Chapter 498 Bring Buddha Offerings to the Mountain!

“What do you find?” Hands behind, Chu Liuchen stood next to a window with his eyes looking peaceful and mild. The sunlight in the morning was not hot and the oblique band of sunlight shone on the window.

It was a good place as people outside could not notice this extra hidden attic with the gradient eave sheltering. Although people outside could not see it, people inside could see the view outside very clearly.

“Nothing. They said nobody is absent. The palace just sent people to check again secretly,” Xiao Xuanzi said reverently and handed over a confidential letter.

Chu Liuchen took and looked through it. The letter was a name list which included all names of the former Emperor’s concubines who were locked in the nunnery. Some with a high status were locked with their servants followed while others were grounded there alone.

His gaze fell upon several names at the bottom of the list. Then he turned around and put it on the desk. He wrote on the paper causally with a pen in his hand and then he knocked the table while pointing the list with his chin, saying, “Just these.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I am about to finish the task!” Xiao Xuanzi stepped forward when putting the confidential letter into his sleeve. However, he said when he was about to leave, “Your Highness, a girl in the palace, well, she, she wants to see you.”

He pointed outside the window across which it was the imperial palace.

“I don’t feel good. Send her away,” answered Chu Liuchen coldly.

“But, what about the soup?” Hesitant, Xiao Xuanzi asked. He was very familiar with this scene which would be played all these days. He also knew that his master would refuse but as his servant, he had to report to his master.

“As usual, dump it.” Sitting in a chair, Chu Liuchen picked up a document and began to read. There was no other expression on his calm and cold face. Even though he just said those words, he didn’t look as cold as he actually was, which Xiao Xuanzi was very clear about.

He tried to persuade him but when noticing Chu Liuchen’s expression, he gave up and left resignedly as smacking his lips. After all, he didn’t know how to persuade his master.

Standing under the attic, he then headed to the side entrance which was connected to a palace gate.

Near the side door stood a beautiful palace maid with a food basket in her hand. Seeing Xiao Xuanzi coming, she quickly ran to him and asked, “Your Highness’ answer?”

“You’d better take it back. My master says he will dump it if bringing this into the room,” said Xiao Xuanzi, staring at the palace maid with a resigned expression.

The palace maid looked sad and the basket fell down. But soon she picked it up and brought it to Xiao Xuanzi, sobbing, “I make this by myself. I, I got up very early in the morning and made this by myself. If Your Highness doesn’t like it, then dump it. At least, I have brought it here and Your Highness knows that!”

After that, the palace maid wiped away her tear and left directly.

Looking at her figure and the basket in his hand now, Xiao Xuanzi shook his head very resignedly. Then he brought it back and dumped it according to his master’s order.

After dumping the soup, he had to deal with a series of affairs. He didn’t expect that Yuhui Nunnery would witness such an incident so his master might have to rearrange the plan. As for the stuff which he had to send to Fifth Miss Shao, he needed to find a more suitable one.

“This lock seems to be very old, isn’t it?” Shocked, Shao Wanru stared at the closed lock which was hung on the wall. Actually, there was not only a lock but also its old chain. The conjunction of some parts had become a little rusty, which would definitely make people think it was an old lock.

Compared with the two locks Rui’an Great Elder Princess gave her, this was much more suitable.

“This one is much like a lock which has been used for two or three years!” Watching the lock carefully and then the two locks Great Elder Princess brought, Yujie found this one was definitely better than the one lying at the corner. It seemed to have a history of two or three years but it wasn’t too rusty when compared with those locks Great Elder Princess took.

Great Elder Princess brought two locks; one was too rusty while the other was not old enough which didn’t seem like an old lock. However, the one Chu Liuchen took was in sync with what Shao Wanru thought.

“Send the highly rusty one back to grandma. Throw the other lock sent by grandma and the lock before deep into the mountain!” Shao Wanru was content with the lock and then said.

“Miss, why not send two locks back to Great Elder Princess?” Yujie asked confusedly.

“If we send both these two locks back, when the plan begins to be implemented, grandma has to ask the source of the lock!” Shao Wanru smiled and meant it.

Rolling her eyes, Yujie quickly understood and immediately picked up the highly rusty one, saying, “Miss, now I would let the servant from Great Elder Princess’ mansion bring back this one and leave the other one here!”

Great Elder Princess left Yuhui Nunnery yesterday but today she sent a servant to bring gifts to Shao Wanru, among which there hid two old locks.

The servant of Great Elder Princess’ mansion was still waiting outside. If Shao Wanru was not satisfied, it was necessary to find another suitable one according to Great Elder Princess.

“Off you go,” said Shao Wanru, nodding.

Yujie walked out with the lock but soon came back with her eyebrows tightened. “Miss, Old Madam brings some Buddha offerings to Yuhui Nunnery and wants you to take care of those things these days.”

Buddha offering was oblation prepared by a mansion. They had to be put in a nunnery for a few days. If people from that mansion who brought to the sacred place took care of it, it would seem much more sincere and useful by lighting the candles in person everyday than only putting the offerings in the nunnery.

