Chapter 134

 

When Chao Yun was combing the grand princess’s hair in the morning, she saw her suddenly smiling. Her long eyelashes were half-draped, covering her clear and bright eyes. Only her slender hands were carelessly playing with a strand of hair hanging down her chest.

Chao Yun smiled and said, “Did Grand Princess remember something wonderful?”

When Hua Yang first became the grand princess, she used to let people around her continue to call her princess, but a year later, the title “grand princess” gradually replaced “princess”.

Hua Yang was used to hearing this. She raised her eyes and looked at Chao Yun, but did not answer.

Chao Yun said playfully: “I guess it must have something to do with Prince Consort.”

Hua Yang smiled and said nothing.

She was just thinking, if she really didn’t go to Hongfu Temple to keep her appointment today, would Chen Jingzong really become a monk?

A wine lover and lusty man like him would definitely be reluctant to leave this worldly life, but Chen Jingzong was also stubborn enough. Maybe he would dare to shave off his long hair. First, he would provoke her father-in-law and mother-in-law to scold him and persuade him, and then lead her, this grand princess, to personally take him back before he’d calm down. In the end, he still dared to pretend to be a fake monk and talk nonsense inside the her bed.

Hua Yang would not give him such a chance. Even if he was not afraid of being laughed at, she and the entire Chen family still wanted to save face.

It was just that Chen Jingzong could only go to Hongfu Temple in the evening, so Hua Yang didn’t have to go out too early.

As a result, when she was having lunch, it was getting dark outside. Chao Yue ran out to take a look, and was surprised: “Why is the sky so cloudy? It’s definitely going to rain!”

Hua Yang frowned.

By the time she finished her meal, huge raindrops had indeed fallen down, and the entire cloud layer was black. The rain was likely to continue into the night, and it might not be clear tomorrow.

The four close maids all looked at their grand princess.

Hua Yang only had two choices, either continue to go to Hongfu Temple, or send someone to Daxing Left Guard to inform Chen Jingzong to cancel their plan.

Half an hour later, Zhou Ji put on a raincoat and led fifty guards who were also wearing raincoats to mount their horses and escort the grand princess to set off.

Raindrops pattered on the bamboo roller blinds outside the window, but Hua Yang’s heart was quiet.

She wanted to see if Chen Jingzong would go to Hongfu Temple to keep their date on such a rainy day when she deliberately didn’t send news.

If he goes, her trip would not be in vain. If he didn’t go, Hua Yang would have her own way to deal with him.

Hongfu Temple.

Yesterday, Wu Run sent someone to send news to Hongfu Temple, saying that the grand princess would come to the temple to stay overnight this evening and burn the first incense tomorrow morning. Hongfu Temple had arranged a guest courtyard, and the maids and eunuchs sent by the grand princess were responsible for cleaning it. Hongfu Temple did not need to expel other pilgrims. It only needed to be careful not to allow unidentified people to break into the temple.

The heavy rain came in the afternoon, which drove away the pilgrims in the temple to hurried down the mountain, leaving behind a temple that seemed even more secluded and otherworldly in the rain.

When Hua Yang arrived, wisps of green smoke were just coming out of the chimney of the Xiangji Kitchen in the temple.

Because Hua Yang did not want to be stir up many people, when the grand princess carriage arrived, only the abbot of Hongfu Temple and two highly respected monks came to greet her in person.

Hua Yang had dealt with many Taoist masters when she was in Wudang Mountain, and now she was able to talk to the masters with ease.

The three eminent monks sent her to the guest house where she would be staying, and then took their leave.

Hua Yang watched the monks go away and went inside to change her clothes.

“Grand Princess, if Prince Consort didn’t think you will come, and he won’t come either, how are you going to punish him?”

Chao Yun and Chao Yue, who followed her, joked.

Hua Yang: “Wait for now. Let’s talk when he really doesn’t come.”

Chao Yun smiled, and together with Chao Yue, she took out grand princess and prince consort’s clothes out of the trunk, and hung them in the closet of the guest room.

The rainy day was gloomy and it got dark early. After Hua Yang had a vegetarian meal, she sat by the window and read the Buddhist scriptures sent from the temple by the light.

Reading the scriptures made people calm, and Hua Yang didn’t think too much about whether Chen Jingzong would come.

Hongfu Temple was located halfway up the Lingwu Mountain. When night fell early with rain, a fast horse suddenly galloped along the official road to the foot of the mountain.

Chen Jingzong reined in his horse and looked up halfway up the mountain, where he could vaguely see a dim light.

