Marrying a treacherous official

After her headache flared up that day, Lady You's condition did not improve for a long time. After staying at the East Estate for two more days, she had no choice but to return to her residence and ask the imperial physician to come and treat her.

Yunji rushed to the east room and personally saw Madam You off at the door.

"Mother, please don't let the cold wind blow on the way, or your headache will flare up. The mountain road is bumpy, so if you feel dizzy and vomit a lot, please don't catch it with your hands. Make sure to prepare a food box and pack it properly."

"Shut up."

Madam You leaned against Granny Tong, rubbing her forehead with a pained expression, and scolded her, "You never say a nice thing, are you cursing me to die?"

Yunji lowered her head and said, "I dare not."

Aunt Du stood aside and said weakly, "Madam is worried and confused. Madam, please don't misunderstand her good intentions."

Seeing that she had no luggage beside her, Madam You questioned her, "The First Madam is going to chant sutras and pray for the Second Master at Lingshan Temple. Are you also going to stay at the temple to eat vegetarian food?"

Aunt Du timidly looked up at her and said:

"Before I left, I promised the Marquis that I would offer him three sticks of incense on the birthday of Guanyin. Therefore, I humbly request that the Marquis's wife allow me to stay at the East Estate for a few more days."

Lady Hou disregarded her and said viciously:

"You can stay at Lingshan Temple for as many days as you want, and it would be best if you spent the rest of your life chanting sutras and praying for the Marquis in the temple. Then I will respect you for truly caring for the Marquis."

Upon hearing this, Cui Shuhua clenched her hands tightly together, which were hidden in her wide sleeves.

Yunji smiled and replied:

"Mother is absolutely right. My aunt's devotion to the Marquis is as clear as day. If the Marquis hadn't been so reluctant to part with my aunt and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, my aunt would surely be praying for the Marquis in the temple every day."

Madam You gave her one last fierce look, a cold smile tugging at her lips. Surprisingly, she didn't retort with a scolding. With the help of Granny Tong, she got into the carriage.

The carriage, accompanied by guards, slowly drove away from Dongzhuang.

As Madam You entered the carriage and watched the curtain slowly fall, her previous worried expression vanished. Leaning against the carriage wall, she curled the corners of her lips into a smile and said:

"Have all the people at Lingshan Temple been taken care of?"

"Reporting to Madam Hou, everything has been arranged."

"Has the second batch of personnel arrived as well?"

"As instructed by the Lady of the Marquis, they are all staying in the village households."

"Granny, you must be thorough in your actions. This matter must not involve me."

"Don't worry, Madam, this old servant will not leave a single one alive."

When Madam You learned that Yunji was going to Lingshan Temple to worship Buddha and pray, and would not return to the mansion until after the imperial examination, she began to make all the necessary arrangements in order to get rid of her as soon as possible.

After seeing off Madam You, Yunji ordered a guard to bring a carriage, and together with Aunt Du and Cui Shuhua, they went to Lingshan Temple.

"Did the concubine really tell the Marquis that she would offer incense to him on the birthday of Guanyin?"

"I just made that up."

This was the first time in her life that Aunt Du had offended Madam Hou, and her palms were still damp with sweat.

"Having been confined to the Marquis's mansion for most of my life, I rarely get to leave. When I heard that the First Madam had invited me to chant sutras and recite Buddhist scriptures together at Lingshan Temple, I couldn't resist the temptation and made up a lie to stay."

"Isn't the concubine afraid that the Marquis's wife will confront the Marquis?"

"The Marquis has never taken my words seriously."

Aunt Du said slyly, "If they really ask, I'll question the Marquis about why he didn't listen to what I said. I don't think the Marquis's wife can do anything to me if she finds out."

Cui Shuhua looked at her mother with a gleam in her eyes, no longer as sad and gloomy as before.

She secretly vowed that she would make sure her mother lived a life as radiant and beautiful as this one.

