Since Xiao Yelei didn't like her, Yin Chujin naturally wouldn't rub her warm face against him. Moreover, the two of them didn't have much interaction. Hence, she turned her face to the side and stopped looking at him. She grabbed the hand of a nanny beside the carriage and stepped on it.
"Let's go!"
Sitting in the carriage, Yin Chujin secretly lifted the curtain to take a look. She realized that the carriage was slowly moving towards the city gate. In the end, it left the city and headed towards the low hill in the western suburbs. This was the first time she was out of the city, and the hustle and bustle of the city was forgotten. This place was extremely quiet, and there were very few traces of people. As far as the eye could see, fallen leaves were flying everywhere, and the ground was covered in yellow. It was an indescribably bleak feeling. She took a deep breath, and the coldness and wet smell that surged into her nose…
Unknowingly, the carriage had already stopped in front of the female Daoist temple in the mountains. The temple was extremely quiet, but the smell of incense wafted over clearly. Yin Chujin had some doubts. Consort Zhao was locked up in a Daoist temple outside the city by Xiao Yelei?
"Get down!" Xiao Yelei's cold voice came from outside the carriage.
Yin Chujin frowned and opened the curtain. Other than Xiao Yelei, who was standing in front with a dark expression, the others had already left. She jumped off the carriage and walked up to him. "Is she inside?"
"Since you're not Yin Chujin, why are you still so concerned about Consort Zhao's life?"
It seemed that he still did not fully believe it. That was true. If she had not displayed such a huge gap, no one would have believed that someone with the same appearance was no longer the same person.
"Since I've taken over her body, I should do something for her, right?" Yin Chujin said nonchalantly. Then, she looked up at the high steps and looked at the words "Lan Zhi Guan". She asked again, "She's inside, right? I'll go up then."
"Aren't you afraid that I'll set up an ambush inside?"
Yin Chujin turned around and glared at him coldly. "What am I afraid of? If I die, you will die with me!"
"You…" Xiao Yelei gritted his teeth and glared at her again.
"It's not good to get angry too easily. Astute people are good at hiding their emotions."
After saying that, Yin Chujin ignored him and walked up the stairs. There were already people waiting at the entrance of the Daoist temple. After reporting her purpose for coming, someone led her to a secluded room.
"Benefactor, Jingkong inside." The nun who led the way bowed to her and turned to leave.
Knock, knock… Yin Chujin knocked on the door. After a while, she heard the sound of the temple block stop.
"Jin'er? Come in!"
Yin Chujin pushed the door open the next moment and saw her kneeling on the meditation mat and knocking on the wooden fish. After a while, she raised her head and looked over. It was a face that had never been disturbed by time.
"Mother…"
"Call me Mistress Jingkong! Just treat it as your mother… isn't around anymore."
If the real Yin Chujin was standing here, Consort Zhao's words would be too hurtful.
Jingkong slowly stood up from the meditation cushion and gestured for Yin Chujin to sit down at the table with her. She took the initiative to pour two cups of tea and placed one in front of Yin Chujin. It was really hard to imagine that she, who had been pampered since she was young and was still the emperor's concubine half a year ago, could do these things so easily.
"Don't you want to go back to the palace? Xiao Yelei has already agreed to let you go."
"I've given up all worldly desires. I'm doing fine here."
"Why?" Yin Chujin stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Jin'er, I just said that my mortal connection is over…"
"Ha…" Yin Chujin's smile stiffened. She picked up the prayer beads on the table and looked at them before putting them back. "Very well. Your mortal ties are over and you're living well. Life here is indeed good. Why didn't you bring your daughter to become a nun back then?"
"Jin'er, why are you…"
"I want to hear the real reason!"
Jingkong looked at Yin Chujin with eyes full of surprise and shock. After a long time, she sighed. "Jin'er, you've changed a lot. You've grown up. Perhaps there are some things that I should let you know. Did you… suffer a lot in the Xiao Manor? It's my fault. I should have stopped you back then."
Yin Chujin listened quietly and did not interrupt her, allowing her to sink into her painful memories.
"Your father… was muddle-headed and shameless. He harmed the entire Xiao Family. Back then, Old Prince Xiao made great contributions and watched the entire Yin Xi Country decline and die in the hands of your father. He repeatedly remonstrated with your father, but was treated by your father with hatred. In the end, he died of worry and depression. This is something you and the world know. However, in fact, in order to possess the beautiful Lady Xiao, your father ordered the imperial physician to poison Old Prince Xiao's medicine. After Old Prince Xiao died, Lady Xiao was violated and finally hanged herself."
"What?" Yin Chujin was shocked by her words. She had originally thought that the incompetent emperor was just a fool. How could he be so heartless? At this moment, she began to sympathize with Xiao Yelei. It was already not easy for his heart to not be twisted after such a tragic change in his perfect family. It was normal for him to hate the Yin Imperial Family. The emperor had tainted Lady Xiao. He probably took Consort Zhao away to take revenge. However, he realized that the emperor was not hurt at all, in fact, his life became even more extravagant.
"I did something wrong too. You've liked Xiao Yelei since you were young. In order to let you marry him, I used my power to break up his and General Ye's daughter. One accident, Miss Ye fell off a cliff and half of her face was scarred…"
Yin Chujin looked calm on the surface, but her heart was racing. What kind of parents did this princess have? How did she end up with this body?
"I'm sorry, I can't repay the Xiao and Ye families in this life…"
"So you chose to avoid it and wanted to end everything by just saying you've ended your mortal connections?"
"I'm sorry…"
"You don't have say anything to me. You don't owe me anything." The only person she owed was the real Yin Chujin. A life, a father's debt, and a mother's debt, all to be paid by their daughter.
Yin Chujin's heart turned cold. Before she left, what Consort Zhao said to her was…
"Jin'er, leave! Just pretend that you don't have a mother like me in the future. I hope that you… won't come again!"
Yin Chujin's heart ached for the princess. If the person standing here was the real Yin Chujin, she would have been covered in wounds, right? She shook her head and threw away all her messy thoughts. There was no need for her to be sad over Consort Zhao's cowardice, evasion, and irresponsibility!
The carriage drove back to the Xiao Manor. Just as they were about to enter the mansion, Yin Chujin was stopped by Xiao Yelei…
"I'll marry Ye Xin at the end of the month. I've done what I promised you. I hope you won't go back on your word and cure her face!"
Yin Chujin turned around and said to Xiao Yelei, "Congratulations! Since you've kept your promise, I won't go back on my word. Tomorrow morning, I'll enter the palace with you to meet my father and give you a marriage edict."
"Don't look at me with such compassion!"
She knew that ever since she came back from the Daoist temple, she kept looking at him with pity, which made Xiao Yelei hate her even more.
"Oh." Yin Chujin nodded and looked up again. Her eyes were clear and emotionless. "I'll go back first."
Xiao Yelei stood behind her and watched her back until she disappeared. There was a complicated look in his eyes. If he had any doubts before this, he would have completely believed that she was not Yin Chujin. She was right. Astute people were good at hiding their emotions, and she had undoubtedly vividly displayed the essence of this sentence.