Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

So early in the morning—what urgent matter did Pei Yan have in summoning Qing Yuan?

A’Ming said: “I heard Brother Zhen say that Third Master is going to Hangzhou shortly, most likely to give elder sister some instructions.”

Qing Yuan didn’t dare delay and followed A’Ming to see Pei Yan.

Miss Xu sighed: “I wonder when there will be news from Huai’an.”

Yu Tang comforted her: “The Qu brothers are very reliable in handling matters. Don’t worry—they’ll definitely rush back as soon as possible.”

Miss Xu nodded helplessly and asked Yu Tang what she planned to do today.

Yu Tang smiled: “Second Madam Pei said to have Matron Shi come this afternoon to give me a massage and see how her skills are. If she’s really as good as she says, once the Zhaoming Temple matter is finished, we’ll invite her into the household. This morning I plan to copy a few pages of scripture.”

Then she would ask the temple’s senior masters to help hold a blessing ceremony for Pei Yan.

He had shown her kindness as heavy as a mountain, yet she had repeatedly misunderstood him.

From now on, she must have more faith in him.

Miss Xu was somewhat surprised. After thinking, she said: “That’s good! I’ll also copy a few pages of scripture here. Otherwise if I run into First Madam Pei, she’ll want to pull me aside to talk about this and that—I won’t know whether to respond or not.”

Yu Tang was puzzled.

Miss Xu told her in a low voice: “Second Uncle Yin’s daughter will soon come of age. The Pei family’s Second Young Master Pei Fei is fourteen this year.”

Yu Tang couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, also lowering her voice: “So they want to form a marriage alliance!”

“Otherwise why would First Madam Pei go visit Third Madam Yang so early in the morning?” Miss Xu said unconcernedly. “In the capital before, First Madam Pei knew Third Madam Yang, but back then she enjoyed her husband’s favor and had given birth to two sons. She was riding high and didn’t think much of Third Madam Yang. Without some matter at hand, why would she ever darken Third Madam Yang’s door?”

Seeing Miss Xu’s attitude, Yu Tang said: “None of you are willing?”

Miss Xu said: “Of course not. If there really were to be a marriage alliance, Pei Tong could be considered. But Pei Fei—no good at studies, no ability, and his widowed mother has that kind of temperament, judgment, and insight. The Yin family certainly wouldn’t look favorably on him.”

Yu Tang didn’t understand Pei Fei and couldn’t comment.

She simply cast the matter from her mind, had Qing Ping help bring in the four treasures of the study, and asked Miss Xu whether she wanted to copy scriptures together.

Miss Xu readily agreed.

The two were just grinding ink when Qing Yuan returned.

She was also carrying a basket of large cherries and said: “Third Master instructed me to accompany you to the dharma hall to take a look.”

Yu Tang was dumbfounded.

Yesterday he had told her to stay in the side room—how had everything completely changed overnight?

Qing Yuan explained: “Third Master was afraid you’d be bored. He remembered there’s a back hall behind the sermon platform where you can sit and listen to Master Wuneng’s sermon without having to crowd together with others.”

Yu Tang thought carefully—there really was a small back hall behind the sermon platform.

However, that place was for eminent monks giving sermons to temporarily rest.

Qing Yuan smiled: “Third Master sent people early this morning to clean the place out. Just let me accompany you over to see? If you feel you don’t like it or it’s inconvenient, we can return to the side room to rest.”

She called Yu Tang “Miss” instead of “Miss Yu,” and changed “you” to the respectful form.

Yu Tang’s heart stirred.

She felt this matter had much to do with Pei Yan treating her courteously.

But before she could think carefully, Miss Xu, who had originally only reluctantly agreed to copy scriptures with Yu Tang to avoid First Madam Pei, enthusiastically urged her: “With your health, you really aren’t suited to crowding together with those people. However, the back hall behind the sermon platform will certainly be quiet. Pei Xiaguang also means well—let’s not disappoint his good intentions. Let’s go see this morning. If we feel it’s no good, we can come back.”

In both her lives, Yu Tang had only participated in one large-scale sermon assembly. That was in her previous life when Li Duan passed the imperial examination. Lin Shi was delighted and during the Dragon Boat Festival invited an eminent monk from Hangzhou’s Lingyin Temple to give sermons. She had followed the Li family to join the excitement. At the time, everyone was congratulating Lin Shi—who would remember who she was?

She had been thirsty and hot. With great difficulty she squeezed out of the crowd to cool off under a camphor tree. For a time she didn’t know when Lin Shi and Gu Xi had left the dharma hall. After frantically searching everywhere, she finally found Lin Shi and Gu Xi talking with the eminent monk near the Enlightenment Pine, only to be severely berated by Lin Shi, who accused her of having no breeding, running off whenever she saw excitement… making her lose all face.

From then on, she never participated in any incense assemblies or sermon assemblies again.

Thinking now of her current treatment, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly for a long while. She was also somewhat curious about what the Fujian monk Master Wuneng’s sermons were like.

After hesitating a moment, Yu Tang made up her mind and said to Qing Yuan: “Then let’s go take a look.”

Hearing this, Qing Yuan smiled: “I’ll go get veiled hats for the two young ladies—Third Master said there are many people in the dharma hall, and with your low seniority, if you go you’ll inevitably have to greet this person and that person, which is very tiring. In that case you might as well rest in the side room! He told us not to show our faces, to go quietly and return quietly, so as not to disturb the elders in the dharma hall.”

That really was the reasoning!

Miss Xu was very pleased to hear this, feeling that Pei Yan’s arrangements were truly thoughtful and thorough, leaving no detail unattended. She couldn’t help but praise: “When Pei Xiaguang is annoying, he’s truly annoying, but when he’s considerate, he’s really quite likable. No wonder Minister Zhang particularly favors this final disciple of his—clearly nothing happens without reason.”

