Song Yinghuai's dark pupils suddenly became unfathomably deep. He walked slowly towards Caiyu.
Sheng Jiangli secretly thought it was bad.
This Song Yinghuai was too perceptive. Caiyu had dressed up like this and even smeared ash on her face. Even he couldn't recognize her. How did Song Yinghuai notice something was wrong at a single glance?
Sheng Jiangli moved and stood in front of Caiyu. He reached into the basket, picked up a sachet, and stuffed it into Caiyu's arms. He scolded:
"What are you doing? You're as hesitant as a woman. You even need to pick the pattern when getting an anti - plague sachet. Hurry up and go to the back kitchen to help cook porridge!"
Caiyu also noticed Song Yinghuai's almost burning gaze over Sheng Jiangli's shoulder.
She quickly lowered her head, answered, and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, Song Yinghuai's voice sounded cold as an ice - blade behind her:
"Stop!"
Caiyu stopped in her tracks and looked back dejectedly, her heart pounding.
No way...
Was she discovered just after coming up the mountain?
Sheng Jiangli looked unpleasant and said, "Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, are you also interested in my soldier?"
Song Yinghuai glanced at him but didn't answer. Instead, he took a few quick steps like a master of the stealthy footwork, dodged Sheng Jiangli's block, and stood in front of Caiyu.
Caiyu's scalp was about to explode. She lowered her head almost to her chest.
The man stared at her without blinking. The anger in his eyes gradually grew stronger, almost turning into flames.
As time passed bit by bit, just when Caiyu thought she was going to be exposed, she heard Song Yinghuai's cold voice ask:
"Are you a cook in the army?"
Caiyu's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't figure out if she had been discovered or not. She had no choice but to answer boldly:
"Yes... I'm in charge of the army's food."
What a good place to hide!
Song Yinghuai's lips tightened. His eyes were complex and full of anger.
He had told her to stay at home and not cause trouble, but what did she do? She sneaked up the mountain the next day!
And she came with Sheng Jiangli!
He had been too lenient with her, which was why she repeatedly ignored his wishes!
Song Yinghuai suppressed his anger and asked, "What's your name?"
Caiyu's scalp tingled even more.
She had never expected to be interrogated by Song Yinghuai. She hadn't even thought of a name...
In a hurry, Caiyu blurted out, "My surname is Song... I'm the fourth in my family. Everyone calls me Song Sigouzi!"
Caiyu secretly complained innocently. He was really like a dog!
His nose and eyes were even more sensitive than a dog's. Couldn't he smell her from ten miles away?
Song Sigouzi?
Sheng Jiangli, who had just stepped forward to stop him again, almost burst out laughing and didn't dare to step forward anymore.
Caiyu's words made Song Yinghuai's eyebrows twitch uncontrollably.
It was bad enough that she had sneaked up the mountain, but she even insulted him as a dog indirectly...
Song Yinghuai felt his cheeks ache from clenching his teeth so hard. He barely managed a cold laugh, "Good name, good name..."
He took a deep breath and said sinisterly, "Fifty people have already gone to the back kitchen. There are enough hands. Now, there are too many refugees in front of Qixia Temple because of the plague. The mountain wall has collapsed due to years of disrepair. I need people to repair it. You and the others go to the front temple to help!"
Sheng Jiangli frowned, "Repairing the mountain wall is hard labor. It requires strong people to carry sand and soil. This soldier is so thin and small. It's not suitable..."
"There's nothing inappropriate." Song Yinghuai interrupted him coldly. "Once you're on the mountain, you're all doing good for the people. No matter how much you contribute, just do your best. Now, there are not enough people on the mountain. The number of infected people will gradually increase. I can't take care of what tasks each soldier is suitable for. They have to adapt to the environment themselves!"
Song Yinghuai was really angry.
She had just calmed down for a while, and now she was causing trouble again.
She wasn't satisfied with causing trouble in Shangjing. She had to come to the plague - affected area.
Even if she didn't know what he was doing on Qixia Mountain, she should have understood how dangerous it was for a woman to enter the plague - affected area.
Not to mention that it was a capital crime to sneak into the army. As a woman, she would have to be with these men all day. What about her reputation?
