Qin Yining was unaware of the thoughts of the person beside her. After focusing on her prayers, she stood up.

At this moment, a delicate female voice came from outside the hall:

“…Yes, I still remember Your Majesty’s heroic bearing back then. Returning to this place again truly brings many emotions.”

Qin Yining was startled. Before she could react, Pang Xiao grabbed her hand and quickly led her around the shrine, hiding behind the statue of Doumu Yuanjun.

Qin Yining was in a panic. Just as an exclamation was about to escape her lips, her mouth was forcefully covered, and her waist was encircled by an iron arm, her entire body pressed against an unfamiliar embrace.

Her cheeks instantly burned with heat. Seeing that Tang Meng had also been brought over in the same manner by that attendant, Qin Yining felt somewhat anxious.

Just then, the hall door creaked open and closed again, and the female voice laughed: “Your Majesty, look, this place is still the same as it was back then.”

An aged male voice answered her: “Yes, when I made my imperial tour here in the past, upon first seeing the divine statue, I felt that beneath its dignified and solemn appearance, there was a hint of charm. I immediately felt delighted and couldn’t help but look several times. Who would have known that just as I left the mountain gate of Immortal Maiden Temple and descended the mountain, I would encounter you coming up the mountain.”

There came rustling sounds of fabric and a woman’s startled gasp.

“Yurou, I thought at that time, could it be that Heaven already knew what was in my heart and specially sent a goddess to my side to relieve my lovesickness?”

“This concubine’s willow-like beauty hardly deserves to be called a goddess. But Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven – Heaven’s favor is indeed real. This time, the elixir that Immortal Liu refined, after you used it, you became even more vigorous like a dragon and tiger.” The woman’s voice was very seductive.

This was followed by a man’s pleased laughter and wet kissing sounds.

Qin Yining listened with a flushed face. Peering through a small gap at the base of the statue, she saw a young woman being held in the arms of a tall, sixty-year-old man with graying temples at his temples. The two were intertwined, lips and teeth entangled, kissing passionately like dry wood meeting fierce fire.

Qin Yining had never witnessed such a scene. Her face flushed with two patches of red as she quickly turned around, colliding directly into the chest of the man behind her.

The unfamiliar man’s scent surrounded her nostrils. His breath mixed with the smell of incense, along with a strange masculine scent and a faint grassy fragrance. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it forcefully and domineeringly invaded her breathing.

Looking up, she discovered that the gentleman wasn’t looking at her but was tensely watching the scene outside through the gaps in the shrine, his handsome face taut with concentration.

His serious and tense demeanor helped Qin Yining calm down considerably.

From the conversation between the two outside, she already understood who had arrived.

She never expected that the Emperor and the enchantress Empress had such a past. The Emperor was so foolish that even seeing a divine statue could arouse improper thoughts, actually doing such things in front of Doumu Yuanjun’s statue…

However, this was far from enough.

What the Emperor and Empress did next completely shattered Qin Yining’s worldview. They actually engaged in intimate relations right there on the prayer cushions with their clothes half-removed. The woman’s moans and the man’s deep breathing and sounds of impact reached her ears, making Qin Yining wish she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. She could only cover her ears and close her eyes tightly to escape this embarrassing scene, while cursing the enchantress Empress and foolish Emperor thousands of times in her heart.

Pang Xiao looked down at the person who wished she could bury her entire face in his chest, and a gentle smile appeared at the corners of his lips. However, when his gaze met the absurd pair outside, a thought flashed through his mind.

If he wanted to kill Great Yan’s foolish Emperor right now, it would be as easy as turning his hand.

But after quickly calculating the gains and losses, he dismissed the thought of killing him now. This foolish Emperor was more beneficial to Great Zhou alive than dead.

The intimate encounter soon ended. The woman sweetly praised the Emperor’s prowess, and after being affectionate for a while longer, they straightened their clothes and left together.

Only when the hall door was closed and quiet returned outside did Qin Yining come to her senses, hurriedly stepping out of the young man’s embrace.

Tang Meng was also blushing furiously, running to Qin Yining’s side with misty eyes that looked ready to cry.

Qin Yining took Tang Meng’s hand and, not daring to look at the unfamiliar gentleman standing there, turned and fled in panic.

Tang Meng pulled Qin Yining to a secluded corner, hiding behind a large tree. Both had flushed faces and for a moment didn’t know what to say.

After a long while, Tang Meng said through gritted teeth: “That foolish Emperor and enchantress Empress are so absurd! I can see that foolish Emperor clearly has the face of a ruler who will lose his country! That enchantress is so hard to kill – she caused my entire family to lose their lives. Why doesn’t Heaven open its eyes and strike her down with lightning!”

As Tang Meng spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

Qin Yining frantically wiped away her tears. At this moment, she felt that any words of comfort or consolation would be pale and powerless. No amount of words could match the harm that the family extermination had brought to Tang Meng. She appeared carefree on the surface, but inside she was hiding her pain.

Qin Yining comforted her gently for a long time. When she saw that Tang Meng had gradually stopped crying, she said: “I know you’re sad, but in this life, everyone must experience various hardships. Looking back at the past, regret and nostalgia are useless. Life must go on, and people must look forward. From now on, you’ll be by my side. We’ll be family, and I won’t abandon you. At least we can keep each other company.”

Tang Meng was so moved by Qin Yining’s sincere words that she was about to cry again. Sniffling, she forced a smile: “Miss, I know you have the kindest heart.”

