The next day, Tong Yibin took leave because of discomfort in his eyes.
Su Zhouyue planned to take Tong Aning to Ning'an Temple to offer incense.
Tong Aning glanced at Tong Yibin.
Tong Yi'an was trying to get Tong Yibin to eat.
"Big Brother, eat."
Tong Yibin shook his head.
"Big Brother, eat this. This one's good."
Tong Yibin pushed away the pastry Tong Yi'an offered him. "I can't eat."
If Big Brother couldn't eat, these things must not taste good enough. Tong Yi'an ran out of the room, planning to fetch what she considered the most delicious thing in the world for him.
She had heard that when Big Brother pushed open the door yesterday, neither of those two had been wearing anything, and they hadn't even covered themselves with a quilt. They had just...
Poor Big Brother!
Tong Aning withdrew her gaze and asked, "Mother, are you going to ask for a protection talisman for Big Brother?"
Su Zhouyue shook her head. "A protection talisman won't help. I need a talisman to drive away unclean things."
[Is there such a talisman?]
Tong Aning reminded her, "Mother, what Big Brother saw yesterday wasn't an ordinary unclean thing."
Tong Aning meant that talismans probably wouldn't work.
Su Zhouyue slapped her palm. "Exactly, so we need several. Ideally, we should have one drawn on the spot."
Tong Aning: "..."
Su Zhouyue walked to the bedside. "Yibin, get some rest. Leave the rest to Mother."
Tong Yibin: "..."
He felt as though his head hurt even more. Tong Yibin raised a hand to his forehead.
"Heavens, are you remembering yesterday's scene again?"
Su Zhouyue took Tong Aning by the hand. "Aning, let's hurry."
Tong Aning: "..."
The two passed Tong Yi'an, who was returning in high spirits with candied hawthorn skewers.
Su Zhouyue instructed, "Take good care of the eldest young master and the fifth young miss."
The servants answered in unison, "Yes."
Ning'an Temple.
Tong Aning stepped down from the carriage. Ning'an Temple had always drawn many worshippers, and Tong Aning also spotted the carriage from Prince Yong's Residence.
"Mother, does the heir believe in Buddhism too?"
Su Zhouyue glanced over and said quietly, "Today is the anniversary of the prince and princess's deaths."
Tong Aning fell silent.
Su Zhouyue led Tong Aning inside.
After worshipping the Buddha in the main hall, Su Zhouyue went to ask for talismans.
Su Zhouyue told the monk drawing talismans what had happened. Once she finished, she said earnestly, "Please bestow a few talismans upon my son, Master."
[Xixi, do you think everyone who comes for talismans has to tell their story?]
[Perhaps, but your mother is probably the first to recount every last detail.]
Tong Aning: "..."
Su Zhouyue said, "Aning, go have a look around. I'll come find you later."
Tong Aning nodded.
Ning'an Temple was enormous.
Tong Aning headed toward the guest rooms at the back, but when she turned through a doorway, someone stopped her.
"A ritual is being performed inside. Please take another route, miss."
"All right."
Tong Aning felt a little embarrassed. Thinking of what Su Zhouyue had said earlier, perhaps the ritual inside was for Prince Yong and his princess.
Concealed by the moon gate, Tong Aning solemnly bowed toward the place where the ritual was being held.
[I wonder whether the Heir of Prince Yong encountered an assassination attempt, and whether my information was any use to him.]
The door to a guest room opened, and Xue Lin stepped out, just in time to see an apricot-colored hem disappear beside the moon gate.
Tong Aning was at Ning'an Temple today too?
Without Tong Aning's information, he could not have survived that assassination attempt unscathed.
Xue Lin would remember this kindness. He would certainly repay Tong Aning someday.
Tong Aning stood idly outside the main hall. She plucked some wild grass and wove a grasshopper. By the time she finished, Su Zhouyue had come out.
Tong Aning casually set the grasshopper on the railing beside her, lifted her skirts, and ran to Su Zhouyue.
Hooking her arm through Su Zhouyue's, Tong Aning asked, "Mother, did you get them?"
Su Zhouyue raised her brows in satisfaction. "Yes. The master said they'll definitely work."
[Amitabha. Surely the master wouldn't lie?]
Of course he wouldn't lie.
Su Zhouyue looked at Tong Aning and said earnestly, "Sincerity makes prayers work."
Tong Aning: "..."
"I'm very sincere, Mother."
Especially when worshipping the God of Wealth.
Mother and daughter were about to leave when they encountered guards clearing a path.
The crown prince had come too?
[He's here to pay his respects to Prince Yong and his princess, isn't he?]
[Nope.]
That was understandable too. Tong Aning thought nothing of it. Holding Su Zhouyue's hand and playing with her fingers, she planned to leave with Su Zhouyue once the guards passed.
But the guards stopped.
Tong Aning looked over from a distance. The crown prince was speaking to someone.
[Xixi, who's that?]
[Yang Rong and Feng Chu's elder sister, Feng Jingruo.]
Tong Aning remembered that Feng Chu did seem to have an elder sister.
Yang Rong had spoiled Feng Chu until he knew no bounds. Feng Jingruo had always stayed by his side, trying to persuade him. The two had once quarreled furiously, but their relationship had now eased somewhat.
