pillow bird spring

Shen Yinshuang composed herself and continued walking forward.

Cui Xi supported Shen Yinshuang throughout.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Shen Yinshuang walked from the back of the carriage to the front.

But along the way, she had already sensed that something was wrong.

The further they went, the less Shen Yinshuang could see anyone.

All that remained were the servants bustling about, unloading things from the carriages.

Cui Lingyi is nowhere to be seen.

Only Cui Lingyi's carriage remained in place.

"Excuse me, where is Miss Cui?" Shen Yinshuang asked a servant after a moment of silence.

The servant waved his hand impatiently: "It's this late, of course we should go to Kaiyuan Temple!"

After saying that, the servant hurriedly carried the things away.

Shen Yingshuang frowned, and Cuixi grabbed her hand: "Miss Shen, didn't we just enter Chengde? How come we're already at Kaiyuan Temple?"

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it and go inside. We'll find someone eventually." Shen Yinshuang forced herself to calm down.

Every year, the Empress Dowager would come to Kaiyuan Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings.

However, ancestral worship is only held once every three years.

The Emperor had already held a ancestral worship ceremony the year before Shen Yinshuang and Pei Shouan got married.

Therefore, it's impossible for them to come along.

When the next round of ancestral worship took place, Shen Yingshuang and Pei Shouan reached a dead end.

So she didn't come.

Shen Yinshuang was unfamiliar with Kaiyuan Temple.

Logically speaking, once we arrive in Chengde, we won't immediately enter Kaiyuan Temple, since the temple is located in the northernmost part of Chengde, on a mountain.

Most people will stay at the Chengde Mountain Resort for a few days.

She bit her lip slightly, lowered her eyes, and quickened her pace.

But whenever Shen Yinshuang walks fast, her kneecaps ache terribly.

It wasn't just my kneecap; it felt like the pain was affecting my entire leg—it was excruciating.

Starting from the feet and moving upwards.

Ultimately, the speed will just keep getting slower and slower.

Cui Xi, of course, knew this and carefully helped Shen Yinshuang up.

"Young lady, please slow down, don't rush," Cui Xi whispered, trying to persuade her.

Shen Yinshuang held Cuixi's hand, and Cuixi could feel that her palms were sweaty.

It's because it hurts.

It's early winter now, and the temperature is very low; it's impossible to be hot enough to sweat.

Shen Yinshuang didn't say anything, she just walked quietly.

Kaiyuan Temple is located halfway up the mountain, so you have to climb up to get there.

She wasn't a mistress, so she couldn't have a sedan chair; she had to rely on herself step by step.

Thinking about it, Shen Yinshuang sighed and looked at Kaiyuan Temple halfway up the mountain, as well as the long staircase.

She surrendered.

But the unease that weighed on her heart grew stronger and stronger.

As she walked, Shen Yinshuang was already drenched in cold sweat.

Every step was incredibly difficult.

"Miss, please get into the sedan chair." Suddenly, a servant walked up to Shen Yinshuang.

Shen Yinshuang was slightly taken aback, as the servants had already placed the sedan chair on the ground.

"I can see you've had a hard time walking. And given your clothes and appearance, you're probably not a servant, so it's normal for you to be riding in a sedan chair," the servant said with a smile.

Assess the situation and act accordingly.

It's something every lackey must know.

Although Shen Yinshuang was only a concubine, a concubine was not much better than a servant.

But at the very least, Xiao Yin never skimped on Shen Yinshuang's food, clothing, or daily necessities.

Therefore, Shen Yinshuang's clothes were made of the finest materials.

On ordinary days, Xiao Yin would have his steward send over some jewelry, but Shen Yinshuang would only choose the simplest pieces to wear.

She didn't want to cause trouble for Xiao Yin.

But how could the servants not understand, especially the servants in the palace?

"Miss, let me help you up." Cui Xi reacted very quickly. "Young man, thank you, this is just a small token of my appreciation."