He didn’t know if Hua Yang would come. Anyway, he asked Fu Gui to go back to the city. In case Hua Yang didn’t come, Fu Gui could tell her his movements and let her wait for Chen Jingzong to go back and ask for compensation.

There was only one stone stairway up the mountain. Chen Jingzong tied his horse under an old tree that could barely shelter from the rain, and climbed up the stairs.

Arriving outside Hongfu Temple, Chen Jingzong met Zhou Ji who was out patrolling.

Zhou Ji was holding a lantern in his hand. When he saw someone coming in the darkness, he held the handle of the knife hanging on his waist with one hand and raised the lantern with the other.

Chen Jingzong was wearing a raincoat and a hat, so his face was half-hidden. The first thing Zhou Ji saw was the white teeth he showed when he smiled.

Zhou Ji:……

Prince consort must be happy to be able to make the grand princess came to Hongfu Temple in the rain to keep their date!

Zhou Ji released the handle of the knife and cupped his hands in salute: “Greetings, Prince Consort.”

Chen Jingzong: “Hmm. When did you arrive?”

The two chatted briefly. After making sure that Hua Yang’s trip was safe, Chen Jingzong followed a young eunuch in and went straight to the guest house where the couple would stay.

The windows in the guest house were all used paper, so Hua Yang couldn’t see what was going on in the yard. He could only hear Chao Yue and others’ laughter as they greeted the prince consort. Each and every one were beaming, unknown what they were happy about.

Soon, Chen Jingzong came in. Hua Yang looked up and saw that his clothes were soaked and clinging tightly to his tall and strong body, and Chen Jingzong’s handsome face was still dripping with rain. He had tanned quite a bit recently, and now that he had been exposed to the rain and illuminated by the soft light, he actually looked much fairer, with the luster of a beautiful jade.

Hua Yang herself had gone through all the trouble for this trip, and of course she hoped that Chen Jingzong would come, but when she saw his drowned-rat appearance, she couldn’t help but blame him: “Such a heavy rain, you either don’t come, or why don’t you put on your raincoat if you’re going to come?”

Chen Jingzong closed the door with the back of his hand, then looked at her while taking off his clothes and belt: “I put it on, but the rain is so heavy and the road is far, so it’s no use.”

Hua Yang had already turned to the window, with her back to him.

There were two buckets of water in the room. Chen Jingzong wet a towel and wiped himself up and down, but his eyes never leave her slender back.

The sound of water was loud, her slender neck was as white as jade, but her earlobes were blushing.

Chen Jingzong said: “If it were an ordinary woman, she would definitely be attentively serving her husband who got caught in the rain. But you? You didn’t lift a finger to help.”

Hua Yang: “There’s Buddha above, stop talking too much.”

Chen Jingzong: “I came out in the rain to offer him incense. With such sincerity, can he still argue with me about this? Besides, it’s you I’m complaining about, not him.”

Hua Yang sneered: “You might as well offend Buddha rather than offend me. Buddha is compassionate and tolerant and won’t argue you. If you really make me mad, I’ll ask Zhou Ji and the others to shave your head, and you have nowhere to redress your grievances.”

Chen Jingzong: “The Grand Princess is so majestic. I have been tricked by the old man. If I had known that there was such a marriage waiting for me in the capital, I should not have come back.”

Hua Yang: “It’s not too late for you to run back now.”

Chen Jingzong said no more.

Hua Yang flipped through the scriptures absentmindedly. After a while, she heard the sound of wiping on his side, but there was no other movement.

Just when Hua Yang was wondering what he was doing, there was a sudden sound of wolves jumping and tigers leaping behind her. The next moment, a pair of big hands held her shoulders and pressed her on the couch next to her. Hua Yang was pressed under Chen Jingzong.

Hua Yang was still in shock, and looked at his handsome face that had just been cleaned. His long hair was tied on top of his head, and his dark and bright eyes stared straight at her, full of wild scheme.

Hua Yang turned her face away and scolded: “I brought you some clothes. Go inside and change them first.”

Chen Jingzong: “Have you brought the bowl?”

Hua Yang: “In your dream!”

Chen Jingzong laughed: “Are you afraid that if I don’t come, all your preparations will be in vain?”

Hua Yang: “Whether you come or not, I won’t prepare anything.”

Chen Jingzong remembered the time on Wudang Mountain. She was no worse than a real Taoist nun, pure-hearted and ascetic.

Chen Jingzong was just teasing her at this time. After kissing her for a while, he honestly went inside to put on his clothes.

