Tianqing Temple is hidden among a cluster of lush green cypresses and pines.

  A horse carriage whizzed past the mountain gate, and Xuan Qing, the abbot of Tianqing Temple, led a group of nuns of all sizes to welcome them.

  The guards, housekeepers, and young servants all dispersed, while the maids, wives, and mothers on the carriage got down one after another. Although it was a chaotic scene, they were all neatly arranged to serve their respective ladies and girls getting off the carriages.

  A robust footman lifted the sedan chair in front of Mr. Li's carriage: "Please get on, madam."

  Everyone was stunned.

  Qin Wei's wife covered her mouth and smiled: "This is not my idea - today's affairs, I have handed them all over to Dai Gui."

  Li gazed at Dai Gui, who was standing far away with his hands clasped together in respect, and smiled faintly.

  Three families went to burn incense together, with many people and things to attend to, each with their own temperaments. Everything was left to Dài Guì to manage, but he was able to arrange everything in an orderly manner, without losing any etiquette or propriety, advancing and retreating with restraint... This matter can be considered as having been handled quite well.

  Shen Muqing's calm and clear eyes also turned towards Dai Gui.

  Qin Wei's wife brought her younger brother to the inner courtyard early in the morning and paid respects to Li Shi with the etiquette of a junior relative. Later, Hu Xin's wife arrived and saw Dai Gui, lavishing excessive praise on him. She said that Dai Gui led 2,000 soldiers to resist the attack of 30,000 Koreans, making great contributions to the defense of Liao Dong for the Great Zhou Dynasty; she said that she had never seen such a young general like Dai Gui before and that his future prospects would be bright; she also said that Dai Gui was an unparalleled talent in the imperial family, and those spoiled sons of nobles in the capital were not even qualified to hold his horse or help him into his carriage...

  Thinking of this, Shen Mu's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

  A person who has gone through the storm of life, yet still looks so charming and less majestic... If she couldn't confirm Hu Xing's wife's identity, she would definitely be mistaken for a matchmaker with a silver tongue!

  A thought flashed through his mind, and Shen Mu was stunned.

  Could it be...

  Ke is only twelve years old this year!

  She had a thin layer of sweat on her back. She looked at Mrs. Li, then at Mrs. Hu Xian and Mrs. Qin Wei.

  Indeed, there's something fishy going on... The three of them are exchanging sly glances, and the way they're looking at her and Dai Gui is filled with amusement... I'm probably right after all!

  Shen Mu Qing couldn't help but smile bitterly.

  The Dai family has been guarding Liaodong for generations, how can I marry into Liaodong myself!

  But seeing Li being helped onto the sedan chair by Shen Yue Rong, she didn't dare think more and quickly stepped forward a few steps to support Li's other shoulder.

  A group of people first went to the Dahongbao Hall to worship the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, and Xuanching suggested going to the plum forest behind the Tianqing Temple to admire the plums.

  Qin Wei's wife hastily said: "Madam Shen's body is not good, let's just drink some tea in the Chan room!"

  Mrs. Hu Xian also agreed, but Li was a bit embarrassed: "I'm coming, disturbing everyone's outing."

  Qin Wei's wife smiled and said, "Where did Mrs. Shen say that? We come to Tianqing Temple several times a year, where haven't we been? Today, I mainly want to try the vegetarian dishes here." The last sentence was directed at Xuancheng.

  Xuan Qing hurriedly agreed and took them to the Zen room.

  In the Zen room, a young nun had already set out tea and snacks, but each family still used their own tea cups, fruit plates and pastries.

  Xuan Qing didn't think much of it and accompanied several madams with a warm attitude, chatting with them.

  "Madam Shen, it's been years since you've come, I didn't expect the young ladies of the mansion to have grown so big... If I'm not mistaken, shouldn't they be thirteen years old this year?"

  Li took the tea cup handed over by Wang's mother and smiled: "Master remembers it very clearly."

  Xuan Qing smiled and said to Hu Xin's wife: "When he was first born, he looked like a little kitten. Who would have thought that he could grow up to be so big!"

  Mrs. Hu Xìn smiled and gazed at Shen Muqing: "Not only has she grown up, but she's also become a lovely and elegant little girl!"

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Xuan Qing then said: "Not mentioning his wife's family yet!"

  Mr. Li looked at his daughter and smiled.

  Shen Muqing's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

  Why is it that during this period of time there are always people asking her if she has said anything about the maternal home... It's as if the old nun, Qing Lao, is preparing to temporarily act as a matchmaker!

  Shen Mu Qing was deep in thought when she heard Qin Wei's wife lightly clearing her throat and saying, "With Shen family's young lady present, aren't you afraid of getting a swollen tongue?"

  Xuan Qing burst out laughing and gently patted his own cheek: "Deserved it, deserved it!"

  The few ladies who were putting on airs couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  Everyone chatted and laughed for a while, and before long it was noon, so Xuan Qing arranged for lunch.

  After finishing lunch, the ladies of each household led their family members to a previously prepared Zen room for a short rest. In the afternoon, they would listen to Xuán Qīng's lecture on the "Mahayana Sutra", and then return to the city after dinner.

  Shen Yue Rong and Shen Mu Qing were serving Li Shi as she removed her makeup.

  Li smiled and said: "Yue Rong, you go down and rest. Mu Qing is here, that's enough."

  Shen Yue's movements paused for a moment, and she softly replied with an "yes" before retreating.

  Li saw Shen Yue Rong leave and immediately pulled Shen Mu Qing's hand: "Come, sit next to me."

  Shen Mu Qing Yi sat beside her.

  Mr. Li gazed at her with a faint smile, carefully examining her eyebrows and eyes, and gently stroking her temples, looking reluctant to part with her.

  Shen Muqing confirmed several of his own guesses again.

