Chapter 63: The Empress Dowager

Chapter 63: The Empress Dowager

As the sound of the river echoed in his ears, Meng Yuan arrived at the foot of the small mountain and saw the ancient stone steps winding upwards.

An elderly Taoist priest in his seventies or eighties, accompanied by a middle-aged Taoist in his forties, stood at the bottom of the steps. The older one held a Daoist fan, while the younger carried a jade flask, both greeting them respectfully.

Meng Yuan recognized the older Taoist priest as the very same one who had read his fortune! Back then, this Taoist had been scamming passersby near the Intoxicating Moon Tower, and Meng Yuan, having fallen into his trap, reluctantly asked for a reading, only to be tricked and lose a canister of tea leaves.

Meng Yuan remembered the Taoist complaining about having to entertain a noble guest who was coming to visit, but lacking the funds to do so, he had to swallow his pride and earn some shameful silver.

Now it seemed that the noble guest was none other than the Empress Dowager.

The Taoist priest, despite knowing such a noble person as the Empress Dowager, remained content with his poverty and devoted to the Dao, never asking for incense money. Clearly, he was different.

Nie Yanian helped Meng Yuan dismount, but there was no Taoist acolyte to take the reins, which was quite unusual.

"Old Immortal Master!" Nie Yanian smiled and bowed, standing on one side of the steps with Meng Yuan, awaiting the carriage from behind.

Meng Yuan stared at the old Taoist, who, in turn, looked at Du Gu Kang with a warm and gentle gaze.

Du Gu Kang approached, maintaining proper etiquette, but his poetic spirit had faded, and he greeted the Taoist with a limp bow, appearing somewhat fearful.

"How many bowls of rice do you eat in a day now?" the old Taoist asked Du Gu Kang.

"Three bowls," Du Gu Kang replied.

"An unsettled mind leads to unsettled meals," the old Taoist said, stroking his beard and smiling.

Du Gu Kang lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Soon, the carriage from behind arrived and slowly came to a stop.

Xun Mei descended first, followed by a woman who alighted from the carriage.

The woman wore a waist-length dress with intricate embroidered patterns on the collar and cuffs, exuding elegance.

Her long skirt had a slightly wide hem, and as she walked, it swayed gracefully.

Her hair was adorned with a double-pronged hairpin, and she wore a thin, long scarf draped over her shoulders. In the gentle spring breeze, she appeared even more ethereal.

Xiang Ling, with her floral headscarf and small backpack, was like a village woman going out; this was merely a fashionable trend. The proper attire for a noblewoman on an excursion was what this woman wore, both graceful and practical for traveling.

The woman was around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, and despite her ethereal attire, her beauty was undeniable, exuding a dignified and unapproachable aura.

In that moment, the vibrant flowers and lush grass all seemed to pale in comparison.

Listening to the distant river, the sense of this person being a fairy floating on the waves grew stronger.

Meng Yuan's hand rested on his long sword, and after cutting testicles for so long and playing with the sword, he finally understood who it was all for.

But at this very moment, Meng Yuan's gaze was unwavering, dignified and solemn.

"Junior Sister," he said.

"Senior Uncle," the two Taoists replied.

"Senior Brother, Senior Nephew," the Empress Dowager smiled and returned the greeting, her voice serene.

The old Taoist and the Empress Dowager ascended the steps side by side, followed by the middle-aged Taoist and Du Gu Kang, and behind them were Xun Mei and several female guards.

Nie Yanian led Meng Yuan up the steps on either side, taking the lead.

The steps, weathered and worn, were covered in moss, indicating that this dilapidated place rarely saw visitors and lacked thriving incense offerings.

After a few steps, the trees no longer obscured the view, revealing the temple's entrance with the words 'Tranquil Void Temple' inscribed above.

The Empress Dowager, guided by the old Taoist, entered the Tranquil Void Temple, bypassing the main hall and proceeding further into the third courtyard, reaching a tranquil courtyard.

In the courtyard stood a pine tree and a paulownia tree, their leaves now lush and green. Beneath the paulownia tree were bamboo tables and chairs, along with a tea stove.

The old Taoist invited the Empress Dowager to sit and personally brewed tea for her.

