Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

The Empress Dowager turned her rosary beads a couple more times and nodded slightly:

"In this deep palace, listening to sutras and chanting Buddhist scriptures every day can calm the mind somewhat. Moreover, reading Buddhist scriptures can open the mind. What, you also understand Buddhism?"

...Thanks to the detox, Chen Shao decided not to open a single Buddhist scripture from now on.

I know a little bit about it.

Chen Shaoxi asked, "What scripture is the Empress Dowager reading?"

The Empress Dowager pushed the sutra toward him; the cover read "The Pure Heart Sutra".

"This sutra teaches how to calm the mind and cultivate one's character. I have been reading it for several years and my mind has indeed become much calmer."

Chen Shao neither agreed nor disagreed.

"Your subject once discussed Buddhist scriptures with the abbot of Puji Temple, and some of his remarks were truly thought-provoking."

"Oh?" The Empress Dowager, holding her prayer beads, said with a smile, "Read it to me."

"The body is a Bodhi tree, the mind a bright mirror; constantly wipe it clean, lest it be covered with dust."

"what!"

The Empress Dowager's delicate body trembled, and the prayer beads in her hand paused slightly.

These four sentences use a tree as a metaphor for the body and a mirror as a metaphor for the mind. Although they are not particularly profound, they are simple and sincere.

She was about to comment when she saw Chen Shao shake his head:

"Your subject told him that he was wrong. It should be: Bodhi has no tree, the bright mirror is not a stand; originally there is nothing, so where can dust alight?"

"Ah! Ah!"

The Empress Dowager completely collapsed.

She had been reading the Heart Sutra for several years and thought she had gained an understanding of Buddhism.

But these four sentences were beyond her comprehension; they seemed to represent a whole new world she had never encountered before.

"Bodhi has no tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand..."

The Empress Dowager murmured repeatedly.

Chen Shaohui didn't have many Buddhist scriptures, but he immediately threw them out for free.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should they be viewed."

pat!

The rosary beads fell to the ground.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

The Empress Dowager looked at Chen Shao as if he were a celestial being.

How could someone so young understand such Buddhist teachings?

"Where did you hear these things from...?"

"By chance, I met a highly accomplished Buddhist master, and I received thanks to him."

"Oh, is there anything else?" the Empress Dowager asked urgently.

Chen Shao bent down to pick up the prayer beads for her, returned them with both hands, and looked embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, that wise man said that Buddha can be saved by wearing gold, but unfortunately I don't have enough money. I only had enough to burn half a stick of incense for him, and I only heard these few words."

"The wise man said, if we are destined to meet again, we can continue next time; if we are not, we cannot force it."

"Isn't fate the origin?" The Empress Dowager finally realized.

"Not bad, what a pity!"

Chen Shao sighed deeply and gave a bitter smile:

"Your subject wishes to fulfill his filial duty by requesting a Buddhist inscription for the Empress Dowager, but due to his limited funds, he can only request a portion of it."

"Even a clever housewife can't make a fool of herself when she has no rice."

The Empress Dowager feigned anger:

"You silly child, it's just about money! Why didn't you ask your mother if you didn't have any?"

"How could such a highly accomplished person be compared to mere filthy creatures?"

"How much money do you need? I have plenty of money."

Chen Shao had no idea how much money it would cost, nor did he dare to push the Empress Dowager too far.

He tentatively asked, "Five hundred thousand taels?"

"A mere 500,000 taels? That won't do. It's not worthy of such a Buddhist verse. It should be at least 1 million taels."

"I will have someone send it to you later. You must find that expert again."

I rely on!

Chen Shao was stunned.

Sorry for the first time!

I should have just asked for five million taels of silver instead.

If she speaks again, the Empress Dowager will inevitably become suspicious.

Chen Shao was overjoyed and expressed his gratitude.

But then the Empress Dowager recited again that all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows.

Then her beautiful eyes swept over Chen Shao.

"Then tell me... is the physical body important to a cultivator?"

Chen Shao dared not respond carelessly.

Otherwise, I might lose my innocence tonight.

The Empress Dowager was only in her early thirties...

Can be imagined.

"This... Your son hasn't cultivated to that level yet."

The Empress Dowager sighed with disappointment.

That's when I remembered the important matter I needed to attend to tonight.

She sat upright, regaining her former grace as the Empress Dowager.

"Last time you said you went to the palace to visit brothels."

"At the time, I thought it was absurd, but after thinking about it later, I can understand it."

"You are, after all, at the age of youthful vigor, the time when you are most curious."

"Besides, you've just ascended the throne, and you don't even have anyone who cares about your well-being."

The Empress Dowager paused for a moment, then said, "Now that you are the Emperor, it is time for you to take concubines."

Ok?

Chen Shao's eyes lit up. What kind of underhanded trick was he going to pull this time?

A honey trap?

The Empress Dowager leaned forward slightly.

"I have found two respectable young ladies for you."

"The first one is Han Qingwan, the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Han. She is sixteen years old, well-educated and sensible, and proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy and painting."

"She is a renowned talented woman in the capital."

"The second one is Yuwen Zhu, the apple of the eye of General Yuwen Gu. Not only is she outstanding in appearance, but she is also a rare martial arts master. Her cultivation is even higher than that of her brother Yuwen Chen."

"Moreover, both families are pillars of the court, and they are your greatest support in securing your throne."

"Choose one of these two."

Who makes the choices for adults?

Chen Shao laughed:

"Since both ladies are so outstanding, it would make me seem unromantic if I were to let either of them down."

"Your Majesty, may I have both?"

The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard she was shaking uncontrollably.

"You have quite a temper, kid."

"Two it is fine, but who is the principal wife and who is the concubine, who will be the empress and who will be the consort, it all depends on your wishes."

"Everything is decided by the Empress Dowager."

......

......

The backyard of General Yuwen's mansion.

A detached little house, with its doors and windows tightly shut, was filled with a series of crackling sounds from inside.

The maids were so frightened that they shrank back and trembled, none of them daring to approach the door.

Yuwen Huagu stood outside the door, rubbing his hands and pacing back and forth.

With each round trip, he let out a sigh.

"Why!"

He only has one precious daughter, he can't bear to part with her!

However, the Empress Dowager gave a strict order that both of them must enter the palace.

The daughter was even more opposed to this matter than she was.

What should we do?!

Yuwen Gu cursed Han Cao's ancestors for eighteen generations several times.

He finally mustered up his courage and walked toward his daughter's boudoir.

It's more like a training room than a boudoir.

Long spears, scimitars, and iron whips hung on the wall, and several bronze stakes of varying heights stood in the corner. Stone locks and sandbags were scattered on the ground.

The once neatly arranged weapon rack was kicked over and turned to the ground.

Everything in the house that could be smashed was smashed to pieces.

Yuwen Gu had just stepped into the room.

A teacup flew right in front of me.

He shook his head slightly and gently pinched it between two fingers.

"My darling daughter, there's nothing I can do about it."

Yuwen Huagu immediately apologized.

She hunched over and leaned closer, her heart aching even more when she saw her daughter.

His daughter didn't inherit any of his genes in terms of appearance.

She was born with stunning beauty and a tall stature.

The only flaw is that his skin is a bit dark.

Otherwise, she could rival the Empress Dowager in beauty.

It's a pity that the beautiful flower is stuck in cow dung.

"Mingzhu, this is the Empress Dowager's decree. You can't just say you won't go..."

Yuwen Mingzhu suddenly pulled a red-tasseled spear from the bed.

The gun barrel was pressed against his neck.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at her beloved father, and she sobbed:

"My daughter swears she will never marry!"