Chapter 2: Blessings

◎I'll send my guards to escort you down the mountain.◎

Perhaps it was due to Yu Lian's "lack of luck" status.

After greeting the temple monks and donating some money, she and her little maid were about to descend the mountain when they collided with a group turning the corner at the entrance.

Among them was a benevolent abbot followed by two young monks. On the other side stood a man in a white robe, tall and refined, exuding an ethereal aura. A bright red mole adorned his forehead, and his gentle gaze resembled that of a celestial being.

This was the Ninth Prince.

Exiting the temple, Yu Lian happened to bump into him as he was entering. It would be impolite to turn around now, but more importantly, she feared attracting the attention of this deranged Ninth Prince with any unusual behavior.

She bowed slightly to the abbot and the prince, behaving like an ordinary noble lady, before attempting to pass by. However, the abbot called out to her, "Are you from the Wei Duke's residence?"

Yu Lian had no choice but to stop. Abbot Jingyuan of Tianyuan Temple was a highly respected figure, and the nobles showed him great deference. She dared not leave abruptly, for fear of drawing unwanted attention from the eccentric prince.

She whispered, "Greetings, Abbot. My father is Yu Sanlang of the Wei Duke's household."

The abbot replied, "Miss, please wait a moment. Your grandmother recently requested a batch of blessings for safety, which have been blessed and consecrated. Please take them back with you, it will be a bit of a burden."

Yu Lian lowered her head, her pretty face twitching slightly.

If she could, she would have loved to perform an instant disappearance act!

She felt a seemingly gentle yet powerful gaze sweep over her. Fortunately, her performance seemed convincing enough, and there were no signs of suspicion from him.

A young monk soon returned with a bag of blessings, handing them all to her. The original owner of her body had brought someone up the mountain under the pretense of helping her grandmother fetch a protective talisman.

She had almost forgotten about that!

Holding the blessings in both hands, Yu Lian thanked the abbot and prepared to leave.

Throughout the encounter, she dared not lift her head, nor look directly at the deranged prince, for fear that he might recognize her face.

Although the Ninth Prince might not recognize her just yet, it was better to avoid trouble altogether.

Once again, Yu Lian's terrible luck proved itself! The eccentric prince spoke...

His voice was unexpectedly pleasant, as refined and composed as his demeanor, with a gentle quality reminiscent of spring breeze, soothing and disarming.

He said, "Miss Yu, did you only bring one maid? There have been recent bandit sightings on the mountain, and with the rain, it may not be safe. I'll send my guards to escort you down."

Yu Lian couldn't help but glance up in surprise, locking eyes with the celestial-looking eccentric...

He smiled gently, exuding a compassionate air.

Her lips twitched as she lowered her head and responded, "Thank you, Your Highness, Prince Ren. This humble daughter takes her leave."

The Ninth Prince had recently been bestowed the title of Prince Ren by the new emperor, who praised him as a rare, kind, and compassionate soul. Thus, he was named Prince Ren.

Now, she could truly leave. Exiting the temple, she turned a corner to avoid being seen and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes to take several deep breaths before calming her nerves.

Opening her palm, she found it damp with sweat. The little maid, noticing her state, took a handkerchief to wipe her face and hands, asking, "Miss, were you nervous just now?"

Confused, she replied, "The Ninth Prince was so polite and even offered to send us down the mountain with his guards. Why were you scared?"

The maid then brought up an awkward topic, "I found it strange earlier. You came up the mountain to find the Ninth Prince, so why didn't you speak to him when you met?"

She didn't know what the young miss had in mind when she sought out the Ninth Prince, only that she had something to discuss with him.

Yu Lian was secretly annoyed as well. She had just transmigrated and was still mentally adjusting. She kept reminding herself that the person before her was a psychopath, so she needed to be careful and not follow in the footsteps of the original owner.

As a result, she became more and more fearful, forgetting that the Ninth Prince was perceived by outsiders as a gentle and benevolent man. Nobody in the entire capital city was afraid of him; they didn't treat him with the same reverence they would an imperial prince or duke. Instead, he was more like a Buddha, a saint. Someone who might earn respect but would never inspire fear.

Yu Lian calmed her breathing, straightened her posture, and assumed the demeanor of a noble lady. She said to the little maid, "There are too many ears around here. It's better not to say much to avoid misunderstandings."

The maid understood and thought that the young miss was eager to descend the mountain because she felt unwell after getting caught in the rain.

While the two were talking, about seven or eight armed guards emerged from inside.

Surprisingly, the leader was a female guard. With a stoic expression, she walked up to Yu Lian and said, "Please follow me."

The descent was treacherous. The original owner had climbed the mountain on foot to show sincerity when seeking an amulet for her grandmother. Now, as Yu Lian began to walk down, she realized how difficult it would be.

The original owner's skin was delicate, and the climb had been challenging enough. Halfway down, Yu Lian was already short of breath, her feet aching and legs sore.

She couldn't help but ask if there was a sedan chair available.

The female guard replied, "We only brought one sedan chair, and that was for our master. He has a cleanliness obsession and cannot share with others."

Seeing Yu Lian looking rather pitiful due to exhaustion, the guard asked coldly, "Do you want me to carry you?"

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Lian stood still and opened her arms in front of the female guard. The guard squatted down and lifted her onto her back.

They descended the mountain at a brisk pace.

Upon arriving at the Wei Duke's residence, Yu Lian instructed the little maid to enter the gatehouse and fetch some silver to reward the escorting guards. However, by the time they turned around, the guards had vanished.

