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“......”
Mei Shuang initially couldn't comprehend the situation, but once she did, it shocked her even more than the poison she had encountered earlier.
Looking at Xiao Luo, whose gaze was clear and penetrating, her eyes widened in disbelief as she stammered, “Your, Your Majesty, what did you say?”
Xiao Luo raised an eyebrow slightly, his deep gaze shifting away without repeating himself.
Mei Shuang was bewildered. Remembering that she had once put a green hat on this imperious emperor on the night of their grand wedding, it suddenly dawned on her that this unexpected question was a test!
If she said “yes,” wouldn’t that mean she was admitting to an affair with Nangong Nuo? It seemed that although her relationship with Nangong Nuo had been cleared up previously, the emperor still harbored doubts. Thus, even though she was no longer the previous Mei Shuang, she had not completely shed the title of Deposed Empress Mei Shuang. Deposed Empress Mei Shuang was still the emperor's wife; there was no concept of divorce in ancient times.
She quickly shook her head and waved her hands in denial. “No, no, that absolutely did not happen.”
Xiao Luo seemed not to hear her and merely gazed into the distance, lost in thought. His expression was distant, carrying an indescribable sentiment...
Suddenly, curiosity surged within Mei Shuang. Gathering her courage, she cautiously asked, “May I ask Your Majesty, do you truly miss Chu Xiruo?”
Xiao Luo abruptly turned his gaze back to Mei Shuang, his dark eyes seemingly frosted over with coldness. This made Mei Shuang regret her impulsiveness greatly; she hurriedly lowered her head and explained, “Actually, I just don’t know much about the past, so I was curious and just wanted to ask...”
After a long pause, Xiao Luo finally spoke lightly, “Have you met Chu Xiruo?”
“Yes,” Mei Shuang replied softly.
“When?” Xiao Luo asked casually.
"Just the other day—uh..." Mei Shuang suddenly realized she had said too much and quickly changed the subject, "I heard Miss Chu is very nice..."
Xiao Luo clearly did not miss the loophole in her words, or rather, he was waiting for Mei Shuang to say that.
When Mei Shuang previously claimed she didn't know, he didn't believe her at all; now that she was saying she didn't know, he had no doubts. After all, the Mei Shuang in front of him was vastly different from the one before. Unfortunately, she mentioned "just the other day," and as far as he knew, Chu Xiruo had disappeared before he returned.
The scrutiny in Xiao Luo's eyes was evident, and Mei Shuang wished she could slap herself for being so foolish as to bring up Chu Xiruo. Wasn't it just a man feeling emotional under the moonlight? She had let herself be moved and felt the need to comfort someone else, only to end up entangled in her own words.
However, it was too late to say anything now. Mei Shuang felt anxious, fearing that Xiao Luo would continue to ask questions, leaving her with no choice but to confess.
Fortunately, at a critical moment, Li Gonggong came to the rescue.
When Li Gonggong returned carrying several pairs of shoes in different colors, Mei Shuang was astonished. "Why are there so many?"
Li Gonggong replied, "I didn't know Miss Lin's shoe size, so I picked out a few extra pairs for selection." He then stepped back and disappeared into the night.
Mei Shuang tried on each pair and found one that fit perfectly. After putting it on, she heard Xiao Luo say, "Can we go now?"
Mei Shuang nodded; at this moment, the thing she wanted most was to leave quickly and hope that Xiao Luo would forget what she had just said and not bring up Chu Xiruo again.
As she walked forward with Xiao Luo again, Mei Shuang was extra cautious, her eyes wide open as she stared at the ground, afraid of encountering anything unsavory.
The royal temple Dazhao Temple looked solemn and dignified during the day but came alive with all sorts of spirits and monsters at night.
As Mei Shuang walked, she secretly rejoiced at her previous experiences as a traveler; otherwise, just walking through this temple shrouded in dense forest would have terrified her.
Especially at this Midnight, when the yin energy between heaven and earth is at its peak, various strange occurrences often happen at such times. Coupled with the crescent moon in the sky casting a dim light through the Cloud, this kind of weather is quite suitable for filming a horror movie.
As they passed a long red wall adorned with glazed tiles, Mei Shuang saw her and Xiao Luo's shadows hurriedly moving along the wall. She secretly wondered if they were heading back. But it certainly didn't look like a Palace.
Li Gonggong silently followed behind, noticing that the woman trailing the swift-moving Emperor was frequently glancing around, clearly someone who wasn't used to walking at night—a rookie type. He really didn't know if she could hold up for much longer.
However, the Emperor himself was also quite something; as a noble born of royal blood and a true dragon in form, how could he casually venture out at midnight just to accompany Miss Lin? It seemed he was also worried about Miss Lin's safety.
Sigh, when has the Emperor ever been so anxious about anyone? It was likely not just concern for Miss Lin's safety.
After a while, Xiao Luo came to a stop. Mei Shuang stared in astonishment at the grand red door ahead, imposing and majestic.
Wasn't this the hall where Xiao Luo led the concubines to pray for the Empress Dowager during the day? Through the long windows, she could see that there were no candles lit inside; it was dark and gloomy.
