Chapter 114 The Goodwill of Great Elder Princess
“Huaguang Temple is indeed very famous. When I was in Jiangzhou, I’ve heard people talk about it more than once. It is worth visiting!” On hearing her words, Old Grandma, who believed in Buddhism, nodded repeatedly.
“Is Grandma going with us?” Qin Wanru took the chance to ask.
“I’m not going this time. There are so many things in the mansion, and many of them have not been handled well. Zhuozhuo and Ruolan can visit it first. When I have time later, you can accompany me to visit again.” Old Grandma said with a smile.
“Mother, I’m not going either. The mansion is in a mess, and many things need to be put in order.” Shui Ruolan originally wanted to go. She liked quiet places, and Huaguang Temple was tremendously famous. “Mother, you can go for a visit with Wanru. I will go next time when I find a chance!”
Qin Huaiyong had already said that she was in charge of the affairs in the backyard. At this moment, the mansion was in a mess, and many things had not been handled. It was not a good time to go out for a visit.
“This…” Old Grandma hesitated. She also thought that it was not the best time for Shui Ruolan to go out for a visit.
“Grandma, mother and I just intend to go there and walk around for a while, and we will not stay for a long time. I have already inquired about it. It takes us an hour at most for a round trip. We can set out early and come back early. We may be able to come back before lunchtime. It won’t take much time.”
Qin Wanru pleaded aside.
If it was so close, it wouldn’t take much time indeed. Looking at her granddaughter’s eager face, Old Grandma was convinced and said to Shui Ruolan with a smile, “Ruolan, just take her there for a visit, or this little monkey will be restless. Set out early and come back early. When you are really in charge of the affairs later, it won’t be so convenient for you to go out!”
Old Grandma’s words were very meaningful. Shui Ruolan thought that it was true. They had just arrived in the capital city. When she officially took charge of the affairs later, she wouldn’t be able to go out. Besides, winter had set in, and it would be the Spring Festival after a period. At that time, with more affairs like sending presents, she wouldn’t be able to snatch even a relaxing moment.
She had better snatch half a day of leisure when Old Grandma put things in order.
At the thought of this, Shui Ruolan was convinced. “Then… Mother, Wanru and I will set out and come back soon.”
“Tomorrow I’m going to meet some old supervisors and ask about some old affairs. It’s okay for you two to stay there for longer!” Old Grandma said with a smile.
They talked and laughed, leaving Madam Di and her daughter aside.
Madam Di originally intended to come over to put on airs in front of everyone and then show her goodwill towards Qin Wanru. Thus, she could make everyone under her control with both gentle and tough means. However, she gnashed her teeth in anger at the moment.
Holding back the hatred in her heart, she forced a peaceful smile and said, “Mother, Yuru and I want to visit the Duke Yong’s Mansion. Since we moved to the capital, I haven’t seen my father and mother yet!”
“You can go, too!” Old Grandma nodded.
“Is the general going with me?” Madam Di said again.
“Naturally he is going. Prepare gifts later and go to the Duke Yong’s Mansion with Huai tomorrow!” After thinking for a moment, Old Grandma said.
“Yes, mother. However, I haven’t returned to the capital for many years. Do you think these gifts a little meager?” Madam Di pretentiously took out a gift list and came over to hand it to Old Grandma.
She deliberately drafted the gift list and deliberately made it meager.
Old Grandma took the gift list and had a look at it. She frowned and said, “These are a little meager. Add a few more gifts.”
“Mother, the previous expense for the store…” Madam Di looked embarrassed.
“I will tell Nanny Duan to add a few more gifts!” Old Grandma interrupted her words.
“Thank you, mother! I’m going to visit my parents’ home with the general tomorrow.” With a complacent smile on her face, Madam Di turned and said to Shui Ruolan, “Sister, I intended to accompany you to go there tomorrow, but now I am not available.”
She was showing off that Qin Huaiyong was going to accompany her instead of Shui Ruolan!
“Enjoy your visit!” Shui Ruolan said with a calm face, as if she did not notice that Madam Di was deliberately showing off.
In the early morning of next day, Qin Wanru and Shui Ruolan both got up early. They sat in a carriage with a girl servant for each of them and went to Huaguang Temple.
When they arrived at Huaguang Temple, the day was just dawning, but there were plenty of pilgrims.
Huaguang Temple deserved to be the largest temple in the capital. Getting out of the carriage at the parking lot outside the mountain gate, they found that it had formed a lively market outside.
There were stores selling joss sticks and cradles, food, flowers and everything that one expected to find. There were even silks and satins placed in simple stores. The pilgrims coming to Huaguang Temple could not only worship the Buddha but also shop in the market. It was quite a lively scene.
It was the first time that Qin Wanru and Shui Ruolan had seen such a lively mountain gate. Looking up at the tall mountain gate behind them, they had to sigh again. The first temple in the capital, as well as a royal temple, was really remarkable and better than they expected.
They decided to go hiking from the front mountain gate.
After entering the front mountain gate, they found there were all stairs. The high stairs extended up and led to the real Huaguang Temple.
With so many stairs superimposed, the hustle and bustle fell behind them. Looking back, they found that they were stepping on the hustle and bustle. They heard the distant bells, which dissipated the irritation in their hearts, from the top of their heads.