  She felt a sour and bitter feeling in her heart, Hu Yi teased Li Shi with a smile: "Madam, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong, you're avoiding my elder sister to scold me!" By the end, it had some spoiled tone.

  Li indeed let out a "pfft" sound. Her finger tapped Shen Muqing's forehead: "You, don't know who you're like, always having some strange and peculiar thoughts in your heart."

  Shen Muqing hugged Li Shi's arm and pressed his face against hers, and in the mirror appeared a pair of old and tender faces.

  Despite the passage of time, those facial features, that brow and eyes, have an unmistakable resemblance.

  Li gazed at the two faces in the mirror, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes.

  Shen Muqing suddenly thought of Mr. Liu's words and thought of Li Shi's life like a candle in the wind, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

  For a moment, the room was filled with only the scent of oranges and the soft rustling sound of the bed being made.

  After a while, Li sighed and straightened his shoulders, sitting up straight with Shen Muqing.

  "Orange fragrance, emerald threads, you can go down now, there's a girl here!"

  The two of them bowed their knees and backed away.

  Shen Muqing helped Li up onto the bed.

  Li didn't lie down in a hurry, instead she pulled Shen Muqing's hand and sat shoulder to shoulder on the edge of the bed, saying softly: "Look at that Dai Gui, isn't he good!"

  It's indeed this matter.

  Just met once, how can you tell if it's good or bad?

  She's really got some tough questions to answer.

  Mr. Li thought his daughter was shy and sighed: "Although it is said that children's marriage should follow the orders of their parents and the words of matchmakers, if they can please you, wouldn't that be better? You're not young anymore, you can't sacrifice your whole life for those empty names. Whether it's good or bad, I'll listen to what you have to say."

  Li respected her opinion so much that Shen Muqing was deeply moved. She hesitated and said, "Whether a person is good or not depends on their character, not their appearance... I really don't know if it's good or not!"

  Li listened and let out a long sigh of relief, smiling and nodding: "You know that's good... I was afraid you only looked at the surface and not the substance!"

  Her own affairs must be giving her a lot of trouble!

  Her parents in her previous life always thought she could take care of herself and rarely asked about her life... so there was no opportunity for communication between mother and daughter.

  Shen Mu Qing leaned gently against Li Shi's shoulder and said softly: "I'll listen to you, madam!"

  Li smiled and said: "Really listen to me?"

  Disaster comes from ignoring the advice of elders. Moreover, she believed in Li's love for her and trusted his judgment.

  "Really listen to your wife!" Shen Mu said sincerely.

  Li listened and felt relieved, saying in a low voice: "I had Mr. Ouyang, who is by Master's side, make some inquiries about Dai Gui's military achievements, which are indeed genuine... but after meeting him today, I feel that there is something not quite right..."

  Shen Mu Qing was taken aback for a moment.

  I didn't expect Li and I would think alike... No, it should be said that Li thought further than me, and even had someone investigate Dai Gui from the beginning.

  Li saw Shen Muqing's expression slightly shocked, she also had a few unexpected, after a moment of contemplation, said: "Could it be that you have also seen something?"

  Shen Mu Qing Lao said calmly and honestly: "I didn't see anything, it's just...just..." She was a bit unsure of what words to use to describe the feeling Dai Gui gave her.

  "Not too serious!" Mr. Li said with a solemn expression.

  "Right, right, right!" Shen Muqing nodded repeatedly, "That's what Madam said."

  Li listened and his expression changed, staring blankly at the Buddha statue on the incense table.

  In the Zen room, a brazier was lit, but Li's body was weak and Shen Muqing really feared she would catch a cold. Hurriedly taking the black fox fur cloak from earlier, he draped it over her shoulders: "Madam, will you sit for a while or lie down?"

  Li furrowed his brow and said: "I'd better lie down!"

  Shen Mu Qing listened and hurriedly helped Li Shi lie down, then took the jacket she had taken off to the nearby brazier to warm it up.

  "Never mind about these things," said Li, "go and call in Xiangxiang, you also go to rest early, we still have to listen to Xuqing's lecture later!"

  Shen Mu Qing responded with a "yes", then called in Xiang Hua according to Li Shi's instructions, and only retreated after seeing Li Shi close her eyes and prepare for sleep.

  She went back to the room next door and didn't see Shen Yuerong.

  Luo Mei said: "Fourth Miss said she's feeling a bit unwell and went out for a walk."

  "Who's following me!"

  "Spring intention and walking in the moonlight."

  "Let Ying Fen go and take a look," Shen Mu Qing said thoughtfully, "There are still people from the Qin and Hu families in this temple, if there's any misunderstanding, it won't be good!"

  Her face turned pale as the plum blossoms fell.

  Remembered Jinxiu's thing.

  She hastily curtsied: "Let's go find him together!"

  Shen Mu Qing thought of the steady and calm demeanor of Luo Mei, nodded: "Bring a few more wives, with many people, others will see from afar and avoid us."

  The plum blossoms fall with a rustling sound and then disappear.

  Shen Mu Qing dismissed all the servants in the house, leaving only Zhu Ji to serve her as she removed her makeup.

  "When is Director Zhou coming back?"

  Her face flushed red and she said: "There are still about ten days left."

  "You should all know about this beforehand!"

  Zhu Qi lightly murmured "en".

  "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "Her eyes turned red: 'She's had such a thing happen, how can we still have the face to beg for her?'"

  I got up early to write, and habitually checked my score, unexpectedly it rose to 2160 points, I really couldn't believe my eyes, looked again, before daring to update (^__^*) Hehe...it's a pleasant surprise, writing speed has also increased! o(∩_∩)o...haha, this chapter is freshly baked......thank you sisters for giving me the opportunity to update, please continue to support!