of bed, walked to the table, poured herself a glass of water, and gulped it down. After quenching her thirst, she approached the window and pulled back the curtains, letting in a sliver of moonlight. Outside, the sky was filled with stars.
"Miss, you are awake!" Cai Lian's voice came from outside as she heard movement in the room.
"Mm!" Yun Qianyue responded.
Cai Lian pushed the door open and entered, adjusting the wick of the lamp on the table. The room was instantly illuminated. She looked at Yun Qianyue standing by the window and smiled. "Miss, you really can sleep! We returned half a day ago, yet you still haven't woken up."
"I knew when you all returned. I only just fell asleep; I was taken to the back mountain to roast fish by Ye Qingran," Yun Qianyue recalled the delicious roasted fish they had, just as Ye Qingran had described.
"Turns out Miss and Young Prince Yan were roasting fish on the back mountain and nearly set it on fire? I heard someone started a fire to roast fish on the back mountain and then left without extinguishing it, which nearly ignited the surrounding firewood. Fortunately, the monks at the temple discovered it in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!" Cai Lian exclaimed in surprise.
"Mm?" Yun Qianyue was taken aback, turning to look at Cai Lian.
"Yes! When I heard about this, I wondered who dared to kill for food in the sacred land of Buddhism. I never expected it was you and Young Prince Yan. If it were anyone else, it would be quite extraordinary," Cai Lian replied immediately.
Yun Qianyue furrowed her brow in thought for a moment before recalling that she and Ye Qingran had indeed left without putting out the fire. It seemed that Night Tianqing and the others had also left without extinguishing it. She asked, "What happened afterward? How was it resolved?"
"The matter startled Master Lingyin, Young Master Jing, and the Abbot Ciyun, along with several elders from Ling Tai Temple! Fortunately, they discovered it early and extinguished the flames, so no damage was done. Originally, Abbot Ciyun was furious and wanted to investigate, but Young Master Jing said it was a festive occasion, and since no major disaster occurred, it need not be pursued. However, if it happens again, they would certainly be held accountable. Master Lingyin agreed, so Abbot Ciyun naturally did not pursue it further. But they have instructed the monks to keep a close watch and not allow anyone to roast fish again," Cai Lian said, laughing. "Miss, Young Master Jing must have known about your involvement, which is why he helped you. Otherwise, this would have been a serious offense against the Buddha. You and Young Prince Yan really caused a commotion. If the Emperor found out, who knows how he would blame both of you?"
"Oh no, we can't roast fish anymore! What a pity!" Yun Qianyue pouted.
Cai Lian looked at Yun Qianyue helplessly. After saying all that, her mistress only seemed to care about not being able to roast fish and hadn't absorbed anything else. So she repeated, "Miss, I said Young Master Jing helped you."
"Mm, he was doing a loyal man's duty. Naturally, he would help me cover it up, otherwise, he wouldn't escape unscathed," Yun Qianyue replied dismissively.
"Miss, did you not say that you had nothing to do with Young Master Jing? Why now do you admit that if something happened to you, he would be implicated?" Cai Lian chuckled. She found it amusing how her mistress seemed to be at odds with Young Master Jing for some unknown reason. Other girls would be overjoyed to receive his favor, yet her mistress seemed to want him to stay as far away as possible.
Yun Qianyue huffed, feeling no shame in her contradictory statements. She evaded the topic and changed the subject, asking, "What about Ye Qingran? Was he at the Damo Ancestor Hall at that time?"
She remembered that Ye Qingran had gone to the Damo Ancestor Hall when he had seen her back.
"Young Prince Yan did go to the Damo Ancestor Hall, but he didn't stay long. I saw him looking sprightly when he left, but shortly after, he started yawning and looked so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. Eventually, he yawned his way out. He probably went back to sleep like you," Cai Lian recalled, laughing at the memory of how Ye Qingran had looked. It seemed he found it hard to concentrate on the Buddhist scriptures.
"Truly, Ye Qingran and I are kindred spirits!" Yun Qianyue remarked with a sigh.
Cai Lian burst into laughter. "You and Young Prince Yan share similar interests!"
"Mm!" Yun Qianyue wholeheartedly agreed. She turned her gaze to the west wing courtyard, which was in darkness, and asked, "Is Rongjing still discussing with that old monk, or has he returned to rest?"
"They say Young Master Jing is debating with Master Lingyin, but it's mostly Master Lingyin doing the talking. Young Master Jing only occasionally interjects with points that hit the mark, illuminating the conversation. Even Master Lingyin praises him for his high Buddhist heart and understanding. However, he also mentions it's a pity he is not someone the Buddha would accept. Young Master Jing is destined to live in the mortal world, so he has no connection with the Buddhist realm." Cai Lian explained, "After their discussion, Young Master Jing was invited by Master Lingyin to play chess at his residence. He probably hasn't returned yet."
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The Dandy's Duchess
ChickLit"The Dandy's Duchess" tells the story of the youngest and most talented general of the National Security Bureau, who sacrifices his life for his country and finds his soul transported to another world, where he is reborn as Yun Qianyue, the only leg...
