After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

Although Ciyun Temple is not large, it has all the facilities a temple should have. It has a mountain gate, a bell and drum tower, a front hall, a main hall, and meditation rooms.

There are two meditation rooms in the temple. One is located not far from the temple gate and is used for pilgrims to stay overnight. The other is located at the very back of the temple and is mainly for the daily living of the monks.

Gan Cai'er had no intention of staying at Ciyun Temple, because killing and eating meat were forbidden there. She couldn't bear to eat vegetarian food for a month.

So, a couple of days ago, she asked Moyun to come up the mountain to find a place to stay. Luckily, they found an unused courtyard that was very close to Ciyun Temple, almost right next to it.

It is said that the owner of the house was once a powerful figure in Kyoto, but after losing power, he gave up everything and came here to live in seclusion, calling himself "The Hermit of the Bamboo Grove". He practiced asceticism here for more than ten years, and returned to his hometown two years ago due to poor health and old age, and the house has been left vacant ever since.

This courtyard is called "Bamboo Grove Courtyard," and as its name suggests, it is filled with bamboo. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately greeted by a verdant view, and looking around, one sees all kinds of bamboo.

Although the "Bamboo Grove Courtyard" lacks ornate carvings and painted beams, its exquisite details reveal its unique craftsmanship. The entire courtyard, nestled amidst a bamboo grove, exudes tranquility.

Lan Tingzhou was extremely satisfied with this place; it was indeed a good place to concentrate on reading. Looking at the mountain path outside the courtyard, he thought that Phoenix Cry Mountain was high and the road difficult to traverse, and that those who had fawned over him would probably not come looking for him again.

To everyone's surprise, the very next day, someone knocked on the gate of the Bamboo Grove Villa.

When Mo Yun opened the door, he saw Zhu Xiaoxiao and Wei Shi'an standing side by side outside the door, followed by two maids and a servant, carrying large and small boxes of luggage.

"Xiao Xiao, what brings you here?" Gan Cai'er rushed out of the house after hearing the announcement.

"Of course, it's because I'm in a good mood that I came to climb the mountain and enjoy the scenery." Zhu Xiaoxiao pushed Gan Cai'er aside and walked into the courtyard with her head held high.

Zhu Xiaoxiao wasn't lying; she was genuinely in a great mood, as evidenced by the joy in her eyes and brows. The reason was simple: Wei Shi'an had also passed the imperial examination and become a Gongshi! Passing the Gongshi exam was equivalent to becoming a Jinshi; the palace examination a month later would only determine the final ranking.

Even if she ranked last, she was still a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)! This meant her marriage to Wei Shi'an was a done deal. How could she possibly be upset?

If it weren't for the long distance to Danzhou and the time it would take to travel there and back, Wei Shi'an originally planned to go back first to get married before returning to participate in the palace examination.

Later, it was Lord Wei who persuaded him to stop, but he pretended not to see him running to Zhu Xiaoxiao's courtyard every day.

When Zhu Xiaoxiao heard that Gan Cai'er had gone to Fengming Mountain, she dragged Wei Shi'an along to come as a way to relax after the exam.

Zhu Xiaoxiao's visit to Ciyun Temple was actually driven by the same concern as Gan Cai'er; she was also worried that something might happen to Mei Wanqing. Of course, she was even more worried about Gan Cai'er, fearing that she might act impulsively and fall into Madam Mei's trap.

Wei Shi'an, on the other hand, passed the imperial examination smoothly and was relieved of his burdens. Hearing that Zhu Xiaoxiao was going to Ciyun Temple, he packed his painting box and came with her without saying a word.

As for why Zhu Xiaoxiao came, and what she was going to do, he didn't ask at all. He was fine with following his wife wherever she went.

"You're here, but why did you bring that bookworm along?" Gan Cai'er pulled Zhu Xiaoxiao aside and asked in a low voice.

"Oh dear, it's not that I wanted to bring him, it's just that I can't shake him off, okay?" Zhu Xiaoxiao frowned, as if she had a huge problem.

"Ever since the results of the imperial examinations were announced, he's been completely open about it, coming to see me every day. Wherever I go, he follows. Ugh, it's so annoying..."

Gan Cai'er's teeth were practically ache from the sourness. This wasn't complaining; it was clearly showing off! She really wanted to kick him out.

"Alright, alright, I think you should just get married sooner rather than later. You're so desperate to get married it's written all over your face!" Gan Cai'er rolled her eyes at her and then pulled her into her room.

Huan'er and Yuanshan spent half a day organizing all the trunks and boxes. Then, Zhu Xiaoxiao and Wei Shi'an moved into the Bamboo Grove Villa.

The next morning, Gan Cai'er and Zhu Xiaoxiao went to Ciyun Temple to see what was going on inside.

"By the way, when is Mei Wanqing coming?" Zhu Xiaoxiao asked.

"I don't know." Gan Cai'er shook her head.

"However, judging from Meng Yu's tone, it should be within the next few days. I think the most likely reason is that Madam Mei wants her to come up for the Qingming Festival to chant scriptures and pray for blessings."

"Qingming Festival? That's only five days away. Come on, A-Cai, let's go check out the area first."

So the two quickened their pace and entered Ciyun Temple.

Ciyun Temple is not large, and the temple buildings are relatively new. It was expanded from a dilapidated temple on the mountaintop. The first abbot was named Ciyun, and the money for the new temple was raised by him from alms collected after he went down the mountain. Therefore, after the temple was completed, it was named Ciyun Temple.

Ciyun Temple was very quiet. Apart from the trees, the sound of the wind, and the birdsong, there seemed to be nothing else. Gan Cai'er and Zhu Xiaoxiao wandered around the temple for an hour, exploring it four or five times, and only encountered three worshippers who came to offer incense.

With few worshippers, temples become poor, and consequently, there are fewer monks in the temples.

“I counted, and we only encountered eight monks today,” Gan Cai’er said.

"Including the abbot and others behind the temple, I don't think there are more than twenty people in the entire temple. Moreover, I think the monks in the temple are all quite old, and there are no young people. Even if Mei Wanqing is blind, she can't have anything to do with them."

Zhu Xiaoxiao, however, focused on a different aspect.

"There are very few people coming and going here, and I just noticed that the meditation rooms in the temple are all covered with a thick layer of dust, which doesn't look like they are usually used by people."

"In such a secluded place, it wouldn't be surprising if something happened. Mei Wanqing would be left with no one to turn to for help."

I heard that Gan Cai'er and Zhu Xiaoxiao are new residents of Zhulin Villa. The monks in the temple treat them very kindly and answer almost all their questions.

Those monks all looked kind and benevolent, not like cunning people.

Within a day, Gan Cai'er and her companion had found out most of the details about Ciyun Temple.

Gan Cai'er's judgment was indeed correct. Three days later, on the day before Qingming Festival, the Mei family's carriage stopped at the entrance of Ciyun Temple.