After Discovering The Emperor Was A Woman… - Chapter 2

“Second Brother! The Imperial Preceptor invited me to taste the new tea. I’ve already informed Grandmother, Father, and Mother, so could you take me part of the way?”

Liu Jiuning blocked her second brother’s path, several maids carrying luggage lined up behind her. Her tone was entirely self-assured, without the slightest hint of politeness.

As for “informing” her elders, she had merely asked the maids to pass along a message.

Otherwise, by the time everyone finished dawdling, fussing, and giving her one or two reminders each, she would never have managed to intercept her second brother like this.

More importantly, what if Grandmother decided she wanted to visit the temple and pay her respects to the Buddha too? Then her aunts would all follow, and half the family would set off together. She would have no chance whatsoever to inspect the nunnery in person!

Liu Zhuoran snapped shut the folding fan he had been waving. His long, phoenix-shaped eyes fixed on the little girl blocking his way. Smiling, he raised the fan and lightly tapped Liu Jiuning twice on the head.

“You. All you ever think about is going out to play. Did you really tell Grandmother, Third Uncle, and Third Aunt?”

His Ninth Sister’s personality had not changed at all since childhood. She simply loved going out.

She was always talking about “breathing fresh air and appreciating the beauty of nature.” She certainly had an endless supply of excuses.

“I told them. I really did.”

Liu Jiuning nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at grain, her expression full of sincerity and anticipation.

Seeing this, Liu Zhuoran said nothing more. He merely ordered the servant beside him to inform their elders.

After all, the little girl had a record of doing this. She had tricked her brothers into taking her out more than once, claiming that the elders had agreed when, in reality, she had only sent a maid to deliver a message.

None of those incidents had been particularly serious. She had merely wanted to have fun, and the elders usually indulged her. At most, she would be scolded a few times and punished by copying several pages from a book.

Now that Liu Zhuoran had agreed to take Liu Jiuning with him, he naturally had to make the proper arrangements.

Ninth Sister stayed at Anchang Temple for several days every few months, and everyone knew she was close to the Imperial Preceptor. Taking her part of the way should not cause any trouble.

Still, he had to make everything clear to the elders so they would not end up searching everywhere for her again.

Once Liu Jiuning saw him finish giving instructions, she hurriedly grabbed the folding fan that had just tapped her head.

“Let’s go, let’s go! If we don’t leave soon, we won’t reach Anchang Temple before dark.”

She did not have much time to move around freely. She had to find a way to visit several nunneries over the next few days.

She had already prepared an excuse.

The Imperial Preceptor believed her affinity with Buddhism had deepened again this year, so she needed to burn incense, worship the Buddha, and demonstrate her utmost sincerity!

Liu Zhuoran shook his head helplessly and motioned for the servants to hurry and prepare the carriage. He himself could ride a horse, but Ninth Sister naturally needed a carriage when going out.

She was the only young lady in the family who frequently went out and visited temples, so a carriage was always kept ready for her.

Having achieved her goal without difficulty, Liu Jiuning was in an excellent mood. She called him “Second Brother” again and again in an unbearably sweet voice while entertaining him with amusing stories.

Only after leaving the Chancellor’s estate did she finally quiet down, looking every bit like a well-behaved young lady from a noble family.

The carriage set off, swaying along beneath the cool spring breeze.

Liu Jiuning lay half-reclined inside, with none of her earlier liveliness.

It was truly unfortunate.

She was a modern teenager who had flown through the sky, traveled over water, and come from the future, yet she suffered from motion sickness in carriages!

Ancient carriages were absolutely terrifying. No one could understand what they were like until they had ridden in one.

Liu Jiuning sometimes suspected the entire thing would fall apart beneath her.

The jolting was so violent that only the pirate ship ride at the amusement park in her previous life could compare.

“Are we there yet?” Liu Jiuning weakly asked Lühe beside her.

