Saving the foolish general, she accidentally becomes his favorite.

The next day.

As the first rays of sunlight appeared in the early morning, and dawn broke, Xuanyuan Ming was already up, with eunuchs and palace maids busily preparing for the grand procession of the emperor.

Once everything was ready, the large procession set off from the palace and headed to Hakuryu-ji Temple.

At the same time, a carriage quietly left the palace gates, with the driver urging the horse onward at high speed towards Bailong Temple.

Lu Wanning sat in the carriage, holding her usual zither in her hands.

This trip out of the palace was her last chance, and Lu Wanning was determined to win over Xuan Yuanming's heart!

In the past, Xuanyuan Ming enjoyed listening to music, so Lu Wanning brought her own zither along, just in case.

The maid, sitting in the carriage, asked anxiously:

"His Majesty and the Empress have been very close lately. Perhaps this servant could find you a few more beautiful outfits?"

Seeing that her mistress wasn't dressed extravagantly today, the maidservant, fearing she might lose the chance of winning, kindly offered a reminder.

Lu Wanning looked at the maid, shook her head, and said:

"No need, this is fine."

Lu Wanning lowered her eyes. No matter how beautiful the clothes or how luxurious the hairpins, they could not compare to the Empress and the concubines in the palace.

Now that she has no official title, it would be better for her to be more elegant and refined, so that she can catch Xuan Yuanming's eye.

Lu Wanning knew that her savings were no longer enough to maintain any extravagance. This time, in order to leave the palace smoothly, she had to bribe many people and spend a lot of money.

She was going all in, gambling on this one bet, but if she lost, she would have nothing left.

Lu Wanning gripped her clothes tightly. This time, she had no choice but to succeed!

The emperor's procession was not fast. In order to avoid making Xuanyuanming feel tired on the journey, the carriages traveled at the most comfortable speed. Therefore, Lu Wanning's carriage quickly overtook the palace procession.

Sitting in the carriage, Xuanyuan Ming was bored. He asked the eunuch:

"How is the General's residence doing lately?"

The eunuch cautiously reported:

"Your Majesty, General Mo has been dispatched to relieve the garrison and is probably on his way. There are no other changes at the General's residence; everything is as usual."

Xuanyuan Ming nodded, then immediately became happy again.

His knuckles tapped rhythmically on the table as he pondered:

"I have obtained the Tiger Tally this time, but the people under the former Grandfather-in-law will certainly not submit to me. I have sent Mo Chen to carry out this troop rotation. If he replaces someone from the General's Mansion, then I will know who his cronies are..."

The eunuch flattered with a smile, "Your Majesty is wise! You've come up with such a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone. As long as General Mo slips up, Your Majesty can eliminate all his cronies!"

Xuanyuan Ming relaxed and lay back in the comfortable cushions of the carriage, slowly saying:

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. I'm going to pull out all your claws and teeth, and see you kneel down and beg for mercy like a cat with its claws pulled out!"

Seemingly imagining Mo Chen's future defeat, Xuan Yuanming laughed out loud.

The carriage was filled with the echoing laughter of the eunuchs. The emperor was in high spirits throughout the journey, but those serving him dared not relax their vigilance in the slightest.

The emperor's mood was unpredictable; sometimes he was in a good mood, and sometimes he would suddenly become angry.

Everyone prayed that the Emperor's happiness would last longer this time, so that they could suffer less.

It takes three hours for a carriage to travel from the palace to the White Dragon Temple.

Xuanyuan Ming naturally wouldn't make things difficult for himself. After having breakfast in the carriage, he went to sleep.

When he woke up, the eunuch reminded him that they had just arrived at Bailong Temple.

Xuanyuan Ming stretched and then got off the carriage.

Bailong Temple is the most effective temple for praying for children in Tian Shu Kingdom, and incense burns there year-round.

Every day, a constant stream of people come to worship, creating a sea of ​​people.

But today all the people are isolated.

The emperor is on an outing, and today Bailong Temple will only be hosting Xuanyuan Ming.

