Marrying the Crown Prince

After exchanging pleasantries, the group began their hike.

I don't know who started this idea, but it's said that temples should be built on mountains, and that people who come to worship Buddha, no matter who they are, should walk from the foot of the mountain to the top, only then can they be considered sincere.

Zhou Zhou commented: If Buddha were truly compassionate and had the world in his heart, he would not deliberately make things difficult for people like this.

Of course, such treasonous words would not be uttered.

Because they wanted to bring Zhou Zhou and Su Ye together, they ended up in the last row as they walked.

"May I ask who your teacher is, Eighth Sister?" Su Ye asked.

Zhou Zhou was surprised that he was curious about this matter—the apprenticeship banquet back then was so grand that almost everyone in the capital had heard about it.

Seeing Zhou Zhou's confusion, Su Ye quickly explained, "That day I saw Eighth Sister's chess skills, which were truly amazing, so I was curious about where she studied chess."

“Shen Ning from Danyang,” Zhou Zhou replied.

Upon hearing the answer, Su Ye raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zhou Zhou: He had never heard of Shen Ning of Danyang possessing extraordinary chess skills.

That's true. Shen Ning and Zhou Zhou weren't particularly skilled at chess. It could be said that Zhou Zhou's chess skills were first introduced by the old Marquis Yongjing, and he continued to study at Jingyang Palace, where he had the opportunity to consult a large number of rare chess manuals.

Given this, coupled with Zhou Zhou's innate talent for everything, it's only a matter of time before his chess skills become superb.

Even though he didn't believe it, Su Ye still replied, "I had long heard of the great reputation of Mr. Shen and Mr. Ning, but I thought it was an exaggeration. Only today do I realize that their reputation is well-deserved."

“Master’s knowledge and insight are indeed beyond our reach,” Zhou Zhou said sincerely.

The two of them had traveled thousands of miles, seen towering mountains, boundless grasslands, and the vast ocean...

They had all experienced these real things firsthand, and these were the reasons why Zhou Zhou could never surpass them in his lifetime.

Thinking about all this, Zhou Zhou became a little impatient, reached out and rubbed his temples to calm himself down.

A smile returned to her face, as genuine as before. "May I ask where you study, young master?"

"I studied at Hengshan Academy for three years."

Hengshan Academy was the most popular academy in the capital. It was not easy to study there. You had to have the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) to be eligible to participate in the entrance selection.

Speaking of which, Zhou Chengan passed the entrance exam for Hengshan Academy this spring.

Thinking of his elder brother, Zhou Zhou's brows relaxed and his tone became lighter, "Young Master is learned and talented, worthy of our utmost respect."

When Zhou Zhou said this, her eyes were bright, as if light was swirling in them, which reminded Su Ye of someone and made him pause in a daze.

If you were walking on flat ground, it wouldn't matter if you were just spacing out, but unfortunately you're on steps now.

Su Ye staggered and almost fell, but Zhou Zhou grabbed his arm.

Zhou Zhou quickly released his grip. "Young Master, please be careful."

Su Ye glanced at the arm that Zhou Zhou had grabbed, where the clothes were marked by the grip, and thought to himself: This Zhou girl looks petite, but she's quite strong.

This strength is thanks to the archery and horsemanship lessons at Jingyang Palace. One hour every day, seven years of training have given Zhou Zhou considerable wrist strength.

With someone striking up a conversation, the climb wasn't as tiring as Zhou Zhou had imagined. When he reached the summit, he was still somewhat reluctant to leave—it had been a long time since he had climbed a mountain, and it was quite interesting to do so occasionally and enjoy the scenery along the way.

Arriving at Yongxing Temple, it would be inexcusable not to pay respects to the Buddha, so the group headed towards the main hall.

Zhou Zhou followed behind Old Mrs. Zhou, kneeling down devoutly. She didn't ask Buddha for anything in her heart; her mind was pure.

After the prayers were completed, a young monk came over and directed the group, "Today, Uncle Minghui will be interpreting the divination slips. Are any of you interested?"

"Of course." Old Mrs. Zhou was secretly delighted, knowing that Master Minghui of Yongxing Temple was the most skilled at resolving marriage predestined relationships.

The two old ladies, considering themselves too old to draw lots, also shook their heads and said it wasn't necessary. Since that was the case, Zhou Rong also thought to say that it was alright.

After Wang glared at her with a knife, Zhou Rong had no choice but to join Zhou Zhou in drawing lots.

"Great fortune." This was Zhou Rong's fortune slip.

"Great fortune." This was Zhou Zhou's fortune slip.

The two young ladies from the Yongjing Marquis's residence both drew auspicious fortune sticks, and Old Madam Zhou smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits.

Su Ye's fortune wasn't so good; it was a neutral one.

Su Ye held the skewer in his palm thoughtfully.

The three of them lined up to draw lots, and Zhou Rong was the first to draw a lot, so naturally she was the first to draw one.

Master Minghui took the fortune stick from her and asked with a kind and gentle expression, "What is it that you wish to ask, benefactor?"

"Ping..." Zhou Rong was interrupted before she could finish saying "An".

"Marriage, I'm asking about marriage." Wang replied.

"Rest assured, benefactor, your tribulation has passed," Master Minghui said with an air of profound mystery. "The rest is up to Heaven."

Zhou Rong pondered for a moment, then stood up and thanked him, "Thank you, Master."

"Amitabha, you are too kind, benefactor," Minghui murmured.

When it was Zhou Zhou's turn, no one was watching her, so she was able to say with a smile what Zhou Rong hadn't finished saying, "Master, I'd like to inquire about peace."

At this point, Zhou Zhou felt it could easily be misunderstood, so she added, "I'm asking about the safety of my family."

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Zhou's eyelids twitched, but she ultimately turned her head to look into the distance, lest she upset herself.

"Rest assured, benefactor," Minghui stroked his beard, "your filial piety has moved heaven and earth, and Buddha will bless you and your family."

Who doesn't love to hear kind words? Zhou Zhou's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Thank you for your kind words, Master."

Finally, it was Su Ye's turn. He handed the fortune stick to Master Minghui and asked, "How can I ask about my marriage?"

Master Minghui accepted it with both hands. “The moon sets and the cold mist rises. Young master, you have already made your decision. Why trouble yourself?”

Su Ye paused slightly, and his eyes darkened.

When Zhou Zhou saw this scene, he felt that things were more interesting than he had imagined.

Since it was a rare opportunity to visit Yongxing Temple, they naturally wanted to try the vegetarian food there before heading down. The Duchess of Qi and Old Madam Zhou then called over a young monk and asked him for six guest rooms.

Fortunately, today wasn't a major day like the first or fifteenth of the lunar month, so there weren't many people coming to offer incense. We had enough guest rooms available, otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to find enough rooms for them to rest.

The young monk led them to the backyard, where they saw two young men playing chess in the pavilion. One was Master Long'an, the youngest monk of the Long generation in Yongxing Temple, and the other was the Crown Prince Li Ziyan.

If it weren't for this chance encounter, the Duchess of Qi and the old lady would never have come to pay their respects to Li Ziyan. Who would have thought that this young monk would just lead them straight to Long'an?

"Uncle-Master Long'an," the young monk greeted Long'an.

The two people playing chess looked up, and the group had no choice but to bow and greet them, "Your Highness."

Li Ziyan scanned the crowd, finally settling on Zhou Zhou, his eyes shifting slightly.