Her eyes were tightly shut, and she looked as feeble as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.

Lühe was thoroughly accustomed to seeing her mistress wilt like a flower whenever she entered a carriage. She took a preserved plum from a small porcelain jar she carried and placed it in the weakened girl’s mouth.

Afterward, she lifted the small curtain and glanced outside.

“We haven’t even left the capital yet.”

“It’s taking that long?”

With the preserved plum in her mouth, Liu Jiuning’s words came out muffled. She pulled a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, laid it over her eyes, and continued, “I’m going to sleep for a while. Wake me when we arrive.”

No matter what kind of motion sickness one suffered from, it disappeared once one fell asleep. The carriage could bounce like a crowded dance floor for all she cared—it had nothing to do with Liu Jiuning once she went to meet the Duke of Zhou in her dreams.

Accompanied by the young men exchanging greetings and chatting outside the carriage, Liu Jiuning gradually drifted off to sleep.

When she woke, the carriage had already arrived safely outside Anchang Temple.

Her timing was perfect, based on the experience she had accumulated over dozens of trips throughout the past few years.

“Ninth Sister?”

Liu Zhuoran glanced at the sun, which was about to set, then called toward the carriage.

Liu Jiuning was struggling to stretch her body, feeling as though every bone had been beaten. Hearing him, she hurriedly replied, “Yes! I’m here!”

She casually swept aside the curtain and jumped straight down.

Seeing this, Liu Zhuoran frowned from atop his horse.

“Slow down! Don’t rush. What will you do if you hurt yourself?”

“All right! I’ll definitely remember next time.”

Liu Jiuning nodded with an earnest, obedient expression, then continued, “It’s getting late. Second Brother, you should hurry to Xinlin Retreat. The road will be difficult once it gets dark. Ride slowly and be careful.”

Liu Zhuoran also knew that traveling after dark would be troublesome, but he did not leave immediately. First, he gave her several reminders. Then he left two servants behind and told her that he would return in two days to escort her home.

Only after arranging everything did he ride away beneath the setting sun.

Liu Jiuning watched until her brother’s figure disappeared into the forest. Once he was completely out of sight, she turned and walked into the temple.

Whether she encountered a young monk sweeping the path or an elderly monk repairing roof tiles, she greeted them all with practiced familiarity.

She was as comfortable here as she was at home.

“Minming, why are you sitting here? Where is your master?”

Liu Jiuning spotted a familiar little bald head sitting cross-legged beneath a large tree and quickly walked over.

At the same time, she waved for her maids to take the luggage away first.

“Amitabha. Benefactor Jiuning, I am sitting here listening to Zen. My master went to gather herbs on the mountain behind the temple. He will probably return tomorrow.”

The young monk looked only four or five years old. His eyes remained closed, and he did not turn around. His hand continued steadily striking the wooden fish, beat after beat.

Noticing another meditation cushion beside him, Liu Jiuning asked, “May I sit here?”

“Of course. It was left here for you, Benefactor Jiuning,” the little monk replied unhurriedly.

Accompanied by the steady sound of the wooden fish, his voice resembled someone reciting Buddhist scripture.

Liu Jiuning lifted her skirt and sat cross-legged. Staring at the little monk’s head, which was as round as the sun, she teased him with a smile.

“You knew I was coming again?”

“I did not know. The Buddha knew.”

The little monk continued striking the wooden fish as he spoke. “Benefactor Jiuning, listen to Zen with me.”

“All right, all right. I’ll listen.”

Propping her cheek in one hand, Liu Jiuning accompanied the little monk in listening to this so-called Zen.

She failed to comprehend any Zen, but she certainly heard plenty of cicadas chirping in the tree.

Combined with the sound of the wooden fish, it was enough to make her sleepy!

“Benefactor Jiuning, wake up. It’s time to eat.”

The instant Liu Jiuning heard the words “time to eat,” she jolted awake.

