The Empress Dowager stretched out her hand, and I hurriedly helped her sit in the chair beside her. She looked at me calmly and said, "If you want to leave the palace, there are two ways."

“Which two?”

"One is, two months later, it is the birthday of the Ai family. At this time of year, the emperor will pardon the world and accumulate blessings and pray for the Ai family. If you want to leave the palace, the Ai family can take advantage of that time to tell the emperor to pardon you out of the palace."

"What is the second way for the Queen Mother to do?"

Seeing that I didn't even think about it, the Empress Dowager asked me at first glance, but said nothing, and said calmly: "The second way is to not let anyone know, you can go out of the palace."

I frowned slightly and said, "How easy is this?"

"After half a month, it will be the emperor's annual Fengshan Prayer Ceremony."

"Fengshan Prayer Ceremony?"

"Yes. In previous years, the emperor would lead his ministers and concubines to Fengshan Mountain to pray for blessings, but the Ai family heard that he would not go so far this year, and only sacrificed in the Taimiao. Although this is the case, he would have to leave the palace for ten days. If he is not here during this period, you can find a way. But--"

"But what?"

The Queen Mother looked into my eyes and said, "If you do this, you are private escape."

“…”

"With the emperor's heart and nature, you will never let you go, and you will definitely catch you back."

"..." After hearing the Queen Mother's words, I didn't speak, but just clenched my fists hard.

Yes, he would catch me back, and even if it was a corpse, he would not let me rot outside the palace. That seemed to be my nightmare all the time. Even though there were many opportunities, I gave up. Because I didn’t want to bear that kind of nightmare, I would rather refuse Huang Tianba and let go of the opportunity to leave again and again. I just hope that he could give me a chance to leave the palace openly and live a free life.

But now—

I slowly raised my head and looked at the Queen Mother: "I'll choose the second one."

The Queen Mother said, "Aren't you afraid?"

I shook my head: "I don't have time to be scared. I want to find my daughter sooner."

"But you have to know that even if the Ai family really finds a way to smuggle you out of the palace, you may not be able to leave safely."

“…”

"The emperor may not have expected this."

“…”

"If you leave the sight of the Ai family and are caught by them again, maybe you will not even have the chance to return to Linshui Pagoda."

The Queen Mother’s concerns are not unreasonable. Maybe those people are waiting for me to leave the Linshui Pagoda. Pei Yuanhao can lock me silently in the cold palace for more than two years, and there may not be another place that can keep me for the rest of my life; and if I fall into the hands of Shen Rou or Nangong Lizhu...

This is a gamble.

I couldn't help but remember that many years ago, I left Shangyang Palace and deliberately went around in circles on the way to meet Huang Tianba, putting many obstacles on the trackers. Unfortunately, I was found by the people of the sect. Although that method was not useful to the people of the sect, these people in the palace had not learned this kind of tracking technique, and it might not be useless to them.

No matter what, gambling is gambling, and winning is in danger!

Thinking of this, I gritted my teeth and said to the Queen Mother: "I want to give it a try."

The Empress Dowager looked at me with a little shock and was silent for a while. She slowly said, "Girl, the Ai family understands that you are eager to miss your daughter now, so even if you go against the emperor's wishes, the Ai family is willing to help you, but do you really think that you can escape by yourself?"

I thought about it, looked at the Buddha's niche beside me, and said, "I remember the Queen Mother once said that people must find their own Amitabha Buddha in order to protect themselves."

"good."

"But I heard another story."

"What story?"

I said slowly, "A farmer was in a difficult life, so he went to the temple to ask for blessings from Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. As soon as he entered the temple, he saw a man kneeling there and worshiping the Bodhisattva, and that man looked exactly like the Bodhisattva in the temple. The farmer asked him who he was, and the man replied that he was Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The farmer was very surprised and said that since you are Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, why should you worship yourself? The man said, because I know that it is better to seek others than to seek others."

The Queen Mother was slightly shocked when she heard this and looked at me with wide eyes.

I smiled and said, "It's only after all these years that I finally understand this."

No one can be his own Amitabha Buddha.

I want to be my own Amitabha Buddha!

The Queen Mother looked at me blankly. After a long time, she sighed long, as if she was relieved, and seemed to be a little unwilling to do so. She slowly stood up with the chair and turned around and walked backwards.

I looked at her somewhat old back, then slowly turned my head and looked at the Buddha statue on the table.

.

Although the Fengshan Prayer Ceremony is half a month later, it is a major event once a year after all. The people in the palace are already preparing. Even if they reach the secluded Linshui Pagoda, they can still feel the busyness of those people.

And the only thing I have to do every day is to maintain a good body.

During the Fengshan ceremony, the emperor would cooperate with the empress, and the ministers and concubines in the harem left the palace for ten days. During this period, people from the Internal Affairs Office would transport the Buddhist scriptures copied by the Empress Dowager out of the palace. I could just hide in the carriage that transported the Buddhist scriptures.

