Shi Muyuan forced a bitter smile. Could she refuse? Going to temples to burn incense and pray sounded so boring.
Moreover, why did the Dowager Concubine Shen approach her?
As if knowing what was on her mind, the Dowager Concubine Shen slowly began to speak, "I used to only hear from others that elder sister had a rather bad temper, so I didn't dare to get too close to you. But recently, I've found that elder sister is not like that. I, Wanmei, just want to get closer to you."
Seeming afraid that Shi Muyuan would refuse, the Dowager Concubine Shen added, "I, Wanmei, apologize to elder sister for my stupid thoughts in the past." Saying this, the Dowager Concubine Shen was about to get up and perform a grand courtesy to Shi Muyuan.
Shi Muyuan quickly supported her, "It's not a big deal. There's no need for this. My temper was indeed not very good in the past."
"You just said we're going to the temple, right? Then let's just pick a good day to go." After all, it was an opportunity to leave the palace. It was much better than staying here every day.
"Let's set off the day after tomorrow. I've already checked the date," the Dowager Concubine Shen said.
Goodness! She had been waiting for her to agree today, hadn't she!
Shi Muyuan smiled and then told Xiaoxiao to escort the Dowager Concubine Shen out.
On the night before the departure, Huo Qizhou suddenly came to find her. He didn't come through Shi'er or by letter. Instead, he appeared openly in her bedroom.
Shi Muyuan had just finished washing up and was about to wrap herself in the quilt to go to sleep when she heard a noise outside the window. At first, she didn't pay much attention and propped herself up to blow out the candle on the bedside table.
"Bang, bang, bang." Three clear knocks. Someone was knocking on the window.
Shi Muyuan was so scared, "Who? Who's there!"
She tiptoed out of bed, her eyes fixed firmly on the window as she walked around it. She grabbed something in her hand and was on high alert.
Then a man's voice came from outside the window.
"It's me, Huo Qizhou."
Shi Muyuan was greatly shocked. Why did he come to her bedroom in the middle of the night?
She rushed over and opened the window. In the moonlight, the national master's charming face suddenly came into her sight.
Shi Muyuan was stunned. Before she could react, Huo Qizhou lightly jumped in. Shi Muyuan was still wearing only an inner garment. She didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
But the person who had barged into her room seemed embarrassed first. Seeing that she was only wearing a thin inner garment and had neither shoes nor socks on, showing her round and fair feet, he immediately accused her of not dressing properly.
Huo Qizhou frowned as if she had done something extremely wrong.
Only then did Shi Muyuan realize that the national master actually had such a cheeky side. It was he who had barged in in the middle of the night. Who the hell would be fully dressed at this time!
"You're really strange. I haven't blamed you yet, but you're blaming me first!" Shi Muyuan was extremely angry.
He was clearly a sly wolf in sheep's clothing, pretending to be an innocent little puppy. Humph, disgusting!
When Shi Muyuan had first seen his handsome face in the moonlight, the embarrassment of falling in the mud had been somewhat diluted.
Huo Qizhou was also speechless. He didn't know what had come over him. He could have just let Shi'er tell her the news during the day, but he wanted to tell her himself. That's why he had delayed until now. He had originally thought of sending the news by Shiyi, but then he thought it might not be appropriate to send it in the middle of the night. Before he knew it, he was already outside the Shoukang Palace.
Huo Qizhou suddenly felt his head buzzing, as if he had been possessed by an evil spirit.
Both of them sat at the table with gloomy faces. Finally, Shi Muyuan spoke first.
"National master, you've come in the middle of the night. Is there something urgent?" Shi Muyuan was now wearing an outer robe, shoes, and socks. She was sitting upright, clearly angry.
Who wouldn't be angry after such a sudden incident in the middle of the night?
Huo Qizhou cleared his throat, "Aren't you going to Baotuo Temple tomorrow? We made an agreement before. You'll help me find something."
"Of course. I, Shi Muyuan, never go back on my word," she lifted her chin.
"This thing has been divided into several parts. Coincidentally, my men got the news that one of the parts somehow ended up in the hands of a dowager concubine in Baotuo Temple a few days ago."
"A dowager concubine in Baotuo Temple?" Shi Muyuan caught the suspicious point.
Huo Qizhou looked at her strangely, "There are two dowager concubines in Baotuo Temple. One voluntarily asked to go there after the previous emperor passed away, and the other was sent there by Your Majesty the Empress Dowager herself."
"Sent there by me?"
Huo Qizhou's look at her became even stranger, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager really has a lot on her mind. It seems this is not a big deal to you."
In the early years when the previous emperor was still alive, that dowager concubine was favored by the emperor. Shi Muyuan didn't know what had come over her and insisted on provoking her. She was in the wrong, but the emperor didn't dare to do anything to her. In the end, the emperor issued an order to send that favored concubine to Baotuo Temple.
The memories slowly resurfaced in Shi Muyuan's mind. She was so embarrassed that she couldn't say a word. She didn't know how to defend herself and had to accept the blame.
"What exactly is that thing? If you don't tell me clearly, how can I find it?" Shi Muyuan forcibly brought the topic back.
"It's a treasure map."
Shi Muyuan was greatly shocked, "A treasure map?"
"Humph. You just need to help me bring the thing back. Why are you asking so many questions!" Huo Qizhou refused to say more and just described what it should look like to her.
"Which concubine has this thing?" Shi Muyuan asked nervously. Please, God, don't let it be the girl who had a grudge against her. That would be much more difficult to deal with.
Huo Qizhou didn't tease her anymore, "You're lucky. The fragment is in the hands of Dowager Concubine Xiao, Xiao Yue."
"The dowager concubine who voluntarily went to Baotuo Temple?" Shi Muyuan asked nervously.
Huo Qizhou gave a satisfied grunt from his nose.
Shi Muyuan immediately let out a sigh of relief.
It was already quite late when they finished discussing this matter. Shi Muyuan was sleepy. She chased Huo Qizhou away and quickly ran back to bed. She took off her outer clothes, shoes, and socks in a hurry and rolled into the quilt.
When she was a working slave before, she could have a good sleep in just ten minutes. Naturally, she could do the same now.
Sure enough, soon, even breathing sounds came from under the quilt.
Huo Qizhou stood outside the window looking at the dawn in the sky. He blinked his eyes and then reached out to rub his temples. Shi Muyuan's snoring wasn't loud, but Huo Qizhou, standing outside the window, could just barely hear it.
This woman could really sleep. He hadn't had a good sleep for a long time. He was really a bit envious of her.
It was already bright when Xiaoxiao came to wake Shi Muyuan up. When she was getting dressed and doing her hair, the Empress Dowager hadn't even opened her eyes. Xiaoxiao found it funny but didn't dare to wake her up.
Finally, when the Dowager Concubine Shen was already waiting outside, Xiaoxiao dared to wake her up.