Youthful Glory

The so-called youngest miss of the Ming family was heading to Lingmiao Temple for prayers this time, located on Yunxiu Mountain three miles north of the city.

Unlike the grand Xiangguo Temple with its flourishing incense offerings or renowned efficacy for matchmaking and fertility blessings, Lingmiao Temple was known only for its gentle mountains and soft waters, offering exceptionally tranquil scenery. Among the common folk, it had the added reputation of serving "delicious vegetarian meals."

Ming Tan had chosen it precisely for its secluded and quiet nature, sparing her the awkwardness of running into noble ladies from the capital who might come to offer incense while she was merely there to pray and lay low.

By now, the scandal of the Duke of Ling's household had surely spread—there was no way Ming Chu and Shen Hua wouldn’t know. Moreover, Consort Liu was her father’s bedfellow, so it was entirely possible Ming Chu had even learned about her being tricked into falling into the water.

Originally, Madam Pei had arranged for her departure the following morning, but Ming Tan anticipated that Ming Chu wouldn’t miss the perfect opportunity to mock and ridicule her during the farewell.

So, she decided not to give Ming Chu that chance—informing Madam Pei the night before, she set off before dawn with Suxin and Lü’e.

By the time they arrived at Lingmiao Temple, the monks had just finished their morning recitations. After all, this was a place of Buddhist asceticism—morning bells and evening drums, the faint chanting of scriptures. Merely being in these mountains brought an unexpected sense of calm.

Thanks to Madam Pei’s prior arrangements, a reception monk was already waiting outside the temple gates for Ming Tan’s party.

Upon seeing her, the monk clasped his hands and said, "Amitabha, benefactress. Please follow me."

"Thank you, Master," Ming Tan replied politely.

The temple was serene. As they followed the monk, ancient trees stood scattered along the path, and koi fish swam in the release pond, creating an atmosphere of rustic tranquility.

When they reached the guest quarters for female visitors, though not as refined or luxurious as Zhaoshui Courtyard, the rooms were at least spacious and clean—acceptable enough for Ming Tan. But before she could inspect them properly, a young novice arrived with plain blue robes.

Ming Tan paused, hesitating slightly as she asked, "Master, these are…?"

The reception monk answered gently, "All short-term guests at the temple must wear these robes. Do not worry, benefactress—they are clean and new."

Ming Tan: "..."

Was cleanliness and newness really the issue here?

Earlier, after Suxin’s reminder, she had painstakingly pared down her luggage, leaving behind many clothes and accessories. Yet no one had informed her that Lingmiao Temple provided robes for short stays—what a sudden and unwelcome shock!

While she was still processing this, the monk went on to explain the rules and disciplines that short-term guests were expected to observe. Finally, he added considerately, "Benefactress must be weary from the journey. You may rest now—this humble monk shall not disturb further. Amitabha."

Ming Tan remained somewhat dazed. Belatedly, she touched the robes and fell silent again.

Everything else was manageable, but these robes—broad-shouldered, long-sleeved, utterly shapeless, with neither color nor fabric worth praising—were worse than what even the lowest-ranking maids in the Marquis’s household wore. How could she possibly put them on?

Sitting there, Ming Tan glared helplessly. But when in Rome, one must do as the Romans do—she had no choice. She couldn’t very well stay cooped up in her room the entire time.

Take meals, for instance. Everyone had to eat in the communal dining hall—no personal attendants allowed, and no taking food out.

By lunchtime, the young miss’s stubbornness finally succumbed to her growling stomach. Reluctantly, she let Lü’e help her change into the dreadful robes.From the moment she was born, Ming Tan had never dressed so plainly. Even her sleeping garments were made of soft fabrics with intricate embroidery, tailored precisely to her figure. Wearing this outfit indoors, she felt uncomfortable all over.

"Looking so plain, how can I face anyone?" She frowned, dissatisfied as she examined her reflection in the mirror.

Lü'e reassured her, "Don't worry, miss. There's no one to see you anyway. I noticed when we arrived—this temple barely gets any visitors in a day."

Ming Tan: "..."

Suxin coughed lightly and shot Lü'e a glance.

Realizing her blunder, Lü'e smacked her own lips in frustration and quickly added, "A-and besides, this simple green robe actually highlights your graceful figure and outstanding beauty! As the saying goes, 'A lotus rises pure from clear water, naturally free from adornment'—doesn’t that perfectly describe you, miss?"

Hmm.

"A lotus rises pure from clear water, naturally free from adornment."

Those words struck a chord with Ming Tan.

Very well. Though she was always refined and polished, an occasional touch of simplicity might accentuate her natural elegance.

With that thought, her previously gloomy mood suddenly brightened.

