MTLNOVEL Chapter 94 - 094 Paying Respect to Buddha
Chapter 94: Chapter 094 Paying Respect to Buddha
Sang Yan: “…”
What does that have to do with her?
Even prayers for an heir had fallen on her shoulders.
As if the heir could be born just because she wished it so.
He Ying’s thoughts were the opposite of hers.
He believed that the Empress Dowager, on her deathbed, had finally shown wisdom by praying to the right person.
And even improved his mood.
What that cunning servant said was right; a person’s words on their deathbed tend to be kind.
“Sang Yan, you must promise me, promise me——”
Seeing Sang Yan remain silent, the Empress Dowager grew anxious, reached out to grab someone, but accidentally fell off the bed.
Immediately, a palace maid tried to help her: “Empress Dowager——”
“Don’t touch me!”
The Empress Dowager shouted angrily and crawled toward where Sang Yan was.
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She was acting crazy, utterly disregarding the dignity of the Empress Dowager.
Sang Yan felt she was subjected to moral coercion.
She wanted to move back, to leave, but it was too late!
The Empress Dowager had grabbed hold of her ankle, gasping for breath, followed by a violent cough, and with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, she said: “Sang Yan, Xinyuan cares deeply for you, please treat him well, bear him sons and daughters, our Da He cannot be left without successors.”
Sang Yan, watching all this, found herself unable to utter a word of refusal.
After thinking, she solemnly stated: “All I can say is, as long as he doesn’t let me down, I will indeed treat him well. As for children, let nature take its course; if I become pregnant, naturally, I will give birth.”
“Thank you. Thank you.”
The Empress Dowager suddenly lost all her strength and collapsed on the floor.
The palace maids hurried to help her back onto the bed.
They also fed her a bowl of medicine.
Perhaps due to the medicine’s effects, or perhaps because her wishes had been fulfilled, the Empress Dowager regained some energy and continued: “Then, before becoming pregnant with an heir, you should go to Long Chan Temple and pray for forty-nine days. The Fairy said that praying can purify the malicious energy in you. When you return, you can marry. The Empress told me she no longer wishes to hold her position. Like this, once you carry the heir, you can be promoted to the Empress.”
Sang Yan hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to arrange all these and stood there in a daze for a moment.
He Ying, however, objected sharply: “Impossible! Pray to what Buddha? I have already prayed for her blessings at Long Chan Temple and lit a Longevity Lamp for her. She will be fine.”
The Empress Dowager completely ignored his words, turned to Sang Yan, and said: “This is my only dying wish. You should go back and think about it.”
She didn’t press too hard.
Because she knew Sang Yan would agree.
Sang Yan indeed would agree.
Her relationship with He Ying had developed too quickly, and forty-nine days of praying at Long Chan Temple would be a perfect break for them to cool off.
Marriage and childbearing are major life events.
Right now, she was a bit love-struck.
“Alright.”
She agreed: “I will go.”
He Ying grasped Sang Yan’s arm and started to leave: “No! I don’t agree!”
They returned to the side halls of Qingning Palace.
He Ying motioned to dismiss everyone around and demanded: “Why did you agree to her? Do you want to leave me?”
He also recalled her meeting Jiang Ke at the palace gates.
Perhaps, what she said was only a contradiction because the guards were present?
This realization infuriated him: “Sang Yan, do you have a secret with Jiang Ke?”
Sang Yan saw his suspicion that she had a private affair with Jiang Ke and felt her character was insulted, “Calm yourself! Can you really think this way of me? He Ying, you’re not only looking down on me but on yourself as well!”
“I, I—”
He Ying didn’t know what to say and was so flustered that his face turned red.
“Anyway, I do not agree! You are not to think of leaving my side!”
He dropped these words and quickly left.
He didn’t want to lose his composure in front of her and lash out at her.
Sang Yan watched him leave without a word, then sat on the couch, lost in thought.
