Su curtain has a cover

"Squeak-yah-"

The gate of the temple is very old, and the sound it makes when it is opened is very difficult.The old nun who opened the door gestured for Su Mu to follow.

This is the back door of Baoen Temple, unlike the royal and rich atmosphere at the front door, it looks very deserted here.The snow spread along the steps into the yard, without any trace of being swept.

The old nun brought Su Mu to the door of the Buddhist hall, then bent down and performed a palace ceremony before leaving.Su Mu was startled, and watched her leave.

There was a sound of knocking wooden fish in the Buddhist hall, and the door was not closed. Su Mu climbed up the steps and saw a figure from the back kneeling in front of the Buddha and chanting sutras.

When he crossed the threshold, the person in the room stopped knocking, and a gust of cold wind blew over, blowing a few strands of her hair in a monk hat, black and white, dull and dull.

When she got up and turned around, Su Mu was a little surprised.

Princess Duanhui... is not really a beauty.Although she looks old now, it can be seen that even when she was young, she was at best an ordinary and pretty woman.

When Su Mu thought of the records of Xia Houling's grand appearance in those books, he felt inexplicably touched.

But what surprised Su Mu even more was her haggardness and old age.

Baoen Temple is a royal temple, and there are people who come to cleanse it voluntarily or involuntarily for various reasons.

And these people have either rich or noble family backgrounds, even if they come to Baoen Temple, life will not be so sad.

Let's not talk about it far away, just talk about the third prince and concubine who just arrived.I heard people gossip that since she left the Third Prince's Mansion, she has gained ten catties before staying in Baoen Temple for a full month.

"Princess, what are you doing..." Su Mu couldn't hold back and opened his mouth, but stopped talking.

The nun stood up with a calm expression: "My name is Shuji, please call me Master Shuji."

As she said that, she stepped over Su Mu and walked out: "Come here."

This is a small courtyard, except for the Buddhist hall, there are two small wing rooms.Princess Duanhui pushed away the right side room, the room was very dark, she lit the candle on the table.

Su Mu followed her instructions and sat opposite, looking around from the corner of her eyes, a little unbelievable: "Master...Master Shuji, have you always lived in this kind of place?"

Princess Duanhui was noncommittal: "Yes."

"Xiahou...does he know?" Su Mu recalled the report he saw in Xiahou's mansion back then. It only recorded what the eldest princess did every day, but there was no description of her living environment.

The eldest princess stared at him seriously, and said after a while: "You are a soft-hearted child. Of course he knew, and he knelt outside the mountain gate for three days and three nights."

Su Mu was startled.

The eldest princess went to pick up the teapot on the table, Su Mu hurriedly picked it up first: "Let me do it..."

However, the teapot was empty.

Su Mu slowly put down the teapot and touched his nose: "You said he knelt for three days and three nights? But here..."

The eldest princess was very indifferent: "He kneels, what has nothing to do with me."

It has to be said that Su Mu was somewhat shocked.He had heard Xia Houzhe's description before, and always felt that Princess Duanhui, who was very affectionate with Xia Houling, was a very gentle and kind person.

But when he actually met, he found that not only was she completely different from what he had imagined, but he didn't even feel the kindness that Twelve said.

So, could it be that the eldest princess hates him very much?That's not incomprehensible...

Just as Su Mu was guessing wildly, the eldest princess got up from the stool, went to the door and called, "Grandma, bring the lotus seed soup."

In the room, Su Mu also stood up.After the eldest princess finished shouting, she came back to sit down again, and Su Mu also sat down again in her eyes.

"Are you wondering why I want to see you?"

Su Mu shook his head humbly: "No matter what the reason is, it is my honor that you are willing to meet me."

The eldest princess raised her eyebrows: "You can talk, and I won't go around in circles with you. Answer me honestly, are you willing to die for him?"

The candles in the house were not good ones, the flames were small and unsteady, and there was no wind around, but it was trembling like a cramp.

Although they didn't say it clearly, the two of them knew who the "he" was referring to.

Su Mu looked at the flickering Eldest Princess who was reflected, and said almost without hesitation: "I don't want to, of course I don't want to."

The eldest princess was stunned for a moment, but then she straightened her expression and said in a sharp voice: "But he is willing to sacrifice his life for you."

Su Mu frowned: "I don't understand what the eldest princess said, and no matter there is no place where I need him to sacrifice his life. Even if there is, Su will never allow this kind of thing to happen!"

"Heh, of course you said that. After all, it wasn't you who paid the price."

Su had some headaches. He looked at the person sitting across from him, and sincerely raised his hand in salute: "In Su's view, no matter how close the relationship is, each other's personalities are independent. You suddenly asked me if I would like to do this for you. His death really frightens me."

"Uh uh uh!"

Outside the wing room, the old nun who had led Su Mu before stood at the door with a bowl and knocked on the wooden door.

"Leave it here."

After getting approval, the old nun stepped over the threshold carefully, put the white porcelain bowl on the table, and then stepped back slowly.

"This mother-in-law...is there something wrong with her throat?"

The eldest princess said indifferently: "She used to be called Bailing, and she was the most beautiful singer in the palace music hall. When I got married, she accompanied me out of the palace, and later when I became a monk, she accompanied me out of the palace again."

Su Mu didn't dare to speak out and just listened silently.

