“What I’m doing is merely my duty—what’s so moving about it?” The Empress rubbed her aching waist. If not for the many people present, she would have even wanted to massage her feet, which hurt as if they weren’t her own. “It’s just that the path to Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple is too difficult. Fortunately, the Loyalty Earl warned me in advance, but I refused to heed his advice. Not only did it cause a guard to break his leg, but now I’m stuck here, unable to go up or down.”
The Empress’s tone was quite helpless and regretful.
Nanny Sun couldn’t help but support the Empress’s arm while persuading: “Your Majesty, please don’t say such things. You’ve already done your utmost for the prayer blessing. The fault lies in Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple being built in such a perilous location. Your Majesty has a precious body—how could you go to such a dangerous place? Since you’ve already tried your best, you shouldn’t force it. Otherwise, if Your Majesty truly comes to harm, how could this servant’s heart be at peace?”
The Empress had always been considerate toward her servants. Nanny Sun knew that once she spoke these words, given the Empress’s usual nature, she would definitely consider the servants’ feelings.
As the Empress, if something really happened under these people’s watch—not even mentioning serious matters, just spraining an ankle—they would be punished upon return.
But today, Nanny Sun misjudged the Empress’s thoughts.
“I have already come this far. Having walked such a long distance, if I just pass through this remaining stretch of road, I can reach Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple. I cannot give up here.”
The Empress raised her head, looking at what could barely be called a path at the end of the gentle slope.
The remaining mountain path was almost entirely steep rock faces. Some places had protruding stones for footholds, while others had wooden planks installed by some unknown method. However, perhaps due to their age, many of these planks showed signs of rot, as if they would snap with a crack if stepped on, sending people tumbling down.
The path was so steep that even if one managed to climb up, coming down seemed impossible.
“Your Majesty, this is truly too dangerous.” Nanny Sun pleaded earnestly. “This servant wishes to attend Your Majesty, but this path—not only Your Majesty, even this servant cannot climb it. We no longer have people with us. If the young eunuchs hadn’t been sent down the mountain, they could still carry Your Majesty up. But this servant doesn’t trust those few young eunuchs’ strength and skills. If there’s even the slightest bump or injury, would that be something to joke about?”
The Empress listened to Nanny Sun’s words with lowered eyes. Though she knew her reasoning was sound, she felt extremely unwilling in her heart.
Having come this far, only to give up halfway—while looking at Qin Yining, whose hand was held by Pang Xiao, and Pang Xiao seemed to intend to continue taking Qin Yining all the way up.
If Qin Yining could go up, why couldn’t she?
“No. My prayers for the rain to stop have already shown initial results. The floods in the south are still severe—not all cities and towns are as fortunate as the area around Huichuan County. Since I know that prayer is effective, how can I retreat from Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple just because the path is difficult?”
“But Your Majesty, we don’t have suitable people to carry you up. Look, why don’t we go down the mountain first, rest and reorganize, and after this servant arranges everything properly, we’ll send you up the mountain again in a few days. What do you think?”
The Empress knew that what Nanny Sun suggested was the most prudent approach.
But at this moment, looking at Qin Yining whose hand was held by Pang Xiao, and comparing Qin Yining’s relatively clean dress with her own disheveled appearance, the sourness and unwillingness in the Empress’s heart became increasingly difficult to suppress.
She was the Empress! Yet before a minister’s wife, she was completely outmatched. This steep mountain—the Qin woman could climb it because her man cared for her and stayed by her side to protect her. But even though she was the most noble woman in the world, in this matter she could only envy others.
How could she be willing to accept this?
Looking up again at the steep, cliff-like mountain path, the Empress shook her head: “I must climb this mountain today.” She turned to look at Pang Xiao. “I believe with Your Highness’s protection, I should be fine.”
“Your Majesty! You…”
“Say no more.”
The Empress’s firm voice interrupted Nanny Sun’s continued persuasion. She then smiled and said: “With Prince Zhongshun here, what are you afraid of?”
Nanny Sun looked at the mountain path, then at the Prince and Princess Consort standing silently to the side with hands clasped, and couldn’t help feeling helpless.
Prince Zhongshun taking the Princess Consort up the mountain, pulling and tugging, even embracing—all was normal. They were husband and wife. But if the Empress wanted Prince Zhongshun to care for her, how would that work?
This path was very steep. With the Empress’s pampered body from her usual privileged life, she would probably want to retreat from exhaustion and fear before long. Did the Empress plan to have Pang Xiao treat her the same way he had planned to help Qin Yining?
The Empress seemed to see through Nanny Sun’s thoughts at a glance and couldn’t help laughing softly.
“It’s fine, you needn’t worry. To speak bluntly, in my eyes, Prince Zhongshun is like a younger brother. How old was he when he became sworn brothers with His Majesty? My relationship with him—not going far back—is at least that of sister-in-law and brother-in-law. It’s just climbing a mountain—what’s so difficult about it?”
Seeing the Empress’s mind was made up, Nanny Sun’s lips moved helplessly, not knowing what to say to make the Empress abandon today’s outing.
By this time, the Empress had already walked up to Pang Xiao, watching him casually pinch Qin Yining’s fingers as if no one else was there.
That sourness and jealousy seemed to fill her mouth again. The Empress smiled as usual: “Could Prince Zhongshun lend me a helping hand?”
Pang Xiao carefully observed her expression and saw that the Empress’s demeanor was genuine, so he temporarily set aside the scenes that had been causing such a stir these days.
Pang Xiao didn’t immediately agree.
The mountain path was steep—ordinary palace servants and maids couldn’t escort the Empress to the mountain top, except for the accompanying guards.
Seeing Pang Xiao hesitate, the Empress’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. Pang Xiao could take Qin Yining anywhere, carry her or hold her as he wished, but she was different. Though she was the noble Empress, in Pang Xiao’s eyes, Qin Yining was the most important.
This stark contrast made the Empress unconsciously bite her lower lip.
Seeing the Empress’s expression, Pang Xiao lowered his eyes in thought. After a moment, he said helplessly: “Your Majesty, your subject has guards with him—why not let the guards escort Your Majesty?”
Upon hearing this, the Empress’s face changed. After a moment, she said with a stern expression: “You want those guards to escort me? What kind of people are they, what status? Are they absolutely loyal to Da Zhou? If they’re truly loyal, that would be fine, but what if they’re not? Are you comfortable entrusting me to others? And most importantly, they’re not worthy of touching me. Am I supposed to watch helplessly as you go up the mountain while I can only wait at the foot?”