Even before they reached the real Huaguang Temple, they had found it free from vulgarity.
There was a long way to the mountain top. It was said that this path was called Wenxin Road. Qin Wanru had come here once in the last life. She passed Wenxin Road, walked to the front of this section of stairs and looked up at the stairs. At this moment, she involuntarily recalled the last life!
It was still early, and there were not many people climbing the mountain. Looking from their position, they only saw an old woman in the distance climbing up with a girl servant and an old maid.
The old woman didn’t wear gorgeous clothes and just looked like someone from an ordinary rich family. At this moment, perhaps she was tired, so she stopped and stood on the stairs for a rest.
At the sight of this old woman, Qin Wanru suddenly clenched the handkerchief in her hand with a burst of excitement in her eyes. She had known this old woman in the last life, and this old woman was the person she was looking for, Rui’an great elder princess.
Rui’an great elder princess was the emperor’s aunt. She was married to General Xi who had accompanied the late emperor to expend the territory. Unfortunately, General Xi died on the battlefield. She raised her daughter alone and then consoled herself by worshiping Buddha after her daughter grew up and got married.
Her favorite place to visit was Huaguang Temple. In fact, she didn’t just come to worship the Buddha. She also came early to climb Wenxin Road which started from the front gate of Huaguang Temple. Wenxin meant asking original intention which was a Buddhist theory!
She almost came here on the first three days of every month, and today was the third day of this month.
During the last life, Qin Wanru also met Rui’an great elder princess here. Seeing she insist on climbing most of the stairs in one breath, Rui’an great elder princess was very fond of her and had invited her to visit the Great Elder Princess’s Mansion. After that, Rui’an great elder princess did send several invitation cards to Qin’s mansion to invite Qin Wanru to visit her mansion, but Madam Di offered various excuses to prevent Qin Wanru from going there. In the end, Qin Wanru was the one invited, but Qin Yuru was usually the one showing up.
After failing to invite Qin Wanru several times, Rui’an great elder princess lost interest and didn’t send invitation cards anymore.
The scene of Qin Yuru attending great elder princess’s banquet during her last life suddenly came to her mind.
“Great elder princess has invited the Young Madam of our Qin’s mansion. Look at you, you will humiliate our Qin’s mansion by going out with your bad reputation. If what happened in Jiangzhou spread here, do you still get the nerve to go out?” Qin Yuru wore gorgeous clothes, standing in front of Qin Wanru with arrogance and disdain on her face, as if Qin Wan was the humblest sludge.
“If she goes out and is discussed by others, even we will feel shameful!”
“Exactly. She just has no idea of her bad reputation. She is even inferior to an innocent servant!” …These voices were from Qin Yuru’s girl servants. All of them looked down on Qin Wanru, even without thinking that they were just servants while Qin Wanru was the master.
In the last life, she had lived a life even inferior to that of a servant in the backyard of Qin’s mansion. Meanwhile, because Qin Yuru had received several invitations from Rui’an great elder princess, everyone would send her an invitation card for the sake of Rui’an great elder princess if there was a banquet. She finally successfully became a talented woman who was rare and famous in the capital.
She took a light breath, hid the coldness in her eyes, and then looked up at Rui’an great elder princess’s amiable face. She felt slightly warmer.
She would never waste the goodwill of great elder princess and never allow Qin Yuru to take advantage of the goodwill of great elder princess to be chosen by the circle of noble ladies of the capital.
“Mother, let’s climb up quickly!” After thinking clearly, Qin Wanru whispered to Shui Ruolan, “I heard that this is the road of asking intention of Huaguang Temple and it asks the original intention. The longer we persist, the more likely it is to ask the original intention!”
“Well!” Shui Ruolan looked up at the stairs which extended up and were almost endless, and nodded. She also had a lot of worries in her heart and wondered if what she did was right. Asking her original intention by climbing the stairs was probably what she needed!
Thus, they climbed up together with their girl servants. When passing by Rui’an great elder princess, she intentionally smiled at her but did not stop. She kept climbing up.
The girl had a delicate face and attractive watery eyes. Looking carefully, she found that the girl looked like a porcelain doll with exquisite features, long eyelashes, and small pink lips.
“Gee.” Rui’an great elder princess said lightly, watching Qin Wanru passing by her. As just a little girl, she not only walked by herself but also looked back and pulled the young woman behind her from time to time.
“Great elder princess, what’s wrong?” It was her personal old maid nanny Gao who climbed up with her. On hearing her astonished voice, nanny Gao hurriedly asked.
“Which mansion does such a pretty girl come from?” Great elder princess looked at Qin Wanru with a smile and asked curiously. As a little girl, she was so pretty and sensible, which made great elder princess sincerely fond of her.
“Uh… I have never seen her either!” Nanny Gao squinted and thought about it, but did not figure out which mansion the girl came from. “She may not be local!”
She could only make such a guess!
“She’s a pretty and sensible girl indeed!” Great elder princess sighed lightly.
After serving great elder princess for so many years, nanny Gao immediately understood what great elder princess meant. For fear of reminding her of what had happened and making her sad, nanny Gao hurriedly changed the subject and provoked her. “Great elder princess, I’ve had enough rest. Can you walk now?”