There was a small kitchen in the guest house. After Chen Jingzong got dressed and came out, Chao Yun and Chao Yue also brought his vegetarian meal.

Chen Jingzong ate quickly, rinsed his mouth, and then rested with Hua Yang.

The bed here was not very new, nor was it very big, but the gauze curtain and bedding were all brought from the grand princess mansion, and everything was luxurious.

The sound of rain continued outside the window, and a cool breeze blew in through the screen window. The gauze curtain with peony embroidery swayed gently in the dim light.

Because it was a bit cold, Hua Yang let Chen Jingzong hug her from behind.

“I thought you wouldn’t come.” Chen Jingzong spoke in her ear.

Hua Yang: “If that’s the case, why do you still come?”

Chen Jingzong: “If you don’t come, then I would just run for nothing. If you come but I didn’t come, you’ll be furious and may really want to divorce me.”

Hua Yang: “Divorcing you for such a trivial matter. If word spreads, people will criticize me for being too domineering.”

Chen Jingzong: “Then how are you going to punish me?”

Hua Yang: “Build a Buddhist hall in the Grand Princess Mansion, and you will be punished by eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddha’s name there for three months.”

Chen Jingzong: “Eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddha’s name is nothing. Just allow me to continue to sleep with you at night.”

Hua Yang: “The Buddhist hall has been built, of course you have to sleep there.”

Chen Jingzong: “You are indeed more cruel than Buddha.”

Hua Yang smiled.

Chen Jingzong touched the corner of her lips and asked, “If it continues to rain tomorrow, will you regret going out?”

Hua Yang didn’t answer.

Chen Jingzong turned her shoulder and kissed her petal-like lips.

The next morning, when Hua Yang woke up, Chen Jingzong was not beside her. She listened intently, but there was only the slight ticking sound of water droplets falling from the eaves outside the window.

The maids came in to help her change.

Hua Yang: “Where’s Prince Consort?”

Chao Yun shook her head: “He went out early in the morning but didn’t tell us where he was going.”

It wasn’t until the meal was ready that Chen Jingzong came back. His upper body was fine, but the hem of his clothes and trouser legs underneath were almost completely wet, and the uppers of his shoes were also covered with mud.

The maids retreated wisely.

Hua Yang asked him: “Did you go to beg for food?”

Chen Jingzong: “I went to explore the path. I’ll take you for a walk in the back mountains later, otherwise it will be in vain coming here.”

Hua Yang glanced at the mud on his shoes.

Chen Jingzong: “Don’t worry, Ancestor, I will carry you there.”

Hua Yang really wanted to throw the tea cup in her hand at him.

After breakfast, the two went to offer incense in front of the Buddha.

There were two futons placed in front of the altar table, and Chen Jingzong knelt down with Hua Yang.

Chen Jingzong looked at Hua Yang.

Hua Yang looked at him, looked away, made a sincere wish, and then personally inserted the incense into the incense burner.

After leaving Hongfu Temple, Chen Jingzong carried Hua Yang on his back and then climbed the stone steps leading to the back mountain.

Hua Yang lay on his back, watching white clouds lingering in the mountains in the distance and crystal drops of water on the branches and leaves on the roadside.

Some wildflowers in the meadow were beaten to the ground by yesterday’s rain, but their red and pink petals were still clean and delicate.

The air was fresh and cool, which was rare in this hot summer season.

“What did you ask Buddha just now?”

While walking, Chen Jingzong suddenly asked.

Hua Yang: “It won’t work if you say it.”

Chen Jingzong’s foot slipped, and Hua Yang was so frightened that she hugged his neck tightly, and then she realized that Chen Jingzong was actually just faking it.

She pinched the flesh on his neck.

Chen Jingzong lowered his head and bit the back of her hand.

The two of them talked and playing around with each other for a while. Finally, Chen Jingzong carried Hua Yang to a valley. The clear stream water fell from a cliff ten feet high. The morning sun shone through, and a short rainbow appeared above the waterfall.

“When the sun gets stronger later, we can play in the water here.” Chen Jingzong spread a piece of moisture-proof oilcloth on the smooth stone surface and sat down side by side with Hua Yang.

Hua Yang: “Who wants to play with you?”

Chen Jingzong looked at her with a half-smile.

Hua Yang turned her head and her eyes fell on the stream not far away.

Except for the pool under the waterfall, the stream in other places was very shallow, so shallow that she could clearly see a layer of fine sand underneath.

The author has something to say:

Chang’e: Buddha, the Grand Princess has gone to Hongfu Temple to worship you.

Buddha: Oh, I will make it sunny over there for a day.

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