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

Xie Yubai took two steps back, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the wall. What secret was hidden between the abbot and that person? He had asked, but to no avail. There were still seven days left until the deadline given by the Emperor; a result was required within seven days. If he missed it, there would be no more opportunities.

Well, I still have to go find his quirky niece.

He took two steps to the right, glanced at the sky, and felt it was not a good idea, so he could only return to his own Zen temple first.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Lu Zhiyuan was awakened by the sound of Lu Yun practicing his boxing. When she went outside, she saw that not only Lu Yun was up, but also the princess, Liu Ying, A Luo, and Xiao Yebai.

It was cold in the mountains, especially in the morning, and she was shivering. That kid Lu Yun was actually practicing boxing shirtless, and he was covered in sweat. Seeing that Lu Zhiyuan was awake, he rubbed his head and walked over apologetically, saying, "It was I who woke you up, Miss."

"Nonsense." Lu Zhiyuan yawned and rolled her eyes. "Aren't you cold? Hurry up and put on some clothes. Forget it, I'd better go take a shower first; you smell like sweat."

The princess peeked out from behind her: "Yuan'er, is this person yours?"

Lu Zhiyuan nodded and told the princess that Lu Yun was her personal bodyguard. The princess's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Lu Zhiyuan's arm, asking, "Can I have him? I'll trade him for someone from my palace."

Lu Yun, who was about to take a bath, stopped and frowned as he looked at the princess: "I will only follow Miss for the rest of my life. Whether Miss agrees or not, I will not go to the princess. I hope the princess will not force me. My lady does not know how to refuse."

Lu Zhiyuan looked at the princess with difficulty and said, "Lu Yun is unwilling, and the Empress will not agree either. According to the rules of the palace, all those who serve Your Highness must be castrated. Lu Yun is going to get married and cannot be castrated. Your Highness, please do not force him."

Her Highness bit her lip: "He doesn't need to be a eunuch; he can be my bodyguard. I've seen plenty of obedient people; I especially like this kind of disobedient one."

“Anything else is fine, but not him.” Lu Zhiyuan refused directly: “He is an independent person with his own thoughts. I can’t force him to do things he doesn’t like. Not even the princess. You have to learn to respect others.”

“He’s just a servant, what’s there to respect? If I’m unhappy, I can chop off his head.” Princess Ping Le said angrily, “Yuan’er, are you really going to turn against me for such a servant? Let me tell you, if I’m really angry, it’s very difficult to appease me.”

“Your Highness,” Lu Zhiyuan bowed and said calmly, “Lu Yun is a guard, not a servant. In my heart, he is family, a friend, and a very important person. Even the servants you speak of, such as the palace maids and eunuchs, are born of parents and were born under great expectations. They entered the palace out of necessity, and Your Highness should not punish them without cause.”

Princess Ping Le retorted angrily, "I am a princess, so what if I punish them?"

Lu Zhiyuan shook her head and patiently asked, "Princess, are there more poor people or rich people in this world? Are there more ordinary people or people as noble as you, Princess?"

Princess Ping Le curled her lip: "Nonsense, of course there are more poor people and commoners, and fewer nobles like the princess. If they were all nobles, what would be so special about me being a princess?"

Lu Zhiyuan gave Princess Ping Le a thumbs up: "Exactly! It's precisely because there are so many poor people and ordinary folks that you, Princess, are able to become such a noble princess. So, Your Highness, shouldn't you treat your people better? They don't ask for much; they just want to live peacefully. Also, while a princess can behead someone when she's angry, the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. Of course, I know that you are the most beautiful and kind princess, and you wouldn't make things difficult for anyone."

Having just woken up, her mind still a bit foggy, and then being bombarded with so much rambling from Lu Zhiyuan, Princess Pingle felt her head spinning. Fortunately, she was a clever and wise princess, and knew that Lu Zhiyuan was saying all this for her own good. A kind princess was always more beloved by the people than a spoiled and willful one.

She glanced at Lu Yun, still unwilling to give up, and whispered, "Will he go to the battlefield and make a name for himself? If he does, I'll ask my father to bestow him upon me as my son-in-law."

In the side room, Lu Yun tripped and almost fell into the bathtub.

Is this princess... not sick?

The Empress Dowager kept her death a secret, and the officials and their families who had accompanied her were required to remain in their respective monasteries. The princess, bored, clung to Lu Zhiyuan, wanting her to play. Lu Zhiyuan brought paper and pen and taught the princess how to play Gomoku (Five in a Row). Gomoku was simpler than Go and required little mental effort, making it perfect for leisure. When they got tired of it, they could gather materials in the courtyard and play Ludo (Flying Chess).

A chessboard was drawn in the courtyard, and different colored pebbles and seeds from different kinds of plants were used as chess pieces. What if there were no dice? No problem! Let the firefly sew a beanbag, and embroider numbers on each side of the beanbag with red thread. One person plays the game, and the other rolls the dice; master and servant cooperate, enjoying themselves immensely. The loser has to stick a sticker on their face.

When Xie Yubai arrived, Lu Zhiyuan already had five stickers on her face. It wasn't her fault; it was Liu Ying's fault. Every time she threw a number, it was either the smallest or it made her go back the way she came.

Xiao Yebai played the best and had the best teamwork with A Luo. If he hadn't intentionally let A Luo win, there wouldn't have been a single note on his face.

Xie Yubai's appearance was like seeing a savior to Lu Zhiyuan, and she hurriedly ran over: "Second Uncle must have something important to tell me. I'll go with Second Uncle and have Lu Yun help me play chess."

After saying that, he waved his hand at the princess and said, "Please, Your Highness, assign him a maid who can toss sandbags."

Aside from the Zen temple, Lu Zhiyuan immediately breathed a sigh of relief, put her hands together, and said to Xie Yubai, "Second Uncle came just in time. If I had kept losing, my face would have been covered in slips of paper."

Xie Yubai lovingly removed the note from her face and rubbed her head: "Go with your second uncle to a place, meet someone, and ask some questions."

Passing through the Zen temple, we arrived at the cave located halfway up the mountain. Standing in front of the cave, looking across, we saw the villa that Princess had once mentioned to her. The villa and the cave faced each other across the distance, much like Zhang Qi and the Empress Dowager in those days.

Wen Liangyu was enjoying a hearty meal inside the cave.

The Empress Dowager is dead, the Wen family's revenge is complete, and life and death make no difference to him. All he needs to do now is eat well, drink well, and sleep well while he's still alive. As for anything else, thinking about it is pointless. If he could, he hopes to die in Tingzhou, and before he dies, he hopes to kowtow to his parents and confess his sins.

His parents risked their lives to save him, but in his quest for revenge, he transformed himself into something neither human nor ghost, neither male nor female.

The radish was a bit spicy when he first tasted it, so spicy that his eyes turned red.

My mother's pickled radishes are still the best. I wonder if I'll be able to see her when I get there, and if I'll be able to eat another bite of her pickled radishes.