Meng Yuan observed that the teapot was still the same one he had lost to the Taoist.

"A hundred years hasten old age, a thousand years await highness," the Empress Dowager said, gazing at the pine tree and smiling. "Senior Brother, you and I are both aging."

"You're only in your twenties, the prime of your life. I haven't even mentioned aging yet, so why do you say such things?"

The Daoist priest, with his arms crossed and a Daoist fan tucked under his arm, poured tea for the Empress Consort.

As the Empress Consort smiled gently, Xun Mei and the others withdrew, and the priest's disciple also emerged from the courtyard.

"Guard the gate, and if anything goes wrong, you'll be packing your bags and heading home!" Upon seeing Xun Mei, Nie Yanian quickly put on a stern face.

"Until death do us part!" Meng Yuan pressed his hand down, looking ready to face death.

"Uncle Nie, the more you scare him, the more likely things will go wrong," Xun Mei spoke up in defense.

"That's true," Du Gu Kang agreed, "Don't scare him silly."

The middle-aged Daoist priest bowed politely to everyone and said with a smile, "I'll prepare a meal for all of you."

Meng Yuan was speechless. Ever since they entered the Tranquil Void Temple, they had only seen the old Daoist priest and his disciple. Now, even for preparing a meal, it seemed he had to do it himself.

"Keep an eye on this place," Nie Yanian instructed, then headed towards the back of the courtyard with the others.

Meng Yuan stood at the gate, waiting and waiting, until past noon, and the Empress Consort and the old Daoist priest were still chatting.

He glanced over, seeing them seated on bamboo stools, discussing something by the tea stove, but he couldn't make out their topic.

After a shift change and a meal, it was already late afternoon when the old Daoist priest finally finished his lecture, escorted out by the Empress Consort.

"Worry not the thousand-mile journey, for the wind will bring you there," the Daoist priest said, holding his fan with a warm smile, devoid of the usual fortune-telling nuisance, "My sister disciple can rest here for a few days and refresh her spirit."

"Thank you, brother disciple," the Empress Consort replied, performing a Daoist salute.

After the Daoist priest left, the Empress Consort turned back to look at the Paulownia tree in the courtyard, remaining silent for a long time.

"Third Miss," Nie Yanian took a step forward, addressing her not by her royal title.

The Empress Consort turned, looked at Nie Yanian, and smiled, "Brother Nie." She held great respect for those who had fought alongside her brother.

"I'm unworthy," Nie Yanian laughed, bowing with a fist salute, "I'm afraid I've let you down. This boy here is barely passable, and I've asked him to stand guard outside your courtyard. If anything happens, you can find him."

Meng Yuan immediately bowed, "Meng Yuan at your service, willing to face any danger for the Third Miss!"

"Raise your head," the Empress Consort spoke.

Meng Yuan lifted his head, looking at the Empress Consort, feeling that she was wasting her beauty as a royal consort, for her face should be that of a queen.

But when their eyes met, Meng Yuan sensed a unique light in the Empress Consort's eyes.

Unlike Xun Mei's upright and proper demeanor, where one could easily discern her preferences, or Jiang Tang's simple nature with a hint of cunning, or Hu Qian's feigned coldness, the Empress Consort's eyes were different.

Before meeting the Empress Consort, Meng Yuan had only heard of her deeds, believing her to be a compassionate and gentle elder.

Later, after hearing Nie Yanian and the others' words, he learned of her beauty and love for reading, and Meng Yuan thought the Empress Consort was a wise and talented person.

But now, looking into her eyes, Meng Yuan felt the Empress Consort's eyes were bright and profound. Amidst her dignified and graceful demeanor, she seemed to have experienced human affairs, even possessing a hint of cunning.

It was as if at this moment, Nie Shi was allowing Meng Yuan to show his face before the Empress Consort, and although no words were spoken, she already understood the situation.

"You don't seem easy to serve," Meng Yuan thought to himself, his expression unchanged.

"You seem capable," the Empress Consort said, turning to Nie Yanian with a smile, "A good prospect."

Nie Yanian nodded, and the Empress Consort inclined her head, saying no more as she returned to the courtyard, followed closely by Xun Mei, who then closed the courtyard gate.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end