The instant her grandma just left, then there came people from Duke Xing’s Mansion. How anxious they seemed to be!

“Nobody else?” Lifting up a corner of her mouth, Shao Wanru smiled with a trace of sarcasm in her enchanting eyes.

“It is said that First Miss is about to take care of these offerings but she can’t come because of something else. Old Madam has made her wish to Buddha before so she claims that she intends to send these offerings in order to redeem her vow to the Buddha. Since you are here, she then doesn’t send others to come. Old Madam will come here to present her votive offerings in a few days.”

Yujie said.

“Let her in.” Shao Wanru paused for a moment and then said.

Yujie nodded and then she brought an old maid inside.

The old maid first bowed to Shao Wanru with a smile after entering the room. The instant she saw Fifth Miss Shao’s face, she was amazed by it. The whole Duke Xing’s Mansion had believed First Miss Shao was the pretties one and had always been proud of it. However, when she saw clearly Fifth Miss Shao, she realized that First Miss Shao could not compare with hers.

Seeing the old maid staring at her miss, Yujie gave out a low cough unpleasantly.

“Are you only in charge of sending the Buddha offerings to the mountain?” Shao Wanru looked the old maid up and down and found she didn’t know her before. Thus, she asked softly.

The old maid was shocked by Yujie and quickly organized her mind. Hearing Shao Wanru’s question, she smiled and said, “Old Madam means since you are here, she decides not to send other people here. After all, she wants to redeem a vow to the Buddha for the former heir of Duke Xing and Infanta Qinghua.”

Since her parents were mentioned, Shao Wanru could do nothing but agree!

A trace of darkness flashed upon her watery eyes. “Which Buddha?”

“The most famous Buddha temple in Yuhui Nunnery. You only need to offer an incense to Buddha respectively in the morning and in the evening,” answered the old maid.

There were many Buddha temples in Yuhui Nunnery. While the most famous one, or in other words, the most efficacious one was not the biggest one but the one with a medium size. Coincidentally, it was the temple where Shao Wanru unmasked Huiqing two years ago.

At that time, Prime Minister Zhang held the religious rite right there.

“Does she need to hold a religious rite?” Shao Wanru nodded.

“Yes. When Old Madam gets better these days, she will come here to hold the rite with people in the mansion followed.” The old maid paused for a moment and then answered.

“So, it has not been decided yet?” Keenly noticing her hesitation, Shao Wanru quickly asked.

“According to Old Madam, well, it can be sure that she will attend the rite but whether other madams and ladies will come, it has not been decided.”

The old maid didn’t expect Fifth Miss would be so sensitive so she had to answer directly.

Third Madam claimed that she was not well so she would not attend the religious rite while her two daughters also refused to come, saying that they needed to take care of their mother. According to Old Madam and Madam of Duke Xing, they had planned to hold a grand religious rite which attempted to let the whole capital city focus on it. However, because of the Third Madam, the plan would not seem as perfect and harmonious as it used to be.

Third Madam had been in a position of weakness but two years ago, Third Madam suddenly became strong and even dared to go against Madam of Duke Xing. Every time when this happened, Madam of Duke Xing would always give in, and even Old Madam turned a blind eye to this situation.

Servants in the mansion were quite good at judging the situation. When they found Third Madam getting strong, they immediately didn’t dare to ignore and even look down upon her.

“What else?” Seeing the old maid’s hesitant look, Shao Wanru knew she must hide something and then decided to keep asking.

“Well, Third Madam is in poor health so we have to take this into consideration at that time.” The old maid was very embarrassed but she bit the bullet and answered.

“Third Aunt is in poor health?” Shao Wanru suddenly seemed to realize something. A slight smile appeared on her face. It seemed that Third Madam was not stupid. She did catch Madam of Duke Xing tripping by using the trace left by Qin Yuru.

To turn down Old Madam when she decided to offer incense to Buddha and redeem a vow not only needed one’s courage but also confidence. Without confidence, then one should catch the person tripping.

“Third Madam doesn’t fully recover and she always gets sick after the accident. Old Madam and Second Madam are quite worried about her. Even though we have invited many physicians, she doesn’t get better.” The old maid took a deep sigh and hurried to explain. Madam of Duke Xing also asked her to answer in this way.

Shao Wanru nodded and stopped asking. She gave a sign to Yujie and then Yujie brought the old maid away and asked her about something detailed. After that, she came back and reported to Shao Wanru. Later, she let the old maid decorate the temple with people.

“Miss, it is said that Pushan Nun will be in charge of this religious rite for Old Madam,” Yujie said until the old maid had left.

“Isn’t Pushan Nun dedicated to Buddhism? Doesn’t she even seldom walk out of her Zen room?” Shao Wanru squinted and found the thing had become much more interesting.

“I am also confused and then I asked her. She told me that it is because of First Miss Shao,” answered Yujie.

“Good, let’s have a look.” Thinking for a moment, Shao Wanru stood up. She had not met this Pushan Nun yet. Was she really a person who had no desire?

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