Three days later.
Lin Qinghe, along with You Rong, You Yue, and Mei Lan, accompanied the Emperor to the Jianan Temple outside the capital.
Lin Qinghe propped her chin on her hand inside the carriage, gazing at the long, imposing procession outside, lost in thought.
With so many guards, would any assassins dare to show their faces?
At this point, she couldn't exactly hire someone to pretend to be an assassin.
Lin Qinghe let out a long sigh.
She could only let nature take its course, praying the plot would unfold as expected.
Suddenly, Lin Qinghe belatedly noticed You Rong and You Yue walking beside the carriage. Frowning, she lifted the curtain and said, "Stop for a moment. I'm tired of sitting in the carriage, my back and legs ache. You Rong, you... and Mei Lan, come up and give this princess a shoulder and foot massage."
You Rong subtly furrowed his brow, but did not disobey Lin Qinghe's orders. He, along with You Yue and the others, got into the carriage.
Once inside, You Yue and Mei Lan began massaging Lin Qinghe's shoulders. You Rong, however, looked somewhat awkward and remained stiff, hesitant.
He couldn't possibly... actually give Lin Qinghe a shoulder and foot massage, could he?
After all, men and women should maintain a distance, and he wasn't a true eunuch.
Yet, no one knew this but him.
Lin Qinghe, guessing some of You Rong's thoughts, found it amusing. She didn't let him feel awkward for long, saying, "You Rong, sit down quickly. I asked you to come up and massage my legs and shoulders as an excuse. You've been walking alongside the carriage, it must be tiring. It will still take two to three hours to reach Jianan Temple."
You Yue and Mei Lan exchanged glances, their hearts filled with gratitude.
Mei Lan said, "Your Highness Princess, thank you for your consideration of your servants. However, we are ultimately servants, and it is improper for us to share a carriage with Your Highness. We should go down..."
Lin Qinghe waved dismissively, "What's there to thank? Sit down with peace of mind! Such a large carriage, and only this princess sitting in it, what a waste! Sit down quickly, hurry... It's just that this princess is bored to death alone. You can come up and talk with me, and perhaps entertain me."
The three remained kneeling, unmoving. Lin Qinghe simply pulled Mei Lan and You Yue up and pressed them to sit beside her. As they were about to get up, she deliberately put on a stern face and reprimanded, "You are not allowed to get up! This is an order. Are you not even listening to this princess's command?!"
"Your servants dare not."
"Good, then sit properly."
Lin Qinghe's gaze fell on You Rong. Just as she was about to reach out to pull him up, he stood up first and sat down, saying, "Your servant thanks Your Highness Princess for her grace."
Lin Qinghe awkwardly withdrew her hand and smiled, "It's nothing, just a small matter. Please, all of you, sit at ease."
She hadn't expected that even now, You Rong was still unwilling to have any physical contact with her.
But then again... the progress bar had only increased by two percent. Perhaps You Rong's liking for her was merely a fleeting one.
The group traveled for nearly two hours. The Emperor ordered a rest of two quarters of an hour before continuing their journey.
Lin Qinghe had been confined in the carriage for long enough. When Mei Lan mentioned fetching water from the stream ahead, she stood up and said, "This princess will go with you. I've been sitting in the carriage for too long, my back and legs are sore. It's a good opportunity to stretch my limbs."
"Yes, Your Highness Princess."
Mei Lan helped Lin Qinghe out of the carriage. You Yue, being young and rare for an outing from the palace, naturally wanted to explore, so she followed them out.
Lin Qinghe looked at You Rong inside the carriage. Seeing that he remained still, she assumed he didn't want to get out and said, "You Rong, you wait in the carriage. We'll be back soon."
"...Yes, Your Highness Princess."
After Lin Qinghe and the others had walked away, You Rong's eyes flickered. He got out of the carriage and stood beside it, watching them from afar by the stream.
By the stream, besides them, there were other palace maids, eunuchs, guards, and ministers fetching water.
Mei Lan said, "Your Highness Princess, walk further ahead, be careful not to wet your shoes and socks. You and You Yue wait here, your servant will fetch the water."
Lin Qinghe nodded, "Alright, be careful."
"Your servant will be, Your Highness Princess, rest assured."
Mei Lan went to fetch water. Lin Qinghe looked around and paced back and forth.
This was a perfect opportunity for an assassination. Shouldn't an assassin appear now?
But it was so peaceful, perhaps no assassin was coming?
Lost in thought, Lin Qinghe's foot slipped, and she stumbled, about to fall forward.
You Rong naturally saw this and his heart leaped. He hurried towards them.
Before Lin Qinghe could fall, a man in a crimson official robe grabbed her, preventing her from hitting the ground.
Still shaken, Lin Qinghe looked up.
It was a man with a gentle demeanor.
Who was this person?
In the memories of the original body, she didn't seem to have met him.
Before Lin Qinghe could regain her composure, the man helped her stand steadily, then took a few steps back, cupped his hands, and said, "This humble minister was too hasty just now, I have offended Your Highness Princess. I beg for Your Highness's forgiveness."
Lin Qinghe smiled, "It's nothing. This princess hasn't even had a chance to thank you, sir, so how could I blame you? It's just that you seem unfamiliar, may I know who you are..."
"Reporting to Your Highness Princess, this humble minister is the Minister of Justice, Gu Ziye."
Lin Qinghe's eyes lit up at the name.
Although Gu Ziye was a supporting character, he was a crucial link. When You Rong became the Chief Eunuch, his efforts to vindicate the You family wouldn't have been possible without Gu Ziye's help.
Moreover, Gu Ziye was upright and incorruptible, a model official!
Thinking that he might be useful in the future, it wouldn't hurt to try and win him over. Lin Qinghe's smile became even more amiable.
"So it's Minister Gu. This princess has heard of you. Minister Gu is young and capable, with outstanding talent, and has relieved Your Majesty of many burdens in court affairs. Seeing you today, the reputation is indeed not exaggerated."
"Your Highness is too kind. Serving His Majesty is this minister's duty."
"Minister Gu is truly humble. This princess greatly admires you. We must depart soon and cannot chat at length. If there's an opportunity another day, I will certainly make up for it."
Gu Ziye respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Highness Princess. This minister awaits at any time."
Lin Qinghe and Gu Ziye were having a pleasant conversation. You Rong, midway on his return, subtly frowned and turned back.
When Lin Qinghe returned to the carriage, You Rong was sitting in it with a blank expression. Thus, Lin Qinghe didn't think much of it, completely unaware that he had gotten out of the carriage and had even walked towards them, only to turn back halfway.
After another hour's journey, they arrived at Jianan Temple.
As it was getting late, everyone stayed in the meditation rooms of Jianan Temple for the night and would hold the prayer ceremony tomorrow.
A young monk led Lin Qinghe to her meditation room. As soon as Lin Qinghe sat down, she pondered the matter of winning over Gu Ziye and decided to act quickly.
Lin Qinghe said, "Mei Lan, this princess remembers you brought some pastries. Take out a box and send it to the North Meditation Room for Minister Gu. Tell him it's a thank-you gift for saving this princess today."