"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Concubine Shen has been waiting outside for quite a while. The time we agreed on yesterday to go to the Baotuo Temple is almost here. Please get up."
Shi Muyuan pouted and hugged the pillow tightly. She really wanted to stay in bed, but she just couldn't bear to keep others waiting for so long.
"Xiao Xiao, ask Concubine Shen to wait in the outer hall first. I'll be there soon."
"Yes."
After Xiao Xiao withdrew, a group of maids came forward and started to dress and adorn her in an orderly manner.
At this moment, Shi Muyuan couldn't help but sigh that it was really nice to be served. She even had time to take a little nap.
It was already half an hour later when everything was ready. Since they were going to the Baotuo Temple this time, she didn't ask the maids to dress her up too ostentatiously. She just put on a light makeup, looking elegant and composed, making people more and more infatuated.
When she appeared in the outer hall in a light and flowing green dress, even Concubine Shen, a woman herself, was stunned by her beauty.
"Sister, you look so charming today that even I would like to bow down to you. I don't know how many people will be attracted when you go out."
Shi Muyuan smiled slightly and pulled her hand, walking out: "Sister, don't make fun of me. It's my fault that I got up late today, so we're behind schedule. I don't know if we can still make it back in time."
Actually, she was testing. If they didn't come back tonight, she would have a chance to look for Cui Qizhou's treasure map.
Concubine Shen didn't notice. After they sat in the carriage, she chattered on and on: "We definitely won't go back tonight, sister. Don't worry about it. It's my pleasure to wait for you."
"You're so sweet-tongued, sister. But why won't we go back tonight?"
Normally, the Baotuo Temple wasn't far away. If it was just for ordinary praying and offering incense, one day would be more than enough. Could it be that Concubine Shen had other plans?
While she was thinking, she got the answer.
"I just thought you've been so bored in the palace, so I took the liberty to decide to stay for a few more days. I hope you'll forgive me."
To be honest, even though she had been in this world for so long, Shi Muyuan still wasn't used to people kneeling to her whenever something happened.
She reached out her hand and helplessly helped the woman on the ground up: "You've thought it through so carefully. I definitely won't blame you. Since we've already left the palace, don't be so formal."
With this, Concubine Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Before entering the palace, Concubine Shen was also a restless person at home. She liked to sneak out of the mansion the most and was most familiar with the locations in Changjing City. She began to introduce them to Shi Muyuan.
"The pastries in Yufangzhai are the most amazing. I heard that the pastry chef there learned his skills while traveling back from other countries. The pastries melt in your mouth and are sweet but not greasy. Sister, you can try them next time."
As she was speaking, she seemed to remember something and suddenly told the maid she had brought: "Go and buy some pastries from Yufangzhai for the Empress Dowager immediately, and also the signature dishes from Qianqiuge. It'll be a boring journey. Sister has eaten so many delicacies in the palace. Now, we can only let sister use these to fill her stomach."
Hearing about the delicious food and thinking of the pastries Concubine Shen had described, Shi Muyuan secretly swallowed her saliva.
She was just a pure foodie. Although she had gotten used to the skills of the imperial chefs in the palace for so long, she still wanted to eat something delicious. Otherwise, she was afraid that the next time she could eat something like that would be a long time later.
"Sister, you've thought too much. I'm also very curious about the food that you miss so much. I wonder what it tastes like."
While they were talking, the maid had already come back with food boxes of various sizes in her hands.
As soon as the boxes were opened, the mouth-watering fragrance immediately spread out. At this moment, Shi Muyuan couldn't even maintain her surface expression. She stared straight at the plates of delicious food in front of her, feeling itchy.
Fortunately, Concubine Shen noticed and quickly said: "We've been out of the palace for so long. I'm sure sister is hungry. Eat more quickly."
"Then I won't be polite."
She was extremely eager to eat. At first, she was a little nervous, but before long, she relaxed. To be honest, as expected, there were masters among the common people. All the food the maid had bought was simply on a different level from that in the palace.
She, a modern person who had traveled through time and was now the Empress Dowager, had to have such a hard time to eat something delicious.
She suddenly started to calculate in her heart whether she should hold a cooking friendship contest soon. Let the imperial chefs in the palace learn more. In this way, even if she was lying in the palace in the future, she could still eat delicious food.
Just do it. Shi Muyuan had already started to calculate in her heart how to make this friendship contest better.
Concubine Shen quietly observed her expression. Seeing that there was nothing unusual about her, she finally let go of her heart completely.
Each with their own thoughts, the two of them finally arrived at the Baotuo Temple before long.
The Abbot Puji knew that the important people from the palace were coming, so he had been waiting at the mountain gate early. Finally, under everyone's expectation, the carriage engraved with the royal pattern slowly came.
Surrounded by everyone, an elegant woman got out of the carriage first. She took light steps. The gentle breeze blew the light veil at the hem of her skirt, making her look like a fairy who had unfortunately fallen into the mortal world.
The abbot was the first to react. He quickly led the people to salute: "This poor monk pays respects to the Empress Dowager and the Concubine Shen."
Shi Muyuan nodded slightly and curiously looked around the ancient temple: "Abbot, you don't need to be so polite. We want to pray here for a few days. We may bother you a lot."
She had done enough homework. Places like temples advocated tranquility, and she wanted to be a polite woman of the new era.
Such words really surprised everyone. The little monks following the abbot even felt very curious.
They had heard from the pilgrims who came to offer incense before that this Empress Dowager was cruel and cold as ice. But now, seeing her in person, it seemed quite different from the rumors. And the difference was quite big.
The abbot also felt a little surprised. He had met this Empress Dowager before. She was definitely not a kind-hearted person. What was going on today?
However, it didn't matter much to him as an abbot.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please follow me. This poor monk has already sent someone to prepare a place for you to stay."
"Okay."
She replied perfunctorily. Shi Muyuan's eyes always stayed behind the temple gate.
She seemed to faintly see a figure flash by just now. But when everyone got closer, they didn't find anything. Could it be that she had seen it wrong? Was she really getting old and dim-sighted? But wasn't this body only in her twenties?
Shi Muyuan suddenly felt a little depressed. Could it be that she really wouldn't be able to fall in love in her lifetime? She still wanted to wait for the little emperor to grow up and then travel around the world with her sweetheart freely. But now, it seemed that she had to give up this thought.