Young widow in her boudoir

He met the Crown Prince.

The abbot stepped forward and clasped his hands together. "Your Highness, this humble monk has already settled the lady into the meditation room where you usually stay."

Li Guan then looked in the direction Xie Rutang had just left and hummed in agreement.

His features were calm and sharp, and he exuded a chilling aura of oppression, making it impossible to guess his moods.

He was traveling incognito today to Dao'an Temple to pray for the Empress Dowager, but unexpectedly he ran into Xie Rutang again, the same frail woman he had met on the mountain path last time.

When Li Guan arrived, he saw her kneeling in front of the Buddha statue. Hidden behind the Dharma banners and curtains, he saw her slender and frail body kneeling on the prayer mat, copying Buddhist scriptures for her deceased husband.

Even after losing her husband, she never cried. Xie Rutang was delicate yet strong-willed, and only occasionally, when no one was around, would her eyes redden slightly as she looked at the Buddha statue.

I never expected that she was a woman from the Shen family, a lady from a prominent family in the capital who lost her husband this year. She was actually a widow.

The following day, Xie Rutang obeyed her mother-in-law's orders and came to the Mahavira Hall to copy Buddhist scriptures. Li Guan was also there.

It was a cloudy morning with a strong wind blowing outside, but it just wouldn't rain. The dark clouds, soaked with moisture, hung heavily over the eaves.

The ancient trees outside the palace swayed in the wind, while the candlelight inside the palace shone brightly. Madam Shen's figure remained as supple as a willow in spring.

Xie Rutang wore a light blue embroidered orchid jacket.

For some reason, she looked even more charming and beautiful than when I saw her on the mountain path last time. Like a delicate flower that had been picked, her soft petals unfolded outwards, exuding tender affection.

Previously, Xie Rutang resembled a hibiscus; now, she looks more like a peony in a garden. She appears more like a mature woman, and possesses a greater charm.

This thought crossed Li Guan's mind.

In a daze, Li Guan seemed to hear her sobbing, but it was covered by the wind, and he was not sure if she was crying because of Shen Yuan.

At that moment, a gust of wind rushed into the palace.

Xie Rutang was pressing down a Buddhist scripture with a calligraphy brush when a mountain breeze blew it up, causing it to drift towards a nearby Buddhist banner and land right at the man's feet.

Li Guan glanced down and saw that the silk paper contained a woman's delicate and elegant calligraphy, and the Buddhist scriptures seemed to have been imbued with her faint fragrance, without the vulgar and heavy scent of rouge and powder.

Xie Rutang noticed and stood up, walking slowly toward him. She was extremely beautiful and had a graceful demeanor, which must have been due to her extensive reading of poetry and books in her youth.

Li Guan thought to himself, "This young master of the Shen family has married a virtuous and refined woman. It's rare for an ordinary woman to have such beautiful handwriting. Shen Yuan is truly blessed; his wife is an absolute beauty."

Unfortunately, he was not fortunate enough to enjoy it.

A hint of indifference flashed across Li Guan's fierce eyes.

Through the Dharma banner, Xie Rutang saw the man's fingers handing out the Buddhist scripture from inside, and assumed he was a monk chanting scriptures behind the curtain in the hall.

She parted her lips slightly, "Thank you for your trouble, Master."

After thanking her, she reached out to take the Buddhist scriptures.

But as he handed it to her, the man's calloused fingertips inadvertently brushed lightly against her wrist.

As if struck by lightning, Xie Rutang gripped the Buddhist scripture tightly, her heart filled with shock and disbelief. She never expected the monks in this temple to be so audacious!

Her cheeks flushed red, the blush spreading to the corners of her eyes, but Xie Rutang forced herself not to lash out.

She was a lady from a prominent family, a respected figure in the capital. If people found out that she, a widow, had been harassed by a monk in a temple, her reputation would be ruined!

Xie Rutang forced herself to remain calm. She quietly accepted the Buddhist scripture and returned to her seat to copy it. However, she had only copied a few pages when she hurriedly left the Great Buddha Hall with her maid.

Even Li Guan was surprised by the yellow banner; he frowned and looked at his palm.

He actually touched the widow's small hand; it felt smooth and white, like tofu.

According to etiquette, she was a court official's wife.

Li Guan's hand was used to handling weapons and fighting on the battlefield for many years, so his fingers were rougher than those of an ordinary man, and there was even a terrifying sword mark on the tiger's mouth.

He had accidentally touched Xie Rutang's hand just now. The woman's thin, snow-white skin was so smooth that he was afraid his rough hands would scratch it, just like the softest silk hidden in a treasure chest.

After Madam Shen left, Chen Fu, who had been afraid of disturbing his mood, finally appeared in the hall. He glanced at the dark clouds pressing down outside the hall, and then looked at the man in black robes standing with his hands behind his back in the main hall. "Your Highness, you have been at the temple for two days. The Crown Princess is urging you to return from the Eastern Palace."

Not long after, Li Guan left Daoan Temple.

……

At noon, the temple prepared a vegetarian meal for them.

Jin Yue served the rice, along with a plate of cabbage, stewed tofu, and vegetarian pancakes, as well as some appetizing pickled vegetables.

Xie Rutang had just returned to his meditation room and was about to take a short nap after finishing his vegetarian meal.

Unexpectedly, Shen Xiaoxiao, with her keen sense of smell, came over as soon as she heard the scent. She had already found out that Xie Rutang was not living with them at the East Zen Temple.

She came to see what kind of environment Xie Rutang lived in. She originally wanted to make fun of her sister-in-law, but she was dumbfounded after seeing it.

Although the meditation room wasn't large, it exuded sophistication and elegance in every detail. A glass incense burner sat beside the low couch, and all the utensils here were of high quality, especially given the serene and tranquil environment of the bamboo grove.

Xie Rutang's meditation room on the west side was far superior to hers!

Shen Xiaoxiao's eyes reddened with jealousy. Why did Xie Rutang get to live in such a nice place?

This meditation room is even better than hers!

Shen Xiaoxiao was extremely anxious. She felt a strong sense of injustice and couldn't bear to see Xie Rutang settle down so peacefully.

Shen Xiaoxiao, unconvinced, immediately retorted, "Sister-in-law, how can you afford to stay in such an elegant meditation room?"

Her tone made it sound as if she wasn't worthy.

Xie Rutang was sitting on the couch reading a book. Even she was a little surprised, but she just thought it was good luck.

Xie Rutang spoke to her in a very indifferent tone: "This room just happened to be the only one left in the temple. It was the abbot's kindness that arranged for me to stay here. Yesterday, you were the ones who chose the rooms first. You picked the spacious and luxurious superior room, so I had to choose this quiet place. Now you're still complaining and even eyeing my place?"

Her gaze fell silently on Shen Xiaoxiao, radiating an icy chill.

"Younger sister-in-law, one should never be too greedy, lest you suffer the consequences of your actions."