Yang Rong had brought Feng Jingruo here today to pray for a marriage match.
Lately, for some unknown reason, Feng Chu had suddenly seen the light. Not only had his studies advanced by leaps and bounds, but Feng Bo had repeatedly praised him at home. What would happen if those two joined forces?
She had to marry Feng Jingruo off quickly!
But not to the crown prince!
Yang Rong gave the crown prince perfunctory replies, but he said the scenery in Ning'an Temple's rear courtyard was lovely and invited Feng Jingruo to stroll with him.
The donkey's lips didn't fit the horse's mouth.
Yet Yang Rong could not refuse the crown prince outright.
Fortunately, Feng Jingruo said, "Thank you for your kind invitation, Your Highness, but I'm about to return home with Mother."
Yang Rong hurriedly said, "Yes, yes."
Since the beauty was unwilling, the crown prince could hardly force her. He nodded. Just as Yang Rong was leading Feng Jingruo into the hall, His Majesty arrived.
Yang Rong: "?"
Why was Ning'an Temple so bustling today?
Had she known, she would have brought Feng Jingruo tomorrow to pray for a marriage match.
Yang Rong was filled with regret.
"You're here too, Crown Prince?"
"Yes, Father."
The emperor patted the crown prince's shoulder. "How thoughtful of you."
The crown prince glanced at Feng Jingruo beside Yang Rong and gritted his teeth. "Father, I have feelings for Miss Feng Jingruo of the Feng family. Please grant us a marriage."
The crown prince failed to notice that the smile on the emperor's face had abruptly frozen. "Grant you a marriage?"
[Go on, grant it. Feng Jingruo already has someone she likes. After their wedding, she and the crown prince became a resentful couple. To escape him, she actually gave him a slow-acting poison. The crown prince died when the poison took effect, and the emperor never recovered from the blow. The barbarians swallowed up nearly half the realm.]
The emperor's heart pounded wildly.
Wasn't it just a marriage?
How could it hold so many dangers?
Those few words from Tong Aning frightened the emperor into breaking out in sweat all over his forehead.
Eunuch Wang promptly offered a silk handkerchief. The emperor wiped his sweat and glanced into the crowd, meeting a pair of clear, bright eyes.
The emperor chuckled despite himself. Tong Aning really wasn't afraid of him at all.
Fortunately, Tong Aning was here today. Otherwise...
The emperor would not have granted the marriage today, but if the crown prince kept wheedling and pestering him afterward, that might have changed.
The emperor put on a stern face. "Today is the anniversary of your imperial uncle and aunt's deaths. Never mind that you haven't offered them incense-you actually ask me to grant you a marriage? You heartless creature!"
The crown prince's heart jolted. "Father, I know I was wrong."
"Good that you know. Once you return, observe three days of fasting and abstinence, and pray for them."
"Yes."
After the emperor left, the crown prince clenched his fists.
Prince Yong's Residence again.
Not only had Father made the heir study alongside him, but he had even rejected his request for a marriage because of this.
What was Father trying to do?
Did Father favor Prince Yong's Residence over him?
Having watched the commotion, Tong Aning should have left immediately. Instead, she walked over to Feng Jingruo, drew her aside, and whispered a few words in her ear.
Feng Jingruo nodded.
Feng Jingruo had heard that sudden voice too. At first, she had been startled. She would actually poison the crown prince?
But upon careful thought, if she had to spend her life with someone she disliked and endure a lifetime of torment, Feng Jingruo was capable of poisoning him.
Tong Aning urged her to settle her engagement to the person she liked as soon as possible.
Feng Jingruo knew Tong Aning was helping her.
Tong Aning had already left with Su Zhouyue, but Feng Jingruo still remembered how she looked. Her apricot-colored dress set off her fresh, unworldly beauty. The young girl was like a fine piece of uncut jade, untouched by the world's carving, clear and natural.
Feng Jingruo said, "Mother, let's leave too."
"All right."
Yang Rong asked again, "Do you truly have no interest in the crown prince?"
Feng Jingruo shook her head.
"But he's the crown prince."
"I don't like him. I'd rather poison him."
Yang Rong: "!!!"
What was this wretched girl saying? She might not value her life, but Yang Rong still valued hers!
Yang Rong tugged Feng Jingruo along and hurried away.
When Sichen told Xue Lin about these events, he was indignant. "The prince and princess even held the crown prince when he was little. How heartless."
"Sichen, be careful with your words and actions. The crown prince is not someone we may discuss."
Sichen pressed his lips together and said quietly, "This subordinate simply couldn't swallow the anger."
"Father and Mother have been gone for several years. It is only natural for the world to forget them."
The heir wasn't angry?
Had the sun risen in the west?
Sichen looked over and saw a grasshopper in Xue Lin's hand. It passed between Xue Lin's fingertips, looking lifelike.
Sichen's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "My lord, the princess used to love weaving grasshoppers too. Where did this come from?"
"I found it."
Where had he found it? Sichen wanted to find one too.
But when the words reached his lips, they became-
"Perhaps the princess is watching over you, my lord."
Xue Lin's hand trembled.
Author's note: