"Oh, Miss, are you even listening to me?" the little maid noticed that her young mistress wasn't paying attention to her at all, and immediately complained with a huff.
"I am listening, continue, Rong'er," surprised that her little gesture had been noticed, Ye Qingfu replied in a slightly flustered manner.
"What did I just say then? Hmph, I won't be angry if Miss can answer," the maid retorted with another question.
"You said..." Ye Qingfu paused, unable to recall what had just been said, and stood there dumbfounded.
"Alright, Rong'er, let it go. You little imp," it was up to Wu Jian to diffuse the situation.
He got up from his seat and sat down next to Ye Qingfu, holding her slender hand in his palm, then spoke, "Qingfu, are you still angry about that impulsive thing I did that night? My mind was foggy because of the injury."
With her hand being held and the little maid nearby, Ye Qingfu blushed and couldn't look at Wu Jian, slightly struggling, she replied shyly, "No need to worry, Jian'er, I'm not blaming you."
"Little lord, are you and the young miss hiding something from me? Why didn't you invite me along?" the little maid, feeling left out, looked at the two of them suspiciously.
"Mind your own business," Ye Qingfu rebuked the maid with a blush on her face.
Feeling wronged, the little maid looked at Wu Jian, then moved to a corner, as if abandoned, looking like a poor little animal.
Wu Jian's eye twitched, thinking to himself, "such a drama queen!"
After a while, the little maid, feeling bored again, forgot what had happened earlier and clung to Wu Jian's sleeve, asking with anticipation, "Young master, what are we going to do at the temple?"
"Little lord, we don't know when we'll arrive at Pu Hua Temple. Why don't you tell us another story to pass the time? Is that okay?" Hearing this, Ye Qingfu also looked over and obviously agreed with the little maid's suggestion.
Seeing this, Wu Jian couldn't refuse, so he pondered for a moment and then lightly spoke: "Then I'll tell you a short story, 'The Song of Everlasting Sorrow'..."
"The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" recounts the tragic love story of Tang Minghuang and Yang Guifei in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. "Out of Three thousand beauties, only favoring one" is the evaluation of Yang Guifei. From the beginning of summoning the beautiful Yang Guifei into the palace, among the three thousand beauties in the harem, Tang Minghuang only favored and loved her, and the two were deeply in love.
Until the Anshi Rebellion broke out, Yang Guifei died and Tang Minghuang was devastated and heartbroken.
Finally, Wu Jian sighed and said softly: "On the seventh day of July in the palace of the Changle Hall, at midnight when no one else was around, wishing to be birds of the same feather and share the same fate in heaven, to be twined together as branches on earth. Though time may pass and this world may end, these feelings of longing will never cease."
The twisting and turning story was vividly depicted by Wu Jian, as if he had become part of the story. The two women were already in tears, immersed in the story, feeling regretful, melancholic, and even longing.
The carriage slowly moved forward, and Wu Jian didn't disturb the two women who were already immersed in the story, and his mind was making other plans.
With such a large-scale trip, the Prince's special carriage, and the person holding the Seven Star Arrow behind the scenes, this was the opportunity to seize.
In order not to let others suspect that he was uninjured, Wu Jian deliberately reversed his true energy in his meridians while still in the carriage, pretending to be pale and seriously injured, as if he was about to die.
At some unknown time, the sky was already covered with dark clouds, and lightning flashed from time to time, as if a heavy rain was about to come.
At this moment, the voice of the guard came from outside: "Young Master, we have arrived at Pu Hua Temple."
There are nine cities in the Everlasting Prefecture: Yong, Yu, Zheng, Wu, Zhan, Zhong, Heng, Tian, and Xia. Each city corresponds to one of the eight surnames, with Yong City being particularly special, corresponding to the Wu family of the Yong Prince's Mansion and ranking above the other eight cities in the Eight Banners.
Legend has it that in the earliest times, before the founding of Qiguo State, the Wu family of the Everlasting Prefecture was the overlord among the competition. The eight surnames were then referred to as the Eight Banners, with the Wu family of the Everlasting Prefecture being hailed as the king, conquering the world with ease. The eight surnames also symbolize that the Wu family of the Everlasting Prefecture, with their invincible might, would conquer the world without a fight.
Pu Hua Temple is located in the city of Zhong in the Eight Banners. Its golden roof shines brightly, and its grand hall is filled with the smoke of incense. Women come here to pray for children, and commoners come to seek fame and fortune.
Today, two unusual people have come to the temple: a handsome young man in a white silk robe and a mature and beautiful woman in a palace costume. They are Prince Wu Jian and his sister Ye Qingfu. Because Wu Jian was injured some time ago, Ye Qingfu intended to come to Pu Hua Temple to pray for him.
Inside the grand hall, Ye Qingfu kneels on the mat, her palms together and her eyes closed, obviously praying sincerely. Seeing Ye Qingfu, Wu Jian remembers how she slept beside him every night when he was injured, just to take care of him. Now, she is kneeling in front of Buddha, praying for his safety. A warm current flows through Wu Jian's heart.
Beside her, Wu Jian, who is pale due to his "injuries", is supported by a little maid. In the face of this solemn scene, both of them look serious.
...
In the backyard of Pu Hua Temple, a person in purple and a person in red sit facing each other. Both of them are masked and cannot be clearly seen.
"Guardian, Wu Jian is already inside Pu Hua Temple, but the guards are too tight to get close."
"However, it can be confirmed that Wu Jian is indeed seriously injured and needs the help of his maid to even stand." The person in purple spoke first, with a hoarse voice that could not be distinguished between male and female.
The person in red's eyes flashed coldly, and after a moment of contemplation, he said in a cold voice, "Wait for the opportunity. As long as Wu Jian is alone for a moment, he will certainly die this time."
"However, before killing him, we need a kind of medicinal lure."