The grand procession stopped outside the gate of Bailong Temple. After getting off the carriage, Xuanyuan Ming climbed the steps one by one.

In the Kingdom of Tian Shu, there is a saying that once you leave a temple, you must walk on your own.

Even if it's three thousand steps, you must walk up them. The more steps you climb, the more sincere you are, and the more willing Buddha will be to grant the wishes of such a devout believer. Those who come here to pray for blessings can also achieve perfect merit.

Since ascending the throne, Xuanyuan Ming has been thoroughly annoyed by the arguments from his court officials regarding the issue of having an heir.

Previously, he had been unable to have children, which prompted advice from his ministers.

Now that he has finally had a son, he naturally prays to God to ensure the child's safe birth.

Even as an emperor, Xuanyuan Ming is now very devout. He no longer indulges in walking up the stairs and actually takes each step one at a time.

Upon reaching the final step, the abbot of Hakuryu-ji Temple bowed to the emperor and said slowly:

"Your Majesty's sincerity is so profound that it will surely be blessed by Buddha. Please come in..."

Xuanyuan Ming followed the host inside.

Bailong Temple is an ancient temple in Tianshu Kingdom with a history of over 100 years and covers a very large area.

There are nine halls and sixteen rooms of various sizes inside. The nine halls are for worshipping various gods, and the sixteen rooms are for pilgrims to rest, fast, stay overnight, and practice meditation.

To show his sincerity, Xuanyuan Ming originally planned to visit all nine palaces, then fast and bathe, and not return until sunset.

In the morning, the abbot led Xuanyuan Ming on a pilgrimage. By the time the ceremony was over, it was time for lunch.

Xuanyuan Ming then went to the meditation room to rest and have lunch.

Perhaps because he hadn't been working hard for a while, Xuan Yuanming felt his legs were a little tired after walking such a long distance today.

The eunuch spoke up at the opportune moment:

"Your Majesty, there is a natural hot spring behind Bailong Temple. Why don't you go there for a soak and relax your tired muscles?"

Xuanyuan Ming had also heard of Bailong Temple Hot Spring, which was said to nourish the body when bathing there, so he readily agreed.

As the eunuch led Xuanyuan Ming towards the hot springs, they had only gone halfway when Xuanyuan Ming heard a melodious zither tune—

The melody flows like a clear spring into a mountain stream, smooth and melodious, endlessly enchanting...

Hearing such elegant zither music in this desolate wilderness, Xuanyuan Ming was immediately intrigued:

"Wasn't it said that the area would be cleared out today? Why is someone still playing the zither here?"

The eunuch was also quite taken aback, and immediately knelt down and said:

"This servant deserves to die! I believed it to be true. I thought there was really no one left, but I never expected there to be someone who escaped... Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Xuanyuan Ming was in a great mood today, and waved his hand, saying:

"It's alright, let's go and see what kind of master is playing the zither here..."

As you walk further, you see a small waterfall cascading down the mountainside, and someone is playing the zither over it.

That aloof and extraordinary figure stood alone in the mountains.

To have such poetic and picturesque sentiments, playing the zither while facing a waterfall in the mountains, the artistic conception is truly exquisite and refined.

Looking at the long, jet-black hair, Xuan Yuanming knew that the person opposite him was a woman.

He stepped forward and asked in a deep voice:

"Who is playing the zither here?"

The woman playing the zither probably didn't expect there to be someone behind her. She visibly flinched, then hurriedly left with her zither in her arms.

Seeing that this person was trying to run away, Xuanyuan Ming stepped forward and grabbed her hand:

"Don't run!"

Unexpectedly, when he grabbed the woman's hand, she flung it away...

Xuan Yuanming never expected that a woman as delicate as a willow could have such strength!

From the beginning, he was only curious about who this person was and was not on guard. He was caught off guard and was pushed down by this woman!

Xuanyuan Ming was right next to the waterfall. When the woman pushed him, he fell down.

The woman hadn't expected Xuan Yuanming to grab her; with a sudden, forceful throw, she lost her balance, and the two of them ended up tangled together, stumbling and falling into the waterfall...