After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

After offering incense, Princess Ping Le was going to the Empress Dowager's place to pay respects to the late Emperor later. Seeing that Lu Zhiyuan was unwell, she was told to wait in the main hall. As an outsider to the royal ceremony, it was inappropriate for her to accompany them. Passing by Xiao Yebai, she looked up at him and said, "Are you coming with me? In a way, the Emperor's grandfather is also your grandfather; you should pay your respects."

Xiao Yebai's face remained expressionless as he calmly said, "I am injured and fear the smell of blood might offend the late emperor, so I will not accompany the princess to the memorial service."

Princess Ping Le nodded: "I will explain to my grandmother. You stay here and keep Yuan'er company!"

As she spoke, she glanced at Prince Yue and Lu Jinyao out of the corner of her eye: "Yuan'er is weak. When I'm not around, don't let anyone bully her."

Lu Jinyao knew that Princess Ping Le was targeting her, and gently bit her lip: "Your Highness, please go with the Princess to find Her Majesty the Empress! Jinyao will stay here to take care of my sister."

Without giving it much thought, His Highness the Prince of Yue walked up to Princess Ping Le and said, as before, "Let's go!"

Princess Ping Le rolled her eyes at him.

The King of Yue was taken aback and followed behind in confusion: "Ping Le, why are you rolling your eyes at me for no reason? I didn't offend you, did I? Slow down, wait for me, I don't want to face the Queen Mother alone."

While calling out to Princess Ping Le, His Highness the Prince of Yue quickly followed. Every time he tried to walk alongside her, she would shake him off, just like any other sibling quarrel.

Lu Jinyao gritted her teeth, unable to understand why reality was so different from her dream. In her dream, she and Princess Ping Le were very close, practically best friends, but in reality, she was inseparable from Lu Zhiyuan, even taking her with her when the Empress Dowager came to Huguo Temple to pay respects to the late emperor.

With a changed demeanor, he walked up to Lu Zhiyuan and said, "Little sister Yuan'er, you have a stomachache, would you like to find a place to rest?"

"No need, little sister can just find a convenient place to relieve herself. Please help me with the luggage, elder sister."

Lu Zhiyuan gestured for Liu Ying to hand her personal bundle to Lu Jinyao, whose expression was quite disdainful. For this trip, large items were managed by a designated person, while smaller items were carried by her own maid. His Highness the Prince of Yue brought two servants, and she had brought two maids from the Wei family. Before entering, she had already asked the monks at the temple to take her belongings to the meditation room.

Although Lu Zhiyuan came with the princess, the princess was ultimately not as high-ranking as the prince, so they had to carry her own belongings, including those of the hostage from Southern Chu. She glanced at the hostage from Southern Chu; his bundle was pitifully small, and she wondered what was inside. Given his status, he could only stand next to someone like Lu Zhiyuan.

Seeing that Lu Jinyao didn't take it, A Luo stepped forward and gathered the bundle into her arms: "This servant will hold it for you, Miss."

“Our A-Luo is so thoughtful, unlike her older sister, who says she cares for her younger sister but won’t even help carry a bundle.” Lu Zhiyuan opened the bundle in front of Lu Jinyao and took out several silver notes. She gave the large denomination note to A-Luo and stuffed the small denomination note into Liuying’s hand.

"I was in a hurry to leave and didn't bring any paper, but luckily I brought some money. These banknotes will do for now."

Lu Jinyao's face turned pale as she stared at the silver note in Lu Zhiyuan's hand and said, "Sister, you're holding a hundred taels!"

Liu Ying waved the silver notes in her hand and corrected, "Miss Jin Yao is wrong, these two are worth two hundred taels."

Lu Jinyao's expression was very complicated: "Two hundred taels, my sister wants to use these two hundred taels... Does Lord Lu know that my sister is so extravagant? Does my sister know how much Lord Lu's annual salary is?"

"Look at the way you ask that, sister. It's as if my extravagance has anything to do with my father. Since you know how much my father earns in a year, you shouldn't be telling me these irrelevant things. After all, I don't spend my father's money."

