After being forced into a marriage with a wealthy family, the virtuous wife caused a huge uproar.

Rong Yingluo was stunned. Why would the abbot be looking for her?

However, she didn't think much of it and followed the young novice to the abbot's meditation room. Inside, there was a master, whose beard was completely white and who was over seventy years old, but whose eyes were bright, unlike the cloudy eyes of an elderly person of that age.

"This humble woman greets the two masters," Rong Yingluo said, bowing.

"Madam, this is Master Mingxin," the abbot introduced.

"Greetings, Master Mingxin." Rong Yingluo bowed.

"Female benefactor, do you know how to play chess?" Master Mingxin asked with a smile.

"I know a little." Rong Yingluo knew he had something to say, but didn't want to say it directly, so she chatted while playing chess.

Rong Yingluo sat down at the table, where the chessboard had already been set up.

Abbot Huitong instructed the young novice to take good care of him before leaving.

"The female benefactor may go first." Master Mingxin instructed Rong Yingluo to make her move first.

Rong Yingluo didn't stand on ceremony and chose the white piece, placing her first move at the center.

"Haha, the female benefactor is indeed young, with a strong aggressive spirit. However, this kind of opening is most likely to achieve a surprise victory," Master Mingxin commented.

"Please excuse my ignorance, Master. I was just wandering around aimlessly, without any particular purpose." Rong Yingluo hadn't really thought much about it; it was just a common opening line she used to use.

The two played back and forth for half an hour. Master Mingxin played very steadily, with each move being wide and bold. He neither attacked proactively nor retreated.

"Young friend, you are also a person outside the secular world, aren't you?" Master Mingxin said suddenly as he placed a piece on a star position.

"How did the master figure that out?" Rong Yingluo was not surprised.

Those who are outside the secular world can see through each other most easily.

Despite the Empress's apparent devotion to Buddhism, anyone outside the Buddhist community could tell that she was merely seeking something in return.

"I could tell from the very first day you and Her Majesty the Empress arrived." Master Mingxin didn't hide it from her; he had been standing among a group of monks welcoming the Empress that day.

He only showed up when the Emperor and Empress came; he never showed up when others came.

"Did you summon me here today just to expose my identity?" Rong Yingluo tilted her head and placed another piece.

"No, it's that I wish to perform a divination for you. Please write down your birth date and time, female benefactor," Master Mingxin stated his purpose.

He practiced Buddhism at Huguo Temple for many years and was skilled in divination.

That day, I saw Rong Yingluo following the Empress, and the two of them exuded the same aura.

However, he also saw a peculiar destiny in this woman, but since he did not know her birth chart, he could not determine what it was. So he thought about it for three days before making a decision to have Rong Yingluo's fortune told.

"Master, I also know a little about divination. I've calculated my own birth chart, but I didn't find anything special about it." Rong Yingluo found it strange, as her birth chart didn't seem unusual.

"Don't you know that those who live outside the secular world cannot foresee their own destiny?" Master Mingxin asked with a smile.

"What? Master never told me that." Rong Yingluo thought carefully. Had her master ever said it? In her memory, it seemed that he had never said it. In fact, she had never asked.

No wonder she couldn't foresee her own and her elder sister's fates; her elder sister was clearly facing a calamity, yet she failed to predict it. She blamed herself for this for a long time, believing that her skills were inadequate.

She was indeed not skilled enough and was far inferior to her master.

She and her eldest sister were born less than fifteen minutes apart, so their fates had many similarities.

Rong Yingluo was eager to know her future, so she immediately asked the young monk to bring her paper and pen and wrote down her birth date and time.

Master Mingxin took the coins, first calculating with his fingers, then took out three copper coins and had Rong Yingluo toss them six times.

Master Mingxin wrote down all six arrangements on paper, and after calculating carefully for a while, he suddenly opened his eyes. He couldn't hide the shock in his eyes, and Rong Yingluo saw it clearly.

"Master, how is it?" Rong Yingluo asked nervously.

She never asked her master to tell her fortune, because she always believed in the predictions she made herself.