Yunji gazed tenderly at Aunt Du's heartfelt joy, and through her eyes, she seemed to see her mother smiling gently at her.

For a moment, she felt a sense of relief she had never experienced before.

A quarter of an hour later, the carriage stopped outside the gate of Lingshan Temple.

Tourists flocked to burn incense and worship Buddha.

Yunji wanted to return the poem on the auspicious divination slip to the abbot. He bid farewell to Aunt Du and Cui Shuhua, and led Chunxuan and Xikui, accompanied by three guards, to the abbot's meditation room.

She gently knocked on the wooden door, and the young monk opened it, greeted her with his hands clasped, and said:

"What business does Madam have with the abbot?"

"Return the paper poems and inscriptions from the auspicious divination slips."

Yunji presented the poem with both hands, saying, "I wish to personally request the auspicious fortune slip I received from my last prayer from the abbot. I wonder if the abbot could grant my request?"

"Please wait a moment, Madam."

The young monk turned and went into the house, then came out again a moment later, gesturing with his hand and saying, "Madam, this way please."

The group followed them into a meditation room filled with divination slips.

The abbot sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes filled with a hazy wisdom as he looked at Yunji who had approached, and a kind smile appeared on his face.

"Does Madam Cui still remember which auspicious fortune stick she drew?"

"Reporting to the abbot, it is the third wave of the Yu Gate, a thunderclap from flat ground. Just look at where the incense is burning, and you will find the best fortune in the 'Fish and Dragon' divination, which signifies plucking the laurel branch in the moon palace."

Yunji raised his hands in a gesture of respect and recited the mantra devoutly.

"This is truly a rare and extremely auspicious fortune."

The abbot said meaningfully, "If what you seek is fame and success, with such great fortune, you will surely pass the imperial examination with flying colors."

Yunji said gratefully, "Thank you for your kind words, Abbot."

"There is one thing I don't understand."

The abbot looked at her intently and said, "Since it's such auspicious, why didn't you think of taking it at first, and only thought of taking it after so many days?"

Yunji said with great shame:

"I was overjoyed when I drew this auspicious fortune stick that day, and I thought that my request would be fulfilled. Later, whenever I thought of this fortune stick, I regretted that I could not hold it in my hand, and I always felt uneasy. So I came to Lingshan Temple again to draw this fortune stick. I ask the abbot to grant my request."

"Amitabha."

The abbot greeted her with his hands clasped together, saying, "As a monk, I am compassionate. I will now draw a fortune stick for Madam Cui."

Yunji watched as he pulled a black box from under the bookshelf. After searching carefully, he took out a divination stick and handed it to her, solemnly instructing her:

"This is the only one slip of paper; Madam, please keep it safe."

"Abbot, rest assured, I will definitely keep this auspicious fortune slip safe."

After leaving the meditation room, Yunji did not rush to offer incense to the Buddha. Instead, she went to the quiet room to meditate. With the sandalwood incense filling her lungs and the chanting of Buddhist hymns filling her ears, she closed her eyes and began to rest.

As the worshippers gradually left, she was left alone in the quiet room.

She took out the fortune stick from her sleeve. The back of the stick wasn't inscribed with anything like "the best fortune stick," but upon closer inspection, it was sealed at both ends, suggesting that it contained leaked exam questions.

Although they didn't know who was plotting against her and trying to drag her into this conspiracy, they shouldn't have dragged Gu Jingyu, who had been studying hard for years, into it as well.

Since she can't get away unscathed, she'll keep their dirt on her so that if Gu Jingyu gets implicated one day, she can stand up for him.

"Chunxuan, come in."

"This servant is here."

Chunxuan gently closed the door and went to her side to listen to her.

Yun Ji asked her directly, "Are all the guards outside? Where is Shi Lingren?"

Chunxuan replied truthfully, "The guards are all standing guard outside, including Guard Shi."

Yunji breathed a sigh of relief; the matter of obtaining the lot had finally been kept secret from Cui Zeming.