"Your Highness, please come out quickly. The guards have already been alerted. If you don't come out soon, the imperial guards will be here next." Xiaotao had followed the fragrance all the way. The gardenia-scented face powder had only been applied for less than an hour, and the smell was at its strongest. Su Wan'er had been running around with it on, so it was no wonder the fragrance wafted and attracted attention.
Su Wan'er had run to the Baohua Hall in the palace, which was specifically for the resident monks and Buddhist masters. At this hour, the monks were chanting scriptures. Suddenly, they saw a woman with extremely exquisite clothing, a remarkable appearance but disheveled hair enter. Naturally, they were quite frightened. Only the abbot monk at the head remained unmoved.
Although the monks had been invited by the royal family to serve, they still abstained from worldly affairs and thus didn't want to interfere. Even though Xiaotao led a group of maidservants shouting outside, Su Wan'er just stayed inside, motionless and having no intention of coming out at all.
The Baohua Hall was a restricted area in the palace. Apart from the monks, others were not allowed to enter at will. Maidservants and guards usually didn't have a high enough rank, so they could only stay outside the door.
The abbot monk calmly finished chanting scriptures and then, as if he had just noticed Su Wan'er, came over to pay his respects.
Su Wan'er also noticed that Xiaotao and the others seemed afraid to come in. However, the grand and solemn hall didn't seem to have an easy way to escape.
"Greetings, female bodhisattva." The abbot came over, bowed and greeted.
"Greetings, master. Greetings." Su Wan'er was now extremely anxious, fearing that she had entered a place she shouldn't have.
"The old monk sees that you seem rather distracted. Is there any reason?" Although Su Wan'er wasn't overly enthusiastic, she had always respected those in the Buddhist faith. However, this old monk now seemed to be deaf to the people outside who were chasing her. He calmly asked her what she was in such a hurry for, which really made her dislike him.
"Master, can't you see that I'm being chased by those girls outside?" Having no other choice, Su Wan'er walked further inside and looked around. "May I ask if there's another exit here?"
"Don't blame the old monk, benefactor. The old monk has not left this place for over twenty years. Moreover, the old monk has long since left the mortal world. Therefore, if the person is not fated to meet the old monk, the old monk won't pay any attention."
Su Wan'er found his slow speech like a chant, quite hypnotic. However, she also understood that what he meant was that he couldn't see ordinary people. Only those he was willing to talk to were visible to him, right?
"Master means that you and I are fated? Then help me out today and let me escape." Su Wan'er didn't usually chant scriptures and worship Buddha like her mother and grandmother did all day long. However, she did understand some of the Buddhist doctrines and karma they often talked about. Therefore, now she actually placed her hope on this fated master in front of her. Maybe today this master would save her and let her escape.
"The benefactor asks a person who never goes out where the exit is? I'm afraid the old monk can't answer. However, may I ask why the benefactor wants to go out? In the old monk's opinion, it's best for those who can't get out to stay."
"..." Su Wan'er decided not to argue with him.
"Your Highness, please come out. Before the imperial guards come, please go back with this servant. We'll act as if this never happened."
"Why can't the benefactor stay?" The old monk was really like he said, seemingly deaf to other people's voices.
"… I, my ambition is not here." Su Wan'er looked around and found that there really was no other exit in this hall.
"Really? Although the benefactor is a woman, she is quite agile. Could it be that her ambition lies in... the battlefield?" The monk stroked his beard for a moment and actually guessed correctly.
"What, is there something wrong with my ambition?" If all else failed, she could go back with Xiaotao, stabilize these people first and then think of other ways. Su Wan'er was absent-minded.
"No, no. It's good for a person to have ambition. It's just that although the old monk has lived in the deep palace for a long time, he knows that the borders of our Jin Kingdom are currently peaceful. Many martial artists in the world also plan to switch from martial arts to literature. It's really rare for the female benefactor to have such a firm ambition."
"You! Those people who only know how to flatter for fame and fortune, how could I be like them? As a descendant of the Su family, I naturally have the Jin Kingdom in my heart." Su Wan'er was extremely angry. This monk seemed to have seen through the mortal world, yet he could say such nonsense to persuade people to abandon martial arts and pursue literature.
"So, you're the daughter of General Su. My apologies. However, the old monk is not talking nonsense. Assessing the situation is not flattering. The Su family has been loyal to the Jin Kingdom for generations and is a great hero. However... Miss, why don't you go home and ask the old general? If now and in the future, the Jin Kingdom needs civil officials rather than military generals, should the descendants not be allowed to study for the imperial examinations?"
"..." Su Wan'er watched the somewhat aged figure of the monk walking back and unexpectedly found that she had nothing to say.
She sat down on the steps by herself, and then the chaotic days of the past few days flashed through her mind.
She originally thought that running away from her marriage and then asking Qingcao to marry in her place was already quite rebellious. It was also enough to turn the entire Su family upside down. Therefore, she wanted to escape for a few days.
But who would have thought that she would be inexplicably brought into the palace by Si Junlin, and there would even be the world - famous story of "the fairy entering the palace". Not only were all the court officials discussing it, but I'm afraid the common people also knew about it by now.
The family motto of the Su family was to always have the Jin Kingdom in their hearts and be loyal to the king and the country.
However, in the past few days, she had thought that Si Junlin was a fatuous king and shouldn't be loyal to him, let alone fulfill his absurd request for her to be the queen. But now, thinking about it, the reason for being loyal to the king was that the king's every move was related to the whole country. Whether the king was a wise or a fatuous one, in the eyes of the common people, he was still the emperor.
Now, if she escaped, wouldn't it make the common people think that the fairy had come for two days and then left, and that heaven didn't bless the Jin Kingdom?
Suddenly, Su Wan'er took a few steps and caught up with the abbot monk. "Master, if as a member of the Su family, but there has never been a precedent for women to take the imperial examinations in the Jin Kingdom, what should I do?"
"It's good that the benefactor has thought it through." The monk stroked his beard again and entered the meditation room.
"Thank you, master. I will definitely come to thank you another day." Su Wan'er was just thinking that she should understand more Buddhist doctrines in the future and come to ask the master for advice. Who would have thought that she would hear a sentence floating out of the meditation room: "No need. Our fates have come to an end. There will definitely not be a next time."
When Su Wan'er opened the door, she looked back again. Seeing that the monk didn't come out, she dared to say, "Master, there's no need to be like this. Buddhist doctrines are supposed to make people clear - minded, but there's no need to be so superstitious." It was a bit too much to believe in Buddha even when it came to meeting people.
"Your Highness, please come out quickly... Ah, you're out." Xiaotao was just about to shout again when she saw Su Wan'er come out by herself.
"Yes, I just had some pent - up emotions in my heart. I came to talk to the master for a while. By the way, what's the name of the abbot here?"
"Xiaotao doesn't know either. I only heard that the abbot never goes out." Xiaotao didn't care about the etiquette anymore. She grabbed a corner of Su Wan'er's sleeve, really afraid that she would run away again.
"Don't worry. After being enlightened by the abbot, I won't run away anymore." Since... there are no wars in the world now, if the Jin Kingdom is in chaos because of me, wouldn't it be a sin? So what if I just become the queen.
Su Wan'er had a look of heroic sacrifice on her face, which really scared Xiaotao. "Your Highness, you still look so reluctant. Exactly... " She was afraid that after being obedient for these few days, Su Wan'er would... on the wedding day.