Yu Lian couldn't return to her own room immediately, as someone was already waiting for her at the gatehouse – a maid sent by her grandmother.

Her grandmother placed great importance on these amulets. She had donated a large sum of money for incense and requested over twenty amulets, intending to distribute one to each member of the household.

Especially since the recent turmoil involving Yu Lian's betrothed family, the East Yuan Marquis, the old lady was terrified. She kept repeating how fortunate it was that the marriage hadn't taken place yet, that it was only an engagement, leaving room for negotiation and preventing them from being dragged into the reckless actions of the East Yuan family.

Nonetheless, they were still prospective in-laws. The current emperor held a grudge against the East Yuan Marquis and his son. The old lady lived in constant fear that the new emperor might retaliate later, so she prayed to Buddha day and night. Eventually, she decided to request amulets for the entire household to ease her worries.

As soon as Yu Lian entered, the servant led her to her grandmother.

The old lady had thick eyebrows and darkish yellow skin, not the typical fair complexion of noble ladies. In her youth, she had served the duke at the border and only returned to the capital to enjoy her later years.

The more she enjoyed her blessings, the more she feared losing them, which made her increasingly superstitious.

She beckoned for her granddaughter to come closer.

Yu Lian presented the entire bag of blessings with both hands, and the old lady happily received it, gently tracing the patterns on the bag that contained two dozen small amulets.

She instructed the servant to retrieve the sachets she had prepared earlier. One by one, they placed the amulets inside the sachets, which would then be delivered to each family member for personal use.

Yu Lian sat nearby, assisting with filling the sachets while conversing with her grandmother.

The old lady asked if her journey had been smooth.

"The Temple of Destiny is located on a very high mountain. My old body can't easily make the trip, but requesting these amulets requires sincerity, so we must go in person. Today, Lian-er, you have suffered on behalf of your grandmother," she said, opening a wooden box beside her. She picked out a white jade peach blossom hairpin, held it up, and commented, "Lian-er, you're a beauty unparalleled in the capital. This white jade peach blossom hairpin is elegant yet lively, perfect for a girl like you." With that, she handed it over.

Yu Lian accepted it. After all the amulets were safely stored, she spent some more time chatting with her grandmother before leaving with her maid.

The moment she left, the old servant cautiously asked, "Why didn't you tell Miss Yu Lian that you're arranging a marriage for her with the youngest son of the Ruyang Marquis House? It's already been decided."

Due to the numerous daughters in the Duke's House, reaching over ten, and the low status of the concubine-born, only the legitimate daughters were ranked while the concubine-born were addressed by their names followed by 'Miss.'

Yu Lian's father was the youngest son, and she was also the youngest among the legitimate daughters, being the last of her generation and ranked sixth.

The elderly matriarch narrowed her eyes, feeling a bit exhausted from helping to prepare the talisman earlier. Old age truly wasn't as efficient as it used to be. She sighed. "That girl might have an inflated ego."

"She has her own plans and thoughts. If we told her now, it might achieve the opposite effect. I think it's better to wait a few days, let Lianer calm down, then inform her. Otherwise, she might resist."

The reason for rushing to arrange another marriage for Yu Lian was purely because the matriarch feared that the new emperor would develop an interest in her at home. After all, she had once been betrothed to the East Yuan Marquis's heir. As long as she hadn't married, she couldn't escape this identity, putting the entire Wei Duke's House in danger.

If she were married off early, she could potentially shake off this awkward status.

The matriarch was aware of her granddaughter's recent actions, such as humiliating her former fiancé in prison. However, she had tacitly approved and didn't intervene. Although it wasn't good for her granddaughter's reputation, it was beneficial for the entire Duke's House.

The more her granddaughter appeared to have severed ties with the East Yuan Marquis's heir, the safer the Wei Duke's House would be. The new emperor might spare them due to this attitude.

Thus, even though rumors were circulating that her sixth granddaughter was shallow and fickle, she didn't stop them. Back then, giving Yu Lian that marriage was both a blessing and a curse. Had nothing happened to the East Yuan Marquis House, Yu Lian would have had the best marriage among her sisters, solely because of her looks.

But little Sixth was a bit unlucky. Originally, she was supposed to enter the East Yuan Marquis House this autumn, uniting the two households in matrimony. Now, things had turned out like this.

Despite her many calculations, she could never have foreseen the unpredictability of life, leading to this situation.

The Wei Duke's House seemed prosperous and held a high rank, but since the passing of the patriarch, they no longer wielded any real power or military authority. Their eldest son, who inherited the dukedom, merely served as a Scholar in the Hanlin Academy, a seemingly prestigious but actually insignificant position, confined to proofreading ancient texts without ever approaching the emperor. He lacked imperial favor and true power.

Back then, they allied with the East Yuan Marquis House because the father and son held real power, enjoying both authority and imperial favor. They were at the height of their glory, capable of lifting the Duke's House up.

Little did they expect that their peak would be their downfall. That father-son duo had long been on a knife's edge, eventually becoming embroiled in a conspiracy to force an imperial prince to stage a coup!

She sighed heavily. Her mind was becoming more muddled with age, unable to see through these matters until after they occurred. What use was there in understanding them now?

Upon returning to the North Courtyard, Yu Lian lived with her family in the northern part of the residence. The first branch, along with the matriarch, resided in the east, the second branch in the south, while the west wing was where the servants lived.

As soon as she entered her courtyard, she heard a woman's weeping.

Author's Note:

Chun Xiao threw a mine, Jam threw a mine, and Ah Ya threw five mines.