This matter is not difficult, but I know how difficult it is to do it. Especially now, if I stand a little longer, I will breathe unevenly and sweat straight out. If I really encounter any changes during this period, I am afraid I don’t even have the strength to protect myself. So these days I am particularly obedient. No matter how bitter the medicinal food delivered to the kitchen is, I will drink it without frowning. I usually walk around the Linshui Pagoda while people are not paying attention to it to restore my strength.

In a blink of an eye, it was the fourteenth day.

I drank a bowl of black and thick medicine in one breath. The bitter smell filled the air. Even Madam Gui frowned when she smelled it. The Queen Mother sat next to me. At this time, she gently reached out and pinched my fingertips and nodded: "You don't have any symptoms of cold hands and feet now."

I smiled and said, "It's much better."

"Where is your chest? Are you still stuffy?"

"Fortunately, I haven't been upset these days."

"Yeah." The Queen Mother nodded, as if she had let go a little bit. Madam Gui brought me a plate of candied fruit to relieve my bitterness and said, "I heard that the team that will go out tomorrow is ready, and the emperor will leave the palace early tomorrow morning."

"oh."

"I have also heard that the concubines and other people in the harem will go, but the imperial concubine and Lifei are pregnant and should not be exhausted by boat and car. This time they will not follow the emperor to the Taimiao."

My heart moved slightly - Shen Rou and Nangong Lizhu wouldn't go?

But immediately he thought about it and smiled faintly. Whether they go or not has nothing to do with me. How much of this harem is going to have nothing to do with me.

Now, I only want myself and my daughter, that's enough.

However, after Madam Gui said this, she seemed to have something to say. She glanced at me but wanted to say something but stopped. The Queen Mother frowned slightly and said, "Is there anything else?"

Madam Gui thought for a while and said, "I have heard that the emperor will bring new ones this time--"

Before he finished speaking, someone outside Linshui Pagoda said, "Greetings to the Queen Mother."

When Madam Gui heard this, she walked to the door, and did not open the door, and said through the door: "The Queen Mother is worshiping Buddha, what's the matter?"

"The newly enthroned talent Yuan Yueming, come to kowtow to the Empress Dowager."

Talented man - Yuan Yueming? One of the group of girls who came to pay homage to the Water Pagoda that day was actually enthroned so quickly. However, the concubines who were enthroned were brought by the queen to kowtow, why didn’t Chang Qing come this time? I turned to look at the empress, and she said lightly: “The Ai family said that you don’t need to kowtow to the Ai family again.”

The person outside the door said, "But Yuan Cairen still has something to offer to the Queen Mother."

"Oh?" The queen mother raised her eyebrows and turned to look at me, as if she smiled: "Interesting."

I also smiled faintly.

"Let's go and have a look with Ai's family."

"..." I nodded and then stepped forward to support Madam Gui. When I walked to the door, Madam Gui had already opened the door. I saw a bright sunshine outside, shining on the lake around the pagoda, sparkling. In the light of the water, a woman wearing a goose yellow dress and petite figure bowed: "I wish the Queen Mother a blessing, longevity and health."

The Empress Dowager stood inside the door and looked down at her: "Yuan Cairen?"

"It's my concubine."

Yuan Yueming always lowered his head and knelt on the ground, looking humble and humble, and held something high with both hands: "This is the "My Parents' Gratitude Is Hard to Repay the Sutra" copied in my spare time. My words are not good, so I hope the Empress Dowager will not despise me for being stupid."

The empress dowager's indifferent face showed a slight surprise, and I was also a little surprised.

That day, the Empress Dowager was just talking casually. I spread it casually, and even Chang Qing didn't take it seriously. However, she didn't expect that Yuan Yueming was so detailed that she really copied the sutra. I couldn't help but look at her carefully. She saw that the pair of watery apricot kernel eyes were also looking at me, but immediately lowered her head. Her appearance was as weak as a frightened little animal, making people unable to help but want to pity her.

However, it was less than half a month before and after the girl entered the palace, she was able to stand out and be named a talented person, which is not something that ordinary women can do.

The Empress Dowager looked at her faintly, with a faint smile on her lips, she winked at me, then nodded and went forward to take the sutra from Yuan Cairen's hand.

As soon as he picked up the book, Yuan Cairen said to me: "I'm sorry, Sister Qingying."

I raised my eyebrows slightly and looked down at her.

She also looked at me, and her young and beautiful face was full of a sincere and weak smile. I also smiled at her: "Don't let talented people kill the people."

Yuan Cairen smiled and said, "Sister Qingying is already an old man in this palace. Yueming still hopes to get the empress dowager's mercy and the tips from Sister Qingying, Yueming will be very grateful."

I smiled again and was about to turn and leave when Yuan Cairen said again: "By the way, Sister Qingying, the Empress wants Yueming to tell you something and I will tell you if you have something to do."
Chapter completed!