Chapter 188 Once you enter this room, it’s not up to you whether you can leave.

"yes!"

Today's replacement, Lihuatang's Ji Touhou, who temporarily acted as "car driver", responded fiercely.

He raised his hand and gently pressed down the brim of his sun hat. With a shake of his hand, the riding crop made a crisp sound.

A group of officials who were on a private visit incognito headed straight towards Shenlong Temple.

…

On the other side, the incense car driving out from Li Mansion also rushed to Shenlong Temple.

In the carriage, the wife of the sixth concubine of Xiaoge Lao, who was respectfully called Mrs. Lin, sat quietly, like a lifeless dead tree.

Or a beautiful skeleton that has lost its soul.

Opposite her, sat the maid arranged by Li Yinglong. She looked respectful, but in fact her eyes were fixed on the "Sixth Madam", not missing the slightest sign.

Today, Mrs. Lin is wearing a plain white dress and looks particularly pretty.

But only she knew that this white dress symbolized a certain attitude of giving up and guarding one's heart for her husband.

Well, it can only be an attitude.

even……

She was worried that as time went by and the Li family's nanny persuaded her, one day she would become completely numb.

Adapting to a new life, she was willing to commit herself to the enemy who broke her husband and wife apart.

Mrs. Lin clearly knows that people's ability to adapt to the environment is terrible.

When she was in Jiangnan, she witnessed too many geishas. At first, each of them had the firm idea of saving money to redeem themselves.

But in the end, as time passed, I no longer had the courage to leave.

As a result, she was assimilated and regarded geisha as her final destination in life.

Because of this, despite her outstanding talent and appearance, she quickly became famous in the Jiangnan area and attracted the pursuit of many literati.

At her peak, she was only one step away from reaching the top of the geisha and oiran rankings.

But she resolutely chose to retire and did not marry any powerful person as a concubine. Instead, she followed her own heart and chose a businessman who was not outstanding at the time as her husband.

In just a few years, her husband's business grew bigger and bigger, and Mrs. Lin also said goodbye to her past.

This time I came to Beijing not only to accompany my husband on a business trip, but also to see with my own eyes the most powerful city of the Yu Dynasty.

But he didn't want to, and stepped into purgatory.

During this period of time in the Li Mansion, it was like being trapped in a cage, missing her husband day and night, and all she could do was go to the temple to pray for him.

Fortunately, the hypocritical Li Yinglong did not completely ground her.

Maybe it was to make her change her mind as soon as possible, or maybe she was busy with court affairs recently and neglected to pay attention, so she was allowed to go out for some fresh air.

At this moment, Mrs. Lin's beautiful and elegant face looked outside the trembling curtains at the bustling streets, and her depressed mood could not help but feel relieved.

…

Russian qing.

Li Mansion's carriage stopped outside Shenlong Temple.

"Madam, the place has arrived," the maid in the car said calmly: "Our family doesn't have to be crowded with those lowly common people. We can go straight to the temple behind, which is much quieter."

Shenlong Temple occupies a large area, and the first few courtyards can be used by pilgrims to worship Buddha.

But there is also dignity before the Buddha. Distinguished pilgrims who donate money all year round come and have a special "VIP" room. The Li family is naturally within the scope.

"kindness."

Mrs. Lin made a cold snort as a response.

I don't like the condescending temperament of the Li family's servants.

At this moment, Lian stepped out of the car, and the nurse driving the car stared at her warily without saying a word.

"I can't run away." Mrs. Lin's tone was slightly sarcastic.

The nurse just handed over his hand and said, "I'll forgive you, ma'am."

The nursing home and the maids were naturally here to monitor her.

At this moment, the young novice monk had already taken the initiative to step forward. Seeing that it was the Li family's carriage, he immediately led the three of them to enter through the side door, avoiding the noisy front hall.

It led people to a quiet Buddhist temple.

"I want to pay homage to the Buddha and chant sutras. Do you even have to stay here? Are you still afraid that I can escape in this room?"

Madam Lin couldn't help but get angry when she saw the two of them following closely. Even though she was a geisha, she was still very powerful.

The two of them hurriedly lowered their heads: "I don't dare."

After all, she is the concubine that the master likes, and they dare not really offend her.

Seeing that the Buddhist temple in front only had the main entrance, and even a weak woman could not escape, they turned sideways and stood guard outside the door.

Mrs. Lin's brows relaxed slightly, she wore a white gauze skirt and stepped into the palace.

This is a small side hall, with wooden pillars supporting the dome.

On the altar table in front stands a Medicine Buddha.

Silk curtains hang down on both sides, and smoke curls up. It is said that there will usually be monks guarding the hall, but no one is seen.

Mrs. Lin didn't think much about it, she just thought it was because the monk on duty was away and it would be quieter, which was exactly what she wanted.

Close the palace door with your backhand.

She walked straight to the Buddha and knelt down, clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and looked attentive on her oval face, silently praying for her husband who didn't know what the situation was.

He also prayed for blessings from gods and Buddhas for his miserable fate.

Benedict...

The sound of wooden fish outside the room, the faint sound of chanting in the front hall, and the solemn and sacred atmosphere of the ancient temple gradually calmed her heart.

However, just as she closed her eyes and prayed to the end, she faintly felt footsteps approaching.

Mrs. Lin's eyes opened a crack, and then she saw a pair of boots appearing in front of the futon where she was kneeling. Upward is a pair of legs.

And, a man’s voice that seemed to be smiling but not smiling:

"What a pretty little lady."

scare!
Ms. Lin was horrified and turned pale with fright at the mysterious man who appeared like a ghost.

He opened his mouth to scream, but he only felt a pain in his chest and abdomen, and his scream turned into a hoarse exhalation.