Qiuzhi brought over some tea and softly persuaded, “Why must you speak so, Miss? You clearly know how much the Emperor cares for you. He’s anxious even when you are away from his side for a moment, how could he possibly let you go to Long Chan Temple? Moreover, even setting aside concerns for your personal safety, living a life of religious devotion there, abstaining from meat and strong flavors for nearly two months, how could your body withstand it?”
Sang Yan had considered these things, but she still wanted to go and worship.
Away from the environment of the Imperial Palace, perhaps she could see her heart more clearly.
Qiuzhi saw that she did not respond and wanted to persuade her further, but she waved her hand and fell silent.
Ah, she couldn’t comprehend her young mistress.
At the same time
In the main hall of Qingning Palace
He Ying could not understand Sang Yan either and so asked Pei Muyang, “Tell me, what is she thinking? Does she have me in her heart at all?”
He always felt insecure in front of Sang Yan.
Even though he was the Emperor.
Pei Muyang weighed his words carefully and replied, “Your Majesty, you are a paragon among men and also gentle and affectionate, of course Lord Sang holds you in her heart. Hasn’t she also promised the Empress Dowager that as long as you do not let her down, she will treat you well, and expressed willingness for things to take their natural course in bearing an heir?”
As an outsider, he could see Sang Yan’s heart gradually slipping towards the Emperor.
“Is that so?”
He Ying also remembered Sang Yan’s nearly promise-like words, the gloom on his face lifted, and a smile slowly appeared in his eyes, “You’re right. She does like me. She has even relented to bearing my children.”
He was smiling one moment, but his expression changed abruptly, and his voice turned cold, “It’s all that old man’s fault for causing trouble!”
After hearing this, Pei Muyang hesitated for a moment before cautiously adding, “Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, what the Empress Dowager said was not all bad.”
He Ying’s expression became stern, and he asked displeased, “Why?”
Pei Muyang replied with an apologetic smile, keeping his voice low, “Consider this, Your Majesty. You promised the ministers from the former dynasty that you would see to it that Lord Sang conceives an heir within three months. This is undoubtedly a pressure for her. Now that the Empress Dowager allows her to go to Long Chan Temple to worship and has even decided on her marriage, even arranging for her to become the Empress, it means she has the Empress Dowager’s support, and those ministers will surely not dare to object.”
He Ying found some sense in this but was still skeptical, “So you’re saying, the Empress Dowager is still helping us? Is she that kind-hearted?”
There’s a saying that a dying person’s words are good.
But it depends on who the person is.
The Empress Dowager was not an easy person.
Pei Muyang knew the Emperor’s underlying worry and continued, “If Your Majesty is not reassured, you could assign more guards for protection, and presumably, nothing would go wrong.”
He Ying shook his head, his expression grave, “It’s not entirely because of this. Sang Yan is shrewd and perceptive; I fear that after a long period of devotion, she may return having seen through the world’s illusions, contemplating that all is vanity. What would I do?”
Pei Muyang: “…”
That sort of thinking?
Terrifying, truly terrifying.
He Ying thought more and felt increasingly uncertain, “No, it’s better not to let complications arise.”
Naturally, it was more reassuring to keep his treasure within his sight.
During dinner, he went to a side hall, eating while he spoke, “Ah Yan, if you want to worship, that’s fine. We’ll arrange for some accomplished monks to come here to the palace, how about that?”
Sang Yan decisively refused, “No way.”
He Ying did not get angry, but patiently persuaded, “Ah Yan, have you forgotten? Sincerity is what makes spirituality effective. The same goes for worship; it’s not the location that matters, but the heart.”
Sang Yan knew that the Emperor was eloquent and skilled in beguiling the heart, so she did not argue, simply saying, “If Your Majesty desires to marry me and have children, then let me go to Long Chan Temple to worship. If not, then it is up to you. In any case, I will not ascend to a position by bearing children without proper status.”
“Who said you have no status and that you’re using childbirth to climb the ladder?”
He Ying thought there might be rumors he was unaware of and immediately declared, “As long as you’re willing, I will make you the Empress right away!”