Qin Yining smiled and smoothed the loose hair by Tang Meng’s ear, then said: “But you’ll probably need to change your name from now on, and Rui Lan too. These next few days, you should discuss it with Rui Lan. I haven’t read many books and can’t come up with any nice names, so you can think of ones you like.”

“I’ll go discuss with Sister Rui Lan later. As for me, that’s easy.” Tang Meng’s large eyes rolled around as she smiled: “I’ll call myself Bingtang.”

“Bingtang?” Qin Yining laughed. “Good, this name suits you. You’re originally a sweet girl, and after being called Bingtang, your days will be sweet and happy too.”

“Yes, they’ll definitely be sweet and happy. And rock candy is both beautiful and delicious – how wonderful.”

The two smiled at each other, both feeling much more relaxed. Only then did Qin Yining say: “Let’s go down the mountain. We shouldn’t worry the Old Madam. When we see her later, let’s not mention anything – let’s just pretend today’s events never happened.”

“Alright, I understand the seriousness.”

The two tidied themselves up until no flaws could be seen, then descended the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, they saw Nanny Bao looking up anxiously. When she saw Qin Yining and Tang Meng returning hand in hand, looking happy, she seemed relieved: “Miss has returned. Quickly get in the carriage to warm up.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Nanny Bao. Did Grandmother wait anxiously? I was touring the temple with Miss Tang and lost track of time.”

Speaking as they approached the carriage, Qin Yining and Tang Meng stepped onto the red lacquered wooden stool and got into the carriage. Seeing Duke Dingguo’s wife sitting in the middle with a gentle smile, Qin Yining chose light topics, describing some of the scenery they had seen in the temple.

When the conversation reached a pause, Duke Dingguo’s wife gently asked: “Did you encounter anyone in the temple just now?”

Qin Yining’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged as she smiled: “No, I only saw a young lady from afar, but we didn’t meet face to face.”

Upon hearing this, Duke Dingguo’s wife nodded. After thinking for a moment and glancing at Tang Meng, she ultimately didn’t speak her thoughts aloud.

Qin Yining understood that Grandmother had probably encountered the Empress and recognized her identity. She wanted to tell her that the Empress had been there, but was afraid this topic would hurt Tang Meng’s feelings, so she swallowed her words about the Empress.

But Grandmother wouldn’t know what embarrassing events had actually occurred in the main hall just now. She had even heard the conversation between the Emperor and Empress, mentioning that the Emperor was taking elixirs refined by Immortal Liu.

It seemed that throughout history, emperors sought methods of immortality, and Emperor Qinglong was no exception. What surprised her was that the mercenary Immortal Liu was actually skilled in alchemy.

This person was truly unfathomable!

At least Qin Yining now couldn’t tell whether Immortal Liu was genuinely mercenary or just pretending, much less how extensive her connections were, or whether her various skills were real or just for show.

The carriage first took Tang Meng back to Stepping Cloud Inn, then Duke Dingguo’s wife had someone escort Qin Yining home.

After bidding farewell to Duke Dingguo’s wife, Qin Yining didn’t return home immediately but first went to the Zhong residence to find Manager Zhong, instructing him to prepare sixteen hundred taels of silver to send to Immortal Maiden Temple for Immortal Liu.

Upon hearing such a large sum, Manager Zhong said in surprise: “That old Taoist nun actually dared to demand such an exorbitant amount!”

He felt somewhat guilty, since he was the one who had come asking for help, causing Qin Yining to handle Tang Meng’s affairs. Not only had she taken risks going to Prince Ning’s residence to rescue someone, but now she had to pay such a large sum for the return to secular life.

Qin Yining smiled: “Money is earned to be spent. As long as we ensure every penny is spent on the right path, that’s enough. Miss Tang is a living person who may well be worth this money. Moreover, as Duke Dingguo’s wife said, this is also accumulating virtue for myself.”

“Miss has such magnanimity and kind compassion. You will surely be rewarded in the future.” Manager Zhong went to make arrangements according to her instructions and personally escorted Qin Yining home.

By the time they reached the Qin family gate, the sky had already darkened and it was nearly time for the evening lock-up.

Qin Yining took the oil-walled carriage to the second gate and went directly to the Garden of Filial Piety.

Nanny Qin was talking quietly with Ji Xiang in the covered walkway. When they saw Qin Yining return, they both smiled and came forward to greet her.

“Fourth Miss has returned! The Old Madam was just asking about you, worried that the dark roads wouldn’t be safe and afraid something might have delayed you.”

“I troubled the Old Madam with worry – that’s my fault. Has the Old Madam retired for the evening?”

“Not yet. Please come in, Miss.”

Nanny Qin personally led Qin Yining inside, helped her remove her cloak, then went in to announce her arrival.

After receiving the Old Madam’s permission, Qin Yining smiled and entered the inner room, bowing: “Old Madam, your granddaughter has returned. Because the roads weren’t very good, I was delayed somewhat and caused the Old Madam to worry. That’s your granddaughter’s fault.”

The Old Madam, wearing a dark green jacket, sat cross-legged on the stepped bed smoking her pipe. After taking two puffs, she said: “What could happen to you while you’re out with your maternal grandmother? It’s just this old woman worrying unnecessarily. Did everything go smoothly today?”

“Everything went smoothly.” Qin Yining deliberately ignored the barely concealed jealousy in the Old Madam’s words and asked with concern: “Has the Old Madam had her evening meal? Did it taste good?”

The Old Madam tapped her pipe and sighed: “I’m not in good spirits – how could I eat?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Yining looked questioningly at Nanny Qin beside her.