The Legend of Zhen Huan: Rebirth of Ling Rong

After entering the temple, I burned incense in the main hall. I was followed only by the abbot, and no one else.

I turned slightly and gave a slight look to Baojuan who was standing beside me. Baojuan immediately understood and nodded.

Baojuan then took a small step forward and respectfully saluted the solemn-looking nun before her. Then, she said softly, "Nun, my queen has been traveling all the way and is quite tired. I wonder if there's a quiet place in your temple where she can rest for a while?"

"The room has been prepared. Thank you, Your Majesty, for not minding our simple place. Please move aside and follow me." After saying that, the abbot bowed slightly, then slowly turned around and led the way.

We followed her through a quiet path lined with green trees, and soon arrived at a small courtyard, quiet and elegant.

"Your Majesty must be tired after the long journey. Please rest here for a while. If you need anything, please let me know." The abbot said with a smile, then quietly retreated.

After entering the room, I walked to the bed and sat down. My body instantly relaxed, and I felt all the fatigue in my body surge up. Looking at the beautiful scenery outside the window, my mood gradually calmed down...

"Baojuan, please ask Master Mo Yan to come over."

"Yes, slave, go right away."

A moment later, Baojuan came in with Mo Yan.

A nun in plain clothes slowly stepped forward, clasped her hands together, and bowed, saying, "I, Mo Yan, greet the Imperial Concubine. It is my great honor to be summoned by the Imperial Concubine today, but I do not know the purpose of this summons. I hope the Imperial Concubine will explain it to me."

Her voice was clear and gentle, with a hint of doubt and awe.

"Don't worry, Master. This is my first time visiting Ganlu Temple. I've heard that Master has practiced diligently here for many years, is highly respected, and possesses a profound understanding and insight into Buddhism. I admire you deeply, so I've come here specifically to ask for your advice."

Mo Yan quickly clasped her hands together, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Majesty, I am truly unworthy of your praise. I sincerely seek your guidance, but I am afraid that I may be failing to live up to your trust."

"Master, you are too modest. I have come here today to burn incense and pray for blessings for two reasons. The first is, of course, to pray for the Emperor's health and great blessings, so that he may bless his subjects for generations to come. The second is to pray that the unborn child in my womb will grow up healthily and, when the time is right, arrive safely into the world."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan quickly clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and said, "Amitabha, Your Majesty is kind-hearted and so devout in her devotion to Buddha. Heaven will surely protect you and the dragon fetus. With Your Majesty's great blessings, you will surely be able to give birth to a dragon child smoothly, adding a new member to the royal family."

"To be honest, Master, I have given birth to a princess and adopted a prince. If the child in my belly can be born safely, I will have nothing else to ask for."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The Fourth Prince is intelligent and filial to you. You will definitely get what you want." Baojuan said.

The moment Baojuan's words reached Mo Yan's ears, she was visibly stunned, as if time had frozen in that moment. However, this shock only lasted a moment, and soon, she quickly returned to normal, her face once again showing that calm and composed expression.

I quietly observed all this, thinking to myself, "It seems my previous guess was correct. This seemingly ordinary nun Mo Yan is actually Li Jingui, the biological mother of the current Fourth Prince Hongli!"

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel even more curious and curious about the woman in front of me. What kind of experience allowed her to hide her true identity so calmly?

"Master Mo Yan, I heard that your surname was Li before you became a nun. Is that true?" I looked curious and stared at Master Mo Yan, who was radiating a bit of mystery.

Sure enough, after hearing what I said, Mo Yan's eyes suddenly became a little surprised, and his expression became quite flustered.

"I was once a humble nun, and I dare not pollute your Majesty's ears with my humble name."

"Master Mo Yan, I have no ill will towards you. I came here first to pray for your blessing, and secondly, to see you. As the Fourth Prince's biological mother, it is only natural for me to come and see you."

Mo Yan was immediately frightened when he heard this. It took him a moment to react and he immediately knelt down.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have now become a nun and have no other thoughts. I have let go of my past and future."

"I just want to know what happened back then. I heard that when the Fourth Prince was born, his mother died because of complications during childbirth. The Fourth Prince was left alone and helpless, and was raised in the Old Summer Palace."

"I heard that the Fourth Prince's mother had a special status, so he was never treated well and had no chance to meet the Emperor. Later, when I went to the Old Summer Palace to escape the summer heat, I had the opportunity to meet the Fourth Prince and I felt that I got along very well with him."

"At that time, I was just a maid in the palace. One time, the prince got drunk and favored me. Because of my humble status, no one would care. Originally, this was considered a trivial matter and nothing." Mo Yan said softly.

"However, this matter was discovered by the Eighth Prince, and someone with ulterior motives took advantage of it and reported it to the Emperor. The Emperor severely reprimanded the prince, and the prince disliked me even more."

Later, I became pregnant and was even less welcome, so I was abandoned in the Rehe Palace to fend for myself. After giving birth, I was expelled from the Rehe Palace. They announced to the public that the Fourth Prince's biological mother, Li Jingui, had passed away and that I was no longer Li Jingui.

After many twists and turns, I came to Ganlu Temple. As a weak woman, where else could I go? There was no place for me anywhere, so I became a nun and settled down in Ganlu Temple...

"So that's how it is... I guess Hongli didn't know his biological mother was still alive all these years."

"Please don't tell the Fourth Prince the truth, Your Majesty. It will be of no benefit for him to know. Having a biological mother like me is a stain on him. Now that the Fourth Prince is being raised by Your Majesty, everything is fine." Mo Yan immediately asked me not to tell Hongli about this.

I reached out and helped Mo Yan up, comforting her, "Don't worry, I won't tell Hongli for now. Now that he's under my name, I'll take great care of him. This child is smart, I'll find a chance to tell him later."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your careful care of the Fourth Prince. I can't do anything for him, but staying away from him is doing him a favor."