"Shh, don't yell. You don't want people from outside to break in."

The mysterious man popped his fingers out of the air machine, raised the finger that hit her "dumb hole" and put it against her lips, with a smile on his unusually handsome face.

Mrs. Lin staggered back, hurriedly stood up and stood still. After she had recovered from the shock, she opened her mouth:
"Who...are you?"

She can speak.

The mysterious man was naturally Zhao Duan. He smiled and did not continue to get closer to stimulate the other party.

Instead, he walked leisurely towards the incense table and waved a few sticks of sandalwood in his hand: "Anyone who can be here is either a monk or a pilgrim."

pilgrim?

Mrs. Lin was stunned for a moment and wanted to say why she didn't see it just now?
Then my thoughts changed and I guessed that the other party might have been behind the curtain to get some incense and candles. I didn’t see it when I entered the door...

The young novice who led the way did not even remind him that there were other pilgrims...

Mrs. Lin calmed down for a moment, and then she noticed that the young man in front of her was dressed in low-key and restrained attire, and his appearance was even more outstanding.

He thought to himself that he was probably a young man from a high-ranking family in the capital. It was just the woman’s sixth sense that vaguely reminded him that there was something weird about the other person, which seemed to be no accident. He tried to say: "This young man also came to pay homage to the Buddha. I didn’t see it just now, so I don’t know how to call it?”

"Me?"

Zhao Duan walked gracefully, picked up the fire stick, lit the sandalwood, smiled, and said casually:

"The surname is Zhao, Zhao Duan."

boom!
The moment she heard this name, Mrs. Lin’s eyes widened instantly!

The body subconsciously retreated, the expression was shocked, and then, it was instinctive fear!
Zhao Duan!
Even though she is not from the capital, she is still not unfamiliar with this name.

Some time ago, when she arrived in the capital, it was at a time when Zhao Duan was rising in fame, and she also heard some legends about the face of the empress.

It is said that this man has a sinister heart and will seek revenge, and anyone who offends him will end up with his family and family destroyed.

Relying on the favor of the emperor of the dynasty, he acted domineeringly and unscrupulously. He was the "little king of hell" in the imperial edict, second only to the governor Ma Yan.

A first-rate villain, the number one lackey under the Empress, a notorious, sinister, ruthless and traitorous official...

In short, Li Yinglong's reputation is that he is a gentleman who respects the rules.

"You are that...White Horse Supervisor..."

"Haha, is Zhao's reputation so great? Does the Sixth Madam also know about it?"

Kick, kick, kick!
Ms. Lin took several steps back in fear. She was both shocked by the identity of the other party and realized that the other party’s intention was not simple:
“You... know me?”

"Madam, please be patient," Zhao Duan said with a smile on his face, and he blew out the fire stick and shook the incense candle.

He is not at all like the violent official in the rumors, but rather like a scholar who comes from a well-known family and has poetry and books in his belly:

"Haha, I haven't met Madam, but I recognize you... Well, Mr. Xiaoge... that is, Mr. Li, has never mentioned me to you? Ha, it seems that he has not. I am an official in the same court as him. I’ve had some dealings with him.”

Mrs. Lin was stunned for a moment.

Li Yinglong's friend?

This was her first thought...

As the wife of a merchant from the south of the Yangtze River, she knew very little about the disputes in the temples. This was also the case for most people in the Yu Dynasty:

At most, I have heard the names of a few big names, but other than that, I know nothing about them.

I don't know how many parties there are in the court, let alone the intricate interpersonal relationships between different bureaucrats.

Therefore, even if they had heard of some of Zhao Duan's deeds, such as the wanton arrest of dozens of officials and fights with the Marquis of Xia Jiang and even Princess Yunyang, they did not know whether Zhao Duan and Li Yinglong were enemies or friends.

Zhao Duan is so sophisticated. After a few words of probing, he figured out the background of the Sixth Madam. He smiled and said: "Of course, it is normal for me to be unaware of Madam. But I just walked out without permission. Hit the beauty."

As he spoke, he looked down at the woman.

I couldn't help but admire in my heart, secretly thinking that although Li Yinglong is capable of stretching his hips, you can always trust the aesthetics of a nobleman...

Oval face, silkworm eyebrows, elegant and beautiful appearance.

In particular, she is dressed in plain clothes and has a sad and sad look on her face. She combines the dignity of a good family with the charm of a geisha...

Mrs. Lin was being scrutinized by him. In a daze, she felt as if she had been stripped naked, and she felt a strong sense of discomfort.

Especially thinking of the other party's bad reputation, she couldn't help but turn aside and her tone became colder: "Master Zhao, there's no need to be polite. Since it's a misunderstanding, I'll leave you alone. I'll take my leave first."

Saying that, he started to walk out——

Although she didn't want to go back to the Li family, she didn't want to get along with Zhao Duan in this Buddhist temple.

She always felt that the other party had malicious intentions.

Otherwise, why would such a coincidence happen here?
It's more like waiting for his arrival.

Zhao Duan did not stop him.

He just turned around, raised the burning sandalwood high with both hands, bowed to the Buddha statue without sincerity, and then planted the incense into the incense burner.

He said calmly: "Madam, you have to think carefully. After you enter this room, it is not up to you whether you can get out."

laugh--

In the furnace, the green smoke suddenly became chaotic for a moment.

Mrs. Lin's footsteps stopped instantly.

The slender hand stopped in the air only half a foot away from the palace door.

A deep knife mark slowly appeared on the ground in front of her.

It was only a hair's breadth away from cutting off her embroidered shoes.

The hair on Mrs. Lin's back suddenly stood up, and she was sweating like a waterfall.

Thank you for your 2000 point reward support from Ting Ting Feng Yu!

(End of this chapter)