"It's a pity... there can only be the sound of chanting sutras in the temple, how can there be such a melodious sound..."

The weather was very cold, and the lotus seed soup that had just been served had started to cool down. The lotus seeds floating on it and the barley were glued together, and it was unnaturally white.

The eldest princess supported the bowl containing the lotus seed soup, her hands were a bit rough, and it was impossible to tell that it was once a body of golden branches and jade leaves.

Su Mu was inexplicably sad. If Xiahou Lingquan knew that his beloved wife had become like this now, I don't know how sad it would be...

"You are a visitor from afar, and there is nothing to entertain here, except for some lotus seeds. I was thinking... Forget it, this soup is already cold, you can go."

Su Mu blinked: "I heard from Xiahou before that you are the best at making lotus seed soup. I didn't expect to have the opportunity to feast on it today."

As he said that, he stretched out his hand to take the bowl: "It's still warm, don't worry about it."

The eldest princess didn't let go, she lowered her eyes: "I said it's cold, then it's cold. If I tell you to go, you can go."

……

The temple gate was closed behind him, Su Mu stood on the footprints he stepped on when he came, and three sentences echoed in his mind.

Who am I, where am I, what just happened.

"Master Su!"

Twelve, who had been standing at the bottom of the steps, suddenly jumped down from the branch of the tree, and before he could speak again, the tree clattered and sprinkled snow all over his head.

Seeing Twelve jumping up and down below, Su Mu sighed, and could only comfort himself that the painting style of Xiahou Mansion might be different from others.In many cases, it is normal to not understand.

When he went back, Twelve was full of curiosity. Sometimes he was driving the car outside, and sometimes he poked his head in. The way he wanted to ask but didn't dare to ask was really ridiculous and pitiful.

Su Mu sighed again, "Ask, what exactly do you want to know?"

Twelve fluttered his big eyes: "This subordinate just wants to know... what does the eldest princess look like? Is she really prettier than the old general?"

Su Mu choked, and said in disbelief, "Haven't you seen it?"

Twelve is even more unbelievable: "I must have never seen it! The eldest princess has not seen outsiders for more than 20 years!"

"You never went with Xiahouzhe?"

Twelve eyebrows were knotted: "Young Master, the outsiders mentioned by this subordinate refer to all people outside Baoen Temple. All of them."

Su Mu's eyes widened slightly: "Including Xiahou? She hasn't even seen Xiahou!? Doesn't it mean that Xiahou will go to Wanzhu Mountain for a short stay every year?"

Twelve spread their hands: "That's right, I went to live in Wanzhu Mountain, then asked to see the eldest princess, and was rejected. That's it."

Su Mu was shocked. After a while, he opened the curtain, and his voice was full of disbelief: "That is to say, I am the only outsider she has seen in so many years?"

Twelve, who was driving the car, nodded cheerfully: "Yes, apart from a few nuns in the Baoen Temple, the eldest princess has only seen you in the past 20 years."

Su Mu sat in the car in a daze, constantly replaying the scene of the previous meeting in his mind.

It seems that the eldest princess's voice is dry and her speech is very slow.It's like... it's been a long time since I spoke.

"Twelve, the nanny named Bailing next to the eldest princess, why is her voice so bad?"

"Well……"

"Huh?" Su Mu keenly noticed that Twelve was hesitating, and he immediately said, "If you don't tell me, I'll ask Xiahou."

"Hey..." As soon as he heard the master's name, Twelve immediately became honest: "I also found out by accident, the master made a special investigation some time ago, I saw it by accident, please don't betray me! "

The nanny named Bailing was indeed the eldest princess's dowry. Her voice was hoarse because of the aftereffects of taking poison.

"poison?"

Twelve shrank his neck and nodded: "Well, back then... when the Eldest Princess went to Baoen Temple, she gave farewell wine to all those who served her. Then...then all those people died. Nanny Bailing drank less and died. He didn't die, but he was still hoarse from the poison..."

Su Mu felt that the shock he received this day almost exceeded the sum of the previous year.

"Why did the eldest princess poison those people to death? Didn't she become a monk voluntarily and dismiss her servants?"

Twelve was also very confused: "My subordinates only read a little bit, and I don't know the details, but I think those people should know what they shouldn't know."

Su Mu's heart was heavy. Looking back at Wanzhu Mountain, which had been covered by the wind and snow, he always felt that some people and things that existed in his mind before had changed.

The wheels pressed against the snow, making a creaking sound.

Su Mu suddenly said: "Xiahou... he knelt outside Baoen Temple for three days and three nights before?"

"How do you know?" Twelve was surprised, he glanced left and right: "I didn't say that!"

Su Mu reached out to pat his head: "Don't interrupt, what's going on?"

"The specific subordinates don't know what's going on..." Twelve scratched his head: "I was still young at that time, and I heard that there was a lot of trouble, and the master lay in the mansion for a long time. This matter was ordered to be sealed at the time. I went to Brother Jiu to gossip and found no trace."

Twelve sighed vaguely: "The world of adults is really complicated."

Su Mu ignored him, and thought after putting down the curtain.

After a while, he suddenly said: "Since you haven't seen it before, how do you know that the eldest princess is very kind?"

Twelve's voice was very obsequious: "Isn't this subordinate thinking... that you can relax a little bit after saying this."