Wei Luo faintly smiled without answering. She walked towards the nearby monk, took out a bamboo stick for her sleeve, handed it over to him, and asked, "Look, is this winning bamboo stick?"
The monk took it and looked. Indeed, it was this temple's bamboo stick and it was marked with the number 228. The monk didn't know how she got this, but since this bamboo stick was in her hand, then they had to follow the temple's rules. He said, "Please follow me."
Wei Luo looked at First Madam, blinked, and brightly said, "Eldest aunt, you should go.”
Although First Madam was pleasantly surprised, she still couldn't resist asking, "Ah Luo, where did you get this bamboo stick?"
Both of Wei Luo's hands were behind her back when she curved her lips and said, "Someone gave me this bamboo stick this morning. He probably gave it to me because he didn't have anything he wanted to ask himself." Then, she pushed First Madam forward and urged, "Eldest Aunt, don't waste anymore time. Go and ask your question.”
First Madam felt very grateful towards her. Her eyes were red as she said repeatedly said, "Okay." Then, she followed the monk to behind the main hall.
Standing behind her, Wei Luo looked at First Madam's back. She couldn't help hoping that Abbot Qing Wang would have a solution to her problem and tell her of a place that would be able to fix Wei Chang Yin's legs. If that were to happen, no one would stop Liang Yu Rong from being together with Wei Chang Yin. She also wouldn't have to continue feeling sorry for them. Perhaps in this lifetime, they would have a happy ending.
As for the bamboo stick... Zhu Geng had delivered it to her this morning.
Zhu Geng had appeared at her door when she had just woken up. He didn't say any unnecessary words. He only handed her the bamboo stick and said, "The prince ordered me to pass this to Fourth Miss. Be careful. Don't lose it."
She hadn't even mentioned this yesterday. How did Zhao Jie know that she wanted to meet Abbot Qing Wang? Wei Luo accepted the bamboo stick and brought it closer to her face to look at it. For him to obtain this, he probably had a close relationship with Abbot Qing Wang. Otherwise, how could he so self-assuredly walk through the back door?
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A short period of time later, First Madam walked out of Abbot Qing Wang’s room.
She had said everything about Wei Chang Yin's situation, then she asked the abbot two questions. The first question was whether a method to heal Wei Chang Yin's legs existed. The second question was if there was a method, whom should she ask to do the treatment. The abbot only answered her first question. There was definitely a way to treat his legs. However, the person who could successfully treat Wei Chang Yin's legs didn't have a fixed residence. He was constantly traveling the world. It wouldn't be easy to find his location.
First Madam asked the abbot about that person's circumstances. He sincerely said, "He's called Fu Xing Yun. He's a miraculous and brilliant doctor. No one has seen him in the past years. He hasn't appeared in front of anyone for a long time."
In other words, this hidden person might already be dead and it was only unknown. And even if she found him, he might not be willing to treat Wei Chang Yin's legs.
After obtaining this information, First Madam's mood was complicated. Her hope was ignited, but she also felt depressed because Fu Xing Yun's location was unknown.
Her steps were heavy as she walked back to her room. She ordered the servant girls to pack up their things and inform everyone that they would soon be leaving the mountain.
After each person received the information, they knew that she had obtained an answer for her question. They weren’t in a hurry to ask her the result. First, they packed up their things and followed First Madam in descending the mountain. Although it wasn't as tiring to walk down the mountain as it was to walk up, it still wasn't an easy walk. Because the mountain path was steep, they had to be very careful when walking. Otherwise, a moment of inattentiveness would result in falling down.
Not much time passed before everyone’s legs started to feel tired and weak.
As First Madam was considering whether or not to find a place for everyone to rest for a bit, she heard a cry of alarm. She quickly stopped walking and turned around to look.
She saw Wei Zheng lying on the stone steps with an embarrassed and pale face. Wei Zheng had fallen three or four levels. Her arm and back had hit the stone steps and ached terribly. Seeing that everyone was looking at her, she looked very embarrassed.
Wei Zheng's servant girl was panic-stricken as she helped her up, "Miss, are you okay? Are you hurt from falling?"
Wei Zheng shook her head, then she stood up and said, "I'm okay..."
She hadn't eaten breakfast today and had felt dizzy with blurry vision from the unbearable hunger and walking on the mountain path without stopping. Her strength had been depleted a long time ago. A moment of carelessness and misplacing her step had led to her scene in front of her. Before she had time to call for help, she had already heavily fallen on the ground. The feeling of piercing pain came from her arm. There was probably already a bruise there. Unfortunately, she couldn't check her injury. She could only hold onto Yin Lou and continue walking down.
First Madam and the other madams all said a few words to show care. Hearing that she said she was okay, they didn't ask any further.
Wei Zheng endured her hunger and dizziness. She carefully continued walking down the mountain. Coincidentally, two people passed by her.
Wei Chang Hong was walking easily while carrying Wei Luo. His gaze was fully concentrated looking forward and he didn’t even look at her when he passed by her. On the other hand, Wei Luo turned her head towards her and curved her lips as she looked at her with pity.
Why did she pity her? What was there to be pitied about her?
Wei Zheng bit her lower lip as she watched them walk farther away. She couldn't help tightening the grip on her silk handkerchief.
Descending the mountain took less time than ascending the mountain. In only one hour, they were at the foot of the mountain Duke Ying's black, flat-roof carriages were waiting for them on the side of the road. They had probably been waiting for a long time. Wei Zheng was the last person to walk down from the mountain. Her face was too pale and her footsteps were uneven. There was sweat on her forehead and she looked very embarrassed. Her servant girl was supporting almost half of her body.
For those that didn't know the truth, they would have thought she suffered through a catastrophe.
First Madam asked how she was again. After seeing Wei Zheng shaking her head and saying she was okay, she looked away.
Wei Zheng cared too much about losing face. She definitely wouldn't say she was like this because she had skipped breakfast. She would rather people misunderstand that she wasn't feeling well, then explain anything.
Seeing that everyone was here, First Madam told everyone to go into his or her respective carriages and prepare to go back to Duke Ying's residence.
Just as she said these words, an imperial carriage with a green canopy slowly came from behind and firmly stop at their side. After the carriage stopped, a slender white hand lifted up the embroidered curtain and a person came out of the carriage. Zhao Jie was wearing a forest green robe with a persimmon stem pattern. His dark eyes swept over everyone. Without being obvious, his gaze lingered on Wei Luo for a moment before stopping on First Madam.
It was only now that First Madam knew that he had also been Qian Temple during their visit. She hurriedly walked forward to salute, "This subject greets His Highness Prince Jing. I didn't know that His Highness was also here and had acted insufficiently respectful. Please forgive me Your Highness."
Zhao Jie curved his lips. He looked very amicable as he said, “No harm. This prince was traveling incognito this trip and didn't tell outsiders. Madam, no need to panic.”
First Madam nodded her head, then politely said a few more words before saying good-bye. She saluted and said, "This subject respectfully sends off His Highness."
Zhao Jie turned around to go into his carriage. Before he left, he looked in Wei Luo's direction. She had originally been looking at him, but after noticing his gaze, for some unknown reason, her little face froze. Shortly after, she turned her head to avoid his gaze.
(T/N: Advance chapters have been updated on Patreon. I also increased the $2 to $20 reward tiers by one chapter, so 1 advance chapter is in the $2 reward tier now and so on.)