"Even Master Xie's was hard-won, how could my sister..."

“My uncle doesn’t care, so why do you? It’s like you can use it if I don’t use it.” Lu Zhiyuan scolded lightly, took Liu Ying’s arm and walked forward. After a few steps, she turned to A Luo and said, “Please keep an eye on my bundle without blinking, Sister A Luo. I’m afraid someone is eyeing my money.”

Aro nodded, clutching the bundle tightly.

Xiao Yebai coughed lightly, pursing his lips tightly, deliberately avoiding looking at Lu Jinyao's expression.

Lu Jinyao stomped her foot angrily: "Sister, have you thought about those people who can't even get enough to eat? Two hundred taels is enough for them to live on for two years."

Lu Zhiyuan waved her hand with her back to her: "It's not my fault that they can't afford to eat. It's not like they'll be full if I skip a meal or eat worse. When it comes to helping the people, the Xie family is second to none. If you really care about them, take out your own money to help them, instead of morally blackmailing me."

Liu Ying turned her head and glanced at Lu Zhiyuan, saying that Lu Jinyao's face had turned green with anger. Lu Zhiyuan said she deserved it. Liu Ying said she had brought paper and didn't need the silver notes. It wasn't that she was worried about the two hundred taels of silver. After all, it was all earned by her young mistress herself, so she could tear it up for fun. She was just worried that the silver notes weren't clean and that her young mistress wouldn't feel comfortable using them.

Lu Zhiyuan took a wad of paper out of her pocket and waved it in front of Liu Ying.

What a joke! How could someone as greedy as her use banknotes for such a thing? She was just trying to anger Lu Jinyao. Don't let her status as Grand Tutor Wei's adopted daughter fool you; she remains as stably poor as ever.

Thinking of Grand Tutor Wei, she suddenly turned her head and asked loudly, "When you returned to the Wei family, did Grand Tutor Wei ask about Wei Linglan?"

Lu Jinyao's heart skipped a beat; she did indeed know what had happened that night.

She killed Wei Linglan with her own hands, as did Ji Wanwan; in the time it took to call for help, both bodies disappeared. After returning to the Grand Tutor's mansion, she sent someone to investigate, but that person searched the entire Pingnan Marquis's residence without finding Wei Linglan and Ji Wanwan.

The two bodies simply vanished without a trace.

Lu Jinyao clenched her hands tightly, determined not to let Lu Zhiyuan live.

Huguo Temple truly lived up to its reputation as a royal temple, with winding corridors, shady trees, and the pervasive fragrance of incense. Because the Empress Dowager had come to offer sacrifices and worship Buddha, there were no ordinary people in the temple, only young monks responsible for sweeping and cleaning coming and going.

Seeing Lu Zhiyuan asking where the temple was, a young monk came over, put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, please follow me, ladies!"

Lu Zhiyuan looked at the kind and gentle-looking young monk, raised an eyebrow slightly, and returned the greeting, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, little master!"

The young monk walked ahead, while Liu Ying looked around curiously, and Lu Zhiyuan seemed indifferent. They walked past a Buddhist hall to the meditation room at the back, and then past the meditation room to a small hut: "This place is for distinguished guests who come to offer incense. Only one person can enter at a time. The two ladies can discuss it amongst themselves."

Liu Ying tiptoed and glanced over: "This servant will not go; this servant will wait outside."

The young monk's eyes darkened.

Lu Zhiyuan pointed to the Buddhist hall ahead, telling Liu Ying to wait there. The young monk breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumped slightly, and he bowed his head, saying, "Shall I take this young lady to the meditation room? My senior brother has already prepared tea there."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, young master!"

Lu Zhiyuan nodded, and Liu Ying, oblivious to the world, asked what kind of tea was served at the temple.

Lu Zhiyuan looked at the tightly closed wooden door in front of her, slowly walked over, and gently pushed it open.

She could already hear breathing from inside the door.