But her cheerfulness lasted only a moment before Lü'e offered another ill-timed consolation: "This temple seems quite peaceful, miss. Staying here for a while might be good for you. There’s no need to grieve.

"That... that Liang Zixuan may have seemed decent at first glance, but who knew he’d turn out to be such a heartless scoundrel? Truly blind to have missed a beauty like you. Don’t worry, once we return to the capital, the Marquis and Madam will surely find you another perfect match!"

Ming Tan: "..."

She wasn’t grieving.

Liang Zixuan wasn’t worth her grief.

But the disgraceful deeds committed by Liang Zixuan and the Dowager Duchess of Lingguo had dragged her, an innocent party, into their mess, and that left her deeply displeased.

And if she was displeased, no one else would get off easy.

Though this prayer trip had been hastily arranged, before leaving, she hadn’t forgotten to orchestrate a grand spectacle for the Lingguo Manor—

At the Changguo Manor, in Bai Minmin’s courtyard, Zhou Jingwan stood before a writing desk, brush in hand.

The Zhou family was a renowned scholarly clan in Daxian, having produced countless literary giants and ministers over centuries. Zhou Jingwan’s father, a former second-rank imperial examination graduate, now served as a third-rank Hanlin Academician, his future prospects boundless.

Steeped in such scholarly tradition, Zhou Jingwan was widely regarded as one of the most talented unmarried noble ladies of her time, her delicate calligraphy poised and refined—though a closer look at the content revealed...

"This part is too flowery, Wanwan. Make it plainer. When I listen to storytellers at the teahouse, they’re never this subtle," Bai Minmin instructed from the side.

Zhou Jingwan paused, studying the text. To her, even hinting at such vulgar matters was already undignified. Hesitant, she asked softly, "How much plainer should it be?"

Bai Minmin: "Isn’t it obvious? Just write outright that the Duke of Lingguo is sleeping with the newly taken concubine of his second uncle! And tie it to Liang Zixuan’s scandal—like father, like son, a family tradition of adultery!"

Zhou Jingwan: "..."

Before leaving the city for prayers, Ming Tan had specifically sent a letter to the Changguo Manor, asking Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan to polish a storytelling script and hire performers to spread the Lingguo Manor’s scandals far and wide.These disgraceful incidents were ones Ming Tan had previously asked Bai Jingyuan to investigate, all related to the Duke Ling and his wife. Originally, she had planned to use them to deal with the Duke Ling's household after smoothly terminating the engagement.

Now that the termination couldn't proceed smoothly, she decided to fan the flames by spreading these scandals. First, to vent her anger at being schemed against, betrayed, and implicated. Second, to solidify the fact that the entire Duke Ling's household was morally bankrupt. Third, to seize the opportunity to salvage her own reputation as a virtuous maiden.

"Forget it, asking you to embellish these filthy matters is truly too much for you," Bai Minmin pondered. "Let's just hand them directly to the storytellers. You only need to write some words of praise for A Tan."

Zhou Jingwan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.

In her heart, A Tan was already perfect in every way, so this task naturally came easily to her.

"Oh, and that girl A Tan specifically instructed that while other things can be set aside, the most important thing is to praise her beauty," Bai Minmin added, pausing before muttering somewhat exasperatedly, "How shameless."

Hearing this, Zhou Jingwan couldn't help but press her lips together in a faint smile.

But in her opinion, A Tan was indeed beautiful, so praising her wasn't against her conscience. She picked up her brush and quickly composed a eulogy—

While Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan were busy helping Ming Tan with her affairs, Ming Tan herself, without any hair ornaments and dressed plainly, went to the temple's dining hall.

The dining hall made no distinction between masters and servants; all ate together at the same tables. Ming Tan had always been kind to her personal maids and saw nothing wrong with this arrangement. However, Suxin and Lü'e dared not dine with their young mistress and insisted on waiting outside the hall until Ming Tan had finished before entering.

Ming Tan didn't force them.

Having left early that morning, she hadn't had time for breakfast and was now quite hungry. Hearing that Lingmiao Temple's vegetarian meals were delicious, she felt a twinge of curiosity and anticipation as she took her seat.

But after taking a small, delicate bite, she found herself unable to spit it out or swallow it, utterly baffled as to how this coarse rice and bland vegetables could possibly be considered "delicious"!

She wanted to leave, but a young monk stepped forward to stop her, gently admonishing, "Amitabha, benefactor, one must not waste food during the meal."

"..."

She had momentarily forgotten this rule.

The young monk gazed at her kindly, his eyes fixed on her until she reluctantly sat back down and slowly picked up her chopsticks.

After forcing herself to swallow a small bite, she peeked at the young monk—he was still watching her!

