CHAPTER 692: CHAPTER 692: WANYUE NUNNERY 1

「Outside the Palace, Wanyue Nunnery」

The several snowfalls of the twelfth lunar month made the nunnery on the mountainside extremely cold. Before, one could still offer incense every day, chant the scriptures, and copy the sutras. Now, with the cold weather and no Ground Dragon heating in the nunnery, it was so cold that one could hardly sit still. Even if all the charcoal basins were lit, they were completely ineffective. Therefore, the Empress simply stopped leaving her room, just reclining on the bed and reading the scriptures.

That morning, the weather was gloomy, with cold wind howling outside the window. Because many charcoal basins had been lit the night before, they dared not shut the windows tightly, so the room was equally cold. The Empress really did not want to get out of bed, so she had Yu Lan bring water to the bedside to attend to her washing. But the steaming hot water had already turned tepid by the time it was carried from the front to the room.

"Empress, your servant will fetch another basin!" Yu Lan was somewhat flustered.

The Empress stopped her. "Never mind, it will be the same if you bring another. Just make do!"

In her heart, the Empress thought that there were only a few days left, after all. The year was coming to an end, and she would return. The Emperor was aware of the hardship she had endured here. After returning, she would still be the highly esteemed Empress of the nation. The Emperor would no longer pursue the previous matters, and her good days would surely be just around the corner?! So, what was the problem with making do? Others who wanted to come and pray for blessings didn’t even have sufficient status!

With this thought, the Empress felt relieved and instructed, "Serve the meal!"

"Yes!" Yu Lan left.

The meal that was served was also very simple: a few steamed buns, a bowl of thin porridge, a small dish of salt-preserved radishes, and a bowl of stir-fried cabbage with tofu. There was nothing else.

The Empress immediately frowned. "Is that all? Weren’t there still eggs a few days ago? How come there are no eggs now?"

After hesitating for a moment, Yu Lan had no choice but to say, "Your servant has asked. They said that the heavy snow has sealed the mountain, and goods from outside cannot be transported up here. These are what the nuns eat. Currently, this is all there is in the kitchen!"

The Empress was speechless. She had lived for more than twenty years and had never eaten such things; they truly seemed hard to swallow! Yet, if she didn’t eat, she would be genuinely hungry.

The Empress could only pick up the porridge, grab a white steamed bun, and eat it with the salted vegetables.

Conditions in the nunnery were understandably meager. After all, it wasn’t like other monasteries, which had incense offerings. One had heard of offering incense in monasteries, but who had ever heard of offering incense in a nunnery? Nunneries generally did not entertain outside visitors. This was both tradition and rule. So, even with such poor meals, the Empress could not complain. She couldn’t just stay in a monastery full of monks for the sake of comfort; besides, she had not come for enjoyment in the first place!

"Enough! Let it be!"

"The Little New Year is just a few days away. Has there been no news from the palace yet?" the Empress asked after finishing her morning meal.

Yu Lan shook her head. "Perhaps the roads are difficult because of the snow. Let’s wait a little longer. Maybe the person sent by the Emperor is already on the way!"

The Empress nodded.

And so she waited, until the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, but still, the person sent by the Emperor had not arrived. The Empress grew anxious. "What exactly is going on? Has something happened in the palace?" She inexplicably began to worry about the Third Princess. Although not her own flesh and blood, the princess was, after all, the first child recorded under her name; she would never neglect her. After all, only with the princess was there the possibility of winning back the Emperor’s favor. But now...

Yu Lan was also at a loss for words. Just as she was wondering what to say, a Little Eunuch suddenly entered from outside. He was the one who had been attending to the Empress all along. He entered the room and immediately knelt down, still holding a letter in his hand. "Empress, a letter has come from the palace!"

At this phrase, both mistress and servant became excited.

"Yu Lan, bring me the letter!" the Empress commanded urgently.

"Yes!" Yu Lan hurriedly went, a smile on her face.

The Empress took the letter, opened it, and read the contents. Then, her expression turned unpleasant!

"Empress?"

The Empress ignored her and read it again. After confirming the facts, she threw the letter down, her face ashen. "The Emperor is toying with me!"

"Empress, what did the Emperor say?" Yu Lan was both anxious and worried.

The Empress clenched the letter into a ball, sneering. "The Emperor says... the heavy snow has sealed the mountain, and I should patiently wait here in the mountains. If I cannot return, he will come to fetch me back after the New Year!" She sneered again. "Does he intend for me to spend the New Year in this forsaken place?"

Being the Empress really isn’t easy. He and his host of concubines are indulging in the palace, while I’m here eating coarse grains and vegetables. I’m freezing to death in this cold and can’t even return for the New Year. This must be deliberate on the Emperor’s part!

Yu Lan also couldn’t believe it, and her eyes widened in shock. "AH?!" A moment later, she realized and quickly covered her mouth.

But the Empress had no interest in these matters, her head bowed and brows furrowed, as if she were devising a strategy.

At this moment, the Empress still didn’t know that this was merely the beginning. In the future, although Zhao Jun did not mistreat her, he mostly ignored her. But the Shih Family kept sending people to sabotage her. For instance, the Shih Family was behind this interception of supplies due to the heavy snow sealing off the mountain. Who knew whether the heavy snow had truly sealed off the roads? The nuns wouldn’t come down to check, and neither would the Empress herself. It was just a matter of what the servants below said. And among those servants the Empress brought along, who could resist the temptation of silver? Moreover, the Empress’s own Fan Family had become exiled criminals! How many people would be willing to protect her with undying loyalty? It would be good enough if they didn’t trample on her when the money was right!

That day, the Empress thought for a long time but could not come up with any strategy. What she had clung to for so long suddenly lost its support. She slumped on the couch, her whole person deflated.

At night, the Empress could not sleep and began to indulge in wild thoughts, questioning Yu Lan about everything. "Yu Lan, do you think the Emperor had everything planned from the start? Is it possible that the Emperor deliberately drove me out, then cut off my supplies, wishing for me to die here?"

Yu Lan was startled. "Empress, you mustn’t let your thoughts run wild! Heavy snow has fallen every day for the past few days. The Emperor must have your safety in mind, Empress! Now that the mountain roads are blocked, if something were to go wrong..." Yu Lan did not continue.

However, after hearing this, the Empress felt somewhat comforted. But still... "But... the conditions here are too poor. How can I eat these things!"

Yu Lan then reassured her. "Empress, it is precisely because you are the Empress, a motherly example to the realm! Your servant has heard that the founding Empress of our Great Chu Dynasty, to help the common people recover from the chaos of war and live better lives sooner, made a vow before Buddha to be vegetarian for ten years. From then on, she observed a strict vegetarian diet, performed ritual ablutions, and devoutly worshipped Buddha by reciting sutras! Although we cannot compare to the founding Empress, at least, the longer you stay here, Empress, the more your good reputation will spread! No matter what the Emperor does, he can’t treat you poorly!"

Upon hearing this, the Empress thought it over, and it seemed to make sense. She nodded in agreement, somewhat persuaded. "You do make a good point!"

Then I’ll just stay here. What’s the worst that can happen—I spend the New Year here!