The scene triggered memories of the strange Buddha statue from earlier; that eerie and terrifying moment felt like it was happening right before her eyes. And at this moment, Xiao Luo had brought her here—not just for a casual stroll, surely?
Looking at Xiao Luo's back, Mei Shuang suddenly felt a chill sweep across her face. Her heart raced unexpectedly, and an inexplicable fear made her legs feel weak.
After gazing at the door for a moment, Xiao Luo turned around. His dark eyes lightly swept over Mei Shuang's slightly pale face as he asked, "Today, while praying for the Empress Dowager, has Miss Lin been focused?"
“......”
Mei Shuang was momentarily speechless. How could he say such a thing? It seemed as if his words were subtly accusing her of not being attentive during the prayers. This truly felt like an injustice to her, but—his words seemed to imply something more.
Suddenly feeling flustered inside, Mei Shuang nodded repeatedly on the surface and softly replied, "Of course, while praying for the Empress Dowager, I can only focus to repay her kindness..."
"Indeed, the Empress Dowager has been generous to you during these Ordinary Days. It is rare to see your filial piety, and since you have not copied the Sutra for the Empress Dowager in a long time, starting from this midnight, I grant you permission to copy a volume of the Sutra in the Great Hall for the Empress Dowager. You will present it to her personally when you return to the palace tomorrow."
"......"
Mei Shuang was immediately petrified.
The crimson doors of the Great Hall opened at some point, and the creaking sound was like thunder on a clear day, testing one's endurance in the stillness of the night.
Mei Shuang couldn't help but start to tremble, her teeth chattering and her legs shaking.
Once the doors opened, a cold night breeze rushed in, carrying with it the lingering scent of incense from earlier in the day. The sudden chill made Mei Shuang step back repeatedly while instinctively raising her sleeve to cover her mouth and nose. Suddenly realizing that this might be an act of great disrespect before Buddha, she quickly lowered her sleeve, suppressing the urge to sneeze to avoid giving the Emperor another reason to accuse her of disrespect due to her lack of focus.
Then, two candle flames flickered to life in front of Buddha, illuminating the Great Hall significantly. Buddha and the nearby statues became clearly visible.
The cold night wind swept through the long windows, causing the candle flames to dance erratically. As they flickered, the atmosphere in the otherwise silent hall became exceptionally oppressive.
Especially those Buddha statues; they appeared majestic during the day but seemed less responsive under the candlelight at night, making one hesitant to look too long.
Standing outside the Great Hall, Mei Shuang looked at everything inside and couldn't help but smile bitterly. This truly was unfortunate; why did this troublesome matter fall upon her, especially under the guise of "filial piety" towards the Empress Dowager?
She wondered what scheme this Emperor was concocting. If he had used her as bait during the day to draw out Queen Meiru, what was his intention tonight? Was it possible that mentioning Chu Xiruo displeased him and this was his way of punishing her? If that were true, Mei Shuang could only lament that there was no such thing as a regret pill in this world; otherwise, she would buy a hundred bottles and take them all just to ensure she never mentioned Chu Xiruo again.
Although she could never truly accept "what comes must be faced," looking at the Emperor's expression left no room for negotiation. It seemed ahead lay a path filled with dangers; she had no choice but to forge ahead bravely.
Mei Shuang gritted her teeth, striving to calm her racing heart that felt like it might leap out of her throat. She watched as figures inside moved silently like ghosts, setting up tables and arranging ink and paper before Buddha, waiting for her to enter.
She held onto the last glimmer of hope, gazing at Xiao Luo with anticipation, and softly asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything else you would like to instruct?"
Xiao Luo did not expect her to ask such a question. He raised an eyebrow at her hopeful expression, finding it somewhat amusing. Clearly terrified, she was trying hard to appear calm while subtly probing if he might change his mind.
"There is nothing more," Xiao Luo replied, his eyes as calm and dark as the night sky. "As for copying the Sutra for the Empress Dowager, it requires a peaceful mind. I believe you do not need my instructions—I'll just wait for someone to come collect the Sutra tomorrow."
As he was leaving, Xiao Luo casually remarked, "In the past, Chu Xiruo also copied scriptures for the Empress Dowager but never caught her attention..."
Watching the elegant figure of Xiao Luo disappear around the corner of the red wall, Mei Shuang was left in a daze, or perhaps it was that his last words had momentarily short-circuited her brain.
She certainly knew that the Empress Dowager did not favor Chu Xiruo. However, to think that Chu Xiruo would go to such lengths to please the Empress Dowager by copying scriptures alone in the eerie silence of the grand hall at midnight was simply unbelievable. How many women would have the courage to do such a thing? The difference between collective prayers during the day and solitary scripture copying at night was immense. It required tremendous courage and motivation to overcome psychological barriers in order to calmly write scriptures in such a place.
If what Xiao Luo said was true, she could only admire that gentle woman even more. After all, being able to remain composed in a dilapidated temple situated in such a desolate valley was no ordinary feat.
As Mei Shuang steeled herself to enter the grand hall, she had to admit that in this regard, she was truly outmatched.
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