"Female benefactor, I will only tell you one thing: follow your heart. Your choice may affect the fate of my Southern Xia Kingdom. I urge you to think carefully before making your decision." Master Mingxin immediately suppressed the slight emotional change that had just been revealed.

Rong Yingluo was taken aback. Considering Gu Ce's likely identity, the master was right.

If she can't cure Gu Ce's poison, he might die before he turns thirty, which would affect the fate of the Southern Xia Kingdom.

If Gu Ce were to return to the royal family, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar.

The crown prince may not be able to ascend the throne smoothly, and Prince Xuan is also watching him covetously from the sidelines.

But what does the master mean by "choice"?

She already wanted to detoxify Gu Ce, so there wasn't much of a choice she had.

"What do you mean by that, Master?" Rong Yingluo felt that the master had something else to say, or that it was not what she had thought.

"Female benefactor, this is all I can say. Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. I wish to live until the day you make your choice," Master Mingxin said with a smile.

He hoped the woman before him would understand his meaning.

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Rong Yingluo did not press him.

She had always lived life as she pleased. But she still kept Master Mingxin's words in mind and asked her master about them later.

The two continued playing, and Rong Yingluo, seeing that she was about to win, deliberately let the elder Mingxin win to show respect and make him happy.

After the game ended, Rong Yingluo took her leave, as the Empress was about to finish her lessons.

Master Mingxin gazed intently at the departing figure with a profound look in his eyes.

"So the variable was in her hands," Master Mingxin murmured to himself.

Recently, he noticed that the future imperial star was weakening, while another imperial star was emerging and showing great promise.

When Rong Yingluo arrived at Chongshou Palace, the Empress was still silently reciting scriptures.

The palace maids who were serving her felt sorry for her.

Her Majesty is truly devoted; among all the noble ladies in the palace, none are as sincere as Her Majesty the Empress.

"Madam Gu, could you please persuade Her Highness that if she continues to kneel like this, I am worried that her knees will not be able to take it?" said the head palace maid, Shu He, softly.

Rong Yingluo looked at her, then at the Empress, and indeed saw that her body was swaying slightly, clearly indicating that she had reached her limit.

Alas, the hearts of parents are always full of love and worry. The Empress said she would take good care of herself, but she still couldn't control her longing for her son.

Rong Yingluo walked quietly to the Empress's side, knelt on the prayer mat, and kowtowed to Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Her movements caught the Queen's attention and pulled her back to reality.

"Your Majesty, you took two quarters of an hour longer today than yesterday," Rong Yingluo said gently.

"Let's go." The Empress truly felt she was about to collapse.

Rong Yingluo immediately stood up and helped the Empress.

Just as she had expected, the Empress nearly lost her balance.

After pausing for a moment, the Empress finally stepped out of the Chongshou Palace.

The winter weather was gloomy and overcast, just like the Queen's mood.

"Liuli, accompany me for a walk in the back mountains." The Empress looked at the distant mountains.

Huguo Temple is built on a mountaintop that is not very high.

Standing in front of the main hall, looking into the distance, one can vaguely see carriages moving forward on the official road.

Rong Yingluo, supported by the Empress's arm, slowly walked towards the back of the main hall.

The two chatted idly.

The Empress liked to talk about her happy days when she was young and still living with her parents.

We didn't stop until we entered the pagoda forest of Huguo Temple.

This is the burial place of the eminent monks of Huguo Temple throughout the ages. Each pagoda is inscribed with the merits and life stories of these monks, so that future generations can pay their respects.

The Empress ordered that none of the palace servants who were following her should stay outside the Pagoda Forest.

Rong Yingluo found it strange, but still helped the Empress continue walking forward.

The empress only stopped when the palace servants could no longer hear the two talking.

"Liuli," the Empress called softly, her gaze falling on the tallest tower.

That is the stele of Master Wuchen, the eminent monk of Huguo Temple who sacrificed his life to save the emperor more than a hundred years ago.

"Your Majesty," Rong Yingluo responded softly.

"Liuli, in front of so many virtuous monks at Huguo Temple, tell me the truth: do you know where my son is?" the Empress asked solemnly, her eyes quickly welling up with tears.