Is that so?

Yu Tang inexplicably felt her face flush. An indescribable joy welled up in her heart, and her ears turned red too.

But Miss Xu was only concerned with whether her veiled hat looked good and didn’t pay much attention to Yu Tang. She continued: “I think we should return a bit early to avoid running into them when everyone disperses. Will you still have Matron Shi come this afternoon for moxibustion and massage? I think Matron Shi should still be summoned, otherwise when Second Madam Pei asks, you won’t be able to explain. As for copying scriptures, we can spare time to copy a few pages in the evening. The bodhisattvas won’t care whether we copy more or less—what matters most is whether we’re sincere.”

Talking round and round, she just didn’t want to copy scriptures.

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips, feeling as if a little bird was nestled in her heart. She was also quite happy, and her voice became cheerful: “Alright! This afternoon we’ll do moxibustion or massage, and copy scriptures in the evening. As for your side, if you feel it’s necessary then copy, but if you don’t feel it’s necessary, you don’t have to! I heard my mother say that each bodhisattva has their own sacred site. Zhaoming Temple is Shakyamuni’s sacred site, while Mount Putuo is Guanyin Bodhisattva’s sacred site. These dharma ceremonies can’t be done randomly either.”

Miss Xu’s eyes rolled and she said: “Then I’ll copy a few pages of scripture for Yin Mingyuan. His health isn’t good, and we’re about to marry—he should at least live a few more years.”

Though she said this, when the image of Yin Mingyuan’s thin, pale face floated into her mind, her expression darkened and her mood soured.

Yu Tang quickly comforted her: “A bent carrying pole is strong. Young Master Yin has been ill for so many years without incident and keeps getting better—he must have the bodhisattva’s protection. Don’t worry.”

Miss Xu suddenly felt that going to play at the dharma hall wasn’t so attractive anymore.

She decided that no matter what, she would spare time in the evening to copy a few pages of scripture for Yin Mingyuan, then take them with Yu Tang to ask the senior masters of Zhaoming Temple to dedicate them to the bodhisattvas.

Miss Xu and Yu Tang, one wearing a lake-green veiled hat and one wearing a lake-blue veiled hat, accompanied by Qing Yuan, went out the door.

Only then did they discover that outside the door, besides A’Ming, stood five or six unfamiliar young servants.

Qing Yuan said: “They’re from Third Master’s side. Third Master said he was afraid you might be jostled by people—young servants have more strength than matrons.”

This meant protecting them.

Yu Tang’s face flushed completely. She said in a low voice: “Thank Third Master for me. When you see him, please express my thanks.”

Qing Yuan smiled in agreement, but in her heart she was thinking of the scene when Pei Yan had summoned her.

The room was full of bustling people everywhere. Young servants were busy packing luggage, guards were carrying trunks, Master Shu was speaking in a low voice with Zhao Zhen, and Pei Qi was helping Pei Yan organize his desk. Pei Yan stood in the golden morning light and said to her in a deep voice: “While I’m away these few days, keep Miss Yu company well and don’t let her overthink. I’ve already told A’Man to summon Madam Wu. When the time comes, Madam Wu will be responsible for keeping Miss Yu company, and you’ll be responsible for handling her daily affairs. Don’t let the Peng family’s people approach Miss Yu. If the Peng family’s people dare cause trouble, you just step forward. If something happens, don’t be afraid—wait until I return to discuss everything.”

Qing Yuan still remembered how her eyelids had twitched when she heard those words.

Third Master was going to protect Miss Yu.

She looked toward Yu Tang.

She could only see Yu Tang’s graceful silhouette.

If Miss Yu entered the household… she would likely be someone who could challenge for the position of Third Master’s primary wife.

Which side would she stand on then?

Qing Yuan felt somewhat troubled.

She could only comfort herself that this wasn’t something she could influence. She could only cross that bridge when she came to it. The urgent matter was to do well what Third Master had instructed, ensuring these few days while Third Master was away passed peacefully without incident.

Yu Tang and Miss Xu soundlessly entered the back hall behind the sermon platform.

That back hall was only one and a half zhang long and one zhang wide. It held an arhat bed and two chairs. Perhaps Pei Yan had given instructions—the low table on the arhat bed had already been set with fruits and pastries, fresh flowers had been arranged, and new cushions laid out.

Miss Xu was even more satisfied.

She said to Yu Tang in a low voice: “Let’s just sit on the arhat bed to listen to the sermon.”

The sermon platform and back hall were separated by a carved wooden panel. Master Wuneng’s voice could be heard very clearly.

Yu Tang nodded. Seeing small latticed screens on either side of the arhat bed, she knew those were the places to enter and exit the back hall from the sermon platform. She leaned close to a crack in the screen to look outside and immediately saw Pei Yan sitting in the center of the dharma hall.

She felt her face burning hot and quickly straightened up, thinking: I wonder when he’ll depart for Hangzhou? Will I have a chance to see him off?

How could Miss Xu know Yu Tang’s thoughts? Seeing Yu Tang peeping there, she also went over and said quietly: “Let me look too.”

Yu Tang hastily jumped aside as if avoiding suspicion.

While speaking softly, Miss Xu leaned close to the crack in the latticed screen: “What did you see? I have to say, Pei Xiaguang’s looks really live up to his reputation—handsome as if carved. His dress is also appropriate—moon-white plain Songjiang fine cloth, wearing a jade bamboo branch hairpin, looking clean and refreshing, perfectly suited to this kind of occasion…”

Yu Tang only felt her face growing even hotter.