Looking at the little monk standing before her, holding his wooden fish in one hand and carrying a meditation cushion almost as large as he was in the other, she showed no embarrassment whatsoever.

She rose naturally, picked up the cushion she had been sitting on, and casually took the other cushion from his hands. Only then did she meet his clear, limpid eyes.

“Wonderful, time to eat! I wonder whether Master Yiyang or Master Huajin is cooking the vegetarian meal today…”

Anchang Temple was once again wreathed in curling incense smoke, as peaceful as it had always been.

The sun sank in the west. The cicadas grew increasingly loud, and the crimson glow of sunset enveloped the entire temple along with their cries, lending it an air of otherworldly serenity.

The next day, just as the sky began to brighten, Liu Jiuning woke and carefully planned her itinerary.

After washing up and eating several steaming-hot buns, she addressed the large group of maids and servants behind her.

“Today, I’m going to meet the Imperial Preceptor. You should stay in the temple, worship the Buddha, recite scriptures, walk around, and absorb some Buddhist affinity.”

Once she finished giving instructions, Liu Jiuning set off with cheerful steps. She intended to take the mountain path beside the Imperial Preceptor’s courtyard and head toward the nunnery on another nearby peak.

It was a little far, but that would not defeat her.

She would simply treat it as a mountain hike.

Of course, Liu Jiuning was not planning to go entirely unprepared. She had armed herself thoroughly.

A gourd filled with water hung at her waist. Various medicines were hidden on her body in case of emergencies, and naturally, she carried a small knife as well.

Most importantly…

In her previous life, she had held a black belt in karate!

Her family had originally taken her to learn a little self-defense, but who could have expected her to be so talented? She had excelled to the point that the instructors at the dojo urged her parents to let her participate in international competitions.

“Benefactor Jiuning.”

Liu Jiuning had barely stepped happily into the courtyard when she came face-to-face with Master Changkong, who was carrying a bamboo basket on his back.

…

For a moment, the atmosphere fell silent.

“Master Changkong! Good morning! I’m actually only here to borrow the path.”

Liu Jiuning quickly adjusted her expression and continued with a smile, “As you know, I want to find somewhere to worship the Buddha. I heard that Qingyun Nunnery nearby is quite good, so I was planning to take a look.”

The old monk was an interesting person.

Or perhaps he was better described as a half-enlightened Buddha who still retained his humanity. He always seemed capable of foreseeing the future and had even vaguely suggested that she had “come from where she came.”

Liu Jiuning herself had transmigrated into a book, so it was perfectly reasonable for the old monk to possess unusual abilities.

That was why she never bothered hiding her thoughts from him. There was no need.

“Amitabha. All things are governed by destiny. Since you have already decided, then go. The mountain path is rough, so watch your footing.”

Dressed in simple cloth robes, Master Changkong spoke as he carried the basket into the room.

Seeing this, Liu Jiuning smiled.

“I understand! I’ll definitely be back before dark!”

With that, she resumed her cheerful, heroic stride and ran toward the mountain path.

Just as the Imperial Preceptor had said, the mountain trail was extremely rugged.

It was easy to stray from the original path without realizing it.

Fortunately, Liu Jiuning had a good sense of direction and decent stamina. The journey did not differ much from what she had planned.

Unfortunately…

The heavens refused to cooperate.

The sky had been completely clear when she left, yet it suddenly began to rain!

Liu Jiuning had not prepared for rain.

Nine years of compulsory education and modern science had taught her that one should never shelter beneath a tree during a storm!

Unfortunately, there was nowhere around her without trees.

Remaining relatively calm, Liu Jiuning marked her route while searching for somewhere to escape the rain.

Suddenly…

Her foot landed on something with an unusual texture.

She pushed aside the overgrown grass and looked down.

It was… a person?

Liu Jiuning hurriedly lifted her foot and saw blood continuously seeping from the place she had stepped on…