Cui Xi took out a very small amount of silver from her pocket and handed it over.

The servant accepted it with a smile, and the two shared some, nodding their thanks: "Miss, you're too kind."

Seeing this, Shen Yinshuang suppressed her uneasy premonition and, with Cuixi's help, got into the sedan chair.

The sedan chair steadily made its way towards Kaiyuan Temple.

After the sedan chair left, a tall figure appeared under the shade of the tree.

Xiao Yin stood with his hands behind his back, remaining in place.

Behind him stood Nangong Zhao, the youngest civil official in the Zhou Dynasty and the Minister of Justice.

They wielded immense power.

However, compared to Xiao Yin, Nangong Zhao has the Nangong family behind him.

Xiao Yin has nothing left.

"You've considered every little detail, haven't you?" Nangong Zhao said jokingly.

Xiao Yin did not respond.

Nangong Zhao didn't seem to mind and continued, "Judging from your expression, you haven't really let go of Shen Yingshuang completely, have you? Otherwise, when she betrayed you and married Pei Shou'an, you wouldn't have needed to go to the trouble of bringing her out of the brothel after she was divorced."

Nangong Zhao spoke bluntly, his eyes still fixed on Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin then looked at Nangong Zhao calmly and said, "You're overthinking it. I just want to torture her."

"Ha..." Nangong Zhao didn't believe it at all. "Torture her. According to Song Jian and Physician Cheng, you make her walk from the bottom to Kaiyuan Temple. I guarantee her legs will be ruined today."

Nangong Zhao smiled mischievously, as if he had once again put the initiative in front of Xiao Yin.

"Are you very free lately? Doesn't the Emperor give you any trouble?" Xiao Yin asked Nangong Zhao indifferently.

Nangong Zhao pleaded, "Don't mess with me."

Only then did he change the subject and follow Xiao Yin toward Kaiyuan Temple.

Their expressions gradually turned serious, and their voices became extremely low.

Outsiders can't hear it.

But Nangong Zhao's words vaguely mentioned the previous dynasty.

Soon, the two calmly entered Kaiyuan Temple.

At that time—

The servants carried the sedan chair and stopped Shen Yinshuang at the side gate of Kaiyuan Temple.

"Miss Shen, please enter through the side door. The main entrance is currently only for the Emperor, Empress Dowager, Imperial Concubine, and officials of the second rank or above," the servant whispered to Shen Yinshuang.

Within the deep palace walls, rules and regulations are as numerous as hairs on a cow.

One wrong move and someone's head will roll.

Neither Shen Yinshuang nor Cui Xi were from the palace, so naturally they were unaware of this.

Many people risk their lives to learn even a single word of these rules.

"Thank you," Shen Yinshuang said.

The servant said nothing and left silently.

Cui Xi helped Shen Yinshuang walk quietly through the side door.

Cui Xi also quieted down, because the atmosphere here was really too tense.

Upon entering Kaiyuan Temple, Cuixi asked the sweeping monk and thus learned roughly where Cui Lingyi was.

Shen Yinshuang remained silent throughout, leading Cuixi towards the side rooms on the back mountain.

Kaiyuan Temple was a royal temple.

The Empress Dowager came every year, and there was a fixed place for the female relatives to live.

The mountain behind Kaiyuan Temple is extremely large, but it is only slightly smaller than the imperial palace in Chengde.

It can accommodate several hundred people without any problem.

The closer she got, the stronger the unease that weighed on Shen Yinshuang's heart became.

Suddenly, a nanny came out with a frown, clearly coming for Shen Yingshuang.

Shen Yinshuang looked up and saw that it was a palace maid.

Her unease became even more pronounced.

Before she could even speak, Wang Mama's mocking voice rang out.

"Miss Shen, why are you so slow! Anyone who didn't know better would think you were some extraordinary person, making everyone wait?" Granny Wang sneered. "I wonder if Miss Shen is truly remarkable, or if she simply doesn't respect the Empress Dowager at all."