How could she be so reckless?
If he didn't let this girl suffer a bit, she would think coming to Qixia Temple was just for fun!
Sheng Jiangli wanted to say something else, but Caiyu immediately agreed:
"I obey. I'll go to the front temple right away!"
After saying that, Caiyu and the others ran away like scared rabbits.
Sheng Jiangli clicked his tongue. Looking at Song Yinghuai's expression, he was so angry that his hands itched. He punched out:
"You only know how to bully her all day long! Do you know how many tears she has shed for you?"
Song Yinghuai dodged his punch and punched back angrily:
"I don't know! I only know that she was laughing and chatting happily with you by the canal. Now she's even following you up the mountain. What, are you going to stand up for my woman?"
"I just want to stand up for her. So what? If you can't make her happy, then let me do it!"
"Dream on!"
"Song Yinghuai! You're just holding onto something without using it!"
"Sheng Jiangli! Are you calling her a toilet? You're asking for death!"
"I... cough, slip of the tongue..."
The two figures fought in front of the mountain gate. They didn't stop until they had destroyed half of the mountain gate. Even the abbot of Qixia Temple was alarmed and rushed out. Only then did they stop reluctantly.
"Amitabha!" The abbot watched half of the mountain gate collapse, his heart aching. "Two benefactors, these are troubled times. You should work together to fight the plague. What did my mountain gate do to you?"
After the fight, Song Yinghuai regained his cold composure. He glanced at the mountain gate and apologized, "This is my fault. I'll be responsible for repairing it. Please forgive me, Master."
Sheng Jiangli wasn't willing to be outdone. "I'm also responsible. After the plague is over, I'll donate two thousand taels of silver to reshape the golden body of the Buddha."
The abbot looked at the two men who were like fighting cocks. He sighed to Song Yinghuai:
"Amitabha. As the Buddha said, all loves and attachments are impermanent and hard to last. Life is full of fears. Life is more fragile than the morning dew. Because of love, there is worry. Because of love, there is fear. If one is detached from love, there will be no worry or fear."
Song Yinghuai was stunned. Looking at the kind - looking abbot, his face suddenly turned as white as snow.
Even though the plague was spreading in the mountain temple, it couldn't stop the monks from their unwavering evening lessons. The evening bell and the chanting of scriptures lingered in his ears. The abbot's words lingered in his heart for a long time. Some kind of panic spread from every part of his body.
Was it really true that all kindness, love, and fate were impermanent and hard to last?
The abbot said, "It seems that the prince is still in a misunderstanding. In my opinion, one should not be attached to one's own body as the self, not be attached to all opposing phenomena, not be attached to the authenticity of the space one is in, and not be attached to the length of time... When there is no attachment to everything, fate will be in eternal reincarnation."
"Benefactor Song, please take good care of yourself!"
The abbot then looked at Sheng Jiangli. "Benefactor, what do you think is the most precious thing in life?"
Sheng Jiangli was stunned for a moment and blurted out, "It's what one hasn't obtained!"
The abbot said, "Benefactor, think again."
Sheng Jiangli pondered for a moment and then said, "It's what one hasn't obtained and what one has lost."
The abbot smiled slightly. "All that one hasn't obtained and what one has lost are just interludes arranged by God. She has come into your life, but the wind will take her away again. But there is someone you have never looked down at once, and you have never noticed her."
"Benefactor, you will understand in the future that the most precious thing in life is not what one hasn't obtained and what one has lost, but the happiness one is currently grasping."
The setting sun was as red as blood, dyeing the eyebrows of the two handsome men in front of the mountain gate.
After a while, Song Yinghuai tightly grasped the Buddhist beads on his wrist and laughed coldly. "What non - attachment? If there is no attachment, where does the story of looking back five hundred times in the previous life and practicing a thousand times come from? Why did the Buddha pursue the reincarnation of fate for thousands of years?"
After saying that, he strode towards the mountain temple.
Sheng Jiangli also frowned and sneered. "What interludes, what happiness one is currently grasping? Old monk, Shu'er is the happiness I'm currently grasping. Others are just my interludes!"