The summer heat was already oppressive, and encountering misfortunes on the road only made people more irritated.
Fortunately, the rest of the journey was smooth, and by the time the ice basin in their carriage had almost melted away, Tang Ning and her group had reached Lingyun Temple.
The orange-red high walls blocked the view of the Great Buddha Hall within, but one could faintly smell the incense smoke drifting out from the temple. Tall pine trees and cypress trees extended above the wall, casting a shadow over the entire front of the temple.
In front of the temple, there was a large open area, already filled with carriages that hadn't yet been dispersed. More and more pilgrims, coming to attend the Yulan Festival, were descending from their carriages. Even before entering the temple, the fragrance of incense was already thick in the air.
When Tang Ning and her group arrived, a young monk from the temple came out to greet them: "What is the honorable surname of the visitors?"
"My master’s surname is Xiao. We sent word to the temple three days ago," Yue Jian responded.
As soon as the monk heard this, he quickly lowered his head: "So it is the family of Governor Xiao. Please follow me into the temple."
Behind Lingyun Temple, there were two wings, east and west, where male and female pilgrims would stay. There were also smaller guest courtyards for couples, families, or distinguished guests who preferred not to stay with others.
The Supervisor’s residence had already sent word in advance, so Tang Ning and her group were assigned to a modest courtyard. After entering, Cang Lang took a moment to thoroughly inspect the place.
Tang Ning watched as several of the young maidservants bustled around, packing and unpacking things. She fanned herself and said, “This temple is indeed crowded. I saw quite a few familiar faces earlier including some of the people who came to our estate for the banquet on that day.”
Hong Yue replied, "We're only just arriving. Today isn't the formal day for the ceremony yet. Once tomorrow morning comes, I suspect even more people will arrive."
Xue Ru, who had never been to such a busy place before, was a little curious. "Do so many people come to attend the ceremony?"
"Not all of them," Hong Yue explained, knowing she was unfamiliar with these matters. "There are many kinds of Buddhist ceremonies, and the Yulan Festival is just one of them. Lingyun Temple is renowned for its incense offerings, and many people come here to pray for blessings before the festival, but not all of them come solely for this."
"Did you notice the carriages outside, and the people who will be staying in the temple tonight? There are the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, the Ji King’s residence, the Fourth Prince's residence, and several other noble houses. Besides them, many important officials' families are also here. Most of them will stay for two or three days..."
Xue Ru suddenly understood, "It's usually very hard to meet so many influential people, but in this temple, it becomes much easier. And since everyone is here to pray, they can easily find common topics to talk about. It seems that these people treat the ceremony as a way to network and socialize."
Hong Yue admired the young lady's insight and, fanning herself, said, "There are many people in the capital who like to scheme and make connections. Not everyone truly respects the Buddha. Since you're here with Tang Ning, some people might take notice of you. If someone approaches you in the next few days, be cautious, and don’t let anyone deceive you."
Although Xue Ru didn't have much, she was accompanied by a sister who had everything, and some people might target her.
Xue Ru quickly became alert: "I will be careful."
Tang Ning placed the fan aside and, noticing Xue Ru's cautious expression, couldn't help but laugh.
"You don't need to be too careful. After all, it’s a temple. Even if some people want to make connections, they won’t go too far. Otherwise, they might end up with a reputation for disrespecting the gods."
"Behind Lingyun Temple is a cliff with warm spring water, surrounded by lush vegetation. It’s green all year round. When the sun rises and sets, the mist from the springs creates a beautiful rainbow effect. If you like, you can go there and have a look. Just remember to bring your guards along," Tang Ning said, looking at the darkening sky. "I wonder if A Yue and Madam Qian have arrived yet."
If there was one person who couldn't be avoided in conversation, it was certainly Qian Qi Yue.
As if on cue, Tang Ning's words had just finished when Qian Qi Yue's voice rang out.
"Tang Ning!"
Qian Qi Yue, who had been resting for a few days, was no longer affected by the incident when she fell into the water. She had changed out of her usual bright red dress and was now wearing a soft blue silk gown. The elegance of a noblewoman still didn't restrain her lively personality. As soon as she saw Tang Ning, she bounced over excitedly.
Tang Ning laughed and walked out to greet her: "I was just talking about you, and now you've arrived."
"Don’t blame me! It’s all Big Brother and the others. They were delayed by all sorts of things and didn’t leave until it was dark," Qian Qi Yue replied cheerfully.
Qian Qing Ran had recently joined the Dali Temple. Although his official position was not high, he would be staying in the capital from now on. Hearing Qian Qi Yue’s chatter, he commented, "Isn’t it because you were worried the vegetarian food on the mountain wouldn’t suit your taste, and secretly went to buy some food, causing the delay?"
After saying this, he turned to Tang Ning with a gentle smile. "Greetings, County Lord."
Tang Ning returned the greeting, "Minister Qian."
"Minister? He’s barely a little ‘Minister Qian,’" Qian Qi Yue teased as she clung to Tang Ning’s arm. "He’s my older brother, and also yours! Don’t be so formal with him. Otherwise, with so many people in the Qian family, who would respond if you called him 'Minister'?"
Tang Ning couldn’t help but laugh at Qian Qi Yue’s words. Even Qian Qing Ran chuckled. "You and A Yue are close friends, so just call me 'Big Brother Qian'."
Tang Ning, not being pretentious, replied, "Alright, Big Brother Qian. No need to call me 'County Lord'. Just call me Tang Ning."
Qian Qing Ran smiled slightly: "Tang Ning."
At that moment, Fu Lai Qing, who had been walking over to greet them, suddenly felt like an outsider. He didn’t care what they called each other but he had shared life-and-death moments with them, yet they were still ‘Mr Fu’ and ‘Miss Qian’. Why did those two get close to each other first?
Jealousy!
Fu Lai Qing cleared his throat loudly, trying to remind them of his presence.
Qian Qi Yue looked at him, surprised. "Fu Lai Qing? What are you doing here?"
Fu Lai Qing, trying to suppress his jealousy, replied, "I came with Grandmother. She said the Yulan Festival is a rare grand event in the Buddhist world, and it’s a good opportunity to pray for our ancestors."
Qian Qi Yue was puzzled. Usually, it’s the ladies who come for these ceremonies. Why is it that you, a man, are so eager to come with your grandmother? The Fu family has a lady, at the very least, there’s Madam Fu. Even her older brother was only here because of his wife. Even her second and third brothers refused to come, leaving their wives at home.
Fu Lai Qing’s enthusiasm to accompany Madam Fu to pray for blessings was puzzling.
Qian Qi Yue commented, "You're really filial."
"You too, Miss Qian," Fu Lai Qing said, giving her a polite smile, thinking it was his best.
Qian Qi Yue frowned. "What are you doing, smiling so awkwardly?"
Fu Lai Qing was momentarily speechless.
Seeing the awkward situation, Qian Qing Ran lightly patted his younger sister. "Don’t be rude."
Qian Qi Yue stuck out her tongue, turned to hug Tang Ning, and whispered, "It’s just the truth... Last time, he was fine, but now his smile looks so fake."
Fu Lai Qing’s face stiffened instantly.
If he smiled again, he’d be a fool!
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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