After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

I ate a vegetarian meal with a heart full of fear.

After the meal, the old lady went to her room to rest, leaving only Granny Tian to take care of her. Xie Qinghe talked with Liu Yuansheng for a while, and then went back to rest as well.

Xie Qinghe kept talking about having children. She repeatedly told Liu Yuansheng that the best time to have sex was within three hours of taking the talisman water. She told Liu Yuansheng not to be lazy and to quickly have sex with Xiao Jinghan. She didn't need to be too shy just because they were at Yuxu Temple.

Just as Xie Qinghe finished giving her instructions, Xiao Jinghan walked over and, seeing the two of them whispering together, asked, "What were you and your sister-in-law talking about?"

Liu Yuansheng's face was still flushed, and she looked embarrassed. "I didn't say anything." She quickly changed the subject, "Does Your Highness want to go back to your quarters to rest?"

Xiao Jinghan shook his head. "I won't go back."

He took a breath of fresh air and said enthusiastically, "Since I've finally gotten out of the house, I'm planning to wander around. What about you?"

"Me?" Liu Yuansheng hesitated for a moment before telling the truth, "I want to go visit Abbess Jing'an."

"It's me who needs to visit Abbess Jing'an, not that I want to visit Abbess Jing'an," Liu Yuansheng said, her attitude quite firm. Xiao Jinghan glanced at Liu Yuansheng with some surprise. "You miss Abbess Jing'an very much?"

Liu Yuansheng nodded: "Master Jing'an has raised me and is my only family in this world. Of course I miss her."

"Alright, go ahead," Xiao Jinghan said. "Remember to bring a few extra people with you."

Liu Yuansheng: "Okay."

After saying that, he bowed slightly to Xiao Jinghan and left with Ying'er.

After Liu Yuansheng left, Xiao Jinghan didn't stay idle either. He called his attendants to stroll around the Jade Void Temple.

As I climbed the stone steps to Songhetai halfway up the mountain, I was thinking of picking some pine cones to feed my ferret when I suddenly saw two familiar figures sitting under the lone pine tree on the cliff edge.

The two were playing chess. The man holding the white piece appeared to be in his forties, dressed in a blue-gray robe and a dark blue crepe cloth. He had a handsome face, like jade, and a refined and elegant demeanor. The young man sitting opposite him was slender and tall, with delicate features and a gloomy air. He was none other than Jin Gongzheng, who had just returned from reporting for duty.

The person playing chess with Jin Gongzheng was His Highness Prince Ming, who was deeply loved by the people.

Prince Ming is the current emperor's uncle. Back then, Prince Qingyuan, Li Zhaolin, raised an army to rebel. He was surrounded and pursued by Prince Ming and Emperor Jingcheng, who was then Prince Jin, and died at Baiying Pass.

Afterwards, Prince Ming escorted Prince Jin all the way to the throne. Once Prince Jin had secured his rule, he retired from public life and secluded himself in the deep mountains to cultivate his mind and body, write books and refine elixirs, rarely participating in important court affairs.

Therefore, Xiao Jinghan was not surprised to see Ming Wang and Jin Gongzheng playing chess there.

He stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness, you are in high spirits, having chosen such a beautiful and auspicious place to play chess."

"Lord Xiao?" Seeing Xiao Jinghan approach, Ming Wang put down his chess piece and said with a smile, "What a coincidence, you're also at Yuxu Temple."

"I had a day off today, so I came to the Jade Void Temple with my grandmother to perform a ritual. I never expected to run into Your Highness." Xiao Jinghan greeted Jin Gongzheng with a polite bow. "Lord Jin is here too!"

Jin Gongzheng stood up. "Lord Xiao, it's been a long time."

Xiao Jinghan smiled and said, "Lord Jin looks even thinner. It must be from the exhaustion of investigating the case."

"My body is simply too weak," Jin Gongzheng said. "I can't compare to Lord Xiao, who has practiced martial arts since childhood and has a robust physique."

Xiao Jinghan smiled noncommittally, stepped forward, stared at the chessboard, and analyzed with an air of seriousness, "Prince Ming, you're about to lose! You should have played here!"

He stretched out his hand and gestured on the chessboard. Ming Wang laughed and brushed him away, "Alright, alright, you've always been a terrible chess player, so don't try to instruct me."

"Alright then, I won't cause any more trouble," Xiao Jinghan said. "Your Highness and Lord Jin, please continue. I'll take my leave."

Ming Wang and Jin Gongzheng nodded in acknowledgment and watched Xiao Jinghan leave.

"Young Master is truly dashing." As soon as Xiao Jinghan left, Jin Gongzheng immediately sat down and said, "However, this humble subject has a question. Young Master Xiao is clearly a military man by birth, and was about to be appointed by His Majesty as a second-rank general. Why did he give up such a high-ranking position and generous salary, and willingly become a minor Left Vice Censor-in-Chief in the Censorate?"

"You'll probably have to ask him that yourself," King Ming said with a smile, placing a chess piece down. "It's your turn."

Jin Gongzheng looked down and saw that Ming Wang had placed the chess piece in the position that Xiao Jinghan had just pointed out.

He picked up a chess piece but hesitated to place it. "Something unusual must be going on. Therefore, I intend to test Prince Xiao and see if he is worthy of His Majesty's trust."

-

Following the familiar stone-paved path, Liu Yuansheng arrived at Shuiyue Nunnery.

It was Abbess Jingxuan who opened the door. When Abbess Jingxuan saw Liu Yuansheng arrive, she was taken aback at first, then her eyes flickered as she let her in and led her to the meditation room.

Liu Yuansheng didn't speak to Abbess Jingxuan the whole way, only gazing at the devastated state of Shuiyue Nunnery, its bricks, tiles, and every blade of grass. She had lived in this small nunnery since she could remember, experiencing the warmth of family, as well as humiliation and exclusion. In the end, she left with a tarnished reputation and stepped into the Prime Minister's mansion, where she lived an even more miserable life.

After that, she married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Although there were still some unpleasant things that happened, it was much better than the days she spent at Shuiyue Nunnery and Xitou Village.

She waited alone in the meditation room for a long time. Finally, the door opened and Master Jing'an walked in.

Master Jing'an wore a dark brown, diagonally-buttoned long gown, holding a string of glossy bodhi beads. Her lips were habitually pursed downwards, giving her a slightly sorrowful expression. Liu Yuansheng's eyes reddened upon seeing her. "Master..."

"Yuansheng." Abbess Jing'an gently hugged Liu Yuansheng, and as soon as she opened her mouth, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. "Seeing that you are safe and sound, I am relieved."

Liu Yuansheng leaned on Master Jing'an's shoulder, silently shedding tears. "I'm fine, Master, you don't need to worry."

After letting herself cry for a while, she wiped away her tears and looked Master Jing'an up and down. "Master, how are you? Liu Jingyuan didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

"No, after you successfully married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Prime Minister Liu sent someone to bring me back."

Master Jing'an sighed, "Originally, I thought your father would take you back and make it up to you, but who would have thought... sigh..."

Abbess Jing'an shook her head, her eyes filled with heartache for Liu Yuansheng. Liu Yuansheng smiled wistfully, "Everything is fate. If I didn't look like my mother, my father wouldn't have recognized me and taken me back to the Prime Minister's residence. Since they don't like me, I'll just stop associating with them..."

"Yes, you're now a member of the Duke of Zhenguo's household, so you don't need to pay them any attention anymore," Master Jing'an asked. "I heard that the Duke of Zhenguo's heir is unruly and difficult to get along with. He... hasn't bullied you, has he?"