"..."

Young lady knows she's beautiful, but there's no need for this!

With no other choice, she continued eating. The taste was so different from her usual fare that she barely chewed before gulping it down.

However, her appetite was small, and even after eating until she was full, there was still half a bowl left. She lifted her head pitifully and said, "Master, I truly cannot finish this meal."

Seeing that not much remained and that she had indeed struggled, the young monk clasped his hands and said, "Amitabha, in that case, benefactor may go to the small prayer hall to reflect for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."

Ming Tan: "...?"

So now she was being punished with kneeling?

Well, she was also somewhat afraid that Buddha might punish her for wasting food.

Thus, under the young monk's watchful gaze and guidance, she stepped out.

However, the door the young monk pointed to wasn't the main entrance of the dining hall. After walking for a while, she became completely disoriented, growing more and more confused. All around her were halls enshrining Buddha statues—which one was the small prayer hall the master had mentioned?

Never mind, sincerity was what mattered in reflection.

With this thought, she entered the empty hall ahead and knelt properly on the prayer mat.The grand hall was extremely spacious, with side chambers on both sides. Ming Tan was completely unaware that beside the scripture depository in the left side chamber, there was a quiet meditation room.

At this moment, within the meditation room, the renowned young War God, Prince Dingbei, was enjoying tea and a game of Go with the elusive Master Huiyuan, who wandered the land without a fixed abode.

"Buddha above, this humble maiden, A Tan of the Ming family, is accustomed to fine food and small portions. Having occasionally partaken of your esteemed temple's vegetarian fare, I found it difficult to adjust and left food uneaten. My heart is filled with regret, and I pray for Buddha's forgiveness, that no karmic retribution befall me."

Hearing this voice suddenly in the quiet room, the young monk who was about to leave hurriedly said, "It seems a devotee who came for the vegetarian meal has mistakenly entered for self-reflection. This humble monk will guide her to the small prayer hall."

The voice sounded quite familiar.

And she called herself A Tan of the Ming family.

Jiang Xu recalled something but didn't pay it much mind. He simply lowered his gaze to focus on the Go board, raising a hand to indicate it wasn't necessary.

Meanwhile, Ming Tan knelt outside. After finishing her self-reflection, she remained quiet for a moment before remembering what Lü'e had said earlier about finding another ideal husband. She thought: Since I'm already here, I might as well make another wish.

So she clasped her hands together again and murmured, "Buddha above, apart from reflecting on wasting food, this humble maiden has another wish to make. This annulment of marriage was originally due to my fiancé's improper conduct, making him unworthy as a match. Yet because of this, I have suffered the ridicule and gossip of others. After this matter is settled and I return to the capital, I pray Buddha will bless me to find an ideal husband.

"The family background need only be comparable—whether imperial relatives, noble families, or renowned scholarly households matters not. What I value more is talent and character. As for talent, being among the top three in the imperial examinations would suffice. His appearance must be handsome, for only then would he be a match for me. Of course, having abundant family wealth would make life more comfortable. If he lacks the estate of a marquis, that's fine, as long as he can ensure I can have bird's nest porridge whenever I wish, order several chests of fashionable clothes from Brocade Workshop each season, acquire the latest jewelry promptly, and summon the skilled physicians from Liangchun Hall at the slightest ailment..."

The incessant female voice pouring into his ears distracted Jiang Xu so much that he couldn't place a stone for quite some time. Master Huiyuan wore a faint smile, while the young monk kept his eyes downcast, silently reciting "Amitabha."

Half an incense stick later.

"...His height should preferably be over seven feet. His mother should also be easy to get along with—absolutely must not enforce endless rules to torment a new daughter-in-law. Having no mother-in-law would be ideal. The relatives should also be simple in number, and there must not be any childhood sweetheart cousins with deep affection. I am not a jealous person, but taking concubines within three years of marriage is somewhat premature, as it hinders the cultivation of marital affection. Even after three years, no more than two concubines should be taken, as a large household is prone to trouble. He must not be one to frequent pleasure quarters..."

An incense stick later.

"...He should also be robust in health, but robust doesn't mean being covered in brawn. It would suffice if he could hold his own in an unexpected situation. If he practices martial arts, swordsmanship would be best—graceful in posture. That way, when he performs sword dances, I could accompany him on the zither, creating a harmonious and blissful union. Hmm... that's about all. I pray Buddha will bless me. If I find such an ideal husband, I vow to recast Buddha's golden statue and offer abundant incense."

With that, Ming Tan devoutly and respectfully kowtowed three times.

As the faint echoes of her kowtows faded, the young monk finally breathed a sigh of relief.

—This young lady's requirements for a husband were truly far too demanding.